"You're right. I don't understand. I've never had parents." Shin answered coldly and quietly. He didn't know what to do. The only people he saw in that state were on the battlefield, and there he didn't need to do anything about it, just keep fighting and ignore those who gave up.
Now Liz felt really bad. She was venting at someone who didn't deserve it, and he also had never experienced the motherly love that keeps you going in awful times. She wanted to apologize, but her pride wouldn't let her. I just lost everything, while he had his whole life to get used to it, she thought.
After her hysterical venting, she felt lighter, as if she were finally free from something heavy she'd carried all day long. Her intense emotional outburst was much needed, but she was embarrassed that she'd done it in front of someone else. She completely forgot about Shin's feelings and was fully consumed by her shame.
They heard rustling footsteps; someone was approaching the tent. No one should bother them. Zywia had given instructions not to go near the tent until the hunters returned. But someone was still heading their way. Shin jumped off the box he'd been resting on, stood near Liz, positioning himself between her and the entrance, and put his hand on the hilt of his blade.
The tent door opened, and a female figure walked in. Liz gasped in fear; her body started to shake uncontrollably. Before them stood her mother. She looked just fine, as if nothing had ever happened to her.
"Hi, baby. I see you found yourself a new friend, but it's okay, I'm here now." Her mother slowly walked toward them. She had a big smile, her arms wide open, ready for a big hug, but her eyes looked so empty, as if there were no soul behind them.
Shin drew his sword and prepared for an attack. He had a really unusual sword; the blade was too short for a normal sword, but the hilt was the same length as the blade. He had the aura of an experienced fighter who had gone through many battles, and the way he stood was unique, as if he had created his own fighting style.
Liz was about to say something when Shin took one step forward, ducked a little, preparing for a rush, and in an instant, he was already in front of the woman. He swung the sword, aiming at her head. Liz's mother dodged it as if she were an experienced fighter, then thrust her hand at him. Her hand shifted into a demon's claw with talons as sharp as blades. The claw almost reached Shin's body, but was swiftly cut off, with such ease that it was like scissors cutting paper. The monster was at a loss; it lashed out with its other hand, but with no luck. He slashed that hand too, then kicked it hard in the chest, so it fell to the ground.
The mother fully returned to its original demon form. It sat on the floor, unable to move, as if it had been nailed to the ground. It was the same demon who had killed her mother right in front of her eyes, and now it had come for her. Liz recognized it immediately but was too stunned to speak. The images in her head of it dying became reality much sooner than she expected.
"Night, night," Shin said as he pierced the demon's skull right between the eyes. He looked back to check on Liz, but that only startled her more: the pure hatred in this kid's eyes, the ease with which he killed that thing.
He was covered in blood, but it didn't seem to bother him at all. He looked almost like a demon himself. Every movement he made was so intentional, so confident. He was like a perfect killing machine.
As the demon's body gushed blood everywhere, she felt completely overwhelmed and passed out, unable to process everything that had happened to her today.
Liz woke up with her head resting on Zywia's lap. She jolted when the covered wagon hit a bump in the road. Zywia looked down to check if Liz had woken from that and saw that she was right.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty." Zywia smiled as she said it softly. "We are on our way to Zayaw. You will be safe there." She looked the same as when she left; still a beautiful, cheerful lady with the cutest smile Liz had ever seen. Whatever they were doing in the fallen city hadn't left a mark on her.
Liz didn't answer; she just lifted her head from the warm lap, sat up straight, and stretched, trying to shake off her sleepiness. Her leg hit something hard on the floor. It was an arm-long, thin metal object wrapped in cloth.
"Oh, that is a gift for you from Shin," said Zywia. She didn't seem too excited about it.
"For me?" Liz was confused about why he had anything for her when they barely knew each other and certainly hadn't started on a good note. She was scared of what that mad boy could possibly have given her. She reached for it, and when she lifted it, the weight surprised her. She unwrapped it and saw a sword: the same sword Shin had used to take that demon's life.
"I told him it's not a good idea to give it to you, but he insisted." Zywia pressed her palm dramatically against her forehead. When she realized Liz wasn't looking at her, she watched Liz's reaction to the gift with a sly smile.
"No, it's beautiful." Liz gently ran her fingers across the blade. Surprisingly, it was perfectly balanced despite its unusual shape. Up close, she could see that the hilt was decorated with patterns of flowers. The sword was really pretty up close, not a very boyish look, she thought.
When Liz finished examining her first weapon, she put it down, moved to the edge of the wagon, and breathed in the fresh air. She noticed Polo rushing through the caravan, still holding his clipboard.
"HEY, POLO!" she shouted at him. "Where is Volur?" Liz asked. She wanted to thank him for saving her life and ask what he was going to do now.
Polo looked at her. He was visibly tired. His eyes had huge bags under them, and he looked even paler than before. In a raspy voice, he answered harshly.
"He sailed away the moment he said bye to you." Before she could ask him anything else, he rushed ahead of them. Another person from her childhood had left her, and she might never have a chance to see him again. She hated how much it hurt her, but there was no escaping it.
For the rest of the road, Liz just stared at the surroundings and at the huge wagon train stretching out along the horizon.