"Excuse me."
Joshua turned topl face a fat man in a chef's outfit.
"May I help you?" His beady eyes scanned the bags in his guest hands. The head chef loves to gamble, so he knew the winners of last night's bets. Otherwise he wouldn't partake in a conversation with the common folk, especially ones he's never seen before.
"Any table is fine." Misery informed.
The three sat at a table whose size was smaller than the rest of the guest who were present. They sat at the table without a word, trying to remove their hunger.
"Even the customers are split into classes." Joshua remarked.
'Humans can't help but to separate themselves from others." Misery answered. "They find reverence in feeling unique."
Her smile turned cruel for a moment. "Just the thought of being better than others gives them some purpose."
"What kind of twisted logic is that?" Joshua frowned. "People are who they are from their upbringing. Had it not been for my friends I would have had my nose turned up like these people."
Twenty minutes had passed.
Evelyn's stomach growled.
"Where is the waiter." Joshua stood. He spotted a man dressed in a black and white suit. "Hey." He called out, but was visibly ignored.
"What the hell?" He growled.
"He works for me not you."
Beside them sitting with three women was Duke. The hulking man looked at Joshua and then to his table.
"Pretty lady you got there, boy." Duke got up walking past all the three clinging women. "But I think she needs a man, like myself." He knealt next to Misery, lifting her face to look at him. He was a little surprised to see that she was blind.
Evelyn's breath was caught. Her auburn eyes glued to the wooden table, afraid of giving that monster any eye contact. Her last burst of courage was because of the weapon, but now she was a defenseless eleven year old girl.
"As flattered as I am, I can't see myself with a mutt like you." Misery removed his hands from her face.
Duke frowned.
"I'll excuse you because of your disability." He huffed. "You do know of Duke Calzaghe." He flexed his muscles to the invisible audience.
"We've heard and don't care." Joshua sat back in his seat. Upset with the restaurant's service.
"You heard him." Misery added.
Duke cannot handle his pride being stained like this, most women came to his bedside from just his name alone. The only person to ever deny his request was a woman from the outside, Duke eyed her sister who tried to attack him out of revenge.
"You didn't tell her what happened to your sister?" This threatening question was thrown to Evelyn. He smiled once he caught a glimpse of her small body trembling in fear.
"Do you really have to exert power onto a child to feel better about yourself." Creighton had appeared behind Duke.
"The child needs to know who holds power here." Duke challenged him.
"What of the guest your annoying?" Creighton turned to the group of three.
"He needs to be kept in a kennel with such a boorish attitude." Misery remarked.
Anger was searing it's way through Duke's mind.
"Your rather strong on the tongue." He snarled, but tried to keep his composure. His eyes held murder within it and it's intention was directed at the white haired girl before him.
"You'd do well to remember where you are."
The two's body began to grow, fur began emerging at an alarming rate. Before the two could go through with their transformation something occured.
Breathing became harder, it felt as if the air in Golden Gardens had pressurized. Causing such a strain in the air was the Queen of Brigaden, showing her strange and crushing aura.
"It's worst than, Christopher..." Joshua felt cold sweat running down his back.
Creighton and Duke instantly bowed towards the direction of this energy.
"We apologize your Majesty!"
"Blood has already spilled for today." Authority came with her grey gaze. "You two know better than to bicker in front of me." She turned to Joshua's group, the pressure seemed to stabilize. "I apologize for their lack of manners."
"It's... It's fine." Joshua stammered.
Duke gave a long look at Misery and then Creighton.
"...Well I think three is enough." He walked to his table. Duke collected his entourage and left.
"We should just have some homemade food."
Joshua agreed with Misery.
"Sorry, Evelyn." She apologized to the little girl and got up.
After seeing the three leave, Creighton sat back beside his Queen. He spoke his thoughts to her.
"They aren't from here."
"I'm aware." She replied. "There are many who would migrate to our quiet kingdom, Duke wasn't originally from here."
"I don't question your authority, but the action of accepting that hooligan still has me in doubt." His appetite disappeared once Duke's face came to mind. Creighton pushed his plate of away.
"You may be immortal but you must eat." She mocked him.
Creighton smiled.
"I had my full, especially with Duke." He gave up his smile and continued to speak. "Rusi has infiltrated our lands."
"I see." Mary Ann pushed her plate away as well. "Why do they still try, hasn't the pile of corpses served as a warning. Even having the guts to come into our tournament. Had it not been for the rules I would have gladly got rid of them."
"And for their fighter." Creighton joked.
"Even if it's the two of us your words should know their limits." The Queen tried to hide her face that flushed into a full red.
"Anyways." Her butler shook his head. "Reports from our lycan soldiers also tell of Rusi receiving help."
"They're just adding more lives to this useless battle." Mary Ann sighed, she didn't care about the loss of enemy lives, it was simply futile and they should understand that after the invasion failed.
"We've lost a great deal of lycans because of this new assistance of that damned country."
"They are able to kill our soldiers." She was surprised. Mary Ann stood up.
"My queen?"
"Daphne should be here soon for the souls." She informed Creighton. "And dinner is a bit unappetizing, at least you can agree with me on that."