Chương 57: 2nd Lifetime: Dream (POV Minas & Mai)
Mai's POV
With the gradual fall of the sun, the shadows of the clearing lengthened, heightening the sounds unique to the night.
"We should get going," Cornelia said. Her long, blonde hair reflected the last rays of the sunset as she looked up at the tops of the surrounding trees. "It'll get dangerous soon."
Mai nodded after having confirmed the next phase of her plan- she has to somehow go with the Emperor's son to be able to see the condition of the people that aren't in the capital. Cornelia stood up and Mai followed, leaving Jaquine to be the only one sitting down.
"W-w-wait!" Jaquine's voice trembled and her face was flushed completely red with reluctance. "I can't leave!"
Both Cornelia and Mai turned, confusion on their faces. However, once Mai took a good look at the desperation on Jaquine's face, she realized what was up. Turning to face Cornelia, Mai took a deep breath, "She's right. We can't leave yet."
"What are you talking about?" Cornelia's frown intensified. "It's time to leave."
Jaquine shivered, and Mai noticed the growing tears in the girl's vulnerable eyes. Shaking her head, Mai stood her ground. "No."
"What do you mean, no?!" The blue in Cornelia's eyes grew a deeper color in Cornelia's anger. She raised a hand.
Slowly closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Mai spoke her next words slowly, "Jaquine still hasn't finished her treasure hunt."
There was a terse silence between the three girls, but the expressions on their faces reflected completely different moods. While Cornelia's face was filled with anger and disgust, Mai's was the total opposite- she was the picture of composure. On the other hand, Jaquine's tears were three seconds away from falling.
"You're still on about that," Cornelia laughed, but it sent shivers down Jaquine's spine. It was the type of laugh filled with condescension and superiority, and Cornelia had even raised her hand to cover the slight smirk on her face. "Didn't we just spend the better part of an hour explaining why Jacquine can't complete her tasks?"
"Yes, yes you did."
"And?!"
"I think you're going about this the wrong way."
A loud slap resounded through the forest, spooking the soft rustlings and movement of the nocturnal animals. Mai's skin didn't show the red mark well, however her turned face showed just how much force was in Cornelia's slap. Jaquine was so shocked, her glimmering tears had disappeared.
"Who are you to tell me whether or not I'm doing this right? Know your place, servant," Cornelia's cold voice rang out with a fury as she calmly wiped her hand with a handkerchief.
There was silence between the girls until Mai began to chuckle softly, her chuckles growing louder with the passing of time. Jaquine stared at her with a mixture of amazement and fear.
"Why are you laughing?" Cornelia ground her teeth, her eyes as cold as the wind blowing on the three girls.
Mai took some time to finish her chuckling before she looked up at Cornelia. Her voice was as equally cold as the old girl's, "Because it's funny how stupid you can be."
Cornelia squinted her eyes, leaning in closer to Mai. "Municia. We are leaving." She turned and began to take large strides out of the forest.
"She can be a spy."
Cornelia stopped in her tracks before she whirled around to face Mai. "You're the one who's stupid! The pros outweigh the cons!"
"Sure, but haven't you forgotten about something?" Mai tilted her head, a small smile gracing her face.
Cornelia paused, her mind churning in thought. Abruptly, she turned her head to look at Jaquine before she returned to looking at Mai, her eyes widening in understanding. "Him."
Mai slowly nodded before she calmly went up to Cornelia and lightly placed one of her hands on Cornelia's cheek. Mai's voice was low when she whispered, "There won't be a next time."
Cornelia shivered, noticing a dangerous glint from Mai's eyes. However, she quickly pretended as if nothing happened. She looked at the confused Jaquine. "Get ready."
"Huh?" Jaquine looked between Mai and Cornelia. "Ready for what?"
"For your d*mn treasure hunt," Cornelia spat on the ground, completely ruining the image of a Vestia priestess.
"Huh!?" Jaquine's jaw dropped down to the floor. She whirled to Mai, the confusion evident on her face.
