Kayda's brows lifted slightly, her expression a mix of amusement and concern.
"I was planning to head toward that creepy black pillar-the one where the church was destroyed. I wanted to compare the knife to whatever made that thing. And wouldn't you know it? Same material. Same aura. I asked the guy where he got it. He said it came from the black market."
Kayda's face twitched. "Please don't tell me-"
"I asked where it was," I admitted with a shrug, grinning at her. "So once I knew, I waited for the right time. Found myself an old, abandoned watchtower and waited there until after sunset."
Sara leaned forward slightly. "Alone? In the city outskirts?"
"It was peaceful," I said with a light shrug. "Two hours after sunset, the rats came crawling out. I followed an old man to a bar that reeked of sweat and regret. I joined in and had a few drinks-okay, twenty sake jugs, but who's counting-then the tiny demon girl who was the bartender invited me to a black-market auction.
Kayda blinked. "You accepted a shady invitation while drunk?"
"I was not drunk," I said, trying to sound indignant but failing as I chuckled. "Just tipsy."
"Still not better," she muttered.
"Anyway," I continued, waving my hand, "I went to the market. Sold some of my weapons. Bought a new toy."
With a grin, I waved my hand, and the six chakrams floated around the table, gleaming in the candlelight. Their sharp blades spun lazily in the air, catching the dim glow as if flaunting their lethality.
"They look expensive," Sara said, reaching out to examine one. She turned it carefully in her hands, studying the craftsmanship.
"They are," I said, proud.
"I also got you something, Kayda," I added, pulling out a black velvet box from my storage and pushing it across the table to her.
Kayda blinked, visibly surprised. "Oh... okay."
Her voice tried to remain flat, but her fingers trembled slightly as she opened the box. Inside was the white coat. She reached out and ran her fingers across the fabric with reverence.
"They cost a small fortune," I said nonchalantly. "The chakrams were 4,000 gold coins. That coat was 70,000."
The air went still.
"What!?" Sara yelped, nearly dropping the chakram in her hand.
"How do you have that kind of money!?" Kayda shouted, snapping the box shut like the coat might burn her.
"Well," I said with a mischievous smile, "I sold fifteen weapons at the auction and made 300,000 gold."
Their stunned expressions were deeply satisfying.
"You what!?" Sara choked.
"You just sold that many?" Kayda repeated, eyes wide.
"I also made them," I added smugly, summoning a small dagger beneath the table and then sliding it toward Sara.
She picked it up carefully and turned it in her hands. "It's... beautiful. Lightweight, perfectly balanced..."
"If you made a whole batch of those, it would explain the money," she admitted, more to herself than anyone.
"Yeah," I said, nodding, "but the money's not the important part. I got some juicy information too."
Kayda sat straighter. "We're listening."
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table. "The demon girl who brought me to the auction? She's an info broker for the Crimson Bandits."
The silence that followed was deafening.
"What!?" Kayda and Sara both exploded in sync, eyes wide.
"Yup," I said, popping the "p' as I reclined again. "Her name's Sammy. Small, sharp tongue, a bit punchable. I ran into Grandenzil, too. She was there with another girl-looked young and cocky. Uses chakrams as her main weapon. Can you believe it?"
Kayda stared at me. "Wait-you met Grandenzil again, and she didn't recognize you? She tried to kill you just yesterday."
I rolled my eyes. "Stop looking at me like I'm a corpse that got up and walked. You know, even if she tried, she wouldn't leave a mark on me."
Kayda leaned in, squinting. "Still. That's insane."
"You met and survived Grandenzil twice in two days..." Sara whispered, dumbfounded.
"Yup. Anyway," I said, straightening up again, "after figuring out who Sammy was, I tortured her at the auction. Not too loud, don't worry. Got as much info as I could before the auction ended."
I reached into my storage again and pulled out the knife, the chakrams, and a dark, dense shard of stone.
"All these?" I tapped each object. "Same material. Even that creepy black pillar. The stuff's called demon rock."
"Demon rock?" Sara repeated, her expression thoughtful.
Kayda frowned. "That name rings a bell. I think I read about it once, years ago. But I can't remember anything."
"It's apparently common in the underworld," I continued. "But I have a theory... I think it's made out of something no one wants to accept. Like... forbidden ingredients."
Kayda's brow furrowed. "Like souls?"
