CHAPTER 120: LORKE

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‎A dark skinned middle aged woman walked into the cafe, with a soft smile on her face.

‎A cold breeze swept into the restaurant fluttering the shutters in the glass windows.

‎Dark sunglasses hid her eyes from view but behind the glasses , they glowed emitting a soft white light.

‎Her long greying hair was neatly styled back into long intricate braids that beautifully flowed down to her back.

‎In her right hand she held an elegant walking cane that she she used to rhythmically tap the floor.

‎Clad in a matching grey suit, she was the picture of dignity and elegance.

‎Behind her, a giant of the man stepped through the door, towering over most of the people in the cafe.

‎The bronze-skinned figure wore a simple black T shirt that stretched over his visibly flexing muscles and matching faded jeans.

‎At the couple’s entry no one in the cafe batted an eye, the cheerful banter continuing normally.

‎A slight frown appeared on Xander’s face for the briefest of moments before vanishing completely, an easy smile playing on his lips.

‎"Well, things just got interesting."

‎The man and woman slowly made their way to the table where Norvax’s small group was seated.

‎Norvax calmly stared at the newcomers with an impassive expression on his face. The woman smiled at them, stopping by the seat beside Alissa, smiling softly.

‎" Do you mind if we join you?"

‎Norvax pierced her with an icy glare, silently gritting his teeth.

‎" Hello to you too Aisha. "

‎Pursing her lips, a slight smirk appeared on her face.

‎" Don’t be such a sour puss Norvax."

‎Norvax grinned menacingly, his grey eyes shining briefly with an ethereal glow.

‎"Considering the last person that decided to join us, it’s only fair that we’re more... cautious on who we relate with. "

‎Aisha went ahead and took a seat despite receiving no invitation to sit.

‎The man accompanying her quietly took the seat opposite her next to Xander then casually placed an order, humming softly under his breath.

‎" Oh you had that under control, especially with this young man helping you. I dare say he’s quite the catch, " she said, smiling warmly at Xander.

‎Xander quietly stared at her quirking an eyebrow in amusement.

‎ A somber silence enveloped the table.

‎" Don’t be shy everyone. Don’t mind me."

‎Alissa calmly sipped on her Frosty, taking a small bite out a cookie.

‎Edmund warily shifted his plate away.

‎"Are you going to it those?" Warren asked in a neutral tone.

‎" Nope. All this talk about poison ruined my appetite."

‎" Sorry dear, " Aisha said in a motherly tone.

‎Her gaze shifted to the remaining rolls on his plate.

‎Sretching out her hand she reached out taking one and taking a small bite.

‎"The Joga rolls here are still as good as I remember," she said, licking her fingers.

‎" It’s certainly not poisoned."

‎Emund frowned slightly, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

‎"How do you know?"

‎Aisha grinned mischievously.

‎"Other than the smell and taste, it’s simply a secret."

‎Warren fixed her with his cold gaze for a few moments then turned away leaning his cheek on his hand.

‎" She’s unsurprisingly strong...but not near the level of the Videntis."

‎Norvax let out a weary sigh muttering something under his breath.

‎" I guess introductions are in order. Allow me to introduce to you Aisha Lorke.

‎Aisha here is the leader of the Praesagius’ branch here in Zolaris."

‎Xander nodded slightly acknowledging what Norvax was saying.

‎" Forgive me for the late introduction," Aisha said.

‎" This is Jeff, he’s my..."

‎" Personal security detail," the giant spoke in a gruff voice, without looking up.

‎A faint smile appeared on his face.

‎" Not that she needs it."

‎" Well, granny, you certainly look like you need it," Edmund said, propping his arms behind his head.

‎Jeff spared him a glance then shifted his attention back to the menu.

‎" There certainly several new options to try out."

‎Alissa’s eyes widened slightly at the jab. She quickly covered her mouth stifling a laugh.

‎Norvax slowly shook his head at Edmund’s antics throwing the boy a warning look.

‎" Despite appearances, Aisha here is one of the strongest Talented here in Zolaris. And also the strongest seer in this part of the world at least. "

‎" Ooh, you don’t have to flatter me," Aisha said, blushing slightly.

‎Edmund and Norvax shivered slightly at the sight.

‎"Awkward..." they thought in unison.

‎Her demeanor abruptly changed the next second.

‎"I’m the one who invited you lot to Zolaris. I’m deeply sorry about what happened at the HQ. It was...quite a shock."

‎Her voice took on a somber tone.

‎" But, despite that, the situation here warranted your involvement."

‎She took off her sunglasses for moment, wiping them delicately with considerable care.

‎" So she really is blind," Edmund mused, observing her carefully.

