The Big Top (Entrance to the Workshop) [Registered Labyrinth Players]

“Vavantine, sir. I don’t mind what course of action you take. I will just be following you.” She looked down at his hand, uncertain of what to do but eventually took hold with her own hand. His words and gestures belonged to a gentleman who could be trusted as an ally. The young Imuchakk was thankful to have met someone who would help her and treated her kindly. “I have only seen snow. One day I hope to see other countries, but… I don’t know if I’m in Imuchakk, another country, or somewhere else entirely. If this isn’t my homeland, I’d be surprised. I didn’t know there was snow in other places.”

The warrior followed Mikazuki silently, watching their surroundings with her blue eyes. So far, there was nothing out of the ordinary, save for a magician that had stopped outside the main tent, almost hesitating to enter. She was about to ask her new comrade whether or not the silver-haired man could join their team, but when she looked back again, he was gone, nothing but a ghost now. Did he go into the main tent after all? Or did he enter into one of the smaller ones?

Adrastos noticed a couple of people walking among the tents as he stood frozen at the entrance to the main tent. He had not gone in as he had originally intended. Following the others did not sit well, and there didn’t feel like anything could be gained from following a herd of mindless cattle. The Imuchakk girl, wearing an unfamiliar blue uniform, glanced his way. The magician didn’t like the look in her eyes, those pleading blue irises that begged for yet another companion to accompany her. He didn’t like other people, and for most of his travels since arriving back in Reim as a free man, he never traveled alone. Now it would be different.

The blue magician turned away and picked a random tent that was nestled in the corner. This tent would have been overlooked being where it was located, so it made it ideal for Adrastos, the New Death, to venture in. He looked around to see if the girl and that strange man, the one with eyes that matched Noir’s, were around, and upon seeing their absence, Adrastos entered without a second thought.

With a gentle smile, he looked at her hand before planting a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. “If our path crosses again, I will bring you to see other countries. It will be a notable experience for you, Lady Vavantine.” Then he slowly let go of her hand, knowing that a warrior like her wouldn’t like it if her hands kept being held like a lost child. It was the matter of respecting her, but Tenma would also take care of her by keep being close to her while they were exploring the tents.

So far after exploring around, the swordsman could feel different vibe from each tent. It was very tempting for Tenma to enter each one of it, but he needed to choose one. However, he decided to head towards the tent located in the northeast from the gate. He recalled how it looked like and probably for Vavantine, who seemed like a curious girl who wished to know more about the world. The tent was more festive than the other tents, a plain red color but it had garlands hanging on its entrance. This one probably was the second main attraction other than the Big Top if he judged from the appearance. So he looked at the Imuchakk and once again reached out his hand towards her before saying, “Shall we try to explore this one? Perhaps it would let us see wonders.” After that, he would enter the tent and anticipating for whatever might happen while keeping Vavantine close. Being separated would be dangerous…perhaps…

Vavantine smiled and looked away when her hand was delicately kissed. “Thank you for the offer,” she said, barely able to form the words. It was weird for someone to grab her hand, and her warrior spirit felt appalled by such a gesture. She wasn’t some dainty princess that needed saving or had to be wooed. Vavantine was a warrior, an Imuchakk. However, Tenma did not keep his hold on her for much longer, allowing Vavantine to relax a bit and focus.

The choice Tenma made for a tent was intriguing. It’s festive exterior made Vavantine want to go inside and have fun, but appearances were normally always deceiving. Even in this joyful circus, danger still lurked within the shadows. “Perhaps, but we should still be careful. We don’t know what’s inside and though it may look entertaining, no doubt there are ominous creatures slithering around.”

Then, the girl followed Tenma, glancing back at least once to wonder if they would ever see the outside again.