"I do not know what you are saying."
Sorafi took quick strides over her desk to Sereughe. Her hands were placed above her stomach in a noble manner.
"Moreover, the store is just about to close. Please, leave."
Sorafi gestured with her open hand to the door. Seeing how evasive the woman was, Sereughe sealed her mouth tight and stood in front of the door. All she had to do was grab the doorknob and leave, and then Sorafi would finally be able to breathe. However, Sereughe twisted the door's lock and resolutely faced Sorafi.
"Unfortunately, Sorafi, I am not playing games," Sereughe remarked.
"So am I, miss," Sorafi instantly countered. "I do not know your intentions, but let me make things clear for you. I am not talking about Nepherim."
Sorafi wanted no more of Sereughe's probing. To be honest, Sorafi did not sense any ill intent coming from Sereughe. She knew she was a genuine person from the moment she entered. Yet, having to talk about Nepherim was something she told herself she would not do, in order to move forward in her life.
"Please, Miss Sorafi." Sereughe made an advance towards Sorafi, to which she evaded. "I just need a piece of information about my father."
Sorafi paced the aisles of her tiny store, her footsteps becoming more restless the longer she tried to shake off Sereughe. No matter how many turns she took, Sereughe remained unbreakable in following her shadow. Her customer just won't go away!
A few more twists and turns, Sereughe's pursuit finally vomes to an end, with Sorafi backed into a corner. Sorafi's breath caught as she realized that there was no escaping this conversation.
"Then, just answer one question of mine."
If Sereughe couldn't get a generous amount of information, she might as well get one, which was better than nothing.
"That depends on how much danger it could put me in if I ever give you an answer," Sorafi replied.
Sereughe had only one chance, and so she carefully pondered over and over, picking a question that would grant her the most clues.
"Well then," Sereughe gulped. "How do I get into Nepherim, legally or illegally?"
Sorafi raised an eyebrow.
"Legally, you'll need an invitation from a resident nobility. Illegally... you can't."
Sereughe tilted her head to the left, her eyebrows meeting.
"I can't? For sure, there are ways—"
"No." Sorafi heaved a deep sigh. "You will be dead before you even take 10 steps inside. They can detect your every move."
Sereughe stood frozen, her brows furrowed, and her eyes not making a single blink. Her mind was tangled in a web of questions.
"Well, then how can I avoid being detected, and who is even doing the detecting?" Sereughe followed up.
"That's question two and three. I won't entertain you anymore."
Sorafi placed her palms behind Sereughe, pushing her to the door with all her might. Sereughe leaned towards Sorafi, putting her weight against the direction she wanted.
Sereughe uttered more questions, which Sorafi only received as a babble of words. With enough willpower, Sorafi broke through her limits and even pushed Sereughe three steps outside the door.
"We're closed."
Sorafi slammed the door shut in Sereughe's face. With the hat in her hand, she sloppily walked back to Jelly, who was neighing nonstop the moment she saw her.
"I take it back. One question is not enough," she muttered to herself.
One by one, the light closed off. With it came the fading bustle in the lane, leaving only the whistles of the evening breeze. Not to be tricked, people were not leaving that lane to go home, but most likely to that one lane with the famous alcohol. A soft, frustrated sigh escaped from Sereughe's lips.
"I'll just come back tomorrow," she thought.
Just as Sereughe swung her right foot into the stirrup and began lifting herself onto Jelly, the horse reared, its forelegs shooting skyward. With her foot still caught in the stirrups, Sereughe was yanked downward by the force of gravity. Jelly let out a wild cry as Sereughe shrieked sharply with the impact of her back clashing against the steel-hard ground.
"JELLY!" Sereughe exasperated.
However, Sereughe's voice was overwhelmed by Jelly's frantic, continuous neighing. The horse kept rearing. Oblivious to the danger she posed, her hooves heaved up and down, almost stomping down on her owner.
Sereughe rolled sideways before her stomach got crushed. Her eyes scanned for anything that might have caused Jelly's agitation and saw a hunchbacked old woman pulling on her beloved horse's tail.
"Hey!" Sereughe pushed herself up. "Don't touch my Jelly!"
Sereughe lunged toward the old lady. The lady was old and appeared to be disabled, so Sereughe calmed herself down. There was no way she was going to hurt someone weaker than her.
Her hand caught the lady's hand with only the intention of pulling it away from the tail. Surprisingly, the hunchback made a bold move, slapping her hand so hard it turned the color of a tomato, and pulling the tail of the horse harder.
"Jelly? Since when did this stubborn horse get named Jelly?" the old lady spoke in her crusty, withering voice.
Sereughe could only soothe her hand with a slight massage. She was about to attempt a second time, but the gaze of the woman was enough for her to retreat.
Under the hood she was wearing, the woman kept her gaze steady in front. She wasn't even looking at her, nor did she seem to acknowledge her authority over the horse. Her stature might be small, but the quiet air that spiraled around her had an intensity Sereughe couldn't penetrate.
"Listen here, young miss. This horse is not yours." The hunchback finally stopped pulling on Jelly's tail, making Sereughe sigh in relief. "I shall take her back with me."
Sereughe's jaw dropped. She was too stunned to speak that she didn't even halt the old lady in her tracks. The old lady had surprising strength—she didn't even need the stirrups to get on the saddle.
Sereughe's eyes shifted back and forth from the stern old hunchback lady to Jelly, who was looking at her with doe eyes. Sereughe pouted in resistance and hugged Jelly around her neck.
"You'll have to go through me first before you can take her," Sereughe defied.
The old lady only raised her eyebrow before kicking Jelly on the side, making her stand on her hind legs again. Sereughe's strength was not enough for her to keep holding onto Jelly while hanging in the air.
Sereughe slumped back to the ground, this time her forehead suffering from the impact. The old lady prompted Jelly to set off already, and Sereughe couldn't do anything. Her vision blurred, but the glare in her look did not fade.
"I swear I am going to find that old lady, bring Jelly back, and kick her in the bum," Sereughe thought.
Before she could even set that into motion, she had to take care of herself first.
As if the pain and blurry sight weren't enough, her stomach also hurt, and she could not bring herself to sit up. As pathetic as she looked, there was no one in the area at the moment, so it didn't matter.
She decided that once the pain subsided, that was when she would get up. Yet, a hand grasped her hair and pulled her head up. How great.
"Oww!" Sereughe exclaimed.
Sereughe locked eyes with a familiar figure, yet her blurry vision rendered her unable to recognize him. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" the man said.
Sereughe pursed her eyes tightly.
"Listen, mister. I don't know who you are, but my world is really spinning hard right now."
Sereughe didn't care about him anymore. She just wanted to be relieved of the pain.
"Why don't you heal yourself? Like what you did with the deer?"
Now, her world stopped. It took some time to process what she had just heard, but the moment she got the results, her gaze stretched in a haunting realization.
She was about to look at the face of that man, even with her vision worsening. Even so, the man's grip on her was too strong to counter. She was about to utter a word when the man freed her suffering hair. Sereughe massaged her hair for a few seconds before abruptly sitting up. Her eyes found the position where the man had been, but he was no longer there.
Sereughe's gaze darted around, not even blinking for a second. She saw the man walking away, and the distinct aura on him made her shiver and feel curious at the same time.
She wanted to shout at him, to catch his attention and bring him back to her, but he didn't seem to be a gentleman who would do that.
Sereughe felt her head getting light and her legs unusually weak. She wanted to stand, but her legs had already given out. Her focus wavered before she lost consciousness entirely.