Street Signs

Chapter 24

CHEVEYO

It was a time of enjoyment and at the same time, tension.

Everyone was giving their best in the second game, aiming for the championship this time. Even my team set aside the exhaustion and just continue to fight, making us lead over the other groups. There were smiles on their faces, but behind those were alarmed reactions; there was still fear that the other teams might reach us.

The race included harmful activities such as climbing a towering wall, passing through a pool where there were unknown creatures beneath and walking to a rocky road barefoot while avoiding the hits of the small pins being thrown by a machine in front of us. We create our own roadmaps of survival and each was unique because we were unique and or our experiences and circumstances were too. Yet we could still place signs to help others upon their way. In this sharing, in the brave acts of the raw beginning to roar, there was hope for everyone.

It was our choice to join the camp, so we accept the trials. To struggle because we chose to was bravery. To struggle to survive was brave yet also cruel. To struggle and sink was pain beyond measure. A sense of emotionally intelligent perspective was everything.

The struggle was how an individual could grow. Yet it was as salt in a dish, so a perfect amount for personal taste would be needed. That was why I loved facing difficulties, they would teach me many different things that were contrary to my vision. With the contrasting perspectives, I was able to see things on the other side.

"Faster!" I shouted, motivating my team to surpass the pool without causing any trouble. "You can do it, guys!" I clapped my eyes as a sign of telling them that they could do it more swiftly.

We were still the leading team, and I badly wanted to end this game with bacon brought home by my team before going back to Serinokuni. My wristwatch did not stop lighting, making me more bothered about the king and queen. I knew they were even speaking to me because of the light glimpse the tool was making, however, I muted it for everyone not to hear the voices.

After the tons of sweat running down through our bodies, a loud whoop of joy aroused in the place. Everyone in my team was jumping and shouting, never minded the announcement of the facilitators because they knew about it already. We congratulated and celebrated the victories because in this joy we gained the fuel we need to keep fighting the good fight.

"Well done, guys," I said, I thought it was perhaps the most simple and effective of compliments. Aside from a "well" symbolizing a source of truth and kindness that was sustaining society, "done" implied that you have reached a point of success and have deserved a break. Even minor victories were worthy of celebration. "Take a bow."

"Of course we also want to congratulate you, Leader Cheveyo, for making things possible for us," they said, giving me warm smiles.

The celebration raised the ambient soul of the community to a broad shared smile. It met our eyes as if its colors were mid-hearty laughs, weaving us together as the most magnificent of cloths.

I could not explain the happiness inside me, also knowing that winning the game gave us a hundred points. Most especially, the glitter in my eyes was because of seeing them grateful for what they had achieved. As flowers open in spring, happiness blooms in emotional warmth.

Right after the facilitators announced the break, I said a temporary goodbye to my team and left the place to proceed to Serinokuni. I unmuted the mic after the portal going through my world appeared in front of me. I could see the tension in the queen's voice as she was telling me the matter, so I entered in haste and ran through the palace.

"Cheveyo!" the queen shouted at me as soon as she saw me. "I've been calling for you, but you're not answering. My goodness! I don't know what to do anymore with my son and with that girl!"

I puckered my brow. "Would you mind telling me first the problem, Madame, so I could know how to fix it?"

"My son just helped the strange girl who entered our place! And now, we are still looking for them. That's why I called you because up until now, the men can't find them. We don't know where they went now!"

As the queen continued telling the matter, I was thinking of the strange girl she was talking about. Since I did not have much information about that girl, I told her to explain to me clearly her personality and physical features as well.

"I can't remember her face but I will tell her she's beautiful. If ever she's the girl my son is committing to right now, I won't agree with it. I hate that girl for disrespecting me!"

The queen's eyes were burning and her entire face was red. Though she was being calmed by the king, she did not listen and just continue to express her anger. By then, she told me to go because she was afraid to not find her son anymore.

