With the young girl Henao Hart's forceful
guidance, Sciel found herself awaiting at a distance whilst the girl spoke with
a bald, black woman with a rebel-esc appearance with chains wrapped around her
figure and various knives exposed.
"She said her name was Henao Hart, so she
must be a relative maybe even a sibling to the woman I'm looking for" Henao
pointed a finger towards Sciel granting her attention, the woman smirked and
nodded at Henao, and she responds by a jump and open arms forcing the woman to
do the same.
"Okay, I managed to get you into the tournament!" Henao's grand smile slowly faded as she met the stare from Sciel's dead look.
"So, you signed me up… for a tournament… without telling me…" She smiled in a rage.
"U- uh hey, let's calm down…!" Henao chuckled frightened "I only did it so we can get to Manirosol!"
Sciel placed her hands on her hips with a head tilt; Henao gulped in response.
"Okay look, since we're both banned from riding the train, we can't, well, ride it! But if you win this tournament; the director and announcer of the Arena will give us a favor
ticket that we can use against Conductor Harris!"
Sciel sighed before giving a smile, "That makes a lot more sense now" Henao, feeling the pressure to leave her shoulders gives off a smile back.
Sciel slid across the sandy grounds of the arena; her blood-tainted sword pierced the ground, slowing the sliding.
"Come on little lady, just give it up already!" Her opponent with a bald head grinned as his massive hammer laid on his shoulders.
She raised herself from her knees as she smeared the blood of her scar across her cheek. She gave a grin at the sight of his cocky smile.
She raised her middle finger and thumb
together. "Slice" She snapped and a harsh cut slashed across the man's chest causing him to scream into collapsing where he stood.
"What was that?! Ladies and Gentlemen without moving a single inch the winner of this tournament is none other than the White-haired Warrior!" The crowd of the tournament burst into loud cheers as they chanted her title.
"Woohoo! You're amazing, Sciel!" As she turned to the recognized voice, she met the sight of Henao jumping with her hands to the sky, causing a smile to grow on her face.
A little while after Sciel cleaned up, she met with Henao and the director of the arena.
"Here is your reward" The director smiled
with a proud look.
"Thank you so much, Senna!" Henao hugged her tightly causing a laugh from the woman.
"No need for this Henao, just know that I held onto this goodie just for you" She smiled.
"You're the best, thank you!"
"Thank you, Ma'am" Sciel bowed and Senna let a scoff out in return with a small smile.
"I ain't ever seen you around here, where you from kid?" Senna asked as Henao pulled from the hug.
"I'm from Velan, a town not too far from here" She replied as she raised her head.
"Hey that's Sumer's domain. What you doing all the way out here?"
Sciel chuckled awkwardly at the memory of her argument with Conductor Harris. "I uhm…
accidentally fell asleep on the train"
"You should've seen her and Conductor Harris's argument, it was hilarious" Henao giggled and Sciel chuckled.
"Ah to Manirosol, I'm guessing that's why Henao brought you here, for her own sake" Senna turned her direction to the girl causing her to awkwardly giggle in response.
"Well… she's a fighter y'know! Even if I didn't approach her, she would've found out about
this ticket anyways," Henao said and Sciel gives her a smile and hands to hips.
"Well, as long as she's okay with it, now, is she?" Henao turned to Sciel with her index fingers touching and a forced smile.
"Yes, I agreed to this as well, though I didn't really have a choice since she forced me to
participate…" Henao's jaw dropped whilst Senna giggled.
"Alright then, well anyway Henao, once you get to Manirosol tell Hanna to answer my letters, I haven't gotten any response from the past week"
"I will, I really need to talk to auntie about something too"
"Well anyway, just bring this ticket to Conductor Harris tomorrow and he'll have no choice but to give in, so give him some hell" Senna said with an evil grin and Henao giggles in the same evilness.
Afterwards, both Sciel and Henao left steps behind through the streets of the town of Kavna, watching as customers line up to purchase from the traveling merchants that most originate from the City of Soulmoon, the city of goods.
"This town reminds me of Velan, the atmosphere emits the same energy" Sciel smiled at the locals who gave her smiles and waves in return.
"I've never been to Velan, but if it's like this then I think I would love it," Henao smiled.
"We have till tomorrow till Conductor Harris gets here, why don't I show you around
town?"
"You're trusting me a bit too much, don't you think?" Henao softly chuckles in response.
