Cleo dissipates into shadows, until she is nothing but a silhouette whilst entering the Village. She has left the Court, trutted through the front garden making sure that not a single soul has seen her and slyly escaped the Court. She has done for this years already, her escapades was like second nature to her. No one has ever caught her. And it will remain that way.
The Village is enclosed by a thick wooden barricade, preventing villagers from roaming into the Kingdom also called the House of Flames —but to also keep the Villagers safe from any sort of danger that may intervene, the barricade then ends around the edge of the Village curving around it and gives way to the farms set very close to the perimeter of the seas. She pulls her gaze away from it and resorts to getting to the Village as quickly as she can.
Cleo crosses the vast field which separates the Village from the Courts—Landon named this field the Field of Fiery as the reeds and long grass growing from it looked like fire itself or rather flames depicting a fire. He said it matched her eyes whenever she was feeling wrathful and wanted to scorch someone on the spot. For once in her life was Cleo offended that he said that. Trees lined the field all around —cherry blossom trees the pink petals adding to the kaleidoscope rainbow of fiery colours in the field.
Who dare create this field on a hill? Cleo's legs started becoming numb and tight from this drastic trek up the hill. She would need to resume her training again, her fire talents has taken over her motivation to practice training close combats with swords and daggers and crossbows. To her, flaming one is more entertaining than plunging one with a sword. Less bloody too. But her training is definitely something crucial before her crowning ritual.
Cleo eventually reaches the barricade. She gazes at the hard stoned gate, also the only entrance into the Village. The rest of the Village was enclosed by the wooden barricade— the pillars of the gate were made from thick concrete and the spaces were narrow enough to not allow a single person through. She could see that there are guards flanking both the inside and outside of the gate, keeping watch to whom enters and whom leaves. She called this gate Helhard as she once banged her head against one of the hard pillars and fell into a deep slumber straight after. The Healers thought she was dead. She has never seen Landon fret so much over her. She's been asleep for three days. Since then she called it Helhard. Because that hardness has taken her to hell and back.
Cleo shakes her head wishing the past thoughts away and surreptitiously makes her way to the barricade, making absolute certain she's not in one of the outside guards line of vision. She sneaks through the tall reeds — the sole of the hill, and reaches the wooden wall. She watches the guards again, still undeterred.
She finds the white ribbon tied around the bamboo holding the wooden stakes in place, and tugs it away inside her breeches and stretches up.
°°°
"Took you long enough." Says the awfully handsome Jezio. Jezio the thief. A very wanted one. Yet here he was awaiting her and not stealing away.
Jezio leans against the terracotta wall, arms folded, one leg propped up behind him against the wall gawking at her with an evil-smirk. Jezio is leanly muscled, his sleeveless tunic exposing his bare muscled shoulders and arms from years of jumping buildings, doing heists, getting into unnecessary brawls with other villagers, teasing girls by lifting skirts and trotting away immediately, a classic example of why he is wanted by so many villagers. His dark pants is lifted around his hind legs showing his muscled calves and his sandals are completely worn out. He always wore boots and a cloak but the heat has caused him to abandon it.
Jezio's long hair -—reaching his back; is light brown and heavily unkempt making him even more unruly handsome. His ice blue eyes quickly roams her figure. From her hooded shirt down to her boots. Lingering longer on her tight pants — her thighs to be exact before meeting her eyes again.
Cleo clambered up the barricade on the other side and down again before Jezio, unnoticed by the guards. She looks to Jezio from where he was lounging against the wall of some occupants cottage. Upon entering the Village the first buildings are the bungalows of the villagers, their residences. This was their meeting nook. Behind the first cottage after the barricade.
"Since when do you care how long I take? There is no curfew. Besides it's not even sunset yet, I am rather early, for you meaning we have more time." Cleo walks towards him, looking up into his towering figure. His eyes were glinting more, his smirk reaching them.
"Ah, fair enough, I was just becoming a little concerned about your whereabouts." He puts more emphasis on little by narrowing his eye.
Cleo looks down the sandy floor towards the inside guards. They look tedious and dead. Good. They won't bother.
"I was in a meeting." Cleo replies still looking at the guards.
