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24. The blue star

The dark blue haired man, just as the table and the chairs before, seemed to just pop out of thin air.
He landed on the chair opposite Fharan and took a quick look around, completely relaxed.
Then he focused his attention on Fharan and appeared to be slightly taken aback.

"Your highness, if I may be so bold to say, seems to be coping rather well with the sudden relocation.", the stranger commented and a slight smirk appeared on his lips.
Fharan stared at him questioningly.
"Considering the fact that I don't seem to be able to do much about the 'sudden relocation', as you put it, I do not see the point of how falling into a state of hysteria would benefit me.
And if I may add, your behaviour doesn't strike me as one of a classic kidnapper either.", he replied calmly and leaned back into his seat.
The other laughed.
He slightly leaned forward after he had calmed down, letting his arms rest on the table.
"A peculiar view on things. So completely rational,.. scary.
And I guess you are not wrong."
He chuckled.
"But where are my manners?
Is there anything I could offer you to make you feel more comfortable?
Tea perhaps or biscuits?"

The words had just left the strangers lips as said things materialized before him.
"No, thank you.", Fharan declined.
"Maybe cake?", the stranger asked and the table seemed to expand, making space for not only cakes but all kinds of pastries.
The former prince only shook his head.
"I'm not very fond of sweets."
He observed how the others smile dimmed a bit.

"Too bad."
With a small wave of his hand everything except the tea disappeared again, at the same time the table reverted to his original size as well.
Time passed and neither of them spoke.
Due to the unusual nature of their surroundings, it was hard to tell exactly how long they had been sitting in silence, observing each other, before the man opened his mouth once more.

"I find your patience fascinating. Wouldn't one normally want to know as much as possible in situations like this?"
Fharan lifted a brow and reached for the teacup in front of him.
'Saiidi, interesting.'
He added a bit of sugar and took a small sip before replying:
"I had the impression that you did not bring me here just to invite me for tea and biscuits."
"You are right. That would be a bit too bland.
But before I start with my little monologue, do you have any questions beforehand?"

Fharan tilted his head.
"Not really......
Oh, I think I missed your introduction.
You seem to know who I am but I do not even know your name."
"Oh... How did I miss that?
I must be getting forgetful these days."
He stopped speaking and narrowed his eyes.
"But why do I have the irrational feeling that you already know who I am?"
The redhead just shrugged.
"How would I know something like that?", he asked and one could have thought that there was something almost taunting in his voice.

The other stared at him for a few more moments before relaxing again, a smile adorning his lips once more.
"I have the terrible feeling that I just missed something important.
Well then, back to the things at hand.
If we continue with this topic we might potentially end up running in circles for months. Wouldn't want that, would we?!"

He slowly stood up and sank into a deep bow.
"It is a pleasure to meet you your highness.
You may call me Aeithalis.
Just treat me as a humble servant of this realm."

"An interesting name.", Fharan commented as the other sat down again, not bothering to address the rest of the introduction.
"One thing though, do stop calling me your highness.
Your inconsistent use of the phrase expresses enough.
I have not been a prince for many years."
"If you insist.", Aeithalis replied with a glint in his eyes.
"It seems that the rumours about you are true, or at least a few of them."

Silence enveloped them once more.
Aeithalis, in turn, sipped at his tea, adding so many spoons of sugar that it made Fharan almost cringe before he spoke again.
"One of the topics I wanted to discuss with you partly concern your death."
Fharan lifted a brow and couldn't stop himself from saying: "If I was dead I doubt we would even have this conversation."
"And that's it, isn't it? Death was supposed to get you years ago and still you are here. You have died, or should I say almost died, at least twice since then, but it appears as if it didn't stick."
Fharan closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the sickening feeling of metal and glass piercing his skin, unknown liquids seeping into his body.
He opened his eyes again and the feeling was gone, buried somewhere deep inside him.

"You have yet to explain why it is relevant so let me ask you the question you seem to have been waiting for:
Why am I here?"
Aeithalis eyes sparkled with delight before returning to their former serenity.
He seemed to confront the whole of the situation with an unusual, not to say almost concerning, amount of excitement.

Aeithalis answered Fharans question with another question.
"Do you know who the man was that attacked you before I brought you here?"
The redhead stayed silent, waiting.
"They call them the 'curse hunters'.", Aeithalis explained.
"Their trademark is their eyes.
They are, without exception, silver-grey. A sign for what they have gone through.
Curse hunters, or Amd'y how they call themselves, are not born you see, they are 'made'.
There are not too many left of them these days, but each of them is worth hundreds.
Their prey are the 'Cursed' or the Hanju.
If you believe the legends they are people born under the cursed star destined to one day bring destruction upon this world. Each of them being creatures of pure evil.
They say it's almost impossible to differentiate them from normal people until their powers awaken. After that their eyes turn silvery-white and their lifespan grows beyond human understanding."

He paused for a moment, looking deep into Fharans clear blue eyes before continuing.
"The question is:
Why are they coming after you?"