A Journey Unwanted

[Realm: Álfheimr]

[Location: Heart Kingdom]

[Pulchritudo]

"I am called Goiim." The introduction was brief and simple. Spoken with the same strangely even tone she had maintained since the moment Shuten-dōji found her.

Gretel quietly studied the woman.

("So this was the person who had been watching them,") she silently repeated the name in her mind. ("Goiim.")

It was unusual.

Unlike any name Gretel had heard before.

Yet somehow it suited the woman standing before them—beautiful, refined, and unsettling in equal measure. There was no denying her appearance; she was stunning. Everything about her, from the elegance of her attire to the composure with which she carried herself, blended naturally into the noble atmosphere of Pulchritudo. She did not look the type to be hiding atop rooftops; she seemed more like a wealthy aristocrat taking a leisurely afternoon stroll.

And yet Gretel found herself unable to look at Goiim the same way ordinary people likely would. She was a Nil, which meant Gretel sensed something beneath appearances. The feeling she had noticed the instant that gaze settled upon her.

It lingered even now.

They had relocated into a narrow alleyway tucked neatly between two respectable shops. One displayed elaborate necklaces and gemstones behind glass windows, while the other showcased finely tailored garments intended for Pulchritudo’s wealthy citizens.

The alley itself was unexpectedly clean, with no overflowing refuse or lingering stench. Even the cobblestones appeared well maintained.

Gretel scarcely paid attention to any of it.

Her attention remained fixed entirely upon Goiim.

"Well," Echidna drawled with disappointment, folding her arms as an amused smirk tugged lazily across her green-painted lips, "I’d say that nuisance resolved itself rather efficiently."

Her emerald eyes slowly wandered across Goiim as though inspecting livestock.

"So..." She smiled wider. "...can we simply dispose of this human now and return to our considerably more tedious task?" Her voice remained perfectly conversational. "I’ve always wondered what a Nil tastes like." A brief pause followed. "I suppose eating you would answer that curiosity."

Gretel barely reacted anymore; the casual suggestion of cannibalism had somehow become expected. Though she supposed Echidna was a monster, so perhaps "cannibalism" was not the right term.

Goiim, however, reacted even less.

"I would prefer not to be eaten," she replied calmly; not a flicker crossed her porcelain features. She appeared to accept completely that Echidna might genuinely follow through. "Besides..." Her pale gaze drifted thoughtfully upward. "We Nil derive our strength from the withered branch of the tree." She returned her attention to Echidna. "I imagine that would make us rather unpleasant to consume."

A tiny pause followed.

"If I had to guess..." Her voice remained perfectly the same. "...I’d probably taste quite awful."

Gretel blinked, her brows slowly furrowed.

("The withered branch...?") She had absolutely no idea what Goiim meant; the statement raised more questions than answers.

Still one part of her explanation stood out far more than the rest.

"So..." Gretel spoke quietly. "...you really are a Nil."

Goiim inclined her head.

"I am."

There was no hesitation or even an attempt to conceal it.

"Though..." she added after a moment, "...I should temper your expectations." She elegantly folded her arms across herself. "I’m hardly an exceptional specimen. I’m merely within the Vociferari stage of my evolution." She stated it so matter-of-factly that it almost sounded apologetic.

Shuten-dōji’s lips curved into another amused smile.

"I wonder..." The oni folded one arm over the other. "...if that humility is genuine." Her red eyes rested calmly upon Goiim. "Or perhaps it’s merely your preferred method of appearing less dangerous than you truly are." Her smile never left. "Either way..." She tilted her head ever so slightly. "...I don’t believe we’ll pry into that particular matter just yet."

The warmth faded from her expression, replaced instead by curiosity.

"For now there is a far more pressing question." Silence settled briefly over the alley. "Why did you choose to follow us?"

Echidna spoke before Goiim could answer.

"If you’re considering a lie..." Her tone was almost bored. "...don’t." No threat followed; none needed to. The implication lingered plainly between them.

Goiim acknowledged the warning with nothing more than a slow blink.

"I wasn’t following you because I intended harm." She began speaking as smoothly as before. "I was simply going about my day..." Her pale eyes gradually shifted toward Gretel. "...when I sensed another Nil entering the city. There are remarkably few of us left." Something almost resembling thoughtfulness entered her voice. "So naturally I wanted to discover who it was."

Gretel unconsciously straightened as Goiim continued.

"That curiosity led me to you." Her gaze briefly moved across the rest of the group. "And while observing you, I overheard your inquiries concerning the dragons."

Gretel’s silver eyes widened ever so slightly; for the first time since entering Pulchritudo, there was a lead.

