Chapter 65: Victoria
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As a creature whose primary instincts were to love and care, Adalia longed to share this same feeling of bliss with Xzavier. As partners who had gone through the same ordeal, she was well aware of the inescapable darkness that followed one from such an experience. Little did she know that Xzavier lived for this darkness. In his line of work, both as a solider and a hunter, the darkness was often a by product that came along with the job. But of course, Adalia hadn't envisaged this. She was much to consumed Xzavier's healing process that she had failed to factor in this variable.
So, when she did manage to take her eyes off the window to glance in Xzavier's direction, once again she was met with a cold shock. She turned her back on the window to fully face Xzavier, hoping to see the look of awe and wonder in his eyes as he gazed upon her beloved city. But alas, in place of awe and wonder was the cold smug look of indifference which sat on Xzavier's fine facial features. Adalia was flabbergasted. This wasn't t reaction she had hoped for at all!
Thinking his side of the window w as probably hampered by a wall or something, Adalia lowered her gaze and tried to catch a glimpse of Xzavier's point of view. And sure enough, A she had suspected, his position actually offered him a very generous perspective of the beautiful metropolis called Victoria city.
Stunned with surprise, Adalia didn't know what to think. She wanted to accost him, but logic prevailed, and instead, she began to ponder on the reason behind his calm reaction to such a glorious sight which he was definitely seeing for the first time. Had she misjudged his sense of taste?
"No!" she thought to herself.
"Even a simpleton from the farthest reaches of civilization will definitely bow in deference to the sophistication of Victoria City!"
She deliberated further on the subject. But all her theories and suppositions brought her to naught. So, confronted with a dilemma to which she had no solution, Adalia finally decided to approach Xzavier on the subject.
Adalia could spot a liar from a mile off. This was one of the gifts she had been awarded by life from a very young age. She had been with Xzavier long enough to tell that he wasn't a liar. But at the same time, she sensed in him a deep well of secrets. Spurred on by this new line of thought, Adalia coughed uncomfortably, indicating that she was about to speak. Xzavier in turn caught on and turned to give her the attention that was due to her.
She opened her mouth and her question flew out faster than she had originally intended.
"What's is a matter Xzavier? You don't look too impressed. Did my beloved city not meet up with your expectations? Does it truly seem so ordinary to you that not even a spark of admiration crossed your face?"
Without guile, and without attempting to be coy about it, Adalia dove right in and went straight to the point, hitting the nail on the head.
Xzavier on the other hand was a bit surprised for several reasons. But primarily, he was surprised that his approval of her city meant so much to her. He was taken aback by the bluntness of her speech, but he quickly found out that he was actually endeared by her openness about the whole thing. Transparency was one of the qualities he treasured the most. And clearly, Adalia had an over abundance of this enviable quality.
So, not wanting to disrespect her by being vague, Xzavier answered her with the truth.
"I didn't mean to blow off your city…" he began carefully
"…but honestly, where I am from, back in my homeland, this is pretty much the norm. Buildings of this size and magnitude are commonplace there."
Xzavier made no move to explain further. This was probably one of his most annoying traits- his unwillingness to talk. Like a drone who had just casually dropped a bomb, Xzavier acted like what he had just said was so ordinary. Adalia noticed this.
Without question, Adalia was shocked. More than ever, the embers of her curiosity were enflamed by the knowledge which was the fire that Xzavier had just ignited. She adjusted her sitting position and faced Xzavier squarely. Her mind was running with a million questions that needed immediate answers. Just who was this stranger? And more importantly, where was he from? Were all men like him back in his hometown? What sort of place was that?
These burning questions filled her heart, leaking out like an over flowing cup, lingering on the edges of her lips, waiting to be unleashed like floodgates holding back a flood. Adalia fought the urge to ask these questions. But she took a deep breath, and once again, etiquette prevailed. It took the entirety of her self control, but Adalia restrained herself from ambushing Xzavier.
Despite the fact that they had been through a whole lot, they had only just met. On one level, they could be considered as friends, but on another level, they were very much still strangers. To pry into his past with the eagerness and ravenous hunger of a she-wolf would be densely rude. Not just that, it would be the very definition of inappropriate, completely ruining every chance of her finding out the salacious gist she was so desperate to get. Adalia knew that she had to play the long game. She had to get him to trust her. This was the only hope she had of ever gaining the much coveted information she wanted.
