"A lot has happened since I first came here." Marcus began. If one paid an inkling worth of attention, Marcus' slightly trembling voice would have been hard to miss. Maintaining a confident composure was not entirely a priority for him now. Ensuring that he made it through the night was the only thought on his mind other than telling his story. A dead body does not need such composure; right now, he wanted his body to be very much alive to have the tranquility tomorrow for his first date in a year. That was his third thought.
"We are well aware of that." Elissa had shifted from friend-to-warrior mode. It was as if all her emotions were thrown out the window while she was in that mental state. It didn't matter if she was friends with you or not; the information you had was more important than your shared relations. Marcus' apartment emanated interrogation vibes all over.
"To cut…uhmm…the story short, a few years ago, I felt her abilities manifest. I was not sure at first and thought I had the wrong person. I waited patiently up until today. As of a few moments ago, I was just from speaking to her." Marcus swallowed hard.
"So when we were with you back at the kingdom, were you sure with what you had?" Elissa inquired.
"Uhmmmm, it was a hunch then. I was not 100% sure. 70%, if I am truthful. That is something."
"What if the King had demanded an audience?"
"But he didn't."
"What if he did?"
"But he didn't. And I got away with my shit nearly on my pants."
"You were lucky that day. Anyway, that is the past, and it doesn't matter." Elissa's face softened as she triangulated on the activities of the present. Somewhere, a car honked. She walked to the window to see its source and was somewhat delighted by the technological advancements in the 21st century. The Tesla was reversing out of the curb and into the now-empty street.
"What matters is her whereabouts now. Do you have her location?" Elissa said, still admiring the Tesla.
"As of this moment? I am sorry, but I am afraid no." Marcus continued. "However, I know where she works. It is by The Arcade, a place not far from here- practically a walking distance. As I said earlier, I had an encounter with her earlier today, just before your unscheduled visit." He made sure in his tone that her unannounced trip was not entirely welcome, and she had caught him off-guard. Word from the kingdom was long overdue, but he did not expect her at that specific moment. Talk about wrong timing. Heck, all he wanted was a letter, but the kingdom had sent its finest warrior to check on things. But as Elissa had clarified, it was indeed a matter of great importance, trumped Marcus' space infringement. Kingdom business came first. Always.
"How did the encounter go?" Elissa's frame never shifted from the window. She took in the beauty that was the city in all its glory. In a hurry, appreciating the minor details in life is usually among the last thoughts in mind; and Elissa wasn't privileged to entertain sightseeing before finding Marcus.
"It went well." Marcus lied. Well, from his perspective, it had some truths in it. Kate had no recollection of the events that transpired, primarily due to the magic dust, so they had a clean slate to begin from. In retrospect, the lie was safe. "I scouted her work environs and set up another official meeting with her soon. Tomorrow most likely. Everything is going well as per the plan. She will eventually come through."
"Do you know the urgency of the situation we are in? The situation the whole kingdom is in?" Elissa turned around to face Marcus. The aspect of time appeared to have bothered her. "I came here expecting a ready asset, but it seems we are back by a whole mile."
"No, that's not the case. She is ready. I can feel her. Her powers have manifested already, I think." Marcus wasn't sure of his last statement. He hoped that she had unlocked her powers, or a fraction of them, at the very least.
"I do not want to sound like a broken record, but we are running out of time." Elissa turned back towards the window. At first, she did not notice anything; then she saw the Tesla was at the very same spot, with its engine still revving, which seemed odd. Marcus continued droning on how Kate had made the most progress over ten years as Elissa shifted her ears to the car. The owner's heart had stopped beating or was in a perpetual state of stillness, but he appeared fine. No shock, no fits, no nothing. Perfectly fine. She wasn't sure what was going on, so she saw it fit to ask.
"Is it normal for 21st-century hearts to stop beating?" Elissa intruded.
"No, not at all. Hearts in this age are perfectly fine." Marcus replied, not sure whether she was making a bad joke or had hinted at a threat to his safety. "Why inquire, if I may ask?"
"That Tesla guy's heart has stopped beating. I was watching him." She motioned for Marcus to come closer. "Have a listen. No beating heart in the vicinity. Is this some sort of prank? This world is still foreign to me."
"No. I can assure you that that is no prank. This is odd." He reiterated. He observed that nothing seemed to move outside; a falling leaf suspended mid-air, a dog's mouth wide open, its bark cut short, a tumbling cycler still looking at the ground in fear. "That is weird." Marcus tried to vamp his way to the other side of the room and noticed that his speed was failing. Something was definitely going on. Something huge.
"Mystic arts business." They both concurred.
"Are there practitioners here too?" Elissa seemed intrigued as she picked up her coat and moved to the door. "If so, we have to find them! Time is nigh!!"