Chapter 17/ Interlude 9: Wish of firefly-3-Hina’s past end

-Hey Hotaru? (Arpetio)

-Yes? (Hina)

- I want to get some herbs, could you go to the mountain and get me some? (Arpetio)

-Uhmm, if only you let me have a pancake for the dinner. (Hina)

-It's unhealthy you know. (Arpetio)

-But I love it very much. (Hina)

-Fine, fine as long you finish your work. (Arpetio)

-Hooray, Grandma. (Hina)

I take my basket and ready to go to the mountain.

-Remember going back once you collected everything right? (Arpetio)

-Haiiii!(Hina)

I hurriedly go out of the house and head to the mountain.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The door of Arpetio's house is opened:

-What an unexpected guest we have here? (Arpetio)

The guard captain slowly goes in and sits on the chair.

-So why are you here? I haven't find the cure you know. (Arpetio)

The guard captain throws the letter to Arpetio.

-What's this? A letter? (Arpetio)

After reading the letter, Arpetio face became darkened.

-So you want us to die here? (Arpetio)

The Guard captain makes a sigh and said:

-I can only give you two choices. (Guard Captain)

-I'm listening. (Arpetio)

-First choice let me get rid of the kid and report back to the capital. (Guard Captain)

Arpetio finishes making tea and gives one cup to the guard captain.

-Second choice, I will kill you, but I will let the kid escape. (Guard Captain)

-You are not cold-hearted like you look, captain. (Arpetio)

-What do you mean? (Guard Captain)

-You can just come in and kill both of us without any notice. (Arpetio)

-...(Guard Captain)

-I will choose the second choice. (Arpetio)

The guard captain hesitates a bit then asked:

-Why can you give up the life of yours for a stranger? (Guard Captain)

-She is no stranger, she is my granddaughter. (Arpetio)

-But she is not related to you by blood. (Guard Captain)

-Family's bond doesn't necessarily be related by blood, captain. (Arpetio)

-Captain, you know the consequence of sparing one of us, right? (Arpetio)

Captain ignores Arpetio and continues:

-I admired your way of living. (Guard Captain)

From the pocket, the guard captain takes out an image of a little girl.

-She is my granddaughter. (Guard Captain)

The captain guard has a sorrowful face and continues:

-I lost her in war, as a grandfather I can only stand there and watch her die. If I didn't go to the battlefield, then I would have saved hers. Why did goddesses take her away from me and left this old man to continue suffering alone? (Guard Captain)

The captain looks at the Apertio's eye and says:

-I'm too tired of continuing living like this. I want to save as many people as I can before I die.

-I understand. (Arpetio)

-So can we start? (Guard Captain)

-It's pity that I can't finish the cure. My only regret is to let that child being alone again. (Arpetio)

Arpetio goes into her room to take something, then she comes back with 2 letters in her hand.

-Can you give one to Hota; I mean Hina, and give the others for my husband? (Arpetio)

-... Why do you accept your death easily, Arpetio? (Guard Captain)

Arpetio slowly said:

-I don't have much time left. You remember my husband is always on his adventure, right? (Arpetio)

-Yes? (Guard Captain)

-He tried finding an artifact to cure my disease. The disease has slowly eaten my life day by day. I'm only 32 now but I look like an old woman. (Arpetio)

-....(Guard Captain)

-I think I can only live for 6 months with the current situation. So I have been ready to accept my death a long time ago. (Arpetio)

-I see...(Guard Captain)

-One last thing, you can start burning down the house after 15 minutes.

-So you are going to "do it" on your own? (Guard Captain)

Arpatio smiles at the captain:

-You need to learn how to forgive yourself, captain. I don't want you to continue suffering because of your guilt. (Arpetio)

-...(Guard Captain)

After finishing the conversation, the guard captain slowly waits outside of the house. After 10 minutes, he starts putting the house on fire. Now the only thing he needs to do is wait for the kid to come back.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I already find all the herbs I need. Now I can go back and have a pancake for dinner with Grandma. While I'm on my way home, I see the black smoke comes from grandma's house:

-No way... No way. (Hina)

I immediately throw the basket down and run fastly toward grandma's house. Please tell me that this bad feeling is a lie. Please let the grandma be fine.

-Arghhhhh~(Hina)

The reality is so cruel, by the time I reach the house, it's already on fire. The place that where I make many memory with grandma is gone now.

-But grandma, where is grandma? Is she safe? (Hina)

A voice comes from behind me:

-She is dead. (Guard Captain)

The guard captain, why is he here? What has he done to grandma?

-No way, no way, no way. You liars, she said we would have a pancake for dinner. There is no way she would be dead. (Hina)

-She is killed by my hand. (Guard Captain)

-You...You.(Hina)

I can't think clearly. My head feels empty, my heart tells me to kill the guy in front of me.

-I will kill you; I will cut off your head.

I try hitting the captain with all of my strength, but he doesn't budge.

-Why did you do that? We only want to live peacefully. Give me back my grandma! (Hina)

-....(Guard Captain)

-Give her back to me! You murderer! (Hina)

-I...I.(Guard Captain)

-Grandma, you told me we would have a pancake for today's dinner. But now I only need you. Argggg~(Hina)

The guard captain puts a letter near me then starts leaving.

-I'm sorry grandma. I promise, one day I will make this planet pay for what have they done to us. (Hina)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At Acedian's barrack:

A man in golden armor stands in front of the guard captain and asked him:

-So you got the doctor, but you let the mage escape? (Armored Man)

-Yes. (Guard Captain)

-Useless! (Armored Man)

The man in a golden amour leaves the room and orders his underling:

-Kill the captain and find a new one replacing him. Our army doesn't need a sore loser. (Armored Man)

-Roger. (Underling)

-No need to find the mage. It will die without its guardian. We don't have to worry about it. (Armored Man)

-Roger. (Underling)

But he never knows that order will become the biggest mistake in his life.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I slowly wake up from sleep. My eyes are hurt, it seems that I cry too much. Then I remember the letter the guard captain gave me before he left, I take it out and read:

"Hi Hotaru, if you received this letter then it means I'm no longer in this world. But don't be too sad, this grandma will always by your side and watch over you.

I know you have met many difficulties since young. You met more bad people than good people. However, the world outside will have many others people wait for you. They will want to become your friend, colleague, or even want to become your lover.

Hotaru, let's go outside and explore more about this universe. I hope you can find a place that you feel belongs to.

Kind regards,

P/s: There is small potion use to erase the slave sign in the letter's envelope and a ticket to travel to another's planet.

-Grandma, but do you know I already found the place I belong to. (Hina)

I hug the letter and cry again.

-I can't be weak like this. I will take revenge for grandma...(Hina)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I slowly wake up from the dream.

-I dream a lot about the past again. (Hina)

I raise from the bed and walk to the window.

-Grandma, once I get hold of mechanical skill, I will blend in Acedian's army and start my revenge. (Hina)

Madeus