Sun of Jamaica - Goomday Dance Band

***

Picture of Séres

~Allison~

My eyes opened, immediately glaring at the ceiling. The last thing I wanted to do was to roll out of my warm bed and face my current situation. There was a woman downstairs who was frighteningly similar to me in looks who had deep vengeance on her agenda. I dreaded what would happen if Karen was to walk through the front door any moment now. 

I sighed and rolled over to check my phone for messages. There were two missed calls from Javier and Jacob. I hadn't spoken to them from the night we met up to watch a movie. I'd been so caught up with Séres and Asaíra... who I left unattended downstairs for the night. 

I quickly got out of bed and rushed downstairs. Sure enough, Asaíra stood near one of the living room windows, peering outside.

"Your Asar has risen," she stated without physically acknowledging my presence. I frowned and walked towards her. The morning sun gave her pale skin a sepia glow, yet it bounced off her hair and it glimmering in the natural morning light. I assumed she meant the sun when she said 'Asar'.

"I see," I stated. Afterwards, the silence was interrupted by an angry growl from my stomach. "Are you hungry?" I asked as I made my way into the kitchen. I put some water to heat up in the electric kettle. 

"There's no time," she uttered and came to sit near the island. "You said you would help me find the relic of Irvine." I took a mug from the cupboard and placed it on the counter. 

"It's just a fake story passed on through generations... particularly my grandmother," I explained. "I know Séres said she would, but I doubt this really exists."

"Where I'm from, every story is true," Asaíra snapped. She crossed her arms over her chest, with a glowering look. "Are you telling me that you don't know where the relic is?" I sighed, pressing my lips into a thin line. 

"Yes, I have an idea where it may be, but I can't promise you it would be there." I began to pour the hot water into the mug, and then something crossed my mind. "Where are you from?" I asked; a common question you'd ask a stranger firsthand. However, it took me one night. Asaíra turned from the window, her silvery hair flowing effortlessly over her shoulders. 

"Umærium." My eyes narrowed to slits.

"Wow. Sounds far away."

"What was once a marvellous place, simmered down to a humdrum," she spat. "We're closer than you think." I opened my mouth to question her further, but Séres interrupted by bounding in, panting. She wore a teal tank top, white fitted jeans, and a converse.

"Hey guys," she perked once she regulated her breathing. She went to the kitchen sink and got herself a glass of water. "Okay, so funny story: my cousins that I told you about, forgot all their basic toiletries for a sleepover. So, my mom and I had to drive all around the town looking at all kinds of creams because they claimed their skin type was 'special' and needed to be treated accordingly." She rolled her eyes and paused to take a sip. "So when we finally found the cream, the price was fifty dollars! I mean, it's not like my mom didn't have the money, but we weren't going to spend fifty dollars on a cream. So my mom asked the cashier if they had any empty bottles of that specific brand. I highly doubted that they would, but surprisingly they did. Why would a store have empty bottles of their products? Anyways, when we got home, she poured some of our 'normal' cream into the bottle and gave it to my cousins. They haven't suspected the difference since. They were like, 'Thank god, I would have died without that cream'. And my mom was like, 'uh huh'." Asaíra and I blinked. 

"Um..." My voice trailed off as I scratched my scalp.

"Are you taking me to the relic or not?" Asaíra asked. The slight edge in her tone had returned. I quickly nodded. Anything to get this symbol of bad omen away from me, right?

"Yes, of course. Let me change first." 

Séres' eyes trailed from Asaíra's feet to her face. 

"You need to change too," she commented. I glanced at Asaíra's indigo dress which she still had on from yesterday.

"Why?"

"You'll draw a lot of attention to yourself." She stared some more. "And that dress...  it's just not... it."

"And?"

"Well, there was this one time, my mom got me a neon green bodysuit, and I thought it looked cute. So I wore it to some event they were having in the town's square. I think it was a small concert or a bar-be-que. Or maybe-"

"OKAY!" Asaíra yelled. "I'll change."

