"By the way, you haven't told me your name yet."
Linda said, walking behind the bandana wearing man. Currently, they were on a narrow spiral stairwell, going down the steps. Despite her insistence, the man didn't seem interested in giving her the time of day, nor in answering her questions.
"Well, I'm Linda Thorne, a noble lady as you already know. Hmmm…Lady Thorne, it's got quite a nice ring to it, hmph hmph."
"Quite a fitting name for you."
Linda's grin turned into a frown. She stuck out her tongue at him.
"Rude. Honestly, I don't understand why you bothered saving me if you were going to treat me this way…"
"Not like I had a choice, you were being very noisy up there."
Quickening her pace, she rushed out in front of him, and raised her finger directly at him.
"Huh, is that so? Well in that case, you leave me no choice! You're just a commoner, so you should do what I say, right? Then I, Lady Linda, order you to apologize and to tell me your name, or else—!"
But her demands were met again with silence, as the man simply walked past her. Linda sighed, resigning herself to his cold attitude.
What's the point of lying about being a noble if I'm gonna get treated like this…
So far, Linda's plan of posing as a noble had not gone the way she wanted. Usually in the stories she had read, every noble was expected to be treated with the utmost respect, but for this man it didn't seem to matter that much.
Thankfully, the awkwardness was cut short by their arrival to the end of the stairs. It led to a large hallway, filled with all kinds of remains like paintings, statues, armors, among other items. The room made Linda feel like she was in a museum.
Am I really in another world? I feel like an old place like this could be found anywhere back where I lived…Maybe there's something in that could confirm clear my doubt.
Linda wandered off, inspecting the old pieces as she passed by them. There wasn't anything particularly interesting, as the passage of time had worn down the objects so much that they were no longer recognizable. However, mounted on the wall, a sheathed katana-like sword caught her attention.
But as she stood on her tiptoes to get a better look at it, a large rat leaped out from a large hole beside it, landing on her head. Chaos erupted as loud screams rang out while Linda shook her head trying to get the chirping rat off.
"Eeeyaaa, getoffgetoffgetoff!"
In the midst of her panic, the rat squealed sharply, and then finally quieted. Linda opened her eyes. The Bandana man stood right by her side, holding a bloodied rat in his hand, completely lifeless. His nails looked about three inches longer, with sharper, pointier tips, and stained red with blood. The first images that came to her mind were the Halloween specials that nail artis would release every year.
"Be more careful, rose girl. This whole place is infested with these little bastards."
He threw the small body aside, and continued his way. Linda stood there, a little bit dazed, and then quickly caught up with him.
"Wait a second, those nails of yours, they are way longer than I remembered! Are they fake? I mean they looked so natural, and thick, and pointy, although they could definitely use some polish. Oh, do you want me to do your nails? Y'know, I've never done a man's nails before, but I have plenty of experience doing m—"
"SHUT UP! I don't give a shit about you! I don't give a shit about your name, or what you do, or anyting! All you evil leeches are the same, only talking about yourselves! We're about to reach the exit, so you better shut your mout until then or else I'll show you what I can do when I'm pissed off."
He turned around and pointed at two doors at the end of the hallway, his nails back to their normal length. He stormed off, while shaking his head and muttering under his breath. As he threw open the doors, Linda followed him, feeling herself choke up a bit.
"Okay fine, you got it, I won't bother you anymore. But just so you know, you are no fun at…all…"
Her words trailed off, as she went in with him. They entered an immense hall, significantly bigger than any of the other rooms she'd seen, but it wasn't the scale what impressed her the most.
Right from the hall's center, a gigantic dark tree had grown all the way to the ceiling. Purple leaves clustered at the top, forming the shape of a dome. From there, a shower of leaves slowly drifted down, as if it were snowing.
The tree towered over them, both standing on a big staircase that split in two and curved down to the floor in a perfect half circle.
"There, that's the exit. Will you shut up now?"
He pointed to the entrance, which had a tall gate, almost hidden behind the enormous trunk. The Bandana Man jumped out the railing, while Linda on the other hand preferred to walk down the steps. Heaps of foliage had accumulated on the floor, which cracked and broke as she treaded on them.
They both approached the gate.
"Great, sooo it was nice meeting you, I guess. We spent a lovely time together but now if you'll excuse me, there's a whole new world waiting for m—."
"Oi, wait a second. You and me aren't done yet."
As Linda headed to the doors, the man stepped in her way, blocking her path.
