XVIII: Stuck

"Now, onto important matters," the captain sought to change the subject. "Take this scroll, and hand it over to the Feylao. We need to do a round sweep of the areas surrounding the Titan's Yewo, Parabeasts are becoming too numerous in the desert, I believe they're spawning. And if this is true, we'll need to initiate a raid."

"Understood captain." Xen made to take the scroll, but missed his grapple by a hair, so the scroll fell onto and through the spaces in-between the stairs.

Judith's eyes dilated when she heard the paper thud onto the floor, and worst, her heart began to beat twice as fast when the scroll had rolled up to her feet.

'Dammit.' Judith had thought, now looking for a way to get out of her current location whilst avoiding prying eyes.

If she was found out like this, she would be labeled a spy and beheaded at once.

'I shouldn't have hidden.' Judith thought, wishing her body didn't act on it's own.

"Forgive me captain, I'll go pick it up." Xen had said as he had just stepped off the stairs.

Acting quickly, Judith nudged the scroll in the opposite direction, so it rolled back towards captain Qiao and Xen.

Luckily for Judith, this rolling of the scroll had raised no suspicion. But the blunder she had committed was when her foot returned to the ground with a small clank sound.

'Dammit!' Judith had screamed on the inside, because she knew one of them surely heard the sound.

"Ah, it rolled back, perfect." Xen said with relief and picked the scroll up at once before returning to Qiao, who was staring at the pillar in which Judith stood behind.

"Captain?" He called out, but Qiao did not respond.

Judith, even from behind the pillar, could feel Qiao's gaze on her. Her heart began to beat rapidly as she continued to think of some way out of here.

If Qiao were to find her like this, doing what he wanted would be very easy as she would be his prisoner and would be sentenced to death. Except she would die in the worst way possible.

Captain Qiao took a step forward, ignoring his associate.

His footsteps made Judith frenzied, and she began to erratically look in every direction.

A plan had formed in her head, though it was a messy one that was not well thought out, it was the only one she had.

Which was to run into the hallway as fast as she could, while covering her face.

Then head into the kitchen so as to blend in with the other maids. The basis for this plan hid in the fact that her robe was the same as the other maids'. And there were two or more maids with black and long hair like hers.

As for the rest of the holes in that plan, that would have to wait until later.

The captain's steps draw closer, and Judith was just about ready to make a beak for it, but just then.

"Captain Qiao!" A familiar voice had called out, a voice Judith had discerned was Tsai's.

Her frenzied footsteps ran up to the captain and she began to pant.

"I saw someone, and felt him...he was, a Tethered, a very powerful one!" Tsai had cried out, pulling everyone's attention.

Judith leaned in to the side of the pillar so she could peek at Tsai.

She saw Qiao and Xen looking directly at Tsai, which made her want to seize the opportunity and run in the opposite direction.

But something within her said she shouldn't and to just stay put. So she did and watched.

"You need to calm down." Qiao had said, reaching out for Tsai, who took a step back.

"You don't understand captain, I heard a scream when I lost sight of him, please follow me!" Tsai said with an urgency in her voice that made Judith fearful of who this stranger might be.

'Is it the god that's after me?' Judith thought.

"Why didn't you start with that? Lead the way." Xen had exclaimed, whereas the captain seemed hesitant.

And as opposed to fixating his gaze on the matter at hand, he turned to the pillar, almost catching Judith drawing her head back.

"Come with me!" Tsai said, then ran off, leaving Xen to follow suit.

Except he had stopped a few steps in when he realized the captain wasn't coming.

"Captain Qiao?" Xen had called out, but received no response. "Captain, someone could be in danger." Xen had said, and this comment had prompted a response from Qiao, no mater how minute it was.

"Right." He said, before reluctantly turning away from the pillar, diverting his gaze to Tsai and Xen, and then following behind with a stride that was crossbred between sprinting and casually walking.

It felt to Judith as though it took an eternity before he finally left the hall, but when the thud of the door had emanated into the air and the sound of walking had faded into the distance, Judith let out a huge sigh of relief.

She didn't linger on this relief for more than she needed to, before leaning off the pillar and rushing up the stairs.

After which she took a right and made her way past several doors lined up, with small intervals of space between each.

It didn't take her long before Judith arrived at the door which led to the prince's room.

Upon arriving at this door, Judith hesitated, as she had felt a great aura of pain pouring out from the other side of the door.

Qui Lin was in great pain and if Judith wasn't careful, she would be the focal point of this pain.

With a quick breath, she held onto her courage and grabbed the handle of the door, then pushed it open.

Or at least this is what she wanted to do, but had discovered the handle distancing itself from her reach.

And in a heartbeat, the door flung open, so Qui Lin could be seen standing on the other side of the threshold.