Jezio nods. "Well..." He pushes off the wall, Let's get started, there are guards roaming about as usual but the heat has caused them to fall back into the shade, so hidden for us." He rubs his hands together in excitement.
"Good."
He nods again. "Shall we?" He motions deeper into the Village.
"Hell yes."
He takes the lead as always, and she trails after him.
The bungalows were neatly lined in rows behind one another, a few gardens surrounding the houses, many women washing clothes in a washing basin and ordering their children to the Markets. No one took note of Cleo and Jezio at all; Cleo sighs in relief. No matter how many times Cleo will do this, she will always be weary whenever she heads to the Villages with Jezio. The Court; once they're ascertain of Cleo's whereabouts — will use it in ways to ruin her reputation as the last Elemental -—especially General Landon, and this was the last thing she wanted. She wasn't sure what they'd do if Cleo weren't to be crowned. She hasn't given it thought. But she's sure they'll die.
"Cleo? You're awfully quiet today, getting too hot?" Jezio moves back and falls into step beside her and looks down to her; concern lingering in his eyes.
Cleo sighs and refuses to meet his eyes, "You know the heat doesn't bother me Jezio. And I'm thinking about my birth ceremony which will take place soon."
"That's right yes, you'll be crowned the last Elemental." Jezio looks into the distance, she can see his thoughts speeding across his eyes. He opens his mouth to say something but shuts it again — as if what he were to say would offend her.
He speaks again,"So how are the preparations? Good? I heard from some scuttlebutt that a Mistress is to come and do some... carnal teachings." He smirks devilly.
Cleo can't help but grin at that, "Only you'll be heavily interested in that Jez. And I won't be the only one who has to get those teachings, some servants as well. According to the Mistress it's for replenishing the desires of many guards. As if I care, but Landon is fond of her so I left it at that."
"Ah, I understand Landon still gets you all soft I see." His smirk fades.
Cleo looks at him hard, "What do you mean?"
"What? Did I say something? Oh pardon me Miss Cleo, I'm rather dull today." He bows down before her before gazing at her with that smirk again.
Cleo doesn't return it. She'd ask him about this again some time.
They continue on, the Market is close. She can scent the various foods, spices, fabrics and the always bustling activity occurring in the Markets. The quiet demeanor of the bungalows will soon give way to the most sedulous part of the entire Village.
Jezio speaks up, "Do you think you could teach me some of these carnal activities, it's been so long since I felt anything." He groans out and pockets his hands into his pants.
"Why? I thought all the girls in the Village wanted you." She smells fresh baked bread. When last did she eat?
"Well yes that is correct, but how about a change?" He meets her eyes again a glint in them.
Cleo frowns at him, "You're serious? Never Jez. I'll get you a servant."
He seems happy with that idea and scrunches his face up. "That suits me. Are you hungry?"
Cleo nods.
"How about I snatch us some fresh foods from Darek? And you wait at the tavern?" They stood right at the entrance of the huge trellis seperating the cottages from the Markets. Darek was a very popular cook in the Markets, and Jezio used his constantly busy everyday life to ransack sweet pastries for them.
"Yes."
"Be careful, I'll be back soon. And don't forget the weeds, you have the coin?"
Cleo pulls the coin bag clad in blue velvet out from her pocket in her shirt and shows it up to him with a grin. He grins back and without another word he truts away.
This is the main reason why she was with Jezio a few times a week. She takes her own coin from Court to buy Weeds from the more meagre parts of the Village, and eventually coming together where Jezio and herself becomes too euphoric on the sensations evoked from the Weeds and at times becoming too befuddled on rum to return back to Court, which is when Jezio soaks her in an ice cold bath to awaken her and threatening her to go back.
Yes she was an Elemental and this is highly frowned upon. But she needs her fun as well doesn't she?
As soon Jezio dissapears into the crowd, Cleo makes her way deeper into the Village. To her right is the Market of Jewel and Fabric — brand new gorgeous sandals already being depicted; Cleo sighs, she knows that emerald pair gazing at her from where it is perched up on the chiffon-clad benches, will be brought soon to her chambers to be worn on her Birth ceremony. No. The ruby one, definitely this one. It has more gems.
