But she's crawling towards the door, unaware that her wounds have already healed. "Father?! Father!" She's running recklessly, heedlessly inside—
But an awfully overwhelming scent of rosemary slowly, gradually creeps.
How lovely. I can't even identify myself properly—
But there's men halting before the cracked door with their swords drawn; the curses I wish were mine pouring from foreign lips even as they quickly inspect the damage.
"Who the devil—?! What rotten bastard needs to pay for this?! You there!" The sharp edges of the sword point at me steadily.
Certainly, it would be agonizing to be maimed by such awful things; the slicing and sluicing of flesh, indeed, inevitably excruciating. But it's not like pain hasn't been my family since the experiments wrecked my body.
I bow. And abase myself lowly. "Good Sirs! Please, it wasn't me. I haven't done anything." I wave hastily at the wreckage. "It was that man there—"
But the sound of footsteps rings unnaturally; the pressure—tension mounting, indecently crawling from man to paling man.
My own eyes twitch. And my head bows lower.
The difference in power's too vast, and the men stiffen abnormally. Even the leader trembles slightly.
Not that I can't escape them. But what's the point in that? It's far easier to pretend I'm nothing.
"Watch your step, My Lady." A man in pristine white plays escort to the Lady similarly dressed behind him; her white veil not exactly hiding her pretty face; the symmetrical features of her cherubic cheeks outlined exquisitely.
The air reeks of rosemary. My nose wrinkles unnoticeably. It's unpleasant; completely unlike the fresh scent accompanying Kian—
But it wouldn't benefit me at all should Kian appear now. Certainly, it wouldn't be prudent. I just know they'd die. Indeed, he would kill them. Ruthlessly.
Such an unseemly event would instantly shatter my wish to remain unnoticeable, after all. And my efforts this last year would be wasted thanks to a man whose power hints of nothing but unfathomable malice and cold, calculating rage.
She speaks slowly, lightly. "This is…?" But her words hold a terrible, immense weight.
"Well?! My Lady Saintess is asking you there, guard!" The man points at the leader who immediately sinks to his knees; his men quickly following suit.
"Yes, yes, of course. It's—it's an honor, My Lady. We—we were just about to arrest that man, My Lady! Sir! If—if the Moon Heart Sect would like to step in—"
"That is not my concern, good sir. I was simply curious. There's something…" Her veil eerily turns my way.
My jaw stiffens. How wonderfully convenient, their arrival. A perfect display of righteousness and etiquette; a petty calling for the vain…
Of course, the delay was no fault of their own. They wouldn't have let the innocent die. Not really.
Her veil tilts. Her eyes, they're looking right through me—!
My fists clench; my heart strangely calm. Even if she attacks me now…
It's fine. I won't be dying anyway.
"What happened here?" She generously waves her hand; the shattered bits of door flying back in place; the sick scent of rosemary herding me in.
My neck lowers. After all, staring's a killing offense for commoners and officials alike. "Yes, My Lady. I awoke to screams. I can't really tell you why. But I found a girl—"
That's right. Where's the girl and her father? Why haven't I heard their
cries?
"I found a man, that man there, he was attacking the girl that was staying—here—?" My mouth trembles. The man, he's gone. They're all gone.
I sweat profusely. And shut my eyes.
The quiet is terrible; the sheer rosemary rotting insufferably—
And her escort's sword slices my skin lightly; a thin streak of blood dribbling down my neck. "What kind of nonsense is this? How dare you lie to My Lady—?!"
"Indeed, I sense a struggle," she breathes. But her veil lifts. And her clouded, ill-looking gaze strikes the door behind me. "You weren't alone."
Certainly, it would be strange if she couldn't sense Kian's lingering presence.
"Yes, My Lady. A kind soul generously helped fight off the thieves. I—I won't lie, My Lady. I killed a man just there…truly, I don't know what happened, My Lady! He was just there…"
Let her see the confusion. It's better to be a lowly human than the cultivator she thinks me to be.
Of course, nothing's ever so easy.
"Yes," she says, "the bloodstains tell quite the riveting story." Her hand rotates; a fine drop of red now flying to coat her fingers. She rubs them together and gently, almost reverently brings the blood to her nose, sniffing the aroma lightly.
Her eyes roll back; her veil now covering her hair like snow. "This…Someone healed this girl. Who," she says, "was it?" Her voice seeps innocently like charming bells; the whispers soft and gentle and pleasing.
But the sensation of fingers digging into my scalp leaves me panting. She's searching—hunting—all out penetrating—!
My eyes begin rolling—
My ears begin ringing—
Yet my posture remains the same.
I'm nothing.
I dampen the urge to retaliate.
I'm no one.
My fingers loosen as I pretend to see, hear, and feel nothing.
It's not me. It's not anyone around me.
The invasive touch abruptly leaves; her void-like eyes swiftly turning away. Being normal's not worthy of such careful consideration.
I blink innocently, shaking away the pain.
These days, normality's the only thing I'm holding onto. Other than my rage.
"Who was he…?" She speaks not to me but to her cohort, languidly presenting her hand for him to take.
He kisses her fingertips, honoring her lightly. "I don't know, My Lady. I'll look into him right away if it pleases you."
She waves her hand generously. "Let us leave this place, Duncan. It brings me no joy," she says, "looking at these things."
Is it the wreckage she's talking about…? Or the guards and me. Truly, I can't say.
Regardless, my breath comes back to me after she leaves; my shoulders slumping heavily.
The guards, they're just the same; one falling heavily to the floor with a grunt as release comes. "That was a cultivator…?" He breathes. "I never…even the Magistrate has never…"
"It's best not to dwell on it, my friend." The leader reaches down, helping the man up and slowly dusting him off. "It'll never happen again. We just have to—"
His mouth shuts firmly; his widened eyes having hit me full in the face. Once again, he takes the sword from his scabbard and points it my way.
"You, there! I'll kill you if you take one more step away!"
Damnit. I was hoping I wouldn't get caught sneaking away.