《Legends of The Wesh: Lochley》


 Chapter 1: The Precipice

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    Azrael woke to the sound of sea, his temples throbbing in rhythm with the crashing waves.


    He coughed the blood that was stuck in his throat and heaved to endure the pain; waiting, wishing, for it to pull back with the retreating tides. Azrael had taken harsh punishments before: crushed by boulders, ripped by gravity fields, and stabbed by flaming beaks. But none had left him in deep despair and towering anger.


    Exiled. Sent to the abyss to be delivered as a corpse in a random world.


    But he survived; with a torn body and laboured breathing -- but breathing nonetheless.


    He could feel the blood that had no business outside his body running through the surface of his skin. A strong metallic scent filled the air and he could feel his clothes sticking to his body like second skin. He wanted to look over his injuries but he was too occupied with pain to do so.


    A warm and steady flow of energy radiated from his core, coursing to every part of his body; he instinctively knew that his body was healing itself. Azrael tried to sense this energy but was dismayed at the paltry amount of it.


    ''I might have to go into hibernation,'' he absently thought as his body produced the life energy needed to heal himself. He didn''t know how long he endured, but it felt like forever before he managed to recover his sense of faculties.


    Now that he had a semblance of thought, he silently thanked the gods for his Rur Constitution and tried to take stock of his situation. He observed a ray of light coming from one side of the cave''s wall, illuminating the cave he found himself in. He didn''t remember the light when he first gained consciousness, but then again, he had been too absorbed with pain.


    The cave was structured like a room, with floors that are too smooth that it had to be man-made. It had naturally formed walls that slowly converged to the top forming a ceiling. The space was big enough to house 20 of him comfortably -- if not for the big piece of rock full of twisting and shining lines. It was situated on a slightly elevated platform that took up the middle of the room and it faced the big crack in the wall where the ray of light was coming from.


    Azrael just sat there, staring at the glowing piece of rock, when a jarring thought surfaced to his mind. The rock was a Wesh Rock and the lines twisting on it were actually the Roots of the Wesh Tree.


    "No... No no no!" He screamed as he crawled his way towards the rock, too exhausted to stand up and walk on his own two feet.


    Tears slowly mixed with the blood on his face as he forced his body to climb the platform. Sheer desperation as the only reason he managed to reach the rock with his battered body. A trail of blood had followed him to the rock, bloody hand prints decorating the sides of it. The red prints made its way to the rock as he tried to activate the rock again.


    Back to home -- back to the only life he knew.


    The intensity of his actions dimmed, along with the light of the lines surrounding the rock. He only stopped his pointless actions when the lines no longer shined, his hopes dying with it.


    Wesh Tree, Tree of the Cosmic System, Pathways of the Legend, and many other names depending on who or where the question was asked. He remembered the voice --the lessons-- of his teacher about the Tree; or specifically its roots and its purpose.


    ''The roots of the Wesh Tree are gateways -- gateways to a different world! However, using them required great energy outside the Age of Unity.''


    Energy they were apparently willing to part with just to get him out of the way.


    "You got what you wanted huh?" He whispered to the now dull rock beside him. He knew it was bound to happen; he was considered as a threat after all.


    Staying at a prone position near the rock, he closed his eyes and waited for injuries to fully heal this time. Crawling with open wounds all over his body had been an idiotic thing to do, no matter how smooth the floors were.


    After a long but indeterminate amount of time, he could finally move his body freely without pain. He removed his clothes to assess his body; he could not detect anyone close by so he had no inhibitions in being nude.


    His body and clothes were fully covered in dried blood but there were no longer superficial wounds in his body. He could still feel the repair ongoing inside but at least he won''t be an open blood tap.


    "Let''s see... what do I need? I need a clean cloth, water, and some rations. Throwing a tantrum is surprisingly exhausting... at least my Shadow is still with me."


    His Shadow was not the literal shadow but the small black sphere that decorated his right ear. It was inherited from his mother and he found it funny that he had an inheritance when he didn''t even know who his own mother was.


    It was a useful piece of artifact though; it can be used as a space storage and it can shape shift to a different object. He normally wears it as a cloak but his "Exile Ceremony" forbade him from wearing one. For some reason, he had been forced to wear presentable clothes as they expelled him outside Ost; his previous world.


    "Trust them to make me wear fancy clothes even in my own execution. Winter''s breath take them all! Them and their useless traditions." He complained, to no one in particular, as he settled himself and tried to keep his emotions down.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Nevan told him that he was free; free from everything. From responsibilities, royal court, traditions, loved ones and enemies -- Free from him.


    The cold comfortable breeze from the cave''s entrance brought Azrael back from his musings. He hurriedly controlled Shadow to retrieve some items and it floated from his earring to the space near his hands. It expanded in size and he could now fit his hands through it to retrieve his items.


    After cleaning himself of dried blood, he retrieved a set of clean clothes and wore them. He was wearing ceremonial clothes when he arrived but decided to never wear anything like that ever again. He settled for a muted grey sleeved shirt, topped with black battle vest and pants. A pair of black boots finished his clothing ensemble.


    Azrael didn''t know the affairs of this world so he prepared for all occasions; his battle set was very comfortable anyway. He wore Shadow above everything, which transformed from an earring to a deep black cloak, opposing sides clasped together near his collar bones. Its length reached the smooth floors below and he decided to keep the hood off; he figured that a hooded man would be less welcome than an open face. After checking several items and weapons hidden inside his own clothes, he stopped procrastinating and decided to face whatever bloody pinionshe will find in this world.


    Azrael walked to the crack on the wall, which he assumed as the entrance, and then promptly stopped.


    Blue.


    Everything in his line of sight was blue. He faced the nameless sea in front of him and watched the blue waves turned to white as it crashed to the stones located far below. The word entrance didn''t seem correct anymore as no one could enter the cave unless they knew how to fly.


    The cave was located in the middle of a tall cliff, which was located at the edge of whatever land he was in, the unending sea enough as an indication of it.


    A precipice, and in the middle of it all, was him.


    He closed his eyes as he felt the breeze kissing his skin, sounds of the waves relaxing his still-frayed nerves, and the smell of the sea bringing a promise. A promise of something new, something he didn''t know he wanted -- a promise of freedom -- a precipice of change.


    He forced back the emotions and the tears trying to burst out from his chest and eyes.


    And laughed.


    He laughed: at his exile and death, at his family and home, at his conflicting emotions. He laughed, and laughed, and laughed until he ran out of breath. He hoped that his uncontrolled emotions were just the result of shock; he didn¡¯t want to be considered as a lunatic in this world.


    "It''s over. New life, new world, new people. Get over it and move on." He repeated it to himself, over and over again.


    Azrael gave the Wsh Rock one last look before moving on.


    "Now... how in the pointed tails and broken eggsam I going to get out this cave? Bloody pinions didn''t even make a stair." He silently thought and weighed the idea that this new world didn''t have the concept of stairs.


    "Could it be that everyone here knows how to fly?" He continued pondering about the lack of stairs before he berated himself with his escapism attitude.


    Azrael gathered his, now slightly bigger, energy pool and tried to sense his surroundings. He should have done it right after regaining his faculties, to ensure that no danger abounded in his near vicinity; but his instinct told him that he was safe here. His instincts never failed him. Except for the exile business of course; no amount of Seer-Instinct would have helped him there.


    He sensed a different but familiar energy all around him. A huge amount of ground elemental energy covered all directions, aside from the cave''s pseudo entrance; where he sensed faint amount of wind and water energy. Large amounts of weak ground energy and absence of faint water energy indicated that the cave was covered, not by soil, but by hard rock. The energy extended pretty far up and he dreads the idea of climbing such height on a steep cliff.


    He decided to spare some of his own life energy to control the gravity around him to make the task easier. Ensuring he won''t fall would be more efficient than suddenly using it on his falling body. Methods of using of life energy flooded his mind as he converted it to control the pull of the world around him.


    He slowly crept to the edge of the entrance and surveyed the uneven rocks. He concluded that climbing seemed possible, albeit a daunting, task. He started climbing after mapping which rocks seemed secure, instincts guiding him on a slow but safe climb.


    The sun was setting when he arrived at the top; changing the colour of the clouds to a warm orange colour, three moons made visible in the dimming light.


    He silently laid down, the rocky surface cooling his back; his tired breath mixing with the rhythmic sounds of waves. The foreign moons silently loomed above, mocking him for he is not of this world. After a few blinks, he decided to stand up and look at the other side of the cliff.


    This time, a sea of green greeted his eyes, decorated by orange clouds and the setting sun on the horizon. The clouds did not look natural as it hovered high above the entire forest without a single crack, hiding the sky. He saw the distinct divide between the blue sky and orange clouds as it framed the area above the entire forest.


    Azrael worried about the faint sense of danger he could detect inside the clouds; his instincts screaming at whatever the clouds decided to hide. He observed the forest and made a garner on what it could contain. His body was still recovering from the disastrous world jump and he was sure he wouldn''t be able to handle any of the creatures that made the forest their home.


    "Well, I guess I''m stuck here then..."


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    End of First Chapter


    Bloody Pinions / Winter¡¯s Breath - a non-sensical expression.


    Pointed Tails and Broken Eggs - Part of an idiom from Azrael¡¯s World. He uses it as a swear word.


    Other idioms:


    A Summer¡¯s Embrace and Winter¡¯s Breath came from but a single chest


    Pointed tails and broken eggs lead to broken bones and pointless death.


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    Meshiere Continent, Lochley


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 Chapter 2: The Walk, The Talk, and The Legend

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    Elira Phasol, The Bloodied Borough


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    Elira was in a good mood. In fact, she was in a fantastic mood.


    She was fifteen when she got accepted as a Neophyte, the lowest rank in the standard that Mercenary Hall use. It took her another 3 years of up-hill battle to prove her worth and reach Journeyman. Last month, she finally reported the mission¡¯s success that fulfilled the requirements for her new rank.


    Elira had earned her new rank through valid missions and didn¡¯t resort to bribery like most scions of powerful families. She was adamant in proving herself, despite the constant urging of her idiotic friend, to use her own family''s influence for a quick climb in rank.


    The Phasol family got the wealth and more importantly; the Phasol Constitution. This type of constitution gifted them certain talents in the way of the souls and this made them one of the more influential families in Meshiere Continent. Her Great Grandparents both held the position of Saint and Guardian Rank; that''s a 5-stars rank! It seemed leagues away to her newly acquired 2-stars rank.


    Elira could have saved around a year if she made use of her family''s resources but she did not want to -- and she had no regrets with that.


    Most people would call her a try-hard, arrogant, or even a goody-two-shoes but she did not care. She was proud of her heritage but she knew that if she wanted more in life, she had to work for it herself.


    "You''re wearing that look again." A familiar voice mocked her from behind, but the voice intoned a friendly attitude so she let it pass -- without a physical beating that is.


    "And you''re wasting your breath, again, pointing out obvious and useless things." Elira knew what look his friend was talking about because she could see it in the mirror. She was not vain, she just needed the daily affirmation that she would do well with everything for the day.


    Elira¡¯s haughty expression was reflected in the mirror, along with her other features. Her golden coloured eyes shined with the light reflected in them; it formed a good contrast to her dark grey complexion and braided dark blue hair. A pair of horns jutted behind her slightly pointed ears, the sharp ends just a bit higher than her head; it pointed to the ceiling and it stood straight and proud -- just like her. A well-proportioned face complimented everything but she didn¡¯t have much pride in it; most humans with demon constitution possessed good looks anyway.


    "Besides, what are you doing in my house? In my bathroom no less. Don''t you have any sense of propriety?" She said as she turned around to look with narrowed eyes at her friend, standing outside her bathroom door.


    "Oh, I had let myself in. I figured you''d be doing your morning ritual anyway, so no chance of me seeing your covered bits. Not that I wanted to, mind you." He replied, smirking with his ever aggravating face.


    Elira had already donned her adventurer armour. A white undershirt with a red leather breastplate on top made from Lava Bears. Her lower limbs were protected with leather boots and greaves, while her upper limbs are equipped with bracers; they were all made from the same material. Various belts and harnesses are strapped onto her body to hold the katars, her main weapon, and some other knick knacks like throwing knives, small bombs, and poison bottles. She kept the important potion bottles separately in her belt pouch.


    She liked being able to move easily so she preferred her current equipment over cuirass and other heavier full body armours. Most of her current Souls gave an advantage to movement, perception, and strength; combined with her demon constitution, she''ll be able to move just as if she was naked.


    Elira looked over William after double checking her equipment and she supposed he was attractive enough, despite being human that is. In fact, most people she knew was attracted to him one way or another. Years of teasing conditioned her to be irritated whenever he opened his mouth though.


    William was a human without any unique constitution to his name. His ancestors did not possess any bloodline to pass on, nor did they receive any blessings. He didn''t have any Elven or Demonic blood to increase his appearance''s charm, nor any Drake or Avian constitution to increase his elemental affinity. He was just your plain, fleshy, soft skinned human. Despite all that, he had talent; talent to control his own energy efficiently for converting other energies. He was a Journeyman, just like her, and he had been promoted the same year as her.


    "I can''t believe that you''re going to meet two -- TWO! of the ever elusive Fallen members! I really envy your family background; at least you finally started using your resources properly." William said as he waved his hands in the air, like most humans do; they did not have tails after all. It seemed that his breach of privacy was just to complain about herspecial mission.


    "Nobody would pass up the chance to do a mission with a Fallen member; they are Legends" Elira said righteously while crossing her arms at her friend. "They only have 10 members but they are considered as a major power; not just in Meshiere, but in the whole world!" Her pointed tail waved behind her at her excitement.


    Any of the Fallen members'' achievements and power could rival her grandmother; each of them possessing unimaginable talent and constitutions. Despite having only 10 members to their guild, they could contend with the other major guilds and clans that are composed of hundreds of people.


    At least according to other people and rumours. She hadn''t met any of their members -- yet.


    "Do you know who will you be meeting? I''m gonna die of enviousness if it''s Jasmine or Jared." Elira¡¯s tail twitched at his statement. "How did your grandmother manage to land you a mission with them anyway?" He continued, mostly to himself.


    "Serath is the first member but I don''t know who the other one would be. It''s an escort mission so it would make sense that The Barrier Master would be joining, not to mention he is currently in this city."This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Serath Meshiere could be considered as one of the well-known individuals in Meshiere; his surname made it obvious enough. Born as the crown prince to the largest empire of the continent but abdicated due to unknown reasons; he is an enigma to her as his fellow guildsmen. His barriers precede his heritage though and it means a lot when you''re more famous for formations than for your royal blood.


    "Serath? Dragon''s balls, he''s freaking cool!" William suddenly seemed more excited than before. She guessed that it was the royal blood; nothing excited the masses like a prince or a princess... then again, he would have probably reacted the same if she named any of the Fallen. Maybe except, Mary -- that would just be weird... and June, dead people could not join escort missions after all.


    "Yes, yes, now get out of my way. I need to be in the meeting place in an hour and I need to leave now if I want to arrive early." Elira pushed him out of the bathroom doors and made her way to the entrance of a humbly decorated home, grabbing the prepared adventurer pack on the way out.


    The house Elira lived in was located in the residential part of the city reserved for mercenaries. Most of the houses in these part of the city looked uniform, with their red brick walls and flat rooftops. The front doors of the houses are directly beside the street, with only a few houses decorating their front yard with a garden.


    Elira was content with the size of her house as it¡¯s big enough to house three people and she is currently occupying a whole house alone. It was no mansion -- but it was hers. It''s located near the centre of the city and was quite close to the Mercenary Hall branch of The Bloodied Borough.


    William followed her outside the house and kept staring at her with shining, pleading eyes. She could feel his intense gaze, boring through her, as she tried to ignore him and walked away from her front door. Two blocks later, she could still feel his presence so she decided to confront him.


    "Why are you following me?" She suddenly turned around and William tried to act with nonchalance -- tried, being the key word. He was trying to look everywhere but her, with his hands behind him, whistling a random tune.


    Elira stopped walking and just raised an eyebrow, pointed her tail at him and stared until he finally relented and replied.


    "Oh, come on. Introduce me! It''s not like they will kill you for bringing a friend!" William pleaded and her eyes twitched at that.


    "Look -- I''m not gonna join you guys. You could just say that I accompanied you to your destination; like a proper gentleman." He continued when she just kept staring; he seemed immune to her glares already.


    "I thought the ''love of your life'' is Jasmine?" Elira sighed as she turned around and just continued walking on the red pavement; silently granting permission for his presence.


    "She is! Have you seen her in the recent news circulation? She was modelling the most popular underwear brand right now! I saved the picture to... uhh I mean.. I wanted to show it to you that''s why I saved it. Yes, that''s it... I thought you would like the underwear brand!" His blood rushed to his face as he realized what he was babbling about.


    Elira just rolled her eyes at him; she really didn''t want to know what that picture was for. She just continued walking to her destination while William, not-so-subtly, changed the subject to more mundane news from the news circulation.


    "... and they said Lyria just managed to kill the rampaging lesser dragon on the West Wardens -- Hey, you still haven''t told me about the mission! I know it''s an escort quest but who will you guys be protecting?" He said as he punched her gently on the shoulders while walking to get her attention.


    "Me."


    "Whaa-- They are escorting you?!" William''s mouth had been hanging open when she turned around to face him with a teasing smile on her lips.


    Elira just chuckled and replied, "Well, not exactly. I''m not actually part of the mission." He just waited for her to explain, so she continued elaborating.


    "My Great Grandmother just so happened to be indulging drinks with Gerund -- YES the one who is an expert in world traveling. Gerund received news about the activation of a Wesh Root while getting drunk with her, so he hurriedly organized an expedition. My Gigi thought it was a good opportunity so she suggested that he bring one of her grandchildren for learning." she patiently explained her Grandmother¡¯s involvement on the said mission.


    "So.. long story short, your Old Granny forced him to bring you for experience?" William clarified.


    "Yes. It just so happened the Wesh Root is somewhere in the End Forest, which is south-east of here, and that The Barrier Master is currently stationed here. Hence, I was the one that got chosen for accompanying them for being in this city."


    "The End Forest, where a Lesser Dragon made his home?" Elira just nodded at his question.


    "Tortured Demons! are you insane?!" William exclaimed in reflex.


    Elira''s tail made a fast whip at the ground that produced a cracking sound at his remark. The sudden action made other passersby gave a wide berth at her surrounding space. William had the decency to look apologetic at his slip of tongue so she decided not to gouge his eyes out.


    Demons had been persecuted long, long ago for looking different. However, duringThe Triumvirate War;humans, demons, and other part-humans startedto work together in pushing the Orleys back. After hundreds of years fighting together, they decided to keep the peace even after the Orleysretreated back toPraenth. Racist slurs no longer had the bite from before and they just became harmless expressions.


    She still didn''t like them though and he knows it.


    "Sorry, it''s just that it would really be dangerous, right? I''m just worried." He softened his tone and in a rare bout, gave a look of seriousness.


