Greed:
The gigantic double doors of the Arcane King's Castle opened slowly for us. One of the doors itself was three times as big as our whole double door set back home. They were white, framed in gold, etched with intricate designs.
As it fully opened, we were met with a grand display of white and gold. The room was stretched like a massive hall with windows that let in the sunlight, keeping the place well lit. Grand citadel on the outside, glossy and clean cathedral on the inside.
The floor was marble with hints of black and gold; its design resembled thunderclouds. The ceiling was high and carried that same intricate design from the doors all the way to the corners of the ceiling, which then blended into some kind of artwork above us.
There were two giant silver chandeliers that hung from the high ceiling. One as we entered and the other across from it, farther into the giant hallway.
We had an escort mage who led us to the meeting quarters for the Kingdom's Guild.
There were four doors in this hallway, all of them far away from each other, leading to who knew where. We were led to the farthest one on the right.
"This way, please, Captain," the mage escort said.
He opened the door, and we were welcomed by an enormous room. It resembled that of an arena, but with nine thrones all around the walls facing each other toward the center, and another set of double doors on the opposite side from where we entered. The center of the floor had that same thundercloud marble design, but with an even more intricate design resembling a pentagram laying above it all throughout the entirety of the room.
There were groups of mages already present. Some from Guilds, others from the council. All of them mingled with each other on the center floors before the official meeting began. They sported different uniforms unique to their own Guilds or noble ranks, and they all looked more professional, 'looking the part' of a mage more than we did.
Their conversations stopped the minute they noticed us. Judgmental jeers were sent toward our direction; we could be spotted throughout the room no matter where one stood. And it didn't help that we were the last among the other Guilds to arrive.
I returned their glares with a glower of my own, hands in my pockets all the while.
To my right, Havoc was nearly the same, hands in his gilet pockets, bored look on his face, and staring at a random corner of the room.
On my left, Code was the most proper, despite him wearing his hat and hood over his head. On his back, he had those same long swords from training slung behind him, and his expression was cold as the light reflected off his round glasses, hiding his eyes behind them.
You happy now Asura? I attended this Keeperforsaken orgy party. Talk about a drag… I thought to myself as I studied the disgusted looks of nearly everyone facing our way.
And I could sort of make out some of what they were saying as they freely gossiped right in front of us.
"Is that The Black Wolves?" one snickered.
"The delinquent Guild."
"They actually showed their faces here?"
"Is it too late to cancel the meeting? I feel like I need to shower after being in their presence."
"Fucking criminals… How are we associated with this bunch?"
"A little birdie told me that one in the middle nearly got arrested in LeHarla. They should have just went through with it. Just looking at them screams crook."
"They should have just never shown up and let the Kingdom abolish them. They'd be doing us all a favor."
"Strays."
"Filthy mutts…"
"Trash mages."
The three of us stood there with shadows over our eyes. When it came to us, we didn't kick too hard. Just so long as they didn't do the same with the ones not present…
"Yo!" a familiar voice echoed. And when I heard him, my eyes left the shadows they resided in. I began scanning the room to find him.
Then, from farther back, a cool-looking male walked out from a group he was chatting with. His hair was blond with blue tips, spiked up, with swept bangs. He had silver stud earrings resembling swords and had round shades. His eyes were a type of turquoise that could also pass as blue or white depending on the angle. And he wore a jacket with a popped collar that looked more like a hood than what it was.
The colors he bore were a blue-and-white contrast, wearing a distinct white T-shirt underneath, and baggy cargo-like pants, cuffed at the bottom. His sneakers were white-and-blue styled, designed to make his uniform look more unique than the standard mage. If anything, I'd say he was dressed closer in comparison to us—in terms of casualness—rather than the traditional ostentatiousness of everyone else here.
When I saw him, my mood shifted immediately. The overly flashy "Snow!" I said as he strode closer to us, one hand in pocket and the other waving and flaunting his multicolored nails.
When he got close enough, we dapped and the sound was immaculate, echoing like the Keeper blessed the ears of everyone in this room. "My man. It's been a while. What have you been up to?" I said as our hands released and I made a jerking motion before him.
"Ah fuck you!" he jokingly replied.
Havoc and Code stood there observing our conversation, genuinely surprised that I knew someone else in another Guild aside from Ryo.
"Oh yeah, I forgot... the only one that knows you is our 1st Ace. The rest of them only know Ryo," I said, turning to them to introduce, gesturing. "This is some of my crew, Snow—Code, Havoc. Code, Havoc—Snow."
"Nice to meet ya! Hmm." He studied Havoc.
"Uh, what's up?" Havoc questioned, confused.
"Are you Exec 1 or 2? An Ace, maybe?" Snow queried.
"Nah. I'm just a member."
"No way! That's killer, bro! Imagine being just a member at a meeting like this!" Snow responded enthusiastically. "Well good for you, this is a great place to build clout!"
"Eh. I don't care."
"Wow, you really are this guy's subordinate," Snow gestured a thumb to me. "But I gotta ask…" He turned my direction, crazed look possessing him now. He crept close, breathing directly in my face like some creep.
"Real talk. Where is she, you damn hoarder? Where's my girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend? You guys are not going out…" I said incredulously.
"Don't ruin my dreams you hoarding bastard. Answer."
He searched frantically around looking for someone. Even focusing intently at a nearby wall like he sensed something—someone behind it…
"Ophelia's not here. Clearly."
"I KNOW THAT—" He calmed down before going on, finally realizing he was losing his composure, then whispered, "I know that. That's why I'm fucking asking, Dweeb…"
I raised a brow before taking my time to reply, "I don't know where she is currently. That's why Havoc is here."
"HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW!?" he bellowed, and everyone heard him, just as they were about to start minding their own business.
