Forty

Riaz’s Point Of View
“Come on, messy hair, where are we going? We’ve been walking for hours! I feel like my legs would come off.” I complained. “See? You’re so heartless. I’m here complaining but you’re not even paying attention.”
“I never asked you to follow me.” He said grudgingly.
“You don’t expect me to stay home all day while you go out to heaven knows where. I can get bored, you know?”
“I don’t care.”
“Gosh, you’re quite heartless for a man who saved a dying boy.”
He didn’t reply. I folded my arms at my back and kicked a small stone and kicked it at his feet. He didn’t even react. I threw a handful of dry leaves on his head. He kept walking, facing forward and looking unconcerned.
Maybe if I start singing he’ll pay me attention.
I cleared my throat, “Oh great mountain, how wise and proud you stand. In the middle of the meadow, I sight you from afar..”
“Has your voice always been this bad?”
I smiled smugly. “My voice is beautiful, right?”
He scoffed in disbelief and I hastened my steps to catch up with him. “My voice is not this bad. It’s because I’m sick and my throat is sore.”
“Indeed.”
“Uh? Do not underestimate the voice that summons the spirit of the woods.” I said and he chuckled.
“You? Call the spirits?”
“Well, I’m trying to and I’ll get there someday but…”
He snorted and I glared at him. He suddenly paused and turned to me. He took off the scarf around his neck and made to dab it over my head.
“What… what are you doing?” I asked.
“Cover your hair. I don’t want unnecessary stares.” He said as he covered my hair with the scarf. He made it like a hoodie and dusted my shoulder.
“What do you mean by unnecessary stares?”
“You’re a ice witch, probably the last of your kind. Your existence is forbidden here and you might be casted out if you reveal your identity.”
“Wait, wait, what? Ice witch? I’m not… I’ve never been a ice witch.” I said and he shook his head.
“Haven’t you noticed that you do well in cold conditions than hot?”
“That is…”
“From what I see, you don’t even know what kind of witch you are. Don’t worry, you’ll realize as time goes by.” He said and patted my head.
“Walk by my side.” He said and I nodded. I stood by his side and followed him to wherever he was going. Some minutes later, we got to a bubbling market.
“Wow!” I gasped in astonishment. This place is full of many creatures. I can see pixies flying around happily. There are goblins, fairies, ogres and other mythical creatures. What’s more fascinating is that they all seemed to get along well. Baby ogres and fairies are playing ball together. They all seemed happy.
“Where is this place?” I asked messy hair.
“Welcome to the main market of Red Orleans.”
“The main… wow, is that a goblin joggling?” I gaped. Many people gathered around to watch the goblin joggle. I tried to join them but messy hair pulled me back by my collar.
“I said stay by my side.” He said through gritted teeth. I rolled my eyes at him and dusted his grip off my collar. We got to a shed and he placed the sack of wood on the counter. He put on an apron and proceeded to arrange the pieces of wood.
“Great morning, right, Devan?” A pixie asked as she flew above his head. I grinned at him and said, “so your name is Devan?”
He ignored me and I huffed. “You’re quite late today.” The pixie said and Devan groaned.
“Some annoying pest made me late.” He replied and I threw a paper at him.
“And who is this fine young man?” The pixie asked as she flew in front of my face. She had bright red hair and she left a white sparkling trail as she flew. Her red eyes fitted her small round face.
“Hi! My name is Riaz.” I said and she cooed.
“Riaz. Such a fine name. My name is Clover but you can call me Clove.” She introduced sassily and I smiled. I like her already.
“Is he your brother?” She asked Daven who shook his head in return.
“No. He’s just a passer by who is leaving soon.”
“Leaving? I don’t think you understand what’s going on, Daven.” I said as I leaned on the counter. “I’m not leaving here. I’m staying here. Forever. With you.” I said with a wink and he eyed me like I was crazy. He smacked my head to the side and I winced.
“Hey!”
“You’re obstructing my business.” He said tiredly.
“Sorry, Riaz. Daven has always been like this. Cold and easily irritated. He’s still a darling though but he has an annoying attitude.” Clover said and I nodded.
“Tell me about it. A man as handsome as he is shouldn’t be grumpy.” I said as I turned to him. “you won’t be able to find a wife at this rate.” I said with an innocent smile and he shook his head.
“Hey, there, Daven!”
“Morning, George. Off to the farm?”
“Ah, yes. The usual.”
Daven packed ten pieces of woods and gave it to the ogre, George.
“I hope you sell well.”
“Thanks, George. Good luck at work!”
“Yeah, and you two!”
When the ogre was out of sight, I turned to Daven. “Wow, never knew you were so nice to your customers.”
“All his customers like him. He acts nice to them.”
“Ah… if only you were this nice to everyone.” I said and he sighed. “How about you two rub along. Your presences are disturbing.”
“But I don’t know anywhere.” I said.
“Clover will lead the way. Please, Clover, keep him away from trouble. He’s quite inquisitive so make sure he’s kept at arm’s length.”
“Aye aye, captain!”
“Run along now.”
I squealed happily and blew Daven a kiss. He frowned in irritation but that only made me laugh. He looks old when he frowns. Following Clover’s lead I treaded the market. Every corner of this place is full of life and happiness.
