I was absolutely struck with awe, the power she had, and the way she used her magic was something out of the comics I used to read! If this world had a protagonist, she would most definitely be the one! 'She can help me…I can go back home!' I thought, a stupidly wide, toothy smile, revealed the amount of happiness I was currently feeling.
I jumped out of the bushes, Pochi in hand, Kabao revealed himself with a slow march, Acorn followed my example and fell right beside me. I immediately got up and giddily walked up to the woman whose hair shone with the intensity of the morning sun. I didn't care that the refracted light was getting into my eyes, I could only think about the possibility of being able to come home.
"Excuse me! Can you please help me?" I asked, the woman looked at me and scrunched her face, I felt that weird feeling of being scanned again, and if my soul itself was being read. But instead of the violent outburst that Gian's wife demonstrated, the woman looked more confused.
"A dianian child…Whose kid is this?" She asked the surrounding soldiers, I could see the faint silhouette of Gian in the crowd, but curiously he didn't react. Seeing the lack of responses, she knelt down to my level and gave me a friendly smile, her teeth were as white as pearls and radiated an incredibly faint light. "I can see and feel the monster's curse on you. Do you happen to know where it went? Is that why you came running for help…I want to say Little Lune, but are you perhaps a Luna or maybe even a Lunaea?" Her voice was soft and kind, and the way she spoke reminded me of how preschool teachers would often speak.
She seems really good with children, I wonder why…
"Uh, Lune is fine…But uh, yes. I need help. But not because–" I was about to reveal that I had Shul'Ka's blessing, but that probably wouldn't be the best idea. "I mean…Yes, I was cursed by the monster… uh, I used to live in the Eastern Isles, but Shul'Ka came out of nowhere and suddenly I was here." I explained. I watched as her face turned sympathetic.
"Another victim…" I heard her mumble under her breath, "Well, what's your name then, Little Lune?" She asked, her pearly smile was a bit blinding but I couldn't care less.
"Clailip. My name is Clailip Diancia!" I answered immediately.
The woman's face turned stiff, and the atmosphere became incredibly heavy.
Did I do something wrong?
"Diancia…?" Asked the woman, "If I may ask, who are your parents?" She asked.
"Uh, my Mama's name is Kara Diancia, and my papa is Antuan Diancia." I answered obediently. The stiff face of the woman became unreadable. There was a certain edge to the way the people looked at me, and it made my skin crawl. I can feel their eyes piercing through my skin and tearing apart my soul, their gazes were incredibly hateful.
The heavy atmosphere weighed heavily on me. I couldn't help but freeze up as I waited for the woman's reaction.
"This boy is under my protection." Her voice shook, but it reverberated through the forest. Even the mana around me shook as she declared that I was under her wing. She watched as the soldiers clenched their fists and took deep breaths, "That is final. We all know what his last name implies, but he is an innocent child. The witch is long dead. Clailip, was it? Let us go. I'll lead you to someone that can help you with the curse."
Though her words were kind, her smile looked strained, and she didn't look too happy with the decision she had to make. I felt horrible.
What's so wrong with being a Diancia? Am I a burden for her? Her smile looks nice but her eyes tell a different story, there was a twinge of uncomfortability and hatred in there.
"O-Okay." I squeaked out, she held out her hand and I took it. Her grip was firm, but not painful, though I could feel a really subtle animosity as she grasped my hand. "Can we take my pets too?" I asked, as I pointed at Kabao, and Acorn. Pochi didn't seem to bother her so I didn't ask. She didn't talk and only gave me a slight nod.
We then started levitating, and so did Kabao and Acorn.
"He isn't here yet, but he should be soon. So you may have to sit still and wait for a few days until he gets back from the West." I could tell that she was just forcing a kind tone, as opposed to the genuine one she had before.
"Who?" I asked.
"The Alchemical Snow Bunny. You wouldn't know him since you're a dianian from the east. But he's one of the few people who could deal with curses from beings like Shul'Ka." She didn't look at me once as she said that. As if the mere sight of me disgusts her.
She was so nice before I told her what my last name was…Maybe I shouldn't do that the next time I meet someone. What was that talk about witches anyway? The only witch I know with my last name was that lady called Lilianna, and Mama never really told me too many stories of her.
I wonder what Diancia means to these people, why did they hate my name so much?
Before I could think any further, we shot up into the sky, fast enough that it gave me slight nausea.
I stared at the landscape in complete awe. I didn't mind the piercing light of the sun hitting my eyes even though I really should. The topography of this land was a lot different from the Eastern Isles.
The Eastern Isles was a land full of vegetation; it was practically covered in plants, even mountains were painted green. It was just one whole mass of flourishing life, and all maps that I've seen so far reflected this with how colorful they made the map showcasing the different types of flora that can be found in each region–I had no idea what the colors meant though, my Mama just told me that's what the colors represent. Mama was always very proud whenever we talked about our home, telling me that the East was a land bountiful of nature's gifts, and one that is beloved by Lady Diana.
The west, as far as I could see from where I was, was more mountainous. We were pretty high up, but there were still numerous mountains blocking the view. The forest I was in earlier was also the only woodland I could see for miles, most of the terrain were plains.
We flew through the sky, and I watched the lands below me. It was beautiful. From the maps that I saw back home, a lot of the East was covered in lush forests, the ones that weren't forests were either deserts, icy lands, or really tall mountains. It really is a lot like Asia in the sense that the East's geography was incredibly diverse and just very extreme.
The west looked a lot tamer and calmer in comparison. It definitely had a lot more mountains though.
One thing that seems to be a constant between the two though, is the air quality. It's just so fresh and amazing, my city-slicking butt from back when I was Gabrielle would kill for this refreshing wind devoid of car exhaust or cigarette smoke.
I hope it stays this way forever.
