CHAPTER SIX

ANALIA

"IT'S NICE to meet you too Auriana," I turn to face her with a warm smile, just as one of the little girls grabs a hold of my hand.

I try to focus on the sound of my breathing as she pulls me by the hand. I can hear my footsteps as they trudge on the ground and the murmuring around me does nothing to ease my nerves. I'm not terrified of standing in front of demigods, I'm terrified of the possibility they might be able to see through my childlike illusion. The girl comes to a halt and lets go of my hand as we reach the foot of the platform.

I feel like I'm suffocating under the intense gaze of whoever I'm standing in front of. I can see their feet and it looks quite manly. I really hoped to be paired with a demigoddess but I guess that hope has been thrown out of the window.

Curiosity takes the best of me and I find myself raising my head a little, I immediately regret it because I come face to face with soul-piercing brown eyes watching me intensely.

I have never seen someone's eyes so ethereally beautiful. A few strands of his unruly, jet-black hair fall over his face, giving him a slightly disheveled yet luscious look. He manspreads on the makeshift throne he's seated on, as he rests his elbow on the arm of the seat, touching his chin subtly with his fingers in a pensive manner.

He isn't dressed like a demigod; rather, he's dressed in a black satin top that snugs at his biceps, annunciating his well-defined chest, with pants made of leather that have leg straps attached to them.

I know I shouldn't be staring at him, but I can't seem to take my eyes away. I've never found it so hard to stop gawking at a person and I can't tell what he's thinking even as our eyes are locked in silent scrutiny of each other.

He doesn't look a day older than twenty-one.

I quickly avert my eyes and wait patiently for my turn. I can still feel his gaze burning through me. It almost feels like he can see right through my illusion.

After standing for minutes tuning out everything happening around me, one of the little girls walks toward me with a bowl of a black substance which I presume is ink.

Since he hasn't said anything, it simply means he wants me right? Are we going through the whole bonding process?

From my peripheral vision, I see him rise and walk closer to me, causing me to step closer, hoping that I'm doing this the right way. I'm so small that he towers over me completely. I mean, I could be walking and he wouldn't even notice me. He bends over a little as he nears me and I make the mistake of looking at him again.

He smiles wryly as though he knows something. My heart thumps loudly at the idea that he might know I'm disguising myself as a child.

He stretches his hand, all the while maintaining eye contact with me, and the little girl draws a symbol on his hand. I remember Grandma telling me what her symbol looked like-hers, she said was star-shaped. No matter how long I stare at the drawing on the back of his palm, I can't figure out what it's supposed to be.

The little girl moves over to me, and I give her my hand, which she starts to draw on with black ink. I wince slightly at the impact; I didn't expect a drawing to make my hand feel like it was being stabbed into with needles. I look down at the spiral-shaped symbol on the back of my palm. I suppose this is to show that I'm a companion to someone.

The girl wraps a cloth around our hands and mutters in a composed and practiced manner, "You can only take this off when you're ready to depart. May Chrollo and Asha grant you success on your journey." She bows and moves on to the next person.

Are we going to keep standing like this? Can I say something?

"Standing must be hard for you, please have a seat," I try to suggest without looking up at him.

"How long does this illusion last?"

My eyes widen slightly in surprise at his rich and sonorous voice; it suits him perfectly. I'm too mesmerized by the resonating sound of his voice, the actual words he spoke bounce off my ears.

"What?" I ask in confusion.

"This childlike illusion you have on, how long does it last?"

My hands begin to shake on their own accord at his question. My suspicions were right. He can see right through me.

How is that possible? Can everyone see it too?

He tilts his head to the side as he observes me keenly, oblivious to the fact that my heart is pounding loud enough for the people around us to hear.

"I-I, please, I didn't mean to deceive you. I have my reasons for..." I gulp nervously as he interrupts me with a malevolent smile.

"I'm just curious," He states as his malevolent smile turns darker. "A relic capable of changing your real form, there's only one relic I know capable of doing that." His eyes narrow suspiciously as his smile dissipates.

Only one relic capable of changing forms?

Does he know something about this necklace?

"I didn't steal it," I tell him to clear all suspicions he may have. "I don't know how long it lasts, but I've had it on for four days now," I answer him.

"Hmm," He muses out loud as he stares at the chain of the necklace that disappears into my uniform. This man is not ordinary. Is he just a demigod?

