The silence hung heavily in the air as she walked behind me, with Oslovi perched on my head. The stillness felt unnerving, so I decided to break the ice.
"Hey, blue lockie, what's your name?" I asked, hoping to lighten the atmosphere.
She remained silent for a moment, continuing to walk. Finally, she spoke, her voice carrying a hint of hesitation. "My name is Marlowlia. I come from the coastal district of Fukyuvi. I'm here as a representative for my family's work and also searching for something to help my sister, Fiviana, with her illness. She's my only sibling."
As Marlowlia shared her story, curiosity got the best of her, and she turned the tables. "What's your real name?" she asked, genuine interest in her eyes.
I couldn't resist injecting a bit of humor. "Well, my name is Ligondese," I replied, struggling to contain my laughter.
Taken aback by my unusual name, Marlowlia inquired further, showering me with compliments. "Ligondese is such a rare name! Where did you get it?"
Unable to resist the opportunity, I interjected abruptly, "Ligondese nuts." I immediately regretted the joke, realizing it had crossed a line.
Marlowlia's expression shifted from curiosity to disappointment, and she looked away, refusing to meet my gaze. "It's fine," she said, her voice carrying a tinge of coldness.
Feeling remorseful, I turned to Oslovi, who had been observing the exchange. "I'm sorry, Oslovi. I won't do anything like that again."
But even with my apology, Oslovi continued to paw at my head until I mustered the courage to apologize sincerely to Marlowlia. She glanced at me, her pouty expression piercing through me with intense eye contact.
"Hey, Marlowlia! Look, a bird!" I pointed up at the sky, diverting her attention momentarily.
As Marlowlia's gaze followed my finger, she became completely distracted, oblivious to her surroundings. Unaware of a broken piece of stone on the ground, she stumbled and gracefully nosedived into the pavement. Dust-covered knees started to bleed, prompting her to swiftly retrieve a bandage from her knapsack. After applying it hastily, she continued walking, now a few steps ahead of me.
"Are you okay, Marlowlia? That was quite a fall," I asked, catching up to her.
She stopped and waited, allowing me to reach her. Marlowlia explained that both she and her sister, Fiviana, were prone to minor injuries. They always carried plenty of bandages for such occasions, given their knack for getting hurt in everyday situations.
As we approached Oslovi's secret brick wall, I casually phased through it with Oslovi. Marlowlia, however, hesitated, unsure of following suit. I was inside when suddenly a hard object came flying through the wall, striking me on the back of my head.
"Ouch! Where the hell did this rock come from?" I exclaimed, nursing the bump on my head.
Marlowlia appeared through the wall, guilt written all over her face. "I thought you had disappeared, and I didn't think it was safe to walk through the wall. So, I decided to test it by throwing a rock," she confessed, sounding apologetic.
"You thought chucking a rock was a good idea? Marlowlia?" I sighed, shaking my head.
"I'm sorry... rice collector. Consider it revenge for the 'deez nuts' joke, I guess," she said, trying to lighten the mood.
Finally, I revealed my true name to Marlowlia: Vivshi. Although she seemed reluctant to ask about its origin, she now knew who I truly was. She stood at the entrance, patiently waiting for Emovi to awaken so we could proceed to her coastal mansion.
"Marlowlia... Oslovi... I can't hold it in any longer. I feel like I'm about to explode," I exclaimed, inadvertently releasing a massive belch that filled the room with an unpleasant odor.
Marlowlia backed away, stepping outside, while Oslovi hissed and scurried up to its hiding spot on the shelves. It seemed my encounter with a spicy chili from the previous day had triggered this unexpected gas attack.
As the room continued to reverberate with small explosions and shockwaves caused by the gas, Marlowlia maintained a safe distance, waiting for the chaos to subside.
I tried to redirect the air away from Emovi's face by fanning my hand but in doing so, I kinda blew more air into her nose…
She woke up screaming, covering her nose.
"WHAT IS THAT SMELL??!?" She yelled while bawling her eyes out.
Startled by Emovi's sudden awakening and distressed reaction, Marlowlia and I exchanged concerned glances. The stench from my earlier gas explosion had indeed lingered, and it seemed that Emovi had been unfortunate enough to be greeted by it.
"Emovi, it's okay. Don't worry, it was just an unexpected... odor," Marlowlia reassured her, her voice filled with sympathy.
I stepped forward, realizing the need to take responsibility for my actions. "I'm so sorry, Emovi. It was an accident. I tried to redirect the air away from your face, but I ended up... well, blowing more into your nose," I admitted, my face flushed with embarrassment.
Emovi's cries gradually subsided, though her nose still wrinkled in distaste. "That was the worst thing I've ever smelled! It's like a thousand rotten eggs!" she exclaimed, wiping tears from her eyes.
Feeling remorseful, I scrambled to find a way to make amends. "I promise, Emovi, I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you. How about we find some fresh air, maybe take a walk outside? I'm sure that will help clear out any remaining odor," I suggested, hoping to salvage the situation.
Emovi nodded, her trust in me not completely shattered. "Fine, but it better be fresh air," she replied, her voice still tinged with a hint of irritation.
Together, we ventured out of the room, Oslovi gracefully leading the way. We moved swiftly, eager to escape the confines of the gas-filled chamber. As we stepped outside into the open air, the scent of nature embraced us, instantly refreshing our senses.