Snow looked around nervously, waving an anxious hand so as to dismiss their eyes—poor as the gesture was.
"How do you not know where she is?" he whispered. "What about Star?"
I shrugged. "Really, dude? Star? You couldn't handle her if you tried. Even I could barely… You know what… never mind. Let's not talk about that."
"You don't know what I can handle, asshole! I don't know what I did to shoo her away, but I didn't mean to scare her off."
I snickered. "You? Scare Star? I doubt that's what happened."
Snow cringed and ran his hands through his hair multiple times before saying, "Are you fucking serious right now, yo?"
Havoc chuckled. "I thought only Ace 1 knows this guy? Ophy and Star know him too?"
"Of course they do!"
"Let me rephrase... 'knows of him,'" I clarified. "Doesn't stop this guy from stalking Black Wolf girls, though."
"I am not stalking! I am just confirming their current locations!"
"That's fucking stalking."
While we continued to banter, Code had left us. I hardly noticed he had left and found our spot at one of the thrones in the room. He moved like a shadow.
The other mages shifted their attention away from us at last. It seemed, whether he knew it or not, Snow had saved us from being awkwardly judged all by our lonesome.
At this time, Ryo came in from the opposite end with some other Captains and meeting coordinators.
From what it seemed, he was one of the first ones here, making sure everything was in order for today. Classic stand-up Ryo.
He found us from where he was and waved, continuing on with his duties as he helped the meeting coordinators place meeting scrolls on small tables by the thrones in the room. He was always a duty first kind of guy.
The other captains that arrived with him spread out and headed to their seats, signaling the rest of us on the floor to head to ours. But then the last one to enter through that door...
She caught my eye immediately. Whether it was her attractive attire or the way she walked, I could not, for the life of me, take my eyes off her.
Time and space seemed to slow as Snow's voice muffled out in my ears, the girl sashaying toward us all the while.
Without that drape over her head, she could pass as almost half naked. She elegantly walked ever closer, jewelry chiming, clinking as she drew near. At that point, the sounds of everything else around me were basically nonexistent.
What was this feeling? It was like I knew her, but this was my first time seeing her in person like this.
I had seen her before on screens and projections in the Kingdom, but I never once thought I'd ever be in the same room as her. She seemed almost too good to be true—far from touch. But seeing her like this… Something inside me began shouting. Like my heart was aching…
Was she that beautiful that it had stopped me in my tracks? No, that couldn't be it.
Before I realized, she was right at my face. Literally kissing distance away from my lips. I caught a glimpse of her eyes under those wispy white eyelashes of hers, and they were so immensely deep blue...
When she spoke, it sounded like a gentle song effortlessly caressing me while I rested my head on her lap, facing upward with her breasts shading my eyes from the beaming sun. "Are you a perv?"
"Yes."
"Excuse me?" she retorted meekly.
"My bad. I thought you asked me if I wanted to ditch this meeting with you."
Snow gasped and stood back with Havoc watching. "Did he seriously just—"
"Shh," Havoc hushed.
Despite the drape over her face and body, I could see her so clearly. Lips full, smooth, and pink. Nose the perfect arc. And those white eyelashes glinting with each flicker off the lights from above. It was like her Keeper-given spotlight. She was nearly perfect.
"Does that line normally work on the bimbos you pick up?" she playfully jabbed, flickering those white eyelashes at me.
"Oh!" Snow and Havoc commented from the background.
I smirked, lascivious thoughts entering my mind. Feisty… I liked that.
Her voice was like a bed of flowers, enticing me to jump into it—into her…
She remained inches from my face, unflinching, smelling like white gardenia meets strawberries as she continued to stare directly into my dark void eyes without waver.
I stared as well, saying nothing. I simply let her deep blues pull me in like a siren's song.
And like someone took a shit by our blooming garden, a man clad in gold armor, blond hair, and dangling lock gauges in his ears pleasantly interrupted us.
"Captain, is this stray bothering you?"
What impeccable timing…
"And you are?" I questioned, scowling.
He snickered, then replied, "You've got to be joking, right? Listen, you might be a Captain by default, but to me, you are hardly deserving of the title. Besides… You are of the lowest ranking Guild. Your rank is almost laughable, even with a Captain title."
"Are you a captain?"
"1st Vice Captain of the Golden Roses," he pompously answered.
"Wow, so just a smidge short of that captain's title, huh?"
"You cocky mutt. You really think you're—"
"Lance," the girl spoke. "Stand down. I was just leaving." She glanced over at me one last time, tone changed entirely; the bed of flowers now swept away by a harsh wind.
"Yes, ma'am." Lance stiffened, then composed himself by order of his captain—her.
"Tool," I commented. To which he clicked his tongue in response.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, the meeting's about to start. I need to get to my throne." She merely gestured with her eyes and I looked back. Apparently where I was standing was on a direct path to her designated seat. "Pleasure meeting you. I hope we'll get the opportunity again."
They passed me, and I swore time slowed once again, letting me relish the simplicity of the way she walked and the way her drape rippled like rivers from her head to her… Great. She was barefoot too. My fucking favorite.
"What's your name?" I blurted so informally. I really had no shame, did I?
She and Sir Cockblock II continued walking and didn't stop. But she looked back, smiled serenely, and closed her eyes, slightly tilting her head, saying nothing more.
"Tease…" I said under my breath with a wry smile. "All right then, I'll just call you princess until you tell me."
That sentence was enough to make her stop as she and her lackey turned their heads to witness me.
And though he was glowering with a look of animosity, she was giving me an entirely different look. One I could gaze into forever as I died inside of her… over and over again…
"I think I'd like that," she responded.
Nut…
"Also…" She closed her eyes cheerfully and smiled. "You should really rinse your mouth before the meeting starts. You smell like barf."