The Devil's Temptation!

91 Spirit Of The Wild

Humming brightly to herself, Anna skipped through the pleasantly bright corridor, feeling all cheerful for no particular reason. No doubt, the Mayor was someone important in Ark Ville and just thinking about her journey so far made her wonder how it all came to this.

She was nothing but a cursed low-class girl living in Draekharm village, she had dreamed of having a simple normal life, but the heavens gave her way more than she expected. She became a maid to the kingdom of Euphrasia, then she became a pawn to the half-devil in Viscarrian, and now she’s here, in Ark Ville, an unfamiliar land with no idea how she ended up here.

Feeling her silver birthmark with her fingers, she didn’t bother to hide it since the people of Ark Ville weren’t really familiar with a cursed birthmark. She had been wondering why the late symptoms weren’t showing, she’s barely passed out so far and despite sensing she had little time, she didn’t really feel the symptoms.

It reminded her of the old physician and his constant encouraging words. She’d be lying to herself if she said she didn’t miss him. She missed Euphrasia.

“If I could see the physician just one more....” Her gaze accidentally landed on the black dragon painting at the left side of the wall and just like that, she stopped walking. The promising terror in it’s golden eyes was something she couldn’t shake off and the painting looked so realistic, giving her a feeling like the dragon would jump out of the painting and burn her into ashes.

Coming closer, she stood before the painting. Anna’s hand slowly reached to touch it when an accented voice broke her from her trance.

“Are you lost?” Asked a decent middle-aged woman who unhurriedly approached her direction.

Anna immediately withdrew her hand before it could touch the painting and she took a quick step back. A look of bafflement and shock displayed on her face cause for a moment, she felt her body was unnaturally being pulled towards the painting, which was dangerously odd.

“N_no...I mean...I mean yes.” She tried to hide her anxiety by masking it with a smile and the woman finally stopped beside her. She doesn’t look like someone Anna has seen around the Mayor’s mansion and her dressing was one that showed her high status without her having to say it. Anna instantly concluded that she must be the Mayor’s wife.

.....

The woman who appeared to be in her late 40’s looked at Anna with a strange stare.

“I don’t think you’re a maid I know, who are you?” She asked with that fluent accent of hers and Anna dipped her head in a low bow.

“Greetings..”

She raised a brow, “that doesn’t answer my question.”

Despite sounding a little rude, Anna didn’t blame her for being cautious. “I’m Annalise, from Euphrasia Kingdom and I’m a guest to the Mayor.”

“How strange, my husband didn’t inform me about receiving any guests today.”

“It was an inconvenience.”

The woman still had her doubts when her eyes suddenly widened as though she recalled something, and her gaze shifted back to Anna.

“You’re the one who healed my son.” She said, leaving Anna to nod with a smile and the lady’s rude expression unexpectedly vanished.

“You should have said so instead of beating around the bush.” She let out a rich chuckle which made Anna feel awkward but she just smiled.

“I’m just coming from Nicholas’s room to see how he was doing. You did a good job and I hope you wouldn’t mind teaching the useless physicians we have in Ark Ville some of your techniques?”

Anna politely refused, “I don’t think the physicians are useless, they’ve been treating every hurtful resident in Ark Ville so it’s actually normal if they mess up one or two.”

“Aren’t you naive?” The woman smiled, “there are no mess ups when it comes to taking care of my son, the Mayor’s only son, but you’ll understand the motherly feeling when you become one yourself.”

She closed her hand fan before turning to look at the painting Anna was currently staring at.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” She asked, leaving Anna to nod politely before exchanging glances between the painting and the woman.

“It’s a... Lovely painting.”

“The painting does make sense.” She agreed, “the most talented painter of Ark Ville brought it as a gift to my husband when he got elected as Mayor, it’s also something to remind the people of Ark Ville that we once conquered a dragon.”

Anna met her stare, “that means the dragon was once real?”

She nodded, “but that was three to four decades ago,” she shrugged it off, “anyway if you’re heading to the dining hall, we happen to be walking in the same direction so will you be my guest?”

“Oh.” Anna was a bit saddened she had to cut the discussion about the dragon short, but why did it bother her? It’s just a painting.

“Gladly.”

They both headed for the dining hall together.

Roshan finally made it to the big dining hall after regaining himself. Anna and the Mayor were already present at the table, along with a lady he’s never seen before and a few maids that served them.

They didn’t notice Roshan’s presence until the glass shattering sound of something drew their attention. When they checked, a maid had broken a glass the moment she was about to leave the dining hall and when they raised their heads up, Roshan stood there, equally startled by the sound and Anna seemed to understand exactly what happened.

The maid quickly picked up the broken pieces before her madam starts yelling, hiding her bashful face and hurried out the moment she was done.

“Weird.” The Mayor who didn’t understand what transpired all of a sudden found the maids’ change of attitude to have turned a little clumsy. Too clumsy.

“Is he your brother? He’s indeed a charm.” Madam Alina commented, “This is the part I wish I had a daughter.”

The Mayor ignored his wife’s constant blabbering and turned to face the glacier. “Roshan my boy, come, have your seat, join us.” He gestured for the glacier to join them on the dining table and since he didn’t have any other option, he joined them, sitting opposite Anna who refused to look at him and just quietly ate her delicious carrageen pudding.

“How are you feeling? William’s made mention of you being off today.” The Mayor asked, using the opportunity to strike a conversation and Roshan clicked his tongue.

‘I gave my energy to your son, it’s a miracle my system hasn’t collapsed yet.’ he felt relieved at his own thought but that left him with a question Azazel has to give an answer to.

“I’m alright.” Came his short response before facing the meal a maid served on his table. He wasn’t much of a talker when it came to having conversations with a stranger and Anna noticed that mostly about him. Even when they first met, she had to do most of the talking and there was no difference today.

“That’s good to hear,” he cleared his throat before picking a teaspoon and using it to mix the tea in a cup in front of him, “you both are from Euphrasia Kingdom.” He continued, “I’ve never heard of such.”

“It’s mostly ruled by humans, and I don’t think you are one.” Anna softly emphasized after sensing his mystifying aura. It earned a light chuckle from the mayor who clicked the teaspoon on his cup before setting it back on the napkin.

“You’re not wrong.” He met her gaze, “Ark Ville’s civilians share no difference with humans physically, but we’re actually known as spirits of the wild.”

“Spirit what?” Roshan couldn’t help but ask again, and the Mayor had expected it. He took a sip of his warm tea before dropping it back on the table.

“Let me put it like this, we’re magical beings with different spiritual powers.” He broke it down while his wife nodded in response, “not everyone has the same spiritual powers cause it’s a gift we get after being born.”

“What type of powers then?” Anna delved in further.

“Most are spiritual animals, Mages exist, assassin’s, let’s take my guards for example.”

Anna nodded after realizing he wasn’t wrong.

The conversation went on for almost half an hour and it was a pleasant one, except for Roshan who happened to space out during most of the conversation and it didn’t miss Anna’s noticeable gaze.

“I’d like to excuse myself if you don’t mind.” He spoke up and was already getting to his feet. Anna wanted to ask what the problem was but he left before she could say anything.

“I should...” she wanted to go after him but was stopped by Alina who gently grabbed her arm.

“I’m sure he’s fine, whom you need to be worried about is my son.”