Chapter 4; Amari

Unknown(Young Female merchant) “Are you going to buy anything or just stare all day?”

Unknown(Young Female merchant) “If you’re not gonna buy anything, leave, you’re disrupting my business…”

Amari “Ahh… I’m sorry…”

5 minutes later;

Unknown(Fat Male Merchant) “Did something get your interest?”

Amari “I… Uhhhh… Just looking…”

Unknown(Fat Male Merchant) “Hmmm? Look, if you don’t have any money, I can think of different methods of payment for a darling such as yourself…” he spoke while licking his lips, gawking at Amari.

Amari “I’m sorry…” Amari responded with a small bow, as she constantly backed off.

5 minutes later;

Unknown(Older male merchant) “Would you like to test some of daddy’s cheese before buying anything?”

Amari(Confused/Concerned) “I’m…. sorry?”

Unknown “Daddy’s cheese? My store darling, *He points at the banner of the stall, which indeed was displaying a “Daddy’s cheese” logo* I’ve got a few samples right here…”

Amari “Ohhhh! I’m sorry, I thought… Nevermind… *She picks up one of the samples* What type of cheese is this?”

Unknown(Older male merchant) “That’s goat cheese, darling…”

Amari “Is it? *Sniff, Sniff, Sniff* It has an unusual smell…”

Unknown(Older male merchant) “That’s because daddy added his secret ingredient, have a taste, tell me how it is,” the old man urged her to taste with a devious smile on his face.

Amari “*Bite* Uhhhmmm…. *Bite*.... Ahhhhh…. It has an unusual taste… It’s salty…. a little bit more warm, then other cheese… *Lick finger* I think I like it…”

Unknown(Older male merchant) “Here, on the house,” the old man said as he already prepared a large amount of cheese for her.

Amari “Ohhhh, thank you… But I need to buy something else today, yet I’m definitely intrigued. Please forgive me, I can’t take it with me today. It will go bad as I browse through the town and that will be a waste of food and your hard work ....”

Unknown(Older male merchant) “I’ll put it on the side, In case you’ll change your mind,” the old man puts the packed cheese at the back of the stall.

Amari bids farewell to the old man and leaves the market area.

Amari(Thinking) “Were all the people really like this before? Was I too blind? Did I not notice it? Usually, no one really made snide remarks at me before… Of course… there were glances every now and then… But, something is different now… That… merchant, just saying that in broad daylight in front of me… not to mention Lara… Ahhhh… Lara… Why would you do such a thing? Why do that to Dolfo? And your daughter… Do you not love your family anymore? What changed? Ahhhh…. Lara… What happened to you? And that soldier… killed off in broad daylight, by Agatha? Why? Why would she do this? Did she do it? If so, why run away from the other five? And just kill the one… which had an enormous…. *Amari gets slightly aroused thinking about it* No... No... Did he attempt to…. and she stopped him…. ? Serves him right then…. or does it? Was it too much? Arghhhh….. Too many questions… Ahhh! That’s… Liam…”

Amari carefully stops a few meters behind Liam, who seemed to be talking to someone at the entrance of a dark alley, Amari carefully approaches, hiding in the crowd, attempting to listen in on his conversation.

Amari(Thinking) “He’s the best lead I’ve got in finding this blasted thing… I need to know what he’s up to…”

Liam “Does your father’s **** inspire no feelings within you? He was killed, after all…. At the very least try to look a little bit more saddened…”

Unknown “Yes… It bothers me to no end….”

Liam “Does it, now….”

The girl turns her back at Liam and attempts to leave within the dark alley.

Liam “Is that perhaps…. because… you were unable to kill him yourself?”

She turns around.

Unknown “No….”

A few seconds later;

Liam “That’s a face I didn’t expect to see again, today,” Liam spoke in a tender tone, tapping Amari on the shoulder.

Amari(Startled) “Ahhh… Hello…”

Liam “What brings you all the way up here?”

Amari “Just waiting for a friend…”

Liam “The one that was with you earlier, in the woods?”

Amari “Ahhh.. Yes, that’s the one…”

Liam “Hmmmmhh…. Care to help me with something as you wait for your friend?”

Amari “Uhmm… I’m not sure…”

Liam “Look, I’ve got a funeral to prepare and this to put up by tonight,” Liam said as he showed Amari a large amount of papers that he was holding.

[Wanted; Alive; 2 Gold Coins]

Amari(Thinking) “That’s…. Agatha…”

Liam “That’s of of course unless… You’ve got anything to tell me that will make my job easier…”

Amari(Thinking) “Wait! This is actually good, I can just browse around everywhere, putting up these posters and nobody will think twice to bother me or ask why I’m there…”

Amari(Determined) “No, I’ve told you before… *Amari grabs the posters from Liam* I’ve got nothing to hide.”

