"Why does this place feel so...empty?"
They stood in the throne room, and as Amari looked around, she noticed the lack of care for the place except, strangely, the throne itself, which looked pristine. "There are no workers either...unlike the last throne room I was in." She remembered the last throne room she had been in, the one where she had gotten the mission that led to the drake egg. "Although now that I look back on it...the workers there looked stressed out and unhappy...even so, even a place like that had some. This place has none." Jamie was off to the side trying to fix her dress quickly after they had to chase down Aaron, and Milo was trying his best to look normal even though his hands were shaking with nervousness. Sebastion put a hand in his hair, and Alex spoke up, "Where is he?" Sebastion looked at him. "He will probably be here soon, he is a busy person, you know?" Just then they heard it.
Footsteps
"I apologize if I kept you waiting."
The man who has been single-handedly holding the kingdom together
And the woman who has been protecting him as he did so
Aaron grinned. "It's been a while!"
The advisor and the royal guard.
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The group bowed as they entered, with Sebastion and Alex pushing Amari's head down and Aaron standing straight, not bothering to bow. "Show a bit of decorum, will you?" The advisor sighed as Aaron grinned, "No can do! I don't even know what that word means!" The advisor just shook his head. "I feel bad for Mya..." He cleared his throat. "In any case, I thank you all for coming. Follow me so we can properly talk."
As they walked down the halls, one of the many things Amari noticed was the advisor's appearance. He had a scruffy gray beard that looked like it hadn't been taken care of in years, gray hair that was frazzling at the edges, eyes that seemed tired of being open, and eye bags that had multiple layers that went deep, and the heavy smell of alcohol that lingered on him. The woman beside him held a stoic look on her face with striking blue eyes to match. Her jet-black hair was in a high ponytail, and she was about 5'9" (175.26 cm) with a toned yet lean build. If Amari had to admit it, the large sword on her looked a slight bit intimidating. They walked into a relatively empty office, and as the advisor sat down in the chair behind the desk, the royal guard stood behind him.
"As you know, I wanted to speak to you about what happened in the sewer. Aaron, you lead this group, correct?" "Yep!" The royal guard's eyes slid over to him. "Do you mind explaining then?" The adviser asked, "One moment you go down into the sewers, and the next..." He leans up. "Bodies are being dragged out." He paused. "You can see how one can be confused, yes?"
Aaron clapped his hands together. "Right, let's skip to the chase then!" Before he could continue his sentence, the others kicked the back of Sebastion's leg. "Uh—I think I should take over the explaining part, boss." Aaron blinked. "Ok... I guess." The advisor raised an eyebrow at Sebastion as he took a breath and started.
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"I have come to the conclusion that the cloak he wore is what allowed him to fly." The advisor hummed and wrote something down on a piece of paper. " As Sebastion continued with Aaron's semi-helpful commentary, Milo noticed something. He leaned over to Amari. "Hey, uh—is it just me, or is she staring daggers into Aaron's head?" Amari's eyes slid over to the royal guard, and realized he was right. The woman's piercing blue eyes glared right into Aaron's head. Jamie leaned back into Amari and near Milo. "She's been doing it ever since Aaron confirmed he was the leader." Alex leaned in. "Yeah, what the hell is her problem?" Amari hummed low. "I don't know..." Just then the woman turned her eyes in their direction, her glare smoothing into a neutral gaze. Milo pretended to fumble with his shirt, Jamie leaned forward, acting interested in the conversation ahead of her, and Alex looked at the wall like it was the most interesting thing in the world. However, Amari's eyes caught hers, and the royal guard stared back. After a moment the royal guard looked her up and down, giving her a once-over before rolling her eyes, scoffing, and turning her gaze back at Aaron, her glare returning. "...what the—?" Jamie gasped. "No, she did not—" Alex glared. "The fuc—?" Milo shook his head. "Uncalled for." Jamie turned to Amari. "Don't listen to anything that woman is saying—" "She didn't talk—" "or try to say, 'You look great.'" Milo nodded. "Yeah, and not stuck up." Alex agreed, "unlike someone..." They turned their glares back towards the royal guard, who seemed not to notice or care.
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"Thank you for your time." The advisor said, the woman beside him as quiet as ever, glaring still struck on Aaron. "You may be on your way, I'm sure you all are busy," he continued with a nod. Aaron pouted, "What? No reward?" The advisor raised a brow. "I believe the spear is enough of a reward, no?" Amari's eyes drifted to Aaron, eyes wide, remembering the spear made out of pure black iron. Her eyes snapped to the advisor. "He...gave him that?"
"Woah..." Milo and Amari voiced at the same time, awe in their voices.
The group bowed—with Sebastion and Alex pushing her head down and Jamie doing the same with Milo, pushing them out of their stupor—and Aaron once more not bowing at all but instead stuttering about how it wasn't fair.
While walking out of the office—Sebastion pushing Aaron out—Amari looked back, her eyes watching as the royal guard glared at Aaron's back, deep and filled with something Amari couldn't name. Hatred? No. Protectiveness? Maybe, but that doesn't seem quite right. Wariness? Either way, the royal guard glared steadily at the back of Aaron, and Amari couldn't help wondering, "What the heck is her problem?"
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As the door closed, the advisor's shoulders dropped. He let out a sigh, rubbing at his already red eyes. He waited a moment, listening to their footsteps retreat before getting up and leaving the room, making his way down a different hallway. The royal guard followed right behind him as they made their way to a different office. Their footsteps echoed in the empty hall, and the door creaked when he opened it. As he stepped inside, he took a glimpse of the paperwork that was stacked beyond belief before tossing the paper with his notes on the desk. He ran his hand down his face. "How...how could this happen? Right under my nose? I—I was so focused on trying to keep the kingdom running that..." He swallowed, breath shaking a little. "That monster took our people... right in my face, and I—I was too blind to see it." The royal guard stayed silent before speaking "...You couldn't have known." He looked up. "It was in the sewer, a place anybody rarely checks, and with other things on your mind...it makes sense that the sewers were the last thing on your mind." The advisor looked at the paper in infront of him. "You should see your wife and son." She said, and the advisor sighed, "I should."
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"See, guys? Quick, easy."
"Tiring"
"Stressful"
"Never again."
"I want to go home."
Aaron laughed while shaking his head. "Nope! Well, not yet at least. We have to stop somewhere." Alex put his head in his hands. "Who now?" he groaned. "You may know him—he's a bit famous in the city, which makes sense. He is the city guard captain." Milo froze.
"Fuck."