The Mysterious Lady

We stood there in silence, unsure of what to say. We had not yet found the others we were looking for when someone approached us and asked for our help. After a moment of silence, she spoke again.

"I apologize for calling you here without reason, but I truly need your assistance to reach the second port," she said.

Babu responded, "Do you not know anyone who can take you there?"

"I did, but I lost them in an ambush," she replied.

"An ambush?" Babu repeated, clearly surprised.

"I don't have time to discuss this at the moment. I must depart immediately. If you don't mind, I can share my story with you on the way," she said urgently.

While she waited for our response, I quietly whispered to Babu, "We need to help her. She appears to be in dire need."

"I understand your sentiment, Lezlie, but if she's associated with elite soldiers or communicates directly with an epic, we could get into serious trouble," he responded.

"Our objective is to assist those in need. Even if she's not what we think she is, we must consider taking the risk. It could simply be someone who requires assistance," I argued.

"You're right. However, we must be prepared for any outcome," he agreed.

As we conversed, she turned towards us and introduced herself.

"My name is Mila. I apologize for not sharing it earlier," she stated.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mila. My name is Babu, and this is my friend, Lezlie," he responded.

She smiled and replied, "I hope this eliminates any reservations between us. It would be quite unreliable if I neglected to share my name, don't you think?"

"We'll help you reach the second port," Babu offered.

"I am extremely grateful to you. I promise to repay your kindness when we arrive at the second port," she exclaimed.

"Actually, we're also headed to the second port," Babu disclosed.

"Wonderful! Let's not waste any more time. My horse carriage is situated between the houses ahead," Mila stated.

Following Mila's lead, we weaved through the narrow alleys until we reached a clearing where a horse-drawn carriage awaited us. Mila gracefully lifted the bushes that obstructed our path and urged us to get in without delay. Without questioning her authority, Babu and I hopped into the carriage, and we were off in no time. As we left the alleyway behind, Mila picked up speed, and none of us exchanged words until we were out of the port.

"We should be safe for a while," Mila finally spoke, breaking the silence.

Babu turned to her, his curiosity piqued. "Mila, could you tell us what's going on?"

With a deep sigh, Mila revealed her true identity. "My name is Mila, daughter of the fifth King Of The Sea People, and I am the new heir to the throne."

Babu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Sea People? Mila, or you...?"

Mila nodded. "Yes, I am a mermaid."

Babu and I exchanged glances, unable to contain our surprise. "But you can roam the land like a normal person," I said, trying to make sense of it all.

Mila explained, "My mother told me that mermaids can turn their tails into feet. However, not all of us can stand on land until we reach adulthood."

Babu was still struggling to wrap his head around the concept. "So, Princess Mila, why did you ask for our help, even though you were the King's daughter?"

Mila reassured us, "Please just call me Mila. You don't have to show me any extra respect." She then proceeded to recount her predicament. "It all started two days ago when news spread across all the kingdoms of the death of the First Epic. A teenager and several of his friends defeated the epic, showing everyone that the epic was not immortal, but edible. They were the daylight to all the people and everyone who fought against the epics. In addition, the epics increased the number of their soldiers in the kingdoms so that this would not happen again. They began to cause more suffering to innocent people living in the kingdoms."

"This is really bad news," I chimed in, sensing the gravity of the situation.

Mila continued, "Sea people are not a lineage that is very loved by people. Especially because of these events. Their attitude towards us has tightened considerably. They are trying to keep everyone under one authority"

"That's why they treated you badly there, Mila," Babu concluded, finally understanding her situation.

Mila nodded solemnly. "My father made a deal with the King on this. He wanted to marry me with someone to join forces."

I leaned forward, my eyes fixed on Mila. "So, what did you do?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

Mila hesitated for a moment before answering. "You might think I ran away, but I didn't," she began. "During my journey, I was attacked by an elite soldier. He killed all my men, and I barely managed to escape. I had to take a carriage from someone to get to this port."

"Why were you attacked?" I pressed.

"The Epic of the Second Kingdom has learned that we will ally with the kingdom," Mila replied. "He does not want this to happen. That's why I'm being chased by an elite soldier."

I nodded thoughtfully. "If the marriage happens, will you fight against them?" she asked.

"Probably," Mila admitted. "But I don't want to marry someone I don't know. No woman wants it."

"But Mila, isn't this for the good of your people?" Babu interjected. "If you do that, a lot of people will survive."

Mila's face hardened. "What are you saying! No one should be obligated to do this!" she exclaimed.

"I just gave an advice," Babu protested.

I stepped in before the argument could escalate. "Mila, there is actually someone who can help you," she said gently. "Actually, he helped a lot of people before we arrived here."

Mila looked up, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Oh, yeah? Well, who's that friend of yours?"

"We can take you to where he is," I continued. "But we don't know much about where he actually is, unfortunately."

Mila's face fell. "Are you planning to find your friend without knowing where he is?"

"We have to search for him, and our other friend too," I said firmly. "Only when we find them can we help you more easily."

Mila sighed. "Okay, okay. Then hold on tight. We have to start looking for them quickly. We can't lose time."