As the children calmed down, Aira asked them a serious question.
“Why are you two traveling all alone in the wilderness?”
“We are going to the capital, Cloud Land,” Pia replied, wiping her eyes.
Aira was surprised.
“Do you live in the capital?”
“No,” Tarin added quickly.
“We come from the Plain Grounds.”
Ria and Aira exchanged a shocked look.
Kael, seeing their faces, asked, “Plain Grounds?
Is that a place like North City or Cloud Land?
Why do you both look so surprised?”
“It’s because it is incredibly far,” Ria explained, her voice full of worry.
Aira looked at the kids with a sharp gaze.
“Is that not the region where the military troops are usually sent for training?”
Ria nodded.
“Exactly.
That is why I am so confused.”
Pia looked down at her dusty shoes.
“We weren’t alone at first.
A large group of people from our village came with us, but we got lost.
the Plain Grounds used to be a good place to live, but not anymore.”
Tarin gripped his wooden stick tighter.
“Everything changed when the new General took over.
He has made our lives a living hell.
We tried to run away, but his soldiers attacked our group.
That was when we got separated.”
Pia’s face went pale, and she began to tremble.
“Our father…
he was hit by a large rock while we were running.
I’m so scared.
I don’t know if he is okay or if he is even alive.”