Even though she had initially come out as an arrogant, slightly annoying, clearly spoiled young woman, after listening to her talk and laugh with her sister and MenTar¹ Literally men (lake) + tar (wind), Snow couldn’t honestly say that he disliked LanWei²Literally lan (white) + wei (crystal)’s personality.

Fiercely straightforward and direct, it was easy to understand how she could easily be mistaken by a rude, insensitive young woman. From Snow’s point of view, however, at least those around her would always know what to expect from her.

People like LanWei would never scheme, deceive or stab you in the back. They would simply walk up to your face and say exactly what they thought, no matter the consequences, regardless of what other people might think. Overall, while some might see her behavior as unpleasant and rude, Snow actually thought it was rather relaxing.

The two sisters were happily laughing at one of MenTar’s stories when suddenly the light in the entire room seemed to grow dimmer.

“MenTar. Time to go,” the monster announced from the door and Snow couldn’t help feeling that the darkness surrounding him had become heavier again.

“What? So soon?” LanWei immediately protested, jumping to her feet, and VinWei³Literally vin (hard) + wei (crystal) followed her example, though in a much calmer, restrained way.

“Won’t you at least stay and eat with us?”

“We can’t. The Nai Calzai has asked us to check on some strange occurrences before we depart. And I don’t wish to delay things any more than necessary,” ZaiWin replied, all business like, and LanWei rushed to his side, hugging his arm, that perfect pout back on her delicate lips. Snow blinked, trying not to lose sight of her beautiful pink dress when all that darkness surrounded her.

“But I don’t want you to go!”

“I know. And I’m sorry our visit was so short. I promise next time I’ll stay for a whole week,” he told her in a much gentler tone but LanWei didn’t seem convinced at all.

“And when will that be? Another three years from now?”

“Stop being so clingy, Lan! You know such things don’t depend on ZaiWin⁴Literally zai (blade) + win (chaos).’s will!” VinWei argued and LanWei looked genuinely depressed.

“I’ll do my best to return as soon as possible,” he added, clearly trying to cheer her up, and LanWei finally released him, even though she kept her head down, looking very much like an abandoned puppy.

MenTar accompanied Snow outside and back to the main courtyard, where ZenTar⁵Literally zen (silent) + tar (wind) and HawkEye already waited for them with their horses. Only BigMountain still remained absent, Snow noticed watching ZenTar bow respectfully to the Nai Calzai⁶Literally nai (transparent / translucent) plus cal (bright) + zai (blade), or Blade of Light. It can be translated in common language as Invisible General, one of military leaders of the Empire. Each Province has it’s own Calzai. To distinguish them they were given different colors., bidding him farewell. Not long after, the monster finally joined them, followed by the two sisters who, to his panic, walked straight towards him.

“I hope you reach the safety of your home as soon as possible,” LanWei told him, obviously buying the lie that MenTar had made up, about how they were escorting him back to his parents, and Snow nodded, softly bowing his head.

“And if you need anything make sure you nag that stubborn man until he agrees to send me a message. I’ll immediately be wherever you need me to be,” VinWei added in a much more solemn tone, which left a confused expression on her sister’s face.

Snow nodded again. But then the entire world around him was reduced to darkness as the monster placed himself between him and the two women.

“Enough, already,” he told them in a gentle tone, but the blue eyes that stared down at him were hard and cold like stones. “Ready?”

Snow blinked, unable to understand, and mostly panicked when two big hands grabbed surrounded his waist and effortlessly lifted him from the ground. He was still wearing that ridiculous dress!, he shouted in his head, knowing that there was no way he could mount a horse while dressed like that. Trying to do so would not only ruin the delicate fabric, it would also uncover his very unfeminine legs!

Without a care in the world, the monster sat him sideways on the saddle, and Snow almost fell forward when Black paced restlessly beneath him. Sitting like this the whole riding thing felt much scarier, he thought, quickly holding on to the saddle, afraid he might slip forward. And so he only realized that the monster had been patiently holding him in place all that time when those firm hands finally released him.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” VinWei was asking, a worried expression on her face. “I could lend you one of our carriages. She’d be much more comfortable traveling in one of them.”

No he wouldn’t!, Snow immediately thought, squeezing the horn of the saddle as if his life depended of it. Sure, he hated the idea of having to ride sitting like this, but the mere idea of being shaken back and forth an entire day had him feeling instantly queasy.

“We’ll be fine. We’ve been traveling like this for almost a month. There’s nothing to worry about,” the monster declared and easily mounted behind him, Black’s movements leaving Snow stiff and tense. “We’ll take our leave then.”

“Don’t forget your promise!” LanWei demanded, looking up at him, her beautiful eyes moist from withheld tears.

“And take care!” VinWei added, even though her apprehensive gaze was fixed on Snow, making him lower his head so that she wouldn’t be able to see his face.

“I will,” he assured her and then Black was turning around and calmly trotting towards the entrance gate. The two men guarding it, holding long spears in their hands, the crystal insignia engraved on their breastplates, saluted them as they rode past, and then they were back on the streets.

With one column of darkness on each side, that he knew were the monster’s arms, Snow felt a bit safer. But he still couldn’t erase the sensation that he was about to slid down of the saddle at any moment. And so he couldn’t help sigh in relief when they stopped again just a few blocks away.

