As she finishes speaking a bad feeling washes over my body. This girl is trouble I can feel it in my bones, but more than that the little girl shaking in arms reminds me of myself when I was with Orb.
Should I run? No, I am no longer scared of anyone! My plan will go off perfectly and I will be safe, so I should just continue.
“The place where I lived was struck by a disease that killed countless people, and to my misfortune, my mother was struck by the same disease.
So me and my father worked day after day to afford medicine for her, the work was intense, it took up so much of my time that the only solace I had was entertaining, a boy and a girl.
When we came home from work, she would crack the both of us a smile, then we would stay by her side until she fell asleep.
Then when she did, I would run into the forest and pick out Kastabag flowers; it was crimson and navy flower that is said to sprout when lighting strikes soil with high amounts of metal in it. My country was known for it.
It was hard to find because many would look for it and take it before I could get it, but in the end, it was all worth it because the smile on my mother's face was priceless. Those days were so incredible and I wished they would never en-.”
“EXCUSE ME!” Elia says whilst putting her hand up.
That bitch, I was just getting to an emotional part, “Go ahead.”
“Your home country had a crimson and navy flower in it, correct?”
“I just said that.”
“Ok, then just double checking.”
Pay attention bitch!!!! “But those days soon did, my father was killed by one of his best friends in a hunting accident, and he stole all of our possessions and money.
Because of this me and my mother were left to fend for ourselves, but I wasn’t able to make enough money on my own and eventually my mother died. With the last words she said; be happy my beautiful son.
When I heard these words, I cried and continued to cry again and again until all my tears faded, and on that day my heart closed again. I proceeded to do whatever the hell I wanted because of the endless hole in my heart, the only time my heart opened was when I visited mothers grave each year.”
“Excuse me again.”
What do you want!!!! With a smile, I say, “Go ahead.”
“You’re hair, you have it dyed don’t you.”
“Huh, how could you know that?”
“Just a guess, go on.”
This creepy little girl, whatever. “But the darkness kept growing so I sent this darkness into others to destroy their lives, I was scum, I was trash, I should have never done such a thing. But thanks to all you guys help I was able to open up my heart.”
With tears flowing down my face, I say, “I can’t thank you guys so much. I may never be forgiven for my sins, but I hope with whatever I have left I can help you guys.”
Suddenly all the people around me start to get all teary-eyed and start to cheer me up.
“The past is the past.”
“We can become better now.”
“We will help you all the way.”
“We’re family.”
Fall into my trap you fools, ahh this is too easy. Even now with Orb back my place in this group is as solid as the ground itself. My plan won’t be stopped now or ever!
“Hey, I have a question?” Elia asks.
Someone says, “Could you stop being rude young girl.”
But I say in response, “No it is alright, I have no issue with questions.”
“You said you visited your mother's grave each year?”
“Yes, but why do you ask?”
“Because I am pretty sure I am from your country!”
“EHHH!”
“The Kastabag flower are only found in a single place within my country of Bloesem with the cemetery rather close, I have lived there for years and have never seen you even once.”
Shit, shit, shit, shit, this is bad, really bad. I am going to be found out right in front of everyone. Talking directly with a local is a one-way ticket to being exposed, everything is about to crumble.
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Suddenly, Kac says, “How dare you doubt Sparrow? Do you think it was easy for him to tell this story, it is a deep and shameful thing for him, yet he still shared this with us all, so you should be ashamed of doubting him.”
Soon all the people around us started, to yell in appreciation of me. Looking at Kac I see him send me a grin; you glorious bastard. Now with this, I should be able to spin it towards my favour.
“Guys let’s not be mean to her, she might have just missed me.”
Elia asks, “Earlier you said you dyed your hair?”
“Yes, I did.” What is she getting at?
“You see I was lying earlier; I actually know you, you see I was one of the two kids you used to play with when you were younger. The reason I lied about seeing you was because I was angry that didn’t remember me.”
One of the members of Aplos, says, “Then you're also from that disease-ridden country?”
“Yes, I am.”
As they continue to talk my mind starts to freak out. What the hell is she on about?
Elia says with a cute pout, “The name Sparrow is actually rather common in Molstoria and since you dyed your hair, I doubted it was you but after hearing your story I knew it had to be you. Every year without fail you come back to visit your parent's grave ignoring all of us villagers, even me you bully.”
This is amazing!!! She has gotten me confused with someone else, so as long as I play along, I can spin this in my favour! “Oh, sorry about that, but now that I think about it, I remember you, Elia.”
With bright childish eyes, she says, “Really, I knew you would! You also remember my little brother Richard.”
“Oh, course I do, that little scamp.”
“But why didn’t you bring up my little sister Mable.”
Shit, “Wellllllll-.”
“You two didn’t get along that well so I guess you must have deleted her from your memory.”
