At a remote, and mostly abandoned village of the empire, built mostly of wooden shacks and dirty tents in an open area high in the mountains. A redhead girl happily trotted across the dirt path by herself, glancing around to look at the people’s worn-out faces and poorly fed animals roaming the place for food. She pressed her lips together while continuing to smile, eventually leaving the area to reach a large cliff—somewhat removed from her home.
Somewhere near the edge of the dangerous cliff, she spotted a group of children of her same age playing around with sticks. The girl casually approached them with a smile, intervening in their game—which earned her the frowning faces of the other kids.
“What do you want, Gal?” one of the kids said. He was taller than the others, and most of the children around stood behind him. “We didn’t invite you here, leave us alone.” He snarled at the girl.
“I want to play too!” Gal replied—placing both hands behind her back while swaying her body back and forth. “Can I get a weapon?”
The kids looked at each other with frowning faces, some of them shaking their heads at the tall boy—who nodded at them in agreement. He turned back to look at Gal, smirking before speaking out.
“We don’t have enough, unfortunately.” he claimed. “You’ll just have to go back to the village, sorry.”
“Hm?” Gal took a glance at one of the kids, noticing two sticks in his hands. “Hey, you have two of them. Can I borrow one?” she quickly jogged her way towards the boy, attempting to grab the stick without permission.
“What? Hey, let go!” the boy fought back.
“Come one, it will be for just a second!” Gal told him with a wide smile that showed her teeth.
“He said let go!” another boy tackled the redhead away from his friend, knocking Gal into the ground—pushing her near the edge.
“Umph!” the girl fell on her butt, picking herself up quickly after. “Ow… then how about I just fight like this?” she suggested, not letting the smile in her face fade away. “I’m pretty fast, so I could probably keep up unarmed.”
“You are not playing with us!” one of the kids snapped—prompting the rest to join in.
“Yeah, we didn’t call you here!”
“Just leave!”
“Why are you ruining our fun?”
“Hm?” Gal tilted her head sideways. “Come on, it will be for just a minute!” she exclaimed, pressing her lips together to offer another smile. “I can fight too, look at this!”
Gal lifted one foot in the air, throwing a few clumsy kicks while struggling to keep her balance. The tall kid noticed her foot near the edge, reacting with a soft gasp as his eyes opened wide.
“Stop it, Gal!” he protested—walking closer to the girl. “No one wants to play with you, just leave!” he said while stretching his arm towards her.
Gal however, pulled back as soon as she noticed the boy’s arm approaching her—swinging widely while her upper body pulled backwards. “Hey, stop it.” She demanded before a loud gasp escaped from between her lips, feeling her foot slipping on the ground—her eyes contracting as a wave of electricity ran down her spine.
“Gal!” the tall boy called out in horror, watching as the girl plummeted downwards into the cliff.
The rest of the group flinched in shock, with some of them approaching to look near the edge. A deadly silence reign in the atmosphere as the kids stared in horror, a whistling breeze passing by during the tense situation.
“Ow… my head.” Gal groaned. Her fingers were pressed tightly in a small crack between the rocks, her hand shivering alongside her unstable breaths. “Hehe… I-I’m fine.” she told the group above, noticing a few faces looking down. “I’ll just climb my way up.”
The boys had no words to offer, glancing at each other from time to time. Stubborn and determined, Gal tried to pull herself up, causing her foot to slip in one of the rocks once she tried to push her weight onto it—plucking the rock out place, and almost losing her grip.
“Ah!” a cry left her lips. “I-I’m fine…”
“W-we have to go,” one of the kids in the group suggested.
“What if the others ask about her…”
“We can just say we didn’t see her.”
“I don’t want to be here anymore…”
The group debated between each other, while the tall boy continued to look speechless at the struggling girl holding for her life. One of the kids pulled his arm from behind, forcing the boy on his feet.
“Hey, l-let’s just go back!” he suggested—another kid approaching from behind him.
