I let out a loud sigh. I yawned unlady-likely and stretched my arms across the table. My exhausted body and heavy eyes were taking a toll now after the secret night outing.
"Are you that tired after having breakfast?" Ephraim asked, a hint of disgust and concern.
My left cheek resting on top of the thick, cold book, glanced up to see him looking around wildly with his eyes while pretending to read his upside-down book.
"You," I pointed at him with a nod when he stared back at me. "Go back. I don't need you to disturb my space."
"Well, this is the public Royal Library, and you can't ask me to leave. Besides, I want to stay to study a few books."
My eyes narrowed at him and his book in his hand. "Aye, right. Study your own book." 'Study book, my ass.'
I switched my right cheek to the other side. Ignoring him. Somehow, I was annoyed with his presence. I wished that he wasn't here to disrupt my work.
Despite the exhaustion, I was rather disappointed, not finding the material or answer that I needed. Another sigh escaped, and I closed my eyes. Trying to take a nap. Maybe I could get my answer through a dream which I doubt since I never once dreamt of anything after I transmigrated here.
But I do have my worries. Slowly, I began to forget my world. I can't recall Ah Phung's face and several other people that are close to me. Time is running out. I need to rush back to Ah Ma. I gulped down my saliva.
'I can't rest now.'
Swiftly, I sat up straight, looking upfront with a renewed resolve. GO BACK.
I slap my cheeks several times, lightly. My face starts to heat up and a little sting.
'I need to wake up.'
Only to realise Ephraim went rigid at the opposite table, witnessing my behaviour.
"What are you doing?" I unconsciously made eye contact with him. He asked. "You've been behaving really weird since this morning."
I ignored him. Again.
But this time, something distracted me. Something that never occurred to me before.
"Hey, your highness," I called out to him. "Are you familiar with this legend?"
"What was it about?"
"It's about resurrection." 'No. Frankenstein?'
"Let me see it," I passed the book of Secret Legend of The Land to him. "Oh, I remember this legend."
I sit back and wait for his story. He smiled. The familiar dimple on the right corner of his lips made him look younger. I quickly turned away.
According to the legend, thousands of years before, this couple was called Anak-anak and Odu-odu. They have a young, beautiful and fair daughter. Her beauty was beyond this world. But, before she even got her first wish fulfilled at age ten, she passed away due to some mysterious illnesses. With some help from black magic, they were able to resurrect the daughter, and she is believed to be lived on till today.
It made me realise how bizarre that was. Really? A real successful resurrection? It obviously defies the norm of nature and God.
"Was this legend real?" It was so eerie that I didn't dare to imagine the look of the daughter. Or was she like Frankenstein?
"Nobody can confirm it," Ephraim shook his head. "But, there's another legend that says only a few people are still alive and witness such legend."
I will be meeting the leader of the Guild of Scavengers. I really need my beauty sleep. We ended the research, and Ephraim stubbornly accompanied me back to my quarters. And, Kirai was waiting, with good news. Ara is alive! And as he was continuously pouting and moody, Kirai advised me to avoid Ara for several days.
I chased out all the palace maids. Kirai and I finally had our nap. I have a few hours left before the meet up. And I am still unable to find anything valuable to trade.
#####
Night falls, and we're ready to embark on our second-night outing.
At first, I had my argument with Kirai. She forbade me from meeting the leader of the Guild. At the same time, she refused to explain what happened inside the Auction Hall. Every time I brought up the topic, she began to squirm nervously and had many excuses to escape. 'Well, suck it up, girl.'
I was determined to meet him. If I can get him to find Mr Rabbit or High Priest Romou, I can find my way home.
We arrived at the same place, but the structure-look-building was not there. Nobody was in sight. I felt scared and disappointed at the same time. My mind went numb. I can't think straight, but how stupid I was to believe in the stranger.
Then, we heard footsteps in the distance.
We hid in the alley of the nearby building's shadow. If the rumours about the coming war were true and Kaen was still alive, I shouldn't be caught by any parties. Not as the crown princess of the empire.
"You there," A male voice spoke up. He seemed much closer to our hiding place. We can't even see what he was like in the darkness. "My leader is waiting for you. Come, this way."
I cautiously came out from our hiding and followed him with Kirai on tow. She keeps on mumbling, not going in further but still hanging in there behind my back. But as the man started to speed up through the darkness and to use the shadow of each building as a cover-up of his trail, I was struggling to follow his fast-paced track. I am sure to memories the trail back to the first spot, but the longer the journey was, it gave me a thought that this man was trying to confuse me. As far as I know, he had been going around the same place like five times.
