6 Badru Tribe 2

Because of his words, Sarah was in a confused state. She didn't know what happened to her and why she experienced this."Beautiful lady, what are you thinking? Are you alright? Your face is pale." The boy asked with his concern eyes, yet Sarah didn't fell for his tricks.

She didn't know if that boy was truly sincere with his action or not. What she believed this boy would only need her if she could give her the information he wanted and if not, he wouldn't even take a glance of her when she reached her death later.

Speaking of death, why did the last hostage die? To confirm, she asked him weakly, "The last hostage... was he from the same kingdom as I am or not? Why did he get executed?"

He nodded, "Yeah, he said he's from the Gerald Kingdom. He trespassed our territory just like you. Lucky for you, you'll get executed tomorrow, while he was on the day he was captured. Hahh... it was such a short explanation. I really wish I could hear more of it." He sighed heavily.

Sarah kept her slight smile. In truth, she didn't know how to react at this moment, besides listening to the boy story, slowly, digging more information about this place. The fact that she would die tomorrow and she speculated this place wasn't Japan!!

Oh my gosh, did this really happened? She still couldn't believe her eyes. If this was still Japan or in some part of the world or in the past time, she should know about it, because she studied almost every country geographical maps, culture, and history. But she never heard of this Badru Tribe and those weird name kingdoms. Did this mean she was in another world? She got a feeling, she was right! Please, someone, tell her that she was wrong!!

Fighting her panic mode inside, she tried to act normally on the outside and asked him again, "What's your name?"

"My name is Faer, child of Heja." He smiled sweetly at her.

Nodding, Sarah replied, "I'm Sarah. Faer, can you tell me a little bit about your tribe or village?"

"Sure, but in return, you must provide me information about the four kingdoms!" He stated while smirking naughtily.

'I knew it.' Sarah thought. "Sure, don't worry!" She bluffed. Her guess was right, this kid wasn't simple as it seems. But how could she answer his questions later when she even didn't know this 'four kingdoms'? She should just make up the story. Humming, she convinced herself she would do it.

Faer walked a little bit to the corner, near the bushes again, so the people view wouldn't notice his presence even more.

Sarah followed him to the side and pay attention closely to him. She heard him saying, "You know about the hostage died on the spot? In truth, he wasn't executed because of trespassing. Instead, he became a sacrifice." He whispered with his serious tone. Widen her eyes, she asked worriedly, "S-Sacrifice? What do you mean?" She was shivering from the cold night or was it due to his remarks? She thought, perhaps, it was the latter.

He explained with his voice sounded like a whisper, "Our tribe is Dragon worshiper. Look, that wide river over there, " he pointed the river behind him, he continued, "Legend said, there was a dragon sleeping inside the Divine River. We, the Badru Tribe, believe that legend. So, our chief ancestor before he died, told his people to bring a sacrifice to the dragon every month. It is, of course, human male or female sacrifice."

"Ancestor said, more sacrifice the better chance for the dragon blessing to reach and protect us from harm and evil creatures. That's why we keep doing this tradition. But there's a particular condition. The human sacrifice must be from these four kingdoms, Haocun, Sandiaga, Gerald, and Feodora. They must be genuine from there."

Starting to sweat, she tried not to show her terrified face, she asked anxiously, "W-Why the people from those four kingdoms only? How about your tribe? You're not from those four kingdoms? Are you like indigenous people here? How can you define other people from each kingdom?"

He looked at Sarah weirdly, "One by one please, I can't answer all of your questions in one at the time. So, well... I don't know much detail, but my dad told me we are indeed the true owner of this land, yes, we are the first people to come here, and we are not part of any kingdom. Until one day there were some humans traveled to this land. That some humans were the founder of the four kingdoms. To claim our land they battled the dragon we worship here. Unfortunately, after fighting for fifty years, the dragon lost and chose to sleep in the Divine River."

"Because of that battle, the dragon left with disappointed and angry mood, he swore to our tribe that if we gave a human from those kingdoms he will return twice of the blessing and if not, calamity will reach upon us. That's why we keep doing this tradition. Hmm... about your last question, 'define' you meant, their character or what? Sorry, I don't understand."

