World of Hiroku

9. water

Willow managed to eat the soup and bread although she hated it very terribly. Every. Bite. The only thing she could manage was to think of was how much she wanted to go home, how much she absolutely hated these people and what they had done to her. They kept her away, they told her she needed to do things, that she needed to wait.

I could be gone so quickly. I could sneak off somewhere and find my way from suxxeg. I cannot help Celeste if I cannot help myself.

She clenched her jaw hard, tight knit making her tongue bleed. She grew bitter, angry the more and more she thought it about. She had been dragged out of the shore trees when she was most vulnerable, thrown onto a ship, beaten by the crew, and sent to a castle locked in chains and a cage. She began to hate herself for thinking that these people would help her. They watched as they let it all happen around her. He made sure I had nothing.

Willow sits in the water which has gone lukewarm. Her body has had time to soak and she can feel her muscles quiver in pain from the stress she has exerted on her body for the past two days.

Her rips ache and now that she has had time to unwind, the build up of emotions exhaust her even more. She touches the sides of ribs slowly trailing to her back where she landed in the snow. It hurts to even lightly press, broken and fractured bones making their presence known.

Willow glances towards a small mirror shifting her body upward to view herself. Her eyes are puffy and dark. Bruises run up and down her body- splotches of color to accompany the pain. She pulls at the end of her hair watching her curl stretch far below her shoulders.

She looks on towards the tiny window in the bathroom, sunlight spilling through and leaving a glowing streak to see all the dust floating in the room. Willow leans over the edge of the tub, letting water droplets roll to the floor.

She then looks at the plant sitting under the window, it's vines stretching out into the sun on the floor and growing up the wall, it's leaves colored with red and green. It extended a lonely branch into the light, the end of it frail and unable to hold its weight.

"I hate them," she whispers and flicks the water from her hands onto the leaves. She then lets her body sink into the tub. Her head is quickly weighed down by her black curls held underwater. She stays there for a long time, wondering what her next steps will be.

After she stays there emptying her mind she gets up and gets dressed ready to follow out her plan of boarding a night ship that would go on harvesting the locut.

I am apart of the jungle, nothing can break the jungle. Their fate is not my own and I shall do what it takes with honor to restore the order... of my people and jungle.

She puts on the clothing which is just as foreign to her as the velvet dresses. Thin pants, a white button up, and some thick socks to go with heavily worn lace up boots at the floor.

She looks in the mirror to asses her appearance again. Over sized shirt hangs below her waist, pants sag low after she hikes them up to stop dragging on the floor. She tucks in the shirt and grabs the belt laying across a stool. It will have to do. She thinks while smoothing down her hair which is still dripping water.

Willow makes her way out of the washroom. She turns back around, hand still on the door, and peers back into the room. She smiles at the plant then quickly makes her way down the very narrow staircase.

Celeste is standing in the center of the room, arms crossed and brows furrowed at Janice. Celeste towers over her and her yellow eyes dart quickly over to Willow who just made her way out from the stairway.

"Willow, please, can you care to inform me how your last sea travel went?" Janice blinks, her glass eye focused at something just beyond yellow. Celeste rolls her eyes.

"I've already told you the problem with a sea voyage all the way from here to her home," the old man who was knitting speaks, turning around from his chair. The clicking of his needles it heard again. Then stops. Samuel placed down his work and put on his tiny glasses. He adjusts them then turns to everyone in the room. Willow watches him with intrigue, her body naturally leaning closer to hear what he'll say next.

"Quadmire has just made his arrival. Celeste you should see to it that your complete your duties," he licked his lips, continuing, "with Quadmire taking the water, what other kingdom would be out there?"

Janice gasps. "Of course," she whispers to herself the sets off to the kitchen fumbling with some glass jars. Willow, hoping to get some information, is now more lost than ever.

She knew very little about the kingdoms and what they did.