“We just pretend we never saw her, r-right?”
As his legs quivered, and his mind drew a complete blank. The tall boy allowed himself to be carried away by the rest of the group, glancing one last time to look at the cliff from over his shoulder.
Gal swallowed dry once she noticed the faces of the other kids disappear from the edge, chuckling softly to herself. “Hehe… go find help guys! I’ll… I’ll be here…” the smile in the girl’s face finally faded—sniffing with watery eyes as she looked down at distant ground, a terrific height no human could possibly survive.
Minutes passed, and Gal’s grip continued to weaken—her fingers beginning to draw blood the further she pressed them into the sharp rocks. She groaned in pain while sobbing slightly, waiting patiently for help to arrive. However, in a last ditched effort to save herself, Gal tightened her grip in the crack between the rocks once more—pressing her feet on the mountain to propel herself upwards.
She would slip once more however, this time losing her grip on the cliff as her bloody fingers crushed the rocks she held onto. A long and loud gasp escaped her once again, feeling the cold breeze of the wind as her body began to plummet downwards with nothing to stop it. Gal screamed while swaying her arms and legs, attempting to move near the wall.
Despite her best efforts to save herself, the girl closed her eyes in a panic as she continued to scream for help in a downwards spiral. Before she could even reach the ground however, Gal would come to an abrupt and violent stop as her face ricochet in one of the rocks of the cliff. She lost consciousness immediately after the impact, allowing her body to plummet even further down with no resistance.
Engulfed in silence and darkness, the girl was incapable to even hear the thoughts in her own mind, to move her limbs, speak, feel or see—it all felt as if she was never real, as if her life was nothing but a long-forgotten nightmare. Her end might’ve arrived too soon, but it was at least quick and painless.
“Wake up, girl. It’s been a few weeks already.” The voice of a gentle old lady suddenly reached her ears—returning all senses back to her mind and body. “Don’t make me kick you out of the house before you even open your eyes,” she jokingly told the sleeping girl.
“Ugh…” groaning in pain, Gal felt a light that bothered her eyes in the middle of the dark void she found herself in—prompting her to open them slowly. “Where…”
As her blurry vision cleared, Gal set her gaze on the wooden ceiling above her head—turning to glance around the room. The place was small, with three futons lying next to her, a small tea table in the middle, wooden walls and strange paper windows from where the light of the sun leaked through.
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“Ah… there, you finally opened your eyes.” The old lady said. She had small eyes and was quite tiny, her back slightly curved. “Hello, girl. My name is Mallika.”
“Uh?” Gal lifted herself into a sitting position—her legs covered under a blanket. “Where… am I?”
“Mrs. Mallika,” a masculine voice spoke from outside—prompting Gal to turn towards the door as it slid open.
Emerging from the bright outdoors, was a man of messy light brown hair—kept into a high ponytail. His eyes were of a dazzling azure, and he was tall enough to duck under the door frame just to walk inside. The man looked surprised once he noticed Gal staring at him with furrowed brows, shifting to smile warmly at the girl.
“She’s awoken,” he commented.
“I was about to toss her out of my house,” Mallika jokingly replied. “Luckily she did open her eyes just before I had the chance.”
“How are you feeling?” the man kneeled down in front of Gal, to which she recoiled slightly.
“Ah… where am I?”
“My home, girl.” Mallika said. “Young Nigi found you lying on the grass somewhere, and decided to bring you here for treatment.”
“How are you feeling?” Ninigi asked, keeping his voice low and calm. “Does anything hurt?”
Gal shook her head slowly, still confused on the situation at hand. Her mind quickly wondered back to before she lost consciousness however, clenching her jaw as tears built up in her eyes. Noticing the girl’s watery eyes, Mallika stood on her feet to move towards a tiny kitchen in the same room.
“I’ll make her some tea,” she said while walking away. “You talk to the girl, Nigi.”