    "Look.. We''re near the Mercenary Hall so I should reassure you now before you make me look bad in front of them." They stopped walking and faced each other seriously.


    "Mr Gerund knows that I''m just a Journeyman but he still accepted my Gigi''s offer because we will be escorted by The Barrier Master and another Fallen member. Only the Lesser Dragon would pose a problem for them but the Lesser Dragon there is a peaceful one; this would just really be a stroll in the forest."


    "But.... alright, alright, geez." William stopped his inquiry when Elira sharpened her glare at him. They continued walking in silence until they reached the Merc Hall. She settled her nerves and pushed the door open and went straight for the left staircase with William silently walking behind her.


    She knocked politely on the unassuming door located on the second floor of the hall and went in -- excitement bursting from her soul for she would finally meet a Legend.


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    End of Chapter 2


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 Chapter 3: The Traveler and The Other

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    "Ah, you must be Elira, of the Phasol Family. Welcome, welcome!"


    A human with a wrinkled face, framed by a rugged beard of a lighter colorthan his bright red hair, greeted her as she stepped into the room.


    "And you brought a friend! Wonderful! Please make yourselves comfortable. Serath, be a dear and request for another chair from the Guild Hall for our friend here." the middle-aged looking man added as he saw William following behind her.


    Gerund, Elira assumed, was sitting in one of the four chairs around a circular wooden table and he looked as unassuming as the wooden table in front of him. He directed his request at the other man sitting beside him, who looked so out of place in the guild''s ordinary room.


    Serath''s royal blood was quite obvious: at his bearing, clothing, and appearance. He was wearing a deep ocean blue coat; lined with subdued, but elegant, black lines that hugged his well-built body.


    ''Enchanted Robe, and not simple enchantments either''; Elira enviously thought as she continued to observe the man as he stood. The coat extended to his feet, the upper part closed over the collared shirt he was wearing underneath but opened below the waist down to his boots.''Even the boots are enchanted,'' Elira silently added in her thoughts.


    Serath''s features were all human from what she could see: black hair that shined blue when hit by the light, fine and symmetrical bone structure that elves and demons would be envious of, eyes with the same color of his coat. It shined with gentle amusement, partnered with a polite smile that decorated his lips.


    It was directed at both Elira and William.


    ''Damnation, I was staring.''She glanced at her friend to see how he fared and -- William was ogling, only lacking a drool on his open mouth for it to be considered improper.


    Serath seemed unperturbed and just greeted them with a polite smile."Ms Phasol and?"


    She elbowed William so he could answer and stop his ogling and close his mouth.


    "Uhh.. W-William! William Benioff... b-but you can call me Will." He suddenly widened his eyes "No! I-I wasn''t commanding you or anything, you.. you could just call me whatever you want! You can even call m----" Elira elbowed him again, harder this time, before he dug his own grave.


    To his credit, Serath just continued with his introduction and ignored their antics. She thought that the man was probably used to people like William.


    "Ms Phasol and Mr Will, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, I am Serath Meshiere. Please use the seat I just vacated and the other chair beside it for your comfort." He went out after that, presumably to get another chair.


    William rushed to the chair thatSerathjust evacuated, claiming possession of it with a big smile on his face. He would probably urinate on it to mark his territory if it weren''t for the other two people in the room. Two?


    Gerund just laughed good-naturedly at William''s too-honest reactions. Elira continued observing the room as she made her way to the chair beside William. The room was decorated simply: with cream colored curtains designed with orange embroidery, soft brown carpet that covered the entire floor, an unlit fireplace at the other end of the room, a detailed painting of a winged horse hung on the red brick walls, and the table with its occupants near the fireplace.


    She promptly seated after arriving at the table and explained his friend''s presence.


    "Good day Mr Gerund, this is my friend Will and he just accompanied me to the hall because he wanted to meet Serath." Elira stated honestly that made William''s eyes go wide with embarrassment.


    Gerund cackled at that, "Hahahaha, such an honest fellow. Don''t worry child, most people reacted the same after first being introduced to him; he is quite used to that. Now, let me brief you on our mission -- No child, don''t stand up, the mission is not confidential so you can listen to the details." He stopped William from saying his goodbyes and just continued with the explanation.


    "My subordinates and I detected a Wesh Root energy signature in the direction of the End Forest a few weeks ago. According to our estimation, it had been activated for a month already and the energy was powerful enough to indicate that someone, or something, made a dimensional jump towards this world. As you both know, World Travelers are rare in this world outside the Age of Unity. There are some World Travelers here and there outside of it but they are scheduled, noted, and known." He stopped and drank the cooling tea in the table before he continued.


    "This jump, however, were not any of the three and the Wesh Root in the End Forest was undocumented. It''s very possible that the traveler would be from a completely new world, a world that we have not made contact with before, and I intend to meet the traveler. Do the two of you have any questions so far?" Gerund asked us just in time for the sudden question that she had.


    "If it had been a month already, how would you guys know if the person, or thing, would still be there?" Elira asked with curiosity in her voice. Serath arrived at this time with the procured chair and just silently brought it beside the other chair and sat. She was surprised that he carried his own chair, she assumed someone would bring it for him after the inquiry. Gerund just glanced at him before he answered my question.


    "Ah, a good question! You see, the energy we detected had been quite massive, meaning that jump made was quite the distance away from our world. Although world jumps are not dangerous in itself, it can still be quite exhausting. The traveler would probably camp a few days in the End Cliffs if the exact location of the Wesh Root from our calculations are to be believed." He paused while looking at Elira, urging her to speak.


    "Alright, but that''s only for a few days, how about after?"


    "If our traveler is smart and competent, the traveler would have rations and some survival tools ready. Traversing the End Forest takes quite a bit of time and effort, it''s entirely possible for us to encounter the traveler on our way. However, if our traveler is careless and not-so-competent, we would likely just find our traveler''s bone scattered across the forest, licked clean by its inhabitants." He took another sip of his steaming cup of tea before continuing. Steaming?


    "If our traveler is very strong, then it''s entirely possible that the traveler muscled their way through the forest and already left. If that were the case, we''ll be able to find traces of his energy and at least know the direction our traveler took after his exit at End Forest." Elira just nodded this time, distracted, drinking a cup of her own hot tea, while William was the one who asked the next questions.


    "The End forest is BIG though, like, second biggest forest in this continent. How would you guys find this ''traveler'' if he or she is still there?" He asked while stretching his hands to emphasize his point.


    "And if Mr Gerund''s assumption is correct, that the traveler would be from a new world, we won''t have a record of their language so how would we communicate with it?" Elira added her questions before the middle-aged looking man could answer.


    Gerund just looked at Serath this time urging him to answer the question.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    "Mr Gerund hired our expertise for the two questions both of you had brought up."


    "To put it simply: I have a talent for understanding and speaking languages I''ve never heard or learned before, while my fellow guildsman would be the one to detect our traveler throughout the forest."


    ''Oh, I thought Mr Gerund hired him for his barriers; I guess it was for his talent in languages instead. That''s quite a rare talent...'' she absently thought,


    ''They also don''t seem to be too worried about the lesser dragon and other creatures in the forest. I guess they''re really in a different league''


    A knock suddenly brought Elira out of her reverie.


    "Mr Gerund, the carriage that you requested just arrived in front of the Guild Hall." A polite voice spoke from behind the door.


    "Ah, I guess it''s time we proceed with our task. Mr Benioff, I would invite you to join us but our carriage could only comfortably carry five, the extra one is for our traveler if he agreed to come with us. As you may have inferred from our discussion, time is of the essence for this mission." Gerund extended his hands to William as he made his goodbyes.


    "N-no, don''t worry about it. I only came here to see-- I mean to send off Elira to her mission. Please take care of her." William accepted the handshake while Elira just rolled her eyes at him.


    They left the Guild Hall and they were greeted by one of the latest model of the energy-carriage parked in front of the building. It had a sleek design: the top of the carriage just below Elira''s shoulders, with front and back compartments that were structured to reduce wind and energy resistance; it was equipped with retractable four wheels to conserve energy consumption on flat lands.


    Past the open doors weretwo rows of seats that could be occupied comfortably by two people at the front and three people at the back; the driver seat was at the front, set apart with a driving wheel across it. It was a state of the art carriage that was powered by energy crystals and could run with the direction of a driver.


    I want one! Elira excitedly exclaimed to herself as the four of them boarded the carriage. She excitedly seated at the back row, forgetting to actually say goodbye to William as she entered the carriage. She remembered once she was seated and just waved at the still open door towards William with a smile. William just waved back, a look of confusion on his face.


    Wait... Four?


    Serath took his seat beside her after she scooted inside, closing the door after he entered. Gerund took the front row seat in front of her and on the driver seat was a woman...


    Wait, who is--


    "You finally caught on to me, huh?" The woman smiled at her from the driver seat.


    She was a human with tanned brown skin, shoulder length dark violet hair, and she would have looked ordinary if it weren''t for the piece of cloth covering her eyes. She couldn''t look at her clothes, but it looked like she''s wearing an ordinary robe. The cloth on her eyes was embroidered with golden threads, drawing lines that looked like a formation across it.


    ''She was in the room with us! The other chair, Mr Gerunds refilled tea cup... MY OWN HOT TEA! Why didn''t I notice her? No, scratch that, it''s like something convinced me that she wasn''t in the room.'' Elira furiously recalled everything that happened in the room, trying to remember if Theresa was really present in the room.


    Serath just shook his head beside her while Gerund cackled at the front seat at her confusion.


    "Ms Phasol, please forgive my fellow guildsman; It''s just a side effect of her constitution. Those that have just started on the path of energies would have a hard time perceiving her presence. Actually, even stronger individuals would have a hard time detecting her if she as much willed it." Serath explained to her once Gerund''s laughter died down.


    "Hahaha Yes! Now that you are in an enclosed space with her, your mind would have an easier time detecting her existence. Not to mention she would be our driver so your mind would be harder to trick as a carriage without a driver would be too much for her passive deceit." Gerund just added afterwards.


    Elira was dumbfounded at how easy she got tricked by a mere passive deceit.


    "It''s nice to formally meet you Elira, you could just call me Theresa. You''d probably need to spend some effort if you want to remember my name as my constitution affects it too." Elira could feel that Theresa winked at her from behind her blindfolds.


    Theresa started the carriage engine and directed it in the open red streets of Bloodied Borough.


    "Oh..." She was actually quite speechless for once and then blurted out, "How can you drive us if you can''t see?" She widened her eyes at the question that just came out of her mouth. She''s actually quite curious about it but she didn''t plan on asking it so crassly like that.


    Gerund just had another laughing fit in the front seat just as Theresa answered.


    "Don''t worry, I can actually see without opening my eyes. Also, don''t worry about offending me about blunt questions or comments; people tend to become more honest around me." Elira could actually feel Theresa observing her, even though she is facing forward and driving the carriage.


    "It would be prudent to enforce your will before speaking, Ms Phasol; it would help in countering Theresa''s aura." Serath kindly advised beside me.


    Elira just nodded while trying to organize her thoughts, enforcing her will, so she doesn''t accidentally spill them.


    ''It seemed that she can influence the mind of the people around her. Quite a useful but dangerous talent, depending on different perspectives. I''ve never heard of her name before, though. Oh... she said that her name have the same effect. Damnation! How crazy are the constitution of these Fallen members? Wait-- Fallen has ten known members, including June who is already dead. Is Theresa included in that list? Let''s see...'' Elira closed her eyes to concentrate even further while Serath curiously observed her sudden silence.


    ''Raea, the Fallen''s founder and guild leader -- The Mother of the World.''


    ''Kaed, the Fallen''s vice leader, -- The Bejeweled''


    ''Mary -- The Innovator''


    ''Dyennah -- The Spell Progenitor''


    ''Yomire -- The Storyteller''


    ''Serath -- The Barrier Master''


    '' Jasmine -- The Bloodied Queen''


    ''Jared -- The Indestructible Construct''


    ''June -- The Life Giver, Deceased''


    ''Lyonel, Fallen''s Newest Member -- The Cosmic King''


    ''Damnation, There''s actually 11 members including June. So does the ten that people are talking about when they mention The Fallen include Theresa? or does it include June and they don''t know about Theresa?''


    Elira kept silent throughout the journey while thinking about the different fallen members. When she looked up, the carriage had just exited The Bloodied Borough''s East Gate. Gerund seemed to be taking a nap at his seat while Serath was holding a book in his hand, reading, and Theresa was just silently driving the carriage to their destination.


    The Sun was almost in the middle of the sky and she figured it would take an hour or two if they kept their pace, before they reach the edge of the End Forest.


    "I forgot to inquire if you ate your breakfast before leaving, Ms. Phasol. There should be some snacks on the door''s compartment if you''re feeling hungry." Serath broke the comfortable silence in the carriage to inquire about her stomach.


    "I''m good, thank you. Could you please call me by name, Elira? Ms Phasol just sound so formal and you don''t need to add an honorific like what you did with William." She replied to him as she noticed that he was still addressing her as Ms Phasol. "Also, do you always speak formally?" Elira added because she was curious.


    "If you inisist, Elira. And yes, it was part of my upbringing and I never did manage to change it despite leaving home. It''s quite difficult to forget the lessons so I just kept using this manner of speaking. Besides, I feel more comfortable with it." He added the last one with a smile. She decided to stop prying on his origins as she thought it would be inappropriate so she just asked a different question.


    "So, how many members does Fallen actually have? The information that''s been circulating around says it''s ten but --"


    ''Stop. Don''t inquire about June in front of Serath.''


    A voice suddenly rang in Elira''s mind which greatly surprised her. She managed to school her expression from the surprise she felt of the sudden voice that invaded her thoughts.


    Serath saw her surprised expression but he just directed a narrowed eyes at the driver as he answered her first question.


    "The total number of The Fallen is actually eleven. Any reliable informants would speak the same, and the information is not guarded by any means. Dyennah ceased her guild activities and is currently travelling the world and June --" Elira could actually see the light of Serath''s eyes dimming; the smile on his lips suddenly disappearing into a thin line, "-- well... she''s dead."


    "..."


    And that''s how Elira managed to kill the entire conversation on the carriage; the rest of their journey was spent in an awkward silence, with only Gerund''s soft snores and the engine''s quiet hum accompanying them.


    <hr>


    End of Chapter 3


    <hr>

 Chapter 4: The Ends and The Means

    <hr>


    <hr>


    Ominous clouds covered Elira''s entire vision as she craned her neck to look at the sky -- or specifically -- the absence of it. She turned her head to the direction where they came from and saw the dividing line between the sky and the clouds.


    Their journey went on a boring note as they traversed the plains without interruption. She saw a herd of Triple-Horned Bull but they didn''t seem to care about the moving metal, despite being famous for their aggressiveness.


    Gerund only woke up after they started to disembark from the carriage. He seemed oblivious to the awkward silence permeating the air as he yawned and stretched his muscles in the grass.


    With their transport now parked at the edge of the End''s Forest, she decided to have the initiative and break the silence with an inquiry. She had been wondering what they plan to do about the carriage; they couldn''t just leave it parked in the open after all. However, orbs of light suddenly appeared out of thin air and circled around their carriage before she could ask.The orbs of light suddenly turned to glowing lines, stretching and twisting; it formed some sort of language that Elira couldn''t understand.


    Serath seemed to be the source of the transforming energy as he was standing near their carriage while having a look of deep concentration on his face.The hovering lights slowly made their way to the frame of the carriage and once they touched the metal, they exploded in a bright color of white that left spots on her vision. They promptly disappeared after the onslaught on her vision -- along with the carriage.


    Her eyes twitched and her tail swished as she tried to keep the surprise off her face at the sudden disappearance of their metal contraption.


    Serath made his way to her with an apologetic look on his face after his ''explosive'' performance.


    "Elira, I''m sorry about the way I behaved during our ride. It was ill-mannered of me to affect the mood of my company because of something that happened long past." He apologized to her with the patented polite smile, back on his lips.


    ''At least he is still calling me Elira, I wouldn''t know what to do if he went back on Ms Phasol''. She thought before giving an apology of her own -- at least some form it.


    "Don''t worry about it, it was partly my fault so let''s just forget about the whole thing."


    "Yes. We should follow Mr Gerund and Theresa as they seemed to be heading towards the direction of the forest already." He nodded over her shoulder and when she turned around, they are indeed walking without a carefor the two.


    They followed quickly behind them and Elira noticed that she seemed to be the only one wearing some sort of weapon in her body.


    She could finally see Theresa''s outfit, which was a simple tight-fitting robe with the color of the grass beneath their feet and sleeves that are both long and wide. The robes ended around her thighs which were covered with black tights and she had flat shoes for foot equipment. She looked like a blind woman that was going for a stroll in the city''s park, instead of walking to a forest infested with creatures that could end a man with a single swipe.


    Gerund was wearing the same protective gears as her: leather breastplate, greaves, bracers, but with an addition of a single shoulder pad. The color of his leathers was also different from her own, which is a deep brown color like wet soil. However, there were no visible weapons in his person that she could detect.


    Serath seemed to be a man in attending a royal ball with his chiselled jaw line and enchanted robes. There were no visible weapons on him either.


    "You seem to be keenly observing us Elira, is something the matter?" Serath inquired when he noticed her curious looks.


    "It''s just... where are your weapons?" She asked as she couldn''t figure it out.


    "I don''t need weapons," Theresa replied with light cadence while Gerund just grinned at her with full teeth and pointed at the ground below.


    Serath was the only one who gave a satisfactory answer to her, "I am in possession of several weapons right now which I sealed in my own dimensional formations. I assume you are familiar with the concept of dimensional pockets?"


    ''A seeker of space, this man seems to be becoming more and more ridiculous.''


    Elira was feeling that the company she was currently keeping seemed to be getting absurdly powerful by the second.


    "Yes. But only those with the right talent, constitution, and blessings could command or create their own dimensions right?" She replied with slight irritation in her voice.


    Serath just smiled at her annoyance and replied, "Yes, it was truly fortunate that I was born with a good constitution and had a good education upon my earlier years."


    He seemed to be trying to make a point so she let him continue.


    "Elira, you possess both of these. You inherited the Phasol Constitution from your ancestors, right? I am also positive that you underwent good education as it showed in the way you handle yourself. Give it time and you will surely bloom as a powerful demoness."


    ''This man is too smooth!'' Elira blushed and her tail wagged -- just a bit -- at that; she would be considered as a rock if she didn''t get affected by his compliments.


    "It is said that the Phasol Demon Family are gifted in the way of the souls. What souls have you comprehended if I might ask?" Serath just continued on as if he didn''t just say a line that would embarrass most people.


    "I''ve comprehended quite a bit of souls: the Long-eared Rabbit to increase my hearing perception, Red-tailed Gorilla for strength, Crowned Eagle for eyesight, Yellow-Ringed Viper for poison resistance, and the most useful of them all, Shadow Cat that increased my balance, speed, and stealth talents." Elira listed some of the souls that she managed to resonate with, or in Serath''s term: comprehended.