"Eh?...Oh, right, right, I almost forgot to pay you."
She removed a ruby ring from her left index finger, and extended it to him. The man clicked her toes and glared at her.
"I'm talking about the bow, you jam!"
"Bow? Like…a bow for your hair? I'm not wearing any I can give you, but you can buy all the bows you want with thi—"
"No! That's not what was agreed, you beer makiberry shield!"
The man shouted, increasingly frustrated.
I can't understand what this guy is saying! Is this some kind of translation bug?
"Okay, then what do you want?"
The Bandana Man pointed at her.
"Buns!"
"...buns?"
"Yes, give me the buns you are carrying with you."
Carrying…buns? Does he mean…
She looked down at her body. Her entire face flushed.
"M-MY B-BUUUUUUNS?!"
She shook her head fiercely.
"No, no, no, I'm absolutely not giving you that!"
"Oi, we're at the place we agreed for our exchange! The buns for my root, that's the bow you agreed to!"
"I-I never agreed to anything like that! You want me to give you something so sensitive for a stupid tree root?! Forget it, I knew you were a jerk but this is far worse than I could ever imagine!!"
"This isn't the time to be joking around, you—Huh, and now what do you want?"
He said looking to his side, speaking to the air as if he were hallucinating. The man slightly leaned to the side, murmuring intensely under his breath.
Great, besides being a sicko, he's also crazy!
It was difficult to read his expressions, but it seemed like the man had an idea, as he glared right at her, and nodded.
"Oi, you say you aren't gonna hand over the buns, eh?"
"I already told you, no! Never in a million yea—"
Before her eyes, a black mask appeared, floating midair. It moved violently, sweeping away the leaves as it hovered over them. She stepped back, her legs shaking while feeling her heart drop.
"Ghost! I-I knew it, this p-place is—!"
"Haunted, yes, this whole castle is haunted with hungry spirits. How about I present you to my little friend over there? He loves eating the souls of lying shields like you!"
Quickly, the mask glided towards Linda, closing their distance to just mere inches. Linda felt something cold stroke her cheek, making her skin crawl.
"Boooooo, g-give me your tasty-tasty soul…"
Spoke the eerie-looking mask in a hissing voice.
"Aaaaaah! Please, please, please, get away from me!"
The Bandana Man laughed mockingly.
"Look at you twitching and whining like a good leech! Don't worry, I can tell him to spare your life, all you need to do is just help me with what I'm asking."
"Then may I offer you some assistance as well?"
Asked a new voice. The gate began to rumble, slowly opening, and a figure emerged from the intense sunlight.
***
"Aah—!"
By some mysterious force, Linda got pulled behind the big tree, with her mouth covered by what felt like a small hand. Something pushed her against the tree, forcing her to face the dark wood.
"P-Please listen carefully. T-That man is bad-bad news, okay? So stay still and keep quiet. And you better not try anything weird, or else I'll stab-stab you through your heart! I-I'm not scared to do it, so don't test me okay?"
Whispered a trembling voice in Linda's ear. On her back, she felt a sudden bit of pain, caused by something pointed pricking her skin.
Huh? The ghost is threatening to…stab me?
"Oi! What the hell do you tink you're doing breaking in like that?!"
"My apologies, I couldn't help it after hearing you say you needed help, it was not my intention to scare you."
Said the man with a voice carrying a soft and gentle tone.
"Tch, you didn't scare me, you bastard. Judging by that sword, you must be an army dog. Did you lose your uniform?"
"Oh right, where are my manners? I'm Owen Cadmon, officer of the Concord Army at your service and I'm currently here on a personal matter."
"Hey, wait, you said Concord Army? Now what the hell is a Concord Officer doing in the Usurper's Castle, huh?"
"That, unfortunately, I cannot share. However, a few moments ago while I was walking on my way over here, I believe I heard someone scream: 'Somebody help me, I'm stuck up here!' Something like that."
Said Owen, imitating a higher pitch. Linda gasped, her head arching up.
He's talking about me!
Linda heard the Bandana Man click his tongue, and out her corner's eye, she noticed his shadow moving sideways.
"Oh, that was me. I was just attacked by one of those pesky mullrats. Fortunately it ran away so all good, you can go now."
Hmph, what a joke. There's no way he believes that—
"Ooh is that so? Well in that case, see you later!"
You moron!
The sword seemed to walk out, but he stopped and spoke once more.
"Now that I'm thinking about it…I'm rather sure it was a woman's voice."