Liam “Good, you’ll need this as well…” Liam said as he handed her a bucket of paint.

Liam “I’ll come tomorrow morning at your Inn, with the payment,” Liam spoke with a smile on his face, waving goodbye to her.

Amari(Biting her nails/Thinking) “Arghhhh! What did I do…. Hopefully she finished that spell….”

A few hours later;

Mia “Auntieee!”

Amari(Startled) “Ahhh! Mia! *She grabs hold of Mia’s hands, tenderly* How are you doing? I haven’t seen you in so looong…”

Mia “I’m good! Look! Look!” She spoke with a bright smile on her face, twirling around.

Amari “It suits you so well!”

Mia “Thank you, auntie!” She spoke, smiling from ear to ear.

Amari is quickly reminded of Lara’s actions, as she looks at the bright smile on Mia’s face.

Mia(Heavily concerned) “What is it? Auntie? Are you okay?”

Amari “Ahhh… It’s nothing.. “ She said as she brushed off with the palm of her hands, a small tear that was dropping on her cheek.

Mia(Concerned) “Are you sure? You don’t look okay….”

Amari(Attempting to put on a smile) “I’m fine baby…” Amari spoke in a caring tone, brushing Mia’s cheek.

Unknown “What’s this?” A man spoke, from behind Mia.

Mia “Ahhh! Auntie! I forgot to introduce you, this is Alistor,” Mia spoke in a happy manner as she went behind Alistor pushing him forward in front of Amari.

Alistor “That’s master Alistor…. to you…”

Mia “Shuush, now! This is my auntie, Amari! But I call her Mari!”

Amari “Pleasure to meet you, sir,” Amari spoke, with a small bow, noticing the emerald sigil that he had embroidered in his clothes, which meant that Alistor was either a high noble or one of the few Magisters at the Academy.

Alistor grabs one of the posters that Amari was putting up.

Alistor “I’m guessing you’re the one responsible for all of this?”

Amari “Sir, I… Uhhh… was tasked by the guards to….”

Alistor “Tuchh…. Always the same isn’t it? Our kind hunted down like animals….”

Mia “Alistor…. Please…. I’m sure auntie has nothing to do with…”

Alistor(Annoyed) “Mia… do I need to remind you, who’s side are you on?”

Mia “Uhmm… No… But…”

Amari “I… Uhhh… I’ve got nothing to do with this, sir, please under…”

Alistor “Yeah, of course you don’t, let me tell you something, Mari, *He spoke her name sarcastically* the greatest evil in this world is the indifference of good people…”

Mia “Okay, okay, let’s calm down…”

Amari “I’m sorry if I offended you sir… I…”

Alistor “*Spits at Amari’s feet* You’ve got nothing to be sorry for, royal lapdog…”

SLAP!

Mia, as forceful as she could, slaps Alistor right on his cheek, immediately followed by her grabbing one of Amari’s posters, putting it up herself.

Mia “DON’T YOU EVER INSULT MY AUNTIE! IS THAT CLEAR!?”

Alistor, noticing that the entire population of the market stopped in place, looking at them, he didn’t want to escalate the situation.

Mia tightly hugs Amari.

Mia “I’m sorry auntie! I’m sorry! I promise he’s not a bad person! I’m sorry!”

Amari “It’s okay baby… I’m used to… Uhhh…”

Mia “Bleah! I’m not talking to you until you apologize to my auntie!”

Alistor “Not talking to me, Mia… Achhhhhh!”

Alistor stumbles and falls on the ground, hitting his head on one of the stalls, which seemed odd as he didn’t take any steps.

Mia “Tehehehhehe! Serves you right!”

Mia bids Amari farewell, still laughing at Alistor, before leaving.

A few moments later;

Cassian “What did she do?” Cassian asked, looking at the posters Amari was putting up.

Amari “Ahhh… Cassian? I’m not sure… I just put up the posters…”

Cassian “Hmmmphh… I’m sure I’ve seen her before… Yes! Earlier today…”

Amari “Did she pass through here?”

Cassian “Yes, the soldiers… Uhmmm…. they were hunting her…. Ahhh…. And….” Cassian spoke as he attempted to recollect the events from his memory.

Amari(Intrigued) “Anything else… that might’ve happened…. you can tell me…” Amari spoke in a tender and caring voice, gently placing her hand on Cassian’s shoulder.

Amari(Thinking) “What am I doing… trying to use my charm on this kid… I’m an old woman for christ’s sake…”

Cassian “HeHeeeHhee… So you did want to touch my muscles… how are they feeling? Good right…”

Amari(With a slight twitching eye) “Yes… very manly… Did anything else happen?”

