Shane was lying peacefully in the grass, listening to the sound of water when his thoughts were interrupted by the neighing of the horses. Shane, who could have fallen asleep if not surrounded by hostile looking men, sat up with a sigh. No one of them was sitting, they were all standing, and waiting without a word, as if they couldn´t even speak without their commander. Their unreadable, harsh faces made Shane wonder if they really only saw him as a commodity that had just arrived from another country.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by the thief boss:
"Bastards! Who do you think you are?! You can't lock up people without evidence! Where's your proof?!” He yelled.
But no one answered him and Shane wasn't interested. He just lay down on the grass again and ignored the noise.
"Luke?! It was you, bastard!” He yelled.
Luke didn't answer either.
"You betrayed us for a few pennies?! How much did he promise you for selling your own brothers?! Traitor's filth! Wait till I catch you…” he growled.
"I didn't betray anyone. My life always belonged to the prince," said Luke, who had been irritated by this guy for the past six months.
Shane gave Luke a look. He wasn't sure at first if this guy was working for Nielle or if he was just paid by him for this job. He had to laugh softly at his words as he realized that his new Rinselan was even more rotten than he had expected.
"Where did he go anyway?" Shane asked the soldiers, not expecting anyone to respond, "He took a lot of trouble to get here," he added, "Does he have a woman nearby?" He asked in such a monotone mode that it didn't even look like he was interested. And actually he really wasn't.
However, the guys responded to his remarks: "Don't say things that will cost you neck, Lacrisan."
"My name is Shane," he repeated, though he felt it would be pointless in this country, “so I guessed correctly." He raised an eyebrow.
"Shut up!" Another soldier glared at him and moved his hand to his sword.
"If you answer me normally, I don't have to guess, do I?" Shane clarified.
"No," Luke walked up to him and gave him a warning look, "but if you don't want to end up in prison when you get to the palace, don't let such audacity come out of your mouth. In Lacris, you have the same rules...I doubt you would inappropriately asked this your prince.” He pointed out.
Shane stated, “For someone who has only just joined the expedition, you are very knowledgeable of my past.” He confirmed his suspicions and lay back down. He was now sure that it was Nielle who had planned his kidnapping.
Anyway, he didn't think any prince was stupid enough to actually have an affair. Every single country agreed on the rules in this matter. Only the oldest crowned prince of the throne was allowed to marry a wife and have children. It was a simple way to ensure that the future king and his children wouldn´t be hindered by any of his younger siblings.
Since murders in the royal class were nothing special, in this way they were at least reduced to fratricide. In a world where everyone was bisexual, not being able to take a wife was no problem. Actually, one wife in exchange to the once big royal harem ensured the equality of future offspring with the minimization of fratricide. Everyone was happier.
Shane, who didn´t see a big difference between women and men, had the same opinion. So he didn´t consider as something logical, the possibility that one of the princes would start a forbidden relationship and thus violate one of the royal rules.
When Nielle finally returned, Shane was sleeping in the grass again.
"Get up," the prince threw at him the bags of souvenirs he had bought.
Shane woke up and reflexively caught them before they hit his stomach. He didn't feel like going anywhere, but lying here forever probably wasn't an option either, so after a while he sat down and looked at Nielle.
However, Nielle didn´t deal with him, he just got on his horse and looked at the men: "Let's be back by evening," he said and stepped forward.
Not wanting to be surrounded by strange soldiers, Shane mounted his own horse and slowly approached the prince. He ignored the way the soldiers were staring at him, but since their only order was to not let him get away, they didn't stand in his way.
"I have a question," He began as he stopped by Nielle.
The prince was only amused by his self-willed behaviour and smiled: "There is tea in this bag, coffee in the second...chocolate in the third...take some if you want." He informed.
Shane looked at the sacks he was carrying, "No thanks," he stated, "I want to ask if they heard about my carriage from Lacris yesterday from you." He was interested.
Nielle laughed lightly: "Yes, they did," he didn't have to hide it and looked challengingly at Lacrisan, "what are you going to do about it?" He was having fun.
"Nothing," replied Shane, "I just wanted to know."
