38 Welcome Home (2/2)
”Greetings, Noble One — Ka'an. We have been waiting for this day, this very moment...” The voice was young and feminine.
A girl stepped out from the fog who looked no older than thirteen or fourteen, adorned in a beautiful robe of glimmering white silk and gold. She wore a necklace made of amber stone that shone like a star, fashioned in the sun's shape.
As she walked closer to Reed, the long, maroon feather she had pinned on her head swung back and forth like a pendulum as if it had a life of its own. The girl looked at Reed square in the eye as she approached him and said, ”When her holiness spoke of your arrival, Noble One, we immediately set out to reach you.”
Her pure eyes reflected nothing but the truth as she bowed in front of Reed. The surrounding shadows knelt in response, startling him as he blanked out in confusion.
”It was most unfortunate that we met the Unclean Ones as soon as we set out for you. Because of our blunder, we forced you to deal with them yourself, Noble One. I have shamed the All-Mother by even letting those vile, wretched worms even gaze upon your image...”
She bit her lips in fury as she kept her head down, feeling that she was unworthy of looking at Reed's face. The shadows followed suit and prostrated themselves in silence, and Reed felt a headache coming on.
Reed looked at the ridiculous scene and raised his hands in defeat; he couldn't handle the situation anymore. ”Look, how about we back this conversation up for my sake, all right? I don't even know who you are... You need not kneel; it's creeping me out.” Reed interjected.
”Huh?” A short yelp escaped the girl's lips and she said, ”O-Oh, her holiness warned us about this and I still forgot. Once again, I have made myself a fool in your presence, Noble One. I cannot even find the words to describe my shame...” The poor girl looked like she was the verge of tears as she trembled slightly on the ground.
Why do I look like the villain in this scenario?! Oh, for the love of...
”Now, now, don't cry, okay?! It's fine, I forgive you for whatever you did, so don't start up with the waterworks!” He had to comfort the girl for a solid five minutes until she finally calmed down.
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The girl rubbed her watery eyes and said, ”O Noble One, you are most merciful and benevolent, just as I imagined you would be. I will never forget this gracious act of kindness. You bless me with your-”
Reed quickly interjected said, ”I get it so stop it with flattery and explain to me who you are already.” If he hadn't stopped her there, he was confident that she would have gone on prattling until hell froze over.
”A-Ah, yes, yes, Noble One, forgive me. I am Itotia, a priestess of the Great Flame, and her holiness sent here me to escort you to Citlai, the last fragment of paradise. Our home, far away from the filth and corruption of the Unclean Ones.”
An invitation? This wasn't the time for an unexpected adventure; he had to meet up with his friends first. Reed hadn't forgotten about the fact that he still had to save Esparon. As much as Reed wanted to go off on some wild trip into uncharted lands and forsake his responsibilities, he couldn't.
”I'm sorry, Itotia but I can't go with you right now; I'm on an important mission and I can't jus-”
”…But it's already too late, Noble One,” Itotia said in a small mumble as she bashfully twirled her thumbs.
The hazy fog around them began to fade and when it finally dissipated, the truth was revealed to Reed. He'd been hoodwinked from the start.
Faint shapes formed out of the fog; a dark and dusty room with a single exit. Cracks of light squeezed through the room's cracked ceiling, giving Reed a small glimpse of his surroundings. Indecipherable glyphs of an unknown origin marked the walls, emblazoned in a massive mural painting that covered the entire room.
”Let us be off, Noble One. Her holiness — no, we've all been expecting you,” Itotia said. She gestured towards the exit and waited for Reed to follow.
There was a scent peculiar scent that seemed to be dragging him outside. Sweeter than an angel's kiss and more tempting than a princess's invitation. It was so...
Before Reed even realized it, he'd already put one foot in front of the other as he walked towards the exit with increasing speed, almost as if he were afraid of losing the scent. Itotia knowingly gigged as she ran after Reed, delighted that it had worked.
When Reed reached the exit, he felt as if something had tugged his hand and he looked back. No one was there, aside from Itotia who had still not caught up to him in the distance. Her protests finally reached his ears and he waited for her to catch up.
She huffed laboriously as she whined in between breaths about this and that, but Reed didn't pay her any mind. He walked out of the exit into the light and closed his eyes when a sudden gust of wind smacked him square in the face.
He rubbed his weary eyes and opened them.
Itotia watched the young boy and wanted to say something to him, but couldn't. It tore her to pieces, but she couldn't do it. Instead, she stood beside him and waited. As always.
And then...
And then...
And...