Baido was beat. He washed his wounds in a nearby stream and relished in the calmness of the forest in the afternoon.

Onwa had agreed to teach Baido about the surface and even let him live with him and his daughter but he would never let Baido catch a break till he dropped unconscious from exhaustion. When he wasn't running from wolves he was walking miles and miles of the forest floor, learning every berry and bush, distinguishing snake tracks from wolves. And when he wasn't walking he was being trained by Onwa, how to fight with a sword, dagger and bare handed. Then they'd go hunting for game, rabbits and wild boars, squirls and any bird that flew their way.

But Baido wouldn't dare breathe a complaint in Onwa's direction. He'd seen the man single-handedly cut down a wild boar, mind you the man didn't have hands. Baido would rather have died from exhaustion then be brutally beheaded like game.

As he washed the blood down his back he heard a rustle and footsteps. Mahina stood a few feet away, holding a basket of clothes. More times than he could count, he'd caught her staring at him without saying a word. Baido didn't mind, he'd stare at himself all day too if he could. But now she regarded him wide-eyed like a frightened rabbit.

Baido stood, gulped, very much aware that he was shirtless. "I'm all done, you can go ahead and I'll see you back at home."

"Wait."

Baido halted, spun around. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Your wounds." She stared at his back, brows furrowed. "I can help."

"Oh these, pfft, this is nothing, doesn't hurt at all." But Baido was lying through his teeth and she saw right through him.

"I'm really good at it. I always help Papa when he's injured too."

Onwa, injured? No Baido didn't believe it. Not possible. But if the lady insisted who was he to refuse. "Alright then."

She beamed and came to stand behind him. "Before I start, you have to promise me one thing?"

Baido gazed at her over his shoulder.

"Promise you'll close your eyes and only open them when I tell you to."

He laughed. "You're not gonna cut me open, are you?"

"Not today."

He paled, his smile falling. "Not today?"

She chuckled. "I'm joking. Close your eyes."

His eyelids fell over his eyes. Her fingers traced the edges of his wounds like feathers brushing against his skin.

"I'm sorry if Papa pushes you," she murmured.

"I asked for this, I'm glad he does."

"Papa may not seem like it but he cares the most. He's hard on you because he wants you to be strong."

"Well I guess things can't get worse than this."

"Oh it will, it definitely will."

"Are you joking?"

"Trust me, I'm his daughter."

Baido sighed. "You guys aren't similar at all."

"What makes you say so?"

He thought a moment. "Well for one you look nothing like him."

She chuckled, the sound ringing in his ears like a melody. "Really, I think we look very much alike."

Baido snorted. "I'd never guess you were his daughter in a hundred years."

"Alright, but is that all that's different about us?"

"You seem, more alive."

"I am alive."

"No, I meant you're not afraid."

"Afraid, what would I be afraid of?"

"Me, a stranger."

"Everyone fears strangers till they're brave enough to make a friend. I was afraid of you, but I don't want to be anymore."

Baido loved the way she thought, knowing he could never think the way she did.

"Alright I'm all done."

Baido hadn't realized that while talking to her all the pain in his back had disappeared. He felt refreshed and energized, heck he was ready to hunt wild beasts.

"Mahina!" Onwa barked, ripping their attentions away from each other. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Papa," Mahina faltered. She lowered her head, almost guiltily.

"What if someone had seen you?!"

"Sir," Baido said, "we weren't doing anything, I swear. Mahina was just—"

"I wasn't talking to you," Onwa spat, directing all his wrath at his daughter.

"He was hurt Papa." She tried to plead with him, tears brimming. "I had to help."

"You can't help everyone Mahina! For once will you just listen to me and not do anything that will put you in danger."

The first tear slipped past, but she brushed it away and left without another word. Baido couldn't help feeling hurt seeing her cry.

"I'm sorry sir," Baido said. "She only helped me because she has a kind heart. Something not many people have."

Onwa shook his head. "A kind heart gets you killed."

Baido couldn't object for he understood it best.

