"You are the General?" I ask startled.
"Why don't I look like one? Not all the Generals wear army uniform and go on a mission, we too like wearing comfortable clothes." She answers lifting a corner of her mouth.
"No I-I didn't mean it that way." I stutter.
"Just messing with you, don't you guys joke around here?"
"All right, now if you want to discuss it further, can we do it in our other conference room? Because thanks to you the first one is destroyed." Gloria says and everyone agrees with her.
"But you have to promise no further damage," Sam asks her, undoing the knot and Kate throws her hands up saying,
"No promises, but I'll try."
This conference room is a bit smaller than the burnt one, but it makes enough space for us to sit and discuss. I sit across Gloria and beside me is Sam and Kate.
Once everyone is settled Gloria starts, "So, how many of you are there?" She asks Kate.
"We are enough." Kate answers.
"Which key were you talking about? The one you came to steal from us."
"The key to the Dark chest." She answers.
"Okay, just tell me what other things are left for me to pop up like this?" I fold my hands.
"We don't know which chest is she talking about," My uncle answers.
"You people have no idea about the Dark chest?" Kate asks, her brows raised in surprise.
All of them shake their heads in denial.
"Great, so I just wasted my time coming here in search for the key, I thought that you guys were always a step ahead, but oh boy." She laughs.
Gloria clears her throat, "Get to the point General."
"Sorry, couldn't help my surprise. Well, the key we want, opens the Dark chest."
"What's the Dark chest?" Rick asks.
"It's the chest containing the darkest secret of Ezuka," Kate answers again.
"May we ask what's the secret?" Sam asks annoyed.
"The location of the Lost Temple." She replies.
Hearing it, my uncle and Gloria gasps, Sam's jaw drops, Rick and I stare blankly at her, eyes wide.
"Oh, my houses!" Gloria exclaims. "You have the chest?" She asks breathlessly.
"No, no one knows where the chest is, but the rumours are that the key is said to be somewhere out there, so we guessed you might have it, but look at you all, I feel like a fool." Kate answers.
"That's okay, in some cases you take time to realise who you are, gladly you know it now." Sam gives her a tight smile and Kate rolls her eyes.
"So you are saying first we look for the key and then the chest?" I ask.
"Yes." She says.
"Why don't all of your people come here and stay with us, I mean if we all live together, that would make everything easier." My uncle says.
"You have a point." She agrees. "I'll talk with them and let you know."
"Tomorrow evening is the Carnival, so if you shift before, then maybe we could get to know each other better," I say.
"All right, but after all this, we all go back to killing each other," Kate says.
"Agreed," Sam smirks. "Better watch out for yourself."
"We'll see." Kate answers. I look towards Rick, maybe he knows this is not the best idea, but we ran out of good ideas a long time ago. He gives me a small smile and I return the gesture.
The next day, Kate and her Free army start to settle down in our base. We all help them as much as we can. Our base is surrounded by forest, it's more like in the middle of nowhere as it should be of course. Now due to early winter at the door, all the trees have shredded their leaves and it makes the forest look bare, but there is always something little good in everything bad, there has to be and in this case, it's a new beginning.
"What are you looking at?" Rick asks and I twitch, surprised. He is all covered with sweat and exhaustion, his sleeves rolled up.
"Looking for answers," I say.
"Which answers?" He frowns.
"The answers no one can give me."
"So you get them from. . . Forest?" He pauses, not sure what to say.
"Nature," I answer.
He does not say anything for a few moments, just stares at me with a smile and I do the same.
"How can you be possible?" He asks quietly.
"I love to find answers in the places where people say it's impossible. Everything has something special in it, you just need to search accordingly." I remember my father saying it to me.
"Evy!" Sam yells from a distance, bringing us back to reality.
"See you at the carnival then." He says and leaves.
I give him a nod and turn my heals towards Sam. I have never seen her so excited
"What's the matter? You seem like you are going to blast from the excitement."
"I got asked out for a date." She screeches.
"Holy! For the carnival? And did you agree?" I ask, now myself excited too.
"Yes, yes, of course, yes!"
"Who is that blind person?" I tease.
"Hey!" She exclaims
"Messing, but really who is it?"
"His name is Theo and he is right behind your back."
I turn slowly, trying not to make it obvious. I see him unpacking somethings maybe from his backpack.
"Look at him, he is so cute!" She squeaks.
"Well, perfect for you," I smirk.
"I know right, okay, now enough about me, did someone ask you out?"
"Yes, someone did."
"Who?" She asks amazed.
"Rick," I answer and her excitement doubles.
"Yes! I knew there was something in between you guys, Laura would faint hearing it."
"There is nothing between us and it happened in front of her, you know her?" I ask.
"Of course everyone knows that snake and you have to be kidding me, how did I miss it?"
"Someone stormed off the library because she got ' hit with a knife ', remember something?" I laugh teasing her again.
