Hi everyone, I know this chapter took a super long while to update, but now it is finally summer. I got back from Spain, my sister's wedding is over(I was the maid of honor so lots of things to do), and much of my work is done. It still might take a while for the next chapter to come out because I have an internship and I'm doing astronomy research with my professor, but I will definitely still be working on this fic and try to update it more regularly. Please enjoy :D :D :D
He was cruel. Too cruel. I thought he might finally take us to get some food, but he is just taunting us with it. We are now stuck inside a very small room with another of the really beautiful people, but this one seems to be in dire straits like us. The dark hair is all matted and tangled falling over bony shoulders. Wide luminous eyes inspecting us just as we are inspecting him or her? Seems more like a her. She's very tall though, and not hunched at all despite how the bones are protruding from a too skinny body. Not as tall as Tar-Mairon, but definitely much taller than us. A chain on her left foot is attached to a ring on the floor and behind her is what looks like a desk of paper and books.
The worst is that there is food on the table as well. Food for two of us and no matter how kind of disgusting it looks, I can still smell it. My tummy rumbles, but instead we are stuck here like a sick joke and not one of the three of us making a sound or move. Tar-Mairon had just dropped us off after speaking harshly to the new person. She looked absolutely cowed and terrified when he had spoken to her before. I suppose he is not as beautiful as his face and body would have us think.
I looked at the food and then at Laila giving a significant expression she read as let's go eat. However, when we stood up and stepped in that direction the lady panicked. She gasped and shook her mutely tears welling up. I exchanged another glance with Laila. Laila looked as baffled and off-kilter as I felt. She quietly approached with her hands up and made soothing noises. The lady looked at her a moment as tears sparkled on her cheeks and then let a pained laugh. She pointed at the papers and books. Laila went to inspect them and I decided that that was my moment to figure out what was going on. I waved feeling uncomfortable bringing attention to myself and the lady raised an eyebrow at me. I made a wide gesture to everything and cocked my head in the universal sign of confusion. She held up one finger and pointed at the books and then two fingers and pointed at the food.
I groaned realizing we had to do something with her and the books before eating. She gave me a pitying look as Laila returned to me holding something out. I took it and ran my eyes over it. Looked like a bizarre alphabet.
"They want us to learn their language" Laila whispered to me. I nodded and tried to veil my fury and having my food withheld for this. We both looked at the lady, I guess she was our teacher, and she gestured for us to sit and took the paper back as we sat.
"How long are we going to sit here until we can eat" I muttered. I would try and just go for it, but the dull ache across my face was telling me not to be so defiant ever again.
"Just try and learn quickly" Laila murmured as the lady begin to talk. I just looked at her letting confusion settle and with a sigh she stopped. I pointed at myself and gave her my name and then Laila did the same. We waited expectantly for a moment, but she made no move to tell us hers. I gestured impatiently at her confused and she frantically shook her head. She clearly didn't want to tell us her name and looked afraid to. She then held up the paper and started at the very beginning.
After what felt like an eternity later she stopped. I tried hard to remember. I really did, but that was a lot of noises and symbols and we don't even know what the symbols mean. I have about 15 memorized and I think Laila might be doing even worse. She looks totally bamboozled. The lady handed us each a paper with the symbols/alphabet and then finally gestured at the food. I stood up superfast and Laila followed suit. She held up a hand though when we got the food. It looked kind of unappealing was definitely cold after sitting here for more than an hour taunting us. I made a move to grab a spork looking thing and the lady held up her hand again. I was about to lose my temper, I can't go this long without food. I feel like vomiting by this point of hunger which is weird.
Laila nudged me and I look up realizing that I had lost myself in thought of food and revenge. The lady pointed once and everything and said a word. She then pointed and waited expectantly at us. I was not prepared for this nonsense. We already had to learn the symbols and now this. We both stayed silent. Obviously, it wasn't just me not paying attention to the food and silverware words. The lady repeated everything once more and much slower. The next 15 minutes felt like an even longer eternity since we were so close to the food, yet here we were stuck repeating until we had all of them memorized and could each repeat every word of what she pointed at.
We both fell onto the food, with what was probably the grace of starved animals. It was pretty disgusting. It was like some kind of icky stew with no idea what kind of meat and mushrooms in it. The bread should have been on top of a mountain with how rock-like it. Almost broke a tooth chomping down. I still managed to eat all of the soup thing and still be hungry. Never ever going to ask what is in it. Laila was eating much more slowly looking at each bite, but didn't reject any food either.