Lady of the Grey Tower
"You know anything about the Black Hand?" I asked as the shopkeeper approached me.
"SHUSH! Keep your mouth shut, don't ever utter that name!" He looked around, an extremely worried expression on his face.
"Why? What's wrong?" I replied in confusion.
"Leave! Don't ever come near me again." The shopkeeper shoved me away forcefully and slammed the door in my face.
As I left the shop, I was met with the sight of a very chaotic scenery. Dreamless city's vibe was completely different from the one above. There's this sense of disorder that you could feel just by looking at the city.
I came out to what appeared to be a night bazaar but a hundred times wilder. As I explored the area, the untamed city became a more and more bizarre place. There were wingless faeries in cages, 3-headed ogres on sale and many more exotic creatures on display. But what caught my attention was the sheer amount of fighting going on everywhere. Every few stalls, there was a fight happening and there were even a few dead bodies that littered the ground.
I wandered around clueless of where to go, when suddenly a dhampir banged into my shoulder. It wasn't that I didn't see him coming, no, I saw him a mile away but I intentionally barged into him. From what I've seen so far, this seemingly lawless city had little rules and they cared even less about their citizens.
"Huh? Watch where you are going, fucking human." The dhampir proceeded to grab my collar and a silver of his fangs slid down.
From the strength of his grip, it didn't seem like a normal dhampir's strength. He must have consumed some blood of another race recently, but not that it matters to me anyway. Grabbing his wrist, I crushed every single bone. He widened his eyes with more surprise than pain. Letting go of his wrist, he moved back immediately. For a human to have greater strength than him, who was enhanced with blood, something didn't seem right.
-Hey look, there's a fight here!
-That guy looks pretty weak. Come on, beat him up.
"What's your deal?" The dhampir said as he tried to sneakily land a left hook. Seeing the punch slowly crawling towards me, I caught it easily and crushed it in my palms. With both hands rendered useless, he wordlessly backed away and seemed to accept something. His head drooped and waited in silence as if for something to happen.
Seeing this display, I realized that this city was run by one rule; power. How you operated in this city was the amount of power and authority you wield. And those who have it all, rest at the top of the food chain.
Grabbing him by the neck, I smashed him against a wall. Seeing the fight was over as soon as it begun, the crowd which had gathered, dispersed. Many of them left with annoyed and disappointed faces.
"Speak, where can I find an information broker." I growled in his face.
Judging from how the shopkeeper reacted to my mention of the Black Hand, I felt that I would attract unnecessary attention if I keep bringing him up, and I do not want that. So, for now I'll just keep a low profile in this unfamiliar city.
"In-information broker? Hahaha, you attacked me just to ask- urghhh..."
"Shut up and answer the question." I elongated my nails and punctured his throat.
---
MEANWHILE IN EREWHON KINGDOM
INSIDE THE PALACE
A portal opened up and two people walked out. One was seen rushing out, while the other was slowly walking, dread in his steps. When the entire city was on lockdown, only those of royalty and those with very important statuses were allowed back, but even then, they were thoroughly checked.
"Father! We can't just leave him back there. They will hunt him down and kill him!" Anastasia shouted.
But King Manik shook his head. What he feared now wasn't the safety of the boy, but the consequences of his action, or lack thereof.
"I've provided everything I could to allow him to escape, anymore and I'll risk breaking the peace treaty that we have spent centuries maintaining." He looks sadly at her.
"But, but we have to bring him back somehow, right?" Anastasia looked hopefully at her father, but the king's expression said otherwise.
"𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬?"
A soft voice echoed in the corridor they were in. Even though it was soft, the voice rattled both father and daughter. Looking around for the source, Anastasia was confused, but King Manik knew full well whose voice it belonged too, and it was the last person he wanted to meet right now.
A figure stepped out from the shadows, appearing in front of them. She was wearing a blue embossed fur coat with a jade pipe in her hand. Anastasia had not seen her before, but the way she carried herself and her overbearing presence, spoke volumes.
"Explain now." Her silky-smooth voice had an edge to it.
"Teach-" King Manik suddenly stopped and remembered that his daughter was right beside him. "Lady... Malory, I tried my best, I am really sorry, please forgive my inadequate strength."
Anastasia looked on in shock, the way her father, the King of Erewhon addressed the lady seemed extremely respectful . Was there someone even greater than her father in this kingdom?
Clack Clack Clack~
The palace shook with every step she took. Disregarding his appearance and even his pride, King Manik bowed his body in a 90 degrees angle, in fear of inciting even more anger from her.
"I have spent CENTURIES providing protection for this kingdom, and the ONE time I ask for a favor, you fail me?" Lady Malory's cold words pierced him.
"No, M-my Lady-"
"Do I have to take this into my own hands?" The pressure in the room was now so intense that both humans had difficulty breathing.
"Please, I beg you, give me one more chance, I swear on the God Baldr that I will deliver him to you."
After thinking for a bit, the pressure in the room receded and they were able to breathe once more.
"Swearing to the Gods, that is an unbreakable oath that binds you. Since you have shown such commitment, I will hold you to that. And if you break the binding oath... you will face certain death." Turning away, she disappeared in a flash of brilliant light.
"...Pheewwwww."
King Manik wiped the sweat that had accumulated during the short but intense conversation. He then staggered slightly, using the wall as a support to stand up.
"Father, are you alright? What happened there, why would you so easily make a binding oath? Also... she said centuries?" Anastasia hurriedly went to his side and helped him up.
"Give me a moment... to recollect myself."
The more she re-examined the scene just moments before, the more questions build up inside her. That lady seems to have some connection with Eric. She couldn't imagine what this powerful being had to do with him, but then again, she knew next to nothing about Eric's past. Now that she thought about it, Eric had never once shared his past with anyone. Maybe once they were reunited again, she would finally ask him.
"I was planning to wait till you were ready to tell you the secrets of our kingdom. But now that you've seen her, I suppose there are some secrets I can let you in on. Follow me to the study room." The King said, pushing himself off the wall.