In Search Of The Goddess

Log Nine

We go to the museum at about midday. Elizabeth stays with the "nuns" in the "church." 

"Hello. Welcome. Are you here to buy a painting." A smug, ritzy Dragonborn arched one perfect, hairless eyebrow at us. 

"Hello. We're here to browse, we'd like to see your collection," Javior said politely. 

"I'm sorry," the Dragonborn gazed past us, "You must able to prove you can buy something before you can come in."

"Excuse me-" Javior brow was furrowed down tight over her sparking eyes. I bit back a smile.      

"That's all," the Dargonborn said in a very Streepish way. I squeeze both my fists, digging my blunt nails into my palms. I'm so irritated by these snobby lizards.

Nik looks impassive, but I can see the hint of a sneer forming. 

"Thank you for your time," he says and gestures to Javior and me and we leave. 

"Why are we leaving!" Javior whispers in outrage. 

"Arguing with her won't help us," Nik said. I'm a little jealous how they can hold a conversation with each other and be able to look one another in the eye.

"We can go back at night and break in."

"What! No," I object. I notice Nik try and fail to not roll his eyes. 

"We're NOT breaking in."

"She was rude."

"So we should commit a crime?"

"Wouldn't the Goddess want you stand up to classism like that?"

I'm angry but also touched. They must have been listening to the long sermons I sometimes give them while we walk long distances together across the city.

"Not by stealing, breaking and entering, trespassing on private property-" I am counting off on my fingers. Nik actually rolls his eyes and Javior looks like she's losing patience. 

"Fine," I give up and glare at the flat, gray sky, "But I'm not going with you. I stick out too much around here." 

I also don't want to go because of how off I'd been in my last fights. I need to recuperate and find my center once again. Now that I was thinking about it, I realized I was still feeling drained.

We get back to the church. Elizabeth and I practice some Tai Chi basics in the room they have us staying in. I feel stiff and too hurried in my movements. Elizabeth is blundering through it next to me. I stop several times to adjust her limbs or show her the proper movement. 

I find that through teaching Elizabeth, I've relaxed into it and we are both practicing our katas perfectly. 

Elizabeth eventually falls asleep in the little cot and I tuck a quilt around her. The room is warm, but once the fire goes out, it will be colder. We are still in the heart of the winter. 

I feel much calmer and in tune with myself but I feel a little antsy that Nik and Javior aren't back yet. 

I decide to just go check and see if everything's going well. I have such a bad feeling about this plan.

The wind is bitterly cold but I'm cutting through it quickly. I'm kind of worried. It's so cold that my eyes are watering. 

The building is dark and seemingly empty when I get there. Seems okay. I circle the building and hear a scream. 

I get to the back of the building. There are a thousand footprints, Kobold and Gnome shaped, but no Javior or Nik.

And then I notice larger bootprints. And I recognize them. I wore the same boots for a couple weeks. They belong to a soldier.