15 Talk, Artelia, Holy-Land

The thread points to the north, with a little west, and so slowly and slightly harshly, the bison's cart moves. It was the same pinkish sky and yet despite that excellent climate, they all kept up the mute in the air. Not a single noise except some moans of bison. It was surely because of that black cloak along with the hood which Athena decided not to leave and directed as if it would be a disgrace to her if they Do speak. Hatim and Athena sat across, their glances met and yet, refused to talk and Zera, by some means, felt the most pressure while following the same silence which turned out to be like beads of sweat on her forehead. "So, where are you from!?" And even after that bizarre air, Zera finally let out and pointed her words at Athena for mutual knowing, however, it surely wasn't a question which Athena could answer and suddenly, one devilish smile appeared on his face as if he was waiting for this. "Now, now, where are you from, Mister coward in a black cloak?!" It was Hatim, gawking at Athena as if he was one of those sinful ones. "To one who saved your life, hm?!" Replied Athena, quietly and yet sounded no less than a deadly warning, but as seeing the environment getting that tense which even turns the bison moans quiet, Zera simply came to smile knowing this is partially her fault. "So… why don't we exchange some names?" She again tried samely as mutual, and yet, again the two remained unspoken. "Mine is Zera!" Her smile covered all darkness within and made the two unknown for a split second. "...Warrior!" Hatim said it as his name. "Childish one?" But, Athena overlapped a question which only helped the situation to get worse. "Umm… then, yours, mister?" Being mounted by gigantic pressure, Zera whirled to Athena and asked nicely. "Minerva!" And she replied to it as her name with no hesitation. "Not 'the Owls one' eh?" Hatim, however, as a reprisal, mocked. The burning flame came to life since the two cut each other's tails off and Zera felt as if all had happened because of her and simply stayed mute with a phoney smile. "Now, now, calm down young folks, yer scarrin' my bison off!" It was then when the one who held the rope of bison, the coachman spoke the truth. "Ya, somehow able to evade Melidiona and still have issues? The young pairs nowadays, hmph!" He implied upon the two with a little bitterness. He was an old man, known a lot about Artelia since travelling was his job and since was a man of quite an age, however, despite that white age of his, he still smells his own money, and it was just that which did not let his confidence wither, and similarly couldn't let the two argue with him in any matter, but to let go the childish contest. "Hatim!" He then said the real one, knowing it's not hidden anymore. "Athena!" And she, as well, believed the same, however, "We are not pairs." Athena assured with a gentle tone. After that, Everything came to a sudden halt and simply stayed for splits of seconds, but then. "You two are kind of…cute!" Zera spoke above that silence and her teeth shone as her laughter continued like a little sun in the nearing night.

Night came over yet they chose to continue the ride, still, it wasn't a journey with mute air but talk. "Thus, what happened to Artelia?" Athena asked, however, upon her words everyone came to be fazed, except Hatim. "Wait, you are not from Artelia?" Zera asked more than confused. "Yes." And after some pause, she replied and led them to be even more confused. "Then, how in the hell' ya can speak Artelian!?" The coachman said loudly and it surely doesn't seem like a question, but Athena knows her choice of words very well. "I learned it. It was not difficult much after I began." She halted. "Nothing is difficult once after trying." She glanced at Hatim laying and holding tight to his dagger but after hearing her, he spun his gazes another way around with an annoyed face. "Regardless, what happened ten years ago?" Athena asked as whirling her eyes at Zera again, but Zera, however, surely didn't seem in the temper to talk and yet she began. "Well, you see, an event happened, like a mysterious kind. Everything vanished, the whole Kingdom of Leos vanished in a single night and no one knows how exactly… Some say it was an army attack from the neighbouring countries, some say it was a curse upon the King…" She took a break to take down a gulp below her throat. "Some even say it was God's doing!" Athena's emerald eyes turned vast and Hatim tightened his grip upon his dagger while Zera couldn't speak much further and yet again brought that silence to take over. "But, oh well, ya gotta hand it to Prince, that Artelia still manages to escape the clutches of other countries, no wonder' our land is called, Land of Masters!"

"Hyaa!!" The coachman spoke loud in that sole silence and scared Zera till her heart out. However, the words the old man said, peeked Athena's attention slightly and so she proceeds. "Leocus, hm?" She asked. "Who was this 'mastermind' who saved Artelia?" And in that second, everyone went mute, it was as if they were unwilling to speak his name much, after all, he was like a messiah to them, but that fact did not imply on Him. "He changed Artelia for good!" Hatim broke that silence. "He did a lot…for Artelia…" Upon his words' fade, nothing could be said more, nothing that will not hurt Artelia in exchange. Yet, Athena did not seem to be satisfied with an unfinished reply and proceeds once again. "Then, what—." 

