บท 8: AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE
LOCATION: CASCADE PALACE, ZENARLI, VENDERYA.
*PEOPLE FROM OTHER KINGDOMS ARE REFERRED TO AS ALIENS.*
THREE DAYS LATER.
Warm rays of morning sun skimmed Adriana's face, gently waking her up from her unconscious state.
Adriana blinked a few times, lifting her heavy eyelids, unsure where she was or how she got here. After a moment, her sleepy mind caught up as the previous night's event washed over her.
A demon had been attacked her. The thought scared her more than she was willing to admit.
A demon? It wasn't like she didn't believe Anlai and all his rants about the paranormal, but she didn't think she would come into close contact with one suddenly after her escape.
Did this mean she had just escaped the frying pan to jump into fire? Was she even safe here?
Where was here? Adriana thought as she pulled herself upright, her mouth was parched, and her left shoulder blade was aching.
She turned to hope to find a glass of water nearby when her bright brown eyes locked on a pair of equally brown ones, albeit stony.
Gasping, Adriana jerked back on impulse, her shoulder blades cringed in discomfort, sending sharp jolts all over her arm, and she fell back on the bed, which let out its protest with a loud creak.
"Woah!" Someone exclaimed, startled by the quick movement. Adriana backpedaled, the bed acting as a barrier between them. Her shoulder was throbbing in pain, and she couldn't help but let out a groan at the ache.
"Your shoulder needs rest," The brown-eyed figure said in a smooth and practiced tone, watching Adriana with an interested eye. "You shouldn't be exerting yourself so–"
"Don't come closer," Adriana barked as the figure reached out to her. Stony brown eyes gleamed in the sunlight, her face oval-shaped, black hair that fell back like a waterfall of darkness, a burnished brown skin that looked more bronze than brown. This person, no, she looked beautiful.
"Who are you, and where am I?" Adriana asked as she scanned her surroundings. She was in a vast grey walled room, marble tiles of different colors shone in the morning sun, a window stood wide open, breeze blowing in. Vacant beds were slammed horizontally against the wall, each bed some inches apart from each other.
"You are in the ZCU," The lady replied, watching Adriana like a specimen in an experiment.
"ZCU?" Adriana breathed, confused. The ache in her shoulder blade was hurting more and her head wasn't as light-headed as it was before.
"The Zenarli Care Unit." The brown-eyed lady deadpanned. "You aren't from here, are you?"
"W–what?" Adriana stuttered in shock but decided to settle on a question. "How did you know?"
"I didn't, you just told me." The lady replied with a coy smile.
"By the way," The lady diverted the topic, seeing as Adriana remained apprehensive.
"My name is Shaista, a doctor in the ZCU, and you are?"
"Adriana,"
"Well, Adriana." Shaista began, as she arranged a set of pills on a tray. "Where are you from?"
Adriana stared at Shaista for a moment, looking into those intelligent brown eyes. Adriana was too apprehensive of people's intentions all her life–the streets had taught her that. So she was wary of this doctor whoever she might claim to be.
"My arm hurts," Adriana said instead.
If Shaista was disappointed, she didn't show it. "It's fine not to tell me, but I advise you to decide what you intend to say when they arrive," Shaista said, falling back on the bed behind her, lips curled in a faint grin.
They?
Adriana narrowed her eyes at Shaista, but before she could ask what she meant, Shaista was already saying something else.
"By the way," Shaista said, glancing at her wrist.
"Let me take a look at that shoulder for you, it's just a cursory glance." Shaista reassured as she drew closer to Adriana, who flinched upon close contact.
Adriana groaned as Shaista applied pressure on her shoulder. The dull throb rose a notch, and a wave of pain reverberated all over her arm.
"It seems to be healing nicely," Shaista said, slowly peeling off the blood-stained bandage and tossing it aside, a wide gash could be spotted where pale skin once was.
"Let me grab some clean bandages." Shaista moved towards the closest drawers, and began searching for the bandages.
