Rina And Rizal: 1

Rina and Rizal

Chapter 1

Mr. Hidayat hums merrily while putting a file on our desks. No one dare touching the file yet. I stare at the blue file in front of me. I wonder what kind of assignment that Mr. Hidayat assigns this time. He trots quickly to the front after he finishes distributing those files. He claps his hand once.

This is it. The moment of truth. Everyone can’t wait to know what’s inside the file.

“You may now open your file,” he smiles cheerfully.

I gulp and open the file slowly. I know the meaning behind his cheerful smile. A killer. My eyes nearly pop out as I see what’s written on the front page. 100 Questions. Everyone gasp in horror. Mr. Hidayat snickers.

“This is your homework for this weekend. You must hand in to me on Sunday before the first bell rings,” announces Mr. Hidayat.

Everyone groan in frustration. Well, not everyone. But most of us do. I think the end of the world’s coming. How can I finish these questions in two days?

“Those who hand in late will be punished as usual,” says Mr. Hidayat in a warning tone but the smile never fades from his face.

The last bell rings. Mr. Hidayat wishes us a happy weekend before he leaves. I put the file in my bag, still thinking of how to finish this assignment before Sunday. I have acrobat practice tomorrow and I never ever miss the practice before.

“Rina!”

Someone calls me and I turn around. It’s my twin brother, Rizal.

“What?” I ask coldly.

“It’s your turn to send the attendance booklet to the office,” reminds him.

I look up at the duty roaster on the notice board and sigh. I take the booklet and ready to go to the office.

“Don’t worry, Rina. I’ll go with you,” says Rizal and helps me carry my books.

We go downstairs where the office is. I knock on the door and give salaam before entering. We have to take off our shoes before entering the office. The office looks neat and tidy. The staffs are all friendly and some of them greet me as I walk to the pigeon hole for the booklet.

The Principal room is at the end of the office. That’s the scariest place in this school. It really gives us goosebumps, and our class is just right above his room. He’s a very nice man even though he’s very strict. I shouldn’t stare at the thick wooden door for too long. The Principal might came out and saw me and probably will call me to his room. So, I hurry to the door where I come in and quickly put on my shoes. Rizal is waiting for me outside, holding on to my bag on his other shoulder.

“I’m done. Let’s go!” I grab my bag from his shoulder and run downstairs.

I need some plans. I can’t just sit down and start doing it immediately. This is serious matter. I tap a pen to my head as I’m thinking of the plans.

Plan A: I can go to the library. The library is not very far and there are a lot of reference books that I can refer to. It’ll make it easier to finish half of the questions, at least.

Plan B: I don’t have to waste my time cycling to the library. I just lock myself in my room and try to finish at least half of the questions. Plus, I can eat some snacks while doing it. It can prevent me from getting sleepy.

Plan C: I will join Rizal and his group in his room even though I don’t like doing Maths with him much because he’s good and I’m not.

Plan D: I can –

“Rina!” Rizal knocks on the door. He won’t dare entering my room before I tell him to.

I walk lazily to the door and open it. “What?” I stare coldly at him.

“Want to go to the library together? All of us are going there,” he asks.

I don’t have to think long. I nod and tell him to wait for 5 minutes. I change my t-shirt to a dress and jeans and stuff everything that I need into the bag. Before leaving, I look at the mirror for the last time to check on my tudung. Then we dash off to the library.

It takes only 15 minutes of cycling to the library and we park our bikes at the bicycle parking lot provided. I follow Rizal from behind as we enter the library. Most of our classmates are already here and they are happy to see us. Rizal is one of the Maths Elite – that’s what we call for our mentors. I’m not as the same group as his because I end up being one of the mentees of Khairul’s group. It’s Mr. Hidayat’s fault, actually. He knows that I hate Khairul and he made me end up in his group.

We wait for the others to arrive and we – excluding me, decide to sit on our mentor’s group. So, here I am, sitting exactly in front of Khairul. He’s my mutual enemy ever since I know him. He always makes fun of me every time we meet especially in Maths class. I don’t like Maths as much as I like English. I don’t go much with numbers. They make my head dizzy. I have to memorize all the formulas and sometimes I was careless in using the correct formula. Khairul always says that my brain is full of words and sentences and that’s why numbers cannot get in. I know what he means; I’m a Maths dumb.

Khairul explains to each of us starting from question number one. The first 20 questions are easy as a pie, even though I never bake a pie but I know it’s easy to bake a pie. When it comes to Algebra, my brain begins to malfunction. Why? Because Algebra consists of letters and numbers which makes me difficult to distinguish them. I start to feel sleepy. Khairul pokes my hand with his mechanical pencil as he sees me falling to sleep. He can’t bang the table as he always dos in the class because this is library. I wish he did because I want him to be kicked out by the librarian.

Two hours passes by and still I can’t even finish the first question of Algebra. I give up! I stand up, grab my stuff and leave my group. I have to go home because in 30 minutes, my favourite drama will be on TV. I cycle back home as fast as I can even though it’s not very far. When I reach home, I am not surprise to see a police car parked outside of the gate. I put my bike near the garage and head to the kitchen door.

“Hi, Pak Su,” I greet him with the widest smile.

“Well hello there, Rina,” he beams. “Where have you been?”

“The library. We’re doing Maths assignment and it’s killing me!” I reply and sit next to him.

“She hates Maths, Ali. The only thing that she loves is doing a monkey bar,” says Papa, my beloved father. Pak Usu laughs.

I open the fridge and see what’s inside. Then, I grab a milk carton. “Papa, we’re run out of milk.”

“Why don’t you buy the groceries with Pak Usu? Here’s the list that your Mama gave to me this morning. I need to finish up my work by this evening,” Papa hands me the shopping list.

“But Papa, my favourite drama will start in 15 minutes!”

“I’ll record it for you, honey. You can watch your favourite drama tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? Why not tonight?”

“Because my favourite show is on TV tonight and I’m not going to miss it. Now, hurry up and go.”

I sigh and roll my eyes. Pak Usu chuckles. We go to the grocery store nearby. Everyone stare at us, especially me because they think I’m some kind of criminal. Pak Usu is wearing his uniform and I’m riding a police car. I wish I could poke their eyes from the socket for staring at me like that.

As Papa promise, he records the drama for me. Pak Usu drops me and drives to his house which is two blocks away. Pak Usu is Papa’s youngest brother. He always stops by our house if he’s not busy.

