DAY 52-7: JINX

“Meisyr, huh?” Leda repeats.

“As I’ve said, Meisyr is the city in which you currently reside.” His straightforward answer comes as a shock. Leda and Orian are agape as Rhett continues, “Meisyr is the main port and neutral ground of all of Annadia, where both the Deck Tower and House of Cards are fixated. It isn’t populated with much, but it is a place refugees can come to escape oppression, wars, or other hardship.”

As the entire House of Cards is akin to a library—with thousands upon thousands of books to choose from—Rhett hasn’t the slightest hesitation to amble over and pull books from the large arrangement of shelves.

“I’m sure the stupid wolf has already disclosed this, but Annadia consists of four major kingdoms. The first you will travel to is within the Land of Edaps.” Rhett flutters through the pages of a book, extending it for her to see. Both pages are filled with a detailed map. Besides the soil encasing the place, the majority of the land is overcome with bodies of water. “I want you to meet with the royal family there and negotiate with them.”

Leda reels her gaze from the pretty map. “The royal family?” she repeats dumbly.

But Rhett is already manoeuvring around the room, scooping more books before returning to her. Along with an intricately designed compass on top, he drops them into her arms. She nearly caves under their weight but manages to withhold a grip.

He tosses four fancy envelopes on top.

“I would like you to convince each kingdom you travel to to lend me their assistance. I’ve written everything in these envelopes, but I would prefer it if they also agree to send at least one member from each royal family here to Meisyr, thus the negotiation if all comes to naught. Although there may be some tension between the suits themselves, their connection with Meisyr is neutral. We’ve aided one another upon countless occasions. Mentioning my name, or handing them these, should be enough to garner their attention. If you are successful in convincing them, we may be able to stop the jinx.”

“Jinx?”

Leda’s confusion is boundless.

The discomfort that crosses Rhett and Orian’s faces are clear as day. Nevertheless, they share an uncharacteristic look of conviction. Then to Leda’s surprise, they reach for the buttons of their shirts. One by one, they undo them.

A gasp escapes her lips and she throws her hands over her eyes, scattering the books across the floor. “Wh—Why are you just stripping in front of—”

She pauses.

“Wait,” she says, “this may not be so bad of a development... I should open my eyes.”

“Miss Leda.”

Orian’s innocent call steers her to cautiously shift her fingers so there’s a hole she can peek through. But what’s waiting to greet her only manages to constrict her lungs for the second time.

“Wh-wh-what the heck?”

Black rune-like markings squeeze their shoulders all the way to their lower torsos. The most concentrated portion is where their hearts are located. Identical eerie red diamonds are imprinted and moving; pointy edges clattering up and down in a funky manner as if trying to eat at the skin.

Leda swallows her astonishment the best she can by biting on her lower lip. But it’s fruitless. She can’t comprehend it.

“Is... everyone like that here? That ain’t normal.”

Rhett sighs, doing up his buttons as Orian follows. “Your ‘normal’ is different from Annadia’s definition. Regardless, this jinx isn’t—if you must—normal.”

“What... is it?” she has to ask.

Neither respond at first. Until, reluctantly, Orian does.

“In... fifty-two days...” His voice is feeble—quivering as he speaks the words, “everyone in Meisyr will die.”

Leda’s eyeballs bulge.

“That is why I keep warning this imbecile that we do not have time for his cowardice.” Rhett brushes the declaration aside as if it’s unworthy of astonishment. “And telling you to stop treating it as some happy-go-lucky adventure.”

This entire time Leda hadn’t tried attributing darkness to this fantastical world. But it exists. There’s darkness in everything, even Annadia.

“Though we’re healthy now, and this doesn’t pose an immediate threat, life will move on. We’re running out of time,” Rhett continues. “My ability will prove meaningless if I also perish. Which is why if we can get the suits here, there may be hope to resolve this situation. Failure isn’t an option, so treat it as such, Human.”

Leda purses her mouth. “Why was that so pointed?”

“You deserve the extra warning.”

She hates to admit it, but he’s right. Orian is worrisome, but he’s infinitely more serious than she’ll ever be.

“Have I cleared up enough for you?” Rhett inquires with crossed arms.

“It was the best explanation I could’ve asked for, Toucan Nose,” she reassures him. “Royalty, prophecies, doom, and a convenient otherworldly saviour... I hope you guys realize how cliché this entire situation already is.”

“Cliché...” Rhett blankly repeats. He turns to Orian, heavy brows knitted together. “What is ‘cliché’? Is it edible?”

Orian smiles. “It sounds delicious.”

Incredulous, Leda can’t help but face-palm. Don’t tell her they’re back to this again. Orian already gave her a fill of his cluelessness when they first arrived at this card building.

“I’ve been exposed to this kind of stuff in fantasy books or movies,” she tries again in simpler terms—if it can even be referred to as ‘simpler.’ “But it isn’t supposed to exist in real life. This kind of situation is extremely dream-like.”

Rhett and Orian are puzzled once more. They stare at her like she’s sprouted another head.

She doesn’t have to blink to know what’ll happen next.

“What is a ‘dream’? Is it edible?”

“It sounds delicious,” Orian confesses.

“No, you cannot eat a ’dream!’” She scowls and points at her head. “They’re stimulated from the brain, you know—apart of the central nervous system; the powerhouse of your body?”

No ounce of recognition flashes upon their faces.

“What is a ‘brain’?” Orian questions this time. “Is it—”

Leda yanks at her hair. “Ah, forget it!”

They’re lost causes. Maybe she really isn’t as fortunate as she originally deemed.

“More importantly, stupid wolf,” Rhett says, “lead her to the Deck Tower and prepare yourselves.”

Orian who kneels to pick up the items Leda’s dropped, nods. “Yes, Master.”

Leda hurriedly falls beside him and helps. Once they have them all in check, they rise to their feet.

Rhett’s gaze is smouldering. “If anything’s still unclear, you may ask Orian questions along your journey. I would suggest reading what I’ve provided as it will be able to further enlighten you about this world, but Orian’s already memorized them. Simply asking him what’s unclear should be enough. It is up to you if you’d also like to bring them along, though.”

She sneaks a peek Orian’s way.

He innocently smiles. “I also recommend them, Miss Leda! They’re extremely educational!”

And indecipherable.

She’s unsure if she should tell him that though. Not while he stares at her with the eyes of a newfound companion.

She runs the pad of her fingers across the cards. Cold, rough, and a scent she can easily tire of. But it’s new. Gone is the reality she’d repeatedly tried to escape from by drowning herself in alcohol and other terrible alternatives. Gone is the Leda Jenson, crawling at the bottom; grovelling to stay alive.

Her grin expands as she exhales loudly. “Suits or whatever, I’ll see this through.”

Both males don’t move an inch. They’re watching her as if she’s some kind of extinct animal. And maybe in this dream-esque world, she is. Even still, she’ll enjoy herself thoroughly before she wakes in the real world, to the scent of cigarettes and alcohol, and the rummaging of garbage bins, begging others for scraps, or stealing to survive.

“You only have fifty-one days, beginning tomorrow,” Rhett brusquely reminds the two of them. “Everyone in Meisyr is counting on you.”