To her left are several bakeries offering that fresh bread she smelled earlier as well as pies, savouries and cakes. She nearly groans out at the thought of one of those cakes sweetly touching her tongue and succumbing to the pleasures of sugar. Sweetness is her weakness.
Cleo then darts through the maelstrom of villagers. It's busy. Very very busy. Many women trudge along with babies tied with cloths to their backs, begging for bread just to be fed for one day and some men are preaching pointless jests about womens cunts for coin. Cleo forces her heart to not clench at the sight. It is very unlikely to find beggars, roamers or thieves besides Jezio, about in the Village. Cleo has made sure that her people are taken care of, yet there were many issues, perhaps that was why her pile of work was so high.
At a niche behind an open tent —were whores - offering sex, she wondered if Jezio would be interested.
Darting around occasionally in the Market area is huge varieties of waterfalls and potted plants and trees. The epicenter of the entire Market place is the one and only clandestine waterfall— a massive one made from marble, the colours of that marble ranging from blue to a light fuchsia. The sculpture is in the shape of four hollow concentric circles overlapping one another from the biggest circle to the smallest one, many birds finding it as their baths, the only beings allowed to touch it. According to books in the Art Library and General Landon — the marble waterfall was built here before any live being has roamed the earth and if touched one would disintegrate on the spot. Cleo found this highly absurd and humorous; she laughed so much her face started hurting till she saw Landons frowning face and realized that he was serious. She then never took the chance to touch it. But if birds were allowed couldn't she take a cool soak in it as well? She suddenly envies birds.
Therefore the waterfall; that she recently heard the Villagers calling it Crystal waters —although the heat has caused the waterfall bed to nearly dry up; was not to be crossed by anyone.
But Cleo still has the strong urge to touch it.
Cleo finds some shade beneath one of the trees, hidden from sight by many prying eyes, and expertly plaits her hair into a braid falling onto her back beneath her shirt before tugging her hood back up ignoring the heat that was starting to consume her. But in a pleasurable way.
She slyly made her way deeper into the village, knowing the familiar turns towards Grasels' hovel—
Before a set of cold hands harshly grasps her waist from behind and turns her roughly into a naked isle, dead rats and mice littering the floor, their bones laid out in a defined shape from where Cleo could see with her face squished against the rough wall, her face had hit the side of the ruined wall so hard that stars began darting her vision.
Anger built up inside her, until she felt wave after wave of hot flame tendrils racing across her body, starting from her core and spreading towards her fingertips. She is going to kill whoever did this to her. Sparks were shooting from her fingertips already.
The person— she could feel the hands of that person, was a male; presses her roughly against the wall until Cleo knocks herself hard back against him causing him to fall backwards on the littered animal corpses, raises her leg widdershins — sending a hard blow into his chest; the action sends him skidding in the sandy debris— the sand flying around him and further into the gruesome passage that besmirched his bone figures
Cleo can feel her eyes glowing, her heart is thumping rapidly, her breathing is harsh and fast as she faces the encroacher. He starts coughing and gasps deeply for breath holding his chest.
He seemed like a beggar to Cleo, his clothes are in complete tatters those gray breeches worn out. His bare feet are filled with blisters and sores, his toenails has started turning a murky green that made Cleo want to gag and was so elongated it scraped across the debris sand ground. His toes matched his nails, dirt formed half moons under his cuticles. He looked absolutely pathetic.
Cleos' only instinct was to scorch this pauper and flee immediately before any eyes are to catch them but instead— the man chuckles. He fucking laughs... In such a situation he decides to laugh. He chokes on his breath before taking a deep breath and laughing again. His laugh is husky and wheezy— suggesting phlegm is thick in his chest. He kneels, head down facing the ground, his fingers digging into the sand. She saw something skid in his hair. His thick dark bush dry as stone with a matching goatee. She flinches away. She will not have lice again.
He finally looks up, his big round eyes looks like the gateways to hell -—dark and depthless and evil. He shudders as he takes her in lifts a finger and points at her, "Miss..." He laughs in satisfaction.
"Who the fuck are you? And how dare you attack me?" She growls out harshly.