I put the groceries away and Amran, my youngest brother helps me as comes back from Pak Usu’s house. He always does homework with Malek, our cousin. They’re in the same class.

After taking a shower, I switch on my PC and check my email. I receive an email from my mysterious pen-pal. I call him/her mysterious because I don’t know the exact gender. But my pen-pal is a very nice person and I wish that she’s a girl. We share a lot of things together since I was 13. We made acquaintance when I joined Kampung chatroom and we exchanged email.

Hello Crunchy!

Guess what happen to me today? I got Maths assignment and there are 100 questions to be done in two days. Two days! I think I’m going to die! The Maths teacher, Mr. Hidayat, the one I told you about his generosity, said that he will punish us if we hand in the assignment after the first bell rings.

I went to the library with Rizal after school and I have to sit with my mentor, Khairul. He pokes me hundred times with his mechanical pencil as I was feeling drowsy. You know I can’t stand too much numbers. He couldn’t nag too much today because we’re in the library. The librarian is very strict. Once she caught you talking loudly, she will kick you out. Oh, the librarian is an old woman with strength of 10 men. Seriously.

Then I have to buy some groceries and missed today’s episode. Lucky me, Papa recorded it but I can’t watch it tonight because Papa’s favourite show is on TV. He and Mama love Maharaja Lawak so much. Their laughter can be heard in this whole residential area! I can’t wait for tomorrow!

So, how’s your day today? Any interesting things happen? Share with me, all of it. Have to stop here now. Need to continue the Maths work.

Your best pen-pal

Rina 

My Little Sister: 1

My Little Sister

I could not sleep throughout the night because there’s no electricity. I was tossing and turning on my bed. I couldn’t sleep without the fan on. I got up. My body was drenching in sweat. Curse the electricity blackout! I took off my shirt and threw it on the floor. This is torturing me! Why tonight? I walked to the window and opened it a little bit. Small breeze of wind puffed inside. I tried to peep outside but I couldn’t see anything. It was pitch black. I assumed that the whole city was blackout.

I kept my window opened so the cool, night breeze blew inside my tropically hot room. I looked at my alarm clock. It was 2 in the morning. Luckily there were no mosquitoes tonight so I guess I could to stay awake for this whole night. I hate mosquitoes! Suddenly, I heard a soft knock on my door. I knew who it was. I grumbled and opened the door as the knocking repeated continuously.

It’s my little sister. She was holding a light brown teddy bear. She looked up at me with her teary eyes and I knew that she was scared.

“I can’t sleep. It’s too dark and I’m scared,” she said timidly.

“Then go to your mom’s bedroom,” I stared at her coldly.

“It’s too far,” she replied in a wobbly voice.

I sighed heavily and asked to come in. She slowly walked inside my room and stood at the end of my bed. I told her she could climb up to my bed and she did. She’s not my real sister to begin with. She’s my step-sister. My father re-married after Mom had passed away 8 years ago. He discussed with me about his new girlfriend and I agreed after two months begging me to accept the new family.

I was a little bit surprised to have a little sister who was way younger than me. I am 17 and she’s 7. My father told her to sleep in a room next to mine. If there’s anything happened, I can protect her. It’s not that I hate her but she’s a bothersome to me. Maybe because I never had any other siblings before so that’s why I feel that way. We seldom talk even though we have been living together almost a year. My step-mother tried her best to get close to me but I think I still need time.

I felt my throat dry. I need to go to the kitchen to get a drink. I grabbed my cell phone but the battery was low. I searched for the torchlight in my drawers but to no avail. I slammed on the drawers and muttered a curse under my breath. My step-sister was taken aback by my action just now and she clutched her teddy bear tightly. She might think I was mad at her.

“I’m going to the kitchen. You stay here for a while,” I told her.

She suddenly got off from bed and tugged my hand. “Please don’t leave me alone. I’m scared.” She looked like she wanted to cry.

Oh, I hate this kind of situation!

I opened the door slowly and looked around. My step-sister followed me from behind as I tip-toed to the stairs. I needed to be careful since it was pitch black and I couldn’t see anything. I climbed down the stairs carefully, holding to my step-sister little hand. I nearly fell down the stairs as they were slippery.

We reached the kitchen safely and I grabbed a lemon juice in the fridge. I asked my step-sister if she needed a drink but she just shook her head. Then we climbed up the stairs and went back to my room. It was nearly one hour since the electricity blackout. My body was sweating once again and so was my step-sister. But she seemed okay in this kind of situation.

I opened another window of my room and moonlight gently shone its light to my room. At least I got to see the surrounding a little bit. I took this opportunity to read a book. I couldn’t waste my time rather than loitering around. I put the chair near the window and start reading. Sometimes I took a glance towards my step-sister who was sitting quietly on my bed. After a few minutes, she fell asleep.

Suddenly I felt pity towards her. She’s just a little girl and a little girl like her needs someone to play with. I remembered last week when my father and step-mother had to attend a course for two days. I had to take care of my step-sister at home. Usually I will hang out with my friends by playing tennis but last week I couldn’t go anywhere.

I stayed in my room, finishing my homework and did a little bit of self study but my step-sister was sitting alone in her room. I ordered pizza for lunch and we ate together in silence. I didn’t even ask what kind of food that she wanted. I knew she wanted something else but she’s too scared to talk. Maybe she’s afraid of my frowning face. My friends often told me that when I frowned, I looked very scary.

When I think of it, maybe having a little sister is not bad after all. All I need to do is to get close to her even she’s not my real sister. We’re part of a family now. I need to accept her as part of my family. And since she never create troubles when she moved in, I think I should hang out with her more.

I didn’t know how long I have been sleeping on the chair. My alarm clock woke me up. I felt dizzy as soon as I stood up. My body was aching and I didn’t feel so good. I looked at my alarm clock. It was 6 in the morning. I performed Subuh prayer and after that my head started to spin. I nearly stumbled on the floor as I walked to my bed. What’s happening to me? I felt very weak and I assumed that I was having a fever.

Then my step-sister knocked on the door twice before she came in. She was surprised to see me lying weakly on the bed. She approached me with a worry face.

“Are you okay?” she asked and put her little hand on my forehead. “You’re burning!” she gasped.

“I’m fine,” I mumbled but she ran out and called her mother.

My step-mother came to my room and checked my body temperature with the thermometer. Dad always keeps the first-aid kit inside his room. My step-mother told me that I had a fever and I needed to go to the clinic. She told her daughter to stay with me for a while because she wanted to inform to my principal that I couldn’t go to school that day.

