Read The Crystals of Tlalli: Awakened Affinities Page 35
town. If anything she increased her gate to an almost run. Rica followed.
“Why did you call him Your Highness?” Rica had a feeling she had just insulted someone important.
“Not now, I’ll tell you later. We need to get out of here.”
Nab reached out and grabbed Rica’s arm stopping her.
“I want to talk to you.”
Zafira turned around when Rica stopped. This was not going as she had hoped.
“We thank you for your help Sir, but we need to go.” Zafira tried to pull Rica away from Nab. Rica pulled away from both of them.
“Hold on a sec. You are both treating me like some toy you are fighting over. I can speak for myself. And believe it or not I decide if I stop and talk to someone or not. Not either of you!”
Nab let Rica’s arm go. He frowned at Zafira. “You will answer my questions! Who are you and why are you in such a hurry to get away?” His voice was firm and low. There was a hard glint in his eyes that made Rica take a step back. There was that unmistakable pull she had felt two times before with Zafira, and Moyo. Rica fought it this time.
“Who died and made you King?” Rica said. She was starting to feel angry, that hot feeling was growing in her stomach. She didn’t want to start a fire here and tried to calm down. But this guy was starting to tick her off.
“My father!”
“Wow. Really! A real live princeling coming to my rescue? Yeah right. What have you been smoking anyway?”
Zafira got a panicked look on her face.
“Rica stop! He is a prince. His Royal Highness Princess Nabarun Conkingsly of the Opia Nation.”
“Wow it must be my lucky week, first a bird boy Princeling and now to top it all off a lizard Princeling. I must be special. How many princes do you have in this world anyway? No never mind. I don’t want to know.”
Nab laughed out loud at that. This was entertaining.
“Were you born under a rock?” Nab asked in a sugary sweet voice. “Or are you so uninformed?”
“Now you are insulting my intelligence? Really. Wow!” Rica was feeling angry with this prince. How dare he. Yeah he had saved her, but then he had ruined it by opening his mouth and speaking. Rica threw her hands up and stalked off toward the direction she thought the market was in. She was disgusted with her own feelings and outburst as well as the arrogance of this, this PERSON. And to top it off she had to stop saying wow all the time. She just couldn’t help herself.
“Where do you think you are going?” Nab followed.
“Away from YOU!” Rica almost yelled. Why did this guy have this effect on her? Rica asked her self. The pull she felt towards him was like the one she had felt before for Zafira and then again for Moyo. What was happening to her? Zafira followed them not knowing what to do.
“Stop following me!” Rica snapped at Nab.
Nab didn’t stop and to top it off chuckled at her. “You are heading toward the slums. Not a place I would want to go if I were an innocent girl who has no idea of the status quo.” Nab said conversationally.
“Then just stop following me!” Rica snapped.
“No. I don’t think I will. This is the most fun I have had in a long time. Besides you need me.” Nab replied.
Rica stopped. Nab stopped with her. Zafira almost ran into Rica’s back. Rica noticed she had her jacket in her hands, she must have gone and picked it up for her.
“Ok Princy Boy, what do you want?” Rica said sarcastically.
…
Nab had to find a way out of the city with out his guards knowing, this girl could be his ticket out and away from the machinations of his mother. He was intrigued by her volatile mood swings, and the fact that she was not impressed by his title or status. This was a new experience for him; always people had treated him like a god or had feared him. But what could he tell her that she would believe? He needed the cover this girl and her friends would provide.
“What do I want? Hmm interesting question. It looks like you are traveling, and can get yourself into a lot of trouble. I am on a sabbatical of sorts. Would you allow me to escort you? Besides who else is going to protect you from the thugs and muggers?” Nab’s eyes glinted with amusement and some unidentifiable emotion.
…
His sour attitude seemed to disappear behind the flirting mask. She didn’t like the cat ate the canary look. But he did have a point. He had saved her, and looked good doing it. Heat crept up her neck and face. Why was she so attracted to him? Rica quashed the gooey feelings and answered with a harsh tone.
“Fine, since you insist on following me. And it doesn’t look like I can get rid of you anyway, you can come along if you want.” Rica looked anywhere but at him. Zafira looked a little sick, or was that shock?
