CHAPTER SIX

FOLLOWING YOUR NOSE

Tall trees stand on both sides as a path paved with stone and earth runs through them. Beds of colorful flowers intertwined with each other in all the majesty of colors all around. Melione prances on this path without a care in the world as if she was on a stroll, not a journey of revenge. She walks unprepared, with no provisions, with nothing except her clothes and her will. There is no fear in her heart... there never is fear in it; for the world shall provide. The world always does. This is her way.

She looks left and right, right and left and all around; innocently. Everything is new. Melione spent all her years in the same wooden cottage. Spent it training and dreaming; in the company of Ekateh and her faithful voices, One and Two.

Her stomach growls. She stops. Hunger?

“I am hungry,” Melione says. She is straightforward.

Without a second thought, she glances upon the road and notices a small green apple atop a bag. Walking towards it she notices there are some coins in the bag. She only takes the apple. The world has provided. It always does.

Finishing the apple, she walks toward one of the trees. Stretching and yawning she lies under the cover of the cool shade of the whispering leaves. Melione likes to take naps after eating. She also likes to take a nap after a good day of training, after tea, if it is too early or too late, after sleeping, and even when she gets bored. Naps are good. This is her way.

The yellow leaves of the tree fall on her, covering her as a parent would cover a child with a blanket. In the warm embrace of nature, she drifts asleep. Dreaming, as she always does.

A small joyful girl with an unquenching love for life and eyes of innocence is having dinner with her two loving parents. Their faces completly blurred yet their smiles clear.

“We love you, Melione,” the mother says.

“We sure do. Tomorrow, your dad will take you to see the largest and most beautiful lake in the world,” the father says.

“Aren’t you excited? We will have the best day. The three of us,” the mother adds.

“I am! I can’t wait, mommy and daddy,” little Melione says.

Suddenly, a piercing sound in the distance. Ear shattering loud.

“What is that?” the mother yells in panic, turning around looking in caution as the furniture in their house aggressively shakes.

“Stay here. I will look,” the father says as he runs outside.

Little Melione extends her hand; she wants to tell her father not to go, not to leave, but she cannot speak. She is voiceless no matter how hard she tries. Helplessly, she stands there in her mother’s lap trying to reach for her. Her body cannot move. She is motionless no matter how hard she tries.

As the father opens the door, a bright light blinds her. It takes some time for her eyes to adjust. She rubs her eyes as her sight slowly recovers.

Crystal! Right in front of her, a large transparent white crystal. The image becomes clearer. Inside the crystal, her father stands, frozen in time with a painful expression. She knows he is in pain for his loving smile is gone.

“Daddy?” little Melione blurts out as a tear flows through her eye.

Her hand still extending towards him. Hopelessly trying to reach and hopelessly failing. She struggles in vain to move.

Suddenly, something pushes her to the ground; turning around, Melione notices her mother. Why did she push her?

“Melione! Something is wrong,” the mother says as her body shakes.

“Mommy?” little Melione says as she walks towards her mother.

“Stay back! Stay back, Melione,” the mother yells as crystals cover her body. They form over her, slowly consuming flesh.

Standing in silence and tears, she watches- desperately.

“I love...” the mother speaks one last time as she turns to crystal.

Looking at her hands, she notices they are distorted.

She wakes up panting, covered in a cold sweat. Quickly, she looks at her hands. Her hands are clear. This is reality.

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In front of her stand two men. Ruff-looking men with ill intentions.

Melione looks at them with curiosity; she does not understand who they are or what they want. In her mind, they are the first people she met in a long time. This is all new to her; it is exciting!

There is no fear in her. Experiencing fear from her dreams on a day-to-day basis makes this severely pale in comparison. Everything pales in comparison.

“Hello there, girl,” the first rough-looking man says smirking at her.

“Hello,” Melione answers innocently and joyfully.

The lack of fear makes the two men pause for a bit as they glance at each other. They are not used to a lack of fear. This is new to them.

“Where are you from? Are you lost?” the second rough-looking man asks, not expecting an answer.

“I’m from the cottage. I’m not lost. I’m traveling,” Melione says as still smiling.

“Where are you traveling to?” the first rough-looking man asks.

She pauses at the question. Where is she traveling to? She is on a journey of revenge. But against who? She is looking for someone with a white rose amulet. But who? Where exactly is she going to? No answer comes to mind.

Melione smiles at them.

“I am following my nose,” Melione says.

The two men stare at each other in confusion. This one is odd in the head, the thought occurs to them.

“How about we have a little fun?” the second rough-looking man says, licking his lips.

“Fun? I like fun,” Melione blurts with a smile.

“Well, isn’t this grand! So do we. We have this amazing game,” the first rough-looking man says.

“Yeah, but for us to play it you must remove your clothes,” the second rough-looking man says as he maliciously smiles.

She doesn’t think too much; Melione likes games and fun. She undresses.

The two ruff-looking men smile at each other as they cannot believe they have found such an easy mark. What a lucky day, they conclude.

Removing her clothes, they see her pale skin, and with it, her scars; an abundance of scars in all different shapes and sizes adorn her skin like paint on a canvas. The rough-looking men's jaws drop in utter horror and shock.

“I think... I need to go,” the first rough-looking man says as he turns and runs away; leaving the second one looking in dismay.

They told her they wanted to play and now they don’t? Melione’s smile turns to a scowl.

The voices in Melione’s head whisper.

“They don’t want to play with you,” One says.

“They don’t like you,” Two adds.

“An insult!” One says.

“An insult!” Two repeats.

“We must make them pay,” One says.

“Make them pay. Make them play with us,” Two says.

“Yes, yes, yes!” One screams.

“Show them. SHOW THEM!,” Two commands.

As the ruffian is about to leave, Melione grabs him by the shoulder.

“You’ve said you wanted to play,” Melione says as she moves closer to him.

She has a plethora of disgusting scars but she is young, her face is pleasing and her body is up to standard. The ruffian thinks, perhaps this isn’t so bad? Is it?

He grabs her breast and squeezes; Melione observers the unusual situation with an expressionless glare. What is this game, she wonders? The ruff-looking man continues to caress her body as suddenly he stops. Something is wrong but he does not know what. A drop of blood falls. Where did this blood come from, he wonders? It drips again. Blood pours out of his eyes as he takes a step back in panic. He tries to stop the blood, but it does not stop. His knees shake making the man fall to the ground. Suddenly, pain envelops his body. He screams! Screams as his body twists and turns... screaming and twisting, twisting and screaming until, finally, the screams subside. With them, his life ends.

The voices in her head laugh.

Putting on her clothes with a smile, she walks away.

“Where am I supposed to go?” Melione asks herself. She does not know; shrugging, she continues on her journey.

Might as well follow my nose, Melione concludes. This is her way.