"We found you buried beneath the rubble."
Shaista began, as if hearing Adriana's unspoken questions. "Weak and starved, we gave you some food supplements to prevent your body from crashing.You were lucky we found you when we did. Another hour-long and you'd have died from asphyxiation "
Shaista passed a finger across her throat whilst making choking sounds.
"The building had been dilapidated, so why were you there?" Shaista questioned.
"Oh, never mind, you aliens and your secrets."
She said the word aliens with a kind of tone that hunted disgust which she tried hiding with a forced laugh.
Adriana merely looked at Shaista. Why was she blaming the building collapse on dilapidation? And why was she using the alien word to describe her just because she was from another kingdom? Was Shaista downplaying the situation?
Adriana didn't know whether to play along or not... She decided on the latter.
"Did you see it?" Adriana asked after a moment of silence, turning her light brown eyes on Shaista's stony browns.
"See what?" Shaista asked, turning her attention to some bottles arranged on the drawer's surface. Picking them up and checking them in the sunlight before dropping them back again.
Adriana didn't miss the way Shaista hesitated before answering. Normally, she would easily switch the topic, but today she felt she needed answers. Besides she wanted to see Shaista squirm.
"The Unseen, I mean," Adriana probed "The one that conjured up the flames, atop the pala–"
As if turning a switch, Shaista's demeanor changed swiftly. She turned abruptly, and shoved a glass of water and two pills in Adriana's hands, the contents in the glass spilling on Adriana's blouse.
"That should numb the pain," Shaista said, pressing a finger on Adriana's shoulder, stomping off, and slamming the doors behind her before Adriana could react.
"That hurt," Adriana winced.
Before Adriana could ponder on Shaista's reaction, the door creaked open, and Adriana raised her head, hoping to see Shaista in her lab coat. Instead, she was faced with royalty, for that was the only reasonable explanation for this person dressed exquisitely.
He wore a loose-fitting red robe, shadowing pristine white uniform-like wear, patched with matching white trousers. His eyes were a most piercing blue, his nose pert, and his skin was a burnished brown color that glowed a shade of caramel. He looked very handsome.
But the presence that followed this god-like person was what caught Adriana's attention. A face she wouldn't have dreamed of seeing, a face that tormented her dreams, one that she could have sworn burnt in the flame, approached her, walking languidly towards her.
His equally handsome face taut in a wary smile, his dark skin shone in the morning sun, his hair black and ruffled. His body was firm against the kendo breastplate that he wore... Adriana's breath hitched at the sight.
Adriana's heart raced as she stared at this acquaintance of hers. She couldn't believe her eyes. He was here, well and alive.
The godly presence stopped some inches from her bed, and the familiar stranger stood back watching her with an expression that Adriana couldn't pinpoint.
"Long time no see, Adriana," Kali said, turning his olive-green eyes on her with a smile.
บท 9: ROLEPLAY
THE CASCADE PALACE, CAPITAL CITY ZENARLI, KINGDOM OF VENDARYA.
* The people of Vendarya are referred to as Vendes*
"How have you been?" He said, smiling. Adriana stared at him, her heart pounding furiously in her chest. She couldn't control her breathing as different emotions surged at once, feelings buried only to be dug up by this unexpected presence.
"How?" She whispered, and made to stand up when she noticed it. A small detail, so subtle a motion from her ex-accomplice, his thumb rubbing slightly against his index finger. Her eyes widened at that, and she fell back against the bed, eliciting a pretentious groan.
It is him! Adriana exclaimed inwardly, He had just signaled a motion that they were both accustomed to. A non-verbal expression for her to play an ignorant role. But what angle was he playing? If so, why did he call her pet name? Wouldn't that spoil the guise? But that hardly mattered; she had to play a role that any person would feel sorry for, a victim.
But it was Kali, her former member in the Uprising. One whom she had almost shared romantic fantasies with, whom she had seen burn in the fire. He was here standing in front of her, in the flesh.
