Excursion

Chapter Twenty - Enlightenment

  "'Ello, Dahling!" Valentino exclaimed, gently closing the door behind him and balancing some sort of picnic basket on his hip. "How are you doing today?"

  I opened my mouth, closed it, and then blurted the first thing that came to mind: "I thought the road from Wilpindur was under construction."

  "It is, it is," Valentino sighed. "But Nova let me use her personal portal. Awfully sweet girl. It's a pity she's going through such romantic turmoil."

  "Personal portal?"

  "Yes, Esis never told you? Well, it goes like this: If you want to get from one place to another in record time without having to expend energy, you use a portal – a teleporter, you may have heard it called. No walking, no using a vehicle; one only has to step into the area where the portal links, and voila; you're whisked away to another portal point that you envisioned, even if it's halfway across the world. Of course, since the portal belongs to the Premier, no one can use it without her permission, but luckily, she granted it to me; bless her heart."

  My eyes widened. Tmesis, umami, and now devices to travel instantly from place to place?! I was in awe. "That's amazing, Valentino..." I exclaimed, silently wishing we would have traveled the same way and wondering why Esis couldn't have arranged it. We certainly wouldn't be in the mess we were in now. "By the way, do you happen to know what Esis is doing right now? You're good friends with him. Yesterday, he took Salandil and... another person to see the Premier for some sort of punishment, and I haven't seen any of them since."

  Valentino flipped open the top of his picnic basket and drew out several glass jars which he shook furiously before he spoke. "Esis is a person who is just a teensy bit unpredictable, I'm afraid." He then withdrew a large mug from the basket and drizzled a portion of each jar's contents into it. "In other words, he could be doing anything, anywhere."

  I breathed an angry sigh. The rosy hues of my expectations were wearing off, and I began worrying for my friends' safety once again.

  "Another complicating factor is that he's in love with the Premier, and ah... what love can do to a man's judgment."

  A wistful smile appeared over the matchmaker's face, and to my surprise, he set the mug that he had been stirring up on the small table in front of me.

  I leaned over and looked down into its depths, and was shocked to see that the liquid was a bright purpleish-blue color, exuding an aroma that was very similar to both flowers and dirt. I looked up, and saw Valentino looking at me expectantly.

  "Is this safe to drink?" I inquired, wrinkling my nose and sitting back up, hands still cuffed behind my back.

  Valentino took notice of my predicament, stood up, and gave a 'yoo-hoo!' out the door. A guard appeared, and after a brief exchange - during which I heard Valentino 'tsk' and say, "He's harmless" - the cuffs were off.

  The matchmaker scoffed. "Dahling, of course it's edible," he remarked as though no time had elapsed. "It's a special concoction made from the extract of roses, seven different kinds of sweet vinegar, the spices of the north, and honey. It's a drink of the heavens; any injuries or fatigue you're suffering this morning will instantly be cured. Have you ever heard of a crème brulee?"

  "I can't say I have..."

  "Nor a red sangria?"

  "No..."

  "Butterfly wings?"

  "Is it exactly what the name implies?"

  "No. It's a Magnicum delicacy made from sweet cheese, lemons and coconut, rolled in crepe dough."

  "No, although I think we passed a shop that sold them along the way."

  "I'm sure you did. Anyway, if you believe hard enough, you can imagine this drink tasting like any one of those things. If the smell bothers you, plug your nose."

  I decided to not plug my nose, and had to muster up my courage and take a sip. I didn't know what any of the things Valentino mentioned were, so I didn't imagine anything. At first, the drink was remarkably sweet, but then a spicy, burning sensation ripped down my throat. Then the aftertaste arose. It was light, fluffy, and seemed to dance on my tongue, causing me to disregard the two flavors that had come before as necessary evils. I quickly took another sip.

  "Valentino," I began after some time had passed, and the liquid in the glass was nearly gone.

  Indeed, the drink that the matchmaker had given me was beginning to ease my pains, both physical and mental.

  "Who instructed you to give me this drink and come to see me? You couldn't have done it on your own accord."

  "That's true, Dahling," Valentino replied, collecting my glass. "Although I'm sure the Premier wouldn't have necessarily been angry if I had come here of my own free will, but I didn't. Not this time, at least. I was sent by the Premier to come see you and to give you that drink, if the need required. She said that your time to visit her was approaching."

  I stared at him. "What?! Why am I in trouble, now?"

  "Now now, Nomen," Valentino consoled, placing a reassuring hand upon my arm. "The Premier doesn't just ask visitors to her chamber to scold them. She wants to meet you."

  "But..." I stammered, "... why?"

  "The exact implications of her words were not apparent to me. But I assure you that she means no harm."

  "But-"

  "Dahling, just accept the fact that Miss Nova wishes to see you. You'll find out the exact reason when you get there. And don't be afraid! She's... fascinating."

  I supposed that there was no reason to argue with him or to pry for answers, so I instead changed the topic.

  "Will Salandil and Yvette be with me when I go to see the Premier?"

  "Yvette?!"

  I stiffened. I had just said something terribly wrong. But to my surprise, that was as upset as the matchmaker got.

  "Oh... I see... I'm assuming not, although I'm sure you'll get to see them sometime in the near future."

  "And Esis? Will he be there to escort me?"

  "I don't believe so. He's probably too busy with your friends."

  "Speaking of which... how long have you known Esis?"

  "Ever since he was a child."

  I paused, and then scooted a few paces closer to the matchmaker. "Do you know why he pours water over his head? I've seen him do it at least twice now."

  A small smile appeared on the corners of Valentino's mouth. "I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to tell you, but I'm going to let the man himself do the honors. The truth would be better out of his own mouth."

  "What... what is he?"

  Valentino shrugged, although I could tell it was just for effect.