The fear expelled her body while a new rush of energy found her from within; a heat that moved to her head like a burning stream. "Not invited…" As if it would've mattered, she told herself.
"You neither?" Squeaked a voice from behind her, holding a parchment for her to read. "Seems the Mayor didn't enjoy our company at your Manor."
Lyolis knew before she turned, "Tonsi!" There was a smile in her tone. "Fancy seeing you here?"
She was gowned in a black dress that made her blue eyes and blonde hair shine like ice and gold. Her lipped raised to one side. "Don't act so suprised," she said cheerfully. Tonsi leaned in and whispered. "We need to get ourselves a pair of ticket."
"What? Why?" Lyolis crossed her arms. "I'm not interested in anything the Mayor is doing."
"Your not interested in what the Mayor has planned for the Iron Alchemist?"
"And you do?"
"Of course I do," she smiled and her cheeks blossomed red. "We can be a part of the tournament."
"And what good would that do us?" Lyolis said sternly. "Watching your people kill each other for tradition is not worth it..."
"Tradition?" Tonsi giggled, placing an arm around the girl, and though small, she held firm. "These are games...to arouse the people."
"And endorsed by who?" Lyolis waved off the girls arm. "Your father—" the words slipped from her tongue and she noticed the weary look in Tonsi's eyes.
Tonsi looked away for only a moment before her eyes sparkled once more. "I have an idea! In order invited all we need to do is switch envelopes with somebody who's going, right?"
Lyolis raised an eyebrow. "Sure...But whom would you steal it from?" The idea of searching the crowd did sound like fun.
Tonsi pointed to a man wearing a twisted grin, a flipped brim hat, and a whip on his belt. "That there is a Stralie," she said, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm sure he has one...Look how excited he looks."
Lyolis only saw the pair of revolvers on his hips. "I've heard they are quick with their guns and even quicker with their whips…"
Tonsi rubbed her chin. "Good point...What about that Moolu?" She asked, pointing to a large woman with midnight skin, dark, wild hair and eyes, wearing a dress made of black feathers. "She looks...Friendly."
Lyolis shook her head, giggling. "They say that the Moolu have scarecrows outside their homes to scare crows into nets and use their feathers for headdresses."
Tonsi found her more amusing, smiling larger. "And what about her? The one with the large head pin shaped like a snake and black robe?"
"That's a Shainoon...They're eastern folk, from across the Eastward Ocean. They will cut your hands clean off with a sword for stealing..."
"And him?" Her finger found a man with scales on his face with one black eye and the other green.
"He is a Merkoit...I've heard they're gambling folks...And you never want to owe them anything."
"And her?" This time it was man wearing the largest fur coat either of them had ever seen. "A man wearing a coat that fluffy has got to be nice and cuddily…"
"Yukimos…from the Vast North… known to tie rocks to their enemies ankles and drop them between ice in a river."
Tonsi covered her mouth while she giggled. Her hand waved some more before falling on the most stern faced man in the crowd, standing a foot taller than the rest, hair long and dark while his skin was painted black as the breechclout covering his loins.
"I don't think you need to warn me about him," Tonsi said.
"Good…" Lyolis voice shook. "There's no way I could forget a face such as his… That's Bonejaq … Leader of the Yurks."
"Leader of the Yurks?" Eyeing two envelopes in his hands. One for himself while the other was for one his wife, who as monstrous as he was. "Come!" Tonsi said with a smile. "I've got an idea." She pulled her along, grabbing her envelope.
"Where are we going?"
"To my find my father!"
The two of them zigged and zagged through the sea of black, looking towards the stage and then to the stairs, until eventually they found him standing by the bar drinking a glass of something clear with an olive inside.
"Father!" Tonsi said, interrupting his conversation with two men who weren't much taller than him though wore a dapper hat and suit with long, handbar mustaches. "I'd like to introduce to you my friend, Lyolis."
Weebert turned his head quickly, a smile drooping up his face. "Lyolis?" He smirked. "The Lyolis of the Cyoakian clan? My...my...child! I am very acquainted with your mother. A brilliant woman, if I say so myself." He chuckled.
Lyolis thought he must be being polite. No one ever spoke of her mother as brilliant … "I'm glad to hear it—"
"If you recall," Tonsi said, "she was on the train when those nasty Yurks attacked us. Do you recall that, father?"
"Do I!" His tone was sharp as the knife bartenders used to cut a lemon. "How could I forget?"
What is she doing? Lyolis couldn't help but think.
Tonsi continued, "And to think, we have to share the same ball with that bonehead over there…" She casually pointed to tall man in the crowd.
The Mayor squinted, "I do say...Is that Bonejaq?" His squint deepened. "That is!" He stood to his feet with a belly full of martini courage. "I'm going to march right over there and give him a piece of my mind." He waved two fingers to the men chatting with him a moment before. "Men I shall have you as escort in case things turn ugly…"
Lyolis grabbed Tonsi and pulled her in close. "What are you thinking? Do you want to get your father killed?"
"Relax! I do this all the time."
Lyolis pouted, "you're not who I thought you were…"
"Stay right here...I'll be right back."
Lyolis leaned against the bar watching closely when something caught her ear. A harsh, raspy voice by at her left.
"What has become of the boy," stuttered a man. Lyolis tried not to peak but something about his words made her lift an ear. "Has he been taken care of?"
"Rynan?" the man said harshly. "Not certain...I'm not chasing his bounty."
Rynan… She thought. His name made her turn just to get a peak. Her eyes grew as she looked upon the large deputy and the man with the long scar across his leathery face. She looked to the ground hoping they hadn't noticed.
"Mitch… You're being paid to deal with the problem." The larger man tried to say forcefully, but the words fell weak. "Why have you not dealt with it—"
"I've already got tickets into the tournament, Chump!" She head rustle. "I don't need anymore so back off before I give you a scar to match my own."
Lyolis swallowed. Who was this man? And how did Zoar know him.
Before she could think, there was a loud yell from the crowd, a short scuffle, then Tonsi appearing holding two unopened envelopes. She walked back to the bar, smiling. "I've got something to show you! Let's see if my suspicion is correct ... and find out if we're winners."
Lyolis whispered back to her, "and I have something to tell you," she said gravely. "And it is no game…"