Vaslavis Clan: The Past (3)

Zarya suddenly sprung up from the bed and jumped around. Her arms were raised high up in the air, conveying just how happy she was about her father's suggestion.

"Really?! Daddy, you're coming with me?!"

"Hmm! Daddy will go with you! I am strong and I can protect you. Mommy will not say no."

At that very second, Zarya ran outside of her room and went to her mother.

"Mommy! Mommy!" She screamed, making merry in front of her mother, "Daddy said he will go with me to the forest!"

The woman simply continued cleaning the dishes as she answered, "I see. Make sure that you bring a water container with you. Also, I don't want you to come home with dirtied clothes. If you do, I'll make you wash them yourself."

Grego was now watching his wife and his daughter, the overwhelming feeling managing to remove his exhaustion. In truth, he would've preferred to lay down on the bed because he had an early day tomorrow.

However, he couldn't resist his daughter being all mopey for a few days. His rest was a small price to pay for the happiness of his daughter. Besides, the reason why he was working hard with the others to erect a wall around the area was for the safety of his family.

The survival of clans banished from settlement propers was no less than arduous. They would always live in fear of being attacked by rogue or berserk beasts. They even had to watch out for the invasion of another clan.

And since there were no concrete sources of food and proper waste disposal systems, the clan would have the need to relocate in order to be able to sustain themselves.

The Elders of the Varsavis Clan paid a visit to the ruler of the Orschettas themselves. They went there and begged for the mercy of the greater clan. However, the conditions were much too unfavorable for the members of the Varsavis Clan.

Ultimately, what the Orschettas wanted was total domination over the Varsavis. The elders of Varsavis weren't sentient of the reason why the Orschettas was so keen on absorbing their puny, insignificant clan.

Four of the seven elders had already lost their lives during the visit. The members weren't provided with a reason as to how the elders met their deaths. But they all had one suspicion. It was the Orschettas who killed them.

"Daddy! We should go now!" Zarya shouted as she put on her sandals.

She hurriedly opened the door and ran in circles, waiting for her father to join her.

Grego and Threya looked at each other, sighing at how zealous their daughter was. Still, they had smiles on their faces. They were thankful that they were able to bring Zarya out in an environment where she could be selfish.

"Wait for me, Zarya. I'll just get a lampshade."

"Okay! Hurry, Daddy!"

While waiting for her father, Zarya went to the riverside where she had dug a hole. The other children didn't touch her possession, so the Gold Coin was still there, exposed to the moonlight.

"Yay! Gold Coin! I have to show this to Daddy!" She said before running back to her house.

The girl was right in time to see her father getting out of the house. She waved her hands in the air, excited for her night trip with her father.

"Oh, Zarya, where have you gone to?"

"Daddy! I just picked this coin up! It's a gold coin!"

"A gold coin?" Grego asked, his eyebrows furrowing, "Can you give it to me?"

Zarya showed the coin immediately to her father. Grego inspected the coin, and right away, perturbation assaulted his being. He threw the coin in the direction of the river and lifted Zarya up from the ground.

In a haste, they went back inside the house. Grego fumbled with the door's lock, leaning his back on it thereafter.

"Threya! Threya!"

Remarking on the urgency behind her husband's voice, Threya came out of the kitchen.

"What's the matter? Did something happen to Zarya?!"

Grego approached his wife and held her shoulders tightly.

"Threya, gather all the wives and make your escape from here."

"Why?! What's the matter?! Is the Orschetta Clan going to invade us?!"

The man didn't say another word and just exited the house. Zarya, in the meantime, was bewildered by what was happening. Seeing her parents shouting at each other, the little girl began crying.

"Waaahhh! Mommy and daddy are fighting!"

On the double, Threya carried Zarya in her arms. She then took the two cloaks and a knapsack hanging beside the doorway. In less than no time, both of them were prepared for their departure.

"Zarya, my dear, please don't cry. We need to be as quiet as possible." Threya whispered to her daughter, "It's the monsters. They're here."

Upon hearing the word monster, Zarya quickly stopped crying. She burrowed her head on her mother's shoulder and sniffed.

"Good girl, let's put a cloak on you. It will be a bit uncomfortable, but don't remove it. The monsters won't see your face if you have this."

"Hmm, okay, mommy."

Threya caressed Zarya's head, wanting to cry herself. That was not the first time that she experienced another clan's invasion. Far from it, she had gone through tens of escapes, losing half of her clans every single time it happened.

The woman made sure to put out all of the lights within her house. Directly after, she paid a visit to the houses that were opposite to where her husband went. Threya knocked on the door twice. Lorco's mother was the one to open the door for her.

"What's the matter, Threya? It's already late at night." The woman said while rubbing her eyes.

"Fraley, we have to escape the area at this instant. It's the Orschettas."

Threya didn't need to elaborate further. The mention of the Orschettas was enough to instill the gravity of the situation. Fraley nodded and disappeared into the darkness of their house.