I’ve been sent to the clinic after having rice porridge for breakfast. My step-sister followed us to the clinic too since she said that she’s worried about me. She even skipped her school today! The doctor said that I needed to rest for three days. He gave me antibiotics and other medicines. My step-mother was glad that I was not having a high fever.

We returned home and my step-mother told me to rest in my room. My step-sister kept me company for the whole day. She helped me a lot especially when I wanted to take my medicine. I fell asleep after taking the medicine.

After two hours sleeping, I woke up. I was surprised to see my step-sister was sleeping near my bed. She’s been keeping me company since this morning. It reminded me when I was having a fever back then. My late mother will keep me company and never leave by my side. I never thought that my step-sister was doing like my late mother did.

I felt guilty towards her. I never keep her company before even when she was sick. Then I realized she was holding my hand while she was sleeping. I let her held my hand and continued to sleep. I felt quite happy for having her as my sister.

Few days later…

“Did we get everything on the list?” I asked my step-sister as she was looking at the shopping list.

She nodded and handed me the list. I put the list in my pocket and both of us went to the counter to pay for the things that we’ve picked inside the trolley. My step-sister and I were shopping some groceries that my step-mother asked us to.

After paying all the stuff, we took all the groceries to the car park. I called my step-mother that we’ve finished shopping and she said that she’ll be picking us up as soon as possible. I knew that she’s having an important thing to do at her office. Dad was having a conference and he’ll be back next week.

As we waited for my step-mother to come, I spotted an ice-cream man was ringing the bell to attract people to buy his ice-cream. I thought I should buy the ice-cream. It’s nice to have an ice-cream in this hot sunny weekend.

“Do you want some ice-cream?” I asked my step-sister who was staring at the road, waiting for her mother to arrive. “It’s my treat!”

“Sure! I would love too!” she smiled happily.

I love to see that smile. It brightens up my life. Having a sister who is ten years younger is not bad after all.

The Adventure of Myrr and The Nightingales: 8

Chapter 8

 “Hurry up, Houle! We’re going to be late!” urged Myrr as she tucked in her shoes. She was in a hurry.

“Alright, I’m coming. I’m coming,” said Houle nonchalantly. “Don’t forget this,” he handed her a small round yellow bag.

Myrr grabbed the bag and slung it on her shoulder. Houle carried a picnic bag and made sure that the house was securely locked. The Gallop was waiting for them in front of the lawn, ready to take off. Myrr hopped on the Gallop. She wanted to rein the Gallop but Houle forbade her and asked her to sit behind him. They flew off to the Slug Stream.

All the villagers in the Slug Stream gathered outside of their house, all wearing short pants and skirts. Shatter looked on the sky, waiting for Myrr and Houle to arrive. His sister, Danser, also joined him for she was having a break after accomplishing her mission. Houle’s friends, Apologos and Berstan were there too.

Myrr and Houle arrived few minutes later. Myrr hurriedly hopped down from the Gallop and ran towards Shatter and Danser. She was very excited to see them, especially Danser. She hugged Danser tight and Danser swung her into the air.

“It’s good to see you, Danser!” Myrr said excitedly. “It’s been a long time! I really missed you!”

“I miss you too, Myrr. And congratulation for winning the Hunting Test. Shatter told me everything and I’m very proud of you. That’s why I asked for 5-day break just to spend time with you,” said Danser proudly.

“Did you bring anything that I asked you to?” asked Shatter as Houle approached him.

Houle nodded and showed him the picnic basket. “Everything is here. No need to worry, Uncle Shatter.”

“Hi, Houle!” greeted Berstan. “It’s nice to see you here.”

“Oh, hi Berstan. Never thought meeting you here,” smiled Houle. “Where’s Apologos? Is he coming?”

“Yup,” Berstan nodded. “He’s there with his father,” she pointed to Aplogos who was talking with his father, Cheiftan Scotan.

Apologos saw Houle and waved at him. Houle waved at him back and asked both Berstan and Apologos to join him for a picnic. They settled under the shady tree on the hill.

It was the River Flowing Week where the river flowed into the Village of Slug Stream. The clear water will flow to every street and the villagers will hold a celebration on the first and the last day. Myrr and her family never missed the celebration. Her late father always brought her here with Esclice and Myrr will catch any fish that she liked. Her father gave her the small round yellow bag for her to keep the fish. The fish came in many colours and this attracted the villagers to catch them. There are also stalls where the villagers sold food and handicrafts for the people from other district.

“Uncle Shatter, can I go to catch the fish now? Please, please, please!” begged Myrr after she finished her sandwiches made by Houle.

Shatter nodded and smile. “Sure you can. As long as Houle goes with you.”

Myrr cheered and grabbed Houle’s hand. This was the first time Houle came to the celebration. Myrr asked Danser, Apologos and Berstan to join too. She hurriedly trotted down the hill – which was a small hill where they could see the river flowed, and straight to the water.

She met Lach and her family and both of them were ready to catch the fish. Myrr and Lach couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear as they saw the bright multi-coloured fishes swimming in the crystal clear water. The water only levelled up to their knees. Both of them were wearing short skirts; it’s easier for them to move in the river and catch the fishes.

They spend their time catching those fishes until noon. Usually, the villagers provided lunch for those who were coming and everyone was waiting for this moment. This was the time they could taste the delicious traditional delicacies. There were sweet fish cakes, sweet bun and rice, squid rolls and more – most of the meals were made from fish.

After having lunch, most of the visitors, especially the Nightingales Warriors, went back home. Some of them stayed in and inn for the night. There were fireworks and dancing shows. Myrr begged Houle to stay until night but Houle refused. He told her that both of them will have agility training on the next day. Myrr was frustrated but Houle promised her to take her again to Slug Stream on the last day of River Flowing Week.

Houle hadn’t had the nightmare again after he consulted Dr. Heilen. He tried his best not to think of the nightmare too much, even though he wasn’t sure whether it’s just a nightmare or part of his lost memory. But tonight, he dreamt of a place, a village to be precise. Everyone was working at a farm happily. The sun shone brightly and he was strolling along the farm. The farmers waved and greeted him warmly.

Then a little girl came to him, calling his name. She hugged him and he picked her up. This girl wasn’t Myrr, Houle was sure for that. He missed her. He didn’t know why but he was longing to see her. The little girl told him what she did at school and they went home together. Houle was quite happy in his dream. He had a family and his father was the head of that village. He didn’t want to wake up from his sweet dream until the alarm clock shrieking wildly. He nearly fell down from his bed.

