Chandragupta gripped his throne.
'What did I do to deserve this?' He turned toward his assistant.
"We'll focus on training soldiers and forging weapons. Gather the artisans. Gather the mine traders and my generals."
They organized a factory-sized place where all would teach and produce as much as possible. On the first day, they begun with the teaching part. Many people gathered to get a job, money to have a better life. Hidden between the new founded ranks, stood the three outsiders. They had not much left to eat and they would've run out of money soon.
The next day, Satish was on for a new escape. He asked Keith if he would follow him this time. He answered with his growling voice.
"I don't want to. Take my mask. They'll let you pass, that's what the king said. I'll stay here in your stead. Give it a try."
'I am sure we can escape whenever we want. This kid is too scared to jump off the balcony.' Most people wouldn't. The first floor was five meter high.
Satish borrowed the wooden mask and old bandages from the bin to cover his arms and torso. He knocked on their door and to his surprise, the guard opened the door to let him pass. He did not speak and walked at a slow pace, holding the wall to fake his blindness. He was stressed.
'I can't believe it was this easy.'
He walked toward the exit, like any visitor. But he was stopped before he could run away.
A servant held his hand and whispered.
"Dear guest, you have to remain in the palace, you'll make your host uncomfortable with this act. Even if the great one is friendly with you, you shouldn't test his patience."
Foreseer who was about to visit the kids saw the scene and came toward the servant, to slap him in the face.
"Don't touch him. Seven, we must work today, I hope you've got some energy left."
She grabbed his hand and they both entered the laboratory. Satish was completely lost. He had never seen such place before. His vision was overwhelmed by strange objects and dead animal parts, tiny pots and transparent flasks.
"Listen Satish."
'She knows!'
"You are to be released soon. You are but a decoy for Seven's entrance in the court, that's why you've been brought here in the first place. Don't engulf yourself in troubles."
He gulped down his saliva. She instructed him to go back in his room the same way he came here.
'I failed again. I am a tool in their hands. Why should I be used for this? How come he's special?'
He entered in their room, lowering his head. When the guard closed the door behind him, he heard flapping. A familiar sound, a bird. What was it? Keith was fighting with a vulture in front of the window, both were tangled in bandages. His eyes black and all of his strength were used to fight against it. He had no experience against bird of this size.
That vulture came down from the sky because of the carcass smell lingering in the room, even if it was hidden under perfume and flowers, it wouldn't disappear. It attacked Keith when he saw his body leaning in the bed. A perfect prey, or so it thought.
A shadow jumped on Satish, it chocked just so he couldn't scream. Keith ended the fight by biting the bird's long neck. It decapitated it in one chomp. Then the feeding frenzy begun. Blood spilled on near the carpets and on the floor.
The new sound coming out of his throat was like delight, jubilations amidst a laugh of pleasure. With no more oxygen, Satish passed out after witnessing the bone crushing noises.
The ruckus was ignored by the guard who was afraid of the growls.
Inside the room, Keith wanted more. He still had some room for a plus. He was about to jump on the unconscious kid when more shadow came out of the ground to restrain him. One plunged in his torso and stopped his heart. Then restarted it, with a slower pace.
'That came out better than I expected. Can you hear me little one?' Show said, in the Explanation.
"Screw this! I almost did it again!"
'I'll handle the cleaning. Just calm down. The kid saw that. We need to act before him.'
He woke up thanks to Mister Show when Satish shown signs of agitation in his sleep. It was still the afternoon, a few hours had passed.
While Keith faked his peaceful sleep next to him, Satish got up and looked around, where was all the blood? He lift many things just to find a feather.
'Did it really happen?' He thought while putting back the wooden mask on the bed.
'How's he?' Asked Keith. 'He's fine, just confused.'
Someone knocked on the door. It was the king's assistant. He came for Satish's release. He found him staring at the biggest flower bouquet. There, in the middle, there were stained petals. They were dark brown and red, easy to spot among a white flower.
"You are going back home Satish. There's plenty of people waiting for you."
