Chapter Twenty-Two
They kept walking, not quite knowing where they were headed. All they knew was that Kiri was not with them, and they had to find her.
Saubre had stayed silent almost the whole way, and it felt like hours since they had first arrived in the strange place with its long halls. The only times she had spoken up was to ask which whey they would go when they came to a place the hall split in two or more ways.
Lycurgus’ silence was what had been bothering her. She had gotten the feeling he was naturally a little quieter than the average person when they had first met, but after his little fit and the desperate expression he wore, she could not help but wonder what he was thinking.
“I’m sorry for making you walk so fast,” Lycurgus finally spoke up when they reached another place the hallway split in three directions, each hall seeming just as long as the next. You must be tired.”
Saubre jumped at the sound of his voice, forcing a smile and scratching the back of her head. “Oh.... No need to apologize, this is the least I can do to help repay you for what you’ve done,” Saubre said softly, placing a hand on his tense shoulder. “And I couldn’t live with knowing I did nothing to look for Kiri, she’s such a sweet little girl,” Saubre added, shrugging and stepping back when his crimson eyes turned to watch her.
“I didn’t do much, just what any sane person would do,” Lycurgus said.
“Well, by most standards, you’d be considered crazy,” Saubre let out a little half-laugh.
“Then I don’t want to be normal if it means you have to hurt others just for the heck of it. You hurt enough people when trying to protect those you care for.... Why hurt simply to hurt?” Lycurgus asked.
“I knew from the first time I saw you that you were a nice person,” Saubre smiled. “Picking up a strange orphan girl off the street, trusting her, trusting me, another complete stranger and then giving me a name....” Saubre rubbed her arms, feeling cold now they had stopped walking.
“I’m an awful person,” Lycurgus huffed, turning away from her, his eyes directed towards the ground. “I couldn’t do anything then....”
Something told Saubre she should stop questioning him, but she wanted to know, she wanted to understand the man who had given her a name, given her a meaning to live, saying he would get her home, to wherever that may be now.
“Lycurgus,” Saubre said in a hushed voice. “I don’t think you’re a bad person now,” she spoke up, her voice growing steady and louder. “I don’t know what you did, or what exactly your background is, but right now, you’re doing something for a good cause, and doesn’t the present matter? Doesn’t the future matter? I don’t know much about the past, but I can tell you that you’ve given me a future to look forward to, and I’m really grateful for that.”
Lycurgus stayed silent for a moment. “Thank you,” he gave her a smile, albeit a sad one. “I suppose you’re right.... You sure you weren’t some philosopher before you lost your... name?”
Saubre let out a little laugh, surprising herself with it. “How would I know?” she asked.
Lycurgus peered down the corridor to his right, frowning. “Which way do you think we should go?” he asked. “Wait... you said you could track us?”
“Yes, but only-” she hated to burst his bubble, and his initial excitement died down in an instant.
“But what?” Lycurgus asked darkly.
“I need the number of the person’s implant.... I’m really, really sorry, but I don’t have Kiri’s,” Saubre apologized, swinging into a deep bow, a sort of deep rooted habit from her original memories.
“Don’t do that,” Lycurgus said, grabbing her shoulders and righting her so he could look into her watery green eyes. “How about you choose the path this time?”
“Uhm.... Right,” Saubre responded.
“Any particular reason for that?” Lycurgus asked, releasing her shoulders, fixing the hat atop his head and looking back over his shoulders at her, after taking a few steps.
“Oh, well, no.... I just thought that since the hallways are all about the same length, and since we’ve made two left turns already, and I don’t want us to go in a circle....”
“Oh,” Lycurgus said simply. “I didn’t realize that....”
“It’s a long hall, it’s a long walk, so it’s easy to forget,” Saubre shrugged. “I was thinking we should find a bigger space,” she said. “There might be somebody there.”
“You think there’s somebody in here?” Lycurgus asked in surprise.
“It’s plenty or room to hide,” Saubre pointed out. “Shall we go?” she asked.
“Yes, let’s find Kiri and get out of here as soon as possible.”
“Agreed,” Saubre nodded.
#
“You two just go ahead,” Mastiff waved the Mai Shashi and Reina away.