"What's the use of information you can't do anything about?" Nielle wondered.
"Just so I know what kind of bastard my new prince is, nothing more," he stated as if he wasn't even surprised by the result.
Nielle was silent for a moment before laughing with pleasure and giving him a satisfied look. He measured him for a while before he called to the soldiers: "Speed up!" He spurred the horse into a gallop.
"Is something wrong, sir?" One of the guys asked.
"Someone can't wait for night," laughed Nielle, "we shouldn´t be late." He declared. He gave Shane, who was galloping just a short distance behind him, a fleeting sadistic look before turning his attention back to riding.
Shane shivered as he could sense Nielle's thoughts and wondered if he should have kept quiet. He wanted to have as little work and worry as possible, but somehow he always added more. But it was too late and he had no choice but to follow him and hope that his feeling about the coming night was wrong.
***
He would prefer to walk around the city all day. He wanted to see everything that had changed over the years, but also what remained the same, just to make sure that the whole world was real. He wanted to meet new people and live life to the fullest with a smile on his face every single day.
The sun was shining, although it was going to be evening in a little while, and the city was alive with different smells, colours and noise that aroused interest in him. He didn't know where to go first, he didn't know where to stop, where to buy something, where to use the subsequent goods. He didn't know anything at all, so he just walked around, letting the merchants pull him to their stalls.
However, he didn't buy anything. Not because he didn't want to, but because another merchant called to him. And Rue lets himself be called, he was excited by how many people were talking to him, how many things he was seeing.
Everyone looked friendly, so he left one flower for everyone he met and then moved on. He would run up and down the rest of the day if the delicious smell didn't make him stop. He looked next door at a noisy restaurant where he could smell fresh food even from outside. It wasn't like he was hungry, he didn't need much food and would survive, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try it if he had the chance.
For some time he wondered whether he should really stop at the place. However, since new places attracted him, he finally went inside. His nose was immediately hit by a strong sent smell. He stopped for a moment, as he didn´t expect so much commotion, but a satisfied smile still played on his face. There were tables full of people all around the sides. Some were having fun together, some were just eating, and the atmosphere was so lively, as if everyone knew each other.
He didn't want to just stand, so he slowly walked past the tables to the end of the restaurant, where the bar counter stretched. He sat down on one of the many chairs and looked at the bartender, who examined him carefully.
"Luck with you," Rue smiled, placing his hands on the counter.
The barman didn't look the nicest, but after a while he spoke: "What´ll it be?" His black eyes were staring at him as if he had spotted an enemy.
"I don't know what you provide here.” Rue said.
"Rooms upstairs, food downstairs, gambling behind," he summarized.
"I think the food will be enough," he smiled gently.
The man stared at him silently for a moment before pulling out a stack of pages from under the counter: "Take your pick."
"Thank you," he accepted and excitedly opened the menu.
Half of the meals he didn´t know, half he could barely read, since some letters had changed in two hundred years, and some he didn´t understand at all. But it didn't matter, he would enjoy anything they brought him. He was taken out of his thoughts by the loud banging of a glass on the counter. Surprised, he looked up at the bartender, who placed a glass of golden liquid in front of him.
"What is it?" Rue didn't understand.
"Metheglin. It's your first time here, isn't it? Every Lacrisan has a welcome drink," explained the barman monotonously, "did you pick something?"
"I do, I think," Rue didn't know, "you´re very nice people," he pulled his glass closer, but preferred not to mention that he wasn´t Lacrisan, as he wanted to avoid talking about his country, "can I have the apple pie, please?"
"And?" The barman couldn't believe that he only wanted a cake.
"I don't know anything else," Rue laughed.
"Nothing?" The man raised his eyebrows and looked at their classic dishes.
"What would you recommend?" Rue wondered.
"This is the most popular," he pointed out.
"In that case, I will gladly try it," Rue nodded, though he had no idea what it was supposed to be.
