Princess of Silver Sands - Chapter 07
Posted by: Kura in Writing, Princess of Silver SandsPrincess of Silver Sands
Book 01
Chapter - 07 - The Town of Matheda
Chapter Seven
The Town of Matheda
“Second verse! Same as the first! 99 bottles of beer on the wall! 99 bottles of beer!!”
Angel covers her ears with her hands. “Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why-”
The group has been traveling together for a two days now, the town of Matheda now not that far from where they wandered.
The usually quick tempered and unlikable blond had fallen asleep during the journey, her body resting back on Hitsumi whom she shared the saddle with, she not being able to sleep well at nights like the others could and instead had taken to sleeping during the day.
Angel sighs as Echo and the bandits start up another verse. “Why do the towns all have to be so far away from one another!? Why can’t they all be an hour away from each other at the most?”
Echo stops his singing momentarily to answer Angel’s question. “Actually Tachi, Bronze Riverton and Matheda are very close to together, as they often trade resources with one another. Usually towns are many days’ worth of journeys apart from each other.”
Angel freaks at the information he had given her. “NO WAY!!! DAYS!!! If we go all the way to the castle… it might take months!!! That’s MONTHS of me being a danger!!!” She moans slouching in her saddle. “Why couldn’t uncle live closer to me?”
“Stop poking me!” Angel hisses back at Echo.
Hitsumi’s father sighs, a happy look filling his eyes as he once again reminisced about old times. “When Hitsumi was a kid, he hated long journeys as well. He was always whining ‘Daddy I have to go pee!! I can’t hold it!”
A morbid look fills Hitsumi’s face. “… dad…”
His father continues never one to not finish a good story. “Sometimes he would even wet his poor horse.”
Hitsumi’s horse gets a nervous look while Hitsumi tightens his fist, looking ready to hit something. “Dad! I was really, really little then! I’m twenty-four years old now! I don’t act like a kid anymore!”
The bandits all smirk at Hitsumi’s mention of his age, Hitsumi catching onto their laughter as he glares back at them. “What!? You all think I act immature for my age!? I’m probably older then more than half of you morons!”
Hitsumi’s father shakes his head, unlike the other bandits he saw Hitsumi to be a full grown man. “Naw, you’re doing just fine for your age.” He motions over to Li, who’s is leaning against Hitsumi, sleeping soundly.
Hitsumi gets an even more annoyed look on his face. “How many times do I have to tell you!? I want nothing to do with Li!”
Hitsumi nods his head. “She does! Well… the last few times I caught her sleeping or woke her up she was having a-” Hitsumi doesn’t get a chance to finish as Li elbows him in the stomach while shifting nervously in her sleep. “… nightmare…”
Echo nods his head now seeing what it was Hitsumi had been talking. “You’re right… that is odd…”
Hitsumi roughly shakes Li repetitively to bring her back to her senses, not wanting to deal with anymore unwanted pain due to her nap. “Don’t be lazy! I didn’t bring you along to be useless.”
Hitsumi is greeted with the angered morning face of Li. “Piss off…” She stretches her arms and back leaning back and pushing Hitsumi back with her, lying down. “We there yet?”
Hitsumi’s father brings his horse to a stop the group following his actions and stopping the animals they were on as well. He holds his hand out pointing to a town that could be seen far in the distance. “There it is kids, the town of Matheda.” He laughs leaning back in the saddle. “It’s a pretty cozy place if you ask me has some pretty ladies wanderin’ about too, not that you need any more pretty ladies.”
Before long the group arrives in the town, the residents barely paying any notice to the large group of travelers that had just arrived. Echo looks over the inhabitants curiously. “That’s strange… you would think that would find a group this large suspicious and become worried over it.”
Echo looks curious. “Really?”
Angel seems excited to hear this information. “A festival! Sounds exciting!!”
