The Seven World Of Fantasy

Chapter 39: Momo's Past

...

Today was as sunny as ever, and my friends were busy playing chases outside their homes.

I just watched them from behind my ugly window, and thought about why they like to spend time doing the same thing every day.

Play in the morning, take a nap, then play again, and everyone rests at night. The other adults worked in the fields to grow food, or hunted around the forest.

Our village is located on a mountain slope, or rather in a valley surrounded by a very large forest. That left our village isolated from the outside world, and it had never been touched by any other races.

Our food source depends only on the results of the garden and also hunted animals. Previously we lived in a mobile life, and finally settled here because the land was fertile enough to grow various foodstuffs. 

Hunting animals here are also still quite a lot for the next few years, and the water sources near our village are very clean and abundant.

That's a little weird at my age that should be playing around with friends. I'd rather go out on my own, or help adults than spend time with them.

"Mom!" Call someone.

She was a cat girl of my age, and one who probably had the best heart among the others.

"Do you want to play with us?" Bring along.

"Hey, there's no need to have him play with us!" Cried one behind him.

"Yes! He is not happy when invited to play. Just leave him." The other law.

While the others had already gone to play, he was still standing in front of the window waiting for my answer.

"Didn't you hear them? I'm not happy when I'm playing." 

"That's not true!" She denied. "We play to be fun! Wouldn't doing something together be more fun? Then come with me and play with them!"

I'm still silent, haven't answered his call to play.

It's free if I take it. The other kids will just make me a joke as usual. Just because I don't have parents, they can just mock me because no one will stand up for me.

So I better stay away from them.

"Thank you for taking me. But next time, yeah. My body is not feeling well."

"Are you sick? Then let's go to the village healer. I'll accompany you there."

"No, there's no need. I've been there, and now I'm resting. So no need to worry."

"Oh, thank goodness then. See you later, Momo." He finally left me.

A girl like herself could not possibly have already used a mask to deal with others. I have used it for a long time.

After they all went to play some distance away from my house, I was able to go sneak up without having to meet them.

I went out of my house, and walked into a fairly dense forest. No need to worry if I get lost in this forest, because almost every day I walk in it until the afternoon if there is no work in the village.

This time, I will visit a favorite place I just found a few days ago.

"If it's not wrong, it should go down this road."

As I walked out of the path for a few minutes, I began to hear the echoing sounds I had found before.

"There!" I ran where the sound came from. The air around me began to feel moist as it got closer to the source of the sound.

As soon as it was almost there, I could feel splashes of water falling in the air around me.

"Well!" I never get tired of being amazed by this place. 

A waterfall in the mountain forest that has a river underneath, and will continue to flow until it reaches my village later. This is one of the waterfalls around our village, and it's possible that so far I've been the first to find it.

I approached the riverbank and squatted near the stream. My face was reflected in that very clear stream perfectly. I could also see small fish swimming in the water.

Although the splash of the waterfall made my body wet faster, I could then dry it before returning to the village. I love this place because it is beautiful, quiet and away from the noise of children. I can also catch some fish here if hungry, or pick fruits that grow wild around the river.

If there was nothing I needed to do in the village, then I could have slept in this place until the afternoon. If other kids are busy doing the same thing every day, then I don't do anything every day,

I'm a slacker, especially if I have to move a lot. Except when I help other villagers to plant or harvest in the garden. Then inevitably I have to help in order to get food from them, 

That's how it is to live alone.

"Hi little girl."

"He!"

I was surprised by the voice calling me from behind. I couldn't feel someone coming. Though my hearing is sharp enough if only to hear someone who is approaching.

"Who's there?"

Surprisingly, there was no one behind me or around.

"I'm here, you know."

"Yeah!" While blinking, that person suddenly appeared in front of me just like that.

I flinched and slipped backwards, then splashed into the river with a fairly swift flow.

Jebuurs!!

"Yeah! Pl-please... Help me!" I was dragged by the rushing stream, and was progressively heading towards the middle of the stream.