    "I''m surprised that you didn''t assume we ''eat'' the souls of the creatures to gain their talents and abilities; it seemed to be the popular information that''s going around." Elira didn''t have many friends and she assumed it''s because they''re afraid she would eat their souls; not at all because of her personality.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Our information network is a bit more reliable." Theresa was the one who answered her inquiry and continued, "The traveler haven''t left the forest yet. I can''t detect any energy and the creatures in my range don''t remember seeing anything out of the ordinary."


    Elira got a bit embarrassed that Theresa had been doing work while she just continued chatting with Serath. She looked around and noticed that even though the forest was enclosed inside the crescent-shaped mountain range, the mouth of the forest was still considerably huge.


    ''She couldn''t have detected everything from here to the two ends... right?''


    "I guess it''s settled then, we enter the forest and make our way to the cliffs. Serath, barriers if you please. Elira, come, stay close to me so you don''t get plucked by something in the forest." Gerund waved her over as he gave instructions to everyone.


    The orbs of light appeared again, around the two of them this time, as Serath simultaneously applied barriers on them.


    ''I guess that''s The Barrier Master for you. Effortlessly constructing a high-level barrier on two people with a fraction of the speed of everyone else.''


    It wasn''t Elira''s first time having a barrier applied to her body. She remembered one of her more dangerous missions; she hired a barrier user then and she couldn''t help but compare the experience.


    After a few minutes, the lines finally brightened and then disappeared around her body. It was a neat trick as walking with glowing lines around her would be incredibly weird and impractical.


    "It should be enough to fend off the attacks of most creature in the forest. Please take care as it is not indestructible and avoidance is still better than a blocked attack." Serath solemnly explained to her after he finished with the barriers.


    "Can it block the attack of the Lesser Dragon in the area?" Elira inquired, wanting to know just how powerful The Barrier Master really was.


    Serath gave her a look, that he knew what she was up to, but he still answered her question.


    "A single strike of the dragon is possible but he won''t be stopping with one, would he? Defensive formations are trickier than offensive ones as you have to make it as varied as possible without disturbing the target''s own energy. I could enforce a city to withstand a barrage of attacks from a dragon but the same can''t be said about applying it on moving creatures with their own distinct energy." Serath suddenly went on a lecture about formations and she actively listened as she could gain a lot from it.


    ''Maybe I''ll be able to resonate with souls that have defensive talents''


    "Defensive Formations could be dissected into the source, structure, upkeep, and target. The source would be the base of the formation, which would be my energy. The structure would be the means of to complete the formation and will determine how the barrier would behave itself, in my case, it would be runic languages. Upkeep would be how the barrier would maintain itself and how long before it expires. Lastly, the target''s own energy should be considered lest they disturb the formations you created. It is a simplified explanation but that should suffice for the basics of it." Serath just smiled at her as he made his conclusion.


    "Alright, enough lessons. Let''s continue with the mission, it''s possible that the traveler could be hanging onto their dear life right now." Gerund interrupted their conversation and just proceeded to walk inside the forest while they followed. After the three of them entered the forest, she could feel the environment take a drastic change in ambience.


    The trees in the Ends Forest are all thousands of years old and they towered over them like giants. Their wide leaves and long branches covered the clouds that covered the sky; dimming their surroundings even further. There was no path to follow but the grass and shrubberies didn''t seem to have the growth rate of the trees as they stayed at their knee level. She could feel the old souls of the trees as they traversed the forest; their patience, their stability, and their longevity whispering to her own soul.


    Gerund took the helm while Serath protected their rear with her staying in the middle. She could feel being observed by several eyes and powerful souls; her own soul quivering from their hostility.


    The man taking the lead didn''t seem too concerned about their stalkers, although he didn''t have the usual carefree attitude either. They just went walking undisturbed for the first half hour until one of their stalkers finally decided to jump the intruders.


    A sudden movement on Elira''s peripheral made her whole body tense and reflexively withdrew the katars from the straps on her back. The creaturehad been blurred to a shadow because of its speed, her perception too low to actually make the identity of the attacker.


    She didn''t know what it was but she knows that it was heading straight for her. She placed the weight of her body on the balls of her feet, poised to dodge when a sharp piece of hardened soil suddenly burst from the ground in front of her. It struck directly to the incoming shadow which had been made visible because it was impaled at the head by the soil. It was a dark green snakethat had the width of a human''s thigh; she didn''t get to observe it for too long because multiple shadows suddenly burst through the trees on their right.


    They were too fast for her to identify but not too fast for her to be helpless against. She knew the general direction the snakes are flying to so she could easily dodge and slice the oncoming snakes.


    It''s just that -- all the snakes were flying ather.


    She did not have to worry for too long, as multiple spears made of hard soil erupted from the ground, impaling the oncoming attackers easily. She was about to give a sigh of relief when she saw where the snakes were coming from.


    At first, she thought it was a huge shrubbery but it wasrippling. It was a creature seemingly made from countless snakes; slithering, hissing, and knotting together until they form a giant ball made of pure abhorrence.


    The ball of snakes was big; twice the height of Elira in diameter and it was slowly moving, rolling or crawling -- she didn''t know, as she was not familiar with such disgusting creatures.


    "It''s a Snake-charmer Flower, we need to attack its core plant to completely kill it," Serath said calmly beside her.


    ''That damnation of a thing is a flower?''


    Elira''s instinct suddenly flared for survival as she detected a fast-moving object behind that made her turn around. However, Serath was faster than the attacker as he stood in front of her and the much -- much -- bigger snake, a circular object floatingbetween him and the oncoming danger.


    ''A shield -- from his dimensional pockets?''


    Serath struck the back of the glowing shield with his palm, and a barrier made of connected transparent hexagons suddenlyappeared all over the three of them. The giant snake was moving too fast and struck directly against the barrier.The hexagon that was struck just dimmed at the collision but recovered almost immediately after it.


    The giant snake crumpled and thrashed on the ground after hitting the shield but not for long. Serath immediately withdrew the barrier andthrew the shield at it.


    She was dumbstruck at the idea until she saw the shield cleanly slice the thrashing snake in two. Serath suddenly turned around, not bothering to retrieve the shield, and threw a dagger towards the knot of snakes, past her shoulders.


    She followed the knife with her sight and notice that it was off-course; it was heading for the area way above the amalgamation of snakes. She didn¡¯t have to wonder for long because just as it was above the creature, the knife suddenly produced a blinding light and Serathappeared beside it... with a gigantic hammer on both of his hands and he was poised for an overhead slam.


    He struck the hammer down despite still being in the air, a circular formation appeared below him and it made a collision with the descending hammer. A deafening bang sounded at the impact and a sonic boom appeared around the circular formation, yet somehow, it stayed unmoving in its position.


    The ball of snakes below suddenly exploded to bits and pieces; their skins, innards, and blood flying in all directions.


    Fortunately, the creature was a far distance away from them and they didn''t have to suffer the sudden rain of guts.


    Serath was standing on the floating circular formation, robes still as clean as when she first met him. He looked down upon his work; the flattened piece of land and dead snakes beneath his feet, a slight smile on his face.


    Elira then made a promise to herself: to never -- ever -- piss him off again.


    <hr>


    End of Chapter 4


    <hr>

 Chapter 5: The Human, The Dwarf, The Elf, and the Aggrieved Demon

    <hr>


    <hr>


    William continued to wave his hands at the disappearing carriage in the distance with a confused smile on his face. He got too distracted with how Elirabehaved; like a child during the gift-giving holiday that locals of The Bloodied Borough celebrate every winter.


    Elirahad always loved new technologies that every innovator seemed to shiton their asses lately. After all, they could only contend withThe Innovatorwith quantity and cheap imitations. Even the carriage that the guild procured for Gerund''s mission could not compare to the real deal.


    ''Did the freaking carriage just drove itself without a driver? I don''t think anyone entered the driver side... Oh well, must be a new release.''


    Worry replaced hisprevious expression after the carriage disappeared in the intersection. He had several things to worry about and now seemed to be a good time as any to find solutions for them. He went inside the Merc Hall and found an empty table so he could ruminate in peace.


    The Merc Hall branch of the Bloodied Borough has a tavern in its first floor. Mercenaries usually needed a place to gather and the Hall decided to capitalize on it; providing energy-boosting food and alcoholic drinks that everyone loved to imbibe. The mission area was located on the back of the building, past the gathering and eating area. They also provide several meeting rooms on their upper floors but only those that fulfill the requirements could rent them.


    The primary worry in William''s heart would be Elira''s safety. She was stronger than him and he always lost in their sparring matches but he was sure that she isn''t strong enough to kill any of the abominations that grew in the forest.


    ''It''s alright,The Barrier Master has a 99% success for escort missions according to my Yearly Idol Newsletter''There was nothing he could do about it anyway so he just went on to his next worry.


    William''s second worry would be the loss of his composure in front ofThe Barrier Master.He wanted to at least act like a collected person as impressing one of theFallen with his Journeyman Rank would be futile. The collected persona disintegrated as he entered the room, though.


    ''Tens and Thirteens! Why did I act like that?''William wondered at the sudden wreck of emotions that he was in front of Serath but couldn''t find a reason, except maybe for his weak will; it''s either that orsomething supernatural.


    William just sighed and decided that his first impression was a lost cause and he just had to be thankful that it wasn''t TheBloodied Queen.His member would have probably burst from too much blood if he ever gets the chance to meetthe voted --sexiest woman in Meshiere --,at least according to his Monthly Idol Newsletter.


    "Hey there lad, want meh to buy ye a drink? Ye seem to have the world on yer shoulders." A dwarf with the height of atable and a body of a barrel interrupted his thoughts before he could go into his other worries. He was walking towards his table with a female elf as a companion.


    "YES!" William immediately answered the dwarf as he really needed one, and the half-man seemed to be genuinely concerned about him. Also, he didn''t want the man to retract his offer; he isn''t poor per se but he isn''t rolling in wealth either.


    "A charming young man such as yourself shouldn''tworry too much about the happenings in life. I''ll add a drink to this silly dwarf''s offer," added the tall elven woman with a smile directed at him.


    "Oh - ah yes! Thanks!"


    William was glad he didn''t lose composure in front of the beautiful elf this time; probably because all the elf he knew were beautiful. He silently thanked the Original Humans that got the Elven Constitution Blessing for their descendants andthe gift of long-legged creatures with perfect proportions, though William thought female elves could use more chests.


    The pair of part-humans took a seat at his table and they made small talk and introductions as they waited for the alcoholic drinkswhich arrived quickly.


    "Please forgive us if we interrupted your contemplation, though I don''t think they were good thoughts. My name is Vienna and the dwarf beside me is Balrow. We just arrived in the city yesterday and wedon''t know many people here yet." The elf was the one who made their introductions while Barlow just chugged one of the mugs of red beer that arrived.


    Unlike elves and demons which are all beautiful, dwarves are as varied as humans. There are dwarves which only differed to humans in height, while there are dwarves that have bearded face and stocky body. Of course, there are those that fall somewhere in between. Balrow was part of the dwarves that looked like a barrel.


    William also drank one of the several mugs that occupied their table, happy to have a free drink.


    "You guys can just call me William. I was born and bred in this city so if you have any questions, just ask them," he said with a thump on his chest as he tried to impress Vienna.


    "How ''bout the important places in this bloodied city lad? Meh eyes are turning red from all the red things in this forsaken city!" Balrow chugged another red beer to prove his point.


    William had to laugh at that as non-locals are usually irritated at the red motif the city decided to uphold.


    "Well, here''s the merc hall, you probably know that already since you''re here.. haha" William said in a happy tone and the part-humans just smiled at him.


    ''Heh - I''m a funny man''


    "If you guys are more into selling stuff, then the Traders are located in the market area, west of the city. Though most people there are snobs, freaking elitist bastards and their tinkling pockets." William finished his current mug and grabbed another one off the table.


    ''Huh, the drinks aren''t getting any lesser. They''re such a generous pair''


    "The residential area for locals, mercenaries, and other non-important people like us are located on the east side. The park is in the center of the city if you guys like to frolic in nature -heh - do elves do that? My elven friends don''t seem to do that. Do you do that Miss Vienna?" William inquired at the now giggling elf.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "Unfortunately, No. I think you''re mistaking elves with theFlora Orleys William." Vienna reminded him of the true locals in their world.


    "Huh, you''re right. I forgot about them, though there aren''t many of the non-humans in this city; only a fewFleysthat manages the park andGleys that helps in building and repairing structures. Did you guys wanted to know more about them?"William didn''t want to discusstheOrleys as he wasn''t educated about them.


    Balrow shook his head at the question, "Nah, what more is to learn about them,lad? ''Am actually interested in yer previous companions. Meh didn''t know such high profile mercs are in this city!"


    "Ohhhhhh you saw them?!" William brightened at that, eager to discuss idols with the half-man, however weird that may be.


    "Bahaha! Lad, everyone''s head turned atThe Barrier Master and theWesh Enthusiast when ye people climbed down the stair, and ye came down with them!" Balrow''s booming laugh echoed throughout the room and everyone in the vicinity perked up at the mention ofthe Hall''s high-profile visitors.


    "I couldn''t believe it either! Seeing an idol outside my Weekly Idol Newsletter, a dream come true!" William''s face was flushed now, from too much excitement and alcohol.


    "So, where have they headed lad? Knowing the Wesh Enthusiast,probably some sort of otherworld business." Balrow was whispering secretly now.


    ''Huh, they''reinterested in Gerund more than Serath? What a weird bunch'' William frowned at the thought but still answered the dwarf.


    "In the..uh whatchamacallit? the Ends Forest! They''re meeting some sort of traveler or something... Ugh, my head is spinning" William half-whispered half-shouted at Balrow,he was confused on why Balrow was whispering.


    "Don''t worry lad, ye can still drink!" William wanted to stop drinking but the dwarf and elf kept offering more mugs at him.


    "Did the WeshEnthusiastsay where the world traveler came from?" Vienna seemed to be doing the interrogation now.


    ''Interrogation? Why did I think of that'' William thought with his alcohol addled mind.


    "Oh.... lemme remember... NEW! Mister Gerund said something about new world.. or was it new pants? I think I need a new pants. Serath''s pants are tight... even Elira''s pants are new, oh I want to be their pants... Heh-- Jasmine should never wear pants...." William was mumbling now.


    "The Bloodied Queenlad? Was she part of the team, we didn''t see her."


    "HAH! I wish! My little Willy would still be full of blood if she was here! Ohhh.. I wish her picture would always grace myDaily Idol Newsletter."William sighed, full of emotions.


    "Who''s Elira? Was she the demoness?" The elven woman seemed to realize that he already had enough beer as Vienna stopped forcing them on him.


    "Elira! My dear dear Elira... pretty thing ain''t she, too bad she''d poke my eye out with her horns and strangle me with her tail if I ever make a move on her again..." William was suddenly assaulted by the thought ofElira''s tail, strangling him.


    "Actually, you know what guys? maybe I''ll like that. Tails are good. Hahaha!" He was slamming the table loudly, seemingly unaware of the weird looks he was getting from the neighboring chairs.


    "Ye gods of stone and ground, Vienna, you gave him too much to drink" Balrow hissed at the elven woman who was looking dumbfoundedly at William.


    "You told me to make him talk! Well, he''s talking now!" Vienna whispered back to the dwarf.


    "Come on guys! Don''t fight! All humans are beautiful! Appreciate them with me! Whatcha lookin at chump, never seen a man who can appreciate beauty before? hey you''re quite handsome yourself!" William shouted at the passing demon who was looking weirdly at him.


    Vienna hurriedly gave an apology to the demon before turning her attention back to him, "Did theWesh Enthusiastonly hire one of theFallen?"


    "Hmm, what? oh you''re a fan of them too! Good! Good! Honestly, I like theThirteens better... except for my Jasmine o'' Jasmine of course!!" William grinned at the elf.


    "Lad, ye didn''t answer Vienna''s question, or did he actually hire a Thirteensor any of their subordinates?" Balrow''s face was scrunched up in annoyance as he reminded William to answer the question.


    "Whaa - No!My sweetheartsaid there''s... TWO! TwoFallen.. though I didn''t see one otherrrr, you guys saw one other? another one? hehe" Williamwas having trouble keeping his eyes open and he was contemplating of how comfortable tables would be compared to his bed at home.


    "He''s falling asleep now, from all his act earlier I thought he''d have a high alcohol tolerance." Vienna mumbled as shetried to shake the human awake.


    "Hm.... go away." William slapped her hands away and placed his arms on top of the wet table and used it as a pillow.


    "Aaaaand he''s down. We still don''t know who the other one could be, we''ll be in trouble if it''s any of their main combatants." Vienna whispered to the dwarf, lacing her voice with wind energy so that it would only travel to her partner''s ears.


    Balrow replied after Vienna enchanted his own voice, "Its yer fault, you gave him too much to drink! We''d have to pay for that ye know! And what main combatants are ye talking about, any of the ten could send us to our graves! Even that kid!"


    "At least we got a good news out of him. The world traveler would be from a completely new world, we need to inform the leader so we could properly prepare." Vienna said as she looked at the sleeping man on the table, the tip of his brown hair was getting wet from the spilt beers on the table.


    "Hmph, I suppose the lad earned his drinks. Those kind of travelers are very rare and most that arrive here brings artifacts that are unknown in this world." Balrow agreed as he left his chair.


    "Lands of Eternal Storm, let''s just hope we don''t end up likeElierd from this mission." Vienna silently prayed as the two of them paid at the counter and left the Hall.


    After the two had left, the waitress tried to wake up William who was still peacefully sleeping at the table.


    "Hey Mister, your companions already left. Go away so I can clean this table!" She was used to seeing unconscious men and women in the tavern area of the Hall and being able to handle them is one of the requirements of her employment.


    "Mmm... no... Elira... you can''t... huh what? why am I sticky?" William lazily blinked at the waitress wondering at the wet hair sticking at his face.


    "Mister. Go. Away. No sleeping in the tavern, it''s not even dark yet!" The waitress fumed at him andhe obediently followed the waitress as she led him outside the Hall.


    The harsh glare of the sun greeted him as he exited the building. The light burned at his eyes and he squinted them, wondering if gouging them out would be a less painful ordeal. After a few seconds of convincing himself that he needed them to see, he slowly trudged on his way home with aheadache that would probably last him until the night.


    Williamwondered where his benefactors went and tried to remember their conversations. He couldn''t remember anything important; that they only talked about certain high profiled persons.


    ''They sure like the Fallen too''William praised the pair forbeing such good company. He walked carefully back home, afraid that sudden movements would further upset his stomach. His bladder was also full but he didn''t want to return to the Hall to use their water closet. However, there''s one reason why William was trying to get back home as fast as possible.


