Chapter 71: Chapter 71

Alainara skipped happily into the yard. In her hand was her first place golden trophy. She had gone out to show her friends and neighboring children her trophy. Their smiles and cheers made her feel so happy. Alainara swung open the door and danced on her tippy toes as she entered the house. She, however, paused at the tension in the living room.

"So Emelinia is a suspect because she slapped and threatened Tamithra that afternoon when she brought you food?" Alainara heard Akirexer ask Naian.

"She didn't even threaten her life. She just told Tamithra that she would sue her for marriage interference. If anything, Tamithra should be in jail for breaching her restraining order and assault on a pregnant woman. She pushed Emelinia in her condition. I had to step in and push her back. That was when Emelinia retaliated by slapping her." Naian explained to his attentive parents.

"Well, she is hibernating at the moment. Someone pushed her down a cliff and that someone isn't Emelinia." Sharumez added.

"We need to find a lawyer. How much exactly do we have saved up?" Naian asked Sharumez.

"Not much son. Due to the high taxes, business has been slow. We are even lucky that the soldiers don't demand much from us because Sharaina is in the army. Our customers on the other hand are bled dry so they almost never have anything to spend on furniture." Sharumez sighed.

"What about Sharaina's money?" Akirexer asked as she placed cups of tea for them on the table.

"Mama that money is Sharaina's. It isn't our place to use it especially without her permission." Naian refused.

"The Great Academy sent half her salary to us because it was to be used by us and not her. Technically that money is ours. It's just that we all agreed that we would save it for her so that we can buy her a wonderful wedding gift when she gets married and also gift our future in-laws." Akirexer reminded Naian. "She will not mind that we have used it. This is an emergency Naian. Emelinia could end up going to jail for something she hasn't done." She stressed.

Naian sighed. "How much is it?"

"In total it is about 45 000 pearls." Sharumez answered.

"Lawyers cost roughly 5000 per court hearing. We don't know how long the trial will last. Also there are additional fees that range from 700 to 1000." Naian sank in his seat.

"We can sell my jewelry. That will fetch us at least 7 000." Akirexer offered and Sharumez frowned at her.

"No we will do no such thing. I have agreed to using Sharaina's money out of helplessness but I will never agree to that mama. I will find a way to raise more money." Naian admonished with seriousness.

Alainara frowned at everyone. She was expecting them to congratulate her on her win but they instead didn't bother. None of them even noticed her and her trophy.

All they think about is Emelinia. Her tears fell from one eye.

Alainara wiped her tears and turned for the stairs. She thought that her mother would at least call her back down but she didn't even look her way. Alainara got angry and she locked her bed room door. She threw herself on her bed and cried into her pillow.

She missed Sharaina. Had Sharaina been home, she was going to make her feel so special for her win. In fact she was going to attend the competition and cheer her on until the end. She would have made so much noise that her throat would have gotten sore.

Alainara remembered how sad she felt when only her mother showed up. Grandma didn't bother to show up. She expected Sharumez and Naian but it appeared that work at the shop was more important than supporting her. Everyone seemed to be more concerned with Emelinia than her. Ever since Emelinia fell pregnant, she got all the attention and care.

Alainara jumped off her bed and walked to her wardrobe. She pulled out her pink back pack, took a deep breath and started loading it with her clothes. When it was full, she zipped it up, picked up her favorite teddy bear and headed for her window.

"It's too high for me to jump." She said to herself.

Alainara went back to her wardrobe and pulled out her spare bed sheets. She tied them together and fixed one end to the window. She used the bed sheets as rope and stealthily got out.

As soon as her feet touched the ground, Alainara bowed her head. She didn't want anyone to see her leave. Keeping her head low, she made her way out of the yard, undetected.

"I must go to Sharaina. At least she doesn't ignore my existence." Alainara sniffed as she walked down the old dusty road.

****

Sharaina sighed at the plate that had a bar of soap on it. She looked over to commander Philanda and she stared back at her with lifeless eyes. Philanda sat away from Sharaina with

her legs crossed and her arms folded. She gestured for Sharaina to get the soap. Sharaina picked the soap up and gagged at it. She swallowed hard before taking her first bite of it and cringed at it's awful bitter taste.

Sharaina's rib cage stiffened and her stomach went up. She made an involuntary sound and sealed it with a cough. Vomiting was not an option - not after Philanda's threat of horse whip lashes.

Sharaina breathed in and swallowed the soap. She cringed and balled up her fists as she felt the soap piece slide down her throat in all of its repulsiveness. The bar of soap was dropped back down and Sharaina wiped her tongue in disgust.

"Ew this is gross." She complained with a whine.