The man looked at him blankly before taking the menu and going to announce the order to the cook. He then went back behind the bar and discreetly watched Rue. However, Rue didn´t notice the strange look he was throwing at him, he didn´t notice how strange the bartender's black eyes were, and he didn´t even notice the strange looks of the people at the nearby tables. He didn't find it strange that there wasn't a single Lacrisan in the whole place, since he couldn't tell them apart and didn't even register the strange noises from the back of the restaurant.
He just looked contentedly at the many bottles in front of him and waited for the food he hadn't eaten in the outside world for a long time. But before it arrived, someone else had taken the chair next to him. Rue moved away confused, not knowing if it was normal to just sit next to someone he didn´t know.
"Hello," said the man and made Rue look at him, "I haven't seen you here before, are you new? Who are you going to?" He was interested, since it was normal for Lacrisans to belong to some Rinsel´s family.
"Hello," Rue blinked, "I'm here for the first time," he nodded, "I don't know where I'm going yet," he smiled, as he didn't understand the man's hint.
“Luck with you, boy!” The other man from his other side suddenly came.
“Luck with you," Rue greeted after a while and smiled gently, as if he had no idea who the strange men could be.
They looked almost like brothers. They had similar dark, not the most expensive looking clothes, as if they hadn't changed in a while...the same black hair of a similar cut giving the impression that they were combing each other, and the same black eyes that pierced him as much as the other people in the place.
"Hey!" the first guy didn't sound satisfied, "I saw him first."
"Can't I wish anyone luck?" Laughed the other.
"You don't have luck yourself, why do you wish it?" He laughed at him and looked at Rue, who didn't understand, "Don´t mind him, we will just have fun together.”
“What's going on? Why are you arguing?” Rue didn't understand.
"He wants to invite you to play," laughed the other.
"And? Everyone has the right to play!" Declared the first.
"My game is better, people enjoy it more and at least they have a chance to win."
"Of course, that's why we never play together, because you know I'd find out what tricks you're up to," laughed the first.
"I'm not playing with you because you're rude and don't understand the rules."
"Everyone understands your simple rules!"
“You don´t!"
"I do!!"
"I doubt it."
"Then draw your cards, I'll show you, you moron!" Said the other.
"You asked for it, you moron!" He laughed while Rue didn't even have time to follow what he was saying.
The guys leaned towards each other over Rue, who gently moved away from the counter. He watched what they were doing before one of them pulled cards from his pocket. They looked like the classic cards he used to play when he was little and didn't understand what was complicated about the game.
"I guess it's a different game, it would be strange to play it in a bar," he thought, watching carefully.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
However, it wasn´t a different game at all. One of the men spread ten cards face down in front of the other. In the original game, there were four red, four black and two yellow cards in the pack. When a person finds three reds in a row, they win. If someone finds three black in a row, he loses. If he found two reds and the third was black, he needed to find a yellow card or the remaining two reds to win. If he found them, he won, if not, he lost.
If a person found two black cards, the other two had to be yellow to win. And if someone founds only two yellow ones, he automatically won.
It was a simple game for children. The most often happened that the player first drew red, then black, or vice versa. In that case, the move was cancelled and the game was played again.
Since he loved all games and the sight of this nostalgic one brought him back to his youth, he couldn't resist watching the men at the bar. However, he wasn´t so interested in finding out who would win. It would be better if he could play as well, so he approached them lightly and watched more closely.
"You see! I won! Hah!” Laughed the guy who used to say the game couldn´t be won.
"I'm saying it's possible...see...moron," he muttered.
"Okay, okay...if someone is as great as me...I´m as lucky as if I was born in Lacris, definitely," he joked.
"You don't need Lacrisan to win this game, but it's a better with them. It's always interesting to compare your luck with them and watch them lose." He said a sentence that usually irritated the Lacrisans and enticed them to play.
The men looked at the young man on the side: "See, don't you want to play?" They asked inconspicuously.
"I want!" Rue cheered excitedly and reached the card counter.
"Pff...I wanted him to play my games," began the other.
"I'll play them all," Rue declared enthusiastically, "Which one is yours?"
"I have more of them...dice, cards..." He named.
"Screw him, my game first," said the first guy, nodding behind the bar, "we have a section in the back for games, are you coming? Don't forget your drink." He looked at the drink on the bar.
