Chapter 37 Dining with Anxiety

"I see, I get that a lot- WHAT!" I yelled after realizing the implications of what she just said.

As I said this a bell was ringing and the sound of glass breaking could be herd outside the door.

"Yes~ he was here. Oh~ its seem that dinner is almost ready. I assume you will be joining us." Freya said after leaving the room.

I start to follow her out the same door she walked out of.

"You can't just say 'Oh, I know you brother BTW' then leave right after. What do you mean he was here?" I said back while running to catch up to her.

Before we could reach her the giant named Otter grabed us by the back of our suit and lifted us in the air.

"Hey, let go." I demanded but was ignored.

He walked us down the opposite hallway with people still picking up glass chuckling as we walked by.

"Put us down. I need to ask how they know my brother." I said to the giant. She said that he was here. Did he also get kidnaped? Is he here now?

Blood Stalk didn't move at all during this and stayed silent.

"You will be told at dinner IF Lady Freya decides to tell." Otter said in a commanding voice.

"Fine. I get it, so could you please put us down." I asked as nicely as possible.

Otter looked out of one of the broken windows seeing the moon in the sky and contemplated for a moment before letting go of us.

"Follow - and don't drag behind, knight." He said uncaringly.

Blood Stalk adjusted the armor piece around our neck and e followed him down a flight of stairs.

We kept walking until another set of doors opened revealing a white dinning room with a large table. The table had a gold looking sheet on top and chairs made of shiny wood. Two metallic chandlers with lights hanged above along side a bronzes bell in between them covered in green, red and white plants.

There were people in waiter attire standing in a line and one of them pulled a chair at one end of the table. It was the farthest chair from the door so we had to walk the hole way around the table. While we walked I saw the candles being to lit up. Only some of them were with fire, while the others were with bright orange stones. 

As we took a seat I notice the tableware in front of us was very fancy. They had purple napkins folded into the shape of feathered wings, decretive silverware with engravings on all. 

The waiter pushed us in really close then walked back in line. I could see them staring at us with some kind of contempt look in their eyes. We were waiting a while and I felt really uncomfortable sitting here doing nothing. I couldn't even take out my gun to look through at the screen because I didn't want to look like I was threatening them. I don't want to seem crazy to them so I didn't say anything to Blood Stalk at this time.

I turned to look at one of the waiters and they stared back at me with a sharp look. I think I'm more nervous here than when we were fighting sharks in the ocean. I then looked for Otter, but he wasn't in the room anymore.

(5 Minutes Later)

We waited for what felt like forever not moving or talking until the doors on the other side open reviling Lady Freya wearing the same clothes as before but with a red flower on the left side of their head above their ear.

"What a wonderful presentation." They said as she walked to the opposite end of the table from me. They only had to walk a few steeps and all of the waiter rushed to pull the chair out. They moved so fast that I could not register that they moved at all. All of them had a smile on their faces and waited with bated breath for her to sit down on the chair. As soon as Freya did they were pushed in with chair.

Otter was right behind her and stood by the door with his arms behind his back.

They pulled out a large feast and started to place it all around Lady Freya. Things like fresh apples , grapes, strawberries, and plums. All with multiple different colors.

There was a cheese platter to the left side to me with a very assortment with wooden toothpicks sticking out of them.

As for the right side, there were some random fish here and there along with a giant squid tentacle. Hope it wasn't from a monster.

The last and most grandiose looking meal was a golden brown chicken placed directly in the center still steaming.

"Is their anything you need Lady Freya." One of the waiters said while poring her a glass of water in one glass with a second waiter poring what looked like wine into another. 

"None my child, you may leave us for the moment." She said and they looked a little disappointed. As they started to walk away some turned and looked at me with what I could only describe as pure hatred. The kind where one wrong word and they would be the ones to eat you.

.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting to long." She said while taking a strawberry and 

"I didn't wait that long." I said lying through my teeth. I was dying of boredom and couldn't talk that hole time. 

"Hmm." She said in response. I don't know if that was good or bad.

'How do I change the topic.' I try to think of something while not looking away from them.

"Nice Flower." I commented on the first thing I could. 

"Why thank you. Its called a spider lily. If I remember correctly it is a rare plant from the other side of the world. I have a little pot in my bedroom to grow them." Lady Freya said while touching the flower whilst looking downward.

"Hun, Didn't know that." I said keeping the conversation going.

"I'm surprised you don't know what it's called. Your brother was the one who gave me it originally." She said before taking a bite out of an apple.

"How do you know my brother? Is he here?" I asked seeing an opportunity to get some answers.

"Strait to the point I see. Where to start ~ Where to start?" She said in a rhythmic with her right index finger on her lips. 

"He was one of the first people I meet when I first descended to the mortal world." She said while shifting her fingers over to the glass of wine.

'Descended?' I thought as they continued. 

"Yes~ he came here to Orario quite a few time before. I still remember how he would patrolled the streets with his own little group. It was such a dark time in those days but, when those hero's appeared. " Freya said while looking directly at us with piercing eyes.

