"Did you manage to escape unnoticed?" I asked the small figure clad in black as we met up in a forest somewhere distance away from the city my house was located.
"Don't look down on me. I'm actually acknowledged as a magical talent that appears once every hundred years." The small figure, Katarina, huffed and began to move forward.
"How exactly are you planning to get the monster to obey you?"
Katarina explained earlier that her main reason for coming here was to find a monster to keep as a companion.
There are several ways of getting a monster to obey you though I can't think of many that am ordinary seven year old girl would be able to perform.
"I have a way. Don't worry about it." Clearly, she was unwilling to discuss it with me so I shrugged and caught up with her.
"Now that I think about it, we never did discuss my payment, did we?"
In an effort to break the silence, I said loudly and Katarina stared at me with a blank expression.
"What, you didn't expect me to work for free, did you?"
"..."
"Wait, you actually did!"
"Just joking. I actually thought about it but as I am currently unable to give you anything worth your while, I ask that you wait for a couple of years."
"Pfft."
"What's so funny?" Katarina glared at me as giggles escaped from my lips.
"Nothing. It's just the way you said 'while'." I shook my head and tried to stifle my laughter but to no avail.
"What's so weird about itm?"
"It's cute."
"Thanks. But you're not getting any favours out of me." Despite the fact that a handsome boy just complimented her, she still appeared to be collected. Clicking my tongue, I held my silence and like thieves creeping in the night, we made our way to the Ever Silent Graveyard.
"And here it is. This is where you wanted to go right? What's the plan?" I asked as we stood before a looming stone forest that had am ominous aura surrounding it.
Dark energy seeped into the surroundings causing all signs of life to disappear in a hundred meter radius leaving the place barren.
"The Ever Silent Graveyard. A place where undead swarm the place like maggots and no living being can hope to survive in there. They got everything from skeletons to liches to undead dragons."
I gave Katarina the rundown and glanced at her to make sure she was okay. Well, she was better than okay and was even staring with excitement in her eyes and she looked at me pressuring me with her eyes.
"Fine. Let's head in already."
...
"So what type of monster are you planning on getting?" We walked slowly, making sure to avoid any noise.
Despite it being a field, there was not a single monster in sight and the place was eerily quiet.
That was one of the reasons why it was called by that name.
Currently, Katarina was maintaining a soundproofing barrier around the two of us so we didn't have to worry about our voices leaking out. And due to the sheer concentration of mana, a spell like this can easily go unnoticed.
"An undead knight. I just need you to lead me to the place and and occupy his attention for a couple of minutes. That's all." Katarina said and I prayed that was truly going to be all but in situations like this is when stuff goes awry.
After walking for a while, we arrived in front of a staircase leading to the second level and we stopped to collect ourselves.
"Undead knights usually show up on the third floor and below. If there going to get back on time, then we need to breeze through the dungeon as fast as possible." I looked at Katarina and asked, "Do you have any spells to increase your speed or something?"
"Yes but I'm not very confident in being able to maintain the barrier if I cast it."
Now that's a problem. I could probably make it without causing any noise if it was only me but with another person with me... That's it!
"Climb on." I crouched and felt a piercing gaze drilling into my back.
"If I carry you, you can maintain the sound barrier and we can get there faster."
"I see. I thought you were trying to take advantage of me."
"Who'd take advantage of a brat like y- oww!"
"I'm getting on." Despite hitting me in the head, she still had the nerve or should I say guts to climb on like nothing happened.
"Remind me to do this for you in ten years time."
"Shut it."
...
"You're surprisingly fast." Katarina commented as i ran through the field, flitting around so fast that an ordinary person would most likely see a flickering shadow.
"I have confidence in my feet. You know what they say, if you can't beat 'em, run away 'till you can."
"No one says that."
Bickering like that, we made our way to the entrance to the third level.
"Do you know where undead knights spawn?"
"And why would I know that?"
"You come here often, right?"
"Proof."
"Do we really have to go through this again?"
"Just kidding."
"You..."
Despite being a graveyard, the field had numerous layers. I wondered why they didn't just name it a catacombs but that's for the history geeks to figure out not me.
"They spawn in a cavern area." I bent my knees and Katarina picked up the hint and hopped down.
"That was tough." I cracked my neck and muttered.
Katarina frowned and bumped my shoulder and said, "Are you trying to say I'm heavy?"
"It's not every time I carry the princess of a kingdom on my back. The stress sapped a lot more of my strength."
"I'll take you at your word for now."
"Can you dispel the barrier?" I asked Katarina and she nodded and a transparent barrier shimmered into existence before shattering silently and the pieces disappeared into nothingness.
"Now," I raised my foot and stomped on the earth causing a dull sound to echo in the surroundings.
"... Let the fight begin."