"Maybe."
"What about the attack?" Sara asked softly.
I nodded, the mirth draining from my expression.
"The Crimson Bandits were hired to kill all the church personnel. Full ambush. An unknown party gave the order and two million gold in advance. Sammy said no one-not even Grandenzil-knows who the client was."
I let that settle.
"That's... disturbing," Sara whispered.
"That's all she had," I said, sighing. "Nothing on the Anabald head either."
Kayda stood up with a groan, brushing invisible dust from her pants. "You did wonderful. Got more than I expected."
She turned to me. "Let's get some rest. I'm dead tired."
"Now you're tired?" I snorted, standing.
"Yes. "Is there a problem?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nope. So... where am I sleeping?"
"I'll show you. Sara," Kayda turned and gave the innkeeper a grateful nod. "Thanks for the company. I'll file a more detailed report tomorrow."
"No problem, I'm always here for you," Sara replied with a cheerful wave.
"Come on, lizard. We've got sleep to catch up on. We're leaving tomorrow," I said, turning and heading toward the stairs. I stopped halfway up and glanced over my shoulder. "What did you just call me, fox?" Kayda growled, stalking up behind me.
I grinned. "Where's the room?"
"Tch. Top floor," she muttered, brushing past me.
"Lead the way." I followed, glancing back at Sara-and that's when my irritation peaked.
She was watching Kayda a bit too intently.
With a flick of my hand, three ice knives materialized and embedded themselves into the wood just inches from her mug, causing her to flinch.
"That's your first warning," I said coldly before turning and disappearing up the stairs.
Sara blinked. "My first what now...?"
At the top floor, Kayda opened the door to a massive suite. My eyes widened as I stepped inside. The place was almost absurdly luxurious-velvet curtains, polished floorboards, a fireplace in the corner... and one giant bed in the middle of the room.
It could easily fit three people.
"...Wait. Why is there only one bed?" I asked, looking at Kayda accusingly.
She was already halfway across the room, heading toward the bathroom. "I'm taking a shower. Don't peek."
"Peeking?" I echoed, blinking. Then her words clicked.
My face flushed red. "Who would want to peek at a lizard?" I shouted in frustration as the bathroom door clicked shut.
Well, this was one of the shortest chapters in a long time.
TheRealSkolliecreators' thoughts
avataravatar
Chapter 101:
"That was a good shower," Kayda said, stepping out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped tightly around her horns and another loosely draped over her shoulders. Her wings shimmered slightly from the dampness still clinging to them, water dripping slowly down her exposed neck and collarbone.
Steam billowed softly into the room behind her, curling through the air like smoke from a dragon's breath. Her steps were slow and relaxed, like she was savoring the lingering heat on her skin.
"Good to know," I said flatly, looking at her from where I was seated on the edge of the bed. My tone was dry, edged with annoyance-not because I was angry at her, but because I knew exactly where this conversation was going, and I was already bracing myself.
"Now it's your turn," Kayda said lightly as she walked across the room and sat beside me on the bed, letting out a content sigh. Her tail flicked behind her lazily, and she leaned back, one hand propping her up.
"First, where am I sleeping?" I asked, eyes narrowing slightly as I looked her dead in the face. My tone was deadpan, but my brows twitched with restrained irritation.
"On this bed, of course," Kayda replied with a cheerful smile, patting the soft surface with one hand.
"Then, where are you sleeping?" I asked again, raising one eyebrow skeptically, although I already had a sinking feeling about what her answer would be.
"On this bed, of course," she repeated, grinning as she patted it again, this time twice for emphasis.
I stared at her. My ears twitched. "...No, seriously, Kayda. Where are we going to sleep?"
She tilted her head at me slightly, as if confused by the very question. "We are both sleeping on this bed together," she said, this time dropping the playful tone for a more direct, matter-of-fact delivery.
"And why would we do that?" I asked, folding my arms. My tail swayed low and slow behind me in annoyance.
Kayda gave a shrug, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Because we are soulmates."
I blinked. "Yeah, and?"
Her smile flickered into a small pout of confusion. "I thought it would've been fine if we shared the bed now that you know about it."
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "I understand. But I would rather not share a bed just yet."
Kayda frowned slightly and tilted her head. "Why?"
I blinked at her. "Because we've only been together for, what, a couple of hours?"
