Salvation of The Scum Fifth Prince

[49 - disguise; snowy surprise]

"What do you propose, necromancer?"

The room was quiet, free from any prying eyes, yet Alvara felt as if she were being watched, eyes peeking through the cracks in the door. She could even call it comfortable, if not for the situation.

At least, she was thankful Soren had warned her beforehand.

She swallowed, darting her crimson eyes around nervously. Damien took in every move, through observant emerald eyes that traced every twitch of the finger.

"I can help you." said Alvara after some hesitation. "Help you find what you're looking for."

A sliver of a smile, calculating and sly. "With what exactly, I wonder?"

In a second, Alvara understood. There was no beating around the bush or withholding information from this person. There was a clear reason why they stood at the position they did, and why she was warned as she was.

Therefore, she straightened her back, and her gaze turned a little sharper. She hadn't survived in all those years within the slums for nothing.

"Alright. I need to go to the Forest of the Lost, and I need you to help me." said Alvara bluntly to the point Damien blinked in surprise, his raven ears curling back as he tilted his head in thought.

"The Forest of the Lost."

A shade covered his eyes in a mist of the past.

"Master." said Damien slowly, his tail swaying with his ideas. "He informed you of my past, correct?"

"...right."

There was a long stretch of silence, so deadly Alvara thought it might be best to run. Not that she'd get very far, but it was worth the thought.

'Why are all these people so terrifying?'

Then the boy spoke again. "What else does he need from me? There's more, isn't there?"

She nodded and scrambled around her pockets to pull out a crumpled piece of paper. It had been folded neatly originally, but she hadn't really prioritized on keeping it in good condition. Legible, it was, at least.

Damien accepted the sheet and skimmed over it quickly. Reading the contents, he felt another wave of surprise wash over him.

As expected of Soren.

Always full of surprises. But that, he supposed, was the reason he stayed by that person's side for so long.

"Hm, what do you think I'll do?" wondered Damien, slowly lifting his eyes to peer at Alvara from behind the paper, forest gaze glistening with curiosity and intrigue.

Alvara furrowed her brows, pursing her lips. It was these sorts that were the most complicated to deal with. So hard to decipher, to understand. Yet they could understand you so well, read you like an open book.

What sort of answer was correct? She preferred to play it safe, for the sake of survival. Ah, risking her life like this for somebody else really wasn't something she'd typically do.

But Soren had that strange, mystical aura that drew people to him, despite his barriers and his unwilling communication. In his confident stance, or his stubborn beliefs. He was not one to bend to others' will, and that itself was admirable.

Damien read her easily. "Do you think I'll reject you depending on the answer you give?"

"...well. You're not wrong."

"Then do you think I'd accept, simply because of a wise answer?"

"Would you?"

"What do you think?"