The father glared a deathly threat at Baido. "Stay away from my daughter or I promise a few scratches will be the least of your worries."

~~~

For the next days Baido avoided Mahina as best he could, which was difficult considering they lived in a tiny little home together. He avoided eye contact, conversation and pretended he couldn't see her watching him from the corner of his eye. It pained him to but he knew Onwa would serve him tenfold that pain. Still, he was lonely and he knew she was too. A conversation, a joke or a smile was all they desired.

Onwa was never one to start conversation and wouldn't continue if you did. He kept quiet and kept to himself. But Baido had spent enough time around the man to learn a thing or two about him, his favorite thing to do was walk, and he had a soft spot only for his daughter and rabbits. Every night he and Baido walked the forest floor, until the sun rose then they'd return to the cottage. But tonight, he'd left without Baido.

Baido tried but failed to fall asleep. And so he sat up staring out at the forest waiting for sleep to come. Till he heard a crash and he was standing at his door. Two pairs of eyes met each other in the dark.

With wide eyes she took him in. "You didn't leave with Papa?"

"He left without me." Baido looked away, stepped back.

"I'm sorry if I woke you."

His gaze trailed to hers. "No, no, I wasn't sleeping. Still haven't gotten used to the sleeping at night thing. What are you doing up?"

"Well," she muttered then broke into a smile. "Why don't I show you myself?"

Before Baido had any idea of what she meant, she'd taken his hand and led him out the door. They walked mostly in silence save for their feet kicking up stones and crunching dried leaves. She never let him go, holding his hand the whole way.

"Your dad might me back soon," Baido said.

"Papa usually returns by dawn."

"I know but he didn't want me around you," Baido revealed. "And I respect him, well I fear him more. But you get what I mean, he doesn't want us alone together."

"Then he shouldn't have left you."

"That's true but, if he finds out we were he'd, well I'm not sure what he'd do but there's certainly a possibility he'd kill me."

She skipped ahead, Baido jogged to keep up and so he wouldn't have to let go. "Then I guess he'll have to kill us both, because if you're dying because of me I'm dying because of you." She halted and turned to face him, beaming. "We're here."

Here was a tree with a ladder built against it. She began to climb and Baido followed behind. They climbed for a while before they finally stopped. Mahina moved over onto a platform and when she did, he saw it. Streaks of light, zipping by in the dark abyss of the night sky.

"I didn't even know they could do that," Baido murmured, mesmerized.

"It's beautiful isn't it?"

He looked over at her, taking in everything he'd been missing out on in Dhulka. Beauty he'd been told didn't exist. "Yes, very."

"I'm glad I got to watch this with you."

Baido turned away before she'd catch him staring. "Thank you."

She gazed at him again and for the first time he felt uncomfortable. Onwa had drawn clear lines and Baido had overstepped those boundaries and gone beyond. But Baido put those thoughts out of his mind, he'd never felt more alive. Wanted by the ruthless killers who'd invaded his country, up on the surface staring at the sky with a girl whose dad would skin him alive. This was living.

She took his hand and stood abruptly. "Come on let me show you something."

He stood and followed her line of sight. Many tiny lights, like stars on earth littered the landscape beyond. Buildings, homes, civilization.

"That's Drait," she said. "And beyond that, well it isn't very clear at night."

Baido raised his sights to see dark towering structures, but he couldn't quite make out what they were. "I can see it, but..."

"They're ruins from the old world."

He traced his sights back to Drait, to the girl at his side. A girl who must've spent nights alone in a dark forest waiting for her dad to return.

"Why don't you and your dad live in Drait?"

She shook her head. "Papa and I can't live there, we aren't like them."

"Then are you," He hesitated. "Are you Cadits?"

She met his gaze, fear flickering in her eyes. "We aren't like them either. Papa and I had nowhere to go, but then we were invited to live in the forest. It's safe here."

"Safe? What do you mean?"

Before she could answer, Baido heard them. Footsteps below. He raised a finger to his lips and followed the sound to two people, a woman and a child who'd come from the direction of Drait.

But Baido had heard more than two. Two men followed them from behind. But when they tried to run another two men closed in on them from the front.

"Please!" The woman cried out. "Please have mercy."

Mahina looked torn, she wouldn't sit back and simply watch. But Baido wouldn't let her make a sound. He clamped her mouth shut and held her back.

"My son and I haven't eaten in days." The woman wept and fell to her knees. "We weren't running away, we only want to find something to eat, anything."

"You ungrateful wretch!" The man in front swiped a knife across her face, forcing a scream out of her. "You eat what you are given!"

The rest of the men began beating her. But the boy hugged his mom, taking what kicks and stomps he could in her stead.

Mahina writhed in Baido's arms, but even if she cried and struggled Baido wouldn't let her go.

Finally when the mother and son had been beaten motionless, the men dragged their bodies back the way they had come. Back to Drait.

"No." Mahina ripped Baido's hands away. She began to leave when Baido took her hand.

He shook his head. "It's over."

She threw him off of her, furious. "Why did you stop me!? I could've helped!"

"What were you gonna do, fight them all?" Baido didn't mean to, but his voice rose.

"Yes, I'd have fought them," she bit back. "And I would've won, if you'd have just let me!"

"And then what, you'd take them in too, like you took me in?!"

"They were starving of course I would!"

"And what happens when they come looking for them, for you! They'd find you and your dad in your little cottage home. Then it won't be so safe anymore, will it?"

"What?" She froze. "What do you mean?"

"Drait's been taken over by the Cadits, by the same monsters who killed my family and destroyed my home." His voice dropped as he met her eyes, pleading with her where words couldn't. "I won't let them destroy this home as well."

She crumbled and fell apart. "How do you expect me to live like this, knowing I could've helped but didn't?"

A/n: do you guys like Baido and Mahina's story so far?? I hope you guys are enjoying their story as well because eventually it will lead to the main plot😅 also do you ship them, coz I do Oh wait then that means they're canon, eh we'll see about that until then peace out my brother's and sisters!!