Voyage Of The Villainess

"Get me out of here!"

Malaya woke up. Her eyes squirmed due to the direct hit of the sunlight but at the same time, she got annoyed by a very familiar scream of someone.

She jolted up and she turned her head, her line of sight got caught with the crown prince.

Aadel realized who she was, "You're!"

Malaya blocked the other continuous gibberish shouts of the crown prince to her. 

"I guess I'm still having a bad dream."

"Hey don't ignore me!"

  Malaya went back lying but then someone pulled the warm coat from her. "Get up," Kayden's cold voice resounded.

"You're still here?" Malaya just turned more around. "Five more minutes."

"If you don't wake up, I'll feed you to the wolves."

Malaya straightened her back. "I'm fully awake, Sir!"

"Tsk." Kayden just walked past her and disappeared without saying anything.

'Look at that guy,' Malaya tried to calm herself. 'And there is this another guy.'

'Surely and unexpectedly, I'm suddenly surrounded by people I never dreamed to be surrounded of. Speaking of people...' Malaya immediately went to check Hyun Jae's condition.

Hyun Jae was still softly snoring. 'I'm glad.' Malaya released a sigh of relief. 'She looks alright now. Now then...'Malaya stood up as she looked at the unconscious people lying on the ground. There were around twenty-five of them.

'Why are they not waking up?' Malaya tried to reach the young boy who was nearest to them. She reached for his wrist to check his pulse. After waiting for a minute, 'his heartbeat is normal.'

Malaya also checked the other people. And in the end, after half an hour of checking, they were all pretty normal. 

Malaya was puzzled as she gazed down at the people. "The next problem is why are they not waking up?"

"Hyun Jae!" The crown prince Aadel exclaimed in fright. "What did you do to her, you vile woman!"

Malaya stood up. She was really getting annoyed at the nonstop yapping of the prince. She picked up a cloth and slowly made her way to the prince.

"What?" The crown prince looked even angrier before. "Are you going to kill me? I know...mmmm."

Malaya stuffed the white cloth on the prince's mouth. 

"Ah." Malaya sighed with relief. "There is peace again."

"Hyun Jae!" 

Malaya's smile faltered when she heard another voice. Before he could speak, Malaya shove another piece of cloth to Theo.

They struggled against the log and glared at Malaya.

'Now where in the world am I right now?'

"Duh. You're in Hellarez." 

Somewhat Malaya could hear Iris' sarcastic remarks even if she was not here. Malaya just faintly smiled. 'I got separated from them. I hope they are doing fine.'

'There is now I need to do, about all these people. I'm sure if Hyun Jae will wake up, the first this she'll do is to see to it that all of these people would be safe. If I look at it, it's not really a matter that I should mind. I have no obligations to help them.'

*Rustles*

Malaya turned around when she heard rustling within the bushes. 'What is that?'

'Is this kind of situation: There are two things you could do.

First, ignore it.

Second, check it.'

Malaya brought out her trinity and slowly walk towards the bushes. 'It's not like I don't know how to fight.'

As she got near, she saw a small hand out of the bushes.

"She's here. I hope she couldn't see me." 

'A child?'

"I see. Thank goodness, there is nothing here. I thought it some wild animals."

The little girl who was hiding in the bushes sighed in relief when she thought that the mysterious lady didn't see her. But she froze when she heard another voice.

"A wild animal? Where?" 

"Kayden?" Malaya was surprised to see Kayden carrying a huge wild boar then he dropped it on the ground.

With long strides, he quickly made his way to the bushes. 

"Wait!" Malaya tried to stop him but Kayden just insisted on walking then all of a sudden, a scream of a child was heard.

"Ahhh! Bring me down!" The girl screamed as Kayden grabbed her arm.

Kayden simply let her go and the little girl slumped on the ground. 

"Ouch!" The little girl winced.

Malaya immediately rushed to the little girl's side. "Hey, are you alright?" 

When they first met, this little child reminded Malaya of Vivian. But this girl appears to be in considerably worse shape. She wore a dress if you can call it that. It appeared to be a rag sewn together to resemble clothing. Her hair was unkempt, and she had dirt on her face and portions of her skin.

The little girl looked terrified as she immediately yanked Malaya's hold. Then she ran away to the woods.

'Follow the girl,' Malaya heard a familiar voice of a woman somewhere.

"Who?" When she looked around there was no one on there. But whoever that voice was, her statement was very clear.

'Follow her? Perhaps...' Somewhat a feeling rose inside Malaya that if she followed the kid, they could possibly find a much safer place.

Malaya started to run after the kid. "Wait!" She shouted but only silence answered her. The kid must be far away for her to hear Malaya. But Malaya saw some twigs and bushes being destroyed, indicating that the kid trailed this path.

After a long time of running and following the trail left behind the kid, she finally halted.

"This..." Malaya stopped when she saw a house made of wood.

"Why did you follow after my sister?!" A boy who looked like twelve years old and had the same disheveled dark brown hair as the little girl before.

He was pointing a rake towards Malaya and he glared at her. He was hiding protectively the little girl behind him.

Malaya dropped her Trinity then raised both her arms, indicating that she meant no harm to the kids.

"I'm lost," Malaya said. "And I have many people who need to be treated; I followed your sister single-mindedly in the hopes of finding some aid in my condition; I apologize if I scared the two of you." Malaya knelt and bowed her head. This was to demonstrate her seriousness that they would not harm them. The two kids were taken aback by what she did.

"Brother!" The little girl went in front of Malaya. "I don't think she belongs to those scary people."

'Scary people? Did she mean the people of the witch? Then perhaps I made the right decision... and that voice..' Malaya raised her head as she looked at the two kids.