Alexandra
49th Day of Spring, 997th Year of Grace
"The True Faithful have agreed to meet with you," Mr. Bodkins said.
It had already been a week since we left Orrinwick.
We spent most of our days in Belmire helping Mr. Bodkins with his work at the shop.
Adam made deliveries for him but didn't allow me to step outside the store so all I could do to help was laundry.
If there was nothing else to do, I sat in our room by the window--day-dreaming while staring at the people walking on the street below--while I awaited Adam's return.
"How do we meet with them?" Adam asked.
"I'll take you both to their base after you are done with breakfast," Mr. Bodkins said with a glance at me.
Thinking I was the one delaying us, I began munching on the bread frantically and gulped down the fried egg in one go.
But a piece of bread went down the wrong pipe and I began coughing.
Adam stood up immediately with a glass of water readied near my mouth while he hit me on the back.
Thankfully, the bread was dislodged and I could breathe again so I gulped down the glass of water and let out a sigh of relief.
"You need not hurry, lass," Mr. Bodkins said with a wry smile. "Eat your food slowly, okay?"
I nodded in answer.
***
I hadn't paid much attention to the buildings when I had first arrived in Belmire but as we walked through the streets of the Artisan Quarters, I realized there were generally two-storied buildings made of bricks and stone with slanted roofs to prevent rain from collecting on rooftops.
According to Mr. Bodkins, these streets were named the Artisan Quartrers because they mainly housed craftsmen, artists, weavers, shoemakers, potters, and tailors like him.
We passed many stalls and shops with vibrant artworks and fashionable clothing as we walked toward our destination--a tavern in the Mercantile Quarters.
Much like the Artisan Quarters, the Mercantile Quarters was mostly comprised of stalls and shops put up by merchants and vendors who imported their goods from outside the city.
However, the Mercantile Quarters also had most of the taverns, inns and restaurants of the city so it was also where visitors or tourists had their stay during their time in Belmire.
It took us almost an hour to reach the tavern with a wooden sign that had 'The Pilgrim' written on it--a fitting name for a secret base of the True Faithful.
When we entered the building, we found it to be rather empty with only a handful of patrons sipping on drinks while chatting among themselves. It was still daytime after all.
"How old are you two?" Mr. Bodkins asked.
"We both turned eighteen a few days ago," I answered.
"Old enough," he said before approaching the bartender that stood behind the counter, wiping a mug. "Barry, give me three pints--"
"We don't drink." Adam snapped.
"Well, suit yourself." Mr. Bodkins snorted. "Give me just one pint of ale."
The bartender named Barry nodded and poured him a pint from the wooden barrel on the side.
The bartender had a build much like Mr. Bodkins', and he also had a bald head like him. Though Barry had a fairer complexion.
"You shouldn't think rude stuff about people." Mr. Bodkins took a gulp and let out an exaggerated sigh. "Man, that hits the spot. You young ones don't know what you're missing out on."
"Did you bring us here to watch this tomfoolery of yours?" Adam growled.
"Just give me a moment, lad." Mr. Bodkins smirked at my brother, taking another gulp of ale before turning back to Barry. "Mate, where is Lisa? She called us here."
"Go to the second billiard room," Barry answered with a warm voice before returning back to wiping mugs.
Mr. Bodkins gestured us to follow him and began walking toward the stairs at the side of the room with his pint of ale in hand.
We ascended the stairs and entered the first room on the left side of the hallway.
In the room was a lady of slender yet voluptuous build, standing behind the pool table with a cue stick in hand.
She was dressed in a black dress that reached her feet with a bardot neckline and intricate lacework on the bodice and long sleeves.
Her lips were full and eyes cat-like with long lashes, and her ginger hair had been done into a dreamy updo.
She glanced at me once and put down the cue stick in her hand. "Are these the children you talked about, Taylor?"
"Of course." Mr. Bodkins crossed his arms. "Who else would they be?"
I blinked and was startled to find the lady standing an inch away from me, scanning my face.
Adam might've not seen her move either because he panicked and was about to shove her away from me when Mr. Bodkins grabbed his arms.
"Let me go!" Adam yelled, struggling. "Don't you dare do anything to her! I'll kill you both if you do something to Alex!"
I was petrified under the gaze of her amber eyes and couldn't do anything.
"I truly cannot see past your glasses." The lady clicked her tongue. "Are they charmed?"
I nodded hesitantly. "M-Ma told me I was born with a c-curse which made it so that anyone who sees my f-face goes insane. I-It doesn't affect my brother only. These glasses were m-made specifically to s-suppress the curse."
"Interesting... Take them off."
"W-What--"
"Just do as I say," she said, not having blinked even once.
"You scum!" Adam kept thrasing in Mr. Bodkins hold. "You betrayed us, didn't you?"
Mr. Bodkins didn't say a word as I hesitantly removed my glasses.
There was a sudden silence that engulfed the room. When I looked up, I found the lady's eyes to have lost their focus as her hand began to reach for me. Even Mr. Bodkins had released my brother and began approaching.
I had begun backing away from them when a sudden gust filled the room and the glasses that had slipped through my hands flew up to me.
"Put your glasses back on!" Adam ordered and I grabbed them.
