THE THIRD MAGE 27 Separation

He remembered that this sea was named rather simply: the Black Sea. What made this sea so notorious was because no one ever survived its depths and currents. Many have tried to navigate this sea, but they all went missing. None made it back alive.

So it was a puzzle to the man that he was in the middle of the most dangerous sea in Aenario. How the h.e.l.l did he survive?

But the most important question for him now was how he will get back to his home, when the mere fact of locating the island was a problem to him.

If only the girl who he loved was there. She could make anything and make it do anything she wants.

He sighed and rubbed his growing stubble. What to do?

*growl*

"Oh no! Not now!"

*growl*

"Okay stomach, you win! I'll look for something to eat in this G.o.d-forsaken place!"

And he trudged deeper into the jungle.

It was a good thing that he didn't find any animal in the island although the fruits are rather strange. They are really different from what he has seen in his homeland. And because they are very strange, he wasn't sure that they are safe to eat.

"So, okay. How do you know that something is edible? Why didn't I take a survival cla.s.s? It is now my biggest regret!"

He sat on a huge stone and contemplated on how to solve his hunger. Just then, he thought of something his love had said.

"So I read in one of the books here how to identify a poisonous fruit. It says that you just rub the part where you want to eat on your skin or on your mouth or tongue. If there is something like a reaction, it is poisonous."

That was what she said. "But I don't know if it works. Well I'd rather try than die here all alone."

So, he looked for a plant that would pa.s.s as edible just by sight. He found a bush of yellow berries. He plucked one and swallowed hard.

"Okay. Here goes." He rubbed the berry on his arm and on his lips. He waited for some time for any reaction.

*growl*

"Okay fine! I'll eat it." And then he popped the berry in his mouth one after the other. Only to find that it was too salty for his taste.

He spat it out and cleaned his tongue. "Yuck what is this? So salty. Fine, I'll look for more."

So he spent his morning looking for anything to satisfy his hunger while talking to himself.

***

Her back was aching. Her head was pounding. All her body was feeling miserable. She can't see anything: only darkness, eternal darkness. She felt movement all around her, even the one she's lying on is moving.

The smell hurt her nose. It smells of sweat, blood and death.

She heard a m.u.f.fled cry on her left. And then another on her right. And then there were footsteps coming in front of her.

She smelled a foul thing in front of her. She thought it was feet, because that was how Dior's feet would smell after a long day wearing wet shoes. Someone is definitely in front of her.

She waited for a kick or a punch, readying herself that she would not cry in front of these murderous people unlike the ones around her.

But the kick didn't come. Instead, there was a light touch on her cheek. It seems like the person was caressing her. She recoiled immediately.

"What are you doing?" her voice came out hoa.r.s.e, already feeling her dehydrated condition.

She heard much laughter. They were mocking her, she thought. She made a mental note to kill them when she gets free; if she gets free.

And then there was a hand that clutched her chin hard that she couldn't move away.

"You are one feisty girl," a gruff voice said. "But I like you. In all my time living in this place, I finally found someone who'd interest me."

The owner of the gruff voice, probably, caressed her face once again as if a man caresses her lover. "Don't worry. I won't let anyone hurt you. I will take care of you like a husband takes care of his wife. Don't worry, don't worry. I will protect you."

And then she felt she was lifted up from the ground with a pair of strong arms. She flailed and twisted on the man's arms, to no avail.

"Let me go! Please let me go!" she was sobbing now. She never even felt this helpless before. But the man didn't let her go. He didn't even answer her pleas.

And so she continued doing what she thought would irritate the guy. She punched his chest, swung her legs and thrashed all throughout. But the guy didn't bother. He just continued walking until she lost consciousness.