"Bring another bar of soap." Philanda ordered a warrior and he walked out of the room. "Keep uttering nonsense and I will keep on adding soap."

Sharaina pouted at that. She picked up the bar of soap, closed her eyes and opened her mouth. Suddenly,her heart skipped a beat and the soap went tumbling down to the floor. She stared at it wide eyed.

What's happening?

Sharaina looked over at commander Philanda who appeared to have drifted away in her thoughts because of the way her blank eyes just stared into space. Sharaina set her hand on her chest.

Why I'm I getting a bad feeling about Alainara?

****

Alainara headed for the woods. She planned on walking all the way to Vanimaq and getting on a wagon there instead of going to the market. She feared that the people would alert Sharumez and take her back home.

Alainara walked for a while when she stopped to rest for at least ten minutes. She feared that by now someone could have noticed her absence at home. If they were already searching for her, she had no time to sit around. Alainara took out a water bottle from her bag and began to drink it as she admired the stars in the sky.

The sounds the animals created in the woods didn't scare her. She often went on camping trips with her school so no sound was unusual to her. Suddenly Alainara heard the sound of things dropping down the trees. She got up and fearfully looked around. That sound was unfamiliar. Alainara picked her back pack and started to look for a place to hide.

She soon spotted a man looking back at her from the shadows of the night. Alainara screamed and ran away. Several other men burst out of the bushes and ran after her. Alainara fell down and scrapped her elbow. She cried at the pain. The men surrounded her and began laughing amongst themselves.

"This little girl is cute. She will fetch a hefty price." One of the men said. He rubbed his sweaty chest with a knife.

"Quick grab her and let's get out of here." Another one added and one reached out to Alainara.

Alainara yelped and crawled backwards. "Please let me go." She begged.

"You sold yourself to us the moment you decided to step into the woods this time of the night, little girl." He said to her and grabbed her by her hair.

A rock suddenly hit the man on his forehead and he fell down unconscious. The other men looked at him in shock. They looked ahead and saw Sharaina scowling at them. Alainara turned back and was relieved to see Sharaina there. She got up to run to her but one of the men grabbed her and put a knife to her throat.

"Holding my sister hostage will not save you from my wrath." Sharaina boldly said to him.

She ran towards him, pulled Alainara away from him and punched him hard in the face. He hit into a tree and passed out. Sharaina turned to the other two and grabbed them by their necks. She then body slammed them to the ground and threw them against trees.

Her sword appeared and shot a glare at the last man standing. He shivered and pissed his pants. Sharaina rolled her eyes and set her sword under his chin.

"What exactly were you planning on doing with my sister?" She asked him pricked his chin enough to cut it.

The man was shaking and sweating profusely. He raised his hands up in surrender. "Please have mercy." He pleaded.

With the corner of her eye, Sharaina saw that Alainara was watching everything. Sharaina stabbed her knee into the man's crouch and headbutted him unconscious. She then scowled at Alainara who was wiping her tears. Alainara took a step closer to Sharaina but Sharaina raised her hand to slap her. Alainara closed her eyes tight and Sharaina held back.

"What are you doing here alone Alainara? Do you know what time it is?" Sharaina angrily asked her.

"I was coming to you." Alainara innocently said with a sniffle to Sharaina's astonishment. "No one loves me at home so I ran away so that I can be with you."

"Are you insane?" Sharaina raised her hand again to hit Alainara but she stumbled back and fell. "Mama and papa must be worried sick about you. You are going back home. Let's go I'm taking you home." Sharaina pulled Alainara's hand back up but she forcefully freed herself. "Alainara stop this foolishness."

"I am not going back there. Everyone won't care that I'm gone. I am invincible in that house!" Alainara screamed at Sharaina. "I thought that you were going to be happy that I was going to start living with you."

"I am in no position to keep you with me Alainara. I don't have a house of my own. I haven't even graduated yet. You must return home."

"No I will not. You can't make me. If you take me back I will hate you forever. You will never see me again because I will run away from home again. I have told you that I don't want to go back there." Alainara stomped her feet in anger.

Sharaina wiped her face in frustration with a growl. "I don't have time for this. I left my punishment without permission and I'm pretty sure I'll be punished more for that. I also have a training session in half an hour. King Meelzib will probably kill me if I'm late."

Sharaina looked at Alainara who was still crying.

"Stop crying." Sharaina shushed her. "Okay you can spend the night with me but tomorrow we will talk about getting you back home." She said to her and Alainara hugged her.

Sharaina opened a portal and she appeared outside the castle gates with Alainara in her arms. She looked at the guards at the gate and knew that none of them would agree to let Alainara in with her.

