Shadow asked a few more people until he was able to get the directions right, just as the meat seller had said. It was indeed the white domed building.
He had left a certain part of the city that he wasn't sure of. But he no longer saw stalls and merchandise around to be sold. But the streets seemed more like residential buildings. Well cleaned and tidy with people of status walking about.
In front of Shadow stood a white gate, with two Imperial guards standing side by side on either side of the gate. They regarded Shadow but said nothing as he crossed the gate and walked in with Liora.
Since they had entered the Capitol, she had been oddly quiet.
"Hey" he called out to her.
"Hmm?"
"Why are you so quiet?" He asked.
"Hmmm. Nothing…. Didn't you want me to shut up?" She retorted. Liora always had something to say.
"Yes that was before we got into the Capitol, now I may need your help. You've been here before right?" He asked her.
"Me? Here? Nah, can't be me, must be my Father's daughter" she answered.
Shadow looked at her, genuinely frustrated. "You're his damned daughter, are you not?" He ground his teeth.
"Ooh look at that, a Griffin!" He pointed at a mystical beast that been sleeping quietly at a corner of the estate. He had been so caught up with Liora that he failed to notice a monster sleeping.
He reached for his daggers, ready to attack it if anything went wrong. But Liora held his hand.
"What are you doing? That belongs to an Imperial Officer, don't do anything stupid okay?" She gripped his hand tightly, making Shadow to sheath back his weapon.
That was close.
The Griffin suddenly raised his head and locked eyes with Shadow, its eyes were black slits on white marble pupils. It watched Shadow for a while before losing interest and resting back its head.
"They can sense bloodlust" Liora said, answering the question Shadow has in mind.
"How did you know?" He asked curiously. A monster that could sense bloodlust? The fuck?
"Because I'm educated, and you're not?" She said as though the answer has been obvious from the onset. Shadow looked at her and had the undeniable pull to be petty.
My balls!
He dismissed the thought immediately.
They both walked into the main building, the structure seemed like an onion balancing on a dozen candlesticks to Shadow, that's what he could make out of it.
What an odd architectural design.
Each pillar that represented a candlestick to Shadow was wide enough to accommodate other structures inside. The entire building looked like a beautiful mess.
There was an entrance and standing before it was a single man. He held a spear in hand and looked at Shadow and Liora.
He stretched out his hand. "Stop"
They both did.
"State your business!" He commanded. Liora spoke up instead.
"We're here to approve our Letter of Truce" she replied.
The guards looked them over, as though he couldn't believe what they had just said. That was understandable because a letter of Truce was only brought by adult men and women, not two teenage children.
But Shadow understanding his doubt, brought out the sealed piece of paper and showed the family seal of the Draven Household.
"Aahh, you're a son of Lord Draven's?" The guards asked curiously.
Shadow nodded as well as Liora.
"Well, aren't you two lucky" he chuckled and stepped to the side. "You may go in" he offered.
Shadow and Liora bowed their heads in thanks and passed through.
"You're being awfully cooperative. Huh?" Shadow whispered towards her.
She looked at him and grimaced, then threw her hair in his face, walking faster.
Shadow felt a little stunned by the response, then shook her head. She was a spoiled brat, no doubt about it.
Before them was an empty hall, seats arranged in waiting order and at the section of the wall was a part that had been cut out clean. It looked like a counter to Shadow.
Like the type in the organization when he was still a trainee, a counter where he would go to get his lunch and dinner. He shook away the memory.
Luckily, the entire hall was empty and just a single woman stood behind the counter, she was scribbling down some words and raised her head as she heard them both approaching.
"Good morning…"
"State your business" the woman cut them off. Shadow didn't like that. Once again, Liora cut in and took the letter from his hand.
"Verify this!" She threw the letter towards the woman. The woman looked up at both of them and eyed the letter heavily.
"Hurry up, will you? We don't have all day" Liora spat.
Shadow was simply shaken. Her attitude towards the guard outside and the official inside was vastly different.
The woman took the paper and looked at the seal. Her face suddenly paled. "I… I'm sorry. What do you need to be done for you?" She asked with a shaky voice.
"Verify that letter and give him his Ornament or whatever you all call it" she replied.
The woman suddenly ran off with the paper in hand.
"Uhm, are you bipolar?" Shadow asked, he had heard it was a mental disease back in his world, although he had never witnessed it.
"Bipolar? Does that have anything to do with Ice magic?" She asked seriously. Shadow shook his head, of course they weren't aware of the various mental illnesses that existed in the human mind and how to treat them.
But Shadow was sure. Liora was definitely abnormal.
"No it doesn't have anything to do with Ice magic" he could understand her confusion.
"Good because I suck at it" she puffed at a stand of her hair blocking her face. Shadows face lit up.
"You can use magic?" He asked her, surprised.
"Yeah I'm a mage, what about that…?" She asked.
"Then you… Why could you… You could have…" He felt like screaming.
"Why didn't you help me with hunting and camping and all that? Magic is damn useful" he almost screamed at her.
She smiled and looked at him.
"Ooh that? Well, you never asked" she giggled at him then summoned a little flame from the tips of her fingers.