"Hey, let me guess, Firenze never asked you what your skill is, Right?", Huanca hits the mark, in fact, no one has ever asked me what my skill is, I haven't had many restrictions during these days and, usually I'm left to practice on my own.
Huanca moves slightly to peer through the window again, but this time more carefully, "They're down there, in a small subway city, I've seen it, I mean... a moment ago I could see where Caero and Diana are...", Huanca watches carefully through the window, his body trembling slightly, his voice a little wobbly.
"If we want to get there we have to hurry...", Huanca moves quickly ignoring the window and walking through the hallway to the kitchen, I of course, walk behind him.
Again we pass through several corridors, places, dodge a few guards and again after a while...
Somehow the short moments turned into endless hours in my mind, little by little we entered an unknown place.
Somehow Huanca knows the way which makes me doubt even more if this decision is the right one, because, What would we do if we somehow manage to rescue Caero and Diana?
Wouldn't we just be condemning ourselves?
It's not as if we have any plan to escape, but, in some way, perhaps macabre, I feel better doing this.
The path taken is like that of a labyrinth, I hear Huanca talking about patterns or something, something like a requirement to be fulfilled.
Little by little, and at the end, we arrive at a kind of basement, the entrance a trapdoor is slowly opened by Huanca, a slight creaking sound is heard as the darkness inside begins to be lightly illuminated by the moonlight coming in through a small window.
My eyesight is enough to see exactly what is inside, it is a staircase in the shape of a spiral.
A spiral shaped staircase that occupies the same width as a room but with a seemingly infinite end, even with my enhanced eyesight I can't see where the spiral staircase ends.
"It's done...", Huanca murmurs with slight happiness, his trembling voice clears slightly as his hunched cat-like body comes to a halt, I can't see Huanca's expression, he simply nods his head before starting down the spiral staircase.
"And, one step closer to my death", I smile, my eyes slightly wistful and my mind a little calm, Why did I agree to this?
It would be idiotic to say that it never crossed my mind that I actually have no ability to escape from Arlott at this point, and yet....
Or now, I guess I can only blame my new body, which is probably eager for some action.
Almost by instinct I walk behind Huanca, quickly descending the spiral stairs, our steps echo like the steps inside a church, although Huanca has no ability to see in the dark, he carries a small kind of magic lantern with which he lights his way while I have no problem to see even in complete darkness.
Somehow a strange feeling invades my body, as if I am about to enter a place where I have never been before but, still, even so, that is well written in my mind as sealed memories.
Footsteps in the darkness, slow and steady, fast, all while Huanca illuminates down a number of stairs that seem to have no end, no matter how many steps or how many minutes pass, there is no end, or at least, that's what I thought.
After a few minutes I could finally see the ground in the distance, the end of the spiral stairs.
With a firm step, Huanca finishes taking the last steps, the echo resounds with Huanca's movements, his feet finally on the firm ground and his hands touching a kind of metal door, a door made of what seems to be pure molten metal, strange carved drawings of snake like dragons adorn the door while the walls are made entirely of some kind of giant bricks stacked one on top of the other.
Huanca makes some strange noises while gently touching those carved drawings, it's like he's trying to find something.
Huanca finishes touching the carved drawings on the door, his expression is not visible while his slightly hunched posture makes him look a bit scary.
"Is it over?", Huanca turns around to look at me, his expression hard to read, a slight sense of danger passes across my face, "Well, it's your turn...", Huanca smiles at the end of his words.
"My turn?", I said without understanding, "Exactly, it's your turn, according to Capricorn, this is the moment when you must use your ability to control the primal energy to open the door."
I squint my eyes with doubts, I don't even need to ask to know that, everything Huanca does or knows is related to the constellation Caprincorn.
If I were to say whether Capricorn as a constellation is represented by a god, or is simply a consciousness that communicates with Huanca from time to time or permanently, I would simply say "I don't know", and also, "I have no interest in it".
Somehow and after what was like a few hours we finally got to this place, but, What for?
I want to know what's behind that door and to know if Caero could be in there, although somehow, I can intuit what I'll find in there.
Anyway, as Huanca watches me with expectant eyes I take a few steps forward, my right hand rests on one of the drawing on the door, the drawing of a snake coiling around a large mountain, the snake's head pointing to the sky while a hand from among the clouds points to it.
Somehow, touching the metal surface of a carved snake above a metal door feels... real, hard scales along with the warmth of a living being reach into the scales of my hands like intrusive feelings.
*Throbbing*
In a moment, the sensation of the pulsating snake passes through my hand to my brain, in an instant, as if acting on its own, the pure power, the primordial energy in my body begins to mobilize to my right hand.
A long lost connection, it's like a forgotten feeling, something that should never have existed, something intrinsic and familiar, all too familiar invades my body and soul, my eyes open in surprise as my body unconsciously trembles.
Moisture comes to my eyes as the almost forgotten feeling of despair and agony begin to enter my pores.
The snake carved on top of the metal door begins to move, its dragon-like head moves closer to the finger in the clouds..
The snake opens its mouth, the mountain begins to collapse, the snake's body coils so tightly around the mountain that it breaks it into pieces, and, with one swift movement the snake opens its mouth and shoots out, ready to swallow the finger of that hand.
*Shock*
My mind goes blank, the world around me quickly loses color, somehow I hear Huanca's screams softly as he grabs my right shoulder.
...
...
...
"It should be a quiet day", I look at myself in the mirror, a young face, too young, attractive if I want to look at it somehow, and yet, strange.