"Even if the world was against you and you were all alone. You would feel like nothing could stand in our way." She said while taking a sip from her glass.

Otter looked at me with a death stare after Freya said those words. His mussels were pulsing like he was having a spasm. He slowly calmed down, but I seriously put me on edge.

"They were quite colorful souls ~yes. Just like both of yours." She finished with a dark smile.

"Thanks?" I said impulsively. I can't get a reed on this lady.

"Your welcome." She said happily while looking at our empty plate.

"You should eat soon, we don't want the food to go to waste now ~do we." She said in a way that was more of a request than a suggestion. 

I pressed the two buttons under the helmet and steam popped out of the sides. I then started to move the helmet upward. As I did my perspective shifted towards the ceiling but was stopped by our other hand.

'Guess this is high enough.' I thought as Blood Stalk started to grab the meat with their hands and bring it up to their face.

They started to scarf down food with nowhere near the amount of manors as Freya did.

"Do you two have any plans tomorrow?" They suddenly asked while Blood Stalks mouth was full.

"We don't really have any plans, more like goals. I am trying to find a phone to call my family and Blood Stalk wants to fight monster. We were told this place was the city of monsters, but we haven't seen any since we got here or any kind of technology. So I think we are going to leave in the morning." I answered while Blood Stalk was still eating.

"Are you sure about that?" She said in a playful way, almost expecting my response.

"Do you have a phone!" I asked excitedly.

"No~." She said in a cadence with my excitement.

"But I do know where the monsters live here in Orario. As well as where your brother was last known." She said in a more excited tone. Blood Stalk seemed to perk up at this statement, but kept eating.

I waited for her to continued, but she seemed to wait for us to respond.

"Where is my brother?" I asked after some silence.

"The last time I saw him, he went into the Dungeon and hasn't come out since." She said while looking at the glass of wine and swishing it around.

As soon they finished their sentence I tried to process what I just herd. 'My bother is in a dungeon.'

"The Dungeon is where the monsters are as well.' She said which got Blood Stalk to stop eating.

As they did they brought the helmet down and tried to stand. I got them to stop since that would be seen as rude.

"You won't be able to get in unless you are registered with the guild." Freya said while looking at us amused.

"Thank you for telling us all this. I don't know how we can repay you." I said politely while wondering why they did all of this for us.

"Oh~ I have a few ideas." She said ominously which was alarming.

"You should get some rest for tomorrow. You'll have a big day~ I'm sure." She said with anticipation.

"Thank you." I said taking that as a hint to leave.

"Do you know where to go?" She asked curiously.

"No..." Blood Stalk talked for the first time since we entered the dinning room.

"Then let Otter escort you to one of the spare rooms for now." Freya said without batting an eye.

As if on cue, Otter walked us away from the dinning room and led us to a place with a bed.

We rested on the bed for a while and I was thinking of so many things that went on that it felt overwhelming.

"I think I would have prefer fighting monsters." I said being completely worried about everything the women said. About my brother being in a dungeon, about needing to owe her something, If my brother might be-.

"I can't keep thinking about this depressing stuff." I said while taking out the gun and opining the screen on top.

"Might as well see what's new."

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After escorting the knight, Otter made his way to Lady Freya's bedroom. Inside there was a large heart shape bed with Goldin lining white drapes above it. To the side was a potted plant filled with Spider lilies. above it was a painting with several people in it obstructed by the low light in the room.

"Lady Freya." Otter asked while bowing to his Goddess.

"I would like confirmation on what you said." He said while looking directly into Lady Freya's eyes.

"The brother of that knight. Is it him." Otter said while holding back rage.

"Yes~ He is the brother of Alex. I am quite sure since they never stop talking about one another. And the mark on their souls are too similar for it to be just coincidence." Lady Freya said in a serious but joyful manor.

"I see." Otter said understanding fully. Otter got up and turned to guard the door while Lady Freya slept.

'The knights that abandoned everything. I have grown stronger since then but it still feels like I am nothing compared to them. Perhaps that is still true.'

'I must prove myself, after becoming the pillar of strength, I could no longer feel myself improve after you were gone. But. If you are still alive...'

.

"I know you are still alive out there. Your too stubborn to die. I will find you no mater how long it takes. I have not forgot our promise. I will defeat you." Otter said quietly under his breath while looking at a picture hanging on the wall covered by shadows.

Many figures were on this painting but only two had Otter's full attention on them. A black and blood red silhouette being barley visible. A chest plat similar to Blood Stalks but with a spider engraved. A arrow head strung around their neck along with a metallic circle with a chain. Their right hand pointing up with their index finger, pinky, and thumb extended. Their left was around a smaller version of Otter looking annoyed but with a smile on his face.

"Killbus."

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Important note

I am going on vacation and I might not be able to upload next week for that reason.

If I do, it will probably be a 'fixing older chapters' kind of update.

If not, I should probably be back on July 1.

Thank you parzzibal_37 for inspiring the dramatic sitting scene last chapter.