Dancing in the Legendary Sea - Chapter 6 Part 1

Lokira hardened. Didn’t the man say he couldn’t see her well? Even now his injured eye was still shut. Didn’t his hand falter while trying to pick up the bread loaf? Lokira didn’t know what exactly was happening, so she didn’t say anything. After all, if she overreacted, she would come off as suspicious.

“What are you talking about?”

Her indignation was revealing. The man who was named Orionis narrowed his eyes.

“My stomach is now full and my eyes are a little clearer. Your hood is sticking out more strangely than before.”

“You sound weird. I’ll go. I will get in big trouble if I am late.”

Lokira wanted to teach the man how to use the medicine and wrappers, but that idea instantly evaporated. She quickly stood up pretending not to know. However, Orionis was much faster.  He got up at once, even though he was injured, he easily surpassed her with just a few steps. As the entrance to the cave was blocked, a huge shadow was now cast over it. She was embarrassed.  The man who stood up was like a huge wall himself. She shouted while tightening the wrapper on her head,

“Why are you like this? Get out of the way!”

“I’ve never heard of any Artemis Priests wearing crowns. Even if you were a visiting princess staying in the sanctuary for a while, you wouldn’t be wearing a jeweled crown under the wrapper.”

“Whatever I do, it’s up to me!”

“So should I see what’s under that?”

The man did not miss the moment when Lokira was speechless.  As if a cat grabbed his prey, he pulled her shoulders toward him in an instant.

“What do you mean? I think it must be a pointed crown! What is that? Are they made of bone needles? Are you going to do something stupid?”

“I, not like that……! Let me go!”

Her heart was beating rapidly and a cold sweat broke out. There was no place to hide. The moment Lokira held out her hands, the magic waves unconsciously emanated. In accordance with the intent to push the opponent, intangible pressure struck Orionis’ chest. He groaned and grabbed his chest in pain. Then a second wave passed his face. However, he soon recovered his equilibrium and concentration.

“This is self-defense.” He grabbed her back as she ran away. A startled scream rang, but everything was in vain. Lokira’s vision was disturbed by the sense of being pulled. The moment she finally returned to her senses, her hair was fluttering in the sea breeze. She knew what had happened. The wrapper she had wrapped tightly on her head fell down her shoulders. The man’s blue eyes opened wide and stared straight at her. It seemed like he was trying to lift the injured eyelid for a while. When Lokira realized what his expression meant, her cheeks turned red. Suddenly her eyes were blurry. It was all over. In only two nights the man had discovered a monster. The contempt and murder that Lokira predicted will befall upon herself in the future engulfed Lokira like a tsunami-sized wave. She shouted, flipping the cover back.

“No, don’t look!”

Confusion and shame raged, and her emotions went out of control. At that moment, her power wave erupted savagely. The walls of the cave trembled like an earthquake.  Pebbles on the floor popped up. Orionis approached her in shock from this unexpected phenomenon.

“Wait, you…. Stay still. Calm down!”

“Go away, go away, go away!”

She pulled the wrapper and covered her face. She just wanted to disappear. She buried her face in her knees and her hands covered her head. Tears streamed down her face while feeling pathetic. Her power quickly faded. Suddenly, she begged,

“Don’t hit me…….”

She was afraid the man would try to beat her to death. Even if she managed to run back to the temple, she would be beaten to death anyway because she went out without permission. Suddenly, she missed her twin across the mountain. Roxias might help her avoid a death punishment because he was the only one in the sanctuary that was kind to her.

But it was impossible. She had no strength to stand up already.  In a muddled state of mind, she started chanting,

“Don’t hit me. Don’t hit me. Don’t kill me.”

But it was strange, there were no fists or arrows that touched her skin. She blinked her eyes and shed tears, then slowly raised her head thinking maybe the man had run away because he was scared of the monster. Then she met his blue eyes and shuddered once again. He was looking down at her. It was neither anger nor fear but embarrassment that was observed in his blue eyes. There was a clear reflection of being unable to grasp the scene in front of him. Lokira was equally embarrassed.

She had been educated countless times for as long as she had been here. Her errant imagination ballooned every night. But why did the man not raise his weapon at once while she was screaming? Orionis tried to approach her. Lokira retreated back, groaning. He looked around in embarrassment and found a water pouch on the floor. Then he picked it up and gave it to her.

“Okay. Drink water first.”

What was he doing? Was that the last mercy he was showing her? Lokira looked up at Orionis with confusion. Orionis then lowered himself and put the water pouch on the floor, instead of handing it to her, he pushed it over.

“It’s your water. Drink it. I’m not gonna hit you!”

Encouraged by his suggestion, Lokira picked up the water pouch. She brought it to her mouth and drank a little. Just then she realized that her throat was sore from sobbing and screaming. In that moment, Orionis sighed out loud.

“I’m sorry for misunderstanding and removing the cover willfully,  but I barely saw the headdress. Even if you’re a chaste priest in Amman, what are you crying about?”

Lokira, rattled, looked at the man. There was no way…. Had he mistaken her horns for ornaments?  Hope soared upon the realization that she had not been exposed yet.

“It’s because you were suddenly violent.”

“The horns look real, as if they naturally spring from your head.”

“Hey, that’s because of the sophisticated craftsmanship.”

Would anyone be deceived by such words? Lokira regained her composure. Then, the man looked straight at her,

“Self-proclaimed priestess, let’s stop lying. Those are antlers.  A strange magic trick. Are you the god of Artemis whom the sanctuary is hiding?”

???

****