The girl was wearing a black cloak over her body. Her face was hidden under the hoodie. Floriana Sabina only saw the girl's white skin from her bleeding mouth.
"!!!"
The girl noticed her looking over and turned around to run. She transformed into a black shadow that entered the forest.
"Hmph!"
Floriana Sabina humphed and the girl fell down to the ground. Her cloak was sticking to her skin as she was pressed down.
"You won't get away."
Floriana Sabina walked towards the girl and removed the hood that was covering her face.
It revealed a beautiful pale-skinned teenage girl who had blood dripping from her lips. Her irises were red in color. It gave her the feeling of an exotic beauty.
The girl winced her eyes in pain when the hood was removed. She looked at Floriana Sabina pitifully.
Floriana Sabina furrowed her eyebrows. She never heard about a race that has such features.
"Who are you?"
Floriana Sabina asked the girl once again. The girl averted her eyes when she saw Floriana Sabina staring straight at her.
"Not gonna answer, huh?"
Floriana Sabina grinned evilly. She walked towards the girl who was pressed to the ground and a bundle of rope appeared in her hands.
"There!"
"Kyaa!"
Floriana Sabina tied the girl's body and hands behind her back. The force pressing the girl down quickly disappeared and she crawled like a caterpillar towards the forest. Floriana Sabina pointed her finger at the lips of the girl and light flowed from her fingertips towards the girl.
Floriana Sabina held the ends of the rope and dragged the girl through the ground. She brought her to where Rant Valo was.
Rant Valo saw Floriana Sabina wearing a fresh set of clothes as she dragged a body towards him. He went stiff when he saw that.
"Was that her victim before?"
Rant Valo swallowed a mouthful of saliva and hoped that he was wrong. He forced a smile on his face and greeted Floriana Sabina.
"How's your bath, Master?"
Floriana Sabina looked at him impassively and threw the girl towards him.
"Deal with it."
"Huh?"
Rant Valo looked down and saw the pitiful eyes of the girl begging him to spare her. Just what is this exactly!?
"What's this????"
Rant Valo looked at Floriana Sabina in confusion. What did she mean by, "deal with it"?
"Sell her."
Floriana Sabina answered impassively. She sat in front of the rock where the fishes are and started to descale them slowly.
Nudge Nudge
"Are you okay?"
Rant Valo poked her and asked. She shook her head vigorously. There were tears building in the girl's eyes and she looked at him pleadingly.
"You can't speak?"
The girl nodded her head. She looked at Floriana Sabina.
"So she shut your mouth? How?"
Rant Valo looked at the girl's mouth and saw that there was nothing blocking it. He tried to open it with his thumb by pulling her lower jaw down. It wouldn't budge no matter how hard he tried.
"Is this the power of cultivation?"
Rant Valo asked her and the girl nodded her head again. The girl looked at Floriana Sabina again but this time fear was reflected in her eyes.
"What should I do with you?"
Rant Valo pondered over this matter. The nearest town is still a long way to go. He will have to bring the girl with him if he wants to sell her.
Besides, he never even encountered slaves. He only heard of them from the other villagers when they were talking. So he wasn't sure how to sell someone as a slave.
The girl looked at him pleadingly again. She was really getting desperate.
"Master, can we keep her instead?"
Rant Valo was still against the idea of calling her Master but he just had to do it. He saw that she was halfway through all the fishes. She's actually doing a good job after peppering herself with fish scales.
"Hah? No."
Floriana Sabina glanced at Rant Valo in annoyance and continued to descale the fish in her hands.
"How about removing the seal for her mouth?"
Rant Valo compromised. He was curious what the girl had to say for herself.
"She tried to bite me. So no. She can easily bite a mortal like you."
Floriana Sabina didn't look at him but her decision was pretty clear. She did not like this girl at all.
Rant Valo thought for a bit before coming up with an idea.
"Hey, promise me that you won't bite me?"
The girl just stared at him blankly. She avoided his eyes when he looked at her long enough.
Growl~
Rant Valo looked down and the girl blushed. Her stomach just growled from hunger.
"I have an idea."
Rant Valo stood up and went towards Floriana Sabina and grabbed a fish that she already descaled.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
Floriana Sabina looked at him in anger. She grabbed the fish and put it back in place.
"I taught you how to clean the fish!"
Rant Valo protested and grabbed the fish again.
"Hmph! Just one!"
Floriana Sabina snorted and didn't pay Rant Valo any more attention.
Rant Valo went to the campfire and saw that the fire was still burning. He added more twigs and branches. He blew on the flame and waited for it to grow.
When the fire was big enough, he cooked the fish. He made sure to make it look as appetizing as possible.
He went back near the river and found Floriana Sabina skewering the fishes she already descaled.
"Disciple, that smells good."
Floriana Sabina smelled the cooked fish and looked over. She saw the fish in his hands and couldn't help but gulp. Her mouth was watering just seeing that fish.
When Rant Valo saw how she looked like a little girl who hasn't eaten for days he knew that his plan would succeed.
"This is not for you!"
Rant Valo hid the fish away from Floriana Sabina's eyes.
"Tch. Stingy."
Rant Valo went towards the girl and saw her absentminded appearance. She was just like a prisoner waiting for their turn on death row.