Chapter 82: Lovesickness (1)

Chapter 82: Lovesickness (1)

Aiyen had a dream.

Her first memory was of being ripped apart by scorching flames and sharp claws.

Cerberus, the three-headed dog of hell.

This dangerous beast emerged from the depths of an oil pit and breathed hot air and snapped its teeth at the uninvited who trespassed on its territory.

As Madame Eight-Legged, the goddess of depths, expanded her territory, the warriors of Balak were forced to follow her.

They were inevitably forced into a hunting ground dispute with Cerberus, and eventually succeeded in driving the original owner of the realm far away.

In the process, Aiyen was mortally wounded and dropped from the pack.

She thought she was going to die, but... still had a long life ahead of her.

Imperial slavers exploring the jungle found her dying, gave her minimal medical attention, and sold her into slavery.

Thrown into a cold cage by human beings without blood or tears. Aiyen feared death, or worse, doom.

Now it is self-evident that he will never come out of this cage, but will wither and die in agony.

His freedom to roam the vast depths is gone, and his honor as a proud warrior will be tarnished.

What will become of you?

Will you live a miserable life as a castle puppet for the greedy empire of Fatty? Or will he become a gladiatorial slave, doomed to fight demons until the day he dies, and end up as a mere piece of meat on the tables of gluttonous gourmets who lust after human flesh?

Aiyen's body and mind were weakened by his festering wounds, his rising temperature, and the fact that she hadn't had a sip of water in days.

As the proud jungle warrior fell to the ground, wings broken, dying a slow death.

A miracle happened.

A boy appeared with a white light.

He casually lifted the shroud of darkness over Aiyen's fate and cast a beam of brilliant light.

Her eyes were immediately drawn to his beautiful appearance, his combat prowess, and most of all, his brave and regal demeanor, which she had never seen before in her life.

Had there ever been a warrior of her age capable of such strength?

Not even among the strong and brave warriors of the Balak was there a man of such excellence, among an empire that thought only of them as cunning and dirty.

Through his fading consciousness, Aiyen watched as the slave traders who had mistreated him, treating him like an animal, cattle, were dragged away, all dead or with their limbs torn off.

That bloody night.

The boy took her out of the cage and sent her back to the home she'd always dreamed of.

And since then, Aiyen has never forgotten the boy's face.

Aiyen has consistently crossed the borders of the Empire with the sole intention of finding Vikir.

To invade the Empire was to risk her life.

She crossed the border, sometimes in groups, sometimes alone, to find the boy.

Living in a small community in the jungle, she had no idea there were so many Imperials.

But the boy was extraordinary, and she knew that if she kept searching through the crowds, she would find him one day.

One by one, Balak's other companions achieved their goals.

A man in Balak kidnapped a woman from the Empire to become his wife, and a woman from Balak kidnapped a man from the Empire to become her husband.

One by one, her companions succeeded, but Aiyen continued her hunt.

She was waiting. For the one that would one day miraculously arrive. It was inevitable.

While all the other girls her age had captured and paired up with suitable men, Aiyen stood firmly alone.

She didn't even look at other men.

Until one day.

Aiyen met a boy.

A boy, the same boy from the night before.

But in his arms was a different woman.

A woman. Aiyen felt a black fire boiling in his chest, a fire that burned only in the oil world.

But there are no obvious spots.

Aquila pondered.

"His symptoms are a little different from the other children with the Red Death...maybe it's ..., maybe it's not.

As she pondered, Aiyen frowned and clutched at her chest with her hand.

"The pain is getting worse, my chest hurts, my body is hot, and I feel like my heart is drying up."

"Hang in there, girl. Vikir will be here soon. He's the man you sent for."

"...I'm fine without him, he's not coming back."

But despite her words, Aiyen's anguish is palpable.

She turns to Aquila, almost pleading.

"Mother, I've never been so sick before, to the point where I blame you for giving birth to me. I shouldn't be like this, but the words 'why did you give birth to me' keep coming out of my mouth."

As Aiyen sobbed, Aquila held her close.

Not with the majesty of a chieftain, but with the compassion of a mother.

"My dear."

Aquila spoke softly to Aiyen.

"A long time ago. Me and your father planted a tiny little seed in the dirt."

It was the first time Aquila had ever told her father's story, and Aiyen listened attentively through her fading consciousness.

Aquila continued.

"Your father planted a seed in the soil and your mother watered it every day. Soon, the seed sprouted, and after a few months, it became a healthy, beautiful flower."

Aquila said, cupping her daughter Aiyen's face in her hands.

Aiyen looked up at Aquila with tearful eyes.

A warm, tender emotion rose between the mother and daughter that was hard to describe.

Finally, Aquila finished.

"And so we picked the flower, crushed it, squeezed the juice out of it, soaked it in tobacco, smoked it, and, in a dazed and euphoric state, had unprotected sex. That day you were born."

"...."

"Oh, and your father was executed by your grandfather the very next day for playing mean tricks with drugs."

Aiyen looked a little defeated after learning the secret of his birth.

" ...my body aches even more, Mother."

"Wait a little longer. If Vikir comes with a way to cure the plague...."

"Forget it, don't torture my hopes, he's not coming back! What slave in the world would come back when his leash is off...!?"

That moment. Aquila and Aiyen's conversation was cut off.

A commotion erupted from outside the door.

"Wow, they're here!"

" Vikir! Vikir is back!"

"A cure! He's brought a cure!"

Aquila, who had good ears, heard the shouts of joy from her tribe.

She turned her head, her face brightening.

"See, daughter, I did not tell you...."

But Aquila couldn't finish her sentence.

A bang!

In an instant, she was up and out of her seat, smashing through the wall.

As if she hadn't been sick before, she climbed down the tree and ran at full speed.

Aquila stares after her, mouth agape in disbelief.

"... Wasn't that a red death?"