Armad

Will I die before I fulfill my promise to find Triple Factor?

That was the only question in Armad's mind as he convulsed. It was painful. He didn't know long he had been in that state and how long he would be. It went on and on for the greater part of his imagination. And then he felt something sweet in his mouth.

He didn't have the strength to chew, but the thing melted in his mouth and went down his throat and into his stomach. He suddenly felt a strange energy in his body. His pol flared until it was normal again.

The same strange energy pierced his eyes, and when he opened them, they glowed. The energy passed through his veins to his heart. It mixed with the blood being pumped to his hands and feet and body. His aged appearance disappeared, and his skin returned to normal.

Having fully regained consciousness, he reached out with his right hand and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He barely survived and had no idea what happened or who saved him. But there were only two of them there so the other person should know what happened. He quickly turned to the side looking for the young woman that had been with him.

He saw her a couple of meters away sitting on the ground with her head resting on her knees in a fetal position. Although he couldn't see her face, he didn't like her body language. She seemed sad. Did something bad happen?

He took a couple of steps closer and found a place next to her and sat. He waited patiently until she was ready to talk, and by that time the sun had already gone down. She raised her head and looked at him.

"We belong to the same tribe," she said. "Núsi Djinn is my name." She frowned for a few seconds before she looked at the statue and smiled bitterly. "It's almost laughable. I never thought my life would end here."

Armad frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Núsi looked away and laughed. You could hear the pain in her laughter.

''Negrinki apple," she said. "I don't know of any pill or potion that is as potent as that fruit in strengthening the core and improving pol. Some old records talked about it extensively. Some said if you use it properly, you can even raise the dead from their graves. One thing for sure is you don't see it often. When I set out for this test, which I knew wouldn't be possible without it, I collected all my money and spent it on procuring the apple. But in the end, I could only get two. I've used one and was planning to use the other to get out."

She pointed to the blue smoke in front of them.

"You sustain injuries every time you try to cross that area. That blue smoke is the Negrinki and is irritating to our pol. If you get injured by it, your pol will be reduced significantly. And the easiest way to recover is to take the apple. A slice, no matter how small, will replenish your energy. Without the fruit, a minor bruise will take several months to heal and your pol will remain down. This is why we can't get out now."

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She shook her head and gritted her teeth. "I would have liked to get out of here and see my brothers again."

Armad silently listened to her. He understood everything now. The sweet thing he tasted in his mouth earlier was the last apple she had. She gave it up to save him. And that was why she was looking defeated. It was all clear now.

Looking at her closely, he felt both pity and respect for her. She helped him when he most needed help despite being a stranger to her. Few people would be able to do that for anyone.

"You don't look worried," she said, studying his face.

Armad sighed softly. "I... am not djinn. I'm sorry I have to hide it from you."

Armad recounted his story, from his mother's sickness to meeting Nostalgia and how he got there, he told her everything. He took great care in telling the story so he no longer lied about his name but also didn't have to tell her about it. He just skipped the name as if he didn't have one. She didn't ask about it, having realized he didn't want to talk about it.

Another thing Armad noticed was that ever since he mentioned the name 'Triple Factor' her face had changed dramatically. She didn't interrupt him, so he'd continued with narrating his story.

When he was done, he turned his attention to the statue in front. "Now, how do we get past that thing?"

''Triple Factor!?" She exclaimed. "You dare to take on such a mission? Do you even know the weight you carry upon yourself?"

She silently stared at him, as if she waiting for him to withdraw his claim. After a few seconds and Armad didn't respond, she shook her head.

"I won't discourage you, but you should know something. No one, alive or dead, from the first world to the seventh world, has as many people hunting him down as that man.

''They don't know his real name, or who he is, or what he looks like. There are rumors that he's been around since the beginning of human history, long before Ururu forced our ancestors out of the first world.

"He is the first man to have a bounty on his head from Ururu. The first worlders offered to anyone who catches him, or provides any information that helps in his arrest a priceless reward."

"Nearly two decades ago, Dul'Ururu, the King of the second world, signed a new reward on him. Because of this, almost all major tribes and organizations are now looking for him.

''Some do it for the reward. Some have old-fashioned animosity towards him. Others are looking for him to get his power. But so far no one has seen the man or heard from him. He's not only a ghost, he's the ghost. Do you understand who you are looking for now?" She closed her speech with a question.

Armad watched her until she was done. Then he gave her the answer she didn't expect.

"No problem then, it just means I need to be stronger than all the other candidates looking for him, right?"

He turned to the statue. "How do we get past that thing?" As he spoke, he walked to the green smoke beside the statue.

Seeing him going towards the restricted area, Núsi, who had been sitting with her mouth open in shock from his answer, got up quickly and grabbed his hand, and pulled him back.

"Are you drunk? Your hand is touching the smoke. You will get knocked out like before. And I have no apple to save you if that happens. I understand your desperation but you need to calm down."

Even as she spoke, Armad was staring at the place she was pointing at him.

Yes, there was green smoke, but it was a meter away. There was no smoke where his hand was touching. And the ground was also normal. None of the blueish effects of the smoke were there.

He didn't try to explain what he was seeing; he just looked at her and nodded.

"Let me try it just once. If it doesn't work then we will think of another plan."

She opened her mouth to stop him, but Armad was already on his way.

She reached out to grab him, but he was already in the smoke field, the warded area.