Shadows Over Arcadia Chapter 82: 80. Blindsided

Read chapter 82 of Shadows Over Arcadia by Zacheas on NovelPedia.

I am Ren Drakemore, age 9, and I miss home. https://shadowsoverarcadia.com/api/storage/objects/uploads/94d9f12d-768f-4ec3-a12d-51b487be4617 “What is that?” Alastor asks, peering over Yukiha’s shoulder as she crouches beside a bucket on the front lawn of the manor. “Satoru,” Yukiha answers, holding an overripe goldenpome delicately between two fingers above a bucket of viscous blue fluid. The liquid rises at the center, drawn toward the fruit. Swish. I watch from a few meters away, swinging my sword, practicing my form. “What is… a ‘Satoru’?” Alastor asks as Yukiha drops the goldenpome into the bucket. It doesn’t splash. It sticks, settling into the surface with a single soft thud before slowly sinking, dissolving with a faint hiss. “He’s my friend,” Yukiha shoots back, casting a scornful glance over her shoulder. Alastor blinks, clearly unsure how he managed to offend her, and looks to me for help. Swish. “It’s a slime,” I answer between swings. “Are they… safe?” Alastor asks as yet another goldenpome disappears beneath the surface. A small tendril rises from the bucket, reaching toward the sack of half-rotted fruit beside Yukiha. She pulls the sack just out of reach, shooting Alastor an even sharper look for implying her sweet pet might be dangerous. Swish. “Well…” I pause, lowering my sword to my side. “Less dangerous than a Byakko or a Fenrir, I suppose.” Alastor glances over at the massive magical wolf lounging in the grass nearby. Fluffy licks its lips. He does not look reassured. “Slimes aren’t aggressive,” Maribel interjects from the porch, seated at a small table with a cup of tea while Shadow sits behind her, brushing her hair with an expensive-looking silver brush. “They are scavengers, not predators,” she adds. “They are usually found in caves,” Shadow offers, carefully drawing the brush through Maribel’s hair. “If it weren’t for Yukiha’s influence, you’d probably never see one.” “He’s cute!” Yukiha squeals, patting the surface of the slime, which ripples. “Good for disposing of waste, but cute?” Wrath sighs in my head. “I don’t think you’re supposed to feed them,” Lyra says warily as she continues her daily battle of sweeping dirt off the patio onto the path, where it will inevitably be tracked back onto the patio. “They’re only small and harmless when all they have to eat is insects and cave moss.” I sigh, looking down the road, tuning out their conversation for a moment as images from TALON fill my mind. Captain Daniels and his men are about to round the bend toward the manor. More than usual this time, seven in total. One of them I’m sure I’ve never seen before, dressed far too finely and cleanly to be a soldier. A noble? A royal messenger, perhaps? Swish. I return to practicing while the others argue over how dangerous a slime could be, with Yukiha insisting Satoru is a good boy and Alastor insisting one must have a brain to be good. My eyes glance northwest every so often until I catch the sun glinting off my mithril hawk cresting the horizon, followed by our Hyperion guests riding into view. I return my sword to its scabbard and wait at the base of the patio steps, wringing my hands in anticipation of yet another request for a favor. Finely dressed visitors rarely arrive unannounced unless they want something. Shadow and Maribel step up beside me as the Hyperion riders approach. Seven pairs of boots strike the dirt as they dismount, the dry, dusty scent of the road drifting ahead of them. “Prince Ren, good day to you,” Captain Daniels calls. I recognize Thalon, the dwarf; Shiro, the red-furred foxkin; the demon Kane, and… Vaelis. My eyes narrow when they settle on the duplicitous elf I suspect lied about me to the King. “And it is my honor to introduce the third Prince of Hyperion, Helios Thaddeon,” Daniels adds, bowing as he gestures to his well-dressed companion. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Ren Drakemore,” Helios says with a slight bow, his tone deferential in a way that feels out of place for a pr