Hitsumi’s father looks turns back to Hitsumi to talk to him. “You’ll probably be staying here for one or two days, at least until we can plot out a good route to the castle in the west kingdom. It’ll be a long journey and it’ll help to know where you’re going.”
A familiar voice interrupts the group, the voice speaking to Hitsumi in an angry growl. “Hit-su-mi…”
Hitsumi stops his horse dead in its tracks, a mortified look filling his face as he slowly turns in the direction the voice had come from. “It can’t be…”
Standing on the side of the road waiting for Hitsumi’s arrival was Ashton and the rest of the group that he had intentionally left behind, Ashton glaring at Hitsumi with a look that could pierce through someone. “So… you though that you could leave me behind did you?”
Hitsumi nervously shakes his head no as he begins waving his arms in front of him in the same fashion to help get the point across. “Ashton… it’s not like that…”
Ashton slowly starts walking up to Hitsumi, his voice still low with its murderous tone. “Stay the night he says… enjoy yourselves, he says, THEN HE GOES AND LEAVES US BEHIND!!” Li falls forward clinging onto the neck of the horse as Ashton grabs onto Hitsumi leg yanking him off of the horse he was on and pinning him to the ground. “Who do you think you are!? For what reason have you decided that we’re not good enough for you!?”
As Ashton is inflicting pain upon the leader that had abandoned him Hitsumi’s father points down to the two with an excited look on his face. “Hey Hitsumi!! It’s your little friend!”
Hitsumi didn’t look as pleased as he father over Ashton showing up. “YA DAD!! I CAN SEE THAT!!”
Hitsumi manages to escape Ashton’s grasp, quickly pulling himself to his feet and running over to Echo gripping onto and pulling on his cape to get his attention. “ASK HIM ABOUT THE BOOK!! ASK HIM ABOUT THE BOOK!!!”
Ashton wraps his arm around Hitsumi’s neck choking and pulling him back. Echo watches them slightly confused, curious as to how a mention of a book would stop the violence. “Uhh… that’s a nice… book you have there…”
Ashton stops beating on Hitsumi his attention now no Echo. “My Book!?” He looks around him wondering how Echo had spotted it. He realizes the pack holding it is open and takes it out running over to Echo. “Thanks for saying so!! This is a special book that can answer any question you ask it. I’ve had it since I was little! It was enchanted by a magical wizard, that’s why it knows so much.” He continues rambling about the book, Echo looking more lost then interested.
Hitsumi’s father watches Ashton as he continues explaining the book with much excitement. “What I tell you Hitsumi? You’re friend’s a geek.”
Hitsumi looks to be in too much pain to really comment on the situation, while Angel has already become enchanted by the small town’s spectacles. “This town looks great!! I want to see what they doing for the festival!”
Hitsumi’s father laughs at her behaviour. Obviously members of the royalty didn’t get out much. “Go ahead and have fun princess, while we take care of finding a good route, so you can go and enjoy yourself.”
Angel is more than happy to oblige. “Oh thank you! You are quite possibly the sweetest bandit I know!” She dismounts her horse running over to Echo and pulling him along with her. “Come on! I need you to come with me as my escort!”
Echo nods his head more willing to go with the princess then he is to stay and listen to Ashton continue to ramble on about his book. “Yes princess!” He jumps off of the back of the pony he is on closely following behind the princess as she begins making her way through the town in delight.
Hitsumi’s father turns back to the other bandits as he begins giving them their orders. “Alright boys, time for the paper work.” He turns to the blonde who looks nervous to be seated on the horse alone she clinging onto and holding her body tightly against the animals neck afraid of falling off. “Li, that means you too.”
Hitsumi painfully pushes himself up off of the ground, his father’s orders more unwanted then Ashton’s attack on him. “Paper work… I hate paperwork…”
Hitsumi stares up at Ashton for a moment, then turns following his father. “Right away Dad! Paper work it is!!”
