"Kal I'm going to need you and a whole lot of flour!" I yell bursting into the bakery. Mrs.Bager comes from behind the counter with confusion and concern written across her face.
"Opal, what is the meaning of this?" She says with her brows slightly furrowed.
"Abiba has been abducted," I say tensely. Her eyes widen in horror before collecting herself and speaking.
"B-but how is that possi-"
"An old peer of mine has a grudge against me for something that I had done in the past. In return, he has abducted Abiba and heaven knows what will happen to her if I keep waiting around and don't take action." I say while balling my fists in anger.
"Kal!" I call out before walking away from Mrs.Bager and into the back of the bakery. There I find Kal with flour all over his apron and his hands deep in a pile of dough. He turns to me with a surprised look.
"Opal, what brings you here?" He asks with a dense look across his face. Without warning, I grab his arm and drag him out of the kitchen and into the front. He protests but before he can say another word I plant my hands on his shoulders and look him dead in the eye.
"I need your help, my friend has been abducted and I need someone to find the man who took her," I say earnestly. He just stares at me with a dubious expression before gulping and tensing his shoulders.
"I-If I help you can you promise I won't die?" I lower my eyes thinking before loosening my grip from around his shoulders. I can't promise that he won't get hurt but I'll do all that I can to make sure he doesn't find himself in deaths clutches.
"W-well I will do all that I can to make sure that you come out of this alive," I say uncertain of my own words. He steps back and looks at me before eventually sighing and throwing his hands in the air.
"Oh what the heck, what are friends if they're are not useful," He says with a sly grin.
***
"I understand that bounty endeavours can be quite dangerous which is why I am requesting a weapon for me to wield." I turn around scrunching my face at him before turning back to my closet. We've been in my room for the past 4 hours trying to create a plan while trying to figure out where the hell Olen could be hiding.
Pulling out a heavy chest from the closet and dragging it across the wooden floor I drop to my knees and fling the top open. Inside the chest reveals a cornucopia of weapons that I seldom use. I usually just keep these for extra measure or if I feel like switching it up once in a while but for the most part they just stay here all year round collecting dust.
"You are free to choose whatever seems fit." I say with an unconcerned wave of my hand. He saunters over to the chest as I get up and walk over to my bed. There the letter lies with the scarlet owl seal staring back at. Time is of the essence and if I am unable to find Abiba in time who knows what he may do to her.
"This seams neat." I turn around to see Kal holding up two twin daggers. I raise my brows at him staring at the daggers leerily.
"Do you know how to wield those?"
"Of course I do!" He says scoffing before standing up and gripping the two daggers in his hand. He begins to crane his neck from side to side and stretching his arms.
"Watch this." He says smugly before focusing his attention on the wall and throwing the daggers. I watch as they bounce off the wall and fall onto the ground. I try to hold in a laugh at his meagre attempt but end up spilling while covering my mouth. He stares at the fallen daggers like he couldn't believe he had failed.
"Yes, you sure are a master when it comes to the art of dagger throwing." I giggle as I pat him on the shoulder. He slumps his head in defeat and sighs.
"Wow, the people in my town made it look so easy in those dagger throwing competitions they held twice a year," He says gloomily.
I walk back to the chest and begin rummging through the weapons.
"Do not fret my friend. I was once as unskilled as you are, however I practiced day and night and now I am an expert in almost all weaponry." I say nonchalantly.
"Here try these out for size." I say holding up a pair of throwing stars. His eyes widen as I set them in the palm of his hand and smirk.
"I believe these may be a tad easier for a beginner like yourself." I say while folding my arms.
He looks at me before looking down at the stars. Fixing his posture he stands straight and turns back to the wall before loosening his shoulders.
"Here I go." He whispers before throwing the star. I raise my brow in disbelief as the star sticks cleanly into the wall.
"Impressive." I say. This time he grins before turning back to me and hugging me. I am taken aback momentarily however the feeling of his body against mine brings me great comfort. I melt into his touch and hug him tightly.
How long has it been since I've hugged someone like this?...
***
After leaving my room we head to the only place I could think of to get a clue, the goldsmith. The moment we enter the smell of smoke and metal hits me. I scrunch my nose up and fan my face trying to get the putrid smell out of the air.
A man with a head full of brown curly hair a beard and an insane amount of arm hair looks up from his work to face Kal and I. Getting up from the small stool he was sitting on his height seems monstrous compared to our meagre statures.
I clear my throat before plastering a kind smile and speaking.
" Hello, sir we have an inquiry." The man raises one of his bushy eyebrows before crossing his arms and looking between me and Kal.
" And what would that inquiry be of?" He says unamused. I look to Kal as he stares back to me with a wary gaze.
" Well, we had heard that our old friend Olen had received a golden mask from you." I say slowly narrowing my eyes. The tall man perks up after hearing Olen's name.
" You know my nephew Olen?" He questions with a light smile.
I look at Kal once again unsure before carefully placing my words.
" Uh yes we attended the academy together, however it has been so long that we have lost touch with Olen, which is why we are here, we want to know where he is so we can rekindle our long-lost friendship," I say trying to look hopeful.
The man strokes his beard then speaks.
"Hmm, I am not completely sure about his whereabouts these days for he has been travelling quite frequently, however I do remember he had mentioned that he would be in Caledeon for a few weeks for his travels."
My eyes nearly bulge out of my head when I hear the location. I act cool and thank the man for his help before grabbing Kal by the arm and dragging him out into the street.
" This is bad." I say coldy while anxiously biting my finger nails. Kal looks at me confused with a brow raised to the sky.
" I do not understand shan't we just go to Caledeon?" He says simply.
" It is not Caledeon itself that I am worried about it is about who is in Caledeon that worries me," I say feeling spooked. Kal still looks at me confused and before he can speak I cut him off.
" When I was an enfant I was taken away from my parents and given a new family." He looks at me shocked.
" The reasoning why is because my parents were like me. They could kill a man with one touch however the folk of that town had a vendetta against our family and wanted them dead. So they hired skilled assassins and... well my parents were executed." Kal gasps in horror while holding his chest.
"My goodness. Opal that is horrible." I stare at the street while sighing.
" You are right it is indeed horrible however if it weren't for my new parents I would have never been here to tell that story."
He gives me a pitiful look before rubbing my shoulder.
" Well even though you were not able to save your parents we can still do good by saving Abiba" He says with a reassuring smile. I nod my head in a lighter mood and stare at him with a fond gaze.
" Come let us go"
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