Gently placing his hand on top of the girl’s head, Ninigi ran his fingers across her red locks as he furrowed his brows—smiling at her regardless. “Don’t worry, I can take you back home if need to. I’m sure it won’t take me long to find it.”
Gal shook her head however, sniffing while cleaning the few tears rolling down her eyes, “No…”
“No? Why not?” Ninigi asked with a curious look in his eyes. “Won’t your family worry about you?”
“I don’t have a family…”
“Then your friends or acquaintances, surely they will notice your absence.”
Despite the man’s attempts to convince her to return home, Gal would simply lower her head to hide the sorrowful expression plastered in her face. “I don’t have any… I’m alone…” she sobbed—holding her tears.
Ninigi looked at the sobbing girl with raised eyebrows, shifting his expression to smile warmly at her. “But you aren’t,” he pated the girl in the head. “I am here, see? And Mrs. Mallika is over there.”
“Don’t you go forgetting about me already, girl. I may be old, but not forgettable”
“No,” Gal shook her head in protest. “You don’t know… you don’t know anything.”
“I’ve seen a lot of things in my time in this world, you know?” the knight said with a smile. “I know how big and small it can be, and I know that you…” he paused for a moment, asking the girl for her name by raising his eyebrows.
“Gal…”
“Gal, I know that you have more company than you realize.”
“How…?”
“See…” Ninigi began to explain, sitting down in front of her with crossed legs. “I have felt like you before, it was one time when I… failed, during a really important task that was given to me.”
“Like failing in hide and seek?” Gal innocently interrupted with a question.
“Haha… something like that.” the knight replied with a chuckle. “You see, I lived on my own for a very long time after that. It felt like no one else was there with me, and that I was the only one left on this earth.” He continued. “Such a big world, and to be the last one living in it. Does that make any sense?”
“Sounds dumb…” Gal replied with a sniff—the tears in her beginning to clear.
Her words drew a silent laugh from Ninigi, who continued talking to Gal. “It does. I wasn’t alone after all, but the world is so big that the distance between you and others may feel like you are the only one left.” The knight placed his thumb in Gal’s face, cleaning the remaining tears in her cheeks. “However, the world is also small enough to make your journey to them possible. Regardless of how far they may be, at the end of the day is nothing but distance.” He concluded while helping Gal on her feet.
“Tea is ready,” Mallika arrived with a couple of tiny tea cups—laying them on the ground near the pair. “Is Ninigi boring you with his speeches, Gal?”
Gal shook her head, picking the tea cup in her hands. “No.”
“Oooh…” the old lady reacted—genuinely surprised at the girl’s response. “Well, well… someone that actually enjoys listening to your ramblings, young Nigi. If only you could convince my nephew Maulik to listen to them too.”
“Gigi?” Gal said before taking a sip of her tea.
“Ninigi,” the knight corrected her with a nod.
“Gigi.”
“Ninigi.”
“Gigi,” Gal giggled, taking another sip of tea—prompting the knight to sigh in defeat.
“She was in such a terrible state when you brought her in a few weeks ago…” Mallika told Ninigi. “You are a miracle worker, young Nigi.”
“You know well who I am, Mrs. Mallika.” The knight responded. “Although…” Ninigi looked at the unconcerned Gal, who smelled the tea in her hand before taking a third sip from it.
The memory of the pool of blood she rested in suddenly flashed through Ninigi’s mind. Despite the injuries she suffered at the time, the unconscious girl still clung to life until her last breathing moments—gasping through broken bones and limbs. Incapable of leaving the girl in such a state, Ninigi utilized his abilities as a gladean knight to seal some of the girl’s injuries—picking her up into his arms, and making her way back home.
“Gigi?” The girl’s voice snapped him back to reality, noticing her looking at him with a second cup of tea. “Not gonna drink your tea?”