    ''It''s been a few hours since I left home, my Hourly Idol Newsletter should have a couple new thingsnow. Oh boy, I hope they post something about Thirteens this time!''


    <hr>


    End of Chapter 5


    <hr>


    Notable Terms:


    Tens and Thirteens - Expression common in Meshiere. Usually used to express the absurdity of something.


    Lands of Eternal storms --- Elierd - Expression common in the whole of Lochley. Usually used as a prayer/expression before, during, or after agreat danger.


    Orleys - Thefirst inhabitants of Lochley. They are the ruling class of Lochley beforethe First Age of Unityarrived.


    Fleys - Flora Orleys


    Gleys - Ground Orleys


    Weys - Water Orleys

 Chapter 6: The Book and The Soup

    <hr>


    Azrael - The End Cliffs


    <hr>


    Azrael cursed as his boiling lunch tried to escape the cauldron towards the open fire below.


    A sudden quake disturbed his lunch and the forest¡¯s tranquility; he could see the trees in the far distance quiver at the onslaught of energy that came and went, like a bird fishing its prey. He shuddered at the thought of confronting a creature that possesses such destructive power. The idea of him getting out of the cliff through the forest didn¡¯t look as good as he first thought anymore and considered living in The Exile Cave forever.


    He decided to name the cave as respect for the humble place that received him in this world. The name was to remember his exile, that he can no longer return back to Ost.


    ¡®Names have power, Azrael. They can be a source of energy with enough belief. It may be a lie at the start, but with enough time, it can become the truth that will change the world.¡¯


    Azrael thought that Nevan, his guardian, was just spouting drivel. He wanted advice on a good name for his feline pet, but Nevan proceeded with an hour long lecture about names and titles.


    He did attempt a foray into the "Friendly Woods" when he first made his "Heroic Escape"; scouting the surrounding is one of the basics of survival after all. Climbing down was an easy task as he is adept at controlling the pull of the world, he just had to jump down from the cliff, reduce its pull, and land quietly to the ground.


    And so he did.


    Azrael slowly descended; passing through the thick foliage of swaying leaves, as if to welcome him into its shade below. The dimmed light reminded him of his secluded life in the castle, the towering trees resembling the high castle walls. The spatter of light danced in tune with the rustling leaves that whispered with the creaking branches.


    Old. This forest was old and untouched; he didn¡¯t know how to feel about that.


    ¡®Something¡¯s missing¡¯


    He observed his dim surroundings and tried to unravel the secrets of the trees hidden behind the bark of their trunk and roots of its feet. It was the absence of something; the absence of life, or at least the sound of it. The woods were too quiet to his liking, the creatures too silent, like someone stalking their prey.


    He huddled with his Shadow, finding comfort in the cloak that embraced his body. That¡¯s when he saw it; a black furred creature that was as tall as him and thrice as long. It had a long body and pointed head, it¡¯s oversized fangs jutting from its mouth. But it was lifeless, its body was full of vines that pierced its skin. It was slowly being lifted from the ground, towards the mouth of something.


    It looked like a tree but its branches were shaped like a mouth, leaves decorating it like pointed teeth; its trunk was quivering, seemingly excited at its new acquisition.


    The thing actually had eyes; two empty holes as big as his head on the lower part of the trunk. Roots decorated below it, forming a twisted smile. It looked like a twisted imitation of a human face and it was looking straight at him.


    ¡®Wherever you are, whatever you do, you must act like your station and handle yourself with elegance and grace¡¯


    Clearly, his guardian never had to run from creepy looking tree-things before as he had never scampered so ungraciously in his life; back to the cliff where he climbed for his dear life.


    ¡°Winter¡¯s Breath! What Friendly Woods? Friendly if you mean the things in it want to make a close acquaintance with your guts.¡±


    Azrael murmured in indignation towards no one in particular. He made it to the cliff top safely, thankful that there are no flying creatures in the forest. The Creepy-Faced Tree didn¡¯t follow him; maybe because it was really a tree and couldn¡¯t move or that it preferred the bigger prey it already has.


    Azrael decided to recover his missing life energy before going into the woods again; no point in dying if he could survive by recovering to his peak condition. The most efficient way of recovering would be going to hibernation, he figured that The Exile Cave was safe enough for it.


    He went back to the cave and prepared for a long sleep; thoughts of a prince coming to wake him up and save him humorously floated in his mind.


    He didn¡¯t know how long he slept; he closed his eyes and the next moment he is awake again. No prince woke him up but his Seer Instinct did, telling him that something¡¯s about to happen. He wasn¡¯t too concerned as there¡¯s no feeling of immediate danger associated with it, in fact, he could feel hope instead.


    So he decided to cook, as he was famished from his recent sleep. Azrael didn¡¯t know how to cook, but Nevan was fussy enough to separate several ingredients in his Shadow for a cauldron of soup. He just had to add water, add the ingredients, and wait for it to boil.


    ¡®Come to think of it, she didn¡¯t know that I would be exiled to the abyss to be made a corpse. She probably thought that I¡¯d just be sent off into some other world so she prepared my things for it.¡¯


    There he was, peacefully cooking his lunch on top of the cliff, the glare of the sun hidden above the clouds, when the first rush of energy made the ground quake.


    Azrael thought that it¡¯s one of the Friendly Woods¡¯ not-so-friendly creatures and just proceeded on stirring his stew; slowly, as he had filled the cauldron to the brim. More is usually better so that¡¯s what he did, however, the soup¡¯s bland taste seemingly mocked his line of thought.


    ¡®Maybe I¡¯m supposed to let the liquid evaporate? No, then it wouldn¡¯t be stew; the recipe clearly said that it¡¯s a sou-- stew or soup?¡¯ Too hungry and lazy to redo his bubbling creation, he resolved himself for a tasteless meal.


    Azrael was in the middle of scooping when another commotion happened in the forest, almost dropping his bowl as the scalding soup sloshed to his hand. It was more subdued this time, but he could still feel the strong assault of energy. He abandoned his meal and stood at the edge of the cliff facing the forest, waiting¡­


    ¡®Once is a chance; Twice, a coincidence; Third an oncoming storm.¡¯


    A muted thud resounded after a few minutes, and it wasn¡¯t his imagination that it was getting closer.


    It was then that he felt a faint presence, like the ripples of feather on a quiet lake, a glance by a stranger on the same street.


    It was just a brush of energy on his own personal bubble and it had come and gone before he could even process it. Azrael didn¡¯t know what to make of it so he ignored it as he has more pressing matters to attend to.


    Whatever was making the commotion was heading for him but he didn¡¯t feel any immediate danger; the impending arrival of the violent storm was supported by his Seer Instinct. After Azrael determined that his life isn¡¯t in any peril, he decided to go back to his soup; wondering if he should share the bland meal with his visitors.


    ¡®I hope they kill the Creepy-Faced Tree on their way here. I wonder if they would like my soup, they would probably kill me for the affront on all things that could cook.¡¯ Random thoughts filled his mind as he waited patiently; filling his stomach with tasteless food as he might need the extra energy.


    Azrael managed to finish two bowls of soup undisturbed when he felt three distinct energies below the cliff. He wanted to look down and check but he decided to wait for them in his current position; sitting in a chair with his legs crossed, hands resting on them. It was as elegant as he could get on a windswept cliff top without actually bringing out the tapestries inside his Shadow.


    His skin tingled at the sound of their rhythmic footsteps.


    ¡®Wait, footsteps¡¯?Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    A human wearing a deep blue coat with hair the color of the deep ocean slowly ascended from the side of the cliff. He was ascending a stair, which confused Azrael as there had been no stairs on that cliff. The human was looking at him with a welcoming face, slight smile on his lips, and blue eyes that shine with the reflection of the sun.


    A smaller man with red hair followed him from the stairs with the same expression as the first visitor, only that he could feel the man¡¯s excitement about to burst through his eyes.


    Azrael¡¯s pupils contracted and his body tensed at the sight of the third visitor. He opened several dimensional cracks in the air around him; floating daggers slowly revealing themselves, ready to fly off at the demonic creature.


    The demon¡¯s tail made a whipping motion to the ground but stopped before it made a collision. She rolled her eyes and murmured something that he couldn¡¯t understand but he didn¡¯t like the tone of it.


    Azrael cursed himself for forgetting about the language issue, he was debating his chances if a battle ever occurred but a sudden impulse to speak invaded his mind. He didn¡¯t know where the idea came from but he decided to at least give the other party a fair warning.


    ¡°Why are you guys here and why are you colluding with a demon?¡± Azrael directed his question at the man with blue eyes who was still smiling, as if the revolving daggers around him didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°Please, we mean you no harm. Elira, our demon friend, is a peaceful one; as is most demon in this world.¡±


    Azrael widened his eyes as the man just spoke the same language as him. He glanced at Elira who didn¡¯t look like a peaceful creature as she was openly glaring at him.


    ¡°Would it be possible to sheathe your weapons? I would imagine a civilized introduction would be proper for our first meeting.¡± The calm of the man unnerved him, but he decided to withdraw his daggers and close the cracks in space.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, my name is Serath Meshiere. Might I inquire your name? You are from Ost are you not?¡± Serath made a polite bow during his introduction and made an inquiry of his origin. Azrael wasn¡¯t surprised that the man knew where he came from as Serath was speaking the same Ost¡¯s Common Language; he was even speaking in the stiff formal way that nobilities like to use.


    ¡°Yes, are you a noble from Ost? My full name is Azrael Harken.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t his actual family name but there¡¯s no reason to tell them that. The man was clearly no commoner and he wanted to avoid some confrontation if he happened to be from Ost.


    ¡°I see¡­ Mister Azrael, would you like to speak in the Common Language of Lochley? My companions would like to join our conversation and it would be quite tedious if I were to translate everything.¡±


    Serath pulled a tome from a dimensional formation and held it in front of him.


    ¡®Wait, when did they get so close? No -- it¡¯s me. Did I walk subconsciously closer to the four them?¡¯ Azrael realized that he was no longer in his original position and was near enough to observe the thick leather book on Serath¡¯s hand.


    ¡®Wait, four?¡¯


    Azrael¡¯s head snapped at the direction of the unassuming woman beside the demon. She had a free-flowing blonde hair; the tips that reached her waist slightly danced with the wind. Her robes were the color of gray, the same color of the cliff. She was wearing a strip of yellow cloth on top of her eyes that was decorated by deep black lines.


    ¡®Did I miss her because of the demon? She probably climbed during my standoff with Elira.¡¯ Azrael dismissed his thoughts and looked back the tome.


    ¡°I can see how a book would help me speak your tongue, but I¡¯m afraid your companions have to wait until I actually learn the stuff.¡± He asked the man holding the heavy looking volume.


    Serath laughed at his statement and replied, ¡°There is still the need to finalize the enchantment on the book. I felt that I should inform you of it before proceeding as I did not want to startle you.¡±


    Azrael got distracted by the man¡¯s sudden laugh and just nodded.


    The book suddenly opened and orb of lights formed around it, thick strands flowing through the flipping pages. Azrael was amazed at how the book was processing such complex energies and assumed that Serath was directly transferring the language to the book. He got too absorbed in the process and only noticed the man¡¯s exhausted aura as the last orb of light merged with the book.


    Serath handed the glowing tome and instructed him on how to use it. ¡°Please insert some of your energy as it is needed for the tome to activate. The process shouldn¡¯t take much of it and please rest assured that it¡¯s completely safe.¡±


    Azrael hesitantly received the book and let the energy from his core merge with it. He was about to ask when to stop when the book suddenly exploded, pages flying in all directions.


    Thoughts of chasing flying papers filled his mind. Azrael was about warp the gravity around the cliff towards him when the pages stopped mid air and it started to form several layers of formation around him.


    He looked in wonderment at the dancing papers; they shined in various colors as they burned around him, producing rainbow colored ashes that floated like fireflies. They flickered around him, adding various tint in the shade of the clouds that hid the yellow sun. They were so like the colorful butterflies from home, the dye of their gently flapping wings adding life to the white winter garden. It brought the truths of a language, and Azrael eagerly accepted all of it.


    Just as the last piece of the paper burned, Serath spoke in a new language that felt so familiar to him, like the echoes of a past long forgotten.


    ¡°Yomire told me that the book would not take much of my energy. Apparently, she¡¯s emulating your bad habits, Theresa. She also forgot to tell me how beautiful the tome would look once activated.¡± Serath berated in good nature at the blonde women as he watched Azrael¡¯s teary eyes.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Azrael didn¡¯t know what to say, so his first Lochley Language ended up being as words of gratitude. He summoned a silver ring with a black gemstone embedded on it and gave it to Serath.


    ¡°This is? You know, I did not expect to get a proposal just for enchanting a book. We were not expecting anything in return for the book so please don¡¯t force yourself.¡± The man raised his eyebrows at him as he received the ring.


    Serath also looked at Theresa who just silently shook her head at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Dimensional Ring. I know it¡¯s not worth much but it¡¯s all I have right now that¡¯s worth something.¡± Azrael just ignored the man¡¯s obvious quip and wondered what Theresa shaking her head meant.


    ¡°Then we will graciously receive your thanks, though you belittle how rare artifacts with dimensional nature are. May I introduce you to Mr Gerund, I am pretty sure he is silently killing me in his mind for monopolizing you.¡± Serath gestured at the red haired man who went closer to him.


    ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Gerund, The Wesh Enthusiast if you prefer titles. Do you have a title from your world? You¡¯re from Ost right? There had been only one Ost traveler recorded before and it was a thousand years ago, she brought the very first dimensional artifact in this world that sparked lots of studies about it. Are you a nobility? You look like a nobility. Your cloak looks like a very powerful artifact too.¡±


    He took a step back the old man¡¯s aggressiveness. Gerund stood in front of him with shining eyes like a child that got his first weapon.


    Azrael looked at the other three people for help who were all shaking their heads. It looked quite comical, even with the demon in the mix. He decided to answer each question before the man decides to invade his personal space.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any title. Yes, I¡¯m from Ost and yes I am indeed a nobility.¡±


    Azrael actually has several titles and he was royalty and not nobility. He didn¡¯t want to lie when they just gave him a great gift but he didn¡¯t know these people. Besides, the reason he gave the ring was to counter the gift and settle the debt.


    ¡®You must always pay your debts Azrael, they can become a burden of the heart that will drag you down when you least expect it¡¯


    Azrael settled for a nobility as he had more knowledge about them compared to commoners. He figured he wouldn¡¯t pass as a commoner with his equipment anyway. He decided to leave the last question unanswered.


    ¡°Why were you sent here? Did Ost finally decide to connect to other worlds?¡± Gerund immediately asked another question just after he finished.


    ¡°Exiled.¡±


    Well, executed would be the technically correct term but that would probably raise a lot of questions he didn¡¯t want to answer. He knew that Ost didn''t like connecting to other worlds so exile seemed a fitting answer; it was partially true anyway as it was the publicly known information as his punishment.


    ¡°Can you tell us why?¡± Gerund didn¡¯t seem surprised by his answer so he guessed he answered right.


    ¡°For dallying with a man.¡± Azrael simply answered; it was also the ¡°official reason¡± for his exile. The demon seemed surprised at his answer.


    ¡°Hmm.. Yes, yes, as a nobility you would be required to produce an heir, and it¡¯s true for most world that I researched. But getting a consort should suffice -- unless you refused?¡± Gerund turned a thoughtful look at him.


    ¡°Yes.¡± this time it¡¯s the whole truth.


    Gerund continued his line of question without a missing a beat. ¡°So you got exiled and was sent specifically here?¡±


    ¡°Well, not exactly. I got sent in a random world.¡± Partial truth again, he got sent to the abyss but ended up here.


    ¡°Hey, I got a question too.¡± The demon piped up before Gerund could ask something again.


    Azrael turned to look at her, less wary now but still unused at speaking with a demon without it trying to kill him.


    ¡°Why is your cauldron giving off black smoke?¡± Elira nodded at his back and he turned to look at his forgotten lunch.


    ¡®Burning Birds! I forgot about my soup!!!¡¯


    <hr>


    End of Chapter 6


    <hr>


    Burning Birds - Azrael¡¯s self-made expression for his personal hate regarding bird creatures.

 Chapter 7: The Standard, The Deal, and The Rescue

    <hr>


    Elira Phasol: The Ends Forest


    <hr>


    Daggers pointed at you from several dimensional cracks was not the sort of welcome Elira had expected when she ascended the cliff.


    When Gerund told them that there was a possibility of the traveler from being a completely new world, she had expected a new race and unfamiliar features.


    However, what greeted her at the top was just a man, with basic human features and was all sorts of black: tailored short black hair, pristine onyx eyes on his well-structured face, a deep black coat covering his entire body that looked so unnatural as it barely reflects any light. The only thing that was not black was the pale skin on his face that gave sharp contrast on his black motif.


    Their journey towards the cliff had been eventful at its first half. After Serath obliterated the Snake-charmer flower, he proceeded to do the same to every other creature they encountered. Giant furry rodents, sharp-fanged carnivores, weird man-eater plants; all turned into paste under Serath¡¯s two-handed war hammer.


    It seemed that all the barrier he needed was something to prevent the blood and guts from touching his ever clean robe.


    William had told her thatThe Barrier Masterwas a bonafideGuardian like her Gigi. She didn''t know if it was accurate so she asked Serath to see if their information was correct.


    ¡°I am indeed a 5 star rank 2 mercenary as I have been quite active on doing difficult missions and the requests for my defensive formations were well sought by major cities and that helped me fulfill the requirements.¡± Serath politely answered her question as hisLochleyRank was no secret.


    Gerund had something to say about the rankings though.


    ¡°Bah, rankings schmankings. It¡¯s more of a gauge of experience than a real power ranking. There are strong Adepts that could kill Imperators like a cattle on a chopping block, like me! Hahahaha!¡±


    Serath nodded in agreement with the opinion of the older man, ¡°What Mr Gerund said is true. Although I¡¯m on the 2nd highest rank, I am still unable to contend with some of my guildmates who have lower rankings. Yomire, for example, is probably as strong as me despite being an Imperatorbut she¡¯s too busy reading books all day to complete missions.¡±


    ¡®Yomire, The Storyteller. William said that her enchantments are top class but she only accepts requests if you could pay her with a very rare book and she doesn¡¯t accept any other payment.¡¯


    ¡°Pft, yeah right. The only reason Yomire could kick your ass is that I¡¯d help her if you two ever get in a fight.¡±Theresa suddenly popped out of nowhere and mocked Serath who just smiled at the woman.


    Gerund piped up at Theresa¡¯s sudden appearance, ¡°Ah, Theresa. Now here¡¯s a fine example of a person too strong for her rank. Not even the two most powerful mercenary in Lochley, favoured by gods, would want to get on her bad side.¡±


    Elira wanted to hear more but Theresa refused to clarify.


    "I found our traveler camping on the cliff; he seemed to have detected your energy outbursts and decided to observe.¡±


    She turned around after giving her piece and went to the direction of the cliff.


