by Dahlia Lu
He looked to Nala for approval.
“It looks good on you.” Nala said and then paid the shopkeeper the amount asked.
“It feels a little loose,” Sayan commented.
“You are still growing, so that may not be a bad thing.” Nala said as she exited the shop. “Did you notice that the shopkeeper had taken a liking to you?” Nala chuckled. “You are becoming a man after all.”
“The way she looks at me makes me feel…uncomfortable.”
“I don’t blame her. You are becoming a very handsome young man.”
He was a little happy to hear her compliment.
“That reminds me, I will ask madam to buy us a new wagon.”
“Why?” Sayan asked curiously. “What’s wrong with the one we have now?”
“Nothing is wrong with it,” she assured him. “You kept it in good shape, but you are fifteen after all. It was alright to sleep on the same bed when you were little, but it may not be a good idea now.”
“I don’t see what’s wrong with it, plus a new wagon would cost a lot of money.”
“I am a woman, and you are becoming a man. We know there is nothing between us, but our society has a high stigma on relationships outside of marriage, so it would be best if we order a new wagon. Haven’t you noticed the women of the caravan have been looking at us with those suspicious eyes?”
“They are just jealous that you dance far more beautifully than them.”
“Don’t let them here you say that or your days ahead will not be so peaceful.”
He chuckled. “I’ll do well to remember that.”
“Have you noticed he has developed muscles?” One dancer whispered to another. “Nala sure is lucky to have him warm her bed every night.”
Sayan shot them a warning glare and they scattered off. He entered the dressing room with the cage of butterflies he was asked to fetch. Nala sat in front of the mirror, struggling to tie the bow on her back. He was quick to help her with the finishing touch.
“Did you put firefly powder on the butterflies?” she asked.
He nodded and then used a goose feather to apply flower nectar on her hair and skin. “Madam said that almost all of the nobles will be attending. She wants a perfect performance.”
“I’m fine in here. Please help me prepare the stage.”
He left the dressing room to make sure everything was in place. Unlike small towns, the Red City had an actual performance stage. That made his work a lot easier, but there were many nobles there who have grown bored with the usual entertainment. Expectations were much higher and they couldn’t afford to make a mistake. The nobles in the Red City were known to execute commoners on a whim.
Sayan blew out all of the candles lighting the room. The audiences were surprised at the sudden darkness. He quickly ran toward the stage and unveiled the black curtains. The blue butterflies were glowing in the dark. They rested on a glowing violet flower until they were surprised by the flower’s movement and flew away. The glowing butterflies were a spectacle on their own. Music began to play and the delicate flower moved with the rhythm. The butterflies returned and scattered away with the flower’s movement.
Sayan lit the lights on the stage.
Nala emerged from the dark, from a glowing violet flower into a beautiful woman. Her long platinum hair reflected the candlelight as she danced with the butterflies. Her graceful and fluid movements gained awe from the audiences. The nobles began to throw jewelry and gold coins at her feet.
When the dance was over, the light returned to the room. The madam came out to introduce the next dancers, but the crowd demanded to see another dance from the platinum haired girl. Sayan’s job was to pick up the gold coins and jewelry on the stage. After he was sure to collect them all, he returned to Nala’s dressing room.
“The people of the Red City sure are rich, even though the rest of the world is in chaos.” He showed her the bag of goods that was thrown on the stage. “I didn’t expect them to have this much to give to dancers.”
“Did I do well?”
Sayan smiled. “The madam may request you do another dance. She is under a lot of pressure to.”
“She won’t do that.” Nala said confidently. “No matter how beautifully I dance, people will get bored eventually. She wants the nobles to return for another show. She is craftier than you think.”
Sayan chuckled.
“Nala…” The madam stood at the door.
Nala smiled at her.
“Nala, you have got to help me.”
“Yes, madam?”
“The prime minister’s son…he…” The madam struggled to convey her sentence. “The prime minister’s son wants you to serve him tonight.”
Sayan shot a glare at her.
“I couldn’t refuse, I even told him that you don’t…he threatens to have us all killed!”
“I was expecting something like this would happen…” Nala said after a moment of silence.
“Nala, you are not going to go, are you?” Sayan asked with concern.
“I have to go or we will all be killed.”
“No!” Sayan grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight.
“Tell him that I will come tonight, but first I need time to prepare myself.”
“Thank you!” The madam hugged Nala. “Thank you so much!”
“Nala…” Sayan looked down at her. “Don’t go.”
Nala smiled at him and patted his hand. “Trust that I know how to take care of myself and wait for me at the wagon.”
He pulled his hand away and then angrily left the room. He needed some air to rethink the situation. Worst case, they would have to run away, but the rest of the caravan may have to face execution. He didn’t want that, but he didn’t want Nala to be hurt even more. Screw it, if he had to choose, it would always be Nala.
When he returned to the dressing room, she was already gone.
