Chapter 9: Meeting the Oracle
The boy opened the door wide for us, Zane went in first followed by Dimitri then I entered. "My name is Flloyd." The boy introduced himself, walking down a stone hallway. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Please, follow me and don't touch anything."
"We know the protocall." Zane said, his voice ice cold. 'Maybe you guys do...'
"Pissy...that attitude won't get you far." Flloyd tsked.
The rest of the walk was quiet except for the clacking of our shoes against the stone. There were many wooden doors down the hallways, all barred and locked. Zane and Dimitri didn't seem to be fazed and I trailed behind, taking it all in. 'This is strange...'
"Oh hello, darlings!" A woman's voice boomed.
Flloyd groaned and a woman with long blonde curls and massive curves came into view. She was wearing red dress that was tight around all her curves and flowing towards the bottom. She had bright red lipstick and pink eyeshadow and so much mascara her eyelashes were alien looking long. "Mom, what the hell are you doing? I'm WORKING!" Flloyd whined. 'Not the response I was expecting...'
The woman ignored him and trotted over to us. She grabbed both Zane and Dimitri, one arm around each. The horrified look on their face was priceless as she pulled her unsuspecting prey to her bossom. "Oh, such pretties! Flloyd, dearie, what are they?"
"Demons, mother, now LET THEM GO! They are GUESTS!" Flloyd shouted at her.
"Please release us." Zane said politely.
"Today would be nice." Dimitri muttered. I stiffled a laugh.
"Guests of your father's?" She asked, getting a nod from Flloyd in response. "Oh. Oh my." The strange woman released Zane and Dimitri, who dusted themselves off and looked at her warily. "Well, let's not tell him about this, huh?" She said, giving the boys a wink.
Zane gave her a cold, blank stare and Dimitri shuddered. I couldn't stiffle my laugh anymore, it simply exploded from me. 'God...she's such a weirdo!..ahaha...'
The woman's head whipped towards me and she glared. "And who the hell are you, harlot?" 'Me? I'm the harlot?'
"None of your business!" Flloyd yelled. "Now go to your room!"
She pouted. "Fine! But that's no way to treat your mother!" She stomped off.
"That was so weird." I said, trying to compose myself. Dimitri nodded in agreement and Zane gave no response.
"I am so sorry about that. Please don't think about it or tell fath-Master." Flloyd begged.
"We won't." Zane answered simply.
"We won't?" Dimitri asked, confused.
"We don't want to piss him off, dummy." I stated.
"Oh, I don't care about pissing him off." Zane said, getting in Flloyd's face. "I don't want to wait the twenty four hours I know your 'master' is going to make us wait. You make the wait less, your secret is safe with us. You don't..." He trailed.
"Okay, okay! I'll see what I can do." Flloyd said, backing up a couple steps. "Now please, I have to get you to your rooms. We've wasted enough time."
We passed by more weird doors, Flloyd in the very front followed closely by Zane, with Dimitri and I trailing behind. Finally we reached one and Fllloyd took out a huge set of keys. He picked through them until he got the one for our door and he unlocked it. "Go on in, I'll let him know you're here."
Zane entered and Dimitri followed. I paused at the door. "Are we going to be locked in here? Because I kinda have to pee. Like it's not an emergency and I can wait probably about an hour, but I will definitely have to go before two hours are up."
Flloyd rolled his eyes. "There's a bathroom in each room, lady. And food for your stay. Get in."
'He didn't answer the question completely...am I seriously gonna be locked in a room with two guys who are pissed off at me..?' "But I-"
"Leliana, get your ass in here." Dimitri demanded. "It's normal protocol."
Flloyd had a big smirk on his face. 'Pompous little dick...' I went in through the door which was promptly slammed shut afterwards along with the locking of it. I turned around and inspected the room. There were two twin sized beds with gray covers on one side of the room. A curtain on the opposite side forming a small cubicle which I am assuming was this bathroom Flloyd mentioned. And in the last corner there was a mini fridge on an end table. A table with two chairs sat in the middle of the room on a red square carpet, a cigarette tray in the middle of it.
'How quaint...' "I suggest you get some sleep, princess." Dimitri said, hopping on one of the beds. He layed down with his hands under his head and his feet kicked up on the pillows. "This is the only time you'll have to rest. After we speak with the Oracle, we're headed out to find whoever fucked up that head of yours."
Zane sat on the floor by the door, silently brooding. I walked past and opened the mini fridge. There were deli meats and cheese, lunchables, premade salad and a variety of juice boxes. I sighed and grabbed a pizza lunchable. "How long are we going to wait for the Oracle?"
"I dunno. We waited like two days last time we were here." Dimitri said, looking through his pockets. He pulled out a bag of weed. "Make the best of it."
I've never gotten high before, but if I were to ever, now would be the time. There's literally nothing else better to do. 'There's sleeping...Yeah, I think I'll do that. It's not like Dimitri and I are on good enough terms where he'd share with me and honestly, even if we were, who knows how I'll be high...'
I sat at the table and started eating my lunchable. "Wonderful." I said sarcastically.
It was silent as I ate. "Zane, you want some?" Dimitri offered.
"No, thank you. I brought something for myself." Zane said, pulling out a package of Marlboro menthol cigarettes. I must have made a face or something because Zane glared at me. "What?"
"Nothing, I just didn't know you smoked." I said with a shrug.
It was quiet. "You have a problem with it." Zane stated, pulling one out of the back. His icy glare continued at me as he put the cigarette in his mouth and lit it by making a small fire from his fingertip.
'Coolness of the fire factor aside...' "No." I lied, receiving an eyebrow raise in return. "Okay, yes. Kinda. But it's none of my business." 'Minus the secondhand smoke from being in this tiny, confined room with him right now.'