Ashton growls grabbing onto Hitsumi’s scarf and forcing him to a stop. “Don’t avoid me!”
Hitsumi’s father laughs as he walks his horse over to Ashton, reaching down and patting him on the head. “Even though you’ve grown taller you still look just as sissy as you did when you were a kid!”
Ashton growls glaring back at Hitsumi’s father. “Who do you think-” He stops short when he recognizes Hitsumi’s father. “No way… Dad??? You’re not dead yet?”
Hitsumi father grunts in displeasure. “You ALL underestimate my power.” He walks his horse away from them still grumbling loudly. “If anything you two will be the ones dying, not me!”
Ashton turns back to Hitsumi who was now slowly making his way back to his horse. “What is your dad doing here? I thought his territory was-“
Hitsumi waves his hand motioning for Ashton to stop. “He changed his territory.” He grabs onto his horse’s harness and begins leading it through the city following his dad.
Ashton looks concerned with Hitsumi’s reaction towards his curiosity, he follows behind Hitsumi not wanting to be left in the dark over yet another thing. “Why? What happened?”
Hitsumi looks unwilling to discuss the matter any farther slightly angering Ashton even more. “Hitsumi! Answer me!”
Li jumps off of Hitsumi’s horse, landing in front of Ashton and answering the question Hitsumi was neglecting to. “The Slayer of Bandits.” She then turns and begins following Hitsumi. “He was attacked and defeated by the Slayer of Bandits, the end result being the loss of all of his men, as well as the loss of his territory.”
Ashton looked surprised both by the information as well as the fact that Li was still traveling with Hitsumi when she so obviously wanted to leave before.
Hitsumi stops walking as he stares down at the ground, not sure as to how Li could have possibly learned that when his father had been so reluctant to tell him about it. “Who told you that…?”
“You’re father.” Li walks past him continuing on her way. “He mentioned it when he was talking to me.”
Hitsumi narrows his eyes as he lifts his head up taking his gaze from the ground and glaring over at her. “The Slayer of Bandits… as soon as I’m done escorting the princess… I’m going to find him and I’m going to kill him.”
Ashton shakes his head not believing that Hitsumi could possibly do something as difficult as that. “Hitsumi you’ve never killed anyone in your life. It’s impossible for you to kill a murderer like that.”
Hitsumi glares back at him not like being looked down upon. “What would you know!?”
“It’s impossible for you.” Li looks back at Hitsumi with a cold look on her face. “You’re too weak.”
Hitsumi frowns as he begins walking again leading his horse past her. “I know I’m too weak…”
A shocked look fills Li’s face as she watches Hitsumi pass by her. The bandit who had once boasted about having no competition and being unbeatable was admitting he was weak at the mere mention of the Slayer of Bandits. The cold look leaves her face as she looks to the side somewhat feeling bad over finding a weak spot in Hitsumi’s confidence.
Ashton continues talking still not pleased with Hitsumi’s proposal. “You have absolutely no experience killing someone and you know that you’re no match for him! Yet you’re still going to try and kill him?”
Hitsumi nods his head not changing his mind. “There are some people that disserve to be killed.”
Li turns away from him unwilling to move from her spot. To hear something like that was painful especially when said by someone as gentle and fun loving as Hitsumi. She closes her eyes sighing quietly to herself, painful as the words were they were probably the truth. “Disserve to be killed hu…” She continues following them quietly keeping to herself, not wanting to continue the conversation for any longer then it had already gone on.
*******
Hitsumi and his father’s group were now gathered at a large table at the town’s bar, a map of the four continents spread out upon the table they surrounded, several towns and routs circled, the bandits arguing and talking to one another as they all tried to find the safest routs for Hitsumi and his party to take.
One of the bandits points out an area on the map, a town surrounded by forests. “Sightings of demons have been pretty think around this point.”
Hitsumi’s father nods his head and begins looking else ware on the map. “Then he’ll want to avoid that area at all costs, that’s too bad though… it would have been much shorter that way.”
