by K. Lew
Chapter 14: Obsessed Love
“How are you feeling?” The man from yesterday sat beside her bed with two gifts lying on his lap.
Suyzi smiled warmly. “Much better now that you are here.” Suyzi’s face brightened at the sight of the two presents laid in front of her wrapped in white silk. Suyzi carefully unwrapped the larger one first. As Suyzi unwrapped the silk fabric, Suyzi found two white earrings in the shape of a crescent moon with a red star attached to the bottom end of the crescent. Suyzi picked them up and they were light as a feather. Suyzi put the earrings aside and carefully unwrapped the silk fabric until she was holding a small, red box.
Suyzi lifted the top off the red box. Inside there was a white-chained necklace with a black bib in the middle. A diamond was encrusted on the middle of the black bib.
Suyzi whispered. “Thank you, but I can not accept them. They are beautiful…” But Suyzi shook her head and spoke. “They must have cost a fortune.”
The man replied. “Yes, a small fortune. But they are for you. I insist you take them.”
Suyzi looked up at him. His eyes were dark brown. He had a tiny nose. His black hair was individually braided on his entire head.
Suyzi smiled. Can’t you see? He is trying to woo me. The thought of a man making his moves on her caught her off balance. For a split second, Suyzi let the beautiful necklace slip from her fingers. But with her quick reflexes, Suyzi managed to catch the white chain before it dropped to the floor. Averting a major catastrophic disaster, Suyzi placed her beautiful necklace back onto her lap. Suyzi looked back at the man, embarrassed that he saw her clumsy mishap. She blushed, her cheeks turning a rosy red. The man watched her with a serious look before laughing loudly. The braids on the man bounced up and down as he laughed. His laughter was deep and resonant, irritating her ears. She cringed. The man stopped his laughter.
He spoke. “Is my laugh disturbing you? I do not mean too.”
Suyzi lied. “No, it’s not that. I am still recovering from yesterday.”
He spoke. “I’m sorry to hear that. I know my visit is unexpected. But I must confess, last night I could not sleep. I had to see you again. Your beauty has no comparison in this city.”
Suyzi giggled. The man frowned and spoke. “No, I’m not kidding. It troubles me greatly that I have never seen you before.”
Suyzi stopped giggling. The fear of being caught paralyzed her.
The man spoke. “But Basahar is a big city.” Suyzi nodded agreeably, shifting uncomfortably in the bed.
The man asked. “So who is your father? I might know him.” Oh no. I need to come up with something fast.
Suyzi spoke quickly. “Boshi. Do you know that name?” Why did I say that?
The man exclaimed. “Ah...I know him. He is one of the richest Princelings in this city with many slaves. I will have to talk to him about allowing me to marry his daughter.”
Suyzi widened her eyes in shock. She spoke. “Wait! You want to marry me? But it’s too soon. I don’t even know your name.” He smiled, flashing his white teeth at her. “I am Rashad. Could I have the pleasure of knowing my future wife’s name?”
All of sudden Suyzi felt dizzy as she kept silence.
Rashad spoke. “I know you are still recovering from the blood fever. The blood fever is a nasty disease. I will come back later tonight. Hopefully, I will have good news with me. Sleep well, my love.”
Rashad turned and left the room, leaving Suyzi even more restless. What did I get myself into? Suyzi got up out of bed and searched around frantically until she found her pack, hanging behind the door. She placed the presents into her pack and peeked inside. Where is my little guy? Then she heard a chattering noise coming from under her bed. She walked to her bed and bent down. She saw her little guy curled up into a ball of fur. She shouted in joy. “Hey little guy, I’m so glad you are here.” She whistled softly and her little guy sniffed in her direction. Then slowly, her little guy crawled towards her. Then the little animal leaped onto her hands. She rubbed his fur as it brought comforting thoughts to her.
Then she walked to a table that had a jug of water and a glass. She poured herself a glass of water. Then she drank the glass of water. As she put the empty glass down, she felt uneasy. She felt an uncomfortable feeling like she lost a part of herself. Then she realized her sword was missing. Come on. Don’t panic. Think and retrace your steps. Where is my sword?
Suyzi double-checked her pack, digging into her pack desperately. Her sword was nowhere to be found. She threw her pack down onto the floor in frustration. I have to leave before Rashad comes back tonight. She picked her pack off the ground and slung it over her back. She took one last look at her room before leaving.
