Moon Glaive

Chapter 8: Indu

"Male robes?!" Gremio turned around in surprise.

Indu froze where she sat. Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

"Umm...er..." The walls looked particularly nice today. Smooth, wooden planks of a hickory shade made up the walls. Hickories were good trees. Indu quite enjoyed playing next to them as a child. They really were good-

"Hey. Don't you dare look away." Maxi snapped, forcing Indu to look at her glaring face. "What are you hiding from me?"

"Sweetheart, you should go easy on her...." Gremio strolled over with a cup of tea, but Maxi was having none of it.

"That's rich coming from a person scolding us a few minutes ago."

"I can't refute that." His shoulders slumped, but he placed the tea before Indu. "But I'm curious too, Indu."

"Wait..." Maxi's eyes widened, and Indu immediately knew she had misunderstood something. "Did, did that unknown man, to you, did he..." Maxi cupped her mouth in shock. "I-I'm so sorry, Indu, I didn't realize you were assaulted, and I yelled so insensitively...."

"Just what are you imagining?" Indu practically yelled. "Nothing of the sort happened to me, though I appreciate your worrying."

"Then why won't you tell us? Who did you see in the mountains, and what happened with them?" Maxi put the dress on a chair and held Indu's hands, kneeling to her eye level. "Is it something bad? Even if you committed a crime, I'll be on your side, Indu!"

"Of course I didn't commit a crime! I'm a model citizen."

"Then what is it!"

"If you give me a moment to speak, I can explain."

Maxi finally quieted down, releasing Indu and taking a step back, but her eyes were still wide with myriad questions. Indu felt a headache coming about her. Should I really tell them about Axer? I can trust them, and it's not like Axer never told me not to inform anyone of his existence, so it should be fine, right? But if I tell them a troll nearly killed me, forget about leaving the town, I wouldn't be able to even leave my house. Father and Maxi are a dangerous duo when it comes to my safety.

"I-I just happened to meet a man training deep in the mountains, that's all." Indu's voice trembled slightly, but she wasn't lying in the slightest. Axer had said he was training in the mountains.

"And in that short happening, you lost all your belongings and took his clothes?" Maxi's eyes narrowed. "Tell me the truth, Indu."

"T-That was the truth!"

"Bullshit. I can see you curling your toes. You always do that when you lie!" She pointed down.

Mortified, Indu looked down to see her toes had indeed been curled. Shit. She nearly slapped her forehead.

And so Indu – reluctantly - confessed. She told them how a troll had appeared and that a mysterious man had saved her before she was killed. However, she did fib a bit (this time making sure her feet remained uncurled), saying she didn't know the man's name.

Throughout the narration, Gremio and Maxi's faces changed from pale to red to blue, morphing from fear to shock to anger. Steam poured out of Maxi's ears, and Indu could sense the fury building in her heart.

"I better not see you roaming the town after dusk, Indu."

Indu flinched from Maxi's quiet, grim tone. Maxi's hands trembled, blue veins growing visible from her anger. However, Gremio had a strange expression on his face. He remained silent despite his mouth opening and closing as if he had something to say. Ignoring the seething and volatile Maxi, Indu addressed Gremio.