The Devil's On Me

007. Catch red-handed

            Theodoric gawked where he stood, looking at the spring-like circle in front of him hanging in the air. He blinked his eyes trying to make sure that what was in front of him was really something real.

The circle slowly widened like a door that looked like it was going to suck Theodoric's body into it.

Theodoric shuddered faintly beginning to feel a bone-chilling chill. Until he occasionally gritted his teeth, Yatara, who had been standing next to him, let out a faint breath.

"Even though you haven't come in yet, but have been shivering from the cold like this." Yatara said so anxious and thoughtful.

"Why is it, is it colder in your kingdom than this?"

Yatara shook his head quickly, "if I don't think it's that cold." Said the prince sure made Theodoric suddenly glare.

"Your skin is rhino skin times yes, that's why you can't feel this cold." Said the young man even sneered.

Yatara thinned his lips for a moment, "I'm used to the cold there because I was born there. Just like you were born in the human world." Yatara paused for a moment, "will get used to the warm and even scorching heat above the sky." The handsome figure continued to explain.

Thedoric nodded his head beginning to understand, "so what now, do I have to buy a coat first to make it cold-resistant?"

Yatara did not respond to Theodoric's question which sounded strange to him.

"Let's put it this way, I'm going to burn your body." Yatara's words made Theodoric suddenly widen his eyes in shock.

"You want to burn me? You forget, yes, I'm going to your kingdom to help you. And now... you want to burn me?" Theodoric said he didn't think about what Yatara had just said.

"That's not what I meant, because now I'm trapped inside your body. I can help you not feel too cold later when you step on the land of Eternal Ice." Yatara explained at length. "The burn I said doesn't mean actual burning. I... will help make you survive the cold temperatures of Eternal Ice, understand?"

Theodoric was silent for a long time, slowly understanding what Yatara really wanted to convey.

"Okay, then." Retorted the tall young man fixing the straps of his backpack behind his back.

Yatara was about to say something, but he did it again. Can't ruin Theodoric's mood which is now smiling from ear to ear.

"Now it's time to go in, there is no time left." Yatara said directing making Theodoric stick his hand towards the circle in the air.

A moment later, Theodoric was drawn in there like playing an endless slide.

Theodoric still shouted strongly with both hands gripping the straps of the backpack tightly. His eyes were tightly closed, too afraid to see what was in sight.

"Ouch!"

Theodoric grimaced violently as his body was now thrown into the riverbank. A little more might be splashed into the clear water with the edges overgrown with small flowers in bloom.

He circulated his gaze around, observing what he said was an empire. His eyebrows were raised high, not feeling Yatara's presence anymore. Also Yatara's deep voice that always interfered with his hearing.

"It's impossible for Yatara to be trapped in the circle just now, right?" The young man murmured so panicked himself. Groping his chest tried to feel that the sword trapped in his body was still there. "Obviously, if Yatara is still there. There's no way he's just disappearing and coming out on his own," Theodoric continued, feeling strange about what had befallen him.

Theodoric was confused, turning his head and left feeling even more panicked. He is not used to this new place. Moreover, there is no Yatara to accompany as usual.

"Is he asleep?" The young man himself murmured then stepped down the clear river water to his right. The young man gasped in surprise when he heard the sound of rushing steps closer. He, too, immediately turned around with a rough sip of spit.

The longer the voice got closer and closer and now he saw two little ones standing in front of him. Then they just ignored Theodoric who looked at them afraid.

The two carried containers like buckets, each holding two in their tiny hands.

Theodoric just looked at what the two little ones were doing from afar. Don't dare to talk let alone get close. Because he is not used to the unfamiliar place, Yatara said when he enters the coldness will be even more pronounced. But, now he doesn't feel cold at all.

It's just so-so.

Theodoric raised an eyebrow as one of the little boys advanced by stepping on the stones above the river. Then kneel down holding the tip of the stone, then extend a hand by filling the water to the brim in the container.

The moment after it was full, he pulled up with difficulty. Then go back to doing the same thing on the other three containers.

Theodoric gaped a little, already wanting to ask the little boy who was wearing shabby clothes like a tweak. But, the patched part is like from straw.

The two young children, too, moved quickly to intercept two containers full of water. Their slow pace due to the weight of the weight of the weight they carried made Theodoric feel pity. The young man, too, without saying much followed where the two of them were going.

