006 - Marketplace

Jai and Miria walked side by side to the market. The little Usha was between them, walking in grace like it owns the street. A few times, it brushed past Miria’s ankle as if it intended to do that. That action took Miria by surprise every time, but it did catch her attention and she took it as adorable action and was not troubled by it.

Jai was grateful though; it helped save him from Miria’s attention and let him spend his time to think about his dream last night.

If he remembered it right, he dreamt about blue and white fire, with the white fire dominating the blue. There were also shadows of people. One side was from what he supposed was the military, and the other side was the lower ranked people, possibly the citizen. The setting seemed like a battlefield of sorts, but it wasn’t that big to call it a war. But it did seem like one side was oppressing the other with unknown reason. He wasn’t sure what the reason was, and he felt like he didn’t want to get involved, but there was this weird feeling in his gut to follow and do what the last shadow asked him to do. Correction, ordered him to do.

But he didn’t know anything about a white dragon or where could that fighting happened. Or was it still happening? No, that didn’t sound right. That man said to kill for him, so it made more sense that it had happened and now the person wanted revenge, right?

Jai nodded absentmindedly.

“Yeah, that made more sense.” Jai whispered unconsciously.

“What is it Jai?”

Jai flinched and looked at Miria.

Miria looked back at him.

“Ah nothing... I was uhmm...” he looked around, trying to come up with a lie.

She blinked in confusion, “Hmm?”

Jai pursed his lips, and before he could say something, Miria brightened up and said, “Did you get your memory back?”

“Ah...” He forgot that he was pretending to be amnesiac. He fake a nervous smiled, “No I didn’t... I tried though.”

Miria lowered down, “Oh... Too bad...”, but she gave him a reassuring smile and said, “You’ll remember soon enough. Don’t push yourself, alright?”

Jai scratched the back of his head; a small tint of pink was barely visible on his cheekbones.

“Okay.” Jai answered.

Miria smiled warmly and turned her head straight ahead. Jai took that cue to look around and see what the place was really about. He didn’t really get to see it last night, so this was his chance. But what he saw made him frown.

Last night, he saw this village as the same as the villages in fantasy games. With pale roof made from straws, wooden walls and bricks of stone, and dirt road. He had hoped that would change after a night’s rest, but it didn’t.

What he was seeing right now was exactly the same as last night. Straw roofs, wooden walls and some bricks, and dirt road. With the addition of people, and that it looked bigger than last night. Maybe that was the effect of his head going nuts?

‘How is this possible? Did I hit my head too hard on a rock?’ Jai couldn’t help but thought as he pursed his lips.

He was thinking of other possible explanations when Miria squeaked. Jai’s attention was back to the present and he looked to his right to check the girl. But she wasn’t.

“Miria?” Jai called.

There was a hiss from behind him that made him turn around. Miria was kneeling on the ground, holding her right side. Usha was a foot to her right, striking an alert pose with an occasional hiss towards some men.

“Miria?!” Jai knelt to the ground, a hand on her shoulder and other hand hovering on her hand that was holding her side. “What happened?”

Miria looked at him and gave a reassuring smile that did not seem very reassuring to him, “I-I’m alright...”

“You don’t seem alright.” Jai pinpointed with a frown.

Miria closed her lips, seemingly unable to deny.

A heavy gruff was heard from the men, and then one of them said in a very angry, “You dare touch me, woman?!”

His angry voice was high in volume, and that made everyone around them look. Some even stopped where they were, turning their attention to the commotion.

Usha hissed again at the men. Jai gave the men a steady look. He didn’t think Miria crashed him that hard or even touched him at all. Moreover, the man shouldn’t be that angry even if it was Miria who grazed him first.

‘He’s a thug...’ Jai instantly understand.

Miria that was still in his arms, lowered her head and answered, “P-Please forgive me...”

The man in the middle scoffed and stepped forward. He stared at Miria with a gleam in his eyes before grinning mischievously, “Give me all the rubies you have. Then I’ll think about it.”

Miria shook her head, “I don’t have one...”

The man’s grin widened, “I guess I’ll have to teach you a lesson.”

Jai frowned. “Hey, she apologized. Let it slide, will you?”

The man seemed to notice Jai only until then. His eyes sliding at Jai, sneering. “Huh? Who you? Her guard? You ain’t scared ‘f us?”

Jai raised one of his brows, his face showing neither fearful expression nor passive signs.

“Why should I be scared of thugs like you?” Jai said bluntly.

Usha hissed again at the men, as if emphasizing Jay’s words, or, counting itself in saying: ‘Yea, why would we be scared of you?!’

Hearing Jai’s words, Miria paled and almost panic. She looked at him with wide eyes and pleaded, “Jai, let’s just go home...”

The young man swept his gaze back at the girl. His eyes were unreadable and he did not reply.

Miria did not know what he was thinking, but she really did not want to do anything with these guys at the moment.

“I know you can fight, but please don’t get into trouble with them...” she whispered pleadingly.

Jai stared at Miria for a couple of seconds before returning his gaze to the men, contemplating which options he should choose. He could wreck these guys here because they hurt a girl, or he could walk away as if things never happened. The 2nd option might be better if he wanted to avoid future problems that may arise for Miria and her grandfather, but Miria was hurt and he was already leaning into the 1st option.

He decided to ask Miria before deciding. Without tearing his gaze away from the men, he asked the girl calmly, “Did you crashed into them, Miria?”

Miria paused for a bit. “Uh... I’m... They...”

“Did you?” Jai repeated, without reducing the sense he built towards her.

Miria swallowed. She glanced at the men, who were looking at her greedily and rather arrogantly.

One of the men chuckled and Usha hissed at him. The kitten seemed to attempt intimidating them, but that proved to be pointless due to its size and squeaking it made.

Miria stared at the exchange before looking down. She nodded and said in a whisper. “N-No...”

“Okay. Move aside a little bit for me, alright?”

“But Jai—“

“It’s okay. It won’t be anything hard.” Jai gave her a gentle smile.

Miria blushed, but she nodded at him. She scurried away to give him some space.

“Oh you wanted a lesson, pipsqueak?” One of them said tauntingly. Then they started showing up the muscle in their arms.

The people all around them seemed to notice it would come down to fight, so they stepped back. None of them wanted to stop what was about to commence, although some of them did look around and gave a look of uneasy mixed with panic.

Now with Miria out of the way, he could do his part. He stood up and flexed his muscle. He just woke up and didn’t get a chance to exercise. He did say it wouldn’t be a full on brawl, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t warm up.

A hiss turned his attention downward.

Oh yeah, that furball’s still there.

“You too, Usha. Go with Miria to the side.” Jai said.

The men laughed at him. “You’re talking to a cat, turd! He’s talking to a cat!”

Looking at them laughing didn’t make him upset, but he’s sure his right eyebrow twitched by itself.

The kitten hissed again and stood its ground. The men laughed more.

Jai shrugged his shoulder. “Okay. Don’t blame me if your tail got stomped.”

He was replied with a ‘roar’.