Chapter 13: Two Bloods
The whole tavern was in silence. No one dared to leave or get their eyes off of the unexpected visitor they've just had. But no one also dared to stay amused and delighted.
It was untold, but it was obvious that the encantors despise the humans, and it's the same the other way around. Even though the four races agreed to coexist, that doesn't mean the discrimination between the two creatures will just vanish. And now that we've found out what Cainne really is, the people inside the building started to have different reactions. Most of the people are disgusted by his presence, while others, like me, just wanted to mesmerize his beauty.
After the sudden exposure, he averted his eyes. He walked towards the big man that pulled his hood and landed a blow on his face, causing him to fall on the ground. The man didn't manage to take revenge, as he grabbed the hood and fled out of the building.
"W-Wait, Cainne!" I yelled and followed him on the door, as Dalary did the same.
I didn't have to find him outside since I already saw him. He started walking away at a fast pace, putting his hood in his head. Since he's an encantor, his speed while walking was greater than a human's, so the distance between us is getting farther easily.
I decided to run as fast as I can towards him. When I reached him, I panted. He decided to lower his step.
We stuck in a moment of peace, as we decided to not speak anything regardless of the issue, just walking on the streets to an unknown destination. This lasted for a long time with him, lowering his head, while I faced forward, trying to slide my eyes at him.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" He spoke. I peeked at him, seeing the hint of guilt covering his face. When I looked at it if I couldn't see his winged ears and the golden hair accessory that represented his identity as an encantor, he looked exactly like a human with pale skin, similar to me.
"Huh?" I asked.
"I'm an encantor." He answered, now looking at me directly in the eye. "Humans despise us because of our power. I thought you would throw me out."
"So you're saying that humans are the same?" I pouted while raising my eyebrow.
"N-No!" He stuttered, shaking his head, denying what I just misunderstood. I can see him flushed, embarrassed. "It's not like that! I…"
Because of his reaction, I chuckled.
He actually had an adorable side.
"It's fine." I smiled.
"Those who desire for more power, yes they do." I started giving him the real answer. "But I'm just a peasant, living in a poor man's house. We will do anything just to live, no more, no less."
Come to think of it, I wasn't actually a peasant anymore. I've become a cursed human being, running with an identity that I don't even want to, and away from those who desired to gain it. I don't even know where I am going, or who I am looking for.
I don't know who I am anymore.
When I was about to get lost in my train of thought, a pat on my shoulder brought me back. I turned around and saw Dalary with a serious face. She wasn't looking at me at all, but to something further away from our position.
"They are here." She said to us as her face was displeased about what she was looking. Whatever she was seeing, she wasn't happy about it.
I looked in the same direction and found a group of knights with steel armors riding on horses, holding their deadly swords and lances. Some wore helmets to cover their faces, while others didn't bother, especially the man with black hair in front, which really familiar to me. It's like I've seen him before.
"Who?" Cainne tried to ask, as he also tried to see what is bothering us.
"Deravon," Dalary answered and walked away at a fast pace towards the wagon. "We must go the other way."
I followed her as she walked and took a peek once more at the knights. They've been turning their head everywhere.
The black-haired man suddenly turned to look at me with his green eyes, which caught me off guard. Our eyes both locked, but with different reactions. His smirk widened, while I was whimpering. I averted my eyes. My heart started to beat faster after that slight encounter.
***
He continued to stare at the fleeing small wagon, carrying the person who he had been looking for just earlier. His smile right now is irreplaceable, thinking that he could complete the task he was given in just a matter of hours. Disappointment went to him as he realized that his first mission finished like this, and taking over the throne was as easy as pie.
"Looks like I found her," Danico spoke on his army.
"What?!" A high-pitched voice coming from one of his knights yelled. He immediately removed his helmet, revealing a young tree man with a thick green hair, every strand curls in his head. He may have a trunk skin, but the freckles are still visible in his cheeks. In between his hollow black eyes were small white lights that glow even in the day.
"Where?" He asked intensely, turning his head around everywhere, eager to know where the enemies are. As the man in front, this is also his first big mission and he wouldn't let it fail. "Let's charge them."
The tendrin asked. Because of his behavior, some people got annoyed by what he was acting, and not just him. Unlike humans, the tendrin race shares the same personality and goal, and that is to protect nature and give hope and joy to the other creatures. Other people are not pleased with this attitude.
But the king isn't like anyone else.
"No." Danico denied, still staring at the position where the wagon once was, now ran away with their target. "I'll take this as a chance."
The tendrin had been beside him since he was just a kid since he was just considered as a child prodigy. He had been his trainer ever since he started learning. So he grew closer to him than anyone else in the kingdom, not even his father.
"I'll perform my plan." He said with a wide smirk in his face, confidence was pouring through his veins once more. "Then, take over the throne."
"I'll follow you, Prince Danico." He said, looking up at him with great respect.
"Thank you, Pete. I appreciate the loyalty you're giving me." The prince said, accepting the compliment. Inside the castle, he was always accepting praises from people, servants, and nobles, and this time was no different.
But he stopped the appreciation and turned to look at one of his soldiers with curiosity, and it wasn't just this time he found this strange. Ever since they departed from the capital, he had felt a strange atmosphere coming from one of them.
"Though I'm not sure about that man over there." He said as he continued to stare at a knight covered in thick silver armor, refusing to see his face. He was silently sitting on his horse all the way on the back.
He couldn't help but feel an uncomfortable presence coming from him, and he was sure he also felt that in the previous times.
Pete turned around, and also found the faceless knight.
"Who is he?" Danico asked with a raised eyebrow, the aura he was releasing still bothered him. He didn't even know if he's really one of them or not.
"He's a knight brought by Sir Alfred." The tendrin asked, remembering the information the other knights have told him.
Danico couldn't help but think deeply about the mysterious man, and he was more surprised when he heard the mentioned name, Alfred Cenburd. Ever since he came to the castle and started working as a knight, he can feel his intuition telling him about that knight, and it wasn't good at all.
He knows that he must investigate Sir Alfred and the mysterious knight that he was just sent to the mission, but for now, he must face the problem at hand.