Chapter 25 – Capacity
Millenia wakes to a strange clanking sound in a bedroom of Persella's manor. It felt great to finally sleep in a soft fluffy bed rather than the cold hard ground Ryudo has forced her to endure for most of the past month, traveling slowly, on the ground, during their journey to Cyrum. If only I could teach that thickheaded fool to enjoy the finer aspects of life.
Reluctantly, she lifted her head to see what was making the noise. Ryudo was gone, early to rise no doubt, and Aira seemed to be playing with an unusual little trinket on her arm. It was kinda stringy, made from some sort of metal, and there were small effigies along the length of the object. Millenia produced a yawn and asked the little girl what exactly was on her arm.
"Aira calls it the jingler," She responded in a matter of fact tone.
"Yea," Millenia said. "And what exactly is the jingler?"
Aira looked at it and then back at Millenia, who was finally removing the red blanket and inching towards her. "She found it in Ryudo's bag. And look, it does this." The little girl waved her arms about and the jingler made the typical sound that little metal pieces make when they clash together. "Aira wants to keep it! Please?"
Millenia ignored the pristine look that she knew the little girl was working on her, and instead, began to to survey the room with little interest. Ryudo's large blue pack lay opened a few paces away, its contents strewed out across the floor. "Sure. It must be Ryudo's, but why not? If he didn't want people going through his stuff, then he prolly should have took it with him." A little dark, brown pouch got her smiling almost as much as the little girl who had just acquired her new accessory. "It looks like he forgot to bring money with him. He'll be so happy when he sees that we brought him some." Millenia stooped over and grabbed Ryudo's coin pouch.
"Where is he anyway?" Millenia actually seemed to be contemplating this instead of speaking out loud. "I'll bet he's cramming his stomach like always. Whenever you are looking to find Ryudo, just find the nearest source of food. You hungry? Let's go find something to eat."
"Food! Food! Food!" Aira screams. Her arms go up and down, jingling emphatically in the air until the jingler made an unexpected clatter on the ground. Aira quickly picked it up and continued to jump up and down while holding it in her hand. Before they departed, Millenia took a moment to fix her hair into and elaborate, interwoven fashion while Aira made another feeble attempt at fastening her jingler to her wrist.
Outside the room, they turned left, and after few steps, Millenia could hear some mumbling around the next corner. "Let's go," she hollers. "I think I heard someone from over here. If they can't tell us where Ryudo is then maybe they can at least point us in the direction of some food."
"Yea! Food!" Aira cried out as Millenia tugged her forward. "Maybe we can eat something with the pretty lady!"
Millenia let go her wrist and came to an abrupt halt. "I told you to stop calling her that." Her sharp tone was topped only by the severe look on her face.
After turning the corner, they discovered the halls to be empty. "Could've sworn I heard someone..." Millenia hurried to the next intersection, each direction looking devoid of life and full of red and, to a lesser extent, blue. Fresh red carpets lay on the ground, where there wasn't some sort of red and blue mosaic, while most paintings and tapestries depicted some sort of red warriors an or artist's rendition of red fire. "Well they've done great with the decorations, but a map would be a little useful. I have no idea which way to go."
The little girl ran out in front of her. "Aira wants this way."
Millenia watched as she sped away. Her direction was as good as any other, so Millenia tailed behind her until they got to another intersection that looked identical the last.
"Now she goes this way!" Aira ran out after another well calculated decision. She stopped after a few paces to make sure that Millenia was trailing behind her. Despairingly, Millenia decides that Aira's method is at least more entertaining that tossing a coin. And this is how they roamed the hallways of Persella's Manor, without any trace of another person until they found themselves in a massive library.
"Eew," Millenia cleared her throat in disgust. "Books." As her words came out, she heard a thumping noise from deeper in the library. Upon further exploration, they discovered an Anesian atop carefully balanced stools tending to some leather bound books.
"Hey look," Aira pointed her finger at him. "It's one of those little people."
Millenia looked shocked and replied in a stern voice. "Don't call them that." She pauses for a moment. "I think they like to be called Anesians." Millenia began walking towards him as she called out, "Hello there," her words seemed to match the tone she would give a child of his height. "We're a little lost and we're tying to find some food."
