Januya paced in her room, constantly checking the time, and when it was exactly two hours after diner, she brought out the card from the drawer she had kept it as she stared at it, confirming Synis words. The arrow on the card glowed golden and pointed in the direction of her door.
She faced Twix who was all curdled up on her bed, as she heaved in a deep breath. “Wish me luck Twix.”
Thankfully, the Quiloe didn’t reply.
Januya peeped left and right before proceeding, with the card acting as her guide. The hallway was dark except for the occasional windows which produced streams of moonlight. Once, she thought she heard footsteps, so she had to hide in a corner.
The manor was large and Januya soon got tired of walking until the arrow pointed towards a flight of stairs. Januya looked up before raising her foot over each step, heading upwards.
A dark wood door hailed her and when she looked closely, there were smudges of color on its knob like paint. The arrow kept on pointing forward indicating she had to go in. Januya carefully pulled down the knob and heard a small click before it opened. She heaved a sigh of relief when it made no creak or noise.
Januya was thankful for the full moon that night that generously provided a reasonable amount of light. She looked around as she inhaled dust.
It looked like a storeroom of some kind, with boxes piling on top of each other. On one side was a canvas on an easel with a half-done painting on it, as if the artist never completed it. She could see colors of different paints inside their respective containers. On a wooden table was a palate with dried paint in each hollow spot and a variety of brushes with dried paint clung on them.
A wall caught her attention and when she viewed them properly, she saw paintings, on different canvases. The first, the artist had painted the night sky with showerings of light streaks that jogged Januya’s memory to the ichika festival back at Hiliglipa. The second, was the painting of an exotic colorful bird and the third, was of a woman. Her hair was exactly the color of Januya’s hair, only shorter. Her amber colored eyes had that wild mischievous glint in them and her mouth was set on a smirk. Her brown skin was a few shades darker than Januya’s.
“That’s Atani, your mother.” A voice said from behind her. Januya didn’t turn to the voice, knowing it was Synis who spoke. She focused on the painting. She saw the resemblance between her and the woman. The same shape of face and the same round eyes. Januya gently touched the painting with her fingers affectionately, wishing it were her mother’s face she was touching instead. Her heart ached for the woman in the painting. Januya suddenly wished she could go back in time and totally prevent the fire outbreak.
Still examining at the painting, she commended the artist in her heart for how detailed the painting was. Whoever painted it must have really known her mother.
“Who painted this?” she asked Synis. Januya wondered if she could meet the nuliian personally. Maybe whoever it is could tell her more about her mother.
“Your Father.”
Januya turned to her this time. Synis was dressed in all black and in her right hand was a feather. She shook the feather and it glowed golden, providing light. “Lord Kelen wasn’t only an excellent leader, he was also a talented artist. This used to be his drawing room.”
“What happened?” Januya forced her voice to sound less wobbly, “why is everything still here?”
Synis met her eye briefly before responding, “after the… Incident, your uncle ordered everything to be disposed. All of their things. I found this place a while ago. I think whoever was supposed to dispose these didn’t do it.”
Januya looked away. Why would her uncle want her father’s paintings disposed? The most they could’ve done was to hang these paintings somewhere, maybe a showroom, where nuliians would see them and remember him. Januya felt unhappy, then angry at the fact that they treated her father’s work like trash, then sad again.
“Everything here belongs to you now.” Synis told her, “Whoever hid all these probably left it for someone who wouldn’t want them disposed. Since you’re here, I think your father would want you to have them.”
Januya nodded with effort. Everything here was too precious to throw away. She would safely take them where they’ll be appreciated.
“What happened between you, me and Haji?” she asked again, locking eyes with Synis. Her eyes were green now.
Synis didn’t break the contact. She studied Januya, analyzing her face as if it were a complex mathematical problem. “I have an offer for you.” She finally said.
“An offer?” Januya brows squeezed. “What do you mean?”
“All I need are a few months of training from you, in exchange for information about your mother.”