It angered me to realise they were trying to play tricks on me. I stopped.
The man halted. The whole time, he did stop and glanced back to check on us."Why stop? We are almost there."
"Why you dare to ask?" my raised voice of frustration at its pick. I glanced at Kirai. Her state of breathlessness worries me. He smirked at us. In the dark, I barely see his smirking face that I long to smack that smirk off his face. "The meeting is cancelled. I changed my mind. Let's go, Kirai. This is wasting time." I helped her up to her feet and supported her to walk home. 'How foolish. What are they thinking? Want to kill us with such a workout? In the dark of the night? Really?'
Then, a clapping sound echoes throughout the silent night. I turned towards the sound and saw a tall man with a huge body built approach us. His body size itself makes me take a step back and hold in my breath for impact.
"Come. You passed the test," he started to leave.
"How should I know you wouldn't test us again?"
"Because I say so." This time, his voice was cold and hard. Without even turning around, he walked away. The first man gestured us to follow suit hurriedly. His aura as a leader is quite intimidating.
I heaved an annoyed sigh.
After twenty minutes passed, we finally arrived at a rather normal tavern at the edge of the Imperial City. He knocked on the door three times in a rhythmic sound, and it opened up the door with a click. He was consciously aware of my intense staring, gave me a glare of warning. I was caught red-handed trying to eavesdrop on his secret, and quickly I averted my eyes away. This time, I wasn't surprised to see inside the Tavern space at all. Its size was huge, similar to the Auction Hall, but it had a peculiar atmosphere and was cold with only a simple desk and chair set in the centre. The rest of the layout of the Tavern only has three other similar doors. An oversize frame of doors.
"Wait here." He commanded and disappeared behind one of the weird-looking doors.
Kirai looked around her surroundings timidly and suspiciously as she started to roam around the large hall. There was nothing to see but several unfamiliar things at the end of the hall. Curiously I joined her, and I almost fell back onto my ass as I hurriedly escaped from that eerie view. Kirai just stood there, weak knees, dropped to the floor as she trembled, covering her mouth and tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Argh!" The sound of the door opened and closed at the back surprised me. I turned to see an identical twin appeared side by side. The huge body builds, tall as the door frame behind them. But, one of them looks fiercer as he growls under his breath while the other twin, silent, watch us coldly. The next thing he starts to speak, I can't say that this other twin was more dangerous than the other as he sneered, "Have fun looking around, Your Highness?" There's a hint of sarcasm in his tone. He strode to the available chair in the hall, pulled it out roughly and sat on it without even blinking as he continued to watch us. "Love what you saw?"
Kirai slowly got up to her feet, and I gestured to her to come closer. 'Maybe talking to their leader was not a good option after all.' Kirai stands, hiding behind me. So he knew our identity.
"What was that?" I asked. I steeled up and asked about that. The other twin, which I suspect was the one that brought us earlier, is now silently glaring at us, standing behind his twin with crossed arms. That makes me realise the similarity of the thing that we saw earlier with these twins.
"Take her away!" His commanding voice echoes throughout the hall. Suddenly, a couple of men appeared and took Kirai away before I even reacted at their firm hold pulling her away, and Kirai was struggling the whole time.
"No!" I tried to stop them. But they ignored me and broke us apart. He glared at us. My voice quivering. 'Am I making a mistake dealing with them? It was like our life at the stake of being sold as a slave or maybe killed.' "What do you think you're doing!?" I was in a panicky state. "You! You shouldn't simply take away other people without their consent or .. or explanation!" Kirai was trembling, and she started to cry.
"Now that we're here, let me decide if your proposition is worth my time." He didn't bother to answer my questions and continued. "Since you brought 'her' here to us."
"I apologize for wandering around," I regretted our actions. "Let my friend go."
"I don't care. You can go around or stay here. As for the 'priestess', she's stay." His voice softens. Somehow, the 'priestess' word sound more relieving to hear.
"Alright, I understand." I calmed down a little. I almost forget her identity as a priestess. A priestess is very much valuable in this world. "I want to hire you to find someone for me."
"Oh, is that so? DO we look idle to you?" He smirked.
"I know you have been scavenging around the land and also on the other side of the world."
"How can you know our whereabouts?"
"I have my trusted resources."
"Interesting." he frowned at my claim. He watched me the whole time and turned to Kirai. She looks weak from the struggling. "And, what will be your offer to us? I warn you. We don't lack any tokens."
'Aye. of course I know.' The last auction was enough proof. Such artefacts cost a fortune to own. Whatever that is.
"And who is this person I need to find?"
"I want you to find two people. The High Priest Romou and Mr Rabbit." I stared at him hard.