Chapter 8
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"This is bad. This is really bad." Sany grabbed a fistful of her hair and tugged it. She was now sitting by a tree with her back pressed against its bark and an unconscious Mr. Peru lying on her lap. More than ten minutes had passed since she had found herself in this predicament, wondering what in the world was Kon doing?
Now she didn't know from where she had come nor knew where she was going.
"One problem ends, and another one begins," Sany said, sighing in disappointment. "Why does stuff like this always happens to me?" she added, belligerent.
"Huh... What is that?" She stood up while a faint noise continued to echo in her ears. Sany could tell the distance between her and the thing making that noise was enormous because of her ability to sense sound.
"It's coming near," she muttered and started making her way through the forest. A few minutes later, she pushed her way through a thicket of bushes, its twigs scratching against her skirt and thighs, and stumbled upon a wide lane. The noise which she had been hearing for a while was now pretty clear and also damn close. It was a mixed cacophony of clopping hooves and rattling wheels.
A horse cart, Sany thought; or something like that. But who drives those these days? No, it can't be--
And at that precise moment, a horse cart zoomed past her, leaving behind a cloud of brown dust. Sany watched it as it disappeared down a slope.
"What should I do now?" Sany looked behind her at the forest. Should she go back and see if she could find an opening in the barrier? Or should she follow the horse-rider and take his help. Sany went with the second option, put Mr. Peru in her backpack along with the bottle (She kept the chain open so that the bird could breathe without any issues), and started following the tracks of the cart. The sun was now beating down on her from the narrow strip of blue sky, and Sany had never felt this thirsty before in her life.
"Maybe I should take a sip from that bottle." Sany reached behind her and pulled out the bottle from her bag.
"EHHH." It was empty.
"That stupid parrot!" She shook off her backpack, slammed it on the ground, and peered inside it. Mr. Peru was still unconscious.
At least it looked so.
"Hmm." Sany looked at him with her poker face.
The parrot didn't twitch a bit.
"Hmmmm..."
Mr. Peru's eyes stayed closed.
"Gosh, I'm hungry. I wonder what a parrot's meat tastes like?"
Mr. Peru's red feathers stirred a bit.
"You monster," Sany said while her right eyebrow twitched. She quickly zipped her bag shut. "Now you are going to spend the whole day inside my bag."
"No. NO." Mr. Peru started jumping around. "Get me out. I'm claustrophobic."
"No. You'll be spending your next two hours inside it. That's your punishment for acting like a helpless bird." Sany snorted and flung the backpack back on her shoulders.
By the time Sany reached the outskirts of a small town, Mr. Peru had completely given up on getting out of her bag. The town before her was built on gently sloping, green meadows. Sany spotted a woman feeding dry grass to two goats near a small hut. The woman was wearing a weird dress. It was like a black gown with a white, dirty apron.
Sany started walking toward her. "Hey, ma'am... Could you."
The woman looked up at Sany and instantly dropped the fodder and started running toward her house.
Do I look scary? Sany wondered, a bit startled herself, and ran behind the woman. "Hey, wait!"
The woman shut the wooden door of her poorly constructed house. Sany stopped in front of the door and gently tapped it. "Ma'am?"
"Go away!" The woman seemed to be scared to death. "Please."
"Uh. Yes, I will. But can you tell me why is there a barrier around this place?"
"What barrier? Please leave me alone!"
"Ehh.." Sany looked behind her at the goats. "Uh... Can you tell how I can get to the main road that will lead me back to Vineta?"
"I don't know where Vineta is. Now go away!"
"Eh. What are you talking about? It's just a few hours away from here."
"Miss, I really value my life, and I know that you are a Gorgon kingdom's spy. So, please leave me alone."
"Gorgon? Kingdom?" What in the world is this woman talking about? Sany thought. But then she remembered reading something about Gorgon in her travel book while she had been meandering around Vineta. It had been a small and fierce empire ruled by a tyrannical king. But that ruler and his rule had perished away at least four centuries ago.
Suddenly, Sany's heart started beating rapidly in her chest. No, no, no, Sany thought; don't tell me...
"Uh, ma'am," Sany said, making her tone soft and pleasant. "What era is this?"
She heard the woman stepping closer to the door. "What do you mean by that?'
"I mean, if you know, can you tell me today's date?"
There was a pause. Then the woman spoke up, "I believe today is 16th of the month February."
"Year?" Sany asked, her heart beating in her chest.
