Vampire Aedes
17. A Name, a Farewell Gift

The news sped as fast as the eagle ambushed the prey. Not one day, the King's order had spread all over the city to the corners of the village. A slave seller, call it Mr. Le, was willing to go all the way from the city market to the village just to pick up the girl of choice.

"Mr Le," he called.

"Ah, luck clan Le! Five years, hahaha two slaves from our residence were raised by the king!" The handsome man with the thick mustache laughed out loud full of authority. Mr. Le continues to laugh widely because being a guardian will certainly get a ransom, the amount of expenditure during the life of the chosen girl. "Real luck!"

Inversely with a pair of faces there. Both hide their feelings. Friends from childhood who allegedly forever have no caste, it turns out in an instant will stay in the Palace.

Mr. Le wrote a letter of release on yellow paper. He took out red ink from the drawer. "Come, after this you can go."

The girl hesitated to approach the table. He should be happy, right? Surprisingly the hand trembled as it gave the thumbprint on the bottom paper. It's too sudden. The king said at the latest three days. "Tuan—"

"So often stop by in the future. Don't be like the 'boy' who doesn't know the return!" Mr. Le got up from the chair. Leaving a roll of paper tied with red tape. The girl was stunned. Such a picture has happened before.

Then, he opened the scroll. The stamp is most prominent among black writing. "I'm free" he murmured.

The slave girl in the back, patted her on the shoulder. Make the master look. "You're going?" He asked with his face bent.

"I don't want to" he answered, clasping his friend's hand tightly. "I'm afraid the luxury of the Palace makes me forget myself and forget everything like ...," his tongue is a hoax, "like .... You know, it's the king's order. There's no other choice."

"Please don't go" the boy pleaded. By coming to the palace, life gets better. All needs are guaranteed starting from food, dress, school. He will prosper in the palace. All kids dream of that. But this feeling is not envy. I just feel abandoned again.

"You remember the Fifth Prince's treatment of us?"

"I may have forgotten!" That was the former slave that Master Le had just talked about. He viciously spoke out not remembering the two of them. A foreign look when meeting as if not the same person they know.

"He is like everyone else" he said. Not knowing what reason he went to the Flower Palace fortress every day, it was possible for the item to see a selfless face. It was a little hateful, but there was a greater desire to talk to his childhood friend.

"I have three days. Do you have any ideas?"

"Frosty."

"What?!" He shook strongly. "In the Flower Kingdom there is no territory that is not in the King's watch."

"Hey, who said you'd run out of town?" whispered. "I know a shortcut to the Floating Kingdom."

Aster is increasingly focused on hearing conversations he had with slave friends in the past. He sat haughtily in the living room seat, while the two next to him were engrossed in talking about the escape strategy.

"Look, you know meadows are a vacuum?"

"I knew. Not any kingdom. There is no guard, it is not dangerous. My body will be covered too. So you want me to head for the valley of the hill, right?"

The slave girl nodded with a smile. "I'm sure I won't be found out ...."

***

A swarm of bats crosses the full moon. The sky is studded with stars. Honey, thatch leaves are like a trap net. Aster wakes up in the middle of darkness. Just heard a crickets.

After learning the flashback to how he woke up here, Aster realized the presence of a magical cat really made it difficult for him. "Why daydream miaw?"

"Gue wants it, all the past you point to is a lie?"

"Stupid. In addition to information, all my words are certainly to mislead you miaw."

"Including the road directions to it?" Aster pointed straight, but the white cat refused to answer.

He sighed. Right, that road is perverse. His heart remained determined, sweeping the countless weeds leaves. The cat increasingly thinks Aster is the most stupid human being in the universe. Already know the wrong direction is still not back on the right path. What a stupid man. If at the end there is a ravine, it is likely that he jumped without a second thought.

Time has shown the dawn. The star venus can be seen clearly because the height of the grass is reduced. This time his gaze circulated more widely, far enough to seem a familiar settlement with memory. Aster gulps. How to get there in a state of numb feet?

Ah, there's an idea!

Aster menoel-noel cat belly. "Heh, wake!"

Feeling disturbed, the cat squirms the body. His long tail scooped up Aster's face and made the girl swish.

"Grain, my face is full of germs."

"Good, fine. Stop clawing my head, okay? Now help me meet my friend. My feet really can't stand it anymore. Aren't you the magical cat that can teleport?"

"You think I'll help you, miaw?"

Aster shrugs his shoulders. "Why not?"

The cat was lazy to wait and came back curled up.

"Ish, how stingy to be an animal!"

***

The slave room is not a place worth mentioning. His life used to be very concerning. There was a sense of wanting to take the girl to the Palace as well, but he said it was very difficult to get out of the Palace if it had been splashed into it.

He tied his hair with a ribbon. Instantly reminds Aster with the pigtails of his best friend in the real world, Vanesa. What is he doing right now? Maybe cry until his snot drips everywhere.

Another time, Vanesa, who was crying until sobbing next to the patient's bed, suddenly sneezed without cause. He looked at the sweaty face there. "Click, you have to be sober."

Return to Aster's position now, still standing in the doorway of the room. His feet hesitated to enter. Feeling that someone was paying attention, the girl in front of him turned his head. With widened eyes, his mouth opened.

Aster put on a horse smile... He waved his hand and said, "Hey."?

"You—" He approached Aster with a look of disbelief. "Why come back here? What if you see you? How about, what if the Palace envoy comes to arrest you? Are you stupid?"

"Let's finally realize your friend is a dumb human being."

Aster clucking. Then took off the girl's hand which shook both her shoulders violently. "Hey, after some thought. This is my destiny. You, me, or anyone else wouldn't be able to change that. So I decided to face it."

"What's? You're really going? You'll forget me like that."

Aster shakes. "I know what you're afraid of. That's not gonna happen. I promise, I promise I won't forget you. And yes, Fifth Prince—"

"What do you want?"

"I want to speak clearly to him. I wanted to ask her why she pretended not to know us. There must be something."

"That's not necessary."

"But I really have to go. Sooner or later, I have to go. Because it's destiny."

The girl was silent.

"You have to trust me" Aster said.

"Didn't he promise? Now what? You'll leave me, too, forget me."

Aster exhales. "Huft, you know. If I really forget you, you have to say something that reminds me."

"Said what? You know that guy we used to say a lot of things until my mouth froze, where does he remember us?"

"But I'm not him! Take it easy, I'll hit him in the palace." Aster punched the air and successfully invited the laughter of the girl in front of him. Aster smiled.

"I have an idea, how about when you meet me later you say your name?"

"Slave like me, has no name. That's ...."

"That's why I want to give you a name!" cut it. "This is the most sacred name. If palace life gets me drunk on treasure, you just have to say this name to make me realize. I must remember you too."

"really? What kind of name makes you so sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! That name is Vanesa. From now on your name is Vanesa. You must remember well!"

"Vanessa?" The laws of the Kingdom of Flowers stipulated that slaves who claimed a name by themselves, would be subject to severe punishment. But for the sake of his friend, he was willing. "All right, I remember."