7: Stranger

(Princess Ashti)

I feel numb. My wrists​ are tied by chain. That's what I feel, I suddenly open my eyes and what I feel is true. I'm sitting on a cold cemented ground. Is this a prison?! This place is very wide in space, but the ground is very limited. Like a small stage. I can't see what's below, but there came a green light and smells fishy.

As water drops it echoes around as silent as cave. I wonder how I got here, or what kind of filthy place is this. I pull the chain to support me from standing up. Unfortunately, I'm still wearing the gray gown, it increases my weight. And from my feet, I thought I'm standing in ice but it's only the ground.

I'm not even wearing sandals. I remembered how I lost it, now I remembered what happened to my kingdom. Is my mother okay? Did my father knew about it? Is he home? Maybe they are, I'm not the one at home! I keep on pulling the chain down from the ceiling. I can't see the top, its dark.

I stopped when it's already painful. Why did that King thought of kidnapping me?! I'm no use to him specially I'm not gifted! I shout to alarm them

"HEY!" it echoes around and no one answers. "Heeeeeyyy!! Can anyone hear me?! Hey you...!! The King who... who... attacked us. Whatever! If you don't want me to leave then at least give me some food!!!" I pout, still no response.

"Oh come on!"

A door on my left side suddenly open roughly. No one came, it just opened. I can't go there, it's far and I'm chained. I noticed something moving in front of me, climbing. It's a zombie, same creature I've seen before. When it reached the top, I walk backward, I pull and hold the chain then I sway like swing to kick that monster back below.

But I over did my swing, the monster fell and I saw what's beneath this stage, there are lots of them climbing, well thank you for hearing my call! When I sway back, I proved that I'm surrounded by those things! I force to stop the sway by breaking by feet.

Beside me I saw another one climbed successfully, it attacked me so I stoop down, instead of biting me, it bit the chain. I wonder what happened but it fell down again and the chain was cut. A lot on every side is approaching, I touch my body if there's something I could use to fight, I look around and there's nothing too!

Here comes their attack, my foot felt something hard, a human bone. I stoop again from its first attack also to get the bone. I bash randomly the bone since they attack randomly too. I don't know how long this will take but I need to do something new to get to that open door!

When the bone broke, I panic so I lost focus. They push me in front and with a very bad luck I fall backward. But before that happened, someone hold my waist around and I can't help but hold at that person. His other hand holds the chain to restraint from falling. It's a boy.

We're on the very edge of the stage yet I can't keep my eyes away from his bright violet eyes, I can behold it even he's wearing red and gold masquerade mask because our faces are close. I'm startled, who is this guy?!

"Don't let go," he said. He used his other arm to hold me on my back then he let us fall. I hug him tight, screaming, we're totally falling! Just a second I can feel a ground, I lower the tone of my scream to ensure that we're safe, and we are so I stopped. I look around, it looks like we're under tall cliffs on both sides. The mist is covering the opposite paths.

And to be precise, this place has huge rocks and drought land. I look at him and I let go from hugging him quickly, I didn't notice that he's not holding me anymore. I fix myself and stay cool. That was kinda embarrassing.

"Who are you?" I asked. He yawns and I scowl.

"That was an unpleasant gratitude."

"Ah, okay. Thank you for saving me," I stammered.

"My name is Haris. I was sent by Princess Jexica to save you and bring you back safe to your kingdom."

"Really? They should have sent someone I know." Like Almidoron, no, I grimace, I unintentionally remembered that he's dead.

"Wait a minute how did we-? We end up here... how?"

"It's called magic, idiot," he said then sat and lean his back on the rock.

"Wha?! Are you seriously going to sleep in this kind of place?!"

"Yes."

"And why?!"

"Because I'm sleepy."

"Hey, for your information I am a princess! Princess Ashti of Heavenly Kingdom so you should respect and be careful whom you're talking to—hey! Ugh great! He's asleep. Weird guy." I place my hands on my hips as I look around.

Maybe I should travel alone than to get along with this drowsy person. But to be honest I have no idea where I am. I never left my kingdom this far before. I need to choose between right and left path, women are always right so I chose right.

This guy didn't even notice that I left him sleeping, sleeping during his mission ah? Or it could be, he's tired. I walk calmly, looking above with huge rocks attached on the cliff. When I got farther, it's getting muddy. I'm not even wearing sandals! Why am I so unlucky today?!

I continue my walk further, this place is so solemn, truly good for sleeping. I can't see the way onward because of this thick fog. So I was bumped​ on a wall, a dead end? My forehead hurts! I touch the wall, but through its texture I think it's just a rock.