Where had she gone? Did she go to that prime minister’s son’s place? It felt like someone was setting a fire beneath him. The only thought that entered his mind was that he must find her.
Nala walked through the forbidden zone of the city – forbidden to women that is. She concealed her body with the cloak so that she could move efficiently through the streets without catching any unwanted attention. There were many men who were seeking pleasure and there were even more women who were more than willing to provide. None of these women would do.
She entered a small shop with two bulky men guarding the door. There was a beautiful woman sitting by the counter.
“How can I help you?” the woman asked.
Nala placed a bag of coins on the table. “I want a job flawlessly executed.”
“You came to the right place.” The woman weighed the bag of coins in her hand. “This is a lot of gold. What do you need done?”
“It is a dangerous job that may get us killed if not done correctly. Are you still interested?”
The woman laughed. “We specialize in jobs that may get us killed. Tell me, what do you need done?”
Nala leaned in closer to whisper to the woman’s ear. A wide grin appeared on the woman’s face.
“This is interesting. I think I have the girl for the job. And do not worry, we are sworn to the oath of secrecy. If the person we sent out does not ‘flawlessly execute’ the job, we will have someone send you back the gold. Her life is courtesy of us.”
“I need the job done tonight. I’ll drug the bastard and you guys will have to take care of the rest.”
“We wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The wagon was empty.
She told him to wait here for her, but where did that kid go? He usually didn’t head off by himself without telling her. Nala removed her cloak and then wiped off the heavy theatric makeup on her face with a white cloth. She should have taken it off in the dressing room, but there wasn’t enough time. She had to find help.
It was a good thing she found them at the Red City. She was afraid there wouldn’t be a br
anch here. The madam always went to them when she wanted something done. That was how she came to know of their existence. The madam calls them the traders, but they really don’t have a name to go by. They are a guild of ‘traders’ who will do almost anything for a price. Mercenaries, assassins, whatever they were, they were a blessing when you were in a tight squeeze. And the best part was that this guild worked under a strict code. Even under torture, the client’s identity and the objective of the mission would go with them to the grave.
She shivered when she remembered that slob’s eyes on her. He wanted to swallow her whole. His touch was repulsive and his breath was even worse. Was he an aristocrat or a thug on the street? At least he took the bait and drank the drugged wine. The guild should have the job done.
There was a smell of fresh blood in the air – human. She didn’t know how she knew, but she was sure. There was also Sayan’s scent in the air.
The door of the wagon opened, and it was indeed Sayan. His hands were dripping with blood.
“What have you-” Nala quickly pulled him inside and closed the door. “What have you done?”
He wrapped his arms around her. “I’m so glad it wasn’t you! I thought he was hurting you…I couldn’t control myself...”
“Tell me what happened, Sayan,” she demanded.
“I-I killed him.” He admitted. “I stabbed his back with my dagger multiple times until he rolled onto the ground. I was so glad it wasn’t you, Nala, I was so glad!”
“I told you to wait here for me, why didn’t you listen?”
“How would I know? I did it without thinking, but I didn’t regret it. I would have killed him over and over again if he was hurting you!”
“We don’t have much time until they find him dead.” Nala took the white cloth she used to wipe off her make up to wipe off the blood from his hands. “Go wash yourself quickly!”
Nala ran out of her wagon and ran to the madam’s. The poor woman was terrified when she heard.
“We need to leave the Red City as soon as possible,” Nala said. “We need to split and scatter so they cannot find us. If they find him dead, they will kill us all!”
“You should have never saved that foolish boy!” The madam muttered. “I’ll have everyone leave as soon as possible.”
When Nala returned to her own wagon, Sayan had already washed himself as she instructed.
“Unlatch the horses from the wagon,” she ordered and then went into the wagon to gather the gold and some clothes. She pulled out the heavy blade from under the bed and then strapped it to her back. “We have to split with the caravan from here on.”
“Where will we go?” Sayan asked.
“The Black City in the Northern Kingdom,” Nala said. “That’s the only place where we’ll be safe from the forces of the Western Kingdom.”
Chapter Three
They were three days journey away from the Black City.
They rarely stopped for any rest and even the horses were barely able to keep up. It was a good thing that there were many oases along the way or they would have died from dehydration. The desert of the western kingdom was known to be the grave of many unsuspecting travelers.
Sayan felt a ton of weight lifted from his shoulders when they finally made it out of the death traps of the desert. Fortunately for them, there was a city at the edge of the desert. They needed a room at the inn that night, so the horses could recover and help them go the rest of the way. Nala’s cloak provided her the protection from the sun and the eyes of the people they passed. Sayan knew the prime minister’s soldiers were searching for them and they had been asking around for a dancing girl with platinum hair. Only when he closed the door of the room that they had rented did she feel safe enough to remove her cloak.
He was exhausted from the travel, but Nala must be in worse shape than him. She may not show it, but she was still a woman with a frail figure. A wave of guilt washed over him. If it weren’t for him, they wouldn’t be in this situation. Instead of living her life peacefully in the caravan, he had made her a wanted fugitive.
