A Dance with Darkness and Light: Re-Origination

30: Shadow of the Blade

Back in his room at the Yamino Inn, Bazuul immediately sat down in order to make use of the vast amounts of moonlight energy laying within his body. Hoping he could create an extremely firm foundation and thus consolidate his recent breakthrough to the seventh rank of the true qi realm.

After a lot of work, the mist within his inner world had been guided into the core region of the yin and yang bowl. Still, he was unable to transfer large parts, he considered to be the core essence of the crystal's energy, into it. Therefore, unable to make it his own. For some reason, it seemed to struggle and resist each time he tried to.

Bazuul accepted this fairly easily since he had other plans for the rest of it anyway.

Unbeknownst to him, he had been at work the whole night and dawn was already upon him. Since this was the case Bazuul decided against taking a nap and took a shower to freshen up instead. After doing so he left his room and ate some rather mundane breakfast provided by the Yamino Inn downstairs.

Meanwhile, the owner of the inn silently cleaned the dishes in the back and kept to himself as per usual. At least that's what Bazuul thought would happen but the owner with a bleak complexion, a man he didn't even know the name of yet, suddenly turned around and walked toward Bazuul saying.

"If I may ask, dear customer, which kingdom do you hail from?"

As the cold voice said by a completely empty gaze reached Bazuul, both shuddered him out of his momentary daze. The contrast between his choice of words and the tone of his voice still perplexed him a little. Remaining calm and collected on the surface he answered naturally.

"I came here all the way from the coastal kingdom of Ralun in the west."

The owner simply recognized the answer with an un and proceeded with another question.

"I suppose you are taking part in the hidden dragon trials then, and since you haven't vacated your room yet I presume you have made it to the third trial?"

Bazuul nodded with a frown at the crude way this owner expressed himself and simply said.

"That is correct!"

After hearing this the owner nodded, gave him a once-over, turned around without a word and resumed cleaning the dishes.

This action perplexed Bazuul again, especially the slight pause on his sword, but he didn't want to dwell on it too much. First of all, why look for trouble when it was sure to find him? And second, he was preoccupied with certain plans he had in mind for today.

Once he had finished his breakfast he departed from the inn with the destination being Lumin's embassy.

On the way there he passed the market and Diagon alley-esque shopping street he walked through with Elanar. It was for some time now that he could feel the gazes of several individuals locked onto him. Yet, he remained calm. He even slowed down his pace for a bit, from time to time he picked up items that laid on tables outside these shops.

"Have I offended someone recently?" He thought as he acted like he was scrutinizing the item in his hand further.

The question in itself, of course, was ridiculous.

For one there was the pathetic duo of Hugo Dias and Emilia Quintana. Then he had beaten up his petty older brother Karon. Last but not least, the shadow of the blade!

He wasn't particularly sure whether the shadow of the blade had evidence against him because of that night he met Elanar and killed three of their assassins. But they had at least probed him in the labyrinth.