Duty and Deceit

Chapter 10

Roxas was the first one to descend the ship with his leather satchel. He'd changed into a gentleman's suit in the men's room, disguising himself as one of the guests on the ship.

Kaia, having no disguise, was left in the dockworkers' room, which was currently being investigated by both YeFian Sentinel Wardens and the lone Rehi soldier. The manager had been handcuffed, and the smuggled children were boarded back onto the ship to be taken home. Roxas, of course, didn't want Kaia to be arrested so he'd left her forged identification documents and a worker's permit. She would still have to slip out from under the soldier's nose, who supervised the workers like a hawk if she had any hope of following after him.

They had found something akin to an agreement over the past three days. Kaia, despite her grim expression and retorts, turned out to be a genuinely good person- when she didn't feel like she'd been slighted that is. She spoke to him as if they were friends, teasing him and making lame jokes. But she never smiled, even when Roxas tried to charm her. The most she'd do was let out a single laugh before masking away her enjoyment. He thought she just didn't trust him enough yet- and she was right not to.

But being out in the ocean, only surrounded by water, was an otherworldly experience. Back on the ship, he was disconnected from the outside world. Everything that happened on the ship, stayed there. But all that faded when they hit land, and their little bubble of peace was popped.

Roxas couldn't let Kaia accompany him. He had work to do, social circles to infiltrate, parties to attend and information to gather. None of that would be possible with Kaia present. She was already suspicious of his identity, and if she stuck around him even more, no doubt she would put the pieces together and know that he was a spy.

And he couldn't let that happen.

If she can sneak herself into the ship, she can sneak herself out. On no account would she be getting his help. Even if she did manage to sneak out, Roxas wouldn't be there to receive her. He planned to leave in a wagon before she could. And then, hopefully, she'd give up and go back to Rehyt.

Roxas purchased a ticket for himself at the office, handing the officer some money before he looked back at the dockworkers. He spotted Kaia, carrying what looked like two heavy crates with a furious frown and grumbling something under her breath. The other workers avoided her like the plague. He turned back around to the office as he handed him the ticket.

"The next coach to Baatsai leaves in two hours." The officer said and he groaned.

Of course, the one time he was in a hurry, everything else was delayed.

Roxas hugged his satchel to his chest, as he headed into the office and sat down. With him was a family of three- a baby and her openly affectionate parents, a man who glowered at people and a woman who snored with her spectacles askew.

Roxas had travelled with multiple people before, this one wasn't any different. Everyone would mind their own business until they reached Baatsai and then go their separate ways. Nothing new.

He tapped his foot anxiously as he waited, his eyes glued to the entrance, fearing the emergence of a brown-haired woman. But she didn't show. One and a half hours had passed; the unloading should've been done already.

Either Kaia hadn't managed to escape, or she simply couldn't find him. Which was good, she wasn't supposed to be here in the first place.

When the time to board the coach came, Roxas looked at the ship one last time. It was for the best. He reminded himself before climbing in.

YeFia was an industrial country, with tramlines running between the paved roads, and people, wearing long colourful tunics with wide sleeves, hurrying about in the busy streets. The buildings, surrounded by trees and flowers, were painted to stand out from nature, contrary to what Rehyt did. The roof edges were sharp and upturned as if to impale the celestials in the sky, should they ever fall. Roxas had lived here for years before he went home back to Rehyt but despite his familiarity with the place, he still watched the city with open amusement.