"What are you doing?" Sam heard an entrancing voice from behind and felt, for some reason, a pull to hear it again, which spoke volumes about how pleasant it was.
"Hmm... Nothing, just talking to my horse." Sam sighed, tending to his rather intimidating stallion, who lay on the ground, perfectly still, allowing Sam to braid his mane after working out the tangles.
"May I ask what his name is?" Trissy smiled faintly, walking into the stall and approaching them, hands folded neatly at her stomach and fingers intertwined.
Sam fell into silence, brow furrowing as he glanced at the dark stallion, who gave him an unimpressed look in return, inhaling slowly and shaking his head in disappointment, his braided mane swaying with the motion.
Oh... No. Sam swallowed, pressing his face into his hand with a horrified expression. What have I done... How can I call myself a stable boy at this point... I'm sorry, stable boys. I've dishonored you all with my negligence and thoughtlessness.
Trissy blinked in amusement, puzzled by his silence until she realized the horse was simply nameless. Chuckling softly to herself, she crossed one arm under her chest while the other rose in a graceful gesture. "If you can't think of a name, perhaps I can. I'm quite good at naming animals."
Sam considered her proposal for a moment, then shrugged and nodded, granting her permission. His own naming sense wasn't bad either. In fact, the moment he'd deferred to her, names had begun surfacing in his mind like... Stalin?
He pursed his lips, turning the name over in his thoughts. It had come to him for a reason. Hunters were associated with the color red, and so was that name, in some way he couldn't quite pin down and wasn't really sure of the connection.
If that name surfaced from my memories, it must mean something, right? I have a vague recollection of someone who bore it. I think I fought in a city named after him...
Stalingrad, wasn't it?
He exhaled quietly, the blurred memories of a begone era not only confusing him but filling him with an inexplicable, creeping anxiety.
"How about Shani?" Her voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back as she offered her suggestion.
Sam looked at the horse and gave him a nudge, curious whether he approved. The horse peered up at him, chewing a mouthful of grass, then nodded, not particularly invested in it by the look of it.
"Fine... Shani it is." Sam grinned, grabbing Shani's nostrils and then his lips, pulling them back to check his teeth. Satisfied, he straightened up, stretching with a yawn.
Shani glanced at him with visible irritation, spat out the grass, and promptly relieved himself right in front of him.
"...Motherfucker." Sam muttered under his breath, eyeing him with deep suspicion. He grabbed the shovel, cleaned it up, and tossed it out of the stall while Trissy held her breath until it was gone.
I know he did it on purpose. I just know it! That bastard is irritated by what exactly, huuuh?! I'm actually taking care of him! Sam fumed internally, dropping the shovel back into its place.
"Neigh-neigh-neigh-neigh!"
"Fuck you! I knew it!" Sam's head snapped around immediately, middle finger raised at Shani, his expression caught somewhere between bitter and betrayed. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh all you want... For now."
"Hahaha~" Trissy giggled behind her hand, looking away as amusement danced in her eyes.
"I think Shani has had enough of you for one day." Her lips curved upward as she raised a hand, beckoning him over. "How about we leave him to it?"
"And do what?" Sam kept his glare fixed on Shani, who continued laughing at him. A horse laughing at a man... Sam felt quite venomous about that.
"I've been bestowed the honor of joining the glorious Order of C.O.S.B. I can't simply abandon my post." He said it with complete seriousness, his eyes sharp and piercing, expression ice-cold.
Trissy's eyes widened. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out, she simply stared at him in bewilderment until she finally gathered herself. "And what is C.O.S.B?"
"The Circle of Stable Boys." Sam said solemnly. "A noble order of exceptional individuals who are punished by being forced to clean horse shit."
"Oh..." She wasn't sure if he was joking or not. Wait, is he actually serious? My goodness, he is... She pursed her lips, looked down, lost in thought and then let out a slow breath.
"I see... However, I've noticed something peculiar about you." She spoke pleasantly after collecting herself.
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Sam raised an eyebrow at her in confusion.
"You're not familiar with the culture of the Loen Kingdom, are you? I've seen how you carry yourself." She explained, her tone growing slightly solemn. "That's a problem, Sam. You can't blend in if you're a black sheep in the herd of white."
Sam bit the inside of his cheek, turning her words over and finding himself agreeing. He wasn't human, so it was understandable. Devil culture was vastly different from human culture. Devils were violent, chaotic, malicious, and cunning, each of them doing whatever they pleased, indulging in their desires without restraint. Sam was no different in certain respects.
Humans, by contrast, were more peaceful. Weak and easy to tempt. Fragile, confused, and burdened with useless anxieties, worrying endlessly over things that didn't even matter.
If he didn't learn how to pass as human, he would be discovered. And that was a considerable problem.
"What do you suggest?" Sam asked, genuinely curious what she had in mind.
"How about we go out?" She smiled, taking his arm and pulling him toward her, holding on and leading him out of the stalls.
"And do what, exactly?" Sam remained uncertain of her intentions.
"A casual stroll. Let's eat, drink and enjoy a pleasant evening." She smiled faintly, glancing up at him as her grip tightened deliberately, pressing herself against his arm with a charming look. "You could even call it a date."
Sam blinked, he understood what she meant, but something made him suspicious. The feeling of an ulterior motive lurked just beneath the surface. "Why?"
"Maybe I like you. Who knows?"
"Pffft... Hell no." He smiled darkly at her,eaning down to meet her electric blue eyes with undisguised malice. "I almost killed you, imprisoned you, and tried to sell you. I doubt you'd enjoy my company under normal circumstances, so let's drop the pretense. I may be young, but I'm not an fucking retard. If you try anything that violates the terms of our contract, say goodbye to your spirit body and hello to being a lifeless damned husk."
Trissy stilled, the pleasantness drained from her expression as she looked away, conflicting emotions surfacing in the depths of her striking eyes, her lips curling into a wry smile.
Who knows... maybe I really do. Or maybe I simply want to control you. You won't know which, little devil.
She held the thought to herself as Sam stepped back, climbed the stairs, and pushed open the door to his room, leaving her alone in the bar below.
Trissy sighed and took a seat at the bar, glancing at the barman with a polite raise of her hand. "Southville red wine, please."
"Which would you like?" he asked, polishing a glass.
"A large one." He nodded and set to work, sliding the wine across the polished wood.
She caught it, and took a sip after exhaling softly. Her expression was sour, cheeks puffed slightly as she leaned forward and rested her head on the bar with a look of resignation.
It feels terrible to be rejected, huh? Mayhaps it's because he knows I was oncr a man. That must be it, without doubt. I can't really blame him for that, though. I'd probably be disgusted too, if I was in his place.
She thought this with a trace of bitterness, drained her glass, and waved for another. The barman, reading the room, slid a fresh one over in silence without interrupting.
"Thank you," she murmured, her dark locks falling across her face to cover sad smile.
Then again... why did I want him to accept me at all? Is it because I don't want to be alone? Perhaps it's fear of the Sect too. There's something reassuring about knowing I'm not drowning in this alone.
That's why I agreed to his proposal. That's why I signed the contract...
I won't sink into the abyss alone. I will drag you down with me, Sam.
She smiled peacefully, eyes gleaming with languid air, her expression saturated with serenity.
Uhm... that doesn't sound so bad, actually.