That attack almost got me. Luckily for me, the darkness and the full moon gave me enough power to rip apart the tide of Nicholas; who was now lying on the ground with the mark of my fist still fresh on his perfect face.
The others either fainted or held themselves with the little forces remaining in their bodies.
And me?
I was dealing with the author of all this ruckus.
Saving her flute inside my shadows, I held her arms and legs with my magic. Since she had closed her eyes I had to force her to open them with my bare hands.
Once we exchanged glances, she plead for a quick death.
Placing me in her shoes, I´d say that is the common reaction, however, I wasn´t going to kill her, not yet at least.
She gave me quite the stare, probably deep in thought about how to escape or fool me.
Since I was getting impatient, I decided to break the silence. Applying a little bit of force into my grip, the new pressure on her neck returned her mind to reality.
"Hrgh!"
"Who are you? Why did you do this?"
After a couple of seconds, I allowed her to catch her breath. Coughing and covering herself, she finally changed the look on her eyes with something more confrontational.
The kind of hostility you would give to someone that hurt you... Badly...
"What do you care?... Even though you are also an irregular, you chose to become the puppet of those bastards. I have nothing to tell you... Just kill me and end this..."
Drowning in despair, the woman chose to sit on her legs as her eyes got glued to my feet.
A bit more exasperated, I raised her chin and met her dull eyes.
"I do care. Why? ´Cause my blood isn´t free, and you just pushed me to spill some of it, as you can see"
"Huh?"
Seemingly taken aback by my words, the woman replaced her depression with confusion.
"Also, a puppet? Really? Do you believe that someone loyal to the prince would have kicked his ass the way I did?"
Physical aggression and insulting. In normal circumstances, I would be one of the most wanted criminals of the kingdom right about now.
My actions could mean anything except respect or devotion to the royal family.
Getting the message, the woman grabbed my wrist with a face afflicted by doubt.
"If not loyalty... Then why? Why would you risk your life for that trash?!"
She had regained a bit of her previous vitality, I was kind of relieved when the light returned to her Lavanda eyes. And since I felt a certain attraction toward them, I decided to not look too much. Who knows, maybe her magic also works through her sight.
I better be careful.
"I saved him so he would owe me a favor, not because I like him. I actually hate quite a lot the way things go around here for us irregulars, including royalty"
"OWE YOU?!"
Suddenly, I was grabbed by the collar, mere inches were separating our faces, though hers was being soaked with tears.
"ARE YOU THAT STUPID TO BELIEVE THAT WOULD HAPPEN?!"
Letting a puff escape from my mouth, I shrunk my shoulders in exhaustion.
"Maybe I am. But you know what they say, nothing risked, nothing gained"
Her grip became stronger, and so did her tears and fury.
"THOSE FUCKERS WON´T GIVE YOU SHIT! THEY DESPISE PEOPLE LIKE US! EVERYONE IN THIS FUCKING KINGDOM DOES! "
She was shouting with all her might, the purest of hatred was overflowing from her voice. I just stood there, now carefully listening to someone that probably was never given a chance to speak out loud her honest thoughts.
"IT DOESN´T MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU TRY!
Dom!
Her fist punched my chest. It honestly didn´t hurt...
At least not physically...
"IT´S NO USE!"
The air filled with pain. Our feet were being stained by her affliction and abhorrence for this society.
I could easily relate to that feeling in more than one way.
Dom.
"NOT WHEN THE WHOLE KINGDOM IS AGAINST YOU! WHEN EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING IS!!"
Dom...
Her body was shivering, her voice breaking little by little as her throat struggled to get the words out of her soul.
"And if by any chance you meet someone willing to help..."
Dom...
Her fists stopped, the color had abandoned her already pale skin as her knees bent.
"They will make them disappear..."
....
"All of them..."
She finally broke, the tears running down her cheeks would not stop. And they were subtle, but the wails coming from her would resound forever inside my head as I recall this night.
