22 THREE MONKEYS (1/2)
”Mm,” Lirzod looked around and realized that they were in the D Block. ”Mm? Hey, didn't we already go past this block before? Why are we in this one again?” He looked at her but didn't get a response. A second later, his eyes enlarged. ”Don't tell me, you...”
Sariyu's heart began to pump faster and she pressed her lips hard hoping to control it.
”Were you looking to find a partner in this block?”
Sariyu paused a moment and then nodded in haste. (Whew...) Her heartbeat slowed down.
”C'mon, do you really think you can find a good partner on this deck?” Lirzod raised his eyebrows. ”Let's focus on climbing the decks first. If luck has it, we'll meet suitable partners on the way. What do you say?”
”Y-Yeah,” she gave a hesitant nod.
At that moment they both ended up meeting a familiar face at the street's corner.
Burton initially saw Sariyu who was in the front and was about to walk in the other direction but just then he saw Lirzod behind her. Seeing them both, he frowned and looked at her. ”You told me that you wouldn't team up with him.”
”And I didn't,” she was quick to reply.
”Oh, then why's he with you?” Burton pointed his finger at Lirzod, irking him.
”Because he's lost,” she said in a flat tone.
”Hmph,” Burton smirked as he glanced at Lirzod. ”Can't even get back to your room and yet you boasted about joining Shambala Sect during your coming off age ceremony! If anyone sees this,” His chest tightened and breath hitched, ”they would ridicule not just you but our entire clan.”
”What ceremony?” Lirzod smiled in a bitter manner. ”All that happened that morning was a casual meeting. No party was thrown afterward.”
”No party?” Sariyu looked at him in a questioning manner. ”What about the party that was thrown during that night?”
”That's not really thrown for my sake, you know,” he sighed heavily.
”Of course, that party happened both for the clan and for you as well,” Sariyu tried to convince him.
Lirzod shook his head. ”You didn't even attend the party. You wouldn't know how I got treated.”
”Well,” she didn't know what to say.
Burton got irked by their conversation. ”I'm worried about the clan but he's more worried about the party.” His brows furrowed as he turned to her, ”And why are you even reasoning with him?”
Sariyu was startled. (That's right, I forgot that he called me something bad.) She fumed at Lirzod, puzzling him.
”What did I do?” Lirzod exposed his palms to the skies.
Burton narrowed his eyes as he fixedly stared at Lirzod. (He wouldn't leave her side unless I tell him the way.) He took out a small white cloth which upon unfolding became ten times larger. He wrote the letter M with his finger on the cloth and a map faded in on its surface. It was a partial map of the tenth deck. He showed it to Lirzod. ”There's no set pattern for the blocks which is why it confuses newcomers like us. That's why I wrote it down here. Now all you all have to do is go straight like this.” He joined the D Block and the K Block in a straight line. ”You encounter six blocks in between. Just mug the order and you'll reach your room with no problem.”
While rubbing his chin, Lirzod paused a moment and then nodded. Burton folded the cloth and put it back in his pocket before walking away. Sariyu followed him from behind.
A few moments later, Lirzod began to follow them as well.
When Burton glanced back, he saw Lirzod walking behind her. ”I told you the way,” he scrubbed his hand over the face, ”so why are you following me?”
”Who's following you?” Lirzod replied in a loud voice. ”I'm following Sariyu.”
”You...” Burton clenched his fist. His stomach just hardened from hearing Lirzod's words.
”Just ignore him,” Sariyu told Burton.
He curbed all the frustration and continued to walk.
Because Lirzod was following, Burton changed the course and headed straight towards the K Block.
They went through streets neither Sariyu nor Lirzod had been to before. Some of the blocks they passed through had tiny tree-like objects stuck at the top of either wall of the streets, and such streets were calmer. Some streets which didn't have them were crawling with many men doing all sorts of things from exercising and having fun to scaring people.
If there weren't three of them, Burton and his group would likely have been tested. Some of the men who previously messed with Burton and looted some of his money, now gave him ridiculing glances, but he ignored them wholly.
However, some still mocked them with their words, especially the men wearing turtle shells as helmets. ”Look at them three monkeys. I wonder where they are heading.”
”Where else? To steal food from others of course.”
”Haha, like most other monkeys.”
”How despicable. Monkeys like these deserve to be put down or at least tied to a rope.”
”Look at their line up. The male monkeys seem to be protecting the female one. How hilarious! These monkeys surely don't know that the streets on this ship can be cold enough to freeze the balls of a brass monkey. As for you lot, your future is too self-evident.”
Like masters of mocking, different men used different words and voices to hurt those three. Though Burton and Lirzod weren't bothered by their words, Sariyu's blood boiled. New people getting picked at was common even in Helenia, and as a spectator, she always enjoyed such things when they happened. Only now, when she was on the receiving end of the jeers and laughs, she realized how uncomfortable it was. However, all she could do was act as if she never heard their words.
Lirzod coldly glanced at them.
”What are you looking at, huh?” One of them threw a stone at Lirzod. He moved his head and dodged the stone while continuing to walk. ”Yeah, that's right. Keep going like that.” As they watched the three of them made more and more distance.
”Did you look at the kid in the back?” One of the guys angrily said.
”Yeah, he didn't have a shred of fear in them,” a gray-haired guy who seemed to the leader of that group said. ”Either he's faking it exceptionally well or he mean's trouble. We can mess with them, but it will either be a hit or miss. What do you guys say?”
”We stole some money from the purple monkey, and he didn't fight back at all,” the guy standing beside the leader stated, ”so, the three of them must be duds. You can tell by their formation itself. Instead of walking side by side, they are walking in a line. They are definitely noobs. My gut says we can bag some decent coins from them. What do you say, Boss Budgen?”
”There's no need to hurry. Let's wait and see how they do in the Deck Tests,” Budgen said as he cracked his knuckles against his chin. He had the number forty-nine on the outer side of his palm.
Sometime later.
Burton and others reached the K Block.
Lirzod no longer followed them and simply marched past the two to reach the room earlier than the rest.
”Since when was this a race?” Burton scratched the back of his neck as he looked at her.
”Just ignore him,” she replied in a not-so-relaxed posture. A second later, she slowly increased her pace and walked past Burton, startling her. He increased his pace as well and overtook her. She sped up again and crossed him. The process repeated until they reached their rooms. Sariyu reached her room first as Burton's room was the one after her's.
”I won,” she said, puffing a little.