Since they had the small group of men following them, Salem decided to check in to a higher-end tavern in order to make it seem like they were rich.
"What made you pick this one?" Alina asked curiously.
"It's the most expensive one in town." Salem responded. "It'll make it seem like we have a lot of money, hopefully deterring them, and I don't want to have to kill them."
Both of them nodded in understanding.
They bought a room for twelve silver pieces, to which Salem didn't even bat an eye. This seemed to impress the tavernkeeper because he offered to give them the best room for 'only' three silvers more.
Salem tossed the three on the bar and asked to be shown to the room.
Starkly contrasting the rooms they had in the World of Sins, this room was gleamingly clean.
From pale, fresh-smelling lavender sheets, to a varnished wooden floor that sparkled, it was a hell of a lot more attractive than the filthy little room that they had stayed in previously.
Sending the tavernkeep away, Salem couldn't help but wonder why their travels seemed to be repeating events.
Pointing this out, the three of them thought about their travels together.
"It could be the entity guiding us." Salem suggested. "The thing that's using us for entertainment."
"It could aslo be that no matter the world, those with power always want something more." Alina said. "The dude with the mechs in the last world wanted us for expiriments, and the people in our original world wanted to kill you to maintain their control, or recruit you to increase it."
"A person's greed is boundless, it seems." Ruby said, sitting on the bed. "Always wanting more and more, searching for comforts, acknowledgement, and material possesions."
"We don't seem to have that problem." Salem noted, sending a bug out to the hall. "Because as long as we have the psyche, we can create it."
He paused, looking through the little bug and into the hallway.
The men who had been following them were talking to a big shot, according to their demeanor and deferent attitude.
"Why do people seem hell-bent on causing us problems?" He asked, irritated. "The people we've been followed by are bringing a big shot."
"Well." Alina said mildly. "We've already offended the city lord, what's one more person?"
"It's just frustrating to have to deal with so much bulls**t." Salem said, exasperatedly plopping himself on the soft matress. "We're just here to explore, not navigate political landmines!"
"It is agitating, isn't it?" Alina agreed.
"It's funny how they don't recognize how we're clearly more powerful than them." Ruby said.
"It's likely arrogance." Salem said. "The human mind is one of easily predictable patterns."
Alina looked at him curiously.
"What does that mean?" She asked.
"It means that there are easily predictable behaviors enacted by humans." Salem explained. "For example, when a human sees attractive genetic material, that human will often change their behavior around the object of their attentions, trying to show off like a peacock, often believing they deserve the person.
"The same trend can be seen with arrogance. When an arrogant human sees something they desire, their arrogance causes them to believe they deserve it.
"We can see that precise trend with the five guys who followed us. 'He's too weak, so we should have them.' They probably only look at physical traits and don't care about the rest of you."
"Probably." Ruby agreed. "But why is it so easy for you to predict their next move?"
"Because I was once human." Salem said. "He'll be here shortly."
As he spoke, he watched the new guy go to the tavernkeep and toss several gold coins on the bar.
"Think we'll have a peaceful night?" Alina asked jokingly.
"No." Ruby said, playing along. "Nothing's ever peaceful when I'm with you, Salem."
Salem chuckled, watching the tavernkeep tell the bigshot everything he knew about them, which wasn't much.
"I bet you his first words when he barges in are going to have something along the lines of 'give me your women or offend my family'." Salem said, sitting up and looking towards the door. "Here he comes."
As soon as he finished speaking, the door was kicked off its hinges, tipping forward and colliding with the floor.
The newcomer was handsome, with an olive complexion complimented by his thin brows and his large green eyes.
He saw Alina and Ruby and froze for a moment before directing his gaze at Salem, who was taking off his contacts.
"You will let me buy your elves, or you will be offending young master Verde* from the Frost family." He said, watching Salem slowly take off his contacts. "What are you doing to your eyes?"
Salem pulled off the contacts and stared at him with his abyss-like eyes.
"I win." Salem chuckled.
Verde had no ide what the significance of Salem's comment was, but he tried again to persuade him.
"I'm offering stones of death in exchange for them." Verde said. "Since your eyes are like that, I'd venture to say that you are aligned with death."
"Good guess." Salem said laughing chillingly. "But you're wrong. I am not selling my wives, and I'm not aligned with death."
"But...Your eyes are black!" Verde tried to understand the implications of his words. "What about ten stones of your attunement! What's your attunement?"
"Shadows, boy." Salem said menacingly, sending a chill down Verde's spine. "And it's about time I introduce my shadows to you."
Behind Salem a figure coalesced from his shadow, skeletal and black as night.
"Give him hell." Salem said, standing.
Reaper, pleased by the first order he had recieved in a while, enthusiastically dashed forward and trapped Verde in his arms and sent him into a nightmare.
Verde began thrashing around and muttering things, even after Reaper released him.
Salem walked over to the door and fixed it back into place, ignoring Verde's mutterings.
"Should we stay here or move?" Salem asked, still annoyed.
"Honestly, if we're going to keep slipping away, we'll eventually run out of places to slip away to." Alina said. "We should just face them head-on."
"Yeah." Ruby agreed. "I want to fight someone."
Salem nodded.
"Alright." He agreed and created a helmet that was opaque and covered the mouth for Verde. "Let's put this on. We can't have him waking up tonight and disturbing our beauty rest, can we?"
"No. We can't have that." Alina grabbed his hand and pulled him to the bed. "But before we enjoy our beauty rest, we ought to have a little exersize to earn it, no?"