She walked into a larger room where two women dressed in all blue robes stood up from their chairs. The woman to the left spoke. “My princeling, is there something you need?”
Suyzi spoke. “Yes, I need to go outside for some fresh air.” Both women exchanged worried looks at each other before the woman to the right spoke. “I don’t think that is a good idea. Rashad told us to make sure you stayed in your room until he returned.” Rashad said that? All of a sudden, all the good feeling she felt for Rashad disappeared. All men are the same. They think a few gifts and compliments and suddenly, that woman will fall for their charms and looks and become theirs’. I am nobody’s kept woman.
Suyzi spoke agitated. “Then you won’t mind when my father, Boshi hears that his only child can not go outside for some fresh air.”
The woman to left asked nervously. “Boshi?” She exchanged a fearful look with the other woman.
Suyzi repeated firmly. “Yes, the one and only Boshi.”
The woman to the left spoke. “Okay. A few minutes then.” The woman to the right nodded in agreement.
Suyzi began to walk out when she noticed the woman to the right trailing behind her.
Suyzi stopped. She spoke. “Please, I need my privacy.” The woman to the right looked back at the other woman. The woman nodded and spoke to Suyzi. “Don’t be too long.”
Boshi must be very powerful that speaking his name invokes fear.
Suyzi stepped out of the room and into the outside of Basahar. The city was in an enormous underground cavern lit by millions of glowing mushroom that covered the high ceiling of the underground cavern. She was surrounded inside a garden of flowers. She scanned through the flowers surrounding her. Different kinds of flowers grew in the garden. There was a red and yellow flower without petals and a black flower with tiny wisp of hair. She plucked the stem of the black flower off the ground. This flower reminded her of Kelan for some odd reason. She stored the black flower into her inner pocket of her pack.
She pulled out the crescent-shaped metal that she named Moonshade. The garden was enclosed with a twenty feet tall smooth rock wall. She threw Moonshade over the rock wall onto the other side. She yanked the rope back, making sure that her rope was secure. She grabbed the rope and walked up the rock wall. After she pulled herself up top of the rock wall, she jumped down. She yanked Moonshade out of crack of the rock wall. Suyzi coiled the rope around the handle of Moonshade and stored Moonshade inside her pack. Gray and white, sky-high buildings surrounded her. She found herself in a busy street with many people walking and chattering. However she noticed two strange things as she stood on the busy street. First, she noticed many of the people on the street would avoid walking near her, staying at least five or more feet away from her. Second, the same people would avoid any eye contact with her, keeping their heads down as they walked by her. She walked on, passing a store that had a sign lit in blue neon light. In blinking lights, three words that read: “Light as Heaven.” The store had a brass door with two windows on either side. Both windows were dirty with smudges of grimes so she could not see inside. Then she heard a loud scream from afar. “Suyzi!” Suyzi turned to see a person in the distance running towards her.
Not a moment too soon, Suyzi opened the door and the bell rang out.
Smoke appeared everywhere in the room. The room was small with a small counter and stairs that lead to an upstairs. Behind the tall counter, a man with long braids was smoking a long pipe, oblivious to everything around him.
“I need a place to hide. Right now. A man is chasing me.” The man seemed to have woken up from his daze. The man spoke. “Come hide behind the counter.” Quickly Suyzi ducked behind the counter. Suyzi hid behind counter, counting the seconds that went by. After about five minutes, the bell rang as the door opened. A breathless voice spoke out. “Josi, did you see a woman with short, black hair and dark brown eyes come through here just a moment ago?”
Josi spoke. “Nah man. You sure you haven’t been over smoking the stuff I gave you.”
Rashad spoke. “Nonsense. I am one of Basahar’s finest warriors. You know we’re put under a strict regiment, which means we can only smoke once a week for recreational purposes only.”
Josi spoke. “You tell me that every time I see you, yet every few days, you are always sharing a pipe with me.”
Rashad spoke. “Come on man. Not too loud. It’s a secret between you and me.”
Josi spoke. “I know man. What is the hurry? Life is better if you take it easy.”
Rashad spoke after a chuckling loudly. “I am not going to lie. It’s been a long day for me. I went to the hospital to see this beautiful woman I rescued about two days in the Red Pit. When I say she was beautiful, she was heart-stopping beautiful. It also doesn’t hurt that she is a Princeling. Her father is Boshi.”
