In Search Of The Goddess

Log Eight

I'm ready to charge the city when I remember I am only in my bloomers. I turn back into the building. I find my way back to the blue room and put my common clothes back on (I miss my robes). I pass by the orgy room and I feel a little bad. They could use my help in here. 

But my heart is still pounding in worry for Elizabeth. Who knows now where she is and how long she's been there? I leave Nik and Javior talking to the nuns and leave the building.

The wind is cold and bitter and it makes me worry all the more for her. 

I decide to find that original guard. He had been stationed with a few others to receive people trying to get into the Aklay side. I head down towards the river.

It's colder here. And the wind is sharper. There is a building all the guards seem to be going into so I duck in. 

A guard writing something at a desk is hunched in front of me.

"Hello," I say. He looks up and he seems bored.

"I'm looking for my niece. I left her with one of your guards. Do you know where she is?"

He glares at me and scrunches his nose up in confusion. I've been fighting for the past twelve hours and I'm irritable. It's taking a lot of strength not to punch the look off his face.

"No," he says and goes back to his writing. I am all out of patience. I'm hungry and tired and cold and I am worried about my apprentice. 

"Sir!" My voice booms out. I didn't mean to be that loud. The guard looks up at me again. Annoyed and a little scared. 

"Look, there aren't any Orcs around here except you," he snaps and goes back to his writing. I want to snatch the parchment out from under his hands and crumple it up.

"She's human," I snarl. The guard gives me a weird look. Another guard comes into the room and the first one shouts some kind of order at him. He frowns and goes back into another room. I am confused.

They come back a few minutes later, dragging Elizabeth by the arm. She keeps trying to yank it back away from him. 

"Elizabeth!" I yell. I feel tears forming in my eyes. The guard finally let her go and she saunters up to me. She immediately hugs me, super tight. I hug back and cry a little. Then she rips away and glares at me. 

"You left me!"

"I'm sorry Elizabeth. I was unconscious."

She wrinkles her nose at me. It's a lot cuter when she does it than that guard. But it is still annoying. I need to eat soon.

"I'm hungry," Elizabeth complains. 

"Well, let's go eat," I say, trying to muster all my patience. 

"Okaaaaaay," she says and pushes through the door while I'm practically still in the doorway.

I give the desk guard the eye while I'm still in the room then spin on my heel to leave. It's in this moment I wish I had long hair so I could flip it over my shoulder.

"It's cold out here," Elizabeth said as soon as we get outside. It's like she's narrating the obvious. I hand her my outermost jacket and try to find a food stand. 

We get our meals and eat as we walk. Elizabeth spills half of it down her clothes (and my jacket). I take a deep, chilly breath and down my meal. 

Today is just a bad day. I've been close to death 3 times. I've broken a lot of bones. I messed up my technique. And I've been a poor guardian. 

"Hey there, little lady!" A strange man with long black hair and a hook nose jumps out in front of us. He's holding a shiny toy right under Elizabeth's nose. I recognize that glimmer in her eyes. 

"How would like to visit our brand new toy shop! Just down that alleyway and to the left!" He gestures with a multicolored, striped cane. 

"No," I say and keep walking. Elizabeth is staring hard at the toy. Her eyes are tracking it like a cat with a fly as he waves it around in the air. He pulls a teddy bear out of his creepy long coat. 

"Fresh new toys, like this adorable bear are all on sale! Just step into our shop!" 

"No thanks," I say, glowering and grinding my back teeth so that my lower fangs pop. 

He is not deterred. He pulls more toys out of pockets and his sleeves. What else is he hiding in this coat? Elizabeth jumps up and tries to grab one out of his hand. He cocks one long eyebrow and glares down his nose at her. 

"Stonewhit," he mutters under his breath, as if the word were made of those crawly bugs you find in the dirt underneath a rock. He closes his jacket up primly and turns his big smile on some of the people started to gather around, subtly knocking Elizabeth away. She sticks her tongue out at his back and grabs my hand.

Once we've turned down a few streets, Elizabeth grins mischievously up at me.

"Guess what?"

"What?" I honestly have no idea.

She pulls out one of the teddy bears he had been waving around. I have to try really hard not smile and laugh and tell her that was a good job.

"Probably shouldn't steal."

She pulls a face, "But he was mean!"

"He was," I agree and shrug. 

We make it back to the church. Nik and Javior have helped the nuns get the orgy room all cleaned up. I ask the nuns if we can sleep there for the night. After all the trouble and all the help, they agree.

Nik and Javior plan to go to the gallery tomorrow for the painting. As for me, I think I could sleep for a year.