Maybe, later, he can meet people who can help him. So that he can get out of this unfamiliar place immediately.

Theodoric raised his eyebrows high when he saw the two children, who range in age from 7-8 years old, walking on the ramp with great difficulty maintaining the balance of the load they carried. He wanted to help, but was afraid that the two children would scream for the people around there.

But, he couldn't bear to also see the tiny fingers of the two boys flushed from being pinched by the handle of the iron container.

"Excuse me, little brothers." Theodoric hold made one boy and one chick turn their heads by holding their containers in their hands.

"Can I help?" Asked the guy who had jet-black hair pointing towards the container, there was no response from the two. Just blinked innocently without replying to Theodoric's question. "Is their language different from mine huh?" Theodoric muttered so resoundingly himself, scratching his unitchy hair then gasping a small jerk as one of them came forward and thrust the container at him.

"Thank you," the daughter said smiling making Theo's tense feelings instantly relieved.

The young man, too, ducked grabbing the two containers beside his legs that the girl had just been pushing over. Then he moved closer to the standing boys, dividing the containers so that they could quickly get to their destination.

"So, you guys have to fetch water in the river every day just now?" Theodoric asked in between his gasps, not tired from carrying the weight of two containers of water.

But, tired because the road they took seemed to have no end.

"Yes, because there is no spring in our place. Everything is frozen as usual, and even the daily food... just rely on wheat." Obviously the boy occasionally turned to Theodoric who slowly nodded his head in understanding.

"It's not that if the weather is sunny like this, the ice or the frozen snow will definitely melt, right?"

"No, this is the immortal ice used by the royal person." Obviously the kid again who made Theodoric frown still didn't understand. Wanted to continue asking, but he again held back because he had arrived at a place like a village.

In contrast to the atmosphere around the river just now, in this village, the weather is really cold and piercing. The roofs of the houses shaped like huts were filled with snow that had already frozen.

"It's called Eternal Ice," Theodoric himself muttered then gasped in surprise as his arm was pulled quickly by the little boy, running quickly towards a hallway and going inside there.

They passed by several people who were gathering in front of the house and also some people who were busy with their respective activities.

Theo, not understanding why now he ran and just followed the will of the two little ones who dragged him to this house.

"Come in," the child said, already carrying the container he was carrying. Then came back again and took a container from Theodoric, leading him into a house whose floor was made of worn-out wood some of which had already looked weathered.

Theo positioned himself beside the door, the young man just realized that there was someone lying on a haystack with a square of wood used as a bedding. The already not young figure, muttered vaguely. More precisely grimacing in pain with the sweat seen on his temples, even though the weather was cold like this.

The door was closed tightly by the little boy just now, the legs that had traces of dust and snow had not been cleaned up. Because indeed, there is no footwear at all that these two children wear. Actually, how poor the kingdom of Eternal Ice is, until even sandals are not owned by its people.

"This is my grandfather, he is sick." It was obviously the little boy just now who now picked up the cloth and wiped the sweat on his grandfather's temples painstakingly.

"Where are your parents?" Theodoric's question was not answered, only the change in their somber expressions with his shoulders flexed made Theo understand.

"Ah, so you just live in threes with your grandfather, huh?" Theodoric said trying to break the ice.

"Yes, my father died during the war. If mom died when she was about to go foraging in a neighboring village, but she said she met the guard there." Obviously one of them with a smile made Theodoric even more unpleasant for having asked that sensitive question.

"Isn't there any food in your village?"

"yes, it seems to be."

Theodoric frowned at the ambiguous reply, "for indeed all our source places are looking for food, frozen all. In fact, the well water alone no longer exists now. So me and the people in the village took water at the place just now, the Taho river."

"Taho River?" Again Theodoric frowned.

"Yes, the river protected by the power of Prince Yatara." The word of the child again made Theodoric gawk in place.

"You know Yatara?"

"Isn't it rude, just calling the prince by name?" The little boy scolded Theo who suddenly smiled clumsily.

"Ah, yes... the prince of Yatara." Rephrase it by forcing yourself to smile.

"Oh yes, whose name are you guys?"

"I'm Aidan, my sister is called Anna."

