DAY 50-2: NEGLECT

The next time Leda awakens, she finds glimmering amber irises boring into hers. A gasp catches in her throat, her heart catapulting to her gut. The back of her skull connects with the tree she’s forgotten she’s propped against, allowing her to teeter and hiss in pain.

She peeks through a strained eyelid but the culprit is no longer. In fact, they’ve retreated as far back as the tree across from her. Their blue hair pokes untidily between the splotches of the low-hung twigs alongside widened eyes capable of piercing her very soul.

The sun has risen to its peak in the sky, but due to the clearing smoke, the warm beam does little to illuminate the greenery around her. Leda straightens her posture, and it’s that tiny gesture that causes the child to hide further. He waits painstakingly before cautiously protruding his head again.

Unable to keep herself from grinning at the adorableness, Leda beckons him forward. He yet again shields himself behind the skinny tree.

He can’t completely conceal himself but he’s convinced he is. He cautiously whips his head right and left before getting up on his knees and looking out for the umpteenth time.

Leda, crouching as well, flashes him a wide smile. “Boo!”

He flinches with a ear-piercing yell then falls onto his bottom.

Hands over her abdomen, Leda laughs loudly. “Don’t be scared. I was teasing you.”

The boy backs away from her regardless, his already large eyes bulging. He stares at her like a monster. Used to the treatment since she first arrived, Leda stays still, a grin in place to affirm her innocence. Soon, the boy tumbles onto his bottom, wrapping his thin arms around his scuffed ankles and battered blue and brown outfit. Black dots trail his exposed arms and legs—identical to the markings Leda’s seen on the Edaps corpses from last night.

She subconsciously outstretches a hand but the boy jolts, terrified. This time, her heart drops.

“Sorry,” she apologizes before he can run away. “I was only worried.”

“You... aren’t from Edaps are you?”

Leda turns to address the old lady who’s accompanied him, standing a fair distance away. Her blue hair has dulled to a pale grey, and she’s in as much a weak state as everyone else in this town.

“Thank you so much,” she continues, a soft smile in play. “For you and your friend helping us the way you have. My name’s Annika, dear. That boy in front of you is Adi.”

She takes a seat on the log Leda was previously resting on. Once seated, the little boy—Adi—dashes to her side. The lady retrieves a rotting fruit from her coat, and hands it to the little boy. He merely halves it only to return the bigger piece.

Their benevolence even amidst this hardship is heartwarming. And judging by her words, Leda can at least be assured that Orian’s already gotten a good way around town.

“We’ve had quite a few tourists over the years,” Annika drawls, tenderly caressing Adi’s hair as he continues to nibble; as if every little bit and flavour is scarce. It hurts Leda to watch—that behaviour is only common for someone who’s had small amounts to eat for the longest time; something she can wholeheartedly empathize with, seeing as that’s the way she’s lived most of her life. “But once they see what’s become of us, they’re overwhelmed by fear and leave immediately. We’ve always told them that this peculiar illness only targets the citizens of Edaps. However, they still run out of fear anyway.”

She airily chuckles at the notion. However, what’s starts off as a discreet way of brushing the memories aside converts into a loud, lung-scratching cough. Leda flinches, but Annika waves off her concern and settles down before long.

Leda’s stomach sinks to her gut. The more she stares at them the more their frail bodies grow evident, and the worse she feels. For something she’s assured herself to be as unrealistic as a dream only hits her harder and harder that this is reality. Their feelings, their terror, their suffering... It’s too lucid; too heart-rending.

It’s exactly the thing she was glad to have forsaken before arriving in Annadia.

Her shoulders tighten, and she drops her gaze. She can’t muster her typical confidence.

As if reading that, Annika speaks on. “Reca used to be so beautiful and full of life—akin to the rest of the Land of Edaps. It wasn’t as if we had abundant resources. In fact, we received many of our supplies from the capital city, Depree, where the monarch lives. Our kingdom was connected through everything in that way. Our happiness stemmed from the belief that as long as we had each other, we could easily overcome a couple days of famine or hardship. We believed that nothing in this world could harm or divide us.”

Annika defeatedly peers Leda’s way.

