Hills near town of Masera, Bascily province, Espartia island country

Thousands of miles east to the eastern border of Asterian empire (Krechester Province is a part of Asterian empire nation), lies a large island country named Espartia.

A girl named Velina wakes up under a tree atop a grassy hill. She looks around bewildered.

“How did I get here?”

She sat up and looked around .

Last thing I remember is taking a nap at the university. How did I end up here?

This looks like some countryside towards the south. Hundred miles away from my city probably. Haven’t seen this much greenery in a while.

Not a single soul in sight in this broad daylight. This is scary.

Am I dreaming or did I travel while sleeping?

Oh no. Did that bastard Marco actually kidnap me?

That shameless sleazy dog. Did he drug my food this afternoon when we met? He’s set a new bar for himself this time. Stooping so low? I need to get help asap. Before he or his men get back here.

Where’s my phone? Crap. Of course he’s taken it. Couldn’t anyone at the university stop an unconscious woman from getting kidnapped?

What am I saying? He can buy out the entire university at least two times over. Plus his dad’s the mayor of the city. With him visiting the university so frequently, most people at the university might have an idea that we are dating so the kidnapping might have gone smoothly.

Crap. I should have avoided him in the cafeteria today. Even then, how dare he drug and kidnap me? I wish his mafia didn’t have so much of an influence over the local police department. Then at least the police could have sheltered me from him.

When my boyfriend and family could no longer protect me from him, I should have known that an abduction wasn’t far fetched for Marco. Why do I still refer Sergio as my boyfriend? He’s a cheating ex. I hate him almost as much as Marco for abandoning me when I needed him the most.

This current situation mirrors my life policy perfectly. In the end when it really matters, you are on your own. Not even your family can be relied on completely. This world really is a selfish place.

“Ahh!”

I feel a minute vibration in my brain. Must be a side effect of the drug.

Knowing him, he would have had a minimum of two men around me in such situations. He knows I will try and escape the second I see a chance.

Maybe something went wrong with this plan. Did I fall off his helicopter while he was passing over this hill? May be someone in his gang took pity and gave me an escape option?

Its so confusing. My only goal right now is to get back home before he shows up. But where do I go? I have no sense of direction. The sun is at the centre of the sky, so I can’t even make out which is east.

I hate Marco so much.

Abruptly tears burst out of Velina’s eyes. She started crying hard.

“Why does my life have to be so fucked up? Why can’t that demon leave me alone?”

All I wanted was a peaceful life. Countless times I’ve begged him to stop pursuing me, stating I have absolutely no interest, yet he keeps getting worse.

I just want to be happy. I hate living in constant fear of him. Why does the entire city dance to his tunes? I can’t even leave the city because I have so many commitments. Is there no way out this torture other than becoming his girlfriend or wife?

Why did Sergio have to leave me? Was I just a rebound for him until his ex took him back? Am I not worthy to be his girlfriend?

After few minutes of sobbing, Velina picked herself up.

Rubbing her tears with the back of her hands, she spoke “There is no point in complaining. God has muted my prayers a long time ago. No one is coming to save me but me”

Velina started looking around the hill. She could see a small shack and few cattle grazing around it. Assuming that would be a good place to start, she began walking downhill in that direction.

The closer she got to the shack, faint voices from the shack got louder. There was some heat in the voice which made her take a cautious approach to the situation.

She took a small peek into the window and noticed a girl around 14 years of age and a muscular boy around 17 standing opposite to that girl. The boy seemed to be threatening that girl with a dagger.

“Last week you said you will have it by a week”

“But I couldn’t arrange it this week” replied the girl.

“None of my concerns. I need the money with interest right now” demanded the boy.

“I’m sorry I don’t have the money right now. What should I do?”

“Is that so? Fine. Then I will have to handle this my own way” he replied with a creepy tone.

The girl then proceeded to push him off and run out of the shack screaming “Help me!”

The boy then chased her down, held her arm and pulled her back to him. Following which he forcefully pinned the girl to the outer wall of the shack.

“Nobody’s coming to save you here. I’m sick of your games. Here onwards, you will will face a consequence every week that you don’t pay back” he threatened.

“Look, the harvest season for beetroots has almost started. Which means I can find a job easily and pay your money back by next week” she said.

“Your words are as shallow as your pockets. I am not going empty handed today bitch” he proclaimed with a grin as he gazed over her breasts.

Velina was not sure what to do. She wanted to help the girl, but she was also concerned about her safety in this strange place.

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I kind of want to help her, but I don’t want to make my situation worse.

He hasn’t detected my presence yet, so I can use the element of surprise and nab him from behind giving the girl enough time to escape.

But then what of me? He also has a dagger in his hand and does look intimidating. I don’t think I can overpower him. Also, what if he turns out to be well connected in this land like Marco. Then I will be in a bigger pile of dung.

Furthermore, If he does something nasty to her and finds out I’ve witnessed it, He might not hesitate to waste me. So even staying here is like standing on sinking sand.