    Theresa had scouted ahead of them to find the travelerbut Elira didn¡¯t notice when the woman left their party. The last time she remembered seeing the golden robed woman was before they entered the forest.


    They made it to the base of the cliff without encountering any creatures and the demon silently wondered if it¡¯s because they got too afraid of Serath or if Theresa had a hand in it. She¡¯s partial on the latter being the truth though.


    The cliff was tall and she dreaded the climb but Gerund constructed stairs on the side of it using ground elemental energy which seemed to be his expertise. They happily chatted when climbing up and only went back to silence when they were about to reach the top.


    Elira watched as Serath reach the end of the stairs with Gerund excitedly following behind. It was finally her turn and curious eyes which rapidly turned to a sharp glare of hatred greeted her, followed by the cracking of air around the traveler, spinning daggers peeking out of them.


    She sneered reflexively at the man and was about to whip her tail to the ground as a sign of aggression when Theresa¡¯s voice resounded in her mind.


    ¡®Do not agitate him further, don¡¯t worry he won¡¯t attack you¡¯


    Elira just rolled her eyes at the still-glaring man and said offhandedly, ¡°Of course, the traveler would be a demon hating man. What did I expect?¡±.


    The man started speaking in an unfamiliar tongue and she could feel the warning in his tone.Serath seemed unperturbed and just calmly replied with the same language.


    ¡°Ost! He is from Ost!¡± Gerund seemed more excited than ever and was beaming beside her.


    She raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°Where is that? I thought he would be from an undocumented world?¡±


    ¡°There had been only 1 recorded person from Ost and it was a very long time ago. She was the one who brought the concept of possibility in using energies to affect the weave of time and space! She managed to help the people of this world develop the very first-dimensional skill and her inheritances are the most powerful time and space artifacts currently in this world!¡± Gerund was babbling now and the traveler seemed oblivious to the ruckus he was making.


    The traveler had removed his floating weapons and was warily closing the distance on them, focused only on his conversation with Serath.


    Elira wondered how they managed to quickly calm the man when she noticed the blindfolded woman silently standing, facing the two conversing figures.


    ''Theresa is affecting the mind of the traveler!''


    The sudden realization made her gasp in shock.


    Gerund thought that the reaction was for him and continued on hisrambling.¡°He could bring about new revolutions on this world! Can you see his cloak? The thing seems to be made entirely from a thread of space -- that¡¯s insane! He is also likely to be a part of nobility while the last Ost traveler was just a commoner¡­¡±


    Elira just mechanically nodded at the barrage of information Gerund was happily providing but her thoughts were analyzing Theresa''s abilities.


    ¡®She might not be controlling his mind¡­ It seems she¡¯s planting thoughts or suggestion and diverting the traveler¡¯s mind from our conversation at the same time.¡¯


    Judging from Theresa¡¯s previous report outside the forest, she could also see the memories of the creatures living in it.Elira had a difficult time remembering the information despite being confident about her own good memory. This proved her theory that everything Theresa says or do would be forgotten if not actively remembered.


    Telepath skills are pretty common but they could only send messages to other people¡¯s mind and receive thoughts that are specifically directed at them. They should not be able to subtly affect the mind of other people as their voice are very distinct and the receiver would clearly know that the thought was from a telepath.


    A sudden explosion of papers brought Elira out of her reverie and she watched in amazement at the event unfolding in front of her. Everyone seemed to be entranced as the pages danced around the traveler; they formed twirling formations that slowly disintegrated to lights that disappeared into the man at the center.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Words of gratitude were the first thing Elira understood from the man. He had a quiet and gentle voice but he had the same accent as Serath, probably because the knowledge of the language came from him. He sounded and looked young so she guessed that he is in the same age bracket as her.


    Serath¡¯s subtle glance at Theresa was not lost to her when Azrael presented the ring;The Barrier Master was asking her if she implanted a thought of gratitude to the man and her shaking head seemed to placate Serath before he graciously accepted the ring with a jibe.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Elira learned of Azrael¡¯s name after Serath introduced him to their resident Wesh Enthusiastand she was surprised at the other things she learned from the aggressive interrogation of the old man.


    ¡®Seems nobles have their fair share of problems. Thankfully my family didn¡¯t dip their fingers into clan politics.¡¯


    Azrael was looking quite uncomfortable at the continued barrage of questions so she decided to offer goodwill to him -- by insulting his cooking.


    A look of surprise surfaced to his face before rushing back to the cauldron and kneeled in front of it; genuinely sad at the now-ruined lunch. Gerund actually ran after the man and tried to taste the burned meal but Azrael was having none of it as he tried to pull the man away from the cauldron.


    Gerund grabbed one of the handles and gripped it so hard his veins started to show, ¡°A meal from Ost! I¡¯m going to taste it even if it¡¯s just ashes!¡±


    Azrael was grabbing the other end with a flushed face and screamed at the other man, ¡°Are you insane? Are all people from this world insane? Actually, don¡¯t answer that I don¡¯t want to know¡­ Burning Beaks! Stop! I¡¯ll cook you another one!¡±


    The tug of war for the cauldron stopped when it disappeared under Azrael¡¯s unnaturally black cloak. Another one appeared a few moments later and the man started dropping all sorts of ingredients at it.


    He seemed to be pulling things out of nowhere and he even pulled several balls of waters enclosed in some sort of transparent bubble. Gerund tried grabbing one before it could be added in the meal so Azrael threw a ball of waterat him.


    The projectile hit Gerund straight in the face but he didn¡¯t look affronted and just tried to lick the waters on his face. Azrael was dumbfounded at the shameless behaviour manand his body started to shake trying to stop his laughter.


    Serathdidn''t have the same inhibitions and laughed openly at Gerund. After his laughter subsided, he went closer to the cauldron to inspect its contents and asked the newcomer about his plans on it.


    ¡°You are not under any obligation to cook for us Mr Azrael, though I¡¯m quite curious to what you are making.¡±


    ¡°Uh.. sou..tew?¡± Azrael¡¯s face turned a shade of red at his unsure answer.


    Serath¡¯s brow¡¯s furrowed as he tilted his head in confusion at his reply, ¡°Soutew? Hmm.. it is possible that the word was not properly translated and that there is no word inLochley¡¯slanguage for your meal.¡±


    Elira shook her head in exasperation at Azrael''s enthusiastic nodding. She decided to test the waters and slowly made her way near the two.


    Azrael tensed but surprised her with an apologetic smile as he offered genuine regret on his previous action.


    ¡°Sorry about earlier. I kinda freaked out like a startled bird back there. I kinda forgot that I¡¯m in a new world and I shouldn¡¯t let my previous prejudices affect me. I¡¯m Azrael by the way.¡± He had bashful smile on his face as he made his apologies.


    ¡°No worries, I¡¯m used to those kinds of reaction. I¡¯m Elira.¡± She offeredher hand for a handshake but Azrael just stared at it.


    ¡°Unfortunately, our traditions were not transferred with the language. Elira, if you please.¡± Serath offered his hand at her and she flushed red at the notion of a handshake with a prince.


    Azrael curiously watched their exchange and finally took the hand after she offered it to him again. He was so stiff at doing the gesture that a light laugh subconsciously escaped from her lips that made his blood rush to his cheeks.


    The man was quite beautiful and she found his shyness endearing. She silently grieved for all womankind at the loss of a good fish in the sea to other predators and several plans formed in her mind on how to keep William away from the Azrael.


    ¡°The introductions are nice and all but can I get my turn now?¡±


    Theresa interrupted them with arms crossed over her chest, one hip tilted, and a raised eyebrow above her blindfolded eyes. She offered a hand to Azrael which he hesitantly took.


    Her introduction was straight to the point and so was her demands.


    ¡°Call me Theresa. It¡¯s nice to meet you, did you bring books?¡±


    The recipient of the introduction-slash-demand had a look of confusion as he answered. ¡°Uh.. yes?¡±


    ¡°Good, then are you willing to part with them for Lochley Currency? Don¡¯t worry, I promise I won¡¯t cheat you.¡±


    A predatory smile decorated her lips that contrasted her earlier statement.


    Elira wondered why Theresa would want books but chided herself for not doing the same once she realized that they were for Yomire.


    Serath tried to stop her aggressive behaviour but she cut him off before he could complete his sentence. ¡°Theresa, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s --¡±


    ¡°Shut up Serath. You know very well I only accepted this mission for the chance of acquiring books.¡± An expressionless face turned to him as she justified her rude behaviour.


    Elira was amazed at Theresa¡¯s harsh rebuke, ¡®Did she just told a prince to shut up? I think she¡¯s growing on me.¡¯


    He just sighed and tried to compromise, ¡°Then at least let me conduct the inquiry, Mr Azrael is already slowly moving away from your antics.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Just make sure they¡¯re good ones.¡±


    She moved over to Gerund who was quietly eating in front of the cauldron wearing a scrunched face.


    Serath made amends to startled man. ¡°Mr. Azrael, please forgive our companion as she tends to get aggressive whenever Yomire is involved. We would indeed be grateful if you could trade or lend some books to us.¡±


    Gerund hurriedly came over to them as Azrael started taking out the books. History books, lores, children stories, cooking books, and other miscellaneous books appeared that made Elira wonder if Azrael had a library inside his cloak. They decided to do the deal back in the city in which Theresa grudgingly agreed because of the sheer number of volumes.


    Elira had a question for them though, "Those are a lot of books, but can Yomire read them?"


    "Of course my Yomire can read them."


    Theresa scoffed at her but Serath gave a more detailed answer.


    "Yomire would probably be the only person in this world who is as adept as those with my bloodline regarding languages. Her thirst for books and stories require her to be knowledgeable in this field."


    Gerund also piped up an answer, "She possesses most of the first Ost traveller''s books. Though it isn''t as much as what our friend here offers."


    The deal continued and resulted with Azrael acquiring the floor below of where Serath was staying as part of the payment for the books.


    During the flurry of conversation, Elira also got the job of touring the newcomer to The Bloodied Borough and helping him register at the Merc Hall. She couldn¡¯t feel much distinct energy on Azrael but his previous actions told her that he¡¯s quite confident in his combat skills.


    Gerund asked Azrael on the location of theWesh Rootand made a stair towards it on the other side of the cliff. They all followed him but she was dismayed on how ordinary the thing looked.


    It was just a rock now and Gerund explained that theRoot''s energy had been depleted and it will no longer work. They noticed the dried blood scattered on the smooth floors and its previous occupant just stated¡®accident¡¯.


    Everyone else raised their eyebrows at that but didn¡¯t inquire any further.


    Elira watched Azrael''s solemn expression as he turned one last look at the remains of the open fire and boundless sea on the horizon. It was already dark when they made their way back to the carriage with Azrael muttering about creepy faced trees and the lack ofencounter with the forest''s inhabitants.


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s up with the clouds? Is that the reason why I didn¡¯t see any birds in the forest?¡± Azrael asked as they reached the edge of the forest.


    Theresa was the one who answered his inquiry, ¡°Yes. A Dragon made the clouds of End¡¯s Forest as its home. She''s pretty territorial in her airspace and kills all flying creatures that come to the cloud''s vicinity.¡±


    ¡°Broken Eggs! There¡¯s a Dragon in there?!¡±


    Elira didn¡¯t know what the connection of broken eggs with a Dragon but Azrael looked extremely surprised.


    Theresa suddenly laughed aloud as if she just remembered something really funny.


    ¡°Yes. So tell me, Azrael¡­ How does it feel to be rescued by a prince from a Dragon¡¯s Lair?¡±


    <hr>


    End of Chapter 7


    <hr>


    Lochley''s Mercenary Standard:


    Neophyte - 1 star, ranks 1-5


    Journeyman - 2 star, ranks 1-5


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Elira rank 1, William rank 1</li>


    </ul>


    Adept - 3 star, ranks 1-5


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Gerund (The Wesh Enthusiast) rank 5</li>


    </ul>


    Imperator - 4 star, ranks 1-5


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Yomire (The Storyteller) rank 3</li>


    </ul>


    Saint - 5 star rank S


    Guardian - 5 star rank SS


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Serath (The Barrier Master)</li>


    <li>Elira''s Grandmother</li>


    </ul>


    Divine - 5 star rank SSS


    Unknown Rankings (mentioned characters)


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Theresa, Azrael, Vienna, Balrow, Jasmine (The Bloodied Queen), Mary (The Innovator)</li>


    </ul>


    Named Groups: Fallen, Thirteens, Traders


    Named Races: Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Demons, Drakes, Avians


    Named Sentient Species: Orleys, Dragons

 Chapter 8: The Missive, The Street, and The Child.

    <hr>


    Orlo: The Bloodied Borough


    <hr>


    Orlo hated drakes with passion.


    He didn¡¯t like the half-assed Original Humans, who acquired the chance to become a True Dragon but botched their blessing because of their attachment to humanity. The blessing resulted in a scaled human, concentrated on their arms and feet, like a natural gauntlet and greaves. They lacked the ability to fly, which was an insult to most avians like him as the drakes claimed to be a relative of the Ruler of the Skies.


    Their torso and their head were very humanlike, with the only difference being the color of their skin which matched the color of their scales; reds, blues, pinks -- bright colors that shine with the reflection of the sun.


    It was appalling.


    But those were reasons why he didn¡¯t like the race, not the reason why he hated them. His recent loathing for the part-humans came from a single drake, his boss. This is because of a single encoded missive he received in the middle of the night.


    <hr>


    The plan must go on. It doesn¡¯t matter if he is protected by The Barrier Master; find a way to acquire or kill him.


    I?t? ?h?a?s? ?a?l?s?o? ?c?o?m?e? ?t?o? ?o?u?r? ?a?t?t?e?n?t?i?o?n? ?t?h?a?t? ?t???????h???????e??????? ???????c???????u???????r???????s???????e???????d??????? ???????e???????y???????e???????s??????? ?h?a?d? ?l?e?f?t? ?t?h?e? ?c?o?m?p?a?n?y? ?o?f? ?T?h?e? ?S?t?o?r?y?t?e?l?l?e?r?;? ?i?t? ?i?s? ?p?o?s?s?i?b?l?e? ?t?h?a?t? ?t???????h???????e??????? ???????c???????u???????r???????s???????e???????d??????? ???????e???????y???????e???????s??????? ?i?s? ?h?e?a?d?i?n?g? ?i?n? ?y?o?u?r? ?d?i?r?e?c?t?i?o?n? ?t?o? ?p?r?o?c?u?r?e? ?s?o?m?e? ?b?o?o?k?s? ?f?r?o?m? ?t?h?e? ?w?o?r?l?d? ?t?r?a?v?e?l?e?r?


    I am sending help but she might not arrive there in time so you must initiate the plan NOW.


    The surging tides are coming and we must eliminate all variables .


    <hr>


    Orlo could not understand some part of the message; he kept reading the part again and again, but still couldn¡¯t make horns and tails out of it. He assumed that the encoding had a problem, but the message was clear; acquire or kill the world traveler NOW. The missive also stated that the world traveler was a male but they didn¡¯t bother to tell him how they managed to acquire the information. Any additional information would have helped but they just expected an Imperator like him to do the job well.


    He had Vienna and Balrow scout the city as he made some plans on how to deal with their target without confronting The Barrier Master. He knew that the world traveler would be required to fill residency papers in the Merc Hall so he made his plans around that.


    Kill and Retreat.


    Orlo decided to go for the kill as capturing the world traveler would take too much effort; better leave a corpse than smuggle a body outside the city. He knew his plan had a gaping hole in it; that if The Barrier Master decided to stick with the world traveler, they would not have any chance killing the target.


    But that¡¯s the only plan he could come up with because of the time constraints; the Ends Forest wasn¡¯t that far and he had to make one on the fly.


    ¡°Boss, yer scouts reported that the world traveler just entered the Guild Hall. The Phasol Child is with him but The Barrier Master separated with them before they headed for the building.¡± Balrow interrupted his thoughts, signalling the start of their mission.


    The world traveler and his companions had been touring the city in the early hours of the day, eager to introduce the newcomer to its daylight attractions. It was dusk now and the processing of residency papers should last until the three moons made their appearance in the dark sky.


    Orlo was ecstatic at the news, ¡°Good! Send Malik to keep an eye on The Barrier Master and make sure he informs us through our telepathic link if he comes close to our location. Is Vienna ready to intercept the world traveller?¡±


    ¡°Yeah boss, she was preparing her crocodile tears when she left. I must say, boss, yer plan sucks; a crying beauty to lure a young man to his doom? What if he prefers harder muscles or someone with more meat? Ye should have sent me.¡±


    The dwarf complained while waving his Sheperd¡¯s Axe; it was a curious weapon that functions as both melee weapon and energy conductor for his ground elemental spells. Despite Balrow¡¯s physical build, he was more formidable in medium ranged combat.


    Orlo increased his distance with the complaining man and replied, ¡°I never said the plan was good and you didn¡¯t speak up when I asked for suggestions. Any young man would run away if a barreled dwarf that stank like the Defiled Forest comes running to them with snot covered face.¡±


    Balrow just grunted an affirmative and they continued their waiting in the deserted slums of The Bloodied Borough.


    They weren¡¯t really alone but they might as well be, as the slum residents didn¡¯t care much for outsiders; they kept to themselves and were used to random fights happening in their streets. The blind eye that the guards gave to the area also suited their plans as they didn¡¯t have to bribe any officials.


    The plan consisted of Balrow and Vienna starting the fight to gauge the capability of the world traveler. Their resident scout and telepath, Malik, stated the man didn¡¯t have much energy but he was wearing a cloak that looked like an enchanted artifact.


    He decided to stay hidden in a roof and go for a sure kill when the battle was at its peak or when the target was in a vulnerable position; he was an assassin before being dragged to whatever Organization his boss belonged to anyway.


    The sounds of hurried footsteps on the dark streets echoed with the murmuring of beggars that infected the slums like maggots in a dying carcass. The elven woman with red eyes and aggrieved face appeared on the alleyway, followed by a worried-looking young man.


    They were in the middle running when the young man suddenly stopped in his tracks, just before the sabotaged ground that would enclose his feet in thick mud. Vienna was a professional and immediately leapt to a distance as the young man realized their ambush.


    Balrow appeared from the side of a house and struck the blunt edge of his shepherd''s axe at the ground; it summoned a thick wall of earth that closed the street from outsiders. He immediately followed with a chant that produced ground elemental rocks around him that he hurled at the surprised man.


    Their target nimbly dodged the oncoming rocks and replied with a barrage of throwing daggers that appeared from the surrounding space around him. They flew with great force but Balrow managed to block them with a hurriedly summoned flat stone that floated in front of him.


    ¡°Ye stone gods! A Weaver of Space! -- Vienna!¡± The dwarf was as surprised as Orlo but managed to react properly.


