"Hurry up a little, we need to get back before dark," said Maya.
"I'm already hurrying, but these buckets are so heavy," replied Insis, whose hands had turned red and started peeling from gripping the bucket handles.
"Stop whining and hurry up, we still have four more buckets to carry," Maya said before quickly heading toward the other side of the lake. A few seconds later, she shouted loudly, "Insis, come quickly!"
Insis ignored her, thinking Maya was just trying to rush her on purpose. But when she heard Maya shout again, "Insis, run!" she thought something had happened to her.
"Maya!" she cried out and started running. But when she reached her, she saw someone lying on the ground, covered in blood.
"Is he dead?" Insis asked, a little frightened.
Maya placed her hand on his neck to check for a pulse. "No, he's not dead. Help me turn him over."
Reluctantly, Insis helped, and as they turned the man over, a bag fell out from underneath him. She grabbed it.
"Leave the bag and look at the man! He's a Chirai," Maya said excitedly.
"A Chirai? How do you know? Couldn't he be a demon?" Insis asked anxiously.
"Look at his horns. He's just like us, human, but his horns are white. Demons have crimson horns," Maya explained.
"Come on, help me. Grab his legs," she said, moving behind the man and lifting his head, passing her arms under his armpits.
"What are you doing? Have you lost your mind? You're not planning to take him home, are you?" Insis asked, worried.
"Yes, I am," Maya replied.
"Are you insane? They don’t allow non-humans inside! How are we supposed to sneak in a two-meter Chirai?" Insis protested.
"Don't worry, I'll figure it out. Just help me," Maya insisted.
Insis wasn’t happy about it, but she still helped Maya carry the Chirai to their cart. Once they got to the cart, they laid him face down and covered him with fish to hide him, then threw the empty buckets by the lake.
"Where have you been, girls?" the gatekeeper, Cerrba, asked anxiously.
"The bucket handles were loose. We dropped the fish while carrying them, so we had to carry them by hand. That’s why we’re late," Maya explained.
Seeing Insis’ hands, Cerrba asked, "What happened?"
Forcing a cheerful but unconvincing smile, Insis replied, "It’s nothing serious. The bucket handles broke, and they cut my hands a little."
"Be careful next time. Take care, girls," Cerrba said before opening the barrier.
Maya and Insis thanked him and wished him a good night before heading home.
With a worried tone, Insis said, "How are we going to get him inside? We’re definitely going to get caught."
Maya, much calmer than Insis, had already come up with a plan. "We’ll wait until it gets completely dark. You stay by the cart and keep watch. I’ll go get Bala," she said.
Insis, feeling uneasy, waited anxiously. Half an hour later, Maya returned with Bala.
"You kept saying you'd explain when we got here, so now I’m listening," Bala said, curious.
"You stay here, Insis. We’ll be back soon," Maya told her, then went inside with Bala.
Annoyed, Bala pressed, "Enough with the mystery. Just tell me already!"
Maya sighed and began explaining. "While Insis and I were fishing, we found a man by the lake. He was injured and unconscious. We didn’t want to leave him there, so we brought him with us."
"So? Where is he? Did he die? Is that why you called me?" Bala asked.
"No, he didn’t die. He’s in the cart. The problem is… he's a Chirai. That’s why we had to sneak him in," Maya admitted.
"Are you out of your mind? A Chirai?! Do you even realize what will happen if you get caught, you idiot?" Bala scolded her.
"I know, but he had lost so much blood. I couldn't just leave him there. Please help me, please," Maya pleaded.
Bala hesitated for a moment, considering what to do, then agreed to help.
As the darkness deepened, the three of them brought the man inside. After that, Bala quickly went to the infirmary to grab some supplies and returned in no time.
At the first light of dawn, the Chirai slowly opened his eyes, trying to figure out where he was. He swallowed, but his throat was completely dry—he hadn't had water in what felt like a week. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious.
"Water… please, give me water," he croaked.
Hearing his voice, everyone immediately rushed to his side. He repeated his request, and Bala quickly fetched water, helping him drink.
After gulping down the water, the Chirai asked curiously, "Who are you? Where am I?"
"We found you by the lake, unconscious and injured. We brought you here," Maya explained.
"The lake…?" The Chirai tried to recall how he had ended up there. Suddenly, he sat up in panic.
"My bag!" he shouted, frantically looking around. "I had a bag! Where is it?"
"Calm down, your bag is with us," Maya reassured him and went to get it.
The Chirai sighed in relief and thanked her. As soon as he got the bag, he emptied its contents onto the bed—clothes, papers, parchments, two daggers, and a glowing purple orb rolled out.
Seeing the orb, the Chirai let out a deep sigh of relief and leaned back onto the bed.
"What is that orb?" Insis asked.
"It's nothing important. I just thought I lost it," the Chirai replied, trying to brush it off.
Maya then introduced them. "I’m Maya, this is my friend Bala, and my sister Insis."
She then asked, "What’s your name?"
Sitting up again, the Chirai with big smile extended his hand. "I’m Negram. Nice to meet you."
ns 172.70.100.107da2
and then Add to home screen.