So, at the end of the mental deliberation, Adalia found herself saying aloud to Xzavier in a quiet voice:
"You are a strange one Xzavier…a strange one indeed…."
Her tone wasn't patronizing. Adalia was simply speaking her truth. Xzavier responded by simply shrugging his shoulders. Just as Adalia expected, he made no move to confirm or debunk her claim. She in turn held back herself from spewing.
So, the elegant carriage with the magnificent steeds trotted gracefully through the streets of the famous Victoria city. It weaved through the elaborate roads where other carriages like it also moved in a coordinated manner. It was all so neat and tidy really. The white washed roads that were reminiscent of the ancient Roman's distinct engineering littered the streets. The pedestrians trekked on opposite sides of the roads and maintained a reasonable distance from the horse drawn carriages.
There were no suffocating carbon monoxide fumes. There were no blaring horns. There was just the steady trotting of horses, and the comforting thuds of numerous feet simultaneously hitting the earth. Combined together, these sounds gave the city its own distinct heartbeat. It was truly metropolitan, but without the perks of the modern world from Xzavier's day.
From his window, Xzavier watched as vendors pitched their stands at vantage points, calling out to folks strolling by, and offering discounts and promos and all the other shenanigans that was typical of sales persons. Newspaper Boys stood at the street corners, holding up today's editions and calling out the teasing headlines in loud voices.
The buildings on the opposite sides of the roads added to the long list of factors that made the city the urban grove that it was. Xzavier couldn't spot any residential houses that looked like duplexes and detached bungalows. No, all he saw was rows and rows of towering buildings that rose from the ground up towards the skyline.
Some of these towers were apartment complexes that no doubt housed loft vestibules for the middle and working class. At the bottom of these buildings were lock up stores, convenience corner stores and a host of other small scale businesses.
When Xzavier looked beyond the giant concrete towers, in the horizon, he could see the homes of what appeared to be the upper class. Sitting on the hills, above the hustle and bustle of the regular people, were a string of glowing white manors. Even from a distance, Xzavier could tell that those estates were worth a mint. Xzavier finally understood why Adalia had been so uptight about this city being the best of the best. For someone like her who had been born in this time line, Victoria City might have as well been paradise to her. By European Middle Ages standard, Victoria City wasn't bad all.
Xzavier had been lost in the simple and yet elegant allure of the city that he failed to notice that they were had arrived at the gates of the city hall.
As they disembarked, Xzavier feasted his eyes on the citadel which stood before him. A brilliant looking official welcomed them at the gates with a benign smile.
"Good day and welcome to the city hall. How may I be of service to you?"
The young chap sounded like an automaton who had repeated the same generic speech at least a hundred times.
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As a creature whose primary instincts were to love and care, Adalia longed to share this same feeling of bliss with Xzavier. As partners who had gone through the same ordeal, she was well aware of the inescapable darkness that followed one from such an experience. Little did she know that Xzavier lived for this darkness. In his line of work, both as a solider and a hunter, the darkness was often a by product that came along with the job. But of course, Adalia hadn't envisaged this. She was much to consumed Xzavier's healing process that she had failed to factor in this variable.
So, when she did manage to take her eyes off the window to glance in Xzavier's direction, once again she was met with a cold shock. She turned her back on the window to fully face Xzavier, hoping to see the look of awe and wonder in his eyes as he gazed upon her beloved city. But alas, in place of awe and wonder was the cold smug look of indifference which sat on Xzavier's fine facial features. Adalia was flabbergasted. This wasn't t reaction she had hoped for at all!
Thinking his side of the window w as probably hampered by a wall or something, Adalia lowered her gaze and tried to catch a glimpse of Xzavier's point of view. And sure enough, A she had suspected, his position actually offered him a very generous perspective of the beautiful metropolis called Victoria city.
Stunned with surprise, Adalia didn't know what to think. She wanted to accost him, but logic prevailed, and instead, she began to ponder on the reason behind his calm reaction to such a glorious sight which he was definitely seeing for the first time. Had she misjudged his sense of taste?
