The door made a quirky creak as Erici slowly opened
it. She was immediately greeted with hostile glints, as if being united with a
enemy and yet. I couldn’t understand why these bunch of bakers would have an
enemity with her. The cakes and pastries showcased looked perfect as if casted
from clay. I wondered tasting this creamy heaven in my mouth and the rich and
hot smell of the oven, the natural flavor of such a place was better air
freshner than the most expensive eau de cologne. It straight up looked like a
set up as in an imperial kitchen.
Erici went to the man sitting besides
the cashier. He was unlike the others, having a dubious look on his face. He
gave a crooked smile when Erici confronted him, wearing a blood stained apron;
the man raked of gut and flesh. He was a big person, having half of his face
painted with some sort of yellowish fluid. His gray hair drenched in wax, he
had set them in a very swanky manner. She tossed something that appeared to be
a silver coin which he catched mid-air with his index and middle finger of his
left air. “….So you are the one. Let’s see how this ends, Erici.”, the giant
groaned.
One of the workers there opened a door to the
basement, that was initially locked when we arrived. As soon as we entered he
closed the door behind us, Erici walked downstairs without a sweat of
hesitation and I was being a scared rabbit or a rat. Having come down we were
blessed with an abomination of an entrance. Instead we found our selves in the
back alley of some weird dark and charred town. My feet felt a mush, I looked beneath
it to find dead black and wet moss. The sky had an a vivid range of grey
clouds. It was very cold and the damp in the surrounding, and my flummoxed face
was having a hard time dealing with it.
“…..Oh my god, Erici! Where am I ?”,
Where was I exactly? This place was the complete antonym of where we just were.
The people wore clothes of it seemed as of very coarse fabric yet some seemed
to wear very extragavant clothes; lets say they dressed as nobles but do not
recognize these place as anywhere on earth. There movements for some reason
seem rather inhuman. The shops, stalls, taverns, inns that I saw when I peaked
outside on the street were straight out of a medivial-steampunk game but very
much detailed. Although I was hyper consious of my new surroundings, it wasn’t
like I was getting a dicey feeling out of this.
“Dgereszik, and don’t wander around
you’ll sully yourself in that Analoum trash.”, Erici arrogantly spoke. This was
the first time I saw her in such a mood. Sure, she would sometimes warn or
bashed me but she did it not in anger but in care and affection. Truly, a
sister I never had but this was different and it troubled me so I asked her
what was wrong.
“You see their movements and mannerisms
are simply not human?”.
“Yeah but
maybe because we are in a different culture”.
“There not
humans.” What did she mean they were not human. They looked alright to me, they
were backward but that doesn’t mean they are ripped of their status as human.
“But Erici, they look human enough to
me.”
“Let me sprinkle this in your eyes”,
she took out an anonymous eye drop. It was kind of the plastic bottle you’d
find at an optical medical considering I am using the correct term. She then
proceeded to put a drop of it in either of my eyes. Suddenly I could see a
change in their physique. There were tails, animalistic ears of all sorts. I
could not understand where they came from all of sudden-
“Let’s quickly run our errands and get
going. I’ll tell about this at home.”, she sighed in hurry. We entered in the
door infront of us, in this back alley. It’s door pane was smudged with dust
and dirty snow and the frame had marks
of swords and axes on it. When I tried to push it, I noticed that the door was
jammed. Erici ordered me to slam the door. And with that, I mustered all the
force and so I rammed my body in the door. It worked! The door was opened but I
crashed into the table in the room. My head bumped into a handle onlybe
ricocheted into my collar bone.
“Once again coming from the back door,
eh, Frederyck”, a guy around my age or maybe elder came in from another entrance.
He was tall and handsome, his physique roughly was as like me but muscular. He
was the type who would bathe in girls but never bothered getting involved, the
type envied and ridiculed behind his back. He wore a leather apron same as like
the man from the cake shop, black hair shiny and his yellow eyes glimmed with
calm and zenith.
“Well you see, I don’t want my trouble
my senses with subhuman garbage. Coming to these place in the first place fills
my body with great bloodlust. So by avoiding them, I am extending their
lifeline. And-” But then, this guy interrupted
“Okay, okay I get you. Now quit giving
the same explanation as last time.” I watched her in amusement as she was being
casually discriminating. I don’t know the social heirarchy in this world but…
“He the man behind the faction split
and your rebellion”, he glared at me. His calm eyes showeed traces of hatred
against me. Erici nodded in agreement as to ignore as unneccessary argument.
“Thomas here, is clueless to everything
I am here for doing. He is flabbergasted at this heretic sorcery…. Basically I
am telling that he is harmless”.
“Harmless?..... for now at least”.
His words. I didn’t understand why he was being a
jerk. At least Erici looked like she was acing her real casual self; guess she
likes him. Not that it was surprsing but he looked happy too, when replying to
her so I tried to stir up some conversation.
“Is he your boyfriend, Master”, I
tossed the coin of curiosity in a still lake. I wanted to see a flustered Erici
but unfortunately I was enveloped by even more hostile glare from this guy.
“I could have been but unfortunately
certain someone is her centre of universe.”, he had a deep scowl on his face,
as if he appied more pressure, his skin would tore of his forehead. This had
started to piss me of as well. He was being straight up asshole at this point,
maybe I would even adhere him but at least give me a fair reason.
“I told you my answer before Centauras.
This is my decision.”
“So hear this
as well. I won’t let you waste your life and yout on this abomination”. I remained silent as Erici stayed neutral.
She didn’t was a commotion right now. As an extremely straight person she likes
to complete swiftly without even a trace.
“Hey Erici,
looks like this chic’s on period.”, I mocked him wholehearted. His behaviour
was admoniable. I was first all a guest, and second he treated me as garbage
and even started hurting Erici. She didn’t say it but I know, her heart is more
fragile than her tough-guy persona. Centaurus didn’t take one bit of it. He was
so heated up, veins surfaced on his clenched fist. I knew what was coming for
me and wouldn’t be able to dodge it without any damage. And then –bash- he
punched me in my ear. knocking me out instantly. He must have anticipated that
I was far stronger than I actually was, thus explaining the power in his hands.
I instantly hit the ground, laying unconsious.
“Now you have done it Justin. I said he
was harmless.”, the puncher got consious of his egregious and uncouth act. But
he was still somewhat satisfied with his result. He digustingly washed his
hands as if he had touched trash. This was beyond excusable even for te calm Erici.
“It seems you have lost your sense of
differenciating between human and filth living among them. ” Erici
sighed.
“I didn’t think the Marnagnle would be
so weak”. He spoke while he took out a two shopping bags out of the cabinet.
Tey were different from the ones back home. They were intricately decorated
cloth bas rather than paper.
“You are naïve Frederyck. Your foolish
decision had broke the organisation into multiple factions. I only sided wit
the neutrals because of you. The executionists had started making plans to kill
it before its too late, your own life is in danger as well”. He was really
concerned about his dear friend who had strayed from tue victory according to
him.
“I am the being a child here? They are.
Believing in some godforsaken legend to kill poor Thomas. Besides according to
the original story, a Marnagnle has to be very strong and intelligent so as for
a successful ritual. He is some what cunning but he isn’t someone I can
categorise as strong.”
Centauras gave a wry smile, as he
handed over the goods. He had understood, intimidating her was not an option