“Two clay guards!”
No one knew if clay guards were truly sentient monsters or artificial constructs. They were rarely encountered in the lower levels of the Labyrinth but were highly valued by mercenaries. This is because they were the only monsters in the lower level to drop spirit shards, a core component of enchanting.
Excitement and greed consumed both of them as they thought of the hundreds of Denars they could earn. However these were not easy targets. Without water magic it was difficult to soften them up, and even more difficult to destroy the shifting cores in their soft reforming bodies.
“Let’s turn this into a competition, first to take one down wins.” Suggested Exill, already counting the silver coins these monsters represented.
Envy cocked her head and blew a stray strand of hair that had escaped her bun, her eyes intrigued but cautious. She was confident in her ability to beat him.
“Fine, but when I win, you need to give me your share of the shards.”
Exill had anticipated this, and deliberately hesitated while putting on a thoughtful mask. This rare opportunity to humiliate her couldn’t be missed, “…Sure, but if I win, I get your share and get to pat your head for the rest of the day.”
As he waited for her acceptance, she simply checked the straps of her buckler and abruptly charged forward. Swearing inwardly, Exill prepared his spear and followed after her, activating [Weak Point] and [Steady Hands]. There was no way he could lose in this contest! He loosely held the spear until the last moment, sensing [Weak Point] guide the tip towards the Golem’s core like a slow dowsing rod.
[Ping!]
Exill was awarded twice as he felled the clay guard with his initial charge. He didn’t even need to check the Card to know [Mathematician] had reached level 20 and fully unlocked [Scientist]. He wore his best look of contempt as he observed Envy struggling with her opponent. She had taken a psychological hit from his swift takedown and was finding it difficult to recover.
*Thwack*
Exill’s spear tip emerged from the second clay guard’s midriff, and it promptly dissolved into a pile of mud. He stood behind the collapsing monster wearing the most insufferable grin.
“Let’s head back now, good effort from you.” He led the mortified Vampire back to the entrance, remembering to give her a head pat and compliment for doing such a good job. They made their way back to the Guild and waited for Iris to start her shift.
“It’s good to see you Exill, it feels like it’s been such a long time since we last talked. Have you grown taller?” Iris’s eyes were the usual warm grey, and she inspected him closely since he looked so different from when they last talked. Suddenly realising he was without a suffocating presence she asked, “Where is that… woman who always follows you?”
“Oh, she is resting over there, recovering from a lost bet.” He gestured to a bench near the back, where Envy could be seen staring up at the ceiling, limp and miserable. Iris couldn’t imagine what kind of bet could crumble such an intimidating woman but didn’t ask for clarification. She instead looked down at the haul splayed in front of her.
“You were in some luck, Congratulations!” She counted out over 300 Denars for the spirit shards and various monster parts he had acquired. Iris was genuinely pleased when a member of the Guild ran into good fortune.
“Thanks Iris… by the way have you heard a response from my request tracking down a missing friend?”
She glanced at her fellow clerk Marco who was otherwise engaged with a client. She shook her head, “Marco would have told me if he heard, he knows I worry about you a lot. You are such a bad person Exill, you should visit more often instead of sending… ‘her’ to do your errands. Do you know she grunts at me when I ask how you’re doing?”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Exill felt guilty as he tried to pry his hand away from her concerned grip. All this handholding was simply too lewd, and he could feel heat rising to his ears. Besides, he was running late for the play at the Arena.
“I’ll-come-visit-more-often-and-I’m-so-sorry-but-I-got-to-go.” He barraged her with words and slipped out of the Guild with Envy in tow, leaving Iris with a disappointed look on her face as she greeted the next mercenary.
“Whose duel are we spectating?” Envy asked as they navigated the alleyways towards the Arena. She had recovered from her earlier loss and tried to look at the silver-lining. Exill had become incredibly strong and perhaps he had a fighting chance against Sir Eumol. She still considered his win a fluke.