Not either. It has scale. I remove my hand when it moved, it's an eye. Eye same size as me, I can see my reflection and its eyeball is like a lizard. No way, this is a monster, a bigger one! It arise slowly, mud was sprinkled on my face. I can hear its groan; did I disturb its sleep?!

I run despite of my gown and mud that pulls me. I can run fast, it's moving slowly maybe because it's still sleepy. I scream aloud for help. It's glaring and chasing me, this is worse than a lion chasing me! I'm​ pulling up my skirt, when I got out of the mud, I can run faster.

"Haris! Haris wake up!!" I almost stumble from panic, yet he's still sleeping. I shake him hard.

"Haris we're in trouble, you have to wake up!"

"What are you talking about?" he said with a low voice.

"There is a monster chasing me!!"

"Only you? So why did you say we?"

"Ugh come on!" he stood up to see what's chasing me.

"Mmm I see. She is the mother of all Callions. And this place is called Callion's hideout. It could be that you woke her up." I hide behind him. He still looks so sleepy and calm.

"Hey! Wake up! You're not dreaming anymore!"

"I know, idiot." He look at my gown, he noticed the mud. And then he sighed.

"What are the very first words I told you?" he asked.

"Huh? Y-you're sleepy...?" what comes to his mind and he asked that?! The monster is approaching!

"No."

"Your name is Haris...?!"

"No."

"That was... that was an unpleasant gratitude...?!"

"No."

"Idiot...?!"

He held my shoulders by his arm and pulled me closer.

"Don't let go." He pull me to turn around, I cover my face because the monster's claw is approaching us. When we turned around we changed location again. He let go and walk forward. We are inside a murky and dusty old church building. It doesn't have windows or anything, only a huge picture frame with a picture of nature.

"Where are we?"

"This place is where I was trained. Or for more details, this is a world created by Mr. Holland. This is out of the earth or could be a dimension."

"Wow. Is this your gift?"

"No, I'm only an apprentice."

"But you're gifted. Are you a prince?"

"No. I am no prince." Then how come he have a gift unlike me? I feel envy. He extends his hand for me

"Where are we going?"

"To a better place."

Why did he even take me here if this is not a better place? I gave him my hand and he pulled me right away to the frame. I thought I was about to bump again but we came inside the picture. I look behind and there is the picture of the murky building.

This place has trees, birds humming continuously, the grass is cold and soft, and like a grass land. It has mini and clear rivers but it's warm. Onward, there are bookshelves and of course books, wooden table and chair that has map on the surface. A sofa place beside a glass shelve that has few books inside. Butterflies are flying around.

A very good place to rest, and speaking of, he's sleeping already on the sofa. I look at him closely, he has fair skin, short hair, beardless, just like an innocent boy. He's wearing magician-like coat with hood and bell bottom long sleeves. Also a red gloves, black pants and brown fitted boots.

I'm good at observing people, I can trust him but he's weird. He's gifted but not a royal blood, he's sleepy in this kind of situation,

"Well he has the brightest smile in the whole world." I was shocked when I heard a voice of a woman behind me. She's wearing brown maid dress and long hair. She's like a doll, but same old as my mother.

"Oh my! He's very sleepy again. He used a lot of teleportation."

"What do you mean?"

"Only gods can use teleport continuously because of much energy it consumes, he can use it but not too much. He could die from exhaustion." I see. That's why he can't control his sleepiness.

"By the way, it's nice to meet you Princess Ashti. My name is Tony but call me Ms. Tony. This place was created by King Holland, god of magic. You're safe here, don't worry. We just need to fix everything from you." She's​ talking about how filthy I am now.

She led me the way to the bathroom, but not totally a bathroom. A hot spring. The entry has a door without wall covering the whole area.

"Wait! Should I be naked in public place?!"

"Of course not. It's always private." She opened the door for me, and inside is different from what I see outside. It has hot water pool, this is like a small room with tiles, without window, the ceiling is a mirror and she told me that my clothes are packed inside a bag hanging on the inside doorknob.

After I strip I dive into the water and regret it. I never expect that this is a shallow pool. I'm just too excited to clean myself.

After I wash, I wear my clothes. It's a long sleeves dress and a bell bottom too. The hips can be tightened and the skirt is like balloon. The color is violet, my favorite. And below are black leggings and fitted blue boots. Kinda weird yet cute.

When Ms. Tony saw me, she's so delighted, like a mother praising her daughter. She prepared a meal for me and I really appreciate it. I noticed that all of the books don't have unique cover, only a plain color. I pick the book with my favorite color and I read it after I ate.

From the first page, the title was written, 'Ponytail'. I started wondering if this is a kind of children story.