The Cinders of Dezu

5th: Girl in a High Tower (2)

"Caddock is not a human."

Raina closed her mouth and looked up at him.

"He's called a Nom. They're my people. The majority race in this world. Certainly in my kingdom."

"Are they all purple?" she asked.

"No," he chuckled, "Nom come in all sorts. They generally look like you or me. They just come in more varieties."

"Oh..." Raina said with a slow nod.

"So can you do me a favor?"

"Yeah..."

"Be more polite when you see him again."

Raina cleared her throat and looked down.

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright," said the king as he sat on her bed, "Some of this food is going to be a little strange to you too. I think you'll like it though."

Raina looked at the tray. It had a fruit on it that she'd never seen before. It looked like a lemon but it was the size of an orange. The rest was covered by lids.

"You want me to cut it for you?" he asked.

"Yes, please."

Orion grabbed a knife from her tray and began cutting the fruit in half, then into slices. Raina noticed the meat of it was a deep sea blue. The king handed her a piece.

"Thank you," she said, as she began to take a bite.

The meat burst with juice and tanginess. The taste reminded her of bubble gum but with a tart to it.

"Mmmm!"

Raina's eyes were closed, experiencing the flavor. Orion chuckled as he saw a drop of blue juice escape the side of her mouth.

"Yeah I thought you'd like that one. It's been my favorite since I was a kid."

"Oh my gosh!" said Raina with a full mouth as she reached for another piece.

Orion watched her eat for a moment before he began,"So, I just wanted to update you. We are looking into your... companions now. I promise it won't be long... also I didn't get a chance to get their names. What were they?"

Raina slurped up some juice and swallowed.

"Cairo is my cousin but he's more like my big brother. Julian is his friend... and my friend too."

"Okay," he said, "Cairo and Julian... Cairo and Julian..."

He repeated it a few more times to himself as he committed it to memory. Raina interrupted him.

"Does everybody here have superpowers like you?"

Orion looked at her but didn't say anything.

"Superpowers, you know? Like you shoot fire and stuff. Do all... um, Nom... do that?"

The king clenched his jaw a bit.

"You need not know everything about me or this place or the people in it. You'll be going home soon, remember?"

Raina was clearly excited.

"So what's your origin story?"

Orion frowned.

"My what?"

"Your origin! Superhero's all have origin stories about how they got their powers!"

Orion stood up. Raina's excitement waned as she saw the look on his face.

"I'll let you sort out the rest of the foods Caddock brought you," he said.

Without another word, he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. After a moment, Raina heard a click. She grew concerned. She hopped out of bed and ran to the door. She tried the door handle. It wouldn't budge. It was as she suspected. She pushed and pulled but nothing happened. She started banging on the door.

"Hey! HEY!!!"

She called out for some time. There was no return of a voice or even footsteps outside. She turned around and leaned her back against the door. She sank to her feet. The tears came again.