"Uh." The woman again took a small pause. "1796."
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"This is bad. This is really bad." Sany grabbed a fistful of her hair and tugged it. She was now sitting by a tree with her back pressed against its bark and an unconscious Mr. Peru lying on her lap. More than ten minutes had passed since she had found herself in this predicament, wondering what in the world was Kon doing?
Now she didn't know from where she had come nor knew where she was going.
"One problem ends, and another one begins," Sany said, sighing in disappointment. "Why does stuff like this always happens to me?" she added, belligerent.
"Huh... What is that?" She stood up while a faint noise continued to echo in her ears. Sany could tell the distance between her and the thing making that noise was enormous because of her ability to sense sound.
"It's coming near," she muttered and started making her way through the forest. A few minutes later, she pushed her way through a thicket of bushes, its twigs scratching against her skirt and thighs, and stumbled upon a wide lane. The noise which she had been hearing for a while was now pretty clear and also damn close. It was a mixed cacophony of clopping hooves and rattling wheels.
A horse cart, Sany thought; or something like that. But who drives those these days? No, it can't be--
And at that precise moment, a horse cart zoomed past her, leaving behind a cloud of brown dust. Sany watched it as it disappeared down a slope.
"What should I do now?" Sany looked behind her at the forest. Should she go back and see if she could find an opening in the barrier? Or should she follow the horse-rider and take his help. Sany went with the second option, put Mr. Peru in her backpack along with the bottle (She kept the chain open so that the bird could breathe without any issues), and started following the tracks of the cart. The sun was now beating down on her from the narrow strip of blue sky, and Sany had never felt this thirsty before in her life.
"Maybe I should take a sip from that bottle." Sany reached behind her and pulled out the bottle from her bag.
"EHHH." It was empty.
"That stupid parrot!" She shook off her backpack, slammed it on the ground, and peered inside it. Mr. Peru was still unconscious.
At least it looked so.
"Hmm." Sany looked at him with her poker face.
The parrot didn't twitch a bit.
"Hmmmm..."
Mr. Peru's eyes stayed closed.
"Gosh, I'm hungry. I wonder what a parrot's meat tastes like?"
Mr. Peru's red feathers stirred a bit.
"You monster," Sany said while her right eyebrow twitched. She quickly zipped her bag shut. "Now you are going to spend the whole day inside my bag."
"No. NO." Mr. Peru started jumping around. "Get me out. I'm claustrophobic."
"No. You'll be spending your next two hours inside it. That's your punishment for acting like a helpless bird." Sany snorted and flung the backpack back on her shoulders.
By the time Sany reached the outskirts of a small town, Mr. Peru had completely given up on getting out of her bag. The town before her was built on gently sloping, green meadows. Sany spotted a woman feeding dry grass to two goats near a small hut. The woman was wearing a weird dress. It was like a black gown with a white, dirty apron.
Sany started walking toward her. "Hey, ma'am... Could you."
The woman looked up at Sany and instantly dropped the fodder and started running toward her house.
Do I look scary? Sany wondered, a bit startled herself, and ran behind the woman. "Hey, wait!"
The woman shut the wooden door of her poorly constructed house. Sany stopped in front of the door and gently tapped it. "Ma'am?"
"Go away!" The woman seemed to be scared to death. "Please."
"Uh. Yes, I will. But can you tell me why is there a barrier around this place?"
"What barrier? Please leave me alone!"
"Ehh.." Sany looked behind her at the goats. "Uh... Can you tell how I can get to the main road that will lead me back to Vineta?"
"I don't know where Vineta is. Now go away!"
"Eh. What are you talking about? It's just a few hours away from here."
"Miss, I really value my life, and I know that you are a Gorgon kingdom's spy. So, please leave me alone."
"Gorgon? Kingdom?" What in the world is this woman talking about? Sany thought. But then she remembered reading something about Gorgon in her travel book while she had been meandering around Vineta. It had been a small and fierce empire ruled by a tyrannical king. But that ruler and his rule had perished away at least four centuries ago.
Suddenly, Sany's heart started beating rapidly in her chest. No, no, no, Sany thought; don't tell me...
"Uh, ma'am," Sany said, making her tone soft and pleasant. "What era is this?"
She heard the woman stepping closer to the door. "What do you mean by that?'
"I mean, if you know, can you tell me today's date?"
There was a pause. Then the woman spoke up, "I believe today is 16th of the month February."