Emovi took a deep breath, her expression softening. "Now, that's what I call fresh air," she said, a smile breaking through her previous distress.
Marlowlia and I exchanged relieved glances, grateful that the change in environment had helped alleviate Emovi's discomfort. We continued our walk, the gentle breeze guiding us along the path.
Due to having a bounty on my head, we couldn't just walk out in the city and act like nothing happened. People are going to report us and try to capture us, so it is best to avoid crowded places like that.
Emovi looked up at me and Oslovi, "Why did you guys carry me with you?" She asked.
I explained to her that I saw some kind of image and heard a voice telling me to kidnap her. She looked convinced by my story.
"I don't sense any malice from you three. So, I trust you guys," she said confidently.
Marlowlia looked shocked and stared at Emovi, her curiosity piqued. "Wait, you can sense malice from people?"
"Yeppers, ever since I was born, I could see different colors in people. My mom also had those eyes. I probably inherited her eyes, and now I can sense your emotions," Emovi carefully explained.
Marlowlia seemed intrigued by Emovi's unique ability. "So, what color am I?" she asked eagerly.
Emovi focused her gaze on Marlowlia for a moment before responding. "Hmm... I see blue, black, and red."
Excitement filled Marlowlia's eyes as she heard the colors associated with her. But her expression quickly changed as Emovi continued, "And Vivshi, you are colorless. I can't see anything from you."
I felt a pang of disappointment, always seeming to be the odd one out. "Shucks, I would have liked to be purple or green. Why am I always the odd one out?" I muttered, feeling a tinge of envy.
"Emovi, you're the one most familiar with the country, right?"
"Do you know any shortcuts to the coastal city that won't attract too much attention?" I asked, trying to redirect the conversation.
Emovi crouched down and started to draw a little map of the city. As of right now, we were in the middle of Fukviyu, and the coastal city was 20 kilometers south. She pointed out a route that would allow us to sneak through Mondlicht, and after a few more kilometers, we should reach our destination.
But before we could proceed, I couldn't help but interrupt, realizing that Emovi had yet to answer a crucial question. "Wait, wait, wait. You're going to follow us? Don't you need to get home?" I asked abruptly.
Emovi looked down at her map, her face filled with sadness and fear. She poked her stick against the ground, refusing to respond. She shook her head violently, repeating "no" over and over again. Tears streamed down her face, her cheeks turning red and flushed.
She tried to wipe away her tears, but her purple dress couldn't absorb any more moisture. Marlowlia stepped forward, embracing Emovi from behind, offering comfort, and wiping away her tears.
"Vivshi, we should let her follow us this time. I don't think we can just leave her with them," Marlowlia said, looking at me with a pleading expression.
I crouched down to Emovi's level, lifting her face as she sniffled and teared up.
"I will protect your freedom, I promise," I reassured her.
Emovi's crying gradually subsided, her eyes lighting up as she heard my words. She gave me a giant, cute smile and then proceeded to cry again. She freed herself from Marlowlia's hug and jumped onto me.
"Thank you, sister," she said, satisfied.
"It isn't sister, it is Vivshi," I corrected her gently, my heart touched by her trust in me.
We left immediately to Mondlicht, to the city of the night. We disguised ourselves as tourists from other countries and just walked out the gates of Fukviyu without a problem. The guards didn't ask who we were nor did they check out belongings. They let us through because we had Marlowlia, who had returned into her fancy clothing. Pretending that she had gotten two new servants. We got out of Fukviyu and headed south. It was just a road straight to Mondlicht so there weren't any problems reaching it. After 2 hours of walking nonstop. Emovi sat down and begged for a break. Marlowlia agreed. On the open field, the two girls talked as I sat and watched. Marlowlia sitting with her legs crossed and Emovi sitting next to her.
"Hey, Marlowlia! Have you been to Linh Pho? The city of cuisine? I heard they cook weird stuff there!"
"I think I have been there once with my sister. Although I was forced to go there for business, the food was unique and the flavor was something I have never tasted before."
"I really wanna go there to try the dorayaki! I heard it was super sweet and squishy. It looks super cute! Can you please take me there in my lifetime?"
Marlowlia head pats Emovi, saying that Emovi will eventually visit the city once in her lifetime.
"Marlowlia! Prepare yourself! Someone is coming! I yelled.
A carriage was coming from Fukviyu, it was nearing us. Marlowlia stood up, preparing to sweet talk. But as the carriage was in front of us, it just passed us. The driver smiled at us and waved at us as he passed. Peering inside the little window, that was on the side of the carriage was a woman who had long pink hair with red stripes. She had pink, blue, and red eyes that looked happy. She had a really big forehead. But her clothing was different from the nobles and citizens of Fukviyu. It was revealing and showed a lot of skin. She looked at us and smiled at us. The carriage then rode in the direction of Mondlicht.
I looked at Emovi and Marlowlia, Marlowlia pointed out the friendly gesture of the two passing people. Saying how friendly people are.
"Emovi, what is wrong? You look weird." I pointed out.
In her shocked expression, she spilled that she saw a really weird color on the woman. Like it was sucking her in. Emovi refused to continue describing what she saw. So I clapped my hands indicating that the break was over.
"C'mon hurry up lazy ass. Get up, or we are leaving without you." I said irritated.