29 The Hunters and the Hunted (2/2)

That was great but where did he and Lu'um fall into the squad, task-wise? Reed felt... an awkward lurch in his stomach when he thought about it.

A week and several missions later, Reed and the group finally returned to the spire for some much-needed R&R. Over the course of that short week, they'd cleared out several Reel Fisher nests and had culled their numbers as requested.

He obtained a hefty paycheck at the end of it all. For every Reel Fisher kill they confirmed with their tomes, they earned hard cash in compensation for their 'services'. Reed stared at the six-figure sum that his tome showed him and felt a speck of joy.

1,779,987 Universal Credits. A modest fortune in the hands of a mortal, but for the likes of contenders and conquerors, it amounted to nothing.

It still was a tremendous sum of money for a single week's worth of labor, at least for Reed. He scrolled through the nexus and found out that he could even afford a nice home in some of the more rural counties of the empire.

Most homes in the smaller towns ran for under a million credits. The closer one got to the larger cities, the higher the numbers would climb.

He felt a cold sweat form on his hands as he looked at the houses open for sale near the northern capital, Almdalir. The number of zeroes on the price tag seemed to stretch on forever and an overwhelming feeling of despair washed over him.

If an average home cost that much in the northern capital, what did that say of its occupants? Furthermore, what did it speak of when it came to the royal family and noble houses that lived there?

Reed realized what it meant and shuddered in fright. Such wealth and by extension, power, did not come into one's possession on the drop of a hat...

Butchers lived there; the ruthless and ambitious lived in that city, he concluded. He'd run back into the forest before he ever bought a house in the capital, he swore to himself.

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Reed laid on his bed and closed his eyes for a moment. He was about to reflect on the events of the past week, but someone entered his room unannounced. He didn't need to open his eyes to know who it was. He knew.

”I came over because I felt some apprehension in your heart,” she declared as she sauntered over to the youth's bed.

Reed rolled over on his bed and coiled up like a pill bug, ticked off with her usual supernatural perception. He groaned. ”Don't even start. I'm not interested in having you read my heart at the moment, thanks,” he said.

She snatched Reed's pillow and flung herself on the bed. ”Are you certain about that, Ka'an? You and I both know that this will not last for long if you do not address it by the next time we leave for work. It's awfully clear that the issue needs to be taken care of here and now, while the time is ripe.”

He kept quiet and did not respond. He didn't want to face the facts. Doing that would mean that he'd have to deal with the issue head-on and then things would get complicated.

Reed liked his friends and didn't want to rock the boat. They were his first friends ever, period.

”I understand that Ka'an, but even so, you must dea-”

”Enough!” Reed firmly bellowed out. Lu'um sighed and kept her silence, as he had demanded.

She was about to speak up again, but something told her not to do it. Sometimes, one had to learn from experience, even if it meant getting hurt.

Painful lessons were a part of life. Lu'um understood that too much coddling would ruin him. She could not allow him to develop a fragile, feeble heart.

She held back even though she still wanted to talk. ”Let it be,” she thought to herself.

The pair eventually fell asleep after a long bout of silence. They were both tired from their work.

Neither of them dreamt that night.

The three moons in the glittering sky silently watched over the pair, unbeknownst to them.