Lucas opened the door that Amy had just closed—the same Amy who was still shouting "Meaaaat!" down the hall. He looked at the uninvited guest and said,
"Come in."
The man stepped inside. He was one of Garior the Mardion's special associates, but this time his horns were hidden. He had an ordinary face and sleepy eyes. He wasn't wearing his armor today; instead, he wore a long coat, a black shirt, and black trousers. He looked as if he were going to a funeral.
He took off his black hat and said, "I apologize for the intrusion so early in the morning. My name is Rion, and I am one of Garior's guards."
"I know who you are," Lucas said. "No need to explain."
Lucas sat down in a dining chair and pointed to another one, signaling for the man to sit.
"Do you want tea or something else?" Lucas asked.
Rion sat directly across from Lucas and placed his hat on the table. Lucas stood up, went to the stove to put the kettle on the fire, and then returned to his seat.
He put both hands on the table and asked, "What honor brings a Captain's guard here?"
"I came at the request of the Council," Rion answered. "They want to know what you are doing here."
Lucas pulled his hands back from the table. "Is Garior part of this Council now?"
Rion remained silent.
Lucas asked another question. "Does Garior know what you are doing right now?"
Rion stared at Lucas, his sleepy eyes almost closed. "The Captain doesn't need to know everything," he said. "The Council sent me to investigate you after Garior saw you yesterday."
He continued, "He only mentioned that the Branded Man was among the crowd. That made the Council worried about you."
The kettle whistled to show the tea was ready. Lucas stood up and used an old rag to grab the hot handle. He served the tea to Rion and asked:
"How many spoons of sugar would you like, Sir Guard?"
"One is enough," Rion replied.
Lucas didn't put any sugar in his own cup. They both began to drink. Rion did not take a sip until he saw Lucas drink first.
Lucas lowered his cup and looked into the liquid. He could see Rion's reflection in the tea, and in the reflection, his horns were visible.
"So, sir," Lucas said. "Do you see me as a threat or what?"
Rion answered, "I don't know yet. But you wouldn't have all those titles if you weren't dangerous, Mr. Branded."
Lucas leaned back mockingly. "Let's not talk about our private lives. Have I talked about yours?"
"Do you have any information about me?" Rion asked.
Lucas looked him directly in the eyes and took a deep breath.
"No."
Rion thought Lucas might actually know something. He took his time, and a bit of worry started to show on his face.
Lucas took a sip of his tea. "Why so serious, Sir Guard? We are just enjoying tea. If you want breakfast, Amy went to get some bread."
"Mr. Branded," Rion said. He was trying to provoke Lucas by using that name in a mocking way.
But Lucas didn't care. He finished his tea and even refilled his cup.
Rion said, "I don't think you are a danger yet, but I will keep my eyes on you. By the way, that girl with you... she seems a bit small to be involved in this. Excuse me, I have to leave now."
He took his hat from the table, put it on, and walked toward the door.
Those words made Lucas lose his temper a little.
Lucas grabbed a sugar spoon and threw it toward the door before Rion could open it. It grazed Rion's face, causing a small cut.
Lucas's eyes were full of anger and his hands were clenched. "If any of you touch her, I will make sure you don't live until tomorrow."
Rion smiled slyly like a fox. His closed eyes opened wide, and blood dripped from his cheek.
"Do you think I came alone?" he asked mockingly.
This made Lucas attack with all his rage. His tattoo began to pulse as if it were a living creature moving across his body, twisting and scattering at the same time.
Lucas moved fast and aimed a punch at Rion's face. But Rion caught Lucas's arm and pushed him out through the door, shattering it. Lucas was furious. He gnashed his teeth like a predator.
He looked around and saw Amy. She was standing there, frozen with fear, hugging the bread. Lucas calmed down when he saw her.
"Run, Amy!" he shouted. She was too scared to move.
He stood up quickly and punched Rion. The punch was so fast Rion couldn't dodge it. This gave Lucas a moment to grab Amy and run out of the building.
He held her in his arms and grabbed the bird with his other hand. Once they were outside, he set Amy down and put the bird on her head. He held her small shoulders.
"Run, Amy. I will catch up with you quickly."