“B-B-B-But w-w-we’re s-suh-suppo-posed t-to s-stu-stay t-toge-gether....” Reina stammered uncontrollably. She had been very nervous since they had entered the place, and she hated not knowing where she was. Especially when Mastiff had just suggested they go down into the only unlit hallway.
“Well, the Goose wants me to keep an eye on you two,” the Mai Shashi announced. “So either we all go, or nobody does, and I hope we all do, because he’ll kill us if we don’t get a move on to find Kiri,” the Mai Shashi said, fire in her eyes and her tone as sharp as ever, especially now her knee had fully recovered in the few hours they had been in the strange place, putting her arms on her hips. “Why so eager to get rid of us?”
“I really have to go,” Mastiff hissed.
“Go? Why the hurry? Where to?” the Mai Shashi’s mouth fell open, agape, her baffled expression lingering for a moment before she could pull herself together, glowering at him.
“I have to go!” Mastiff repeated, more urgently.
The Mai Shashi raised a single, thin eyebrow.
“I need to take a piss. There, now you made me say it! And I was trying not to be too vulgar!” Mastiff trailed off angrily. “Oh, but I need your permission to take a piss, don’t I?”
The Mai Shashi made a face, as if she had been slapped, but then she burst out laughing. “So much for the man with an iron bladder,” the Mai laughed, her cheeks tinted a light pink. “No you don’t, just don’t beat around the bush,” she grinned. “No pun intended,” she waved a hand at him. “Just go take a vase to piss in,” she spoke up. “I grew up with five brothers, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” she grinned darkly.
“But I’ll turn away if you’re embarrassed,” she grinned darkly, looking down at his feet. “You know what they say about men with small feet, they have small-”
The Mai Shashi’s eyes went wide, both of them a golden color, but nobody had pointed that fact out to her yet. Mastiff had grabbed a vase from near himself and had hurled it at her head, and she took half a step back, the outline of her body seeming to go blurry, and then seeming to disappear completely.
“What the-?” Reina squeaked, spinning in circles, looking for the Mai Shashi.
“Boo,” the Mai Shashi said, materializing behind Mastiff, tapping him on the
shoulder. “You forgot something,” she grinned, holding up a vase she had gotten from somewhere down the hall in the direction they had come from.
“What the-?” Mastiff echoed Reina’s question.
“I did tell you I could manifest myself in certain ways,” the Mai Shashi said. “Sounds like somebody was not listening,” she grinned, urging him to take the vase.
“Take the vase, I’m sure Reina would have no objections to turning around with me, you take your piss, and then we go in there,” the Mai Shashi beamed, seeming happy to have worked everything out.
His eyes radiating pure hatred, Mastiff slowly turned around, took the vase from her hands, and held it up.
“You want me to take a piss in a vase?” Mastiff asked, waving a hand in front of her face. “Are you insane?”
“Well, it’s not like people look in vases when they walk by,” the Mai Shashi said, waving her hands with a flourish. “Not that there is anybody here to be looking in vases besides us.”
Mastiff made a face, opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but closed it again. He repeated the process a few times, looking not much unlike a fish.
“Fine,” he glowered, sneering at her. “Now you go and be the good little slave you are and go stand over there with Reina and turn about-face.”
“Oh, you sure you don’t need mommy to hold your-”
“MAI!” Mastiff yelled, red in the face. “Just... go.... GO!”
The Mai Shashi let out a little laugh, turning, flipping her auburn curls over her shoulder and into Mastiff’s face as she passed him, sticking her hands in the pockets of her red coat.
“Sure, sure,” she muttered, flashing Reina a grin. “Turn around girly,” she laughed at Reina who spun around, her face a bright red.
“T-This is awkward....” Reina muttered.
“I don’t hear anything does mommy need to come and help you with-” the Mai Shashi mocked in a high pitched voice.
“No!” Mastiff yelled at their backs, turning around and checking every few moments they were still looking away.
“Lalalalala! I’m not listening!” Reina said, covering her ears.
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Hehe, this was a lot of fun to write :3 I hope you enjoy the awkwardness.... up next.... more awkwardness :D and then maybe a little bit of Keith to go along with it ^^
Thanks for reading ^^