“It may sound like a distant dream, but we truly could live up to the prestige the Land of Edaps is known for. If only you and your kind companion visited a few years ago. We could have offered you food, shelter, clothing... As it is now, we fail as Spades.”

“Spades?”

“It’s how we address the citizens of Edaps,” she informs her, then flattens her lips. “Leda, is it? I know it may be a little odd for someone like myself to remind you, but I highly suggest you keep the fact that you’re a human a secret.”

Her eyebrows elevate on her forehead, stunned. “May I ask why?”

“Htrae’s people aren’t always well-received around Annadia.”

Leda’s mind pumps with rapid thoughts. It’s the exact opposite sentiment Rhett and Orian have relayed to her. Aren’t otherworldly creatures like humans a rarity in Annadia? Could that be why they aren’t so readily welcomed? Meisyr was filled with refugees and outcasts who couldn’t make a living around the realm, which may explain why humans were fine there. But if Annika’s words are true, as she accompanies Orian on his journey, there may come a time when it backfires on her.

“A... human. She’s a...” Adi has stopped eating his fruit to gawk at her, awe mixed with wonderment on his features. “A real one...”

Annika silences him with another ruffle of his hair.

“Master Leda! There you are!”

She swerves in the direction of the call. Orian strolls towards her, and when he comes to a halt, his tail wags giddily. “I’ve successfully delivered the meat to all of the citizens. They’re all feeling much better. I also did my part in aiding with the funerals of the bodies of the deceased.”

He’s full of accomplishment as he tilts his head forward, grinning from ear to ear. Almost as if he’s expecting Leda to... “Do you want me to pet you?”

Orian becomes rigid. His joy slips at once, tail and ears flattening as he retreats in apology. “I-It really is impudent of me, huh?” Tears fill his eyes. “O-of course it is. Master Rhett didn’t once bestow me with any encouragement so just because you praised me so sweetly earlier doesn’t mean...”

Unable to handle his cuteness, Leda readily rests her palm on his head. Stricken, Orian gapes. The smile that pokes into her cheeks broadens. “You did amazing, Orian. Thank you.”

He automatically glistens. His wolf features lift as another radiant beams envelopes his lips until he’s practically sparkling. Identical to a puppy—one with a charming human face on top of that—he titters.

“A human, and even a Mond... Not a duo you’d see any day.”

Orian lurches to his senses, frazzled to find they have company. Then, he’s consumed with newfound concern. He’s at Annika’s side in an instant. “Are you all right?”

“Better than before,” she reassures him. “I’m not too sure what kind of miraculous magic you’ve used to regain my strength, but I give you my sincerest gratitude.”

Orian returns a sincere bob of his head. Adi has risen from Annika’s side and curiously prods at Orian’s tail. Orian freezes up and Adi inches backwards, twinkles in his eyes.

“I-It really is a tail! And he has wolf ears too!”

His amazement at Orian’s twitching tail and ears honestly makes Leda snicker. It’s exactly how she reacted when she first met him. None of the citizens of Edaps have animal features like Rhett and Orian; maybe it isn’t as natural in Annadia as she believed.

“Hey, Adi,” Annika scolds.

Adi’s head hangs in guilt. “O-oh... I-I’m sorry.”

Orian flails his hands. “It’s fine! I guess it is odd to have ears and a tail. Here, at least.”

Adi hopefully cranes his head and Orian politely reaches for his hand.

“Have you ever heard of the Land of Dia?”

“The Land of Dia?” the boy asks.

Orian bobs his head and smiles. “Everyone in Dia have animal ancestors so it’s not odd to find people like me there.”

Adi gasps. “People can be half-rabbit, too?”

“There can even be half-birds or even dragons.”

Suddenly, Orian brightens like a light. He sticks out his free hand, slipping it through one of his instantaneous portal. Adi is a gawping mess when Orian pulls out a large history book.

“Wow!” he exclaims and latches onto his arm. “H-how... How did you do that?”

Orian chuckles. From where Leda stands, she understands he’s retrieved it from her bag right beside Annika. However, without knowing how it functions, awe is expected. Securing his hold on Adi’s hand, Orian crouches and opens a hazy vortex in the ground. Adi pales but with a reassuring nod from Orian, they both jump into the hole only to magically reappear a good distance away.

