I woke up to sunlight hitting my face, and I realized the sun was already high. Ophy still stood there motionless, his gaze still fixated on the temple. The city already woke up and was busy with life, horns blared nonstop and the sound of people talking and offering their merchandise on the street.
"Ophy." I called, I stood up and walked towards him to get bearing on our situation.
"You're awake."
"You don't wake me?" I asked.
"No, there's not a need to." He answered. "Have some coffee, I heard humans drink them when they wake up." He handed me a metallic cup, but no steam came off it, strange.
"It's cold Ophy." I said after taking the cup off his hand."They were supposed to be hot."
"I apologize, I never consume food and beverages like humans so I don't know the ideal way for consumption." He apologized, sounding like he was disappointed in himself.
"That's fine, Ophy. A cup of coffee is still a cup of coffee." I said, begin to drink from the cup. It's all right, not the worst coffee I ever drink and not the first thing I consume cold.
I throw my sight towards the temple, still looking intimidating, that giant structure with its giant sphires looks inhuman in the middle of a man-made city. I see several people walk in and out of the temple wearing red robes with hoods covering their faces.
"The robed ones are cancer acolytes, they're the ones who will lead the festival tomorrow."
"So we're early?"
"Yes, because we need to find a suitable approach." Ophy answered."I think you can't just walk through their gate, they will notice you are not one of them."
"I'm listening." I said while finishing my cold coffee and set it aside.
"We'll walk through the city and later meet here again and decide our approach for tomorrow."
"Sounds good, but there's a problem."
"That is?"
"I can't speak the language, I don't learn any sandish in the school, I don't even think they teach it." I answered.
"Ah…you right. Wait a second." Ophy then began to rummage through his pockets, looking for something that I think will help me to speak to the locals. After several seconds looking like a slim fit doraemon, Ophy pulls out a necklace, a pendant with a green stone in the end of it.
"This is a pendant." Ophy announced like it's the first pendant in the history of humanity. He stayed silent for a couple seconds with a proud face looking at me, is he expecting a round of applause from me?
"I know what a pendant is, Ophy."
"You right, you right, sorry. What I meant is, this pendant will help you communicate with the locals, it translates the vibration of the sandish language to the language that you understand. I call it, the translator pendant."
God, he is really a slim fit doraemon, presentation and all. He handed me the pendant with a big smile on his face. The pendant itself feels cold, and I swear there's a mute vibration from it.
"You give it a name?"
"Yeah, I gave every artifact I made a name. You know make it easier for me to differentiate them."
"Right."
"Put it on, you want me to help you?"
"Nah, I'm good." I answered before putting it on, the moment it touched my skin it's gone, I mean I still felt it but I couldn't see it. "It's…"
"It has a camouflage function, so people don't suspect anything." he explains like a proud salesman advertising his products, is he a salesman patron? Like happaestus to blacksmith in Greek mythology.
After Ophy teleported me to a back alley, he disappeared again. It's a good thing it's a stranded alley or I will have a lot to explain. Wait, how do I…
Can you hear me Rei. a voice echoed in my skull, sounds like Ophy, it's Ophy. Don't worry, the pendant allows us to communicate telepathically.
Right. I answered. A heads up would be nice.
Sorry about that, I don't mean to…
It's alright Ophy. I started to feel bad about this guy apologizing for every single thing, maybe I'm too harsh on him. I think we should get going with the plan. I'll think of the Northside of the city, you go South and I'll call you if anything happens.
Ok, be careful Rei. It's cancer city.
I thought this city called gerenvia
What I mean is…
I'm joking Ophy, chill.
Oh, thanks for that.
Then it's silent, I guess my joke scared him off. What a weird weakness for a God, well this must.
The city is full of life. I can see several people putting up decorations on the walls, several people looking around the city admiring its architecture and taking photos. I guess they are cancer followers that came for the festival tomorrow. I decided to find a bar or something similar. In the movie it's a go to place if you want information, what's the legal age for drinking in this country anyway.
The bar called her holiness, strange I don't know I can read sandish. Probably the pendant function too, what a great artifact. The bar is full of people using their phone to speak with each other, several using it to order drinks, I guess they're tourists like me. That's great, I won't look out of place. I decided to sit at the corner table, trying to think about tomorrow.
