The Destined Protector (The Chronicles of Mistar - Book 1)

Three · · · Tapalla (.3)

Tapalla stopped short on the way to her market when a flyer hit her face. She tore it off her face and read the title: Do You Believe in Destiny?

No, she thought and threw the flyer behind her. She watched the wind take it away above the houses and disappear.

When Tapalla reached the entrance of the market her eyes went directly to an empty booth. It was where Druyu used to work and live. His tent was now gone and the booth was stripped of anything valuable. Tapalla remembered stopping by his booth every day to see how he was.

Their conversation started off with the usual:

"Loye, mancha," Druyu would say usually in a growl.
"Loye to you too."
Then he would ask, "Do you want to buy of tanala herb?"
Tapalla would shake her head. "No thank you, Druyu. How are you?"
"Same as usual," was his same reply every time.

Thinking about Druyu, Tapalla hand went to her necklace. It had been a month since Druyu left Mayno and every time Tapalla wanted to remember him she put her hand to her necklace and wished he was still in the same city. Tapalla just couldn't believe Dirken Payfil would send Druyu away to Gayoa. The city was cool, but it didn't deserve Druyu humor and his wistful laughs.

Tapalla marched past his empty booth. Behind it, she could see two people, a man and a woman. They were unloading a trans flyer, which was made for transporting objects and materials through a city. It was a lot smaller than a freighter flyer and a little bit bigger than a zumo flyer.

Tapalla stopped by the booth and slapped her hands against the booth's deadwood platform. She watched them jump at the noise.

"We're not open yet!" the man yelled, his voice gruff and sounding kind of familiar and in Wanish.

"When will it be open?" Tapalla asked in the same language.

The woman stood up and Tapalla was surprised to see purple skin. The woman was from Lotna. At first, when the woman was turned around, she was covered in elckon fur and warm constant metal clothes. Now that the woman had turned around, Tapalla could see her dark purple skin and bright blonde hair after her hood fell down.

A squeal came from the woman and she started to jump up and down. She hit her husband's back and he grunted, "Shut up, woman! I'm trying to work here!"

"Landrin! Look! It's the princess!"

Tapalla took a step back. It was her worst nightmare. Her heart started to beat fast. Why are they here? she thought. How do they know that I'm the princess?

The man stood up and his jaw dropped when he saw her.

Tapalla turned around frantically. She could see a few purple faces in the crowd of dark tanned skin. She clutched her satchel that held her father's lunch and ran through the market.

She could hear her name said in a Lotnan accent and the words said in Wanish, "That's Lotna's princess! That's my princess!"

That was why the man's voice sounded so familiar. He was from Lotna. Her Lotna.

A crowd was starting to form around Tapalla as she ran. She bumped into people and mumbled the words sorry as she passed. Tapalla didn't stop running until she was at the entrance to her father's building. The people from the market were gone now, but people were starting to look at her weirdly.

Tapalla ran into the building. Fourth floor, she thought frantically. Her father, Role Monae, worked in government with Monta's father, Tapor Ruemon. Role was also the king of Lotna. He had never told his daughter the whole reason they came to Lotna, but they were supposed to stay hidden from whoever was chasing them.