TERRA: Age Of Terror

~5~

Leona.

~Dictum~

"I'm sorry, what?" Aden says as soon as Ruth is done telling him my story. Aden looks beyond perplexed.

They both look overwhelmed- as expected. I did not know what else to tell them. Zagan is going to have our heads; All of us. When he finds out about Eternals, he'll definitely try to extract the essence; verbum, some way or the other.

I adjust the small floral shirt Ruth had given me after my bath, and try to get comfortable in my chair. This was going to take a while.

"Listen," I say. "We need help. From the king himself. Zagan is too powerful. Let me go to him. I can persuade him."

Jinx responds. "I—I am not so sure Leona. I'm a foreigner, and so is Aden. We might be deported or worse executed. I have a safe life here with Aden, with my pets; a good life.." I see Aden fair cheeks turn pink for a second, but he manages to hide it.

"She's right Ruth, if it concerns our safety. I feel we need to talk to the government."

"Ruth?" I ask frowning at Jinx. "Is your name Ruth or jinx?"

"Ruth. Jinx is just a nickname." Ruth says looking away from my eyes.

"Listen, we can't just up and leave. I know something is going to go wrong. You're Imperian! Dictists are already afraid of your people. Imperians aren't even allowed to come into Dictum! They won't believe us! It's a bad idea, I'm telling you." As she talks, the wind picks up around her and the ground begins to shake.

Aden moves closer to Jinx, grabs her shoulders and lowers his head to hers. "But you know, don't you? You know it's the right thing. You always know. Its your gift. So why are you running? Isn't it time we stop?"

"I—I don't want us to lose what we have. We could be sent back home. Humiliated again. My parents wouldn't forgive me. What I did to my sister, Aden I--." Her eyes begins to tear up, her voice starts to break.

"I can barely control my powers, Ade. I am safe here. I'm safe in the hospital we work in, but going somewhere I don't know... I don't think I can do that."

I stare at the both of them. Ruth was odd; very odd. She is calm and laid back one moment, the next moment she is all serious and doctor-ish, and now she was crying in the arms of a boy over something that shouldn't require a headache; the perfect example of a damsel in distress. I roll my eyes feeling uncertain about my new acquaintances.

Understanding the Zargan has spies everywhere, I decide to select my next words carefully. "I think I should go get some water down at the lake." I say. Intending to run away. Jinx turns towards my direction and points to the door she led me through earlier. I had must been walking for 30 minutes when I heard Aden shout in between labored breathing. "W—we will—w we will follow you. Let us help you." I see an uncertain Ruth trail after him. "Jinx, Ruth or whatever your actual name is, you don't have to trust me. I wouldn't trust me either, but this is something greater—much greater than all of us. If you're going to do this, you have to be all in."

Looking clearly frustrated she responds, "I trust you. I'm just... afraid of what could happen; but I understand how important this is. Although I would have to call my pet sitter before we go, I'm all in."

.Aden.

~The next morning~

Ruth moves quickly ahead of us, "It's not too far from here. We can walk, but it'll take some time though." She says and makes her way through the dense trees surrounding her cabin.