EeDechi tilted her head back and stared up at the sky. Endless rain fell from the heavy gray clouds, drumming against the stone pavement and splashing up countless droplets.
A jagged bolt of lightning tore across the heavens, followed by deep, rolling thunder, as if a dragon were roaring from somewhere within the clouds.
EeDechi pulled her soaked hooded robe tighter around herself, pushed through the relentless downpour, and stepped into a cold, gloomy tavern.
"Looks like I'm lost…" EeDechi unfolded the map in her hands, loosened the scarf covering her face a little, and took a deep breath.
The tavern was nearly empty. Rain darkened the day outside, and though it was still daytime, the owner had not lit the oil lamps, leaving the whole room dim and shadowed.
"Uu… uu… I want to go home… take me home…" A young, frightened sob cut through EeDechi's thoughts as she studied the map.
She looked toward the sound and saw two burly men dragging a heavy iron chain. Locked around the end of the chain was an iron collar fastened to a small girl's neck.
The child was filthy and unkempt, her golden hair a tangled mess. Her dress was caked with dirt, and she wore a pair of oversized, worn-out cotton shoes that were clearly too big for her. She looked utterly miserable.
She whimpered and cried, tears streaming down her cheeks and washing clean tracks through the grime on her face before striking the floor in broken drops. One of the burly men grew more and more irritated, then slapped her hard across the face. "Shut up! Keep crying and I'll feed you to the nightsaber!"
The slap left one side of her face swollen and red. She pressed her lips tightly together, lowered her head, and didn't dare cry out loud anymore, but she still sniffled in broken little gasps.
The other burly man gripped the chain fastened to her collar and gave it a sharp tug. "That's weird," he muttered. "She didn't make a peep the last few days. Why's she suddenly crying the moment we walk into this tavern?"
EeDechi frowned, folded the map away, and strode straight toward the three of them. "Child trafficking?" she asked, voice sharp and unfriendly.
The two men turned around. When they got a clear look at EeDechi, both of them faltered. Facing this lone traveler who barely came up to their shoulders, they suddenly felt a chill of unease.
Inside the cold, rain-battered, rundown tavern, the oppressive aura rolling off EeDechi seemed to turn the very air around her to ice.
One of the burly men swallowed hard, choking back the string of curses that had been about to fly out of his mouth. He forced himself to answer, "This doesn't concern you! We found the kid ourselves. We didn't kidnap her."
"Oh? Is that so?" EeDechi stared at them with icy detachment. Her deep black eyes were cold as forged steel, and a sharp gust of wind swirled at her feet.
"She really was something we picked up!" the other man insisted, voice earnest. "Just three days ago, out in the western outskirts. Her parents were nowhere around. Looks like she got hit with some kind of curse and lost her memory. We're only planning to sell her—no torture or anything, I swear!"
Sweat slicked the palm of the hand holding the chain as he met EeDechi's freezing gaze.
"How much are you asking for her?" EeDechi said.
"Twenty gold coins," answered the man holding the chain.
EeDechi flicked her wrist and tossed over a pouch of coins. "No change needed."
One of the men snatched the bag out of the air, loosened the string, and counted quickly. He gave a satisfied nod once he was sure it was all there.
The man with the chain passed the end of it to EeDechi, his voice shaky. "She's yours now."
The girl shuffled over to EeDechi's feet, one hesitant step at a time. EeDechi reached down, gripped the iron collar with both hands, and snapped it apart as easily as tearing paper.
The two burly men flinched at the sight. That kind of raw power—ripping through a thick iron collar like it was nothing. She could do the same to them without even trying.
"Don't be scared. I'm here," EeDechi said gently, stroking the girl's tangled golden hair. Then, in a clear voice, she asked, "Was what they told me true? They really didn't kidnap you?"
Both men shivered at her words and took two quiet steps back, already looking for a way to slip out.
The child they had been slapping and cursing without a second thought now held their lives in the palm of her hand.
She gave a small nod. "Mm. They really did pick me up. The last thing I remember is getting lost in the wilderness. After that, the two big brothers found me."
The two men breathed out in relief. They really had come across the wandering child while they were out hunting together.
"But they kept hitting me and hurting me all the time!" The girl jerked her head up, tears flooding her eyes like a child running to tell on someone.
"Got it." EeDechi answered with a soft, kind smile. She bent down and picked up the iron chain that had been used to tether the girl.
The two burly men let out startled yelps and spun around to run. EeDechi gave the chain a lazy flick. The dark links shot forward like a striking snake and cracked across their backs.
The heavy strike shredded their shirts and carved long, bloody welts into their flesh. Both men slammed hard into the wall and slid limply to the floor.
EeDechi hadn't killed them, but they would be spending at least the next ten days in bed.
After that, she walked over to the counter and bought some bread, milk, and a few other simple supplies, along with an old umbrella. Then she scooped the girl up with one arm, opened the umbrella with the other, and stepped out of the tavern into the unending rain.
The golden-haired girl clung tightly to EeDechi's chest, her small arms wrapped around EeDechi's neck. She lowered her head a little, the corners of her mouth lifting in a faint smile—whether from comfort or some quiet longing, it was impossible to tell.
...
Inside the inn, EeDechi filled a large oak barrel with hot water, checked the temperature, and gently lowered the girl she had just bought into it for a bath.
This was just a small town in the Slane Theocracy; proper bathtubs were out of the question.
Steam filled the air as the girl shed her ragged clothes and slipped into the warm water. Her skin was pale and smooth, her limbs slender, and her wet golden hair clung to her shoulders like a pale, gleaming fish.
EeDechi washed her patiently, covering her in soap lather and gently wiping her clean with a towel.
"What's your name? Where's your family?" EeDechi asked, her voice soft and patient.
The girl gripped the rim of the oak barrel with both hands and blinked her big eyes. She looked up at EeDechi and answered in a childish tone, "I don't know. I lost my memory."
"Lost your memory?" EeDechi said, surprised. "You really don't remember anything at all?"
She nodded seriously. "Mm. Not a single thing."
Her fair legs kicked lightly in the water, splashing. "Then why don't you give me a name?"
"Hmm…" EeDechi thought for a moment. "How about Kilua? I'm terrible with long names anyway."
"Okay!" Kilua's eyes lit up with delight; she clearly loved the name.
"I'll help you find your family," EeDechi said. She reached out with a warm hand and gently patted Kilua's small head. "Do you have any clues at all?"
Kilua shook her head. "I can't remember anything. The only thing I know is that I'm a seer."
She tilted her head slightly, her clear eyes fixed on EeDechi. In a soft voice she added, "By some hidden working of fate, I can sense it. EeDechi, you possess the power to topple the entire world."