*

Dr. Heilen read the report that she wrote for the third time. It was the report about Houle’s nightmare as he came to see her last time. She told her husband about it and he suggested her to go to the Investigation Squad. She wanted to go with her husband but he must join the healing team in a mission so she decided to go by herself. Besides, it’s been a while since she didn’t visit her old friend, the Chieftan of Investigation Squad.

Dr. Heilen arrived in front of the most ridiculously strange building. The shape of it was semi-sphere and huge rusty gate stood tall. She pressed on the buzzer and it creaked rather than buzzing. She didn’t have to wait long because the gate was opened just as she pressed the buzzer. She walked through the gate went inside an open door. The workers – that’s what Cheiftan Skuta called them, greeted her with a warm smile and continued their work as she passed by.

“Welcome, Heilen!” greeted Cheiftan Skuta with arms wide open. He was standing on the stairs of the hallway. “It’s nice to see you! It’s been a while, isn’t it? You look fabulous!”

Dr. Heilen smiled and giggled. “I guess you’re right. And you look fabulous too! Is that your new outfit?” she looked at his sparkling green robe while went upstairs.

“Yup! I invented it few days ago. It can make you invisible!” said Chieftan Skuta proudly. “Come, come!” he took her hand and told his worker who was passing by to serve tea.

“This place look beautiful,” she looked at the room where Cheiftan Skuta brought her inside. The carpet was soft and everything was shimmering and glittering.

“Why, thank you, Heilen! My daughter made it. It took more than a month for the glitters. So, do you come here for a visit or there’s something you want to discuss?” he asked as they sat on the finest oak chair. The worker served them red tea.

“Both,” replied Dr. Heilen shortly.

“I see. Then we can’t waste much time,” his tone became more serious. “What is it about?”

“Houle came to me few days ago after been wounded during his training with Arwe,” she started the discussion.

“Houle? The guy who is taking care of Myrr?” asked Cheiftan Skuta.

“Yes,” Dr. Heilen nodded. “He told me about a dream, a nightmare to be precise. He was having this same nightmare for more than a week and this nightmare distracted him so much. Here,” Dr. Heilen handed him the report that she brought with her, “is the report that I wrote about his problem.”

Cheiftan Skuta took it and read it thoroughly. But it only took few minutes for him to finish reading the report because he’s a fast reader. “What do you think, Heilen?” asked him as he finished reading.

“I think it’s not just a nightmare. Its part of his lost memory,” she replied confidently

“Bingo! You’re right! According to your report, he seemed to be having a previous vision of his memory before he was found. Whether someone wanted him to forget or something bad had happened to him. As I remembered when Esclice brought him to the Healing Squad – I was there coincidently, he was badly injured. From my assumption, I think he’d been attacked by something, a Phantom perhaps,” he put the report on the table. “We have to find out more about Houle’s past because he’s neither from our tribe nor our country. Myrr once told me that he saved him when she was attacked and she met him in her dream,” he sipped his tea. “I hope you can help us, Heilen.”

“Of course, I will, Skuta. Anything for a good friend. In fact, this thing is kind of interesting. So, do you want me to bring Houle here? Maybe you can get details from him since you invented a lot of...things...objects...devices,” she suggested.

“Hmm,” he pondered. “That’s a good idea but I think let Houle rest first. If he seek advice from you about his dream or nightmare, you can ask him to come and see me,” he smiled. “I’ll help him find the answer.”

“Thank you so much, Skuta,” she was pleased. “Well, I better go now. I didn’t tell my daughter that I’m coming here. She might search for me crazily. You know her, don’t you?” she giggled, imagining her daughter in panic, searching for her.

Skuta laughed. “Of course! I wonder how she turned out to be a doctor just like you,” he said jokingly.

Dr. Heilen waved goodbye to Chieftan Skuta as he escorted her to the gate. When Dr. Heilen disappeared from his sight, he went inside his building towards his office.

“Let’s see how long can you bear the nightmare, Houle.”

The Adventure of Myrr and The Nightingales: 7

Chapter 7

The Junior Team gathered at the field where they could see high fences in front of them. Tonight was the night that they have been waiting for: the Hunting Test. Everyone wanted to show their talent especially their sword skills and casting spells. Myrr and her partner, Lach was standing in the front row. She then met Wreas, her brother’s best friend. Wreas is tall and hunky man with thick, wavy, canary yellow hair. He was one of the best fighters of the Nightingales and he barely used his weapons when he fought the Ghouls of Phantom.

Wreas was one of the Nightingales who will be in charge for the students’ safety. Even though they will fight the Dummies but it was still a dangerous task for them. Myrr waved at him and he smiled and nodded. Then, a woman who was wearing a bandana appeared on the big rock and all the students kept quiet. She was the Head of In-Charge for tonight. Her name is Plaud and she’s Assistant Chieftan of Weaponry Squad.

“Listen up, children. In few minutes the Hunting Test will start. I know that you can’t wait to show your talents but let me remind you something. That place over the fence,” she pointed to the high fence, “is very dangerous. You might get lost or die in there if you’re not taking extra aware. But don’t worry for there are 10 groups of Fighters who will save you if you’re in extreme risk,” Plaud spoke in a loud, clear voice.

The Juniors were whispering loudly with their partners.

“Before we let you off to the beyond fence, you need to take this thing,” she showed a metal plate. “This is Trap Plate. Its function is to trap the Dummies by sucking up those creatures. Once the Dummies were sucked in, the blue or green light will appear. The best pairs will be determined on how many Dummies they’ll catch. We will distribute you one Trap Plate for each pair.”

The Fighters distributed the Trap Plate to each pair and after they’ve done, the gate opened. They were given 3 hours to hunt the Dummies. Houle and Lach’s brothers were cheering for them. Myrr and Lach waved at them before dashing towards the gate. The Hunting Test began!

Myrr was hiding in the thick shadows behind the large oak trees. 3 Dummies were lingering around, not far from where she was hiding. She looked up at the other oak tree. Lach was hiding there. They planned to ambush the Dummies since they had caught 7 of them by fighting one-on-one. Those Dummies didn’t realize their presence and this made things went easier to both Myrr and Lach.

