11 Cairo - The Ridge (1/2)
Although it was dark outside, I could still see the vast array of mountains being approached in the distance. There was a tiny split inside the mountain where the ocean waters passed over countless rocks and debris, but that split was so small and narrow it seemed impossible for a ship this size to pass through.
”Who were you talking to?” I asked again as the ship quaked up and down.
Leonidas made an innocent face, keeping his voice hidden in the back of his throat, ”Just some relatives at home. They're worried sick 'bout me, but I promised them I wouldn't be returning until after the adventure.” He laughed, fakely. ”Would you like to speak to them?” He pulled out the orb again, handing it over.
I gave him a wry look, grabbing the orb from his weak hands. After observing it for a moment, that bastard slipped from my vision like a black panther at night. I jolted my head behind me, seeing his devilish smile staring back at me with a knife pressed up against my throat.
”Shh, Shh, Shh.” He whispered, placing his finger against his lips. ”One sudden noise and…” He gently pushed the blade into my scar, making me feel the pain I felt all those years ago. As he dug the tiny point of the blade into my neck, the ship seemed to have hit a rock of some sort, making us bounce up and down like sailors in a storm. Surprisingly, Leonidas held the blade steadily, careful not to do more damage than was intended.
A few drops of blood ran down my neck, and he leaned in even closer. ”You still don't remember, do you?” He asked.
For some reason, that question caught me more off guard than the knife pinned against my neck. I looked deep into his eyes, searching for an answer until I finally found one.
It was him—The warden with the general's hat from the Gulag. There was no denying that smug look he always gave me. Except he looked nearly twice as old now. His face had a similar structure, and his eyes were still the same as before. So how could I not recognize him at first? Was it the hair? The attitude? The weakness I felt from him?
”There you go.” He said, noticing that I remembered. ”I always wondered how you managed to escape for a second time. Who was behind those explosions?”
I squinted my eyes, perplexed and confused. Even after all these years, Leonidas himself didn't know what the cause behind the explosions in the castle? This seemed odd, too odd to question—given my current state.
”You look stunned.” He beamed. ”Have you spent all these years pondering about your life choices? Have you been hiding in the off chance that I was still alive and wanted your head on my paddle?” He cackled, tightening his grip on the blade. ”No… You've been afraid, afraid of your past and what it's done to you.”
I gulped, unsure if he was right or wrong. Either way, I felt an odd feeling wrap itself around my heart. A feeling I hated, one that I wanted to escape from for so long. A feeling of being secluded, lost in the world around me as if nothing ever mattered... I felt alone.
Meanwhile, the ship hit yet another rock, and this time we were both sent flying against the railing. I carefully picked myself up off the floor and noticed the mountainside engulfing the ship inside its corrupted pathway.
Leonidas quickly sprung up from the floor, flipping the knife in his hand and charging at me.
When it came to hand-to-hand combat, I was very skilled. In fact, I'd be bold enough to put myself pretty high on the ranking. However, that inner fear inside me prevented me from focusing, and I couldn't predict any of his movements.