SILVER-HEART
Chapter 163: The Story Of Yin And The Fox Guardian {11}

Chapter 163: The Story Of Yin And The Fox Guardian {11}

"T-Thank you, kind sir, you s-saved my life" Aveline stuttered so badly that she barely got the word out, his presence was just too intimidating, just who is he?

Nicklaus said nothing to the little girl before him, instead, he took his time to study her, her aura and everything about her were off the charts, and are those pointy ears? What creature is she? He has never sensed anyone like her before.

"What are you doing in these parts?" he asked and Aveline shuddered again just by hearing his voice.

"I’m a traveler"

"You’re not a very good liar are you?" he raised an eyebrow and she froze, gulping so hard that her throat would fall out. "You little one call to something that does not belong to you and I’m not exactly friendly to thieves"

"I-I’m not a thief!" Aveline interjected as she took a step backward, she was still in shock, how does he know she calls to the Dark Grimoire? Is he from the palace?

"Hmm" he made a sound only turning his gaze to the frozen bodies floating in the air, he had already mind-linked the knights to come take care of it, left for him they would have been destroyed but he needed to set an example.

"I thought this place was peaceful" Aveline cut in hoping to change the topic, she did not know what exactly this man would do to her when he finds out what she sought, it could be a crime here.

"There is no true peace but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to achieve," he said only and Aveline instantly thought back to Aethel, everything was perfect and everything was peaceful, that was what her father taught her, to look at things without flaws and that Elves were the perfect kind without any and the rest were corrupted but this man before her, even in the midst of a peaceful society said there was no true peace.

"Why do you say that?"

Nicklaus leveled his gaze to the curious girl before him, no longer afraid but nothing but curiosity filled her vermillion eyes. She was just the same age as Sylvia, his daughter.

"Peace is a word... some think it is something that can easily be grasped but it’s not, the same way it is not impossible to achieve it the same way it is impossible, peace is temporary but it depends on how long you hold onto it," he said, remembering when his and Yelena’s Realms were merged, it was easy to merge but it was just as difficult to keep everything in order, there were flaws but there was also peace and the people were united but even in such society there were people like this five floating in ice or worse.

"Now... I did not come here to indulge in your curious mind, I came here to know why you call the Dark Grimoire"

Aveline gulped once again. "A-Are you from the palace?"

"Yes," Nicklaus said only and she nodded.

"Yes I do come for the Dark Grimoire but I’m not a thief I promise"

"Then what are you?"

"Someone who needs answers"

"But too weak to get them... I can feel your aura, child, you’re dying"

She forced a smile. "I know"

Nicklaus blinked not once but twice. "Are your answers that important... that you risk your life?"

"When I find my answers... if I do quickly I can spend the rest of my time with someone I hold dear, my friend" Her features lit up at the mention of this friend.

"Then I hope that this friend is worth the wait"

"He is... he’s difficult sometimes..." she began with a shiver rubbing her arms, it was like the temperature dropped more and more, or was it this man’s aura? "...And hard to interpret his emotion but his actions say everything" Aveline didn’t know why she talked freely to this man, in spite of his scary presence there was this cold warmth to him, and he just watches her as she speaks, it reminded her to how William does when she talks and talks all day long.

"But we had a misunderstanding, I can’t just die without resolving it" she adds in a downhearted tone.

"Follow me, little one," Nicklaus said walking ahead and she quickly raised her gaze to meet him.

"W-What about them?" she pointed to the frozen bodies. Getting silence in return she sighed rushing to walk by his side but it was a hard feat because his legs were too long.

He abruptly stopped and it caused her to bump her forehead behind him.

"You have 11 days"

"What?"

He turns to her. "That is how long before your energy depletes, you’re the one dying you should know"

"I didn’t" she mumbled, he was able to deduct that just by sensing her energy?

"Hmm or less"

"What?!" she panicked, can’t he be more accurate? "You’re scaring me without a proper answer"

"I cannot give a proper answer because your aura keeps coming on and off, it’s strange... like your body is trying to fight to exist here and on the other hand tethered to something..." he rose an eyebrow. "Or someone"

"I’m tethered to someone," she admitted.

"This friend of yours?"

She shook her head. "Another"

He noticed as she suddenly tensed. "By choice?"

Aveline never felt like it was a choice for her, so she shook her head.

"Then it is a curse"

She quickly raised her gaze to meet him and there was a look on his face that she cannot describe.

"Y-You think I’m cursed?"

He said nothing else as he faced the portal that suddenly appeared before them, she didn’t even see him conjure it, again this man cannot be just a mere vampire.

"Do you trust me little one"

"N-No!"

"Good," he says, placing a hand on her back and giving a slight push. Aveline gasped as she stepped into the portal with Nicklaus following behind.

The rest was darkness and cold before she opened her eyes and found herself in a grand hallway with knights in position, was this the palace?

"Come," Nicklaus said walking ahead and she followed and the most shocking thing happened, the knights in their statue position bowed.

Aveline stopped her steps instantly. "You’re the Emperor" she gasped, how foolish of her, his royal attire, his magnificent aura, the way he carries himself, and his sharp intellect.

Nicklaus stopped in his tracks and faced her. "Does that change your mind?"

She shook her head. "It doesn’t"

"And what does it mean?" he urges.

"Its means you can give me the answer I came for"

"That is true"

"Why help me? I’m a stranger"

"What is your name?"

"Avelin... Ava" she said. "My name is Ava"

"Then you’re not a stranger"

☆☆☆

"Tend to her and get her warm clothes and food" Nicklaus instructed the maid who bowed upon his request. His eyes darted to Ava.

"The warmer you are the better, the coldness will only make your aura deplete faster"

Ava’s lips parted but no words came off her. How come she never thought of that?

"Bring her to the throne room when you’re done," he said walking out and he could feel her gaze lingering behind him before moving.

Nicklaus didn’t expect he would bring her back to the palace nor did he expect that weak aura will belong to a child, a child that was dying, and it was no illness... he could feel it, it felt more like it was destined to happen, it may be a curse or a natural way of her lifeforce, the girl was too much of a mystery and he needed to find out why she seeks his Dark Grimoire for answers.

He knew she wasn’t a threat, if she was he would have known when he set his eyes on her frightened orbs.

"My liege," Bartholomew said, coming to him. "I have been looking for you, thought you escaped"

Nicklaus narrowed his eyes. "I never escape my duties"

Bartholomew almost huffed, he does that a lot with his wife around. He cleared his throat. "Did you find the ’rat’ as you called it?"

"It is not a rat but a girl"

"A girl?"

"The strangest girl I have ever met" Nicklaus trailed walking ahead and Bartholomew followed.

"Why does a girl seek the Dark Grimoire?"

"I don’t know yet"

"Do you intend to help her?"

Nicklaus suddenly stopped at his words staring at the large windows his wife took the liberty of enforcing and it turned out to be the beauty of this place just like her.

"I see myself in her... young, smart, and foolish enough to choose answers over life. She is just like me when I sought the Holy Library for power without caring about if I live or die..." Nicklaus said as the memories flooded in and a smile tugged his lips. "If Yelena hadn’t saved me at that time I would have died, cold and lost to time itself" he faces Bartholomew.

"I do not want her to die, Bartholomew, without her finding her answers"