Chapter 34

**Outside of Moonveil**

Amara observed Moonveil from a distance, her keen eyes fixed on the town. She couldn't help but think, *Larkin and his companions are most likely here.* Her stomach still ached from the punch she had taken, an injury to her pride as much as her body. She suspected it might have caused some internal damage, but Amara wasn't one to dwell on such setbacks. 

*No matter,* she told herself resolutely, massaging the wounded area gingerly. *It won't stop me from capturing him.* Her determination remained unwavering as she prepared to advance towards Moonveil, her mind set on her target.

Amara knew that this town had once borne a different name, recently changed to Moonveil. However, such details held no significance to her now, especially since she was outside Ironhelm, where the consequences of causing chaos were significantly reduced.

As she began to approach the town gates, Amara noticed another individual attempting to enter. It was a man clad in pitch-black knight armor, his identity hidden by a helmet. Three guards confronted him—a black-haired one, a brown-haired one, and a commanding figure with a ledger in hand. The leader was in the midst of questioning the armored man.

Amara couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking, *Great, now I have to wait in a line,* though it was more like a queue of just two people, including herself. Despite the small size of this line, annoyance still seeped in. She moved closer to hear the conversation unfolding before her.

The guard with the ledger, holding the role of the inquisitor, asked, "Name?" The man in the pitch-black knight's armor responded, "I have many names, some of which you may know." This response immediately made both the guard and Amara feel rather weirded out. As Amara listened in, the knight continued, "For now, you may call me Fang," saying it as if he expected recognition. Amara's thoughts were quite different; *Who?* she thought, never in her life having heard that name or title.

The ledger-bearing guard pressed further, inquiring, "Is that your real name?" To which, the black knight simply replied, "No."

The ledger-bearing guard had reached the end of his tether, his frustration palpable as he massaged his temples. "By the goddess, why are we stuck with this nonsense? We need your actual name!" he snapped, his voice brimming with irritation, and he sought a direct response.

The black knight, still unperturbed by the guard's mounting frustration, raised his hand and hesitantly offered, "Very well, I shall divulge it... Haze," though the word left his lips with some hesitation. The guard, growing increasingly vexed, pressed further, "Alright, and that's your true name, correct?" The knight's answer remained elusive: "It could be...?"

A visible vein throbbed on the guard's forehead, his patience wearing thin. He exploded, "I swear, I'm gonna shoot you in a second if you don't say your fucking name!" As this exasperating back-and-forth continued, Amara, growing weary of the protracted spectacle, muttered to herself, "I've had enough of this." She wasted no time, quickly moving behind the black knight, grasping his shoulder, and shoved him aside with enough force to send him sprawling to the ground.

This unexpected action left both the guards and the black knight momentarily stunned. Before the befuddled guard could muster his thoughts to pose any questions, Amara took charge of the situation. "My name is Amara," she declared resolutely, no longer willing to entertain the charade. "I'm here for resupply and anticipate spending no more than a day in Moonveil. I have no other belongings for you to inspect." The guard, taken aback by her abrupt and forthright intervention, eventually managed to stammer out, "You may proceed?"

Without further ado, Amara turned and started making her way into the town.

As Amara stood at the town's threshold, ready to enter, a voice interrupted her. "You're one of us, aren't you?" the black knight asked, and as soon as the words left his lips, Amara froze on the spot.

"Yeah, nice try, but you won't be getting in without..." The guard, in the midst of voicing his suspicions, abruptly halted his sentence as Amara pivoted back towards the black knight, locking eyes with him through the slit in his helmet. Her voice, now chillingly cold, sliced through the tension. "What do you mean?" she demanded, her words carrying an unspoken threat that echoed in the silence.

The black knight, undaunted by her demeanor, responded in a hushed tone, ensuring the guards wouldn't overhear. "I'm the same as you, I'm hunting him," he divulged cryptically. Amara's eyes widened with recognition at his words. She slowly turned her attention back to the guard, her expression unwavering.

Without missing a beat, Amara reached into her pockets and produced a clinking pouch of coins, the sound of their wealth ringing through the air. She thrust the pouch toward the guard, her gaze still fixed firmly on his eyes. "You take this," she hissed, the intensity of her stare making her intentions abundantly clear. "And you let him in. Understood?"

The guard, both unnerved and enticed by the gleaming coin pouch, quickly nodded. "Yes, ma'am," he replied meekly, accepting the bribe. This was the second time today he had allowed individuals to pass due to intimidation, but at least this time he received some compensation for it.

With the transaction settled, Amara grasped the black knight's hand and pulled him along with her, marching purposefully into Moonveil. The guard, left to his own thoughts and with newfound riches in hand, watched them disappear into the town, pondering *What the fuck just happened?*