It almost feels too good to be true. A land filled with milk and honey. No conflict, no vampires. Just peace. It’s made me wonder who the rulers of this place are. They must be the nicest people on earth.
Clover took me to try the street foods. They were the best thing I’ve ever tasted. I watched some performances by the fairies too. I forgot to say, the guys here are so handsome. Especially the fairies. Good moon! They are hot. I think I might find a husband here.
Ha ha. Just joking.
“It’s starting!” Clover squealed in excitement as a man stepped out. The band began playing a nice melody and he began to sing to it. His voice was heavenly.
“Damian! Damian! Damian!” Everyone chanted his name as he sang on. Our eyes met and he winked at me. I giggled sheepishly and waved excitedly. Ah, great heavens, I’m never leaving here.
Ace’s Point Of View
When I left Whitepeak Pack, I set out to the outskirts first to search for Riaz. He has such unique features so asking around about his whereabouts will work. I could not find him in the outskirts. Some said they saw him go in the direction of the East, some say West. Some claimed they never saw him.
I had to go where where my legs led me to until I met an old woman on the way. I asked her if she had seen Riaz and she eyed me up and down and asked,
“How do you know him?”
Hearing her question, I felt some kind of relief. She definitely knew him. Or even met him and related for a while. Ignoring her question, I asked,
“Where is he? Is he with you? Do you know where he went?”
The old granny hit my head with her walking stick and said, “you don’t reply an elder’s question with another question. It’s disrespectful.”
To say the least, I was annoyed. I’ve been walking for weeks, searching from him with no lead but now that I’ve gotten a lead, some old woman is educating me on respect. But because of my desperation, I apologized.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I really have to find him.”
She eyed me up and down again and shook her head. “You look worse than he looked.”
“So you’ve met him!” I said in delight and she cleared her throat.
“Come with me,” she said and I didn’t waste time before I did. She was walking so slow I almost offered to carry her on my back to her place. After several hours, we got to her house. The place was in the middle of a beach. The place was scotching hot. Riaz doesn’t do well in hot places. It must have been hard for him. My heart raced as I stepped in, thinking I would find him in but he wasn’t there.
“Where is he?”
“Sit down first, will you? Were you not taught common courtesy growing up?”
“Ma’am, I’m in a hurry and-”
“Sit.” She ordered and I gulped. I sat down quietly and she nodded in satisfaction. She sat opposite me and stretched a cup of coffee to me.
“It’s iced coffee. To cool you up.”
“Thanks.” I said as I collected it. I gulped it down in a go and dropped the cup on the table.
“So have you..”
“Shh,” she cut me off. “I’ll ask the questions first.”
“Okay.”
“What’s your name?”
“Ace.”
“Ace, hm. And your age?”
“Twenty six.”
“Your parents?”
“What are these questions for?”
“Just answer.”
I leaned back and sighed. “Dead. They are both dead. They died in a war. Anything else?”
She hummed thoughtfully and shook her head. “Who are you to Riaz?”
“I am… a friend.”
She raised her brow. “Friend? Just that?”
“Um… for now?”
She grinned out her almost empty dentition. “I see.”
“So do you know where he is or not?”
“I know.”
My ears perked up. “Really?”
“But I don’t trust you enough to tell you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I meant what I meant.”
“How am I supposed to trust you too. I don’t even know whether you’ve truly met him.”
“Riaz. A young lad with blue eyes and white hair. He loves to talk and smiles a lot.”
“How did you -”
“So do you believe I’ve met him now?”
“Did he really come here?”
She nodded. “We talked for a while. He cried too. He said he ran away from home. Do you know why?”
“I’m the reason he left.”
She hummed. “What did you do to him?”
“I hurt him greatly. Now I just wanna meet him and apologize. Tell him what I’m really feeling. I just… I hate that he’s not around. It’s cold without him.”
“Why didn’t you think about this before you hurt him?”
“I was stupid.”
“I see.”
“Please, just tell me where he is.”
“Red Orleans.”
I frowned. “What in the world is he doing there? Isn’t that a place where no one knows the direction to?”
“A person wanted there will know how to get there.”
“What if he has gotten lost?”
“He’s not lost. Riaz is wanted there. He told me he wanted to find out who he really was. Where he’s from. His parents. He said he wanted to live for himself and not for other people again.”
“So you told him to go to Red Orleans?”
She shook her head. “His history led him there.”
“What do you even mean?” I asked in confusion and she chuckled.
“Riaz might have a purpose there but I don’t think you do. By one look at you, I can tell you might not he able to locate the place.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Well, you’re a piece in the puzzle that might not be needed anymore.”
Why the hell is she talking in parables?
“Red Orleans, right?” I asked as I stood up. “I’m ready to leave.”
“Calm down, child. You don’t rush into a quest unprepared.”
She stood up and went to the shelf. She picked a clothing and stretched it to me.
“What?”
“For the cold. It’s quite cold there.” She said. I collected it from her and checked it out. It was a blue crotchet sweater.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You’re sure you don’t wanna stay for the night before you go?”
I shook my head. The more time I waste, the more I’m losing him.
“I’d prefer leaving now.” I said and she nodded.
“Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
Because I’m going to be needing it.