A Chapter 2 The Spark(2)

  Bantu continent, Dugavu state, Mazi city, within a hall at the administrative tower.

  13th, Blue, 2043. 8:02PM.

  Mother was one lucky girl! I would have termed her with something far more trashy, but since I loved her, even my thoughts didn't want to desecrate her. Why was she lucky? Because she had brought me, her daughter, to this place. I had thought that she and I would be together, with herself handling the fake pleasantries, the small talk and the bloodless wars... While I went about my task, my goal, which was to find my eligible bachelor, my idol.

  Yet! What had she said? 'I am too old for this shit, so, Ril, you will be going alone, representing me.' And, here I was, just before the entrance, pretending to fix my heavy golden gown whose hem trailed the floor, while also dealing with the pressure my neck was facing from all the uselessly large gems I was enduring in my hair and ears. The bitc...? Woman... Even had the audacity to plaster that warm motherly smile upon her face! She knew I hated interacting with people! I hated parties! And most of all, I hated interacting with strangers using small talk!

  'Deep breaths, Ril. You will get through this. Surely they wouldn't devour you, right? Right?'

  My chest heaved as the mantra instead served to escalate my anxiety. I was starting to regret having left Milena at all! I had only gotten a single glimpse of my idol since yesterday! And that had only been in a public setting, where after addressing the crowd at the roundabout, had gone off as if something more important had demanded his attention.

  At least mother had confirmed that he would appear here, or else the entrance would now be seeing my back.

  With another deep breath, I followed a few others into the massive hall, alight with the glows from the both the massive interspersed chandeliers, and the candle stands at each table. When the amalgam of scents and aromas tickled my olfactory senses, I barely held myself back from gagging. I retreated by a step when many gazes converged upon me with barely concealed desires.

  I straightened my back, held up my chin, held both sides of my dress up, and started waltzing through the crowd. I could mingle! I could play the word game too! I just had to last until I met my idol. Maybe I should use his visage to stabilize myself.

  -----

  Every single person here was a big shot... Well, in some sense. There the land owners, famous beast hunters, alchemy labs, engineers, politicians, architects, singers, dancers, merchants(who had now become termed as businessmen?)... The list was long. But their political inclinations, connections with Milena, position in their field... Determed who I spoke with, and for how long.

  Though, I did make sure to steer clear of those that were too political for my liking, or those that were simply suckers. I could spot most of them a mile away, though, with this massive of a gathering, there were those that snuck up on me unnoticed.

  When I finally managed to untangle myself from one man who had not so subtly been asking about getting himself the position of a governor in some place within Milena, I found myself upon a table, one whose tantalizing aroma fished up my stomach from wherever it had sunk.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  From a tray, I picked up a meat stick and subtly started scanning around myself. The first thing I noticed was the simple fact that anyone not close to a table was fair game for conversation, something I only realized now, that I was taking a breather. Just like it ought to be, you could gauge from someone's attire, which state they had arrived from. The signature colors were a dead give away. It could be an accessory, a sash, a cuff, an earing... Anything! You could tell by the black dot within one of the five colors of crimson, gold, blue, white, and wheat.

  As my gaze searched for my target, a hush fell over all those within my range, as if a plague of silence had just descended. Flickers of fear and terror even danced within the gazes of some as they gazed at something, or someone, behind me. Had trouble found me?

  I turned around after pulling away another piece of meat from the stick and into my mouth such that I wouldn't have to speak with whoever was behind me right away, with the excuse of chewing, only for my jaws to pause when my eyes fell onto the plague bringer.

  "It looks like the room does bend to my will, don't you think so, too?" a deep sound breached my ears from the other side of the table.

  A bark escaped my lips before my hand hurriedly clamped down to prevent the laughter that would have spilled out of me. The words had been so unexpected that they had caught me off guard.

  "Oh! It seems like this lady finds me amusing. What is your name, girl?"

  Any other man with the crimson rimmed pupils and the handsome visage would have earned my swooning, but when it was this man, David Lutalo, only disgust welled up from within.

  "I believe you already know me, Mr. Lutalo."

  'After all, you did place your man at the carpet, waiting for our arrival yesterday.' I only thought of that. Saying it out loud would have been offensive. For now, I would rather toe the neutral line with him.

  "Well... I was simply play acting. You could have followed along." he said even as his gaze made my skin crawl. He circled the table towards my position, and I noticed that anyone near me was vacating the place, as if the man was plague incarnate, which was metaphorically true.

  "I don't believe there is any need for us to interact, Mr. Lutalo. We have too many opposing views... My state and yours." I said keeping my mask stoic, and my body, still. Though, there was the chance that my body had succumbed to paralysis, after all, the man was exuding a dangerous aura. I had gone to battle with beasts as part of my training at some point, after all, it was a tradition for anyone associated with leadership, but this man surpassed even the attuned beast I had once glimpsed from afar. He wasn't as strong, but far more dangerous.

  "Is it pride? Or are your feet glued to the ground because of fear? If you piss in your dress... Now, that, would be interesting, don't you think?" he asked, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

  That condescending expression banished my fear, stoking a fire of rage within me...

  "If you wanted something from me, from us the Milena's, then I am sorry to say that you have just dashed your hopes." I hissed through my jaw.

  "Ah...!? I had almost forgotten my objective..." he said, his hand cradling his chin, with his gaze finally leaving me to the ceiling. "... Though, I have already lost interest in accomplishing it. You have dissapointed me." his pupils fell back onto me, gazing down at me as if I was merely an ant.

  That gaze made it harder for me to conjure up a retort. This man was dangerous!

  When he finally turned around and stalked off, I placed a hand onto the table's surface to steady myself. I gasped for air, temporarily dispensing with the refined lady persona. I had been drowning! His presence had been suffocating and smothering me! How did someone survive a lengthy conversation with him?!

  After I felt that I had regathered myself enough, I stalked away from the table, rejoining the social mingling, though this time, I lacked the patience for the surface level conversations, while also making certain to end the deep ones faster. The people were many, but I had a goal. I was seeking a man, my idol. After that debacle with David, I had little patience for anything else at this party. As long as I met my idol, I would go back to our suite afterwards!

  'Where is he?' I wondered while my hand worked the handkerchief upon my face. Good thing I hadn't decked myself out in makeup. My face was plain as opposed to my mother's beauty, but that didn't eat away at me. I even considered it a plus as it made me inconspicuous to crowds like these. If it hadn't been for the ostentatious dress I had been saddled within, I am pretty certain I wouldn't have turned heads here.

  'Maybe some fresh air will help.' I finally decided to take to the balcony I had glimpsed beyond the gigantic glass panes during my multiple rounds in the hall.

  So far, I hadn't spotted anyone upon them, yet when I came close to pushing open one of the glass doors, I noticed a figure pacing in the faint moonlight. Who was he?

  I pushed it open and spilled out onto the balcony, with the night wind eliciting a chill down my spine. But my eyes remained glued to the pacing figure, widening upon recognition.

  'And I was about to give up!'

  I clenched my hands tighter in excitement. Was I finally going to have a chat with my idol?!