The Young Lady (Part 1)

Eventually, something caught his eye—a rock slightly larger than him sitting on top of a hill nearby. It may have been nothing more than a simple boulder at first glance. But upon closer inspection, one could see faint markings etched into its white surface; a crude drawing of two crossed swords.

As Delmo got closer to the boulder, he realized that what he thought were simple lines were actually words written across its surface. One word boldly stood out among all the others and Delmo read it out loud.

"Fight."

A surge of energy filled his heart as if someone reached inside of him and lit a fire within his body. Right after, a strong sense of urgency suddenly flooded through him.

Delmo couldn't stop himself any longer. He had to continue walking even if it killed him. At that moment, all he wanted was to fight. His blood was boiling with pent-up anger for everything that had happened that night. It felt as though steam was rising from every inch of his skin.

He clenched his teeth together tightly as he walked forward slowly with a determined expression plastered across his face.

He could feel sweat running down his forehead while his entire body shook uncontrollably from sheer exhaustion. The bandage around his thigh had loosened during his trek, exposing his wound once more and allowing fresh blood to spill forth from it.

"You better not let this end here." his mother's voice echoed in his head again, urging him forward. He had no other choice except to move forward.

***

In a small village, many miles away from the scene of the bloody massacre, a group of farmers worked hard in their fields. The day's work had begun early that morning, and they had spent hours cutting down stalks of wheat with sickles and bundling them into large piles.

"Come on, keep working!", their leader shouted at them as he swung his scythe. "We must harvest all the crops before sundown!"

One of the younger members of their group stopped to wipe sweat off his brow and catch his breath. "Can we take a break now? My hands hurt so bad..."

The older man shook his head, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Fine, take a break if you want, but no longer than five minutes. Otherwise, we won't have enough time to finish everything today."

Everyone cheered loudly at his words and dropped their tools, hurrying off towards the river for some well-deserved water.

Meanwhile, their leader continued hacking away at the remaining wheat stalks, grumbling angrily to himself under his breath.

After a while, the old man finally sat down next to one of the piles and took a long swig from his canteen. He gazed at the sky and watched as the clouds drifted lazily overhead. It was such a peaceful sight that even he found himself relaxing a little.

He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the warm sun shining on his face. He inhaled deeply, savouring the sweet scent of freshly cut grass mixed with the aroma of damp soil.

An abrupt thump startled him and he got up, looking for whatever had interrupted his tranquil moment.

He saw a small figure stumbling out of the trees a short distance away, stumbling directly towards him. The strange boy was holding a bloodied sword, his muddy clothing torn and tattered.

As he moved closer, the boy collapsed to his knees and fell forward onto the ground unconscious.

"What in the heavens?!", the other farmers gasped in unison as they rushed over to inspect the fallen body. They gathered around the young boy, looking him over carefully.

The sight of blood pouring from his leg sent shivers down their spines and caused them to freeze up momentarily.

"Is he alive?", one asked, leaning forward and peering down into his pale face. Another reached out and grabbed a hold of his wrist, checking for a pulse. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded slowly, releasing his arm and stepping back.

"Yeah, he's alive, but barely. We should get him to the Young Lady!"

They all agreed instantly and started carrying the injured boy towards their village, careful not to jostle him too much.

Once they reached the small village, a crowd formed around the group, trying to get a glimpse of the stranger. Some called out for their friends to come and help, others demanded to know who the injured boy was and where he had come from.

"Please, make way!", the farmer leading the group shouted over the chatter. "We need to bring him to the Young Lady."

Everyone stepped aside quickly, clearing a path for the farmers carrying Delmo.

As they passed by, the villagers whispered among themselves, speculating about who or what might have attacked the stranger, leaving him so battered and beaten.

"Who could've done such a thing? And why?"

"Maybe a wild animal got to him?"

"Or maybe bandits? I heard rumours that some were seen nearby..."

The group arrived at a house surrounded by a garden of colourful flowers and vines. Two wooden chairs rested beside a table with a pot of tea steaming on top of it.

As the door opened, a young female voice called out from within, "Come in, come in!", she welcomed them.

"What do you have there?", she asked, her quick gaze focusing on the bloodied young boy being carried through the door.

She gasped when she saw the state of the unconscious youth, her hands covering her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"He was found out in the fields. He's lost a lot of blood," one of the men explained quickly.

She nodded her head, wiping the tears from her face and swallowing hard.

"Lay him down on the bed." She turned and hurried over to the counter, grabbing several herbs and medicines from her shelves before returning to the wounded boy.

Her skilled hands began working immediately and removed the bloodied bandage wrapped around his leg, revealing an ugly gash.

A look of horror flashed across her face as she stared at the wound. She quickly regained her composure and resumed her work, mixing different ingredients in a small bowl.

"We'll leave him in your care, ma'am," the man who had carried him spoke again. "Let us know if you need anything."

She nodded, not even glancing up from her work. The farmers left without another word, leaving her alone with the stranger.

***

Delmo had been drifting between consciousness and unconsciousness ever since being rescued, unable to stay awake for long periods.

Even though he still had not regained full control of his mind, he could hear faint voices speaking and felt gentle hands touching him occasionally, tending to his injuries.

Sometimes, when his mind wandered off into darkness, he thought that he heard the voices of the villagers crying out, calling for help, begging for mercy.

At times the sounds seemed real, while other times they felt distant and muffled.

Eventually, he began to feel a strange sensation flowing through his body, sending chills up and down his spine.

It wasn't unpleasant, but it was different from anything he had ever experienced. It was almost like a surge of electricity pulsating inside him, filling him with power.

It made his muscles and his skin tingle, giving him goosebumps everywhere.

As the effects faded, he found himself opening his eyes, seeing the world around him once again.

His vision was still slightly blurry, but he could make out shapes and colours.

There was a figure standing next to him, holding his hand and staring down at him.

It was a young woman, wearing a plain white dress with her long blonde hair tied up neatly behind her back. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with joy when she saw that Delmo had awakened.

"You're awake!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I'm so happy."

He tried to sit up but found that he felt weak and sore. His whole body ached and throbbed, especially his left thigh.

"Easy now, don't try moving too much," the woman warned him gently. "You've suffered some pretty severe wounds."

Delmo groaned slightly, resting his head back on the pillow beneath him.

"Who... are you?" he managed to whisper, looking up at her beautiful face.

"My name is Rosetta," she replied, smiling again. "And you?"

"D-Delmo."

"Nice to meet you, Delmo," she said cheerfully, taking hold of his hand again.

Delmo felt a warmth spread throughout his body when she touched him. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. It made him feel relaxed and calm.