Zaiyoz

Chapter 2

As the breeze softly blew, I was more aware of how she smelled. It was like freshly cut iris with a trail of blooming flowers. It was dreamy. She was very feminine, although it didn’t show on how she acts right in front of me, right now.

I turned to leave her when she still followed me in her soft but hurried steps. My own boots were soaked that it made some flip-flop sounds as I walked down the trail. Some birds sang and I heard the usual whispers of different Kazron people around the area, though they were not exactly present here in the forest but far away.

“Okay,” she said instead. “I’ll just let you know my name and where I’m from then. I’m—”

I stopped walking and looked down at her with cold eyes. “I’m not friendly. I’m dangerous. And whatever you think I am, you’re wrong! So beat it!”

She raised her perfectly arched brows that were a lighter shade of her hair. She ran her pink tongue on her red lips. She was going to say something when a male’s clipped voice butted in.

“Bihlke!”

That alone made her frown, giving the owner of the voice a death stare. “What now, Bavid?”

I turned to look at the owner of that quiet and deep voice. He had short blond hair with a fringe that almost reached his eyebrows. He looked tall but not as tall as me. Maybe a couple inches shorter. But he had a good build like me, with well-toned body. He was more tanned than I am though.

His blue-gray eyes were assessing me coldly before he transferred his gaze to the girl in front of me. “I told you we’re not going in that direction to the river!” Then his eyes were back to me. “This area has creatures I don’t want to meet.”

I slightly snorted at that before I left them without looking back.

“There’s nothing here but trees and birds!” I heard the girl called Bihlke disagreed.

Looked like they were a bickering couple. I could only shake my head.

“I was just trying to make friends,” she added in a persistent tone.

“You don’t know him!” he countered in his quiet voice, still in a clipped tone.

I tried to block their conversation as I walked down the slope that was filled with dried leaves and ran through the rainbow-colored woods. The air whipped my face hard as my speed increased. I was almost gliding. My fourth wind power, Karommu, was suddenly taking over me and I had no idea why. It was the first time since I stopped using my powers when I left home four years ago.

I halted when I reached the clearing. It was already night. Not far away from where I stood was a town. The golden and white lights illuminated it. I was thinking if I should try to sell some pieces of the odim stone. But I needed something to cut it. I didn’t want to use Karommu, one of my four wind powers, any more than it had taken over me a little earlier. I had to live and act like a normal human being, not a wizard. Because I am not whole. That part of me was long gone. That special essence of being me was ripped off of me a long time ago. Without it and I use my remaining powers, there may be a tendency that I’d be consumed by them and do something bad. Really bad. More than what I did in the past. And I’d maybe lose myself then. And I didn’t want that to happen.

I met some people here and there while I was looking for an inn, which we called mikmalon. I had to find somewhere to rest and go to a blacksmith shop to cut the stone in pieces and sell them.

Most of the people stared at me as I passed by open stalls that sold fabrics, jewelries, clothes for both males and females, undergarments, hats, toys, swords and knives, as well as accessories for females such as hairpins, hand mirrors, lip gloss with colors, among others. On the other side of the same alley were fruits, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, vegetables and some local colorful and tasty delicacies and sweet candies. The air was hence a myriad of scents of leather, cinnamon, spirits, lemon, vanilla and many others I couldn’t name.

Some people also glanced at my pocket that was obviously a bulge. I belatedly realized it, so I subtly put my hand inside it as I walked, looking around.

I turned to the right to explore. It was bright with different cool lights of amber and white colors, which were given off by fire lamps. A certain wizard called Urigge appointed to this town as the head was the source of these energies for the benefits of the townsfolk. The Urigge was also responsible for the order of its town, people and would directly report to the emperor through magical means. And that meant in different ways.

I found a small yellow building with two white fire lamps brightly shining in front of it. The white blinking word “Mikmalon” was proof to that. I entered it, oblivious to a couple of people behind me. The lobby was not exactly clean as I preferred but it didn’t smell as bad. I guess it was okay.

The bald man in his forties behind the small narrow table looked up and gave me a tight smile. “Yes, young man? What can I do for you?”

I looked around, there I found the two men in their thirties. They looked away when I stared at them for a moment or two. Three beautiful women passed by, giggling. They wore some sexy silk dresses that reached their ankles but showed off their chest area. I thought they were visitors around this shabby town. They both looked in my direction but I didn’t smile back at them.

“Uh, a room for… a couple of nights and days perhaps with meals please,” I answered, darting my eyes to the left, which had a wall and a mirror. To my right was a hallway and at the end of it was a stairway going up to the second floor.

“That’s six silver,” he said.

“I’ll pay tomorrow. Is it okay?”

“Whatsoever you prefer, young man,” he said, shrugging with a smile. He gave me a magical key and gestured to my right. “Second floor, third door to your right. You cannot go up to the third floor or loiter around. Those are my rules. Your meal will be coming right up,” he added.

I nodded and walked away. I thought this was a good place. He didn’t even ask for my name or a badge that would let him know of my identity. I did carry my badge, which had a family crest. It was in a form of necklace with a round pendant. I always kept it hidden to not let the people or magicians know who I am. So whenever I was asked for identification, I always used a fake one, which I wore as a bracelet. Maybe the owner already took a look at it while I was speaking to him. He seemed to have a quick eye.

I walked down the hallway where the girls went a minute ago. The walls had little fire lamps of red color and the flames danced as passed by. I took the stairs two steps at a time and followed a red-lit narrow hallway. It was quiet and smelled of women’s perfume.

I located the third room, which had a silver vertical hand bar. There was a small slot in the middle of it and I inserted the key. It opened on its own and the small torches placed on the walls suddenly lit up. I closed the door and went straight to the washroom. I already took off my shirt when I heard my door open.

My brows knitted. How did they get in? The key was magical and was only meant to open one room. At least that was what I knew.

“He’s not here,” a man whispered.

“Maybe he’s in the washroom,” the second voice said.

“Let’s wait for him to get out and we’ll take that odim stone,” the first one said.

My frown was even deeper. How did they know about this specific stone? I hadn’t flaunted it around.

Wait, don’t tell me… I halted that thought. To know what was on my mind, I finished up washing my face first and looked at myself in the mirror. My necklace was in full display, showing the family crest of blue four-pointed star with a swaying red flame in the middle of it. On the other side of it was my name engraved in it. Whoever sees the necklace must recognize me right away, unless he or she had known me personally even without checking my badge.

I was thinking they shouldn’t see it, so I put the pendant on my nape. Now, I wanted to confirm how they knew about the odim stone.

I went out of the washroom and I readily saw a fist coming my way. I quickly ducked and side kicked each of them in the stomach. They fell to the floor butt first, groaning.

“How did you know about the stone?”