LAUREL

Chapter 5

Laurel believes the Fates hold the truth. They're the ones who willed and preordained what may happen in a person's life. It's only natural for them to know how and why she's here.

"Are you sure about this?" The kid asked, still following Laurel. The two of them decided to search for the Fates, but even the kid wasn't sure if anyone would respond to their call.

The Fate sisters rarely show interest in other beings. Even if they wanted to interact with the mortals, many feared them. The reason behind this is because of their appearance. It's also the reason why temples built on their behalf were not that many. Still, they're gods, they do what they're assigned, and if lucky they might respond to the prayers of the mortals.

Situated near a mountainside the nearest temple of Fates. It's away from the village and any current human settlement. But the offerings on the altar tell them that there were believers and people gathered on the spot. Laurel also offered a prayer and asked for their guidance, but no response. They waited for a few hours for any sign, but the results were the same. The Fates are not there.

"Let's go," says Laurel as she walks out of the temple. She knows the search won't be easy. Gods can be tricky and finicky. She has to be diligent and worthy enough to get their attention.

The search continues, taking the unbeaten path to where the river flows or the mountains go. Laurel still cares about her existence in ancient times. As much as possible, she avoids major cities for lesser interaction. At least that's the plan, but as people say, nothing goes according to plan.

On the way to the next temple, a ragtag group stopped them. They blocked their path, almost waiting for their arrival. Bandits, prisoners of war, and other outlaws were common in the area. It's an abandoned path, but also once a war zone for some religious cults.

"What do you want?" Laurel spat, not even fazed by the strangers. Trouble had followed the woman like a shadow for years, so she knows what kind of people she's facing.

"Give us your golds, woman."

"And if I don't?" She challenged, still on her guard. She knew whatever her response was, they'll clobber her and the kid.

"Then we have a problem." The man whipped his club to Laurel but she stepped back, dodging the attack. The man's no joke. He didn't hold back. Laurel could have her body flying if she wasn't alert.

Slowly, Laurel slid a foot back while instructing the kid to run and hide. On her cue, the kid ran, and she dropped a small smoke bomb left on her pocket from the time she's on her world for a cover-up.

The smoke did give them time to make a run, but it wasn't enough to get away from the bandits. Laurel didn't have a choice but to be a decoy for the kid to find safety. She faced her attackers with a knife and some poison herbs she juiced and prepared in case of emergencies.

Laurel kept her distance from the enemy. When the first charge strikes, it's from a person holding a spear. With reflexes, Laurel ducked and sent a left kick to the person's lower abdomen. As a result, the striker let go of the spear. Laurel took that chance to get a hold of a weapon, but that wasn't enough. The other members charged in, at once, making it difficult to land a direct hit. Laurel pushed through. She ran, dodged, and threw dirt and rocks from the ground whenever she ducked or fell.

Survival of the fittest has always been a rule of man. It's one of the codes that Laurel believes since she's in her world. It's a great reminder that she can die any time, hence why she's always alert and never shows empathy to her opponent. Even if there are people that can be casualties. But this time around, she lost sight of that code. When she heard the slight rasp of material ripping followed by an agonizing cry from the kid, she bolted.