"Chosen one, you are with a child. You are indeed blessed," Aida said with a smile and I looked at her as if she was crazy. A child my ass! I'm a man not a lass for goodness sake!
Oh, sorry, I jumped before the beat didn't I? Okay, allow me to take you back in time so that you can understand what's happening here and help me deduce whether she's crazy or not. Though I think she is. Definitely.
After that sexercise where I slept the whole day (remember that? Ha ha ha! Ahem), we took another week in that town helping the new leader come up with a fair constitution for the people and showing him how to govern the city and obviously, to make sure that he knew we were keeping a watch on him lest he became as greedy as Oni.
The spiritual power was up and running as usual and people could now cultivate freely, movement in and out of town wasn't restricted anymore and let's just say all was well. At the beginning of the forth week since we came here, we went to the temple and met with the same priest. By the way, Jim refused to be left behind and he swore allegiance and to follow and serve us wherever it was we went. Kinda weird having a tail but after discussing it with Adrian, we agreed he will come in handy since we don't know how long we would stay here.
The priest met us with a smile and with congratulations for a job well done. He said that we earned the ticket to meet Aida and he opened a portal for us. Apparently, Aida doesn't live in the imperial city like everyone else thought. No, she lives in a remote village in the northern parts of Aska. Nobody would guess that.
Anyway, after travelling in the portal, the three of us, we found ourselves in this very remote village with very few houses. The population there was less than two hundred people. It wasn't hard to find the temple since it was the biggest building there, though it wasn't fancy. It wass built of the same material as the houses there and the reason why it was big is because of the meeting hall.
When we got in, we told the man we met there that we were there for Aida and he laughed. I guess not many people come here looking for her. Or no one ever does.
"And who is looking for her if I might ask?" He asked sarcastically as if to watch us making fools out of ourselves.
"HOW dare....," Jim wanted to answer him but I cut him short with a hand gesture as I looked at that man.
I gave him a once over with a deadly glare that should have told him I, we, weren't joking. I was tired and hungry and I felt irritable. I was just spoiling for a row and I swear if he didn't get us to Aida I was going to mow him. Adrian felt my distress through our bond and he held my hand. He then squeezed my fingers and that calmed me down a mountain. (Sigh... I need to learn how to control my emotions).
"Tell her it's the Griffin and his centaur," I said as I gave the man an icy stare.
"Ha ha ha! A Griffin! Ha ha ha," he laughed and I guess he expected us to laugh with him but when he looked at us we were looking at him like an idiot.
"You are serious, aren't you? Oh, my creator! I'm dead! Forgive me your highnesses. I'm so sorry. I didn't know," he said as he kowtowed to us in remorse. Jim chuckled as if gloating to the man for his idiocy.
"Don't worry man. I also learnt the hard way," Jim said still laughing at the man as he patted his back as if to tell him 'welcome to the club'.
"Just get us to the priestess!" Adrian told him talking for the first time since we entered the temple grounds and his tone wasn't friendly either.
"This way your majesties. Again, I'm sorry. She will be pleased to meet you. Oh, how she has waited," he started walking towards the inside part of the temple and we followed.
He took us to a room that looked like it was made for royalty. What I realised was that what the temple looked like from the outside was an illusion. It was much bigger and grandeur on the inside than what's displayed outside.
For instance, this room he took us in was painted a nice turquoise color and it had a chandelier that looked like it was coated in gold. The chandelier had circular balls that were just floating around it, they didn't seem to have anything holding them and I looked at them curiously. They had things inside that looked like fireflies that were shining giving light to the room. A nice bright light like the orange pinkish colour of the setting sun.
After a while, a young tootsie came carrying tea in an exquisite kettle and small cups that looked like the ones used by children when playing house in our universe. She served us then exited without a word.
The tea tasted sweet and I hogged almost all of it because Jim took only one cup and I gave Adrian half a cup more. It was too sweet to share. Adrian just looked at me being greedy and shook his head in an indulgent smile.
After a while, the door was opened and this beautiful, beautiful woman with black flowing hair and a skin that looked smoother than an apple's entered with a smile. She walked with such grace that said that she must be royalty. She was tall for a woman but her smile made her look delicate. She looked like a mermaid and even her movements were fluid. She didn't seem to be walking but rather floating or glinding towards us.
"How are you my beauties? It has been so long and I hoped you would get here sooner. Welcome to my humble abode," she said patting both out heads like an indulgent mother.
"Aida?" I asked baffled because she looked younger than in my thoughts. She smiled at me and pinched my cheeks indulgently.
"Awww! You look as cute as the night we gave you away. How has life had been on earth my babies? You too, my son. How is life?" (This to Adrian who had his mouth agape and I held his upper and lower jaw with my hands shutting his mouth and that brought him back to us).
"Mother," He said with that surprised look on his face and Aida smiled. I now know where Adrian got his smile from. If his outburst is anything to go by.
"You still remember me," It wasn't a question. It was a statement said in a happy tone that showed all the emotions this woman was holding in her heart.
"Mother? What do you mean?" I asked looking at Adrian and Aida chuckled as she held my hands.
"Sorry. I think I'm just excited that's why I'm talking without thinking. Let me tell you the story from the beginning," she said and we sat back again preparing for a long story.
We had time anyway.
"Wait. Before you start telling us whatever it is, can you get Gael something to eat? He's hungry," Adrian interrupted her and she smiled.
She called the same girl who served us and instructed her to bring food and to take good care of Jim.
I looked at Adrian with a lovinggaze wondering what I would do without him and that made Aida giggle like a school girl making me blush.
I love this woman already.