Chapter 195 - 195 Finding Justice (Part 2)
195 Finding Justice (Part 2)
(Warning: There will be a triggered mental health, reader’s discretion is a must)
Anne heard the ruckus from the inside of the ship. She tried to peek from the window, but to no avail. Leo grumbled and came to her. He knocked her head and, with his hands on his hips, scolded his friend.
“What are you doing? Let them do the fighting and you just stay out of their way. You’re only making it worse!”
Anne looks at Leo in bewilderment, “What?! No, I was just trying to… uhm… trying to peek.” Said Anne to him.
Leo took a sigh and pull her away. “Come on! Let us wait here with our senior, who seems like the entire world just befall on him.”
As they approach Nathan, Anne could see how true Leo’s claim was earlier. He was terrified and curled up in the corner. She knew this kind of case and encountered one of the victims in her old world, PTSD. She took Nathan’s hand and smile at him.
“Senior, you should tell us if you have a problem like this. Why do you have to come along? You should ask chief Hale to let you out from this mission?” Anne tried to calm him with some meylatee tea and a soothing voice.
Gratefully to Anne, Nathan took the tea and drink it immediately, “I am sorry, I don’t know what happened to me, I never felt like this in the hospital. This… this mission consumed me so much.”
She put a blanket over his body and brushed his back several times. Leo rustled his hair, totally confused by the whole situation. Not long after, the front door through the deck is open, and Henry, Xavier, Arthur, and Brom go inside the room. The last person who came inside gave them a surprise.
.....
Anne run towards the man and embrace him as tightly as she could.
“Is it really you? Are you alright?” She asked Vale with a trembling voice.
Vale inhaled her scent and knew immediately that he was safe with her. He felt at home all of a sudden. “Yes, it is me, Anne. I’m safe.”
She release him and tears came from her eyes, but a smile adorned her face. “Oh, God… You’re safe. I was so scared.” But, suddenly, she realized someone was missing. “Where’s Justice?”
“I am sorry, Anne, we got separated a day earlier, one of the patrolmen got some information about our hiding place. Justice went with his father. While I go with the rest of the army, we were the bait.” He put his hand to her, and said, “They caught most of the men, including Xander, only the fate of Justice and king Edward were unknown to me.”
“So Xander is now a prisoner?” Asked Xavier to Vale.
Vale nodded his head. His face was grim. “Yes, I am sorry. He tried to protect me, but got captured. I hide myself from them and tried to find Justice and king Edward. Instead, I found you guys.”
Taking a long sigh, Xavier hold into Vale’s shoulder and said, “We are going to get them back, don’t worry.”
Anne admired how calm Xavier was, since it was his brother who got captured. She wipes her tears and takes her bag, checks on everyone. Grateful that everyone was alive, even though bruises, cuts, and injuries were visible on their bodies. She looks at Henry first. While Leo checks on Arthur, Nathan tried to calm himself and treat Brom’s gash wound.
Henry senses something is wrong with Anne. She holds her face with his right hand, while our heroine was in the middle of treating his left hand. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just felt relieved but also…” Her eyes look into Henry, “Oh, Henry, I hope Justice…”
“Don’t worry, he will be alright, you’ll see.” Whispered Henry and then he gave a quick kiss on her forehead.
No one sees what happened. There’s only the two of them sharing a moment. She smiled at him, and he also smile at her. Although once again, the dreaded feeling came to Anne, for now, she will try to hide all of this dreaded feeling and help them find Justice. Soon, though, she will reveal everything to them.
“Where’s the last time you saw Justice? Did the two of you talks about a rendezvous point?” Asked Xavier to Vale.
Vale shakes his head. “No, unfortunately, it was too late for us. I cast the spell to hide them and tell him that I will be searching for the two of them after Xander and I dealt with the pursuer.”
“How about we go back to your hiding place, then? Maybe he was waiting there with king Edward?” Arthur gave his opinion after Leo was done bandaging his hand. His magic bow snapped the moment a lightning strike impaled the black gargator.
Vale looked at Arthur, a bit curious to see why the magic knight was deployed on this mission, “No, that’s not Justice’s pattern, as soon as he knew that the hiding place was compromised, for sure he will leave and find another place to hide.” Said Vale to Arthur.
Anne finished treating the wound on Henry and goes to Xavier afterwards. “Still, probably he left some clues for you.” Muttered Anne, while her hand skillfully put some ointment and bandage on Xavier’s arm.
“What do you mean?” Asked Vale curiously to her.
Anne stopped for a moment, and look into Vale. “Justice may be gone from the place, but realizing that both of you never discussed another place to hide, probably make him think to put any clues, don’t you think so?”
“You… Are right!” Vale stands up immediately and enthusiastically called everyone to follow him. “We need to go there. The place is close, less than an hour by foot.”
Everyone load their bag and supplies. When Anne and Leo say goodbye to their senior, Brom informed his primary captain about the prisoners.
“We decided to stay. Both me and Nathan need to guard the prisoners.”
Vale stared at him for a short time and nods his head. “Alright, good luck, Brom. See you soon.”
“See you soon.” Replied Brom, and he grab Anne to talk for a while. “Remember, the moonlight monster is here. We need to go and search for them.”
“Yes, I know, Brom, but not right now, alright?!” Hissed Anne to Brom. She was curious just like Brom, but, for Anne, he need to place his priority right.
They went down to the swamp area, and just a moment before they leave the area, Anne put her gloves and took some plants into the swamp.
“What’s that?” Arthur asked her, with a curious face.
She put the mysterious reddish plant carefully into a large jar, “Kangcoon, a curious plant with a healing remedy if you prepare the plant in the right way.”
“What about if you prepare it the wrong way?” Asked Arthur again, with a slightly amusing smile.
Anne never actually answered his question, and the journey to another area begins. She hopes Justice will hide some clues for them and prays that he will be safe wherever he is right now.