Love of the Lost Ones

Part 5

She stopped walking.

"Who is that?" She turned around. "I know you're there. Don't bother hiding." She expected a bounty hunter to come out, or another assassin, or maybe even a guard, but it was none of those. In fact, it was—

"Lucian?"

"Hello!" He said, with a wave. A wave! He just waved at the person trying to kill him. Verena looked at him with a look of confusion.

"What are you doing here? Why are you following me?" He grinned.

"Well, I wanted to make it an even battle. If you were trying to kill me, I should stalk you. Make it more interesting, you know?"

"No, I don't know. It's stupid and I just have to kill you and get this over with so I can go home." Lucian stuck his lip out in a pout.

"But then I wouldn't get to know you."

"You're not going to 'get to know me'. Here's how this is going to go, I am going to pull out my knife, you are going to get scared and run, then I am going to chase after you, catch you, and kill you."

"Eh. I don't know, that doesn't sound that interesting." Verena pulled the dagger out of her belt and started to walk toward Lucian.

"Woah, woah, woah! Calm down! I don't want to be an enemy to you." He kept walking away from her as she quickened her pace toward him. "Are you always this gru–" He was cut off by Verena lunging at him. He spun around, swiftly coming behind her, and grabbing her extended arm. He took the dagger from her hand and threw it into the nearby river. She immediately tried to run towards the river to get the dagger, but his grip was too tight around her wrist.

"Listen, darling, I can't fight right now, I have a ball to go to that I cannot miss. It's like a party for all the important people, like the high nobles and neighboring town's mayors, and me obviously. I'm supposed to be the special guest but I missed it the last time because I fell asleep because I had a long mission the night before so we decided to reschedule and the guests already don't like me so it's really important that I be there."

"I really, really don't care."

"Oh. Well, anyway I still got to go." He started to walk away but she went after him. She lifted her arm, grabbing his shoulder, only for him to push her off him, leaving her on the ground.

"I would love it if you were to join me." Verena scoffed at him, wiping away blood dripping from her nose.

"Piss off." Lucian laughed at this and walked away.

"And I'd like it if you dressed for the occasion." Verena turned to look at him, but he was already out of sight. She dove into the river and grabbed the dagger from the bottom. She swam back to the top, out of breath.