“Explain training?” Januya asked again.
“I’ve seen the way you stare at the swords the guards hold with them. I’ve seen the interest you fail so terribly at hiding.”
Januya clenched her fists on each side. It was true, but also risky. She had seen sword fights in movies and they weren’t pretty.
“Training for what specifically?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“Have you ever thought of what you will do while staying here? Damie’s going to be great herbalist, how about you?”
Januya flinched slightly at what she said. Several times the thought crossed her mind but she ignored it because she was blank and had nothing. It wasn’t as if she had any talent or special hobbies she could work on.
“I’m still thinking about it.” she lied smoothly.
“That was just a polite way of telling me no.” Synis said with a toneless voice and Januya bit her inner cheek, satisfied with being silent.
“Okay then, I want you to have this.” Synis handed something to her. A sheathed dagger.
Januya’s eyes widened for the briefest moments. One part of her screamed at her to collect it, while the other, more rational part of her wondered why Synis was giving her a dagger.
“You never know when it will come in handy.” Synis shrugged. But Januya knew there had to be more to it.
“Handy?”
“Just take it,” she waved it closer to Januya, “you ask too many questions.”
It felt cold and not too foreign once it landed on her palm. She slowly unsheathed and studied the dagger with curiosity. A slender silver blade with a blue handle and a silver lining on the extreme of the handle. It was also light in weight. But, Januya decided that a sword would be better and more preferable for her –woah. She blinked. Where did such a thought come from?
“I’ll be on my way then.” Synis smiled at her, as if her plan had worked before strolling towards the door and before Januya could call her back, she had left.
Januya pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand and stomped her foot in frustration. Why was Synis behaving like this? Why couldn’t she just tell her?
But from another point of view, she discovered something about her family. Her dad was an artist and her mum had the same burnt orange hair like hers. She wasn’t a freak. She wished there was a portrait somewhere of her family together, or maybe there was and it was hidden somewhere in that room. One day, she would search for it, but right now she craved her bed.
Januya stared at her room, a few meters away from her like it was a trophy, she couldn’t wait to reach it. She wondered if Twix was going to be there or if she was going to leave for the night and return the next morning.
Januya paused as she was about pulling the knob of her room’s door. She heard something. A distant sob that drifted to her and made her wonder who could be crying in the middle of the night. Januya trailed after the sob as it got louder, passing Damie’s room and few other doors when she sighted someone in a corner, just below a window, sobbing continuously.
She bent, afterward tapping the nuliian who temporarily ceased sobbing and snapped up to stare at her. Januya was familiar with this very servant who she had asked the day before if she was okay.
“Naza, what’s the matter?” Januya whispered with concern.
“It’s nothing miss,”Naza sniffed as she cleaned her tears with the sleeve of her dress, “I had something in my eye.”
Her eyes were even more puffer that Januya couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. “No one sits in the middle of the night crying for no reason.” Januya told her. “What’s the matter? Maybe I can assist.”
Naza hesitated before answering with a shaky voice, “my mum and elder sister, I don’t know what’s wrong with them.”
“How?” Januya asked again softly.
“I think they’re sick but none of the other servants know what kind of sickness it is and I don’t have enough money to take them to a proper healer or herbalist.” She broke into sobs again. “I don’t want to lose them, they’re all I’ve got.”
“It’s okay, calm down. Take me to them.”
Naza didn’t attempt to disagree as she stood up and sniffled. She led Januya down the stairs to the servant’s quarters and into a room with four beds, a wardrobe, and a wooden table.
Naza’s mother and sister lay on the two bed in the middle, looking stiff like a plank of wood while the bed at the extreme end on the right someone else slept peacefully.
Januya studied them. They looked so rigid, one could mistake them for corpses. Januya closed her eyes as her inner eye cracked open, she opened her eyes to see something very unusual. Their blood were tainted and their lives were almost consumed by the taint.
