Chapter 53

Amara concluded her attentive listening to the black knight's tales of the vampire Lennix Star. With their meal coming to a close, the black knight asked, "And that's about it, did you get all that?" Amara, sipping her glass of wine, responded, "Frankly, I was a bit preoccupied watching you eat with your helmet on."

The black knight, his helmeted head tilting slightly, asked, "Ar-are you joking?" To this, Amara let out a slight laugh and replied, "Obviously, I'm just joking," she added, "But I was hoping for more information about his sister and that artifact."

The black knight shrugged and reminded her, "I told you I only learned about her existence today." In response, Amara raised her hand, saying, "It's fine. Even knowing about one of them is useful."

The waiter returned, inquiring, "Is there anything else you'd like to order, or would you prefer to settle your bill?" This prompted Amara to exchange a silent, knowing glance with the black knight. *She wants me to pay, doesn't she?* he speculated. Accepting the cue, he retrieved a coin pouch and settled the bill.

The waiter offered a polite bow, and the two prepared to leave The Bonfire. However, just as they made their way to the exit, their attention was drawn by a commotion outside. Joining other restaurant patrons, they peered out the window, revealing a group of Moonveil's militia members patrolling the area.

The black knight leaned in closer to Amara, his voice hushed in concern. "They're probably looking for us," he whispered. Amara gave a thoughtful nod, her eyes fixed on the militia outside. "Well, in that case, let's head outside," she said.

The black knight was puzzled by her statement and wondered if he had misheard her. "Did you just say, 'let's head outside?'" he inquired. Amara confirmed his understanding, replying, "Yes. If that slut wants to send her pawns after me, I might as well put them to good use, don't you think?"

The black knight was taken aback. "Are you planning to... kill them?" he asked, his voice reflecting his surprise. Amara met his question with a straightforward affirmation. "Yes, indeed I am," she said.

As Amara, was beginning to walk out the restaurant to commit a massacre, she found herself halted as the black knight firmly grasped her arm. In a hushed but exasperated tone, he emphasized, "We should wait for them to pass by!"

Amara, clearly frustrated, pulled her arm free from his grasp. "Why? That just wastes time, and if I eliminate them now, they won't be a problem later," she argued.

The black knight couldn't help but show his exasperation, facepalming or, in his case, helmetpalming as he attempted to convey his point. "I'd argue that eliminating them now might take more time and draw unwanted attention. Moreover, have you noticed an odd behavior among some people? It's as if they're under some form of control," he pointed out. Amara, displaying her impatience, rolled her eyes and replied, "So?" 

Growing even more frustrated, the black knight reasoned, "So, it's highly likely that the militia members are affected too, and by attacking them, you could potentially be harming innocent people!"

Amara, arms crossed and with a piercing glare, challenged the black knight, "And if I told you I don't care about innocent lives, what would you do?"

The black knight remained resolute, responding firmly, "I would stop you." Their intense standoff persisted for a few moments until the militia members continued moving further away.

Ultimately, Amara relented with a lengthy sigh. "Fine, I won't kill them," she conceded. The black knight, relieved, allowed himself to relax. However, her next statement startled him: "I'll just burn them a bit."

Before he could react, Amara dashed out of the restaurant, and the black knight quickly followed. Outside, he watched as she conjured a fireball in her right hand. Before he could reach her, she hurled the fiery projectile toward the militia members.

As the fiery projectile hurtled towards the unsuspecting militia members, one of them turned, catching sight of the impending danger and screamed. Panic surged through their ranks, and the soldiers frantically looked toward the approaching fireball. As they closed their eyes, bracing for what seemed like their inevitable demise, the fireball struck the ground approximately twenty feet in front of them.

A deafening explosion rocked the area, sending a shockwave that launched them through the air. Bodies tumbled and crashed onto the cobbled road, each of them battered and bruised, but mercifully, still alive. One injured member, clutching his bleeding head, glanced around to see his comrades badly wounded but thankfully not dead.

The black knight, still bewildered by the situation, shouted, "Why did you do that?" Frustration and disbelief evident in his muffled voice. He acted quickly the second time, grabbing Amara's hand before she could launch another fireball. "Stop!" he exclaimed.

Amara sighed, "I'm not going to throw it at them, so you can let go." The black knight, still bewildered, asked once more, "Why? Just why? If not them, then who?" Amara responded by conjured another fireball, this time in her left hand, and sent it flying behind her, crashing into a parked steamwagon. The resulting explosion sent plumes of smoke and debris into the air, leaving the black knight shocked and speechless behind his helmet.

"I'm trying to cause as much chaos as possible," Amara explained.

The black knight, now sounding like a broken record, asked, "Can you just tell me why?"

Amara freed her right hand from the black knight's grasp and explained, "If they're after us, they could also be after Larkin, the she-elf, and the brat. There is no way in hell I'm letting anybody get to them before me."

The black knight couldn't help but think, *Dear goddess, she's a maniac.*

Just then, they both heard the distant rumble of steamwagons approaching their location. Amara continued to conjure fireballs, ready to throw them around. "See? Now they're coming to me instead of going after them," she declared.

In Amara's eyes, nobody would have the pleasure of capturing Larkin and the she-elf except her, and absolutely nobody would take Xain's life except her. He belonged to her and her alone, his life was hers to claim.