"No!" she thought to herself.
"Even a simpleton from the farthest reaches of civilization will definitely bow in deference to the sophistication of Victoria City!"
She deliberated further on the subject. But all her theories and suppositions brought her to naught. So, confronted with a dilemma to which she had no solution, Adalia finally decided to approach Xzavier on the subject.
Adalia could spot a liar from a mile off. This was one of the gifts she had been awarded by life from a very young age. She had been with Xzavier long enough to tell that he wasn't a liar. But at the same time, she sensed in him a deep well of secrets. Spurred on by this new line of thought, Adalia coughed uncomfortably, indicating that she was about to speak. Xzavier in turn caught on and turned to give her the attention that was due to her.
She opened her mouth and her question flew out faster than she had originally intended.
"What's is a matter Xzavier? You don't look too impressed. Did my beloved city not meet up with your expectations? Does it truly seem so ordinary to you that not even a spark of admiration crossed your face?"
Without guile, and without attempting to be coy about it, Adalia dove right in and went straight to the point, hitting the nail on the head.
Xzavier on the other hand was a bit surprised for several reasons. But primarily, he was surprised that his approval of her city meant so much to her. He was taken aback by the bluntness of her speech, but he quickly found out that he was actually endeared by her openness about the whole thing. Transparency was one of the qualities he treasured the most. And clearly, Adalia had an over abundance of this enviable quality.
So, not wanting to disrespect her by being vague, Xzavier answered her with the truth.
"I didn't mean to blow off your city…" he began carefully
"…but honestly, where I am from, back in my homeland, this is pretty much the norm. Buildings of this size and magnitude are commonplace there."
Xzavier made no move to explain further. This was probably one of his most annoying traits- his unwillingness to talk. Like a drone who had just casually dropped a bomb, Xzavier acted like what he had just said was so ordinary. Adalia noticed this.
Without question, Adalia was shocked. More than ever, the embers of her curiosity were enflamed by the knowledge which was the fire that Xzavier had just ignited. She adjusted her sitting position and faced Xzavier squarely. Her mind was running with a million questions that needed immediate answers. Just who was this stranger? And more importantly, where was he from? Were all men like him back in his hometown? What sort of place was that?
These burning questions filled her heart, leaking out like an over flowing cup, lingering on the edges of her lips, waiting to be unleashed like floodgates holding back a flood. Adalia fought the urge to ask these questions. But she took a deep breath, and once again, etiquette prevailed. It took the entirety of her self control, but Adalia restrained herself from ambushing Xzavier.
Despite the fact that they had been through a whole lot, they had only just met. On one level, they could be considered as friends, but on another level, they were very much still strangers. To pry into his past with the eagerness and ravenous hunger of a she-wolf would be densely rude. Not just that, it would be the very definition of inappropriate, completely ruining every chance of her finding out the salacious gist she was so desperate to get. Adalia knew that she had to play the long game. She had to get him to trust her. This was the only hope she had of ever gaining the much coveted information she wanted.
So, at the end of the mental deliberation, Adalia found herself saying aloud to Xzavier in a quiet voice:
"You are a strange one Xzavier…a strange one indeed…."
Her tone wasn't patronizing. Adalia was simply speaking her truth. Xzavier responded by simply shrugging his shoulders. Just as Adalia expected, he made no move to confirm or debunk her claim. She in turn held back herself from spewing.
So, the elegant carriage with the magnificent steeds trotted gracefully through the streets of the famous Victoria city. It weaved through the elaborate roads where other carriages like it also moved in a coordinated manner. It was all so neat and tidy really. The white washed roads that were reminiscent of the ancient Roman's distinct engineering littered the streets. The pedestrians trekked on opposite sides of the roads and maintained a reasonable distance from the horse drawn carriages.
There were no suffocating carbon monoxide fumes. There were no blaring horns. There was just the steady trotting of horses, and the comforting thuds of numerous feet simultaneously hitting the earth. Combined together, these sounds gave the city its own distinct heartbeat. It was truly metropolitan, but without the perks of the modern world from Xzavier's day.
