Mergo Hensya

A well known uniform

"No nightmares to report?" Damien inquired as I joined him outside the mayor's house. It was fortunate I found him; he had left a message about his departure to Kuzsi for a meeting, opting not to disturb my slumber.

"Nothing beyond my control," I replied, attributing my sound sleep to the Azattico roots. "And your leg?" Damien merely shrugged, his pace unaltered. His new uniform concealed any sign of injury, his appearance impeccable as always, adorned with that insufferable, feigned smile. "Care to share how you were so easily ensnared?"

"I wasn't the sole victim," he retorted, a sudden edge to his voice. He may not have been alone in his affliction, but his lack of resistance was disappointing. I had credited him with greater resolve, if not better judgement.

"Are you seeking an apology from me?" he halted abruptly, spinning around. "I'm clueless as to how it transpired. Rest assured, you'll be the first to know once I do," he snapped, his anger manifesting in the runes he etched onto the street, flouting his own doctrines and moral code. Worse still, I knew he was withholding the truth. Damien was well aware of the previous day's events. "Shall we?" he asked, not awaiting a response before crossing to the other side.

A vast hall greeted us, a gentle breeze wafting through the open glass doors. Surrounded by towering flowers, ornate tapestries, gleaming tiles, and lofty ceilings, we stood in solitude, save for the statuesque figures of men and women. "What is this place?"

"Kuzsi," he replied, distancing himself and sealing the portal. My hands flew up in exasperation. I was aware of the city's name; it was the building I questioned. "He should return any moment. So, if you would, silence is golden."

"Teyber? Is he the one returning here?"

"That's the hope," he muttered, checking his timepiece, then folding his arms as he studied a statue. The white stone woman returned his gaze with a severe, almost antagonistic expression.

"And we just wait?" I challenged. The likelihood of someone arriving seemed slim in this deserted space. Yet, he seemed certain. "Hardly a sound strategy."

"For Light's sake, Andrea..." he turned away from the statue, looking at me with a mix of offence and indecision. "If you have a superior plan, I'm all ears."

"How could I possibly have one? I'm still in the dark about our location," I countered, only to be interrupted by the opening of a door to our left. A diminutive woman entered.

She remained oblivious to our presence until she was midway across the room. Halting, she looked up, evidently expecting someone else. Her eyes widened in shock upon seeing us. Clad in our white uniforms, we must have resembled the surrounding statues, albeit with a more menacing aura. Her gaze darted to the nearest exit, surprisingly not the one she had used, but the glass doors. Before she could make her move, I intervened. With a swift motion, I restrained her hands with magical bindings, rendering her immobile and subdued. "I thought you mentioned a man was on his way?"

"That was the word, and should he have fled," Damien approached the woman briskly, scrutinising her. Her dark hair was secured with a clasp, her face angular with piercing eyes and a prominent mouth. The green uniform she wore, adorned with a chain and what appeared to be a crystal, was telling. "We'll find ourselves in quite the predicament." With a mere gesture, he forced her to her knees, yet her smile remained intact.

"Perfect," I muttered under my breath. The woman observed me with a curious intensity. I suspected she understood us. "Where is the man you were to meet?" Her response was a nonchalant smile and a shrug, her arrogance suggesting she feared no repercussions.

Well then.

I extended my hand before me, ensuring she had a clear view. One by one, I folded my fingers into my palm, each disappearance escalating her agony. The woman's laughter ceased with the first finger, her body writhed with the second, and by the third, her screams filled the air. The fourth finger remained, but the guards burst in before its concealment, clad in dark blue uniforms adorned with a silver wolf.