422 This is Madness! (1/2)
The Isles, Port Sanctuary, UN Naval Base, Worker Dorms, Canteen
Claire cried as she rushed over to the smiling Professor as he walked into the dining room and hugged him tightly. Professor Hamlot patted her gently, ”How are you, child?”
She sobbed into his clothes and after a while, she calmed down and answered, ”I was alone all the time but I am fine...”
”They did not hurt you?” The Professor asked in concern. ”Or ill treated you in any way?”
Claire shook her head, ”No... they only kept asking me questions...”
Professor Hamlot nodded in relief, ”It is good that you are unharmed. I wonder how is the other two doing...”
Just as he finished his sentence, the door of the empty canteen opened and the two boys, Uwen and Berringer came in before the guards closed the door. Berringer, his eyes red, cried out in happiness, ”Professor! Claire! You all are alright?”
”Berringer!” Claire gave the once plump boy a hug as he ran over to join them. ”You are fine too?”
Berringer nodded enthusiastically, ”I wasn't hurt by these strange people... But they kept asking me questions.”
Uwen walked over and gave a sarcastic smile at Claire before taking a seat at one of the long tables. Berringer frowned at Uwen's behaviour, ”Hey Uwen... Aren't you glad to see Claire and the Professor?”
”Blah!” Uwen sneered. ”She got us into this mess in the first place! Why should I be glad?”
”Now we are in some unknown place...” Uwen folded his arms. ”We don't even know if we ever be able to return home! Or... even if they will let us live!”
”We might even be turned into slaves,” Uwen continued his rant. ”I heard some places even eat the brains of their captives... Well, she might be better off, since they make her into a sex slav-”
”Enough!” Professor Hamlot glared at Uwen. ”Stop your tantrum, boy!”
Uwen gave snorted indignantly as he turned away from the Professor. Professor Hamlot sighed and said, ”The important thing now is everyone is safe. We will find out what our... saviours and captors want from us soon enough...”
”We are all in this together...” Professor Hamlot glared at Uwen. ”We need to stick together or whoever these people are will break us one by one!”
”Professor, do you know who these people are?” Claire asked. ”They... seemed to treat us not too badly...”
”Not too bad?” Uwen snorted as he rolled his eyes. ”So what did you do? Spread your legs?”
A sudden sharp smack surprised everyone in the room. Uwen's face had a red handprint while Claire gripped her hands into fists. She pointed a finger at Uwen's whose mouth was opened and said, ”I had enough of you! Y- you spoiled brat!”
She raised her hand again to give Uwen another slap when Professor Hamlot quickly intervened by grabbing her hand. ”That is enough... I think he learnt his lesson...”
Claire sat down with her head lowered and covered her face with her hands. Berringer looked left and right, wondering who should he comfort while Uwen had tears forming on his eyes as he massaged his swollen cheek.
Professor Hamlot turned to Uwen and said sternly, ”Boy... You have crossed a line there with your words! I don't care if you are an Iron Noble's son! There is something that you should never do or say!”
”Th- that lowborn bitch d- dared to hit me!” Uwen shook with anger, pain, and humiliation. ”I will break you!”
Professor Hamlot suddenly reached out with surprising strength and gripped the collar of Uwen and pulled him close. ”Listen, you stupid boy! This is not the place nor time for your stupid noble games!”
”We are all in this together!” Professor Hamlot repeated his earlier words. ”She is your ally here in this unknown place! Do you want to kill us all with your stupidity? Huh?”
He shoved Uwen back down on his seat and jabbed a boney finger against his chest, ”Be a man and do something useful instead of being conceited! The next time this happens again, I will not stop her from beating you up! Do you understand, boy?”
Uwen turned his glaze to the Professor and reluctantly gave a nod. Yet the anger in his eyes did not fade and Professor Hamlot knew that he might give concede now but if they ever return to the Iron Kingdom, he will take revenge on Claire. Yet, there is nothing he can do for now as they were all captives in a strange place.
Berringer gave a weak smile and hoping to change the tense atmosphere of the room, asked the Professor, ”Professor, they questioned me a lot on the geography of our lands and even customs.”
”Did they asked the same of everyone?” Berringer tried to get everyone involved. ”They asked me about how we came here and even how our flying ship worked.”
Professor Hamlot nodded, ”Yes, I was asked similar questions too. They could be trying to find out our identities.”
”Could this place be the Loose Confederation?” Berringer asked. ”I heard that their understanding of steam works are cruder and lower than the rest of the Seven.”
”I do not know,” Professor Hamlot frowned. ”But I do know they seemed to speak some sort of archaic language...”
”Yes...” Claire suddenly spoke. She rubbed her face and ignored the hatred look from Uwen and said, ”When I first woke up, they spoke in some sort of strange language. There were one or two words I think I heard before but... I just can't place it.”
”Hmmm...” Professor Hamlot nodded in agreement. ”I too seemed to find some of their words familiar...”
”Of course, you all will find their language familiar,” Uwen worked his jaw, wincing in pain. ”They are speaking the old tongue. High Elstimar to be exact.”
”Hmmm... yes... Yes!” The Professor bobbed his head in excitement as he thought back to the language used. ”You are right! Amazing! High Elstimar hasn't been used for over... a hundred and fifty years!”