‎"I’m blind child, from the mundane perspective. But you could say I can see more than you can see," Aisha said with a gentle smile.

‎Edmund stared at her incredulously, his mouth falling open.

‎ Norvax grinned slightly at his comical reaction.

‎"Did I forget to mention she’s also able to peer I to the thoughts and minds of others? My bad."

‎" So she’s a telepath?" Xander said seriously.

‎" Neural Type Talented," Norvax replied with a smile.

‎" One of the best of the best."

‎"Now that introductions are out the way, shouldn’t we get right down to business?" Jeff said quietly.

‎Aisha smiled nodding at him.

‎" Of course. The agents we have at hand were unable to deal with the ’threat’ that we’re currently dealing with. And as you’ve seen for yourself, the people we’re tracking down, they can be quite slippery."

‎" In other words," Xander said quietly," you’re saying your people are...weak?"

‎A heavy silence hang over the table.

‎Despite the warm afternoon, the temperature within the cozy cafe plummeted abruptly.

‎" Careful child," Aisha murmured.

‎The glow in her eyes increased visibly in intensity, a bright light spilling from behind her dark glasses.

‎A subtle pressure washed over the group momentarily then faded instantly in the next moment.

‎Xander calmly observed Aisha, his eyes boring into her sunglasses.

‎"Well, she’s certainly strong," he calmly thought.

‎"Don’t talk about thing is that you have no idea about. You wouldn’t want to ruin the afternoon." Aisha said quietly turning away.

‎Xander fearlessly returned her gaze, a strange darkness swirling in the lightless depths of his dark eyes.

‎A smirk appeared on his face.

‎The beverages in front of him slowly froze over.

‎Aisha tilted her head slightly staring at the youth in front of her.

‎" Alright alright enough with power shows." Norvax said breaking up the tense atmosphere.

‎" Aisha, according to Chrono evaluation, Warren here is ranked class A-5. Forgice his manners. He has a thing for... strength."

‎Edmund guffawed, holding back a laugh.

‎Norvax leaned forward, his gaze turning serious.

‎" Speaking of strength, the guy that assaulted us, was he part of this mysterious group that’s giving you trouble?"

‎Aisha nodded slightly, the glow behind her sunglasses dimming slightly.

‎" So much for not being followed," Norvax said.

‎Alissa winced slightly at the jab.

‎"From what I can tell, the man, Steve, was already here by the time Alissa arrived. Unless of course, he swapped positions with someone that was already in the cafe."

‎Norvsx eyes’ widened in surprise..

‎" it’s a possibility,"he thought quietly.

‎Aisha briefly stared at Xander, a small smile playing on her lips before continuing.

‎"That’s right. We suspected that it was more than one individual. And our hunch was right."

‎Norvax frowned slightly then calmly gestured for to elaborate.

‎"We believe in fact that it’s an organization."

‎" Organization?"Norvax asked his brows knitting together.

‎" Yes, an organization of rogue Talented. The man that you’re after, the one you’re investigating, he’s supposed to be a link to the the person we believe is the Leader."

‎Norvax nodded, instinctively casting a furtive glance around the room.

‎"There’s no need to worry, I’ve already scanned through the minds of the people in this place." Aisha said with a smile.

‎" Unless something drastic happens, we should be safe for now."

‎Norvax’s gaze shifted to Alissa.

‎" What did you manage to find out about our mutual friend?"

‎Alissa produced a small data pad from within her jacket.

‎"The man’s name is Jamil Al Quassim. He’s a known pyro kinetic and from our observations, we suspect that he’s able to use telekinesis and also move at incredibly fast speeds over short distances."

‎" Probably A-3 or A-4," Edmund mused

‎" Where can we find him?" Norvax asked impatiently.

‎" From what the contact was able to tell me, he’s involved with a few drug rings and gambling operations in the Sarakoth district."

‎Norvax scratched his chin in thought.

‎"This informant of yours," Jeff asked quietly lifting up his head to stare at Alissa.

‎"Can we trust them? How do we know for sure what they’re saying is the truth?"

‎Alissa returned the big man’s stare for a few moments then sighed.

‎Jeff’s paranoia was quite understandable.

‎Wrong information, one wrong move, could get everyone killed or even worse.

‎"It’s the truth."

‎"How do you know that for a fact," Jeff pressed on.

‎" It’s because my informant can’t lie."

‎Jeff quirked an eye brow at the bold claim.

‎"What you mean by that?"

‎An unsettling silence settled over the table.

‎Jeff calmly folded his arms across his chest.

‎"Well?"

‎Alissa let out a weary sigh.

‎"My informant can’t lie, well, it’s because they’re dead. "

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