Adi stumbles but Orian helps him balance.

“We disappeared! Th-then reappeared! Wow! Wow!”

The child beams from ear to ear—an amount of joy Leda can only wish to have summoned in him. She can’t help but laugh as he continues to bombard a grinning Orian as to how. But Orian is enjoying himself too and handles his excitement with equal optimism. Leda’s smile expands further. So he’s good with kids, too? Orian is quite the individual.

“That boy hasn’t smiled like that in months... I really can’t express my gratitude,” Annika says, fulfilment soaking her weary features. Her eyes are watery, and she covers her mouth with her hand to stifle a sob. “Thank you.”

Vast heaviness washes over and weighs down Leda’s chest. “What exactly happened?”

Annika isn’t quick to respond. “What didn’t happen?” she eventually sighs. “We’ve been stripped of everything we have, and there’s not even the hope to regain it.”

Leda falls onto the nearby grass and draws her knees closer to herself. Annika collects her thoughts for a moment.

“It started off with a cold. We all believed it was an average one, and considering we’d always received enough supplies from the castle, nobody considered it much. Then, Mayor Maki passed away.” She exposes her arm to me. Unlike Adi’s, her gashes are a lot more severe, more so where the black dots are most concentrated. “These weird spots began spreading to every citizen until all those who classified as citizens of Reca had it. People kept dying left and right thereafter... We started dropping like flies. Just last month, we had to bury Adi’s mom and older brother... Now he’s all by himself. And nobody other than I am willing to look after him. Even our land, including all the animals, bodies of water, and food withered in due time as well.”

Plentiful tears stream down Annika’s cheeks, but she remains firm.

“Our beliefs began to shift, slowly but surely,” she snivels. “Us Spades who pride ourselves in our selflessness; in our belief that we don’t need magic to live a good life... that all we need is each other... have becomes self-centred and individualistic. Have started caring only of ourselves.

“Proof to that, when we all got infected by this seemingly incurable disease, the royal family and the rest of the Land Of Edaps quarantined us here and stopped supplying us with food and water. They stripped us of our Spade status to hide us from the world, but only continued to tax us for remaining on their land.” Annika clenches her fists. “The warm-hearted royal family we’d always honoured had become devils in our eyes. Even now, they come every week to take everything we have. They don’t even try to help us regardless of our pleas and signals for aid. And none of us can even hope to comprehend why they’ve abandoned us.

“The royal family is kind—we’d wanted to believe that they’d neglected us for a reason. But now, many years later, most people have stopped holding onto hope. There aren’t enough resources here so people have stopped sharing and helping each other out. We’ve started gathering whatever we could from the forest in hopes of a remedy, but we can’t go in too far because someone stole the Northern Dragon’s egg, wrongly convinced they can use it for nutrients.”

Leda’s eyebrows shot upwards. “Wait, that’s why...”

“It was already infected by the illness itself, but with the egg, the Northern Dragon is furious and won’t let us anywhere near the forest. Securing food or water has essentially become impossible. More have started dying much quicker than in the past...”

Leda swallows hard. “The egg... is it already...”

She shakes her head. “The royal family confiscated it for their use. The one who’s stolen it is long dead also. And those of us who’ve journeyed to Depree to beg the royal family for assistance have yet to return. We truly are... goners.”

Leda bites the inside of her cheek. Shutting her eyes, she exhales heavily and hoists herself to her feet. As she dusts her clothes, Annika raises her head in confusion.

“Leda?”

“Guess it’s settled,” she merely replies, setting her palms on her hips. “I’ll go smack the king upside the head.”

Annika chokes on seemingly nothing, resulting in an incessant hacking fit.

“Orian,” Leda call out nonetheless, beckoning him over. “We’ll have to postpone our trip to the Northern Dragon. Let’s first head to Depree to see the royal family.”

Annika’s coughing grows more and more hysterical.

Leda places a hand onto her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I won’t hit the guy too badly. The two of us have something he and the rest of his family have to listen to, anyway.” Annika’s slack-jawed stare doesn’t relent even when Orian arrives by Leda’s side, Adi beside him. “But, I promise to come back with a solution, Annika, Adi.” She breaks into a smile. “Just tell everyone in Reca to hang on a little longer, all right?”