Tevessa's words wafted across my mind while my mind provided many different interpretations and inferences from his words. I didn't want him to think I was pondering on his words so instead, I let out, "If you ask me a question and I answer, would you let me ask a question in return?"

He swam around to keep his legs from staying in a place. Tevessa was a hairy person, his legs, arms, and chest. I could only see his back, his legs moving around. "Ah. Like a back-and-forth?"

"Yes. Will you?"

He swam to me and stood as if thinking. "As long as you're swimming."

"Uh... Okay." I moved around slowly at first, then swam in a circle and returned to my former position. The Nesylone Waters was beautiful and did look mysterious. "How far does this water go?"

"It's like asking where the end of the earth is." He swam around. "Do you have friends on Earth?"

Truly, I didn't know he took my first question as a question. I was just wondering. I didn't mention it, however. It didn't matter, pretty much.

His question felt like an insult, and with the way he was beaming his coral lips, I felt he was expecting an answer in the negative, "Yes," I answered. "Two, three, I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"It's my turn to ask a question, Tevessa," I pouted because his statement made me want to do it around him more often. "Why are the Asterions hiding? Why aren't you helping them prepare for the war with the Zadios?"

Tevessa's body went tense and he calmed down immediately. It had happened so fast that if I had blinked at that particular time, I would have missed it. "You asked two questions," he said instead. "Do we call it null or. . .?"

"You have to answer them both because you just asked a question and it wasn't your turn. You weren't also swimming."

"Ah. Emery Valimenati is trying to be logical." His lips rolled up to a grin.

"I'm not your wife," I snickered.

"I didn't say you were. Except if you want to be, of course."

I rolled my eyes, "Do you not support the Neymens in this battle?"

He sighed. "It's not a thing of support, Emery. The Royals think they have power over all. If we were out there, they would snap a finger and force us all to fight for them, just because we are Asterions. Because we're Nebans fighters. Our people die in the process; it's happened before. We die fighting battles for the Royals, battles that we do not know their instigation. Battles that erupted because the Royals would prefer making profits than settling feuds with opposition or other Cirile countries in a professional royal-like manner."

"They don't seem like those kinds of people." I bobbed around meeting Tevessa's eyes before going into the water and coming out again.  I felt unreservedly calm, nothing sounded shocking, not while I was in Nesylone.

"Your friends, what are their names?" Tevessa asked while swimming around and away from me. I followed him; he had successfully changed the subject, being analytical.

But I wasn't going to give up.

"There's Sandra Khaling. There's King Isnaul, pretty much. Emily Aniah, Griffin Greenwood, but they're more of people I just know. I know a lot of people, truly, but I'm close to a few." I stood in front of Tevessa and he stopped and faced him.

I moved my hands around the water. "When did you start hiding, all of you?"

"After our last battle, the one that got Bihak's father killed." I could tell the thought stung him, but Tevessa didn't blink or tear or whimper. He swam in an encircling form around me. "How close are your friends to you?"

"Um, we're close, close enough to do things together. Although, we don't really share a lot in common. Sandra's a cheerleader and I'm not a fan of music or dance. King's good at basketball but I'm not really good... Asterion is just through the bricks, how haven't the Neymens figured it out?"

"You call the Royals Neymens as though all of them are. See, the Royals are just the Royal family. Royalty may shift from one district to another. History has that it was once in Elakki..." he explained, his mind barely registering that he was talking. It felt as if what he wanted to say had been on his mind for so long that he wanted to let it all out.

I understood that feeling. I was a victim of it. "Tevessa?" I tried to bring him back.

"I know it's not your question but I'll tell you, and I'll answer your question, also. Royals have been chosen from the Domroyante family for so long it's as if Royals have always been rooted in Neymen."

Our bodies were glistening with water. The sun didn't feel so hot, I just realized, it was almost hidden behind clouds now. It got a bit cooler but in this river, the temperature felt normal.

"The Royals can't find us because Neba showed us this place."

"Neba the kingdom, or Neba the dragon?"

"It's my turn, Emery. How did you meet your friends?"

I sighed in frustration. I was getting impatient. The more Tevessa exposed, the less I knew of the kingdom, the more I wanted to know more, and the more I grew impatient.

"I don't remember meeting Sandra. I've known her since we were in kindergarten. But, I guess, once my mum was seriously ill and my dad had gone to Scotland. The hospital was pressing charges and Sandra, she helped, her and her cheerleader pal, Luan. Luan's father is renowned, rich, reputable, and all that R's. It was nothing for him. Her generosity, however, is something I would not forget no matter what happens."

I turned away. I didn't like to think about that incident. The water brushed against my breast as I swam further away from Tevessa.

"King, well, everyone knows King Isnaul. He is one of Rose-Gold High's best basketball players. He and Sandra are close and this term, I guess, we started to get along... What does the tattoo on your arm mean?"

Tevessa went closer to the bank. "I had it years ago as a reminder of where I come from. When you say no matter what happens, do you imply that you do not wish to continue your friendship with Sandra, but you feel indebted to her?"

I blinked more often than I usually do in a second, shocked by how much he was able to infer from my statement. I avoided the answer to the question because somehow, even though I wanted to deny it, I didn't know the answer to that question.

"I don't think it's fair that I provide you detailed answers to your questions but you give me a one-clause or one-word reply," I argued but didn't scream or get mad. Somehow, it felt, that the water wouldn't allow it.

