Cannon Fodder To Villainess

🏮13. Finding Nova (Part Four)

Amber finally managed to sit up, when the red carriage up ahead made a sharp turn to the right. The dirt path that they'd been following gradually became wider and she could see some other modes of transportation on the road. Most of the time, people rode a horse-like creature with three eyes or rode in a covered wagon like the one she drove.

They overshot the turn and had to slow down, before they looked for a road that would allow them to turn around. By the time they were able to turn around, the red covered wagon had disappeared into the next town.

She slowed her pace and pulled into traffic as she entered town.

There were beautiful lamp posts on both sides of the street that illuminated the whole area clearly. Strangely swirling little lights continuously broke away from the main light. They seemed like they'd escaped their confines, before traveling around as they pleased, and eventually returned. There were cherry trees planted between the lampposts, covered in mounds of light pink cherry blossoms. Little pink petals floated on the warm night breeze with the full moon glowing from above and the tiny lights dancing. It was truly a breathtaking sight and one Amber wished that she could admire longer.

On both sides of the wide main street were different shops. Tons of pedestrians walked from shop to shop. While other people were pulled in rickshaws with servants chasing after them. The women who were being followed around, were wearing beautiful silk dresses that had an empire waist, while the servants were dressed similarly to Amber. Most of the Ladies had their hair in intricate up-dos with jeweled hair ornaments and the servants had their hair in simple braids. The men were in tight slacks with long tunics or wore ornate robes. Even though it was the middle of the night, business was still going strongly.

Amber looked back and forth along the street for the red carriage, but it was nowhere to be seen. To the right side at the end of the street, there was a three story white stone building with a large balcony, and wrap around front porch. Sitting on tables on that porch were people sitting down enjoying their dinner. There were thick light blue drapes hanging from the windows.

Amber smelled a heavenly scent traveling through the warm breeze coming from the hotel and her stomach growled angrily in response. Ena looked up at Amber from her seat beside her and frowned in concern. Shadow pixie's didn't actually need to eat food like people, they could absorb their nutrients by soaking in moonlight through their skin.

[You need to eat?]

Amber glanced down at Ena. "Yeah, I need to eat, but I need to keep looking for Nova."

[I could look for Nova.] She looked up at Amber, much like an eager dog.

Amber chuckled. "Alright, you look for Nova while I order some food and rent us a room for the night. Once you find her, come back to the hotel, and I'll follow you back to where she is. We'll collect her and then stay here tonight."

[Alright!] Ena grinned and then quickly flew off into the night.

Amber pulled the carriage around to the front of the hotel. A brown haired man wearing a golden tunic, with the emblem of the hotel on his shirt, and tight slacks quickly walked forward and held his hand out to the side curtain of the empty wagon. He stood there for a time while Amber jumped out of her seat and then stood beside him.

"Are you going to park the wagon and put the animal in the stable or are you planning to stand here all night?" Amber said.

"Oh, ah...your master doesn't need a hand?"

Amber's eyes squinted threateningly. "I have no master."

His squinting eyes widened while sweat appeared on his forehead. He took out a handkerchief and patted his face dry. He instinctively felt a threatening chill as his heart rate picked up speed. He cleared his throat and suppressed the feeling of panic threatening to choke him.

An ornate carriage pulled up behind Amber. The short brown haired man glanced at it and then stood up straighter before rushing off towards it, as if Amber were invisible air. As he approached the ornate carriage, he spotted a blonde haired man in a similar outfit, he grabbed hold of that man's arm, and pointed towards Amber.

"Quickly remove that garbage off of the lawn, it's unsightly! Someone allowed their servant to run around wildly. Don't allow the Divine Doctor Denari to see such a thing. Also, don't forget to punish her with a good whipping for speaking rudely to her betters."

The brown haired man looked Amber up and down and sneered, before turning away from her and rushing up to the carriage enthusiastically.

He bowed down in front of the carriage door as a doorman rushed around the side of the carriage and opened the door. A short obese balding man with gray hair, beady dark brown eyes and deep wrinkles on his forehead, wrestled his way out through the carriage door. His overly full white robes with fur trim and necklace of rubies got caught on the door frame before he managed to break free.

After he exited the carriage, three young and beautiful women exited behind him. One each attached themselves to his arms, while the third fluttered around him in frustration; hoping to catch his attention. She acted as if she needed to attach herself to him in some way in order to function properly. Amber pinched her lips together in disgust and then turned back to the carriage as the blonde pest approached her.