[[This is also pretty short, but the next chapter is pretty packed so forgive me 🧎🏽♀️. I DO NOT own the music. Enjoy- L RANDY]]
"Dear, why do you look so gloom?" Leopoldo softly pondered, twirling a bit of Alana's dark brown hair with his index as the group walked down the busy cobblestone path.
Alana tried very hard not to shy away from his touch, hoping he would not cause her cheeks to flush.
"Do I?" She awkwardly chuckled. "I don't mean to be, it's just... do you think that was a good idea?"
She peeked up at the white-haired man who kept pace with her, the orange sunset washing over him in the most enchanting way. His blue eyes bore into hers as he pieced together what the girl had meant.
"Do you mean the contract?" He quizzed.
"I just don't think it was wise to hand over the contract of fifteen-hundred soldiers." She sighed out.
As it turned out the island that they were visiting seemed only to be a meeting place.
Alana was surprised to see Hadan and Chusi waiting for the Scorched Bones on docks. They were the last people she expected to see as the anchors dropped. Hadan was more covered this time around, but Chusi still wore all black. The green-haired woman still did not take her eyes off Alana even once. It unnerved Alana, to say the least, but she kept her head down the best she could around the duo.
Alana did not piece together the reasoning why they were meeting until she watched Kazumi hand over the contract from Kori.
The meeting between the Bizia natives was relatively quick and extremely helpful to Alana. She learned the final number of soldiers Hadan and Chusi were able to gather to fight on their side which would turn out to be invaluable knowledge.
The two went their way after the hand-off and short conversation, but the group continued into town.
In the end, it worked out ultimately in her favor for the contract to be handed over, but she could not help but be concerned for the pirates even if they were unknowingly against her. She could not help that her heart laid with them.
"Are you saying I am ill-advised?" Kazumi spoke out without bothering to look behind himself to her.
Alana's heart dropped at the accusation. "N-no! Not at all!"
"Then what do you have trouble understanding?" Kazumi quizzed.
"I suppose... I wonder what sort of leverage you hold now."
"Leverage?" Ivo mocked with a chuckle. "When did you become a little captain, little dove?"
"I only mean that who is to say they won't completely cut you out of this plan? They act as allies, but they have ambitions they care more for than yours, especially now they got what they wanted from you and more."
Kazumi now peered back to the girl, she felt small again under his gaze.
"I would not worry too much about that. They have not gotten all they want."
"What else could they possibly need?" Alana quizzed, partially out of pure curiosity, partially to obtain more information for herself.
"The whole point of this rebellion reaching out to the Scorched Bones was not because we strike excellent deals. It was because we are the only ones that they are confident could get close enough to the royals to kill them... and that have the guts to," Leopoldo explained for her.
"Believe it or not we usually do not deal with contracts, blueprints, and all this business bullshit." Leven scoffed. "But how could we pass up the opportunity to assassinate those royals?"
Alana's skin crawled at the mention of the 'royals' but tried not to show any tells she was disturbed.
"Oh..." Alana simply added.
"Frankly, the deal is, if we help them, we get to kill the Balosars ourselves'." Ivo flashed a devilish grin to the already troubled girl.
"Helping includes meeting, obtaining, and handing over all resources to be used against Taycia," Kazumi added. "Especially contracts for fifteen-hundred men." He sent another backward glance her way.
Alana merely looked down to her boot toes, watching them trade places as they walked. She almost felt silly for even bringing up the contract, what is done is done.
Of course, he had good reason... who am I to question this whole mess?
"Speaking of killing the Taycia royal family, we will be making our way back to Taycia after this stop." Leopoldo patted Alana on the head as if that would cheer her up.
All it did was cause her heart to race.
"We are?" She asked, trying not to sound nervous but failing.
"Well, the birthday celebration for the princess is next month," Ivo stated matter-of-factly.
In all the mayhem of the past few weeks, Alana had completely forgotten her birthday was around the corner, losing track of time.
How could I be so dim?!
"But that is still nearly a month from now."
"We plan to be there beforehand to prepare. It is tiring to fight with sea legs." Leopoldo replied.
"And it will take us most of that time to even get there anyway, we still have a few stops." Leven followed up.
I hope Mamoru has time to deliver all the letters and make them back to me in time. Since I was unable to see him during the stay in Kori it took a chunk of time out of my timeline. I was suspecting him to have more time. I wonder if he has found anyone yet.
"So, what are we still doing here?" Alana asked, looking around the strange town.
"Visiting an old friend." Kazumi quickly replied, his smoky voice low and cold.
"An old friend?" Alana echoed quietly. "Who, may I ask?"
There was a tense pause, no one replied to the girl, but she felt she had stepped over a line.
"You will meet him," Kazumi finally said. "Here."
He stopped the group at a metal gate, guarding a lot of headstones. Alana's stomach knotted up instantly, seeing the graveyard. She had never seen one in person, just read about them in books and saw them in paintings. Something about it sent a chill down her spine and caused a pain in her heart to stir.
Their friend... is in there?