His father points to another area on the map. “What about this area, does anyone know anything concerning Coal Forest?”
Li looks over at them, she was laying down on one of the benches away from the table picking her teeth with her dagger and not really helping with the mapping process. “No…” She sits up placing the dagger at her side. “They were all killed, they aren’t there anymore.”
The bandit looks back at Li slightly confused. “How would you know this?”
Li glares at the bandit silently not giving him an answer. The bandit looking away from her the blonde’s stare having sent a cold shiver down his spine. Hitsumi’s father nods his head getting back to the work in front of them. “If the bandits are gone like Li says, then Coal Forest is a possibility.”
Ashton slowly shakes his head placing his hand on his forehead. “For god’s sake…” He turns to Hitsumi embarrassed to be someone that knew him right now. “Are we board or something Hitsumi?”
Ashton looks back the map ready to start discussions once again. “Good.”
Li chuckles to herself as she watches him the blond shaking her head at his strange and childlike mannerism. He was most obviously different from anybody she had ever met that was for sure, even if he was the most annoying person on the face of the earth.
Hitsumi’s father points to another area on the map. “What about Marble Falls? Is tha-“
The discussion is again interrupted, this time by the cup that had once been stuck to Hitsumi’s face rolling across the table and map, the glass coming to a stop in front of Hitsumi’s father.
Hitsumi looks from side to side nervously knowing that he was the one that had managed to distract them and cause even more trouble. “It slipped…”
Before the bandits could once again start their discussion they are interrupted yet again, this time by the princess who had come bursting into the bar looking for and spotting them, the young girl immediately running up to Hitsumi upon seeing him grabbing onto his arm and tugging on him to get him to stand up. “Hitsumi I would really like to eat now and I’ve decided on the perfect place! It’s this cute little restaurant not too far from here!”
Hitsumi points back to the other bandits. “I’m kinda busy…” Although he was bored out of his mind Hitsumi could tell that the princess was most likely talking about a fancy restaurant, a type of place he had never been to before and probably wouldn’t do well fitting into.
The princess frowns pouting sadly. “But you have to take me! I’m hungry and I want to go!! And I already reserved a table under your name!”
Hitsumi is unsure of what to say and before he can think of an excuse is interrupted by his father. “Go on Hitsumi you can go with the princess and have fun! We’ll take care of everything here!”
Hitsumi looks back to his father shaking his head no not wanting at all to go to the place that Angel was talking about. Angel pulls Hitsumi out of his chair and behind dragging the bandit across the floor and towards the door, the princess yelling over to his father as she forcefully took Hitsumi along with her. “Thanks for your permission Dad!!”
Hitsumi tries to stop himself from being pulled along by grabbing onto various objects to keep from being pulled. “Hey wait!! What about MY permission!?”
He pushes Hitsumi out of the door with the princess much to Hitsumi disproval. “Just a-”
Ashton slams the door on Hitsumi before he had a chance finish talking, he then turns walking back to the bench Li was sitting on leaning back and taking his seat.
Hitsumi’s dad sighs in relief as he looks to the map on the table getting back to the job at hand. “Now we can work on this without Hitsumi’s interruptions.”
All the bandits nod their head in agreement, all glad that the distraction was finally gone, comments such as, ‘Yeah.’ ‘Finally…’ and ‘Good’ sounding from the voices of the group as they went back to work.
Ashton catches onto Li’s glance and smiles as he lightly elbows her in the shoulder to catch her attention. “Hey you aright with this? I mean the princess just ran off with Hitsumi.”
Li glares over at Ashton the bandit was obviously getting the wrong idea. “Why would I care?” She rolls over staring at the wall in an attempt to ignore any further comments the bandit might make.
Ashton holds his book up opening it to a random page as he always did and smiling at the message the book was giving him. “That’s not what THE BOOK thinks!”
