[Othon –Capital of Drachma]
Like every day, or we can say every night, there was no sun in the sky of Othon, but there was a full moon shining in the sky, trying to fill the absence of the sun. Tracking time without a watch was difficult for people, especially for them who were visiting Othon for the first time. Danny and Boris were wandering at a place which was kind of a dumping ground of the city. There was garbage, and a dirty wide water channel was flowing beside the garbage. The water in the water channel was a maximum of 5 feet deep, and there was a forest on the other side of the channel. There was also a 10-12 feet wide bridge over the channel which connected the city to the forest, but it was rarely ever used by the people.
Danny and Boris were walking below the bridge and just beside the water channel which was used as a dumping ground. "Are you sure this place was safe to hide Toby?" asked Danny.
"People rarely come to this place, only the dumping truck and few people to burn off the garbage come here," replied Boris.
They were walking ahead in order to look for Toby (Pet bear of Boris) when they suddenly heard someone cry. Both of them were startled because they were not expecting any other human being to be present there.
"What did you just say? No human? Then who is crying?" Danny whispered angrily.
"I don't know," answered Boris.
Both of them cautiously moved ahead to find out the mystery behind the cry. "Have you heard the stories of the Banshees who lure people by making human sounds as if someone is in need of help?" asked Danny while he was shivering.
"Did your seniors sent you here, even after knowing how stupid you are?" insulted Boris.
Danny didn't reply to the insult, and quietly followed Boris to find the source of the sound. Soon they found out a woman sitting at some distance crying out loud.
Damn it, it's definitely a Banshee, thought Danny
Boris went closer to the woman while Danny stood at his position like a statue. He was telling Boris in a very soft voice to not to go near the woman, but his voice was not reaching into Boris' ears. The woman was also so occupied with her crying that she didn't even notice Boris slowly approaching her.
When Boris was close enough, he said, "Excuse me, Miss."
When the woman suddenly heard a man's voice, she was startled and looked at Boris with a panicked face. Watching the woman's reaction from a distance, Danny was also startled. The woman was Jane (Maria's friend who was eliminated at the final test of staff selection), but because it was the first interaction between them, Boris and Danny had no clue who she was, and neither Jane had any idea about their identity.
"Who are you?" asked Jane with a trembling voice.
Boris could clearly see that she was afraid, and she was half-drunk as well. He could see a liquor bottle lying beside her. And an ample amount of alcohol was pouring out of it.
"Your alcohol is leaking out," Boris pointed at the bottle.
Jane quickly picked up the bottle. She then took a deep breathe to calm down. In the meantime, Danny also came close when he was convinced that she was not a Banshee. "Why are you crying? And that also in a place which is so isolated of all?" asked Boris.
Jane lowered her head and replied with a little hesitation in her voice, "How can this be isolated when two men are here?"
"This place is not safe Miss, you should not come here," said Boris.
"No place is safe for a woman when evil men are ruling this country," Jane sobbed.
"If you need any help, we can try, you know," Danny interrupted.
Jane stopped crying when she heard those assuring words. "I don't know," she said.
Boris sighed to calm down, he was not expecting to find a depressed woman at such an isolated location. Meanwhile, the person who was initially theorizing about Banshee, went closer to Jane and sat beside her. "You can tell me what happened to ease your pain. We are strangers to each other, and there is no one else around here. Everything you speak here will remain here. So, you don't need to worry," Danny smiled, and watching his actions, Boris' eyes were widened.
Jane didn't speak for some time. She was gazing at the reflection of the full moon on the water flowing in the channel. After some time, she calmed down and began. "From years I was preparing for the Staff selection test, and this year I was selected to appear for the main test at the palace. I was first in the first two rounds of the test, but the third test was very unfair. We were allotted to different guest rooms based on the lottery system, and unfortunately, I got a room where the head of the weapon manufacturing department was staying. I was dependent on him to give me some praise for my service and no complain if possible in order to pass the round. But, that man turned out to be a pervert…He was in his bathrobe and went inside the bathroom. Then he called me inside and asked me to," she paused and gulped. "-and asked me to rub his back…while he was sitting naked, facing his back to me," she cried and continued, "In order to pass the round, I rubbed his back. He told me to do a lot of uncomfortable things like massaging him while he was lying naked on the bed, feeding grapes to him, dance for him and so on, all of which I did. But then, he asked me to… get naked in front of him… which was something I couldn't do. He threatened me that if I wouldn't do whatever he tells me to do, then he would make sure, I don't pass the test. I was in a dilemma, and finally, I decided to keep my integrity. So, I withdrew from the test."
