Mission Accomplished
1529 Words
Elda welcomed the new day with a sour face as yesterday's troublesome day was fresh in her memory. As she trotted down the hall, she saw Elvie preparing the breakfast with a smile on her face.
'Someone seems to be in a good mood today!' she thought as she went into the kitchen. She saw that Elvie was preparing bacon strips and other delicacies. She instinctively reached out to take one.
'Elda, can't you wait till I prepare everything' asked Elvie without even turning back.
'OK, I will wait in the dining room', Elda was dejected but also happy to wait for a few minutes. So, she happily marched towards the dining room.
As she opened the dining room, she saw Lee and Mana sitting in the dining table.
'Hey! I forgot to tell. We have guests' shouted Elvie from the kitchen.
Elda sighed and sat down opposite Lee and Mana. The table was filled with awkward stares and silences till Elvie brought in the dishes and joined them for breakfast.
As Elvie served the food, Lee conveyed his gratitude 'Thanks for inviting us'
'Come on. This is the least I could do for a friend like Mana' answered Elvie.
'So Elda, how's the business going nowadays?' asked Mana.
'It's OK. But there are a few customers now and then who find new ways to cause trouble' answered Elda as she glanced at Lee.
Elvie commented 'Elda, stop it. He is our guest' and she added 'Moreover, he didn't do anything. It was all because of that Souza.'
'Yeah! That damned Souza' murmured both Elda and Lee.
Just as they finished cursing, the door to the dining room flung open and Souza stood there.
While everyone was staring in disbelief, Souza came and sat down the table while saying, 'Wow! What a nice spread. Shall I join you guys?'
'No!' came the reply in unison. But he didn't care as he added some dishes to his plate and started eating. All four gave a dejected sigh and continued to eat.
'So, what's your plan, Mana?' enquired Elvie.
'I will mostly stay in the city for a few days because Mr. Lee hasn't fully seen the city. Maybe something might jog his mind'
'Oh yeah. If that's the case, why don't you stay here' asked Elvie.
Elda gave a stern look to Elvie to insist that she take back that offer. While Lee gave a look to Mana to insist that she turn down the offer.
'It's OK. We'll manage' answered Mana uncomfortably.
'At least have your meals here. I don't think Mr. Lee would object that' replied Elvie after noticing Mana's discomfort.
'I will' interjected Souza as he gobbled down yet another squail egg. However, none of the others seemed to even hear his answer.
'OK, we will' said Lee. He then added, 'we will have two meals here.'
Elvie nodded in acknowledgement and the breakfast continued without any further conversation.
As Souza, Mana and Lee prepared to leave after the breakfast, Elvie warned them about Gin. She informed about Gin's position as the current commander and her recent interest in both of them.
Lee thanked Elvie for the tip, but internally he was sighing, 'Another thing to add to my worries.'
As all three left the bar, they saw Gin approaching them. Since Lee came out last, Gin didn't focus on him and went to greet Souza.
Souza was stunned beyond belief. He heard that Gin was a commander. So he was worried that if he said something, she might harm him or even kill him. So he stayed silent.
Not just Souza, Gin's actions stunned the whole street. Even Mana, who was standing next to Lee, didn't utter a word. Lee, however, was controlling his urge to laugh after seeing Gin's greeting.
Gin, who was unaware of what was really happening, said 'Champion, I need to have a word with you in private. It is a matter of grave importance.'
Mana turned to leave when Lee whispered, 'Play along with her.'
Just as he whispered those words, Elda and Elvie came out to look at the commotion.
Mana was surprised but she understood the reason behind it. So, she took a few steps forward and commented, 'Why would a champion do as you ordered? Do you think everyone is your lapdog?'
Gin was angered by this comment but had to control herself because she wanted the champion to have a good opinion of her.
'You must be Ms. Mana. I have heard a lot about you.' commented Gin. She then added, 'I was merely asking the champion to accompany me for a while. I don't think I have disrespected him in any way. Have I, champion?'
Souza went stiff when Gin directed her gaze towards him. He just shook his head to denote that she wasn't disrespectful. This made Gin happier.
'See, the champion himself agrees. So, I don't think that you need to worry unnecessarily Ms. Mana'
Mana just pouted and she turned around and walked away in a fit of fake anger. Lee, who was standing next to her also accompanied her after a few minutes. Souza was left standing alone in shock while Gin was ecstatic to see Mana leave by herself. As she was smiling watching their backs, she couldn't realize that both Lee and Mana were controlling their laughs.
Gin then turned to Souza and asked him to follow her. With no other choice, he followed her.
'What an idiot.' muttered Elda as she saw the proud Gin guide Souza to the main street.
Gin took some time to reach the barracks. She wanted a secure place to discuss her business and the barracks was the perfect venue. With trusted soldiers all around, she could be sure that there would be no leak of information.
As Gin guided Souza into the barracks, one of the soldiers called out to Souza,
'Hey Souza! What are you doing here? Did you drink and do something again?'
Gin turned around and shouted, 'Don't you have manners? Is this the way you speak to the...' but halfway through her words, she realized that there is no way someone would recognize the champion. She asked the soldier, 'Wait a minute, do you know him?'
'Yes, commander. His name is Souza and he is from the slums. I had dealt with him sometime back' replied the soldier obediently.
'The champion came only yesterday. So, he can't be the champion' As Gin came to this conclusion, her anger flared up. She had been duped into believing that a schmuck from the slums is the champion.
Gin directed all her anger towards Souza, who was shaking with fear. The moment the soldier greeted him, Souza understood that he had signed his death warrant. He became paralyzed with fear and fainted on the spot.
Gin, who was looking to get answers from him, once again felt disappointed.
'You there, throw this s**t into the dungeon and bring me the captain' ordered Gin angrily.
In just a few minutes, the captain arrived. The captain's name was Sica and he was a burly man who was well-built. One could see Sica and immediately determine that he was a warrior. This was in complete contrast with Gin, who had no recognizable features to denote a warrior,
'Sica, I need you to find a girl named Mana. She is somewhat short, wears orange leather and has a golden bracelet on her right arm. I need you to bring her here as soon as possible.' ordered Gin.
'Yes commander' answered the captain named Sica. He then rode out of the barracks with five of his trusted guards.
....................
After leaving Bees, Lee and Mana took refuge under an oak tree. They discussed their thriving plans under the tree.
Lee had four conditions:
1. They only rob from the rich or noble (inspired by Robin Hood)
2. They never take lives.
3. They never rob frequently.
4. They are equal partners. If one is captured, then the other should do everything in their power to help them.
Mana nodded with increased excitement as Lee listed the rules. Although she wasn’t keen on being thieves, she perked up at the thought of stealing from the rich. She understood that the city needed it badly. Hence, she was too eager to start.
When Lee finished listing off. She stood up, wrapped a cloth around her face and kept her dagger at the ready to signal that she was prepared to rob.
Lee was amused by her display and laughed heartily at her whimsical nature. He asked her to drop the dagger and said, 'Mana, let's add another rule. We will steal with class.'
Mana was confused, so she retorted with a 'Whatever.'
'Hmm... You have much to learn.' thought Lee.
- Writer