Gripping to her short sword, Myrr gave signal to Lach and both of them ambushed the Dummies by attacking in two directions; left and above. Those Dummies were taken aback by their attacks. Myrr cut off one of the Dummies head while Lach casted a binding spell. Another two Dummies couldn’t move. Myrr and Lach slashed those two Dummies and sucked them in the Trap Plate. Both of them cheered joyfully and gave each other a high-Five.

“We got 10 of them! We need to hunt for more!” said Myrr excitedly.

“We have one hour left. I think we can catch another 10!” beamed Lach with excitement.

Myrr passed Lach the water pouch and they gulped the water down. They took a brief rest for one minute before continuing hunting.

Houle, on the other hand, was waiting for them in the hut where the students were gathering before the Hunting Test. He was watching Myrr and Lach in action on the screen. He hadn’t taken his eyes off the screen since the hunting started. Wreas came back to the hut after taking turn with other groups to watch over the kids.

“Here, have a drink,” Wreas tapped on his back gently.

Houle was startled and turned around. He saw Wreas handed him a glass of berry juice. “Thanks,” he took the glass and took a few sips.

“You don’t have to worry much about Myrr and Lach. Both of them are doing well. Besides, they have caught 10 of them without being hurt,” Wreas smiled assuredly.

“I know. But still, I need to make sure that she’s perfectly save. If not, I can’t forgive myself as being her guardian. Unless I can join your group to protect her,” said Houle. He knew Myrr was stronger than before but he wasn’t confident enough about her safety. Myrr was still a kid and she didn’t have much experience in fighting yet.

One hour passed and the hunt ended. Most of the students had gathered at the same place before the hunting started, including Myrr and Lach and her other two best friends. They were talking about how many Dummies they had caught. Houle approached her and gave her a drink for she was sweating but still looking energetic. She excitedly told Houle and Wreas about their hunting experience and she hoped that she and Lach will get the award of the Best Pair.

“Okay, kiddies! It’s getting late and you need to go home to have a rest. Your result will be announced in the next three days,” announced Plaud.

The students sighed in frustration.

Plaud laughed out loud, seeing their frustrated faces. “Hey, cheer up, kiddies! Here’s a good news. You’re going to have a one-whole-day break tomorrow!”

The students cheered excitedly and thanks to Plaud. They went back home and so as Myrr and Houle. Myrr said goodbye to her friends before leaving. Houle carried her on his back for he knew Myrr was already tired to walk. Myrr fell asleep on his back on their way home. When they reached home, Houle woke her up gently and asked her to take a bath and change her tunic. After that, he tucked her in bed.

Houle went to his own after checking on Myrr who was sleeping soundly. He sat on his bed and looked outside the window. The moon was shining brightly. He stared at the calm sky before lying on his bed. He was thinking of not going to sleep after having the same nightmare for 3 days in a row. He was scared. The angry spirits were haunting him.

Houle sighed heavily. He was confused. Why was those spirits accused him for being a murderer? He was not a murderer, he was sure of that! But still, he didn’t remember his past. Maybe I was a murderer before I lost my memory, he thought. He closed his eyes, trying to remember what had happened before he came here. He then fell into a deep sleep.

“Houle, are you okay?” asked Apologos. He was having field training with Houle and Arwe. “You don’t look well today.”

“I’m fine,” Houle nodded and tried to smile.

“You sure?” Apologos frowned.

“Yeah,” he patted on Apologos back. “Let’s continue with the training,” he turned to Arwe who was holding his bow.

He and Apologos asked for Arwe to help them sharpen their high-speed skills because Arwe is one of the sharp shooters who rarely missed his target. Arwe has been chosen to join the special army because of his sharp eyes. They called him Four-Eyes because his eyes could see twice better than any normal nightingales.

Arwe shot another rapid arrow and both Houle and Apologos dodge it. Arwe shot more and more arrows and they were getting faster. Houle nearly been shot as he rolled his body to the left. That was a killer shot, Houle’s mind exclaimed. The word ‘kill’ somehow distracted him. Then he remembered the dream he had last night. Those spirits told him he killed them mercilessly. He tried to get those voice out of his head but he could still heard them.

“Damn,” he cursed under his breath.

“Houle! Look out!” warned Apologos.

Houle snapped back into reality and he saw the arrow went straight toward him. He dodged but the arrow pierced through his arm. Houle yelled in pain. Arwe, who was stunned by the accident, rushed towards Houle with Apologos. Houle pulled the arrow roughly and blood exuded from his arm.

“You were spacing out just now. What’s wrong?” asked Arwe as he wrapped the wound with a piece of cloth that he tore from his tunic.

“I...I don’t know,” he groaned.

“We must get him to the Healing Squad,” said Apologos. “I’m not good in healing.”

Arwe nodded and both of them helped Houle and sent him to the Healing Squad.

Heilen healed Houle’s arm in her room. With one healing spell, the wound was healed in a blink of an eye. “Alright, that should do,” said Heilen.

“Thanks, Doctor Heilen,” said Houle softly. He looked at his healed arm. He was relieved because he didn’t want Myrr to know about the accident.

“You’re welcome,” Helien smiled.

“Doctor Heilen,” said Houle after a short silent, “can you foretell a dream?”

Heilen stared at him for a while. “No, not really. Why? Is there something bothering you?” she asked gently, sitting down in front of Houle, waiting for his further explanation.

Houle took a deep breath before began his story. “I’ve been having this dream, no, this nightmare nearly a week. I dreamt about spirits, angry spirits in precise, accusing me for murdering them. And there are skulls everywhere. Last night, I heard a little girl’s voice calling me from afar. First I thought it’s Myrr because she always wakes me when she heard me screaming or grunting. But it’s not Myrr. It’s the voice that I knew but I can’t remember. Can you please help me, Doctor Heilen?” he pleaded. “I need to find the answer, who I really am and where do I belong.”

“I can’t really foretell a dream but I don’t think that’s a dream, Houle. Maybe it’s part of your lost memory. Something had happened in the past and you can’t figure it out. I think you should not think too much on that because it’ll cause distraction, just like how you got your wound,” she pointed to Houle’s arm where the arrow had stuck before. “You need to relax your mind, do something that you enjoy with Myrr. I’ll try to ask Cheiftan Skuta. He’s the Cheiftan of Investigation Squad. Maybe he can help since he’s expert in this kind of situation. Have you told anyone about this dream?” asked Heilen before standing up from a chair.

Houle shook his head. “No. Not even Myrr. She thought that it was just a nightmare. But she seems worried since this same nightmare keep on repeating every night.”

