Under the dead heat of the scorching sun, seven young people walked down the dusty road with their cloaks covering their heads. On foot they trudged down the dusty hill, feeling the cruel slap of the wind on their faces. The group was approaching a grove of trees along the path, making their eyes dart at the bare branches. Their empty stomachs hoped for apples if possible, but none were available for them to consume. Sweat rolled down their arched brows, glaring at the heat of the sun. And the hunger their stomachs bore was painful and caused the travelers to feel weak.

The cat and monkey clung to their owner's shoulders, and with much of her strength, the men's teacher carried her animal friends without uttering a single complaint. Her shoulder also bore the weight of her satchel that carried her belongings. Several times the men had offered their help to carry her things, but each time the woman declined it with a smirk and a cocked brow. Angelica displayed no sign of discomfort, and was steadfast.

"If anyone thinks I'm crazy it would be your fault," Angelica told the monkey at one time. "I'm not rude. It's the truth and you know that."

The young prince, Jahan, gazed at her back as the woman who led the way. He watched her chat with Shandor, as if she understood the primate's language. Happening to be right beside her, the prince couldn't but help feel embarrassed to see Angelica pick Shandor to talk to instead of him or any of their friends. Perhaps they haven't connected at all. Suddenly, when he stole a glance at her, a sharp slap stung his cheek, stunning the prince. Laughter erupted behind him when Shandor turned out to be the one who did the honors, not Angelica. His eyes were wide with surprise and embarrassment. He wondered what it was for.

"Shandor! You and your random hoolabaloo! Apologize at once!" Angelica angrily told the monkey.

"N-No, it's fine, Angelica! I'm alright," objected the vexed prince.

Angelica sighs.

"Apparently, he doesn't like you,"explained Angelica when Shandor angrily pointed at the boy and seemed to explain something to the fortuneteller. The men watched in amusement when the monkey continued to complain, bringing smirks on their faces, except for Azad and Enzo who remained stoic.

Miss Angelica could understand what he's saying?? thought a horrified prince.

"And Shandor says—" Angelica's mouth was suddenly covered when the monkey cupped her mouth and then hugged her face, angrily snarling at the rest of the group.

It continued to cry and snarl until the woman burst into laughter. She patted his head and turned back to the road without saying anything to her companions, seemingly conversing with her monkey friend, baffling the rest who were left behind. The feline that rested on her shoulders like a scarf eyed them suspiciously before shutting its eyes again.

Alfieri started laughing and pulled ahead, and then glances back at his friends, saying, "Hey, Azad. You seem to be the most serious here. Did you understand what that monkey said?"

Sighing, Azad reluctantly replied yes. "The ability to speak to living creatures is a rare gift. Fortunately, I am among those who are able to converse to animals. You wouldn't want to here what that monkey was saying."

With that he pulled ahead, but was halted by Alfieri himself. "C'mon and tell us. Looking at the faces of our comrades here, I'm sure they're all dying to hear it as well."

"I'll have to confess, I want to know what Shandor was saying," said Pietro, looking nervously at the Indian.

"Azad! Tell us!" cried an anxious prince.

"This is stupid," remarked an incredulous Abelle, pushing back his glasses.

Sighing, the man calmly began to tell his friends what the monkey was telling the fortuneteller; never had Abelle feel so vexed his entire life. "Shandor was telling Angelica to be careful because she's accomodating a pack of wolves. And he was telling her to listen to him."

"Their conversation seemed longer than that though," the bespectacled man points out suspiciously. "What else did that monkey say?"

"Shandor was blackmailing us. Furthermore, the rest are not appropriate for us to hear, so it's best that I'll leave it at that," said Azad, walking past Alfieri and went after Angelica who was already far ahead.

The prince, Pietro, Alfieri, and Abelle hurry after him and started trudging down the small hill. They were silent, wondering if the woman was going to give them another intense training like she has been doing for the past few days. Despite it only being an hour, they needed five times more time to recover. And at one time needed two whole days. It was tiring and caused them to think if she has gone through the military herself, because she had proven herself invincible with only Azad and Alfieri nearly as her equal which stunned the men. Even Jahan who had undergone training from several teachers could not beat his new teacher.

