Two days had past in the stockade. The guards had thrown them outside the hatch the afternoon of the third day. Maya's body stunk, in need of a wash. Blood had caked her formerly white tunic, a testament to the danger of the gall rack's spikes.
Her limbs ached all round, the ground and the rack's combined effort. The fresh air that had touched her skin, left her with a little bit of warmth. Despite all the pain and weariness, she had managed to remain conscious.
Maybe all those punishments from before had helped in her pain tolerance. Vojtech on the other hand had been unconscious when some of his mates from his isle had taken him away. Diane and Amelia had helped her up to the inn through the winding staircase that reached out from the side of the mansion.
Maya watched lazily as Diane bandaged her leg. Her nose itched under the satin wraps. Diane as if knowing something like this would happen, packed herbs and wraps of her own. The healers had told them that they didn't treat the defectors of injuries. Maya couldn't help but scoff at the memory.
Her stomach churned, full with the slob's contents. It hadn't been tasty but at least it filled her. She winced, instantly regretting it when her face flared with pain.
"This is what you get for not listening to me." Aside from the three, the other two girls weren't here. Maya had hardly conversed with them so she didn't feel anything.
"I-ow! Careful." She said as Diane gingerly touched a fresh injury.
"I still can't believe they have the gall rack down there."Diane wondered, wrapping the satin around her ankle.
"Didn't put it past them."Maya leaned back, her limbs still flaring with pain.
"You always see the worst in people."
"Can't go back on my perssimistic tendencies, now can I?" They fell into silence again. Maya's eyes ventured to Amelia. Her dark brown eyes horded glitters of sadness as she sat on the mat closest to her.
"I can't believe those fishes would still want you to get back to class after recess." Amelia muttered, her voice devoid of excitement.
"Fishes? That's the best you can describe them." Amelia smiled slightly with a shrug.
"How was it like in the gull-"
"Gall rack." Diane corrected.
"Give it a rest." Amelia waved off causing Diane to raise a brow.
"I see my lessons have finally paved way." Maya chuckled as Diane sighed.
"Though it was creepy. More creepy than Elder Finn and his weird lizards." Maya shuddered in reminiscence.
"That's an elder you know." Diane said, her eyes narrowed.
"His your elder, not mine. Remember, I'm banished." Maya tried to laugh off the pain that ran through her. A silence clouded over again. Maya breathed through her now, healing lips. The smell of herbs still dug its way into her nostrils.
"Before we left the isle," Maya started, her throat dry. Her neck prickled, the trinket still in the depths of her knapsack. She wanted so desperately to run her hand over its cool surface. To relinquish the little warmth hidden in the sourness of her world. But doing that would be accepting the lies that were her life.
"I-" The door at the corner whipped open, creaking unsteadily in the silence. The girl with the mark on her neck trudged in, her back hunched as she walked forward. The girl's hands were stained with dirt, her eyes locked with hers for a few seconds. Something sparked within them before she looked away.
"How was practice?" Amelia asked, a smile on her face. The girl mumumured, her words barely registering in Maya's ears. Maya turned away, her eyes straying to the door. She couldn't say what she wanted with that girl here. Her stares churned her belly.
"Can we leave?" Maya asked, keeping her face straight.
"But you're still inju-"
"I'm fine." Maya told her off, working up to her feet. She felt her limbs wobble slightly, the dizziness from before had cleared. Her body still reeled from the pain, prickles setting off in different places. She kept herself grounded, pulling in sharp puffs of breath. Maya walked towards the door, she held onto the door handle.
It cracked slightly, sending down puffs of dust. She turned back to Diane and Amelia.
"Aren't you coming?" They shrugged, before pulling themselves to their feet. The girl in question sat at the furthest corner on the room which was piled with cobwebs and splinters of wood. She scribbled something on a parchment, working furiously under the dim lighting. Maya turned away from her, going down the staircase.
"Why did you want us to leave?" Diane's eyes didn't leave her body, trying to keep her winces masked.
"Do you ever feel weird around that girl? The girl that entered before we left."
"Mirabel? What about her?" Amelia asked, her lips tapered downwards.
"She's been giving me weird stares since I first met her." Maya rubbed her arms as they walked down the gravel towards the large library. The glasses brushed off the afternoon sun, sinking into the satin wraps.
"Maybe you are just overeacting." Diane reasoned, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
"Maya does have a special imagination." Amelia hummed beside them, skipping.
"Says the girl who still plays princesses and dragons."
"That's a testament to my creativity. Not my imagination, did you never pay attention to your spellings. You're disappointing me." Maya rolled her eyes, biting back any further remark.
"I doubt you should read meaning to it. Maybe you remind her of someone." Diane voiced out.
"Yeah? She has asked some questions about you. " Their boots clacked against the gravel. Maya turned to her at breakneck speed.
"And did you answer them?"
"Yep!"
"Why would you that?"
"What would she do with such information? No one's try to assassinate you." Amelia answered with the flick of her fingers. Maya glared at her.
