Cygnus sat inside the carriage with a satisfied grin on his face. The tune he was humming gave off a vibrant vibe that made the surroundings a little bit more bright. He was watching as the scenery changed from forest to plains.
They have been traveling for five days now and yet his companions were still in great spirits. Nina was blabbering about how she was so excited to finally visit the capital city. Astrophos on the other hand was not that excited, the relief he felt before the journey was gone. He felt apprehension instead.
"Why are you so tense?" Nina frowned when she noticed that Astrophos was not talking. "We still have a long way to go." She slapped the man's shoulders but the other was not having much reaction.
"Nina, don't disturb him. He has a lot to think about. His betrayal and showing his face to the Magic Tower. He is also feeling guilty a little bit now." Cygnus spoke from the other side of the carriage without even looking at them but they could still see his grin.
Astrophos frowned. He could only avoid the man and try to ignore him. At times, the man seemed to be reliable but there were times that he could be overbearing or just plainly mocking you.
Nina looked at Astrophos then hooked her hand on his shoulder, "Why are you thinking of nonsensical things? You are already a traitor in their eyes, so why worry about it?"
"He's got quite a wonderful personality, Nina. He does things his way and by the end of it he regrets it then doubts if his decision was right," Cygnus interjected. He did not wait for Astrophos to answer since the man would not even dare to speak.
Astrophos's face darkened but as Cygnus predicted, he remained silent. The master chuckled and finally left them alone.
The remainder of the journey was silent until they reached the first town just as the sun had set. The town's night life was very different from Moonvale. It was already dark but the town was still alive. There were many activities going on and Nina's eyes sparkled at the view.
The carriage stop on the side of the road and Mr. C opened the door, "Do you want to go out first and look around, while I go and look for an inn where we can stay?"
"I want to go!" Nina immediately raised her right hand then she hooked her left hand on Astrophos's arms. "I'll go Astrophos here."
"What!?" He looked at the crazy woman. "I don't want to, I'll go with the butler." He snatched his arm back and alighted from the carriage.
Nina raised her brows. She also got down from the carriage, "Alright, suit yourself." She flicked her hair and left without looking back at them.
"The lady already invited you and yet you denied her? You don't have any tact with ladies." Cygnus also came down and shook his head at the man. He gave him a disappointed look before he also left.
"Enjoy the night, master." Mr. C bowed his head then he looked at the man who stood beside him. "Shall we go then Mr. Astrophos?"
The man nodded his head as he sat in front of the carriage with the butler. They went around the town until they finally found a suitable inn, according to Cygnus's taste.
"How will they find us?" He suddenly asked after they got the rooms.
Mr. C looked at him, "They will find us. You don't have to worry, you can go ahead and rest for now."
Since he had nothing to do, Astrophos took Mr. C's advice and went to rest. The butler also went to his room to do who knows what.
Cygnus walked around the town. He took his time to look at the different products they were selling. He even saw some magic items and took time to observe them.
When the shopkeeper saw this, he went to entertain him. "Ah yes young man, are you looking for some good items? Here why don't you look at this side." He gestured to Cygnus's right side where all shiny and brand new things were placed. "These are all items from the capital, rare and can increase your fighting prowess to the max!" He enthusiastically explained.
Cygnus only gave that pile a glance before looking at the oddly looking ones that were in front of him. Seeing that the young man was ignoring him, the shopkeeper frowned. He thought that the man doesn't know how to pick weapons and since he was looking at the cheap stuff, he must have no money.
After looking carefully, Cygnus picked-up a black ring, a rusty bracelet and a dagger that can't be pulled from its scabbard. The shopkeeper lost the smile on his face and glared at the man. He was wearing fine clothes and yet he only bought cheap things.
"How much is this?" Cygnus asked and showed him what he picked. He ignored the shop keeper's frowning face and even waved the items in his hands.
"Give me three silvers," his voice became harsh as he sneered at Cygnus. The price of the items were actually lower than three silvers but he still asked for it nonetheless.
Cygnus patted his pockets and got three silvers. He gave it to the man and took the items before he left. The shopkeeper happily kept the silver coins and went to sit down again.
He continued to walk around when he heard a terrified scream. Cygnus smirked and just left with a hum. In the shop where magic items were sold, a man was trembling while kneeling on the blood covered ground. He was clutching his hand that was suddenly gone and was replaced with only blood that continued to pour out.
He was screaming in pain and the people who came to look around were horrified at the scene. They were covering their mouths and whispering. Luckily, there were some people who were willing to help him. They immediately bandaged the man's hand to try and stop the bleeding but it did not work.
His face slowly turned paler by every minute that they couldn't stop the bleeding. No matter how many ways they tried to stop the bleeding, no way worked. They could only watch as the man slowly lost his breath.
"Such a greedy person," Cygnus mumbled to himself. He then walked away leaving the bloody scene behind.
The death of the man became a mystery to the town and even the authorities who did the investigation never found the cause or the person who caused the death.