Kayda's brows drew together. "Okay... So we're together, but you would rather not share a bed with me?"
"Yes. "Yes, we are together," I said, nodding slowly, "but it feels like we are now dating." I guess."
"Dating?" she repeated, her tail curling up in thought. "I remember Amari explaining that to me..."
"Yeah. It's like we're together, but it's not a done deal yet."
"What do you mean, 'not a done deal'?" Kayda asked, eyes narrowing again in utter confusion.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Why do I need to explain this to you?" I groaned. "Sigh... okay. We are dating, so we are partners, but not married yet."
Her eyes lit up. "So, we're engaged?"
My smile immediately vanished. "No, no, we're before that. It's as if I'm struggling to find the words to explain what dating is. It's not like I've done it before..."
I mumbled the last part, feeling a sudden wave of embarrassment. My tail drooped behind me. The idea that I, someone who'd faced gods and monsters, was getting tripped up trying to explain something as mundane as dating made my cheeks heat.
"Ha-ha, don't be so depressed. I was just playing with you," Kayda said, laughing softly, her wings fluttering lightly behind her.
"You actually got me there," I said, letting out a defeated chuckle.
"And you said you could see truth from lies," Kayda added, clearly enjoying her victory as she puffed her chest slightly with pride.
"What does that have to do with this?" I said, still confused by how I got played like a fiddle.
"Remember what you said in the carriage? 'Because I-'"
"I know what I said," I cut in quickly, glaring at her as my ears twitched. "But that doesn't apply here. I don't even know if this world has the concept of dating, so I wanted to clarify that we're together but not that together."
"This world does have dating," she said smugly. "So you don't have to explain it to me."
"I see... So why are we still sharing a bed?" I asked again, though my voice had lost some of its edge, replaced more by exhaustion than frustration.
"Because I don't want to pay for two rooms," she said casually, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I deadpanned. "But... isn't there a room with two beds?"
Kayda looked away.
"...You need to shower before you climb into bed, okay?" she said, quickly dodging the question as she stood up and started pushing me toward the bathroom.
"Hey! Don't ignore my question!" I shouted, digging my heels in slightly.
"Go shower," Kayda repeated, this time dragging me by the wrist toward the bathroom door.
"Tch. We'll talk when I come out," I muttered reluctantly, stepping inside and closing the door behind me.
(40 Minutes Later)
"I guess you weren't wrong about that being a wonderful shower," I said, stepping out into the room again while drying my tail with a thick, fluffy towel. The warmth still clung to my skin, and the minty soap lingered in my hair. I rubbed my scalp with the towel, only to realize the room was unusually quiet.
I glanced toward the bed.
Kayda was lying there, half under the covers, already fast asleep. Her wings, spread lazily across the bed, made it nearly impossible for anyone else to fit. She was completely out, one hand draped over the side, her face soft in slumber.
"...Is she sleeping?" I whispered, blinking.
I stepped closer and smiled slightly. "It seems so. I guess we'll need to talk about her wings being in the way someday."
'Though... I wonder... how does she look when she's sleeping?' I thought as I tiptoed around the edge of the bed, curiosity getting the better of me.
I leaned in, eyes landing on her face-and then my breath hitched.
My heart skipped a beat.
"...Yeah, definitely-ah shit, my nose is bleeding," I mumbled, tilting my head back slightly as I felt warm blood trickle down. "She looks adorable when she behaves this way."
'Crap. It's really pouring. I need to get away from her adorable face now before I die of blood loss.'
I stumbled back to the far end of the room and flopped down. With a soft flash of light, I changed into my smallest fox form-fluffy, round, and compact-and curled up tightly into a soft ball on the floor.
"...This is safer," I mumbled before drifting off.
(Next Morning)
"Hey, wake up! We can't have people see you like that," Kayda's voice rang in my ears as something nudged my side.
I groaned softly.
"Just five more minutes," I whined, voice muffled from my curled-up position on the rug.
"Sara will come up here any second," Kayda warned, her tone sharper this time.
With a reluctant grunt, I changed back into my human form and immediately collapsed face-first onto the now-empty bed, limbs sprawled across the still-warm blankets.
"No, stand up. You can't go back to sleep," Kayda said, grabbing my arm and tugging with enough force to nearly yank me off the bed entirely.
