It was evening, and all the customers had left the tavern. Leios and Ava were sitting facing each other at one of the tables in front of the counter. The dimly lit tavern was still and silent, save for the clinking sounds of coins that reverberated through the deserted room as Ava counted the day's earnings.
Leios observed her intently, his left elbow resting on the table as his palms supported his tired, sleepy face. He yawned quietly, longing for her to finish tallying. Leios yearned to retire for the evening and let the day's events wash away with the rising moon.
They were closing early for the day due to the Kingdom's state of turmoil, which had reduced the number of customers. In fact, that day he wanted to take advantage of the situation and stay at home sleeping, but was dragged out by Ava.
"40 silver coins…this is bad!" Ava shouted, slumping her shoulders, her voice resounding through the room.
"...."
Leios, just beginning to drift off, was jolted awake by Ava's shout and leapt out of his chair.
"Guffaw!" Ava burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as she watched Leios' reaction.
"Enjoy yourself," Leios retorted as he dusted himself off and settled back into his chair. "I'll get you back for this," he muttered under his breath.
"Rather than just worrying about money, can you at least worry about other things?" He queried as he adjusted his chair to a comfortable position.
"Like what?" Ava asked, tilting her head and fixing her gaze mischievously on Leios, who averted his eyes and looked at the wall.
"Like the situation of the Kingdom. We should be prioritizing our safety. There are cases of people found dead on the streets with bite marks on their necks. Don't you find that creepy?" Leios asked, looking at Ava with a curious glance.
"Don't worry, it's okay when we are together," Ava replied, dismissing Leios' worries with her hands. Leios turned away and sighed. He regretted expecting an answer from Ava, but that was what she genuinely felt.
Ava stood up and removed the stained white apron that had served as her uniform for the day,revealing a short, pink dress that hugged her curves and exposed a tantalizing hint of cleavage. The frilly skirt danced around her legs as she moved, and the low neckline allowed a glimpse of the smooth skin at the base of her throat.
Leios didn't need to change anything. He was wearing his usual black capelet on top of a white shirt with a pointed collar and rolled-up sleeves, which were buttoned at the neck. He matched this with black trousers with a slim,tapered fit.
Ava sprang to her feet, casting Leios a questioning glance as she headed toward the counter. "Do you have the ring with you?" she asked, opening the cabinet with a flourish and tucking her apron neatly inside before slamming it shut.
Leios extracted the diamond ring from his pocket, turning it over in his fingers as if to admire the sparkling facets.
Ava approached him from the counter, snatched it from his hand and raised it above her head. She observed the ring with an expression of intrigue.
"Help me with your handkerchief, Leios," she said, smiling as she stretched her hand toward him.
Leios dug into his pocket and retrieved a clean white handkerchief, handing it over to Ava.
She placed the diamond ring, wrapped in the clean white handkerchief, between her breasts with a swift, practiced gesture.
"You can have that if you allow me to stay at home tomorrow," Leios said, rubbing his palms together with a sly smile on his face.
"What are you saying, Leios?" Ava asked with a mischievous grin, sidling up to Leios with a confident swagger. Wrapping her arm around his, she playfully tugged him from his chair and out of the tavern.
"What mischievous scheme is swirling around in that head of yours this time?" Leios said, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and exasperation. Ava had a knack for dragging him into her wild escapades, and he knew this was just the beginning of yet another adventure.
She locked the tavern's door and turned to Leios, still holding him close. "We are going to sell the ring," she announced.
"—Stop joking...sell it to whom?" Leios complained, being tugged away from the tavern by Ava.
A sly grin dancing across her lips, Ava shot Leios a mischievous glance. "We'll find the buyers together," she whispered, her voice dripping with excitement.
"Just look around, Ava. Do you see anybody? It's dangerous" Leios whispered, his voice barely audible over the rustling of the leaves. He scanned their surroundings, his eyes darting from one corner to the next. The street was deserted and silent.
Ava tiptoed, cupped her hands over Leios' ears and whispered, "You broke the table, and we don't have money to replace it."
Leios let out a deep, weary sigh, his shoulders slumping. "Do you even know where we are going?"
Ava faced him, a crooked grin spreading across her face. "Of course I do!" she said, her voice echoing in the empty street. "I've heard rumors that there's a shady antique dealer in the Undermarket who will pay good coin for a ring like this. And if you hadn't broken the table, we wouldn't have to be doing this in the first place!"
"Stop shouting!" Leios whispered, his brows furrowed as he navigated the surrounding by turning his head around. "—The Undermarket? You're trusting rumors? You know nothing about the streets, Ava. The Undermarket is dangerous, even for someone who knows what they're doing. And we don't even know if this antique dealer will give us a fair price for the ring."
Ava's eyes glinted impishly as she tilted her head, a knowing grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Who do you think I am, Leios?" she murmured, her voice low and mysterious
She untwined her hand from Leios' and began walking ahead.
Leios looked at her, shook his head, and followed, joining her as she led the way.
As they walked down the deserted street, the sound of their steps on the cobblestone echoed through the distance. Leios pulled his capelet tight around himself and threw glances to the right and left sides of the street. He gulped and whispered to Ava, "...If we encounter something dangerous, I'm running, leaving you behind."
Ava looked to the side of the street, swallowed hard in fear while fluttering her eyelashes, and moved closer to Leios, their bodies touching. She whispered with a scowl, "W-where did that come from?"