“I see. Well, let’s see if Cheiftan Skuta can help. I’ll arrange a meeting with him for you,” she patted Houle’s back gently.

“Thanks very much, Doctor Heilen,” Houle bowed slightly to her before he left.

He closed the door behind him and sighed. This nightmare was tormenting him.

The Adventure of Myrr and Te Nightingales: 6

Chapter 6

“You’re totally not going to believe this!” Lach tried not to shriek as she was holding a piece of paper. “We’re in the same pair!” She leapt with joy.

Myrr jumped with joy too as both of them were dancing gellfully. “This is great! I can’t believe that we’re going to be in the same pair!”

“Congratulation to both of you,” said Struer who just came from behind.

“Thanks, Struer. Oh, who’s your partner, by the way?” asked Myrr who was still smiling broadly.

Struer sighed and pointed to her twin brother. “Hittan.” She made a solemn face. Myrr and Lach couldn’t stop giggling.

“What with that sour face, Struer?” Hittan frowned furiously, his hands on the hips.

“I never thought I will end up pairing with you,” Struer said in a bored tone.

“Well I was thinking the same thing. Never mind, then. I guess we have to stick together until the end of the hunting test. But remember this, I’m going to be the leader and you must listen to everything I said,” he said with his chest high.

“Hey, who said that you’re going to be the leader?” This time Struer who had her hands on her hips. “I’m older than you,” she poked her finger to Hittan’s chest, hard.

“It doesn’t mean that you’re two hours older than me, you can be the leader. I’m a man, and the man is supposed to be the leader. Not a girl,” he answered back.

“Stop it, you two. If Mr. Reopan knows that you’re arguing, he will cancel your names on the list,” warned Myrr.

Both of them stopped mouth-fighting and went back to the class without talking with each other. Myrr and Lach laughed because Struer and Hittan were always fighting over the small thing.

The hunting test will be held on the next week so Myrr and Lach were preparing themselves to hunt the Dummy Ghouls. Myrr was waiting for this since she enrolled the School of Nightingales. Houle will be proud of her if she passed the test. She wanted to show him that she was capable to handle the Ghouls on her own.

They went back to their seat as their tutor, Reopan came in. He smiled warmly to his students. He put a stack of papers that he carried when he entered the class. He cleared his throat politely and the students were in silence, waiting for him to explain.

“Have you found your partner?” asked Reopan. The students nodded while saying yes. “Good. Now, I want to give two pieces of paper each. This one,” he lifted up a blue coloured paper, “is your parents’ permission. This test is quite dangerous since this is the first time you guys will be using your own weapon. You’ll get the permission first, and then you’ll receive your won weapon, alright?” He handed to the President of the Class.

“And this one,” he lifted up a green coloured paper, “is your fitness check up. The Healing Squad will come tomorrow morning and you’ll have your fitness check up. You are compulsory to undergo a fitness check because it is essential for you to know whether you’re really fit or not. Those who have any illness will undergo another medical test before you are allowed for the Hunting Test. Any question?” he looked around, searching for the raising hands. “No. Good. You can scramble back to your house; get your parents’ permission. See you again, tomorrow!”

The class cheered and everyone was eager to go back home after they got the two pieces of papers. Reopan knew that this was what they were waiting for. The test will show their bravery and skills. He waited for the whole class to dismiss. Myrr walked up to him as he was getting ready to leave.

“Excuse, Mr. Reopan. Sorry for not raising my hand just now. Can I as you about the parents’ permission?” asked Myrr politely and showed the blue coloured paper.

“Yes, sure, Myrr,” he smiled.

“Do I have to get the permission from my Uncle Shatter or from Houle?” Myrr looked at him, waiting for the answer.

“You can ask them both. If you stopped by your uncle’s mansion, you can get his permission. Either, you can get Houle’s permission. He’s your legal guardian so he has the right for allowing you or not,” he replied.

“Oh, okay then. Thank you, Mr. Reopan,” Myrr smiled broadly and bowed to him. Reopan chuckled and patted on her head.

“Now go home, little Myrr. See you again, tomorrow,” he waved at her as she’s leaving.

Houle was drenched in sweat. He was panting hard while gripping the sword. Ever single muscle in his body was aching. He wiped the sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand and gripped the sword again. His vision was getting blurry but he didn’t want to withdraw. He could barely stand up for his legs were getting wobbly. The room was tropically hot.

Feoh knew Houle couldn’t continue any longer. He lowered his sword to show that the training was ended. “That’s enough for today, Houle. I can see you could barely stand,” said Feoh.

“Please, Chieftan Feoh,” pleaded Houle while panting hard. “Just a little longer.”

Feoh shook his head. “No, Houle. We must stop here or it’ll affect your health. You can come by in next two days. You need rest,” said Feoh in serious tone.

Houle understood and loosen his grip to the sword and lowered it. His wobbly legs made him stumble on the floor. Feoh handed him a bottle of energy drink and Houle gulped the water down. Feoh patted Houle’s broad shoulder to tell him that he has tried his best. Feoh knew that Houle was training very hard to get stronger and he was proud of Houle’s determination and effort. For two years he trained him and he knew Houle was improving his sword’s skill day by day. He wanted to train him more even when Houle was suited to have his own sword. Sometimes he will let Houle sparred with his son, Joind for he was very skilful in sword fighting.

Houle took a rest for a while before heading back home. After drinking the energy drink and took a shower at Feoh’s mansion, he got back his strength. But still his muscle was still aching a little. When he reached home, he was surprised to see Myrr was cooking, guided by her cousin, Arwe.

“Welcome back, Houle,” greeted Myrr while stirring her soup. “How’s your training?” she asked.

“Not bad but my body is sore,” he replied and sat on the chair. “What’s cooking?”

“Chicken soup with mixed vegetable. Arwe taught me,” she smiled. Arwe nodded and told to stir the soup until it mix well with the vegetables.

“I heard you’re having a special training with Chieftan Feoh,” he said, pulling the chair in front of Houle and sat down.

“Yeah. But it’s not easy. He’s very skilled in sword fighting and I can’t even scratch him one,” he ran his fingers to his flaming red hair.

“Of course, you block head. He’s the toughest and the strongest among all the Chieftans. A person like you couldn’t defeat him,” he smirked irritatedly to Houle.

“What did you say?” he growled and stood up to punch Arwe in the face.

Myrr turned around and scowled ferociously at both of them. “Stop it or no lunch!”

