Black Avatare

6 | TRIAL

Binara gazed out at the greenery, wet and lush, as the tuk juddered up the mountain. Mist hung in the air, and chilly wind blew on her face.

As they ascended, the gaps in the foliage afforded her a panorama of the city's southern quarter. Dark houses skirted the park, their pitched roofs basking in the morning sun, while a stream ribboned out on one side, which had once fed Hevana Lake during its construction. In the far distance, the Stupa Tower hulked in all its grandeur, clearly visible through the veil of fog. She sucked in a lungful of air and gathered her thoughts.

The rendezvous location was in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing but tea plantations covering the hillside, interspersed with copses of pine and deodar cedar. Doubts surged up. She stared at the wilderness that streaked by in a verdant blur, and her mind conjured up the leopard, its silver eyes piercing the mist. Goosebumps erupted on her arms. The map did reveal the Yakadura headquarters close by, which sparked an iota of hope.

Time dragged on while the tuk rumbled ever closer to the destination. Binara clutched the phone with both hands and squinted into the distance. Her flyaway hair got in her mouth, and she huffed as she swatted it away.

"We're here, miss," the driver said.

Sure enough, her gaze landed on a stone building up ahead, with a lantern dangling from the eaves like a spectral octopus. The structure crested a hill, with rows and rows of tea bushes all around. Sunlight slanted down through the pine needles and highlighted it for her benefit.

"What is this place?" Binara asked, her voice warring against the vehicle's noise.

"This is a tea restaurant that belongs to the Leycondera estate."

A frown formed on her brow. "Right."

The tuk turned to a road that wound its way up the hill. Then it deposited her at the entrance of the restaurant and went on its way.

Silence rolled over her but for the cawing of birds. Several crows perched high up and watched with beady eyes as she walked up to the wooden door. Just when she wondered if she should go in, another tuk trundled up.

Within minutes, the passenger hopped out, paid the fare and waved the tuk away. Her ponytail jiggled with the motion, red highlights catching the light. Even her tights sported red stripes. The only redeeming feature was the jacket—a leathery affair in black. The stranger turned and broke into a smile as bright as the white T-shirt dress she had on.

Binara narrowed her eyes and stood up straighter, though the gangly girl was a few inches taller. Who the heck is this creature? Don't tell me she's here for the trial.

"Hi!" The girl loped closer, sneakers thwacking on gravel. "I'm Piumi."

"You're lost or something?" Binara regarded her. "Or you came all this way to drink tea?"

"No, of course not." She blinked. "Why do you ask?"

Binara eyed the girl's face, marked with a button nose and a fringe. "'Cause you're not exactly Yakadura material."

"What's Yakadura material?"

"Medieval men with fancy masks and coconut flowers."

The girl burst into laughter. "Well, you're not that either."

At least, I don't look like I'm heading to an afterschool class. This is the freaking Yakadura trial, for crying out loud. Binara bit back the retort. "Uhuh."

"C'mon, let's go inside. You didn't tell me your name."

"It's unnecessary."

Piumi threw her a glance as she pushed the door. "Nice to meet you, Unnecessary."