Josi spoke. “Boshi? The one who has thousands of slaves at his bidding? Do you plan to marry her?”
Rashad spoke. “Is that even a question? The first time I saw her and I knew she was the one. But she disappeared. The healers in the hospital told me she escaped. Since then I have been searching for her. A moment ago, outside the front of your store I could have sworn I saw her.”
Josi spoke. “One of my cleaning ladies just came in. So you might have mistaken her for your beautiful bride to be. But knowing you, you will find her.”
Rashad spoke. “Yeah and once I do, I am never letting her out of my sight again.” Suyzi shivered nervously behind the counter. Please. Don’t tell him I’m here. Please. Please.
Rashad spoke. “Well I’m leaving. I must continue my search for her. Tomorrow? Same time?”
Josie spoke. “Yeah. Same time. Good luck, my friend.” Suyzi waited to hear the bell before getting back up. When the bell rang, Suyzi began to stand up. But Josi waved for her to stay hidden. A moment later, she realized why. The bell rang again and Rashad’s voice spoke out. “Josie, I thought I dropped something. Never mind.” The door closed as the bell rang. She looked up at Josi who was counting to ten with his fingers. After Josi counted to ten, he waved to her that the coast is clear.
Suyzi spoke. “Thank you.”
Josi stared at her. “No worries. I wouldn’t want to tie the knot either.”
Suzyi replied. “I barely know the guy. Could I stay here for awhile?”
Josie spoke. “Yes. I have an empty room for you upstairs. Go up the stairs and take a first left. Then walk down that hallway, and then take a right. The first door in the hallway to your right is your room. Here is the key. I will come see you later if you have any questions.” Josi handed her a brass key with a number one and a capital B on its bow. Suyzi spoke. “Questions about what?”
Josie placed his pipe down on the counter, the smoke still burning. Josie spoke. “I know you are not from here. You are definitely not a Princeling, that’s for sure.”
Suyzi replied. “Everyone else in this city thinks I am. What type of establishment do you run?”
Josi replied. “It’s a hotel where people can smoke to get away from the daily grind of life for a little while. Well go on upstairs and get cleaned up. I’ll be there shortly.”
Suyzi walked up the stairs, the stairs creaking with every other step. As Suyzi reached the top, she saw a hallway with a purple carpet with a light bulb on top of each door. Even the doors were painted purple. The first door she passed, had a number one and a capital A. Suyzi found that some of light bulbs she passed, were flickering. Then Suyzi turned right into another hallway where the carpet was green. The first door to her right was painted green. On the front of the door, there was a number one and a capital B. Thank god, the light bulb at this door isn’t flickering. Suyzi put the brass key into the keyhole that was under the brass doorknob. It fit perfectly. Then Suyzi twisted the key to the left. Suyzi heard a sharp click and the door slowly creaked open. Inside Suyzi found a green couch with small table. There was a painting above the green couch. The painting depicted a small, boat surrounded in a sea of water. Suyzi saw a glass door leading to a balcony outside. There was another green door. That probably leads to bathroom. Suyzi went over and dropped her pack onto the green couch. Suyzi saw two little eyes gazing out from pack.
Suyzi spoke. “Come on out, little guy. This is our place for a few days until I can find my father.” Her little guy crept out of her pack inch by inch before running around the green couch. Suyzi plopped down on the green couch. It was comfy. The material of the couch seemed to stretch to fit her back and bottom. Suyzi glanced over at the things lying on the small table. There were five shiny pipes lying in front of her. In the middle of a table, there was a small fire burning. All of them were gray with white tips. Then Suyzi saw a drawer under the small table. Curious, Suyzi pulled the handle of the drawer and peeked inside. There were six different compartments in the drawer. There were finely crushed powders in each compartment. Suyzi looked over the different colors in each compartment: Red, blue, orange, yellow, green, and white. Suyzi pushed the drawer back in. Suyzi sat back down on the green couch. She took a deep breath of air and moments later coughed away. The stench coming from her body was horrific. Suyzi got up with her pack in her hand and headed to the green door. She grabbed the doorknob and turned it to the right. The green door swung open, revealing a bathroom.