    Vienna was mumbled while holding her staff that she retrieved from one of the houses. She finished her chant and dozens of arrows made of wind flew towards their enemy. However, the young man negated each arrow with a barrage of daggers which accurately hit the oncoming projectiles.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The elf was not surprised and just finished her follow-up chant that activated the formations in the surrounding walls that enclosed the street; sudden blasts of air appeared from them that made the enemy lose his balance.


    Balrow took the chance and struck his axe to the wall beside him. The wall rippled and the ground energy traveled through them and produced a sharp spike once it reached the wall beside the stumbling man.


    The attack still missed as the newcomer suddenly got pushed backwards by an unknown force that made him fall into his back towards the dirty streets below. The ground seemed to swallow him whole and he immediately reappeared in the second-floor wall, near the elven woman, with a dagger in hand.


    Vienna¡¯s heart skipped a beat but instincts guided her body as she released a gush of wind energy that pushed the young man back to the wall; he didn¡¯t disappear this time but he didn¡¯t drop from the wall either. He seemed to be laying down on the wall as if it¡¯s a floor.


    Cracks appeared from the walls around him as he summoned more daggers towards the elf. A circular piece of stone was the only thing that saved the shocked woman from the sharp objects.


    Vienna hurriedly enchanted her body with abundant wind energy that made her quickly float away from the enemy. The hanging man on the wall didn¡¯t want the elf to get away and he was about chant something when another spike came at him from the streets below.


    The man slipped down the wall to avoid the flying stone and calmly continued his chant. The effect of the chant was apparent as the floating elf stumbled to the ground at the sudden increase in gravity and was unable to correct the energy output of her floating spell.


    Rain of daggers came from the cracks of space high above the fallen elf but Balrow was quick in enclosing the vulnerable woman in a tomb of stone. The action caused him a glancing injury as he didn¡¯t notice the incoming daggers behind him and was a bit too late in rolling away from the area.


    Balrow hurriedly released Vienna from the tomb and they regrouped together while avoiding the unending daggers raining at them from above; thankful that the Weaver of Space is still affected the Rulesof Energy or they will have cracks of space that would be too close for comfort.


    The young man¡¯s black hair was now sticking in his face due to sweat; ragged breathing and shaking limbs further indicated his exhaustion but the resolve in his onyx eyes seemed stronger than ever.


    An assault of gravity suddenly struck the pair of part-humans; the loud slap of their knees and palms hitting the ground, evidence enough of the strong pulling force suddenly applied to their body.


    The young man was waiting for the pair to regroup together so he could unleash a strong attack and finish them off at the same time. He summoned a black bow and -- froze.


    Orlo didn¡¯t know why the man suddenly stopped, with a look of surprise and despair on his face, but he was an assassin.


    He knew that it was his chance.


    His quick but silent approach towards the back of the man remained unnoticed; black wings stretched as he glided soundlessly near the man.


    His execution was brisk, noiseless, unimpeded, and most importantly of all -- successful.


    The young man¡¯s head separated from his body, shocked face still decorating his face; blood spurted from his headless neck as his cloaked body fell to the ground with a light thud.


    Silence returned to the enclosed alleyway, red liquid quietly painting the streets; filling the air with the familiar scent of murder and slaughter. Orlo observed the recently made corpse and kneeled in front of it whileBalrow and Vienna regained their movement and made their way to him.


    ¡°Such a talented young man, shame he became our target. He was kind, agreeing to aid a hysteric woman wailing about her child.¡± Vienna didn¡¯t feel good from killing the man, but a mission was a mission.


    ¡°Yer still too soft Vienna, that will be the end of ye in our line of work.¡± Balrow reprimanded the elf but silently agreed with her statement.


    Orlo just blinked at the corpse in front of him and proceeded giving instructions to their retreat, ¡°Balrow, strip the man off with his items, no point leaving it for the beggars. Vienna contact Mal--¡±


    ¡°Such a pretty head, can I have it?¡±


    The three of them snapped up in attention at the sudden childish voice that filled the quiet streets. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone in the area as they cleared it before the mission but what they saw confused the three of them.


    A child with hair longer than her whole body was hugging the lifeless head; rags for clothes covered her body which was stained with blood from the head in her arms. The child seemed to be blind despite her attraction to the head as she was wearing a dirty cloth on top of her eyes.


    Orlo stood up and tried to take the head from her, ¡°Child you¡¯re not supposed to be here; leave the head alone. He at least deserves all of his body parts when the authorities discover our body.¡±


    ¡°Ye gods birdman, what do you mean by our body.¡± Balrow was frowning at the statement of their Avian boss.


    The child giggled and stepped away from the approaching feathered man. ¡°Yes little birdy, what do you mean by your bodies. Oh look another corpse popped up.¡±


    Orlo stopped in his tracks at the site of their telepath lying prone on the ground. The demon didn¡¯t seem to have any injuries on his body but the lifeless eyes that was looking at him were proof enough of his death.


    ¡°Malik! Ho--¡± Vienna gasped in confusion but stopped, as the lifeless body suddenly stood up and smiled at them with his black lips.


    ¡°Malik, Malik, singing with his thoughts. Malik, Malik, what have you wrought? Malik, Malik, shouldn¡¯t have followed a man, Malik, Malik, shouldn''t have pissed off a woman~¡±


    The anomaly of a corpse giggled and sang in a monotonous voice that sent shivers through the three of them. The fear struck them straight to their hearts; Vienna couldn¡¯t remain standing and kneeled on the ground, tears pooling in her eyes.


    The other two men were more professional and tried reaching for their weapons but they could no longer find them in their vicinity.


    ¡°Who are you and what do you want?!¡± Orlo narrowed his eyes at the child, trying to calm the rapid beating of his heart.


    The child just giggled again at his demands, ¡°Oh no little birdy, I¡¯m the one asking the questions here. WHO DO YOU WORK FOR?¡±


    A sudden urge to answer filled Orlo¡¯s mind and he did his best in keeping his mouth shut, but the figure of his scaled boss still floated in his mind.


    ¡°Tut~ tut~ resistance is futile little birdy¡­ hmm. Scales! A drake~ a drake~!¡± the child just mocked him and proceeded to divulge his thoughts.


    ¡°H-how?!¡± Orlo widened his eyes and he could no longer keep the fear in his heart. It was clawing at his entire being, suffocating him as his eyes blurred because of the tears threatening to escape from his eyes.


    ¡°Questions~, questions~ little birdy have too many questions! You don¡¯t even have any satisfying answers to give me.¡± The child pouted while playing with the head, rotating it in her hands that caused a splatter of blood in the streets.


    Vienna was retching on the ground while Balrow was stunned; face, bloodless. Orlo could no longer hear the sound of his own heart because of the cawing of the birds that filled the roofs of their alleyway.


    ¡°Little birdy~ little birdy~ your friends are here~ They are hungry! They are hungry!¡± An innocent smile followed her statement contrasting her bloody appearance.


    Bad premonitions filled Orlo''s mind and he tried begging at the child, ¡°No! Please!¡±


    ¡°Anything~ Anything~ Kill your friends for me!¡± She suddenly threw the head at him and he reflexively caught it.


    A familiar weight pulled at his arms; it was no longer a head but the black sword he used to decapitate the young man.


    Balrow widened his eyes at the sight of the sharp weapon and tried reasoning with him, ¡°Orlo! It¡¯s the child! She is affecting yer mind, ye don¡¯t want to do this!¡±


    He did want to do it; he wanted to cut his neck through the dirty beard. He wanted to, he wished for it, he desired for it, -- he lived for it.


    Orlo was about to slash his sword when he felt something break in his mind. He lost control of his faculties from a crippling headache and slumped on the ground like a puppet that had its strings cut.


    The child tilted her head and spoke with a curious voice, "Hmm, the telepathic link from the other telepath broke. I guess it couldn''t handle the forced coercion."


    Gritting his teeth through the nausea, he forced himself to stand up. The urge of violence had receded but it was still there and fearing it would come rushing back, he threw his weapon away in a panicked hurry.


    Towards the dazed elf and dwarf.


    Orlo wasn''t in a good state of mind so the sword''s momentum was slow; Balrow was unprepared but managed to clumsily dodge it. He was worried that Vienna would get hit but she stood up, dodged sideways, and caught the sword as it passed by her.


    And immediately slashed towards Balrow whose back was turned on her.


    Vienna sliced the defenseless neck and the dwarf¡¯s head unceremoniously separated from his body; the blood splashing on Vienna¡¯s face and lifeless eyes. She didn¡¯t wait for the child¡¯s next instruction and and repeatedly stabbed her own stomach.


    Orlo was aghast at the sound of the sword as it pushed through the woman¡¯s own soft body.


    Squelching sounds chorused with the childlike laughter filled the street; excited cawing of birds aiding in the cacophony.


    ¡°Such weak will~! But the crows are still hungry -- hungry! You won¡¯t have a complete corpse after all!¡±


    The child was all innocence: hands on her back, one foot tapping on the ground rhythmically, tilted head and a bashful smile on her bloodied face.


    The lines on her blindfold was shining with red; the blood around her reflecting it, making the street glow with a menacing hue.


    Orlo lost his mind and laughed hysterically, curling on the ground in a fetal position, clawing hands busily pulling feathers at his limp wings.


    The flapping of the crows was the last sound he heard; the converging mass of black, his last memory.


    <hr>


    End of Chapter 8


    <hr>

 Chapter 9: The Lesson, The Seduction, and The Proposal

    <hr>


    Azrael: The Bloodied Borough


    <hr>


    Azrael considered telling Theresa to stop the moving metal, walk back to his cave, and live a life of solitary and seclusion; maybe even befriend the dragon in it. He was asking questions about his new world bnut he didn¡¯t like one of the answers he received.


    Serath had to stop the naggy old man with his incessant questioning before the question and answer session began, ¡°Mr Gerund, please stop asking questions, at least for the duration of our trip back to the city. Mr Azrael might have questions of his own and it would be good to clear things up before arriving in it.¡±


    He actually had a lot of questions so he immediately fired off one before the red-haired man could speak, ¡°What is this thing we are riding on? We don¡¯t have much in the way of transport back in Ost.¡±


    ¡°This is an energy carriage, invented and first introduced to this world by Mary The Innovator, which is Serath and Theresa¡¯s guildmate in Fallen. People just used fast creatures as mount before this.¡± Elira answered as she tapped the leather seat they occupied.


    They were sitting together in the backseat with Serath in the far right side and Elira in the middle.


    Despite their earlier confrontation, he found solace in her presence as she seemed to be the only normal person out of his rescuers, even with her demonic appearance. Theresa scared the burning beaks out of him, Gerund was just all sorts of annoying, and Serath was just¡­ Serath.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite fast, but I don¡¯t see its purpose if we could just use teleportation points.¡±


    The black metal looked cool but it couldn¡¯t beat the convenience of instant travel. However, no one answered him this time and when he looked around, 3 pairs of eyes were staring at him.


    Gerund was the one who confirmed his doubts, ¡°There are only a handful teleportation points in Lochley, are they common in Ost?¡±


    He guessed as much when he saw their reactions on his cloak and dimensional cracks but he wanted to confirm it, ¡°Uhh¡­ yes? They¡¯re our main mode of transport. How do you guys travel to faraway places?¡±


    ¡°With airships. Let me guess, you guys don¡¯t have one.¡±


    Elira seemed smug about these ¡®airships¡¯; they have ships back in Ost but those usually goes into the sea. He decided to ignore her and just ask another question.


    ¡°Who is the strongest person in this world?¡± He was quite curious about the individuals in this world as he could feel that Serath was strong and Theresa was all sorts of dangerous. He received different answers from his companions.


    ¡°Raea.¡± Gerund and Theresa spoke the same name to his question.


    ¡°Theresa.¡± Serath answered differently; he was surprised by his reply as he could feel that he is more powerful than the blindfolded woman.


    ¡°Lyria.¡± Elira had a different answer too but she seemed as surprised as him at Serath¡¯s answer.


    Theresa just laughed at Serath¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t listen to Serath, he''s just afraid of me. There¡¯s really no way to tell but the public considers Raea The Mother of the World, and Lyria The Indomitable Sword as the two strongest individuals in this continent alone. As for other continents, they have different individuals that are as strong as the two I mentioned before.¡±


    Azrael considered asking more but decided he¡¯ll do his own research on the topic later. He decided to ask about the warring affairs of the world next, ¡°Oh, are any of the continents in war?¡±


    Theresa was the one to answer him again,¡°You¡¯re in Meshiere continent, and all you need to know right now is that it has been in a state of peace for a long time. There were some minor civil wars in its cities and some incursions but nothing big.¡±


    The blindfolded woman seemed to suddenly become friendlier after he showed the collection of books. Azrael was surprised about the collection himself, as he hadn¡¯t sorted out through the items inside his trusted cloak. Nevan was the one who prepared the items inside as he was busy in self-pity about the impending exile.


    ¡°So, demons and humans live peacefully with each other in this world?¡±


    Azrael asked his next question carefully; he didn¡¯t want to offend the demon again. His gaze wandered on the demon¡¯s pointed horns; it looked pretty dangerous and pondered if she sharpens them every day.


    Elira seemed to be expecting his question and just answered with nonchalance, ¡°Demons are humans. The Great Territorial War ended more than a thousand year ago where every humans and part-humans settled their differences.¡±


    ¡°Part-humans?¡± Azrael was surprised about the existence of other races aside from demons.


    Elira raised an eyebrow at him, ¡°How come you know about demons but not the others? Their bloodline came from the same source, just different aesthetics. There are the drakes, dwarves, elves, avians, and other half-beast blessings.¡±


    ¡°Avians?¡±


    Azrael¡¯s back straightened at that. He had enough of giant birds and living in the same city as them would be quite a blow to his sanity. He was sure that one of the bird creatures would be the end of him.


    Elira¡¯s eyebrow heightened even further, quite amused at his pale face, ¡°Yes, they have a human body but they have down feathers for hair and feathered wings and tails on their back; this gives them the ability to fly. They have the same hands and feet as humans, but with retractable claws for nails.¡±


    Azrael heaved a sigh of relief at her description, ¡°They don¡¯t have beaks do they? They sound more like an angel to me; minus the claw and tail part.¡±


    The demon was the one with a confused face this time, ¡°What in the Lochley¡¯s name is an angel?¡±


    Serath answered Elira¡¯s question while giving him a curious look,¡°They are beings of the higher plane and are quite powerful. I¡¯m surprised Mr Azrael knows of them¡±


    ¡°Oh... I actually haven¡¯t seen one, just heard about them in stories.¡±


    They didn¡¯t answer his question about beaks, he was quite worried about that.


    The rest of the ride was filled with more mundane questions like food, currency, ruling powers, and laws. He was surprised at the civilization of this world where culture, belief, governance, and technology thrived -- so unlike his constant warring world.


    He also asked about how they knew he arrived in this world and from their answer, he figured that he had been hibernating for around 3 weeks in this world¡¯s time.


    It was already dark when they arrived at the city. Towering dark walls loomed before them as they entered the city gates; he wondered what they would look like in the light of day. Tall poles with glowing orbs lined the streets of the city and they shined light on the red pavement as they made their way through the inner parts of the city.


    They dropped off the demon and the red haired man in a tall building; Elira said before leaving that she would meet him here in the morn of morrow for the agreed tour of the city. Azrael tried to remember the way as Theresa drove the carriage in silence towards Serath¡¯s residence.


    It turned out to be a five floor building in the northern part of the city; with the first two floors as a tavern/restaurant.


    Serath gave him the key for the whole of third floor and with a simple good night, headed directly to the fifth floor. Theresa seemed to have disappeared after they parked the carriage beside the building but he was too tired to care about it.


    He woke up from hibernation because of his rescuer¡¯s arrival and he only managed to recover a very small part of his life energy. From their conversation in the carriage, there was good order in the city and his life wouldn¡¯t be in danger insideof it.


    He just dropped straight to the bed, closed his eyes, and opened them again at the sound of knocking on wood.


    Serath¡¯s muted and polite voice followed the knock, ¡°Mr Azrael, I thought I should wake you so you could prepare for the tour in the city as it¡¯s already half-hour before the agreed time.¡±


    Azrael slowly blinked at the sight of the unfamiliar wooden ceiling. It was lined by a ray of light that escaped the thick drapes covering the window of his room, illuminating the floating dust motes in its path.


    He lazily sat up from the small wooden bed, staring around the sparsely decorated room. His line of sight stopped at the wooden door on the far left of his bed, staring at it and slowly processing everything in his sleep-addled mind.


    Another polite knock had him scrambling from the bed. He hurriedly made his way to open the door and deep blue eyes, crinkled with amusement, greeted him on the other side.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I intruded on your floor, I tried knocking from the outside but you were not answering. Should we postpone your tour to a later date?¡± Serath sounded sincere in his first statement but the last one had a slight teasing tone to it.


    His party didn¡¯t miss the careful way he acted around the demon and Serath was probably amused at the possible reaction of Elira if she learned of postponing the arrangement.


    Images of sharp black nails digging into his skin as Elira drags him out of Serath¡¯s residence flashed in his mind so he hurriedly answered, ¡°No! no¡­ today is fine, where¡¯s the washroom?¡±


    He had to learn on how to operate the bath as it was quite different from his previous world; not that he prepares his own bath there. With a clean body and new set of clothes, they made their way to the meeting place by walking through the streets; it was early and he could finally observe the city in the light of day.


    It lived up to its name as the streets and most buildings were painted in varying shades of red. Splashes of other colors can be seen here and there but the red dominated the different structures of the city. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Various humans and part-humans littered the streets, walking with fervour to start their day. He finally saw one of the avians and he hurriedly stuck close to Serath, trying to use the tall man as a shield to the bird woman coming from the opposite direction.


    ¡®They looked more human than bird¡­ and thankfully they don¡¯t have beaks.¡±


    Azrael curiously looked at the feathered human, who noticed his curious stare but just smiled kindly at him. He saw more of the feathered people and they seem to forego upper body clothes, with the females just wearing a kind of cloth to hide their chests. He was sure his face was red at all the exposed skins and he tried not to directly look at them.


    Elira was leaning at the wall of the building, arms crossed in front of her chest, when she noticed their approach, ¡°Good you¡¯re not late. I¡¯m trying to avoid someone so let¡¯s leave immediately, will The Barrier Master grace us with his presence? And is Theresa here? Yesterday was enough surprises for me to last a whole month.¡±


    Serath just smiled at her jibe, shook his head at her last question, and confirmed his assistance to the tour.


    They went for breakfast first, as his last meal had been a tasteless soup and he completely forgot about dinner last night. Serath and Elira actually fought for the bill but the man won by distracting the demon with an inquiry about a man named William. The tour went on until dusk, in which Serath said his goodbyes; the remaining pair entered the Merc Hall for the processing of his papers.


    The procedure went smoothly as having The Barrier Master as his reference person opened up a lot of avenues. They were about to leave when warning bells rang in Azrael¡¯s mind, his Seer-Instinct warning him of possible danger.


