Confrontation.

It was getting dark.

Amanise moved through the narrow winding alleys crammed with wooden hovels. The slums teemed with people~ beggars, thieves and artisans shouldering their way through the labyrinthine passages.

The air hung heavy with mingling scents of rotting food, human waste and desperation.

She crunched her nose, made futile attempts to seize her breathing. Only to end up gasping for foul air.

Praying her coughing fit won't act up.

Her hands rose up dragging down her hood, to avoid people seeing her face.

Mostly her eyes though.

She wasn't quite sure why her vermilion colored eyes gave people the shivers and fear.

But she was smart enough to know that if she wasn't careful, a meaningless death awaited her.

So she kept her head low.

One of the things I will ask him.

Well when I find him.

She internally cursed her luck. Due to her childish anger was lost.

The mental road maps were useless when every pathway she toke was eeriely the same as the last.

Her survival instincts were warning her not to be out in the slums when it was truly dark.

But she got no single dime on her and her stomach were rehearsing the first notes of her hunger song.

She closed her eyes, abruptly.

The sharp movements on her wounded limp shot pain up her body.

A pain so great that almost made her wish for death.

Her wounded leg groaned from strain and tiredness.

Luck shone on her when she spotted a wooden bench that stood, lonesome in the alley.

Some slum dwellers perched on them.

Two young women in a pale-green woollen tunics and stockings.

Probably work clothes.

As she limped towards them. They acknowledged her with a hesitant smiles.

Probably because they couldn't see her face. But from her petite build knew she was part of their kind.

The expensive flowing midnight blue cloak only breaching their classes.

They looked away, probably to avoid offending her.

Soren's memories though broken into fragmented pieces showed remarkably well the social distance between the rich and poor.

In every world, it was always the same.

The powerful and strong thrived on the weak.

While the weak grovelled below them.

An unwritten rule that ruled life and it's creations.

It is incredibly sad indeed.

She was surprised they still sat on the bench. One of them was a redhead with hooded green eyes, from lack of sleep.

Though it failed to hide the inquisitiveness and a bit of excitement.

She had a youthful, intelligent aura surrounding her. She surely turned heads often.

The other looked older and plain.

A face that you would forget easily once you looked away.

"Linda, could you tell me more? I won't be able to sleep at all, if I don't know..."

"Ssh!"

The plain woman threw a furtive glance at Amanise. Which didn't go unnoticed by her. But her cloak hid the nervousness that coursed her blood.

"Quiet May! You talk about not sleeping at all if you didn't hear this, but after telling you... What I want to say I'm very sure you won't be able to sleep in days.. No weeks even! And well... we have company."

Linda whispered.

Amanise felt her eyes linger on her.

May kept mute on remembering about her. Before leaning next to her.

"I don't think she will mind. Please tell me Linda... I beg of you. My life hasn't been of any interest of late. My husband comes home late ever since he started working in that new factory that opened. I feel lonely."

Amanise heaved a sigh. Freezing the women beside her before turning.

Her movements agonizingly slow.

She tilted her nose a bit in a haughty yet dignified manner.

As though she were instructing her dogs. The way she imagined a noble would be. A mixture of Hamlin's disdain for her eating style and her mother's voice acting skills when she read a crude noble in one of her stories.

"Carry on. I don't care...Or you both could leave."

Slowing her speech, her face blank. Praying inwardly they won't think she was a fraud from the slight trembling in her voice.

Fortunately they bought it.

Standing and bowing. Their gazes lingering downwards on her cloak.

Amanise's brows rose up somewhat surprised. Though they couldn't see it.

Were all nobles revered like this?

Or is it something about this cloak?

Are Hamlin and Alaric some kind of special noblity?

If they were it was good news. If rumors had that they saw her wearing this cloak walking aimlessly. Hamlin would probably find me faster.

Or his enemies.

A voice sneered at her, contempously.

Alarmed, she looked around.

No one.

It was one of the voices from before!

Pondering on what it meant. Anxiety riddled her holes in her practiced composure as she thought of the possibility.

Oh my God!

Considering how long she had been limping. It was just a matter of time.

"....The two new deaths that had occurred rapidly since the burning down of the witch earlier today...."

Amanise tuned back in to the duo's discussion. They chatted undisturbed and without tension anymore.

As if she ceased to exist.

New deaths?

Confusion etched the line between her brows.

"Two deaths in the space of few hours! The day isn't even over yet?! But Linda, deaths are common here. I thought you wanted to give me something new to hear. Sigh.. it was probably hunger."

May whined. Her long calloused hands placed an old hat on her head. Covering her red mane.

"It's getting late let's leave. It is sheer madness to remain outside when it's completely dark. I need to prepare dinner for my husband. Their work hours are probably over."

She hung her old bag on her left shoulder.

Linda rolled her eyes but was packing up all the same.

"I know that silly. But it wasn't a normal death. There are rumors of their corpses brutally torn apart by a beast."

May giggled in disbelief.

"I enjoy a gossip every now and then, Linda but I know it's sheer madness to make up stories. Though I agree it's fun. The slums isn't a jungle, my friend. Where does this beasts come from, if I may ask?"

"My nephew doesn't lie. He said he saw it himself you know he's a worker part in the new news distributing company. What do they call themselves again...?"

"Journalists?"

"Yes that word. The scary thing about is that there were bloody footprints of a child, there."

They stood up, now. May still intrigued by the outrageous gossip.

"Was the child found dead or alive?"

Linda turned to look at her now. Her face, somber.

"None. She was never found."

May bursted in a fistful laughter. Calming down after a while as they walked side by side moving away from listening Amanise.

" Oh dear! Linda dear! Are you saying that the murder was commited by the child?"

Linda on finding out what she said was increasingly stupid, she softly elbowed her friend on her side.

Looking flustered.

"I don't know, May. Let's head to Clay street hopefully we will catch a carriage."

Beast.

Child.

Murder.

Oh God where have I found myself in?

Amanise's hand reached to her trousers beneath. Subtly touching her dagger.

Grateful it was still there.

I never knew I would say this but Hamlin I need you.

Now!

She looked up to the sky, noticing it was getting dark.

The sun was setting.

Should I follow them?

No.. it's dangerous.

I don't know where Clay Street is nor do I have money to take me back.

And it is highly unlikely that Hamlin would still be there, waiting for me.

He won't let me die. I am an important piece to solving the murder case of Princess Erika. I'm worth Gold to him now.

He will be looking for me.

Probably...

Does the Soul Contract help one to find the location of the Contracted?

Though annoying .. it's extremely necessary now.

Calm down.

Breathe...

Goosebumps splayed across every pore of her skin beneath the layers of clothes. Her body froze, tingling in a heightened state of fear and flight.

In the dispersing crowd, it wasn't hard to find her.

She was too much of an eerie anomaly to skip.

Her presence commanded and inspired horror.

Rising slowly from the bench in the alley. Her vermilion gaze locked the small girl's.

Hollow pools of obsidian, reflecting misery etched into every weathered face Amanise ever encountered.

This time around the creepy, pale girl was smiling.

Donning black worn out tunic that fell to the mid-calf. Her white gangly,

spindle-shanked lower limbs on display.

People moved past her as if she didn't exist.

But Amanise could see her.

And she could see her too.

The creepy girl then rose her scrawny hand waving at her.

As if they were old pals having a reunion.

She couldn't run.

Nor hide.

Time seemed to stop.

Dear Hamlin, if you can hear me.

I need a hand.

I promise to behave next time.

Hell! I will learn to eat like a sickly noble.

Just...

Help.

Her stomach growled.