The lady and Mr. Bodkins came back to their senses as soon as I had returned the glasses to my face.
"What just happened?" Mr. Bodkins asked in confusion.
"Were we affected by the curse?" The lady asked.
"Obviously!" I answered. "Please, never do that again. I was almost kidnapped right after my birth because the midwife was affected by my curse. If it weren't for my grandmother realizing something was wrong with the midwife, I wouldn't even be here!"
"You bastard!" Adam ran up to Mr. Bodkins and jabbed him in the jaw.
The bald man staggered slightly but stopped the next blow with his hand.
"I wasn't ready for the first one, lad. But that doesn't mean you'll get another hit in." His fist connected with Adam's jaw and my brother was sent to the floor in an instant. "That was payback for what you did."
"That is enough!" The lady glared at Mr. Bodkins and the bulky man shook a little. She bowed to me. "I apologize for such indecent behaviour. I will get your brother treated by a healer. And I will make sure this brute gets an appropriate punishment for acting out like a child. But before that, let me introduce myself properly."
I glanced at Adam once and realized he had passed out. I nodded to the lady since there was nothing else I could do.
"My name is Lisa and I am an executive member of the True Faithful. Taylor told me about you two a few days ago," she said. "I knew your mother since we were children and so I was concerned for you both. But I couldn't meet you sooner because I was busy with some work. Also, Taylor told me he was worried about you because he didn't seem to be able to remember your face and had difficulties recognizing you a few times.
"You see, I have a special ability bestowed upon me by our Lord that allows me to see the true nature of things." She pointed to her amber eyes. " He wanted me to see you for myself and determine if you were worthy of our trust and not some threat."
"That's how these glasses work. They distort my face and make it so people can't remember it." I turned to Mr. Bodkins. "You could've asked me directly."
"Sorry, lass." He shrugged his shoulders. "Couldn't take any chances. I'm also sorry for hitting your brother."
"Say that to him," I said before turning back to Lisa. "So what do you think? Are we worthy of your trust?"
"I know that the boy is a bit too protective of his sister but means no trouble. As for you, I still cannot ascertain whether you are a threat or not. So I will decide that by how you act. For now, I will treat you as I should treat my friend's children."
I let out a sigh of relief.
"Follow me, I will take you to our base." She turned to Mr. Bodkins. "Carry the boy."
He lifted Adam and put him over his shoulder before beginning to follow Lisa out the door. I did the same.
"You mean to say that this isn't the base?" I asked.
"Of course, it isn't. The tavern is just facade to hide that is underneath."
She walked to the end of the hallway and traced a finger on the wall. The wall slid apart like some gate and beyond it was an elevator with iron grills.
Lisa pulled the grill to the side and we boarded the elevator.
I had only ever heard about elevators from Pa before and had never ridden one before. And so, when the elevator began to move, I almost tumbled backwards but was caught by Mr. Bodkins.
"Hold on to me if you're having trouble standing upright," he said.
Being flustered, I refused but when the elevator halted, I tumbled forward and was caught by him again.
Mr. Bodkins had a smug grin on his face and I almost rolled my eyes. I didn't know an old man could be so annoying.
When we exited the elevator, I was amazed by the view in front of me.
"Welcome to the underground sanctuary of the True Faithful."
Elijah
49th Day of Spring, 997th Year of Grace
Seated at the long dinner table, I realized once more that meal time had always been a tedious affair.
Dishes of various origins dressed up the table, the scent beckoning everyone to take a bite.
But nothing fancied my taste. The freshly baked bread appeared stale in my eyes, the stew a dull mixture of vegetables and water. The roasted goose felt rubber in my mouth.
Lord Edward Graceford, my father, sat at the head of the table, speaking at length about tax revisions and street clean ups.
He had always been a righteous man, having spent his youth in the army as a general and retiring after being bestowed with the title of Marquis for his services in the war thirty years ago.
But perhaps, he was too upright to see the fault in his own family. And too blind to realize his son's--
"The city's trade routes have become congested again," said Thorne Graceford, my father's younger brother and my uncle. "We should draft another levy perhaps."
He chewed slowly, trying to appear gracious and elegant, but all I saw was a pig who loved nothing more than coin.
I believed he would sell us to the highest bidder if he had the opportunity. And the levy he proposed was probably another way for him to make coin.
I sipped on my wine, pretendeding not to notice his true motives.
The grapes used for the wine were foreign--imported from Koltar and supposedly sweeter than the ones grown in Arcanis. But it tasted bitter in my mouth.
"Elijah, what are your thoughts?" Father asked, ruining my plans.
I sat straight and answered. "Though a levy could decrease the flow of merchants into the city and resolve the issue of congested routes temporarily, it could also harm us in the long run by not allowing entry to those who have the proper goods but no extra coin to pay for the toll. They would then never return, having made a loss from their excursion to Belmire."
"Well thought." Father nodded in approval.
I heard a subtle clicking of tongue from my uncle but when I turned to him, he had begun discussing various other things with my father.
I decided to ignore him and turned back to my food when someone approached me from the side.
"Would you like anything else, my lord?" The maid asked.
My heart throbbed at her appearance--wavy blonde hair, aqua eyes and a fair freckled face.
I had found the prey for tonight.