The morning sun was finally beginning to bake the lower slums, turning the humidity of the open sewers into a thick, stifling haze.
Hanjun and Jayhon walked.
Hanjun marched exactly one pace behind Jayhon's shoulder, his toes still curled uncomfortably inside Beixin's small leather shoes.
"Jayhon,"
Hanjun said flatly after a few minutes of silent walking.
"My foot hurts it's because of the shoes, I don't want to wear them anymore,i know I wear them for Beixin but I don't want to wear them anymore."
"Can you please just think about surviving instead of your shoes size and how uncomfortable it is?!"Jayhon
hissed, his eyes darting frantically between the sagging wooden buildings.
"We're in the middle of the lower district, Hanjun! We don't have a map, we don't have Rika, and—"
"The red-haired elf elf is loud and smells like blood,"
Hanjun interrupted.
"Her absence is good for us,shes not Beixin to be trusted like that. Look, a stray dog.
It is also looking at us.
Why don't we take it for us, might help us when a fight happens."
"It's just a stray puppy, Hanjun!"
"A small wolf is still a wolf, Jayhon. Do not let your guard down around the predator."
....
Meanwhile, high above the rotting timbers of the slums, the inner citadel of Morvane enjoyed a completely different atmosphere.
In a private, lavishly decorated chamber lined with silk curtains and gold-trimmed mirrors, King Lucas Morvane was sitting on a plush velvet chaise lounge.
His spun-gold hair was perfectly coiffed, and he was currently leaning entirely too close to a young lady with striking, deep blue hair and an exceptionally elegant, figure-hugging silk gown.
Her name was Lilly.
Lucas had personally selected her from a neighboring province, purely because her flawless aesthetics and stunning body matched the high standards of his royal ego. She was to be his future wife, by absolute royal decree.
"You know, my sweet sapphire,"
Lucas said, his voice dripping with a smooth, self-absorbed charm as he twirled a lock of her blue hair around his finger.
"The sun shines brightly over Morvane, but its brilliance completely pales in comparison to the sheer, geometric perfection of your facial structure. Truly, my eye for quality is unparalleled."
Lilly's left eye twitched slightly with profound annoyance.
She desperately wanted to shove him off the couch, but instead, she forced her lips into a wide, dazzlingly fake smile, batting her eyelashes with exaggerated devotion.
"Oh, Your Majesty, you are too kind! Your words are like... a very hot furnace.
Truly, I am just a humble flower basking in your immense, golden radiance."
She internally gagged.
"A flower indeed,"
Lucas murmured, leaning in close, his golden eyes locked onto her lips.
He slid a hand smoothly down her arm, preparing to claim a royal kiss.
"Let us seal this beautiful poetic exchange with a—"
BANG.
The heavy mahogany doors to the chamber swung open violently.
High Commander Kalve marched into the room, his heavy iron armor clanking so loudly it rattled the crystal perfume bottles on Lilly's vanity.
He stopped at the edge of the rug, slamming his fist against his chestplate in a rigid, dramatic salute.
"Your Majesty! A critical update from the lower districts!"
Kalve bellowed, his voice echoing off the walls.
King Lucas froze, his lips a mere inch from Lilly's face.
He slowly turned his head, his golden hair shifting, a look of murderous irritation settling over his handsome features.
Lilly, on the other hand, immediately leaned back into the cushions, letting out a tiny, silent gasp of pure relief.
Thank the gods for military interruptions.
"Kalve,"
Lucas said, his voice dangerously low and melodic.
"You have exactly three seconds to explain why your heavy metal boots are currently ruining the romantic cadence of my morning, or I will have your armor melted down into a decorative chamber pot."
"Sire!" Kalve remained in his stiff salute, completely oblivious to the mood.
"The tracking squads have thoroughly combed the eastern slums! Regrettably, we have not found the two kids who escaped the throne room!
They have vanished into the gutter streets I'm afraid executing them will take more time!"
Lilly, who had been trying to look pretty and detached, suddenly froze.
Her blue eyes widened in genuine, sudden shock.
"Kids?"
she asked, her fake smile slipping for a fraction of a second.
"Wait... kids for execution? Lucas, you're tracking down children to execute them?"
King Lucas instantly pivoted.
His entire demeanor transformed into one of absolute, theatrical innocence.
He placed a hand over his heart, gasping softly as if deeply offended by the very accusation.
"What?! Nooo!"
Lucas exclaimed, waving his hands dramatically, his voice turning into a high-pitched, defensive whine.
"Kids? Lilly, my love, my beautiful gem, we don't kill kids! What kind of a barbaric, unpolished tyrant do you think I am? Why would we ever execute children? That is terrible for public relations!"
He quickly turned his head back toward Kalve, his face twisting into a fierce, frantic grimace.
While keeping his upper body perfectly still so Lilly couldn't see, Lucas furiously began signing behind his back.
He made a sharp, aggressive chopping motion with his hand, mouthing the words:
CANCEL IT. CANCEL THE EXECUTION
RIGHT NOW, YOU IDIOT.
Kalve stared at the King's frantic hand gestures, his eyebrows furrowing beneath his iron visor.
"Sire? But you explicitly stated last night that if they were broken before arrival, my head would replace the—"
"I said no such thing!"
Lucas barked, laughing nervously as he gave Kalve an intense, wide-eyed glare that practically screamed shut up or die.
"The High Commander is clearly suffering from heat exhaustion! The Sun-Zheki in the barracks must be affecting his cognitive functions.
Kalve, you are to immediately cancel any orders regarding killing or searching for those lovely, innocent children! Go! Issue the decree to the entire city guard at once!"
"Uh... yes, Your Majesty!"
Kalve saluted awkwardly, totally bewildered by the sudden shift, and quickly marched backward out of the room.
Lucas smoothed down his silk vest, turning back to Lilly with his perfect, blinding smile restored.
"See? Just a minor administrative misunderstanding, my darling.
Now, where were we? Ah, yes—the geometric perfection of your lips..."
Lilly forced her fake smile back onto her face, though her mind was now spinning with a great deal of suspicion.
"Of course, Lucas... how silly of me to doubt your noble, gentle heart..."
Back down in the lower slums, things were significantly less romantic.