Mai chuckled before she said, "It's just as I said. You're better off being a spy than anything else. Besides-" Mai glanced at Cornelia and then she looked up, her eyes reflecting the half-covered moon. "We'll be needing your help."
"O-o-okay?" Jaquine trembled.
"Let's go," Cornelia gestured furiously to the two girls.
Jaquine tentatively shared a nod with Mai and followed Mai as they walked towards the end of the forest.
"Where are we going?" Jaquine tugged at Mai's clothes.
Mai dodged a branch before she answered Jaquine's question. "A doormat and fire."
"What?" Jaquine's eyes were round.
"They're-"
"Will you stop being so stupid!" Cornelia hissed. She stomped her way towards Jacquine, her tall figure completely overbearing Jaquine's equally small one. "They're the answers to two of your 'requirements'."
"I-I'm sorry," Jaquine's voice was like a mosquito as she stared at her feet, not daring to look at Cornelia at all.
"That's enough." Mai pushed Cornelia out of the way before she turned to face Jaquine. "Let's continue."
Cornelia huffed and turned away, the crunching from her feet intensifying as she stomped her way through the forest with even more force. Mai followed with lighter footsteps. Jaquine was the last to follow.
However, she no longer trembled as she watched Cornelia's turned back.
Her face was devoid of emotion and not an inkling of the girl from before could be seen from her manner. After a sliver of the moon highlighted the contours of her face, she returned to being tentative, her footsteps quieter than even a mouse's.
.
.
.
.
Minas' POV
It's been two days since Eolia, Qori, and Wurv had left for the Mountains of Geva, and Minas was getting antsy.
Ever since they had left, he had had a sinking feeling deep within his mind. It was as if he had made a terrible mistake... but even then, it was too late. Once an individual entered the Mountians of Geva, they were unable to leave.
Minas heaved and then laid still as he stared at his bedroom's ceiling. He had ben getting weaker lately as the summer solstice went further and further away. He closed his eyes and was swept into a dream.
Minas was in Mai's room, the familiar hairpin peeking out from under her pillow. He frowned, his manifestation shivering once he remembered the deep danger that was nearing ever-so-closer to Mai.
If he saw her- and even if he didn't- he needed to warn her somehow. Although he knew that she was more than capable of taking care of herself, Minas still felt as if it was his duty to protect her in anyway possible, if only to ease the worry of his heart.
Unfortunately, his circumstances made it very hard to do this task.
He sighed and returned his sight to the inconspicuous hairpin. Squinting his eyes, he hesitated to move closer, however he steeled his nerves and floated over.
Mai's bed was made, her sheets a light brown color, allowing for the flakes of purple of the hairpin to pop up. Minas paused as he noticed a chip on one of the flowers of the hairpin. What had happened?
Minas crouched, the tip of his nose almost touching the hairpin. He was so focused, however, that he failed to notice the creaking sounds coming from the door.
He was still glancing at the hairpin, wondering where the black shadow was, when a huge shadow pounced out from the ground right above Mai's door.
Minas turned, shock riddled his features. His eyes widened as the shadow noticed him and got ready to pounce.
Minas blinked, and then his surroundings changed.
He was now in a very different location. The room was huge- it was four times as large as Mai's room, and lavish rugs covered the walls while precious ornamentals garnered the floor.
The only other furniture in the room (other than the ornamentals) was a large red bed pushed flush to the wall.
Confused, Minas floated towards the bed. He had only noticed once he went closer that there was an individual there, a young man.
Surprised, Minas paused. The young man was older than Mai's current body by six years. But what made Minas pause was not about the boy himself, but that the young man was staring straight at him.
"Who are you?" the young man smirked, twirling a glass filled with wine with his right hand.
It took Minas a few seconds to compose himself before he answered with a question of his own. "Who are you?"
The young man scoffed and threw his wine away, the metal making clattering sounds on the floor. "I am the Emperor's son and the vessel of Jove, God of War."
Minas stared at the young man, completely confused. Who was Jove? He had never heard of him.
"I won't ask again," the young man's expression turned grave. "Who are you?"
"I am-"
Minas blinked, and he once again was transported away.
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