The muttering was overpowering. Oja took a sharp breath, but hesitated to speak. Just ask.
"I don't want to ask for anything, if anything I really want to ask is for you to leave with us."

Arya and Benji exchanged a classic glance with each other that Oja had been noticing since their arrival. How could she make them understand that Zoramaic pride was an unbreakable sheild?

The more she had supported them, the more hatred she'd recieved from the tribesmen, their faith in her faltering with every such decision.

It had just been what? A couple of years? She had seen the Pastor gathering the favour and power amongst certain individuals of the tribe. The same ones that had been responsible for the things that she didn't want to remember - made sure - that she never remembered.

She had seen even the girls' faith had been faltering in her. Fiana had been very wary and defensive since the visitors showed up. Fiana had only heard stories of military visitations since a few decades from her elders in the tribe. The older women who were given the task of educating the children often spoke about these selfish visitors while teaching their religious precept about the Zoramaic way as cautionary tales. Pastor's orders for the new syllabus.

Oja motioned at Syf for which he nodded, moving from her side towards the Pastor and his men. The shadow girl went ahead and led other people away into the cave-ways and returned back.

"What's happening?" Benji looked around as the remainder of people left the place. "Can someone explain, please?"

"Patience." Oja commanded.

As the hall became empty, rid of other tribesmen Oja motioned her hand towards another exit door of the cave in the far end corner.
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Oja chuckled in the dim lit way, the chuckle echoed back. Arya studied her shadow as it lead her through. "You know, in the beginning I thought you are just a distraction, a fucked up wish granted from the dark side."

Arya warily looked back at Benji, as if seeing his face brought her some sort of safety, Oja had been observing that a lot since the encounter.

"But I didn't know I could be this desperate." Oja completed her confession.

The shadow girl - even she had a grim expression on her face while she overheard it from behind, her grey eyes sized down in a veil of sadness.

After several turns in the dark cavern ways, the group halted at wooden door fitted to a square opening carved upon a rocky surface. The craftsmanship was crude, but robust.

"Fiana." Oja called out standing at the door.

The shadow girl walked past Arya and Benji, arrows on her shoulder almost poked Benji's eyes out as he ducked. "Whoa whoa."

The shadow girl held Oja's shoulder, as if she was assuring her. She let her move aside before her hands searched and grabbed a large iron ring on the door handle and banged it a couple of times.

"Irina." Oja said, "let us in, baby."

"Wait, who's Fiana then?" Benji wondered.

The shadow girl looked over her shoulder and scowled. By far that was the only other expression they had seen on her face.

"Oh." Benji pursed his lips and showed his palms. "we get it now. Nice to meet you Fiana."

The door creaked open, very slightly followed by a weird kind of silence and then followed the unknown footsteps inside which shuffled away into darkness.

Arya gulped. What is this madness? Have I bitten more than I can actually swallow?

Fiana stepped in, followed by Oja and Syf. Oja called the remainder in, "come on in. Don't be scared, she's harmless."

"Is she?" Benji sarcastically wailed before he stepped in dragging Arya who was obviously lost in her thoughts.

The cavern was as such alright. Some earthen platters and vases were set aside, a cot in a corner was tattered. The room obviously didn't have any ventilation, the air was thick, laden with sweaty and musky odour. Even Oja's adapted olfaction could pick up some traces of excrement in the air.

"Hukgh! What is that smell man?"

Another scowl from Fiana. Benji's gonna score high on this, Arya thought.

"Irina, baby..." Oja cooed. A small figure, hunched at its back, with only scrawny bones and skin visible, cautiously walked out from the darkness. Its breathing was raspy and now that it came forward, they could make out a weak, scared human face on it.

"They are our new visitors, come see them. Don't be scared. I'm here baby, your sister Fiana is here too. Come see us."

Arya and Benji stood stoked, realisation punching them hard on the face as the figure approached into Oja's arms.

"Mama." Irina said, her small face moving inside the embrace of her mother. "You didn't come to visit yesterday."

"Oh, that's why you didn't want to have your favourite stew yesterday night, huh?" Oja caressed her hair or what was left of it behind her ears.

In the light of the lantern, they could see her skin peeling off of her, mosaics of thin transparent tissue stuck on some places but mostly falling off.

So, that was her secret.
What more do you hide, Oja? Do you really have what Silas says you have?

Arya stepped forward, as if on instinct, albeit cautious.

Irina grunted, reflexively withdrawing herself. "Who's she?"

"Hey, don't be scared. I'm Arya and this is my friend Benji. We came here to be friends with you."

"Friends? I don't have any friends. Nobody wants to be friends with me. You'll see how much you'll regret having me." Irina slowly walked back into the darkness.

Oja squeezed her hand on her knee while she crouched on the ground. Arya could swear that she cried if not mistaken, even in the darkness a tiny droplet rolled over her cheek. "I do NOT regret having you, Irina!"

Fiana sat down and rubbed Oja on the shoulder.

Arya was lost at words. She was clearly an outsider, a stranger that girl didn't trust. She just wanted to examine her so that she could plan a working treatment protocol for her disease.

"Irina, is it?" Benji stepped forward.

Third time's the charm, right? Arya thought.

The raspy voice answered after a pause. "Yes. You can call me 'Rina if you want."

"Yup, yeah. Rina makes it easier, right?" Benji glanced over at Oja, raised an eyebrow with a curt nod in assurance.

"So, do you like playing games Rina?"

Arya rolled her eyes and almost lifted her hand to stop Benji, but there was an unexpected reply from the shadows.

"Yes. But Fiana doesn't play with me. She says she cannot play anymore, she is not a child anymore."

"Well, nobody needs to be a child to play a game, take for an example, this skull game?" He slowly took out the foldable screen from his pocket and tapped it open. A bright light came alive at its rim followed by a projection of a game screen.

A skull with opening and closing jaws moved across the game field, attacking and biting coins. Irina's face came out of the shadow in curiosity, her eyes ogling at the tablet.

"Come here, I'll teach you how to play this."

"Promise me." Irina said, "you won't hurt me?"

"No," Benji heaved a sigh of relief. "I -we promise."

The girl slowly came over, still hunching and poked her finger inside the projection to touch the skull. The display warped, skull turned at her and announced, "Avatar registered. Move your finger across the field to earn coins."

Irina was happy, sliding her deformed fingers across the game as Benji occasionally interrupted her giving tips for winning.

Arya watched on, he had his light, an aura that she admired. He deserved the truth and her loyalty. Not that Silas. Not anybody. But him.

She opened her back pack settling in a far corner and took out some sampling vials. As her gaze met Benji, she signalled him and Fiana.

Fiana touched Irina occasionally, but the girl didn't seem to be bothered by it. So she made sure some of her fallen skin and hair were collected through them.

Oja came over and sat with her, as Benji joined too, leaving Fiana and Irina to have their time together. Syf  safeguarded the door.

"What happened to her?" Arya took out her personal tab and started jotting down some points that felt important to her.

"They are my daughters. Twins." Oja smiled, "Both of them were supposed to be turning 19 this year."

Arya could see the difference, Irina was not only ill, but physically and developmentally behaved like a 10 year old kid. There was not much syndromes that she could point her finger at, with this limited data. She needed more.

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Wc -1480