Angelica had taught them the basics of controlling the cards already, but because Jahan didn't have his own, the woman gave him special lessons with dagger throwing as well as sparring. Again, she was proven to be a marvelous teacher. In fact, the boy couldn't help but start thinking about the mysterious woman who only kept them on their toes this whole time, never giving light of her past. Perhaps, she never will and will forever be a mystery. Especially the look in her eyes which he recognized: the look of anguish and pain. It wasn't the look of enduring physical pain. But rater from within. Furthermore, Angelica has been silent quite lately.

Walking down the hill, the men marveled at the presence of tranquil peace that captivated their spirits, and the loud calls of birds that echoed all throughout the area. There were no signs of people living close by from the silence, but from the sight of the beaten road was a sure indication that travelers frequently come that way. It had several footprints and horse tracks, its current state would be impossible to avoid. The beauty though of their surroundings captivated them, making the travelers gaze at the wild flowers, and the animals living in freedom and happiness brought them joy.

In a moment, they soon found themselves down at the bottom of the hill. Their lady companion though was gone with only a cloaked beggar begging for alms. Panic came upon them when they saw a baffled Azad close by. Quickly they ran to him, and immediately started hurling questions at him about Angelica's whereabouts.

"I lost sight of her! But Miss Angelica shouldn't have gone far," said the perplexed Indian. "I don't understand. She was right in front of me, but disappeared once we entered the forest."

Alfieri exasperatedly rubbed the back of his head, sighing while he did so. "How the hell did you lose a flower like her? I was even thinking if I should start calling her 'Princess'."

"You're womanizing ways would lead you to your death, Alfieri," warned Enzo, narrowing his eyes at the man. "Remember, the last time you attempted to pull of a daring stunt, Angelica nearly slit your throat open."

"I'm not going to try doing something like that again. Perhaps once I'm on par with her, which won't be long from now, I'll try to steal a kiss," he sneered as he walked ahead of the group.

Enzo, hearing this,  clenched his fists angrily but managed to keep a a calm demeanor. The others though sensed the tense atmosphere between the two, making them wonder if their rivalry took place when they both met each other.

"That woman, she's so troublesome," grumbled Alfieri, slapping his forehead. "I don't care if she's teaching us about these cards! Can't she wait for us??"

"Now, now, Abelle. It was our fault for lagging behind," Pietro told his friend nervously.

"So what? Whether it was our fault or not, what if those hooligans came after her when we're not by her side? What then?" asks the man.

"It's my fault," intervenes Jahan, looking miserably on the ground. "Maybe Shandor saw me as pathetic."

Pietro's eyes widen. "No! Why would you, Prince Jahan, see yourself as pathetic? Shouldn't you feel confident at least?" he asks.

"I was, but that changed when I found a woman more skilled than me in my fields of skill. I was the second best with only Azad ahead of me. But. . you could tell she's in a whole different level," confessed the boy.

Bursting out into laughter, Pietro, patted Jahan's shoulder, saying, "If anyone's pathetic it would be me. I'm probably gonna be the first to die here."

"Eh?! You're being hard on yourself, Mr. Pietro!"

"Don't call me 'mister' we're not that far apart. Just Pietro's fine," exclaimed the man, chuckling nervously.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry, Mr.—Pietro."

The two laugh at themselves for their silliness when Abelle, who has been feeling dreary for quite a while now, interrupts them sternly. Whispering aloud he says, "Sorry to interrupt your brief fun, but don't you think that old lady has been following us for quite sometime now?"

Glancing ever so slightly, the men saw that their bespectacled friend was right. Behind them the beggar was hounding them like a dog, trudging along with her staff. Her entire face was shadowed by her hood. However, when Abelle took a better look at her hands they were proven to be smooth and youthful, making his eyes widen in shock as he quickly drew out his whip from his belt. His voice let out a warning to his friends as well. The mysterious woman charged at the six and threw daggers at them but with Angelica's training, they were able to dodge them with ease.

Then they, too, started giving counterattacks at the woman, but instead of dodging them, she caught them in their hand and hurled it back at the men in a faster speed. When they dodged it though again, she hurls more and managed to graze their skin. They were surprised at her fast adapting skills. Soon they engaged in hand-to-hand combat, and their attacker proves herself to he a very agile fighter.

She would dodge each blow like a cat and then strike back like a viper with her fangs showing. She often strikes them not with punches but with kicks. They were strong and swift that were enough to push them back at a great length. As they were struggling the men wondered who she was and suspected if she was part of the fake Arcana users.

