CHAPTER 8

"Not nice," Sapphire complained pouting.

"I'd say the same thing to you," Kurai shot back, "Kessho was like a thousand times easier to handle, and she hates water."

The two argued as they descended the stairs, Sapphire right behind Kurai. The lady behind the platform didn't say anything on seeing the argument, just observed with a sideways glance. Sapphire at once fell silent and Kurai didn't say anything about it either there on.

Sapphire turned her attention to what was happening behind the door near the stairs as Kurai went to say something to the lady. There were voices barely louder than a normal conversation unlike the shouting in the other inn, a much calmer environment.

Walking past Sapphire Kurai gestured her to follow, and she did so, completely forgetting their argument from half a minute ago. He opened the door and walked into the room, his hat covering his eyes from other people's view. Sapphire entered right behind and could tell that the voices got louder, not just because the door was opened but as if the people inside started talking loudly just because someone walked in.

Kurai observed the room from under his hat before pulling it up and revealing his face to the people inside. "Why the pretending? It's just me," he shrugged.

"It's just our boy, continue your work," A man with short flaming red hair behind a platform with seats right in front of it announced.

Kurai went ahead and took a seat right there and Sapphire sat right beside him. The man behind the counter glanced between Sapphire and Kurai. "This the girl you were talking about? I'd say your descriptions weren't that off then," he laughed.

There were sounds of agreement from behind, seemingly from the few people who knew Kurai, many still seemingly uneasy.

"No, this isn't the one, just a... replacement," Kurai sighed, "5 years of searching and still no result."

"Didn't you say 2 last time?" Sapphire asked in a whisper.

"That was a lie," Kurai said smiling, "never give too much information to someone you have just met."

"Anyways, you looking for another assignment or some food?" The person behind the counter asked, "The name's Blaze by the way," He introduced himself as he turned to Sapphire.

"Just here for some food," Kurai answered.

"Should have gone to the inn just across the road then, our chefs are much better at using their knives for purposes other than cooking you know."

"I did go there, but seems like they don't like cute things," Kurai shrugged.

"I'd say they don't like wolves but whatever," Blaze shrugged back.

"Regardless, I would like some food, I am starving here," Kurai said signaling the end of the argument.

"Sure, coming right up." Blaze said as left through a door behind the platform.

After a little while he came back with two plates full of food. Sapphire had never seen any of the food till just now, but she was hungry enough to not question and just start eating. Half her attention was still on all the other people in the room. Many were busy eating while some had not even touched their food since Kurai and Sapphire entered. Their plates looked the same as they didd a little while ago. Most of these people were looking at thin white sheets while pointing to things and talking to each other in low whispers, so low that even her ears couldn't hear what was being said.

Sapphire was half done with her food and Kurai was already almost done when the door opened again. The voices in the room went up the second the click sound of the door was heard. The person that walked in did cause many of the people to stare wide-eyed though.

The girl who walked in wore a pink long dress with glittery flame and bird patterns. A pair of white leggings was visible slightly above her ankles. Her eyes were bright pink and long hair of a similar color with two wolf ears on the top of her head just attracting even more attention.

She looked around the room for a second before walking to the platform. She wasn't tall or old in the slightest, she seemed to be around ten or twelve at most, and her height being between Sapphire and Kurai. Still, she walked around confidently, not nervous in the slightest. Either she didn't notice all the eyes on her, or simply didn't care.

The girl came and sat down beside Sapphire. From the girl's scent Sapphire ascertained one thing, that she was a phoenix. It explained why the girl wasn't nervous in the slightest, Phoenixes are known to be somewhat self-centred and overconfident afterall.

"I would like a lunch please, I already paid for it at the reception," The girl requested with a bright smile.

"Sure," Blaze said going back in.

The girl turned her attention to Sapphire and Kurai. Kurai had already pulled his hat lower to cover his face from unwanted attention. Sapphire was still completely visible, though she wanted to hide in a hole right now. The girl eyed her up and down curiously, not paying much mind to looking weird. Sapphire felt nervous and uneasy, but from the other people's stares, for some reason unknown to ever her, she didn't mind the girl much and felt safe to some extent near her.