"You did great," Danny supported.
"But, before leaving that fat bastard's room, I stole his knapsack in which he kept his gold rings and chains," added Jane.
"Seems like you took your revenge," said Danny.
Jane wiped out her tears and said, "If you think I used the rings and chains for my own benefit, then let me tell you, I gave them to people living in the slum."
Danny and Boris knew that Maria was also appearing for the Staff selection test. So, out of curiosity Boris asked, "Do you happen to know someone by the name Maria? She is a friend of ours and she was also appearing for the same test you were appearing."
"WHAT!" Jane exclaimed while looking at Boris with widened eyes and suddenly, she was filled with energy. "You know Maria?" She asked.
"Yes," Boris replied.
Jane quickly stood up, but while standing up, a small knapsack fell on the ground. Danny noticed the knapsack and picked it up. "Hey, your knapsack," Danny extended his hand while holding the knapsack.
Jane took the knapsack and informed, "It isn't mine by the way. It belongs to that fat bastard" She finished off with disgust in her voice.
"May I have a look at it?" requested Boris.
"Sure," replied Jane and offered it to Boris.
Then she introduced herself and informed them about how she met Maria. She shared the stories of the test she appeared with Maria. Boris was listening to Jane, but unlike Danny, he was also going through the items in the knapsack. The knapsack was almost empty except a steel key which was inside with some logo on it and a very uncommon pattern. When Boris saw that key, he couldn't wait but ask Jane, "Jane, did this key also belonged to that person?"
Jane looked at the key very carefully, and then replied, "I think so. I didn't have a look in the knapsack while I was taking it."
Boris smiled after listening to her reply. "Do you have any idea what have you done?" questioned Boris.
Jane gulped. She was scared after listening to the way Boris spoke. Meanwhile, Boris continued, "This key is most likely the key to the vault which contains all the blueprint and plans of every weaponry that the Drachmann government has developed and is going to develop. Most likely, even the head of the weapon manufacturing department has no idea about some of these weapons, and you stole it. The military must have found out by now that you stole the key. Maybe when they will find you, they will first take the key from you, and then torture you for some more information…or they might kill you."
Jane was getting more and more scared, and suddenly, they heard some footsteps walking under the bridge where there was shallow water, where the place was pitch black due to the shadow of the bridge. Everyone looked toward the bridge and saw two glowing eyes of a large animal that was crossing the water channel. Jane was now shivering from fear after watching the animal approaching them, but Boris and Danny were smiling in that situation looking toward the beast. Soon the animal crossed the water channel and got out of the shadows. And as expected by Danny and Boris, it was none other than Toby. When Jane saw Toby's huge size, she was petrified. And when Toby started running toward them, Jane quickly turned around and ran. After running some distance, she realized that Boris and Danny were not running. When she turned around, she saw the bear was hugging Boris very affectionately. After Toby stopped hugging his master, Boris turned around and looked at Jane who was confused and scared.
"Jane, meet Toby, my best friend," Boris smiled while Toby roared.
It took some time for Jane to understand that Toby was not going to harm her, still, when they were having a conversation, Jane was sitting few meters away from Toby who was sitting just beside Boris.
"What should I do now?" asked Jane.
"You should better hide somewhere now that you are a fugitive," replied Boris.
"Hide?" Jane gulped.
"I can help you with that, if you promise you won't tell anyone about any of us, including Toby," said Boris.
Jane on the other side, replied without thinking for a moment, "I promise."
"Also, if you won't mind, I will be keeping this key," Boris smiled.