4: Whack Down Some Trees.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw no one next to her, her wet clothes had been taken off and she was now wearing a blue gown that went slightly past her knees.

Quickly getting up from the bed she ran straight to the window and shifted the curtain to her left.

The moment she looked down from her room, she saw Harry fully dressed up and ready to leave, he was currently talking with Lisa and the two men and was ready to leave at any time.

She gasped before she closed the curtains and quickly ran to her closet, she stayed for a while in there and when she came out, she was wearing a silver blue shirt that went slightly past her waist in front and had a v design at her back that was slightly above her knee level along with a pair of silver white strides.

She then quickly walked to the edge of her bed, picked up a sheathed sword that was lying there, and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

Harry was already done talking with them and was a good distance away from their house when he heard footsteps coming from behind him.

Out of instinct he drew his sword and turned around to face whoever it was that was coming after, only to see the same girl from last night only that she looked slightly different.

" I think she looks a little older, I thought she was about fifteen the last time I saw her." He thought.

" I want to have a duel with, first to draw their opponent's blood wins." She stated, drawing her sword.

Harry was left dumbfounded after hearing that, looking at her he could hardly ever believe that she could fight and yet she had just challenged him to such a duel.

" Fine, I accept your duel." He said, pointing out his sword.

She did the same and after a soft clang of their swords, they both stepped slightly away from each other and held out their swords, ready for combat.

" Begin." She said, immediately charging towards him.

A slanted sword slash was sent towards him from the left and he was able to block it immediately and backed away.

" You're better than last time." She said, sending another slash towards him from the same direction.

He didn't try to give much thought to what she had just said and that was when she quickly dashed towards him and sent another slash towards him from the same direction once again.

This time, the moment he blocked the attack, she spun around towards his back and just as he followed her movements, he felt her sword right by the right side of his jaw.

He slightly shifted his head to look at the sharp silver grazing his jaw, she had stopped momentarily, and as soon as his gaze went to the sword, it slashed his cheek.

He staggered backward and held the wounded side of his face while staring at her with a look of confusion on his face.

She simply ignored her and sheathed her sword while saying, " I hope to face you again sometime."

" What was that about?" He thought, watching her walk back to where had just come from.

As he turned around and began to leave his head began throbbing and he gripped it in pain.

" Love me, bear this curse with me, you belong to me." Were the words that kept ringing in his head.

He gripped it with his right hand and continued to strive, trying as much as possible to ignore the trouble his head was going through.

Now outside the fence of the compound, he looked around him and saw many houses scattered around the place, there were a few people passing by and children playing in the sand, he smiled at the sight as the pain of his childhood stung him.

" This is the southern side of the capital, consisting mainly of refugees, if I go north from here then I should be able to reach it." He thought, memories of the catacomb going through his mind, " seems like I'm alone once again."

" How many people have you managed to recruit, I need those trees cut down in the next four days!" He heard a voice come from his right.

He turned around and saw two grown men standing a few feet away from him, one of them had a scruffy beard and a plump stomach with an annoyed look on his face which suggested that he was the one the one complaining.

" Excuse me," he said, walking towards them, " I heard you needed someone to help you cut down some trees, how about I do it."

The man with the plump tummy looked at him with an annoyed look on his face and concluded, "What do you think this is some kind of joke, with that pale body of yours I doubt you could even lift a mere axe."

" I know he may seem weak sir Ervig, but don't you think we should at least give him a chance I have an axe I can spare."

" But don't you dare try to toy with me, 'cause I will make you pay dearly." The man said, walking past him, "Follow me."

The man next to him immediately joined him and the three journeyed to the northern side of the village, there were fewer houses there and more trees.

When they arrived at the man's house, Harry saw four men standing there with huge axes in their hands, their veins were bulged out and their abs were visible through their tight cotton shirts.

" I can't keep up with labor like this, I'll need something to make a good living out of its very obvious I'm pale compared to these men." He thought, watching the man go inside the building in front of them.

After a while the man came out with an axe in his hand, it seemed old and blunt but it didn't have a single rust on it.

He was handed the axe and they ventured in between the trees, the man then stopped by a certain area and drew a line with his right foot.

" This is where it stops, there are thirty-three trees here that need falling and I want them down and ready before the next three days," he said, walking towards them, " and there will be no payment until the job gets done."

He left the area and the five immediately began whacking the trees closest to them with their axes, they kept on working until the evening, and looking at the trees now, about ten of them had already gone down.

" I don't know about you guys, but we should have that man consider how he pays us, that kid has only managed to get one tree down so far." One of them said, pointing at him.

Harry had heard him and had immediately turned away his face with one thought in his mind, " of only this was a test requiring skill, my forearms are barely half the size of theirs."

" It's getting, late I should go meet my wife." The other said standing up.

Not long after that, the sky went dark and they had all left, except for Harry who was still whacking on the trees.

He was perspiring profusely and had nothing on but his shoes and trousers.

He dropped the axe and looked at his palm as leaned onto the tree he had been whacking, his palms had become red and swollen and his shoulders were aching greatly.

He gripped his right shoulder with a groan and exhaled heavily before slowly closing his eyes.

It was long into the night and a woman with short curly brown hair was walking through the number of trees they had just cut down.

" What's the harm in taking a little stroll around the house while I wait for my husband's return." She thought, looking around the place.

" Oh dear," she gasped the moment she saw a boy sleeping by one of the trees.

*****

He opened his eyes once again and saw himself standing inside a room, which had a luxurious tone to it.

There was a table with a basket of fruits on top of it, he saw a woman sitting by the table and taking small bites of the fruit with a slightly saddened look on her face.

A maid walked in and immediately bowed her head before saying, " Your Highness, King Ariel of Dasuriel has come to see you."

Her face immediately brightened up and a smile spread across her face as she replied, " I'll be coming to meet him shortly."

Not long after the maid left, she came outside the palace wearing a bright blue gown that went down her ankles, a silver tiara, golden earrings, necklaces, and bracelets.

A man was sitting on a wooden chair in an area surrounded by flowers, there was another seat opposite him and a smile spread across his face the moment he saw her walking towards him.

" You're here early today, I never knew you missed me so much." She teased, taking the seat opposite him.

" You're the first I've known to ever get dressed so quickly, admit it Azurelia, you were in a hurry to see too weren't you?" He asked with a slight laugh, "What do you say we take a walk around here."

" I don't mind." She said, holding out her right hand.

He stood up from his chair and walked towards her, he then took her hand and after a kiss on her hand, he helped her up and they both held hands together while walking around the palace.

After a while, they came back to the place where they had sat together and she looked him in the eye and said, " I love to walk around the palace once in a while like this, but it's even more satisfying when I do it with you."

He then removed his grip on her hand and held her back before slowly pulling her closer to him with a smile on his face.

" How about a kiss before I leave?"

She didn't give him a reply and simply wrapped her arms around his neck, they slowly leaned in closer to each other and just as their lips were about to touch, his expression changed and he slightly pushed her away before covering his mouth with his right hand.

He began to cough violently and she immediately came to his side and began to gently patt his back, with a cup of water in her hand.

" Are you alright?"

He looked at his hand and saw pecks of blood on his hand, his sight began to blur and it wasn't long before he collapsed on the ground.