"For without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods; even rich men and those in possession of power are thought to need friends most of all; for what is the use of prosperity without the opportunity of beneficence, which is most fully and laudably exercised towards friends? Or how can prosperity be guarded and preserved without friends? The greater it is, the more exposed it is to risk."
- Aristotle
"A friend is a second self."
– Aristotle
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T'was a long night but finally the sun was already high up, ruke still laid his mind going through all he had been told the previous day, "two days huh?"he thought standing and walking down the hall when he caught a glimpse of Amila, she was all dressed and looked like she was heading out, but where to? He wondered still stareing. Uda had noticed him stareing but Amila didn't, she was just too focused on the task she was to carry out.
"Goodbye"Amila waved walking out the gates and heading south of the building
"Isn't she just beautiful?"uda asked teasing ruke but he said nothing, "I want you to watch over her ruke....can you do that?"uda asked he gaze all fixed on ruke, "why though?"he thought, she was in no danger right now and he could see no potential danger ahead, why was he being asked to watch over her?, he questioned. His thoughts although not said out loud could be read by uda as his expression itself betrayed him "I know you think it's safe for her as it is"uda started placing a hand on rukes shoulder
"But I just think you should watch over her for me today ...., just take it as you doing me a favour"she smiled.
Ruke couldn't refuse her, she had treated him just like his master did without even knowing who he was, this was just a way of repeating her for her kindness ruke huffed accepting uda's request and heading out south of the village as Amila had.
"Could he really be one of them?"uda asked watching ruke walk away "I've had my suspicions watching him fight but he hasn't done anything out of the ordinary like he could"she said again this time with a smile.
"She seemed to be having a hard time walking earlier....,"ruke muttered, he had seen her staggering while she walked out, although she tried hiding it he could tell.
After some minutes of walking he found her at a nearby store, she seemed to be buying some stuff uda would need in the tavern, this particular adventure of hers took almost two hours until she was done, she then proceeded to to another store this time to buy makeups, ruke knew as the store exhibited some collections of makeup through transparent glasses which were visible from even outside the store. Time flew in an instant and Amila was out again, this time after spending there's hours on a makeup hunt. Ruke was damn sure now that this was all part of her self routine and that nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be going on and if that was it he planned on approaching her and not watching after her from a distance like a stalker even as an assassin, that was something he didn't want to be called, "not like I care one but" he'd put it.
"Hi"he greeted slowly approached her but surprised and startled she instinctively tried slamming the bag she carried at him but he effortlessly caught it with ease
"What was that?"he asked not sure why she attacked him
"Sorry.....sorry, it just happened.., I kind of get like that when I'm startled...are you hurt?"she responded trying checking him out for any injury at all
"Don't insult me..., if that attack was made to harm an insignificant prey as small as a bunny, I'm sure It wouldn't even be effective"ruke responded letting go of the bag which he still held. "But why are you here?"Amila asked, she for one knew ruke wasn't one to socialize or even walk around, and due to his grumpy demeanor she was damn sure he had no friends at least none that she knew of who he was going to hang out with so why was he out and here of all places, it wasn't coincidence either
"Why....are you doing here?"she asked again waiting for an answer from ruke
"I was asked to keep an eye on you....by grandma uda....., she fears for your safety"ruke replied
"Is that answer enough?"he asked slowly walking as Amila followed
"She fears they'll come find me huh?"Amila smiled her thinking about uda, "just be tough on her... losing a son and almost losing her daughter?"she thought stareing up at the blue, clear sky of the village, ruke could only stare at Amila and guess what she was thinking about.
"Well since you'll be coming with...., I think I'll be showing you around then"Amila grabbing rukes arm walked alongside him downl the village with a smile "they smile the same way"ruke smiled not having any control over his emotions at this point while he stared at her "why....why do they?".
"Hey grandma...., I'll be needing more of these please" a customer ordered, the tavern was unusually busy today and uda was finding it difficult to keep up with the orders. Rushing out of the tavern backroom, she couldn't find anyone in it, the tavern was empty, only two men sat on the barrel close to the tavern exit, their whole demeanor intimidating and emiting danger. Something was wrong and uda knew it, her fears were justified and the thugs were back, as much as she wanted to run away, they were sitting in front of the taverns only exit.
"What do you want?...., he sent you didn't he?"uda asked a sweat rolling down her chin while she stared at them, her body trembled in fear, but she tried keeping herself in check and not show them any weaknesses.
