Reincarnated Into A Hell Hound - Chapter 97

I watch from the sidelines for a while, seeing how they talked and laughed, smiling for too long and all the time in a way that makes their expression fake, and with my sharper senses is even clarer for me the fakeness since I could hear their heart skip a beat when they lied, could smell the distress of being in each other’s company, and could identify each high sisters by their smell, not even in need to look at the color of their clothing; dust, blood, perfume, soil, plants, medicine, it almost makes me sneeze.

With them so close together I could not get in unnoticed, so I wait for them to start walking once the dinner is ready, which doesn’t take long fortunately.

They start walking up, always up in this mountain full of stairs, and without being able to communicate with Isa to say that he should stay behind I take the liberty to hold him back a little, controlling his shadow so his legs would feel heavy and make him walk slower than the others and increase the distance between them enough so I could sneak in.

Part of me hopes he doesn’t scream and alert the others about the sudden shadow grabbing his ankles, but the other part wants to fuss him about the probably not very manly scream he would make.

The hilarious image almost makes it worth the explanation I would have to come up with to why I was late and why he screamed, but he doesn’t scream in the end, only looks down with widen eyes, then realizes that his shadow was moving ever so slightly, making him walk slower than the others as I sneak in behind him and lower my face as a little good servant.

As I’m finally by his side we start to walk normally again, now at the end of the group and looking at the back of many women in white, almost like a ghost parade with their fl.u.s.tering cloths and the night sky on the front with bright starts shinning on us.

“Why the hell are you here?” I hear Isa ask under his breath, knowing I would be able to hear him.

“I’m keeping your ass safe from being so unlucky.”

“What?”

We stop talking once we reach the end of the stairs were eunuchs were waiting to guide us inside, and I immediately feel the difference and how opulent this night was about to get; for this eunuchs, wearing all white, had pattern and drawings mended in gold in their clothes.

And if the other rooms looked exotic and expensive… this only simply spit luxury.

There was a grand entrance at the front, all white, but I’m unable to have a good look since I have to keep up with the pace of the group while looking unfazed by it all; since it would be impolite for a servant to keep starting at things like this.

I’m only able to look a little when we enter the dining room since it had been made to impress even the Sisters who were used to this prosperous lifestyle.

There were a few similarities in the style of this place from the rest, all the rooms seemed to have walls with pillars and carvings on them, but instead of the pure white from outside here there was a mix of golden smooth rocks on the floor, shinning with the red flames of the many fires illuminating the place, creating an almost mirage reflection on the stones.

Beyond that there were long flags on the walls with different colors, and it took me a second to realize that they, too, representative the hierarchy of this place; which meant that we went to the side were a silver-grey flag was, and a single wooden carved chair stood over the long dinner table.

Isa went straight for it, sitting down, while the others did the same with their own chairs, ours being at the end of the table where a… throne; no better way to describe it; stood with a high back and a mural crafted in it, painted in white and golden.

As the last one to arrive I can observe better their manners and watch people move around, even more when the servants; many more to the other nuns; do not sit beside the Sister and instead walk to the wall were the banners stood and stay standing there, with their backs to the wall.

I take my place with the other servants to the side, the only one under the grey-silver one, trying to conceal my presence as much as possible. The dining hall was filled with people, but only the ones sitting at the table talked as the rest keep their backs straight against the wall, eyes firmly staring at the back of whom they served, probably waiting for a command.

And that makes it very clear who are the pampered Sisters; the ones who had many servants staying behind their backs, even having to dismiss some away as they did not fit in the space under their banner.

Even though we were inside, this place, with high ceiling and roofs made of windows; a luxury item made of sand, even more at that size; it gives off a feeling of a picnic on the inside, plus because of the plants growing around, perfectly trimmed and kept, having a deep healthy green on their leaves framed by the blinding white walls of this place.

Even Isa was talking with someone at this point, the table empty waiting for the High Priestess to appear, but once she does everybody goes silent; other women and eunuchs enter first, probably her servants, but once the High Priestess enters is easy to find her beyond the others.

It was an older woman with a starting-to-white hair, but it did her good as she looked even more graceful than he young Sisters around, especially with a high braided bun on the back of her head, a straight stern pose and the walk of a woman who knew who was in charge and knew that she didn’t need to prove herself to anyone in the room.

It showed in the mere way she walked the power she had in her hands… and it sends shivers down my spine.

Beyond her stern pose was the corset that made her look even stiffer, and making her stand out from the others with her unique outfit.

Everybody stands when she enters, and the servants bow down on the side, making me do the same while clenching my teeth.

As I keep an eye out, whoever, I can see that, as the ones at the table bow as well in a shorter way, an exchange of looks makes me realize that one of the sisters was wearing a white corset, and with a mocking smile stared daggers on the one on the opposite side who did not have it.

Maybe there was some sort of fashion here, and for what it seems the Higher Priestess had a strong hand in it.

“You may sit. For now, let’s eat.” The priestess says simply, sitting down and looking straight forwards as the eunuchs hurried to bring the food to the table.

But none of it matters to me as an odd creeping sensation crawls its way at the back of my neck, my instincts telling me something was off…

And I find out what once I take a good look at the Higher Priestess eyes…Into her dead, foggy, and so familiar gaze, a stare that I saw somewhere else before, and only in one place…And as I remember where, I can feel myself sweating cold.

On Aeglos’s eyes, on the time he was under the effects of the psychic magic.

The exactly same gaze that I see now in her eyes.