Finding the Wisest

Chapter Eighteen

"So, Nebbia. What's your story?"
She cocked an eyebrow.
"Pardon me?"
"What's your story, why are you going to see the wisest. How did you get imprisoned?"
Nebbia didn't answer, just stared at Maya

"I mean, everyone knows my story and now we know most of Kieran's own.. I guess but we don't know yours. "
Nebbia shook her head "I don't know your story Maya. "
Kieran had briefly narrated his story to them when he came back so they were all in the clear about his motives and all.

Maya backtracked "Okay, I'll tell mine again then you can tell yours. Agreed?"
Nebbia nodded and Maya started her story.
She talked about how she lived with her mother, about how one random day her mother went to the park and didn't come back, about how she touched the watch and appeared there.

Kieran requested to look at both watches and he did, to Maya there was nothing special about them but Kieran stated that there was some magical quality in those two items.

That's weird, how did her mother get those things?
It was Nebbia's turn to share her story.
"Well, I have been imprisoned my whole life, alone. I don't know what I did but apparently I am an enemy of the state. I lost all my memories so I'm going to the Wisest to retrieve them."

Nebbia sighed as she brought all of that out. It was difficult for her to remember her memories but sometimes she got glimpses and she tried hard to focus on them, but it gave her serious head aches.
Hearing Maya talk about how annoying her mother was sometimes or how she used to do this and that, pulled at some strings in her heart. She too wanted to have something to remember, to know. All she had left for her was her keen survival instincts or else she may as well have been dead already.
She just wanted to see one memory, anything that would give her an identity.
She didn't even have a name. One word that kept flashing in her mind was the one she had adopted as her name. Nebbia meant 'fog' in a particular foreign language which she couldn't remember and that's what her life was.
One large foggy mess. She couldn't see behind her into her past and couldn't see in front of her into her future, she didn't know what life held for her. But after her escape she found some hope, after finding her identity, she could carve a new life for herself maybe. She briefly thought about the only one who had ever been nice to her. She had been a maid in the castle where she was kept prisoner.
The maid had called herself Hartley...

Maya remembered when she angrily asked Nebbia if her mother hadn't taught her manners. She felt bad now.
Well yes, Nebbia had insulted her a couple of times but she was also frustrated and going through her own problems.

"Hey, Nebbia ... I'm sorry"
Nebbia looked at her and one side of her mouth quirked up to form an unsteady smile.

"Of course you should be. You've been a nuisance on this journey."

"I think she's making a joke. " Kieran whispered loudly in Maya's ears, much like Sozee had used to do.

"I have not! I have been perfectly awesome on this journey."

Nebbia scoffed as they continued to walk and bicker.

Looks like nothing was going to change much.
Kieran smirked to himself "Just when I thought they were getting along. "

About an hour later when they were on a resting break, Maya piped up again

"Three plucky teenagers on a journey to find the wisest...."
Kieran stopped her with a shake of his finger
"Only two of us are teenagers. Nebbia is not."
Nebbia threw a face of mockery at Maya. How did Kieran even find that out?

"Fineee," Maya ground out. Then she started again.
"Two plucky teenagers and one grouchy pants are on a journey to find the wisest. And it seems they've almost done it. One wants to find a way back home, hashtag there's no place like home, hashtag the wizard of Oz, one wants to regain her memories and one....."

Maya waited patiently for Kieran to answer his part. She and Raven watched him as he took his time drinking water.
"Ohh, you await my answer.? " He laughed.
"I'm not going to the wisest for anything. I'm accompanying you ladies, someone has to"

Kieran kicked at a bird which flew away immediately. "Its a bit sad that you have to go, Maya. "
She looked at him " This isn't my place Kieran. I have to get back home but I won't forget any of you and how much help you've been to me. "
She squeezed his arm gratefully and they walked on.

About five minutes later Nebbia and Maya started to argue again and it was Kieran who rolled his eyes this time.
A curly haired girl on one side, a tall boy in the middle and a girl with a ragged haircut on the other side. Two were bickering and one was trying not to get involved.
It was a strange type of bonding...but it seemed to be working.......

X

"Well well well, I see we've arrived at the great wall of China. How am I supposed to get past this one now?"
Maya demanded.

All their walking had brought them to a huge and long wall. That was what separated them from the drop zones, the place which held the answers to their questions.

" We can climb it" Kieran stated with a straight face
"Or go around it" Nebbia supplied.
Maya looked at them both as if she couldn't believe what they were saying.

"Thank you for your suggestions but I cannot climb this mountain and as for going around it, that seems like it will take about five years of my life. "

Nebbia shook her head at Maya " I have a lot of patience, you learn to be patient when you are imprisoned for more than 6 years."

She turned and started to make her way to where she assumed the edge of the wall was. She was really going to go around it?

That left Maya with the only option to. Climb it, she turned to look at her partner .
"Okay Kieran so.."
The boy was already seated at the top of the wall.
"How did...."
" Maya, how can I escape guards if I can't scale walls.?"

"But.."

" There are ridges on the wall and parts of it are sticking out, you can use that to help you on the way up then you can take my hand and I'll try to pull you up."

Maya nodded and attempted the plan. Ten minutes later and with a few scratches on her hands and a lot of pulling from Kieran's end, she had finally reached the top.
There they sat, looking down at what was known as the drop zones.

It was a cute little village with a few cottages. There didn't seem to be anything special about it.
Was the wisest truly there? Would she be able to get her mother back?
She voiced her questions. Kieran turned to face her.
"We can only find out if we look." He smiled reassuringly at her and then made to jump down the wall when she held him back.

He looked at her with eyebrows raised. " We can't stay here forever you know. "

She laughed " I know that, I just wanted to thank you again for helping me out on this whole thing. I don't know how far I would have gone. You're a good friend."

He smiled back at her
"It was my pleasure Maya"

"DO YOU LOVEBIRDS PLAN ON STAYING THERE FOREVER? BECAUSE WE HAVE PLACES TO GO LAST TIME I CHECKED!!!"
It was Nebbia and she had successfully gone around the wall and was now staring at them with a devious smile.

"Coming Nebbia !"

Their shouting hadn't drawn anyone's attention to them except that of a blonde boy who stared at them keenly.

Kieran jumped down successfully then proceeded to encourage Maya to do same.
She looked down fearfully.
"Don't worry, Maya. I'll catch you"

X
Five minutes later and Nebbia would not stop cackling.
Kieran didn't catch Maya, she fell gracelessly and landed awkwardly on a pile of leaves.
Lucky for her she had received no injuries.
She had however learnt her lesson, she wouldn't allow wattpad to lie to her again about boys catching you by your waist and holding you in their arms.
Not that she wanted Kieran to hold her in his arms. No no.

"Maya I said I'm sorrryyyy"
And Nebbia cackled some more.
But Maya paid them no heed.

They were in the drop zones now, the hunt for the wisest was almost over.