Both Arwe and Houle timidly nodded and got back to their seat. They knew what will happen if Myrr got mad.

“We will be having a Hunting Test next week,” said Myrr while eating her lunch. “I was partnered with Lach and we’re going to be the best pair!”

“Well, that’s great. We hope you’ll pass the test,” Arwe smiled proudly.

“Arwe is right. The test will be held at night, right?” asked Houle.

Myrr nodded.

“I’ll be cheering for you,” he patted Myrr’s head and smiled.

“Oh, before I forgot,” Myrr jumped off the chair and took a out a piece of paper inside her bag, “ you need to sign the permission paper. Reopan said that I can get the permission either from you or Uncle Shatter.”

Houle took the paper. “Okay. I’ll sign it after this.”

“Yes!” Myrr threw a punch into the air. “Thanks, Houle!”

“You’re most welcome. Now finish your meal. You too, Arwe,” Houle glanced at Arwe who almost finish his lunch.

Arwe chuckled and after that he helped Myrr to wash the dishes. Houle went up to his room for he was very tired. He really needed some rests before having another extra training with Feoh in three days.

“Okay, let’s do a little check up,” Pelle smiled cheerfully as Myrr entered the room.

“I can’t wait for the Hunting Test, Pelle. It’s going to be awesome! I’ve been waiting for this in my whole life!” said Myrr excitedly.

Pelle giggled. “You remind me when I was your age, Myrr. I, too, couldn’t wait for the test. And guess who’s my partner?”

“Reles?” Myrr guessed.

Pelle shook her head. “It’s Esclice. I was so excited that time,” her smile subsided. “That night was the first time I fell in love with him.”

Myrr stared at Pelle and patted her hand. Pelle smiled and did the check up. Myrr didn’t say a word about her brother, not in front of Pelle. Pelle was her brother’s fiancé. They planned to get married as soon as Myrr finish her Junior year. When she received the death news of Esclice, she was crying bitterly in her room after the funeral. She loved Esclice so much and she felt that her world was crumbling into dust. But when she saw Myrr who was feeling down at that time, she promised herself to be strong. She promised Myrr to be her sister where she’ll have a shoulder to cry on.

When the medical test was done, Myrr and Lach went to Reopan’s office to submit the permission paper and medical test paper. Reopan gave them inspirational words before they left the room. Then both of them went to the Blue Forest to train.

It was a freezing cold night. Houle was wandering in the middle of nowhere. The air was thick, as well as the fogs. His feet were getting cold for he didn’t wear any boots. He looked around but he couldn’t recognize the place. He continued walking until he heard voices. The fog cleared little by little and the voices were getting louder. Houle searched for the voices.

Then, he stopped. He saw grey brick arch, standing tall in front of him. Dried grasses filled the along the path and he saw four crows were crowing loudly. He took a step forward, feeling scared. Then, he heard those voices again. His paced was getting faster as the voices were getting near. The bright moon shone upon the path and he was terrified of what he had seen. Skeletons were everywhere and the wailing and crying voices could be heard loudly.

He couldn’t move. His feet were stuck on the ground. The spirits appeared from the rotten skeletons and swirling around him, yelling to him that he was a murderer. The spirits kept on yelling and yelling, accusing Houle for being a murderer. Houle’s ears couldn’t stand the yelling and he covered his ears with his hand.

“No! I’m not a murderer!” he shouted but the spirits ignored him. “Leave me alone! Leave me alone!”

Houle jerked up from the bed. He was sweating hard. He looked around and he realized he was inside his room. His breath was getting calm. He was having a nightmare. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door and opened it. It was Myrr. She ran toward him with a worry look.

“What’s wrong, Houle? I heard your scream just now,” she asked worryingly.

“I’m having a nightmare,” Houle replied in a hoarse voice. “Sorry for waking you up, Myrr.”

Myrr hugged him. “It’s okay,” Myrr looked at him and wiped the sweat with her sleeve.

‘Thanks, Myrr. I’m fine now,” he patted her head.

“Do you want me to sleep with you tonight?” asked Myrr, holding his hand gently.

Houle shook his head and said he was fine. Myrr kissed his cheek before going back to her room. Houle lied on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He never had that kind of nightmare before. He didn’t want to continue sleeping. The feverish images of the rotten skeletons and the angry spirits were playing in his mind. This was the first time he felt terrified.

The Adventure of Myrr and The Nightingales: 5

Chapter 5

“Myrr! Breakfast is ready!” Houle called from the kitchen.

“In a minute!” Myrr shouted back. She combed her shoulder length hair and tight it in a ponytail. She then quickly took the last glance of herself in a mirror as she straightened her tunic. She grabbed her bag and went downstairs.

Houle took off the apron and hung it on the wall and served breakfast. Myrr joined him few minutes later.

“Omelette and bread toast? Is that all?” she asked before she sat on the chair.

“No complaining, young lady. This is all we have for today and you have to go to the grocery store this afternoon,” said Houle and poured the milk in the glass and put it at Myrr’s place, the place she used to sit.

“What? Why me?” she frowned and took a seat. She gulped the milk.

“Because today is your turn,” Houle pointed a piece of paper pasted at the food cupboard. Myrr rolled her eyes. “You don’t have evening training class so you need to go to the grocery. Here’s the list of things you should buy,” Houle passed a small piece of paper to her.

Myrr munched the bread toast and stared at the paper. “Okay then,” she shrugged, food was still in her mouth.

“How many times do I have to tell you, young lady, don’t talk while your mouth is full?” he warned but in gentle tone.

“More than hundreds,” Myrr giggled. Houle smiled and they continued eating breakfast while talking about school.

It had been two years since the tragedy and Myrr was getting taller a bit. She grew her hair long until it reached her shoulder while Houle just like his hair to be cut short. Houle lived with Myrr since he’s her guardian. Shatter often visited them during the weekend. Houle begged Shatter for permission to join School of Nightingales. He wanted to get stronger so that he could protect Myrr. Shatter agreed but Houle must not let anyone knows that he’s not originally from the tribe since not all people knew that Myrr found him two years ago. Houle was indescribably happy when he received the good news and promised to study hard.

Houle made sure the house was securely locked before went off to the school. He usually went to school with Myrr since they were in the same school but different building. Myrr managed to pass few tests and nominated as the Junior Nightingale while Houle made into the school with only one test and he passed with great result. He was the Senior Nightingale and hoping to graduate as the Warrior of Nightingale.