He was brought to the main hall, his parents were indeed here and the king too. The rare people from the court were here. Most people he saw had humble clothes and most had no shoes. Their voices echoed through the corridors.
"That's the wounded kid from the marketplace events."
"Is it? I wasn't sure he would survive!"
"See! He still has his head covered, he must be disfigured."
People came to see the king's kindness. It was not only a spectacle, it was a strategy. He passed through the main entrance with his family and walked back home.
'What is that Seven? No wonder the king is so interested.'
The same night, a hundred citizen would gather and lit ablaze his house with his family in their sleep.
Why? Because having the king's favour was unfair. Because him alive will attract bad luck. Because some believed the kid still contained remnants of the evil, the one who pushed him to burn himself. Because their family members committed suicide too when the kid 'gave off the idea in public'. Because Keith took my teeth. Because Keith took my Ublee.
Merged feelings flowed through their mind and gathered to agree a death sentence.
For the king? He planned Satish as a martyr. He wanted a plain white background for the new sorcerer he'll keep at hand.
The next morning, Chandragupta came in Keith's room. The boy was alone once more and some company meant he had to work.
"Finally I have spare time for you, Seven."
Not announcing himself, Keith guessed who it was with just the sound of his steps.
"Hi. How are you?"
Just this simple salutation, absolutely nothing the king was used to. He always saw reverences, kneeling. People looking away from his gaze, fearing the worst. Yet the kid talked as if they were childhood friends. It made him laugh even if the raspy voice caught him by surprise.
"Eh heh! I stand as high as the sun today. I want to see your talents now. How do you call it, your magic?"
'The more I know, the better I can defend my city. If he comes with the evil so he has to fight it. Two bad omens in a less than five years means the worst for my position. If there's a day I fear evil, There'll be a day I'll fear my citizens. I shall vanquish.'
"Curses."
'That doesn't sound positive at all. I am not sure he'd help me, he'd rather hinder my opponents.'
"Can you make one that'll help me, this instant?"
'We can make a move! I have an idea, just do as I say.' Said Show.
"I can. I want something to clean, small."
"Sure. Can you do it with your face uncovered? I want to see everything."
The king asked while from his pocket, he pulled out a golden lined handkerchief. It was a silky tissue with elephant heads embroidered all around. The softest tissue of his outfit. Keith untied his face bandages before spreading his hand in front of him.
"Close your eyes one by one then. I want to touch your eyelids."
Keith had the king, kneeling in front of him, he touched his head and moved slowly. He then proceeded as Show said. Rubbing the eyelids from top to bottom. Chandragupta was itchy to back off because of the smell and the disturbing feeling he had.
Keith kept the handkerchief near him on a table, it was still as clean as before, nothing seemed different. Then he asked.
"Did someone give you one of your trinkets? As a sign of loyalty or friendship."
"Yes! You borrowed it the first time we met."
He pulled on his pinky, a yellow ring with a green stone on it. He did not hesitate to give it to the kid, impatient to know what will happen next. Keith rubbed the side of the golden ring on his tongue while Show gave instructions, but no results either. 'Good! Now ask him...'
"How's the colour?"
The yellow had turned black. The king couldn't believe his eyes at first.
"It turned black. You can detect fake precious?"
Keith shook his head and corrected.
"No, the promise this ring represent is worth as much as a gust of wind."
'That was from a political alliance.' The king wondered. After a few breathes of realisation, he continued.
"What about my tissue?"
The kid went on the balcony and let go of it, the lucky person who'll find it will become rich. It fell slowly and the king had plenty of time to contemplate his small loss.
"That's because Foreseer spies on you. Now she'll spy the next person who'll possess it. She did something with your eyes didn't she?"
The king turned red. A vein on his forehead was about to pop out and his jaw tightened. He remembered it. Long ago, yes, indeed. Her visions were true, but her methods were fake.
The kid's voice became lower, he was serious. He knew what he had to say beforehand and anxiety gradually invaded his mind.
"I have a request. If I can give you more, can you give me enough in exchange? I am in need of a special diet."
"I am all ears."