"Make sure to take it off while we're at Asha's land. It's too powerful for you to keep putting on like that. Do you understand?"

I nod frantically in reply. Is he letting me go? Without killing me or reporting me? "You're letting me go? Even with the possibility that I may have stolen a relic?" I didn't steal the necklace, but I'm curious as to what he thinks. He simply seems indifferent right now and it scares me.

"Well, I may just have to feed you to the dragons at Asha's land for stealing," He replies with a casual shrug and blood drains from my face in terror. I can't tell if he's joking or not, but he doesn't say anything else. He just casually walks back to his seat and I follow.

He settles down, and thanks to my height, I feel comfortable just standing beside him. I'm unable to pay attention to what is happening around me. I can't tell if the other companions are done with their bonding or not, but from the resounding claps coming from the crowd and the shouts of congratulations, I can only assume that the ceremony is reaching its climax.

I can't help but wonder if he's serious about feeding me to a dragon.

I raise my head to find nobles approaching some of the Demigods and giving them gifts. I find it strange that no one is coming this way. It's almost like everyone is avoiding him. I find some staring at him and whispering amongst themselves and I scrunch my brows in confusion.

Are they gossiping about a demigod? Wow, first there was the plot between Kora and Kun to kill a demigod, and now nobles are gossiping about one. I look down at him to find him looking simply bored. He doesn't seem bothered at all that...

"We'll be leaving right after the ceremony." He snaps me out of my thoughts by saying.

"Yes," I reply. He eyes me from the side briefly before he fixes his gaze back on what's happening around us. Everyone seems excited. Some nobles are dancing, some are cheering, and others are drinking. I even notice Princess Kora talking to some nobles and laughing at whatever it is they are saying. I guess this is some kind of entertainment for the demigods.

I had hoped to find Princess Kora with the strange man she was talking to yesterday but to my utmost disappointment, she isn't. It seems that he isn't just a demigod. A god perhaps, but gods hardly come to earth and when they do, they always end up falling in love with humans. The product ends up being demigods.

I spend the rest of the ceremony absorbed in my thoughts. So far, this person doesn't seem all that bad. He definitely has a psychotic air around him but aside from that he seems rather normal and unbothered. I never would have imagined myself journeying with a demigod but I guess life is full of surprises.

The guests start to leave and in less than thirty minutes, the once-crowded room is now almost empty. None of the Demigods have left though, I wonder what they're waiting for. A slight tug on sleeve of my left-hand causes me to fix my attention on the demigod beside me.

"I presume you have things you need for this journey right?" He asks and I nod my head sharply. Even though I'm a horrible archer, I still need my bow and arrows for self-defense. I can always stab an enemy with an arrow and knock them out with my bow.

He proceeds to undo the cloth wrapped around my hand. "I'll be waiting right here. Also, make sure to bring a map with you," He instructs. I curtly bow before I scurry off the platform only to stop in my tracks, realizing that I don't know my way back. I mean, we had to pass through places I had never passed through to get to this place.

I breathe out a sigh of frustration and just as I'm about to turn back in disgrace, I feel a warm hand on my shoulder. I look up to find Auriana's soft gaze on me.

"You look lost," She states and proceeds to take my right hand into hers.

My eyes widen in excitement. I didn't even think to look out for her. "You look happy." I notice and her smile grows wider to a beam as we begin to walk.

"You're a child, so you wouldn't understand," She says. A blush forms at the side of her cheeks, and I cock a brow in amusement. An hour ago, she was so close to vomiting but now she looks like she has found the love of her life.

My eyes widen in realization.

"How's he or she? I mean, the person you're accompanying," I ask, and her face burns up. I can't believe how fast she has fallen in love with whoever she's accompanying.

"He's quite a beauty. All the demigods and goddesses are ethereally beautiful. They truly are on another level than us humans." Her eyes are shimmering with admiration. It makes me smile at how innocent she looks.

The admiration burning in her eyes quickly shifts to sadness. "He hasn't spoken a word to me, though. I wonder if he even realizes I'm there."

Oh,

I can't say I know how she feels but it breaks my heart to see her so sad.

I decide to change the subject. "I can't find my way back to my room and we're about to depart to Asha's land. Do you happen to know the way back to our rooms?"

Her eyes light up immediately and a grin graces her face. "I sensed that you were lost. C'mon, this will be my parting gift to you." She leads me by the hand out of the ballroom.

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