The First Dungeon (Part 3)
1027 Words
Riftan turns his attention to Josiah, we finally have some clues, and this time, hoping it will help us, tremendously.
“Who’s this, Weredeer? Is she some kind of oracle? Like your magic?” Asked Riftan.
“No, Weredeer, is a special kind of Were, they have a special magic imbued inside of them, the one who stayed near the camp has the ability of premonition.”
Riftan then turns around and asks my opinion. “What do you think?”
“There’s no harm in trying, we need more clues, where to start. I think she may be able to help us.”
“Alright, if you say so.” Riftan turns his face to Josiah, “Give us the map, we’ll go there, tomorrow, at the first sight of the yellow sun.”
“No worries, I’ll be accompanying both of you. Shakira is a friend of mine, it’s best if I go, to convince her.”
“Convinced her? Do you mean, she may be refused to help us?”
Josiah winces a little. “Shakira… she is unique, every now and then, she refused to help people, We never know the reason.”
“That’s weird, does she need some valuables, maybe?”
“I can assure you, She doesn’t need any valuables. Shakira began by looking at the people who need her help, and she would say, yes or no, that was it.”
“I guess, we never know before try it ourselves, thank you, Josiah, for helping us.” Said Riftan to Josiah.
Josiah patted his friend’s back and gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I will help you as best as I can. Now, enjoy your food before it got cold, I don’t want Grace to chew on me, later on for bothering our guests.”
He left us alone, while we are enjoying our dinner. There was not much conversation between us, I wanted to enjoy the food in silence, luckily, so was Riftan. After dinner, He pursued me to take a walk around the inn.
When I step outside the inn, I was happy that I had agreed to Riftan’s request. There are so many people, children running around, playfully and gleefully, adults, walking and conversing with one another. This camp vibe is different from Gandor’s camp. Every color of the sun, Gandor told us to keep ourselves inside the huts, if we were caught by the guards, they will give every offender ten whips on their legs, children, or even the elder, there was no exception.
Every color of the moon, they force us to pray with him, and then back to work for everyone, while he will indulge himself with numerous mistresses that he has, sometimes, my mother was one of the mistresses that had to serve the foul man. Remembering him, make my blood boil.
“What happening inside your pretty face of yours?”
Riftan’s comment make me wake up, I was thinking about the old camp, I forgot that Riftan was beside me, the whole time.
“I remembered my old camp, this… way of life is so different, I was amazed. I mean, people are enjoying their life here, even children.”
“That’s why I wanted to show you, that not every camp is a bad camp like yours.”
“Yes, I can see it now.”
“Ten years ago, I was here, to accompany my mother, for political reasons, she was the one who introduced me to Josiah, we were best friends since.”
“So, he is the friend of your mother, first?”
Riftan smiled while his eyes stared at the bright yellow moon above. “I think, he is more than a friend.”
Holding my hand, we take a walk by the alley, just enjoying the night, without any word spoken between us. We go back to our room, after two hours of the yellow moon, Riftan and I said good night to Grace, Josiah’s wife.
“Riftan, may I ask something?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Why do you call Grace, Josiah’s wife? What is a wife?”
He smiled and rustled my hair. “I have forgotten, you have never been around besides your step-father’s area. The wife means Mate, in Human realm terms.”
“Oh, so Josiah is elven from the human realm?”
“Yes, he came back to the elven realm, recently, about two hundred years ago, right after Arbediin established their kingdom with their new rulers, Aliena Malyka.”
“Oh, I would love to hear his story.”
“You will, now, let us take our rest, I was so tired, we need to go somewhere else, tomorrow, remember?”
I slept so peacefully, a very comfy bedding and a good environment, make me have a very good rest.
Before dawn, I woke up, and took a refreshing bath in the small wooden bathtub, behind our bedroom door. The water is already cold, but I don’t mind, I rarely took a nice warm bath at Gandor’s camp. As the step-daughter, I was always the last to take a bath or shower, if I dared myself to go first, the nannies will whip my *ss, several times.
After the traumatic experience, I let my step-siblings take a bath before I did.
“Are you taking a bath with cold water?”
Turning around, I saw Riftan looking at me with a baffled look, I just smile and continue my bath.
“Yes, it’s alright, already used to it.”
“Used to it?”
“It was all in the past, come on, won’t you join me? I could give a good scrub to your back.”
Riftan immediately put his tunics and pants away.
After the refreshing bath, we go downstairs, where Grace already prepared a nice breakfast for us. After one hour of the yellow sun, the three of us, begin our journey to meet the Weredeer. Little that I know, there’s also another elven, following every step that we take.
A friend or foe? for now, I don’t know.
- Writer
