Tales of Revenants

Chapter 25 – Misunderstanding

The city is rather large in terms of the distance. They can't travel around the four corners with their carriage or else they would take days before they can find the little girl's sister.

Laken decided he will walk together with her in order for the rest to settle things at the coast while he takes care of the trivial matter.

There's no telling if there is someone tailing them the moment they entered the city so easily.

Laken is still worried about the consequences if his group gets caught. They needed to depart out of the city before anyone becomes suspicious of them.

“We'll be waiting for you at the inn if it comes to it, take care Laken,” Eirisse told.

“Be careful!” Luciella waved to send him off.

The carriage began to move towards the true objective. Xenon gestured to Laken he needed to be wary of the little girl. He will be fine since he took some gold coins from their reward.

“What's the name of your sister?” Laken awkwardly asked while they are walking on the street. He really is hopeless when it comes to children.

“It's... a secret too!” The little girl answered fidgeting.

Laken's grimace is leaking out of his white mask. He doesn't understand what's she thinking. He's starting to think what a wanted man like him doing escorting a little girl to find her sister.

They walk together in the streets for minutes. No conversation and no words. Laken's clock is ticking and his patience is driving him crazy. He doesn't know what to say to her.

Laken was going to ask the little girl if she and the sister had a place to rendezvous if somehow they got lost when he heard her rumbling stomach.

Their progress is interrupted and it became more uncomfortable when they are just standing together beside each other for over seconds.

She's way too flustered to even take a single step. The little girl reminded Laken of Luciella whenever she's starving.

“Uhm... I think you're hungry. Do you want to take a bite at that shop?” Laken points out to a fried squid on a stick shop next to the street.

The little girl's staring at the freshly fried squid with her shining eyes. She'll slobber at any moment.

Laken snapped her finger so that she can get her consciousness back. She bashfully nodded and said, “O-Okay...” They moved to the next street so Laken can treat her to satisfy her appetite.

“Two please,” Laken gestured the vendor.

“That should be four sticks per gold coin.” the vendor said. Laken handed two gold coins instead and the vendor got what he wanted.

“Here, eat first,” Laken tried giving her four fried squids in a stick he just bought.

She's a little hesitant at first but when her stomach rumbles a second time, she kind of gave in and took what Laken has to offer.

Both of them sat on a bench near the shop. The aroma of the deep-fried seafood kind of reminded Laken that the others still hadn't taken breakfast or anything. He thought he'll buy more for them later so at least he did not waste time.

The little girl takes a bite on the fried squid. It's noticeable on her countenance that what she eats is luscious. Laken gave her time and the moment he blinked, she consumed all of it.

“It's that good?” Laken asked to lighten up the mood.

“Yeah...” she replied and is already good for a walk.

Laken seems to see she still wanted more but is just shy to say something. He bought more not just for her, but for the others as well.

“Here,” Laken handed ten gold coins. The vendor graciously packed the fried squids on a paper bag and said, “Thank you, sir! Come back again,” He grinned delightedly.

Laken got what he bought. He handed two fried squid to the little girl and he kept the paper bag on his sack beside his sword.

They are now back again to search for her sister. Laken wants to ask the thing that was interrupted earlier when she noticed her again staring at the lemonade shop blankly.

Laken thought it was bad of him to not give her something to drink after eating. It's just next to the street. They both headed that way so Laken can treat her again.

“How much for a bottle?” Laken asked the lemonade vendor.

“It's one bottle for five silver coins,” the vendor said.

Ten silver coins are equivalent to one gold coin. Laken doesn't have any silver coins he just handed four gold coins.

“Here it is sir, come back again!” told the vendor handing over what he bought.

Laken gave her a bottle of lemonade and said, “Don't be shy, here,” she took and it seems her bashfulness is gradually fading, “T-Thanks...” she's the only one who can hear what she's saying.

He's showing the bought snacks and drinks for his party so that she won't feel discomfort that he's doing all that for her.

They were walking for an hour. Laken is one of the most dangerous wanted criminal and he's taking a random walk with a little girl as some father and daughter would do. His patience is nearing low when he remembered the questions he wanted to ask.

“Uhm... do you remember a place where you and your sister agreed to rendezvous when any of you lost?” Laken finally was able to ask his initial question.

The little girl suddenly gawks at the sky with her gaping mouth as if she remembered something.

Seconds later she placed her palms on her cheeks, “I remembered that was in the plaza...” she said modestly.

Laken almost snapped his sanity. He wants to kick the air and go on a rampage thinking if he just asked that in the first place they wouldn't aimlessly seek something they couldn't find just by randomly searching in the streets.

He manages to control his composure since she's just a child and that wasting time isn't that bad if he managed to help her.

“Now then shall we go?” Laken tried to be friendly.

She nodded and they are now heading towards a place where they can really find her sister.

That should not take time since the plaza is up ahead next to the third street where they came from.

“Let's see,” Laken thoroughly searched in the crowd.

They first sat to the bench next to a statue of fish. It's supposed to be a swordfish that is said brings luck in the Frostwolf City. The plaza is livelier and there's a lot of clamoring traders selling various merchandise.

What makes the view more spectacular where they relax is the fountain at the center of the plaza. It's maintained enough that it didn't freeze despite the season.

“Do you see her anywhere?” Laken was trying to look for someone he had not seen before.

The little girl's frantically searching at the crowd. She seems to be the type that is easily overwhelmed when there's a lot of people around.

With the description of the little girl with the same height as her own. Blue mage garment and black hair that is the opposite of hers. Laken began to keenly search in the crowd to end this matter so that he can also rendezvous with his group.

The moment he stands up, someone from behind pulled Laken and drags him on the back of the statue.

The little girl is startled. Laken's instinct just kicked in when he realized he's being strangled by a woman who's had a black hair just the same as him.

When Laken peeked at him closer to the side, he realized it's just a little girl with long black hair.

What astonished Laken was her two small horns and a tail that had a remarkably hard-looking black scales.

Laken thought it was draconian from the Volcanyon. Which they rarely visit in the Frozen Northlands since they much prefer hotter regions just like their home.

He wants to ask her something when she pinpointed the edge of the molten knife on his neck, “How dare you kidnap my sister?!” She retorted. The fury in his eyes and the flames of the knife grows stronger.

In the state he's in, there's no way he can escape easily. Even if he did, that could just create chaos in the plaza wherein he wanted to be unnoticed as possible.

Laken waved his hand in the phase saying he's surrendering. The little girl came to the scene behind the statue. He's waiting for her sister to explain that it's just a misunderstanding and he did nothing wrong.