*************

CHAPTER 3

~Human Kingdom – Noterra~

With the dawn of a new day, everyone in the human kingdom resumed their normal activities.

"Mother! I'm heading out to the garden," a young maiden called out as she picked up a light blue shawl to cover her head.

"You mean forest, you little pumpkin," the lady in question corrected for her.

"Well, it can only be a forest if I call it that. Besides, it's at the outskirts, not the deepest parts," she smiled sweetly at her mother.

"Lotus, this is getting old. She is old enough to take care of herself. Besides, it is her usual routine," her father, a middle-aged man chipped in.

"I know Lux, but I am a mother. It is normal for me to be protective of her."

"Relax, mum. If I do not hurry, I would make Scarlet wait. We can't have that now, can we?"

Before her mother could argue further, she straightened her blue gown and set out of the house.

"I love you!"

"I…"

Seeing her daughter happily run off with the wind, Lotus had no choice but to keep shut as she watched from inside the house.

"I have told you, she is not running away from us," Lux reminded and walked over to where she stood by the window.

"What would you do when she gets married? Move in with her?"

"Stop teasing me."

"I won't. Now you have been a mother this morning. Don't you think it is time to be my wife?"

Saying that, he wrapped his hands around her waist and placed a small kiss on her cheek.

******

Hurriedly she had gotten to her meeting spot with her friend, only for her to meet the place empty.

Left with no choice but to wait, she sat down on one of the stones and watched the birds play on a tree.

Several minutes passed and her body could no longer take it.

"If Scarlet is going to be late, I bet I can use this time to try what I saw the other day when those men trained."

With a determined look on her face, she rose from where she sat and picked up a stick she had come with.

Taking one glance at her make-do sword, she got into a stance, ready to fight.

"According to him, your stance first, then you work your way with the strikes. Swing left and right for diagonal slashes, like this."

********

Following through with his mission, Zale arrived at the borders of the Noterra and ventured into the forest.

His first mission was to locate the marketplace. Hopefully, he could hear a thing or two there.

Thanks to his disguise in his human form, he had no problem blending in.

For the next hour, he journeyed through the forest till he came close to a clearing and stopped when he heard sounds from that direction.

'That's just what I need. Perhaps I can get directions and easily make my way into the kingdom.'

With those thoughts, he rushed close to a tree, climbing it to get a better view of the area before walking in.

To his surprise, he caught sight of a young maiden holding a stick in hand as she practiced, only heaven knows what that was.

But as funny looking as it was, he was intrigued by her carefree spirit.

Her waist-long blonde hair fluttered in the wind as she made her strikes. Suddenly he saw her stop as she squinted and cast a quick glance around.

Thankful for his hidden position, she could not see him. Once he was sure she wasn't searching, he lifted his head and narrowed his eyes at her.

To his surprise, she released the stick and soon enough, he saw vines begin to grow from the ground all around her and creep its way into her outstretched hand, forming a proper sword.

His eyes flew wide open at the sight before him.

He knew most humans were born without magic but seeing this first hand, his jaw dropped.

The next thing he knew, dead flowers and tree debris gathered up in front of her, forming a small pillar as she placed her right foot in front and struck hard against it.

"How in Azucean's name did she do thaaaa…"

Trying to get a closer view, he missed his step and fell straight down from the tree, rolling through the bushes till he landed on his butt.

His fall had both startled and scared her. Without a second to waste, she closed her palm and everything went back to normal as though it had never happened.

Quickly she took up her stick and strode over to where the noise had come from.

She was sure it was no animal. The noise she heard clearly belong to a person.

At the same time, Zale rose to his feet quickly and dust his body. At first, he planned on staying hidden, having witnessed something he probably shouldn't have but when she called out, he knew she had caught him.

"Who's there?"

No response came.

"Come out!" She ordered and this time, her blue eyes shone as she took closer steps towards where he had fallen down.

"I would not count up to three," she threatened. "One."

Before she called out two, she threw a stone with her left hand, hitting him on the arm to his dismay.

"Watch it!" Zale cried out.

How and when she picked up a stone, he could not tell but what shocked him was her aim. She could not see him, but she hit him.

Her lips curled into a smile at her lovely aim.

"I told you, I would not count up to three. Now, last chance, come out or I'll…"

"I'm out, already!" he cried out.

True enough, he stepped out from behind a tree and casually walked over to her.

She narrowed her gaze at him and the second he got close enough, she rushed forward and aimed the stick at his head.

"Hey!" Zale yelled once more.

He did not know why but this was the most he had yelled within a short span in all his life and he did so for a common human girl.

The audacity!

"You could harm someone with that you know."

"I intend to."

'Well, I do not want to be hit like that…"

The moment he made mention of it, her eyes darkened further, sending forth a murderous look.

Without being told, he knew he made a terrible mistake letting those words slip out.

While he thought of how to work his way out of this, she wasted no time, pulled back her stick and this time, sent it swinging with force for his neck.

0_0

Zale's eyes flew wide open at the sudden turn of events but he reacted quickly and dodged.