“Ah… well…”
“You are such a stubborn man, young Nigi!” Mallika reprimed him. “Tea does not only taste good, but it can help you relax that obstinate head of yours. Just give it a try for once.”
“I… well, alright…” Taking the cup from Gal’s hand, Ninigi led the tea near his nose to smell the sweat yet sour sent pouring from it. “Ugh!” he recoiled while stretching his arm away—almost spilling the tea. “It’s… so strong…”
“Hm?” Gal titled her head at the knight’s reaction, giggling right after before speaking. “Are you afraid of tea, Gigi? It’s safe, look!” she said, taking a sip from her cup and rubbing her belly with a smile.
“Hah… it’s not that, it’s just that my senses are…”
“It’s only one sip,” Mallika chimed in. “If a little girl can do it, then how come the savior of humanity is so afraid of it?”
“Fine… one sip it is…” forcing himself to drink, Ninigi shut his eyes closed while placing his lips on the edge of the cup—gulping down some tea with great effort. “Ah… what the—” he began to cough, laying the cup on the floor.
“More!” Gal exclaimed. “Drink with me, Gigi!”
“No, Gal. I…”
“Mmmm!” the girl savored the sweetness of the tea, her eyes peering into the knight’s as she waited for him to take his turn.
“Please…”
The years passed by at the small house in the middle of a large empty field of grass, a place Gal would quickly learn to call home. Meeting Maulik—who was against the decision of letting her stay at first, Gal eventually earned the boy’s trust through Ninigi’s training regimen—realizing the redhead was—like him—a hybrid as well.
“Here I go!” Gal roared as she leaped in the air, stretching one leg out against her opponent.
“You’ll have to try harder than that!” Maulik replied as he stepped aside—avoiding the girl’s powerful kick.
Too focused on their fight to notice however, Gal would land on a long table placed in the open outdoors—leaned just next to the corridor around the house, where the pair decided to take their sparing match. Unable to drift away from it, Gal split the wooden table in half and shattered the ceramic tea sets placed on top of it—demolishing everything that stood in her way.
“Ow!” Maulik shrunk his shoulders while inhaling through his teeth. “That’s not good…”
“Ouch…” Gal picked herself up, rubbing the back of her head. “Alright, let’s continue!”
“You won’t be continuing anything…” Ninigi’s voice stated nearby—forcing the pair to turn towards him. His face was humorless, with eyebrows curved into a downwards arrow. “You have the entire field to fight, why would you decide to spar near my stuff?”
“Master!” Maulik bowed deeply with both arms pressed to his side. “I apologize! I should’ve known better!”
“Gigi!” Gal in the other, lunged at Ninigi to wrap her arms around his waist—looking up at his face with a bright smile—her lips pressed together.
“Another day, another disaster…” a feminine voice spoke from behind the knight—revealing Atalanta, who stepped next to him—wearing only the black one-piece suit she keeps under her armor. “You two actually need to be thought some discipline,” she crossed her arms with a smile. “Lucky for you I was taught plenty during my time in the order.”
“Woman!” Gal snarled at Atalanta—pressing her arms further into Ninigi’s waist.
“My name is Atalanta,” she raised an eyebrow. “Why do I have to remind you every time you see me?”
“Hah…” Ninigi sighed. “Let’s forget about this for a moment… I went to the city to get some food, and decided to buy something for you, Gal, Maulik.”
“Really!” Gal’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Yay, Gigi!”
“Thank you, Master!” Maulik approached with an enthusiastic smile as well. “I will continue to improve to make you proud!”
“This is why they don’t listen to you…” Atalanta squinted her eyes at Ninigi with a stare of judgment. “You pamper them too much.”
“It will be fine, trust me. We all need to relax from time to time, right? I actually bought something for you as well, Atalanta”
“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s head in.”
The group returned home while leaving the pile of shattered ceramic on the ground, a problem to deal with during another hour of the day—which continued peacefully throughout.
END OF CHAPTER