I exited the place and when I started running, I thought of the places the prince might have gone so I could easily find him. But as far as I knew, he was not going anywhere except for the palace and in his room. I thought of going into the garden but changed my mind immediately, thinking that he wasn't that stupid to go there because there were Nokunis that could see him there. Instead, I thought of the strange and hidden places inside Serinokuni; he might have hidden to somewhere the men still didn't know that existed— and that could be somewhere in the forest or the sea.

And about the girl, it might be Brielle she wasn't talking about because if I would connect what she had said to what Verena had told me, no doubt it was Brielle.

How did Brielle enter Serinokuni?

My mind was full of uncertain thoughts while I was running to find the prince. I could not believe that girl was able to enter our world and now, he was with Valor. I could think someone helped her to enter, but who and for what reason?

I went straight to my house first to get Rando, my horse. I was being asked there by the people why I was in rush again, but I was not able to answer them for I was too focused on my mission.

"Rando, straight to the forest!" I told my horse, which he followed, gladly.

It was early in the morning in Serinokuni, and everyone was busy with their everyday businesses. And on the way, I met the men riding the horses which made me and Rando stop.

"Cheveyo, did the queen call you?" they asked me.

"Indeed. Are you looking for Prince Valor also?" I looked at them one by one.

"Yeah, but the target is the girl he is with. The queen told us that she is an outsider who invaded our world. They are going north, you should come with us!"

I let out a sigh, knowing that Brielle was at stake now. I knew what the queen was thinking about her, but I would not let her receive the punishment unless I had heard her reason.

"You may go now, and I will follow. It will be much easier to find them if we separated ways. Just don't hurt her when you found her," I said before leaving.

I started wandering the forest again, but I could not see anything except for the dancing trees and falling leaves. All I could hear as well as the crackling of the dried leaves, which I thought Valor and Brielle were not here but somewhere else, maybe really in the north.

However, the north was the cave already and the sea. According to the story of the old Nokunis, the cave was the most dangerous place in Serinokuni. When someone lost his way there, he would not be able to come back anymore. No valid proof was being presented yet, so I believed it was just a myth made by Valor since it was all him who first talked about it.

If not in the forest, then Valor must be in the cave with Brielle.

I left the forest and proceeded to the cave, but before I could completely invade there, I looked around first to see if the men were around. When I was sure already that they were not there, I left Rando and entered the cave. If something wrong would happen, I did not want him to also be harmed.

"Just stay here, Rando," I told him. "If you saw the men, push them away."

Rando neighed, telling me that he concurred with my statement.

I tapped his head before going to the cave. As I was walking, I took the sword from my scabbard to prepare myself from a whoever enemy that would attack me on the way in no time.

As I was stepping my foot forward, little voices could reach my ears. I stopped and hid from one of the caves and listened clearly to the noise coming from the other side of the cavern.

"Take it," a familiar voice said that seemed to come from Prince Valor. "Breakfast is different from lunch. You must eat this so you could have strength from the remaining hours of the day."

"I told you I'm fine. Just eat them all," another familiar voice said and if I was not mistaken, it was Brielle.

"Trust me, I'll be more full if you're going to share the food with me." And since I insisted, he accepted it.

I put the sword back to my scabbard as I was listening to the two. It seemed that I had nothing to worry about Brielle's safety because she was just alright with the prince's hands. But I could not say she was safe at all, especially that the queen was still looking for her. So, to ensure that the men would not find her here, I remained hiding in the cave to watch over her.

Until the dark had come, I did not leave. I even witnessed how the two prepared a bonfire near the sea while sharing a cup or something like tea or any drink. Since I moved away from them, I was not able to understand anymore what they were talking about, but they seemed happy since they were giving smiles to each other.

After minutes of talking, Valor stood and went back to the cave and left Brielle all alone.

I planned to take Brielle away, but as soon as I stood my foot out of the cave where I was in, Valor came out again. I immediately hid back in the cave because before the prince could seat again, Brielle's eyes hit me.

It hit me.