***

We walked up the last hill, sweating buckets. The sun stood high in the sky as it spread heat throughout the air without holding back. I assumed the clouds were probably on vacation. 

I placed a hand on my hip as I paused to wipe some of the sweat.  Séres waved a hand frantically against her face to help cool down. It was no use; there were no trees in sight. 

We were close to the shore, and the smell of the salt in the air was ever present. I couldn't see the ocean, but I could hear the waves crashing against the stones. The black tar of the street contrasted to the pale yellow soil that developed along the roadside. Our sneakers crumbled whatever soft rock that was about to form as we moved along. Asaíra's ashen hair picked up in the sudden breeze that came from the sea.

"Are you sure this is the place?" she asked once we came upon a precipice. I'd loaned her some grey leggings, black tank top, and sneakers. With her next to me, we looked like twins; the plain one, and the other one obsessed with mystical makeup. Thank God no one spotted us when we were walking down the neighbourhood streets. 

I nodded and we proceeded to carefully climb down the craggy land, using the many huge stones embedded in the soil as support. The sea resembled the colour of the beryl with patches of chalky foam that formed as the water crashed on the shore. I thought the place was abandoned, but it was evident people still came here. 

Soon we reached the bottom which was covered in mainly conglomerate rocks. The sea lapped closely to our feet with some swell waves. Asaíra didn't need my help in discovering the location, as it was right in front of us. 

"Here we are," I announced. "The Kurat Cave." The cave had a large entrance, with blunt stones poking out of the damp hardened sand. Water trickled down the walls, eroding the sides to form all kinds of shapes with colours ranging from red to orange. Without a word, Asaíra walked towards it, and we followed closely behind. She paused for a while, running her slender fingers along the smooth walls with parted lips.

"So, why are you so interested in this Irvine?" Séres asked. Her voice bounced along the walls of the cave as we walked further in. The sound of water dripping from a faucet resonated. 

"She is a great warrior who can help me with my mission. Haven't you heard the stories?" Asaíra inquired. I cringed. Her revenge; she was calling it a mission now.

"Yes, we have. But those are just myths," I said with an eye roll. I glanced at our feet and noticed the solid sand floor was beginning to form jagged rocks. "Watch your step," I warned. I grabbed a hold of Séres' hand.

"No," Asaíra said. "Irvine was a great warrior from Umærium. Her origins run deep in our blood, but her kind was very rare, so our people treated them with sovereignty and in return, they protected us from all kinds of threats. It was as if they were built for war with their ravishingly sculpted muscles and toned bodies. 

But then, a new king came into play; Eton. Irvine and her people began to question his leadership styles. Eton believed that the Royauz shouldn't be questioned at all. No matter how ridiculous their decrees were."

"The Royauz?" Séres repeated. 

"Yes, the highest class. They govern the land, set the rules and carry out trials as they see fit. Irvine thought it was unfair to the rest of us, so she spoke against it. Her people were so unique." Asaíra stopped and turned to face us, seeming wan as she spoke. "They were hell-bent on having their voices heard. People started to listen and stood alongside them, but Eton wasn't going to have it. He wanted the power all to himself... and the Royauz at least. So he banished Irvine to some other dimension and killed all the others just like her. He wanted ultimate power and couldn't care less for the safety of his people. And his son is just the same." Séres and I exchanged looks.

"Hey, that's a rather similar story to ours,"Séres stated. "With a few tweaks of course. But ours ends with this: If anyone were to wake Irvine from her sleep, a darker and greater evil would awaken as well." I stopped in my tracks. "Look, I don't know if any of this is real but I don't think it's a good idea." Asaíra scoffed and continued walking.

"I know. I'm counting on it."

***

And thanks once again! It's been a great experience writing this.

But anyways, thanks for reading. Comment and vote if you like! I love feedback.

Taja D'amore.