"That's right, how're the people like from each kingdom, their characteristic, cultures or something. It can be anything, please, I'm curious."

"You are quite weird, aren't you from the outside? You should know more about it, right?" He frowned from Sarah's suspicious question. She forgot that she should act like she knows everything!

Laughing dryly, she deceived him, "No, that's not it. I just want to test you if you know anything. I noticed you are an intelligent boy, so I thought I could test you a little, right? So, I can give you the surprise information later. Actually, I was a very conservative lady and didn't like to go outside beside the special occasion like now and I don't ask you about my kingdom, of course, obviously, I know all about it! What I mean is the other kingdoms, do you have any idea how the people look like?"

Gleaming his eyes from the words, 'intelligent' and 'surprise', he nodded excitingly, "Alright," shaking his head, he continued, "But sorry, I only know the people from the Gerald Kingdom which usually has wheat color skin and bright various color eyes or hair, just like you. And the rest I don't know about it, except, the Haocun Kingdom. I heard from the previous hostage that the king from the Gerald Kingdom has pure black hair just like the Haocun Kingdom's common people. But the only difference was, Haocun people's eyes mostly black, while the King from the Gerald Kingdom has golden eyes. It said that golden eyes one of the two symbols for royalty besides the black hair. Is that true? And why is that?"

How should she know?! She complained inwardly. Sarah didn't know what he was talking about, but at least she could know and learn a little bit about this unfamiliar land. Responding to his questions, she answered confidently, "It's due to genetic from his parents."

He blinked his eyes perplexing, "What's gene-" tic?

Before he could finish his question, his collar got pulled from behind and he fell to the ground hard. Faer grunted from the injury he got and lifted his head to see the man in front of him. It was his father. "I told you not to talk with the sacrifice! Do you want her to be soil before we present it to the dragon?! Even the chief hasn't met her yet! But, you dare to this, son?!"

"Dad! I just want to talk to her! I'm just curious about the outside! I just want to learn! What's so bad about it?!" He shouted furiously at him.

"You imbecile son! I told you, outside is a bad place! You will die sooner or later if you go outside! It's better to stay here where the dragon protects us! Stop contaminating your mind with the outside news! You will become just like them and if that happens I have to stop you, son! You are going too far!" His father lectured him harshly, he grabbed Faer's chin and slapped him on the face, it made his tear to accumulate inside. He wanted to cry.

"What dragon's protections? He couldn't protect mom! Mom died because of him! If that dragon could protect us! He should save mother's illness a long time ago!!" His tear fell and sharply gazed at his father's face which turned dark.

"What did you say?!!" His father lifted him up and punched his ten years old son to the ground. Smacking his head with his stone on his hand, he kicked Faer's stomach rapidly, it made Faer groaning painfully. Blood started flowing from his mouth and his eyes vision turned blurry, he fainted to the ground, yet his father still doing what he supposed to do.

Sarah was shocked, she asked herself was this the way how the people lecture their children here?! "Stop! Stop! Have you had enough! He's passed out already! You are his father! How could you do that to your own son!!" Halting his feet from stomping his son, he turned his head around and looked at Sarah with red eyes.

"You're just a sacrifice! Don't talk like you know everything!" He replied angrily.

Scoffing, Sarah felt her justice mode suddenly turned on, she didn't care if she became sacrifice or what, but this situation in front of her, she needed to stop this before that child could die horribly in his father's hand.

Standing from the ground, gritting her teeth, she counter-attacked viciously, "You said that dragon will protect your tribe from harm, whether it came from disaster or evil things. But what you just do right now, represented all of that! Aren't you ashamed of it?! How could you treat your own son like that? He's still a child for heaven sake! He was a curious boy who just wanted to learn! You don't have to take it so far to abuse him like this!! Do you know that in the future, it could him with mental phycology problem?! He will not develop well as a person!"

Dashing his legs to Sarah's side, he shouted, "You!!!" Jleb! "Agh! Agh....hhh..." He suddenly fell down to the ground. Sarah was gasping and almost screaming, she halted her mouth not to make loud voice, but her heart beating loudly.

