Torus wasn't really interested in the whole luncheon scene at The Grill and usually found an excuse to avoid
it; there was always a demand for Quality Control checks in the Gourmet Chamber. Torus knew Nolan was in trouble, financially, watching the young god
struggle so unnecessarily with artificial budget woes stimulated ideas of
opportunity and exploitation. He too had been the bottom of the heap at one time, he knew how
things worked in the Firmary, here was an opportunity to help, helping Nolan
would help him in return. This new Soloha product was the vehicle he had been waiting for, a gift from
Medel perhaps, presented to save the day.
They would need street level help pulling it off. The
gods ordered their meals at the servery and made their way to the booth in the far corner of
the Gourmet Chamber, reserved for the gods, the perfect location to meet a potential street performer. Nolan was the perfect recruiter, he knew all the fresh faces in town but as Josh sauntered into the Gourmet Chamber,
Torus winced. "How
long have you known him?" He gestured towards Josh, reserved about Nolan's
selection already.
"Since
Culloom" Nolan stood up to wave him over. "He's well connected... I
think we can trust him with the job, he's a keener."
That Torus could identify him already from the tabloids was a red flag. "Doesn't he have love issues?"
"Yes,
you're right" Nolan replied. "That's why he's perfect for the job.
Everyone knows him but no one want's to get to know him well. Plus, no one
would believe he could be smart enough or that anyone would actually hire him
for such a job."
Zara
gazed across the glistening sea towards Atlan, heartbroken, dumbfounded, elated
and devastated all at the same time. How had this happened? She pondered
Sophia’s terrible fate with an aching heart, knowing now, she probably wouldn't be headed this way.
"Oh
Sophia…" She wiped a tear from blurring her view, conscious now of their
tangible reality. She studied the moisture on her fingers, sparkling as the sun
kissed it with it's golden rays… Images of Orien's tear stained face returned, followed by horrible memories of his sacrifice, her throat felt
like it was swelling, she felt ill all of a sudden, why did these memories make
her feel so ill? Hadn’t his sacrifice been the Ultimate Honor?
She
rubbed the salty moisture between her fingers pondering the twisted world she
lived in. There was no way she was
dead... Her tears were real... This
really couldn’t just be a dream or some after life... Could it? Was it the truth that Sophia didn't have to die after
all? Was it the truth she didn't have go through all that torture, that she too could have come here to... Lemuria?
If
only they had known... She paused to reconcile her thoughts, it was too
beautiful here to be sad for long... Surely the Promised Land was as beautiful
as this? Surely Sophia would be there by now?
She
studied the plume of smoke coming from the adjacent mountainside, it smelled
like food was cooking. Cooked food was a sign of intelligent life, now she was
convinced it was Nefilim.
"Are
you lost?"
Unsure
if she had really heard the tiny little voice, Zara spun around in fright, only
to behold a beautiful little product, like Orien but of some exotic race... He definitely wasn’t a Nefilim!
"No!"
She lied, caught off guard, completely unprepared for such an encounter. He
looked so different! He didn't look like any gens she had seen before. His
eyes were deep olive green with a bluish iridescence, they glistened like
crystal jewels in the sun, as did his ebony skin. His black hair was perfectly
curled in corkscrew locks, it was so long it cascaded around his chubby little
face, he looked like a real live doll! He was adorable.
"I…"
She glanced down at his attire, clean and crafted by some godly talents he
didn't resemble anything she had seen in her textbooks. His clothes were
extraordinary! Made with bright colored silks, they were embellished with
colorful beads and decorative feathers woven into the hems, she had never seen
anything like it before. She scanned the vicinity for prefects...
"Where’s
your Prefect?"
He
pointed to the plume of smoke.
Zara's
focus returned to the plume and the dots joined... He came from there... The
rumors were true... There were ancient tribes still living in Lemuria… He
came from one of these ancient tribes! If he wasn't a Nefilim, he was a Savage! She studied the boy with serious
questioning now, was he really a cannibal? He was well taken care of for
a Savage, so why was he alone?
"Would
you like an apple?" He reached into a bag and pulled out a golden apple,
offering it to her with a captivating smile.
Zara
stared at the apple, aghast. Apples were evil, it was the forbidden fruit,
everyone knew that! That it was golden
was interesting… She had never seen a
golden apple before... Was this a test? She
eyed the apple with growing doubt.
"No
thank you" she replied. Something wasn't right in general. He was just a
small product, too small to be so far away from prefects. Products couldn't run
free like this, they couldn't take care of themselves. She scanned the
countryside for walls, but there were no walls in sight. This was dogon
country! Aquilla roamed here, everyone knew that, and she knew more than anyone
else in the Atlan Empire that Aquilla
was no Conspiracy Theory!!!
"Are
you ok?" He asked, noticing her troubled demeanor. "Your head is
bleeding."
Panicked,
Zara reached for her forehead, it was still wet! Thoughts raced as she tried to
remember what happened. She had grown numb to the pain and throbbing, now
suddenly conscious of it once again, scrambling now to recall when she last had
her wig…
"Um…"
She didn't know what to make of the product, was
he evil? Was this all some giant joke?
Why did he offer her a golden apple?
Was this Hellias after all? Skeptical in so many ways for so many reasons, she
searched for a logical explanation for the poison on offer. She had escaped the
TLS Program, escaped Aquilla's incinerator, escaped the legendary dogons and
now this? A poisonous apple? Was Medel really
testing her?
"Do
you want to see the doctor?" The boy offered. "Doctor Nulu can fix
your head."
"Doctor
Nulu?" Images of Doctor Seton's
hypnotic eyes returned to haunt her, she wasn't sure about doctors at all. She
searched his little face for clues but he seemed so sincere, so innocent, he
seemed to genuinely care. So why was she so afraid?
So far, Lemuria was nothing
like she had been taught to believe it was. Aside from the very real threat of
Aquilla and his dogons, this didn't seem like either the Hellias or Lemuria she
learned about in her text books. Perhaps there were other things she didn't
know? She
studied the product with an open mind, pondering all she knew. He was adorable,
irresistible to look at and that was a giant warning sign. Unicorns were like
that. Irresistible Beauty was Serpent Sorcery. If one looked at them, one would
be cursed with evil spells, perhaps even die a Dishonorable Death! Surely this child couldn't be so evil?
Her
heart told her he was genuinely trying to help. She was in rough shape, her
head was bleeding, she knew she reeked of blood, there was no way she would
survive the night in the wilderness alone, perhaps she did want the golden
apple? She really had no other option than to trust him.
"Do
I need to get authorized?"
"What’s
authorized?"
Zara
then realized things would be very different here than the life she knew, he
really didn’t seem to know what she was talking about.
"Okay"
she replied, finding the courage to trust the little boy.
"Apple?"
He offered the apple again, smiling, this
time she took it.
"Thank
you…" She lifted it to her nose to give it a smell... "Mmmm... It
smells delicious…"
"Come"
he held out his chubby little hand. "Follow me. We've got lots of delicious food!"
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