Chapter 3

"Ssh!" Simon hushes Lara while they're hiding behind the bushes. He made this big pile of bushes so that he could hide whenever runaway soldiers or rebels entered the forest, but now, two of them are actually using this.

"S-Simon ... I-I ... Hmmp!"

"W-what?! What's happening?!" Simon instantly panicked after seeing how pale Lara's face is.

"Aaaa ... AaaaahhHHH!"

Her groans of pain suddenly caught the attention of the seven rebels, they immediately traced where the voice came from and found two people coming out of the bushes. One was a man, and the other one was a pregnant woman who's about to give birth.

"Man, this is troublesome! Two people saw our faces ..." One of the men with a cigarette in his mouth said while unsheathing his sword. His allies seemed to already agree to what the man said, they looked like they were ready to fight at any moment.

Or more likely to say ... Kill, at any moment.

Simon held Lara tightly in his arms. He could already smell the blood coming out of her, we're in trouble! He thought before closing his eyes and started breathing evenly.

Celene ...

Celene ... Please come and help us.

Lara was confused, why is he closing his eyes in this situation? Don't tell me that he's ready to give up our lives? This jerk! Aargh, t-the baby's gonna come out!

"How rude, barging into my territory with swords stained with blood ..." Someone spoke, breaking the tension of the night. Hearing her soothing voice, Simon immediately calmed himself down.

Who was it? Lara asked in her mind. She couldn't open her eyes nor speak, because the intense pain down there is killing her, so she could only rely on her ears.

A strong wind suddenly blew, so strong that it was impossible to have a wind like that in the middle of the forest where tall trees stand side by side. Next, the ground shook like there's an earthquake.

An earthquake? Why so sudden? Why are all of these happening right now when I'm about to give birth?!

Ahh, I can't hear anything anymore.

What Lara didn't know was that the fairy blocked her ears so she wouldn't hear the men's painful scream ... What she's doing is not your typical killing scene, it is basically a massacre. A creepy smile formed across the fairy's tiny face, "People like you are just wasting the clean air that my forest provides, so you shall become fertilizers, this is the best thing you can do with your life."

"Thank you." Simon kneeled with Lara in his arms after seeing the men get eaten by the ground.

"Kind human, bring her in. I will help her give birth ... Then after that, leave this forest as soon as you can." Celene, the forest fairy, said while looking up at the night sky. She then glanced at the two people beside her and added "This forest will soon be ruined ... The only place where you could bring her is Alta Village, you know how dangerous and deserted that place is ... But it is the safest place for her in her current situation."

"Yes, I understand."

Simon brought the lady inside and with the help of the forest fairy who transformed herself into a human form, Lara successfully gave birth to a healthy little child and fell asleep afterwards.

"His hair is as black as the night sky, shiny red eyes like the apples I grew with you in this forest, and a skin as bright as the light that seeped through the leaves of the trees. I've seen this face before, Simon, your future together will have a very rough road."

Simon looks at Celene's face, she's often playful and likes to pull pranks, but now, judging by her seriousness, he knows he shouldn't take her words lightly.

"Well, I'm ready for it." He answered with a bright smile on his face.

Celene was startled, this human, did I tell him before how weak he is? Sigh.

"Carzus."

"Mm?"

"Carzus Luis de Saltiere, that would be his name."

Simon was dumbfounded, but at the same time, grateful. It was the fairy who provided them with fruits and foods to eat, even in times of trouble she's the one who rescues them. So that's only right for him to let her decide the baby's name.

Celene held the baby in her arms and chanted her blessing.

"I see you growing up wise and strong,

a kind and thoughtful child.

But the world has its ways to break a child's innocence, because you will face hardships even with your own tree.

You will stand up on your own feet, and meet everyone you're fated to meet.

But don't forget that Seruvia is always with you.

Now, I am giving you the strength you will need in your upcoming battles, and lastly, I will give you a kind soul that will tame your heart and put you back to where you belong."

Then she kissed the baby's forehead and disappeared after reminding Simon to leave the forest before the next new moon.

The next morning, Lara woke up and immediately asked for the baby. Simon was hesitant to let her see the baby, but he still gave it to her.

Upon seeing her child's face, Lara was so frightened that she almost dropped the baby if not for Simon's hand supporting it. He immediately held the baby back and put it in the cradle he made in advance.

"M-monster! Monster! Take that monster out of my sight! K-Kill that thing! Kill it! AaaaahhHHH!" Lara shrieked hysterically. How could she forget that face? That was the face of the 'monster' that ruined her life! The very reason why she was chased out by her family and husband.

"Lara, please c-calm down ...." Simon caressed her back to calm her down, but the latter grabbed his shirt tightly and pleaded like a madwoman.

"Simon! Simon! Kill that monster! I don't wanna see that thing again! That ... That monster is the one who ruined my life! That──"

"That?" Simon's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. "That thing? Tsk. Lara. You gave birth to HIM ... Is a human capable of giving birth to monsters?"

"But his father is──!"

"Is what? A monster?"

"Yes! Those two have the exact same face! They're monsters, Simon! Listen to me, kill that monster before it──" Words stuck in her throat the moment she saw him standing up, looking so disappointed at her.

This is what Celene said that Carzus will face hardships even with his own tree, his own mother. I shouldn't tolerate this.

"See? See this now? That thing's father is the reason why my husband despised and divorced me, even my own father disowned me. Now, as if repeating what that thing's father did, it made us like this! We're fighting because of that monster and they all planned this beforehand!"

"Lara, listen." Simon held the baby in his arms again and sat in front of Lara to see, "The one you're calling 'monster' right now doesn't know anything yet other than opening and closing his eyes, crying, sleeping and drinking his milk. No one is born a monster, monsters are made. If you educate this little one well and give him love, he will also love you back and help you when you grow older."

The tenderness of his voice pinched Lara's heart, she looked at the baby in his arms, and true enough, he was sleeping soundly smiling from time to time. She immediately realized what she said and cried.

Simon looked at her and patted her head, smiling proudly that she began to understand his reasoning.

The three of them abandoned the forest after offering a lamb in the middle of the forest where the biggest tree was, then they left to a place called Alta Village, a deserted village near the borders.

As dangerous as it may seem, but it is much safer for Lara and her baby if they stayed here for the time being, that way, the father of the child won't be able to find them.

The village people were all lifeless, the place wasn't just deserted, but also drained. People are fighting over the few water on the well, a piece of bread some passersby threw at them, a piece of coin they found luckily in the garbage site and men with strong built who looks like they were waiting for prey this entire time── is what welcomed them.

Simon took a deep breath, he was really hesitant to come here at first, but since Celene was the one who recommended this place, that means this isn't that bad.

"Uhm, excuse me ..." He said trying to get the attention of a big man holding a big chunk of wood. The man glared at him the instant their eyes met, but Simon composed himself and did what Celene told him to do.

"My family was sent here by a woman named Celestine." Upon the mention of that name, all the village people who heard him suddenly stopped what they were doing and looked at them with sparkling eyes.

Ah, yeah, so what's the matter? Are we in some kind of trouble now? Simon became weary and prepared himself to run with Lara in case something bad happens.