The Dark Ages: Convergence (Prequel to the P.O.E. Chronicles)

Chapter 34 Magic Castle

"Susan? As in Susan from the radio?" Katerina shoots up like she hasn't been frozen for the past hour.

"That's me!" the girl, Susan, wave her hands timidly. The younger guy laughs while the darker-skinned man smiles ruefully as though he is used to her behaviour.

"How... how did you get here so fast?" Katerina asks. She reaches forwards towards them as though they're old friends. I stop her.

"I've seen them, Akram," Katerina says and put a hand on my arm gently.

"It's okay, it's good that he is being cautious," the kind older man says. "My name is Yasim, Yasim Ganesh. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"Victoria stands up as well and I can feel the other's glance flickering towards her. She has a frown on her face and from the way her jaw is set, she isn't going to welcome them with open arms.

"Let's sit down and talk," Yasim suggests. I look towards the only unnamed guy and he smiles broadly at me.

"My name is Chungkit Wong." He nods at each of us. "And she's?"

"I'm Akram de Silver, and this is Victoria Balikova," I speak for both Victoria and I. Yasim makes a sweeping gesture with his hands and the bunch of us started towards the stairs.

I keep watch on them out of the corner of my eyes. I don't like the electronics on them. They look more advanced than anything I have ever seen, things that might have existed in the Age that Has Been but have since been lost. There are sayings that the government has stored a secret stash somewhere, but that was back in London and it could have been destroyed when the bomb hit.

Katerina and Susan are talking to each other in a low voice, making small talk and leading the way. They turn into one of the first room on the second floor.

Fleur has disappeared just when the new group arrives and I touch the necklace briefly to feel if there is a difference to it.

"This is so weird," Chung-git or something says. I nod, that sums it up quite neatly. Victoria snorts and I give her a look. I know she's skeptical, but we shouldn't provoke. The three of them don't look offended by it, but I still keep my guard up.

"Tell me everything," Katerina turns to Susan like they're old friends. Susan smiles and looks towards Yasim and Chung-git. They smile back at her encouragingly. They look like a tight-knit group and my curiosity piqued. How did they get to where they are?

"I am from Shanghai," Susan says and I have no idea where that place is. "It's very different there." She stops abruptly, her face scrunch up as though she is remembering something unpleasant.

"I'm from the plains of India," Yasim speaks up. This man seems to have a knack of knowing when to say what to diffuse the situation. "Susan and Chungkit found me and convince me to come when we got through to you on the radio."

Chungkit nods and carries on, "I am from Hong Kong. I accidentally got Susan's signal along with James'. We met up and heard of Yasim and seek him out."

So the three of them are from totally different cities, and their get together seems even more bizarre than ours. I haven't noticed any sign of an accessory on them that bear the same stone from my necklace and Katerina's ring, so what kind of conviction draw them together. And who is James?

And how did they get here so fast if they're from Asia?

My head is bursting with questions, but I let Katerina do all the talking as I observe the trio. Susan is the one who got them all together, she's like the Katerina of them. But the other two aren't like Victoria and me. Yasim is gentle and he exudes a sense of calm. He somehow reminds me of Grandpa with the way he holds himself, a wiseness. Chungkit, on the other hand, seems to be more outgoing and vibrant. No doubt he is the youngest of the group.