    ¡°Hey Elira, thanks for the tour. You¡¯re pretty cool for a demon but I want to be alone for a while.¡±


    Azrael tried to act normally but Elira¡¯s eyebrow and swishing tail were proof enough that she knew he was acting suspiciously.


    ¡°Geez, if anyone took your fancy here and you wanted to drag the lucky person back to your bed, you could just tell me.¡±


    Elira announced with a loud and amused voice to the room that had several heads turning in their direction. The demon just laughed afterwards and with a wave of her hand and a light slap from her tail, left him alone in a room full of curious stares.


    He wanted to run out of the building immediately, but that would defeat the purpose of separating with the demon. After waiting for a few minutes and fending off several advances, he decided it¡¯s time to confront the danger.


    A crying elven woman immediately latched onto him, crying hysterically about helping her child, muttering about being ignored by other mercenaries. He knew that this was the danger his instinct told him about, but he still wanted to help the woman.


    He had met with nothing but goodwill upon arriving in this world, barring the creepy-faced tree, and he wanted to give something back.


    Agreeing and trying for an awkward gesture of comfort, they made their way further south of the city to the direction of the slums. They turned to a narrow alleyway and it was in the middle of the street that his instinct suddenly flared that made him stop. The elven woman was no longer crying when she leapt away from him and a dwarf that came from one side of the houses blocked his path of escape.


    He could have easily escaped; he could cut a thread of space and connect it to another thread outside the alleyway, forming an escape route... but he decided to fight.


    He needed to fight. This was a lesson better learned early; that he might have met good people but not all people in this world were like them.


    It was better this way; his first day had been like a good dream, but the back of his mind was telling him that he already died in the abyss. That this was his mind trying to escape its inevitable death. He needed the affirmation of being alive and the slap of reality in his face is just what he need.


    That violence will follow him wherever he goes.


    He was a prince, butwas also considered as a soldier. Every time his brother sent him out of the palace was to try and get him killed in some war front. He was not new to fighting, and so he fought.


    The dwarven-elven pair was good; it showed that they were experienced in these type of battles. They had the advantage of an ambush but he had a few surprises of his own. His flawless control of gravity and space did surprise them and he managed to successfully herd the two together.


    He successfully applied a strong pull on the area below the two of them and they dropped like insects. He quickly withdrew his bow to finish them off but a slight touch of energy from inside his Shadow made his blood run cold and freeze him in his tracks.


    ¡®Why? Why is it here?!¡¯


    The hint of energy near the location of his bow, inside his Shadow, was something he never expected to see again -- nor did he want to. It was the item that made his brother send him to the abyss, for fear that he might be chosen by it.


    His seer-instinct burned through his own being, snapping him back to reality. A flash of memory assaulted his mind; his own head flying off his shoulders and his body falling lifelessly to the ground.


    It was a vision of his own death.


    He quickly bent his knees and rolled to his left, preparing for the next attack that will surely come -- but it didn¡¯t.


    He snapped his head up and was dumbfounded at the display in front of him. It was like watching a puppet play; him as the audience and his enemies as the puppets here to entertain him.


    His hidden assailant was an avian, with black wings and skin that hid his body in the shadow of the night. He was acting as if he had successful sliced the neck from his body and the dwarf and elf were doing the same.


    He knew they were stuck in an illusion and his mind turned, trying to guess the identity of the puppeteer.


    ¡®Theresa¡¯


    ¡°Oops, you caught me.¡± A honeyed voice resounded throughout the alleyway that made the hairs on his skin stand up.


    ¡°Oh, what are you afraid of. It¡¯s just me.¡±


    Theresa was standing on the other side of the street and he had a nagging feeling she had always been there; even during the fight.


    She was wearing a sleeveless long one piece dress that hugged her well-proportioned body. It was cut on one side starting from the waist and it showed her smooth leg whilst walking towards him; high heels clicking on the dirty pavement.


    Her dress had varying shades of blue and violet, like the sky just before sunrise. The color stayed on one position in the dress as she moved, seemingly part of a background rather than part of a dress.


    It was both weird and enchanting at the same time.


    Parting her bangs to the side with a hand decorated by different colored bracelets; producing a melodic sound at the gesture, like a wind-chime caught by the whispering air. Her red hair reached up to her narrow waist, flowing freely that swayed with her hips; blood red lips, curved in a seductive smile that was directed at him.


    However, the most notable thing her blindfold; different colored lines danced inside it as if they were alive.


    He could feel his attraction towards the woman growing, it confused him as he had never been attracted to one before. Something passed by his mind, an idea that tried getting away from him, but something inside told him to grab a hold of it.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± Azrael shouted but his breathy voice and flushed skin contradicted his statement.


    Theresa just bit her lower lip and continued with her seduction, ¡°How do I look?¡±


    Azrael was about to give up resisting when the burning desire in his body was suddenly snuffed out; like a fire losing its air.


    ¡°Good job, you¡¯ve got quite an impressive willpower.¡±


    Theresa still looked the same, but the feeling of attractiveness was no longer there; she was indeed beautiful, but he no longer had the feeling of worshiping her feet.


    ¡°What did you do that for!¡± Azrael was gasping for air, sweat flowed freely on his face flushed face.


    Theresa just smiled at him, ¡°Just wanted to distract you, confirm some things, and cheer you up but I guess I chose the wrong gender for it.¡± She paused and started to think about something, but continued a few breaths later, ¡°How was your experience with The Bloodied Queen? Though, it was missing her eyes.¡±


    Azrael frowned at her question, ¡°The Bloodied Queen?¡±


    Surprise was evident on her face despite the blindfold hiding her eyes, ¡°Oh. I forgot. Most people in this world knows her and I usually use her appearance whenever I want something.¡± She paused, as if to emphasize her point and continued, ¡°Why did you freeze in the middle of the battle?¡±


    Her question reminded him of the object in his possession; he wanted to throw it away but he couldn''t even touch the thing.


    ¡°Curious, I can¡¯t see what it is. It should have surfaced in your mind but something is blocking me.¡± Theresa¡¯s statement surprised him.


    Azrael was quite annoyed at the breach of privacy. ¡°Do you always read other people¡¯s mind?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She answered so bluntly that he was speechless for a moment. Frustration bubbled up inside him, but strangely enough, he was no longer worried about the thing.


    ¡°Feeling better?¡± She was smiling at him genuinely now, "What do you want to do with your assailants?"


    Azrael watched the ongoing "play"; he couldn''t see the illusions but the horror on their faces were visible under the moonlight. Never had he seen so much fear in the eyes of a person.


    "Ask them why did they attack me."


    "They got an order from someone," She answered immediately, seemingly prepared for the question, "They don''t know why as they seem to be just following orders."


    Following orders: like him when he reported a location of village full of non-combatants that led to their massacre, like his lover when he pretended to be his friend so his brother could control him easily.


    Despicable.


    "Kill them."


    Four corpses now decorated the street: the dwarf without a head, the elf with a mangled body, and the other two just laying on the ground lifelessly. He didn¡¯t even know where the demon''s body came from.


    ¡°So¡­ how do you feel about Serath?¡± Theresa¡¯s sudden question made him frown, not fully understanding her question.


    ¡°What?¡±


    She seemed disappointed at his confusion, ¡°Hmm, shame. I could have used you as bait.¡±


    ¡°I think... I should leave you here and just go my merry way. Thank you very much for saving me by the way.¡± He decided to ignore the woman and started walking away from the street. He did not want to get caught in an alleyway with four dead bodies in it.


    However, the frustrating woman just followed his footsteps, continuing her previous statement.


    ¡°Wait, you could still help me. Serath is a prince, you¡¯re a prince, why not be together?¡±


    ¡°What are you on about, stop suddenly matchmaking people!¡± Azrael quickened his footsteps, he was seriously considering spending life energy on blinking away but then stopped as he realized something.


    "How did you know I was a prince?"


    "Aha, so you are indeed a prince, that explains a lot of things. I knew you were lying when you said you were nobility but I didn''t know if you were a rich merchant or royalty."


    He cursed himself for slipping the information.


    ¡°Serath was devastated when June died and he never found someone again after that.¡± Theresa¡¯s voice sounded so sad that it caught him off guard.


    However, her following statement showed her true colors, ¡°I can¡¯t have Serath staying alone, he might get interested in Yomire again and I can¡¯t have that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know who the fuck these people you keep going on about. Just leave me alone, I have more problems to deal with.¡± His patience was running thin and he chucked the woman as a lost cause. He was about to start walking again but her next question made him hesitate.


    ¡°You mean the object that you want to get rid off? How about we help you with that?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t. Nobody can help me with this.¡±


    "Yomire possessed several texts from Ost, it might have been old but it has enough information for me to conjure several possibilities on your situation."


    "..."


    He remained silent, figuring that the less he says the less chances of him revealing more to the woman.


    "What you possess is something that can even block my perception and there are very few things that can do that," Theresa was unfazed by his silence and continued her conjecture. "Coincidentally there is one such things on the records we keep and I bet you are not supposed to have it."


    He looked away, closed his eyes, and tried to hold himself together; knowing that her next statement might break him. He was sure it will be the same conclusion he got after finding that damnable thing inside his own space.


    Theresa was quiet for a moment but despite his closed eyes, he knew she was watching him behind the piece of cloth that hid her eyes. Just when he thought she wouldn''t continue, she started listing his deepest fears.


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid that they will come for it. That they will follow you to this world and end you permanently. You fear for your new found freedom and you fear the fate that comes to whoever denies The Emperor of Ost...¡±


    ¡°Your world had abandoned you and your new one is about to be engulfed in the surging tides. You feel lost. You feel despair. You feel the unfairness of the Wesh. But you are not alone, you might have Fallen to the deepest abyss -- but you are never alone...¡±


    ¡°How would you like to join our guild?¡±


    <hr>


    End of Chapter 9


    <hr>

 Chapter 10: The History, The Gossip, and The Resolve

    <hr>


    Azrael - The Bloodied Borough


    <hr>


    Azrael was having a nightmare, he was sure of it.


    Gray fingers gripped his pale wrist and sharp nails dug into his skin, dragging him against his will in a sea of strangers. Choruses of screams can be heard in the vicinity, piercing his skull and leaving echoes of despair in the back of his mind while the smell of stale sweat and desperation lingered in the air.


    ¡°... telepath stones and you need a connector. We¡¯ll also need to find you some local clothing, you stand out too much with your pure black ensemble.¡± The demon was indifferent about his suffering and continued walking in the throng of people, listing some other things they would need.


    When Elira invited him to the trader¡¯s area of The Bloodied Borough, he imagined one large building with a quiet sitting area for its customers. A waiter would then serve snacks and refreshments while the assistant of the shop take a list of what they would require and deliver them at a later time.


    He didn¡¯t expect another type of battlefield, full of bartering customers and stubborn merchants. The streets were packed with other shoppers like them, busily browsing each store; trying to uncover every secret of the wares.


    Azrael just sighed and let himself be dragged by the demon through the densely packed crowd, she seemed to have a destination in mind and he hoped that it was somewhere less crowded. They did end up in a big building, and it¡¯s less congested, but there were still enough people for Azrael to be uncomfortable.


    ¡°Oh, what are you frowning for,¡± Elira noticed his displeasure when she turned around to say something to him, ¡°this is the most popular shopping place in the city! Let¡¯s get you a connector first; I don¡¯t want to walk all the way to the northern part of the city again if I needed something from you.¡±


    Azrael just curled his lips even further at her, ¡°I thought we were gonna shop for telepath stone so we wouldn¡¯t have to look for a telepath? What¡¯s this connector you keep on babbling about?¡±


    Elira just turned back around and headed for the nearest staircase, ¡°It¡¯s the most revolutionary thing that Mary The Innovator released, five or so years ago. There had been actually an uproar about it as Couriers lost their main source of employment.¡±


    Her tail was swishing in front of him as they ascended the stairs, he wondered how Elira would react if he suddenly pulled the thing. Azrael remembered his feline pet which hissed and bit at him and decided not to try the demon¡¯s patience.


    Elira was oblivious to his curiosity and just continued to ramble on about the connector, ¡°They use some sort of encoding that translates your message to energy, send it to the cities¡¯ tower, and the tower would then send it to your intended target. They can even send captured images now!¡±


    They kept climbing until they reached the third floor of the building, it was quieter here with only a few shops that each occupy a room; with glasses as front walls and their wares displayed behind them.


    Azrael was again amazed at how secure the people in the city felt, with only the guards wearing battle gears and weapons; even Elira was just wearing a simple tunic and pants.


    She just laughed at him when he asked if they weren¡¯t worried about theft, ¡°It¡¯s only in the trader¡¯s area where people are not allowed to bring weapons, didn¡¯t you see the inspection we passed through before coming here?¡±


    ¡°The trader¡¯s association also have a lot of guards that patrol the vicinity, and even if they can¡¯t catch the thief, they still have several other measures in protecting their wares.¡± They stopped in front of a decently sized shop with a lot of rectangular metals in display and entered it.


    ¡°Elira! You haven¡¯t been stopping by, I was worried some slug monsters had already eaten you! I heard they prefer the taste of demons!¡±


    A dwarf that was standing behind the counter of the shop greeted them as they entered its doors. Azrael assumed she was a dwarf, as her features were too small to be human and were too wrinkled to be considered a child.


    ¡°Stop killing me with such weird monsters in your imagination, Cherry.¡± Elira used a familiar tone of speaking with the dwarf and introduced him, ¡°This is Azrael, my -- uh.. Friend, he needs a connector.¡± Azrael just raised his brows at the sudden blush Elira had as she introduced him to the shop keeper.


    ¡°A friend! Other than William?! How wonderful, such a handsome man too! You should really get more friends my dear,¡± The dwarf beamed at him and he wondered if she always talks with such a loud voice towards her other customers, ¡°now, lad, what connector do you have in mind?¡±


    Elira was the one who answered for him, ¡°Just give him the latest one, he is rich anyway.¡±


    Serath had given him some sort of credit stone as an additional payment for the books; that it should be accepted in most shops associated with the Trader¡¯s as currency.


    The elderly dwarf had a wistful expression on her face, ¡°Handsome and rich! Oh if only I were a few years younger¡­¡±


    ¡°Cherry, you¡¯re old enough to be his grandmother.¡± Elira just rolled her eyes at the shopkeeper as she cut her off.


    The dwarf just mumbled about age secrecy decorum act and went to one of the shelves and withdrew the rectangular metal in it. It was three fingers thick, and about two by three fists in dimensions; from the way the dwarf carried the thing, it was also about a few stones heavy.


    ¡°Now, this here is the latest thing,¡± Cherry gently placed it on the counter in front of him and opened it up, ¡°10~15 mins of delay for same city communication and provides the capability of processing images, though sending one would take thrice as long.¡±


    ¡°Elira!!¡± The bells on the door produced a ringing sound as it opened, followed by a raucous voice that screamed his companion¡¯s name.


    ¡°I saw you from the outside, who is he?¡± The human was openly scrutinizing him and so he did the same.


    He had an average height which was a few fingers shorter than Elira¡¯s demon height. Shaggy brown hair decorated his head and his green eyes spattered with flecks of gold were narrowed in suspicion; his face would have been pleasant if not for the frown directed at him.


    Azrael considered it as an annoying and punchable face but what bothered him the most were the staff and wooden axe he was currently hugging in his chest.


    They looked very familiar.


    Elira whipped her tail on the man¡¯s shins, surprised at his sudden appearance. The action made the man jump on one foot and almost lost his huddled possessions to the ground.


    ¡°Ow! Wha¡¯dya do that for! The trader-seal on the weapons almost broke!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just that you surprised me... and you were rude!¡± Elira narrowed her eyes at the man and roughly introduced them to each other with her tail, ¡°Azrael, William. William, Azrael.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here anyway? I thought you don¡¯t like going here because of the temptation in buying stuff?¡± Elira asked the man a question as she curiously looked at his possessions.


    The man¡¯s face visibly brightened at her question, ¡°Look! The city guards contacted me this morning and gave me two weapons,¡± he pushed the staff and axe in the demon¡¯s direction, ¡°They found my benefactors¡¯ bodies in the slums this morning and the two of them had a written will to leave their belongings to me...¡±


    Azrael and Elira both froze at his statement and the latter took a quick glance at him before asking, ¡°Benefactors? You know the people they found in the slums?¡±


    The man, oblivious to their reactions, happily replied, ¡°Oh, only the dwarf and the elf; they treated me to drinks a few days ago.¡±


    Elira¡¯s brows furrowed at the answer she received, ¡°They just met you¡­ and they placed you on their will?¡±


    ¡°I know! It was weird. I don¡¯t even remember giving them my full name,¡± The man¡¯s eyes widened and then it suddenly scrunched up with a furrowed brows in confusion, ¡°Apparently, they had several wills on their body but the latest one was addressed to me. They figured that they don¡¯t have anyone left but each other so they change their wills whenever they met someone they like¡­ at least according to the guards.¡±


    Azrael found William¡¯s expressive face quite amusing. He didn¡¯t think that the man was lying so he decided to ask him about the avian and the other unidentified person, ¡°There were four corpses right? What about the other two?¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    William crossed his hands in front of his chest and tilted his head at him, ¡°Oh.. they didn¡¯t tell me anything so I¡¯m probably not part of their will...¡±


    Elira was not as tense anymore after learning that his friend just got lucky with the weapons, ¡°Are you here to sell those things?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I was on my way to the fifth floor when I noticed you here with this hands-- whoa is that the newest connector model!¡± William hurriedly handed the weapons to Elira, which she almost dropped, and rushed to the rectangular thing beside him.


    ¡°Amazing! Are you buying it Elira?¡±


    Elira rearranged the weapons in her hand so it wouldn¡¯t fall, ¡°No, Azrael is the one buying that¡­ and don¡¯t just hand over fragile things to people!¡± but William just ignored her and chatted with Cherry to discuss the thing¡¯s capabilities.


    Elira just sighed at William¡¯s behaviour and gave an apologetic look to him, ¡°Look, Cherry we¡¯ll take the thing. William come on, we¡¯ll help you sell this stuff.¡±


    They made their way to the fifth floor after completing the transaction and they were busily browsing several telepath stones when William dropped another bomb in their conversation.


    ¡°Oh, have you guys heard the news from the Daily Idol Newsletter? Apparently, there¡¯s someone living with The Barrier Master now and they are speculating it¡¯s his new love interest. I heard they got it from a reliable source.¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha!¡± Elira suddenly burst into laughter when she caught sight of Azrael¡¯s frozen face.


    ¡°Wha-- why are you laughing? It¡¯s not you, is it? Did you guys get together from your last mission?¡± William narrowed his eyes at the hysteric demon squatting on the ground and shaking from laughter.


    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ but I would also bet that it¡¯s from a reliable source.¡± Elira just grinned at the confused man.


    Azrael just sighed, guessing that it was the telepathic woman that started the rumours. Serath had assured him that the residence had defensive formations and it would divert unwanted attention. It was also the reason why normal people didn¡¯t know Serath¡¯s current residence in The Bloodied Borough.


