Genesis (Illustrated Story)

The Green Gallows (ACT 1, SCENE 12)

The walk to our destination was filled with nothing but silence and the sound of running water, the effervescent lake a forever companion beside us. I knew Jude wanted to say something, to take away the silence. I could tell by the way his amber eyes flicked over to me every so often, even though my gaze was trained forward. For a moment I felt sick in my stomach, because I knew this was not normal. The fact that I could tell the man from earlier was guilty in certain moments, when Jude wanted to say something but was too fearful of hurting me any further – all that ease in being able to tell emotions and motivations, artifacts from those days spent on Earth.

Instead of speaking to Jude, I read the books Theodore had technically leant me. Anything to keep the awkward conversation at bay, anything to push away the chance of hurting an earnest man. I've always held issue to authority, but there was a quality in Jude that I couldn't quite put a hand on. A mix of caution and compassion, a fear of hurting me the same way I was afraid of hurting him. Or offending, I couldn't tell which. To him, perhaps this was because of how I acted so distant, as well as how I was entirely irresponsive during my first waking moments.

Fragile, as Avery had put it. But in reality, it was the other way around.

Every second spent in Sun-Glint was like walking through a waking dream. Where every wish I had ever hoped from my childhood came true. All those faeries and all those people concerned about me, wanting to take care of me. Like a pretty world encased in a snow globe, I worried that if I were to even graze the glass surface it would shatter.

I peeked at Jude sitting across from me on the table set with tea, finally building up enough courage to meet the faces of three of the four kings of Sun-Glint.

As amber eyes rose to meet mine and his lips curled into a smile, I quickly turned my eyes back into my boo. I realized I was on the same page again from before – the one that spoke to me. Realizing my thumb was resting upon it, inky black text began to appear once more.

'It's impolite to not smile back at him, you do know that right?'

I shut the book right away, red shame and embarrassment filling my cheeks. I locked eyes with Jude again and found he was still staring, but his smile looked sorry now. He opened his mouth to say something, but the woman beside me beat him to it.

She was beautiful. Her dark brown eyes sparkled, her smooth dark skin reflecting the light coming in from the windows. She had her long curly hair tied into a simple low ponytail with a bow, while a few baby pieces were left loose to frame her face. Unlike Jude who wore tattered clothes, she dressed more formal. Ruffled blue blouse and a heavy-looking dark magenta velvet cloak.

"Good book?" she asked.

"It's eye-opening."

"Interactive, isn't it? Nosy too, I would know. I've read it many times." She said, "At least it's never boring."

"Lavy, this is King Odette." Jude spoke up, "King of the Three Towers, leader of the wizards division, curse breaker extraordinaire, and smartest scholar this side of the universe – "

"For the sake of my humble reputation, I shall say hush," she grinned, "but my ego does beg to be stroked, so do go on King Jude."

Jude immediately shut up afterwards, smiling wildly at her like a close friend. A private joke to be shared between the two.

To my left, sitting one or two chairs away from the two of us, was the man who found me in the gardens. He wore the exact same navy suit from before, but this time he looked less frazzled and more put together. His deep-sea eyes met mine by chance and he looked just as surprised as I felt. As if wondering why I was staring at him and why he had turned to look at me. His face seemed to be frozen in a constant state of displeasure and stone-cold seriousness before this, but just as I was ready to look away it all melted into a warm smile.

Jude, having noticed this, frowned for some reason.

"Ah," he said. "This is King Stevather, of the High Court."

"And you are Lavy, I presume." Stevather nodded, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, are you feeling better now?"

"I – um, yes. I think I landed in your gardens? I'm so sorry – " I sounded like a fool, tripping over my words. It made me want to slap myself.

"It's alright," Stevather said. "All that matters is you're alright right now."

"Thank you, your highness." I said, pausing as I felt the one-sided tension between Jude and Stevather grow. "I'm very grateful King Jude and his people were there to take care of me, I was probably a difficult patient to have."

Just as I hoped, Jude shifted his attention to me.

"Not at all, you were no worse than I usually am after a night of drinking."

"Which is unfortunately more often than not."

"You're one to complain you piece of – "

"Do not speak to me about my drinking habits when you – "

"Enough already!" Odette groaned, "Have you no tact, to be arguing in front of our guest? Speaking of tact, has anyone seen Raguna lately? We've been sitting here for 30 minutes already."

"Did you not notify your brother about this, Jude?" Stevather scowled, "And here I thought you'd always be at his beck and call, it's the least you could do after you – "

"You don't have any right to speak about him when you – "

"Oh come on – "

Just as Odette was rearing to reprimand the two again, the distinct sound of footsteps coming down a stairwell caused a great silence to come over the room. Descending from the shadows of the second level of the building was a man dressed in all black, save for the golden embroideries on his attire and the golden shawl looped around his arms and torso.

"So much ruckus at this hour," he said in his deep voice. "Are you not aware a guest sits with you?"

"Brother, you're here!" Jude grinned excitedly, "Lavy, this is Sun-Glint's first and original king. His highness, Raguna. Presider of wealth and luxury, beloved of the God of Planetarium, and inheritor to the oldest known kingdom of the universe."

His face, still half-hidden in the shadows, gazed at us from an elevated height. Golden eyes eyeing us in both warning and curiosity. He paused for a moment, glowing eyes roaming over us before finally settling on me.

As he was probably pondering over me, I was doing the same to him. Why? Because if anything, he looked suspiciously alike to the man I met in the gardens.