"Never," Mara smirked, as she looked Aris in the eye, "He took a permanent vacation to the Endless Forest long back
"I have been handling the place since then."
"You want something? Get in line."
But the cockiness of her words made General Arthur storm forward. He slammed his heavy metal gauntlet on the wooden counter, cracking the wood under the sheer force.
"Watch your tongue, whore!" Arthur roared, spit flying from his lips, "You are speaking to the King's Envoy! Bring me whoever is in charge of this rabble, or I will burn this entire building to the ground!"
Mara didn't flinch. She just picked at her teeth with the razor-sharp tip of her dagger.
Around the room, the sound of swords sliding out of scabbards echoed clearly. Chairs scraped back. The bandits stood up in unison.
"Stand down, General," Aris ordered sharply.
Arthur glared at Aris, his chest heaving with rage, but he slowly stepped back, his hand trembling on his hilt.