“You must be very tired.”
“I’m fine. It’s you I’m worried about. Are you tired?”
“I’m sorry that I’ve caused all of this…” he said softly, “but like I said before, I don’t regret what I did because at the time I thought… never mind that. Are you hungry?”
She shook her head. “You should get something to eat though. She placed a bag of coins on the table. “Here, keep some money with you.”
“I don’t want it.”
“Keep it in case we both need something.”
Nala was right. He grabbed the bag of coins and stored it in the inner pocket of his clothes.
The knock on the door made Nala jumped. She instinctually put her cloak back on. Sayan opened the door and deliberately blocked the innkeeper’s view.
“Yes?”
“Where should I put your dinners?” The innkeeper said as he raised the tray up.
“I’ll take it from here,” Sayan blocked the innkeeper’s curious eyes from looking into the room while taking the tray off his hands. Sayan watched the innkeeper leave before quickly placing the tray down on the table. He closed the door and locked it.
“I think you should eat a little more today for some strength,” he brought the tray to the bed where she sat.
“I’m not hungry, you can eat it all.”
“I am a man, I can endure the journey even with a little bit of food. You are a whole different story entirely.”
“To be honest, I’ve never felt hungry before.”
“That doesn’t mean you don’t need to eat.”
“You are right.” She nodded. “I need to eat to keep up my strength. We still have three days of journey until we reach the safety of the Black Kingdom.”
After they finished the food, Sayan left the tray outside of the room and kept the door locked. He rolled onto the bed, completely exhausted from the journey. He tugged on her shirt.
“Do you think the rest of the caravan is okay?”
Nala nodded. “They’re only looking for me. I’m sure they’re safe.”
“Good,” he let out a sigh of relief and then surrendered himself to sleep.
There was a knocking on the door in the middle of the night. Nala was going to ignore it, until she heard her name in very soft whisper. She opened the door and there was a man dressed in black standing in front of the door with a bag of coins in his hand. He handed the coins over to her.
“My mistress sent you this,” the man said in a very low and trained voice.
“How did you find me?”
“You know the nature of our occupation,” the man replied. “The mistress said that we cannot accept the fee if the job was not done. She also wants me to deliver a message: The prime minister is searching for you. Hope to do business again with you soon.”
The man’s exit was very swift. Nala closed and locked the door behind her. Just as she had expected, the prime minister is specifically looking for her. She placed the bag of coins on the table and then went to the bed. Sayan slept like the dead, and if he stayed with her, his sleep may be permanent. Having him around her would only get him killed.
As soon as they reach the Black City, she would need to arrange a place for him to stay. She had enough gold for him to live off for years to come. Whatever he wanted to do with his life was up to him.
Only one more day journey until they reached the Black City. They safely made it that far, so Sayan felt relaxed enough to let the horses graze in the field a little longer. Something else detained him. They came across a small water hole the size of the pond while they were crossing the mountain. When he came to get fresh supply of water, he discovers that it was very warm. He had heard people talk about this natural phenomenon called the ‘hot spring’. It had been two days since they had the opportunity to bathe and he knew Nala would enjoy it very much.
They were in the middle of the wildness, but he couldn’t n
eglect to keep watch while she bathed. If a woodcutter happened to walk past and saw her platinum hair, it could be trouble.
“I hear noises,” Nala said behind the rocks.
“I don’t hear anything,” Sayan replied.
“I hear footsteps coming closer. Give me my clothes.”
“Relax, Nala, I’m keeping watch for you.”
“My clothes, Sayan,” she insisted.
When he reached for her clothes, he saw a group of men coming out from the vine covered path. They were woodcutters. He could tell by the axes in their hands and the heavy bunches of branches on their backs.
“Stay down,” Sayan whispered to Nala and then smiled at the woodcutter. “Passing by?” he asked.
“We’re taking a break after a hard day of work,” the hairiest man laughed. “I see you discovered our little secret. Ah, come join us in the water, it is divine!”
“Maybe this is not the best time. I heard there are a lot of snakes in the area.”
They all laughed. “If they get in the water then we’ll have something to taste with our wine.”
When Sayan saw that they begin stripping, he removed his clothes faster and jumped into the water. He knew where Nala was bathing, so he used his back as a screen between them.
“You are right, the water is divine.” Sayan forced a smile. He should have listened to Nala earlier to avoid this whole incident. It was a good thing his shoulders had grown wide enough for him to shelter her from view. “How long do you intend on staying here?”
“The sad thing about these springs is that if we stay long, we would become hardboiled eggs. Come over here boy, have some wine with us.”
“No, no, I don’t know how to drink.”
“Something is behind you,” one woodcutter pointed out.
“There’s nothing…”
The woodcutters looked at one another and then laughed. “You should have told us you have a little woman here. Fine, fine, we will give you some privacy.”