"Wait." Kaelith looked at the man who was about to stab him with a dagger.
He blinked a couple of times. 'Damn it, I can't access the ring's power anymore.' The silvery dagger reflected in his grey eyes, hovering just a few inches from his face.
"Why should I stop?" he growled.
The cold wind breeze blew into the moving carriage from the side that had been busted open by the other man.
"Because I have something to say," he muttered, his little finger pushing the blade back.
'Why is White Lotus taking so long to find me? She has always found me before things got worse… I need to buy time.'
The second man raised his blade, veins bulging along his neck. "You've got guts for a baby. You are a demon!" He looked back at the empty space his colleague had flown out from.
Kaelith didn't even flinch. His brows knitted together. "Before you embarrass yourself like the last one," he said calmly, "I have a question for you."
The man froze again, his knife pausing mid-air.
"Kill Roy!" the other man barked.
"What is going on in there?" the voice of the man riding the carriage rang from outside.
"Nothing you need to worry about," Roy barked.
Kaelith tilted his head, his grey eyes narrowing slightly. "How's your wife been treating you?"
'Have a wife. Don't make it look like I'm lying.'
A strange silence filled the carriage. A sinister smirk curled on Kaelith's lips. "Gotcha."
The man blinked, confused. "What?"
He exchanged a glance with the other man, who looked tense at the mention of Roy's wife. His jaw tightened.
Kaelith gave a soft sigh, as if disappointed he had to repeat himself. "I asked how your wife is doing. Has she been distant lately? Or is she pretending again, like she always does?"
He glanced at the other man, whose hands tightened around the hilt of his sword. Mischief danced in his cute, sinister eyes.
"I'll gut you…!"
"You must be the foolish type," Kaelith murmured, cutting him off. "No wonder she cries herself to sleep." He turned to the other man, the one who had been looking tense since he had started talking about the other man's wife. "You've been helping her, haven't you?"
The man's eyes flickered with guilt just for a second. Kaelith noticed it. And so did the first man.
'I can't believe I'm ticking all the boxes right.'
"You bastard…" Roy hissed, turning toward his comrade. "Is this true?!"
"I don't know what the hell this freak is talking about," the second man growled, stepping back.
Kaelith smiled faintly. "Oh? So now you're backing down. A moment ago, you were ready to slaughter a child. But now that I've mentioned your late-night visits, you're suddenly quiet."
The first man lunged at the other with a roar. His veins popped with anger.
"How could you do this to me?!" He punched the other man in the face.
The sound of bones cracking filled the air. The carriage rocked violently as the two men tackled each other.
Kaelith leaned back, watching as blood splattered across the wood panels. He reached into the folds of his sleeve and pulled out the last half of the biscuit he'd been saving.
He chewed slowly, calmly like someone watching a play unfold.
'Humans. You only need to press the right nerve.'
The first man tackled the second into the side of the carriage, shoving a knee into his ribs. "You've been touching her, haven't you?!"
"Even if I did, at least I did it better than you ever could!"
Another punch connected to his face. He reached for the dagger that was lying on the carriage floor. He plunged it into the man's chest.
A groan echoed through the carriage. Meanwhile, the horses neighed as they picked up speed, blurring through the woods.
"What is going on in there?" the man riding the carriage yelled. But he got no answer except the grunting and groaning sounds of the two men fighting.
Minutes passed, and soon the groans grew louder. The man who had been stabbed by Roy pushed Roy away with his magic.
Roy crashed into the wall of the carriage with a loud bang before falling to the floor. He coughed out blood; his shoulders shook violently.
The man who had been stabbed dragged himself up, moving towards Kaelith. Anger and hatred danced in his eyes. His jaw tightened.
"You little demon, I'll end you right now," he cursed under his breath. His fingers crackled with magic.
Kaelith stared at him, his brows arched.
Just before the man could reach him, Roy came from behind, slitting his throat with one swift motion.
Blood splattered on the wall and on Kaelith's face; however, Kaelith didn't bat an eye at the scene before him, or the warm blood on his face.
The man slumped to the ground, his eyes widened in disbelief as he choked to his death.
When it was over, one man lay dead. The other gasped for breath, leaning against the wooden wall of the carriage, blood dripping from his temple.
Kaelith finally stood up, brushing his hands together as if dusting off crumbs.
"Such a waste of manpower," he muttered, stepping over the corpse.
The wounded man looked up, rage trembling in his throat. "What… what did you do to us?"
Kaelith crouched in front of him, his voice low and cold. "Nothing. I just gave your mind a little nudge. Now you know never to trust the species called women. You have learned your lesson now…" He paused, glancing at the dead man, his eyes growing colder. "Though in a hard way… just like me."
"What do you mean, just like you? What do you know about love? You are just a toddler." The man reached for the dagger that was lying beside him.
Kaelith reached out and patted the man's cheek gently, like a child comforting an idiot.
"You were going to kill me. But you ended up killing your own brother…"
The man lunged with the dagger at him, but it was blocked by an invisible force. Then his hand turned, the dagger's tip turning toward his own neck.
"No… no… no…" the man's voice died into a gurgling noise as he plunged the dagger into his own throat.
"How ignorant. Anyways, thanks to my ring, it seems to be working again." He kissed the ring on his thumb.
He turned to the door, not sparing him another glance. The carriage had turned into a wrecked mess.
He walked out of the door, his little hands pushing it open. The driver turned; he looked pale as death at the sight of the sinister smirk on Kaelith's innocent face.
"How is this possible?"