They were back on one of those parts of town that was less frequented, the streets darker and dirtier. He’d been so focused on not falling from Black's back that it took him a while to notice that BigMountain had been expecting them.

Dismounting, the monster pulled him off the horse, and Snow could finally breathe, both feet firmly settled on the ground.

“Has anyone followed us?” the monster asked, looking around, and ZenTar shook his head.

“No. We’re safe for now.”

“Okay, let’s do this quickly. Brat! Hurry up and change your clothes!” he commanded, leaving Snow half lost, until he saw the paper package MenTar was offering him. “Unless you’ve grown to like that dress so much that you’d rather travel wearing it!”

Giving him disapproving glare that no one could see because of his hood, Snow took off his cloak and began the laborious task of getting rid of that damn scarf. Chuckling at his obvious frustration, MenTar approached him and, like the night before, took over the task.

“And? Have you compiled the list?” the monster was asking and BigMountain nodded shortly.

“Yes Calzai. All the names are written in here.”

“And have you managed to track them down?”

“Since many have already departed from this world it wasn’t a hard task to accomplish,” BigMountain replied, obviously proud of a job well done.

The monster’s pale hand grabbed the piece of paper that had been offered for his inspection and, for a moment, it completely disappeared amongst the darkness.

“The ones that are still alive. Any of them important members of the community?”

“Not that I could gather. Most of the important people that were named have already been taken care off, I suspect by the lord’s men.”

Snow pulled the dress over his head, struggling with it until his head actually fit through the tight collar. It would have been easier to untie all the laces crisscrossing over his back but, somehow, the idea of MenTar standing behind him like that gave him the creeps. He was glad that the monster had insisted that he wear his undergarments beneath it. He had probably planned all that right from the start to the smallest detail, Snow concluded, shivering when he was reduced to wearing a thin, linen undertunic and a pair of braies that reached just above his knees.

Quickly accepting the warm, brown pair of pants that MenTar handed him, Snow slipped into them. Unlike the other pants he’d worn, these ones actually fit him like a glove, the soft cotton pleasant against his bare skin.

Just a couple of steps away from him the monster and the other four men kept discussing that other matter that he was trying very hard not to listen to.

“I see … This is what we'll do. BigMountain, you’ll stay behind and take care of this as fast as possible,” the monster was saying, which immediately made Snow’s heart skip a beat, his mind trying its best to ignore the real meaning of those ambiguous words. “You can catch up with us in Last Tree, south from here. Thankfully the task that old fox asked us to fulfill doesn’t force us to divert too much from our initial destination.”

BigMountain bowed respectfully and the monster returned him the list.

“Be as fast and as discreet as possible. And make sure you’re not followed or ambushed. If anything happens or if you see anything that looks out of place let us know immediately.”

“Yes, Calzai!”

Snow had just put on his new coat, which reached all the way to his knees, when those blue eyes turned to him. A pale hand grabbed hold of his cloak and wrapped it around his shoulders.

“Wear it at least until we leave town,” he told him and Snow nodded. He had no intention to take it off.

Easily raising him from the ground, the monster sat him on the saddle again, but this time Snow felt much more at ease, able to ride as he was supposed to.

Dressed in new, warm, comfortable clothes, that he never would have thought he’d end up wearing even in his wildest dreams, Snow felt as if his self-confidence had been renewed, as if he was ready to face whatever might follow.

The monster slid back on his saddle, followed by the rest of the men, and they silently left the dark street. Only BigMountain remained there, alone, amidst the shadows, a list of names he had to erase from the face of the earth clenched in one hand.

Snow pointedly turned his gaze away, towards the bright street ahead, even though it forced him to blink and squint.

The thought of killing and death made him feel faint, reminding him of the corpses of all those men, women and children he had unknowingly been forced to kill.

He didn’t like that the monster had ordered BigMountain to do such a thing. He didn’t like that BigMountain had blindly agreed to follow his command. But he didn’t dare voice any of those thoughts. The monster obviously felt that those deaths were necessary to assure his and everyone’s safety. Snow wanted to believe that there was another way. But he couldn’t be sure that, allowing them to live, wouldn’t later put them all in danger. And so, right or wrong, he didn’t feel he had the right to say anything, especially taking into account that the entire situation had been brought upon by the mere fact that he existed.

All those people, even the lord of the Fortress, even the healer, even JanHai⁷Literally jan (flower) + hai (laugh / laughter)., had been killed because of him. Not that he could be blamed for their deaths, he knew. But they still weighed on his mind, the knowledge that should he have never come to be, should he have been killed at birth like they all seemed to believe it should have happened, then all those people would probably still be alive. And he couldn’t but help think it was ironic that a supposedly blessed, holy existence like his own could bring upon so much death and pain. Holy and blessed indeed …

Silvareiel

Hi there! So sorry I couldn't update yesterday! :( But, as I'm sure we all know, families can be troublesome things from time to time.

I really wanted to make up to you guys by updating two chapters today. But, well ... I must confess, I started writing new content and couldn't stop lol. To tell you the truth it was a real effort to come back a review this chapter so that I could upload it. ^_^;  I'm loving what I'm writing right now so much that all I want to do is type!

Okay, anyways. I hope you enjoy the reading. I think this the last chapter of this Arc. Still haven't thought of what to call the next one, though >_> I hate naming Arcs and Chapters and so on ...

Love you all and thank you so much for your support! XD