Their proposal was enticing, and he was about to nod enthusiastically when a familiar voice called from behind them.
"That sounds like a fun... put me in," said the young man, who happily took another seat behind the bar, "hey, bartender, won't I get a welcome drink?" Ylre laughed lightly, though he didn't sound amused at all.
The bartender glared at him for a moment before wordlessly preparing the drink and handing it to him, "Two new Lacrisans in a day...do you know each other?" He wondered.
Although somewhere inside Rue had a strange urge to nod, he shook his head, "We just met on the street, he helped me." He smiled at the red-haired youth, who fixed his piercing blue gaze on him again.
Ylre's corners lifted slightly as he noticed Rue looking at him and stood up. He went around one of the men with a glass in his hand to Rue: "Thank you for the rose, I didn't even have time to say anything and you disappeared," he smiled.
"It's okay," he said contentedly, "I thanked you with it."
Ylre smiled lightly for a moment before they were interrupted by a pair of men, "So you're both playing?" He asked.
Ylre looked at them, "Isn't it disadvantageous to play with Lacrisans in your position?" he asked directly, "If luck is in place, you should never win." He laughed.
The men were silent for a moment, before one lifted the corners of his mouth, "It's not all about luck, boy."
Ylre picked up the glasses from the bar counter, "Said the Rinselan," he laughed and made his way to the back of the restaurant where the guys were pointing as if he knew where he was going.
The men exchanged a look and faked a smile at Rue, who was more sympathetic to them as a victim, "Are you going to play?"
"I'm going," he nodded. He was about to take a glass from the bar when he realized that Ylre had already taken it.
He smiled softly at the young man's pleasant demeanour since their meeting and followed the men to the back of the restaurant. As soon as they passed the bar, he reached a place that didn´t resemble a restaurant at all.
The tables were similarly arranged along the walls, but in the center was an oblong one, around which a bunch of people were standing, obviously enthused about an unknown game. As they walked by, Rue leaned over and noticed a few cubes before one of the guys called him on.
"Some other time, today you're playing with us," the guy laughed and let Rue sit next to Ylre at one of the end tables.
"Where's my drink?" Rue wondered, looking at the two empty glasses.
"Sorry, it was good...I drank them all at once," Ylre laughed, to which Rue blinked in confusion, "but I know a better one, I can buy it for you when we're done." He smiled.
When he got the new suggestion, Rue's disappointment subsided and he nodded.
"You drank them all at once?" One of the guys asked in surprise, looking at Ylre in front of him.
Ylre nodded, "Drank...problem?"
"No..." He measured him and looked at his colleague next to him.
"Since it's going to be evening, we can only have faster games with small stakes today and longer games at other times, what do you say?" He suddenly changed the second plan and looked at the players.
"Stakes?" Rue was confused, "Are we playing for something?"
"Of course," said the man, "it's more fun if there's a bet." He declared.
"Exactly...I'm betting something too...it's a two-way bet...everyone is betting," he pointed to the area where people were flipping coins.
Considering the fact that he had never been to any gaming room, Rue only looked around in confusion and nodded after a moment's hesitation, "And what's in the stake?"
"Money, luck...it's up to you, we don't force you," he explained.
“Luck?” Since it was a sacred thing, Rue still didn't understand how he could bet, “How can you-” he started angrily when Ylre cut him off.
"Money," he pulled out a bag of coins from his inner pocket.
Rue's mild anger cooled as he nodded. He wanted to take out his money before Ylre stopped him.
"I had you a drink, today, the game is on me, I will pay for everything we lose," he said.
"You don't have to, it's only one drink," Rue argued.
"I have a lot of money," Ylre laughed and showed his full pouch, "I don't mind if I lose it all...I just want to have fun." He clarified.
"Me too," Rue smiled, "I just want to have fun too."
Ylre returned his smile and looked at the guys, who were drooling at the pile of gold. Their heads couldn´t absorb how many months the amount would last them if they got it.
"Are we playing?" Ylre asked.
One came to his senses: "Of course...we're playing."