Li growls angrily forcing the book closed and pulling out her dagger holding it at Ashton in a threatening manner, lucky for Ashton the two of them are interrupted by the voice of Hitsumi’s father before any pain could be inflicted upon him. “Hey Geek!”
Ashton frowns knowing that Hitsumi’s father was talking to him, Hitsumi’s dad having always called him a geek when he was a child growing up with Hitsumi. He turns back to Hitsumi father correcting him in an annoyed tone. “ASHTON! It’s Ashton alight!”
Hitsumi’s father waves him off not really caring what the guy was called. “Yeah, yeah, Ashton.” He hands Ashton a pouch filled with money. “Why don’t you get the rooms set up for everyone? We’re going to be staying the night after all, better get the rooms before someone else does and we end up sleeping on the streets.”
Hitsumi’s father turns to Li but before he can speak up Li lays back down on the bench and turns around facing her back towards him. “Don’t even think of asking me to do anything.”
The rest of the bandits laugh while Hitsumi father smiles shrugging his shoulders as he turns away from her and walk back to the table getting back to the job at hand.
*******
“You know Hitsumi.” Angel looks around the restaurant it being one of the better ones she had been to since she had been outside the castle. “Eating at a place like this can defiantly be called one of the finer things in life.” She looks back to him continuing. “But even though this place is nice… it can’t compare to the castle that I grew up in!”
She begins to explain, things so much different for her now then they had been before. “This traveling from location to location is much different then living in a palace you know… nothing is the same really.” She sighs to herself thinking back to her palace life. “Life in a palace is so much cleaner, prettier, safer… so much… better than this.”
Hitsumi smiles at the princess understanding that the two of them had very different views on how ones life should be lived. “I may not live in a castle, but my life isn’t all that bad.” He looks around him finding it hard to imagine a building even more fancy then this. “Our lives are just different that’s all.”
Angel shakes her head not wanting Hitsumi to force himself to settle for less. “That’s because you grew up like this! So you don’t know how just how great life can be.”
Hitsumi frowns looking to the side, because the princess had obviously lived such a fortunate life at the castle it was hard for her to see anything different herself. “I see…” He turns back to the princess not letting the comment get to him too much. “Just how different is it? The life of the royalty compared to the life of a bandit.”
Angel laughs at the question as she brushes her hair from her face. “It’s different! Very different!” She looks down at the table. “Although… sometimes I wish the life of royalty wasn’t so lonely…”
Angel looks to the side talking quietly to him. “Anyone that knew who I was… they were afraid to come near me.” She looks back to him. “Unlike you… you always have so many people around you. Why you must never feel alone at all with all of those people to talk to.”
Hitsumi tilts his head to the side. “Afraid? Why would anyone be afraid of you? You’re not scary at all…” He laughs as he leans back in his chair. “If you want a scary girl then just look at Li! Even though she looks more like a scary boy.”
Angel laughs at the comment Hitsumi had made. “You know… I bet it wouldn’t have been lonely at all if I had always had someone like you to talk to.” She looks back at him with a warm smile on her face. “You know Hitsumi, I think that you should start to become accustom to the more privileged way of life.”
Hitsumi’s attention was half on the princess he looking around at his surroundings. “Why?”
Angel becomes excited as she begins to explain. “Well after taking me all the way to my uncle’s castle unharmed you’ll most certainly receive some kind of grand reward! Probably a position within the royal household! Although it may not be an extremely grand position you would still be within the royalty!”
Hitsumi shakes his head at the thought, although such a pleasured life would be great he was set on hunting down the slayer of bandits after the journey with Angel was completed. Not to mention he didn’t want to give up his freelance life as a bandit just yet. “I really don’t need a reward like that princess.”
Angel looks confused by Hitsumi’s rejection of the idea. “I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t you? Why wouldn’t someone want to leave the style of life that you are right now trapped in? After all, my servants told me that commoners all dream of living the way I do, you can’t tell me that you don’t.”
