Chapter 67 Run Along

Xzavier was about to take another verbal jab at her when he heard approaching footsteps coming from the other side of the closed door. He looked at Adalia and immediately, she also caught the cue. So, mentally and physically, the duo began to prepare themselves to meet their host. In all of three seconds, just as the door opened, Xzavier's and Adalia's facial expressions were now blank, as opposed to the playful and relaxed expressions that had camped on their faces just a while ago.

The cups had been set down neatly as if they had never been touched. Like the wave of a magic wand, the atmosphere in the room had reverted back to its default mood- the cold perfect air that charged the room when Xzavier and Adalia had initially came in.

Just as the door opened behind them, Xzavier and Adalia turned as one in perfect accord and rose respectfully to honor their host. A man in a very impressive uniform stormed into the room. In purposeful and dignified steps, the government official who was of average height strode into the room. He wasn't physically intimidating, but Xzavier could tell from the unmistakable aura of authority that surrounded the man that this was a man of authority.

Since Xzavier was a soldier, his will had been wired over time to conform to rank. So, it wasn't hard to recognize authority. As expected, the man made no move to offer either of them a handshake. They only sat down after he had sat down. Without even bothering to look in Xzavier's direction, he looked right past him and focused his intense gaze on Adalia.

"You're pretty late Miss…"

His slight pause indicated the fact he had forgotten her name. Adalia picked up on this and chirped in her name to help him remember.

"…Adalia sir. My name's Adalia."

"Right…" he said absent mindedly as he poured over some papers on his desk.

"I have it on good authority that the soldiers who had been assigned to you on your last journey have been killed. Is that so?"

"Yes sir."

He clasped his hands together and leaned back as he shot her a penetrating gaze.

"How is it that you came to survive then?"

Adalia took a deep breath and then went on to summarize the events that had transpired. As she spoke, she tried her possible best to keep her voice free of emotion. All through her narration, the government official kept his eyes fixated on her. Not even taking them off for a second. It was a bit disturbing. By the time she was done, Adalia felt like she had just relived the entire thing again.

The government official averted his intense gaze from Adalia and shifted his focus to Xzavier.

"So he is the one?" he asked Adalia.

She nodded.

Xzavier didn't need anyone to tell him that the government official wasn't impressed. Not in the least. After he took a long hard look at Xzavier, he then discussed with Adalia some more.

"I suggest to get back to the governor's house at once. Earlene has been worried sick about you."

The wave of sadness faded away as soon as Adalia received that bit of information. The thought of going to see Earlene filled her with so much joy that she momentarily forgot all the horror she had had to go through. The government official left to make the necessary arrangements to transport her, Adalia got up at once, tailing him like a shadow.

Xzavier who had been watching the exchange carefully knew that he had to remain here till further notice. They both bade goodbye to each other, and just as Adalia was about to leave, she lingered at the door and gently cautioned Xzavier.

"A friendly advice Xzavier…"

Stunned by her odd choice for her last words, Xzavier turned to look at her.

"…don't go wandering around. I know you might be thinking of exploring your new environment, but please don't. You know trouble seems to follow you wherever you go." She emphasized.

Xzavier chuckled softly.

"I am not a trouble maker Adalia. So no need to worry about me, just be safe."

But Xzavier's assurance didn't seem to hold its weight in Adalia's mind.

"I am serious Xzavier. We have rules here. So just because you're now a big shot hero doesn't mean the rules won't apply to you. Don't do anything to dent your honor okay? Please?"

Her concern touched Xzavier deeply. It wasn't like her to give stern warnings. If anything, it should be the other way around. Xzavier didn't know just when their roles had reversed. He assured her one more time in a serious tone;

"Run along now Adalia before you run late. No need to worry about me, I'll be fine."

She recognized the sincerity in his eyes and knew that her warning had been received. So, she left with her heart at peace.

"Good bye Xzavier."

She didn't wait for him to reply. Adalia banged the door behind her.

The ensuing silence engulfed the room like an ominous presence. Xzavier hadn't realized just how alone he was until he heard the steady ticking of the clock in the room. For the first time in a while, he actually had some alone time to himself, and funny enough, he wasn't quite sure what to do with his free time.

As an individual, Xzavier wasn't a mental weakling, in fact he loved being by himself. But this time around, much to his dismay, he found himself saddled with a glaring hole that echoed back the emptiness that now encompassed him on every side.

Unlike his normal self, Xzavier began to seek for even the slightest comfort in the dependable noise of the city life outside. He found himself craving even the subtlest of noises. From the steady trotting of the horse drawn coaches outside to the yelling of pedestrian on the streets. Anything to keep his hold on sanity.

But the thick concrete walls of the sturdy structure completely shut out any noise from the outside, making him feel like he had been entombed in a fancy sarcophagus that had been shoved into the bowels of the earth. It was a morbid thought, and an even more horrifying imagination. But at the same time, it was as disturbing as it was comforting. Xzavier was obviously ambivalent about the whole thing.

Xzavier struggled to understand this sudden feeling, and as he did, he mulled over the source of this new development and slowly made his way back to where it had all started from. Xzavier blamed it all on Adalia. She had infected him with the biting contagious scourge of friendliness. Before he had met her, Xzavier was perfectly fine with being by himself. he had actually thrived on his own. As he reflected on the days that preceded this new development, a deep frown followed by a soft smile of amusement played out on his face.

Although it had seemed normal at the time, Xzavier, discovered that there were days when he could actually go for almost an entire week without uttering a single word. For a man who thrived on the cold embrace of solitude, he had neither the luxury nor opportunity to engage in any kind of conversation. All his mental faculties were focused on enhancing the efficiency of both his psychological and physiological state.

Xzavier couldn't help but chuckle as he reflected deeply on his personal growth as a social creature.

Xzavier watched painfully as a whole hour passed. He could literally feel each passing minute drag past him. In that period, no one came to check up on him. He didn't even have the luxury of dozing off for a minute because of the generous amount of rich coffee he had gulped down earlier on. This sent his biochemistry into a turmoil.

Xzavier's mind was ready to hibernate, but his body had been loaded with the ultimate stimulant that had proven effective over the years- coffee!

There was nothing worse than brimming with an exorbitant amount of energy, only to be confined within a tiny space and with no outlet to expend this insane amount of energy gathering within. As Xzavier sat down in the chair, he found his fingers tapping away energetically. He couldn't seem to keep his eyes in one place, they kept darting back and forth across the room. By the end of the first hour, he had virtually memorized just about everything in the room.

The effect of the coffee began to kick in with full swing. Xzavier was well aware of the fresh surge of enthusiastic energy brewing within him. He thought he could rein it in and channel in to a reasonable endeavor, but when no one came, Xzavier sprang to hist feet with the agility of a cat. Unable to contain his coffee-induced-excitement anymore, Xzavier began to walk around the room in circles.

He went up close to the large portraits hanging on the wall and almost laughed out loud at the funny looking mannerisms of Europeans from the Middle Ages.