"Sorry grandma.....but right now we ask the questions...."one of them said with a smile so creepy uda knew she was dead even without her being touched already
"Where is she?"the other asked his hands folded against each other
"This is no fun...we were never told not to kill her were we?....I say we beat the living daylight out of her, and then question her, humans tend to lose courage at the face of an ultimate predator"the first guy spoke again his bloodlust filling the air
"Shut it lang..., I don't wanna have to repeat myself" the second guy warned diverting his gaze from his comrade to uda
"We started off on the wrong path.....let's start all over again my names ling, and besides me my brother lang....., we already know who you are, everyone in this villages does so I don't think you need no introduction..., we came with an agenda and that's to find out where your daughter is and who the hell the fighter earlier was, I won't be asking peacefully next time"ling said with a smile
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"Beautiful ain't it?"Amila asked, she was sitting on a stone bench on a hill close to the outskirts of the village, beside her sat ruke and I front of them was a view so beautiful they never wanted to leave, Amila had brought him here and they had been there for almost thirty minutes without saying a single word.
"Yh"ruke admitted even though he didn't, he had never seen anything so beautiful before, he felt he could stay there forever just stareing at this particular view and still not grow tired of it.
"This is a place I find solace in...., a me place as I call it, a place where I come to think and get away from the world.....I just wanted you to see it"Amila smiled diverting her gaze to stare at ruke whose amazement while he stared at the view in front could be read but he still didn't have a smile on his face, she had never seen him smile not since he came to live with them. She had had fun today being accompanied by ruke but she couldn't tell if it was the same for him as he sill remained expressionless.
"You should learn to smile sometimes"Amila whispered into his ears then pulled away close enough to stare him in the eye "it'd suit you better"amila continued. She then turned around watching the sun as it slowly set in front of her
"If only I could?"ruke thought "there's one more place I'll like to show you before we go home...."she stood grabbing his arm and forcing him up "it's sure to put a smile on that grumpy face of yours"she said laughing while pulking him along
"Where could it be?"ruke asked confused"we've practically explored every single place in azula today"ruke asked faintly "it's just uphill, a little further further over there close to the villages graveyards...., it's one place I can't get enough of"Amila replied jogging slowly ahead of ruke, she then turned backwards sent ruke a wave and was about facing forward when she ran into a muscular guy who grabbed her as soon as she did then placed a dagger on her neck,
"Longest times...hasn't it Amila?"the guy chuckled slowly, without looking Amila knew who it was as he spoke, she just tried so much not to think it was him, could it really be fancho? She questioned herself.
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[I'm only seventeen,....I can't and besides if I were ever to fall in love it definitely won't be you"young Amila said, but as soon as she did she got slammed on the face with enough force to send her flying before slamming her on the floor..
"I'm sorry..., I shouldn't have done that.,I should...., no I shouldn't have, I'm sorry"young fancho apologized (fancho leor, male), as soon as he apologized he tried helping her up up but she forced his arm off her
"Leave me the hell alone,ont touch me fancho, I don't wanna have anything to do with you"Amila protested getting up by herself but fancho held her hair slamming her hard on the floor for the second time
"If not me....the no one else!!"fancho raged continuously stomping on Amila, each stomp injuring her immediately "I'm sorry ...., I'm sorry...., I'm sorry!!"he apologized still stomping as hard as he could]
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"I can tell you didn't miss me at all.... walking around with this clown"fancho said his grip on the dagger getting tighter by the minute, Amila trembled in fear, she had never thought he would return and had never feared anyone the way she did him, ruke had already been surrounded by fanchos thugs, they all had guns all pointed at ruke as the reports on the last group had stated that ruke was a close range combatant, ruke could only sigh as he stared at the thugs the at fancho who seemed to be smiling while stareing at the situation he was in.
"Let's see how you make your way it of this ey??"fancho laughed stareing ruke in the eye but he instantly regretted it, rukes gaze vicious and bloodthirsty pierced through fancho like a crystal dagger and sent chills down his spine
"Creep..., can't believe you picked him over me"fancho said ordering his thugs to go on with the plan and bring ruke down. Multiple shots were fired at ruke like droplets of rain on the floor,ruke fell flat on the floor, he hadn't evaded, hadn't moved from that spot and let every single bullet either go through him or get in him.
"No, no!!!"Amila yelled struggling to get free but fancho grip on her was firm and she could get free
"Nicely done boys..., now c'mon tonight we feast"fancho smirked forcing Amila to come with him, he got into a car with his thugs and drove off leaving rukes soon to be lifeless body on the floor.