Visha

"Oh come on! It's been two days now won't you please tell me what the heck happened? I'll just die if you don't tell me!" Sky continued to whine like she has been for the past two days.

"Promise?" I ask sweetly batting my lashes at her. She responds with a simple scoff and roll of her eyes but I know she isn't quite finished yet.

We were both in the laundry room along with about 7 other people, in the basement of the castle. We were so far down the only thing belong was the dungeons. Every now and then I could swear I heard people screaming, begging for mercy. No, wait, that could be my subconscious, begging me to get away from this conversation.

For the past two days sky has yet to let up on what happened with the Emperor. I can see why though I mean I haven't told her anything, not even how it went. Or what happened... but to be honest, I'm not even sure what happened.

It just felt like some crazy dream like none of it really happened, though I know what happened because Brea has told me to stay as far away from the Emperor and his Chambers. I haven't been allowed to serve breakfast, lunch or dinner the past two days lest I meet his eyes. I can see she's trying to protect me and keep me out of his site, but it's only a matter of time for something else happens.

"You're evil, come on! Stop holding out on me!" Sky finally bursts, throwing down the sheet was in the middle of folding.

"Oh Alright! I'll tell you, but not here. Later tonight." I finally crave and give into her incessant complaints.

"Raven, Sky may I have a word with you?" Brea's voice suddenly booms across the room, she silently lifts a finger and calls us over. I glance over at Sky wondering if she knew what this was about.
We all stepped out into the hallway...

"Would you girls be willing to go into town for me?" Brea asks, a mock sweetness in her voice that makes me raise my eyebrow in question.

"Us? Why what do you need?" Sky asks before I can.

"Just some things here and there. Normally I would go out and get it myself but I'm quite busy with preparation you know how it is, plus I thought this might give you a chance to go see the capital for a bit. So will you?" 

I looked at Brea, with skeptical eyes. This was either good for us. Good for her. Or good for neither of us. And I wasn't quite sure which it was just yet.

"If we do this favor for you, what then?" I ask.

"Hey you scratch my back. I'll scratch yours, deal?" She says absent mindedly.

"Deal!" Sky, hurriedly accepts the offer.

Sky's never been one to sit still for very long she's always gotta be doing something, all day long she practically runs around the castle doing who knows what. For the past two days I've either been in one room and stayed in one room, or kept doing the same task in different rooms. But her on the other hand has learned anything and everything she could. The night that I spent in the Emperor's bathing Chambers, she was sneaking around and plotting.

She managed to get into every little space. She went down in the dungeons into the library, the kitchen of course and she even managed to sneak into the Emperor's private study. She was more sneaky than a shadow in the dead of night.

I'd have to ask how she stayed under the radar given that I would probably need to learn a few lessons on how to avoid the Emperor. His promise or threat, I should say, still rang loud and clear in my ears.
"I'll be watching over you,"

Even just thinking about it, was enough to send chills down my spine.

"Wonderful I'll make a list and later after lunch you two can go out for me and pick up the things, and remember to wear your uniform. The only reason you're allowed to go out is because you are an employee of the palace, don't make us look bad." Her voice at the end had a hard edge to it, letting us know loud and clear that if we messed up it wouldn't end well.

After lunch me and Sky sat patiently in one of the corridor's waiting for Brea to bring us her list. We were dressed once again in all white, though this time we dawned white pants instead of our usual long skirts. Along with ugly brown scatals to carry whatever Brea needed us to, in my own opinion I thought we looked absolutely ridiculous, if we were back home I wouldn't be caught dead going out like this. The again if we were back home I wouldn't need permission to go out.

"Oh, hello there girls." Brea voice suddenly said, she was lazily walking towards us holding a small paper in her right hand.

"Hello Brea," Sky pleasantly greeted, holding out her hand for the list.

"Impatience are we? Oh very well here you go, the horses are waiting for you just outside." 

"Horse's?" I gritted out but Brea was already walking away, so I looked over at Sky and raised my eyebrow at her.

"The only way for us to travel apparently," Sky said with a shrug before she too began to walk away.

"Why does everyone keep walking away from me?" A pause. "Who the hell am I talking to?" I ask myself before shrugging and following after Sky.

We stopped out front and our gorgeous horses were waiting for us, "Hello there Betty, did you miss me?" I ask my mare, she shakes her head in response and I chuckle at her.

