The festival kicked off that afternoon with confetti wafting through the air, crowds pressed together like sardines, and the smell of fresh bread covering every inch of the festival. For the first time since her escape, Ruby walked free with the public. Albeit with Jasher closely behind.
"Don't leave my sight, Ruby. These crowds can get worked up fast, and separation is highly plausible in such a shoulder-to-shoulder shuffle." Jasher warned for the 6th time that day.
Ruby merely rolled her eyes, keeping her hood low enough to ensure her face was hidden. "Oh, let's get something to eat! Surely the stalls won't poison their food when they don't know who I am! Come on, Jasher!"
Ruby grabbed his hand, pulling him forward in the crowd. Cold, angered glares fell upon them as Ruby worked her way through. Though many of the kingdom's people just brushed off the obnoxious behaviour as an excitable royal. "Ruby, we need to walk at the pace of the crowd!" Jasher hissed.
As Ruby squeezed her way through a narrow passage of bodies, her hand slipped from Jasher's, leaving her lost in the sea of faces. Jasher panicked immediately, drawing his sword. The cluster parted in fear as Jasher brandished his weapon. "Step aside, make way this instant!"
Jasher pushed onward, scanning the crowd of horrified faces in a frenzy. Ruby's heavy black cloak blended in well with the muted tone of the townsfolk's clothes, leaving Jasher reeling. "Odeen's going to kill me."
The quick glimpse of a darkened hood caught Jasher's eye. He broke through the mass to take hold of Ruby's shoulder, inspecting her face. He took a sharp sigh of relief, sheathing his sword away. "You could have gotten hurt. I told you not to run off like that."
Ruby nodded her head obediently. "Sorry, I smelled something really good, and I think I got lost in the excitement. When I turned around, you were gone. I found where the delightful smell was coming from, though. This stall is selling meat! You said I could pick something I wanted, right?"
Jasher grimaced at the sign that read 'Dancing Sheep.' He shook his head and began to guide Ruby away. "Trust me, it smells edible, but it's certainly not what you think it is. Why don't we get a pork skewer and head toward Centre Square?"
Ruby pouted, turning to wave goodbye to the stall with clear disappointment. "I don't see what the big deal is. I mean, if I like the smell, surely the taste wouldn't be that far off. Why can't I try?"
Jasher smirked, letting out an amused laugh as he pushed Ruby ahead. "It's entirely up to you if you want to eat hot sheep feet or not, but I would prefer actual meat on a stick to that. When in Rome, though. Right?"
Ruby felt a cold chill rip up her spine as her resistance to Jasher's pushing began to ease. "Augh- never mind, you can keep your sheep feet eating Rome all to yourself, ya fuckin' weirdo."
Jasher leaned forward, pressing his head into his shoulder as he lost himself to the laughter. "Never thought I would hear those words strong together in a sentence, but that was mildly amusing. Meat on a stick?"
Ruby's eyes half-lidded in annoyance. "Meat on a stick." She agreed, letting Jasher take the lead. After they got their treat, Jasher led Ruby toward the Centre Square, finding it lined with stalls, selling homemade goods. A giant, wooden rubber duck statue was erected where the marble one once stood. Ruby chewed on the fleshy cubes on her spike, staring at the spectacle with amusement. "You said Nexus did this, right?"
Jasher nodded, pulling at the tough meat with great difficulty. "Yep. He never really had a plan for what was going to happen after he dropped the duck. Apparently, he fucks with both worlds quite often. A light spell to Earth makes alien conspiracies, a sudden downpour of chickens to Ocerania creates the Earth myth of the Chupacabra, and a gift from the gods for Ocerania. Not exactly wrong, but Nexus just does it because he's bored."
"Real nice." Ruby grunted. "I believed in aliens. Bastard. If he's so bored, why doesn't he find something to do, other than messing with mortals? I'm sure he's just laughing it up about the festival he created."
"I'd be careful what you say." Jasher grinned. "He left his body a few centuries back, so he's free to wander the two plains. Apparently, the other deities in the Inbetween didn't care much for his shortcut, so the only time he goes back to the Inbetween is when he's passing through to the other plane."
Ruby's eyes widened as she shuddered in fear. "Wait – he left his body?! Why the hell, no- how the hell did he do that? And why? What's so important about leaving his body behind? Is he like, a ghost or something?"
Jasher turned his gaze toward the statue, his tone growing soft in sympathy. "He had to. He was chosen at the creation of our universe to hold them in place. Earth, as well as this world, feed off of one another. Drift too far away, the worlds die. Force them close enough, and they'll collide, destroying one another. Nexus was tasked with holding them for all eternity, forced to watch but never participate. It would make anyone bored and crave mischief. He doesn't seem like a bad guy. He just had a bad hand dealt."
Ruby nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed. She squeezed the skewer in her hand as her voice came out with less of a cynical tone. No wonder he's so messed up. I wouldn't want to be in that situation either. What about Serina?"
"I don't know much about her, but Nexus spoke very highly of her. I don't think she's the reason he was essentially trapped. All I know is that Nexus is in a shit ton of trouble for messing with a human's soul. Yours specifically. He had to wait for something called the harmony period, when your soul can be fixed. Considering you're here, I'm assuming the harmony is upon us."
Ruby stared at Jasher in disbelief. "I can't say that I've ever felt inharmonious. I've always felt as though I'm missing something, but I could never pinpoint what. So why did he decide to mess with me?"
Jasher shrugged, running his hand through his hair. "I wish I could tell you. He never told me exactly what he did, only that I was to guide you when you finally arrive. Only then would I be allowed to go home. I'm grateful it only took 7 years. I'll be able to see my family again soon."
Ruby's shoulders slouched as a strange pinch began in her chest. "I'm sorry that you got trapped here for 7 years because of me. I'm even more sorry that I've been an utter pain in your ass up until now. I had no idea what you were dealing with."