"Wait." The word escaped before she realized it; hope slipped into her voice despite herself. "If you’ve been listening..." She took half a step forward. "...does that mean you actually know something about the dragons?"

Goiim nodded once.

"I do. I’m something of an information broker here in Pulchritudo." Her answer remained characteristically understated. "My profession rather encourages collecting knowledge." She looked between Gretel and Shuten-dōji. "So over the years, I’ve come to learn a fair amount regarding both Albion and Ddraig."

Echidna’s emerald eyes narrowed by the slightest margin, her gaze never once leaving Goiim’s face.

"How remarkably convenient," she observed, her voice quiet but edged with suspicion. "Out of everyone in this sprawling city, the one person who chooses to follow us just so happens to possess the very information we’ve spent the better part of the day searching for. Forgive me if I find that sequence of events just a little too perfect."

Goiim neither frowned nor smiled.

She merely inclined her head in acknowledgment.

"Indeed," she agreed with complete composure. "It is rather convenient."

There wasn’t the faintest hint of defensiveness in her voice.

"If anything," she continued smoothly, "I’d even say it’s convenient for me as well." Her pale eyes rested calmly upon the group. "After all, information of this sort is rarely given away out of kindness."

A brief pause followed before she finished in the same tranquil tone.

"The knowledge you seek carries value, and value demands payment. Whatever I know regarding Albion and Ddraig will come at a price."

Gretel remained silent.

("Well...") She resisted the urge to sigh. ("We’re hardly swimming in Eor right now.") Their finances had been steadily dwindling ever since entering the Heart Kingdom.

Paying an information broker had never exactly been part of the plan.

Her eyes drifted toward Goiim once more.

("Still...") She frowned ever so slightly. ("As much as it pains me to admit it, Echidna has a point.")

That thought alone felt strange.

Agreeing with the Mother of Monsters was becoming an increasingly common occurrence.

("This really is suspiciously convenient.") Someone they had never met had followed them through the city, only to reveal she possessed precisely the information they were searching for.

It could genuinely be coincidence.

Or...

It could be something else entirely.

Either way, refusing outright would gain them nothing.

Gretel slowly lifted her gaze back toward Goiim.

"This isn’t our full group," she explained carefully. "There are two others traveling with us, and I’d rather everyone be present before we discuss something this important."

She paused for a moment before deciding to continue.

"So..." Her silver eyes met Goiim’s. "...would you be willing to come with us while we regroup with them?"

Goiim gave the question only a moment’s consideration.

"I don’t see why not." Her answer arrived without hesitation. "It would be rather foolish of me to walk away from what appears to be a perfectly legitimate business opportunity." She spoke as though discussing nothing more dramatic than the day’s weather.

Shuten-dōji watched her with amusement.

"Oh?" The oni tilted her head ever so slightly. "Even knowing that this particular business opportunity involves such an unusual gathering as ours?" A small smile touched her lips. "Most would probably reconsider after meeting even one member of this little party."

Goiim’s expression remained perfectly still.

"A businesswoman doesn’t possess the luxury of choosing only comfortable clients." Her tone never wavered. "Coin spends the same regardless of who offers it." She looked briefly toward each of them in turn. "So long as our arrangement remains mutually beneficial..." She gave a small nod. "...I have no reason to refuse."

Then, she added,

"Please." A graceful gesture toward the mouth of the alley. "Lead the way. I’ll follow." Her pale eyes rested on Gretel. "In plain sight this time."

For just a moment, silence settled over the alley once again.

Gretel regarded Goiim carefully, long enough to search for even the smallest crack in her composure.

She found none.

Eventually, Gretel gave a slow nod. She turned toward the alley’s exit, boots scraping on the stone as she began walking. Of course, she didn’t lower her guard, not for even a second.

("She agreed surprisingly quickly...") Her grip unconsciously settled a little closer to the hilt of her sheathed rapier. ("If anything, she almost seemed eager to come along.")

The realization sat in the back of her mind, not enough to stop.

Her silver eyes briefly turned toward Shuten-dōji before shifting to Echidna.

("Then again...") A small breath escaped her. ("I probably don’t need to waste time reminding either of them to stay alert.")

If Goiim attempted anything, those two would notice before she ever could. That thought brought only the smallest measure of reassurance.

("Still if she truly is an information broker...") Hope quietly returned despite her caution. ("...then this might genuinely be the first stroke of luck we’ve had since arriving in Pulchritudo.")

Now there was only one remaining problem.

Finding Mikoto and Robert, her gaze wandered over the crowds flowing through the city beyond.

("I just hope those two haven’t managed to get themselves into trouble while we were gone.")

Knowing Mikoto, she honestly couldn’t decide whether that was an unreasonable concern or an inevitable one. For someone so moody, he was also still a bit childish.

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