209 Two Friends (1/2)

Arah raised an eyebrow at me before saying, ”Hello to you too, Dean.”

She wasn't even a little bit uncomfortable by this sudden reveal, something I, Luca, or Aura could wrap around our heads. We all had the same dumbfounded expressions splashed across our faces.

”You… You…” Seriously, I was at a loss for words.

”Yes, I'm in the Fayne,” Arah answered the unasked question.

”Why… you…” I hadn't realized how much shock could dull my speech patterns.

”Yes, I didn't tell you, and no, I'm not sorry for going behind your back,” she answered almost like she was reading my mind because these were the exact questions I wanted to ask.

I pointed at her. Then, unable to bring the words forth from my tongue-tied mouth, I pointed to Liu Xiang before pointing at back at Arah.

Mercifully, Arah shook her head.

”No, I didn't join the Pilgrimage. I'm only working with them temporarily so I could assist you guys without letting you know that I was in the Fayne…” Arah addressed Aura when she spoke, possibly to assure Aura that she wasn't a fairy hating racist. ”I didn't expect us to meet on my first mission… but there was no other choice but to come and rescue you myself.”

”We didn't…” Again, my words wouldn't come.

”Yes, you did, and Liu Xiang helped me convince the Charlatan to send you aid,” Arah explained. ”They're very interested in you and Luca by the way… disturbingly so.”

Liu Xiang cleared his throat.

”As I've already stated, our interest lies in your recent achievements,” he clarified. ”The success of the Dapper brothers in the Fayne is something all humans, viseres and slaves, can look up to.”

I was surprised with how he made it sound like me and Luca were people to root for. It was as if they'd pinned hopes on us or something which was insane as we weren't doing what we were doing for the betterment of mankind in the Fayne.

Despite the number of questions increasing inside my brain, the only thing I managed to say out loud was, ”Charlatan?”

”The Charlatan is our illustrious leader,” Liu Xiang revealed. ”He told me to send you his regards and hoped to meet you in the near future.”

”Um,” I didn't know how to respond to that either. Honestly, something was wrong with my brain, and I know what caused it.

I turned baleful eyes at Arah. ”How—”

”It was easy,” Arah answered before I could even finish my sentence. ”After I realized how deep-rooted Mudgard's link to the Fayne really was, making contact with people who were connected to the other side was as simple as surfing social media.”

”Our recruiters contacted Kitsune after they noticed her researching the Fayne, and we recruited her after we discovered she had close ties to you,” Liu Xiang admitted. ”Sadly, she turned us down.”

”Like I said, I'm only with them so I can help you and Ty save Luca,” Arah repeated.

”Because you and Dean would have been against it… You'd probably keep telling me how dangerous it is here,” Arah answered.

”Well, why do you think now?” Finally, my voice was back, and I expect annoyance at how smug Arah sounded for duping us was the cause. I pointed a thumb behind me toward the enemy army readying to attack us. ”There's a high chance that we would have died today…”

”Which is why I'm here to save you, stupid!” she countered.

”You're the stupid one, stupid!” I fired back at her.

”Perhaps the two of you can have this argument after we've dealt with our current dilemma,” Liu Xiang interrupted.

”He's right, Commander,” Varda said, speaking up for the first time since the meeting began. ”I'm not particularly happy with it either, but maybe we can defeat Garm's smaller force with the Pilgrimage's help…”

”But… aren't these guys anti-fairy…” Luca said worriedly.

”They've treated our people fairly so far,” Aura explained. ”And Varda's right, we need their help if we're going to escape from my uncle with our lives intact. Garm's not known for giving up…”

She was right. If anything, Garm was an even bigger wild bull than Redbull was.

”Liu Xiang,” I said finally. ”We'd like to officially request the Pilgrimage's assistance.”

While still smiling, Liu Xiang shook his head.

”You misunderstand, Commander Dapper,” he said. ”Our auxiliary force is already at your disposal. In fact, for this engagement, we would like for you to lead the ten thousand soldiers into battle.”

”Wh-what…” Once again, the shock of what I was hearing had taken my voice away from me.

”Like I said, we are interested in your well-being, and the Charlatan would like me to see first-hand how you take command in battle,” Liu Xiang. ”Of course, I and Kitsune will assist you since you're unfamiliar with our soldiers different strengths.”

Part of me wanted to scream out loud that too much was happening too fast, but another part of me, the leader in me, was getting excited at the possibility of leading a force as big as this one. Didn't that technically make me a general?

I felt a hand grasp my arm and squeeze, and I looked to my right and found Aura had steered Starlight to Myth Chaser's side.