The truth hurts

O'Neil wondered why Alec suddenly wants to speak with him. What on Earth would Alec have to tell him?

"Now is not the time for a talk Alec," said O'Neil in an urgent tone. He kept on moving without a break.

"Wait, you don't understand," said Zain. "It's about Zelta," she added. Hearing this, he paused to hear finally hear what they were trying to tell him.

"What about Zelta?" he asked.

"We were supposed to come in with her, but she told us to wait behind. But coming in this morning, we couldn't find her. We think she's in trouble," explained Zain.

"So you three went with her," asked O'Neil in surprise.

"We had to, we just couldn't let her go alone into danger," said Tobin." And perhaps, we did it for the priestess," he added.

"Zelta was arrested, De voe arrested her," said O'Neil.

"Then what are you waiting for, set her free," said Zain.

"I can't set her free, I wish I could," answered O'Neil.

" What do you mean you can't set her free, you're the commander," Asked Alec.

" Not anymore Alec, I'm no commander, De voe is," said O'Neil.

" How come?" asked Zain.

" It's a long story Zain," answered O'Neil." even as I speak to you now, terrible things are going on around this realm, perpetuated by De voe himself.

" What about the priestess, she should understand," said Tobin. On hearing this comment from Tobin, O'Neil kept his face buried beneath the ground as he said;

" There's something you should also know, your priestess is dead". On hearing this, they were all startled into disbelief. The news they heard was the least that they expected. They just couldn't fathom it out.

"No...no...no..., but what about the healers' flower, the flower should heal her the way it...," stammered Zain in panic.

"She took off before you guys arrived, she couldn't hang on any longer," cut in O'Neil.

"And the worse part of it is that I haven't told Zelta about it, you know how close they both were," he added.

"This is bad, poor Zelta, she's locked up behind bars not knowing what has become of her mother," said Alec.

"Look, you have to tell her," said Tobin.

"I do, but I don't know how to," said O'Neil.

"I will," said Zain, in volunteer to tell Zelta about her mother's death.

"Are you sure you can?" asked Tobin.

" Sure, I'll tell her in a way she wouldn't feel that bad," she answered.

" By the way, where was she kept?" asked Tobin.

" She's in the block chamber underneath the temple," answered O'Neil.

" I got to now," said Zain in an attempt to leave.

" I'm coming with you," said Tobin. When she heard this, she paused for a while, then continued on her way to the temple with Tobin beside her.

As Zain and Tobin went to the temple, they were both silent, they never uttered a word to each other. But when they were already near the temple, Zain came to an abrupt halt. Tobin found that rather absurd.

"What's the problem?" asked Tobin.

" Tobin you and I know that Zelta shouldn't see us together," answered Zain.

" So you mean that I should..." muttered Tobin.

" Yes Tobin, you should go back," said Zain.

" Seriously?" said Tobin. " I'm Zelta's friend too, I should see her," he added.

" I know, but going together may add more pain to her present predicament," answered Zain.

"I think we're good with her, she helped me out of the quicksand, and she also picked you up when you fell, remember?" said Tobin.

" Don't be silly Tobin, come-on I gave you credit for more brains than that," said Zain.

" The reason why she did those things wasn't that she have instantly forgiven us, she said that she did it so we wouldn't be some liability to her," she added.

There was a brief silence for some time, not until it was broken by Zain.

" It's either I go alone, or you go alone. And perhaps, after all, that happened, can you still stand the face of her, can you take the courage?" she asked.

Tobin began to think, that Zain was right. He had been friends with Zelta since they were kids, and he remembered that they had promised themselves never to break each other's hearts. She had consistently kept her part of the promise, but it was him who gave in to betrayal in lust for her female bestie.

" How devious I am," he thought." will she ever forgive me?".

" You're right Zain, you have to do this alone," he said. " I mean, I just can't face her presence, not now," said Tobin.

" Don't be so hard on yourself Tobin, with time she'll forgive you," said Zain patting him on his back.

"Sometimes friends offend each other, but good friends always find a way to forgive, Zelta is someone like that," she added.

