Chapter 91: Number two

Chapter 91: Number two Outside Seven’s Chamber A stinging slap connected with the back of Kiran’s head, causing her to stumble forward with a surprised yelp. She whirled around, mismatched eyes wide with indignation, to find a small elven girl glaring up at her with arms crossed. "What are you LOOKING at, you deranged squirrel?" the girl demanded, her pointed ears twitching with irritation. Despite her diminutive stature, her presence commanded attention. Her moss-green hair was cropped short around a heart-shaped face, and the ritual markings on her skin seemed to shimmer with an inner light, even in the dim palace corridor. "LILY!" Kiran squealed, rubbing the back of her head dramatically. "SO RUDE! So VIOLENT! Did you bring me a PRESENT to make up for your TERRIBLE manners? A finger? A toe? A SHINY ROCK?" Her voice echoed off the stone walls as she bounced on her heels, seemingly unperturbed by the assault. "Lily," Kiran corrected herself, suddenly adopting an exaggerated formal tone, "our Number Two." She executed a deep bow that verged on mockery, her gangly limbs flopping about in chaotic motion. "To what do I owe the EXTRAORDINARY pleasure of your TEENSY-TINY presence?" Lily’s expression remained unamused as she placed a finger to her lips. "Master requires absolute silence in this vicinity," she said, her voice quiet but sharp. Despite her youthful appearance, her eyes held the weight of centuries. "The vibrations of your incessant chattering disturb the elemental balance during the TUNA." Kiran immediately pressed both hands over her mouth, though her eyes continued to dance with manic energy above her fingers. After a moment, she lowered her hands to whisper—though her whisper was hardly quieter than her normal voice. "Seven’s doing the TUNA with our bird-boy! Isn’t it EXCITING?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Do you think she’ll MELT his insides? Or turn his blood to MUSHROOMS? She did that once, you know. To an intruder. I helped CLEAN UP!" Lily sighed, the sound ancient with weariness. "I sincerely hope she doesn’t mess up the process. The Veilwalker is crucial for Master’s plans." She leaned against the wall, studying the ornate door with critical eyes. "The transfer must be precise. Too much decay essence would corrupt his channels before Master can complete the final ritual." "BOOOORING!" Kiran rolled her eyes dramatically. "Technical details are for people with all their SANITY intact!" She twirled in place, her ragged clothing swirling around her thin frame. "Tell me something JUICY! Has Master decided who gets to keep his EYES when we’re done with him? I’ve always wanted mismatched pairs like mine!" Lily’s expression shifted, becoming more serious. "Master said Queen Elizabeth entered into the Veilwalker’s dream." Kiran froze mid-twirl, her face contorting with fury. "WHAT? HOW? That’s not POSSIBLE! That’s not FAIR!" She stomped her foot, creating a small crack in the stone floor. "That white-haired WENCH isn’t even in our REALM!" "Don’t underestimate Elizabeth," Lily replied, her voice dropping to a genuine whisper. "She’s a smirking, bald-headed demon with reach beyond our comprehension." A shadow passed over her youthful features, momentarily revealing the ancient being beneath. "Be prepared for tonight. Blood might flow through the fear realm." "Blood ALWAYS flows!" Kiran giggled, recovering quickly from her outburst. "That’s what makes it FUN!" "This is different," Lily cautioned, pushing herself away from the wall. "Master believes the convergence is approaching faster than anticipated. The Veilwalker’s connection to Elizabeth complicates matters." She gestured down the corridor. "We should inform the others. Master wants everyone prepared for the possibility of interference." "Ooooh, INTERFERENCE!" Kiran clapped her hands together in rapid succession. "Will there be EXPLOSIONS? IMPLOSIONS? Reality FRACTURES? I hope reality fractures—I’ve been practicing my SWIMMING through the void!" As they began walking away from Seven’s chamber, Lily’s serious demeanor cracked slightly. The corner of her mouth twitched upward. "Your enthusiasm for catastrophe is almost admirable, Kiran." "Almost?" Kiran gasped, clutching invisible pearls. "ALMOST? I’ll have you know my enthusiasm is LEGENDARY! Bards sing of it in taverns! Well, they WOULD if I hadn’t removed their tongues for being OFF-KEY!" Their odd procession continued down the winding corridor, the contrast between them striking—Lily’s controlled, measured steps beside Kiran’s chaotic skips and spins. As they emerged into the main courtyard, elven warriors stationed along the perimeter immediately dropped to one knee, heads bowed in reverence. "ALL HAIL THE TEENY-TINY TERROR!" Kiran announced, gesturing grandly toward Lily. "Number Two approaches! Hide your shiny things and your SANITY!" Lily shot her a withering look but acknowledged the warriors with a slight nod. "Rise," she commanded. The warriors stood in perfect unison, their armor gleaming in the filtered sunlight that penetrated the perpetual mist surrounding the palace. "Have you informed the rest?" Kiran asked, suddenly serious for once, her head tilting at an unnatural angle as she studied the warriors. "About our SPECIAL guest? About the PREPARATIONS?" Just as quickly, her seriousness vanished, replaced by her typical manic grin. "About the FESTIVITIES? Will there be CAKE? I demand CAKE for the end of the world!" "All necessary parties have been notified," Lily responded, her tone measured and mature. She brushed a strand of moss-green hair from her eyes. "The northern and southern barriers have been reinforced. Luna is monitoring the eastern approach, and Three has taken the western gate." "BORING positions!" Kiran complained, spinning in circles around a stoic warrior who maintained his forward gaze despite her antics. "Why don’t we ever get the DIAGONAL approaches? Or the UPSIDE-DOWN ones? I’m VERY good at standing on my head!" As if to demonstrate, she attempted to flip into a handstand but collapsed into an ungraceful heap instead, cackling madly from her sprawled position on the ground. Lily extended a hand to help her up, an unexpected gesture of kindness that momentarily silenced Kiran’s laughter. "We each serve Master in our own way," Lily said quietly, her ancient eyes meeting Kiran’s mismatched ones. "Your air has purpose, as does Seven’s decay, and my..." She paused, the air around her briefly shimmering with an ethereal light. "Well, we all have our gifts." Kiran accepted the help, bouncing to her feet with renewed energy. "My Air is the BEST Air!" she declared proudly. "No one else can make Master laugh like I can! Even when I’m not TRYING!" She leaned in conspiratorially. "Did you know I once made an entire enemy squadron run away by just DESCRIBING what I’d do to their intestines? CREATIVE use of knitting needles, if I do say so myself!" The warriors remained impassive as they passed, though one younger soldier visibly paled at Kiran’s words. "We should reach the eastern tower before sunset," Lily said, redirecting the conversation. "Master wishes to observe the Veilwalker’s response to Seven’s essence transfer." Her expression darkened slightly. "And to prepare contingencies should Elizabeth attempt further interference." "CONTINGENCIES!" Kiran exclaimed, clapping her hands in childlike delight. "Is that code for VIOLENCE and BLOODSHED? Please say yes! I’ve been saving my SPECIAL collection of curved blades for an OCCASION!" Lily’s youthful face broke into a genuine smile, brief but startling in its warmth. "Perhaps, old friend. Perhaps." Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the smile vanished, replaced by her usual composed expression. "But first, we observe. Master’s plans require precision." "PRECISION is just CHAOS with better AIM!" Kiran declared, skipping ahead down the path that led to the eastern tower. Behind them, the heavy door to Seven’s chamber remained closed, the fate of Eren and his TUNA ritual still unfolding within its confines. Whatever emerged from that room would determine the next phase of Master’s grand design—and perhaps the future of the elven realms themselves.