I guess it was due to the lack of mana and stress, but it looked like she didn´t have the strength to stand or do anything besides hold onto my shoes.
She seemed so miserable, so weak and beaten by life that pleasure was nowhere to be seen in this victory.
My heart shrank, I felt as if an invisible knife was piercing my back while my head recalled my time in that house as I watched her cry.
That humongous mansion would always feel cold and empty.
Even with all those acknowledgments hanging from its walls. Not even all the gold and silver could overshadow the gray spectrum that embraced that place.
Much less with the people living there, they were as rotten as the wood of the old attic I used to call my room.
Now I understand how unfair my life was.
And I feel nothing but utter rage.
"Guess we have some things in common..." I whispered before even noticing.
Kneeling down to match her height, I placed my hand on her shoulder.
"What is your name, irregular?"
She jumped for a second when my hand reached her, either way, she didn´t step back or rejected me, instead, her face rose and rested her brilliant gems on me.
A moment of doubt could be seen in her expression, but soon enough, disappeared.
"... J-Jasmine..."
Between sobs, Jasmine managed to give me an answer with her almost inaudible voice.
From one of the pockets of my belt, I pulled out a stamina potion that landed on her hand.
"Jasmine... I won´t ask you to do something as stupid as to trust a stranger... No... I need you to do something different..."
Silent, but focused, the woman gulped down the little saliva from her mouth, her eyes staring at me in constant expectation and curiosity.
"Jasmine... Let´s make a deal..."
Her eyes grow when she heard my words, if there was a moment to stop, then it´s already gone at this point.
There´s no turning back now.
*
I was out of words... This predator of overwhelming strength was making something that I would have never thought was proper of a winner.
He was putting himself in a position where we were both equals under the eyes of this sudden arrangement.
If I didn´t know about his strength, I would be trying to make the most out of this deal... But I´m not that stupid...
And I don´t know why, but I just can´t bring myself to fool him. There is a part of me that keeps telling me to forget about that and just... listen...
Take the risk...
With this strange feeling twirling inside my chest, I adventured to ask.
"W-What kind of deal?"
"Heh..."
What I saw was bizarre.
It was a smile. Maybe saying grin would describe it better.
The most confident and cockiest that a human being could do.
My heart skipped a beat, that weird feeling of before intensified and held my senses prisoner of his hand.
"Help me achieve my goals, Jasmine. Do it, and I´ll make sure that irregulars get the treatment we deserve"
Rushed by the unbreakable image in front of me, I felt my eyes get wet again as my hope was forcefully dragged to the surface.
"W-What do you mean? What is that treatment?"
With his arms opened to the skies, he replied.
"Champions! Winners! Worthy rulers of a land!"
His voice was overwhelmingly strong. I could feel the winds moving faster due to his screaming.
"We won´t be the monsters or the freaks! We will be the gifted! The owners of unique blessings!"
The full moon placed its light on him. Like giving me a sign of the magnitude that each of his words had on this land.
"And if I fail and nothing changes for good..."
He carefully grabbed my hand and placed my palm on his neck. The heat of his skin pulled me back from my state of mind zero.
His glowing eyes were looking at mine. The fear I felt before had gone. Now, I felt nothing but exaltation and a sick desire to keep those eyes for myself.
"Then my life... is yours to take..."
"..."
At a complete loss of words, I let my instincts do the rest.
Caressing his skin from the neck up to his face, I entrusted my body to him.
He replied by embracing me with his arms, his high temperature, and his fast heartbeat made me realize that even someone like him still had much to learn.
Especially, about women.
With this warmth resting on my cheeks, I felt the new necessity to share my new feeling.
"It´s a deal... My lord"
"Excele- Hmph?!"
Not letting him finish, I pressed my lips against his. The taste of his tongue didn´t last long since he pushed me away rather quickly.
"Y-You! I didn´t think you´d actually do it..."
A faint red was forming on his young face, I enjoyed the view while drinking the potion in my hand.
"Yeah... Me neither..." I said with newfound hope burning inside me.