Page 11 of Their Chosen

“Other cities have more of these buildings? It's almost unfathomable,” Arryn exclaimed disbelievingly, his eyes wide as he craned his neck to take in the magnitude of the buildings.

“It's kind of inspiring how such lowly creatures have managed to build such amazing things,” Lennox spoke up.

“Unfortunately, many of those buildings contain iron and are all filled with so much technology that, as we get closer to them, our magic will weaken faster. It's why I would like to start on the outskirts and work our way in, hopefully limiting our exposure as much as possible.”

“I can already feel the drain of my magic. Are you saying it will only get worse the closer we get to these skyscrapers?” Arryn asked, now looking at me in shock.

“Yes. However, the loss isn't permanent and shouldn’t affect your health at all. It's simply uncomfortable being without something you've grown so accustomed to relying on. But you do kind of get used to it the more time you spend in the realm.”

“I'm not sure how anyone could ever get used to this feeling of weakness,” Arryn said, rubbing a hand over his chest as if the loss was an actual pain that could be soothed away.

We all grew silent as I let them look at the world around us. It wasn't much longer before I was exiting the highway to enter the motel parking lot. I had chosen a single story, older building due to their usual lack of technology, unlike the newer, multi-story ones. The prince would get a shock once he glimpsed the state of the rooms, their squalor so far below what I was certain he was used to. But the rooms were clean, if worn down, and wouldn't drain us as quickly.

I parked the car near the lobby and left the car running. “Wait here and I'll go get us set up with some rooms for the next couple of days.” Not waiting for a response, I went in and spoke with the night clerk. I tried my best to negotiate, but this one was no-nonsense, having seen the dregs of society too often. The wealthier and more savory types all stayed at the newer lodgings, while the rougher types were attracted to the cheaper rates and overall lack of security.

Walking back to the car, I knew it was going to be rough the next few days, but I could sleep anywhere. It was the other two who I knew wouldn't be pleased. I slid back in the front seat. “Well, I managed to get us a room, but just the one. Unfortunately and surprisingly, the motel is full up, with only the single vacancy. Some kind of convention is being held nearby this week, so we'll have to share the rest of the time we’re here.”

I pulled into the spot in front of our room, parked the car, and killed the engine. We all exited and grabbed our bags from the trunk. Unlocking the door to our room, I turned on the lights. At least it was two larger beds, but I would most likely be sharing one with the captain. “I can sleep anywhere, but this was all the options we had.” I walked to the sink at the back of the room as the others stood in the doorway. Opening the door to the bathroom, I said, “In here is the restroom with a shower. I'm sure you both would like to get cleaned up before eating and strategizing.”

Arryn and Lennox discussed the sleeping arrangements while I pulled out the information for pizza delivery and waited for the prince to choose his bed. Looked like the Captain and I would be sleeping by the door then. I threw my bag on the bed and reached for the phone to order while the prince proceeded to the bathroom to clean up. After placing our order, I kicked my boots off, leaning back against the headboard, arms behind my head and closed my eyes. I could hear Arryn shuffling around the room, opening drawers and doors before he came back and sat down on the bed next to me.

“I must admit, I’m far outside of my element, and I'm not sure what to expect or even if we’ll be able to succeed. I fear the prince is under strain to get this mission completed as quickly as possible.” I opened one eye and peered at him, studying his tired demeanor. Normally, I wasn't a fan of working with others, but Arryn and Lennox seemed capable and determined. I felt a need to offer assurances, false as they might be, even though we really didn’t have any guarantees of success. I still wanted to try, unsure of my reasons why.

“I believe that between us three, a little hard work, and a few long days, we’ll be successful. We'll find the Chosen in time for you to return her safely for the trials. No one knows this territory better than I do. We will do what we need to, have no doubts about that.” I closed my eyes again, feigning a relaxed state, but I couldn't quite shake the feeling that things would never be the same for me from here on out.

