The Kingfisher

XII : Salo

The room seemed to freeze in time as Salo stood stiff as a wooden plank, staring at where the man had been a second ago. Both the bags had slipped from his hands, his muscles tense under the heavy atmosphere. Everything was dark, absorbed into a vast shadow that stretched to every corner of the cabin, hungry for more.

He didn't know what came over him then. Maybe it was Nora's desperate hand shuffling around, searching an arm to hold on to. Like an arrow ripping through the air, Salo scurried back and crashed against the door, latching on to the door knob and wiggling it with bared teeth. His palm veered across the metal sphere clumsily, cold sweat erasing every trace of friction when he needed it the most.

"How rude. You're not going to greet your guest properly?" Kage's voice bellowed. The darkness subsided, a dim view of the room visible through the boy's wide eyes. Nora hadn't moved an inch, rooted to the ground with a clenched jaw and her eyes fixed on the prince's palm, where a tiny golden pellet lay.

Silence reigned for several moments. The man's sardonic smile had disappeared, a stern glower capturing his straight face. A dark cloak sheltered his body, with a simple shirt and pants underneath. His neck was wrapped with a thin shawl and thick boots protected his feet. He hadn't come to fight. He was there to compromise.

Salo bit his words back before they mananged to escape his mouth. Kage didn't know who he was or what he knew. The plan was a secret, and he needed to remind himself that. He was safe. As long as he kept quiet.

"Here to cut our tongues with your silver spoon, perhaps?" Nora gibed, poison dripping from her sarcastic simper. Her gaze was filled with caution, ready to dash out of the way if the prince tried anything.

Kage returned the slight smile, teeth clenched shut as he spoke. "Believe it or not, the law applies to me too. If I could kill you in foreign territory I would have done so."

It was true. Were they in Seyal or Frya, they would have had their heads shaved off the instant they were found. Musha was neutral ground, however. Nobody could smother anyone there. Salo felt his heart pump a beat slower at that thought.

"So what is it that you want?" asked Nora.

"How about a deal?" he offered, dropping the shiny pearl-shaped glob in his pocket, never breaking eye contact with the girl.

A short, dry laugh trickled from her throat. "Do I look stupid? How about I waltz in a prison cell myself and spare us all the trouble?" Despite her scathing remarks, Nora's hand fumbled with the fabric of her shirt, searching frantically for a weapon, something to distract him with. She was panicking. It had started infecting Salo, too.

"We found your radio. We also contacted the default frequency. Such kind people, these agents."

The girl stiffened, but achieved a placid hum. "Did you tell them about my excellent performance? I'm sure they'd be delighted."

"They want you back," he replied sternly. "So go back."

"You know," Nora pondered, rubbing her chin, "even if I was delusional enough to think my country would go through all this trouble for me, I still wouldn't believe you. The location was a decoy meant for simple coded orders. They never answer foreign signals there."

Smiling, Kage crossed his arms. "That's smart. I am still ready to propose my bargain."

"Drop the shadows first."

"How about you introduce you friend before I do so?"

Nora turned to Salo almost apologetically, sending a twinge of dread down his spine. He was good at being invisible, but the talking part wasn't ever the easiest. Taking a hefty gulp of saliva down his dry throat, he hesitantly opened his mouth, ready to tell the truth.