"And what do you bet?" Ylre asked in a way that made the guys freeze. However, their years of experience with the Lacrisans gave them guts, so they finally nodded.
"Apparently...money," they pulled out a bag of coins.
Not even a one of the coins was theirs. They all belonged to the owner of the restaurant, as did all the money the employees bet with here. The content of their work was really simple. They lured the new Lacrisans into enticing games that depended mostly on luck, the proud Lacrisans, who hadn´t lived in Rinseli for long, had enough pride to underestimate the Rinselans and nodded at the game. The only thing to do was not to let the Lacrisan's luck at the games take advantage of their money.
It was one of the few businesses in the capital that was doing this and that was constantly getting deals. Although lately there had been a lot of talk about what they were, and fewer and fewer Lacrisans were coming, sometimes a newcomer who hadn't heard of the rumours would be found.
Sometimes even two.
"Okay," cheered one, "let's get started...do you know the rules?"
"I know," Rue smiled and looked at Ylre, who just nodded softly.
"How many rounds?" The guy asked.
"Everyone three?" Added the other.
"Suitable," Rue nodded and Ylre didn't object.
"Okay, you get ten gold coins for a win, we get them for your loss. In addition, for every gold card you draw, you get fifty, and if you draw three black cards at once, we get them," He clarified.
"I see," said the man next to him.
"I know you understand...but let them understand, fool," sighed the other.
"I see," Rue smiled, "ten for a win and a loss, fifty for a golden one or three black."
"Exactly," the guy smiled and began to deal cards on the table, "who will start?"
"Me," Rue chimed in, "or...do you want to?" He looked at Ylre.
"Have fun," Ylre supported his chin with his hand and looked at him contentedly.
When he saw that Ylre had no problem with his start, he looked at the cards enthusiastically. He reached out to the one closest to him and gently turned it the other way.
"Oh, too bad," sighed one of the guys, looking at the black one.
"Try again," the other pushed him.
"It doesn't matter," Rue smiled and turned over the second card right next to it.
Another black card looked at him and Rue just laughed lightly at how unlucky he was, "Two blacks...I've never had two blacks" he mentioned, though he knew he wasn't like he used to be.
"I'm glad you're having fun," one guy didn't understand, "don't worry, if you find gold, you have a chance to win." He clarified.
"I know," Rue nodded and gently turned the card to the side.
"How did you mix them up? Three black ones right next to each other?” One guy looked at the other.
"Normal as always," he shook his head.
"Stir better next time, it'll look like we're cheating," he frowned.
It was actually true that they were cheating. There weren´t four red, four black, and two gold cards in their deck. There were only three reds and in case Lacrisan won a round and made sure they were there, another red one was replaced with black. So in a while, there were always only two red cards, seven black and only one gold. But now there were still three red cards in the package.
Sometimes it happened that the Lacrisans wanted to see the deck before the game, so they had a second one ready to show. However, only fools would play fair with the Lacrisans.
"It doesn't matter," Ylre smiled and handed the guys ten gold coins for losing and fifty for black cards, "it's just a game."
"Exactly," the guy laughed and accepted the money, "it's just a game... the main thing is to have fun." He declared.
“Sorry.” Rue looked at Ylre, who just laughed softly.
"The bigger the bet, the more fun...did you enjoy it?" Ylre asked and when the young man nodded gently, he smiled contentedly, "Then you don't have to worry about anything else."
Although hesitant, Rue finally nodded. He was also not interested in money and enjoyed the game, so he thought that Ylre was probably a strange young man on the same page.
"Second try," one of the guys smiled and shuffled the cards, laid them out on the table and allowed Rue to continue.
But nothing has changed. Rue turned over the three black cards and laughed softly at how funny it was. Ylre handed the men a pouch, from which the men enthusiastically accepted the money and examined Ylre carefully.
"How are you feeling?" They asked.
"I'm having fun," smiled Ylre, who knew they weren't asking about his mood.
"Having fun is the most important thing" the guy nodded and allowed Rue to play the third move.