"Geez are you like this with everyone you meet?" She laughed and Sciel chuckled.. "I don't know, I'm not dumb enough to trust anyone blindly it's just… you don't seem like the type to betray or let people get hurt"
Sciel's smile turned frown, turning her head
away as memories of that awful night arose.
"I- I'm sorry did I say something to upset you?!" Henao noticed her change in demeanor which snapped Sciel from her thoughts.
"Oh, no sorry, your words just reminded me of someone, someone who would match your description perfectly…"
Henao took notice of Sciel's three strands of dark hair on the side of her head, it was soon to fade as her white hair took over.
"Do you mind me asking who they were?" Henao quickly realized what she had just asked, "I- I'm sorry, I don't know what I asked it's obviously a sensitive topic I'm sorry
please forgive me!" Henao panicked as she waved her hands towards her in shame
and Sciel giggles in response to her panic.
"Why don't we talk more over lunch? I'm getting really hungry…" Henao undercame a light bulb spark in her mind.
"Wait, I know the perfect place!" She once again wrapped her hands around Sciel's arm, dragging her feet across the road of the town.
Chef Mem's Restaurant, that was the name of the place Henao, had dragged the poor girl into.
"Chef Mem!" Sciel met eyes with the man of the restaurant, he was a tall hunk of an old man growing a white beard and cursed with a bald head.
"Ah, Miss Henao what a pleasure!" Chef Mem greeted as he walked towards them.
The place emit a strong, delicious aroma due to the tightness of the restaurant housing only a few tables made for at most 50 customers, but it was clearly a town favorite as most of the seats had been taken, as well as the
ones at the counter where customers spoke to the rest of the staff.
"This is my new friend, her name's Sciel!" Sciel bowed in response. "Greetings, Chef Mem" She replied.
"Hey, no need for that, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sciel!" He gripped her hand to shake but due to his insane figure her hand squeezed into itself.
"Heh… nice to meet you too…" She chuckled as the pain grew harsher.
"Jenna! Ready two plates immediately!" Chef Mem shouted to one of the female staff.
"Come on take a seat!" He said as he let go of Sciel's hand, instantly relieving the pain. "Let's go, Sciel!" But she was too busy rubbing her fingers against her palm.
The two took the red leather seats at the counter where a plate of lasagna topped with shredded mozzarella and a side of asparagus sticks was placed before Henao.
"Your usual, Miss Henao" The staff lady Jenna smiled.
"Thank you so much!" Henao smiled back with a happy giggle.
"What would you like, Miss Sciel?"
"Do you guys have any like… spicy food? Specifically spicy chicken and rice?" Sciel asked with an awkward chuckle.
"Wait, you actually want our spicy chicken?" Jenna asked as multiple customers and staff turned their attention to her.
"Are you sure, Sciel? It's Chef Mem's personal dish and well… he likes really spicy food…" Sciel's eyes shined brightly at Henao's words.
"You mean, like super-extra spicy?!" Sciel drooled with stars in her eyes and Chef Mem laughed loudly.
"Let me prepare that for you, young lady!"
Soon after, a bowl of soft, white rice and a plate of chicken wings drenched in a fiery, spicy sauce made its way before Sciel which brought sparks to her eyes.
She quickly slammed her hands together in a prayer and mumbling the words of a prayer before the sauce began to coat the tips of her fingers and as she munched down the kick of the spiciness caused her to laugh in joy.
"This is so… so spicy… it's so good!" Sciel exclaimed as she devoured each wing.
Her enjoyment of Chef Mem's spicy chicken caught the eyes of the entire restaurant as their jaws dropped at the sight.
"Whoa, is that girl really scarfing down Chef Mem's spicy chicken like it's nothing?!"
"What the hell is up with that girl?!"
"I thought no one could match Chef's spice tolerance!"
People muttered across the restaurant and Chef Mem let out a loud laugh in
response.
"Just amazing! I never thought I would see the day where someone would match my own spice tolerance!" Chef Mem laughed once again in pride.
"Oh my, she's really enjoying that…" Jenna said standing beside the rest of the horrified staff.
"H- hey Sciel, you should really slow down…" As Henao tried to place her hand on Sciel's shoulder she felt a burning sensation smear her hand causing her to flinch away.
"She's getting hotter!" Henao exclaimed as Sciel continued to munch down the wings before it was all empty.
"More please!" Sciel shouted with a raised plate and Chef Mem takes it from her to ready
another set of wings.
"Get this girl what she wants!" Chef Mem shouted.
"Yes sir!" The staff replied simultaneously before they scurried off.
