Days passed. It was already noon and they had to choose between two routes. Elley opted for the longer one, hoping to avoid any trouble.
The sun was blazing in the sky, making them sweat and pant. They decided to rest near a tranquil lake that was surrounded by green grass and colorful flowers.
They dismounted from their horses and Mizak glanced at Teri. He saw the exhaustion on his face and felt a surge of compassion.
He held his hands and handed him a gould. "I know you're thirsty," he said softly.
"Thank you",Teri said.
"I'm going to scout around," Elley announced.
"Be careful!" Teri called out to her as she strode away with confidence, her sword swinging at her side.
"I will!" she yelled back.
Teri sat on the ground, leaning his back on the tree. "Mizak," he said.
Mizak came closer to him and crouched. "Do you need anything?"
"Sit beside me," Teri said and Mizak obeyed.
"There's something that strange person said to me that night before he left and I can't stop thinking about it. You said that you were in touch with information from Delmos kingdom, right?" Teri asked.
"True. However, I may not know everything. Teri, I already know what you speak of. After all, you told me everything," Mizak said.
"Mizak, I want nothing but the truth, please," Teri pleaded.
"I'll give you an answer. Rumors have it that she's one of the concubines of the current king of Delmos. But as I said, rumors. I haven't been to Delmos kingdom since King Athelin's death. I have only been receiving information."
"Why didn't you mention this before?" Teri asked, wondering why Mizak would hide such an important information from him.
"Teri, as I said, it's a rumor. Don't think too much about it," Mizak said.
Teri sighed. "Mizak, is there anything else you're hiding from me?"
Mizak hesitated. "N_"
Teri cut him off. "Better silent than lie. You seem like someone who has a lot of secrets. No, you have a lot of secrets. I have long known that. It's one of the reasons I don't trust you fully.
However,I must tell you this.If you have ulterior motives and I discover it,I won't hesitate to kill you".
"Teri,I do not have ulterior motives.I won't complain about your distrust for me.Trust me fully or don't trust me fully,it's your choice",mizak said.
Elley came back,"didn't see anyone nearby.So are we sleeping here for tonight or we keep moving?".
"We'll stay her for tonight",Teri said.
"Here?,under no roof?",mizak asked.
"There are leaves",elley said as she sat down and ate a bun from her bag.
"I already told you that the journey may not be smooth.You should rest up,young master", Teri said.
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The night was calm and serene, with the moon and stars casting their gentle light on the lake. The water was clear and still, reflecting the sky like a mirror. The only sounds were the occasional rustle of leaves and the soft breathing of the sleeping travelers.
Teri woke up and got up quietly, careful not to disturb his companions.
"Someone is awake," a voice said softly. It was Selina, his elder sister and guardian. She had changed her appearance with a magic deal from the ghost market, transforming herself into a young woman for a month. She had done it to escape the mockery of other ghosts, who looked down on her childish form.
"Elder sister," Teri whispered as he walked towards her.
"Do you want to go back to sleep?" Selina asked.
Teri shook his head. "There's a lake here. I wish to take a bath here," he said.
"Be careful. Don't step on Mizak's leg," Selina warned him.
"I understand," Teri said as he avoided Mizak's sleeping figure.
Selina sighed. "There was a sweet deal in the ghost market. It made me change my appearance, but only for a month. Some little ghosts were mocking me because of my appearance. I wouldn't have looked like a child if..." she stopped and changed the topic.
"I like Elley's new appearance," Selina said.
"Although I can't see it, I know she still looks beautiful," Teri said.
Teri reached the edge of the lake and took off his boots, blindfold, clothes, and innerwear. He stepped into the water and felt its coolness on his skin. He submerged himself and came back up, shaking his hair.
"So it's you," he heard a voice say. It was Mizak.
"Nobleman, you can only come in when I'm done. I'd like to bathe alone for tonight," Teri said.
"I'm not coming in. I thought it was a mermaid, but I was wrong," Mizak said.
"Now that you've known it's not a mermaid, Mr. Nobleman, please can you watch over my sister?" Teri asked as he played with the water.
"Come out quick. You don't know if a lake beast or demon might eat you," Mizak said as he walked back to where the bonfire was.
When Teri was done, he was about to walk to the shore, when suddenly...
"Stop!" Selina yelled and Teri froze.
"Is there a problem?" Teri asked.
Selina stared at Teri's back in disbelief. "The painting... it's there. But how? It was gone before," she said, puzzled by the mysterious mark that appeared on his skin. It was a complex design of swirls and symbols that glowed faintly under the moonlight.
She continued, "It's like it showed up because of the moonlight. Why would it do that? What kind of painting is this?"
Teri clenched his teeth and muttered one word. "Mizak."
He quickly put on his inner clothing and grabbed his clothes and blindfold. He walked back cautiously to where Mizak was, trying not to trip over anything.
Mizak and Elley were already awake and Mizak had rekindled the bonfire.
"Explain to me and don't leave anything out. Why does the painting on my back only show under the moonlight?" Teri demanded.
"How do you know about the paint--" Mizak stopped himself as he remembered that Selina was Teri's ghost guardian.
"Is this some kind of spell, Mizak?" Teri asked, feeling uneasy.
"Spell?" Elley echoed, confused.
"Teri," Mizak called as he stood up and placed his hands on Teri's shoulders. But Teri pushed them away.
Mizak sighed as he brushed his hair back. "It's for a good purpose. It allows me to know when you're in danger. If you're in danger, I'll feel it," Mizak said.
"What?" Teri asked softly, shocked by Mizak's revelation.
"And then what? Would you be able to save me? You don't need to do meaningless and useless things, Mizak!" Teri said angrily.
Mizak scoffed. "Meaningless and useless things? That was cold."
"I'm going back to sleep," Teri said as he walked back to where his bag was and lay down, turning his back to Elley and Mizak. But he couldn't sleep.
Mizak's eyes followed Teri and he sighed. He glanced at Elley and sat on the grass, leaning his back on a tree.
He opened his bag, took out a bun and stretched his hand towards Elley. "Have it. I know you're hungry."
She got up and took it. "Thank you."
"It's my pleasure," Mizak said.
"Hey, young master. Big brother doesn't hate you. After this journey we will go our separate ways. You have a life, we have our life.
Also you seem shady from the day I met you. Don't try to build a relationship you shouldn't build. We have hearts.
So when you betray us, we will be able to take you down without feeling a pang of guilt.
We've suffered, we've been abandoned, we need no more sorrows," she said as she finished her bun and lay down.
"How do you know I'll go my separate way?" Mizak muttered.