Duty and Deceit

Chapter 9

Kaia stood in shock, paling as she looked at him.

The footsteps got louder by the second. Roxas shook the torch in his hand, returning the room to darkness. He grabbed Kaia's hand, rushing to the side of the door just as it busted open.

His eyes darted from one worker to another as they poured inside like ants, the one in the front holding a torch. Roxas joined them before the confusion could settle, Kaia silently behind him.

The manager who entered the room last gasped as he stood at the doorway, his eyes rounded as he took in the chaos. "What in the heavens!" He trotted into the room, growing redder by the minute, "Who was in charge of this room?" He demanded, and a man slowly raised his hand. His pot belly slowed him down as he marched to the poor lad. "You forgot to tie down the crates! Look at what you've done! Who's going to buy these ruined goods, now?" He spat as he screamed into his face.

Everyone else stood still as a statue, not daring to move. The manager turned to them, "Everybody, take all the remaining crates to the other room now! And remember to tie them down tightly this time! And you! In my office, now!" He marched out of the room as everyone hurried to work.

Roxas went to the crate where Kaia had found the stone, closed the lid, and carried it to the wooden trolley Kaia had wheeled in. She went to take another crate, but Roxas stopped her by the arm. Drawing her ears close to his lips, he whispered, "121, 136, 140, 152."

Other than a flicker in her eyes, Kaia didn't let show if she understood what he meant. Not even a nod of her head. But the crates she'd brought back had the exact numbers he'd told her. And Roxas had to admit, after wordlessly working together for the past three days, that they made a good team.

Not every crate that the manager wrote down had Zecenite in it, some had gunpowder, opium, salt, high-quality wool and hides. And so far, they'd only found one small stone of Zecenite. But Roxas couldn't take any chances.

Despite the husk powering the land of YeFia, YeFians loved progress. While it was good for the general public to show such passion for advancement, it wasn't when their government was involved. They were known for being ruthless in the name of experiment and innovation. If Zecenite fell into the hands of a YeFian...

He shuddered at the thought.

The trolley had been filled with a dozen crates and as Roxas stacked the last one, everyone had already lined up with theirs as they waited to leave the room.

Roxas and Kaia joined the queue, slowly wheeling their way out. They followed their colleagues down the hall, staying at the tail-end. When the queue turned around the corner, Roxas strayed, wheeling the trolley to the other side. His long strides were soon met with Kaia's hurried ones.

"It was you, wasn't it?" She asked, practically running to keep up with him."The one who untied the ropes and caused such a mess. That man might lose his job over this, what were you thinking?"

Roxas had planned to push the crate he wanted down. If he'd known the ship would lurch violently right then, he wouldn't have done it. But Roxas had no sympathy for the man who might lose his job, it may prove difficult but he'll get another one with time.

At Roxas's silence, Kaia ran forward in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. "And what was that stone? Where the hell are you taking it? Where are we even going?"

"To discreetly dispose of this,"

"To dispose of the stones?"

"Zecenites." He corrected, "A fallen stone from the Moon. You must remember seeing it on the night of the lunar eclipse."