She also couldn't open a portal to her quarter. Sharaina thought about Lalina. She took Alainara to a bakery shop near the gates.

"I am going in alone. I'll send someone to come and pick you up. She will take you to my quarter." Sharaina told Alainara and she nodded her head. "Her name is Lalina. Don't leave with anyone but her. The password is..." Sharaina whispered into Alainara's ear.

****

Akirexer had finished cooking dinner. She quickly set the table. When she was done, she looked at the wall clock. It was 20:30 hrs. Akirexer sighed at the thought of Emana scolding her for cooking dinner late. Akirexer decided to call her down for dinner last. She first went to Naian and Emelinia's room. She softly knocked on the door and Emelinia told her to enter.

Akirexer peeped at the door and told Emelinia that dinner was ready. She walked away and headed down the passage to Alainara's room. Akirexer knocked on her door but Alainara didn't answer her. After knocking a few times she turned the door knob but the door was locked. Akirexer knocked harder on Alainara's door and called out to her.

Emelinia came out of her room and she was stunned to see Akirexer repeatedly knocking on Alainara's door. The noise forced Emana out of her room. She grumbled to herself as she approached Akirexer and Emelinia. This time, the noise got the attention of Sharumez and Naian.

"Alainara won't open her door." Akirexer explained.

"Alainara! Open this door or you will get a spanking." Emana threatened her.

Naian got up the stairs and joined the women. "This is odd. Alainara never locks her door. Something is wrong." He said. "Stand back." He told them and they back away.

Naian hit the door with his shoulder. The sound of the door banging forced Sharumez up the stairs. He saw Naian hit the door again and this time it weakened. With the third hit it swung open. Naian rushed inside and his eyes searched around Alainara's room. He saw the bed sheets at the window and he looked down. Upon realizing what has happened, Akirexer fainted.

****

King Meelzib and Sharaina had been training for close to an hour. So far, Sharaina succeeded in creating a wave that took down a pile of rocks she set up. King Meelzib told her that he wanted to see the rocks getting reduced to dust with one hit. Simply knocking them down wasn't enough.

Sharaina felt drained. Her arm started to feel sore from all the swinging she did. She was shocked that she was even able to knock down the rocks. Her mind was preoccupied with Alainara that it made it difficult for her to focus on her gamarax. She wondered if Lalina had managed to get her into her quarters.

Sharaina positioned herself, took a deep breath and focused on her gamarax. She fused as much as she could to her red sword and thrust it hard with all her might. A static wave was produced and it knocked King Meelzib's crown off his head.

They both watched it drop to the ground with wide eyes. Sharaina deactivated her sword and covered her mouth in shock. She proceeded to bow down for mercy with her forehead touching the ground.

"If I didn't know that you are troublesome, I would have accused you of treason." His deep voice echoed. King Meelzib picked up his crown. "Training is over. You will continue tomorrow. You are to spend the whole day here until you master this technique."

"It will happen as you wish your majesty."

Once they were back in Cherilisia, Sharaina bowed her head as she waited for King Meelzib to leave the training ground. Once he was out of sight, she jumped off the stage and ran to her quarter. This puzzled the guards very much.

Sharaina arrived at her door and looked around to see if anyone was watching her. When she was sure no one was there, she knocked three times.

Alainara recognized the secret knock and got out of bed. She opened the door and when she saw that it was truly Sharaina, she hugged her. Sharaina carried her to the bed and put her back in the covers. She turned to lock the door. Alainara's eyes were beaming with so much happiness that Sharaina couldn't resist smiling back at her.

"Have you had your dinner?" Sharaina asked her.

"No not yet. I was waiting for you so that we can eat together. It's been so long since I ate with you." Alainara said with a bright smile. "Lalina brought us two plates. She lied to the servants that the other plate of food was hers."

"Oh I see. Well I had a quarter of a bar of soap earlier so I'm starving. Why don't we eat now?" Sharaina asked Alainara and she did little claps in excitement as she giggled.

"Um before we eat, can I ask you a question?" Alainara tilted her head.

Sharaina gave her a plate of food. "Sure you know you can ask your big sister anything."

"Why is your hair dark and why is your hand hurt?" Alainara asked her and pointed at her bandaged hand.

Sharaina rolled her eyes at her with a smile. "I thought you had one question." She teased and spooned up some food. "Well, I pretty much don't know how dye ended up in a shampoo bottle I was using." Sharaina explained. "Light has the dye remover I need to get it out. I'll do so as soon as I am done with my training here. As for my hand, well; let us just say that your sister can be a dumb ass sometimes. Now eat your food. It's already late."