Suddenly, after an hour of fighting when most of the men were gasping for breath, their attacker stretches out her hand. Immediately after she did so, glowing white circular patterns formed underneath the men and chains bound them down. Defeated, some cursed under their breaths and others begged for a miracle.

Seeing the hilarious sight, the stranger pulls back her hood which made the men gasp at the revelation.

"Angelica??" cried an incredulous Abelle, angrily glaring at the laughing woman.

She gave them a round of applause, as if congratulating them. "That's the longest fight we've had so far. I'm impressed."

"Miss Angelica, what's the meaning of this?" Azad asks with a pensive tone in his voice.

"Damn woman! To think we were worrying about you!" yelled an annoyed Abelle.

Chuckling, Alfieri remarked, "I see. This was a test."

"Thank you for worrying, but you're all still not open minded. No. More like you still aren't familiar with me," she sneered while chuckling mischievously. "Not only that, you didn't bother to ask the 'beggar' where your 'companion' went. Furthermore, you were so confident in finding me once you went up ahead. Other than being far from perfection, you lack common sense because you had so much with me. You men are so sweet."

"So this was planned all along?" Enzo asks, relieved to see the woman alive and well.

"Of course. I must teach you to sense me with your card," she explained.

"Sense?" repeated a stunned Pietro.

Angelica nods her head.

"You shouldn't always rely on sight or smell, but you must try with your inner being. Connect with the cards, because they would know who's who."

"You really know a lot about these cards," remarked Azad.

Smirking, the woman replies, "What did you think I was doing for six months until you arrived? I was studying them, of course! Anyway, there should be a small town not far from here."

The fortuneteller then again leads the way, Shandor and Zipporah came dashing her way, immediately begging to be carried like little children. Patiently their master heaves them to her shoulders: the cat curling around her neck, and Shandor making sure that his position didn't make Angelica or his friend uncomfortable. Despite seeing the animals the men saw the woman carry, their awareness of Shandor's true lack of favor made them wary. They had thought they were going along with the monkey; apparently they were wrong.

Soon, the noisy bustling of people and horses reached their ears. The travellers' eyes perked up immediately and hurried to where the dreary road was leading them. The town proved to be a busy one, seeing men and women go around their business as they traded for something cheap, as well as a high price. Their strong personalities brought creases on their forehead, and their brows were attracting each other like two magnets. Out of their mouths emerged heated arguments and sharp reasoning; hopefully they would not lead to scrimmages. 

Children ran around the streets without a care to their troubles. Friends chased each other with loud laughter, sweaty and smelly. Indeed, they cared for nothing but the fun they were currently indulged in. However, their recklessness led them to their tired parents' anger, which brought fear upon the little people.

Horses neighed, feeling restless with their halters tied to the posts. Their bare backs were brushed gently by stableboys, who hoped to have a good pay to buy their meals. Dragging their hooves on the earth, the restless animals blowed their noses irritably. Not all the horses though were irritated, some simply lapped up water from the trough, quenching their dry throats. 

Among the bustling crowd, a young man who had left Regalo earlier on, Romeo was in the town. His strong hand held the rein of his horse firmly as he scanned his surroundings. Hungry he was, feeling his stomach grumble. Unconsciously the man clutched his stomach, and his horse, too, felt hungry. It nuzzled its nose against his shoulder, making his master guilty for lack of proper treatment. Romeo fondly patted his steed's nose while his eyes looked for a stall that sold apples. He went around town looking for one, instead of buying meat for himself.

Walking through the streets as he excused himself each time his shoulder bumped against another, he felt a bead of sweat roll down his face. His hand quickly wipes it off and soon found a small stall that sold red apples. Romeo walks over to it, and buys for himself and his horse; settling down on a table nearby. His neighboring companions seemed pensive, indulging themselves in their discussion about returning to Regalo which perked his interests.

"We'll be passing by three more towns before we reach Regalo," said the woman, Angelica, among them. "The first one would be Gritano, which is actually run by a mafia. The next one has a train station that would lead to the last town."

"This Gritano town. . do we necessarily have to pass through there?" asks a fearful Pietro.

Laughing, the woman replies, "They have some equipment that we might be needing after we leave here. In case we'll run into trouble, at the very least we'll get refreshments there."

"Whether we like it or not, bumping into the mafia means trouble," pointed Abelle. "You don't even sound concerned."

