12. The Love Garden II

Her silver hair flashed now, swaying just a bit in the motion of the wind, left and right. She lightly tipped the end of the staff in her hand against the ground once more, her smile still unfading. Although it was showing that the smile was just at the verge of fading off. 

“Come on, you both. I know you are strangers here but then since you crashed down here,then you must get the help you need. Even though I can tell you that this place sets you on the edge.” Iyabo sighed. 

“Yes,it does. It has this lull on me.” Hana said as she walked forward now, her eyes squinting. “I would hate for me to have to draw out my sword on you, you know.” 

“Harrrgh!” Macabu growled, immediately nudging Shin aside as he dashed in two steps to the back of Hana. His hands were raised up high in the air, clasped and ready to smack down on the form of the Hadjan before him.

In response, Hana lowered her head down, her left hand immediately flashing in a second just as the sharp end of her blade was tilted to the backside. She had motioned the blade such that it would easily glide through to her back and stab whatever was there, while her eyes remained laser focused on Iyabo. 

“And you wonder why the Irunmole Society has to still play a big role in making the Lower heavens abide by its own rules.It is because you have such a big problem in trusting one another. Not that I am surprised. Macabu, stand down.” Iyabo said calmly without even batting an eyelid. 

Shin shook his head, holding on to the form of Ronke who had blacked out since, in princess carry. This meant that he had less of his hands to use but that did not mean that he wasn't ready to jump out if things were to go sideways.

Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he knew within his soul that so far as they were here, he was just about the only peson who could effectively handle communications with these people. And just as much as the only one who could take them down if there arose any trouble. 

Not that Hana could not fill in but recently, Hana had been getting easily pissed. It was hard, Shin admitted within himself, for her to make any decision which would be truly unbiased and without sentiments.

She was just so quick to get boiled up and very non patient when it came down to diplomacy. And for the fact that Shin would have to be on the aggro if it came down to it, it was simple. Hana would only be too focused on protecting Ronke and Bayo while he would have to be the one who would provide external protection and more like, attack the enemy from a long range such it would allow for them to get out of there, unscathed. 

Still, that was a path Shin was unwilling to go through. They needed the help of this lady who was before them. For if they had not needed her help,  then Ronke would not have been so particular about them making out to this palace.

It was that simple.

And even if there was someone else they could go to, for the healing of Bayo who barely had any time left, then he was just as clueless as the most dumb creature in all of existence. He was an Ascender, one who had come to this plane through the body of another. 

Naturally, he had spent most of his time then in learning how to blend in. He had spent his time trying to get to be the best, to climb to the apex where the original Shin had been, before his essence claimed the life of him. That place had been his sole focus and so, he had not bothered to get himself involved with any other thing that was outside of that. That meant for getting healers, he was pretty much clueless. 

Of course, they could just go about getting some other Sage Masters but then was the time going to be really that friendly to them? They had to consider that before they could come in contact with any Sage Master, then they would have to be within the Third Heavens. They were currently in the Second Heavens and well too far for a world bridge to take them all the way up to the third heavens.

 More so, even if they get up there, by some stroke of fate, in good time, the good time being something that neither of them knew about. So, If by some long stroke of luck and fate, that was possible then what would be the guarantee that in the palace they go to, that is the Hadja Commune that they would not be grilled about what happened to the Platoon?

If he could remember well enough, the undead Commander Eno had mentioned that the whole Platoon was wiped out. If the whole platoon was wiped out and then they went back to the Commune, the Commmune would certainly be spooked to how they came alive. 

Surely mentioning to them that they were on a trip with a Familiar all the way to the Laprisha town would not sit well. Not to mention that there would be questions raised about the Familiar lady and the First born he was with.

The whole thing would certainly smell of desertion.

If there was anything he had come to learn of, so well, it was that desertion was frowned upon by most of the races in the Heavens.

It was a grave sin which could not be forgiven for the belief that if one had stayed back and not deserted then they would have had a better chance at success. After all, the collective was far better than the individual. 

And even if it was going to sit well with them, there was no guarantee how long it would take for the whole matter to die out , the time which was certainly not going to be a friend of Bayo in his present state. 

“Hana stand down, too. We need them!” Shins wallowed, making his way forward  to where Hana stood, although he stood behind her, alongside with Macabu who was standing and looking bored. 

“What?” Hana shot him a glare. “You think I don't know that? The last thing I want is for him or you to get hurt in any way. I have a duty to protect all of…” 

“You don't have to always carry the burden on your shoulders, Hana.” Shin interjected quickly. “You don't have to always believe that if you don't step up, things would fall apart and if  those things do go wrong then, that it is your fault.” 

“Who said I was thinking of that?” Hana blasted out.

“But you are losing your cool, Hana. You don't trust her, do you? Me too! But we really don't have any other option now, you know. Things are really looking dire on our side, the only thing that we have right now is just faith. Blind Faith That it would all work out for the better. I mean… Ronke would not have demanded we come here if she knew some other place which was better than this.”  Shin implored. 

Hana took a long breath and then expelled it after holding it for some seconds. “Fine. But if anything goes wrong, I am coming for your head.” She said after turning to Macabu and glaring at Iyabo long and hard.

“Ah, the vigors of youth. Interesting. Macabu, take him from her, there is simply no time, at all. Oh my gods.!” Iyabo exclaimed, covering her mouth with her free hand. 

“What?” Shin and Hana asked simultaneously, shooting from Bayo to Ityabo and to Macabu as well. 

Just then Macabu reached down and grabbed onto the body of Bayo, holding it delicately in princess carry too, the smaller form of Bayo being enveloped by his massive stone body. 

“We need to hurry.” Iyabo said, turning around and walking as brisk as she could, towards the house. “If there is really anything that I can do, then I have to do it now or he is a lost cause.” 

Hana choked on the last words even as Shin’s stomach sank within.

Bayo, a lost cause? 

That was not what they wanted to hear and so hearing it come from the person who they looked into for the possible healing of Bayo had hit them hard.

“You better don't die on me. Bayo!” Hana lowered her head now, fisting her knuckles so hard that her fingers clawed into the hilt of the blade and her palm on the free hand. Just then, a trickle of tears fell down her cheeks, which she quickly wiped the moment Shin looked at her. 

“It would be alright. Bayo is a die hard. He would not just give up like that. He always finds a way to come out of the toughest situation that he finds himself in, you don't worry.” Shin tried to sound as convincing as he could. 

However, the lump in his throat was a clear disagreement to the words he spewed out. And Hana, from the disbelieving look she shot at him, could pretty much smell that. 

“What if he really can't come out of this? What if this is really the end of Bayo and everything we had together?” She said , sorrowfully. 

“DOnt talk like that, Hana. He is the First Born. He will survive, we both know…”

“We DON'T KNOW THAT!” Hana growled as she stomped her foot into the ground, a burst of aura exploding violently from her body. “We don't! I’ll go check around the town and to the boat as well.” She said, turning around and sprinting off. 

“Hey, Bring the lady inside.” Macabu roared out from the entrance of the bungalow. He waved his hand, trying to smile. “This is the love garden, if you do love someone, it would reveal it all out.  So, don't get worried over her actions, Hadjan boy!” Macabu added.