I sat in our room at the inn - Uriel just finished his story which had nothing to do with me what so ever, when Adam poked his head through the door to the room.

"In any case - there is still the chance that the mayor will threaten to kill the dryads if they are to be taken..." I pointed out.

"I doubt he'd be that cruel..." Uriel replied looking at me as if I was over exaggerating.

"Did you forget that time I committed genocide against mushroom people because they wouldn't let me out of a cave? - people do extreme things whilst under pressure." I replied.

"Pressure?"

"I mean - I don't know how safe you felt in a collapsed cave - but I was on edge!" I replied.

"..."

"What?"

"You were afraid?"

"..."

"Heheheh - guess you're not immune to primal emotions after all!" Uriel laughed in a sarcastic high-pitched voice whilst covering his mouth.

"Cat, you are the ban of my existence."

"That's why I'm here!"

"Hmmmmm"

After a solid five minutes of staring at Uriel trying to convey my pure, unadulterated hatred through a glare so venomous it'd scare most venomous reptiles home crying - I had a sudden realisation, not quite a plan but more of a short-term idea - my favourite kind.

"Uriel, do you still have any of the thread I got you earlier?" I asked looking around my ammo pouch for the purple bullet.

"A bit, why?" he asked grabbing a handful of thread from the cupboard in the corner of the room.

"I need to you hold on to something for me." I take the thread and wrap it around the purple bullet - "Don't touch the bullet itself - but I need you to drop it when you see a big fireball outside." I explained.

"What are you planning?"

"I'm going to go to the mayor's house and look for some dirt I can find on him," I replied.

"I see - that may even solve the dryad situation without the need for the nobles."

"Right - so when you see me shoot a fire bullet, drop the string - the bullet will shatter and I will teleport back here!" I exclaimed proudly of my invention.

"What if you fire the bullet and I can't see it?" Uriel asked with a tone suggesting he'd scold me for not thinking the situation through properly.

"It's fine - it's a wooden building and I have a handful of fire bullets left - if anything you should worry about the people inside!" I clarified - that was a lie by the way - I only have two fire bullets left.

I poked my head out through the window, took out my gun, loaded the purple bullet and shot it at the mayor's house - suddenly I appeared in the mayor's garden - luckily for me, I landed on something soft.

I looked down only to see that I was standing inside of a person - "SHIT!" I exclaimed getting off only to realise they were already dead, for a second I began to panic - "shit, Uriel's gonna be pissed - and Adam's probably going to think of me badly, no - maybe I can convince him that he did it!" my thoughts were interrupted by the realisation that the girl I was standing in a second ago was dead from a stab wound to the throat, and no my feet being teleported inside of her.

I breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from my forehead - "You sacred me, woman!" I said - my tone relieved.

I shook my boots clean of the blood and continued on my way to the front or preferably back door to the mansion.

Soon I found myself in a grove - beautiful hedges surrounded me and patches of rose flowers.

"How can these still grow here?" I wondered realising this must have meant dryads must be held here too.

"Hey! Is there a dryad here?" I whisper-yelled.

My reply came in the form of a tap on my back - I spun around seeing that there was nobody behind me.

"Alright - I don't know how many of you there are - but I'm working on a way to get you guys out," I explained.

I didn't get much of a reply until I looked down and saw that writing was appearing in front of me - it was written with mud.

"Sorry, I can't read all that much..." I said kneeling down and looking over the runes before me.

I recognised the runes for 'I' and the number one.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"If you're alone drawing a circle - otherwise draw an x shape," I instructed the dryad who replied with a circle.

"Alright - is there a reason you're the only dryad here?" I asked,

circle.

"Do the other dryads know?"

circle.

"Are you being kept here by the mayor?"

x.

"Is it someone important?"

circle.

"Is the person from the mayor's family?"

circle.

"Wife?"

x.

"Daughter?"

x.

"Son?"

circle.

"Does the mayor know about this?"

no reply.

"Alright - thanks, I'll go inside and see if I can get any dirt on the mayor!" I explained.

Before me appeared an image of a boat drawn in mud - was this a clue?

I stood up and headed through the garden and towards the mayor's house, sneaking up to the door I was able to hear the sound of two men inside talking - "At the stairs to the second level, it's strange that whoever killed them managed to escape."

"True - I bet it's those damn elves..."

"Kevin - we know it's a human, not everything is the fault of the elves..."

"Fuckin' elves..."

Realising I was unable to make it in through that door unnoticed I loaded my gun with iron shots - I only had three left, if I didn't miss any of the shots I would be fine.

Just as I was about to make my way into the house I was surprised by a cloth hitting me on the head, confused I looked up only to see a woman dressed like a maid waving her arms at me - confused I waved back.

"Hey there - nice weather we're having!" I replied.

"What?!" - "It's cloudy as hell!"

"And what are you doing trying to make small talk in a situation like this?!"

The maid assaulted me with question and complaints.

"I'm practising talking to people, you know..." I replied.

"What?! No - I mean what are you doing here?"

"Oh - I'm... here to deliver milk."

"Milk?"

"That's right - I'm meant to bring it directly into the mayor's safe."

The maid let out a sigh, "Look - I know you're not the milkman." she explained.

"How come?!"

"You look like you're ten."

"...I'm working for my family! We're very poor!"

"..." the maid didn't reply.

"My father left me to live in vegas and sneak his mixtapes into people's 'alright meals' " I explained.

"What is an 'alright meal'?!" the maid demanded getting off track.

"It's the copyright-friendly version of another fast-food restaurant's meals - not only does the name 'alright meal' keep us legally safe, but it also helps us display that they taste 'alright' at best," I replied in a loud whisper.