From his window, Xzavier watched as vendors pitched their stands at vantage points, calling out to folks strolling by, and offering discounts and promos and all the other shenanigans that was typical of sales persons. Newspaper Boys stood at the street corners, holding up today's editions and calling out the teasing headlines in loud voices.
The buildings on the opposite sides of the roads added to the long list of factors that made the city the urban grove that it was. Xzavier couldn't spot any residential houses that looked like duplexes and detached bungalows. No, all he saw was rows and rows of towering buildings that rose from the ground up towards the skyline.
Some of these towers were apartment complexes that no doubt housed loft vestibules for the middle and working class. At the bottom of these buildings were lock up stores, convenience corner stores and a host of other small scale businesses.
When Xzavier looked beyond the giant concrete towers, in the horizon, he could see the homes of what appeared to be the upper class. Sitting on the hills, above the hustle and bustle of the regular people, were a string of glowing white manors. Even from a distance, Xzavier could tell that those estates were worth a mint. Xzavier finally understood why Adalia had been so uptight about this city being the best of the best. For someone like her who had been born in this time line, Victoria City might have as well been paradise to her. By European Middle Ages standard, Victoria City wasn't bad all.
Xzavier had been lost in the simple and yet elegant allure of the city that he failed to notice that they were had arrived at the gates of the city hall.
As they disembarked, Xzavier feasted his eyes on the citadel which stood before him. A brilliant looking official welcomed them at the gates with a benign smile.
"Good day and welcome to the city hall. How may I be of service to you?"
The young chap sounded like an automaton who had repeated the same generic speech at least a hundred times.
As a creature whose primary instincts were to love and care, Adalia longed to share this same feeling of bliss with Xzavier. As partners who had gone through the same ordeal, she was well aware of the inescapable darkness that followed one from such an experience. Little did she know that Xzavier lived for this darkness. In his line of work, both as a solider and a hunter, the darkness was often a by product that came along with the job. But of course, Adalia hadn't envisaged this. She was much to consumed Xzavier's healing process that she had failed to factor in this variable.So, when she did manage to take her eyes off the window to glance in Xzavier's direction, once again she was met with a cold shock. She turned her back on the window to fully face Xzavier, hoping to see the look of awe and wonder in his eyes as he gazed upon her beloved city. But alas, in place of awe and wonder was the cold smug look of indifference which sat on Xzavier's fine facial features. Adalia was flabbergasted. This wasn't t reaction she had hoped for at all!Thinking his side of the window w as probably hampered by a wall or something, Adalia lowered her gaze and tried to catch a glimpse of Xzavier's point of view. And sure enough, A she had suspected, his position actually offered him a very generous perspective of the beautiful metropolis called Victoria city.Stunned with surprise, Adalia didn't know what to think. She wanted to accost him, but logic prevailed, and instead, she began to ponder on the reason behind his calm reaction to such a glorious sight which he was definitely seeing for the first time. Had she misjudged his sense of taste?"No!" she thought to herself."Even a simpleton from the farthest reaches of civilization will definitely bow in deference to the sophistication of Victoria City!"She deliberated further on the subject. But all her theories and suppositions brought her to naught. So, confronted with a dilemma to which she had no solution, Adalia finally decided to approach Xzavier on the subject.Adalia could spot a liar from a mile off. This was one of the gifts she had been awarded by life from a very young age. She had been with Xzavier long enough to tell that he wasn't a liar. But at the same time, she sensed in him a deep well of secrets. Spurred on by this new line of thought, Adalia coughed uncomfortably, indicating that she was about to speak. Xzavier in turn caught on and turned to give her the attention that was due to her.She opened her mouth and her question flew out faster than she had originally intended."What's is a matter Xzavier? You don't look too impressed. Did my beloved city not meet up with your expectations? Does it truly seem so ordinary to you that not even a spark of admiration crossed your face?"Without guile, and without attempting to be coy about it, Adalia dove right in and went straight to the point, hitting the nail on the head.Xzavier on the other hand was a bit surprised for several reasons. But primarily, he was surprised that his approval of her city meant so much to her. He was taken aback by the bluntness of her speech, but he quickly found out that he was actually endeared by her openness about the whole thing. Transparency was one of the qualities he treasured the most. And