"That's great; we'll be in town in one hour. Fortunately, there were no hazards in our path."
"Yes, that's fantastic," she stated, obviously devoid of enthusiasm. Though she really didn't want them to come across a monster or anything like that, she didn't see any reason to go back there.
"I have never heard of them nesting here, and this area is normally safe. How did you fall victim to the aluki?"
"I'm not sure either. My only memory is that I ended up in that room with the other victims. That was all she knew; she didn't lie. She slept in a small cave during her escape and awoke in that chamber.
"I get it; don't stress over it." Despite what he stated, it was obvious he was considering it. He walked with his arms crossed and continued staring at the road, muttering something.
She most definitely didn't ask. She would rather be silent than speak with him. She had to consider every word she spoke every time he opened his mouth, lest she pass away and never find out why.
How could the merciful Empress allow criminals like him to roam around like this without any restrictions?
Her father always said that if the great empire they live in peace fell one day, it would be due to two factors, the first being the monsters (Aloki) beings who were incarnated with the new moon (Aloki). The second factor is the sinners who work for the empire and the people hoping for atonement. For their sins one day, they live in camps throughout the empire, an institution called Mertez.
In the presence of the honorable knights, what's the point of this system that gives freedom to these sinners? They both work for the empire, but it is obvious who is more reliable. Her savior was the first Mertez she encountered; despite the fact that he saved her life, he was still a sinner. His sin is so great that it throws him into the camp. Not all sinners are Mertez, but all Mertes are sinners and the worst among them.
----------------
"It's you.'sigh' Give me your left hand."
Most towns didn't have gate guards unless it was a dangerous area. When the new mayor arrived from the capital a few years ago, he hired guards and made the people pay a new tax for protection. She wasn't from Matan, but it was the closest town to her village, so she heard, and she went a few times there. Now one of those guards is investigating them. His tone was harsh and cruel, and he obviously wants the man in front of him dead. The man who was the target of the hate didn't seem to care at all.
unperturbed by the guard's hatred and apparent insouciance, rolled up his sleeves to reveal the line markings on his left arm. A sardonic smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he presented his arm for inspection. The room was small and didn't have anything in it except a window to see who visited the town and two chairs. There were two guards in every shift. For whatever reason, the other guard wasn't here. For any day, that'd be fine, but today was different. When a Mertez came to the city, the other guards should have been in a nearby place; leaving a man like this walking freely wasn't the smartest idea.
The guard grabbed the Mertez arm and gave it a hard squeeze in an attempt to hurt him and see him in pain, but the Mertez showed no such feeling. He was still looking at the guards with a smile. The guard couldn't take it anymore and didn't hide his true intention. He used both hands this time.
"owch." When the guard heard this voice, he looked at the Mertez with a victory smile. To see him suppress his laughter, he put on a show to mess with him.
"Hee hee... oh, I am sorry, Mr. Loban," she chuckled when she saw that. She didn't mean to laugh at one of her people for Mertez; the guard loban looked at her with a defeating smile. "You make us all worry, Ms. Noter. Your fiance was so afraid he couldn't sleep well for the last three days," she usually doesn't answer when they call her that, but she really wasn't feeling it today.
"I am sorry for making you all suffer, but I am fine and back now."
"and i guess he is the now who escort you her"
"Yes, he saved me from the aluki nest."
" what?!! an aluki nest near the town?!" He leaped from his place when he heard the word aluki. Without knowing it, he released the arm of the Mertez. Aalo intervened before he got a panic attack. "Don't worry, he already killed all the aluki in the nest." and pointed at the man with the helmet.
Loban looked at the Mertez again, then glanced at his hand and re-evaluated his life choices. He really tried to antagonize the man who killed Aluki Nest by himself, and this isn't the first time either; he antagonized him when he came to take the mission a few days ago. Aalo didn't seem to be lying, so it was the truth. He sat on his chair, and this time she asked the Mertez gently, "Excuse me, sir, can I see your left arm again?".
He used the same tone he uses when he is talking to the mayor. This man was a sinner, yes, but he killed an aluki nest. Even if all the guards in the town gathered to kill him, he would get out without a scratch. He can be rude and treat him like the criminal he is, but what if he killed him? Who would avenge him? no one, His killer would just go back to his camp and get a few years for his sin; he wouldn't make his children orphans for something stupid like the Matan town guards' dignity.
The Mertez gave him his arm again, and this time he held it with as little power as he could. Next to the window, there was a long object hanging on the wall that looked like a dough rolling pin. The only difference was that this one was white. He grabbed it and put it above the Mertez arm, just a few cm above the line markings. He grabbed it by the handles while the middle part started spinning and getting black dots. It kept spinning until it stopped when the object imitated the lines on the Mertez arm.
"Ms. Noter, welcome back. You too, Mr.... could you tell me your name, sir?"
The mertez who started moving glanced at the man and said his name: "My name is Hayak. Nice to meet you, Mr. Loban." Loban and Aalo memorized the name of the mertez who came to their town.