"Idiot, it only means nothing horrific would come our way when we get there. Am I right, Princess?" cooed Alfieri as he twirled a lock of her hair around his finger.

Princess? thought a baffled Romeo.

"Well. . . I do not know about that; I haven't been using my Arcana lately," confessed the woman, making her companions tense.

Enzo places his hand on her shoulder, pulling the woman slightly closer towards him. "Do you feel sick?"

"Oh, no! I just don't see the need yet," she exclaimed.

Alfieri frowns. "You didn't need to snuggle her all to yourself," he pouts.

"If possible, please don't act so immodest," scolded Azad, narrowing his eyes at the man.

Hearing those words, the woman pulls away from Enzo and said, "No need to be jealous, Alfieri. And I certainly most agree with Azad."

"You're no fun."

She smirks. 

"Going back to—"

"Did you just mention Arcana?" Romeo suddenly interrupts.

With wide eyes, the entire group diverts their eyes to the good-looking man across their table. Immediately they placed their guards up and looked at him suspiciously. They wondered if he was affiliated with their newfound enemies to be familiar with the Arcana, or perhaps he was among those who just simply new about it. In sync, each slowly and quietly took hold of their weapons as Angelica, their current ringleader, stood up from her seat to accommodate the man.

For a moment she stared at him quietly, and then at one moment felt her eyes widen in surprise. "Oh? You have met Papa and the others?" she asks.

"Do you mean the Arcana Famiglia? Yes, I have, miss," Romeo replies.

"Ah, I see. So you seeked helped from them? To find your missing sister, perhaps?"

"H-How did you. . ?"

Angelica quickly chuckles at his surprised expression, finding it rather funny. "If you're familiar with the Arcana, you should be aware of some information about it. So. Tell me what you know," she states.

"I only know that the Arcana allows its user an amount of abilities that are uniquely designated to each card. I have no idea what abilities though," answered the man. Pondering for a moment, he quickly realized a revelation. "Could it be you're the one Mondo mentioned? The one traveling for new Arcana users?"

"So our big boss mentioned me traveling, huh? Well, perhaps I am she."

"Wait, is it even safe to tell this man this?" the bespectacled man asked suspiciously.

Angelica nods. "I sense no unusual power in him. That should be enough to say he's not our foe," she patiently replied.

"You do make rather quick decisions," remarked Azad, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

The woman just smiles. "Are you questioning my judgment? If I'm wrong then I'll pluck out my left eye and hand it to you as a trophy for bad judgment," Angelica states confidently.

"A-Angelica, you don't need to bet on that," stammered the man. "I don't take exaggerations lightly."

"Neither do I. I'm simply putting it that way to say 'trust me'."

"I—we—"

She just smiles, and then places her finger on her lips, saying, "It's alright. I never expected you to trust me fully when I used my wits to trick you. I'm still surprised you followed me anyway."

Suddenly grabbing her hand, Pietro fell to his knees before a surprised Angelica. Her eyes were wide and they gleamed under the afternoon sun, and for a moment, the man wondered what he was doing until he heard Abelle clear his throat.

"U-Um, we're fully aware that it seems rather foolish and strange to just follow you because we failed at a bet. But if you don't notice, none of us had anywhere was to go. You were aware Abelle and I had no money—"

"That was unnecessary," interrupts Abelle as he pushes back his glasses.

"It's alright. We will discuss that later," chuckled the fortuneteller.

Clearing his throat, the stranger intervenes. "About Gritano. . I happened to have come from there before I came here."

"That town, Gritano, Miss Angelica mentioned it before that it's run by the mafia. What exactly is a mafia?" asked the prince, finally speaking.

"Oh? You aren't familiar with them?" asks a surprised Romeo. "If your companions haven't told you, the mafia acts just like a famiglia. Actually, they are one except they do crimes like human trafficking. Their size, if they're big, can give them an opportunity to become a self-proclaimed government, just like the Arcana Famiglia. Going back to Gritano, I heard rumors of a man who calls himself Scorpio. Apparently, he and his followers are now trying to overthrow the government there."

Enzo narrows his eyes. "That doesn't sound good."

"Yes. I heard that he's powerful as well. Every man that came to challenge him all met their deaths."

"For a man you knows little, you sure do know a lot about these things. You actually look pampered," teased Alfieri.

"Please don't provoke me."

"No need to tease him," Angelica chides. Turning to the stranger, the woman introduces herself, revealing her name as well as her companions'. The stranger also introduces himself politely, kissing the back of the fortuneteller's hand.

