Chapter 62 Carriage

Unknown to Tacy, just as she kept her eyes fixated on Xzavier from a distance, another pair of keen watchful eyes also observed her.

From the balcony of the building opposite Tacy, the proprietor of the underground keep watched his ward from behind the curtain. Despite the ruckus below, Kadin's eyes remained on Tacy.

Kadin, being an old man, recognized the longing look in his ward's eyes. This was a look he had seen frequently during his lifetime. From his experience, this was the look that preceded the advent of the kind of pain one could only pray not to feel. That was a look of deliberation, a look of one pondering whether to do, or not to do.

And so, while every other person mooned over Xzavier, Tacy's eyes, soul and mind remained on Xzavier, and Kadin in turn watched Tacy very carefully. This was a triangle in which none of its parties were fully aware of, asides from Kadin of course. Kadin made it his business to know everything, but the great burden that came along with knowledge was knowing when to act on it. Kadin did not speak, he simply watched the scene.

In the open street, on the ground below, Xzavier was beginning to lose hope that he would see Tacy in the crowd. The time for his departure was at hand and he felt strangely vulnerable.

As time passed, the magical cloud of euphoria began to dissipate. Xzavier found himself getting repulsed by the gathering. The novelty of the encounter was starting to wear off. This eerie feeling was probably enhanced by the fact that Tacy hadn't come to see him off. He tried to make excuses for her in his head, but even he knew that he sounded pathetic.

So, his towering form eased his way through the throng of mediocre people, his eyes desperately searching for a way out. Just in the nick of time, the fates provided him the escape the needed.

Just a few meters ahead, right up the end of the street, Xzavier spotted a gathering cloud of dust. He wasn't quite yet familiar with the modes of transportation that was common in this time, but if he was, he would have known that the gathering storm was as a result of the horse-drawn carriage that was headed his way at full speed.

Xzavier looked on curiously, and soon enough, his eyes picked out the two leading horses trotting down the road energetically. Xzavier wasn't a horse guy, but even he could tell that the black majestic steeds were regal in nature. Their jet black manes whipped in the air gloriously. Their nostrils flared open as they drew and exhaled deep breaths. Their powerful muscular legs hit the ground again and again, in sync, and at a comfortable pace. Xzavier couldn't take his eyes off the encroaching sight.

As the elegant contraption drew closer to Xzavier, the crowd with had flooded the street began to shuffle out of the way, hurriedly scurrying on their feet in a bid to avoid getting crushed by the carriage. Carriages were a sign of the opulent in these times, and because the class system was still prevalent in those days, most regular people avoided them like a plague.

Indeed, the driver didn't seem to regard any of the souls who were littered all over the road. Whip in hand, clad in a black overcoat, and with a sinister looking top hat, he drove furiously, whipping and urging the horses on.

Hiyaaaaaahhh! Hiyaaaahhhhh!

Undeniably, the driver was fuming. There was no denying the thought that he was more than willing to run over anyone who was foolish enough to stand in his way. Like the ecclesiastical Jewish character Moses who parted the red sea, carriage driver braved through the crowd, forging a path of his own as he progressed. Xzavier noticed that he drove with the air of one who was on an important assignment.

As he approached, Xzavier saw that this was no ordinary carriage. It looked brand new, official and well taken care off. Asides from the horses, its shiny black metal frame glistened under the mild rays of the morning sun. Reflecting and, somehow, absorbing the golden rays. On its windows were solid black curtains which kept the view of the inside obscured from every curious set of wandering eyes.

By now, the attention of the crowd had shifted from Xzavier to the carriage. Xzavier kept his eyes on the carriage, anxious to see the dignitary who had chosen to arrive in such pomp.

His curiosity was soon satisfied. Surprisingly, the carriage slowed down drew to a halt right before Xzavier. This only further enflamed the burning fire of Xzavier's stardom in the sight of the crowd. The people around howled in admiration. Whispers bounced around as a fresh wave of gossip and baseless insinuations began to spread. The local folks of the town as well as the hunters began to chatter excitedly.

"Wow! Can you believe it?!"

"See I told you! The young man if obviously connected!"

One young man looked at Xzavier and the magnificent carriage and wondered aloud'

"Man I wish I was him!"

His friend beside him burst into a hysterical laughter and mocked him;

"Yeah right! You probably need to lose that pot that is gradually forming on your abdomen! Have you ever seen a hero with a potbelly before?!"

Angrily, the other guy retorted;

"Tell that to your father you good for nothing swine!"

The second dude took it in good faith. Still reeling with laughter, he retorted in an even more vitriolic tone;

"At least I have a father! Look at you, a potbellied toad with no hope! No wonder your father left your mother!"

"I'm going to kill you for this!"

That was just one of the many conversations going on all around Xzavier. Clearly, seeing such a magnificent carriage up close, and being in the presence of the living legend (that was Xzavier) was too much for them.

It took a full minute before the entity obscured behind the black, horse-drawn carriage revealed herself. Gracefully, Adalia opened the door of the carriage and poked her head out with a beaming smile on her face.

Xzavier was shocked. He definitely hadn't been expecting this.

Adalia looked nothing like she had looked like the previous day. Her blond hair had been braided and styled in such a way that it now sat on her head like a golden crown. Her bright blue eyes seemed to shimmer like a pair of blue diamonds. Her pale skin looked refreshed. Even though she was clad in modest apparel, she still looked very appealing. Still looking at her as if she was a different person, Adalia had to break the spell by calling out to him;

"Well, what are you waiting for? Please come in quickly! We have a long way to go!"

As if her words had some invisible power behind it, Xzavier found himself moving forward as if compelled by her words. As he walked towards her, in the crowd, he could see the young men nodding their heads approvingly and smiling mischievously. Obviously, they thought Xzavier was a playboy as well as a skilled hunter. Just as Xzavier was about to enter the carriage, one very obnoxious fellow couldn't resist the urge to shout;

"Enjoy yourself sir!"

The rest of the males in the crowd took this as their cue and began to cheer Xzavier one last time before he left. Xzavier cringed. This wasn't the type of attention he wanted. But the crowd just didn't care. As the carriage pulled out of the streets, cries of admiration rang out in volume.

It was only after the carriage left the crowd far behind that Xzavier was able breathe freely. It had been a pretty tense morning, and Xzavier hoped that he would never actually have to do that again. So, alone with Adalia in the beautiful carriage, Xzavier finally came around to his environment.

The interior of the carriage contrasted sharply with its outermost part. It was completely overlaid with crimson cushions, making Xzavier feel like he was on the inside of a giant watermelon. Every time the carriage hit a bump, the shock was absorbed by the comfortably soft cushions. It was a pretty small and compact space. But in all its allure, it paled when compared to the smiling blue eyed blonde sitting across Xzavier.

Truly, Adalia seemed to have transformed. She watched Xzavier gingerly as he drank in his new environment with those suspicious eyes of his. In the short time she had known Xzavier, Adalia admitted to herself that she had never seen him be at ease before. So, determined to break this cycle, she broke the silence with the ideal ice breaker.

"What's is matter Xzavier? Never been in a carriage before?"

Not sure of what to make of this, Xzavier simply shook his head.

"You can relax Xzavier. It's n like I am going to eat you or something."