"Hufffhh... Hufffhh..." I collapsed onto a nearby stone, exhausted, gasping for breath. My chest heaved with exertion, and my lungs burned from the effort. Sweat dripped down my face, and my muscles ached from the intense physical activity.
I looked up at Cleya, who was watching me with concern etched on her face.
"Umm... are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with worry. She placed her hands on her chest, her fingers intertwined in a gentle gesture.
Her eyes sparkled with concern, and I felt a warmth in my chest at her genuine concern.
I quickly reassured her, "I'm fine, don't worry about it. I'm just a bit... winded." I smiled, trying to reassure her. "I've been through worse, trust me."
I paused for a second, getting up from the stone. "How's your leg doing?" I asked, my voice still ragged from exertion.
She smiled weakly, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. Her voice was low and cute as she replied, "I... am feeling a little better."
The softness of her tone sent a warm feeling through my chest, and I couldn't help but smile back at her.
"What's your name?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
She smiled, her lips parting slightly, and replied, "You can call me Cleya." Her voice was soft and melodious, and she said it with a sense of openness and comfort.
As we sat together by the lake, our conversation flowed easily, like a gentle stream. Cleya shared stories about herself, and I found myself captivated by her words.
"Hahaha, is that so? Then you were stuck when your mother told you to stay?" I said, laughing.
"Yeah, yeah, there wasn't any option. I had to stay there with my brother," Cleya replied, laughing. Her eyes sparkled with mirth, and I couldn't help but chuckle along with her.
"You have a brother?" I asked, intrigued. Cleya replied, "Yeah, a little brother. He's always getting into trouble." I smiled, imagining a mischievous little boy.
"I have an elder sister," I said,
"Is that so?" Cleya paused, her eyes sparkling with interest. "Anyways, you being in this forest means that you're not a normal passerby,"
she said, her voice filled with curiosity. "Are you an adventurer?" she asked, her eyes wide with excitement. Both her palms were on her cheeks, and she looked like a child waiting for a story.
I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "Yeah... sort of," I replied, my voice tinged with uncertainty.
I wasn't sure how much I wanted to reveal about myself, but Cleya's curious nature was infectious.
Cleya's eyes sparkled with curiosity, "Can you tell me about your adventures? What you've faced or what happened in your journey... please?" She leaned in, her face alight with excitement, encouraging me to continue.
I breathed out a resigned sigh, "Fine, if you say so." The words tumbled out reluctantly, but Cleya's enthusiasm was infectious.
"Yay!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up with a joyful smile. I couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.
I took a deep breath and began to tell her about my adventures - about the training I had undergone, the places I had traveled, and the experiences that had shaped me.
As I spoke, Cleya listened intently, her expression a mixture of fascination and amusement.
I found myself feeling at ease with her, like I could share my thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment.
"But then one day,"
I began, launching into a story about drake,
"my trainer started teaching me flame techniques, and we'd duel with each other. The most annoying part was, he'd always hit me on the head with his staff," I said, my voice laced with annoyance.
Cleya giggled, her laughter like music to my ears. "Ehehe," she laughed, her eyes sparkling with mirth.
I looked at her, my eyes narrowed in mock annoyance. "You're laughing at me too?" I asked, trying to sound stern.
Cleya's laughter faltered, and she looked up at me with a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I couldn't help it," she said, her voice still trembling with amusement.
I turned away, trying to maintain a scowl, but it was hard to resist her infectious laughter. "Hmph!" I muttered, looking away.
Cleya's teasing tone followed me.
"Oh, my, looks like someone's annoyed at me, are you angry at me now, huh?" She said, her right hand near her mouth, her eyes narrowed in a playful glare.
"shad up!" I replied, still looking away.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," she said, her voice softening.
Suddenly, she stopped and looked up, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot," she said, getting up from her kneeling position on the ground.
I looked at her, curiosity piqued. "Forgot? What?" I asked, my eyes following her movements.
Cleya smiled mischievously, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
"What are you planning?" I asked, narrowing my eyes, making a little distance between us.
"Hey, why are you staying distant? Don't go far from me. its nothing," she said,
her voice innocent. "Can you close your eyes?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "What are you going to do then? Kill me? Or trap me?" I asked, my voice laced with sarcasm.
Cleya puffed her cheeks out, looking affronted. "Hey, how mean. I would never do something like that. You overthink too much. Can you just close your eyes as I instructed?!" she Exclaimed, her voice firm but playful.
I sighed, closing my eyes, wondering what she was up to. "Yeah, yeah, I'm doing it. But I have to say, I have a bad feeling about this," I said, my voice tinged with skepticism.
"Don't worry, nothing's going to happen to you," Cleya said, her voice soft and reassuring.
Then, I heard the faint sound of metal moving around me. My mind began to wander, and I thought,
"Is she going to wrap something around my neck to kill me?" My heart skipped a beat as I waited with bated breath.
And then, Cleya's voice whispered in my ear, "You can now open your eyes."
I opened my eyes to find a pendant which cleya was wearing, hanging around my neck. The oval-shaped pendant featured a beautiful emerald, glinting in the fading light.
"You look good," Cleya said, her voice soft and admiring.
I got up from the stone, looking at the pendant in surprise.
"But Cleya, I couldn't possibly—" I started to say, but Cleya's finger pressed against my lips, silencing me.
"Shhh..." she said, removing her finger, her hand resting on her chest.
"It's my way of showing my gratitude, for your help and the trouble I caused you," she said, her eyes shining with sincerity.
I smiled, feeling touched by her gesture. "No, it wasn't much trouble, it's just another day in the life of a trouble magnet," I said, smiling wryly.
She smiled back at me, and I reached into my pocket. "Just to be fair," I said, pulling out a silverish hairpin adorned with a purple jewel. I had purchased it as a gift for my sister, but something about Cleya's smile made me want to give it to her instead.
I gently placed the hairpin in Cleya's silver hair, and it sparkled against her dress. "There, it looks perfect for your hair and your dress," I said, smiling.
"I didn't mean to get anything in return," Cleya said, her eyes sparkling with sincerity.
I smiled, feeling a sense of genuine connection with her. "No, it wasn't for the pendant," I replied, my voice filled with conviction. "I just simply wanted to give it to you."
Cleya's smile turned mischievous, and her eyes narrowed. "Oh, really? Do you have a soft spot for me?" she asked teasingly, her voice laced with amusement.
I felt my face heat up, and I looked away, trying to play it cool. "Shut up!" I muttered, trying to hide my embarrassment.
Cleya laughed and took a step closer to me. "It's the first time talking to someone other than my family and all," she said, her voice filled with a sense of wonder.
I looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You don't have any friends?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
"No, I don't," Cleya replied, her smile faltering for a moment. "But I guess you are my first friend now." She smiled again, and my eyes widened by her smile.
"You're an idiot," I said, smiling back at her, trying to tease her out of her vulnerability.
Just as our moment was unfolding, a loud shouting sound echoed through the air. "Cle-Cleyy!" someone yelled, and Cleya and I turned towards the direction of the sound.
She smiled, a hint of relief in her expression. "Oh, I think they have come," she said.
As she turned back to me, I sprang into action, leaping up onto a giant rock above the waterfall. I looked down at Cleya, a sense of urgency in my voice.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Cleya, but I have to go. I hope we meet again—" I paused before saying, then turning back with a smile on my face, "my friend."
Cleya's eyes widened, and she took a step forward, as if to follow me. "Wait a sec—"
But I was already gone, disappearing into the distance.
Cleya raised her hand, her eyes fixed on the spot where I had vanished.
"What is your name?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.