The Marchioness Treasure | HIATUS

Chapter 2: The Satchel

"Now! Run!" shouted Kai, and started running towards the crowd. Marleigh, with no other choice, followed him.

She knew that she shouldn't follow strangers, especially the good-looking ones, but something about him made her follow him.

No, it was not his charisma or his dimples, but a glowing parchment in his satchel. It glowed a mysterious gold, with tiny spicules flying everywhere.

'If he was going to hide a divine treasure, he should've concealed it well' thought Marleigh.

She knew it was wrong to want to touch someone else's treasure. Wanting to catch those mysterious little gold flakes on her palm. The urge was something she hadn't experienced until today.

The street was unusually crowded which on any other day would've pissed off Marleigh, but today she was more than glad to bump into a few sweaty people, which served as a camouflage from the eyes of the bulky twins who were chasing them.

"Where do we go from here?" asked Marleigh, and looked up to Kai. He was tall, a little too tall maybe. His green eyes glowed with an expression of ecstasy.

"A-are you okay?" She asked, concerned for his well-being and her safety.

Especially when following strangers through the town in hopes of not getting chopped by thugs.

"Me? 'Course I am!" He said with a thick accent. He shoved her into a dark crooked alleyway and covered her face with a black shawl.

"What are y-" suddenly she felt ice cold hands covering her mouth. They were standing close, too close. Their breaths mingled with each other's and their sweaty bodies, almost touched.

She could sense that he was trying hard to not lean into her and for that, she was grateful.

"Please wear this and try not to draw too much attention," he whispered, giving up on trying to cover her head. His eyes showed an expression of a child who failed to make his first clay pot.

Marleigh quietly laughed, even though he was a stranger and she knew nothing about him, his actions made her feel tingly on the inside.

Especially his forest green eyes which glowed with a childlike innocence.

"And why would I do that?" asked Marleigh, folding her arms as much as she could in that narrow space.

He looked at her exquisite red braid that fell on her slender shoulders, "Your hair... It's uncommon. Draws too much attention."

She realized that the scarf she had tied to hide her hair had loosened and had fallen on the way. She grasped one of her strands which had escaped from the braid and started twirling it around her finger, "Oh... yes."

Her hair had always been the oddest thing about her. She knew of no one who had ginger red hair in her kingdom. Blondes and brunettes, yes. But never ginger.

This made her realize once again that she, indeed, was an outsider. No matter how much love she was given and treated as one of the Vohra's, she knew she didn't belong there.

"I better do it then," Marleigh tied the shawl around her hair and looked up at Kai, "Now, where exactly are we?"

He hesitated for a moment then slowly closed his eyes and heaved a sigh, "I'm sorry, I know it's no place to bring a woman but I had no choice they were chasing us and-"

"Get to the point,"

"The Northern Alley."

They stared at each other for a while. One with a dumbfounded expression and the other, a sheepish look.

"No no no. Do not give me that look!" Marleigh exclaimed and took a step back.

After all they went through to escape those thugs, they end up in a place swarming with the likes of them! She was doomed. She's never going to see the daylight again. They are going to find her. They are going to take away everything. Again.

"Hey hey, it's going to be okay. I know this place like the back of my hand. We'll survive" Kai reassured holding her slender arms which were shaking from fear.

She slapped his hands away from her shoulders, suddenly feeling conscious.

What did he mean by knowing this place like the back of his hand? Is he...? Is he one of them?

She tried backed off but was met with the frigid, hard rock wall.

"No need to worry. I am... one of the moderators. I won't hurt you," he said, trying to reassure her.

"No! W-what m-moderator?! Why would a moderator try to steal a divine treasure?!" She asked, trembling from what seemed to be fear and maybe the cold wind that blew from the mountains.

Though it was summer in Athaliah, it was always cold in the Northern Alley. A part of the curse.

"What treasure? I never stole anything!" He exclaimed, confused.

"T-Then what about the gold spicules from that... thing in your satchel," She asked barely a whisper. She knew better than to think the worst of the man in front of him.

Sure, he was handsome but that doesn't mean he's necessarily a good guy. Look at the place he brought them to! The Northern Alley, the most dreaded place in all of Athaliah. Even a pigeon would know better than to wander here.

"What gold- Wait..." He sighed and rubbed his temple clearly confused. Then a moment later his eyes lit up with recognition," Y-you mean you can see this?!" He said pointing to the satchel.

"Y-yes. I-I know the situation's hard but the least you could do is hide that properly."

"You're an Augur." Kai said, extremely pleased and astounded. His eyes shining as though he had discovered the Cahier, Athaliah's most guarded book of wisdom.

"A... what?"

"An Augur. You're the prophesied one. The one with the divine blood."