Voyage Of The Villainess

The weather was nice with the clear sunny sky and cool breeze of the wind. Inside a small nipa hut, and surrounding the table, they were currently having their lunch.

"Hoho how are you? It looks like it was a long and tiring trip, huh?" the old man Luiz caressed his long white beard as he drank the coconut wine from the silver cup. "But don\'t worry I have something pleasurable that I will offer for you," he said with energy and enthusiasm. 

"Really? That was so nice for you" Lila said.

"Yes, yes, so please sit comfortably and enjoy." The old man excitedly introduced to them their tasty wine." Tada! This is our finest coconut wine here. I know that you will love the taste of it.  Another information, did you know that it was so expensive and the high positions from another place come here just to buy this wine" 

"Wine!" Iris\'s eyes glittered. " Wow! That was so cool. Can\'t wait to taste it" She chugged down the cup in a single drink. The aftertaste left a stinging sensation in her tongue and she felt her throat was going to burst in heat down to her stomach."Damn! This is so strong! Old man! Can I have seconds please?"

While Malaya stiffened. The cup was almost near her mouth. \'Oh, crap that was close.\' Malaya brought down the cup with a smile on her face. "Can I have water, please? I don\'t mean to reject you for preparing this drink for us but I\'m quite not good with liquors." 

The old man, Luiz, gestured to Lorn.

"Alright," Lorn answered, then fetched some water. "I understand."

"It seems, you\'re the only one who can handle liquor that much." 

Malaya looked to where the old man was looking and Hyun Jae and Dorris were already done. Rein who just came back with Lorn with other dishes in his hands just shook his head. 

"These kids." He brought down the tray he was holding on the table. "Is there a place where they can rest here?" Rein asked as he looked at Rhyme and then at the old man.

"Ah yes," Rhyme stood up from his seat. "Let me guide and help you to carry your luggage.\'

They both carried the two drunken ladies in their arms and headed out. Malaya just sighed. Then she turned to Lila who was drinking casually without a change in her emotions.

\'Oh, there is still something I don\'t know about you Lila\'

"It must be nice, to be able to drink with ease," Malaya said.

"It\'s alright, Malaya!" Iris simply patted her back. "Children should not drink yet."

"Yes, aunt," Malaya said with a grin. "Oh Grandma rather," Malaya chuckled.

  "Here we go again" Iris rolled her eyes "Look at this kid!" Iris fumed as she chugged down another cup.

Malaya just shook her head. Then glanced back at Luiz. "Sir Luiz, I will now speak straight to the point. How did you go to the Red Current? And what does it look like in the Red Current?"

The old man, Luiz, placed down his cup. "With your question, you really believe that I am able to go to the Red Current. But what if those rumors are all false and I just fabricated it all."

Malaya simply smiled. "A rumor is something without a base. The whirlpools were stronger. If you got drowned, only internal crimson would lie ahead. It smelled like a burning carcass. But at the end of it, lies an even more terrifying sight. It looked like completely that you are within the end of the world.\'" 

The old man caressed his long white beard but his eyes narrowed looking at Malaya.

"Hmm, It is common that the Red Current has the color of the blood along with its fearsome whirlpools surrounding it. One could also tell that it might really be the end of the world at the end of the Current. But... No one knows how it smells. This is the rumor that I heard from you. And I, too, know it smells. Because I have managed to survive from the Red Current as well but caused the two lives of two important people to me." Malaya looked at the old man\'s dark eyes. "That\'s why I believe that you really and almost make it out of the Red Current, Sir Luiz Crallum."

There was a heavy silence in the air and it took a lot of minutes before Luiz responded to Malaya.

"Very well, Lady Malaya. Before I tell you everything, is that alright if I ask you a question first?" the tone of his voice was deep and serious.

"If that is what you want sir, go on" 

"If I indeed almost crossed the Red Current. What will you do with the information once I tell you everything that there is to know in the Red Current?"

"I will use it, to be able to cross the Red Current," Malaya said while looking directly at his eyes with a serious expression to equal his energy and showing that she is committed to listening to every word he is going to say.

"Hmm, Cross the Red Current, huh?" The old man, Luiz, looked intently at Malaya. " As far as I can see and feel at this moment It seems you are serious about this. I don\'t know whether to simply call this bravery or foolishness. But since you saved my grandkids. I will tell you everything that I know. And I hope it will help on your journey with your friends."

"Thank you, Sir Luiz, I can truly appreciate your generosity for us and yes it will probably help us," Malaya said with sincerity.

"Then let me give some space to remember everything." Malaya just shook her head as she responded. It only took a few minutes before he began to start "Alright  I will begin now  my tale."

Malaya concentrated her attention now on Luiz. Even Iris and Lila stopped with what they were doing when they heard the old man. And Rein and Rhyme who just arrived in time silently took their seats.

The old man, Luiz began his tale. 

"When the GeZo War ended, we ended up losing everything, it was quite hard for us to accept what happened at that moment. When homeland and our right to be free. Those two children, Lorn and Lila. They were still babies back there, both of them were too innocent to witness and experience the war. But we always ended up running from the men of the emperor who were hunting every person of the GeZo countries, and even their parents were caught in the crossfire."

\'Ah, yes. Those warring times are unfortunate especially to the people who lost. And so that emperor again has the main fault at this.\' Malaya continued to listen.

"Because of what happened to us, it was my desperation and eagerness that led me to the Red Current. If there is a place out there that is not within this continent, then maybe I can find a new home for my family. I want them to experience life to the fullest and enjoy it by being free. It was like a miracle to me that I was able to almost cross the Red Current and at the same time even came back here alive. With a single boat, I made my way to the Red Current." There was a sudden gloom that flashed on Luiz\'s face when he remembered those scenarios inside his head. "And I tell you that is not someone who is right in their mind to venture," he whispered but that was enough to let everyone hear it.

\'He crossed the Red Current with only a boat? That is something quite amazing.\' Malaya thought. The old man continued his tale. 

"As I remember there are three stages of the Red Current. First is the whirlpools which anyone is already familiar with. Second, the unending storm."

"Unending storm?" Iris interrupted.

"It is just as I told you, the wind was terribly strong along with the ravaging waves and thunderstorms. It was really a quite terrific sight and dangerous."

"I see," Malaya said. "Then the last stage, what does it look like in the last stage?"

"The last stage." he pauses for a moment and everyone could sense the intensity of the energy that covered them all. Everyone was looking at the old man waiting for his words. "The truth is, the last stage which I had never ever been able to cross was and as just the rumors had stated."

The old man looked at all of them and was now more serious than before. "The last stage was the end of the world. All the waters ended up falling down in an infinite abyss that I can\'t even fathom. The only way is to go down. It really looked like the end of the world." Everyone was silent and had an intense focus on the old man.

"No, I am certain. It is the end of the world, and there is nothing that lies beyond the Red Current."

The whole place was covered with heavy silence after the last part of the tale of the old man and the only noise they could hear was from the wind.