" What about you, do you feel she would ?" asked Tobin.

"I don't know," answered Zain, " I hope so".

When Zain reached the temple, she proceeded to the back of the building only to find many doors. "which one would it be?" she asked herself. She didn't know the door that led to the chamber, all of them looked the same, except for the inscriptions written on them. She started by reading all of them one at a time, to find the one leading to the block chamber. She came across one of them which read -Sacred block chamber." this should be it," she thought. She carefully raised the latch of the lock as the door swung open. Within it was dark long stairs that led downwards. She stepped down the stairs reaching the end, which was a steel cage-like door. Looking through it, she spotted Zelta as she sat on a bed, and faced the door. She didn't know how she would tell Zelta about her mother's death, she had to start from somewhere.

"Why are you here?" asked Zelta.

"To see a friend I guess," answered Zain.

"A friend?" replied Zelta with a chuckle.

"I know Zelta," said Zain. "I know that lately, I've not been to you the friend that I claim to be," she added. Zelta just sat upright, staring at Zain.

Zain continued, "I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I hope that you'll be able to find it in your heart to forgive me".

"All along I suspected this," said Zelta after a short moment of silence.

"The way you look at him, the way you smile at him, even the way you talk to him. And seeing you kissing him, that was the most devastating moment of my life," she added.

"I felt heartbroken, I felt betrayed Zain. Now tell me please, how on Earth can I forgive you that easily, it only takes something supernatural to do that".

"I know how you feel, it's pretty hard to forgive," said Zain.

"No Zain, you do not know how I feel," replied Zelta. There was a moment of silence now, Zain squatted down, leaning her back against the wall.

"I remember when we were little," said Zain, breaking the silence.

"We would play hide and seek all through the day. Then your mother, she would come and take us back inside, giving us a big mug of hot chocolate, and that delicious pudding," she added. Zain was a very hilarious person, she could make almost everyone laugh. Zelta was smiling now, she returned a smile of her own and continued.

" It was your mother that brought us together you know," she said.

"I remember that night when I was told that my mother had died of the rhinovirus, I was so devastated, my father couldn't even console me".

"Your mother came with you and consoled me, being so compassionate that she wept with me," she added.

"Then you came to where I was, and you gave me a hug, urging me that it would be alright". There was another period of silence but it was soon short-lived.

"Although we were just kids then, there was this compassion that I saw in your eyes that night, and it was that same compassion I saw in your eyes when you stopped to help me up when I fell," said Zain. Zain was a good emotional speaker, she could easily change the emotion of her listener.

"Forget about what I told you back there, the truth is that I just couldn't leave you, you're like a sister to me, more than just a friend," said Zelta.

"Speaking of my mother, have you seen her?" asked Zelta. Zain's heart skipped when she heard the question. What was she going to say, how would she say it? She just kept silent.

"They won't tell me any meaningful thing when I ask about her, I hope she gets better," said Zelta.

Zain couldn't hold it any longer, Zelta had no idea that her mother was gone, she was hoping for the dead.

"Zelta there's something that you need to know," said Zain in a rather raspy voice.

"Something I need to know?" asked Zelta in a manner of seriousness. Coming close to the door, she looked into her eyes and saw that they were clouded in tears.

"What is it Zain?" asked Zelta in a lower tone. But Zain just kept quiet as a drop of tear trickled down her cheek. She was trying to maintain a poker face, whipping off her tears momentarily.

" You're scaring me Zain, talk to me. What is it?" asked Zelta impatiently.

" I don't know how to say this Zelta. When we came back this morning, we looked for you everywhere but we couldn't find you. Then we went to your house, only to find it silent and empty, neither you nor the priestess was in, the door was even open when we arrived," explained Zain.

"We came out afterward, highly strung-up by what we saw. We meet your uncle on our way out, explained everything to him, and asked him where you both were. Then he told us that you were here and that your mother is..." Zain just couldn't say it. It felt so hard for her to do so because she knew how precious and irreplaceable Zelta's mother was to her. Zelta was left in unbearable suspense.