I could smell something that smelled so vile, so rotten. I tried so desperately to hold down the urge to throw up.
The wide man raised his arm, and as he did, I could hear the sound of a gun being fired next to me.
I could see the blinding flash of light before me, and then I felt a warm feeling inside my chest.
It wasn't the warmth of my blood spilling, but a feeling that matched an embrace. A warm… caring embrace.
In the midst of my surprised thoughts, I heard a deep, rumbling voice. A voice so powerful that it made all the veiled men and the wide leader stand there motionless.
"Dare take a foot off the ground and you will be pulverized without mercy."
(Kendra paused for a moment and redirected her gaze at Asahi's arms.)
Who had cradled me tightly was a man—a handsome, confident-looking, and wise man with beautiful multi-colored eyes.
I can't remember much about his face, but… I can remember the agile, graceful, and honorable feelings that overflowed from his slightly torn black armor.
His arms were so large and bulky, it was as if they could crush a boulder or even lift an entire building. His stance, the way he kept his form, was so respectfully executed that I almost thought he was a hallucination.
Despite having looked like a dark knight, a shadow among other things, I convinced myself that this man… would save me.
And rightfully so, with his low voice, he kept me tightly against his arms while directing his loud and powerful shouts at the five veiled men.
"How unsculpurous of all of you to injure such a little one." He said as he cast a glowing white luminance against his palms, his body language almost expressing rage. "I will say for certain that even thinking about ending such a young life is discourteous of you all."
The way that the tall man spoke was so formal that even his words themselves were enough to cut through the weak mumbles of the veiled men.
"This little one has a life ahead of her. One that is far more expansive than your mistake-filled, worthless lives."
The man said as the luminance on his hand got brighter.
"Every child deserves a chance. Whether that be of good or not, the only true and free gift one receives… is their birth."
As the veiled men reeled back, all cowering in fear, the wide leader dared to take a step forward and reply.
"Oh, quiet. Some of us don't want to be b--
I could still imagine what happened to him as clear as day.
Overhead was a countless group of strands. Glowing luminescent strands that emerged from the Orb in my hero's palm.
They quickly and restlessly wrapped around the wide man, forcing his other rattling limb to dangle and twirl from the strands.
With each footstep the tall man took, another of his henchmen endured until nothing was left of them but particles.
I could remember just how much power had emanated from his presence; it was almost as if he were a Ruler.
(Kendra paused once more and stared at Asahi's torso, seeing his pores move up and down.)
I couldn't see that man as anything other than a hero. He was so genuine, so humble, so calm, that it had almost comforted me… from what had happened before.
Without thinking, after he took those five men's lives without remorse, that tall man took me to his little wooden shelter in the jungle, surrounded by waterfalls and incredible scenery. At first… he thought my parents were around, asking…
"Where are your guardians, little one?"
But I couldn't respond. I was too traumatized even to utter a word out of my tight mouth. Instead of leaving me be, the man took the initiative to hospitalize me.
"Come, little one. If none refuse to help you, then I sure as well do."
After he spoke that to me, the man took care of me for days on end, fed me fruit from the trees he had picked, and even built a separate room for me with his bare arms. The man was so nurturing and caring towards me that I saw him as a father figure.
He had always read books. Not those with pages, but home-made books made of leaves and twine. The smile on his face warmed my heart.
But as I grew older, on days when the weather turned, the man would take me outside during storms to his homemade training targets. He would say…
"If you want to build up your life from scratch, you must start somewhere, little one."
I, of course, took the challenge and followed his every lesson. He would continuously push me to learn his combat techniques, showing me ways I never thought I would do.
It's as if… my entire life was changed after he found me.
Although I refused to wake up sometimes, the man would take me out of bed and force me to train until I fainted.
But in reward, he would always give me these sweet berries that he claimed were from the deepest parts of the jungle.
"Now, little one. Don't you dare run by my side!"
"Na na na, you can't catch me." Replied to me as the man chased me with a smile.
"Ha, I got ya!"
I loved when he would toss me high. It almost made me feel as if I was on top of the world.
(After smiling widely, Kendra looked up to Asahi's face and continued.)
Throughout all those cheerful and progressive moments over those years being raised by that man, throughout those times of thought when I would be stubborn and ignorant like a child would, there was one moment that had stuck with me, even presently.
In my tenth year, when I was aware, healthy, and strong, after a long day of training and learning, the man decided to give me a break.