“What class do you have for today?” asked Houle before parting.

“Spell-casting class,” answered Myrr. “See you this afternoon,” Myrr smiled and waved.

Houle nodded and watched her until she disappeared from his sight. Then she continued walking to his class.

“Good morning!” greeted Reles, waving at him.

“Good morning, Reles. Being a tutor today, eh?” said Houle.

“Yup. Need to teach little monkeys about fighting,” she grinned. She always called the Juniors ‘little monkeys’. “How’s Myrr doing?”

“Just like usual,” he shrugged. “Complaining the breakfast.”

Reles laughed. “Well, see you around,” she patted him on the back and rushed to the class.

Houle wrote every single thing during the lecture. He was sitting in the lecture hall with his two good friends, Apologos and Berstan. He met those two when he was accepted in this school and they’ve became good friends since then. He always tried to concentrate during the lecture session and sometimes he felt very sleepy. He was not good in spell-casting and healing but good in fighting. His friend, Apologos always trained with him almost every day, during the training session whilst Berstan joined the Healing Squad because both of her parents are Healers.

The class ended at mid-noon and Houle would wait for Myrr at the front gate. Myrr appeared few moments later and they walked back home together. But today was Myrr’s turn to go to the grocery store so they parted at the junction near their house. The grocery store was not far from Myrr’s house so Houle did not have to be worried of her safety. Besides, the grocery store belongs to Struer’s family.

That grocery store was not like any normal one. It looked small but once we go inside, it’s like we’re in the different dimension. There were few big trees in the corner and the store was very spacious. Fireflies spread everywhere giving light to the customers. Myrr loved being in this kind of place. She walked towards a raccoon-like creature who was sitting on the big, fluffy red mushroom, reading a newspaper. He was one of the workers in the store and he smiled as Myrr approached him.

“Good afternoon, Myrr. What can I do for you today?” he asked affably.

“Good afternoon, Gimme. I wanted to buy these things in this list,” Myrr smiled back at him and handed him the list.

Gimme looked at the list and snapped his finger. A small rodent appeared and Gimme told him to get those things in the list. Within few seconds, the groceries that Myrr needed were there, on the counter. Gimme counted the price and Myrr paid it. She took the groceries which were put in the bag and waved at Gimme. Gimme winked at her and told her to come again.

As Myrr went out from the store, she was shocked when someone greeted her.

“Hello there, Myrr,” greeted a man who was leaning on the store’s wooden wall.

“Oh, hello there, Mr. Scotan. Good afternoon,” she bowed slightly.

“Shopping?” he asked, glancing at the grocery’s bag.

“Yes,” Myrr nodded.

“Are you alone? Where’s your guardian?” he smiled.

“He’s at home. It’s my turn to come and buy these groceries,” she replied.

Myrr was a little bit scared of this man for he was the greatest Assassin and also known as Executioner. He was tall and slender and has short violet blue hair. For Myrr, his expression was weird especially when he smiled. But she knew that Scotan is a good friend of her late father and Shatter.

They chatted for few moments and Myrr excused herself to go home for she was kind of late. Scotan patted on her head softly and she ran along. Scotan watched her leave and kept staring at her until she disappeared from his sight. He smiled meaningfully and left the store. He really wanted to keep an eye on Myrr.

Myrr reached home few minutes later and she heard Houle was arguing with someone. She took off her shoes and rushed to the kitchen, holding the groceries bag. She saw Houle, who was wearing an apron was having a row with her cousin, Arwe.

“You let her go alone to the grocery store? You should be there with her,” scolded Arwe. “What if something bad happened to her?”

“I’m still fine”, said Myrr. Arwe was surprised to see her.

“See?I told you not to worry much. The grocery store is not far from here. And besides, she used to go there since she’s five,” said Houle confidently.

“Hey, how do you know that I’ve been there since I was five?” asked Myrr, putting the grocery bag on the table.

Houle took all the things inside the bag and put them in the cabinet accordingly. “Lucky guess,” he grinned. “Now, can both of you please not to disturb me because I need to cook.”

“I can cook better than you,” Arwe smirked.

“No, you can’t,” said Houle.

“Yes,” Arwe stepped forward, “I can.”

“Okay, smart boy. Let’s compete. The best meal, win,” Houe challenged Arwe.

“Bring it on!” Arwe slammed his hand on the table.

Myrr rolled her eyes. Those two were always arguing every time they met. And it annoyed her. Houle asked her to be the judge but Myrr refused. She didn’t want to get involve with their fights.

“What’s cooking?” someone appeared suddenly at the window. Both Arwe and Houle jumped off their skin.

“Don’t ever do that again!” said them in unison.

“Uncle Sequi!” Myrr greeted him and invited him to come inside.

Sequi is one of the great Healer and his hobby is lingering around, doing nothing, if he’s not busy. He sometimes loved slacking off.

“How are you, my cute little kitten?” he hugged Myrr.

“I’m good and healthy. What about you?” asked Myrr.

“I’m hungry and I need to full my stomach,” Sequi patted on his stomach.  Myrr giggled.

“Then stay here for lunch with us. Arwe and Houle are going to cook something,” said Myrr cheerfully.

“Well, that’s very nice of you,” he smiled and turned to Arwe and Houle who were scowling each other furiously. “So, what’s cooking?” he asked.

“Beef curry!”

“Grilled beef!”

Both of them growled to each other. Then Myrr told Sequi that they were having a cooking competition and asked him to be the judge. Sequi agreed and both Arwe and Houle cooked as delicious as they could. Sequi couldn’t tell who the best cook was because he was too hungry. Everything that he ate was considered delicious.

They ate lunch together and after that Arwe excused himself for he needed to go back to his Barrack. Myrr cleaned up the table and went to her room to change to her usual attire. Sequi was still there, drinking lemon juice. He was free the whole day.

“How’s school?” asked Sequi. “Are you the same class with my daughter?”

Houle nodded. “School’s okay, I guess. The test will be held next two weeks and if we passed this one, we’re going for the level 1 training. I heard we need to fight with dummy ghouls,” he replied.

“That’s great. Everyone is waiting for that moment. But you must be careful, Houle, when you meet the Ghouls,” warned Sequi and he was definitely looked very serious.

“Why?” Houle frowned. “It’s just a dummy. It’s nothing to worry about.”

“I’m not talking about the dummy. I’m talking about Ghouls. You should not let your secret revealed,” said Sequi in a very serious tone.