Lucas stood there watching her go. He forced a smile to make her feel safe. Behind him, the building shook and Rion landed gracefully on the ground as debris fell around him.
Lucas sighed. "Do you know how much it will cost to fix the building?"
Rion held his hat with one hand so it wouldn't fly away. "It doesn't matter. Everything is worth it to fight the Branded Man."
"So you weren't after Amy?" Lucas asked.
"What use is a child to me if the Branded Man is here to fight?" Rion smiled, but the smile only showed how excited he was for the battle.
Rion continued, "The mission was just to talk to you so you would meet the Council. But I wanted to start a fight with you."
"Now, shall we begin our fight, Mardion Demon and Bringer of Death?" Rion looked excited, his eyes shining as he repeated, "Fight me."
Lucas's eyes became calm and his anger disappeared. He saw a person in front of him who simply wanted to fight.
"If you wanted to fight me, you should have just said so. I don't mind. But why did you use threats?"
Rion replied, "Isn't it obvious? I wanted you to fight me with everything you have."
Rion raised his fists and started attacking Lucas with fast, repeated strikes. Lucas dodged the hits easily.
Lucas thought to himself, If I were still angry, I wouldn't have been able to dodge most of these.
Lucas prepared to strike back.
Rion felt it. His senses told him to move back because something dangerous was coming. Even though Rion moved away, Lucas closed the distance instantly with just a few steps. It only took a fraction of a second.
Rion tried to dodge, but Lucas was too fast.
Rion moved into a defensive position. Here it comes... a strike from the Branded.
Suddenly, a voice called from far away: "LUCAAAAAS!"
Lucas turned. He saw Amy sitting on the shoulder of a very large young man.
"I brought help, Lucas!" Amy cried, her eyes full of tears.
Lucas looked back at Rion, but he had disappeared. A piece of paper was left on the ground. Lucas leaned down, picked it up, read it, and put it in his pocket.
Amy ran to Lucas with Tetak on her head. The giant followed behind her. She hugged Lucas tightly and kept crying and calling his name.
Lucas carried her and hugged her back. Tetak fell off her head, and Lucas caught him with his other hand. The bird chirruped loudly, thinking he was going to die.
The large young man stood there silently, waiting for Amy to stop crying.
"I'm okay now, Amy. Stop crying," Lucas said, patting her head to calm her down.
Amy stopped and touched her head. "Where is Tetak? I must have dropped him or maybe he flew away."
"Do you mean this bird?" Lucas was holding him by his fingertips. Tetak looked very angry at Lucas and was chirping loudly.
Amy took him in her hands. "That's right! Lucas, this is Edior."
She pointed to the giant standing behind her. "He walked me home while I was getting the bread, and he came to help after I told him to run."
"Really?" Lucas asked. Amy nodded.
Lucas walked toward Edior and held out his hand to thank him. Edior shook it.
"Thank you for taking care of Amy, and thank you for coming to help."
Edior answered. His voice was not soft and not rough; it was very clear. "You're welcome. I'm just returning the favor to Amy."
"I didn't expect someone your size to have such a nice voice," Lucas said.
Edior felt shy. He put his left hand on his head and shook Lucas's hand so hard that he lifted Lucas off the ground.
"And you have the strength too. You are a special person, Edior."
"Why don't you have breakfast with us? I brought the bread," Amy said.
She looked at her hands and realized the bread was gone. Instead, she was just holding Tetak, whose feet were dangling in the air.
"The BREAAAAAD!" Amy screamed. "I lost it!"
Lucas said, "It's okay, Amy. You probably lost it while you were running. Anyway, the house isn't a good place to eat right now. Let's go to Mr. Rod. His meat skewers are delicious. You are coming too, Edior."
Edior was about to leave, but Lucas called him back.
"Don't think I would let someone who tried to save me go without a meal."
Amy stood between Edior's feet and looked into his eyes. Her eyes were shining. Edior understood without a word and lifted her onto his shoulder.
"Let's go to Uncle Rod!" Amy shouted.
Lucas smiled. He pulled out the paper Rion had left and looked at it. It said:
The Council is waiting for you at the House of Wisdom.