Chapter 59: Protests in the capital.

Zyra saw him staring. She pulled her arm back slightly, narrowing her eyes. She was very sensitive about her hand and suspicious if anyone looked at it for too long. What was on it was a secret worth killing for. "What are you looking at?" If he said he could see the map, then what next?

Hunter shook his head quickly, breaking his gaze. He took a slow sip of his coffee, letting the silence stretch before breaking it. "Your arms are thin, don’t they feed Soul maidens in your clan?"

She snorted. "I was raised in a small village with little resources. Sorry I am not as fat rich as the Soul maidens raised in the capital," She replied, sarcastically.

He chuckled. "You could have said healthy but whatever." He raised the coffee cup, as if he was making a toast. "Are we going to another dungeon today?"

"No," Zyra said, standing up and stretching her sore limbs. "We are going home."

Hunter paused, a frown wrinkling his brow. He looked a bit confused because he didn’t think she had a home anywhere in the world. "Are you going back to Myrtle City then?"

"I would never go back there, not after what they did to me." Zyra replied instantly, her voice hardening. If she could, she would wipe that city and all of its residents out. "My new home is in the wild lands; I just need to find it first."

Hunter placed the coffee cup on the table, right near the empty food paper bags, he noticed that Zyra had eaten her share sometime in the night after he stepped out. He stepped closer, his expression dead serious. "Do you know how dangerous your home is? The wild lands are lawless. Beast of all types, rogue hunters, cannibals, random desperate people, no government protection. It’s suicide for a regular person."

Zyra looked him dead in the eye. "That is why I got you, I need to stay in a place where I can grow in strength without alerting my enemies. By the time they discover that I am not a helpless little lamb anymore, I will be able to rip out their guts the way you do with high level beasts."

Hunter opened his mouth, to unleash a whole lecture to talk her out of it. He wanted to tell her about the horrors of the deep wild. But then, mid-breath, he stopped.

He realized something. It worked for him, didn’t it? The isolation, the distance from civilized society.... that was exactly how he could keep her to himself. More importantly, a dark, bitter thought crossed his mind, if she stays in the wild lands, she will never know that she is not wanted anymore. And... she will never find out that I am useless to her.

The tension drained from his shoulders. He nodded slowly; he was going to tell her...just not yet. "Alright."

Zyra walked over to the table and boldly snatched the cup of coffee. She offered him a cheeky, triumphant grin.

"Thank you... again. Let us go."

She took three large satisfying sips of his coffee, enjoying the sudden look of annoyance on his face, and then turned and followed him out of the door.

******

In the capital.

The Divine Soul Maiden stepped down the long flight of white marble stairs that led from her throne-like chair. Her sanctuary, the Mystic Sanctum, was a grand, circular dome that served as both the soul maiden’s temple of technology and her home. Every step she took was filled with slow, practiced grace, her silk robes flowing behind her like water.

She moved across the polished floor to stand by a massive, circular window that overlooked the city plaza below. Outside, the street was very busy.

"Look at them," Trinity muttered, resting her hands on the stone sill.

Down below, hundreds of peaceful protesters had gathered. They were holding up hand-painted signs and chanting slogans against the Planetary Assembly’s newest decree: making military enlistment compulsory for every citizen. Nobody wanted to be forced into a uniform, and the crowd was making sure their voices were heard.

The sound of heavy boots echoed in the dome. A middle-aged woman walked in, wearing combat clothes that contrasted sharply with the air of tranquility in the room. It was Julia, a senior Soul Maiden and Trinity’s right-hand assistant.

Julia marched right up to the window, took one look at the chanting crowd, and snorted. She pointed a gloved finger toward a woman at the front of the crowd. "Are you really going to just stand here and leave Malia Gravis to do whatever she wants? That woman has a loudmouth in the guise of a freedom fighter, Trinity. She’s rallying the whole capital against you personally."

Trinity didn’t look away from the glass. A small, cold smile touched her lips. "Relax, Julia. This is what democracy looks like. People shout; people wave flags. Let them have their fun until they become hostile then the police will step in."

"We don’t need democracy," Julia grumbled, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "Especially not in the times we are living in now. Survival is hard enough without citizens whining about doing their martial duties...and the veil is weakening remember? If this nonsense keeps happening in the capital, the outer nations will follow their example. Before you know it, we’ll have a full-blown rebellion on our hands."

Trinity’s smile vanished, replaced by a calculating look. She nodded in agreement. "You’re right. We can’t let it spread."

She turned her head slightly, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Here is what we do. Plant our people in the crowd. Have them slip into the front lines, get everyone rowdy, and start throwing rocks. Make sure they attack the police officers that are watching them."

Julia’s eyes lit up with understanding. "And the police will defend themselves....and the capital at large."

"Exactly," Trinity replied coldly. "The police will open fire, some people will die, and the chaos will get entirely out of hand. Once blood is spilled, the planetary assembly will have all the justification they need. We will put a new law in place: all protests are officially abolished for public safety. Problem solved."

Julia nodded, a cruel smirk appearing on her face. "Consider it done. I’ll get our instigators ready."

The matter of the protest was settled, but the heavy atmosphere in the room didn’t lift. Instead, Trinity let out a long, heavy sigh. The cold, ruthless ruler suddenly looked fragile as her eyes crossed with deep worry.

"Is there any news?" Trinity asked, her voice cracking slightly with emotion.

Julia’s smirk instantly dropped. She slowly shook her head, looking down at the floor. "Nothing. It has been two days now, and no one from the last team we sent beyond the veil has been heard from. Not a single distress signal or soul-transmission. It’s not good Trinity."