"How what?" King Hattori asked, looking between his assistant and her, the alien.
"H–how are you here?" Adriana spilled out hurriedly, tearing her eyes away from Kali. "I mean, Your Majesty must be so busy"
Before she could finish and bob her head slightly in a curtsy, Hattori cut in with an amused tone."So you know I'm royalty?"
Of course, she knew him. He was one of those good leaders in kingdoms that the Uprising refused to operate on. But he didn't know that.
"Y–yes Your Majesty." Adriana stuttered, ducking her head nervously. Adriana had to sell the role she wished to acclaim. She had prepared for this in case she was caught.
"How so? You don't look like one of my people," He queried, scanning her slightly tan face.
Curse Antioch's sun. She thought, her skin wasn't bone white like that of the Vendes.
"I'm from Antioch," Adriana answered, truthfully.
"Antioch?" Hattori intoned with a raised eyebrow. "What brings you here then?Last I checked, Antioch is in a fairer condition than Venderya," The king asked, tipped his head to the side. All the while, Kali looked on, his face impassive except for the occasional grin.
"True, Your Majesty, but my occupation necessitates movement from kingdoms of favorable conditions to those of less favorable conditions. No offense," Adriana replied with a blank look on her face.
"And what occupation is that?" Hattori questioned, his eyes searching Adriana's for a flaw of any sort.
Adriana answered in a heartbeat, no one in the room could detect the lie. "I am a trader Your Majesty." Adriana answered shifting her weight on the bed.
"A trader?"
Adriana nodded, chancing a glance at Kali. He was engrossed in his fingernails.
"And what do you trade?"
"Pieces of jewelry. I trade different pieces of jewelry, pawn old and faded antiques for new ones."
"Jewelry?" Hattori inquired.
Adriana almost snorted at his intonation. It seemed he had a habit of intoning every point she laid across. But she was a skilled liar. She could lie on the spot, and that alone reassured Adriana.
"Your physique doesn't suit that of what you practice," Hattori said, examining her lithe arms.
But before Adriana could think of a reply, Kali spoke up. "Where is the trade you speak of?"
Hattori turned to Adriana quizzically, with a frown, no doubt annoyed by Kali's intervention.
"Alas, they fell prey to the desert bandits, I escaped by hair's breadth. Thus, my unprecedented stop in your kingdom," She replied without missing a beat.
"I see," Hattori paused; for a moment Adriana thought she had escaped.
"And you are?"
Adriana blinked.
"What's your name?"
"Adriana."
"Well, Adriana, I am King Hattori and this," He said with a benevolent smile "is my assistant, Kali."
A swift change. Adriana noticed as Hattori's face burst into a small smile.
"It's an honor to meet you both," Adriana said, giving Kali her sweetest smile.
"I apologize for the incident," Hattori stated, his eyes looking a bit downcast. "Our best resources are out there finding a solution to this problem."
"I hope they find it soon," Adriana wished, with a smile. Her mind wavering to Foucault and Lady Marga. Why weren't they here yet?
"Since that is settled, I'll leave you in the hands of Kali," Hattori said turning on his heels. "He will get you settled and hopefully when you recover there would be provisions for your departure."
"You are too kind, milord," Adriana said in a sickly sweet tone.
"Kali." Hattori called as he reached the door. Once Kali drew close enough, he whispered,
"I want you to keep an eye on her. Make sure her story checks out, I need you to gather information on her and maybe she has any idea what is happening in her Kingdom concerning Foucault," Hattori whispered.
"Yes, my liege," Kali said bowing, then Hattori left, leaving the medical wing for Kali and Adriana.
"How?" Adriana muttered as Kali turned around to face her.
"I understand you have a lot of questions to ask." Kali began holding his hands up. "But we can't discuss them here,"
Adriana glared at him for a moment before releasing a sigh. "Lead the way," She said, and together, they left the Cascade Palace, away from its gates and into the city.
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