Free Sandwiches

This is a disaster, West groaned to himself. He leaned back on his chair and watched Ruben crouching as he ate away the ten-silver worth bowl of strawberry-flavoured ice.

Had he already mentioned that it cost him ten silvers? It was said to be the cheapest, though it didn't feel like it.

Ah, things restlessness could do to one.

The members of the troupe occupied almost all of the tables in the cafe. All hold the same frustrations they got from the earlier event, their emotions expressed differently from another.

Nelle sat beside him, moaning as she slowly pounded her head on the table, her back shaking. West could only sigh in response. Meanwhile, Hellen shielded her friend's forehead from another bump by pressing her right hand on the table, the other patting her back lightly. 

Then there was Sybil who couldn't resist standing up to walk around while she muttered words West couldn't hear, Freeda and Royce trailing behind her with the mission of calming her down.

Leila and Mitchel were quietly discussing something at the corner of the cafe, the witch's face scrunched with worry.

Two of the members, though, were quiet. And their lips might not be saying words, but their eyes say otherwise, as they threw predatory gazes towards one particular witch.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"Nelle, we wouldn't be able to get him back if you keep on bashing your head to death," West advised calmly. 

The witch stopped, her shoulders tensed. For a second or two, he thought that she would yell at him. Especially after knowing how loud she could get. But when she did naught but look at him, her cheeks tear-stained, West shared the heavy feeling in his chest.

"We only need to prove ourselves. And we can," he assured her.

"West is right, Nelly," added Ruben. He cradled her hand to his little ones. " Maybe Sir Duncan danced with them backstage when he disappeared. Maybe he's eating the emperor's food? West, I'm hungry again."

It was enough to make her laugh, at least. 

Even if hunger was another one of their problems, as Lemver Street truly glorifies the shops there as places only rich people could buy from.

Despite that, they cannot leave.

Not when they were only given a few minutes to get their masks ready.

They were challenged within the presence of the Emperor, therefore it must be done with him there as well. It meant that they wouldn't be able to back away from it. Unless they wanted to leave, not just Eldham, but the whole of Merotus.

More than that, they took Sir Duncan as their hostage.

"Patrick," West turned after hearing the displeased tone in Giles' voice. It seemed like he had gone tired of only hard staring. Giles stood a foot away from the guilty looking witch, a scowl on his face. "You were the one who gave the envelope to us. Are you sure you had no clue of what would happen?"

The number of times he had been asked with the same words were more than ten already. But there they were again.

Patrick bowed his head, his breath uneven.

"I told you already." His voice was brittle. West watched him clench and unclench his fist. "I did know that they were going to challenge you, but I didn't know that they'll go this far as to… as to…"

Taking their superior.

Having enough of it, West walked over to them.

"Giles."

"What, West? Saving Patrick now wouldn't do you any good, you hear?"

He nodded. "I know. But saving Sir Duncan should be our focus now." 

His point froze the witch. If something could get through him, slapping the situation they were would work. 

And there they were, the rest of the members staring at him, ears ready to listen.

"I have a question first," Mitchel said. He lowered his voice, possibly wary of the staff who had been eyeing them up. "Leila mentioned that they are witches, too. For her to do a trick like that in front of the Emperor… wouldn't that put them in trouble alone?"

West thought back to when Sir Duncan disappeared. 

All was distracted. There were fabrics, bright and moving like waves carried by the wind. No, more like dancing in tune with the strings and percussions. They were aware of what was happening yet it happened so sudden that the disappearance was the last thing in their mind.

"If it's magic… it could be possible that they didn't use spells," Patrick answered. 

"Because you would know, wouldn't you?"

"Of course he would know." The response was delivered threateningly, yet the speaker somehow sounded relaxed. The irk mood of it wasn't directed towards Patrick, though. West turned to look at Eve.

Her head was resting on her palms. She shot Giles a taunting glance before looking at the cafe's day menu. Shrugging, she continued, " And sure, the boy should be blamed. Partly. But an artist for an artist, as what they said. They took ours, so is it not time to use theirs? In this case, someone who knows them well." 

She gave them a sweet smile before raising her hand to call for a staff. 

"Right. Technically, I'm already Eglantine's but alright."

West grinned, amused. It felt like it had been long since he last heard her voice. Of course, it had only been a week since they last had a lengthy talk. If that was lengthy enough since it was with the circumstance of dancing with her.

After that, she was either being swooped by the recruits to come with them to wherever, after nothing but a mere greeting; or training with her peers.

The very same people she was always with.

Not that there was nothing good with that. He did tell her to get along with others. West was proud that she was slowly opening up to them.

They carried on with the discussion.

Yet his eyes remained on how she wiggled her finger at the staff, motioning him to move closer. She whispered something in his ear, her eyes glinting with mischief as the boy turned red in surprise. He shook his head swiftly, West almost thought that it'll fall down from its body.

Eve laughed. She rested her cheek against her palm, looking up at the staff, before she began speaking again. This time, he was nodding, the tip of his pen moving against paper.

The moment their eyes met, West knew he had been staring for too long. 

He flashed her a small smile, before returning his attention to the actual conversation.

Then again, Goddess Tana- what was he doing just now?

"... I know for a fact that they wouldn't be reckless enough to use magic in front of the emperor."

"Then why did he not stop it? Even if he was a patron of Moon Petal, shouldn't he have done something?"

Mitchel's chuckle was stained with spite. "Trusting the emperor to be fair, eh? No. Assume that he was entertained by all that's happening."

"I don't care what the emperor feels right now," Nelle said, finally joining in the conversation. "My father isn't here with us, that's our problem. The only way for us to get him is to respond to their challenge."

"Which we already did." Leila pushed the bag that Sir Duncan left with Mitchel. It contained the simplest of masks, wooden and unpainted. He must have expected something like it. They were artists, and he taught them to be ready for spontaneous situations like this. "And we're expecting it to be an improvisation challenge."

"So we basically need to win an improvisation battle on their stage, with their set, their audience, with our wrecked-looking masks?" Giles held his fingers up, showing how much disadvantage they have. "Perfect."

"Perfect?"

"We'll win them with real talents. After all," the male witch turned to look at Patrick. He may be angry at most times, but trust Giles to be the one with most confident. "that's how we won you over, right?"

Turning a deep shade of red, Patrick nodded. "Of course. Yes. It was talent, alright."

Way to sound convincing there, bud.

Before West could say his piece, the cafe staff went to their table to serve sandwiches. Two for each was what they gave. 

Their eyes twinkled at the sight when they saw the sandwiches plated in a neat fashion, the smell of sliced beef in the middle of the bread triggering the hunger they were pushing aside. 

Was it free?

Had the owner finally softened up to them despite only ordering one bowl of flavoured ice for the kid, and not ordering anything else after that? They did occupy most of his shop… which was bad for business, once he thought of it.

"Did anybody-?" He didn't get to finish when he remembered who it was who talked to a staff earlier.

West shot her a look, but she didn't return it, appearing unbothered by the commotion caused by the food. What he did notice, however, was how intently she started listening to Leila when the witch excitedly turned to them after she got hers.

West chuckled.

"Should we show them what our group can do, then?"