Chapter 72

**Acacia Point of View**

I was feeling light and painless.

My eyes were closed and I'm sure I'm still in a sleep but still I could feel the surrounding around me. I wanted to open my eyes and see where I am and most importantly, where Igses is.

The last thing I remember was that I tucked Igses close into my arms as I tried my hardest to swim in unknown direction to reach the land. I tried to float back up but it was like there was a pressure that was restricting me so I could only swim as much as my lungs allowed and as much as my energy permitted me.

Because taking Igses on shore is my only priority.

However, I could only remember myself swimming in the dark and deep endless water where there seemed no hints of land. How I went unconscious and what happened in the water, I have no idea.

Now, I could feel that I was no more drowned in water but the more I tried to open my eyes the more I feel like what I was feeling right now was just a dream and nothing more.

I tried moving my body, first my hands and then legs and just anything that could tell me if I was still alive and awake or not. But no matter how I tried I couldn't move. I was in a kind of sleep paralysis episode.

No, I want to get out of this. Igses, I have to find him. My son, God knows where he is. I can't feel his small body beside me.

Is he okay?

Was he saved by someone?

Was he hurt?

Is he still -

No, he should be alright and he must be. There is no second option.

This time, I gritted my teeth and attempted to break my paralytic state and wake up. I vaguely heard some voices around me and even that did not give me push to break my condition.

Amidst my attempts to wake up and understand the situation I was in, I heard an old grumpy voice saying something in a firm tone.

By how close and loud it was, I could assume that whatever that old voice said was said to me. However, when I don't understand the language no matter how he spoke so I attempted to break through the condition and wake up again and this time with even more force.

"You should stop that, girl. You can only wake up when your mind and body gets enough rest." This time I understood what he was trying to say.

Apparently, the old grumpy voice person knows how to speak my language.

For a moment, my struggle ceased and then when I thought of my son, I could not help but struggle even more than before.

Rest can wait, Igses is more important.

I tried to open my eyes or mouth to speak but nothing of such happened.

"The little boy is doing well. He is alive and healthy so stop struggling and relax your mind. Only when your mind is free from worries and your body is strong can you break through your sleeping statement."

The next moment I heard those words, I felt someone touch my forehead with a rough calloused finger. The moment the cold finger touched the place between my eyebrows, a feeling of calm waves entered my body which immediately put me into relaxing state.

The half awake state slowly left and a fog of sleep touched me. I wanted to stay awake and know what is happening and see Igses but the amount of sleep I was feeling was just too much.

No matter how much I struggled, I couldn't fight back the drowsy enchantment that enveloped me.

With the last thought of Igses being safe, I drowned in the sleep with no much energy left to struggle anymore.

Don't know how long I slept this time and what time it is, when I finally was fully awake and was able to open my eyes, it was pitch dark in the place where I was sleeping.

So dark that I could not even see the very thing just an inch away from my eyes. I let my eyes get used to the dark until I could see the outline of my surrounding with the help of moonlight flowing from the window.

There was absolute silence where ever the heck I was. I could even hear the swish of breeze flowing through the window.

I rubbed my eyes and adjusted the sight and looked around the dark room with the help of moonlight. It was a small room make of stone and there are not many things occupying the space. There was only the rock hard bed I was on and a small table beside the bed.

I could see some things are hung around down from the roof which I could not determine what they are due to lack of enough light.

Slowly, I stepped down from the bed and took cautious steps towards where I think the door was. It was all thanks to the window that was situated directly in front of the door that I could see the round metal handle and pulled it open.

It was the moment I opened the door that I realized the complete and utter silence inside the room was quite opposite to outside.

Because the outside was brightly lit with a huge campfire sitting in the middle of the clearing. Around the fire are several people sitting and enjoying their time together while a few were dancing to a peppy instrumental music in a circle.

Where is this?

Without any hesitation, I walked to the group of people and when I was halfway through, I heard someone from behind.

"Awake already girl?" The gruff old voice that I heard in my sleep asked. Turning around I saw an old man well suited for the voice he has.

One look at him or any other person, I could tell that they are a tribal group. Their appearance, the style of clothing and just everything around shouts the fact.

The old man looked annoyed when I did not say anything. "My son?" That was the first thing I asked.

"The boy is doing well. If it wasn't for the boy's power protecting you, you could've died already." The old man grumbled as he turned around to leave.

Taking a couple of steps, he stopped and turned around to look at me which was an enough indication that I was asked to follow.

"Is he affected by the sea water? Was he in danger as well?" I followed him through rows of houses as I inquired about Igses health.

"No."

"Did he catch cold or fever?"

"No."

"Are there rashes on his skin due to long exposure to sea water?"

"No."

"I did not feed him for don't know how long, is he hungry and crying for food?"

"No."

"Was he hurt in anyway?"

"No." I nodded with a sigh and followed him to a medium sized house of similar style I woke up in. "Don't ask anymore, you can find it out yourself." The old man grumbled pretty annoyed with my questioning.

He always has this brooding face and even his tone is always gruff, I can tell how impatient he is.

Even before I stepped inside the house, I could hear loud and clear female voices talking something in their native language that I obviously again don't understand.

First thing I do after heading back was to speed up my attempt in learning the damned language.

Tensed and apprehensive, I stepped inside the house and found myself in a small receiving hall. My eyes immediately landed on the small bed by the wall where a little baby was surrounded by two women and a young girl.

The three were happily cooing the baby and the baby boy was enjoying the attention with full of laughs and cackles.

My little man, you are still a baby but you still know how to attract attention. What am I to do with you?

Without thinking for another second, I ran to the bed and looked at my baby boy with tears rolling down my eyes. I couldn't help but feel bad for he had to go through with his small delicate body.

The three female members of the tribe stepped aside to give me enough space. I nodded in gratitude and quickly picked Igses into my arms and hugged him tightly as I cried loudly only I felt him alive and safe in my arms.

"Thank God you are alright. I nearly died of worry." I whispered to him and showered his little face with kisses.

Igses looked at me with a smile replacing his previous festive laughs. I could not believe that for the first time ever I saw love and concern for me in his eyes and to say he is only close to seven months old is shocking even to me.

How a seven months old baby give such an affectionate gaze like a matured person.

"The boy is overly protective over his mother. When we pulled you both out of the water, we couldn't get close to you as you were surrounded by a protective force from the boy." I could find hints of amazement in his old brooding voice.

Even the two ladies beside me looked at my son with awe.

I pressed a kiss over Igses head and hugged him closely again, reveling the feeling for few more minutes.

"Where is here?" I asked once my overwhelmed emotions were settled back to normal.

**~*~*~*~*~*~

Hello Sweeties,

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