Edited by: Flubbykin

I have been sitting in front of Blanka in awkward silence. We were in the middle of the inn section, people around were loud and slightly annoying - like every drunken male or female can be.

We were eating our dishes slowly as if doing everything we could to give ourselves any excuse to keep it this way.

“Look at them, aren’t they looking like two wonderful lovebirds? Being so stressed in each other’s company that they can’t even talk because of embarrassment, yet still eating together willing to stay close…”

I heard a few idiots whispering at the other side of the room.

“Blanka? With a male? Forget about it. Also, I have heard that this kid already has girlfriend… Or should I say owner? That she-beast, Giselle, apparently they are a couple…” “That’s even crazier then my version!”

People will talk. The more boring and weaker they are, the more they tend to lose to gossips and fantasies. On the one hand, I didn’t give a damn, on the other, I know certain someone that doesn’t think before acting and would pulverize me into the dirt once she would hear those nonsenses… The name of that certain someone has already been spoken today. The she-beast. I like it. Will have to remember to call Gis this way, I am sure she would be pleased.

“I doubt that you came only to share the quest’s money.”

She was the first one to speak. Warrioress was doing everything she could to keep her composure. The reality was slightly different. I knew that the euphoria of battle has already settled down. Now, her thoughts were clear. Back then, in the dungeon, she allied with me to defeat a common foe, once it was removed she was facing me armored with new knowledge.

The knowledge that I am not a human,

“To be honest, I don’t care about money - my company is making more money in a week that I can earn questing for the entire year, all I have to do is to check every few days my workers and teach my girls new recipes.”

I waved my hand letting her know how very unimportant this matter is to me.

“So… what now? I saw things I wasn’t supposed to see. I saw formal notes from Jericho, King and Senate to keep information about you to myself… But I am just a human. I can get drunk, someone can torture me… the secret is never safe when it's bestowed upon living beings.” “ I like the way you are thinking… I must correct you though. Secrets aren’t safe with dead either. All you have to do is to hire not-completely-useless necromancer and voila - you can speak with the dead. And trust me - dead people usually want to remain dead, especially those who have already crossed the vail. Being forcefully kept in our realm is agony to them, so they will tell you all you want to know just so you would release them….”

I brought a cup filled with black, bitter liquid to my mouth.

“...That’s really a very good coffee, and that’s not something I am saying often.” I blinked twice as if I was indeed occupied with a matter of my breakfast.

I did that on purpose, by acting casually and not addressing the matter directly, I wanted to make her calm down a little, because, damn, all the time she was eating her hand was hovering dangerously close to her blade.

“Seriously? So I don’t have to expect some monster to follow me at night?”

She wasn’t quite relaxed yet.

“Wait, you were thinking, that when I want to get someone killed I am doing that personally? No-no-no. We were recently seen together! That would be far too suspicious! I would hire someone to do that - poison your drink, make a cart fall over on the road… drop a chandelier on your head - that’s my favorite! Nothing beats good ol’ chandelier. In the meantime I would be far-far away, causing a havoc in some inn on the other side of the city being seen by dozens of people. Nothing that could possibly lead your accidental death with my persona. Bah - I would even say that the closer to me you are standing, the safer you are… speaking about the devil, I believe that my order is ready, pardon me, be right back…”

I got up from the table and turned around with a desire to walk toward the cook who was supposed to finish the next portion of my meal. Yet, I couldn’t quite to that, because...

“GET THE FUCK BACK!” Blanka jumped from her spot, grabbed me by the end of my robes and forcibly pulled me back in my chair.

None paid us any attention - we were still best-behaving customers in the inn.

“Did you just freak out?! You did, didn’t you?!...” that was so bloody adorable!!! “... Oh, come on! I was just joking! Teasing you! Now, I am really interested in continuing our conversation, and I gladly will once I would get something to eat - this whole adventuring got me so hungry that I could eat an ogre - literally.”

Once again I got up and started walking toward the guild worker, got my food on the plate, and turned back as I really wanted to get back to the table.

And once I turned I noticed that Blanka was standing right behind me - I almost walked right onto her. She must have been walking after not getting further away than a meter or so.

“Stop freaking out so much, you are freaking me out by doing so, you freak.”

My little teasing could have turned against me.

“I will not leave you until I would understand what kind of devil-spawn you actually are!” “That may be quite problematic, as a very specific urge is rising within my guts… Or speaking bluntly - I need to go to the restroom. I wish to once again beg your pardon…” “You. Are not. Going. Anywhere!”

She grabbed my arm and pulled closer. The problem was that she was holding my arm is the same way the girl is holding her boyfriend. And of course, the universe had to align perfectly, because at that moment Giselle entered the guild.

She yelled her standard greeting - under one of her arms she was holding unconscious adventure - a scout - guessing by his armor; in the other hand, she was holding tightly Bogger’s twisted head.

She was dirty, covered in mud, blood and sweat - beautiful to me, shining like a new sun on the horizon.

She noticed Blanka standing next to me, and her mood worsened. Then she noticed that I had two portions of food on my plates, which made her mad. And then she noticed the way Blanka was holding me.

She exhaled air slowly, but damn me if it meant she was calm. Also - by “exhaling air” I mean “exhaling steam” - she was a dragon after all.

She started walking toward me, peacefully at first, then she started speeding up till eventually, she was charging in my direction like an angered bull. Somewhere on her way she dropped both the trophy and the adventure.

“Sweetie, I can explain everything…” I tried to talk to her reason, though I knew none was left. Even more, my tone was rather resigned as I knew how this was going to end.

I turned my head towed Blanka one last time.

“It was a pleasure to meet you. ZARIEL OUT!”

I yelled right in the moment when Giselle’s punch reached my guts making me fly - and no, I am not exaggerating. I literally flew across whole inn and hit the window, through which I jumped outside carried by the mere impact of the blow.

Some time later.

I was sitting by the very same table with Giselle and Blanka, but this time I had bag of ice over my head. My physical wounds healed, but the damages to my feelings were still fresh and burning with pain. Also, I am a drama queen and an attention whore, but shhh, almost nobody knows about it.

“I see! I see!...” Giselle was laughing awkwardly with one of her hands behind her hand “... a misunderstanding! Daaamn! You should have told me earlier! Ha-ha” “Not like I haven’t been trying, right?” I pouted “There-there! Nothing happened to you, right?” “Phi.” “Oh come on! Zari, don’t be like that! I know that you are not even mad about that weak punch, I mean, by now you are already used to it, right?!”

Was she even trying to apologize to me?!

“You insensitive brute! You never care about me!” “You just know it’s not true! Come on, Zari, what’s is this fuss all about?” “PHI!” I phi-ed loudly “Come on, tell me!” Gis tired to embrace me with one hand. “Guess it by yourself.” I dodged her arm and moved a bit further away on the bench. “How can I tell what’s wrong if you always dodge the topic!” “If you would care about me, you would know what’s wrong!” I almost cried.

All this time, Blanka was looking with a “little bit” puzzled expression.

“Ok. Fine. I am sorry. I hope we can talk about it having those ice creams in cafeteria close to the city hall…”

My ears twitched slightly, Giselle noticed that.

“Ice Creams, you say?...” I was still looking in another direction while asking this question “Yes, with extra chocolate…” “AND CARAMEL!” I yelled “Fine. And with caramel…” she rolled her eyes. then she looked back at Blanka “... Give them sweets and they will forget about whatever made them mad. Males.”

By now, Blanka was staring with really dumb expression and mouth wide open.

“What the actual fuck did I just witness?” she whispered to herself.