Alligator Eyes

Chapter 13

Mark makes it the bottom step first with the six men following just behind him. They seem sheepish and awkward, nothing like themselves. Mark doesn't approach the treasury and they don't either. Instead he finds that at the bottom of the stairs is a doorway, he presses the stone down and it opens up to what looks like a sitting room.

Stepping into it he can tell the royal family, or maybe the priest lived here, someone important. He only searches it briefly, but finds that it is filled with rooms, and passageways, it looks like it goes all the way up to the where the throne room would be.

With the others still trailing him, he walks to the building directly across from the treasury, the sign is completely obscured by vines so he can't tell what it is until he goes inside and sees the many beds, the baths carved into the floor with water still running through them. He dips his hand in and it's hot.

"This is a hospital, these pools are connected to a hot spring" He says it to himself, almost forgetting that everyone else was there.

"It's still warm?" Jinyoung puts his fingers into the pool, sighing. "I bet that feels nice"

"I said you could go look in the treasury, so you can stop following me" Mark leaves the hospital and takes the main road down into the city. The others stand on the road watching him leave, but they don't follow him.

Finally alone with his thoughts, Mark let's out a long breath. The city doesn't sparkle like it had from atop the temple, but it's still gorgeous and as he walks down the streets the feeling of ownership only increases. He is still wearing his crown his robes tied neatly around himself. He can imagine himself dancing down these streets during the spring festival, his friends and family around him.

Feasts with the whole village at the temple, the complete security of having all his people under stable roofs, away from the townspeople. He craves it badly, it's possible that not everybody would want to leave, but he thinks he can convince them. The city needs repairing, but they can do that, especially if the library has books, still intact, Mark could learn the whole history up to the invasion, learn to fix the doors and the aquifers.

Now the problem he faces is getting his people here before anyone else can raid the city. If what Namjoon said is true and the gates are open then people can easily get in, Mark would never make it in time. And traveling through the countries would be difficult. They had a pretty good standing with the King in Epsil, but in Tilopen they were fair game.

Although he walks all the way to the library he doesn't go inside, feeling like he shouldn't disturb it without his family here. He walks down another side street and then back towards the temple. It can be seen even from this far away.

When he reaches the archway, the others are standing where he left them, talking hurriedly to each other, they seem frustrated. They stop talking when they see Mark coming, exactly like their first meeting, they watch him walk towards him.

"Was there no treasure?" Mark asks, looking at their empty hands.

"There is, but we wanted you to see it first"

"I said you could have it"

"I know what you said, but I'm saying I want you to see it first." Jinyoung gestures towards the door and even though Mark is annoyed he goes towards the door.

Opening the treasury is... intense. Mark has never seen this much gold in all his life, even when he went to the King Dayamon's castle, a man who is very fond of gold.

"Wow," Mark says, his tone is unimpressed, but actually he is so amazed he can't express it.

"Alright, Prince, at least try to seem like this ain't normal for you" Jinyoung scoffs, turning away from him and putting his hands on the railing.