Januya stretched her palms out as she summoned her powers and from behind her Naza choked on a gasp. She went over to the younger one who was Naza’s sister and she placed a palm on her chest, attempting what she did to heal Twix.
Fueled with focus, Januya closed her eyes and imagined the taint fading, but when she opened her eyes to check, nothing had happened. She tried again, but met the same unsuccessful sight.
Januya stood up straight as her brain wheels worked out another possible solution. Twix blood wasn’t tainted when she healed her so Januya figured it was easier. These two women were tainted from something and if that something wasn’t removed, nothing would work.
Her eyes scanned the lady on the bed. Her lips were slightly parted and that moment, the wheels in Januya’s head clicked.
Januya made use of both hands this time, drawing power from herself and bits from Naza and the woman who snored peacefully asleep. Orange and golden flecks circled around her palms as she stood on the side of the bed. She wasn’t going to tolerate another failure.
She started from her feet as she stretched her hands, imagine dragging the black taint upwards. She used all her concentration as she dragged it slowly, from her feet, to her knee, then to her stomach and when it reached her mouth, the lady spluttered black liquid with a cough.
Januya dropped her hands briefly to take a breath as she watched Naza run to her sister who was still coughing out black liquid.
“She needs to get it all out of her body,” Januya told her, “leave her.”
Naza responded by nodding, though with a worried expression.
Januya repeated the same for the older woman, who afterward coughed out black liquids while still laying down. Astonishingly, she did not feel drained, unlike when she healed Twix.
“I don’t know what to say,” Naza said to her with her hands clapped together. “Thank you, thank you so much miss.”
Januya smiled at her. “It’s okay, but will it be alright if I come back later today to talk to them?” Januya asked. She needed to interrogate them on what had happened.
“Of course miss, that wouldn’t be a problem. They would also love to meet you and show their appreciation. My lady, I know I don’t have anything to pay, but I don’t mind doing any extra work you want me to do.”
“Naza, it's fine. There’s no need for all of that, just give them enough food and let them rest when they wake up.” Januya instructed and Naza nodded, her palms still clapped against each other.
As Januya finally got to her room, she kept the dagger and direction card in a drawer and fell on her bed, shutting her eyelids and welcoming sleep.
Januya fell flat on her face. She hastily stood up, feeling no pain as she wondered where she was. All she could see was green pasture, stretching around her. She looked up and the sky was bright. Then she heard her name.
She swiveled to see someone behind her. She wore khaki shorts and brown boots with a green top that had the words ‘DON’T MESS WITH ME’ written boldly across. Her hair was packed in two buns on each side of her head with pink scrunchies that contradicted the army gangster look she was trying to pull off.
“Finally,” she raised her hands in the air, “the signal soo bad lately, it be stressing me out.” She spoke with a sassy, black accent.
“Dove?” Januya said, as she eyed her appearance.
“In the flesh.” She smirked, “well not flesh because you dreaming right now.”
“How did you –how-“ Januya couldn’t find the right way to ask the question.
“I couldn’t just leave you on the streets, besides, the boss wouldn’t like that.”
“Boss? What boss?” Januya asked, with confusion.
“It ain’t time to know who the boss is,” she shook a finger at her, “you’ll know in due time and that’s not why I’m here,” her face turned somber, “you ain’t safe here, you got to leave.”
“What do mean, I’m home, I’m safe.” Januya said and it felt like she was saying it to make herself feel better.
Dove only laughed, “you silly dumbass child, I got a reason for not bringing you here in the first place.”
Januya didn’t know whether to get annoyed or laugh at the fact that a child just called her a dumbass child.
“Oh-oh, my times up,” Dove said as she checked her bare wrist before looking up at Januya, “You got to leave or he’ll –“ she drew a line over her neck with her finger.
Januya wanted to say more but a wind from nowhere blasted her furiously and when she opened her eyes, she found the tip of a dagger directly above her, diving downwards.
°°°°°
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