“Excellent! I have to pick up some weapons I had commissioned, would you do me the honor of accompanying me?” Nab smiled and gave a little bow. Zafira stifled a sound that sounded like a squeak.
Rica and Zafira followed Nab as he went to the Rune Smiths shop. The rune smith’s had guards always on duty to keep the unsavory elements of the city away. The guards posted at the door moved out of the way as Nab approached and indicated that he was expected. When Nab opened the ornate wooden box that held the Sword-staffs the crystal inlays burst into brilliant color that was almost blinding. Nab gasped in surprise. The master smith looked as shocked as Nab. Rica felt her face blush again.
“Oops, sorry.” Rica could feel her face and neck heat up. She must look like a beet.
“Why apologize?” Nab asked.
“I seem to have that effect on crystals. They all glow like that when I’m near them.”
“Rica you don’t want to go around telling everyone that!” Zafira whispered urgently in Rica’s ear.
“That is extraordinary.” Nab looked at Rica with a calculatingly thoughtful look, he seemed to come to a conclusion. “Since my business is finished here, I think it best if we leave. After you ladies.” Nab closed the wooden box and tucked it under one arm. The sooner he could get out of here the better. He didn’t think any of the guards had seen the display of the girl’s fantastic affinities to the crystal inlays, but he didn’t want to take a chance. They were just to close to the Opia Nation and his mother. She had been looking for a girl with dark red hair and a great deal of power. It seemed he had stumbled on to his mothers most sought after prize. The sooner they were away the better.
“Wait! Just one more moment please your Highness. I have something else I was working on when I made your weapons. It was only an experiment but I think it would suit your friend. It is a telescoping staff weapon with the same crystal inlays and runes as the weapons I made for you. I made it when I was working out how yours would function. It’s a light weapon more suited for a woman and with her affinities it could be formidable indeed. It would honor me if you took it for your lady perhaps for a gift.”
“How much for the staff?” This was going to cost him more than he had planned. But the smith had always done excellent work and Nab could count on his discretion. It wouldn’t hurt to look at the staff.
“I have no female clients who would order such a weapon, so I could let it go for a reasonable amount.”
“How reasonable?”
“Say a quarter of the cost of one of yours, if it please your Highness.” He bowed.
“Lets see the staff first then we can come to an understanding.” Times must truly be hard for the old smith if he was trying to shake Nab down.
With that the smith went into another room returning with a short length of metal in a leather case. He took it out and handed it to Rica. The crystal dust on the center of the weapon glowed furiously. It was not as beautiful a weapon as the ones Nab had but it was stunning with the glowing kaleidoscope of colors. The Smith showed Rica how to activate the weapons telescoping features and then bound two runes to the weapon making it unbreakable and accurate. When Rica took the weapon and tried it out it felt light and fit to her hands as th
ough it had been made for her. She deactivated it and put it into its leather case. The case could be fastened to her back with a harness. She would have to look for one on the road.
Nab thanked the Master Rune Smith and paid him his price. Then the three left to find Zosimo and Moyo. Rica did not know what to make of Nab. One moment he was saving her from serious harm and the next he was being a total ass. He was cute though in an arrogant, sarcastic sort of way. Rica sighed. Moyo was the opposite in personality to Nab. Moyo was nice, polite and deadly with a bow. As far as she could see Moyo never lost his cool or raised his voice. He was handsome and sweet; people followed him because they wanted to please him. Nab on the other hand. Well he was volatile; people in Nab’s life probably feared him and served him out of that fear. Rica glanced at Zafira out of the corner of her eye. Zafira was not happy with Nab coming with them but she didn’t say anything to Rica. Rica could tell she was upset though; her aura was in the red zone. And Rica didn’t blame her, since it was Opia soldiers who had taken the Capital of the Kahsha Nation and killed their President. Nab would take watching and Rica decided she didn’t mind watching him at all. She felt herself blush again as they entered the abandoned warehouse where they had been staying.
“We have someone with us Zos, Moyo.” Zafira called as they walked into the dim interior. Moyo flew down from the upper landing and put his bow back across his back. He did not look happy. Rica had never