Arisa sunk on her bed as she had a bite of her meal. She found herself in a medium-sized room with beige colored walls and a small number of furniture filling the spacious area.
As she lost herself in her thoughts, she had another bite of her food. She didn't take long to have yet another one.
Quick laughter filled the silence for a few seconds. Arisa's eyes met a girl sitting cross-legged on the other single bed of the room. Thelma had tied her long extensions and grabbed a few fries as she stared back at Arisa.
"What's so funny?" asked Arisa before she could have another bite.
"Nothing," replied Thelma, shaking her head. "It's just that a moment ago you looked as if you would pass this meal. I guess that your hunger was too strong that you had no choice."
Arisa examined the half-eaten meal in her hands. Two round slices of bread with meat and cheese feasted her gaze. No matter how many times she would look at it, she still found this combination curious.
"I like the taste," she said. "It's just, I have difficulties eating foreign food. I would rather have a typical meal like rice and curry or simple bread and butter or marmalade."
"If we weren't in an emergency," said Thelma. "I would have ordered a proper meal instead of cheeseburgers and fries."
Arisa smiled. "It's okay. The cheeseburger is tasty."
"Careful not to be addicted to it," teased Thelma. "My grandmother set in everyone's mind that this type of food is unhealthy, so I grew up eating fast food a small number of times a year."
Arisa tilted her head. "Oh, I see you have a grandmother who's obsessed with good habits too."
Another quick chuckle filled the room. Arisa smiled, remembering her family. It had been a few weeks since she last saw them. She wondered how they were doing. She curled her fingers, wishing they had a way to communicate with each other as the Earthlings could by using their devices.
She attempted to shut down the feeling of missing them by having another bite of her cheeseburger. As she continued to have her meal with Thelma, Arisa remembered the hours her team spent exploring Washington.
After leaving Union Station and walking down the streets with the hopes that Eklipta would communicate with them again, the team ended up taking a tour bus. Their theory was that the Master of Earth could be hidden in one of the many touristy spots the Empire had.
The bus took them to a large city called Seattle and as they explored the busy town, Arisa saw that the buildings on this side of the state were really tall, yet they didn't have that advanced design like the City of London and Hong Kong.
She remembered spotting a number of small and medium-sized robots mixing with the diverse crowd in the streets. Exploring the city, Arisa couldn't help but notice the many times she saw Taurus in the screens no matter what side of the city they were passing by.
As the clock ticked, they visited as many touristy spots as they could, including historic buildings, underground areas, and museums. Still, Eklipta didn't show any signs of progression.
Their last spot was Seattle Center, where Arisa and Garoh suddenly felt dizzy due to the effects of the rune. The team had to stop their quest for the day and ended up looking for a place to spend the night that was falling.
As that memory faded, Arisa had a drink of her soda. Thinking about how they spent their day, part of her felt defeated. It would take a long time to find the Master of Earth in such a huge country like this.
"Let's see what the channels of this country offer." Thelma's voice washed away Arisa's thoughts.
As she gazed at her friend, Arisa saw Thelma standing up and grabbing remote control on the desk in front of their beds.
YOU ARE READING
The Challenge of the Masters
Fantasy♈ - Book II of the Astral Guardians Series - ♌ A princess who has the fate of the worlds in her hands. A prince who has to prove himself to his people. And mutual feelings that clash with their hearts. ♐♑♓ Arisa's dream has always been to live in a...