“Somebody please help me!” the teenage girl yelled in desperation.

I’m sorry little one. I am not going to risk my life for some stranger, Velina thought.

Solidifying her choice, Velina escaped from the other side of the shack so as to not get detected by the boy.

She kept running without much of a regret over the choice she made. The little girl’s cries for help and the boy’s sadistic laughs got fainter and fainter as Velina covered more distance. Only her safety was on her mind.

After reaching a safe distance from the couple, she halted next to a tree. Her heart was in tachycardia. Never in her life had she bolted so fast. Not being an athlete her entire life only made it worse.

She sat underneath the tree to rest for a while. The moment she felt comfortable, thoughts regarding her decision started to creep into her mind. For a moment she heard the girl’s cries for help in her head looping for few minutes despite being way out of the audible range. Guilt started to make way into her heart.

What if I was in the girl’s position? Screaming for help desperately in a situation like that?

Then she countered herself by thinking,

Then I would have to suffer it, because no one in this world would risk their life for me without any significant gain.

After spending the next twenty minutes arguing the case back and forth in the judicial department of her mind, she felt she made the right choice and the guilt vanished.

Instead of wasting my time like this, I should figure my surroundings out.

She then checked her wrist out and sighed in relief.

At least my watch is working. Thank God that Marco didn’t snatch this one too. To my luck, I’ve changed the batteries just last week, so I can rely on this for a while.

Wow! The watch is showing 1pm?

Does that mean I was asleep for almost a day? Jeez, it was 2pm when I decided to take a nap after meeting Marco at lunch.

This also means I could have travelled really far. Maybe even out of Italy. In a foreign country with no money, I wouldn’t fare well.

But then I could clearly understand those two back there. They were speaking my language, so I must be in Italy.

Wait a sec. Now that I think about it, they weren’t speaking Italian or English. No. More I think about it, it feels like they were speaking a different language. A language I’ve never heard of. A strange one.

Yet I could comprehend it like that was my mother tongue! This is quite intriguing.

I remember reading an article on this few years ago. A person who had absolutely no clue about Spanish language started speaking Spanish fluently after waking up from coma caused by a car crash.

Maybe the media exaggerated the incident, even then it was similar across different websites. Does that mean I woke up from a coma? Was I hit in the head?

Reflexively Velina proceeded to palpate her occiput to check for any bumps or irregularities indicating an injury which turned out to be in vain. Her fingers then proceeded to other areas on the skull but the findings were still fruitless.

Relived for her head but baffled by her linguistic ability, she decided to look into it later as she had bigger problems at hand.

She checked her pockets in hopes of finding something utilitarian to her

circumstance.

She pulled out a mini pepper spray from one pocket and from the other one, she excavated a lighter and a cigarette. This one was gifted by her co-worker who had gotten her into smoking.

Assuming this would relieve her stress, she lighted one and drew a puff. A second later, she began coughing hard. ‘Too strong’ she yelled.

In her 23 years of life, she had gotten into smoking only three months ago. This was the nineteenth cigarette of her life to be precise. This particular cigarette was too intense for a novice like her.

She butted out the cigarette for later and looked around for someone to ask enquire regarding the place.

Right then she found a man wearing traditional countryside clothes with a primitive lute in his hand at a distance. He was playing the instrument as he walked.

Is this guy from a theme park or something? I’ve seen that instrument only in the museum. Maybe he’s cosplaying. Which is highly doubtful in a rural setting like this.

Maybe this entire region is primitive and traditional due to underdevelopment. Its best I approach the man and get a grasp on my situation.

As Velina closed the distance between her and the lute player, it was obvious to him she wanted to speak to him. Realizing this he changed the note he was playing and started to sing while looking into her eyes.

“What a piece of sunshine is on my way,

Just the sight of her deep blue eyes could make my day;

With her dark blonde hair,

And skin of an angel;

She walks with a flair,

For my heart this could prove lethal.”

Listening to this she thought, What age does he live in? If I was born hundreds of years ago this might have worked on me. Well he was creative in describing me, so I could give him one point for that. Still, he’s weird.

But I need his help right now, so I need to suppress my true emotions and put up a good convincing smile. I need him more than he needs me.

Me playing a slight damsel in distress would get me the most return from a guy like him.

As they closed in on an arm’s distance, she greeted him.

“Hello there, would you be kind enough to tell me about this place?”

“I am not quite familiar with this region you see, hence your accurate description would be truly appreciated for my confusion. I will be truly grateful for your help mister”

I hope I’m not overdoing this act.

“Ohh, a foreign woman of class” he replied “It would be a pleasure for a travelling bard like me to help a distressed flower like you”

“Thank you” she replied with a wide smile which looked convincingly real.

The man then continued, “The lands behind you are the Malaca hills. If you follow the road behind me, you will reach the town of Masera in a mile or two. As you might already know, this town is in Bascily province.”

“How far is Italy from here? A rough estimate of the distance would be fine” she asked.

With a puzzled look, the man replied, “Italy? Never heard of that place. Is that the name of a small village or settlement?”