Faer's father was in critical condition, because of the sudden spear thrust which was thrown by the brown beard man Sarah encountered this morning. Her face turned to pale.

"Berno... why..." Faer's father said as he glanced at Berno slowly.

Berno coldly stated, "Have you realize your voice is so loud and make the whole people here agitated, take a look your surround, they hate it."

Vomiting red blood, he stutteringly said, "Y-You... don't have to do this..."

"I have to, as the chief right-hand man, I have to make this tribe secure and peaceful. Your annoying way to punish your son, it's slightly disturbing." Berno grabbed the spear in Faer's father body and pierced it deeper as Faer's father lost his sense and soul. Berno commanded indifferently, "Men, take this guy and that kid over there. Burn them and spread the ashes near the river." Berno's men said affirmative in unison as they started working on the mission.

Chaos in her heart, she called out Berno, "Wait! Wait! That child is still alive! You can't do that! He's still alive!"

"I know, that's even better." He simply stated.

"What?! Don't!!! No!! Don't!!" Sarah opened her eyes wider than before, she screamed not to take the boy with them, but it was useless. They ignored her shouting. Her voice became cracked for using it too much.

When she tried to say something again, her words were intercepted by him, she heard him saying, "You are a talkative person. But that mouth of yours will be shut tomorrow. Get ready to die later." He signaled her to his spear slicing towards her. The sharp point almost scratched her neck as she flinched and fell back sitting on the ground. Perspiration came out through her skin.

"Berno leader!" One of his men called out him, he whispered something on his ears. Berno reluctantly nodded as he kept his cold face, he glanced at Sarah, sighing, he told her "The chief ask for you, as he is busy at the moment, you'll be meeting him in the dawn. Men, take the new prisoner in the same place as her!" Upon hearing her death announcement and the news that the chief calling her, In her brain, Sarah was still processing what happened in this few second.

She didn't realize that the prison's door was opened and a man with long black hair and eyes came inside. He wore a purple robe with golden lotus motif printed on it. 'Tereza?' He thought. That man looked surprised to see Sarah, but he kept his expression normally.

Unaware of the new person besides her, she lifted her head and saw Berno and his men left her as they brought that innocent boy. Her heart began thumping, she felt helpless, she let herself sobbed how powerless she was. No, this should not be happening! She didn't want this to happen, that boy didn't have any fault, why they must kill him too?!

She tried to stand up again, but her action was halted by the man voice, "It's useless. Don't even try to fight back them." He advised her flatly. Sarah finally realized his presence and turned to her right side to see him, he smiled, "Finally noticed me? How are you? It's been a long time we didn't meet Tereza. I heard you become a wanted person now, but I can't believe you are here all along. What bad luck." He chuckled amusingly. He couldn't believe the famous Tereza, the merchant queen and the former queen of the kingdom was captured in this lowest place. What a fun twist.

"Come again? Who did you say? Tereza? Who is that? Me?" She frowned from his words. What did he mean she was Tereza? She was Sarah! Couldn't he see the difference in her face and that unknown girl's name?

Blinking his eyes, he was baffled, squinting his eyes, he told her, "You didn't remember?" Smirking, "Well, perhaps, something hit your head, don't take it to your heart, I don't know, It just my guess." He shrugged his shoulder and laughed it off.

Didn't find his words funny, she asked him, "And who are you? Do we know each other from somewhere?"

"You don't remember me as well?" Sighing, he couldn't believe his rival didn't believe his words. He pondered if she lost her memories?

She growled to him, "No. Stop dragging the story longer, just say it! Who are you? How do you know me?" She was still emotionally unstable right now. After another bad situation she encountered, the worst one so far was to witness someone got killed in front of her face. It brought her a nightmare. While this guy over here. Trying to irritate her feeling more.

He smiled sweetly as he lifted his eyebrows, "The name is Li Jili from the Haocun Kingdom, a simple merchant. Nice to meet you, Queen Tereza of Gerald Kingdom, or should I say, former queen?"