• [Anysa]

    Lune rammed Elister from the side. He hit the wall and mirror, breaking it.
    “What’s going on inside that head of yours?” Lune says to me. “He was trying to kiss you! Cant you get that through your brain?”
    I gulped, not saying anything. Chee crawled out from under the bed and ran to me. Mini came following behind.
    “And what is up with you?” Lune shouts at Elister. “Why would you want to kiss a demon?!”
    That made me snap out of my daze. And I thought she was helping me, not insulting me. I walked up next to her and moved her aside. “You, what do you want and what are you doing here?”
    Elister steps forward, away from the glass. He was gripping his shoulder. “I told you already”
    “Fine, then why do you want me and why did you come to help me escape? I don’t even know you!”
    He was silent for a moment. “I live in a village nearby this castle. It’s not a good location but it’s decent. Anyway, four years ago, the black knights came through there on dark stallions. That’s when everyone knew that there was going to be bloodshed. Well, when they came back, they had a girl with them. It was you. You had horns and red eyes so I knew you were a demon. But you were crying…trying to escape…pleading them to let you go” he stopped.
    “And?” Lune says like she didn’t care. “That’s all? You want to save her cause she cried? And you want her just because of that, too?”
    He looks at her and says, “Yes” then turns back to me and holds out a hand. “Come with me”
    I stared. “No…I can’t…”
    “But why not? I know you don’t like this place so why stay?!”
    I glance over to Lune. She lets out a long sigh. “Yeah, I know. I don’t blame you because I would do the same too” she says.
    “You also? I don’t understand…” Elister shakes his head. “Tell me why”
    “Answers obvious, dweeb!” Lune says. “The role for Rescuers is already taken. The role for Romeo is already taken. I’m sorry but the only script left for you is Traveling Stranger. Now travel” she points to the door.
    Elister was fuming mad. He didn’t show it but I could feel his anger and hate. “I’m not leaving until Princess comes with me” he says coolly.
    “Ha! You don’t even know her own name” she sneers.
    “What makes you think you know?”
    “Another obvious, because I’m her personal spy and friend—halfway”
    “I’m her rescuer!” his voice got louder.
    “No, you’re the traveling stranger!” now her voice got louder.
    There was a knock on the door. Both of them fell silent. “Hello, Maitresse?” it was a girls voice, a maid.
    “Yes?” I answered, glaring at Lune and Elister.
    “Is everything alright? The other maids and I heard shouting. Is there anyone causing you trouble in there?” the maid didn’t stutter, I know who she is. I can’t believe I forgot! She’s the only maid allowed to go in the chain room to clean. Should I try to tempt her to be one of my spies? No, I can’t. She’s too much of a gossiper.
    “It’s alright” I say. “The maid just broke a glass and she’s cleaning it right now”
    “Oh…really?” she’s getting suspicious.
    “Are you doubting me?!” my voice was infuriated but firm.
    “N-no, I’m sorry” she stuttered, she’s scared.
    I waited as I listened to her footsteps. She was walking away. “Are you two crazy?!” I say to them. “You want to sign a death wish?”
    Both their shoulders relaxed. “No” they said at the same time.
    “Well I’m leaving now” Lune starts to walk away.
    “No, not yet” I said. “Clean up that glass” I pointed at the broken mirror.
    She turns to me and began to argue but obeys.
    “And you” I say to Elister. “You can’t leave this room or else others will get suspicious. Was anyone around when you came in here?”
    “Uh…no” he replies.
    “Good. Now go in the closet” I ordered.
    He was shocked. “What?”
    Closet” I say again. He slumped then went inside, closing the door behind him.
    “Why the closet?” Lune asks.
    “Because one, he needs to hide. And two, I just felt like it”
    She chuckled then stopped. “I forgot to tell you, I can’t believe I forgot to tell you!” She sighed.
    “What is it?” I ask, hoping she found a breach in the castles defense when she was out cleaning.
    “I learned that two black knights ran off twenty years ago while on patrol outside”
    I gape. “That’s all?”
    “Yupp” she laughs. “Well they ran away, but I don’t know why. I mean, they’re black knights right? I thought black knights were like…zombies…back from the dead…summoned to work for eternity, something like that. But they just took off and poof, gone! Rumors say that they were intruders that came to try to stop the Lord. Oh, and before they left, they left a message. I read it. I know where it is too” she smiles proudly.
    “You do? Where?”
    “Right there!” she points to the pile of broken glass on the floor.
    I stared. “What…?”
    “Yeah, that part doesn’t matter. It’s really right there!” this time she points at the mirror.
    I gasped. The glass that’s still on the mirror makes out a shape. “I thought you said it was a message”
    “It is! A pictures worth a thousand words”
    “Oh yeah? Then, tell me, what does that say?”
    “Dunno. It looks like a box though”
    “Really?” I studied it. The glass left behind shapes a perfect square. Inside it is a cracked X. There’s other squares carved in it and a circle, just all sorts of designs. “It looks familiar but I can’t really...”
    “I know that” Elister says from behind. His head poked out of the closet door. “It’s a wall, a certain place inside this castle. It’s really deserted around there, though. I know because I’ve been there. I’m guessing the X on it means there’s something inside”
    “I guess you do kinda come in handy” Lune mutters.
    I nodded. “I want you two to go get whatever is in there” I say without taking my eyes off the mirror.
    “But I thought I couldn’t go out of this room” Elister says.
    I turn to him. “That's why you don’t get caught”

    click to read the next part