"You're engaged, dumbass." Dimitri said, grabbing the ash tray from the table and sitting next to Zane. He took a puff off his joint. "His business is yours, and yours his." Zane took a puff of his cigarette with one hand and gave a small hand gesture to Dimitri which said, 'The guy's got a point'.
I looked between the both of them, then focused on Zane. "Look, tobacco itself isn't what I have a problem with. Not even the nicotine. It's all the other shit that they put in cigarettes that I have a problem with. They're really bad for you. But it's your body, so it's your choice." I told him seriously. "And I would tell any friend that." I added, giving Dimitri a look.
Dimitri rolled his eyes. "But he's more than that so-Hey man, what're you doing?"
Zane had put the cigarette out in the ashtray. He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. "She has enough worries on her plate. I won't add my health to it." He closed his eyes.
Dimitri sighed dramatically and put out his joint. "Thanks a lot."
"Hey, I didn't say anything about weed. Honestly, I don't know too much about weed, but I know they use it medically so smoke all you want." I said, defensively. "Plus, I never said he had to stop. Or that you did, Dimitri. And why are you stopping anyways?"
"We're bro's. If he can't smoke what he enjoys, neither will I." Dimitri retorted, crossing his arms and glaring at me. 'Jesus, how is this my fault? I wasn't even going to say anything to begin with!'
"Whatever, Dimitri. Just remember it's your choice. You are responsible for every single action you make. And no one else." I stared at him, remembering the drunken mistake kiss as Dimitri loved to put it.
Dimitri bristled, apparently remembering it was well. "Well so are you. Like, oh I don't know, running away from your entire kingdom for God knows what kind of selfish reasons?"
"Don't bring God into this." I replied, not really having anything else but that.
"THERE IS NO GOD!" Oh shit...he's probably right...I mean angels and demons would know right?
I stood up. "You don't have to yell."
Dimitri stood up and glared at me. "And you don't have to be a bitch, yet you do it anyways."
"How the fuck am I being the bitch here? I haven't done anything wrong and I've been a hell of a lot more honest than you-"
"Oh really? Really? Because as far as I see it, you've made up some little-"
"Enough!" Zane shouted. Dimitri and I both stopped and looked at him. He glared at us both pissed to a whole new level. "There is absolutely no reason for you two to be going at each other's throats. No matter what, we are all kin, we are all demons and we will treat each other with respect. If you have nothing nice to say, shut your yap. Do I make myself clear?" He asked us.
I nodded and looked over at Dimitri. Dimitri looked like a kicked puppy, scared and also for some reason sad. He bowed his head deeply for his nod.
Zane let out a sigh and just like that his anger faded as well. "Good." He crossed his arms again and leaned back against the wall. "Get some rest."
Dimitri went to one bed and I went to the other. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but it wouldn't come. It did, however, feel relaxing to just lay down and rest my body. After awhile, I could hear Dimitri's faint snoring and Zane getting up to get some food, then eating said food. Just laying there and listening was very meditative. I just barely started drifting off when Dimitri's snoring abruptly stopped.
"Zane?" He asked, his voice not affected by sleep at all. 'He was faking it? Why?'
"Yes?"
"Look...there's something I wanted to tell you...well I don't really want to but I feel like I have to..."
I resisted the urge to sit up or make any sort of movement. 'Is he going to tell Zane about the kiss? Like I said we should? But without me? Well...maybe it's better this way...they are good friends...shit I don't know what to do...'
"You can tell me anything." Zane said gently.
"That doesn't mean you're going to like it though. Just that you won't kill me over it." I heard him move to the little table and sit down. "And for this I kinda wish you would." My heartbeat picked up. 'Yeah, he is going to tell him.'
Zane chuckled. "You don't know that. And you won't until you try so come on it, hit me with it."
"The reason Rose, excused me, Leliana and I have been arguing a lot is because-"
I sat up just as the door slammed open. A man with white flamboyant hair and pale blue eyes, wearing a flashy purple robe appeared. He flashed a big smile Dimitri and Zane. "Oh my two favorite little demons have come to visit me again! A little late, but dearest Flloyd has spoken so, so highly of you." His big smile turned into a smirk. "I just had to come and personally give you a kudos for your manipulation of the boy." 'So this must be the Oracle.'
"Wait, you knew and you still came?" I asked, confused. "Wouldn't you have just made us wait longer?"
"Oh well I could do that, if you'd like-"
"No!" Dimitri and Zane both shouted at the same time.
The Oracle laughed boisterously. "Ah, but I won't. You see, you did me a favor really. Flloyd had to try and hide something from his all-knowing father, and his desperation really helped him use his powers. But unfortunately, being a little halfie, it was not enough. So he is getting some tough love and grade A punishment!"
The three of us looked at one another, but it was Dimitri who went for the bait. "Halfie?"
"Yes, half angel, half human. But it's not Flloyd that you are here to discuss, no?"
"No, it's Leliana." Zane said, pointing to me.
"Yeah, her head is all fucked up." Dimitri added.
The Oracle looked at them, then looked at me, then looked at them and then me one last time before he just completely burst out laughing. He was holding his sides, eyes watering, the whole nine yards. "Oh, this is just too precious."
"What?" I asked, annoyed. 'Seriously, how is this funny?'
"Look, we have a little bit of money, just please-" Zane was interrupted by more laughter. He was getting irritated as well, so he became quiet and glared at the Oracle, waiting him to finish.
Once the Oracle was done laughing, he wiped his eye and sighed happily. "Tell you what, I'll give you this next bit of information, free of charge." He smirked and pointed to me. "That's not Leliana. That is just some poor, human girl."
I barely registered the look of shock on Dimitri and Zane's face before images flooded my head, overwhelming me, making me dizzy and eventually falling into darkness.