Theodoric nodded his head faintly, "if I... Theodoric." He said a friendly smile making the two children look at each other with a small smile.

"Again, thank you for helping to lift the water earlier. If you stay outside for too long, the water we bring to the village will also freeze." Aidan obviously thinned his small lips.

Theodoric inexplicably felt sad for himself, looking at the two little ones who were fighting for his life. Without parents and having to take care of their sick grandfather. Somehow they would forage every day. He didn't have the heart.

"How do you guys forage every day, how about it?"

Aidan stood up, stepping inside one of the doors. Then it came back out with a bag filled with dried fruit that Theodoric was not familiar with.

"It's just these dried peaches that we rely on, and also the rest of the grain. Since it's all frozen, there's nothing we can do." Aidan said explaining what had befallen his village

"Here is a kind of village chief?"

"Tribal chief?"

"Ah, yes... that's what I mean." Theodoric rectification quickly made Aidan nod in confirmation.

"There is, it's just that there is nothing the chief can do. Because it's its own, just like me and other people." Aidan explained so told all the problems of his village to Theodoric whom he had just known.

"Have you guys seen Yata—I mean the prince Yatara?"

Aidan shook his head quickly, "no, it may be the lucky ones who can see the prince in person. Commoners like us would not have such a chance." Aidan said again, Theodoric still felt amazed by Aidan's smooth and smart way of speaking as well organized.

"And now anyone who comes into contact with Prince Yatara will be put to death," Anna said just opening her mouth.

"Huh? Why?" Theo asked in shock, even his eyes almost snarled out.

"He said that Prince Yatara had betrayed the king and also the kingdom of Eternal Ice." Obviously Anna again made the bushy-haired young man cluck faintly.

"It turns out that you are a betrayer, yes, and now you are making me so deal with you. So that later I will be put to death in this place?" Theodoric murmured with great emphasis, wanting to immediately vent his annoyance on Yatara who had not yet appeared.

Aidan and Anna, who heard the young man muttering themselves, looked at each other, feeling strange about what the figure had just done.

Theodoric gasped slightly when he heard the sound of Aidan and Anna's stomach being heard at the same time, making him sigh faintly. Weakened between having to take out the provisions or not.

If he is desperate to give his provisions to the two children, he himself will starve to death. But, otherwise he would feel like he's the most evil person in the world.

Theodoric, too, decided to open his backpack. Then pulling out one of the brown breads containing six pieces made Aidan and Anna look at each other not understanding what Theodoric had just shown.

"This is also a meal, it's called brown bread." Obviously Theodoric seemed to understand, looking at Aidan and Anna's expressions full of question marks. "You just have to tear it into small pieces or divide it in half, then you can eat it until it's finished."

Aidan took a faint sip, reaching for the brown bread in Theodoric's hand, he took a piece then another piece of it he gave to Anna who immediately smiled.

Aidan began to put a small tear of bread into his mouth, then his small lips slowly pulled wide to form a smile. After making one small tear, Aidan immediately wrapped it together with the peaches just now.

"It's not delicious, why put it in the bag again?"

Aidan smiled faintly, "make grandpa, when his wake up later, grandpa will definitely starve." The little boy said making Theodoric feel slapped.

So far, you can only think about yourself, the food order is always to eat quietly in the room without leaving for the mother. Unlike the little boy he just met earlier. He thought so much about the people around him that he put aside the torturous hunger.

"It's just eaten, just keep this for your grandfather later." Theodoric said holding the rest of the bread in his hand made Aidan smile from ear to ear.

"Thank you so much," he said smiling, repeatedly thanking Thedoric who was moved to see the two little ones eating well.

"Oh yes, brother, can I ask you something?"

"Ask what?"

Aidan took a moment's breath, then looked up looking at Theodoric who was waiting for him patiently.

Theodoric already wanted to open the voice, telling Aidan to open his mouth immediately. However, all three of them jumped in shock when the door in front of them was smashed violently until it slipped out of angle. Not only that, Theodoric's neck is now pointed at a sharp sword by someone who is now staring at him fiercely.

"How come there are humans coming to this kind of place?"

Theodoric gawked with repeated sips, looking at the sharp sword that was now on his neck. If you move a little, maybe the neck will be cut off just like that. Therefore Theodoric chose to petrify in place until the long-haired figure in front of the door drew his sword back.