Reputation

  Chapter Eight

  Part One

  His boots clacked and reverberated through the stone tunnels underneath the Candour Monastery library. He had made some inquiries as to the whereabouts of that member of The Sect that was being kept down here. And so he was headed straight there.

  He passed by a few other doors, but ignored them completely. Only stopping once he had reached the door he was looking for. He raised his monastery token, alighting the sigils on this thick heavy stone door. Although it looked heavy, now that the door was unlocked, he pushed it open with ease.

  He eyed the man sitting in the centre of this room. His head was down, so his long greasy hair was covering his face so he didn’t get much of a clear view of it.

  The man mumbled a “...Inspector. And here I thought that you wasn’t going to keep your promise-“ he finally looked up “...oh? And who are you?”

  He smiled “you were probably expecting for someone else, right?”

  Kidd showed off his teeth with a smile of his own “I was. But based on your expression, you have something to say?”

  “let’s make a deal”

  “with you? You’re a monk, why would I trust you?”

  “Because. You want to get out of here, and I want something only you could offer”

  Kidd’s eyebrow raised “and what is it that you want?”

  “Do you really have to ask?”

  Kidd’s smile widened “a monk asking for someone to be assassinated. I feel a joke coming”

  “No joke. I’m serious”

  “So am I” Kidd sounded playful, like he wasn’t serious at all.

  He sighed “the only reason I’m asking you for this is because he said I could”

  “He...?” realisation hit Kidd and he laughed “so he does miss me”

  “Me releasing you hasn’t been decided yet. I won’t release you, if you won’t kill someone for me”

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Kidd smirked “can’t do it yourself?” his voice was filled with obvious sarcasm.

  “You know I can’t”

  Kidd let out a long sigh “who do you want me to kill?”

  *

  There was a knock on her door.

  Line looked up from her desk, as Arasha entered her room.

  “You have a letter” in Arasha’s hands were two scrolls, she handed Line one and kept the other to herself. They were both extremely similar in design, and sitting proudly on each of them was the Queens stamp.

  “what is this?” Line asked.

  “an invitation” Arasha showed off her scroll “I got one too”

  “An invitation for what?” Line unfurled the scroll she had just been given.

  “The Equinox Ball”

  Line’s eyes widened slightly “did you just say... Ball?”

  “Yes, yes I did”

  Arasha did indeed say Ball. Written as clear as day on this scroll was in fact an invitation to the annual Equinox Ball, personally sent by Her Majesty the Queen. Line had been to a few balls in her life, but this would be the first in fifteen years. She was hesitant to be happy about this, as she wouldn’t know who else would be going.

  So Line had to ask “do you know who else will be there?”

  “obviously the royal family will be there, maybe some Duke’s and Marquess’. There could also very well be some Earl’s and Viscount’s”

  But Line only heard the word ‘Duke’s' and blanked everything else out. She didn’t even fully register the word ‘Marquess’ either, which would be another problem entirely for her.

  “the invitation was sent personally by the Queen, so you better not even think about not going”

  Line looked up at her “I don’t think I can go”

  “can’t go? What do you mean can’t go?”

  “I’m busy that day”

  “Doing what? I know you don’t have any cases lined up”

  “I’m sick then”

  Arasha raised an eyebrow “since when?”

  “My wound hasn’t fully healed yet”

  “now you’re definitely lying. Line, did you forget our healers are the best. Not only that, but someone else managed to fix you right up really quick. Line, you don’t have any excuses”

  “...ah”

  Arasha sighed “who even did fix you. As soon as we left that cabin, that man swept you of somewhere” Arasha still didn’t know who Vax’dian was.

  “...umm”

  “Line?”

  “it’s nothing”

  Arasha was about to speak again, but was cut off for the door opened again behind her.

  “Line!” Ali came charging in “Line, look. An invitation!” Ali gasped “you two have one too? We get to go together!”

  “yes. Together...”

  “Exactly, Line. Let’s all go. Together” Arasha said quite firmly, and yet behind that firmness was a sarcastic edge.

  “Line” Ali pointed “isn’t that-”

  “No” Line cut her off immediately.

  But what Ali had pointed at was the long red coat that was folded and draped over the partition. Ali giggled but didn’t say anything else on the matter.

  “What? What’s the matter?” Arasha asked.

  “nothing!” Line and Ali said together. But while Line’s voice was harsh, Ali’s was playful.