When Adira reached the Slave Market, she decisively headed to her personal quarters with Thirteen in tow. She made sure to lock the door so that no one would disturb them.
The seven-year-old made himself feel at home and even laid down on the couch, making himself very comfortable.
"You sure know how to enjoy life, Zion." Adira giggled after seeing that the boy didn't seem to be feeling anxious about being alone with her inside her room.
"Life is meant to be enjoyed," Thirteen replied. "You know what they say, happiness is eating, sleeping, and repeating."
"… Are you a pig?"
"Do I look like a pig?"
Adira could only shake her head helplessly before sitting down on the couch where the boy was lying down.
She even raised the boy's head and placed it on her lap, making the boy frown.
"Your legs are hard," Thirteen commented. "What are you eating? Steel?"
"Only on the weekends," Adira replied casually. "Are you feeling scared now?"
"Not really."
"Oh, Zion. I am very tempted to make you feel all sorts of pain right now."
For many, being alone with a Drow was a horrifying experience because they were a very vicious race.
They liked to inflict pain on others as a means of showing their superiority, for this was the belief that had been instilled in them since birth.
For them, seeing the fear in the eyes of those who looked at them was the greatest form of recognition.
But the only gaze that Thirteen gave her was that of boredom, which made the smile on her face widen even more.
"Tell me, Zion. What are you doing here in the Valbarra Archipelago?" Adira asked. "I tortured—errr, asked that boy, Colbert, about you, and the only thing he said was that you are a Monster."
"Monster?" Zion snorted. "How rude. Do I look like a monster?"
"Yes," Adira replied. "You are a Monster in my eyes."
"Then there's something wrong with your eyes, Adira."
"My Master says the same thing, but I always prove her wrong. So enough nonsense. Tell me your goal here in Gronar City."
Thirteen kept his eyes closed and remained perfectly still.
Tiona was curled up on his chest and eyeing Adira as if she were a thieving cat that was trying to steal her pillow.
"My goal?" Thirteen smiled with his eyes still closed. "Survival, of course. Isn't that the same for everyone?"
"Aside from survival, what are your short-term plans?" Adira inquired.
"Let's see, I want to hunt a Warsor Black Hound because I will need its hair to use as the bowstring for the bow that I made earlier," Thirteen answered. "Since the Dark Wing Bow was taken from me, I had no choice but to make my own bow from scratch."
"Ah, Warsor Black Hound?" Adira arched an eyebrow. "Can you even catch that at your level? That thing moves pretty fast."
"Well, I won't know until I try." Thirteen shrugged.
Adira wanted to pat Zion's hair, but Tiona suddenly hissed as if telling the Drow, who was many times stronger than her, to not touch her Master.
"Your pet is very cute," Adira commented.
"I know, right?" Thirteen smiled faintly as he reached out to pat the black snake's head with his finger, making Tiona calm down.
"Do you know that I was the one who gave this snake to Norris to be sold at the Auction," Adira stated. "It seems that she has forgotten who had taken good care of her before she arrived here in the Valbarra Archipelago."
"Oh? So you came from the Main Continent?" Thirteen's interest was finally piqued.
"I do," Adira replied.
"Can I join you on your return trip back to the Main Continent, Lady Adira?'
"Lady Adira? It seems that you are capable of being polite to people when you need something from them, huh?"
"Of course not. You're overthinking things, Lady Adira."
"Cut it out, Zion. You're giving me goosebumps."
In order to reach the main continent, Thirteen would need to travel by boat. The only way to do that was to either build a boat of his own, which he had no intention of doing, or to simply pay a merchant to take him to the continent.
He had planned to leave the Valbarra Archipelago as soon as Cristopher had finished his mission, which was lighting the Beacon of Hope.
Since the chubby boy would return to Pangea after completing his mission, Thirteen would be left on his own.
This was why he needed a way to return to the Main Continent. If he could head to one of the cities that had a Teleportation Gateway, then he could go through one that would lead him back to Pangea.
"Be honest with me, Zion," Adira lightly patted the boy's head. "You planned to steal something from the City Lord, right? If it was not the bow, you're probably aiming for the Five Leaf Clover."
This action of hers almost made Tiona lunge at her.
If not for the fact that Thirteen had ordered her telepathically to not bite Adira, the black snake would have already sunk her teeth into the Drow's hand by now.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Lady Adira," Thirteen replied in a casual tone. "I'm just a weak, seven-year-old boy, who will die if the City Lord pinches me. Why would I even think of stealing something from him?"
"Uh uh~ you almost convinced me, but I know that you went there to steal something," Adira playfully tugged on a few strands of Zion's hair, making Tiona hiss at her fiercely. "It takes a thief to know a fellow thief, you know?"
"Lady Adira, in this lifetime, I haven't stolen anything from anyone," Thirteen stated. 'At least, not yet.'
"In this lifetime?" Adira smirked. "You say some very interesting words, Zion. Does that mean that you've stolen many things in your previous lifetimes? Well, I don't really believe in life after death because when our race dies, we return to the Dumah's embrace."
Thirteen didn't make any comment because it was not his place to tell Adira about what really happened after death.
Also, there were different laws for different worlds, and the world of Solterra had its own set of laws that managed the circle of Life and Death.
"Dumah is the Celestial of Silence, right?" Thirteen inquired. "As for the Drows who like conquest and war, they worship the Fiend, Belial, who represents Lawlessness."
"You sure know a lot of things, Zion," Adira commented as she continued to pat the boy's hair. "Indeed. My sisters and brothers, who still continue their lifestyle, worship Belial. Well, to each their own.
"My eyes were opened early. That is when I discovered that empathy and compassion still exist even in my dark heart. Even so, I choose who to be compassionate to, for example, you, Zion."
"I am honored, Lady Adira," Thirteen said. "Now, about your return trip to the Main Continent…"
Just as Adira was about to answer the boy's question, a loud explosion spread within the quiet night.
Thirteen and Adira, who had an idea of what was happening, remained calm and didn't even bother to leave the couch where they were talking.
"It has begun," Thirteen said softly.
"Indeed," Adira nodded as she continued to pat Thirteen's head. "Let's just wait until the morning. Perhaps, after this incident, that arrogant man will learn what humility is."
Thirteen smiled faintly after hearing the Drow's words.
He didn't know if the City Lord would learn anything about humility after this incident.
But there was one thing he did know.
Once morning came, the city would be under martial law as Arthas and his officials looked for the thieves who dared to steal several items from within the City Lord's Treasury.
