[1394] – Y06.294 – Sorrowed Hearts IV
“It would have been really cool if I had bought the inn, then, when I walked into the inn, they would have asked, how did you get here, and then I could have said something like, what do you mean? Can’t I walk freely in the inn that I own?” Adam whispered to the side, out of earshot of the guards, speaking in the Aldish tongue, just in case.
Dunes shut his eyes tight, doing his absolute best not to burst into laughter, or cringe so heavily that it would allow tears to slip through his eyes. Uli, too, stood to one side, listening to the half elf’s words, but only because that was his duty. He also posed a great distraction, for adorned in his armour, with his lion mask, he stood out like a wolf among sheep.
It wasn’t long before a pair of figures approached, both adorned in the loose robes of Aswadasad, with the handsome dark skinned man now wearing a scar across his eye, a thick beard, his fiery red hair trimmed short, while the woman beside him, her skin purple, the deep red gem set within her forehead, eyed the pair up curiously, almost in disbelief.
“Can we not escape you?” Korin joked, stepping towards the pair, clasping their forearms in greeting.
“We did not allow you to escape us,” Dunes replied, before bowing his head to Sara, who returned a bow of her head, her eyes darting to the Black Lion, obvious as to why he was here. The pair also exchanged nods, while Korin went to clasp the older man’s forearm.
“I suppose you’re here to keep Adam out of trouble?” Korin joked, grinning towards the Black Lion, who shook Korin’s arm.
“No,” Uli admitted.
“Ah?” Korin’s eyes darted between the pair, noting the distance between the Black Lion and the half elf, realising the other reason as to why the Black Lion may have been here. ‘It seems he’s come to cause Aswadasad trouble too.’
“Adam, my condolences,” Sara said, taking the half elf’s hand within her own, closing her eyes as she muttered a gentle prayer.
“Ah? Well…” The half elf smiled awkwardly, tensing up slightly. “Thank you for your kind words, Lady Sara.”
“We heard once we were in Aswadasad,” Korin said, reaching over to pat Adam’s shoulder. “We heard about your justice too.”
“Justice, huh?” Adam replied, smiling awkwardly. “Enough about that, though! We have so much to tell you, about that, about everything else, and…”
“Hmm?” Korin mused. “What is it?”
“Ah, well, you’ll hear about it when you hear about it,” Adam replied simply, winking towards Dunes.
“How much trouble have you caused while in Aswadasad?” Korin joked, his eyes floating from Adam to Dunes, his smile turning to a frown. ‘It cannot be that much, I did not hear of it?’
“Do you wish to stay within the inn?” Sara offered.
“No, no, Dunes said I’m not allowed to buy it, so I decided to rest elsewhere,” Adam said, his eyes glancing aside, towards the guards who understood that this situation wasn’t what it seemed. The half elf smirked, watching as one of the guards stepped away. “Hey, let’s meet tomorrow at the, what’s it called?”
“Water Forest Inn,” Dunes explained while the half elf walked off, clasping his hands behind his back, the young man satisfied. As a finely dressed individual approached, he realised why. ‘When it comes to behaving so petty, you are such a genius too.’
“Many blessings, Mo,” the finely dressed woman called, in her early forties, and even as she approached, she floated towards them with grace. Her dark eyes were framed by long lashes, her hair hidden behind a bejewelled scarf, a robe of silk, silver, with red embroidery, elements of gold throughout. Her fingers were adorned in rings, one bejewelled entirely so it was more red with ruby than gold.
“Many blessings, Lady,” Dunes replied. “I apologise for loitering outside, but I will leave now that I have informed my companions of my arrival.”
“How can I say such a thing to the likes of a Mo of Black Mountain,” the woman replied, smiling warmly. “Do you not wish to stay within our humble inn?”
Dunes turned to look towards Adam who was whistling as he walked off, Uli following the half elf. “I am currently accompanying another companion who was forced to stay elsewhere.”