We sat in a comfy chair made of fur that the man had hunted from the thousands of animals he had slain, next to a warm fireplace that cracked and chipped between the stones.
I was positioned atop the man's lap, my eyes slowly shutting as I heard the peaceful chirps of the crickets outside.
It was a fabulous night.
But even so, that man who hospitalized me and took care of me as if I were his own child, decided to have a quiet discussion with me.
"Peaceful, isn't it, little one? The serenity of the jungle on a cool night is the best remedy to cure your bouncing attitude."
"Wah…" I replied as I stretched my arms to the ceiling. "What…?"
The man gave a thick and gruff chuckle at me moving around, almost about to fall asleep.
"Ha, it's nothing, my dear." He rubbed my head gently. As I slowly fell asleep on his lap, the breeze from outside passed the door and pushed the warmth of the fireplace on my body, slightly startling me.
Again, the man chuckled once more, keeping me close to his arms.
"It's okay, little one." He said lovingly. "Throughout these years raising you, you have gone through many troubles… but in the long run, I sacrificed my time to give you a chance for a better life. After all, life is the most precious gift anyone could receive."
Just like a father would do to his daughter, he lightly tapped his lips against my forehead, giving a warm embrace as well. Just before I had fallen asleep, and as the wooden door closed by itself, the man stared up at the ceiling dreamily and whispered to me.
"You know… little one. You remind me of a daughter I once had." He said as he rubbed my head. "She was stubborn, nosy, and quite curious too, just like you."
"She always loved to draw and imagine. She had always smiled at me whenever I gave her her favorite cookies, just like you with your berries.
And she always had this… urge to explore the outdoors. Just as I did with you, I trained her to defend herself. You NEVER know what dangers there are in the outdoors."
It almost sounded like the man's deep voice was shifting to a more reflective tone, as if he were about to shed a tear, his eyes closing.
"Now… I have… I have no idea where my daughter and son are now. They… vanished. They didn't even say goodbye to me, nor had they stood by my side during that…" Though I couldn't tell what was going on in his mind, I knew it wasn't good. "... that… event."
After a silence had passed, he shook his head and turned to me, giving a small smile as he patted my head. "But the time with you, little one… had balanced all of that. You… and the way you have acted, truly reminded me of what my daughter I had once done."
With one shedding tear, he closed his eyes and hummed a sweet and angelic tune to my ears.
"Sweet… little angels. So beautiful and so gainful. You loved to see me smile. The memory of your eyes… has numbed my cries, for this kind, little child."
After he had sung that lullaby, my eyes lowered, and slowly, I fell asleep.
The next day, the man and I waited for someone else to come by. He had told me that…
"I'm sorry, little one. But…" He tried to keep himself from falling apart. "... I'm afraid I have to say goodbye."
"But… why…?" I replied with a trembling groan.
"Because… I have something —or someone else I need to search for. And I want you to become strong and find your purpose in life."
While seeing me cry in his arms, the man leaned over and whispered to my ear.
"I have given you a head start, little one. All you have to do now is pursue a chance, and make yourself happy by exploring the wonders of this world… just like my daughter."
"And what… about you?" I asked quietly, trying to fight back the tears streaming down my face.
"I will be searching for my purpose as well, little one," He replied with a smile.
Just as the man held me tight, I heard a knock on the door.
The man let go and stepped out of the house. Once he opened the door, I saw another man with a tightly unkempt blue beard look down at my head, smiling at me.
"Is this the girl, sir?"
"Indeed." The man said. "Toivo, correct?"
The slightly younger-looking blue-haired man nodded his head and straightened his posture, replying.
"Absolutely. Look, I promise to you, sir, that I will take good care of this child. I have a good experience teaching and raising others her age in my mansion."
The man bowed respectfully and replied.
"Well, I appreciate that. Though I must warn you. There is one condition."
"What's that, sir?" Toivo replied with focused eyes.
The man pointed his finger towards me and spoke.
"This child lost a lot. A family, if you can understand. If you may so please, Toivo, I need you to keep a keen eye especially on her, understand?"
"Understood," Toivo replied as he nodded. "I will be keeping tabs on her as best as I can."
After he said that, as he walked out of the hut, holding out a hand for me, the man who had raised me sprinted to the door and opened his arms out for me.
With one last embrace, he neared closer to my ear and whispered to me with a trembling smile as we parted ways.
"Thank you, little one. Thank you… for everything."
. . .