The man turned to see a large woman in red striding confidently towards him. He was short, even for an Anesian, with white bulky clothes, speckled with dust from old books, loose enough to conceal his true size. His dark beard swayed up off his chest, fighting the insurgence of gray spreading about his chin, as he looked up at Millenia.
"Ah. You must be the Lady Millenia." She sent him a queer look upon receiving such a formal greeting. He descended from the arrangement of stools that allowed him to handle books at that height. "And this must be Miss Aira. I must say that it is most honorable to make such an acquaintanceship."
Aira shook his hand excitedly as he bent over to bow. "Wow, you got my name right on the first try!"
"Big deal!" Cried Millenia. "I get you name right all the time. Aira, Aira, Aira! See, easy. Now on to more important matters. Food. You got any? You see, the girl here is starving."
The Anesian gave a welcoming smile. "An apple is all I have to give, for I am here to ensure that the shelves on which the books reside is not overburdened. If you would like something more substantial, my colorful companions, then I must suggest a journey to the eatery."
"That's great, the eatery, let's go Aira." Millenia quickly grabs the apple on the shelf to their left. "And see, easy, right again. This way."
"Ahem," Millenia heard from the little man to their backs as she rushed out the door. "Though I do not question your knowledge, and I am rather new to the manor, but I believe that the eatery is in the other direction."
"K" Millenia turned to face him once more. "Then?"
"Walk to the end of the hallway and step right. After that, you need a left at the third cross, then it will be on your right. If you loose your way, then you have but to raise your nose and follow the sweet aroma of the kitchens. I believe some peace guards have just finished a practice session and they should be there for some food now."
Millenia grabbed Aira's arm and brought her in the other direction. The Anesian bowed. They could hear him "bid farewell" or some such as they went on their way. Fortunately his directions were spot on and they could smell a feast as they made the last turn.
One of the chefs greeted them as they entered the eatery. "We've been expecting you," he said. "Just take a seat and some food will be out momentarily." Millenia never met eyes with him, for she felt she might cringe upon suffering another bow.
The room was large and mostly empty, with tables set up to accommodate around thirty people. In the far corner, at an oak table in the shape of a rectangle, there were a few peace guards. They appeared a bit roughed up, as though they had recently been in some sort of scuffle, but Millenia was hoping that they could at least provide some information. She sat down next to a muscular man who had not yet noticed their entry.
The man looked at her in shock as she began to fish for information on Ryudo's whereabouts. As he turned to face them, Aira recognized him. "Hello Mister, Aira remembers you from yesterday."
"Ah. Me too!" Millenia shouted. "We're all practically friends here. That looks like a fine piece of heckpen." She reached onto his plate and began to help herself. "I'm sure you don't mind, the little girl here is really hungry." Millenia gave a piece to Aira, who devoured it instantly.
The muscular man furiously rose and reached for Millenia's shoulder. As his hand touched down on her, there was a loud crack in the air and a spark that could be seen as his hand quickly shot away from her.
Millenia's eyes shot forward in an intense stare into nothingness. Her muscles became tense, and her voice was rigid and cold. "If you can't keep your hands to yourself, then I suggest that you play elsewhere."
The men across the table jumped up and scuttled quickly out of the room. One of them stopped by the exit and called to the man standing next to Millenia, tightly griping the handle extending from his scabbard. "Geoffren! She is not to be touched. Come, I'll treat you to some peekose."
The big man loosened his grip and made for the exit, mumbling and grumbling the entire way. Millenia remained still, tense and glaring forward, until well after the last footsteps could be heard from the empty hallway. Finally she spoke harshly, "We should eat. Look at all this food they left for us. It can't go to waste."
It took even the vivacious Aira a few moments to gleefully dig into the bountiful meal that lay before them. Her typical cheers and playful demeanor were momentarily stilled by the chilling atmosphere that seemed to be radiating from Millenia. As time lingered, she became more at ease. Aira remained placid and enjoyed the quiet meal across the table from the wings of Valmar.