Cassian “Hmmpphh… She stumbled around here.. somewhere.... and fell to the ground…”

Amari “Around here, you say….” Amari said as she looked around, forgetting that she was still caressing Cassian’s arm.

Amari(Thinking) “She fell around this area… at the blacksmith’s forge… If she fell… then… it is safe to assume that she dropped it around here… this is my best lead so far… But what if Cassian or Karan found it? How would I just go about this…Just simply asking, Hey did you happen to find a magical gemstone around this area? That’s really dumb not to mention it will lead to other problems… Liam is smart… he probably knows that Agatha is not what the crown wants, but what she has in her possession, the gemstone itself… hence why she needs to be captured alive… but how do I go about this… browsing through their home… in case they found it.. without giving myself away…”

Cassian “Are you okay?” Cassian asked, placing his hand on Amari’s lower back.

Amari “*Removes his hand* Ahhh… Earlier you said that you can teach me your craft, right? I have a few minutes to spare, if you want…”

Cassian(Excited) “Really!? Come! Come!” He spoke as he forcefully grabbed Amari by the hand and dragged her with him.

Amari “Is your father not around?”

Cassian “No, he went to the tavern, he usually does that after…”

Amari “I see… I see… Don’t need to continue…”

Cassian “Come… a word of warning… I get a little bit excited when talking and doing this… sit… sit…” Cassian spoke in an excited tone, pulling up a chair for Amari.

Amari looks to her right, to a small cabinet filled with wooden figurines, carved by hand, she starts to walk towards the cabinet, intrigued as she never saw something like this before.

Cassian(Slightly proud) “You like them? I made them myself…”

Amari(Slightly in awe) “Yes, these are astounding… you have amazing talent…”

Cassian(Whispering) “Unlike your deadbeat son….”

Amari “What’s this one?” Amari asked as he noticed that one of the figurines was still “in production so to speak* carved only half of it, yet it wasn’t the only thing that struck her, from down and upwards, the figurine had the same clothes as she usually did.

Cassian “Ahhhhhh! That’s nothing! *He quickly grabs the figurine, hiding it behind him* It’s not finished!”

Amari “Ohhh… okay? So… how are we gonna do this?” Amari asked, as she sat down, placing her paint bucket on her right side of the table with the papers.

Cassian hides the figurine, brings a few wooden samples and knives, pulls up a chair, sitting at Amari’s left.

Cassian “It’s all in the movement of the hand, the amount of pressure added, the precision of the cut… Arghhhhh!” Cassian let out a moan as he carved through the wood.

Cassian “Like that, follow my movement on your sample…”

Cassian “Ahhhh! Yeah… Right there… Ughhhh… To the left a little bit….”

Amari “Uhmmm… Like this, right?”

Cassian “Ahhhh.. No, not like that, slowly, more gently….”

Amari “Ahhhh! Ughhhhh!... Arghhhh…. It’s reallly… Hurghhhddd…”

Cassian “Let me show you *Cassian places his hands upn Amari’s,* you’ve got really tender hands…” Cassian said as he stood up, coming at Amari's right side.

Amari(Thinking) “He’s so forceful… and his hand… is so rugged and manl… No… I’ve seen way too many weird things today… Don’t get riled up… just because… his touch is so heavy… No….Snap out of it!”

Amari “Uhmmm… Thank you?”

Cassian “See, up and down, applying **** with each stroke of the hand on the shaft, that’s the stuff… Uhuummmm… look how hard and satisfying is looking compared to before…”

Amari “I… Uhh… Arghhhh… More slowly… please…Arghhh…”

Cassian “You’ve got a knack for this, I’ve never met a woman to be so forceful with it yet so gentle and caring…”

Amari “Likheee Thhhhiss, righhht?”

Cassian “Ohhh! Yeahhhh! That’s the stuff…”

The wooden floor from outside the room, creaks.

Cassian “What was that!?!” Cassian, startled by the sound, hits the paint bucket from the table, the paint drops on Amari.

Amari “Achhhhhh!”

Cassian “Ahhhh! I’m so sorry!”

Cassian grabs his shirt from underneath and starts, wiping off the paint from Amari’s chest.

Amari(Aroused/Thinking) “Uhmmm, what the hell is he doing… Arghhhh…. Touching me so…. Ohhhh! I’m starting to…. Ahhhh!”

Cassian “You’ve really got some nice udders, soft... and ripe for milking... cow…”

Engrossed by Amari’s bosom, touching it for the first time, caressing them, seeing the pleasure in Amari’s eyes as he did so, Cassian snaps revealing his true self.

Upon hearing his words, Amari instantly slaps his hand off.

Amari(Annoyed) “What the hell do you think you’re doing!?”

Amari grabs her papers and immediately rushes off the door.

Amari(Fidgeting) “Uhuumm… Ahhh? Rian?”