"Funny." She makes a face and drags me back to the manor. "We have to pick a dress now, Come on."
After almost an hour of agreeing and disagreeing, Sam finally settles for a gorgeous amethyst halter neck gown. Her blue hair and grey eyes make it look more elegant.
"So?" She asks.
"I can assure you that, this is not your last date with him if you go wearing this piece of work," I answer and her smile widens.
"Now you, have you chosen anything?"
"I was thinking about the green one."
She pretends to puke, "No way you are wearing that."
"But-"
"Shut up and put on the red gown." She orders and I obey. The dress has lace as sleeves which cover my hand till my elbow and the rest is pure red fabric spreading from my chest till brushing the floor. As I come out wearing the gown, it seems like Sam has stopped breathing.
"Is it that bad?" I ask.
"I will stab myself again if Rick does not fall for you. Would you like to accompany me?" She pleases and it makes me laugh.
"Come on, time to go," I say.
I don't understand what makes descending the stairs difficult, the dress or the uncertain feeling inside me. I haven't done any hairstyle, my hair is let loose falling till my mid-back. I see Rick talking with Theo in the foyer where we were supposed to meet. Sam gives my hand a bit of squeeze and goes towards Theo. Rick offers her a smile and as his gaze shifts towards me, my heart skips a beat and his smile fades. I stop near the end of the stairs and he walks towards me, with every step it feels like my heart is going to pop out.
His smile returns as he takes my hand and kisses it. "I must tell you, it feels like my eyes are greeted with a fragment of heaven." A blush rises on my cheeks and my breaths come in short intervals.
"Thank you." Is all I could manage to say.
He offers me his arm, "Shall we?" He asks and in the answer, I slip my arm in his. The fabric of his suit and his warmth brush against my arm. As we walk outside, I'm greeted with the cold evening breeze. Our base no more looks like a base, all around us is the warm glow of lanterns, a sweet melody of instruments which are played by various artists. Around them people dancing in the rhythm of the melody. For once everyone was smiling without any worries, dancing, happy . . . For once.
I see Sam dancing with Theo, her eyes closed and they follow the rhythm together.
"It indeed is the day of happiness," I say to Rick and he nods in agreement.
As the melody changes, Rick asks me, "May we?"
"Dance?" I raise my brows. "You will regret it later," I say.
"I highly doubt that, come on." He guides me through the people dancing and finally settles in the middle of them.
"Rick I-" I try to speak, but he isn't listening, instead he takes my hand in his own and places my other hand on his shoulder,
"Now just sway with the rhythm." Then slipping his other hand around my waist he pulls me closer. My heart stops and goosebumps rise all over me. My cheeks turn hot as we share a breath. No longer able to look into his eyes I stare at his chest, I wish the shirt inside was not so transparent.
"Ready?" And I give him a nod, but on the inside, I'm still unsure. He moves with the melody and I try to imitate him, after a few attempts I can follow his steps.
"See there you go." He says quietly. "Not bad."
I grin and look into his eyes again saying, "After all, I have a good teacher."
The melody changes again now a bit slower than before. This time he places both of my hands around his neck and wraps both of his hands around my waist. He is a head taller than me. Leaning forward a bit, our foreheads touch now and closing our eyes we both sway together. It feels like living a dream, his closeness, his touch, his gaze, his smile nothing should bother me, but somehow it does.
It does.
The music stops and I open my eyes to find his. We both search for something inside us. What? Either of us has no answer to the question. He pulls away slowly and so do I.
"Now what?" I ask him.
"The sky lanterns." He smiles.
He tells me to wait until he brings one for us and I see Sam with Theo approaching towards me.
"So how's the date going?" I ask her.
"Amazing, we danced and ate together, also he is so funny." She answers smiling. "What about you, are you bored already?"
"No not at all, in fact, it was. . ." I stop, uncertain about what to say next.
"Magical." I complete after a few seconds.
"Someone's having fun." She smirks.
"Who's having fun?" Rick asks from behind my back.
"Good evening you too." She says still smirking and leaves.
"What was that?" He asks again.
"That was Sam." I sigh, "Come let's go."
After lighting up the lantern we both hold it from opposite sides, letting it fill with hot air. The warm glow spreads all around us.
"Now make a wish." He whispers. There are so many things I want to wish for, but the most desired one is the end of this dark age and I wish it.
"Done," I say and we let go the lantern. We see it gain speed and light up every bit of a place wherever it goes.
"Thank you for everything today," I say. "It was a magical evening. . . For me."
Someone calls out his name, I don't know who, but before leaving he says, "It was magical because you were in it." And I could not stop smiling.
"Are you Evelyn?" Someone asks me in a gruff voice and I turn around to check.
"Yes, that's me, I'm sorry sir do I know you?" I ask him, his age would be the same as Gloria's.
He smiles and says, "Of course you do, nice to see you, Evy, I'm Allston." And I freeze.