Slightly offended by his statement, she dished out, “I don’t mean to disrespect you, but Italy is a major country with a worldwide influence. Even a third grade kid would know that”

“I don’t think even the King of this country knows your great nation Italy. You must be new to this country. You are in the Nation of Espartia. This is a huge island nation with a worldwide influence. Also don’t degrade kids like that. That isn’t very ladylike” he mocked.

What nonsense is he spitting? He looks sane though. Either he’s role playing a medieval character or he’s tripping on some drug. There’s no way a region can be this backward with feudal system in this day and age.

“Drop your act alright. I am in a grave mess right now and I would urge you to be honest here. I need to get back to my home soon”

“I can somewhat understand your situation. I will help you, worry not. Answer me this. Are your family members linked to the nobility of this country by any chance?” he asked.

Feeling a slight delight for getting a warmer and saner response from his side, she responded “No Sir. We are a working class family. My father owns a small shop”

“Good good. I think I have something that might help you. Wait a moment” and he walked a few steps in the opposite direction and placed his lute and the leather bag on the ground.

He then rummaged his bag for few seconds and retrieved an item wrapped in cloth.

While she was wondering what her gift could be, he reached an arm’s distance in front of her. Her eyes were fixed on this baton sized cloth covered item.

He looked around for a moment and in a flash undressed the linen covering over the object to reveal an Iron dagger in his hand. With his off hand he tried to grab her wrist but failed as she managed to get her hand out of his reach thanks to her lightning reflexes.

Velina was now clouded with fear and anxiety. Just when she thought she had hit rock bottom, fate decided to say not yet honey-bun.

“Move an inch and I will slip this in between your ribcage. Now, hand over that fancy bangle on your left wrist” he threatened.

His words paralyzed her for a second, but she regained her composure quickly as she had been in such situations before.

I made a horrendous mistake revealing I am a total foreigner without connections in this land. I put my guard down for a minute and I’m toast. There’s only one person here, so all I need to do is create an opportunity and make a run for it.

“You seriously want this? This isn’t a fancy bangle, its a watch. Its not even made of precious metals. Its a device to tell time and not some jewellery or ornament. Its made of plastic so it breaks easily. Trust me, this isn’t even worth your effort”

“A device to tell time? Not made of precious metal? If what you are saying is actually true, then I might be able to sell it off without being suspected by the authority. A device to tell time might hold immense value in the right hands” he proclaimed.

Amazing. Just amazing Velina. You just made things much worse. Good job.

“If you plan to run away, I will stab you in the back so don’t even think about it” he warned.

Okay Velina, think of something. I am not a good runner so its risky to run right away. He will chase me down if I as my stamina still hasn’t recovered to its maximum. I need something to defend myself or throw at his face before I make my escape.

He stepped back to lay his lute down at a distance a minute ago, that might mean the lute is of significance to him, probably expensive. It can also be a good weapon for me to fend off his slashes or injure him.

Alright, all I need right now is a distraction to rush towards that lute.

Her gaze then fell on his dagger and she noticed something strange.

His dagger hand is a bit shaky. Maybe this is his first time. He almost looks as nervous as me. Maybe he’s doing this out of compulsion and not as a profession. So the chances of him actually stabbing me are very low. Good.

Now then, how do I actually distract him?

Yes, I could do this. If I do this hopefully I will throw him off guard long enough to grab his lute. In his amateur hesitancy to stab me, I will have enough time to grab his lute and gain the upper hand.

“I’m telling you right, Its not… as valuable as you think…. I can get you ten… of these for the price of a utensil… . Trust me on this” she replied, giving pauses in between her sentences along with shifting her gaze from his face to behind him and back to his face baiting him into an obscure idea that something of significance might be behind him.

Falling for the false lead, out of concern for his safety, for a second he pivoted his head to check his blind side.

This was exactly what she was waiting for. In that exact moment she pushed him off balance with all her might and made a dash for his lute.

“Don’t you dare touch my lute” he yelled as he regained his stance.

Not giving a shred of merit to his words, she crudely handled his lute gripping on its neck with the intention of wielding it like a club.

Just as she turned towards him, in a flash he drove his iron dagger in between her ribs under her right breast.

Velina froze in shock. Her mouth gaped wide in disbelief more than pain. The pain soon followed. She lost her grip on the lute and before it could touch the ground, the bard rescued his lute.

He then withdrew his dagger from her chest and started crying “I’m sorry I didn’t want to do this. You made me do this”

As tears rolled down his cheek, he forced the watch out of her wrist and packed up his bag and lute.

The bastard actually stabbed me!

Velina touched her wound with her fingers and brought her hand closer to her face to examine the obvious.

“My blood!” she uttered seeing her bloody hand and started to lose her consciousness.

As her head hit the ground and consciousness faded to oblivion, she saw the bard running away towards the hills and yelling “I’m sorry”.

Her body laid by the mud road. Her dress soaked in blood. Her eyes soaked in tears. In a foreign land, far away from home, friends and family.