Reading Minds

"Ah! I am so exhausted!" Noraya slumped her small body on the sofa and lifted her feet on the center table then suddenly looked at her. "Do you cook?"

She can cook, yes, at Akijam. She does not know though how her cooking in this world is. When she was younger, her mother taught her necessary cooking skills, not using magic. She's not sure where did her mother learned her cooking skills, but she was good. She remembered her dream early this morning. Her mother passed through the portal to the mortal world. It was hard to believe, though. She never heard from her parents anything about it. 'Ah, it is just a dream and –'

"Hello! Am I talking to anyone?" Noraya snapped her back from her thinking. She saw her waving her hands in front of her face.

"Ah…" she blinked at her, "I remember some recipe from our place, but I am not sure if I am good at it."

"Forget it. We'll just order out something. I'm exhausted even to lift a finger. We'll figure out the rest tomorrow." Noraya lazily took her phone and dialed. A few minutes later, she is now talking with somebody else on the other line.

"I ordered food. I will go and take a quick shower. You can go after me. I will leave a change of clothes for you. We'll go shopping tomorrow for your clothes and other stuff. And we'll buy you a bed." Noraya lengthily instructed her.

She just nodded in response. She doesn't want to ask many questions to her now. She noticed that she gets easily annoyed, she does not like being bothered in her personal life, but she felt that she was kind on the inside.

She must be patient with her, anyway, she already agreed to help her. And, the fact that she can be a medium for her to speak with Lord Mokabe in the other world. She did not have to look somewhere else.

-----

Kingdom of Akijam

"What do you mean, I can not see Macrena in this well?" King Matius' voice thundered in the throne room.

Arwono flinched at the booming voice of the king. "Your majesty, the king can only see human beings on the well. That's what the well is intended for. Any gods that went there can not be seen through the well." Gods can only see humans from the well. It is where the gods decide the fate of the humans. Any gods banished to the human world can not appear on the well, totally cutting them off from the kingdom of Akijam.

"That's nonsense!" He was curious about how Macrena is doing in the human world. He needs to monitor her if she was looking for a way to come back to Akijam. He can not be lenient to her. She's still a threat to his reign as a king to the kingdom. "Is there any way that we can see her, how is she doing there? There might be a way!"

Arwono stroke his beard. "There is nothing that I can remember…but…"

"But..??!," he looked at the elder stroking his beard and thinking. 'Yes, there should be a way.' He thought.

"There is a way that our kind can communicate in between two worlds through a medium," Arwono answered in a low voice and took a step closer to him. As if that what he is about to say to him is something that nobody should hear.

"What do you mean?" his voice becomes quiet as well and leaning closer to the elder.

"There is this crystal they called Afkarr crystal. It needs to be mixed with water that the medium should drink. By the medium, she can communicate to whoever she wished to speak with from Akijam."

Matius leaned on his throne, scratching his chin. "But, we can not still see her?"

"No, your majesty."

"Then do you think she has the crystals? And if she has it, who do you think she will contact?"

Arwono creased his brows, trying to remember the night they sent Macrena to the mortal world. "Hmmn…I did not see the queen…er….lady Macrena brought anything with her that night. I did not see Lord Mokabe handed anything either."

Matius still not convinced. "Where can she possibly get this Afkarr crystal?" He believes that Macrena will not leave without making any plans. She sounded resolute on her swear to come back and take back the throne from him. He knew his niece as a tactical person. She will find a way for her to go back. Even if it impossible as they say.

"From the elves' cave and The Great Seer will have to pray for it. I do not think she had the time to acquire it. As you know, it is not easy to enter the Budi mountain and see the great seer."

Matius nodded, feeling a little relieved. "Still, we can't be relaxed yet. Take an eye on Mokabe and let me know anything suspicious. If she has the crystals, she will contact Mokabe." He ordered the elder and leaned and closed his eyes. He was already seated on the throne. For a long time, he has been planning on how to take over the throne from his brother. He grew up only the second-best from his brother, their parents never looked at him as good as his older brother. He made a resolve that one day, he will rule the kingdom and be their king. He would have felt better if Macrena did not make the vow in her father's name to get back her throne and bring punishment to those who framed her up on the day of her dethronement. Now, almost every night, he was thinking about her words and her fierce eyes looking at him.

Hidden from Matius and Arwono, a servant of the palace was listening to the men's conversation earlier. The servant did not intend to eavesdrop on the king's conversation with one of the elders, but he happened to be passing by the throne room when he heard them mentioned the name of queen Macrena, which made him curious to know what were they talking about.

He has been a loyal servant of the palace for a long time, and he can not still believe that the queen murdered a human. He's been serving the queen since she was ten years old, and he saw her grew into a kind being. He saw how she ruled the kingdom, being compassionate and understanding among her subjects. He felt sad when she willingly stepped down from her throne and let her uncle took over.

He hurriedly went away from the room, trying not to be noticed by the two men. He will keep what he heard for himself for now and will tell Lord Mokabe when he had a chance. He still doesn't trust king Matius.

-----

Noraya's apartment.

The food already arrived, and they had already finished cleaning up. They were both wearing a pajama already and were ready to go to bed.

"If you don't mind sleeping in the living room for now. We will buy you a bed tomorrow. I think a single bed will fit in my room. Are you okay with sharing rooms?" Noraya is talking more relaxed now. They just had their dinner and sitting at the dining table, digesting their food.