God really is on my side today. “Oh, of course, I remember Mable I was just playing into a little joke that ran between us. We tend to forget each other's name.”
“You two had jokes like that?”
“Oh course we did, don’t act like you knew everything about us.”
Turning her face away, she says, “Stop being so mean!”
Laughing, one of the members of Aplos asks, “You guys must have been close.”
“Yeah, that’s why I thought you’d introduce me to your wife.”
Suddenly one of the women around me says, “You have a wife. You never said anything about that.”
That’s the one I have been flirting with; I need to think of a response right now. “No, you got it all wrong Elia, the one you must have seen with was Kac, he always accompanied me to my mother’s grave. Isn’t that, right?” I say giving Kac a look.
“Y-Yeah it is.”
“Oh, sorry for my assumption.”
“No problem, you were always a bit forgetful.”
Like an adorable little child, she says, “No I wasn’t, idiot.”
“Well, it is nice to have a familiar face around, and maybe you’re testimony from you would make Orb be nicer to me.”
“Oh, I am sure it will.”
“Then could you do that for me?”
“Of course, I will but first could you do something for me?”
“Anything, me and you are friends after all.”
“Could you clean your filthy lying mouth out with soap?”
Continuing to laugh, I stop then say, “Huh?”
“You heard me loud and clear. But I guess I can’t even trust the ears of a liar like you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Everything I just said was nonsense, all of it was just a lie I made up.”
Suddenly my face fills with fright as all the other faces around me fill with shock.
Elia then says, “Now what was that about inside jokes with my sister?”
I knew it, I knew she was giving me a bad feeling; I should have trusted my gut. But I can still turn this around, “In all honesty I was just playing along not to hurt your feelings, but I thought you got me mixed up with someone, else but I can assure all of you my story is tru-.”
“Ah, ah, ah. It is too late to lie now, throughout your story I noticed countless fabricated statements. The first and most damming was the disease that swept through your island is impossible to have happened anytime in the last 60 years.
Molstoria has a rather extreme health care policy due to one of the navy’s admirals, so the idea that a plague could sweep through your land without any governmental assistance is quite unbelievable.”
“The western islands of Molstoria are known for rejecting help from the navy and so on.”
Smiling, she says, “You do seem to have some degree of knowledge, but it is incomplete. The western islands of Molstoria are incredibly close to Fimbulwinter, so they are known for one thing; being in a constant state of winter. There has never been any rain or thunder for about two thousand years so a flower that needs thunder to bloom would never be found there.”
“There is a reason for th-.”
“BUT FINALLY, the story you just told me has an eerie similarity to the story of Warwick the admiral, a story that not a single person from Aplos could have known. A story which surprisingly has so many different versions that people often forget the little-known ones like the one you just told; oh and if any of you think I am lying I could simply go find my book about that particular story of Warwick, it even involves a rare crimson and silver flower.”
Suddenly all the eyes, start to point at me.
“Sparrow, did you lie to us?”
“Do you try and manipulate us?”
“For shame boss, I believe in you,” Kac says.
Your traitorous bastard.
Walking over to Kac, Elia says, “You agreed with his fabricated story as well, that must mean you were in on it too.”
Pine walking up to Kac says, “Is that true young man?”
Stuttering over his words, he finally says, “Yes it is Pine, he lead me astray. Please forgive me.”
Sighing, Pine says, “I forgive yo-.”
“Wait a minute,” Elia says. “You see I despise alcohol so of course I did research on my enemy, and I know quite a lot about at and this brand they have been handing out is a little-known brand that keeps people drunk over long periods of time, and not only that but it is also has an addicting agent known as caffeine in it.
They probably planned to get you all hooked on this stuff since none of you would know what it is then they planned to do unspeakable stuff to you all.”
Pine asks, “Kac is that true?”
“No Pine wa-.”
“I happened to ask someone earlier and he told me they have been handing this stuff out since 4 months ago, so their plan was already in way. They were probably waiting for a moment when all your guards were down to act out their plan, something like Orb’s funeral. Despite how he acts everything was calculated and premeditated.”
Turning her back and walking away, Pine says, “Kac, I’m disappointed in you.”
Falling to the grown Kac, shouts, “NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
“Serves you right traitor.”
Feeling a hand on my shoulder I turn around to see the people who I was just telling my story to infuriated. “Even after what your people put us through you would dare try that again!
“I’m sorry, I know no better please spare me.”
“It seems the beating we gave you last time wasn’t enough.”
As they start to stretch and break their knuckles Elia says, “Sparrow still has his family jewels, so don’t forget to remove them this time.”
“Right!” The crowd says.
Hearing this sends a shiver down my spine, so with all the strength I can muster I run away with them all chasing after me moments later.
While out of breath I shout the one thing I never wanted to, but I am out of options; “ORB SAVE ME!!!”