The Prince and His Servant

Chapter 19

[A/N] Hey guys! So it turns out that I missed school today, the first day back after break... wow, lol. I missed the last two before the break as well. Anyway, since my updates are most likely going to slow down due to all of the schoolwork that will suddenly start shoving itself up my ass, I decided to leave you guys off with a relatively great chapter until I returned.

Yes, it's the chapter you've all been waiting for... *drumroll*

THE CHAPTER THAT REVEALS THE KILLER'S IDENTITY!

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Curiosity had been what summoned me back to where I met the girl. After I heard her yell "sir" as she ran from me, I suddenly had to know just who it was she was calling after. I stood amongst the trees, taking cover in their delicate branches. Once again, the girl found her way to my eyes as she ran past the tree I stood in. She was quite fast, though it may have been due to her obvious fox lineage, but she seemed weary.

As the slew of villagers swarmed towards her, I realized that they were starting to close the gap between them. They were still a good distance away from her, but they were getting closer to her, ever so slowly. If she stopped for even a moment, they would reach her in no time. Not only this, but the fact that my plan of diversion actually worked. If she was taken, she could very well be convicted of murder and killed. It wasn't certain if she actually had killed anyone, but she would have been tried for the murders I committed.

Knowing this, I followed.

I jumped out of the tree and instantly began to run in the open. It was something I normally wouldn't do upon this large a group of people, but they were fixed on one goal. This meant that I could run whilst exposed and not be heard or noticed. I made sure to mimic the footsteps of one of the villagers to increase my chances of blending in with the flow of the crowd, because I was certain that if they happened to look back and notice me, my face would be known to the public, and my chance of safety would diminish.

Unfortunately, it hadn't occurred to me until just then that it wouldn't have mattered. That girl I encountered was now being chased, and if they managed to catch her, she would surely testify for her innocence. She would likely describe my physical features, and they would construct a facial portrait of me so that if anyone caught a glance of black hair or pale skin, they would instantly suspect them.

I would say it put me in more danger, but my eyes always gave me away anyway. I could never pass as a human with them. They've haunted me for weeks now, and because of them, I always had to hide in the dark, where not a single eye could meet mine. I had often felt separated from society, from all of the wonderful people in their villages, but I feel that way more so now than ever. I loathed the feeling with every fiber of my being. And thus, my hopes of staying hidden were destroyed.

Despite this, I continued to trail the crowd and their angry screams, though it didn't last too long. Soon, I heard the strange girl pierce the air with her ear-splitting shriek. She'd screamed out for help, but I wasn't about to oblige. Though I couldn't shake the feeling there was another person involved. I sat there and stared at the group as two men tossed her and, to confirm my suspicion, another figure on their shoulders like a sack of fresh meat. I then remembered "Sir" and thought nothing of it.

Piecing it together wasn't difficult. His status, I mean. He was wearing the clothes of a peasant, which were torn and ripped somewhat. I could see the man's extremely pale flesh underneath said abrasions of the fabric, which told me he was weary and underfed. His body was small, I could tell, so I knew he was of little value in the household, most likely physically unable to work due to his stature. My first guess was to assume he was a child, but no soul out there would call a child "Sir".

I had to admit, I was quite proud of what little deductive reasoning I had, even if I did only see him from the waist down.

However, boredom never hastened to greet me, and I became uninterested. There was no bloodshed, no dismemberment, no cannibalism. Any event that lacked at least one of those qualities were nothing but something to keep my eyes distracted from the world around me, be it for better or for worse.

Though in this instance, those qualities- or rather, their lack of presence- is what piqued my interest. Would they not have killed them right there if their intentions were wretched enough? They were chasing after me, the coldblooded killer that brutally murdered and partially consumed one of their women. Even I would not stand to have someone close to me, be it family or peasant, be wrongfully put to rest when said killer was still alive.

As I saw the villagers binding the two's hands and feet, a glance came my way. It was quick, subtle, but nonetheless observed. I shot into the tree as quickly and quietly as I could, but their strained steps in my general direction told me I had not gone unnoticed. I silently cursed myself for my earlier freedom and wished I had let it be prolonged.

Then a plan came to mind. I slowly made my way in the opposite direction of the villagers still focused on the two convicts as the one I had lured with my presence followed me. I had a skill, if that's what you would call it, of being elusive even while under mildly blocked sight. I moved in such a way that I was confident the villager, whom I should mention was a man, was questioning his sighting. Ever so slightly, I maneuvered forward and away from the now leaving villagers who possessed the convicts.

I waited a few seconds after they were gone, standing completely still as to further confuse my target. They squinted at me, and I smirked, knowing I was successful. Without a moment's hesitation after seeing the action, I lunged from the tree and, in an instant, released my special power, my tendrils of death. They stabbed through the man's entire body before he had a chance to scream; a lucky break for me. As he fell to the ground and bloodied the snow, lifeless, my tendrils retracted.

Looking out into the forest, I scouted for the footprints of my victim. Once found, they were followed. Soon enough, I found many tracks of footprints all huddled together in the snow heading off in one direction, while one set, the one I followed to get there, strayed. Following the villagers' trail, I smirked, satisfied with my elegance and grace, despite my horrid form.

It wasn't long before I found the group of villagers, now satisfied with their prey. I could practically feel the smugness and a sense of victory radiating from each and every one of the vermin. And honestly, I was fine with admitting I thought of them as such. If you thought about it, they didn't hesitate to chase after figures that they didn't know weren't guilty, they weren't questioned before being knocked unconscious, and they weren't given an opportunity to say they were innocent. It was a sick way of thinking.

Almost as sick as my way of thinking.

I silently jumped ahead in the trees, and another set of events began to occur. The man had awoken, demanding the freedom to move on his own. After nearly seeing death by sword to the throat, he was eventually freed and given permission to carry the girl instead of have her carried like he once was. They had begun walking again, but I remained unmoving, having realized I had been wrong in my earlier assumptions of the man I had only seen half of before.

I knew his face well, just like everyone else in the country of Germany did. His scowl was imprinted in my brain, his oddly fashioned hair covering his face slightly as he walked past anyone he met. The style suited him, however odd it may have been. His small build and pale skin did nothing but intimidate others even more rather then make them laugh.

The man before my eyes, the second-highest ranking person in the country due to his position, was none other than Levi Ackerman...

...My personal servant.