Hitsumi nervously looks back at her, she being right when she had said that a lot of people could only dream of living the way she did. “I admit that I am guilty of dreaming such things.”
Angel smiles glad to see he understood her. “See! Everyone does. So it’s only fair that you live out those dreams after doing such a difficult task!”
Hitsumi looks down at the table, talking more quietly then usually. “But… if the situation did arise like you say it might… I’m not sure if I would fit in or get used to it… a rich and pampered kind of life…”
Angel smiles back at him like always. “I don’t see that being a problem. After all how hard can it be for one to adapt to a better way og life?” The food arrives before the conversation could be finished both Hitsumi and Angel’s attention being drawn to it. “Finally!! I’m famished!” She picks up her eating utensils ready to eat at any moment. “It looks so good!!”
Hitsumi stares quietly down at the plate the waiter had placed down in front of him. Whatever was on it he was unable to recognize as any food at all he had ever eaten before at all. “What’s this?
*******
While the princess was enjoying her dinner with Hitsumi, Echo had been ordered to stay outside and wait for them. The young wizard laying down beside the building and snoring loudly, the long wait for the princess and Hitsumi having put him to sleep.
The dust around Echo starts to gather lifting into the air swirling in front of him, the dust that had lifted before him forming into the full size image of Siren, the young wizard’s teacher and master.
The image of Siren began to speak to Echo in his usual tone of voice, the elder wizard hoping that Echo’s mission was going as planned. “I trust you have found and are carrying for the princess Echo?”
Echo answers the great wizard with a rather large snore, the dust image of his master glares down at him when he realizes that he is asleep. “You useless…” He begins yelling in an attempt to wake the sleeping boy up. “Wake up and listen to me at once!”
Echo quickly wakes from the angered yelling voice as he jumps to his feet and holds his staff in front of him defensively as he looks from side to side. “What happened!? Who’s yelling!?” He then spots Siren’s image near him and he quickly falls to the ground bowing to him. “Master! It’s you!!” He sits up looking back up at him. “When did you get here…?” He becomes nervous not sure of how long he had been sleeping. “You haven’t been here long have you…?”
Siren glares down at Echo in an annoyed manner having not expected to be have found Echo in such a lazy and useless state. “Stop sleeping on the job! What if the princess were to get attacked whiles you are sleeping!?” A look of shock fills the wizards face as he realizes yet another problem. “Why are you not in your owl form!? You are a wizard!!! You stand out too much when you walk around like that!!! Change into an owl right now!”
Echo shakes his head no really not wanting to change back into an owl at all. “I don’t want to be an owl! Dogs bark at me until I drown and cats try and eat me!” He nervously looks back to Siren hoping that this wouldn’t be too much of a problem. “I’d rather look like a human if that’s alright with you.”
Siren looks confused by Echo’s words not really understanding what Echo meant by dogs drowning him. He looks around Echo again, his expression becoming even more angered but what it was he saw, or actually didn’t see at all. “Where is the princess!? Why is she not with you!?” He glares down at Echo accusingly. “You lost her!”
Echo shakes his head no as he quickly tries to explain it being nothing like that. “No, no, no! I’m with the princess! She’s just not right beside me at the moment.” He squeaks in fear as Siren’s glare becomes even more raged. “She may not be directly by my side but I assure you that the princess is perfectly fine. She’s just eating dinner with the bandit named Hitsumi, she asked for me to stay out here in wait.”
The look on Sirens face became even redder and more enraged then Echo had ever seen it before, the old wizard practically exploding at this information. “WHAT!? Hitsumi the infamous river bandit!? Are you out of your mind!? What is wrong with your head!? Did you fly into a window again!?”
Echo shakes his head. “No I’m perfectly fine! And so is the princess. Everything’s alright master so please don’t worry so much over it.”