"Year?" Sany asked, her heart beating in her chest.
"Uh." The woman again took a small pause. "1796."
"This is bad. This is really bad." Sany grabbed a fistful of her hair and tugged it. She was now sitting by a tree with her back pressed against its bark and an unconscious Mr. Peru lying on her lap. More than ten minutes had passed since she had found herself in this predicament, wondering what in the world was Kon doing?Now she didn't know from where she had come nor knew where she was going."One problem ends, and another one begins," Sany said, sighing in disappointment. "Why does stuff like this always happens to me?" she added, belligerent."Huh... What is that?" She stood up while a faint noise continued to echo in her ears. Sany could tell the distance between her and the thing making that noise was enormous because of her ability to sense sound."It's coming near," she muttered and started making her way through the forest. A few minutes later, she pushed her way through a thicket of bushes, its twigs scratching against her skirt and thighs, and stumbled upon a wide lane. The noise which she had been hearing for a while was now pretty clear and also damn close. It was a mixed cacophony of clopping hooves and rattling wheels.A horse cart, Sany thought; or something like that. But who drives those these days? No, it can't be--And at that precise moment, a horse cart zoomed past her, leaving behind a cloud of brown dust. Sany watched it as it disappeared down a slope."What should I do now?" Sany looked behind her at the forest. Should she go back and see if she could find an opening in the barrier? Or should she follow the horse-rider and take his help. Sany went with the second option, put Mr. Peru in her backpack along with the bottle She kept the chain open so that the bird could breathe without any issues, and started following the tracks of the cart. The sun was now beating down on her from the narrow strip of blue sky, and Sany had never felt this thirsty before in her life."Maybe I should take a sip from that bottle." Sany reached behind her and pulled out the bottle from her bag."EHHH." It was empty."That stupid parrot!" She shook off her backpack, slammed it on the ground, and peered inside it. Mr. Peru was still unconscious.At least it looked so."Hmm." Sany looked at him with her poker face.The parrot didn't twitch a bit."Hmmmm..."Mr. Peru's eyes stayed closed."Gosh, I'm hungry. I wonder what a parrot's meat tastes like?"Mr. Peru's red feathers stirred a bit."You monster," Sany said while her right eyebrow twitched. She quickly zipped her bag shut. "Now you are going to spend the whole day inside my bag.""No. NO." Mr. Peru started jumping around. "Get me out. I'm claustrophobic.""No. You'll be spending your next two hours inside it. That's your punishment for acting like a helpless bird." Sany snorted and flung the backpack back on her shoulders.By the time Sany reached the outskirts of a small town, Mr. Peru had completely given up on getting out of her bag. The town before her was built on gently sloping, green meadows. Sany spotted a woman feeding dry grass to two goats near a small hut. The woman was wearing a weird dress. It was like a black gown with a white, dirty apron.Sany started walking toward her. "Hey, ma'am... Could you."The woman looked up at Sany and instantly dropped the fodder and started running toward her house.Do I look scary? Sany wondered, a bit startled herself, and ran behind the woman. "Hey, wait!"The woman shut the wooden door of her poorly constructed house. Sany stopped in front of the door and gently tapped it. "Ma'am?""Go away!" The woman seemed to be scared to death. "Please.""Uh. Yes, I will. But can you tell me why is there a barrier around this place?""What barrier? Please leave me alone!""Ehh.." Sany looked behind her at the goats. "Uh... Can you tell how I can get to the main road that will lead me back to Vineta?""I don't know where Vineta is. Now go away!""Eh. What are you talking about? It's just a few hours away from here.""Miss, I really value my life, and I know that you are a Gorgon kingdom's spy. So, please leave me alone.""Gorgon? Kingdom?" What in the world is this woman talking about? Sany thought. But then she remembered reading something about Gorgon in her travel book while she had been meandering around Vineta. It had been a small and fierce empire ruled by a tyrannical king. But that ruler and his rule had perished away at least four centuries ago.Suddenly, Sany's heart started beating rapidly in her chest. No, no, no, Sany thought; don't tell me..."Uh, ma'am," Sany said, making her tone soft and pleasant. "What era is this?"She heard the woman stepping closer to the door. "What do you mean by that?'"I mean, if you know, can you tell me today's date?"There was a pause. Then the woman spoke up, "I believe today is 16th of the month February.""Year?" Sany asked, her heart beating in her chest."Uh." The woman again took a small pause. "1796."
