"My father's a rich merchant." The girl said in a shaky voice as she got offered some clothes to cover her shivering body. "He'll pay you. In gold coins. Of that i'm certain."
"How'd you end up here?" The bearded man cut in as he rubbed his right cheek and chin with his left hand.
"There was some dispute about the family vineyards and winery." A gust of wind blew her black hair. "My uncle had his men take me hostage out here. We were attacked and I managed to escape."
The cohort members gave each other looks.
"What's your father's name?"
The girl swallowed before answering, "Gall Palermo."
The bearded man's brows rose, "you are Palermo's daughter?" He squatted so their eyes were on the same level.
The girl nodded with a serious look on her face. Her jaws still shivered from the cold.
Hadrian had gotten this random name when he'd visited the bank.
After looking deep into the girl's eyes, the bearded man stood up straight with a grunt and motioned for some of the cohort members to follow him. The rest remained with the girl.
"I don't want to get into noble family disputes." The short brown haired man said as he shook his head, "you please one, you make yourself an enemy of ten."
"And they have mages." The broad forehead woman added.
"Why do we do what we do?" Another cohort member whispered, "money. We have a chance to get paid without risking our lives." His eyes darted between the small formed circle. "Look, we missed the opportunity for the essence fragment, with what we obtained from the carcass and when we deliver this girl, that might be worth three hunts."
"Or we've found a new bait." The bearded man said with his big arms crossed. They all went silent for a moment.
"I'm tired." Another member spoke up, "and he's right," she gestured to the member who'd argued to deliver the girl. "What are we doing here? Let's go back, get the money and come back in one or two months."
For two minutes, they argued back and forth.
Summoning the thin girl, the bearded man sat down. "We'll take you to your father." He said with a heavy exhale, "But, you must first tell us about this…. dispute."
Hadrian thought up some lies and told them to them. He'd always been good with words when he'd needed to survive as a street rat all those years.
Afterwards, he observed them perform more of that "terra sorcery" as the woman had called it, set up a fire, and cooked some of the creature's meat.
The meat was soft and came off like paper with each bite. Hadrian could not say if the taste was better than that of the chicken meat. It was simply different, in a pleasant way.
"It's not like a mage's abilities. How does it work?" Alia asked the broad foreheaded woman sitting to her right. She was meant to guard her.
The woman tightened her blanket covering around her shoulders and her eyes constricted. "The world has a language." She said with a smirk, "if you can speak it, then the world will listen."
"Can you teach me some words?" Alia Hadrian's voice was filled with youthful interest.
The woman's shoulders rose and fell. "I could speak the words to you, but you would forget as soon as you hear. It isn't something to be taught. It takes time and meditation."
The woman shuffled up. "Come." She motioned for Alia to follow.
Hadrian's brows pinched and he made Alia stand up hesitatingly and follow.
"Is it safe?" Alia Hadrian asked, facing the woman's back who was still wrapped in her blanket, "to leave the others?"
The woman didn't turn back, "We won't be too long, and it's not too far."
She isn't planning to…. Is she?
Hadrian's heart picked up pace. When they walked up to a place alone, the woman dropped her blanket and turned to Alia. "Have you ever…. " she spoke, her voice as tender as the night breeze, her sharp eyes fluttering.
Alia Hadrian shook her head. "I don't plan to."
The woman took slow steps until her warm breath was on Alia's cheek. Alia Hadrian looked up into her eyes and smile.
The woman's left hand reached out and caressed Alia's cheek.
Alia flinched back, "I'm too young for you."
The woman took another step and closed the newly created distance, "I've seen girls as young as twelve wedded. When they held you hostage, they must have tried something." She ran her hands through Alia's hair, "is that why you are scared? It's okay. I won't be rough like them." She exhaled a warm breath, "you are just so pretty. And I want to taste your soft lips."
Alia Hadrian swallowed and turned to leave, the woman grabbed her hand.
Hadrian would not have minded enjoying the body of a woman himself, but not through Alia. Not through all she'd been through and what he'd already put her through.
That was out of necessity. He told himself. But I won't use her for my own pleasure.
Alia Hadrian pulled her hand back but the woman did not let go, instead she pulled her closer aiming to land a kiss.
Alia's sight altered and she peered into the woman's essence sea. Without wasting time, she called at her fog tendrils.
With the rank one core inside of her, even human essence tendrils responded to the call faster and they rushed to Alia Hadrian.
When she made contact with them, they were filled with lust and guilt; it almost made her want to indulge in them. Hadrian fought the urge and focused on the tendrils. He heard a faint ghostly whisper through the fog tendrils.
The woman stopped midway and pulled her head back, releasing Alia's hand as her eyes narrowed.
"What is it?" Alia Hadrian asked, making her voice shrink with innocence.
The woman's eyes darted and she swallowed, "Nothing. I…. I think I should go back." She picked up her fallen blanket and headed back to camp, moving past Alia.
Hadrian's brow furrowed and he followed her.
Back at the camp, where some had seen them walk out of the jungle together, the woman kept her distance from Alia but she was still within the ten metre range.
Three people spoke to each other while the rest were either focused on their own thoughts or already sleeping.
Suddenly, they heard the woman rush the strange girl. Their heads turned to see the woman pulling out her sword, aiming it at the girl.
The closest was quick to respond and blocked her, holding her back for a moment. She broke free and charged at the frightened girl.
The others made it due to that momentary stop. They pinned her down to the ground and she struggled fighting them off as heavy breaths came out of her flaring nostrils.
With all the commotion, the bearded man walked out the tent, "what's the meaning of this?" His voice demanded.
"Something's wrong with that girl." The woman said between gritted teeth and hot heavy breaths.
Everyone's eyes darted to the strange girl who had her hands held up in front of her, her eyes and mouth wide with terror.
"Forget the deal." The woman tried her best shouting with everyone holding her down, "we have to get rid of her."
"She took me to the forest and had her way with me." Alia Hadrian shouted.
"Lies." The woman shouted back.
The bearded man's eyes looked for confirmation from the rest, considering he'd been in the tent the entire time.
"Can't confirm." The short brown haired man said, "but we did see them come out of the forest together."
The bearded man rubbed his temples with a dejected sigh, "She's not even a mage," he said, "what is a teen girl going to do to us?"
The woman's eyes go teary, "fine. Then I'll leave."
"You should know better." The bearded man squatted above her, "you don't simply 'leave' when you want to."
Hadrian could feel the woman's fog tendrils shout with anger, confusion and fear.
Alia's eyes were locked with the woman's watery eyes. The others didn't see, but he taunted the woman with a momentary smirk, enraging her further.
I would have felt the same way. If I had nothing to save me from you tying me to that tree.
After a few more minutes, the woman's struggles and heavy breaths died down.
"Done acting crazy?" one of the men holding her down asked.
The woman nodded as she faced the ground.
Hadrian closed his eyes and sighed as he felt the men's weights on him reduce.
The broad forehead woman got to her knees first then stood up.
"I apologize." she said, her voice tinged with guilt.
The short brown haired man sighed. "Now we have an extra crazy to guard. Good." He threw his hands up.
The bearded man picked who was to guard who and walked back into the tent.
The strange girl and woman locked eyes with controlled breathing.
A smile formed on the woman's face. She dusted herself off and turned to the rest of the cohort members.