'Did she just catch my kick with one hand?' The grumpy man thought as he tried to pull his leg but it didn't budge.
"Did the woman just stop the attack with one hand?" A man from the sideline spoke as he pointed at the feet in Aeloria's hand.
"I'm also seeing it but I don't believe it." Another added.
Hanon watched Aeloria in surprise.
'After spending a lot of time with her, I almost forgot, she is the rumored cannibal.' Hanon thought, looking at his companion.
Aeloria then released the man's leg, turning around halfway.
"Let's go Hanon," she said, leaving the stunned crowd.
The grumpy man was fuming with anger.
To be stopped by a woman was something his pride wouldn't allow.
"Do you think I'll let you go like that?" The grumpy man jabbed a finger at them as he took measured steps towards the pair.
"You are so persistent, just leave us alone," Hanon's voice was clear as he spoke, turning to look at the angry man walking towards them.
The man stopped just a breath away from Aeloria. He towerd over the woman like an immovable wall.
"A woman should just stick to the kitchen and leave fist conversation to men. But you just had to get involved. After I'm done with him, you'll be next, you have no idea what I plan to do to you tonight in my room." The grumpy man smiled wickedly as he walked past Aeloria and towards Hanon.
This was an age where men ruled, women were regarded as tools for procreation and housekeeping, this was especially evident in common people. Therefore, getting looked down on by a woman was just about the most humiliating thing that could happen to a man.
'Aeloria, this is the part where you're supposed to eat him.' Hanon looked at Aeloria with pleading eyes as the not so kind man drew closer.
Aeloria stretched her hand and caught the man's wrist before he could proceed any further.
"What now? is he going to fight the woman?" A man asked as he watched the scene with a curious look.
"Teach the woman a lesson, grumpy, no matter how beautiful, a maiden should know her place." Another shouted from the crowd.
"What do you think you're doing?" The man turned his gaze downward, looking down at the grip on his wrist with a frown.
"Please let's end it here, we have an important appointment and we don't want to be late." Aeloria pleaded.
'This maiden, she doesn't look the least bit scared, it's almost as if she's been in this situation countless times. Even so, does she think she can just walk all over me twice and just call it a day like nothing happened?'
"I told you to leave the fist conversation to the men!" the grumpy man shouted, his fist already aiming down towards the face of the cannibal.
Aeloria tilted her head to the side in a bored and tired motion, evading the punch by a breath, she then extended her nails-long enough not to draw any attention, while her other hand still held the man's wrist in a firm grip.
She slashed upward, her fingers dug deep it the man's face, creating a four uneven line of slashes from his right cheek, to his left eye, across his face, then to his right eye.
Blood immediately gushed out of his scarred cheeks and eyes. He yelled in an agonising shriek, clutching his ruined face.
"Arh, my eyes, I can't see." He collapsed to the ground.
Aeloria took out a napkin and quickly wiped the blood dripping from her fingers.
"Wha... what in the seven layers of hell just happened. Just where is all the blood coming from?" One of the gamblers took an unconscious step back, watching the grown man writhe in pain on the dusty ground.
"I don't know, I didn't see any of them holding a weapon, better to leave this lest we find out the wrong way." Just like that, the gamblers dissapeared one after the other, leaving the grumpy man on the ground.
That's the truth about Norco, people would flock around a person when the said person had some thing to offer, the moment that person loses their worth was the moment they'd realise they were alone from the start.
"Here. There isn't much I can do, but take this and it'll lessen the pain. You need to see an oakliner soon, before you lose your sight forever." Hanon placed a round black pill in the man's palm. He looked at the unsightly wounds on the man's face, then at Aeloria.
Hanon left the grumpy man and walked to Aeloria, he didn't say anything at first, but after taking a few steps from her, he spoke.
"We should go, the merchant is waiting." Hanon said, trying to break the awkwardness that had settled between them.
"You're right, we've kept him waiting long enough." Aeloria responded without giving her companion a single glance.
'This is the first time I've shown him this side of me since we met, I wonder what he thinks of me now.' She tilted her head slightly to look at Hanon.
The pair walked side by side but it felt like there was an invisible wall between them.
'I know I shouldn't be feeling this way as a man, however, I feel safe with her around. The way she slashed the man's face was so scary, she was incredibly scary, but, why am I not scared?' Hanon thought, looking sideways for a brief moment before fixing his eyes on the road.
"Are you scared of me?" Aeloria asked at last, after they took a left turn and Hanon had still not spoken a word to her.
Hanon turned to look at the woman who refused to look back. He then shifted his gaze to the lantern by the side of the street, illuminating the dusty ground.
"I was, at first. But now? I'm not. You could be the devil for all I care, and I would still walk beside you." He then turned to her and added."At least, that's how I feel."
Aeloria was taken aback about his sudden declaration. She only smiled but said nothing in return. 'I'm glad his view of me is unchanged.'
"By the way, how did you extend your nails like that, show me, I want to learn too." Hanon said with piqued interest.
Suddenly, Aeloria remembered something.
"A more important question is, how are you so weak. Did you lie to me when you said you were a protector?" Aeloria snapped. They were out hunting a thornsleeper and the supposedly protector was weaker than an average person.
"You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, they don't call me the red demon for nothing, those thornsleepers wouldn't even know what hit them." Hanon boasted, taking confident strides forward.
"Forget the thornsleepers, you couldn't even beat a guy down the street, just what is going to happen to sir Krazel?" Aeloria had a genuine concern on her face. She had thought he had a secret way of dealing with the thornsleepers since he was one of the legendary protectors, but she was gravely mistaken.
"Oh, don't worry, everything would be fine, besides, that problem is for the future me, I'm sure he'll handle it perfectly as I have done in the past. Even if something were to happen, you could just eat the thornsleeper or slash them like you did the grumpy man back there." Hanon spoke with the confidence of a man who had his enemies dancing in the palm of his hands.
For the first time, Aeloria was truly worried.
They walked in silence again, but this time, one was worried and the other was overconfident.
....
It didn't take long for the to reach them inn in which Krazel was waiting.
They entered, drawing the eyes of the crowd as always.
The Yeminai selection had ended, and the inn eatery was arranged once again to run as it always had.
"I'm telling you, that blonde haired man was certainly on something. He spent nine hundred gold coins on a single Yemi." A man tried to explain to his friends who were absent at the Yeminai selection.
"I wouldn't believe you even if it were silver. Nine hundred gold coins? If I hadn't known better, I would say you are the one who certainly is on something." One of his friend said as he lifted his jug of wine.
"Nine hundred gold coins? As if. There isn't any one willing to spend nine gold coins on a Yemi let alone nine hundred." His other friend laughed as he spoke, certain his companion must've heard or seen wrong.
'Nine hundred gold coins? Unless there's a high ranking noble from one of the great kingdoms present in Norco, it shouldn't be possible. Even so, I have yet to meet a man willing to spend that much in a single night.' Hanon thought as they walked through the crowd.
They went through the same procedure as before, after which a maid guided them upstairs to the table where Krazel was patiently waiting.
The maid dismissed herself as they approached.
Krazel stood the moment he spotted them. They didn't look as friendly as they did in their first encounter.
"I must apologize before we proceed, I overstepped my bounds on our first meeting and disrespected your companion, please find it in your heart to forgive this merchant's foolish mistake." These were the people who would save him from the thornsleeper after his life, if he was on bad terms with them, it was only right he set things straight. After all, what would happen to him if they decide to abandon him?