Sciel managed to scarf down 4 plates of chicken wings that afternoon, each plate containing a total of 8 pieces each and 4 bowls of rice. It was as if she hadn't eaten in
weeks.
"I feel like my stomach's about to explode…" Sciel weakly said as she held her stomach, burping whilst they walked down the town street.
"You ate four plates of those wings I'm surprised you didn't drop dead yet!"
"It was so good… I need to get that recipe next time," Sciel burped and Henao sighed before noticing the sunsetting.
"It's getting dark now… we should find somewhere to stay"
"Somewhere to stay? Do you not have parents?" Sciel asked and Henao frowned at her question.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize…" Henao chuckled in response.
"It's okay, they died when I was young, so I don't remember a lot about them"
"Is that why you want to go see your aunt?" Henao gave her a soft smile before grabbing Sciel's hand.
"Come on, there's something I want to show you" Henao softly said as she leads her towards a tall hill outside of town.
After climbing it, Sciel's eyes widened at the sight of a burnt down facility as it seems; it was completely charred and overturned by nature.
"What is that place?"
"It's a facility where the people of Kavna were being tested on, a laboratory, it's also where my parents died…" Sciel frowned at Henao's words, feeling a sense of discomfort rise in her stomach.
"They were tested? But why? Did the Royal Guards of Valens Narens army not see this happening?"
"That's the thing, they were the ones in command of this whole thing" Sciel's pupils dilated in shock.
"Can you tell me more?" Sciel asked and Henao sighed.
"A decade ago, there was a rehabilitation
program for evil people that the Royal Guards brought in. That's at least the story they told us. But the thing is, it was actually a rat testing facility and the people of Kavna were the rats" Sciel grew a look of anger and sympathy.
"They brought all of us into that building and did countless experiments, they found a new way of using Prizma, the energy every living person possesses, and they tested it on
the people. Many people lost their lives in their evil progress. It's where I lost my parents as well… but after a month of experimenting a group of people came in and liberated us all."
A blaze of fire consumed the building behind a crowd of cloaked, weak, and ashy saved people, a child named Henao in the crowd as well.
"Thank you, bless you all bless you!" The people of Kavna said to the 5 cloaked people standing atop crates.
Henao looked up at the group with eyes as dead as a corpses and one of the cloaked figures leaped down towards her.
"Hey there, little girl, you're all messed up" A woman's voice spoke, her long red hair stuck out the hood and her blue eyes shone in the dark.
"Let me help you" The palm of her hand touched the young Henao's face, the bruises and ash slowly cured.
"I'll never forget those people, but the following day afterwards the whole town suddenly forgot everything that happened. Chef Mem and Senna don't have a single clue, only me and Auntie Hanna remember."
"Only you and your aunt… that sounds like such a heavy burden," Sciel softly said as she placed her hand on Henao's shoulder.
"I'm sorry for your losses, Henao" She gave the girl a soft smile, and Henao placed her hand onto Sciel's.
"I don't know why any of it had to happen, but I don't care, those royal guards..." She groaned as her fingers curled to a fist, Sciel sensed the calm demeanor shift to an angered one, it was a powerful grudge she withheld.
"Everyone's memories disappeared… I wonder why only you and your aunt were the only ones who remembered" Sciel muttered her thoughts.
"I don't know why either, that's why I need to talk to her again, I need to get strong" Henao clenched her fist and Sciel smiles.
"Then I'll be right beside you getting stronger" Sciel placed her hand onto Henao's fist before an abrupt surge of energy crashed into her eyes, and a memory from the past
flashed.
That afternoon was all Sciel could think about as she gazed upon the night sky whilst Henao slept in the room behind her. They were staying the night at the office room of Chef Mem's restaurant since they lacked funds to book an apartment.
"Where do you think you're going, Miss Sciel?" A woman of Sciel's memory asked the younger Sciel.
"I'll be back soon; I just need to visit someone!" She waved as she left the door.
"That girl, always going to see that boy"
Sciel left the church-like building with a straw basket over her left shoulder. She began to dart across the stone pathway to meet with a young boy, Solus.
Sciel wandered through the golden-leaf forest as leaves coated over the dirt and watching as the squirrels climbed the trees nearby. Sciel noticed a bird nesting on a tree nearby whilst the others chirped the air away.
"Hey, little birdie, do you know where I can find Solus?" Sciel looked up at it with a soft smile and the bird replies by directing it's beak behind Sciel.