It was like it was controlling my emotions.

I didn't realize Tevessa had come out of the water until I caught him putting on his khaki trousers. "We never had an agreement on how any person was to answer any question. What I'm sure of Emery, is that you should go home and give my question serious thought."

And here I was again, bobbing around in the water and watching Tevessa get dressed, wrapping his words around my head while my mind tried to decipher his words.

***

Crypta didn't question my absence on Friday when I had come to Neymen on Monday, after school. I could imagine him making up an excuse for me in his head: She was sick, weak, or just unable to make it. The thing was that he didn't push it, not even a little. Not even when I was doing ‘Bent-Over Rows’ — Crypta had given me two dumbbells — and he came to stand behind me.

"Put your legs together," he said and put his arms around me. I put my legs together as he reached for my hand and took the dumbbells away. He dropped them on the ground and proceeded to hold me from behind, trapping my hands in his.

"Crypta, what are you doing?"

"A Zadio has held you hostage like this. How do you escape?" He asked instead, ignoring my questions.

I analyzed the situation, or I tried to. My arms were trapped so I couldn't throw any kick. Crypta was awfully close to me so I couldn't move my legs to kick him.

I wriggled my arms, that being the only thing my mind could think of. But my arms were held tight in his.

Then I thought, I could snake my way out, literally. I moved my body in a snake-like manner: up and down, left and right.

Crypta pulled me closer to him, more instinctively than consciously, and I heard him sigh. I too stopped moving, because I could feel him against me, especially in such a frictional situation.

"You're still stuck here." I couldn't see him but I could hear him talk. I felt challenged, I wanted to show him that I could do it. "If this had happened by a real attacker, you would wriggle? You would arouse his interest?"

"Did I arouse your interest?" I watched my mouth ask.

He tightened his grip on my arms. "The next possible thing the Zadio can do at this stage is..." His arms went higher and he locked them around my head and pushed me to his side, "...to trap you in a headlock and..." He locked his arms slightly tighter, more painful, "... choke you to an unconscious state."

I was bent, my head at Crypta's side, facing the side of his waist, seeing the ropes that held his sweatpants in place. I turned my eyes away from his joggers. "And you're utterly helpless, Emerald."

I grunted in annoyance. Crypta Domroyante was right. But he wasn't done yet, he took pleasure in devaluing me. "You've progressed quickly, I'm impressed. You have the speed, you have the strength, but almost everyone has that. In their eyes, you're nothing still. Just a practice game, something to help them keep fit."

"Then train me." My lips were in a frown. I looked stupid in the position as if he was my master, and I was a naughty little child, being punished for knocking down his favourite vase. "That's why I am here, for you to teach me so that I wouldn't just be a sparring game."

For a moment he was silent, surprised. I mean, even I did not truly understand what I had said, pretty much.

"What determines your true skills is your ability to calmly analyze and understand a problem, and then look for the best solution... And the timespan you can achieve such."

He released his arm and put me in the former position – arms trapped, Crypta behind me. "You need to act quickly to prevent the Zadio from trapping you in a headlock, okay?"

"Okay."

"Now, shift your hips to one side?"

"I should. . .Shift my hips?"

"That's what I said."

I did as he said, going to the left. I suddenly had free space, my hand could get out. "Hey, I have a free hand," I remarked as I brought my right arm out of his grip. But then I figured I was still trapped by him. "I'm not free, though."

"Not yet... At this point, you have the opportunity to strike the groin with open-handed strikes." I proceeded to follow his instructions but he held my hand. "Let's skip that part, Emerald, for the sake of all that is good."

"Neymens feel pain?"

He ignored my question. "We assume we have done that part–"

"We didn't."

"I said we assume."

"But we did n–"

"Emerald. We have struck our opponents and now he is weakened. Bring your hand up to your arms."

"What's that mean?" But I did try to understand his instructions. I got it.

"Good. Raise your opposite elbow to turn. But, keep your arms tight to your chest as you do so."

I raised my elbow, as he instructed, and turned, keeping my arms as close to my chest as possible. I was now in front of Crypta, barely feeling trapped at all. I could feel my eyes glitter with pride.

I'd done it.

"We are now at the point where we put our muscles to good use. Use your knees, fists, and your best counterattacks. Avoid hitting the chests, especially while attacking males, they barely hurt."

I did hit Crypta, but lightly, as much as I wanted to punch him really hard so that he could bleed and plead, just like the first day he'd fought me when I barely knew anything about knowing how to fight.

I picked up my dumbbells. "Crypta, you say the Asterions are your fighters?" He nodded and walked to the marked area of the training ground, hands behind him. I followed him.

"Does that make them obliged to fight wars for Neba, whether they are involved with the cause of the war or not? Just like the Bhishons produce medicine and the Elakki provides food, clothing, shelter?"

"May I ask what gives you this idea, Emerald?" He faced me and scrutinized my eyes just as I muttered ‘Nothing, really.’

"I told you before that Nebans can know the genuineness of a person's words just by looking at their eyes, right?"

I gulped. I had let him know that I was hiding something from him. "Yes."

"Very good."

But he didn't ask questions, just like he didn't ask about my absence on Friday. He just trapped my head in a headlock and began to tell me how to escape it. "You'll want to avoid getting choked, so you have to turn into the side as much as possible..."

He explained and I silently obeyed, watching him tutor me, tutor someone who he now knew was keeping a secret from him.

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