Chapter 37 Eli's story
Lyriel stared wide-eyed at Clement. To say she was shocked was far beyond words.
She did not know Eli's story and had made a mistake by not asking the villagers about him. His past was so dark… too dark. Now she understood why he was a little difficult to understand.
“What do you mean by he was among the few not rescued?” Lyriel asked, hoping he had not actually suffered in slavery. “Perhaps he escaped and made it back to the kingdom.”
Clement remained silent for a while, lost in deep thought. “I wish he had escaped… but it was impossible,” he said. “The kingdom of Sumer is one of the greatest on Earth, which is why the high priest had to intervene with the help of our God, Elyon, who rode along in the form of fire that connected the clouds to the earth, twirling like a tornado.”
He smiled faintly as he remembered the battle scene—one he would never forget.
“At that time, I was in the royal army and had the opportunity to go to war with the powerful priests of the temple and their lords. The Sumerians thought they possessed the most powerful sorcerers and creatures the world had ever known. Their armies were like immortals and could not be killed with ordinary blades. But when the priests of Elyon came riding at the forefront, bringing terrifying dark clouds as they approached, the Sumerians knew they had lost the war before it even began.
“We, the royal army, who were not as powerful as the priests and were no match for a supernatural battle with the armies of Sumer, had only two options: stay aside and not get involved in the battle, or go into the kingdom and rescue the children. At first, I stood and watched the supernatural chaos unfolding, but I could not bear the terrifying sight. So I went with a few soldiers into the kingdom, which had lost its guards and was therefore unprotected. We entered the prison cells where the children and young adults were enslaved, and we freed them. I searched specifically for Eli but did not find him. Till this day, I do not know what they did to him or where they had taken him during the war.”
“But he’s right here with us,” Lyriel chipped in. “He’s currently living in the village. Why not ask him what happened?”
Clement shook his head in disapproval. “Many years have passed, Lyriel. He does not even remember me. We were never that close in the first place. I was only a friend of his father, and I want it to remain that way… I have my reasons. He has gone through much trauma and many transformations. You must be careful around him.”
He stood up from the table.
“No wonder he’s so distant and cold,” Lyriel murmured, placing her head on the table in sadness. She had thought Eli hated her and wanted her out of his cottage. Little did she know he had been quietly battling trauma all along—fighting his demons alone while she had done nothing but make things more difficult for him.
There was still more to the story; she could feel it. Clement had only uncovered the tip of the iceberg. Now she needed to make her own inquiries from someone who was close to him, or perhaps from Eli himself. Although she doubted he would tell her anything.
Clement walked over to his cupboard and retrieved the small cloth pouch that held the coins Lyriel had given him. He divided the money in half and handed one portion back to her.
“You made very good sales yesterday, so to show my gratitude, you may take half of the earnings from your first sale.”
Lyriel sprang to her feet to collect the coins, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. Money should have meant nothing to her, considering she was a fae princess from one of the most glamorous realms. But life in the human world had taught her the true value of it… she needed as much as she could get just to survive.
Surely her pixie, Miren, would laugh at her in scorn if she learned that the once lazy and spoiled princess was now a fruit seller in the human realm, doing her best just to survive. In truth, she was still fortunate compared to the little thief with those mesmerizing blue eyes. And if Eli eventually chased her away, stealing might become her only means of survival.
“Thank you so much, Clement. I’m so grateful!” Lyriel exclaimed happily as he placed the coins in her palms. She had made a total of three hundred coins from her first sale, and now one hundred and fifty rested in her hand. It was the largest amount of money she had acquired since arriving in the human world. She only needed to remain strong and hardworking, and she would surely earn much more within a week.
“Save your earnings well. You will need them for the future,” he added, turning to arrange his cupboard.
Lyriel could hardly contain her happiness. She began jumping up and down in silent excitement, careful not to make any noise. But Clement noticed the movement and turned around abruptly to stare at her. She immediately froze, pretending to be calmly counting the coins in her hands. Then, without another word, she hurried into the other room to begin selecting the fruits she would take to sell.
She heaped fruits into her basket but was not satisfied with the amount. The more fruits she took to the market, the higher her earnings would be. But it was impossible to carry a basket any larger than that one unless she wanted her neck broken under the weight.
“Can you push a cart?”
She heard Clement ask and glanced at him.
“A cat?” she asked, furrowing her brows. What does that mean? she wondered.
“Yes, the cart is at the entrance of the door,” he said. “It is small and very light. You can transport your fruits to the market with it instead of carrying them on your head.”
“Really?” Lyriel exclaimed, dashing to the front door in excitement.