.
**
SARAFINA
I made sure I kept my breath even as I followed Pooja quietly, as we passed the vault.
"Pooja" I called,she placed her hands on her lips indicating for me to keep quiet as she pulled me to a side.
"The guards are here" she whispered.
I stiffened,fear coursing through my veins.
"We have to be as quiet as possible" she said and slipped off her flops, indicating for me to do the same.
I slipped off mine too and followed suit,my chest heaving frantically. I gripped her hands tightly as she suddenly stopped.
Pooja looked at me with a smirk. "Here we are Mon Ami" she said waving her hands to the front.
"Mon Ami?" I inquired at her strange language.
She laughed quietly. "That's French Sara, you've never left Zedora, have you"
"You are making it sound like a bad thing" I replied poutingly.
"Oh dear,come on in let's go" she said and held my hands pulling me into the door that's was in front of us.
"Wait,how did we get here?" I asked her.
She rolled her eyes. "We flew, have you forgotten"
"Wow" I exclaimed in surprise when we entered the library. It was a very large building,the walls were decorated with diamonds ,the ceiling itself was another sight to behold.
Pooja suddenly slapped my head.
"Ouch,what was that for?"
"Are you here to admire this place or find a book?"
I blinked. "That's right"
Pooja walked on. "By this time,the librarian is always asleep by this hour,she sleeps for an hour or forty minutes. The guards at the entrance will be away for the next forty minutes, approximately we have only forty minutes to find this book and slip back out the way we came"
I looked at her. "How do you know all this"
"Well,maybe I'm just always on point" she said in a questioning manner.
She avoided that question again,I guess I'm not the only one keeping secrets.
We soon got to the place where there were various shelves.
"Each shelf consist of books on different topics,it depends on what you're actually looking for"
"How do we know which shelf is which" I asked.
"That depends,but don't worry....I know absolutely where to find the Sheba's book" she replied as she traced her hands over the books on one of the shelf.
"Ha,Ta-da!" She said excitedly as she brought out two books and placed it on a nearby table.
"What's that" I asjed ,moving closer to her.
"Sheba,Sheba,Sheba....got it!" She tapped the book.
"Let's take this one,we have to return it in a week,because every week the books are examined.... Not one must be missing"
I nodded still surprised as to how she knows a lot about the palace even when she is new here.
"Let's get going" she told me dragging my hands.
.
.
We were almost at the door when we heard a voice.
"Not to fast ladies,where do you think you are going."
I froze as I turned back to come face to face with a guard.
Pooja pushed me to her back.
The guard eyes widened as he saw her. He started to talk but she kind if passed a message to him with her eyes.
He nodded fearfully and bowed. "Sorry for disturbing you my ladies,you may leave now"..
Pooja smirked." Thanks,Akira"
We made our way outside,I kept glancing at her as we walked on with one question throbbing in me.
•Who is Pooja?
•••
They stared at him,anger brewing dangerously in them.
"Have you gone nuts! This is the third time you're changing plans,what has come over you" Man one snarled.
The leader smirked,tapping his hands on his feet. "Easy there man,I just got us a free ticket into getting the kingdom,why are you so pissed off"
"You must be stupid to think of us as your pleasure boat that you can veer to any direction"
The leader grinned lopsidedly. " You want power,you have to work for it....you think it is easy to dethrone a king loved by the people"
"Maximus! You've gone crazy"
"Did you just call my name?" Maximus said as he stood up....
"Yes i did,what will you do" man one replied.
Maximus moved closer to him and grabbed his neck,he brought out a knife and plunged it into the man's heart"
The man fell limp on his hands.
"That's what I will do,Elder Haki" he said and turned to the other two men who were already shivering in fear,while his son just watched with a blank expression on his face.
"Anyone else having the audacity to dare me?"
The two men shook their head frantically.
"Good then,here is my plan!"
SARAFINA
"Can you at least give me an hint of explanation of what happened between you and that guard,Akira or what's his name" I asked Pooja as we sat on the bed...
She opened the book and lay it on the bed,running her hand through the contents she looked at me.
"An hint huh?" She asked.
"Exactly" I hushed.
She fiddled with the book pages,tapping her feet on the bed post. "Even if the hint is just in two words"
I furrowed my brows.... "Well,I'll manage"
"Mere familiarity" she said....
"What? When you said two words,I thought you were going to say something that....."
"Won't make you crack your brain for answers" she offered.
"Of course" I muttered,rolling my eyes.
"Complexity" She said.
"Complexity?" I repeated dumbly.
She flipped a page open and finally dump the book on my lap. "Don't push it Fina, you will know everything when the time comes"
I look at with a raised brow and then finally sighed.
"That's a chapter on finding a Sheba,let's check it out" she said changing the topic.
I peered at the book. "Seven ways of finding a Sheba" I read out.
"They live amidst sufferings and hardship" Pooja read.
"Amidst suffering and hardship? Anybody can be in that position" I countered.
"Shut up and let me finish up" Pooja snapped.
I rolled my eyes and grumbled. "Fine"
"They are mostly from a crossbreed with a winter witch"
"Ha,very realistic... You know I'm just going have to start asking around for a.."
"Fina, just shut it and listen!" Pooja yelled clearly pissed at my interruptions.
I sighed tiredly,this whole thing is freaking me out.... How did I get myself into this mess in the first place?
Why does it have to be me?
Just why?
"They have a way of attracting people to themselves, even without making an effort" she read on.
I wanted to talk again,but one look at Pooja had me swallowing back my intended words.
"They have an star shaped symbol at the hollow of their back"
My head snapped up to meet her. "What did you just say?" I asked.
"They have a star shaped symbol at the hollow of their back" she repeated with a smile on her face.
I blinked rapidly.. "Is that all?"
"For now,yes....we have to find a girl with a star shaped symbol...."
"At the hollow of her back" I completed.
Pooja closed the book and placed under her pillow.
"But how do we find her"
Pooja sat up, her hands propped up on her chin. "Well,I think I know just how to go about this"
"You do?" I asked anxiously.
She patted my shoulders. "Trust me Sarafina"
***