“I would… prefer to keep it a surprise. Just keep in mind you promised to go with me, no complaints.” Exill fingered the play tokens in his pouch nervously. It had been an impulsive purchase on the belief that the Vampire would hate it.
Their relationship had progressed to a point where he would classify her as a ‘frenemy’ – someone you loved to hate. After months of being bit, elbowed, and having his hair plucked, this supposed ‘revenge’ was understated in comparison. To draw a parallel, it was akin to an Englishman taking a Parisian to a WWII movie, then reminding them all the times the French needed saving against the Axis forces.
The colonnades of the Arena soon came into view and Exill handed his numbered clay tickets to the clerk who let them pass. This was Envy’s first time in the stadium just like him and they stopped to admire the view, moving aside to let others pass.
The Arena was shaped like a giant bowl on the inside, with tiered seating overlooking an oval stage. Only the seating in the north side was used during plays, because it served to better illuminate the performers in the afternoon and evening before the sun set behind the northern mountain range.
Envy took this all in, including the platform on a raised stage with curtains, and the numerous couples seated together. She felt her heart race unlike any time before as realisation sunk in. This wasn’t a duel they were spectating, did Exill bring her to watch a play?
He excitedly led her by the arm to a bench close to the stage. She was pulled along, self-conscious and mind blanking from confusion. Meanwhile, Exill was excited about watching his first fantasy vampire romance, one that was guaranteed to be trashy from the look of the posters. He knew Envy would hate it, and there was a possibility he could glean some useful information on vampires in general.
“Ladies and Gentlemen! Thank you for attending this performance on this most auspicious day! It would be my pleasure to present to you a love story that transcends time and circumstance. Follow me on this journey to find out if the Master and Slave can overcome society’s prejudice to fulfil their undying love. Let us begin!”
Envy couldn’t breathe when she heard it was a love story between a master and a slave, with a vampire no less. She glanced at Exill whose normally serious eyes were glittering in excitement, smiling as he mistook her embarrassment for indignation.
As time went by, the two of them were drawn in by the epic. The noble Vampire’s parents had laid down an ultimatum that he must abandon the slave or be outcast from their dignified household. In the current scene, a beautiful woman in a nightdress lay collapsed on the floor, begging her Vampire master and true love to abandon her and lead a happy life.
“My darling, I am too weak to fulfil your hunger. I am like this chain that holds you down. Do not abandon your life for me.”
The red haired man turned from the window and dropped to his knees to lift her chin, a stern yet affectionate smile gracing his sharp features. He wiped her tears away with a finger, “Even your tears nourish this faltering heart of mine. If you are a slave I will turn you free. If you are weak, I will turn you strong. Your blood is mine as my heart is yours.”
Exill’s toes curled as he cringed at the cheesy dialogue. He mentally adapted and filed away the line in a corner of his mind. It could be used to annoy Envy should she step out of line.
The play eventually ended with the unlikely couple escaping from their parents grasp to become a renowned warrior duo. They were married by a sympathetic bishop and the play ended with them consummating their marriage, finally fulfilling the desires they had held back all along.
‘That was… surprisingly good.’ Exill admitted as he exited the Arena with Envy in tow. He had expected something trashy judging from the posters but apart from some cheesy dialogue, it was admittedly wholesome. He picked up a woodblock print of the famous scene as a souvenir for twenty Denars.
He glanced sideways at Envy. She had remained remarkably silent throughout the play. ‘Is she suppressing her anger to strike back when I least expect it?’ he wondered. She had been strangely subdued these last few days, no longer plucking his loose hair, or insinuating he was a weak virgin. He put it down to her feeling a rare sense of remorse for inconveniencing him with the duel. It could almost be described as… pleasant.
“Well, I’ll be heading back to the Clinic, I’ll see you later in the evening.”
“Mn.”
They split off without another word. However, little did he know the strain on their relationship the events of this day would unfurl.