17. Father

We left Oka after we had done with all business there. Ms. Marie took us leave the between realm.. They were persons who were in charge of taking care of that realm. Kerberos said that nobody could go to that world without their permission unless he had died. And Zie would stay temporarily with that man while we were looking for Zarina to free the spells that tied his body.

Zie never knew the plan I had made. I just told him that Zarina would help us fight against my father's group who were after him. But in fact, that woman would help to free the spells and when the time came Kerberos would take him to spirit realm.

I knew Mickey was really disappointed with my decision. He knew exactly how long Zie had waited for me, and after we met, I would send him to where he belonged

"Tha, do you have to do this?" Mickey repeated it over and over again.

I did not reply him. I wanted all things like how I wanted it. I wanted to be with Zie like before the gunshot took away his life. If possible I wanted him to be in doll forever. But it would mean we would be hunted all the time. And that would also mean, I had to be ready if something bad happened to other people in my life.

It was as if I had to make a very hard for being selfish, following my ego or obeying the rules available. Whatever that did not belong to this world had to be sent back to where it belonged.

Had there been other ways I could do to stay with Zie, I would have done that. And no monster hunted us. Perhaps, it was my biggest fault after all, coming to my father's place, and it turned to be worse.

"I do not know what I should do,´ I sat down and cried hysterically in the middle of the forest with Kerberos and Mickey by my sides. "I am confused, what else I should do. I just wanted to be with Zie without being chased like this, "God, am I selfish? Why people can be with the persons they like but I cannot? I just want to be with him like we used to be," I looked at that cat, pleading, "Mickey, tell me what I should do to be with Zie all the time?" All were quiet, did not reply me.

***

That day, after seeing Mr. Oka, the search for Zarina started, a name that was quite familiar for me but I still failed to recall where and when I had heard it.

"Is Zarina someone who is expelled?" I asked Kerberos. I was likely to have heard her name when I was a child, "Then, why did you say it would be difficult to find her?"

"Zarina is very nomadic person, that is why looking for her is very hard. Many people disliked her, although she wass actually a good person." Mickey was likely to remember something. "My master used to be a god friend of her. Well, it can be said that only Zarina would come up when my master had problems," He took a deep breath. "Even though we say Don't judge the book from its cover', many of us do judge book from its cover. They are more interested in the cover rather the one with bad cover."

"She is unique," Kerberos added, "Even in the underworld she is very famous, unfortunately she has a horrible scar on her face as he just said," Kerberos glanced at Mickey. "If you meet her, you will like her instantly. She is patient and kind for someone from the black witch. She is special because she can master many kinds of spells quickly."

…

We stopped in one of shops not far from the torist place we previuosly passed by when we got off from the bus. We discussed about how to reach the location where Zarina last lived based on Kerberos knowledge. Almost.30 minutes I looked for in the internet using the key from Mickey, but it was no yield. The clues the fat cat giving referred to a forest area, but strangely Mickey insisted that it was a city.

Kerberos who got the information from his friend was confused, too, because he had never been there before. And I was concerned with other things after studying the location. It was so far and sounded impossible with my fist tight provision.

I took a deep breath. Mickey and Kerberos kept arguing but gave no ideas about how to go there. A crazy idea crossed to my mind all of sudden when I remembered how that white dog could grow very large to fight against those fire balls.

"Kerberos", I interrupted their debate. The two animals turned their head to me right away. I told them what was bothering my mind, "I wanted to say that actually I don't have much money," I tried to explain to them what in my mind was. "It was such a far place. Will you take us there?" That dog looked confused, "I mean, can you give us a ride?" I set my pitiful face.

Mickey, the fat cat, burst into laughter although Kerberos was not likely to understand what I brought up to him. "POOR DOG!" He laughed out loud. "Man, you don't to worry about it," He walked to him, "Leave it to us," The fat cat wagged his tail, "Mickey, the great the wizard, and his assistant will take care of it. Don't waste your money," as he said he glanced at that white dog.

Kerberos barked out loudly as he began to understand Mickey's words. He wanted to crush that annoying cat.

…

Out of so many things that men had known, there were even more in this world remained a mysteri. One of them was Kerberos, a myth creature. And out there, there were more than one or two creatures like them wandered around freely.

Some chose to hide so as not to attract human's attention, some mingled with human ere not known nor recognised their existence by any common people or others. It never occurred to us creatures like them ever existed in this world.

People called it a stone bird because its color was grey like a stone. It was not bigger than a sparrow with bright grey and black feet. They nested and laid eggs on dry grass, on top roof or on branches of trees in the yards. The eyes were bright red with grey beak, but the color was darker than its feathers.

2 hours ago we took a bus to the place Mickey told us. It was a rural area which was located quite far from the city. That cat said that he had bought 5 stone birds to help us. At first I did not know why we had to use those birds, until one of them perched in front of before it finally flew up in the sky..

"They will stand by around us," Mickey said

"Tubby, where did you get the money to buy them? I know even to rent them is expensive, but you bought them instead," Kerberos was curious.

There was hatred in Mickey's eyes for Kerberos, "I know it will be very useful! Not only you can fight with the fire balls, I can, too," he wagged his tail annoyingly.

I looked my surround and it was true, they were around us. Some perched on the roof and on the ground while eating grass seeds growing along the side streets.

…