clearly, Adalia had an over abundance of this enviable quality.So, not wanting to disrespect her by being vague, Xzavier answered her with the truth."I didn't mean to blow off your city" he began carefully"but honestly, where I am from, back in my homeland, this is pretty much the norm. Buildings of this size and magnitude are commonplace there."Xzavier made no move to explain further. This was probably one of his most annoying traits- his unwillingness to talk. Like a drone who had just casually dropped a bomb, Xzavier acted like what he had just said was so ordinary. Adalia noticed this.Without question, Adalia was shocked. More than ever, the embers of her curiosity were enflamed by the knowledge which was the fire that Xzavier had just ignited. She adjusted her sitting position and faced Xzavier squarely. Her mind was running with a million questions that needed immediate answers. Just who was this stranger? And more importantly, where was he from? Were all men like him back in his hometown? What sort of place was that?These burning questions filled her heart, leaking out like an over flowing cup, lingering on the edges of her lips, waiting to be unleashed like floodgates holding back a flood. Adalia fought the urge to ask these questions. But she took a deep breath, and once again, etiquette prevailed. It took the entirety of her self control, but Adalia restrained herself from ambushing Xzavier.Despite the fact that they had been through a whole lot, they had only just met. On one level, they could be considered as friends, but on another level, they were very much still strangers. To pry into his past with the eagerness and ravenous hunger of a she-wolf would be densely rude. Not just that, it would be the very definition of inappropriate, completely ruining every chance of her finding out the salacious gist she was so desperate to get. Adalia knew that she had to play the long game. She had to get him to trust her. This was the only hope she had of ever gaining the much coveted information she wanted.So, at the end of the mental deliberation, Adalia found herself saying aloud to Xzavier in a quiet voice:"You are a strange one Xzaviera strange one indeed."Her tone wasn't patronizing. Adalia was simply speaking her truth. Xzavier responded by simply shrugging his shoulders. Just as Adalia expected, he made no move to confirm or debunk her claim. She in turn held back herself from spewing.So, the elegant carriage with the magnificent steeds trotted gracefully through the streets of the famous Victoria city. It weaved through the elaborate roads where other carriages like it also moved in a coordinated manner. It was all so neat and tidy really. The white washed roads that were reminiscent of the ancient Roman's distinct engineering littered the streets. The pedestrians trekked on opposite sides of the roads and maintained a reasonable distance from the horse drawn carriages.There were no suffocating carbon monoxide fumes. There were no blaring horns. There was just the steady trotting of horses, and the comforting thuds of numerous feet simultaneously hitting the earth. Combined together, these sounds gave the city its own distinct heartbeat. It was truly metropolitan, but without the perks of the modern world from Xzavier's day.From his window, Xzavier watched as vendors pitched their stands at vantage points, calling out to folks strolling by, and offering discounts and promos and all the other shenanigans that was typical of sales persons. Newspaper Boys stood at the street corners, holding up today's editions and calling out the teasing headlines in loud voices.The buildings on the opposite sides of the roads added to the long list of factors that made the city the urban grove that it was. Xzavier couldn't spot any residential houses that looked like duplexes and detached bungalows. No, all he saw was rows and rows of towering buildings that rose from the ground up towards the skyline.Some of these towers were apartment complexes that no doubt housed loft vestibules for the middle and working class. At the bottom of these buildings were lock up stores, convenience corner stores and a host of other small scale businesses.When Xzavier looked beyond the giant concrete towers, in the horizon, he could see the homes of what appeared to be the upper class. Sitting on the hills, above the hustle and bustle of the regular people, were a string of glowing white manors. Even from a distance, Xzavier could tell that those estates were worth a mint. Xzavier finally understood why Adalia had been so uptight about this city being the best of the best. For someone like her who had been born in this time line, Victoria City might have as well been paradise to her. By European Middle Ages standard, Victoria City wasn't bad all.Xzavier had been lost in the simple and yet elegant allure of the city that he failed to notice that they were had arrived at the gates of the city hall.As they disembarked, Xzavier feasted his eyes on the citadel which stood before him. A brilliant looking official welcomed them at the gates with a benign smile."Good day and welcome to the city hall. How may I be of service to you?"The young chap sounded like an automaton who had repeated the same generic speech at least a hundred times.
