Jeneria: Defenders of Ausmik

CHAPTER SIXTEEN - THE KING'S GAMES

Jenn didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she was rudely awoken in the morning.

When she stared up, she found a blurry Jin standing above her.

"Do you know how many wrong rooms I walked in to find you?" he said, tossing her bow on the bed. "You know, there's some crazy shit that goes on in this place—can't say I disliked some of the things I saw though."

He wore a tight black shirt that showed every muscle in his body, and had a short blade strapped to his waist.

"Where'd you find these?" said Jenn. "You didn't steal them, did you?"

"I just spent the last goddamn hour trying to find your bow, and that's the first thing you ask me?" Jin shook his head and made his way to a chestnut dresser at the side of the room. Once there, he retrieved some folded clothes and tossed them onto the bed. "That bastard king gave them to us."

"Oh," said Jenn, stretching out her tiredness. "Sorry."

"Whatever," he said, fiddling with some ceramic sculptures on the dresser.

"Jin," said Jenn, rising from the bed. He didn't look at her. "If you do anything to the king, they'll kill you—you understand that, right?"

"I'll just drop a little poison in his goblet," he said, pretending to sprinkle flakes of poison. "Then I can sit back and watch the blood pour from his nose, ears and eyes..."

He cackled, but stopped when he saw Jenn's unyielding expression. "I'm only joking," he said. "I'd never poison a man, that's a coward's method. I'd prefer to stick my sword straight through his heart." Again, he met a cold face. "Lighten up!" he said, slapping her shoulder. "It's the day of the king's games!"

"Is that why you're dressed like that?"

He looked down at himself, "What're you talking about? I look damn good in these clothes!"

Jenn shook her head and smiled. "Yeah, you look pretty good."

"Thank you! God—damn. I can't believe how hard it is to get a single compliment from any of you people."

"Yes, you look like a prince. But would you mind leaving me be while I get changed?"

"Why?" he said.

"Cause I don't want to dress in front of you."

"Oh, come on. There's nothing you have that I haven't seen thousands of times in my life."

"I wouldn't doubt that, but I'd still prefer if you waited outside."

Jin sighed, then, after a brief hesitation, made his exit.

Jenn laughed and shook her head.

Once she was dressed, she made sheets, grabbed her letter and left her chamber. Jin was at the end of the hallway, staring at the painting near the king's chamber.

"Ready?" said Jenn.

Jin stared at the painting a little while longer before turning to her.

"Yup," he said. "Let's go kick some ass."

The feasting hall was packed with people, half of them Xomenclature, but again, the tables were filled with so much food that it looked untouched.

"Good morning, Jenn," said the short-haired woman from the night before. Her smile was radiating. "I'm still looking forward to hearing some more stories about your uncle."

Jenn smiled and nodded.

"What's so damn special about your uncle?" said Jin, as they passed into the garden.