The male turned and took longer strides away from Haya.
She couldn’t grasp the situation at the moment and found herself walking after the man.
“Wait! You mentioned it here? Where is that HERE?” Haya emphasized the word here in confusion.
Haya heard a slight turn of reaction, but the male halted.
“Here!” the male stopped outside the small tent where they slept together.
Haya got startled by the sight she was seeing.
“Stay behind! I’ll handle this!” Haya exclaimed as she stepped forward and positioned herself for an attack. “I think we got lost. We are surrounded by enemies. I have dealt with them my whole life, and humans are cunning creatures. But do not worry.”
“Not again!” The male’s voice dropped and he started laughing, which made everyone around them shut into a deep silence.
Then, sometime after, everyone scurried while screaming, especially the little ones. Some stared at her with looks Haya couldn’t comprehend.
Shivers crept through here not just because they were outnumbered, but because she realized she’s naked.
“Come on!” The male scooped her up from behind, wrapped her with a cloth, and carried her back inside the tent.
“Why am I naked?” Haya asked after the man put her down. “And stop looking. Wait! NO! You have seen it all. I remembered!”
“No worries! It’s not something I would really be fantasizing about in my dreams!” the male bluntly said without hesitation to avoid complicating things.
“Yeah? Fine!” Haya scoffed, wrapping herself even tighter with the piece of cloth to which she’s clinging like her life depends on it.
“Sir, here are the clothes you requested last night. We’re sorry; it took us a long time. We thought that the young Miss deserves something elegant for such beauty.” A human seemed to be as old as her aunt said sincerely, interrupting their heated conversation.
“She said I’m beautiful. Ha! How’s that?” Haya lost herself for a while. “Wait, did that human just talk to you? But why? How? What’s happening?”
“First of all, I never said you weren't beautiful. And please, let’s just discuss things in the next few days. For now, wear this; you may get sick. I still have things to do.” The male said
“I’m coming with you!”
“No!”
“You can’t let me stay here with humans!”
“You will! And if something happens or anyone here gets hurt while I’m away, I may not let you get off easily.”
Haya stared as the male vanished from her sight.
“Hi.”
Haya got startled by a little voice that came from behind her.
She turned around, and she found a little human smiling brightly at her, holding a basket filled with bread, fruits, and something to quench her thirst.
“S…stay away!” Haya rattled in fear.
But the little human just kept on walking towards her as her giggling got louder.
“You are like a princess!” the little girl said, thrilled by such mesmerizing beauty.
“What?”
“A princess. My mother used to tell me that once upon a time, there were princesses. A girl whose beauty is beyond anyone's imagination. And you look like one!”
Haya sat up straight and looked at the little human that was as tall as her when she was sitting.
“You won’t kill me?”
“What? That’s insane. Killing is the worst sin someone could commit. Only the Creator could take back life.”
Haya was stunned upon hearing the word Creator from this little human’s mouth.
Haya stood up, but she stumbled back down in cold and hunger.
The little human laughed as Haya burrowed her face down on her knees.
“I wished to see a princess. I even wanted to be a princess, but I am so happy to finally see one. Look at my dress. My mother made it for me to make me look like a princess. So please wear yours.” The little girl happily twirled and swayed in her dress.
Haya kept quiet, but her stomach seemed unable to bear another minute of hunger.
“Those are for me?" Haya asked the little human, referring to the basket.
“Yes!” The little girl happily placed the basket at Haya’s side.
Haya grabbed the basket and stuffed her mouth with as much as she could. She was so hungry. She was so tired and confused that she needed something to replenish her strength so she could think clearly about how she could reach the Creator sooner and be back with Avin.
After eating and finally drenching her throat with sufficient water, Haya decided to put on the dress.
“Do I look like a princess now?” Haya asked the little human after wearing the dress.
The little girl squealed in delight, her eyes even sparkling in amazement.
“You are a princess.”
Haya smirked a bit, pleased with her beauty.
Her smile got even bigger when an idea hit her about how she could safely leave this place without anyone noticing her.
“Can I do something in return for such kindness?” Haya asked the little human sweetly.
“Well, my sisters told me to do their tasks secretly without my mother knowing because I have to repay the flower basket; I messed up last time. Will you help me?”
“What task is that?”
“They should be gathering wood for cooking and fire for tonight. My little hands can’t handle enough.”
“Ok, I’ll help you.” Haya grinned at the idea that humans are sly beings.
Letting the younger ones do their tasks for them. Something she had expected.
“But, can I do something with your hair? You know, walking with such long hair would really be a struggle.”
Haya snubbed the idea and proceeded to gather some tools from the tent that might contribute to her journey.
After packing everything in the bag, she found the little human's pouting face so hard to refuse.
“Fine. I’ll let you do my hair, but you would not let anyone know that I’ll go gather the woods for you. You’ll stay here and wait for me. It’s dangerous out there for a little human like you. Do we have a deal?”
"But promise you’ll be back!”
Haya sneered and sat down in front of the little girl.
“Khira!”
“What?” Haya asked.
“You can call me Khira! That’s what everyone is calling me.”
“Ok.”
“Yours?”
“No need.” Haya answered back, feeling a little guilty.
“Just between us two.”
“Haya.”
“Princess Haya.” The little girl smiled.
After some twisting and turning, her hair was braided beautifully.
“Now, wait for me here.” Haya made sure no one could see her and tracked her way out to the back of the tent.
She looked ahead, saw the thick forest a few yards away, and started rushing towards it.
Haya reached the forest and started gathering wood. She thought of sneaking it back to the tent and just returning afterwards.
While gathering, Haya is on full alert just in case of an encounter.
Hours passed, and the sack was filled with wood.
She looked back and found herself lost, and going back is an impossible thing.
Haya tried to seek out some traces, but she failed.
“Oh no!” Haya thought of the little human being picked on by her bigger sisters.
“HAYA!” A sharp cry alarmed Haya.
It’s the little human’s voice.
She let go of the sack she was carrying and hurried to find where the voice was coming from.
Haya thought about how terrified the voice sounded.
“KHIRA!” Haya called, hoping she’d respond so she could have a clear sense of where the voice was coming from.
“HAYA!” Khira’s voice echoed.
Haya turned hard to a flat area with grasses as tall as the little human and Khira running so hard towards her with a grim face.
Haya gasped as she saw four humans running after her.
One tried to throw an arrow and missed Khira.
Haya was horrified by what she was witnessing. A human trying to kill their own kind.
She then scurried towards the little human as fast as she could, but she failed to reach her to save her.
An arrow struck Khira just a few steps away from Haya.
Haya halted in terror, dropped down, and hid in the tall grasses. She watched Khira stumble down the ground, her little body turning pale and lifeless.
“What a weakling!” the humans chuckled and left without noticing Haya.
Haya crept weakly towards Khira and lifted her body off the ground.
“K…Khira!” Haya barely called.
Her tears are falling out of control.
She saw Khira twitch and smile a little.
“You…are…glowing…prin…cess. Next time we see, tell me stories.”
And Khira stopped breathing.