“You are welcome to stay within our inn if you wish,” the woman stated, more so coaxing the young Mo, but she had no idea what kind of force of nature currently kept Dunes on edge.
“I will inform him,” Dunes said, though in a tone that suggested she had been defeated.
“Who is your companion?”
“He is Executive Adam of the United Kindom,” Dunes informed, allowing the woman to scan her mind for a moment to see if she knew anyone by that name, or a company by that name, but he was certain she wouldn’t.
“He is an… Executive?”
“His role is that of the High Alchemist of the United Kindom, a business that deals with magical items,” Dunes said, before glancing aside to see Adam having turned a corner, all without him, and suddenly the stress of watching over Adam filled his heart. “I must leave to pray.”
“I can clear a room for your prayer.”
“I must pray with Mo Adam.”
‘He is a High Alchemist and a Mo?’ The woman understood why the guards called for her, however, why was it that the young man was accompanied by a Black Lion? As she watched Dunes scamper off, she turned towards the two companions, Sara, a Lady from a nearby town, and Kal Korin, of Black Mountain.
“It is best you do not involve yourself with him,” Korin warned, chuckling lightly as Sara glared towards him. “There is a reason why both a Mo of Black Mountain and a Kal of Black Lion must watch over him.”
It wasn’t long before Ameerah sent a few of her servants out to try and find information about the half elf. She wanted to satisfy her curiosity before the group left, though it might have been difficult. ‘I should send…’
“Oh?” Adam noted the half elf who approached their group. The half elf stood tall and proud, sharp features, dark skin, dark hair, and bright eyes, almost silver. He wore no armour, but carried at his side a pair of curved blades, very similar to the likes of Scholar Muh, and though he wore a smile, his eyes were the kind that had seen quite some tragedy.
“Cousin, how do you fare?” Kahli asked, smiling with subtlety, the young man eyeing up the various figures all around, finding he was surrounded by quite a few great-
‘Is that the Lion King?’
“Quite well, what about yourself?” Adam asked, motioning a hand to allow the half elf to take a seat opposite them.
‘Did he offend Ameerah?’ the inn owner thought, noting how she had sent Kahli. Jorah, the stocky fellow with a greying beard, made a gesture with his hand, one of his own guards taking their place nearby, since he couldn’t just let Kahli walk around unopposed within his own inn.
“Well,” Kahli replied, introducing himself quickly, with a hand over his heart, noting all the Iyrmen nearby, as well as the Black Lion, and the fellows of Black Mountain. “It is rare to see a fellow faecousin.”
“At least there are more here than in Aldland, huh?” Adam joked, chuckling lightly.
Kahli smiled, the kind of smile full of sadness. He had been a young lad when that massacre had occurred, but which fae did not hear of it? “True enough.”
“Everywhere I go, they try to pick fights with me, thinking this leaf ear can’t bite back,” Adam said, letting out a frustrated sigh.
It was then Kahli understood the half elf had been raised by Aldishmen and had spent much of his time there, since he did not hold the grace of a typical fae. His heart ached for a cousin who was so uncivilised, but he could not blame him, since it was merely the environment he was born in, and his true nobility remained deep within his heart. “It must be difficult in Aldland.”
“I’m not sure about difficult, since I can just beat them up, but it is troublesome,” the half elf replied.
“I noticed your weapon, a fine axe indeed,” Kahli said, doing his best not to judge the half elf. ‘Even going as so far to use a savage’s weapon?’
“I prefer the sword, but what can I do when my brother uses an axe?”
“Your brother?”
“Yeah,” Adam said, nodding towards Jurot, who nodded in return.
“You are brothers?” Kahli asked, switching from Aswadic to Aldish, not wanting to be caught by the Iyrmen, just in case the half elf was lying.
“Yes,” Jurot replied.
Kahli remained silent for a moment, blinking, his eyes darting to the half elf’s forehead. His mind filled with a thousand questions. ‘What?’
PATREON LINK
All these guys who think they're gangster but instantly snitch to the Iyrmen so they don't get killed.