BXBX NOVEL Chapter 335 - Uncomfortable Ride
~~~(Time: 10:33 AM)~~~
Jasmine doesn't know how much she's helped me with all the innocent questions she's asked. The insights I've gained about Helda and Melimora tell me things that I didn't know from the first time we met them. They're staying quiet out of fear that I'll learn more. I can't force them to talk, and that means it's a waiting game again. Helda is the one I've learned the most about.
She's a cautious woman and prefers silence over anything else. It's obvious I like the same thing, and because of that, I know that she must think similarly to what I think. She's methodical and disciplined. She's extremely calm on the surface, but she has things bothering her beneath the exterior. The same way my problems affect me. Never show weakness. That's how we are.
It's like staring into a mirror of myself. That isn't a guy. Knowing that I'm seeing a version of myself also tells me she's trying to figure out anything she can about me too. It's layers and layers of mental games. Luckily for me, I love mental games. Meaning she must like them too, which makes her a dangerous opponent that shouldn't be underestimated.
Underestimating your opponent is what leads to your ultimate failure. We're not enemies... Yet. I know she's made plans cause I would've done so in her situation. No way in hell will I trust a stranger that has something I desperately want and need, and they know that. She's not trusting me, which is the smart and correct strategic decision.
I've come to admire her in the last couple of hours. The empty road along the border and the quiet that's in the carriage have helped me see things I couldn't before. "You hate the elven royal family, don't you?" My sudden question towards Helda causes no reaction, but I know more is happening beneath her cool surface. She must hate the royal family.
Having her as an enemy isn't what I want, and we have every intention to give her the dagger once we're across the border. If she hates the royal family... Maybe I can get some help in our mission... "You don't have to answer that. I understand that more than you think." She gives no physical reaction, but no righteous elf would do what she does for a living.
She's breaking plenty of laws doing what she does for a living, and she's doing it in defiance of the royal family. She's a pure-blooded elf, and she wouldn't suffer from discrimination. Leaving only a few reasons on the table. The first is that she hates the elven society and cares little for what happens to her homeland. This is the most likely, in my opinion.
The second one would be she's only doing it for the money, but since she's similar to me, that's the least likely. She's not of low moral character that is driven by such a goal. The third being she was raised in this lifestyle and knows nothing else. This is possible, and it could be combined with the first reason. I can't know any of this for sure. She's lived a long and complicated life.
She is nearly three times as old as Sally, and she's seen a lot in the world. Maybe the three reasons I've come up with are completely and totally wrong. The few interactions we've had can't give me nearly enough for me to know every little detail about her. Only a few things are on the surface and are easy to get to. Her secrets are hers. I'm not trying to get to the core of her.
Sally places her hand on top of mine, and my eyes meet hers as my head turns. "I need to use the bathroom... Can we pull over so I can?" She doesn't need to ask me for permission to use the bathroom, but she probably feels Helda would make those decisions and is too afraid to ask her, which deludes into her making me a conduit for the question.
My attention turns to Helda, and she sighs. Stoping the magical carriage with the snap of her finger. "I suggest that everyone that needs to use the bathroom do it now. The fewer stops we have to make, the better." Melimora speaks the most she has since we started this trip. Not that it's anything important to note, but I can't be sure.
Melimora is harder to get to know since Helda is making sure she doesn't speak or interact. "Thanks, I didn't know how much longer I could hold it." Sally is the first one out the door, and Hailey and Jasmine follow her out so they can use the bathroom too. Leaving me with Helda and Melimora. There is a tense feeling in the air now that we're alone.
Helda and Melimora stare at me harder than they ever have before. This is new, and they do it once all my friends are gone. Meaning that they're trying to determine if I'm any weaker mentally when I'm alone or not. "I'd be more scared of fighting with them next to me than away from me. That's what you're trying to find out, right?" For the first time, I see Helda grit her teeth.
My deduction was spot on if this is the reaction I get, and it proves that I'm doing better getting in her head than she is getting into mine. "How about we don't talk for the remainder of this trip. I don't like you, Cera. I don't want to speak to you, and I don't want you speaking to me." Prickly confrontation, but I've handled similar situations before.
Sally and the other two won't be back for a couple of minutes, and that gives me ample time to dig around for some more information. "Okay, I won't speak to you Helda, how about I talk to Melimora? She seems like she wants to get a few things off her chest." I'm just firing into the dark with that statement, but they have some issues between them. I saw it earlier.
~~~(POV: Melimora)~~~
~~~(Time: 10:49 AM)~~~
His mind games are starting to get on my nerves. He's good at saying and doing the right thing at the right moment. It makes me wonder how he became so good at this? He doesn't look older than 20, and he's talking like he's done this for the vast majority of his life. "I stand that same ground as Helda." There is no need to make the answer any longer than that.
The way his grin slowly pops on his face makes me want to smack it off. "Figures, here I thought you two were partners in this business. From what I've seen, you're just doing everything Helda tells you. Like a puppet and her the one pulling your strings." He's not going to turn me against her. His observation is right, though. I'd never betray Helda, but I'm tired of my role.
It's the reason I'm leaving her and this job after this job. I'm tired of being a mindless and opinionless partner. "You'll stop playing the mind games you're playing. If you won't, we'll cancel this job and leave you here in this carriage while we leave back to Border City." Helda immediately takes out the big guns, but Cera is smart enough to know it's a bluff.
Helda's lust for the dagger would never make her abandon this job, but Cera does something I can only consider an extremely calculated move. "Fair enough, I'll stop." From what we've both experienced, he'd push the subject just a little more. Now, he's backing off? That doesn't go with any of his behavior to this point. He's playing another angle here...
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A/N: Below this line, I'll be keeping Cera's player information. That way, I won't have to place it into the story above anymore. It takes about 180 words up.
[Slayer (Zern) Lvl.193]
[Exp: 3/100%]
[Title: The Son of Arch-Angel Michael (Hidden)]
[Stats] [Strength - 7095][Endurance - 7045][Dexterity - 7215][Speed - 8240][Focus - 19,660]
[Mana aura control: 6/100%]
[Health: 76,560,000,000/76,560,000,000] [Mana: 216,600,000,000/216,600,000,000]
[Stat Points: 30] [Armor rating: 500]
[Inventory] [Dice of Wayland (Divine)] [Hardened Tree sap Armor (Very Rare)] [The Witness (Legendary Sword)] [Fenrir's Whistle (Divine)] [Sally's Dresses 5x] [Camping gear] [Food Rations 4x] [Dried meat 4x] [Fishing poles 2x] [Fish 8x] [Festival Garbs 2x]
[Passive Perks]
[Inheritor of the Sword] [Son of Heaven] [Slayer of Evil] [Holy Willow Trees Savior] [Finder of Legends] [The Divine who has Legend] [Destined for Greatness] [Dungeon Diver] [An Overachiever]
[Active Skills]
[Heavens light Lvl.59 325/5900] [Protected by Heaven Lvl.59 225/5900] [Slash Lvl..77 4600/130000] [Parry Lvl.53 80/5300] [Double Strike N/A] [Kingslayer N/A] [Raging Machine N/A] [Winged Glory] [Angelic Flight] [Divine Pressure Exertion] [Divinity Pulse] [Controled Fun]