Soon after searching, she noticed a familiar figure. A boy with black hair and three stripes of white strands of hair sat on the ledge of a dock, which brought a smile to Sciel's face.
He smiled softly at the colorful fish beneath him, tossing bits of wheat into the water. "Hey Solus!" His name caught his attention, as he turned around his eyes sparkled at the sight
of a beautiful girl.
"Sciel!" He dropped the rest of the wheat causing the fish to scatter over it whilst he rushed to his feet.
"I brought you some-" Her arms squeezed to her body as the basket fell, and his arms tightened around her.
His hug was sudden, but she refused to question it. The warm embrace brought comfort as she returned the gesture in full.
"Oh, I'm so sorry I made you drop this" As Solus knelt to the basket Sciel followed behind.
"It's okay it's just some left over food the church made this morning" Before she could fully kneel, she stopped in her path at the sight of something so beautiful.
"I think you dropped this too."
"Hey Sciel, it's so late why are you out here?" Henao rubbed her eyes as she stuck her head out the door, but her eyes widened at the sight.
"Sciel, why are you crying…?" Sciel had fallen asleep with draining tears and her hands gripping her scarf.
The sun soon rose in the horizon as Sciel and Henao walked out of Chef Mem's restaurant.
"Thank you for letting us stay the night" Sciel bowed to the man and Jenna who stood beside him.
"Heh, don't worry about it!" Chef Mem said with a proud grin and Jenna sighed.
"There's something I wanted to give you two before you left for Manirosol," she said as she dug into her pocket and held a small note between her fingers.
"What's this?" Henao asked as Sciel took the note.
"It's a message for our family, we were gonna give it to the mail carrier who was supposed to stop by tomorrow, but I figured you two could deliver it much faster" Jenna smiled,
"Wait, our family? So, you two are…" Sciel mouth widened at the realization.
"Yup, I am the uncle of young Jenna!" Chef Mem proudly announced showing off his pearly whites.
"Yeah… my mom, dad, and younger sister are working the Chef Mem restaurant in Manirosol so please deliver it to them as soon as possible" Jenna smiled and Sciel nodded.
"You can count on us!" Henao exclaimed, grinning with closed eyes.
The train station only housed a few people today, it seems everyone was pleased being residents of Kavna despite the tragic history that no person has memories of besides Henao and her aunt, Hanna Hart.
"Oh yeah Sciel, you never told me why you were heading to Manirosol" Henao mentioned.
"Really? I suppose our day yesterday was quite quick, so I didn't have the opportunity" Sciel thought about, "I'm actually going for the sorta same reason as you, to see Hanna Hart." Henao's jaw dropped at the confession.
"What?! You didn't think that was important to tell me?!" Sciel chuckled in guilt, rubbing the back of her head.
"Alright buddy, I want to like you and trust you so you're going to tell me everything about yourself!" She said with her finger pointed close to her face with a demanding
look.
"Okay, okay you're right, I should"
As the two took seats Sciel explained Sumer's plan he had made for Sciel's more comfortable and stable life which involved Hanna Hart.
"You still should've told me you were looking for her" She crossed her arms with a pouty expression and Sciel chuckled
awkwardly.
"By the way, what were you dreaming about last night?" Her question sparked open Sciel's eyes.
"What do you mean?" "You were crying in your sleep… like a lot of tears," Sciel felt the embarrassment rise and flushing her face.
"Oh w- was I…? Sorry I was dreaming about… someone" Sciel looked away and Henao softly frowns.
"Do you mind if I ask who they are?" As soon as she asked, a single tear dragged down Sciel's left cheek.
"Wait no don't cry I'm sorry!" Henao panicked and Sciel realized the tear.
"Oh no I-!" Before she finished her words, the sound of a steam whistle blew from the far distance, catching the two's attention.
"Let's talk about this later, okay?" Sciel asked, and Henao nodded in agreement.
The nearby people entered the train quite easily and as Sciel and Henao were to take a step into fhe cart, the sound of the horn soon stopped them.
"What ya think you doin' stepping onto me train?!" Conductor Harris yelled out his window with a fist in the air.
Henao and Sciel looked at each other before nodding and walked towards Conductor Harris.
"Remembers yer banned!" He soon lowered his fist as the favor ticket was shoved in his face.
"Yup, from the dear Lady Senna herself!" Henao grinned in cockiness and Sciel smirked with a hand to her
hip.
Conductor Harris gritted his teeth in anger before ripping the ticket from her fingers.
"Get on ya brats" He groaned as he rolled up his window and the two giggle proudly.