Leios glanced at her with a smirk.
They reached a corner, turned, crossed the street, and all the while did not meet anyone. All doors and windows had been shut as everyone was inside their houses. As they walked down the lane, they finally met a living creature. A black cat meowed, staring at them before crossing in front of them and disappearing onto the other side of the street. It climbed the wall and vanished onto the rooftop. Ava gulped audibly as she watched the cat disappear into the shadows.
After walking for five minutes, she whispered, pointing at an alleyway in front of them on the right side of the street, "That's the place."
Leios exhaled a heavy amount of air from his lungs, halted, and held Ava's wrist tightly to stop her as well. Ava raised her eyebrows and looked at him. He exhaled again before letting go of her hand. They walked a distance of five meters with measured steps, turned into the alleyway, and stopped again.The place was dark and dumpy, hit by a strong, choking, pungent odor that stung their noses. Ava coughed loudly, her voice echoing through the alleyway. Three red torches were visible, two on the left and one on the right. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, three shadowy figures of brawny men leaned against the walls with one foot on the ground and the other propped up. They were smoking tobacco held between their fingers.
Ava's throat constricted with fear as she inhaled sharply and hunched her shoulders, pressing her body closer to Leios' and twining her arm around his as a chick would seek safety from its mother. Leios felt her body tense against his as she let out a soft gasping breath. A pained smile was drawn on his face as he stared at the intimidating figures, his fists clenched tightly.
He moved one foot forward, the sound made as he stepped on the cobblestone echoing in the quietness, and then the next one as Ava followed suit slightly behind him. Her arm still twined on his, Ava fidgeted, her thin lips quivering.
Finally, the figures on the wall stopped ignoring them and turned their faces toward Leios and Ava at the same time. Their eyes were like black holes, sucking in all the light around them. Leios and Ava immediately stopped, furrowing their eyebrows.
A coarse, deep voice boomed in the space, "Are you lost kids?"
Ava tightened her arm around Leios', furrowing her eyebrows further.
Leios gulped and opened his mouth to speak, trying hard to make his voice calm, "We are looking for the collector."
"There is no collector here. Why are you roaming the streets when there's no one else around? Are you perhaps demons in disguise? Huuh?" the man's voice boomed again, his tone louder.
Ava's face flushed with rage, her cheeks growing rosy with the heat of her fury. She clenched her teeth, her lips pressed into a thin line, "Demons? Are you high on that tobacco?"
Leios looked and stared at Ava, his jaw dropped stiflingly as he tried to keep a straight face. Ava's remarks made him forget the situation that they were in, helping him to relax a little.
The man grunted in anger, his fists clenched at his side. He left the wall and started walking with measured steps toward Leios and Ava. They could now see him clearly as he drew nearer. He was bald and had an eyepatch on his right eye, wearing a black vest that matched his black trousers.
Leios couldn't help but wonder whether the eye patch was for a lazy eye or a fashion statement.
The man growled and slammed his fist into his palm repeatedly while approaching them, "I see you were not brought up well, brat."
Ava fidgeted and rushed to hide behind Leios, who clenched his fists more tightly as he glared at the man. The man stopped in front of Leios, peering him down with a gaze that was cold and calculating, like a sniper sighting in on his target. His eye was sharp, as if it could slice through steel.
"Step aside," he commanded Leios in a trembling voice that vibrated in the space.
But, Leios immediately turned into a different person. He stayed calm, a stern expression on his face, replying to the man with a glare as if communicating through silence, 'If you want her, you must get through me first.'
The man glared down at Leios, his eye narrowed into a slit, and his lips twisted into a sneer. "Well, don't hate me, kid, this is nothing personal."
He clenched his right fist tightly, lifting his arm back with an energy that made it tremble, as he peered at Leios with a single, piercing eye.
Leios, still focusing his gaze on him, gently pushed Ava back, his hands brushing over something soft. He then took one step back and positioned the other foot forward, with shoulders hunched and fists held in front of his face. The eyepatched man growled but before he could move to attack, "Creeeeaaak!" A door at the left side of the wall in the alleyway folded back. It was just past one meter where the other two men were standing. As lantern light spilled into the alleyway, all heads turned to face the entrance.
A girl around Leios and Ava's age emerged from the doorway. Her face was exquisite, with a smooth, porcelain complexion and full, sensuous lips. Her eyes were deep, hypnotic pools of molten chocolate that seemed to pierce through Leios and Ava. Her rich chestnut hair was cut in a choppy, layered bob that framed her face in a way that added to her air of sophistication and allure.
She wore a black long-sleeved blouse that hugged her curves, a pair of high-waisted jeans that emphasized her hips, and rugged, brown leather boots that rose to mid-calf. Around her neck hung a silver chain with a skull pendant.
The girl's gaze lingered on Leios and Ava as she spoke in a low, husky voice that sounded like smoke and honey, "What's going on, Albert?"
Albert, the eyepatched man, immediately became humble and loyal like a dog, stopping what he was doing and turning to face her. In a low voice, he replied, staring down, "These kids are talking about seeing Elias."
The girl's eyes narrowed as she studied Leios and Ava, her gaze a piercing instrument of scrutiny.
"Get in," she commanded in a voice that brooked no argument, gesturing for Leios and Ava to step forward into the light.