Merely Existing

Chapter 12: Princes of Zeraphus

Blacky's POV

There was a strange silence lingering around us.

The boy was just a little older than me, probably 16 years old, had really curly black hair and tan skin. He was obviously a foreigner with those striking features and slanting golden eyes but his presence was still close to nothing. Normally, one would expect such people with unnoticeable presence to be a very shy, quite, plain and timid person, yet he was the complete opposite.

He was still smiling arrogantly, as if he expected us to fall at his feet and beg for mercy. For someone who just emerged from a bush yawning, with leaves and twigs sticking on his hair, he somehow managed to look proud and demanding instead of a practical joke. In fact, a normal person might even feel intimidated under the stare of those mischievous golden eyes or entranced to do his bidding.

Unfortunately, the people collected here were far from normal.

"We don't particularly care whether you accept the apology or not." I stated the obvious.

"Say that one more time and I'll cut your tongue off." Beleth threatened in his bad mood.

"I have no obligation to entertain brats." Vince commented lightly.

"What they said." Keith replied lamely with a shrug off his shoulders.

Then in unison, we turned our attention away from the boy and carried on where we left off. Everything was done so perfectly synchronised, that one would think we rehearsed the scene or something.

"Like I was saying, get your hands off her, you dumb blonde!"

Vince's hands were rudely slapped off.

"Ouch. Easy there boy. Are you her boyfriend or something?"

"Doesn't seem so to me. Friends?" Keith joined in.

"I'm...I'm ...an acquai---no, I'm her bodyguard!"

"You are?" I asked confused.

"From now on, yes. I'll talk about it with your grandfather. After all, I want a better status than 'acquaintance'. There is no value to it."

"You guys are weird. But since she's not taken I still have my chance!" Vince hand was now creeping over my shoulder.

I moved away before someone committed murder.

"Do you even know her name, Romeo?" Beleth was fuming, but he kept a deadly calm.

"Oh right, we haven't properly introduced ourselves. My name's Keith Rosenberg. What's yours?" An idiot proved himself unable to read the atmosphere.

"How dare you lowly beings dare to ignore me?!" The boy behind hissed at us, the venom evident in his words.

All of is turned to stare at him again. Was it normal for a boy who came out of bushes to have so much dignity?

"Last time I checked, I'm a human being, just like you, kiddo." Vince stated with an exasperate tone, as if talking to a little brat that never learns. This proved to provoke the boy even more when his stare started to turn deadly. He opened his mouth, the venom was already at the tip of his tongue but he was interrupted before he could spit it out.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!!!!" Just then a man wearing strange foreign clothes came flying towards us....or more accurately towards the boy in the bush.

The man was big and muscular, with a naturally fierce face and moustache. His dark skin tone and slanted eyes only emphasised his fierce look. However, he was now rushing towards the boy like a dog who just saw his master.