Time ticked by as I waited. I know I said I'd wait an hour before heading over, but I only needed ten minutes to get ready. I broke out my nice pair of black pants I kept in case of emergencies. Totally not because they are too uncomfortable to wear all the time. To complement it, I wore a white shirt and a black jacket. Unlike usual, I chose ones that allowed all four of my wings to show. I don't like showing Nichdtie's wings, but it just feels right this time.
'Nichdtie, I'll write to you because I don't know who else to.'
Then I took to doing all personal hygiene just to be on the safe side. I filed and brushed my teeth so they'd be pointy and shiny. I waxed my scales to give them a glimmer. Dragonborn aren't a species with hair so clean up is a lot easier.
I didn't get to do my workout today so I did a few stretches to make sure my wings didn't get cramped. A bit of flutter strokes, some wing ups, and of course single stroke flaps. I've got to make sure I'm in tip top shape for her.
'I was so distracted with getting ready. The usual sounds of the ship seemed normal. The cricks, the ticks, the hisses, and steam. What I didn't think about was the thump that happened not long after she left.'
With all my preparations done I sat and stared at the wall not knowing what to do. Thoughts and plans ran through my head on what we could do that night.
'In a sick sense I'm glad I couldn't think of anything. It wouldn't have mattered anyway.'
After only 20 minutes of waiting, I decided to just go to her room early. I'd ask for forgiveness of my impatience. I can wait for her to be ready, I just can't stand the wait. I got up and exited my room.
I still didn't know the layout of the ship, so I went to the map. When I got there, I was able to quickly find the route I should take. But something else was that I saw the cleaning guy walking down one of the hallways. He was pushing a cleaning cart. I thought, Man, how much of a mess did someone make for him to need that?
'Turns out, it was me that made the mess. I was still too distracted with a date that I didn't notice. The man with a raspy voice walked down the hall.
'Not a hint of his limp in sight.
'I just saw the same man that worked diligently on his cleaning, the same man with weird sight, the same man with trauma like me. '
I turned to head down the path to Cuu's room. The opposite direction he was walking in. I thought it was weird. He was taking a clean cart to the free rooms, but free rooms don't get room service. Maybe someone made a rich friend like me.
I had only made it about a fourth of the way to the room before I noticed Soiclupt running towards me. I'm glad she was able to stop herself, because at the speed she was going I would've broken a few bones from the crash.
She started talking really fast, sounding out of breath. "Dtiedro! There you are. Have you seen Cuu? I haven't seen her since this morning and I'm getting really worried."
She stopped talking to catch her breath as I responded, "Yes, we were hanging out for the last couple hours. I thought you knew where she was, I'm sorry. But she headed back to your room no more than 25 minutes ago."
For a second Soiclupt looked relieved hearing she'd been with me, but when I mentioned she left the relief left her face.
Just as frantically, "She said she was going to go find you when she woke up and left. I didn't expect her to be gone this long. I just came from our room and I didn't see her."
Something in what she said stood out to me. She woke up and came to find me. Cuu's hair had looked disheveled when she found me. I even thought about how it looked like she just got up.
If she went to find me as soon as she woke up, then when could she have paid a cleaner. A cleaner that didn't know about Soiclupt. A cleaner that asked about her and what she was doing. A cleaner that is heading to the opposite side of the ship.
I looked at Soiclupt, and it wasn't just her face that showed terror anymore. I couldn't say anything as it hit me. I turned and started running. I ran and ran. I didn't, couldn't, look back, but I knew Soiclupt was following. I didn't need to say anything, she could tell I knew where I was going.
And we ran.
'We spent the day running around the entire ship, but we couldn't find him. I could no longer notice the shades of blue, or the confusing hallways. My only focus was running after Cuu.
'Soiclupt could easily outrun me, but she was too distraught. She could only just follow. The entire afternoon we searched. Not a sign could be found. We went to the captain to ask about the man, but he told me they didn't have anyone like that working there. He told us he'd have all the staff on look out for our description.
'He even had people check the exits off the ship. None were opened, so they had to still be on the ship. He was hiding and we couldn't find him. Nichdtie, if I didn't feel the need to write to you this wouldn't have happened. I can't blame you enough.
'If I look back far enough, I'd know I'm the one who caused you to die, but that won't stop me from blaming you. I won't stop writing, but I won't be as friendly. The search continues in the morning, so hopefully we can find her then. Your brother, Dtiedro.'
Morning came and went.
We didn't find her.
The ship landed and me and Soiclupt had to get off. I swear I saw that man's purple robe in the crowd. But no matter how much I pushed and shoved into the crowd I couldn't get any closer.
I'll find him. I'll find her. I'll fix this. Thankfully, not long after we disembarked, we met someone who'd help us.
And he made the search explosive.
End of Chapter 6
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