Beneath Her Heel
I walked through the empty halls with my hands balled into fists. They needed my heroes?
My heroes? Warriors of the Zionalma Kingdom? To resolve a small city issue?
As if.
And that Kuoúk* made up an excuse so her heroes' time would not be wasted. What about my heroes? They were stronger and better. Their time was the most valuable.
Ugh.
If it wasn't for the First Elder Ojamaris, I would have refused. I would have.
Hornet and that Ava…
Ava, Ava, Ava—the chosen daughter. The daughter I could never be to my father. The perfect one, the golden child, that illegitimate half-blood.
My jaw tightened.
If it weren't for the First Elder, I would never have agreed.
Damn it.
Now how will I tell the others about their new task?
I could barely hold the trio on my own—Noctira, Skarvek, Reaver.
They didn't listen.
They always liked to do what they wanted, and the recent scandal of them beating the new member in the arena—
My temples throbbed.
The wall would break.
Shame it wouldn't silence them.
Leda.
Leda…
I—
I need your guidance.
Leda.
White.
An off-white suit entered the sub-hallway.
Lambit.
I rushed after him into the hall.
"Lambit?"
I called out. His steps came to a halt. He turned around.
"Yes, Lady Solare?"
"Where are those three mouthkama*?"
"I don't know. I have not seen them since yesterday."
"Yesterday? You didn't have breakfast?"
"No. I didn't feel like eating."
Of course he didn't.
I stared at him, feeling pity for him. Silen was his friend in the arena—the only friend he made on Zionalma.
I shouldn't have sent him there.
"Lambit, I need your help."
I walked with a fixed destination in mind. They are always lingering here, chatting as if the world doesn't exist.
Ah–
A flimsy body bumped against me, dropping the things they were carrying while I remained unfazed.
"Watch where you are going," I snickered. Eyeing him up and down, judging him. Black leather jacket, carefree.
Human.
"Right. Perhaps you should also use both your eyes. Or perhaps you are blind," said the man.
My pupils dilated. Did he really dare to talk down to me?
"Watch that tone."
"And you should watch yourself and where you are heading," he muttered, bending down to pick up his belongings. "I have an obstruction blocking my view. What was blocking your sight? Your ego?"
My hands curled—ready to tear through him in a single strike.
Such a lean and flimsy body. One hit would be enough to leave a hole in his body.
A smirk formed on my lips.
"Ego?" I let out a quiet scoff. "You mistake certainty for arrogance, Muktenglin*."
With a scoff, I stepped onto the device—metal cracking beneath my heel.
Humans.
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Zkarna Glossary
Muktenglin (Mukeh-tang-le-ing) — a highly offensive slur word meaning "Mudling."
Kuoúk (Ca-uuk) — an offensive slur targeted towards AVA
Mouthkama (Mukeh-tang-le-ing) — means "muttonhead" in modern terms.