Finishing her meal in a hurry Sapphire hurriedly drank the juice that was given to her. Kurai was already done and was simply waiting for her to finish. Noticing Sapphire's nervousness the girl turned her attention away and waited for her meal, tapping at the table in a rhythm while waving her body slightly side to side.

"Kill her now," A whisper from behind caught Sapphire's attention and her head snapped backwards in alarm.

A man getting up from the table in an instant slammed his fist on the table near a knife. It bounced into the air and the man caught it in his right hand and charged straight towards the phoenix girl. She had only just turned around and due to the suddenness failed to react. Sapphire also froze in fear.

As the man thrust the knife at the phoenix girl a hand grabbed his arm while another grabbed his head from the behind and slammed it to the ground, twisting his arm behind his body. The person who did this was none other than Kurai, the only one who managed to react in the entire inn. Bending the arm a bit further back Kurai disarmed the man and stomped his leg on the knife to keep anyone from taking hold of it. He glared at the man and glanced at the other people in the room. After twisting the man's arm till there was a loud crack Kurai lifted him to his feet and pushed him away, causing him to fall back to the ground writhing in pain.

Blaze sighed entering the room. "Seems like that is an impossible commission now."

"Certainly is," Kurai agreed.

"There are twenty-siz of us here and they are just one," A man growled standing up, "this commission will give enough money for all of us to live a life in luxury."

"Even a hundred of you rickety assassins are no match for the best one to ever exist." Blaze mocked them setting down the phoenix girl's meal.

"I do wonder why you trusted me so much there," Kurai said glancing at the girl from the corner of his eye.

"I don't know, I just felt like trusting you. You seemed like a nice person." The girl answered slightly and slowly waving her body as she ate her food.

"You are mistaken," Kurai said deniably.

"The question should be why you haven't removed the collar when you can," The girl shot back.

Kurai's eyes slightly widened at that and he turned to the girl and stared at her with a look confusion and shock. "Never thought I will meet someone that observant," Kurai muttered.

"I can be very observant," The girl replied in a pleased tone.

Everyone in the room stood up and armed themselves with either weapons they carry or the kitchenware. They glared at the duo and prepared to attack, causing both Kurai and Fi to sigh in unison. The moment those people took a step forward both of them snapped their head in that direction. Fi's left eye turned slightly reddish while Kurai's right eye turned red when they did so, before turning back to normal almost instantly, but the work was done in that instant. Everyone on that side of the room passed out and fell to the ground in that instant.

"Angelic Eye of Creation?" Kurai exclaimed just as Fi exclaimed, "Demonic Eye of Destruction?"

"No, the lesser version," Both of them answered in unison.

Both of them looked at each other for a little while, not saying anything. Sapphire glanced between the two, not comprehending any of what was happening just now.

"This is what falling in love looks like I believe," Blaze whispered to her seeing her confused look.

"Absolutely not," Both Kurai and Fi exclaimed in unison causing Blaze to jerk back.

Turning around he pointed to the door behind him and walked in to get out of the situation, leaving Kurai and Fi to talk.

"We are too in sync," Fi complained with a chuckle.

"Agreed." Kurai replied. "Let's take our conversation to a more... private place, if you don't mind."

"Not in the slightest," Fi agreed.

Sapphire just tilted her head at the two, not knowing just what to do. Getting up Kurai and Fi walked to the door, leaving Sapphire behind. She simply kept sitting there, feeling left out. Kurai turned around and stared at her with a resigned expression. "Are you coming or do you want to eat more? If you do I can wait here," He asked her.

Sapphire instantly jumped down from her seat and rushed to Kurai, following closely behind back to the upstairs room. Fi was waiting ahead for the two. Kurai opened the door and the three walked in. Zince Sapphire was somewhat tired she lied down on the bed while Fi sat beside, Kurai seating himself on a chair on the side of the room.

"This is going to be a while," Kurai sighed.