Lord Theodore's Favorite Ritual
Chapter 34: Helena meets Conan and banter

Chapter 34: Helena meets Conan and banter

Midnight, Critc Ishelm.

Helena, attacked by a small storm earlier into her journey had lost her tight bun and was now furiously moving her full hair away from her face, all the while carrying a heavy luggage. She was nearing the casted land when she heard someone coming from behind her, the carriage was fast and angry but suddenly slowed before reaching her, she couldn’t as for a lift as he appeared to be a douchebag. His first words from inside the carriage were "What is a witch going to do in Critic Arley? "

"The same could be asked about you" She sassed without missing a beat or looking at him, her fingers deep in her hair she tried to put it back in a bun.

He peeped out of his carriage "Fair enough, let me give you a ride" he offered, his teeth open in a wide grin

"No"

He nodded, not bothering to persuade her "Don’t let the hunters get you" he taunted

"I wonder what hunter you know"

"Lord Theodore doesn’t hunt, they usually go to him" she sassed, doubting the statement herself but holding onto it.

She noticed the witch pause, giving her a strange look before shaking his head and moving on "You’re lucky I’m in a hurry for my mission" he said

"Run along, errand boy"

Helena smirked as she changed her steps into skips, matching her mood, she was excited about this journey, she had enough money to start up a good life and possibly become close friends with a noblewoman who would show her around Critic Arley. As a girl who grew up in the midst of people who hid their true nature and desires, she knew not how to love amongst the free ones, but she was going to try and nothing could make her turn around to the house that never felt like home.

If Theodore and his accomplice were taken out of Critic Arley, there was some good in the city and she was going for it.

*******

Casted land, Boundary, Critic Ishelm

Daybreak.

*

Tired and slightly irritated at the lack of streams in the area she had stepped in hours earlier, Helena didn’t prepare herself for the man on horse riding her way, she had planned to simply ignore him but the horse kept moving slightly unsteady, shifting in a way that made her heart leap whenever he drifted her way, she lost her cool and yelled with her remaining reserve worthy strength

"How can you travel on this road like it’s solely yours?!"

Conan who with much effort has tried to stay active and alert throughout this journey ended up falling weak second by second after stepping into the sparse land between Critic Arley and Critic Ishelm, The cast land, it has been rumoured to belong solely to the dark side of Critic-Ishire and is suitable only for witches so nobody lived there.

"Woman, I do not believe I am meeting you again" he slurred, his eyes barely open

"I believe you must be stupid, and ignorant, and refusing to believe the obvious"

Conan’s eyes widened as he rushed to defend himself, "That is not─" she interrupted him

"I did not think I would meet you too, Mr Nobody" she sassed, her body coming alive suddenly to level up her irritation "You’re always trying to take up the whole road, it’s unethical, if you were a noble you’d be in a cart, and I can only imagine the amount of damage you’d cause but here you are not a knight and not a noble yet causing all chaos possible" she tutted

"What do you know?" He said, his mouth drawn into a deep scowl, as he didn’t even have the energy to argue

"I genuinely hope this isn’t how all Critic Arlians behave, I would have to open a tutoring centre" She tapped his leg as she passed him, making him jerk his leg away as though electrocuted

"The likes of you are not welcome in Critic Arley" he replied without a beat

As she didn’t reply he continued "Wherever you are going with a luggage so..." but he drifted off, too breathless to complete the question, with furrowed brows he looked down at Helena from her horse and noticed she was covering her hair with a shawl that she doesn’t seem to notice is now hanging loosely around her neck, he looked to the road he was headed that was opposite hers and his gaze blurred.

"I don’t owe you an explanation, enjoy your trip" she wish he falls off his horse, hitting his head in the process, making her giggle.

Conan tried to find a reply but his mind was too hazy, his hold on the reins loosening, he felt the horse’s distress and couldn’t calm him, he was floating in his head, a cloud of dust rushing past his ears without knowing his fingers slipped from the reins, his leg slacked and he fell off the horse to the ground with a thud.

Helena had been pleasantly surprised when the barbaric Critic Arlian didn’t reply to her insincere well wish, but before she could take ten steps, a loud thud stopped her in her tracks, she willed herself not to look back, but she was the cat curiosity killed.

She turned around and an event that was going to change her goal emerged.

*******

Shady area, Critic Arley

"The last time you came, we didn’t have the exact elixir needed, I’m happy to show you this now" a fat woman with a huge red nose explained as she moved around the cottage quietly

The young lady sneered "It was just yesterday, bring it to me" The older woman walked to her and handed a brown pouch to her.

"Does this work?" the young lady questioned with a frown of suspicion

"Yes m’lady, it can change even an angry wolf into a cute dog" the older woman declaration, revealing her yellow teeth as she smiled

She nodded "Do not find me ever again"

Just as she turned to leave, the old woman spoke up "What does a noblewoman like yourself need such an elixir for, if I may ask"

She turned with a scowl "No, you may not ask, I’m leaving" her heels clicking angrily but the old woman continued

"You all claim to hate magic practitioners but run to us when planning to achieve something unethical" her voice increasing in octave as she talks

"That’s exactly why we don’t trust you people" she asked, her chin high

The older woman scoffed "You do evil more than us!"

"You people make it happen," the younger lady said with a shrug

"I fear for you, young child"

"What you should fear is what can possibly happen to you when I tell it to the people I know" Taking steps back to the older woman the younger lady threatened

The woman swallowed hard "Thank you, you may now leave" she turned into smoke.

********

Night.

Statham estate.

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

*****************

Shi’enz took the tray from an employed, dropping it on a table by her mother who sat on a couch in the private parlour.

"Mother, there’s a tea party we’ve been invited to, will you come?" she asked her mother.

"No" Georgina responded without missing a beat, cringing right after at her action "Who’s holding it ?"

"The baroness" Shi’enz informed before adding "Critic Arley" With a nod she sat next to her mother keeping a small distance

"You should go with your sisters" She picked up her tea

Shi’enz’s frown could melt the empire "Liza is currently out of it, Mother" her feet came up, earning her a quick slap to her knee "And Mira, she’s like a diva now" she completed

"Don’t take it badly, Liza is feeling down a bit but she’ll be fine, Mira is just feeling the engagement joy" Georgina explained through a frown, apparent that she was also finding everything strange.

"Lydia wasn’t like that before she got married" Shi’enz pouted, her eyebrows drawn together

Dropping her tea, Georgina looked at Shi’enz as she responded "Yes, well you girls are all different"

"Can I go see her someday?"

Georgina looked startled "Who? Lydia?"

Shi’enz nodded

"Of course, you can if you want to, she’s your sister after all"

"Yes, just that I don’t know if Father will agree to that" Shi’enz raised a problem, her palm on her knees

"Oh, I’d talk to him, if Lydia is having visitors it’s nice that you’ll want to go"

As though suddenly hit by a realization Shi’enz’s eyes widen as she squeals "She might even get invited to the same soiree!" Her red dress sashaying on the couch

"Keepy your calm Shi’enz, and I doubt she’ll be invited" her mother replied

Her frowning lips stretched to defend "But she is the Lady of the city"

"And also the wife of Theodore, shi’enz drop it" Georgina reminded

Her eyes dimmed "Alright, I’m going upstairs"

"Wait for your sisters, they might get back soon" Georgina called after her.

"I do not wish to go with them!" Shi’enz yelled from the stairs, her face red

"Oh dear" Georgina sighed, feeling a strange dizziness seep in her body, the girls are a load.