Nightmare's Call 213 Resolution: Part 1

Yuleen had never eaten meat for a very long time now.

Clean water and toasty roasted meat were like her mother's embrace in her dreams as it warmed her up, and made her feel like she was in heaven.

Her tongue and arm still hurt, but that did not matter, as long as she lived, everything else did not matter.

Mother had said, she was like a patch of wild grass in the desert, and even when battered by the elements, she would still grow, ever stronger.

Humans need to be positive. To see happiness, to see contentment, only then one would be a happy person.

Yuleen still remembered the words her mother had said while she was in her arms.

The Steel Lord looked on as the little girl wrote crookedly on the sand. Yuleen.

"Is that your name?" He asked.

She nodded and let out a bright smile.

She was not pretty, her skin was rough, and neither her features were anything out of the ordinary. It was only her smile, a smile that gave others the feeling that she was a fluttering bloom in the forest.

She was neither fragrant nor pretty, but normal, yet strong.

"I can merely send you to the next village. You will then need to survive on your own. Being independent is the basic ability of the strong," the Steel Lord said.

Yuleen nodded as she let out another endearing smile.

"Let's go." The Steel Lord shifted his attention away from her and called on Ishak before turning away.

The three formed into the line as they slowly made their way.

Thankfully, the next village was not too far away, and just as Ishak and Yuleen were at their limits, they had arrived at that village.

The golden sand dunes soon gave way into a barren desert. By the side of the dry dune was a grey village.

There were quite a number of people in the village, mostly trade caravans and mercenaries. This place was near a sizeable mercenary base and had attracted a number of merchants to gather around, finally forming this simple village.

The Steel Lord and Ishak restocked their supplies and bought a camel before leaving Yuleen with some food and drinks, and a small amount of money.

Only then did the two continued their journey.

The Steel Lord needed to find a large and stable enough city to set up a base for the propagation of the holy powers.

An hour later.

Yuleen looked on as the silhouette of the Lord of Steel and Ishak disappeared into the distance as she stood on in a stupor in the opening outside the village.

"That's her! I saw the two giving her money!" A few menacing-looking males and females carried their guns as they made their way towards that direction led by a skinny man.

In this desert, there was no law and order, and if there was enough profit, the people here would do anything.

There was no country here, only swarms of impoverished civilians, bandits, robbers, and soldiers.

*Bam!*

Yuleen was brutally pushed down into the ground.

The bottle of water and a packet of biscuits in her possession were taken.

"There's food and drinks! Heh! Money too! Where's the money! Spit it out now!" The thin man stomped into Yuleen's stomach as he growled at her.

A few other armed men and women walked over with a grim look on their faces.

"That brat's gaze is particularly annoying." A woman with a scar on her face looked on spitefully at Yuleen.

Yuleen endured the pain as she tried to smile, seemingly to ask for mercy.

But they ignored her and simply allowed the man to search her body for money.

"Found nothing yet?" The scarred lady was growing impatient.

"Almost there… Almost there…"

"Then, get her to spit out details about that old man. I know Ishak, that old man is a new face, to be able to give this gutter rat food and drinks, heh, he must be someone loaded." The lady sneered.

After searching for a good while, the thin man finally managed to retrieve a few hundred Redwinian notes.

In that area, Redwinian and Migan currencies were popular with the folks.

"That little? And she's a mute?" The scarred lady spat as she saw Yuleen's torn tongue.

"Forget it, let's get rid of her."

She raised her rifle and pointed it at Yuleen.

"Stop!" The Steel Lord once again reappeared at the edge of the village, his eyes stared intently at the scarred lady and her clique.

He had overestimated the people here, and by giving Yuleen something, he had brought disaster upon her.

This place… was just like what Ishak had said. Chaotic, lawless, and bereft of humanity.

"Oh? You came back?" The scarred lady was astonished. "Just for this gutter rat?"

She smiled.

*Clack.*

She suddenly raised her rifle and aimed it at the Steel Lord as she released the safety.

"Don't move, or we'll kill this girl!" Another man pointed his gun on Yuleen's head.

The Steel Lord was calm and was just about to speak when suddenly, Yuleen raised her head and smiled at him.

"You… Stop!!" The Steel Lord's eyes widened.

*Bam!!*

Yuleen darted forward, as she crashed her tiny body onto the arm of the scarred lady and bit into it. She was biting with all her strength, like a rabid dog.

She had no money, no food, and nothing else to give. The only thing she had, was this life.

Mother said you will be able to see the heavens once you are dead.

Mother said, once you die, you will be able to meet again.

Mother said don't be afraid.

Mother said don't be afraid…

Yuleen bit the scarred lady's arm savagely and did not let go.

"Arghhhh!!!"

The scarred lady screamed.

"You filthy rat..!!"

*Bam!!*

A gunshot rang out, and the Steel Lord's eyes shrank just as he was about to charge over when he saw a spurt of blood shoot out from Yuleen's body.

"I'm… not afraid…" Yuleen thought as her small body slammed heavily against the ground, blood flowing freely into the sand.

She opened her mouth as she huffed. Her mouth seemed to be moving to talk, but she was still smiling.

The Steel Lord had made his way to the group, and with the swing of his arm, a few of them were sent flying as if they had been rammed by a massive elephant. All of them landed hard on the ground and spat blood.

However, it was too late.

He walked toward Yuleen and knelt down. He had not considered the possibility of someone in the village to rob such a small amount of food and money from her. He had never thought that his kindness would result in this tragedy.

He never expected Yuleen to be so defiant in the end. She was trying to prove that saving her was well worth it.

She wanted to save the Steel Lord.

The Steel Lord lowered his head as he gently stroke Yuleen's hair. He had returned to that very day, where he stroked his dead son's hair.

It was his decision...

His.

His son dying in battle, his wife committing suicide. His subordinates being dragged down by him, and dying needlessly together in that calamity.

Now, another life was leaving him.

"And it happened again…" The Steel Lord looked at Yuleen's fading eyes.

"Do you want to save her, Valgariah?" A voice that the Steel Lord totally did not expect, rang out behind him.

"Name your price!" The Steel Lord did not get up, and simply just replied.

Chapter end

Report