I can't swim. Our race doesn't really like water, let alone swimming. I could only continue moving my body so as not to drown, because this river felt so deep for my size.

The moment I thought it was all going to end here, my body suddenly shot up into the air with the river water wrapping around me.

I was floating on the river that was still flowing rapidly, then directed to the outskirts where the man was standing.

I was lowered on the ground slowly, then the water that lifted me up fell and was absorbed back into the ground.

What was that? That guy can make the water move and lift me up from the river?

"Your body is soaking wet. Here, let me help you dry."

The guy tried to walk up to me, but I got scared and walked back away from him.

"Not to be afraid. I just want to dry your body."

He raised his hand and muttered something I could hear clearly, but I did not know the meaning. After that, a warm wind swirled around my body.

"What's this?"

"It'll dry you out. Just stand quietly, and everything will be done quickly."

When the wind was gone, my clothes and body that had been soaked by water became dry like nothing. My hair was expanding because of the warm wind earlier, so I wiggled my body to straighten it back.

"Chi." The man laughed a little. "You were so funny doing that. Is there any part of your body that hurts?"

I shook my head.

"Hoo. I feel so guilty for making you fall. Will you forgive me?"

"I-I'm fine, really. So no need to think about it."

"Well! The style of speech is like an adult! Cool!"

What's wrong with this guy? From her voice I can guess that she is a woman. But from her height, the clothes she was wearing, and also the smell, she was neither from my village nor the same race as me.

The clothes were all black, the robe that covered almost to the tip of the foot, and also the hood on his head. As well as masks of different colors on both sides, black and white.

Are these the people out there? They wore strange clothes, and unusual abilities. 

"Who are you really?"

"Who am I? I'm just a traveler who happens to pass through these mountains, then meets a very cute cat girl here." He drew his hand closer and pinched my cheek.

I couldn't do anything at the time. I'm afraid he'll get angry and eat me.

"Who is that?" There's someone else coming.

He came out from behind the trees across the river, From his voice, he was a grown man. His height and size were very unnatural, the clothes he wore were the same as the one in front of me. The masks they wear are the same.

Only, he also wore a wide black caping. Its width is almost past the width of its own body, and the tip of the caping looks thin and very sharp.

"I found a very cute cat girl here. Can I adopt it?"

A gee? Adopting? They want to kidnap me?!

"There can be no pets. You know that too."

"Die!" I fell in shock again. The person who was just across the river, was suddenly already standing in front of me as well.

"Hey! You're freaking him out!" The woman came over and helped me to stand up. He seemed very attentive to me, but I was still worried that he would eat me.

"You just made him fall into the river. Who's worse?"

"Ah? Hehe."

They both spoke to each other familiarly. But if from my corner, it looks creepy. Like a happy criminal for catching his prey.

"What...what do you want to do with me?"

The two of them fell silent and looked at me. At that time I was getting scared because the mask they were wearing was so scary. My eyes were already glazed over and almost crying.

"What if we want to eat you?" Answer the woman.

My body is getting shaky. Like I thought before, they wanted to eat me.

"But.but I don't know if I'm gonna taste good."

"Haha! Bangeeett!!"

Suddenly the woman hugged me very tightly.

Aakk! Will I be crushed before cooking?

"Just relax, cute little cat girl is cute and very cute. I am a vegetarian, really. If the person next to me is eating. So we're not gonna eat you."

"Really?"

"I want to eat you."

"Hiaha~" 

"Yahoo!!" 

That was the first time I met them. If not wrong, they were stopping in the mountains to look for something in a ruin. From then on, I used to visit their camp because they were so kind to me.

Sometimes I was given good food, dressed in nice clothes, or heard stories about their adventures.

The villagers did not know of their presence in the mountains. If they find out, maybe these two people will be forcibly evicted from our territory.

If that happens, I won't get this kind of fun again. Then, I won't make it until it happens.

I'll keep it a secret from them.