"Me? Oh Miss its you, you're really here. It's you- you..." He chokes again and raises very fleetingly to his feet. He stretches his hands out to her as if he wants to surrender to her and will allow her to scorch his filthy ass. But he actually came in for a hug.
"Who ordered you? Who? Tell me!" Jezio? Will he really betray her like that?
"Who Miss? I don't know what you're talking about Miss. Oh Miss it's you, my dreams are true you will come save me! My sincerest apologies for attacking you Miss, I didn't know it was you Miss." He cries out and came in for her again but she sidesteps him and throws his too lithe figure against the grainy wall.
"Stop with the nonsense and drop the act. Who was it?" She elbows his throat, his clavicle jutting out and digging into it.
His face is in complete shock. His hands are lifted up in surrender, "Oh Miss no no, no one knows I simply saw your pouch and wanted it, oh Miss its been days since I ate, but you're here now. You will help me. All hail the Sun Gods." She didn't know who the Sun Gods were but it seemed to play an important role in his life. She wishes she could make them go away.
She lets him go and quickly searches the area for any other intruders before falling onto the wall behind her opposite him.
"What dreams are you talking about?" She crosses her arms and then feels the pouch, it was about to fall out of her pocket. She wonders if it was a blessing for her that he was the warning about her nearly dropping it and could thus be traced back to the Court and she would be in some deep shit or if this was a blessing for him. Coin for a new living.
"Oh Miss... ," He rubs his clavicle, "My dreams. It showed that you would save me. And it came true you're here. You're going to save me. All hail the Sun Gods." He praises again.
Cleo has to think. This old man could tell others about her, her whereabouts that she was here in the Village reasons being absolutely nothing to do with improvements of the Village. Or she could give him coin, threaten to kill him if he so much as utters a word to anyone or kill him there and then and retrieve her coin again. The latter sounded better to her.
Cleo has of course thought of plans and schemes of what to do once she was found but are they really worth it over a man who is soon to leave the earth in a few years?
"I am not the Miss you think I am." She says instead.
He stops praising his Sun Gods and meets her eyes confusion darting his eyes. "But-b-but it is you. I can see that is you." He points at her again. His finger shuddering just as much as he is.
"How? Have we met before?"
"No Miss, I don't need to see one to know one. My dreams, they show me everything. And they are never wrong." He seems rather proud of his dreams and says it with so much confidence he stood firmer on his feet.
"What dreams? That I gave you coin a cosy bed and warm meal oh and also a bath filled with all the bath soaps I have to offer?" She rolls her eyes.
She needs to move. Jezio will notice her absence.
"No Miss, a dream that you save us all. That you will save me. Miss please help me, I don't have long to live just coin for one meal please." He pleads by moving his hands into a prayer gesture.
She shifts her gaze away from his and locks onto the dead rodents scattered around the passage. Something which seems to be a makeshift bed made from the furs of the disgusting creatures sat against one wall caused the potent scent to fill her nostrils —blood and a foul scent —could be faeces of both him and the creatures. She didn't want to know. Her stomach turns. She nearly pitied him. Nearly. The poor man has nothing. Absolutely nothing, except for his faith to the Sun Gods.
He could be fibbing with her, and the rest of the beggar team could be surrounding her any minute. But she would of noticed any unusual activity and there weren't any. She still took no chances however.
"Are you literate with the quill?" She presses.
He stops pleaing and a frown takes place on his face, "I beg your pardon Miss? Literate? Me? But why Miss-"
"Answer me, can you write?" She interjects.
"Uhh... Miss I have never attended a school of any sort. I learned my way through the Village, some old lady taught me. She gone now Miss, oh I still grieve-"
She had no time for his background stories.
"Good." She says firmly.
She makes her way to leave; to actually check whether there were any vilaggers about.
Her mind goes back to Jezio, Jezio will be worried.
"Miss!" She tries not to grit her teeth.
Before she turned the passage she heard him speak very fluently, "Miss I also saw something else in my dreams. Something worse than you saving us."
That made her halt, and turned to face him and stalked back to him to where he was fixing his bone figures again that she destroyed. "Is that so? And what would that be?"
He looks down, but she could see his evil grin from where she towers over him.
"You perish Miss, like the rest of us."
He looks back up. The grin reaching his eyes.