Instantly the hot steam touched her face. The light source in the bathroom came from the glowing mushrooms growing on the ceiling. The square tiles were in different shades of green, covering the ceiling, walls, and floor. Then she saw a steaming hot spring and she couldn’t help let out a relieved cry. There was even a miniature waterfall pouring down into the hot spring from the side of the green tile wall. She stripped off her cloth and dropped her pack next to the steaming hot spring. She took in a deep breath and stepped inside the hot spring. As her feet touched the scalding hot water, she let out a sigh of relief. Then she heard tapping at the door.
Suyzi yelled through the crashing hot water. “Now is not a good time!”
A resonating voice yelled back. “Hey it’s me, Josi. I see you have discovered the hot spring. I will come back later at a better time.”
Suyzi waited for a second longer before submerging her body into the scalding, hot water. The burning pain coursed through her body. But the pain she was feeling was the good kind.
After a relaxing hot soak, she changed into her spare clothing and brushed her teeth. She closed the bathroom door behind her. Then Suyzi settled down onto the green couch. Then a familiar voice spoke out from behind the green door. “Hey Suyzi, is now a good time?”
Suyzi spoke. “Yeah I’m coming.” Suyzi went to the door and opened it. Josi walked in and settled in on the green couch.
Josie spoke. “Do you like your room?”
Suyzi spoke. “Yes. Thank you for everything.”
Josi nodded once before spotting her little guy. Josi spoke in awe. “I can’t believe my eyes. That is a flying mit. I thought they were only stories of legends. Tell me where did you find him?”
Suyzi turned to her little guy who was now gliding around the room. Suyzi asked. “I found him by a lake surrounded in a forest. I have grown close to him.”
Josi spoke. “Is it fine if I smoke in here? You can open the balcony door if you want too.”
Suyzi walked and slid the b
alcony door open. Suyzi turned and walked back to the green couch. Suyzi made herself comfortable as she waited and watched Josi prepared the pipe on the small table. Josi pulled the drawer open and pinched some blue powder. Then Josi sprinkled the blue powder into the end of the pipe. Josie dipped the end of the pipe into a small fire on the center of the small table. Then Josi began smoking. Josi puffed in the smoke in intervals and then blew out a ring of blue smoke.
Josi spoke. “In every society, there is usually divisions in class: A high caste who has everything, a middle caste who has some but not a lot, and lower caste who has nothing. Well about a thousand years ago, invaders from the surface above, came down to this city and claimed it as their own. They were incredibly hard to kill and they brought with them the power to bring complete darkness into cities. But the high caste of Basahar did not submit willingly without a fight. They rallied the people in Basahar to fight the invaders. But after a few weeks of fighting, they surrendered their city to the invaders. When the invaders took over the city, they executed every man, woman, and child that belonged in the high caste. Then the invaders named themselves Princelings. The Princelings agreed collectively to appoint one of their own as the Emperor to rule Basahar. The first Emperor who became known as the Silent Judge brought slavery into the city. The Silent Judge passed binding laws that gave Princelings more power. Soon if you so much batted your eyelashes at a Princeling, you would be sentenced to death. That is why as soon as I make enough money here, I’m packing camp and leaving this forsaken city.”
Suyzi spoke. “I didn’t know things here were that bad.”
Josi spoke. “I’m not going to ask you why you are here. It’s not my business. But my advice for you is to find what you are looking for and leave as soon as possible.”
Suyzi spoke. “It is definitely not a comforting thought to know that I look like the invaders who earn their reputation through force and threats.” Josi blew out another ring of blue smoke.
Suyzi spoke. “I was meaning to ask. What are you smoking?” Josi blew out another ring of blue smoke.
Josi spoke. “It’s found in deep underground ruins of Basahar. They come from a flower called Gyna. They are dried and then crushed into fine powder. I have six different kinds and each one can give the smoker a different experience. The blue powder makes you very calm and sleepy. While the red powder fills you up with desire and passion.” Josi handed her a pipe.
Suyzi spoke. “No thanks. I don’t smoke.”
Josi shrugged his shoulders and went back to smoking. As the ember from his pipe died out, Josi stood up. Josi spoke. “Well see you around. I am going to find a room to take a nap in.” Josi let out a loud yawn.
Suyzi spoke. “Thank you for everything. Do you need some help getting out?” Josi waved her off and stumbled out of the room. Her little guy ran and leaped to her lap. Suyzi rubbed her little guy’s fur. Tomorrow I’m going to pave the road for my own destiny. I’m going to get my father and my sworns out of here.
****