" I have a job for you..."
The man on the hologram, who was sharpening a dagger, grinned, " Why, the Queen of Darame called me personally to handle this job, it must be very serious...." He then placed his right hand on his chest, "....Therefore, I shall give my utmost respect, loyalty and dedication".
Lirien sneered, " Oh please, save your chivalry for someone who cares, Garren..."
The man laughed like a mad man and it made Lirien's ears itch. She couldn't stand this guy's behaviour at all.
" Are you willing to take the job or not?" Lirien asked impatiently. The man smirked as he dropped the dagger, " Sure, I don't see why not".
Lirien smiled, satisfied. She looked at the rogue man and said, " As you must know, it's that time again. The King has locked himself up and refuses to see or attend to anyone. He acts like that bastard is the only son he's had, it's like my...my boy... didn't exist".
The man raised a brow and asked, " So, what do you want me to do about it?" Lirien's smile faltered and was replaced with a menacing frown. " I want you to make sure that the bastard can't come back. If he really is alive, I want him dead and I need his blood as proof of a job well done".
The man smirked, " Why not ask for his head instead?" Lirien chuckled, " I'm not dumb. Asking for his head is like strapping meat to myself in front of a lion. It's better to stay as clear as possible ".
The man seemed confused, " But won't killing him worsen your chances with the king? I mean finding him would mean the king would owe you a favor. But killing him...that would mean implementing yourself and -—"
Lirien frowned, " You ask too much questions. Your job is to get rid of him and bring me his blood. And make sure no one finds out. You better not disappoint me Garren. I'm counting on you".
The man smirked as he put a cigarette in his mouth. On the left side of his mouth was a small yet distinct scar. It seemed like one from a knife. He inhaled a puff of smoke, took out the cigarette and exhaled, saying, " Don't worry, my queen. Consider it done ".
Lirien said nothing more but pushed the ruby once more. The hologram vanished into thin air. She looked around at the mess which she had made. It was quite a sight to behold. She sneered. Soon, very soon, this whole kingdom as well as its king will kiss her shoes.
Thinking about this, she smiled as she made her way to the door. She pulled the large doors open and strode elegantly out. Outside were two maids. They were dusting some armors at the side of the long hall. Apart from dusting, they seemed to be gossiping but stopped immediately when they saw Lirien.
The two maids both bowed their heads respectfully, " My Queen", both said simultaneously. Lirien nodded and held her head high. She turned to both of them, pointing at the door if her personal chamber, " Both of you, go in there and clean up that mess. I want it clean and tidy by the time I come back".
Buth maids looked at each other and nodded their heads. They picked up their materials and went in. Lirien glanced at their backs. These commoners.... Disgusting!!
....
Back at the tree house.
Luc finally woke up from his deep slumber after two hours. He groggily rubbed his eyes and shook his head. He looked around and saw that...Lyra was gone. But where did she go?
He stood up but felt something in his left palm. He looked at it and saw it was the page of which he had torn out earlier, the one about witches. He found it interesting and kind of creepy. He thought since he technically knew one, he should learn about her and her kind.
After meeting Lyra, he began to doubt the ancient Tenorian records. He didn't know if what was written in those parchments were true or partially wrong or absolutely wrong. So, he might as well hear what both sides had to say, especially regarding the attack on Ioda.
The attack on Ioda was one of a kind. Ioda was one of the sub-regions of Tenoria. It used to be one of the major centres of civilization in Tenoria. Many people would come from all over to tour Ioda or even relocate there. But no one knew that one day, Ioda would be attacked and nearly half of its population would be killed.
By harming Ioda, the witches had greatly harmed Tenoria. Because of that, everyone in Tenoria taught their descendants to fear witches, saying witches were bad news. But he had just met one. And she wasn't as evil as they described her.
But he didn't have time to think about that now, the blizzard had stopped and Lyra was missing. He had to go out to look for her, he didn't know if she was in danger. For some reason, he was...worried.
He didn't want to know why he was worried about a witch whom he had just met when he should be more worried about himself. He couldn't explain it.
Luc sighed as he made his way down the ladder if the treehouse. There was heavy snow covering the paths. It would be hard to travel by foot. But luckily, he had come prepared. Luc reached for the corner of his belt. He opened up a pouch. In it were different capsules, each having a particular number.
He picked one with the number 8 and kept the rest back in the pouch. He twisted the cap of the capsule and threw it on the ground below him. The capsule suddenly disappeared and was replaced with some boots. The capsule had transformed into a pair of Thermoboots.
Luc removed his shoes and wore the boots. The boots were stylish, white with the sole having a red light glowing. This red light wasn't for show as it melted the snow beneath. It made the path easier to walk on.
Luc walked forward and yelled, " Lyra!" as he looked around. He couldn't see a trace of her and he didn't know where she had gone. He moved forward but felt a gust of wind rush past him. He stopped in his tracks.
He looked around and saw someone run in the shadows. He immediately put his guard up, " Who's there?" But he once again saw anotber shadow. There wasn't just one person.
He took a fighting stance. He didn't know what he was up against but he knew it was dangerous. Just then, he felt a slash on his left cheek, followed by a warm liquid, blood.
He was under attack.
.....
Somewhere else near the Elven Glades.....
Footsteps could be heard as a young brunette girl made her way towards an old wooden cabin. Her footsteps were slow as she dragged something heavy behind her.
It was a dead wolf. She dragged it all the way to the entrance of the cabin and dropped it. Picking up a rope, she tied the legs of the wolf together.
After that, she brought out a dagger, brought it to the wolf's chest and carved a sign on it. It was an A with an X over it. Blood trickled down the wolf's chest due to the sharpness of the blade. But the girl simply brought a white clutch and wiped it away.
Afterwards, she sprinkled some kind of powder on it and the bleeding stopped
When done, she smirked as she said " What's mine is mine". She stood up and went into the cabin. She stood in front of a the kitchen cabinet and pulled open the doors of the cabinet.
She took out a cup and went to a barrel and opened it up. Dipping the cup into the barrel, se took a scoop of the alcohol in it. Afterwards, she took a big gulp. Her face twisted in displeasure but then turned into a satisfied smile. It was sour, just how she liked it.
Walking to the table, she sat down and emptied the rest of the alcohol down her throat. She had a similar reaction but then, her face turned to normal.
" That's better". But then, the red crystal necklace on her neck glowed. The girl frowned. " What?". It glowed again but this time, even brighter. She immediately put the cup down as her left hands caressed the crystal.
Slowly, her eyes widened in realization. All that could be seen and heard was a dashing and hurried footsteps as the girl made her way out the door, I to the forest and finally int the Elven Glades. He was near.
....