"Are we really going to do this? Because if you want it's on."
"Do what? I'm the peace keeper not the fighter." Maya groaned, slapping her forehead which rippled with pain.
"I feel dumber with our every encounter."
"Maya.."
"Thank you! I've been told that alot, don't worry you'll get there." Amelia winked, heat crept up Maya's face. Annoyance crackled within her.
"What is wrong with you?"
"It's a mystery." Amelia skipped forward, her boots clunking together. Her grey tunic wavered around her, her hands clapping against each other.
"What were you saying before?" Diane's voice pulled her out of her glaring session. Regret washed over her, the urge to tell her thrown out the window. She looked away, keeping her eyes trained on the deep blue skies.
"Ummm, nothing." Maya shifted away, feeling Diane's gaze.
"You have to-"
"First to reach the library!" She called as she tried to run. She limped, her feet firing underneath the constriction of her boots. Her head pounded as sweat pooled down her back. She didn't feel the need to say anything anymore. Soon, Maya entered the library. Two guards stood at the entrance, looking forward. She went past them, thanking the stars that they didn't stop her.
The dome had three floors, visible from where she stood. Each floor curved like a circle, filled with tall wooden shelves that had books of all kinds. A spiral staircase led to each of the floors, wooden with iron railings that zipped upwards. The light dimly passed through the translucent glass, torches made up for it.
A couple of whispers alerted her of the presence of people. She limped, her steps echoing in the near silence of the library. She noticed a couple of round tables intermittently finding its way between two high shelves. She walked to the one after the first three shelves, the one that Amelia was seated. She removed her boots, her toes being freed from their captivity.
She wiggled them, allowing blood to flow back into them. Diane settled beside them, her eyes narrowed at Maya. She was about to say something when Vojtech passed them. He stopped when his eyes caught on them.
"You're already okay?" Maya asked, looking at some of his bandaged parts. She avoided Diane that gave her strange looks. He looked suprised at the concern.
"Never thought you had it in you grumps," she narrowed her eyes at him. "Yeah, i'm in the clear. I just came here to read through some techniques in wrangling since we're still going to be having classes." He explained. He wore a red silk robe that was clasped together with a pin at one hand. The metal glinted slightly. The material billowed to his knees, a tiny slit ran up the sides revealing muscled legs.
"It seems like you both came out scot free." He addressed Diane and Amelia.
"Lady Jane didn't like me at all. She kept getting annoyed with me for no reason. I wonder why. " Amelia stated, raking her hand through her blonde curls.
"Yes, what caused them to dislike westerners so much?" Diane voiced, her eyes taking on that analytical look. She smoothened the folds of her blue gown.
"Of course, your isle not giving enough to the world treasury maybe a part of the reasons. The elementalist that had been stowed away by the king also must have-"
"Wait? Did you just say elementalist." Maya furrowed her brows, ripples of pain making her stop.
"Well yeah I did. The one that was discovered in your isle eighteen years ago. Every child and adult in the whole world knows about the execution." Vojtech was met with wide eyes and furrowed brows. He looked between all of them confused.
"Wait, you didn't know?"
"I thought they were a myth."
"Would we ask you if we did?"
"That means I could actually meet them?"
Vojtech breathed in, his dark brown eyes narrowed in contemplation. The shelves he leaned against resembled his dark skin tone.
"So you guys really don't know anything about this?" He asked, searching their eyes. They shook their heads, still suprised by the revelation.
"Can I see proof to your claim?" Diane asked, her face turned to him.
"So you really don't know?" He asked as if the knowledge were unbelievable. They nodded while Maya rolled her eyes. He walked to the shelf that Diane had her back turned to. They watched as he pulled down a small book. Its red covers despite it's aged appearance still looked neat. He opened through it, flipping through weathered yellowed pages.
He stopped and dropped the book onto the table. They huddled around him as he pointed. He read out, their eyes catching onto the inky letterings of the central language.
"On the XX day of the IX month, his supreme highness, Rhett Renold Issachar and his advisors ordered the beheading of the first elementalist sighted in centuries. Allegedly conspiring with the elementalist and therefore breaking the old law, the king of the Western Isle, Darius Marc Clover was also beheaded. It was recorded that one of the council men of Western, Tarrick Vermilion had assisted in bringing this folly to the open. With his noble deed, he had been crowned as the first cabinet representative of the Western Isle. The Western Isle has suffered more in terms of their standing in the supreme leader's eyes thanks to the reproachful actions of their king. Following this event-" Vojtech stopped on seeing Diane's signal.
Maya stared at the book, her eyes boring through the weathered pages. Questions brewed in her mind, filling her with confusion. Her mother, when she thought she was, had told her that her father's father had died of a disease. Most elders had voiced that the elementalist were just fairy tales.
"You believe me now?" They nodded in answer.
"Though why would they lie about something that was common knowledge in the rest of the world."
I want to thank God for giving me the Grace to write this. Vote and comment if you like.