4 They got punishment
A beauty with wheatish complexion, dark brown hairs which were tied in a braid and whose length was hidden by the blanket. Her thin, soft angled, black eyebrows. Her closed eyes. Her pointed nose, pink heart shaped lips and defined cheeks and soft jawline were all on display.
As the moonlight was shining on her face, it was illuminating brightly in white colour, giving this sleeping beauty an ethereal look. She had a long, slender neck like a swan. She was wearing an old, worn out cloth and the rest was covered with the blanket.
Ermaan tried, however the sleeping beauty took his breath and attention away, completely. No matter how polite and docile he tried to be he just couldn't snatch his own eyes away from the sleeping figurine.
It won't be a lie to say that she took his breath away, without even knowing about it. However he frowned as he saw her eyebrows joining tightly in frown. Why is she frowning?
What's troubling her? The next moment, the girl brought her hand out of the blanket and covered herself from head to toe again and continued to sleep.
Oh! So, the moonlight was troubling her. He thought she noticed his gaze on her. He stared at the window whose glass was broken and cursed the window and the moon for disturbing her which ultimately disturbed his view. Not that he was complaining to the sleeping person. But at the very least, the moon goddess should have been a little considerate towards him, can't she?
"Son, what are you thinking? You are looking lost?" Nazia asked after not hearing anything from Ermaan who was constantly asking questions till now.
" Oh, nothing." Ermaan said, making Nazia nod. Well he was lucky
enough that Nazia didn't notice it. However The Fourteen did. For the rest of the night Ermaan kept stealing glances at the sleeping beauty. But to his utmost disappointment she remained covered with the blanket.
After sharing a hearty meal with Nazia Ermaan and The Fourteen bid their farewell to Nazia and started walking in their journey ahead. The journey towards scolding and a great lecture. As they did commit a crime and that too without Derek's consent or acknowledgement.
Yet they didn't have any sadness lingering over their faces as they were busy teasing Ermaan, their leader, who was completely mesmerised by the beauty at Nazia's home. Maybe this is what people say is love at first sight.
Because he was completely bewitched by her looks and her cute sleeping state.
~~
The next morning;
Suzy was forced to remove the blanket from her face as Nazia urged her to wake up. Nazia stares at her daughter who sleeps like she doesn't care even if the earthquake strikes in her sleep and then sighed. She brought Suzy's bed tea and made Suzy hold it with both hands before leaving the tea cup completely.
" I am not a kid." Suzy whines earning a light chuckle from Nazia.
"For me you are and I had witnessed too many scenarios of you spilling the tea on bed while falling back asleep, to trust you on this." Nazia complained.
"But that was years ago." Suzy retorted in her defence.
"Yeah. Yeah. A witchling will be a witchling. As per human age you might be old, but you are still a little kid as per a witch's age. So, my dear, let me take care of you." Nazia said, making Suzy stare hard at her.
"How many times do I have to tell you to not to mention the talk of witches in front of me? Yet you started it the first thing in the morning. You are impossible." Suzy said with a scowl on her face.
"Well, that's because I am a human. I have aged quite a lot and very soon I will wither and die, your highness. You have to learn a lot of things on your own, until you find a reliable, trustworthy servant again.
Or should I write it to The Clan Head? She will appoint a new servant for you, who will help you gain a better understanding of us, humans. Besides, I don't want to see you struggling on your own." Nazia said, making Suzy stare at her sceptically.
"Is that why you called 'them', the previous night? What's with the dead's talk? You still have a few years left to serve me. Let's think about the future, in the future." Suzy said, making Nazia to stop.
"Well, I definitely can't entrust you to any human. Especially if he or she hasn't been chosen and selected The Clan Head herself, your highness.
Last night, I invited them because they were the one who avenged the insult that superintendent Rakha did. I heard the one who was staring at you, The Kingsman, beheaded the royal family of Quetha and brought their heads to Ersia as a present." Nazia shared the news.
" He did that to protect his king and kingdom from war, not me." Suzy replied straight-forwardly, making Nazia a bit flustered. Well, she got caught.
"But he is also taking care of the people by distributing the ration." Nazia piqued it up.
"That's his duty. If next time I find any stranger or strangers in the house then you can say goodbye to this humble abode." Suzy warned making Nazia to finally shut and nod. She knows Suzy was angry, well what else could be expected from a cold-blooded, hot headed witchling.
~~
Ermaan and the fourteen were standing in a line, in front of Derek, their hands holding the swords high in the air and their backs carrying the backpacks weighing ninety-five kgs.
Reason : They arrived a little bit late back at the barracks. The news of missing ration was spread like a wildfire at the military camp.
The moment Ermaan and Alpha Team came, Derek treated them as an ally and explained to them about the missing ration case only to hear that it was the deed of his beloved junior, Ermaan.
If he says he wasn't shocked then it would be a lie. However, he felt betrayed more. Firstly he killed the royal family and now stole the military ration.
Thus, Alpha Team was taking its punishment by holding the swords high. As whosoevers sword would be lower would be assigned the task for next sixth months. If the tasks would have been related with missions on nearby kingdoms or the welfare of the people,then they would have long accepted defeat, but the tasks in concern were the normal chores which they couldn't think of doing for such a long time frame of six months.
In that way, they might end up forgetting their swordsmanship.
~~
In the evening,
Everyone in the barracks was watching The Alpha Team struggling to keep their swords higher, they had worn the heat of scorching sun with a smile on their face which had done nothing to calm Derek down or at least listen to their part of story.
As for Ermaan, he had clearly stated whosoever put his sword down, even by a bit, would be kicked out of The Alpha Team putting extra pressure on the fourteen. As there is a saying in the army you are either the fourteen or nothing.
Because whenever something happens, you are the first one to know about it and deal with it. Only if The Alpha Team is busy, extremely busy would the other teams receive the call from the king.
It's like Ersia's faith lies in The Alpha Team despite having five strongest teams, ninety percent of the credit of which goes to some unruly jerk, who only knows how to make someone's life worse than hell.
~~
The day had passed, however the competition between The Alpha Team was all the same, making even Derek feel like banging his head on the wall. Why can't they take punishment as a punishment? All that they have to do is feel a little sorry, make pitiful faces and apologise. He isn't stone hearted like Ermaan to not to forgive them. But see this jerk, he surely is spoiling his innocent soldiers.
"Fine. Your punishment is over." After watching the sun rising in the horizon, Derek couldn't put himself to keep punishing those young bloods.
With that everyone throws their swords on the ground and falls flatly on the ground with the heavy backpacks on their backs, kissing the ground merrily. Earning a sigh from Derek. These punks.
"Ermaan, in my tent, now." Derek said, making Ermaan nod despite his face being in contact with ground.
"Or actually go take a bath, eat something and then meet me." Derek said, watching Ermaan's pitiful state, earning another nod.
The moment the backpacks were lifted from The Alpha Team's back, they went to their respective tents except for Ermaan, who couldn't care less about his appearance in the barracks full of men. He decided to find Derek and explain the situation to him, as that was more important.
" Commander, it's me. Are you free?" Ermaan asked, after reaching Derek's tent.
" You punk! What are you doing here? I told you to rest." Derek shouted from the other side of the tent.
"Huh! Why? Are you busy? Don't tell me our old commander finally found a girl? Should I come later?" Ermaan teased only to see Derek standing at the entrance of his tent , his eyes red, ready to kill the punk in front of him.
