Borderline

Mei sighed and stepped over the guard's body, following Kai through the gate of the city while Luna heaved a worried sigh and reluctantly accompanied them. "The worry about the patrols isn't in their individual strength but in their ability to quickly contact the elite soldiers who are the real threats."

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway because they were knocked out, and we found out what we needed to know." Mei chimed in between her glances around the busting town before her. Wood and stone buildings lined the gray cobblestone streets, each dotted with foliage.

"Can you be amazed at the scenery later? We're in trouble here. What did you even find out? I was listening, and they didn't say anything worthwhile before you did… whatever that was you did." Luna grunted, pulling her jacket up over her head to try and disguise herself as she passed a billboard that was home to a poster with her name and face on it.

A large, circular fountain spraying water around in the center of the large town square caught Kai's eye. "You better believe I'm looking all around this place once we're done here. The architecture back home was nothing like this. It was all just different kinds of wood."

Mei quickly tapped Kai's shoulder and gestured for him to follow her, turning their course around the fountain and toward a back street jutting out from the square.

"Also, contrary to what you think, the guards gave us a lot of information. Currently, the most important piece is our next destination and who we're looking for." Kai abruptly stopped behind Mei in front of a large, multistory building.

Luna stopped beside them and looked up at the sign on the building in front of them that read 'Borderline Inn and Tavern.' She quickly looked back at the two of them, who were already walking inside without waiting for her. "Why are we here?" She shouted as she followed them inside.

The three stepped through the wide and inviting entryway into the busy first floor of the building. Tables were dotted all around, each filled with an assortment of people with bundles of what they assumed to be stock, chatting, eating, and drinking. The warm lighting that dotted the ceiling led to a large bar in the back of the space that had a single man talking to the woman behind the counter. To its left, a rickety old staircase led up to the next level.

"Wow… this reminds me of back home. I guess you can't really do much with a place like this." Mei mused as she looked around. "Shall we, Kai?" Mei asked before clearing her throat.

"Yup, though I'm not much of a yeller." He quipped back.

"What are you guys going to do?" Luna stared at them, a look of confusion washing over her drained-looking face.

Mei and Kai looked up, and with the loudest voices they could muster, they screamed out for the whole building to hear. "Adelheid! Get your dirty ass over here!"

The entire building, including Luna, immediately fell silent in shock and turned to stare at the two in horror. "What the hell are you two doing?! Are you trying to start a fight with Tulsan nobility?"

"Well, yeah, how the hell else are we supposed to get that thing off of you? It looks like it has some sort of lock, which means the one who put it on you should have some sort of key." Kai said, very matter-of-factly.

Luna quickly grabbed at the back of her neck in surprise. "This is all for me?"

The woman behind the bar counter quickly hurdled over it and ran to them. "I don't know who you two are, but I'd heavily suggest leaving right away. Not only have you brought a criminal here but antagonized a very strong and-" Before she continued her sentence, she leaned in close to the three of them and whispered, "Very rude lady."

"And who was it that so kindly requested my presence?" A woman spoke, her voice layering a false kindness to mask an obvious rage.

The patrons of the tavern followed her as she descended the rickety stairs, their eyes following her flowing moss-colored dress.

The lights reflected off of her pale skin and light brown hair, casting an almost holy radiating glow around her.

"I'm guessing she's the one?" Kai leaned over to Luna.

Luna nodded. Taking a step back. "Be careful. She's dangerous."

Adelheid calmly strolled over to the group. Her stoic and graceful demeanor momentarily cracked upon laying eyes on Luna. "So, you're still alive, you feral piece of fur trash? Just how is that possible? I made sure to ravage you beyond saving, and Knell should have finished you off. "

A bead of sweat dripped down Luna's brow. She began to open her mouth but was quickly silenced by Mei, who spun her around and pointed at the device on her neck.

"Who cares? We're here to have you take this off." She snapped.

Adelheid let out a soft chuckle. "Are you the remaining members of her makeshift group of strays?" Her eyes opened slightly wider, noticing the marks on them. "No… you're not like the other garbage. Are two cursed travelers being manipulated, perhaps? I've heard that's a classic tactic. "

"I didn't ask for your assumptions I asked for the key." Mei stepped forward toward Adelheid, closing the gap between them.

"Now, why would I do something like that?" Adelheid gently smirked back at her.

"To save me the trouble of beating you first. It's been a long couple of days." Mei shouted. Her voice rose higher.

Luna grabbed Mei, attempting to rein her in and failing. While Kai took a step back, laughing under his breath.

"My. It seems you don't know who you're talking to. Do you know who my father is?" Adelheid said with a cocky smile.

"Less insufferable than you, hopefully. Though being the head of Tulsa, I'd imagine not." Luna quipped from the side.

Adelheid tilted her head and stared at Luna. Soon after, a low rumbling in the ground beneath the floorboards began.

Everyone looked down at the shaking floor, confused, before a giant pillar of earth burst through them, colliding with Luna and sending her flying out through the front of the building.

"Luna!" Kai shouted. "I hope that device doesn't weaken her body to that of a regular person."

Mei nodded. "Yeah, we should probably check on her. It'd be really bad if it did."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not letting you go either you insolent harlot. You'll join that Jezebel in our prisons after I'm done beating you down." Adelheid grumbled.

The bartender gasped and looked at Mei, while Mei and Kai stared blankly at Adelheid, then at each other, and then back at Adelheid.

"Was that supposed to be some kind of insult? We don't know what that means." Mei said, her eyebrow raised.

Adelheid sighed. "Oh, forget it. It doesn't matter anyway. Off you go." With a wave of her hand, another pillar of earth sprung up from the floor in front of Mei, sending her flying out of the building the same way Luna did.

"My floor! The bartender girl screamed and whined while grabbing at her long pink hair with her hands.

"Worry not Juniper. I'll have funds sent over for the damages. Now, will you go fetch Knell for me?" Adelheid smiled with a smugness that would cause anyone to get infuriated upon receiving it.

Juniper sighed and quickly ran up the stairs, her fists clenched with frustration.

"What about me? Am I going to get sent flying too, or will three holes in the floor be too expensive?" Kai joked.

Adelheid turned to him and narrowed her eyes. "No no, I think I'm done here. The aura you're giving off is strange so I'm leaving you to my lesser companion."

Kai chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment. However, you're sorely mistaken if you think you're done here. If I were you, I would have chosen my battle more carefully. I'm by far the weakest and nicest one here."

"I beg your pardon?" Adelheid began to question as Kai stepped off to the side.

Instead of explaining further, he stood in silence and smiled as a long red whip came flying in from outside the inn and wrapped itself around her neck before she could react.

"What is this?" Adelheid grabbed at her neck, trying desperately to remove it.

"Karma. Have fun now; perhaps we'll talk later once you've been knocked down a peg. I'm interested in this strange aura you said I have. " Kai waved with a smile.

The whip tightened and tugged at her neck, pulling her forward, "Do you think you'll get away with messing with me?" She began to threaten before being forcefully flung outside of the building.

Kai looked around at the room full of blank expressions and sighed. "Is she always like that?" He pointed behind him and asked aloud to the room.

There were a few hesitant nods before everyone froze again as loud footsteps rang out from above.

A thin man with long blonde hair stormed down the stairs and ran into the room shouting. "Who in the hell made me wake up? I'll kill you."

He looked around and ran up to Kai in a blind rage, tugging at the bronze bracelet on his right wrist. "Was it you?"

The man stopped and froze as soon as he got close to Kai and was able to take a better look at him. He took a hesitant step backward as his eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "Dante?"