The young man didn't expect a different conclusion, but he still slightly hoped that he might get at least one red, so he slowly drew his hand to one of the cards. Meanwhile, Ylre moved closer to him lightly, their bodies only gently touched, and Rue looked at him carefully, as he didn´t like the closeness of other people.
"Try the one next to it," Ylre smiled.
Rue, who forgot about the game for a moment as he wanted to pull away somehow, blinked and looked at the cards again. Since he didn´t believe in his own abilities, he turned the card which Ylre chose and looked in surprise at the red colour.
“Very nice.” Ylre clapped lightly.
Rue smiled softly as the first good card really pleased him and moved his fingers to the next one right next to it.
"You see? One more and you win," smiled Ylre looking at the second red card.
Not expecting to actually win, Rue only blinked in surprise, but looked at Ylre excitedly, “I have two.”
"You have two," Ylre smiled back at him, after which Rue returned to the game again.
He slowly turned over the third card, and when everyone caught sight of another red, Rue was almost in disbelief.
"Three...I have three...I won," He cheered enthusiastically.
"Yeah," laughed one of the guys in disbelief, as he didn't think all three red cards would really be shuffled next to each other, "congratulations, you get ten back." He laughed and handed the gold to Ylre.
"You can take my turn if you want," Ylre suggested.
"That wouldn't be fair," Rue clarified, relaxing as Ylre pulled back to his side, "I'll enjoy watching you."
"Sure," Ylre nodded and looked at the guys, who in the meantime took out one red card from the deck, since they didn't want to risk it, and replaced it with a black one.
"Luck with you," He said.
Ylre just looked at the cards and flipped over two at random.
"Two reds," Rue enthused, "on the first try."
"You're very lucky," laughed one of the guys, confused as he couldn't believe he'd actually drawn the only two red cards in the deck.
"I know," Ylre said dispassionately, turning the third, "See?" He looked at the guy.
The man looked confusedly at his colleague, who just stared at the only one golden card, which was almost never drawn.
"Hah..." He laughed.
"Sixty that is," Ylre brought the pouch to them.
Disgruntled, the guy threw money into the bag and declared: "I said it was a good game."
"How did you do that?" Rue asked excitedly.
“Just luck," remarked Ylre, who kept looking at the man.
Although he wanted to throw away the gold card, he did not have the opportunity to do so. So he laid out the cards on the table, assuming that it´s impossible to draw a yellow card twice in a row.
But he was wrong.
"Another...another," Rue cheered over the cards like last round, "you're really good at this." He complimented Ylre, who only laughed softly.
"Wait for the next round," Ylre looked at him contentedly. He took the money from the reluctant guys' bag, threw it into his own and looked at the cards on the table.
"Last round," the guy informed them.
Ylre brought his palm to the cards and flipped over two at random. He smiled softly and looked at Rue's eyes beaming with enthusiasm.
"Two golden?" He laughed, "Did you win? With two cards..."
"What?" The guy blinked in confusion and looked at his colleague. However, even he had no idea how there could be two gold cards in a package, where they always put just one.
"Is something wrong?" Ylre smiled and held out the bag to them.
The guys looked at him in irritation, trying to figure out what had happened and meanwhile considering how not to end the game with a loss, since the money was not theirs. Neither of them had any idea what to do, but they didn't get a chance to react as Rue stood up:
"Thanks for the game, Luck with you," he smiled.
The guys looked behind them in confusion before returning their gazes to each other: "Show those cards!"
"I shuffled them normally," the guy hummed and flipped the cards over.
Their shocked looks ended up at a perfectly normal set of cards except of one red one that they had swapped. Three red, five black and two gold cards...as if they had the original deck with only one change.
"What the fuck did you take?!" The one raised his voice.
"Normal as always!" Argued another.
"Didn't you check them?"
”What for? I never check them! They are always packed by the bar!” He nodded back at the decks of cards.
"Fuck you? How could you not check it out? Sometimes a normal set gets mixed in!"
However, their argument was useless. Because Ylre would win even if they had their own deck. He would win even if there was only one gold card...he would win even if there was one in a hundred black cards...because that was his luck...without doing anything...almost always.
