Darkles is a wicked man.
After a few more days of travelling,
The City of Os Alta… did not match its description.
There was most definitely a clear divide between the rich and the poor.
It reminded Valeria of the big cities back in her past world, were they had a lot of pollution. And from within those big cities, where people from all parts of the world had hoped to make a new start, a better one . Which in most cases, did not happen. Those disenchanted people then took to the streets (,not by their own choice , but because they had to survive), to earn their bread by selling all kinds of things.
While the rich did nothing, and only exploited them to get even richer. That was the world she knew from before.
Where they poisoned and would (at the end) kill off their planet with their fuels and filth, not doing anything about it when they knew how their world would turn in, in just a couple of years, if they did not do something about it.
But they did not listen, the oh so powerful people from all of the governments around the muggle world. And especially, the wizarding world, did nothing. Because of the law.
It had affected their own world as well.
So many lives lost, all because of greed and foolishness.
And then they had lost more lives after that, because the muggle world found out about them.
So many lives lost, and in such a short time.
She then shook her head from those thoughts, and looked to her right.
She was walking with Alina and Mal, with the General in front of them leading them up towards the gates of the Palace.
Yes, the General.
The General who hurriedly left her a second after his sudden strange confession, a few days ago.
And who then avoided her gaze for the entirety of their course to the Little Palace.
She did feel him sneak in glances at her once in a while, but she ignored him then, as she should have ignored him from before.
The strange man. Truly.
But she did surprisingly properly rest after that moment, the memories did not cloud her during it.
But instead, she was faced with his dumbfounded face after his confession in her dreams.
Her dreams.
That and a lot more, mostly things that confused her to no ends.
While she did have her rest, she isn't sure if she prefers this to before…
Alina and Mal scanned the Little Palace, from the ground up to the top in complete awe.
Valeria, while she understood their awe, she did not truly share this sentiment in the slightest.
' I've seen better sights than this,' Here her mind turns to her old school, 'but this is alright, I guess.', she finally admits.
Alexander appreciated the Sun summoner and her friend's, the tracker's, expressions, but he frowned at the woman's next to them.
She did not look awed in the slightest.
He did not know how to feel about that, 'Does she think so little of my Palace?' he thought in petulance (which he won't admit to) , before he shook the thought away.
The enchanting eyed woman has dominated his thoughts even more since their last conversation from before, well since his unwitting confession, more like.
And here he grits his teeth in embarrassment.
'What was that even?'
He remembered that he felt exhilarated for just a moment, before the horror crept up after.
And then he left.
He was not proud of that moment in the slightest, he thought, even more embarrassed, for the way he might have seemed to her.
Why.
And then her gaze followed him even in his dreams, each time more expressive than the last.
And he dreamed of things he did not understand…
Which he'll leave in the back of his mind, for another time.
As they finally approached the gates to his Palace, he then thought that now would be the time to speak up, toease the potential nerves some of them might have borne.
He mostly looks at the Sun summoner when he finally speaks, her gaze was wide in curiosity " You'll be safe here, the Palace is the most secure building in the whole country."
Here he then heard a snort from beside the young girl.
And finally looking up towards the owner of the noise, he is met with an amused expression on her face.
How was it amusing, again?
But nonetheless, he continued, while his gaze then continued to face hers.
"I made sure of it." He then firmly said.
Her gaze seemed even more amused now…as though she were looking at a fool, and also in challenge.
For what?
But before he could question her about it, he stops himself from doing so.
I'll ask her at a later time.
Now is not the time.
And he then gestured to them to follow him, from within his Palace.
As he turned down the hall, on their left, the General… Kirigan, as he wanted her to call him, stopped.
And the two Oprichniki beside them then stood up to attention.
Alina and Mal looked at each other in confusion, before the younger girl finally looked to the General to ask him where he was going.
But he disregarded her question and addressed the two guards instead.
"Take miss Starkov to the Vezda suite, and mister Oretsev to the Male dorms, wherever it is free to accommodate him." Opting to not say anything on one other person's accommodations.
Here Valeria raised her brow at the man, was she meant to stay with Alina then? Or did he want to have a word with her on something…on what happened that night, perhaps? Or Something else?
Here she then frowned at the man.
Opting to wait and see what he will say next.
He didn't say anything about where Valeria would stay…
Did that mean she was going to share the suite with her? Alina would like that very much, just like old times.
Or..
Here her eyes glint at the man's back.
Does he have a more sinister reason for why he hadn’t said anything about Valeria’s accommodations?
'Does he want to do something to her, put her behind bars for the way she had treated him in the last few days?'
The man wouldn't be so…petty. Right?
He's a General for Saints sake, he wouldn't stoop so low would he?
Here she frowns in anger.
Not that she'd let him, or anyone for that matter.
If they want to do anything to Valeria, she'd show them not to mess with one of hers.
She nods her head in determination,
'Yes, I will.'
She then sees Mal giving Valeria a look in confusion as well, before he is being asked to follow one of the guards.
She then looks at the quiet man in front of her, when Mal leaves.
"And Valeria? Is she going to share the room with me? If so, then we'll take our leave now as well. Goodbye ."
The man then finally turned around at that, and first looked at her in examination, before he finally looked at the silent girl next to her.
His gaze firmly locked on her, with a strange gleam in his eyes.
It worried her.
Looking at the older girl beside her, she looked bored.
‘Huh?’
'Why wasn't she worried in the slightest, VALERIA!' Alina mentally screamed inside her mind, flabbergasted at the way her friend was reacting to everything.
Or not reacting, more like.
"I'm afraid Miss Cherniak will be joining me for the moment." He said in a curt manner.
Alina then frowned even more in confusion, before she realised what he meant…
He did not mean what she thought he meant right?!
She then glowered at the man,
"I see how it is, and I'm not letting you take her to do saints knows what. You disgust me, if this is how it's going to be, we'll be leaving then." She then firmly said, in outrage, pulling Valeria behind her.
And then, without her knowing how to, but instinctively , she then raised her hand at the Oprichniki next to her, and following her command- it suddenly made the man lightheaded, before he finally fainted on the ground because of her power.
The General looked in shock at her because of the sudden turn of events, while Valeria put her hand on Alina's shoulder in concern, from her place behind the smaller girl.
"Um Lina…are you alright? I'm sure he just wanted to speak to me about something, and he knows well not to try anything untoward , we’re his guests for Merlin’s sake…I’m in awe of you for that display of your power just now, but…" Valeria then continued to say to her, but Alina did not hear her.
For her gaze and attention was firmly on the man in front of them, who looked dumbfoundedly at what was happening in front of him.
She unconsciously bared her teeth at him in full display, while she once again raised her palms up, to summon the light and to finally escape from this place.
And of course, find Mal before that.
They should have never set foot in this place, for the man has shown his true colours now…
The wicked man.