"... what?"

"Hey - do you have like a really long rope I could borrow real quick?"

"No! "

"How about your hair? You got like a three to four-meter long hair I could climb?"

"Does it look like I do?!" the maid demanded,

"Could you ask the others in the mansion for rope or long hair for me please?" I asked,

"Fine - give me a second- HOLD UP, NO I WON'T!" the maid exploded with a deeper voice than before.

"Tch - that's no way for a maid to talk to a guest!" I replied looking away from the window she stood in.

"YOU'RE NOT A GUEST!"

"I'M THE MILKMAN!" I exclaimed.

"WHERE IS YOUR MILK THEN?!"

"I'm a different kind of milkman!" I replied.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN A DIFFERENT KIND?! WHAT DO YOU DO THEN!?"

"I TAKE THE MILK PEOPLE LEAVE UNDER THE PILLOW AND EXCHANGE IT FOR MONEY!"

"THAT'D MAKE YOU THE MILK FAIRY, DUMBASS!"

"THAT NAME WAS TAKEN BECAUSE THE MILK FAIRY EXPANDED INTO SELLING MILK!" I clarified.

"So you're just taking the milk fairies original job?" she asked with a pinched bridge of the nose and a raised eyebrow.

"That's what the hoe gets for taking my job!"

"YOU JUST SAID YOU'RE A DIFFERENT KIND OF MILKMAN!"

"That's only because she took my job! so I took hers! If not for her my father wouldn't have left." I said in a dramatic voice.

"Seriously, get out of here!" the maid whisper-yelled.

"Can't - I'm here on business."

"What kind of business?"

"Potential manslaughter," I replied.

"The guards won't let you in, anyway! Get out before you're caught!"

"I'm good - thanks!"

I heard an irritated groan come in from outside before she tossed something else out the window.

Much to my surprise, I was hit in the face again - this time with a maid costume...

"No..." I replied.

"It's the only way to get inside!"

"I can just slaughter the guards," I argued pointing at the gun.

"You can't just kill people."

"Nah - I'm pretty confident in my abilities, I can show you."

"NO!"

Eventually, I relented and put on the costume - I felt my self-respect drop by about two-hundred per cent that very moment.

Keep in mind I wore it over my normal clothes.

I was haunted by the idea of anyone seeing me in this - christ if Uriel saw me in this I think I'd hang myself...

I took a deep breath and did my best happy/innocent expression before going in through the doors.

"Hmm? Who're you?" asked the anti-elf guard.

"Who me? Oh - I'm just the maid in training!" I announced doing my best to speak loud enough to be heard by the other maid.

I heard the rushed footsteps going down the stairs - "There you are!" it was a blond-haired man,

"Oh fuck..." I thought.

"Ah yes - sorry for being late!" I replied doing my best to stay in character and not shoot anyone.

"Oh, lord Liym - you hired a new maid?" the not anti-elf guard asked.

"Yes, I decided that since my father and brother both have private maids I'll have one or two, you know..."

"We're glad to see you're finally going in their footsteps!"

"Sure... anyway, let's go maid!"

The blond man dragged me upstairs through the fancy-looking halls - the cream coloured walls with a base and large round windows.

The blond guy wore long brown trousers and an unbuttoned coat - under it he wore a dark green shirt - he looked like he'd be seventeen or eighteen.

I grabbed the gun and reloaded it - "Thanks for the help man, but- " I placed the gun against their head and felt him recoil as he spun around.

"It's me!" he cried - "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

His face flushed red for a second - "I was the one dressed up as the maid!"

"..."

"Stop giving me that look! Without me you'd be dead!" he argued,

"It's cute that you think that..." I replied.

"Anyway - why were you dressed up as a maid?"

"...I dunno..."

"...wait a minute..."

"What is it?"

"Don't tell me... you're a trap!?"

"What's that?"

"A guy looking like a woman on purpose." I clarified - in an instant, my tone switched from horrified to mater-of-factly.

"No, no - that's not it, I would never!"

"..."

"I dressed up like that to help you get inside!"

"...How so?"

"... I was making sure the clothes were comfortable so you could still make an escape whilst wearing them," he replied.

"That's bullshit and you know it!"

"This isn't the time for that anyway!"

I let out a sigh - "Alright, you're right... my names is 'nameless child', who are you?"

"I'm Liym, the youngest son of the mayor."

"Oh go there's more of you..." I whispered,

Liym raised an eyebrow.

"Anyway - why are you here?" he asked,

We walked through the long hallway, it had a dark-red carpet with a vibrant yellow border.

"I'm trying to find dirt on the mayor - did you know about the dryad situation?"

Liym looked down seemingly upset - "Yes... My father and brother are keeping the dryads imprisoned and my older brother, Ebyn is keeping one as his bride."

"Bride?"

"Yes - I don't know the details but she's trapped in our garden."

So that's who I talked to...

"Liym - why are you helping me?" I asked the question that lingered since he threw me the costume.

"...don't get me wrong, this isn't a favour..." he replied.

"Oh?"

"Once the world realises what my family is doing, whether the one who finds out is noble or selfish - we will be punished..."

"Mmm, I guess you want me to save your ass, no worries - we'll figure something out."

"No, not me - please, don't let them execute my father and brother!"

"... what?" I was overwhelmed by confusion - wasn't his family the guys responsible for the dryad situation?! He recognises that they are wrong, why isn't he glad to see them get punished? Is he evil too?!

"Why? Why do you want me to help your family?" I asked.

[https://i.imgur.com/fkj0sMC.png]  Image courtesy of 'TheWeebGod'