"I do not mind sleeping in the living room. And yes, we'll do what you want about buying a new bed. I am just relieved that I have a place to stay." She calmly answered. "I'm sorry for bothering you a lot, and I am thankful for helping me too."

Noraya just nodded at her. "It's okay. You're paying anyway. And I am living alone too. I could use a hand in paying the rent."

Noraya yawned and stood up. "Let's go to sleep now. We'll be busy tomorrow. After then, let's hear your plan. Goodnight!" she waved her hands at her and walked to her bedroom.

The next day, as they planned, they went shopping for her clothes and other necessary items for her. Noraya rented a car for their shopping trip, making it easier for them to go from one place to another. It was already seven in the evening when they had finished tidying up all that they have bought.

Macrena never felt so tired in her life. They had to carry big bags and boxes, move them from the building's ground floor to the fifth floor where the apartment unit is. They also assembled her new bed by themselves and decided to clean the unit as well. She couldn't complain seeing Noraya initiating the work and never made a complaint.

They were both slumped on the sofa in the living, and both feet lifted on top of the center table.

"I think I'm dying!" Noraya complained, her eyes were closed.

She looked at her with worry. Is she having difficulty in breathing? "Are you okay? Can you breathe?" she worriedly sat down properly, looking at her.

Noraya opened her eyes and looked at her, confused. "What are you talking about?" her brows are creased. She was still leaning her head on the sofa.

"You said you are dying. I thought you couldn't breathe" she was as confused at her. Why is she asking her if she was the one who said to her that she is about to die?

Noraya burst out laughing. She can't believe that Macrena thought that she was literally dying! Where in the world did she come from, she too naïve!

She creased her brows. Why is she laughing at her? She said she was dying earlier, and now she was laughing.

"Macrena, I am not dying. I am just exaggerating that I am tired to the bones." She was still laughing. Tears were coming from her eyes. "You see…" she gestured her hands. "I am very much alive!" she said while wiping her tears.

"Oh!" she was speechless. Is this how humans talk? They were confusing. They were saying something that they really don't mean. How can they understand each other? Do all humans speak like this?

Noraya tapped her shoulder, which woke her up from her confusion. "You probably grew up locked up in your house, and this is the first time you came out to the real world. You're too naïve!" she told her, still chuckling.

"Well, I guess." She just said softly, feeling a little bit embarrassed.

"Let's order food. I'm starving," she quickly changed the topic.

She observed her while she makes a call. She acts independently and carefree. She doesn't seem to care about what is going on around her. She must be a happy person to be with.

"So, what's your next plan now?" Noraya asked when they were eating dinner.

"My plan?" she tilted her head.

"I mean, are you going to find a job? How are you going to find your relatives? What are you going to do about your amnesia? Well, you do not even have an identification, to begin with."

She gave her a shy smile. "I will probably remember everything in time." She put her chin on the back of her right hand on top of the table. "Hmnn…for work, maybe I could help you." She looked at her with hopeful eyes.

Noraya shook her head repeatedly. "No, no…I am not looking for an apprentice, and besides, I do not have money to pay you. Do you even know how to read tarot, or do you even have ESP [1]? These are gifts, although some can be learned, but these are more like a gift from heaven." She was making gestures with her hands while she explains.

She felt amused at her exaggerated gestures. It made her smile. 'I think what she was saying was like performing divine power. I think I can do that.' She thought to her mind. Well, with her powers, she can read minds and can heal. She can also bring destruction if she wanted to. Her powers were feared in the world of Akijam. With her capabilities to control all the elements, she can either bring damage or healing to a subject. Being in the human world, she was not restricted from using her powers as long as she will not expose herself and murder a human being.

"I can somehow read minds if I try…" she softly said, trying not to be overconfident. She's not sure yet if she can do it in the human world. She can try.

"Oh, really?" Noraya's brows raised. "Okay, guess what I am thinking right now?" Hehe, let's see what this woman can do—claiming that she can do what I do. I doubt so. Noraya thought.

"Let's see what this woman can do. Claiming that she can do what I do. I doubt so." She said, copying the exact words in Noraya's mind.

Noraya's mouth fell open, eyes wide, gawking at her. She shook her head repeatedly. "Haha, no, that was just a stroke of luck. Okay, let's do it again." She challenged and straightened her back.

Macrena looked at her eyes, concentrating. She knew she doesn't believe her. She thinks that she was crazy and just fooling her.

'Okay, do not think of anything. Do not think of anything and free your mind. Breath in, breath out.' Noraya did a breathing exercise. She won't be fool by this woman. She tried to blank her thoughts as hard as she can.

"You are trying to clear out your minds from any thoughts." She confidently smiles at her making her widen her eyes more. "You like my smile too."

'Ah, that smile again!' Noraya's mouth fell broader. Her head felt like spinning. 'How the hell did she do that? I couldn't even do it myself; I just pretend to my clients that I can read their thoughts. But this woman was actually doing it on me!' her head is on panic.

"How the hell did she do that? I couldn't even do it myself; I just pretend to my clients that I can read their tho—"

"Enough!!" Noraya was frantically waving her hands in front of her.

Footnotes:

[1] ESP – Extrasensory perception to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance, or who performs acts that are inexplicable by natural laws.