LOVE IN THE AIR

Hetul and Carmella walked hand-in-hand along the river bank. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the scene. Hetul stopped and turned to face Carmella. He took her hand and said, "Look, the sun is setting. Behold its beauty." Carmella smiled and said, "Yes, it is. And the way it reflects on the water is like a painting." Hetul stood on the bank of the river, watching the water flow by. He reached out and touched the river with his index finger. As soon as his finger touched the water, the river began to vibrate. Hetul felt the vibration travel up his arm and through his body. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the feeling of the river's energy flowing through him. Carmella looked at the river and said, "It's amazing! I've never seen a river this wide before. Can I try touching the water?" Hetul replied, "Yes, you may. But be careful not to fall in." Carmella was so excited to finally be standing next to the River of Souls. She reached out and touched the water. As soon as she did, the same thing happened to her that had happened to the other people who had touched the water. She began to lose her balance and fall into the river. Hetul, who was standing nearby, quickly reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back and making sure she didn't fall in.

"Consider yourself lucky you didn't get all wet," Hetul said to Carmella. "I am lucky," Carmella replied. "Only my left foot fell into the river." 'Why are you down in the woods anyways?' Hetul asked Carmella. 'Well, it's a long story' Carmella replied. 'Then I am ready to hear it' Helia said relaxing on a rock. 'My father King Caesar...' Carmella said as she was cut rudely by Hetul 'King Caesar?' he asked. 'Yes he is my father' Carmella replied. 'He was the man that took over our village, turning the inhabitants into slaves' Hetul said. 'But why?' Carmella asked with suspicion in her voice. 'I do not know, I have been tracking him since but after he took Sayee and the rest, I lost track of him' Hetul replied. 'What do you mean?' Carmella asked with curiosity in her tone of voice. 'According to rumors, he got married and had children for all I know' Hetul replied. 'Yeah about the children, I am one of his children, at least I was' Carmella said as her smile and facial expression of happiness slowly diminished on her face. 'What do you mean, at least you were?' Hetul asked Carmella leaning forward.

'What kind of a father will send warriors after his children?' Carmella asked. 'Warriors? there must be something you guys did to make him send warriors' Hetul replied. 'Well, it was my sister's initiation ceremony and...' Carmella takes a deep breathe and holds Hetul's both hands firmly. 'Look it's complicated I can't seem to explain it' Carmella said. 'Why not? please go on' Hetul asked and replied. Suddenly they both heard soldiers marching towards the river. 'Whoa, do you hear that?' Hetul asked. 'Yes, quick let's hide and get some weapons' Carmella said. Hetul and Carmella hid behind the rock Hetul was leaning on earlier.

'Why do we need weapons?' Hetul asked. 'If it's a wild animal or a beast or ...' Carmella was cut off by Hetul who turned her face forward saying 'King Caesar's soldiers'. 'Nah, there is no way my father's men can...oh fuck' Carmella exclaimed. 'Get down' Hetul said. 'What do we do now?' Carmella asked. 'What do we do, you were the one that told us to go fishing' Hetul said raising his voice a little trying to bring it down. 'Oh so it's my fault that the soldiers are after us, you know, I always knew you were a...' Hetul cuts in 'Shhh...' he said using his index finger to touch her lips. The noise was no longer heard. When they raised their heads to take a peek, the soldiers were right behind them. 'I don't see them anywhere' Carmella said. Immediately Hetul gulped. 'That's because they are right behind us' Hetul said.

Immediately the soldiers pointed their weapons in Hetul and Carmella's direction. Hetul and Carmella made a run for it. They ran across the river which it's current was too strong for them to swim and so they reached the waterfall. 'Ah!!' they both gasped. 'Carmella!' Hetul yelled at the river shore. He saw her hair and went back to the river to pull her out. She had lost er breathing mask and hit her head really hard on a stone. 'Carmella open your eyes please' Hetul said as he held her body on his arms. He pressed her chest multiple times but it yielded no positive result. 

Immediately he tried mouth-to-mouth, she regained consciousness slapping him across the face thereby stopping him from kissing her. 'Ouch' he exclaimed in pain holding his left cheek. 'What were you trying to do?' Carmella asked while back on her feet. 'You were unconscious so I tried mouth-to-mouth therapy' Hetul replied. 'Where are we?' Carmella asked. 'We are down to the Lake of Fire, down the left, is the forest of waters and the right is forest of love' Hetul replied pointing each direction he mentioned. 'What about forward?' Carmella asked. 'Oh there is the valley of bones' Hetul replied. 'Bones?' Carmella asked. 'Yeah, the travelers that came through the cursed sands could not make it here' Hetul replied. 'So which route leads back to the villagers?' Carmella asked. 'Not sure but I think we should follow the forest of love' Hetul replied. 

'What? First you lead us here and now you want to get us lost for the second time?' Carmella asked. 'No, I got this trust me' Hetul replied. 'Ok, if you insist, after all you know this village more than I do' Carmella replied. They both left the forest of love together