An Immortal's Favour

Gale- Exploration

*

I watched Jacob's car slowly shrink away, getting lost in the bustling streets, until I could no longer see it. My fingers clenched hard at the balcony, resting there before I  retreated into my empty room.

The city of Gomi was alive, with music and chatter and commotion drifting in from all directions, though I cared not for it. The noise swallowed me, reduced me to nothing as my feet pressed against the carpet. 

I dropped onto the bed, balancing my head in both my arms, my elbows resting over my knees. It'd had been a few days, nearly a week since setting off. Such a short space of time. And yet chaos had already begun to ensue.

For a while, I sat, thinking of Abal- at what strain she must've been enduring -and of Jacob, who'd lost sight of the peace of mind he'd been trying to win in the first place. Of Jacob, for whom I was risking so much.

There was nothing for me to do but to find other ways of entertaining myself; I was on a holiday, after all.

Flinging my door open, I met with Karlton, his blue eyes wide and one arm poised in the air, as if about to knock. He snatched his arm back and cleared his throat. "Hey there," he greeted.

"Hello." He moved away as I closed the door to my room and locked it, standing stock still. I felt his gaze graze over my back.

"I've got some things to sort out...So, if you need anything, I'll see you in a few hours. Just thought I'd let you know," he told me, already glancing at his wrist clock.

"Thank you." He nodded and smiled briefly, turning. "But," I started again, "if I needed to find you, where would I look?"

For a split second, his eyes flickered away from mine. "I'm sure you'll be fine on your own for a few hours. I really should get goin'." He tapped his wrist clock, completely ignoring my question, and began striding away. His walk was deliberately slow, stiff, and the desperation to leave radiated off of him in waves. Karlton disappeared around the corridor straight ahead.

I wavered, but chose to go down the corridor to the right of me after a beat.

In all honesty, I didn't like staying in the hotel very much. It's not that I found it lacking, not a place as comfortable as The Zendua. But I wanted to stretch my legs, to explore the city a little and make the most of the days I had alone.

The sun hid behind a hanging of dark clouds, though the air remained as hot and humid as ever. I pulled a light raincoat over the red summer dress I'd been lent, anticipating the oncoming rainfall, and slung my bag across my shoulder, checking once more for my pouch of water and Eddie's book.

The passers-by, with their vibrant robes and the tails of their headscarves fluttering out behind them, hardly batted an eye at my foreign attire- a given reaction considering how many outside visitors were around town, anyhow.

I took care to remain on the sandstone walk paths, where many other people too occupied; abo lizards panted as they lugged carriages or wagons filled produce down the congested streets. Cars crept forward as well, some honking impatiently.

An hour later, I found myself in a busy marketplace. Rain pounded at the metal rooves of the stalls, but it didn't deter anyone. The ground, which had been paved over with red-tinted tiles, darkened as the water struck it. Stallholders continued to barter noisily with customers, and a few even beckoned me towards them. I smiled and made my way over, leaving afterwards with a paper bag of red nuts and another with dates inside.