Examining the little marble like object in the glass bottle i let it roll around.
as i twirled the little bottle, it clinked softly around the inside. i cant absorb this afterall.
I carefully place it in my pocket.
Hopefully i,d have time to think about it later.
Right now i have other things to worry about. I slowly removed the vambrace to inspect the wound. it wasnt as bad as i thought it was. But i would have to stop the bleeding soon.
The area was secluded and not very close to the where that man said he lived.
'Ok time to pay you a visit~'
****
It took a while but I got there eventually, that 'ugly' house as he called it was more than a house. It was large and seemed like it was meant as a multipurpose building. Way too big to be a house and too modular to be anything personalized.
Hmm... is this the right place?
It had to be, as no other buildings were around for at least 15 minutes.
The place was almost shrouded in trees and if he hadn't told me where to look I most likely would have missed it despite its size.
The afternoon sun filtered through the surrounding trees giving the place an illuminated but obviously off-the-path feel.
It was just so put that it's slightly refreshing feel brought on a mild sense of euphoria as I didn't come across many of these and the contrast between this and many of the buildings in the outer district were, well... very different to say the least. It was however not something I'd call ugly.
With it being like this I really wouldn't mind staying here. It seemed so peaceful like a place where the human discrimination could be overlooked with a glass of lemonade and an interesting conversation being the preferred activity over violence.
but I came with a purpose this time and violence, may just be my only option.
My hand was starting to feel cold, I had gotten a strip of cloth, torn from my sleeve after removing and hiding my armor earlier and wrapped it around the wound.
Yes I could have done better but this was important for what was to come.
Slowly I made my way to the entrance of the building, it had a small door adorned with various decorations with flowers and vines intertwined in extravagant patterns.
It seems someone has been busy.
As per my plan I pounded my fist on the door. This person, the one I hoped to find here, I needed to have him around my little finger. So it goes without saying that I need to be at my very best.
"Someone! Help! Please help me! I've been attacked!" I contorted my face to fit one of someone scared beyond their witts end fearing for their life and I did a good job if I do say so myself.
"Please! I'm scared!" I cried.
Slowly the door opened inward and a little girl cautiously peaked out.
A child?
The thought that I could have come to the wrong place slowly entered my mind but was soon extinguished by the door opening fully to reveal the very person I was looking for!
He looked at me and then at my arm which still bled.
I quickly turned to survey the area for my imaginary attackers, which hadn't caught up to me yet. Honestly though if at that moment Aurelia did show up not only would it put a wrench in my plans but that would probably scare me half to death, not to mention make things very awkward.
"you've gotta help me!" I returned my gaze to him.
-Come on, you fool let me in!- I thought this, obviously.
He looked around and then "quickly, come in!"
An offer which I took the moment he uttered the words.
He ushered me inside and closed the door before "what happened?" And "who did this to you?"
I pretended to be out of breath shaking my head "it happened so fast! They took my money and when I tried to run one of them attacked me!"
I paused to 'catch my breath'.
"Luckily I managed to escape!"
I stepped towards him closing the distance before burying my face in his shirt to just how 'scared' I was purposefully clinging to him in order to not have my next words overheard by the little girl that stood close by.
"Is there anyone else living here with you besides the kid?" I whispered.
His muscles tensed as he tried to pull away from me in vain.
"Don't make things difficult!" I added with a hint of a threat making sure he didn't try anything funny.
"Moira, go play in your room ok?" He asked the child who nodded and ran off after a cheery "ok!"
I grabbed his wrist and twisted forcing him to his knees.
"Can she hear us?"
"No, w-why are you doing this?" He winced as I twisted a little more.
"Is there anyone else here?"
He shook his head.
"Alright. Now first of all I appreciate you helping me before and now." I took a breath before smiling a little, "you aren't regretting helping me now are you?"
"That depends ngh!"
I twisted a bit more "that was a rhetorical question, now the shadow legion army is after you, Why?" I released a little before "you may speak!"
"Are you a bounty hunter?"
"Just a regular girl in need of some answers."
"Regular girls don't have your strength."
I laughed a little and twisted his arm until he begged me to stop. "Are you saying I wouldn't be a good wife?"
"Not if you enjoy this kind of thing."
This, angered me more than it should've.
"Oh dear what am I to do with you? You really don't like this arm do you?" I was indeed temped to twist until it broke but that was more trouble than I wanted not to mention I'm not sure why Aurelia wants him.
"why are they looking for you? What crime did you commit?"
He cast me a glance, the same one where it seems as If he was looking through me. "Are you that ok with your leaders decisions? Ngh!" He composed himself before starting again in a calmer tone "did it really not occur to you that I may be innocent?"
My brows furrowed at this, I hadn't really considered this possibility.
But even so this wasn't my concern, he had a role to play and he was going to play it no matter what.
"Why! Are! They! Hunting! You?!"
Me asking was only to gain clarity for the situation and if possible secure whatever it was they were truly after to as insurance.
But I truly hadn't considered that he'd be so resistant.
"If you tell me then this will be over quickly."
"Ugh... fine but you have to promise me that you'll protect the kid no matter what."
I nodded in return.
He sighed and shook his head "I figured this would happen sooner or later but I thought I had more time."
This, was he stalling on purpose?
"The shadow legion army's 12th commander Aurelia, sent her sub commander Cyra on an easy mission to gather intel on the iron region monarch's proxy."
"Proxy?" I asked hesitantly.
"They call themselves queens." He replied filling me in before continuing "the iron region leaders have been acting strange you see and the proxy has been missing for a month now, maybe even more. But that's just the tip of the blade, there were so many things that commanded Aurelia underestimated about the iron region." He shook his head again.
"I don't have all day you know!"
He looked up at me again, probably trying to figure me out.
"Well... cyra was hot-headed which was probably why I fell for her. But regardless of this and the 8 soldiers that went with her all of which were proficient in hou manipulation techniques geniuses of their respective families and up coming future stars, none of them made it back."
"You were in a relationship with her?"
He shook his head in a slow refusal.
"She only ever thought of me as a younger brother, so it was only ever a one sided love."
I released his hand, "continue! And don't try anything funny!"
He rubbed his wrists and sat leaning against the wall to the narrow passage.
"I was lucky enough to be in custody of the child you saw earlier and as Cyra's only child she shares a bond of feilty and so the moment Cyra died, the child only 8years old had to bear the responsibility of her mother's last and dying message. Which was then passed on to me."
"So you're saying that what commander Aurelia is actually after is the child?"
"No, they want Cyra's last words."
"Which are?"
"Before that you have to understand that the kid was traumatized by having to bear this burden. I was only able to piece it together after she had calmed down and I haven't been able to since."
"Which is why they want you." I concluded.
"But if that's all, why don't you just tell them and be over with it?"
He laughed as if I had said the funniest thing.
"If they hear what Cyra's last words were, there's no way they'd let me leave with my life!"
"And why's that?"
"Because Jiya, proxy for the sky region and appointed grand master, plans to destroy it. The place where world energy comes from... the place that connects our world to the human world, the place where the monarchs reside. She's gonna destroy the sanctuary."