The Bandana Man stayed quiet for a moment. Linda caught her breath.
"Oh, then you must be talking about my sister. Hey lil sis, come out and say hello to the officer."
"H-He's calling for you to come out. Make really-really sure to not act suspicious, o-okay?"
The ghost whispered in her ear. Forcefully, Linda stepped out besides the tree, finally able to see the sword man.
He was young and tall, with gentle features complimented by his warm smile, though his appearance could use some improvements. His hair was messy, like he had just gotten out of bed, and his clothing consisted of a plain light brown shirt, leather high boots, and below his shoulder was tied a teal armband, embroidered with the symbol of a sparkling star.
By his hip hung a satchel and a sheathed sword, which had a simple design though it be a mistake to call it bland. Besides lacking any sorts of ornaments, the sheath was completely free from any imperfection, damage or stain, which gave the sword an unnatural, snow white purity.
Aside from that majestic sword, there was one more thing that stood out from him, and that was the handful of ocean blue flowers he was carrying on his right hand.
"Oh there she is. She got trapped upstairs earlier but as you can see she's all fine now. Isn't that right, lil sis?"
The invisible hand made Linda nod her head. Upon noticing her, the smile on the sword man's vanished. He approached Linda, examining her as if she were an old car.
"Hmmm, she doesn't seem all right to me."
"Oh, don't worry, her face is just like that."
Linda glared at him.
"I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to do. I'm afraid you'll all have to come with me to ask you some questions."
"Oi, you said you were here on a personal matter."
"Of course, I was informed by a dear friend of suspicious activity near the castle ruins. And I can't think of anything more suspicious than two people holding a noble lady at knife-point."
Behind her, Linda heard a sharp gasp. The Bandana Man's eyes opened wide, and his posture tensed, changing to that of a threatened animal.
"Y-you can see me?"
Spoke in a louder tone the voice holding Linda hostage.
"Hmm, am I not supposed to?"
The sword man responded, looking at something behind Linda, his head tilted.
"No way, no one should be able to see her! Wait, you said your last name is Cadmon, right? Are you that Cadmon wielding the demonic sword!"
"Ah, I guess you caught me…Yes, I am indeed the Custodian of the No-Edge Sword, though I'd say it's a bit rude calling it demonic."
"Wai-Gu…oh no."
Whispered the supposed person. After a few moments, the Bandana man shrugged his shoulders and held his hands up.
"Fine, we'll go with you. I could never win against a monster like you."
That tone, he's obviously lying!
"You will? Thank you so much!"
Again?! How gullible can you be?!
"I'll just need to put these on you."
From his satchel, he took out a pair of metal shackles. The Bandana Man slowly walked towards Owen, showing both of his hands up.
Wait, his nails! He wants to get close and attack him by surprise! I have to warn him but…!
She looked down, at that unseeable force covering her mouth. As the Bandana Man got a few feet away from Owen, Linda sighed.
Aaagh, screw this!
Using her tongue, Linda licked the palm of that invisible hand holding her.
"Eeeeek! W-what are you doing?! Stop licking my hand you gross-gross girl!"
With a yelp, the person removed their hand, allowing Linda to finally speak right before the two of them came face to face.
"Watch out for his nails!"
As soon as she screamed, the Yellow Bandana man swung at Owen with his right hand. The sword man swiftly sidestepped the attack, ending right behind the Bandana man's back. Both of his hands' nails rapidly grew to a finger's size.
"Thanks for the warning, valiant lady, though I ask you to please be careful. You don't want to provoke these people."
Bandana spun and unleashed a number of lashes to Owen, who easily dodged every single one of the attacks. Rather than a fight, it seemed closer to a kid trying to take back something from his older brother.
"What a shame, I was hoping for things to go peacefully."
"As if I'm gonna give myself in like that, you wine!"
"Wine? That's—"
As Owen blocked an incoming attack, a leg kicked him from his other side. Owen jumped back, stumbling into the tree. He stood up, holding right where he was hit on his stomach. The Bandana Man turned around, ready to attack.
"Ducks. I call ducks."
Owen held up his hand, doing a strange sign with his fingers.
"Tch, you bastard. How do you know that?"
"You understood that, right? It's been a while since I've used northern alleyspeak, so I only remember a couple of words, as well as some insults, though I'm not proud to admi—"
In an instant, Bandana leaped towards Owen, who barely managed to move out of the way. The Bandana Man scratched the tree, leaving long scrapes resulting in his claws getting stuck in the wood. The Bandana Man twitched around his arm, while trying to pull his hand free.
