Beautiful Lovers

9.

"So, you need to get across, eh?"

Old, wrinkly woman with dark skin with a suspicious gaze and big, brown eyes and waved her cane, nearly hitting Juliette. The girl moved away, but the dwarf which was walking past them didn't avoid the hit. He mumbled something, but the woman only waved him away. A cloth that was hiding a woman's boldness and poverty of a wandering merchant was pale and its edges were torn. Nevertheless, if you looked into her eyes, you would see the humour and wittiness and a little bit of mischief, that aged into elegancy.

"Yeah... I want to get to know – the world." Juliette tried to imitate the woman's accent and wording, so she would not sound too rich, but there was a reason why they screamed at her during spy lessons more than usually. But during lessons of self-defence, she was yelled at only sometimes. Juliette was a little proud of the fact, though she was not fond of anyone in that palace. Well. That is not entirely true.

t over to avoid her. She could swear that when the woman turned around, she heard a giggle.

"Kiddo?" Juliette watched the woman confusedly and then walked over to the carriage.

Lalis was a grumpy looking Animaius. His cat-like ears were big, furry and soft as fresh coal and his eyes were blazing with boredness and yellow just as the Ghatus uniforms. He was dressed in a red suit, which seemed surprisingly expensive with the golden stitching as the principals wore in circuses. Juliette didn't remember the last time she saw the circus. They were popular among the aristocracy as if it wasn't enough that the poor gave them what they owned already, they had to take their pride. Lalis watched her too, however, he didn't say anything. Because wherever you looked you would not find a mouth. Animaiuses didn't have any. They communicated with others by their eyes and facial expressions. Juliette never understood how come she never met an Animaius that would blink normally. They always seemed so terrifying. Lalis sat with a heavy sack of gold in his lap, while Juliette is searching in her own to pay for the ride in the caravan of merchants, musicians and wanted people. Golden coins clinked when Juliette let them fall into Lalis's sack. But he only gazed at her with a bored look and raised his eyebrows. Juliette sighed in defeat and gave him the whole sack. Animaius blinked, satisfied and his long, patient gaze seemed a little lovelier. Juliette chuckled and carefully got into the carriage. Animaiuses always seemed quite nice to Juliette, though they were a little scary because only a gaze told the girl what hours of talking could not. Perhaps that is one of the reasons she fancied reading other beings. She wanted to see more than they let on.

Nevertheless, the girl knew that when the black-furred Animaius will find out that the gold will disappear the moment the magic wears off, he will want to say a lot.

Juliette sat on the ground covered with hay. She barely fit in between the Animaius with a very pale skin, which stared into space and by the scent of a wolf, which had her face covered in by a cape. When Juliette made herself comfortable between them carefully, she saw how from the shadows of the cape the wolf breathed in and flinched. The girl felt the wolves gaze and smiled. They seemed similar. They were both not ready to die in the world that demanded their bloody hearts. Though Juliette did not know her reason. The whistle of the guards that let the caravan through and the carriage beginning to move told the girl that the first step of her plan was done, though when it is all done, she does not know what she will do... Juliette was not ready to think about that. The wolf and Juliette looked away from each other and the girl looked at the talkative pair across them.

"d' you know?" the words were not easy to overhear when the cluttering of wheels against the stone. And though they were not very interesting, Juliette's paranoia told the girl to listen.

"That the king d' that? No, but I ain't surprised. Ya'd heard the rumours 'bout the dead kids that wer' carried out of the fores' of Oblivion." commented the half-blooded vampire and Juliette's heart skipped a beat. On a hot day, it was very easy to smell someone's fear in the air so Juliette closed her eyes and pretended that she is sleeping, so she could relax. Because she knew that what the vampire said was certainly not just a rumour. The blade of guilt stabbed her heart, nevertheless, she listened still.

"T' least t' wasn't us who burnt." the demon chuckled. Juliette thought how rather selfish his words were. How could she blame him, however? In the world where instead of love, kindness and affection was taught guilt, anger and fear, who could ever dare to expect more?

"Ya'r' probably 'ight. Someone should kill 'im befor' he kills us." said the vampire to himself, but his companion shushed him. Juliette felt his terrified gaze wandering around.

"Ya can't jus' say tha'. What 'f someone hears you? Don' you remember what' happens to thos' who talk about th' king? They'll kill you and th' bastar' gets everythin' you got." the demon hissed. He was right. Juliette could think about the former king whatever she wanted, but he was smart. His laws and reforms made sure that everyone in Amichemin will be cruel and betrayed. If you would receive everything that the traitor has in the world that power has a golden tint, you would do too. Even if it was your friend with whom you travel and with whom you talk to in a carriage of traitorous beings.

"D't worry. It'll be fine. Ya know, I heard rumours. That in th' mountains of Wolf Fur are revolutionists. They say that they are ready t' tear the Amichemin t' get t' th' king." Juliette noticed that as the conversation went along, they were not careful with their voices. The wolf next to her certainly heard them by the way she smirked uglily and then frowned deeply. However, if she wanted to report them, she didn't show it. They had to be going straight from the forest of Oblivion, because otherwise they would see the restrictions the freshly crowned king made. They would see how the beings of Amichemin are captured by the Ghatus's guards without any hesitant breath. Juliette opens her eyes and watches the pair and how they are move in the small carriage.

"You're lying. Really? That would be great. At least some hope." said the demon with a fake smile.

Juliette frowned at him, but he was deep in thought, while his fingers touched his chin. The girl looked him over. He really resembled Paris, but while the mad eyes were elegantly coloured with ink, the demon's eyes reminded her of the blackness of blood that was nearly maniacal. Juliette knew however that this look didn't belong to demons. It was an illness that for the last few years flew over Amichemin as a plague.

"Oh, this naïve vampire. Too proud to choose his friends wisely." Juliette didn't need a prophet to see the bloody card of death on his Fate.

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Would you like to live in Middway? Well, let's see if we ever will have to dream about it.

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