The ride into town was short and uneventful, as was most of our shopping. Lot's of stores, lot's of masters, and lot's of glares.

We had gotten most of the things on our list and only had one more item to get. And thankfully Brea had written the stores names otherwise we would have still been looking for the first thing on her list.  

When we walked in the first thing I noticed was that this store had no theme. It looked like a bunch of random things all piled together in random places. The second thing I noticed were the knives, rows and rows of knives all plastered across a wall. I grabbed Sky's arms and quite forcefully dragged over to them. It was rare to find weapons for humans to purchase, so many masters wanted to keep humans weak and fragile.

"Those are just decorative," a man calls over and I glance over at him confused.
He was a bit older than me closer to sky's age than mine, he had a pretty shade of red hair. Blue eyes that almost seemed gray or even white.

"Just because they're pretty doesn't mean they're not knives," Sky whispers to me, and I do my best to hide my snicker.

I began to walk around the store some more looking for Brea's last item, but I also walked away because I wanted to see what the store clerk would do. He'd been keeping a close eye on us ever since we walked in, or Sky I should say. I wasn't worried about a potential attack, because the look he gave her was one that I was familiar with and there was no threat there.

Taking this golden opportunity he moved over to where she was standing and I stayed just close enough to where I could hear them. 

"You are new around here." He said, not asked. 

"You are very observant, I'm Sky." She introduced herself still using her nickname.

"I'm Rodri. And sorry if that came out creepy, there's only a certain number of humans in the capital." Rodri sheepishly apologised.

A coy smile slowly appeared on Sky's face, she had finally realized that this man was attempting to flirt with her. "So do you own this store? I didnt think humans could own anything anymore." She asked her voice an octave above her normal speaking voice as he bat her lashes at him. He was done for, as a red blush spread swiftly across his face.

"My grandfather won it from a Master decades ago, and it's been in my family ever since," He explained, he was trying to prove he was worthy of her. It was adorable to watch. "Actually-

"Are you going to ask me out?" Sky Impatiently interrupted him, and he turned even redder at her question.

"Well yes, I was getting to that- So do you want to go out with me?'

"no." Sky said simply a sweet smile playing on her lips.

I had to duck down to hide my laughter, I knew she had been messing with him and planned to yes in a moment but the look on his face when she said no, made me lose my composure. I was practically rolling on the floor from laughter, he looked as if she had just dropped kicked a child over a fence. 

"Wh-what?" He stammered out.

"I'm sorry I'm just messing with you, of course I'll go out with you." Sky laughed out.

I gingerly walked over to where they were standing intending of asking Rodri about the item I needed, but a loud booming interrupted my train of thought as I jerked my head from side to side trying to find the source of the noise. It was obnoxious but almost sounded like music? Really bad music...

"What's happening?!" I tried to ask Rodri, but I practically had to yell to be heard.

" I think it's some sort of parade!" Sky yelled back apparently Rodri couldn't hear either one of us. We both rush out the door eager to find out where or what was making that noise.

As the bright light hit my eyes and slowly began to adjust the music got louder, I got a sickening feeling in my stomach. Rodri came fumbling out right behind us, "What is that?" Sky asked him.

"Yeah it's some sort of parade- Hey look! That carriage is the royal carriage, the Emperor is in there," Rodri

Me and Sky share a look, we could do some serious damage right now and leave without ever leaving a trace that we were here. I lift my eyebrow at her, silently questioning if we should. 

"If you'll excuse me, I have a customer waiting for me." Rodri gently excused himself. "Will I see you again?" He rushed out before he could leave.

"Ill meet you outside the palace wall two nights from today." She vowed, and a sparkle I hadn't seen in her eyes before made her look almost ten years younger.

As Rodri walked away Sky turned and glared at me, "No" was all she growled out.

"Eh screw it! Let's just blow it up and call it a day," I huff, wanting to be done with this.

"We can't just blow it up! What if someone sees us?" Sky asks and I hate her all the more for throwing reason into my plan.

"Oh please, have some faith in me." I scoff before rolling out from our hiding space and heading out towards the carriage. But just as I had began to get close to it, a bomb went off. I ducked and covered my head to the best of my ability. Dust and debris whirled all around me and I took shallow breaths so avoid hurting my lungs.

I didn't dare more from my space, until I was quite forcefully yanked up by the arm by a very worried looking Sky. She seemed to be yelling at me, at least the way her mouth was moving, but the ring in my ears made it practically impossible to hear her.