5 NOW

~SOFIA~

‘You are too stupid and a talkative for some old wizard!’

I stick the wooden staff into my armpit and begin to drag his body down through the narrow alley. The awful smell of gutters are beginning to become more active, thanks to this heavy wind which only comes in the night.

Rough sounds are unavoidable at this point that I am dragging his body on the fragmented rocks tiling the tracks to the underground cave. Very soon, patrol will begin so I have no choice but to drag him very fast. Perhaps later on, I can apply some aloe vera to soothe his minor bruises. Or maybe he may not even bruise at all with the way he is draped in multitudes of thick, old, and smelly rags.

~RIKAS~

I can feel a kind of heavy weight on my head while I manage to open my eyes. She is looking all blurry in front of me. I notice it's my vision that is bad. It cleared up. The candle lights are beaming on her pretty face as I throw quick glances at every corner of the enclosure. It seems like I am in a corner of a small cave. I am not too shocked to feel myself tied up with ropes and whatsoever because she has been stealing suspicious glances at me right from the start. I can totally understand her. She knows Garius and for the worst scenario, he could be her own grandfather or even her Father who probably fulfilled the procreation needs with her beautiful Mother at the age of 90. I thought.

“Why am I tied?” I still ask her. She is looking at me with curiosity and so many questions written in her eyes. I can see that she has taken off the cloak and is now dressed in a leopard's skin hug, which is perfectly sticking unto her woman features.

‘That is it… She is so gorgeous. I love those pretty curves, but I shouldn’t stare! I am an old man!’

But I stare. Given my nature, I am not a fan of hiding my curiosity about anything. When I want to do something, I just do it right away, unless it's going to cause me a lot of trouble. 

‘And I don't expect doing this to cause me any big trouble’

“Ouch!” I cry.

The feeling of stinging and pain on my cheeks and nose forces me realize that I have received some wrecking slaps. I try to take mental notice but the sensation of thick liquid begins to form inside my nose.

“Where did you get the dagger that was hidden beneath your rags?”

‘I see. So you touched me in places you are not supposed to, and now you slapped me for merely looking at your chest’

“Your blood!” She freaks out

A sudden chilling feeling rushed through my veins while I caught her eyes staring at my nose. “You are a halfbreed” She gasps with a wide open mouth which is about to drool but then she quickly licks her lips and continues looking.

“So… Now you know my secret”

“Who are you?”

“My secret”

Her gaze turns blank before she begins to stutter audibly “Are you… Are you… Perhaps, is your name anything close to Rikas?”

And after hearing this, I can already guess in my mind that she is the Sofia I was told to rescue together with my brother. My rags began to fall off from me one by one as the spell broke off to reveal my bare halfbreed skin. I am shining with streaks of the candle lights as everything falls along with the rope she had tied me.

“Look away!” I yell

“Oh sorry! I’m so sorry” She utters with a hint of embarrassment in her tone

I grab a piece of rag and quickly cover my manhood “Get me some clothes would you?”

“Ahh… Sure”

She throws her hands on a woven stick basket beside her and dug out some neat and nice looking clothes while I watch.

‘Yes! Yes! Throw them here, woman!’

She is kneeling down with her back facing me while she searches more harder and I am beginning to wonder what more she could be looking for

Maybe some better clothes because I am the son of Arakis!

But my cheerful spirit instantly dies off after I feel the pieces of rags falling off from my face. She had thrown them into my face!

‘From rags to rags always!’

“I can’t wear this,” I complained. “You know who I am”

“Well you can walk around in your prided nakedness then” She mocks angrily.

‘Why is she being harsh?’

“No. Sofia please. I am not bragging or anything. How can I brag when I am the most stupid halfbreed son of my Father?” I try to coax her

Another round of clothes came falling off from my chest before i realized. I picked them up and roughly take a glance

‘Nice pair. Now this will perfectly fit my physique.’

“Are you done or not?”

“No. Just a minute” I say “Okay I'm done!”

She swiftly turns her body to look at me and we instantly glue our eyes on each other. I can feel my stomach stinging, but I am not sure if it is hunger pangs or not. All I know is that she is making me feel very nervous right now.

“Why are you here Rikas?” She call out my name like she had known me for years

“To find my brother Rotip, and a woman called Sofia”

She sighs and drops her eyes down to the rocks in a mysteriously silent and rather odd manner “You have grown up well”

“Where is my brother? Do you have any idea?”

“He died a long time ago” Her brutal reply came.

My head loosened its nuts when I heard it. “What do you mean he died?” I hold unto my fist like I am going to hit someone.

“No one came to find us when we were captured”

Thoughts ravaged my memory while I am silent.

“I will… I will surely repay them all for these grave sins!”