5 An Actual Animal?

"The Ancesgon capital?" Valda freezed at the name of the land she was currently in, and she blinked severally, pondering on how this could possibly be true when… she was supposed to be at the palace of Wycliffe, was she not? Or did they abandon her here when passing through the Groveland?

Would they seriously do that to her? Was this her punishment? To be feasted on by the fearsome beasts that roam the Ancesgon capital? Valda's thoughts instinctively wandered to the two ladies she just met, and their appearances finally made sense.

"Can I have a moment to myself, please?" She turned to the lady with pointy ears, "I'm honestly confused, I just need a minute to wrap my thoughts and I'll… a moment is all I ask."

"I wish I could," the elf lady sighed at her own helplessness, "but the young master insists I stay here with you, and ensure you get ready to meet with him. Punishment awaits if I act otherwise, so I can't go against my master's rules, I'm sorry."

"It is.. it is fine then." Valda didn't bother to push her luck since the strange lady herself appeared wary of this young master. She drummed her fingers subconsciously on the window, her lips pursed, and she darted a glance at the dress kept on her bed.

If being here was her punishment, do they dress up their victims in order to make them more appealing to their masters? The Ancesgon capital was not a place for humans – a human can barely survive in this land without the aid of a powerful beast by his/her side, and she, it appears she was about to become some delicacy to a monstrous beast.

If she jumps out this window, there's a 99% chance she'll die faster than when being chomped on by a beast.

"No no!" Valda backed away from the window.

She shook every intrusive thought from her head. She wasn't going to die now, her time wasn't up yet, and who knows, maybe if she plays along and gets her card right, she might be able to escape from here, but what is the distance from this building to the line where their borders were separated? She'll need to figure that out too before doing anything stupid.

Picking up the dress from where it was placed, the beautiful elf lady led Valda to a specific chamber where she could bathe and change her clothes. After getting cleaned in an exotic bath, Valda put on the outfit that was given to her.

She stood in front of the mirror, admiring the lovely outfit that was given to her, and she could bet she's never seen anything like it – it was a predominantly black dress with intricate purple lines that created geometric patterns on the fabric, and they seemed to dance with every movement she made.

A sash, imbued with a gradient transitioning from deep black to a vibrant purple, wrapped gracefully around her slim waist, flowing down elegantly. The outfit boasted long sleeves that extended past her wrist, adorned with circular embellishments that sparkled subtly under the soft light, and the more Valda took notice of how valuable this dress was, the more nervous she became.

The asymmetrical hem of the dress added an avant-garde touch, while the thigh-high boots laced intricately up her legs, offering a bold statement.

"Woah, I've never seen anything like this." Valda was mesmerized, momentarily forgetting her situation. It was when the lady with the pointy ears walked in that Valda was instantly reminded of why she was even here in the first place. One has to make their sacrifices good enough in order to be accepted, and she couldn't believe she was praising her appearance despite knowing she was going to be fed off to this young master.

"Shall we leave?"

"Mhmmn." Valda nodded. Unbeknownst to the elf lady, Valda had picked up a knife from the fruit bowl and hid it specifically in the belt wrapped around her thigh.

They both exited the room, and she led Valda through the long, grand corridors of the building. This is her first time in Ancesgon capital, she's never been in such a place before, but she's heard tales of how beautiful Ancesgon capital can really be, but right now, she valued her life more than the curiosity settling within her.

What should she do when she meets this young master? Should she plead for mercy? Fight her way through or strike a deal with him? Surely this world knows nothing about cards and gambling, right? Maybe she can gamble her safety from here – but what if their master is a sore loser?

Valda swallowed nervously at the thought.

Eventually, Valda was brought to an ornate double door that ran from the ceiling to the floor. When it opened, she was ushered in, but she wasn't expecting to find the same girl with the fox ears inside.

"I told you not to keep my master waiting." The fox lady frowned at her tardiness, her bold voice sending tiny prickles down Valda's spine, but Valda wasn't going to let herself get intimidated by some animal in human skin.

"Well, if it wasn't for someone else's help, I doubt I'd be here at all." Answered Valda, but the fox lady didn't bother to argue and simply led Valda into the inner part of the chamber.

The room smelled like incense from burning sticks on a stone holder. It was fancy, with columns telling old stories and a big bed in the middle. The floor was dark wood with cool designs leading to the purple-curtained bed.

The whole place was elegant and powerful, fit for a royal – a special place with stories of richness and grandness.

Valda paused in her reverie when the fox lady made her halt in the center of the room. She lowered her head slightly at something, or rather someone on the bed, but Valda wasn't expecting the fox lady to make her forcefully bow her head too.

"She's here, Master Eryx." The fox lady announced politely. At this point, Valda was frightened to her wits, but she played along, obediently keeping her head lowered.

She wondered who master Eryx was, but she soon regretted asking, because instead of a burly–looking beast coming to get her, a cute little black fox with violet eyes approached where Valda stood, and it sat, staring up into her dazed round eyes.

Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait!

Their master was an actual animal??

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