Slimantha and Samuel stood in front of a large tree located in Spider-Lily park. The tree’s branches reached high overhead. A multitude of beautiful red blossoms displayed among the tree’s lush green foliage. Warm noon light cascaded down from above.
“Are you sure this is her front door?” Samuel said, leaning a tad closer to the large tree. He pulled back and looked at Slimantha. “It just looks like a tree to me.”
Slimantha blinked, and then her beautiful brown eyes went to the tree in question. “Well, it certainly looks like a tree,” she said. “Doorbell … Doorbell … There should be a doorbell.” She hinged at her hips, pressing her face closer to the tree. “Where is the doorbell?” She straightened up and then pressed her body against the tree.
“Just what”—Samuel blinked—“are you doing.” His blue eyes were on the tan-skinned woman pressing up against the big tree’s trunk.
“Quiet,” Slimantha said. Somehow, she managed to press herself even more against the tree. “I’m trying to feel the heart of the tree.”
“Wait.” Samuel blinked again. “You can do that?”
Slimantha pulled away from the tree, a cute little pout on her face. “Apparently”—she paused for a moment—“not.” She looked over the big tree’s trunk again. “Oh, wait. I found it”—she pressed a button on the tree trunk, but nothing seemed to happen—“or did I?” She brought her right hand to her chin. Then part of the tree’s trunk—a door—opened inward.
Two women came into view from behind the door. One was Latril, a swird woman who had short black hair, black wings, and an ivory complexion. She wore a short-sleeved crop top and miniskirt, both articles of clothing black. Her shoes matched the rest of her outfit, also being black.
Latril’s lovely golden sword eyes fell upon Slimantha. “Lovely to see you today,” she said, a slight rosy blush to her cheeks. Then she noticed Samuel, and the slight rosy blush vanished. She pouted. Her eyes went back to Slimantha. “What is he doing here?”
“What is Samuel doing here?” Slimantha said, glancing at the referenced hero. Her beautiful brown eyes went back to Latril and met with the swird woman’s lovely golden eyes. “Are we not here to talk about his sword?” She cocked her head to the side cutely, the long brown locks of her hair swaying.
A giggle slipped out from Mimi, the woman who stood beside the clearly annoyed Latril. In contrast to Latril’s black outfit, Mimi’s outfit possessed a dazzling golden hue. Her short-sleeved shirt, mid-skirt, and shoes were all golden in color. Even the curvy mimic’s eyes, long hair, and complexion shared that golden hue.
“Hello,” Mimi said, glancing at Slimantha and Samuel. “Lovely day, isn’t it?” She stepped out from the big tree’s trunk, and her golden shoes pressed down into Spider-Lily Park’s lush green grass. A pleasant smile sat upon her face. In her hands, she held a certain black notebook—a certain black notebook that a certain swird woman had written lines in. She pivoted around, her beautiful golden eyes coming to meet Latril’s lovely golden eyes. “You sure you don’t want an apartment? I could have a word with Tabitha for you?”
Latril sighed. “I already told you I’m fine with my lair,” she said. “Stop trying to push an apartment on me already.”
“Understood.” Mimi giggled again, taking her right hand away from the black notebook and bringing said hand to her lips. The she returned that hand to the notebook and smiled. “Just let me know if you change your mind. See you around.” The golden woman waved goodbye and then turned to leave.
Latril looked away from the departing Mimi to Slimantha and Samuel. “Come on in to my lair. I’ll take you two to the”—Latril blinked—“meeting place. This way please.” She led her two guests into her lair. The trio’s footfalls sounded out against the steps of the steel stairway as they descended.
The soft taps of their shoes on steel continued as Latril led the group into a dimly lit steel room. The short-haired swird woman led the group to a square steel table with a flickering red candle sitting atop it. A single red rose in a red vase accompanied the candle, and two steel chairs had been positioned at opposite sides of the table. In front of each chair, a fancy steak meal had been lovingly placed upon the table.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“It is kind of dark in here, isn’t it?” Slimantha said, glancing around. Her beautiful brown eyes came to the flickering red candle. “You like candles?”
