Raised From The Wild-Chapter 283: The Escape Route

The three of them exited the control room and passed through a narrow passageway before they came to another door. Marx placed his palm over a hexagram pattern and the door opened.

When they stepped out, they were standing in a dimly lit tunnel.

Amaya looked around. She saw a vehicle attached to the gray wall beside the door. It was shaped like a bullet but the size was that of a sports car.

"The escape vehicle," Marx uttered even prior to Amaya asking the question. "I’ll take you on a ride another day."

Amaya has a crease on her forehead. She was thinking why Marx would build such intricate passageways under her palace.

"Marx, do you think that my life would be in danger? Why did you spend so much effort to build these passages?" Amaya asked. She was confused.

"Amaya doesn’t have enemies. She shouldn’t have offended some people as she just came back, right?" Dave butted in.

"Amaya is Ibrahim’s daughter. There might be a group of people who wanted revenge and would vent on Amaya." Marx explained as he looked at Amaya.

"How could that be? Daddy Ibrahim was marooned with me on that island for more than twelve years. Besides, Daddy was a good man."

"Let us go back to the control room. It is a bit stuffy here." Marx did not answer Amaya. Instead, he held her hand and led her back into the control room.

He pulled the chair in the middle and Amaya sat down obediently. Marx typed a few keys on the keyboard and the biggest monitor attached on the wall showed the images of a man wearing a black dragon mask that covered his entire face. Even his eyes could not be clearly seen because it was obscured by the red gems that outlined the mask’s eye area creating an illusion that his eyes were blazing.

Underneath his silver vest, was a black long-sleeved shirt. He wore matching black pants and rubber shoes.

Amaya looked at Marx in bewilderment.

"Is that the Dragon Lord?" Dave asked with an excited voice.

Marx nodded silently.

"I was only a little boy then but I heard from my grandfather and my father that there was a planned great rebellion that threatened world peace. However, the plan was foiled because a small elite force led by Dargon Lord infiltrated the enemy’s lair and exposed their plan to the Alliance. But after that, Dragon Lord disappeared without a trace."

"Did he die?" Amaya asked.

"Yes, he died," Marx said in a melancholic tone.

"How is that related to the labyrinth that you built, Marx?" Amaya looked confused.

Marx studied the princess who was sitting beside him. She rotated her chair so she was facing him while Marx was facing the monitor.

He remembered the times they spent on the island. She was so innocent and full of life. It was not even four months and yet she was changing fast. Marx did not want to lose that girl with clear bright eyes and whose smiles were like a blooming flower.

"I was just inspired by Dragon Lord as he was an expert in escaping. I read somewhere that he designed an escape route in the residence of the Uropan Prime minister which resulted in him escaping a coup attempt twenty years ago."

Amaya nodded while Dave’s eyes glinted with interest.

"You have so much information about Dragon Lord. How did you get your hands into these things?"

"Have you forgotten that we provide the government with devices used to gather intel?"

Dave stopped talking. Some things are better left unsaid.

"Let us go back. Aya is tired and I am also tired."

...

They had their dinner at Villa 1. When Marx accompanied Amaya back to her quarters, it was already late evening. It would take them ten minutes to reach the main entrance of the palace.

Amaya looked at the sky and a sudden feeling of loneliness engulfed her. Her shoulder slouched and her feet became so heavy that she almost stopped walking.

"What happened Aya? Are you not feeling well?" Marx asked in a concerned voice. He reached out to touch her forehead but found her temperature to be normal.

"I just missed Daddy Ibrahim." She tilted her head and looked up at Marx.

The light was dim and Marx could not clearly see the mist that had clouded Amaya’s eyes.

"We can look at the stars. It is a cloudless night and a perfect time to gaze at the stars." Marx said gently. He swept a strand of hair that escaped from her messy bun and tucked it behind her ear.

"Thank you, Marx. Thank you for knowing what I need." Amaya’s voice was so soft that it was akin to a whisper. Marx almost did not catch it. Fortunately, he has a good hearing.

They did not enter the palace but went to the west garden. They ascended the stairs that wind around the gazebo until they reached the observation deck. The place was big enough to accommodate two lounge chairs and a rectangular stone table in between the lounge chairs.

The place was meant for watching the sunset as that side of the palace has an unobstructed view of the sea.

Marx moved the lounge chairs so they were close to each other. He also adjusted the angle so their bodies would be lying straight.

Amaya lay down and looked at the vastness of the dark sky. The stars were not as bright as the ones in Miraga. She looked for Polaris and traced the two adjacent tars which were her Mommy’s and Daddy’s stars.

"I don’t know Marx. But when you showed me the clips on Dragon Lord, it evoked memories of Daddy Ibrahim."

Marx froze. Did Amaya notice the similarity between Dragon Lord and Ibrahim? He was tempted to tell her but the time was not yet right.

Amaya smiled but her eyes were filled with sadness. "I do miss the simple life that I had with him. But I can’t be selfish. Twelve years was a long time. Especially on the island where there is no clock to tell the time and so we take everything in a relaxed state."

Amaya suddenly turned to her side and faced Marx’s side profile.

"I wonder why life in here is very fast-paced. It seemed like there are so many things I needed to do but there is no time. I can’t even play with my pets the way I used to."

Marx released a deep breath.

"Aya, did you regret going back to civilization?"