He slowly walked next to Rue, who forgot his food at the bar, as excited as he was from the game, and they slowly made their way out.
"Shall we go for a drink?" Ylre asked.
"We can...where?" He didn't know.
"When you go around the corner, you'll immediately see the White Swan inn," Ylre show the road, "I forgot to ask them something, I'm going back, but I'll catch up with you soon, okay?" He said.
"Okay," he smiled.
Ylre watched him disappear around the corner for a moment and turned back when he had a chance. He slowly made his way to the alley behind the restaurant and waited. He walked slowly, letting all the people pass and waiting until he was alone on the road. Subsequently, he turned again and got to a part where there really was no one. Just him and two hostile Rinselans who couldn't wait to get their money back and get revenge on Lacrisan.
Ylre heard slow footsteps behind him. He walked for a while before he stopped and turned to the pair of men he was playing cards with, "Do you need anything else?" He laughed at their aggressive expressions.
"Hey...our money and your luck back, Lacrisan," grumbled one.
"How do you feel?" the other asked.
"I think you've asked that before, I'm fine," Ylre clarified and when the two guys stared at him for a while longer, he lifted his corners into a dark smile, "but that can't be said about you." He said, slowly reaching behind him with his hand.
At first glance, it looked like his fingers didn't hit anything...that they ended up in the empty space behind him, and the guys didn't understand what he was up to. However, Ylre knew what he was doing and the moment his palm closed around the solid hilt, he slowly drew out his sword.
A shiny golden blade cut through the air and ended up in front of Ylre, who was calmly staring at the pair of cheeky guys. The men stared confused at the scene before them, at the crude weapon that none of them had ever seen and therefore couldn´t name. It looked like a sword, yet it was wider than normal one… its gold-covered surface looked like it wasn't real, like its consistency wasn´t completely solid, and yet the way something radiated from it made them fear.
"What the hell is that?" The man blinked confused, unable to move.
"Where was he hiding it?" The other one didn´t understand and tried at least to back away.
Ylre just chuckled lightly and casually walked towards them with a sword in hand: "How many restaurants do perversions like you do?" He wondered.
One of the guys shakily drew his own sword: "W-what are you saying? I don't know what you're talking about." He lied.
"Drugging people...cheating at cards...where do you put the Lacrisans you kidnap? How many did you catch anyway? What did you want to do to him? Not that he was Lacrisan.” He wondered in a cold voice.
However, since they didn´t answer, after a while he lightly laughed at how comical the two men looked in front of him: "Without an explanation? It's okay, I just wanted to know which places to avoid," he said, stopping only a step in front of them.
"Bullshits," the guy snorted, but he couldn't draw his own sword, "give us the money you took...and luck and we'll spare you, L-Lacrisan." He was trying.
"I'm not a Lacrisan," Ylre laughed, "and my luck isn't something trash like you can touch." He stated, straightening his sword.
The men glared at him, their breathing in the stillness of the evening was louder than they wanted, and although they both felt that fighting wasn´t a good option, they had no choice. Their legs couldn't take off and their minds weren't working. Ylre drank two drinks of sedatives, by this point he should have been lying dazed on the ground for a long time...but they couldn´t know, he didn´t drink it at all.
When Ylre took another step, they both shuddered in terror, unable to move.
"If I had time, I would have taught you better," Ylre stated, taking a soft breath before stepping forward.
His swift movement wasn´t even registered by the two Riselans once Ylre was behind them. Fear filled their insides the moment he disappeared out of their sight, they wanted to turn, but they couldn't. Their muscles didn't obey, and before they realized what had happened, they only felt a harsh impact on the ground.
Ylre stood beside them for a moment, staring at their lifeless bodies slumped a short distance away before lightly swiping his sword, dislodging the burgundy stains on the golden blade. Blood from the clean cuts flowed down the pavement to his feet, whereupon he slowly backed away and hid the sword back on his back, where no one could see it again.
"But I don't have time...at least not for you," he pointed out dispassionately and turned back the way he had come. He picked up his pace and smiled softly at the thought of the evening ahead. He clearly wasn't going to keep Rue waiting...especially with everything going as he finally wanted.