Jasher's eyes widened in surprise. "What? It's not your fault, Ruby. You didn't orchestrate that. I'm just glad that I could help you navigate this world. It was terrifying doing it alone." Ruby's posture began to slouch. "Wait – no, that came out wrong. Hey, I have an idea, stay here. Don't go anywhere. I'm going two stalls down to pick you up something that will make you feel better. Don't take one step away from this spot, and if anyone speaks to you, yell for me."
Jasher backed away slowly before turning on his heels to rush to the nearby stall, finding it filled with quirky rubber duck memorabilia. He collected a nice comb with the signature engraving of the rubber duck, as well as a brooch that sported the same figure.
Ruby stood amongst the crowd, feeling herself drown in unnecessary guilt. She held the empty skewer tight in her fist as the world seemed to pass her by in a blur. Her gaze shifted toward a figure, concealed by the same heavy, draped cloak she sported, a soft smirk appearing on her lips. "Another royal, I presume."
When the figure glanced up, trying to find their way, Ruby felt a sudden jolt. The young woman wore the same face as Ruby, a thin strand of golden hair blew through the breeze, before the mysterious woman lowered her head once more and shuffled through the crowd.
Ruby couldn't contain the beating of her heart as Jasher's words left her mind. She stepped away from the meeting spot, beginning to tail the woman from behind. Ruby kept her head low, leaving enough uncovered to watch where the enigmatic woman went.
Suddenly, the woman turned back toward Ruby before breaking out into a sprint. Ruby didn't hesitate, following closely behind. They weaved through the crowd, pushing their way toward the kingdom's walls. Ruby lost sight of the woman within the crowd, finding herself walking down an abandoned alleyway.
Ruby shuddered, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu from the first assassination attempt. She wielded the wooden skewer like a weapon as she scoured the alley for any sign of the woman. Moments before Ruby gave up and returned to Jasher, a soft, refreshing breeze caught her attention.
There, at the end of the alley, three large and inconspicuous crates sat against the kingdom's walls. Ruby approached them cautiously, peering behind them to find a sizable hole in the wall. "That's how you got out..." Ruby squeezed herself between the crates and the wall, spilling from the hole onto the lush, green grass.
She laid upon the ground, taking in the fresh air of the freeing outside world. It was almost laughable how much she missed the freedom from not only the castle, but the kingdom itself. The world seemed wider, more joyous. Only for a moment.
Ruby soon found herself at the sharp end of a dagger as the cloaked woman held a blade out toward her. She spoke in fast Oceranian, clearly threatening Ruby, yet her gloved fingers trembled underneath the black material.
Slowly, Ruby rolled onto her hands and knees, sitting up to raise her hands. "Easy there... easy. I'm not a threat; clearly, we don't speak the same language, and I was just curious about something. Please put the dagger down."
The woman halted for a moment, seeming stunned and a little shocked. She spoke slowly with a thick accent. "English? You... you speak the Otherworlders tongue? Are you- are you a friend of Jasher's?"
Ruby perked up with the unexpected language they shared. "Yes! I'm from Earth, same as Jasher. My name is Ruby. When I caught sight of your face, I almost couldn't believe it. You're Safire, aren't you?"
The woman let out a small exhale of relief before pulling back on her hood, revealing her face. Ruby felt the world sway from shock as the woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to her finally revealed herself. "And what if I am?"
Ruby scrambled to her feet, ripping her own hood off. Safire's eyes widened as she stepped back in shock. The two mirror images stood before one another, entirely uncovered. "I was just shocked. When people kept confusing me with you, I thought they were crazy! Man, I have a doppelganger in Ocerania. That's pretty cool."
Safire sighed, returning her blade to its scabbard. "I suppose it would be considered 'cool' to find your face copied in another world. But you shouldn't be wandering about by yourself. If you bear an uncanny resemblance to me, you might very well find yourself slaughtered for the offence. It's safe to say that I am not in high standing with Oceanian people right now. Cyrus would not welcome their wayward princess with open arms, either. You're in danger on both fronts."
Ruby shook her head, sighing in relief. "I had Jasher by my side for the majority of it. But unfortunately, I ran from him to keep up with you. I know we've only just met, but why did you run away from your duties? Because of you, I have to marry Odeen now as a placeholder. Why won't you just return if you're not welcome anywhere?"
Safire averted her gaze as her breath stuttered. "Because I fell for another. A commoner. I could not see myself marrying a man I did not love. I had help, I escaped, and now I am separated from the man I wish to be with because the kingdoms had turned on me. There is no happy ending for a runaway princess. Only a life of hiding. But at least my hand belongs to me."
Ruby furrowed her brows, stepping forward. "I don't judge you for that. Where I come from, a woman decides who she marries, not a man. I think you're pretty brave for running instead of being trapped with Odeen."
Safire furrowed her brows in confusion. "I think you're misled about something. Odeen didn't want to be with me either. In fact, he was willing to call the whole thing off so neither of us had to be miserable. My father threatened war. I saw no other way out than to run and be seen as the villainess. I wouldn't be very proud if I were you. I'm a coward."
Ruby moved closer to Safire with warmth in her eyes. "I don't think so. I think you're a woman who knows exactly what you want. And that is something I find so impressive about anybody." Ruby's hand raised in an attempt to place it on Safire's shoulder.
A frantic screech ripped through the air, rippling like static but cutting clear enough to have both Safire and Ruby jerk away from one another. "DON'T TOUCH EACH OTHER!" The figure of a young man began to slip in and out of reality. His long black cloak, short, dark and wide, and almost glowing orange eyes began to materialise unstably. "Please, don't touch one another." His voice trembled.
-End of chapter 9-