I woke to the alarm blaring in my ear. Arryn and Lennox both jumped out of bed at the noise. Arryn's hand went to his hip, searching for the sword he couldn't carry here. The sun hadn't risen yet, and the room was still dark, the only light coming from the streetlights outside, shining through the cracks in the heavy curtains.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I shut off the clock. I swung my legs out of the bed, not having gotten much sleep after our travels and then strategizing over the map. We’d finished just about the time the delivery guy showed up with our pizza. Secretly, a part of me had been excited to watch their reaction. It never failed to renew my sense of wonder when I got the opportunity to share this world with others.

Their reaction did not disappoint. At first, while Arryn was taking his turn in the shower, Lennox had eyed the messy food, looking for plates and silverware to eat the meal with. When I explained that it was called a finger food and was meant to be eaten with your hands, his eyes had gone wide, mouth gaping at the thought of such poor manners. Unable to stop myself, I’d laughed loudly at him. Which only spurred him on. He’d snatched up a piece, the cheese stretching between the slices, the meat and sauce sliding across the dough. Looking at the pizza warily as if it might bite him, instead of the other way around, he’d closed his eyes to take the first mouthful.

Again, I laughed loudly when Lennox’s eyes snapped open, his body freezing at the taste of it. After he’d scarfed down the whole slice in a few bites, he looked at me in shock. “Why have we not heard of this delicacy in Avalon?”

“What delicacy?” Arryn asked, exiting the room in just pants and bare feet. He dried his short hair with a towel as he looked between us for an answer.

Before I could answer, Lennox spoke up. “This. What was it called again? Pizza?” Not bothering to wait, he continued. “It’s amazing. You must try it.”

Arryn approached the open box set on the table, then to the prince as if he’d lost his mind. “Are we sure it’s safe?”

“Of course. Baer wouldn’t allow me to consume something that wasn’t. Right?” Lennox turned to me for confirmation.

Smiling, I said, “It’s safe. I promise.”

“Then why do you look like you’re guilty of something?” Arryn questioned me as he still gazed at the messy goodness that awaited him. “It certainly looks unappealing, though it does smell like it’d be good.”

“Come on, just try it. Unless you’re too scared?” I challenged him, knowing exactly how he’d react. Not saying anything, he narrowed his eyes on me, fully aware of what I was doing, but now that it was out there, he couldn’t back down.

Slowly, he reached down to pick up a piece. “How exactly does one eat this?” He held it vertically, the toppings starting to slide from it.

Quickly, I grabbed a slice and held it in demonstration, taking my own bite. Pizza and coffee were two of my favorite things about the human world, and I missed them both dearly when I was back in Avalon. Arryn corrected his movements and took a bite. Lennox and I both laughed when his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

I smiled at the memory of that moment after we’d first arrived and at the fact that it was the first chance I’d ever had to form a camaraderie with others while on a mission. Usually, I was too different from the others, but with them, it had felt easy. They’d loved it so much that they’d demanded pizza again last night. Shaking my head, I returned my thoughts to our task for the day. The pressure was on after an entire day of fruitless searching. It felt like we weren’t any closer to achieving our goal than when we’d left Avalon.

On our way out of the motel, we stopped at the lobby for the complimentary breakfast and for me to get the wonderful nectar humans called coffee. The liquid was magic in and of itself, and I was thankful for it as we got back in the car, needing all the help I could get after our nap. We’d stayed up late last night debating on the next course of action, finally determining the best way forward. The only thing we had to show for our efforts so far was the narrowing down of a possible location of the Chosen. With time running down, I could feel the tension from both of my companions as they inevitably faced the possibility of failure.

I drove down the street, Lennox sitting in the passenger seat, bags under his eyes from the magic drain and minimal sleep, but I had to admit that he hadn't balked yet. He had a map spread out on his lap of the area we planned to cover today and the compass out in preparation to direct me.

Another level of complexity to the search I hadn't initially considered, but that Arryn had brought up yesterday was that as the Chosen moved through this city, going about her days as normal, we would find ourselves drawn to multiple locations, often finding ourselves running in circles. We had to hope that we would get lucky enough that she'd stay in one place long enough for us to find her.

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