"I am Romeo. I actually live far from here."

Abelle nods as he pushed back his glasses. steed

"We could tell by your fashion and your fancy steed," he remarked. "Those aren't native here but farther north. Unless of course you bought him."

Lovingly the man smiles as he caressed his horse. He saw loyalty in his steed's eyes, expecting nothing more than that. "Well, he is actually my stepfather's. Father had me ride him to search for his biological daughter. In fact, Angelica here resembles a lot like her."

Her eyes widen. "I do?"

He nods. "Yes. You have those deep violet eyes like she did. As well as your locks like ebony. Even your beauty mark. I have to confess I thought you were her until I realized you wore piercings and cut your hair short," says the man.

"Telling by that, your sister sounds like a beauty," remarked Alfieri, flashing a smirk at Angelica who only shook her head incredulously.

Romeo chuckles at this. "She is! I remember when I was only thirteen years of age, men often flocked to the mansion to ask for her hand in marriage. She was only sixteen at that time. Buy at the same time, she disappeared when news of our stepfather's death."

"You mentioned earlier on that your stepfather gave you the steed, and now he's dead?" asked a confused Pietro.

"You assumed your stepfather dead?" Jahan suddenly intervenes, making everyone around him run their gazes at him.

"Everyone did. They would if they were informed that by his companion himself," replied Romeo. "What's stranger was that he tried to kill stepfather, thought he did, and then left him stranded in one of their voyages."

"That's terrible!" exclaimed the boy.

"It is. But he returned six months ago; now we're looking for Aria."

* * * * * * * *

Hooting, the calls of an owl echoed through the dark night. Its domain, the foresty mountain of Lucia, was in its claws to reign as and hunt. It would fly through the night with its wings spread wide. No one could escape its sharp eyes that see all. The only one who questions its rulership are the wolves that roam the mountain. Their bare fangs caused all living creatures to tremble in their presence and run away before they are caught between their teeth. The powerful wolf pack hounded deer and ate venison for their meals until their hunger is satisfied.

Not even hunters dare step foot into the mountain, knowing the dangers of wolves ahead. However, a certain group of travelers still went into that dreaded mountain, not knowing, except their teacher, about those wolves that lurked in the dark. The settled at the mountain for the night and hunted deer meat for their meat.

Flames of fire danced among the sticks of wood. They kindled from the heat, and burning embers sparked as they raised into the heavens. The fire was as bright as a star in the sky, its light illuminating through the spaces between trunks of trees.

By the fire, the travelers gathered around it as they indulged themselves with leisure and silence. The cloaks they wore the entire day were folded under their buttocks that protected them from the cold earth, their equipment right behind them. Each traveler was engrossed in their own thoughts, and all their eyes was to the fire except the men's teacher whose eyes were shut close. In her mouth was a long iron pipe, and smoke emitted at the end. From time to time she would remove it and breathe out smoke like a fire-breathing dragon. Her free hand caressed her sleeping feline, which purred at each touch. Then finally Shandor was nestled close by, already sound asleep.

Sighing, the woman stretches out her hand towards the fire when the face of her father formed from the flames. Her eyes mirrored the fire that captivated her spirit. But the intense heat drove her hand away, and the face of her father disappeared. She felt down for a moment, but the sound of Azad's voice took her attention.

"You predict the future with fire, no? Could you show the past as well, Miss Angelica?" the man gently asks.

A small smile curled on her lips.

"Curious, Azad? And please call me Angelica. Ann would be alright as well," she replied. "And I could as well. Show the past that is."

"Do you mind showing us a little bit about yourself? You know ours, but o my if you're willing that is."

"Still wary about following a mysterious woman, eh? Then let me tell you a little tale about the fortuneteller you have been following all this time," said Angelica.

Pulling out a small pouch, she opens it and flung some sand into the fire. The act was caught by the rest who remained silent all the while. Their teacher's fingers danced with the flames for a moment, and then suddenly figures resembling a little girl formed. At that moment, the mysterious fortuneteller began her little tale.

"Once upon a time, there lived a man and a woman who loved each other very much. They got married despite the man's parents' protests. After their marriage, they bore a daughter and they lived happily but that happiness did not last long. Their drama began the moment, the woman passed away. I'll leave it at that for now. This is the beginning of the fortuneteller's tale."

~~~

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