Road to Ruisea

❆ ❆ XLIV. KUMARI ❆ ❆

Kumari's crying when they finally make it back to the hotel.

They'd debated maybe staying at Naomi's, but Chiro didn't want to put his sister in harm's way, should the mafia figure out where they're staying... Tachihara had seen him return in that direction, after all.

So when they get to the hotel, Kumari crashes into her bed, sobbing miserably. Goldy comes up to her, quietly honking, pushing her beak against Kumari's face, as if asking her what's wrong.

"Heyyy," Jae plops down next to her, petting her hair. "Why so sad? It was a fun party."

"I got us in trouble," she wails. "I got Daren in trouble..."

"You didn't actually like him that much, did you...?"

She cries harder, because she's pretty sure she did.

"He'll be alright," Chiro sits next to her. "I kn-know you're worried. I know how you feel, but... "

"I hope so," she pulls herself up from the sheets, sitting criss-cross on the bed, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "I really want him to be okay."

"He promised he would be," Jae says. "And it's rude to break a promise to a princess."

She nods, "I'll kill him if he dies!"

"That's the spirit. Besides, I'm pretty sure he wants to die on his own terms. With a pretty lady."

"Like me?" Kumari suggests.

"Hey now," Chiro says, voice dropping to a teasing, warning tone. "We don't give you permission to die."

She manages to laugh, "I don't blame you. I wouldn't wanna die either! Especially not before reaching Ruisea."

"Right," Jae's eyes narrow. "We have work to do."

He gets up, rummaging around in one of the hotel drawers, pulling out a familiar map.

"We're around here," he points to a vague spot near the center of Qiluca. "The capital. Ruisea is somewhere over here, beyond the mountains..."

"Uh-huh," Kumari nods, looking at the map, curious and finally distracted. "Qiluca's built around a mountain, after all... We're on this side, and Ruisea's on the other."

"We'll need to get a ride," Jae shakes his head. "I don't think we can walk that distance."

"Need to dress warmly too," Chiro frowns at the snowflakes on the page. "If it's going to be cold like it was in Cevalon."

"Should be colder," Jae confirms. "So no belly buttons."

"I'll put on a layered skirt and your jacket," Kumari sighs. "This dress was a one-time only thing, anyways."

"I'm gonna need more than a vest," Jae says. "I'll wear a sweater... Vest on top."

"I'm gonna..." Chiro debates. "Two sweaters."

"I don't think you'll need two..."

"Two is good for a sun-based magician — cold is no good on my body, my magic doesn't work in the cold."

"Riiight. Say, speaking of which... What kind of magic was Daren using?"

"I think it's star-based, with how explosive it was. Traditionally typical for a Qilucan, but rare nowadays — especially when I thought there were no magicians left in the city..."

"And yet here you are," Kumari chirps. "Our very own illusionist."

"I try," he scratches the back of his neck with an awkward smile.