"Has anyone ever told you that you look like some kind of sissy?", Poki smiles as he slips one of his arms around my neck, I don't respond to his teasing, I know he's just playing, I just smile.
"Classes should be with...", I can't find words to continue, it's like I know what to say at the next moment and at the same time I don't... "You mean Miss Bett?", Pokie smiles a little weirdly, his eyes squint like slits as some saliva escapes from his mouth... disgusting.
"I hear she's coming to teach classes as her paractices after she graduates from college?", Poki continues, he quickly turns away to rummage through his backpack.
"Poki... What was that thing you told me about?", I cocked my head curiously, "The white stuff that came out of your..."
There was a slight silence, I don't know why, but, the silence feels awkward, Poki quickly grabs something from inside his backpack and turns around.
"Don't take it so seriously, it was just a game, besides, Aren't we friends?, Hahaha!!!, by the way, I have this...", Poki takes several steps forward quickly grabs one of my hands and puts something inside my hands, "It's a surprise, for the new teacher, Miss Bett, drums of surprise are heard... I mean, a gift so that... you can give it to her".
A slight silence passes before a smile forms on my face, Is it a gift?, He probably wants to leave a good impression on Miss Bett., after all, Poki has been with me for several years now, friends.
Some time later...
A work of art, I can only describe it that way, gleaming white sneakers, long stockings covering much of her legs, a pink skirt, a slim waist and wide hips along with regular sized breasts, but, none of that matters.
What matters more is her face.
Perfect features, heterochromia eyes that sparkle with youth and happiness, a smile with white teeth and lightly painted cherry red lips, flushed cheeks and upturned nose, all accompanied by short pink hair and matching glasses.
Miss Bett, a recent graduate teacher from the most famous university in the country, is a work of art, that's the feeling I get from the lady walking in the door, arranging her things on the desk designated for the teacher.
"My name is Bett, just Bett, from now on I will be the teacher who teaches...", I didn't listen to the rest of Miss Bett's words, I just concentrated, her features, I want, I want to draw them, I want to draw her face.
Me, maybe a portrait drawing would be a good gift along with that gift-wrapped thing Poki gave me.
I am good at drawing I must admit, I am good at it, my hand almost moves by itself when I hold a pencil, and so it was, my eyes focus on Miss Bett's face, on her perfect features, on her hair, nose, lips, I want every detail to be well captured.
At the end, when the students in the class before me finished introducing themselves, saying their names, what they wanted to do and took almost several minutes talking about their lives, it's my turn.
The whole class watches me, I don't know any of them except Poki.
"Student number 20, Why don't you introduce yourself", Miss Bett sings with a peculiar tone, under the stares of more than a dozen people I stand up, grab the sheet of paper, grab the gift Poki gave me and approach teacher Bett.
Murmurs are heard but I ignore them, Miss Bett slightly tilts her head.
Little by little taking steps forward, towards the work of art that I have never seen in my life, yes... my god, if only she didn't have pores or facial hair her face would be perfect.
And then, face to face with Miss Bett, I'm barely half as tall as her, I have to lift my head to look into her eyes, she looks confused, but, that's obvious.
"I...", I don't know what to say, a slight feeling of shame that I never felt before goes through my body, Miss Bett's perfume makes me get lost in my thoughts and almost trembling I raise my two hands, one with a little big box wrapped in gift-paper and the other with a drawing.
Miss Bett is silent for only a moment before a smile comes across her face....
My heart stops for a moment, the smile on her face, her perfect white teeth, oh god, Miss Bett, could you.. Could you stay like this forever?... I'm breathing too fast but, she doesn't seem to notice this.
"Hahaha, a kind and caring student, that's good", her pleasant voice is better heard up close, she takes the sheet of paper and the gift, her eyes linger on the sheet of paper for a moment.
"Looks like we have an artist present here", Miss Bett nods with a smile, she quickly walks to her desk puts the sheet of paper in a notebook and begins to open the box, unfolding the gift wrapping paper in the box, and then opening the box itself.
What's inside is... What's that?, it's some kind of fat pencil with a button on the back, I don't understand.
It's too weird, what does Poki's gift mean? It's like some kind of all-in-one plastic microphone, it has some buttons and in fact, in Miss Bett's hands that thing starts to vibrate a little too fast.
I unconsciously turn around to look at Poki, but he's lowering his head as if he's kissing his desk.
"Hahaha!!!"
"Hahaha!!!"
"hahaha!!!"
In just an instant several laughs can be heard, many of my classmates that I don't know yet burst out laughing out loud while watching me, some of them look at me with disgusted faces and many just shake their heads.
I don't understand, I don't understand, Why are they laughing?, I... a kind of stabbing sensation goes through my heart, my eyes cloud over, my mind isn't working properly, Why does it hurt?... I want everyone to shut up, I want them to shut up.
I look at Miss Bett, her face is expressionless, her once warm green and blue eyes are focused on me, silence, a sudden feeling of fear fills my body just by looking into her eyes.
No, I can't, somehow I can't look her in the eyes, What does all this mean?,
Miss Bett's footsteps approaching remind me of a demon's footsteps for some reason, each of her steps makes my heart skip a beat, just a little.
Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain in my stomach, the tips of Miss Bett's feet sinking into my stomach is the only thing I feel while a sharp Tinnitus invades my brain, my saliva escapes from my mouth and a deep pain reaches my mind.
*Shok*