Siren looks as if he was going to start yelling at him again, the wizard clenching his fists as he tried to keep his mouth shut, his eyes looking like they were going to pop right out of his dark red face. He takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly and calming himself down knowing better then to act in such a way. He looks back down at Echo, accepting the situation as it was. “Very well Echo… I trust your judgment.” He sighs shaking his head.
Echo seems surprised. “Oh really? You think it’s okay?”
The wizard’s voice again rises. “OF COURSE I DON’T!!” The anger again overcomes him as he continues yelling at Echo. “ARE YOU INSANE? LEAVING THE PRINCESS WITH A BANDIT! HITSUMI THE RIVER BANDIT NONE THE LESS! WANTED IN CONNECTION OF THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE-”
“Please master!” Echo nervously looks over the group of people Siren’s yelling had attracted everyone staring at Echo and the dust image before him in disbelief and confusion. He talks quietly to Siren not wanting to put on any more of a show. “You’re yelling is attracting a lot of attention…”
The image of his master turns around spotting all the people watching them. He waves his staff in the air at them now taking his anger out on them. “What are you looking at!? Do you people not have work or chores to be attending to! Get lost!!”
Echo quickly gets to his feet not wanting anymore trouble to be caused. “Please master!!” He swings his staff in front of him cutting through the dust image and blowing the gains of sand everywhere, cutting and ending the magic link his master had made with him and preventing him from making an even larger scene then he had already done. He sighs as he leans back against the building he had been sleeping in front of only a moment ago, watching the people who were continuing to stare at him. “And he yells at me for attracting too much attention…”
Ashton pushes his way through the crowds of gawking people stopping in front of Echo and questioning him on what he had heard. “What was all the noise about around here?” He looks around him curiously. “I thought I heard an old drunk man yelling at someone… but there’s no one but you here.”
Echo sighs as he looks over to the side, the wizard looking rather upset with having been yelled at and didn’t look to be in the mood to talk about the matter. “The noise was just my master checking in… he was just a little mad at me.”
Ashton nods his head knowingly. “Siren hu?”
Echo looked back at Ashton puzzled not remembering having ever mentioned Siren’s name to him. “How did you know the name of my master?”
Ashton frowns as he thinks the question over. “I don’t know myself… maybe Angel mentioned it to me.”
Echo looks back down at the ground. “Maybe…”
Ashton laughs as he pats Echo on the back in an attempt to cheer him up. “Well when you’re as old as Siren I guess you get eccentric.”
Echo sighs as he looks up at the darkening sky it being his dream to one day be as powerful as his master and from what he knew, such power came with age. “I can only dream of being so magnificently old.”
Ashton stares quietly at Echo for a while. He shakes his head reaching into his pocket. “I think I heard you wrong…”
Echo smiles as he places his hand on his chin. “Then I’ll have a beard too! I’ve always wanted a beard!”
Ashton laughs at Echo’s comment, something like that not going to happen for a LONG time, he remember the reason he had come to Echo in the first place, the bandit reaching into his pocket and pulling a key from it, holding it out to and handing it to Echo.
Echo curiously looks over the key that Ashton had given to him. “What’s this for?”
Ashton points to the number on the charm attached to the key. “That’s the key to the princess’s hotel room. Since you’re her royal guard I assume that you will be staying with her.”
Echo nods his head that being correct. “Yes sir.”
Ashton smiles as he clasps his hands together. “Good, good! Well then, now that that is done I’ll see you later. Hitsumi’s father and the others have probably started eating without me while I’ve been doing this stupid errand. He never waits when it comes to food.” He waves to Echo before turning to leave returning to the bar the other bandits had been doing their mapping in.
Echo sighs as he looks down at the key, still a little upset over how angered his master had gotten with him. “The princess’s royal guard… At the rate things are going I probably won’t be her royal guard for much longer.” He lowers his head the facts upsetting to him. “If things continue to end up like this Siren will surely have me replaced.”