"Are you ready to order?" A nice lady said with a board in her hand, with a smile plastered on her face.
What should I get? I read the menu, full of items I'm not familiar with. The most concerning matter is, how will I pay? I don't have this country's currency and certainly do not have it in my pocket. Why don't I think this through, coming to a bar empty handed. I certainly won't dine and dash, that will alert them.
"I still need time, sorry."
"Don't worry honey, I will come back later. But I do recommend today's special, not only it's delicious, but for all her holiness followers it's free." She said still with a smile. "Should I get you that?"
"Sure, thank you for the recommendation."
"Oh, honey don't be like that. We are all blessed with her holiness's graces, and for you and others to come to our city and pray for her, a meal is nothing. By the way, your sandish is amazing."
"Ah, my mother is sandish." I lied because I can't think of any other reason.
"That's wonderful. I'll come back with your food in a sec."
She finally left and my heart beat started to come back to normal. I think that went well, though I hate to lie to such a kind lady.
The bar is full of life, I think all of them are cancer followers. Like me they're out of towner coming for tomorrow's festival, but that doesn't help me. I need a way in, something that helps me pass through the gate without raising any suspicion. So I steal something from their laguge? Maybe they are all going to use a robe, or anything.
"Hey, mind if I join?" It's a lady, a beautiful one with short hair and a great smile. She looks my age, probably a year or two older. She wears a nice red dress that is cut at her knee and a boot to complete the assemble.
"No, of course not."
"Thank you." She replied and then sit besides me, her perfume was floral and nice scent of something sweet that I can get my head on.
"Coming to the festival tomorrow?" She asked, something about her turning a screw in my brain, something I don't know I have but it makes me happy seeing her face.
"That's the idea."
"Do you have any aite for tomorrow? I mean my friend said she has someone fixed for me but that guy turned out to be a jackass and I don't wanna go to the festival with him."
"Aite?"
"Yeah, you know. You're not supposed to be in the festival without any partner, like her holiness said. Together brings strength."
"I'm sorry, this is my first festival. My mom said I'll find it at the festival." I lied again, and I used my mother as an excuse again. I'll apologize to her after this.
She looks at me, please don't be suspicious, trust my lies about not knowing that I have to bring a partner to the festival.
"Oh…oh you mean the acolytes? Those guys suck, my brother had to spend last year's festival with an acolyte as his aite and he said they always try to bring you in as another acolyte. That's why he got a girlfriend this year and brought her to the festival. Trust me, you better go with me as your aite."
Is she just asking me out on a date tomorrow? A praying festival date is not on my list of dates but a date is a date, plus no one is going to suspect me right? We are just another couple in the festival.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I mean I don't wanna miss the festival, my mom gonna kill me if she knows, but I don't wanna be with that jerk, let him find his aite. I'm Lily by the way."
"Rei." I replied, shaking her hand. A date on my first day in this country, not bad.
"Then it's settled, you're going to be my aite. Meet at nine at the gate?"
"Nine at the gate, sure. I'll look for you tomorrow.
"All right, see you tomorrow Rei."
Lily then left with a smile on her face, I'm glad that I came to this bar.
Ophy, I got my way in tomorrow. Pick me up in five minutes.
That's fantastic Rei, I'll pick you up now.
No ophy in five….
Then everything went white, and black, and then I stared at Ophy's face. I'm back on the top of that building again, Ophy looks happier now, probably get something good.
"I told you in five minutes."
"Sorry, get too excited about our plan that goes smoothly." He answered, I don't want to raise my voice again. So I called myself down.
"What did you find?" I finally asked him.
"I got you a robe." He replied holding a white robe with a golden crab design run all over it, I guess that's the festival attire." I got it from the street vendor selling this robe near the park."
"That's good Ophy, looks like we got everything we need for tomorrow."
His smile returned, with his eyes full of sparkle now. He begins to resemble a dog more than an exiled God, and Ophy definitely sounds like one.
"Did you say you found a way in?"
"I did, I got myself a date."
"A date?"