He stared right at Owen, his eyes filled with fury.
"Shin-Shin! Hey, listen you evil-evil Wai Gu, back down or this girl wi—"
"Oi, don't interfere, red rice!"
"But I can—"
"Forget it! Red rice! Now!"
The man yelled looking at the supposed girl holding Linda. Owen looked back and forth, thinking.
"Red rice…Do you mean—?! Wait, young miss, it would be best if you—!"
With a cracking snap, splinters flew as a chunk of wood shattered against the back of Owen's head. Beside the tree, "Shin-Shin" had freed himself by tearing a large section off the trunk. He raised his right claws, pieces of wood skewered on them.
"Don't turn your back to me, you cocky bastard."
"My, my, you're really taking this seriously."
By her ear, Linda heard a voice tremble. "Shin-Shin" stared right past Linda, his eyes burning with a fierce determination. The trembling voice quieted for a moment, and finally decided to speak.
"Fine! You better-better stay out of trouble or I'll kill you!"
Right on cue, Linda felt both the hand holding her and the pointed object on her back disappear. She turned her head, seeing footsteps pressed on the leaf heaps, with the sound of someone running away.
Owen looked in the sound's direction, his expression softening as he stared back at "Shin-Shin".
"You're staying behind to protect that person."
"I'm not protecting anyone, flower boy."
"That's incredibly brave. Now that I know that you have a noble heart, I hope for us to become friends in the future."
"SHUT UP!"
Fueled by rage, Shin-Shin charged towards Owen, who stepped back to Linda's side.
"Apologies, valiant lady, but could you please hold onto these for me?"
He extended the flowers out to Linda. She grabbed them, dumbfoundedly.
"Of cour—Wooooah?!"
With a sudden twist, Owen lifted up Linda, carrying her on one arm like a pizza.
"What do you think you're doi—Ah?"
Blood fell on the place where she had been standing, dripping from Owen's arm as he held it blocking against Shin-Shin's claws.
"There's no need to aim for the bystanders."
"Hah, I knew you'd take the hit for her. Poor bastard, that one's gonna leave a mark."
Linda felt Owen's body slightly shake, struggling to handle the multiple arduous tasks.
"Valiant lady, do you see those big branches up there?"
Said Owen, surprisingly calm given the situation. Linda looked up, noticing huge branches poking out throughout the trunk.
Shin-Shin took out one of his claws, dripping red from its tips.
"Yes!"
Shin-Shin took out the remaining claw, walking backwards and catching his breath.
"I'm going to throw you towards them, so be ready to grab onto a big one!"
"What?!"
Shin-Shin leaped forwards, both of his hands crossed in the shape of an X and as he dashed towards them, Owen launched Linda up in the air. Rapidly flying through several feet, she reached all the way into a jungle of purple leaves, and for a moment Linda felt as if time stood still.
Inside that dark dome, hundreds of silver butterflies fluttered peacefully through the air, each shining with a faint light. All around her, golden fruits shone brightly like stars, illuminating the flurry of gorgeous ocean blue flowers. Linda gazed, not daring to blink so she wouldn't miss any of that majestic scenery.
Feeling gravity's effect take place again, Linda's vision blurred as she started falling with increasing speed. She extended both of her arms out, reaching aimlessly for something to hold onto. Fortunately, her arms managed to grab a large slim branch, narrowly avoiding a deadly fall.
"Are you all right, valiant lady?"
Said a gentle voice a couple of meters below her. Owen's arms were interlocked with Shin-Shin's, both stuck in an X double position. Linda looked up, hearing a snap come from the branch she was hanging from.
"I…I'm fine, but this branch—!"
"Tch, even now you're still worrying about others. You must believe you are an admirable officer, huh? How sickening!"
"Your tenacity is truly admirable, but I'm afraid that now with both of my hands free, it would be best for you to surrender."
The branch broke a bit more, making Linda's body whip down.
"Guys—-!!"
"...Ugh, I'm not leaving…without the buns…!"
"Buns? Buns, buns…I can't remember that one."
"…I don't care…who or what you are…I'll never…back down…to y—!"
"Oh, Jesuuuuuuuuuuss!"
The branch broke off the trunk, letting Linda fall down and crash directly into the talking Shin-Shin.
"By Elysia, you fell right on—Valiant lady, can you hear me?...Oh dear…"
Linda's vision faded, as she felt her consciousness sinking into the darkness.