"Now, let's calm down a bit!" But before the lady could say much, Zera halted her with loud words. "You see, these are not the kind of talks I wanted…" And it sure wasn't what Zera desired when she opened her mouth up. "I simply want to know you guys," Her eyes numbed a little. "That's all I want…" Athena's stares became vast for a second but then returned with nothingness within, as she leaned back with no phrase to reply, however, Hatim's whirls his gazes and fixes at her, ceasing something interesting. "Well, well, don't be upset, little missy!" Hatim left no time or space to mock her, but Zera instantly spun her black gapes at Hatim, unknown as to why exactly, but she became quite confused and simply kept her gawk until he turned his. "What!?" Asked Hatim. "Oh! Nothing." And she replied with the same instant tone. As then, again after again, the silence conquers the air and this time, even Zera was lost. She wasn't worried about herself or the situation anymore, but the two of them, who they are, and why in the world they are travelling along despite hating each other from the bottom of their hearts. At first glance, it only seemed like a love quarrel but after knowing them even a little, changed her view of them as sun till moon. "Hey, Athena?" She whirled upon the lady and spelt her name. "The questions you wanted, I will answer them with all my little knowledge, but in exchange, may I know you, even a little?" She begged and because her voice softened, the moment froze with Athena silence. It was her hood that made the mood even more unknown but after a lengthy quiet, Athena replied. "I have taken your word, child, but as presently, I can not pass any words." Her glance whirls to the coachman, but as obviously, none can tell what her intentions were. Yet, it was enough for Zera, as she wandered her thoughts to explore all the little knowledge she had and then proceed to ask. "So, what were your questions?" And Athena breathed in after a frightening stillness, she then spoke "What is The Holy-Land?" Simple and straightforward, no hidden means, no haste, but simply a question made of wonder, after all, it is the centre of Butterfly Realm endless conflict. However, Zera sighs and opens her mouth full of words. "The Holy-Land… that thing…" It was a disappointment that crawled above in her vocals like an ant. "No wonder you asked about it though…"

" 'Thou who possesses this supreme land shall judge the fate of all.' " 

All that sudden, the coachman spoke some lost words with an accent that seemed forbidden. "These words were enough for this conflict to begin and continue till now…" And Zera continued the phrase left by the old coachman, she then sighs again and so begins. "Around two hundred years ago, an unknown man spoke and his words scar every nation in this world." She continued. "No one knows, not a single soul knows who that man was, but sure somehow yet he changed everything. He said about a land, a land as like from a fairy tale, a land like a gift from the Gods, a land like it will change everything and so he might be true, but just how in the world, everyone believes it like a truth carved in the rock?" She angered and others simply remained zipped, Hatim lay with closed eyes and holding tight to his precious dagger, the coachman watching the night path with his experience and eavesdropping, and Athena, with open ears. "Well, I don't completely know the history but even the newborns have to remember the tale of Holy-Land, after all, it is the centre of The Butterfly Realm, like seriously, it Is in the middle of all four countries and causing this endless massacre!" She finally finished, but Athena didn't. "Then, why do all four countries struggle to grasp what lies right before their sights?" She still stood with her question and Zera continued the replies. "Well, many tired but never ever even one went and came back, even the greatest of great could not grasp that land." She sighs. "Legends say, once upon a time there was an army of thousands, marched into the Holy-Land with the roars of victory but as after just minutes entering it, there was no sign of life left, it was as if, all of them, all troop of ten thousand, in a split second, vanished in the deepest mist, along with their king, and so never came back!" It was like a horror tale, after all, even if the army of ten thousand wasn't capable of breaching in, then the fear sure will rise. As then, Zera let out a breath, a breath of the rope's verge of her little knowledge and so, Athena finally blinks those glowing emerald eyes, and Hatim leans a little up just to see that green glows fading away, confirming all that she wanted to know, just for now, she got it, and it as well also when the coachman loosens his lips as stopping the ride. "We are here…" He said with sharp composure. "Marina…" Said Zera, after all, she never laid her eyes upon a city beside Melidiona. They all evacuate the bison ride and after stepping into the new grounds, they walk slightly further with some slow and heavy steps to reach above the hill, the hill was high and so, the below was tiny from their eyes, they could see all those shining red lights as like its signalling the pathway for them. "Marina." Hatim finally spoke and took the spotlight from two beside him. "Yes, Marina." Zera again said. "Indeed, Marina…" And Athena as well uttered the one name that was all on the tips of their tongues… 

"Marina."