“Just”—a sweatdrop rolled down Latril’s right cheek—“ignore the candle.” She glanced up to the overhead panels providing the dim lighting. “Lighting difficulties?” She blinked. “Yes, let’s go with that.” Her lovely golden sword eyes went to Slimantha’s face, and she smiled. She pulled one of the two steel chairs out for the slime summoner. “Have a seat.”
“Thank you,” Slimantha said before taking a seat. The chair’s steel was cool to the touch but not obnoxiously so. She smiled up at Latril.
Latril smiled back at her and then took a seat at the opposite side of the table. Then her lovely golden sword eyes went to the third wheel—went to Samuel. She pouted and then turned to the side. “Hey, guys! Get another chair and a bowl of noodles for”—she glanced at Samuel—“this guy!” With a flurry of flaps, a group of crows set up the third steel chair at the side of the table to Latril’s right. Shortly after, a second group of crows delivered the noodle bowl onto the steel table in front of the freshly placed chair.
“Well”—Latril looked at Samuel, giving him a blatantly forced smile—“come have a seat. You don’t want your noodles to get”—she blinked—“colder.”
Samuel took a seat. His blue eyes went down to the bowl of cold noodles. Then his eyes went back to Latril. “Actually, we are kind of going out for cheese sandwiches after this,” he said.
“Eh?” Latril froze. Then her right eyebrow twitched. Her golden sword eyes slowly shifted from Samuel to Slimantha. “Going out?” Her eyes shifted back to Samuel. “With him?” Her right eyebrow gave another twitch.
“Yup,” Slimantha said. “We are going out for cheese sandwiches after this.” She glanced down at the steak meal in front of her before her beautiful brown eyes went back to Latril. “Your food looks good, but I prefer cheese sandwiches.” She gave Latril a friendly smile.
Latril’s eyes went back to Slimantha. “That’s fine,” the swird woman said. She forced a smile, but her right eyebrow gave yet another twitch.
“What about my sword?” Samuel said. “What about the sword the goddess blessed me with? I heard you might have it.”
Latril deflated. “Oh, right.” Her golden sword eyes went back to Samuel. “The sword. This is all about the sword.” She sighed and then glanced to the side. “Bob! Here! Now!”
The sound of flapping filled the air. A large crow landed at Latril’s right. This large crow—this Bob—was the swird. The monstrous crow looked at its master and then cawed.
“Did you end up finding any magic swords or not?” Latril said, her lovely golden sword eyes on Bob the Swird. Bob cawed again, and then Latril looked at Samuel. “We don’t have any magic swords.” A cocky smile slipped across her lips. Sarcastically, she added, “What a shame?”
Now Samuel deflated. He fell forward onto the table, his head propped up above the noodle bowl. “So the sword—the sword the goddess had blessed me with—is really gone,” he murmured.
“Eh?” A drop of sweat dripped down Latril’s right cheek. She bit her lower lip, her golden sword eyes on the deflated hero. “Actually”—she averted her gaze from the hero—“we kind of lost some swords to an attacker.” She looked back at him. “Maybe your sword was among the ones we lost.”
“So”—Samuel perked back up—“there’s still hope.” He leapt up out of his chair. “Yes, it must be among the swords that that attacker took.” He grabbed Latril’s right hand in both his hands. “Thank you so much.”
Latril blinked, and then her right eyebrow twitched. “Who said you could touch me?!” She pulled her hand away, a scowl on her face.
“S-Sorry,” Samuel said, pulling back. He glanced at Slimantha before his blue eyes went back to Latril. “We should be going now. Thanks for your help.” He bowed.
Slimantha stood up. Her beautiful brown eyes went to Latril and met the swird woman’s lovely golden sword eyes. “Thank you,” she said and then waved goodbye.
Latril smiled at Slimantha. “You’re very welcome. See you.” She waved them off. Her eyes followed Slimantha for a bit as the slime summoner walked away. Then her eyes dropped down to her own meal—her own untouched meal. Her smile dropped away. She frowned. “My love life sucks.” She picked up her knife and fork and started eating.