"You look awful," she said, standing from her seat. "Asher."
Akamir sighed.
"What do you want, princess?"
A look of surprise flicked on her face as Inara looked at him.
'How did he...?'
Inara was sure she didn't give him any hint or there was any flaw in her mask yet...
'Must be a coincidence.'
She quickly shook away those thoughts as she looked at him.
Despite the sudden change in his demeanor, he was all the same as before.
'He looks more feminine than most girls.'
An envious thing even Inara felt it was undeserving for a boy to have such a beautiful face.
The long silky blonde hair that cascaded behind him and the deep red eyes.
A beautiful look indeed.
Akamir, unaware of her thoughts, took his seat opposite to her.
Folding his hands, he waited for her to speak.
"How do you know it was me?" she asked, her voice doubtful.
"It wasn't hard," Akamir replied, pointing at the girl who moved to stand behind her. "Your bodyguard gave away your identity."
Inara looked back at Maira, who flinched under her gaze.
"Not her fault though," Akamir replied, glancing at Maira's sword. "It's hard to let go of certain habits."
Inara took her time to observe him once again.
'Was he always this smart?'
She remembered how she used to play with him when he was a toddler.
Morris used to bring him to the private tutoring session they had together.
Yet...
There isn't much she knew about him.
'All I know is that he likes me a lot and because of this he had a really bad relationship with his brother.'
"I'm curious," Akamir said, leaning back on the sofa. "How are you roaming around freely? Aren't you a princess?"
"My father doesn't keep me in boundaries," Inara replied, her voice soft. "Well, it's mostly because he doesn't care about me enough."
Akamir nodded his head in understanding.
She was a princess born from the mixture of another kingdom's blood.
King Aldric should know that giving her too much power will only make his kingdom be in danger.
As it wouldn't be the first time a different kingdom has used shadow kings to control other kingdoms.
"I still don't understand your freedom though," Akamir mumbled, staring at the girl.
Inara shook her head. "Let's forget it and get down to business, shall we?"
Akamir nodded. "What do you want?"
"How are you travelling in the forest without dying?" she asked seriously, making him still in one place.
"You are traveling in the forest, young master!?"
Zia's voice cut in, filled with concern and disbelief.
"Why would you do—!?"
"A cup of coffee, Zia,"
Akamir said, silencing her.
She pouted as she stomped out of the kitchen.
"Why do you ask?" Akamir questioned, staring into the princess' eyes.
He didn't ask about how she knew it.
'He might have guessed the reason.'
"I will be straightforward here," Inara said, leaning forward towards him. "Take me along with yo—."
"No."
Akamir quickly denied as he stood up.
"Never happening, princess."
Inara frowned. "Why?"
"Just think that it's impossible for me to do so," Akamir replied, placing his coat on the hanger. "And I don't want to be a babysitter."
"I'm older than you!"
"I don't care."
'This stupid—.'
Inara drew in a deep breath so as to not lash out on him.
It was her who needed his help, not the other way around.
"I can pay you," she said, standing up as well. "Ask me anything—."
"Don't say things you will regret later," Akamir replied, glancing at her.
Inara turned silent, looking at him.
Her lips parted but no words came out of it.
There was no hostility in Akamir's voice. Just cold truth.
A kind of finality that made her feel, for the first time in a long while, like she wasn't in control.
Finally, she sighed, rubbing her eyes.
"The envoy from the Lythanis' kingdom," she whispered softly. "They were supposed to reach this place yesterday."
Akamir silently turned to look at her.
Leaning on the wall, he observed her.
"You want to know what happened to them?" Akamir asked, tilting his head.
"...Yes."
Inara nodded in agreement.
Just as Akamir was about to reply—
"AGHHHH!!!"
A sudden scream rang through the town.
A gut-wrenching, crucifying scream that made them flinch.
It wasn't the scream of a monster... it was a human.
Knock! Knock!
A sudden knock on the window made them alert.
Akamir instinctively moved to grab the hilt of his sword.
Zia reappeared from the kitchen, her face pale. "What was that?!"
"Shh."
Akamir put his finger on his lips, looking at them.
They turned silent as Akamir moved towards the window.
Knock! Knock!
Another knock rang, making Akamir snap open the curtain.
"Ay, hello."
A kind-looking old lady stood on the side of the window, her face oozing warmth while her eyes... pitch black.
She waved toward Akamir, a slow, mechanical motion that made the skin at the back of his neck prickle.
"Hello, young man."
"..."
Akamir coldly looked down at her without any emotion.
The old woman tilted her head slightly, the kind smile never leaving her face.
"Would you be a dear and let me in?" she asked sweetly, looking at him.
Akamir didn't move. His eyes studied her, tracing every wrinkle, every shadow on her face.
The way she politely looked at him, it creeped him out to no end.
Zia gasped. "Y-Young master...what is that?"
"Zia, get behind me," Akamir said calmly, pulling the sword from its sheath in one smooth motion.
Maira silently stepped between Inara and the window, taking out her sword as well.
"Young man," the woman said again, tapping her fingers lightly against the windowpane.
"Don't be rude. Guests should be welcomed."
"I don't remember sending out invitations," Akamir said coldly.
The woman's smile didn't falter, but the pitch-black of her eyes began to twist.
A crack suddenly formed in the glass, thin but distinct, right where her finger rested.
"I suppose," she said softly, "I'll just come in anyway."
She moved.
One second she was outside, the next—
CRASH!
Glass exploded inward, the window shattering into a hundred shards as a black mass burst through it.
Akamir grabbed Zia and pulled her down behind the couch as Maira launched forward, her sword drawn.
The mass twisted in the air, landing on all fours... like a creature now.
Not the old woman anymore, but something that wore her like a shell.
Its limbs were too long, spine arched unnaturally.
Her face still bore that warm smile, stretched too wide, eyes filled with oily blackness.
Akamir grabbed a knife from the fruit basket and hurled it.
It struck the creature's neck, but instead of blood, it let out a hiss—a thick black vapor spilling from the wound.
"What the hell is that?!" Zia cried from behind the couch.
"Something that's not here for tea," Akamir muttered, lowering his stance.
[Foxdrift]
His body moved swiftly as he swung toward the creature.
The thing leapt back, landing upside-down on the ceiling like an insect, claws scraping against the wood.
It giggled.
"Oh, faithless," it said, voice layered with several tones at once. "Oh, poor faithless... how kind of you to invite us here."
Akamir froze for half a second.
The creature snapped its head toward Inara. "And you, little daughter… you smell of guilt."
"AGHHHH!!!"
Another scream echoed from the outside of the house.
Akamir glanced out just for a second and his face turned rigid.
"...We need to move upwards!"
He yelled, noticing the creature move towards them.
Akamir readied himself to fight but—
Bang! Bang!
Loud bangs of the church bells boomed within the town.