    William just changed the subject as he couldn¡¯t figure out why the demon had a sudden fit of laughter, ¡°Anyway, why are we browsing for telepath stones? I thought we¡¯re getting a telepath for our team?¡±


    Azrael raised an eyebrow at Elira, ¡°He¡¯s part of our team?¡±


    William was wide eyed again at his question,¡°You¡¯re part of our team?¡±


    Elira answered their questions, ¡°Yes, both of you are part of the team I¡¯m making.¡± She also remembered to answer William¡¯s inquiry about the telepath, ¡°Azrael and I decided that we didn¡¯t want a telepath on the team after an encounter with one.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re going to have to buy one every time their energy gets used up,¡± William frowned at their decision, ¡°And what encounter?¡±


    Elira had brought up the importance of the telepath role on a team; they handle the communication between a group as they fight and information learned in real time could be the deciding factor of a mission. However, looking for one that¡¯s willing to join a team can be quite the arduous task, that¡¯s why they settled for the alternative which were telepath stones.


    ¡°Oh nothing,¡± Elira just waved her tail at his question about the telepath, ¡°What are you planning to do with the profit from the weapons? They seem well made and maintained.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m planning to use it to my benefactors¡¯ death ceremony.¡±


    William flushed at the dumbfounded stare that his companions gave him after that statement, ¡°I think it¡¯s the right thing to do, okay? I only knew them for a few hours but they treated me to a drink and even left their possessions for me.¡±


    He turned around to escape their incessant stare but murmured something before leaving, ¡°The least I could do is that they have a proper burial.¡±


    They just continued to stare at the man¡¯s retreating back until Elira faced him with a serious face and broke the silence, ¡°You¡¯re alright with it?¡±


    Azrael shook his head at Elira after a few beats of silence, ¡°It¡¯s not really my business is it?¡±


    ¡°Look, let¡¯s shop again at a later time. Just go home for now while I help William with his weapons.¡± Elira looked at him with concern and decided to finish their business for the day.


    Azrael considered Elira¡¯s question as he trudged his way back to Serath¡¯s residence. He didn¡¯t know what to feel about William¡¯s concern to his assailants and neither could he understand the reason for it. According to him, they only knew each other for not even half a day and yet he was willing to spend the wealth and, more importantly, the effort to ensure they have a proper burial.


    The people in Lochley kept surprising him: in power, in resolve, and in morals. Even his assailants expressed regret at his supposed death when they got caught in Theresa¡¯s illusion. His previous life of seclusion and constant war seemed so far away despite being in the new world for only a few days.


    He had already arrived in his current home and was still in a pensive mood when the sound of someone knocking on his front door interrupted him from it.


    Serath was standing outside his door when he opened it and the man gave an apologetic smile as his greeting.


    ¡°Mr Azrael, is this a good time? You don --¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, might as well get this over with.¡± Azrael just left the door open and went to his receiving room and sat on one of the couches.


    Serath closed the door behind him and sat on the opposite couch with a low wooden table in between them.


    Azrael just sighed and leaned at the back of the couch after Serath settled himself, ¡°Before you start, please stop addressing me as Mr and drop the formal way of speaking.¡±


    Serath had a complicated look on his face before replying, ¡°I can adhere to your first request Azrael but I apologize as I''m already used to speaking formally.¡±


    Azrael closed his eyes and tapped the armrest of the couch with a constant rhythm, ¡°Fine, is this about Theresa? What did she tell you?¡±


    ¡°She informed me about the invitation that she extended to you,¡± Serath¡¯s deep and pleasant voice paused but continued after a few beats, ¡°and about your refusal.¡±


    ¡°Wrong," he corrected, not bothering to open his eyes, "I said I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    There was another beat of silence before Serath replied with a smile in his voice, ¡°Theresa likes you, you know?¡±


    Azrael had to open his eyes at that and raise his brow at the man opposite of him.


    Serath ignored his raised eyebrows and continued, ¡°Theresa¡­ had a bit of a difficult past. Her constitution brought her more problems than solutions as a child, and only when Raea came by her village that she managed to find someone who wasn¡¯t coerced into loving her.¡±


    Serath wasn¡¯t looking at him anymore and he had a far-away look in his eyes as he recalled his memories about his first meeting with Theresa.


    ¡°We were only ten back then when Raea brought Theresa in the Empire of Light. I remember my father enforcing everyone¡¯s mind with defensive formations at the request of Raea.¡± His eyes crinkled at the memory.


    ¡°Nobody openly requests something from the Emperor of Meshiere but there she was, just an elf who had a small child with closed eyes, clutching at her robes with tiny hands; telling my father to help the child in having a normal childhood.¡±


    ¡°Theresa still didn¡¯t open up to anyone, she just stuck at Raea¡¯s skirt every time the elf came by to teach me in the Elemental Ways.¡± Serath paused again, leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes, ¡°that was until she was called by a mind full of stories and dreams -- of pure innocence. Theresa followed the call and it brought her to the library, there she found Yomire; peaceful in her sleep, surrounded by mountains of books.¡±


    ¡°Yomire was also going through a tough time at that time and finding someone who could listen to her stories without actually speaking fascinated her. They became inseparable,¡± Serath suddenly chuckled before continuing, ¡°and Theresa and I started fighting like the kids we were.¡±


    Azrael didn¡¯t know where Serath was going on with his story so he just remained silent.


    ¡°I was to be a king and Yomire was supposed to be my queen; I was a child back then and I had only dreams of being a good ruler and I knew I needed a queen for that.¡±


    Serath opened his eyes and looked at him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I got caught up in the story and lost track of my point; I never did get the hang of storytelling.¡±


    ¡°Theresa does not wish to read upon other people''s mind but even with the help of several seals, she still could not escape them.¡± Serath was looking at him seriously now, ¡°A seal she was willing to break to look upon your troubles and punish your assailants.¡±


    Serath stood up and bowed in his direction, ¡°I am deeply sorry if you feel like she went overboard.¡±


    Azrael also stood up as he didn¡¯t feel comfortable sitting while the man was bowing in his direction, ¡°I-It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t have to.. Uh.. lower your head.¡±


    ¡°Theresa has already left the city since she gets annoyed staying within one if her seal is broken.¡±


    Serath turned around and headed for the exit after informing him of Theresa¡¯s departure. He stopped just as he reached the door and turned back to him, ¡°Would you like to know to know something?¡±


    Azrael didn¡¯t know what to reply so he just nodded his head.


    Serath opened the door and exited as he was speaking, ¡°The Mother of the World and The Storyteller were titles that Theresa herself spread; Raea was like a mother to her and Yomire was her personal storyteller. She wanted the whole world to know about it and so they did -- as what Theresa wants, she always gets.¡±


    Serath turned around and faced him with a wide grin on his face, ¡°Theresa didn''t leave the city just to avoid thes noise, she left the city to convince Raeain personally inviting you to the guild,¡±


    He was left speechless at that.


    ¡°Be careful Azrael, The Mother of the World is coming to get you.¡±


    <hr>


    End of Chapter 11


    <hr>


    trader-seal - A seal placed upon dangerous artifact so that they would be allowed to be carried in Trader''s Area. It doesn''t actually seal the weapon but it breaks at the slight use of it.


    Empire of Light - Capital of Meshiere, home of the royals that rule most of the continent.

 Chapter 11: The Shopping, The Meeting, and The Warning

    <hr>


    <h3 style="text-align: justify">Azrael - The Bloodied Borough


    <hr>


    Azrael was having a nightmare, he was sure of it.


    Gray fingers gripped his pale wrist and sharp nails dug into his skin, dragging him against his will in a sea of strangers. Choruses of screams can be heard in the vicinity, piercing his skull and leaving echoes of despair in the back of his mind while the smell of stale sweat and desperation lingered in the air.


    ¡°... telepath stones and you need a connector. We¡¯ll also need to find you some local clothing, you stand out too much with your pure black ensemble.¡± The demon was indifferent about his suffering and continued walking in the throng of people, listing some other things they would need.


    When Elira invited him to the trader¡¯s area of The Bloodied Borough, he imagined one large building with a quiet sitting area for its customers. A waiter would then serve snacks and refreshments while the assistant of the shop take a list of what they would require and deliver them at a later time.


    He didn¡¯t expect another type of battlefield, full of bartering customers and stubborn merchants. The streets were packed with other shoppers like them, busily browsing each store; trying to uncover every secret of the wares.


    Azrael just sighed and let himself be dragged by the demon through the densely packed crowd, she seemed to have a destination in mind and he hoped that it was somewhere less crowded. They did end up in a big building, and it¡¯s less congested, but there were still enough people for Azrael to be uncomfortable.


    ¡°Oh, what are you frowning for,¡± Elira noticed his displeasure when she turned around to say something to him, ¡°this is the most popular shopping place in the city! Let¡¯s get you a connector first; I don¡¯t want to walk all the way to the northern part of the city again if I needed something from you.¡±


    Azrael just curled his lips even further at her, ¡°I thought we were gonna shop for telepath stone so we wouldn¡¯t have to look for a telepath? What¡¯s this connector you keep on babbling about?¡±


    Elira just turned back around and headed for the nearest staircase, ¡°It¡¯s the most revolutionary thing that Mary The Innovator released, five or so years ago. There had been actually an uproar about it as Couriers lost their main source of employment.¡±


    Her tail was swishing in front of him as they ascended the stairs, he wondered how Elira would react if he suddenly pulled the thing. Azrael remembered his feline pet which hissed and bit at him and decided not to try the demon¡¯s patience.


    Elira was oblivious to his curiosity and just continued to ramble on about the connector, ¡°They use some sort of encoding that translates your message to energy, send it to the cities¡¯ tower, and the tower would then send it to your intended target. They can even send captured images now!¡±


    They kept climbing until they reached the third floor of the building, it was quieter here with only a few shops that each occupy a room; with glasses as front walls and their wares displayed behind them.


    Azrael was again amazed at how secure the people in the city felt, with only the guards wearing battle gears and weapons; even Elira was just wearing a simple tunic and pants.


    She just laughed at him when he asked if they weren¡¯t worried about theft, ¡°It¡¯s only in the trader¡¯s area where people are not allowed to bring weapons, didn¡¯t you see the inspection we passed through before coming here?¡±


    ¡°The trader¡¯s association also have a lot of guards that patrol the vicinity, and even if they can¡¯t catch the thief, they still have several other measures in protecting their wares.¡± They stopped in front of a decently sized shop with a lot of rectangular metals in display and entered it.


    ¡°Elira! You haven¡¯t been stopping by, I was worried some slug monsters had already eaten you! I heard they prefer the taste of demons!¡±


    A dwarf that was standing behind the counter of the shop greeted them as they entered its doors. Azrael assumed she was a dwarf, as her features were too small to be human and were too wrinkled to be considered a child.


    ¡°Stop killing me with such weird monsters in your imagination, Cherry.¡± Elira used a familiar tone of speaking with the dwarf and introduced him, ¡°This is Azrael, my -- uh.. Friend, he needs a connector.¡± Azrael just raised his brows at the sudden blush Elira had as she introduced him to the shop keeper.


    ¡°A friend! Other than William?! How wonderful, such a handsome man too! You should really get more friends my dear,¡± The dwarf beamed at him and he wondered if she always talks with such a loud voice towards her other customers, ¡°now, lad, what connector do you have in mind?¡±


    Elira was the one who answered for him, ¡°Just give him the latest one, he is rich anyway.¡±


    Serath had given him some sort of credit stone as an additional payment for the books; that it should be accepted in most shops associated with the Trader¡¯s as currency.


    The elderly dwarf had a wistful expression on her face, ¡°Handsome and rich! Oh if only I were a few years younger¡­¡±


    ¡°Cherry, you¡¯re old enough to be his grandmother.¡± Elira just rolled her eyes at the shopkeeper as she cut her off.


    The dwarf just mumbled about age secrecy decorum act and went to one of the shelves and withdrew the rectangular metal in it. It was three fingers thick, and about two by three fists in dimensions; from the way the dwarf carried the thing, it was also about a few stones heavy.


    ¡°Now, this here is the latest thing,¡± Cherry gently placed it on the counter in front of him and opened it up, ¡°10~15 mins of delay for same city communication and provides the capability of processing images, though sending one would take thrice as long.¡±


    ¡°Elira!!¡± The bells on the door produced a ringing sound as it opened, followed by a raucous voice that screamed his companion¡¯s name.


    ¡°I saw you from the outside, who is he?¡± The human was openly scrutinizing him and so he did the same.


    He had an average height which was a few fingers shorter than Elira¡¯s demon height. Shaggy brown hair decorated his head and his green eyes spattered with flecks of gold were narrowed in suspicion; his face would have been pleasant if not for the frown directed at him.


    Azrael considered it as an annoying and punchable face but what bothered him the most were the staff and wooden axe he was currently hugging in his chest.


    They looked very familiar.


    Elira whipped her tail on the man¡¯s shins, surprised at his sudden appearance. The action made the man jump on one foot and almost lose his huddled possessions to the ground.


    ¡°Ow! Wha¡¯dya do that for! The trader-seal on the weapons almost broke!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just that you surprised me... and you were rude!¡± Elira narrowed her eyes at the man and roughly introduced them to each other with her tail, ¡°Azrael, William. William, Azrael.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here anyway? I thought you don¡¯t like going here because of the temptation in buying stuff?¡± Elira asked the man a question as she curiously looked at his possessions.


    The man¡¯s face visibly brightened at her question, ¡°Look! The city guards contacted me this morning and gave me two weapons,¡± he pushed the staff and axe in the demon¡¯s direction, ¡°They found my benefactors¡¯ bodies in the slums this morning and the two of them had a written will to leave their belongings to me...¡±


    Azrael and Elira both froze at his statement and the latter took a quick glance at him before asking, ¡°Benefactors? You know the people they found in the slums?¡±


    The man, oblivious to their reactions, happily replied, ¡°Oh, only the dwarf and the elf; they treated me to drinks a few days ago.¡±


    Elira¡¯s brows furrowed at the answer she received, ¡°They just met you¡­ and they placed you on their will?¡±


    ¡°I know! It was weird. I don¡¯t even remember giving them my full name,¡± The man¡¯s eyes widened and then it suddenly scrunched up with a furrowed brows in confusion, ¡°Apparently, they had several wills on their body but the latest one was addressed to me. They figured that they don¡¯t have anyone left but each other so they change their wills whenever they met someone they like¡­ at least according to the guards.¡±


    Azrael found William¡¯s expressive face quite amusing. He didn¡¯t think that the man was lying so he decided to ask him about the avian and the other unidentified person, ¡°There were four corpses right? What about the other two?¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    William crossed his hands in front of his chest and tilted his head at him, ¡°Oh.. they didn¡¯t tell me anything so I¡¯m probably not part of their will...¡±


    Elira was not as tense anymore after learning that his friend just got lucky with the weapons, ¡°Are you here to sell those things?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I was on my way to the fifth floor when I noticed you here with this hand-- whoa is that the newest connector model!¡± William hurriedly handed the weapons to Elira, which she almost dropped, and rushed to the rectangular thing beside him.


    ¡°Amazing! Are you buying it Elira?¡±


    Elira rearranged the weapons in her hand so it wouldn¡¯t fall, ¡°No, Azrael is the one buying that¡­ and don¡¯t just hand over fragile things to people!¡± but William just ignored her and chatted with Cherry to discuss the thing¡¯s capabilities.


    Elira just sighed at William¡¯s behaviour and gave an apologetic look to him, ¡°Look, Cherry we¡¯ll take the thing. William come on, we¡¯ll help you sell this stuff.¡±


    They made their way to the fifth floor after completing the transaction and they were busily browsing several telepath stones when William dropped another bomb in their conversation.


    ¡°Oh, have you guys heard the news from the Daily Idol Newsletter? Apparently, there¡¯s someone living with The Barrier Master now and they are speculating it¡¯s his new love interest. I heard they got it from a reliable source.¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha!¡± Elira suddenly burst into laughter when she caught sight of Azrael¡¯s frozen face.


    ¡°Wha-- why are you laughing? It¡¯s not you, is it? Did you guys get together from your last mission?¡± William narrowed his eyes at the hysteric demon squatting on the ground and shaking from laughter.


    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ but I would also bet that it¡¯s from a reliable source.¡± Elira just grinned at the confused man.


    Azrael just sighed, guessing that it was the telepathic woman that started the rumours. Serath had assured him that the residence had defensive formations and it would divert unwanted attention. It was also the reason why normal people didn¡¯t know Serath¡¯s current residence in The Bloodied Borough.


    William just changed the subject as he couldn¡¯t figure out why the demon had a sudden fit of laughter, ¡°Anyway, why are we browsing for telepath stones? I thought we¡¯re getting a telepath for our team?¡±


    Azrael raised an eyebrow at Elira, ¡°He¡¯s part of our team?¡±


    William was wide eyed again at his question,¡°You¡¯re part of our team?¡±


    Elira answered their questions, ¡°Yes, both of you are part of the team I¡¯m making.¡± She also remembered to answer William¡¯s inquiry about the telepath, ¡°Azrael and I decided that we didn¡¯t want a telepath on the team after an encounter with one.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re going to have to buy one every time their energy gets used up,¡± William frowned at their decision, ¡°And what encounter?¡±


    Elira had brought up the importance of the telepath role on a team; they handle the communication between a group as they fight and information learned in real time could be the deciding factor of a mission. However, looking for one that¡¯s willing to join a team can be quite the arduous task, that¡¯s why they settled for the alternative which were telepath stones.


    ¡°Oh nothing,¡± Elira just waved her tail at his question about the telepath, ¡°What are you planning to do with the profit from the weapons? They seem well made and maintained.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m planning to use it to my benefactors¡¯ death ceremony.¡±


    William flushed at the dumbfounded stare that his companions gave him after that statement, ¡°I think it¡¯s the right thing to do, okay? I only knew them for a few hours but they treated me to a drink and even left their possessions for me.¡±


    He turned around to escape their incessant stare but murmured something before leaving, ¡°The least I could do is that they have a proper burial.¡±


    They just continued to stare at the man¡¯s retreating back until Elira faced him with a serious face and broke the silence, ¡°You¡¯re alright with it?¡±


    Azrael shook his head at Elira after a few beats of silence, ¡°It¡¯s not really my business is it?¡±


    ¡°Look, let¡¯s shop again at a later time. Just go home for now while I help William with his weapons.¡± Elira looked at him with concern and decided to finish their business for the day.


    Azrael considered Elira¡¯s question as he trudged his way back to Serath¡¯s residence. He didn¡¯t know what to feel about William¡¯s concern to his assailants and neither could he understand the reason for it. According to him, they only knew each other for not even half a day and yet he was willing to spend the wealth and, more importantly, the effort to ensure they have a proper burial.


    The people in Lochley kept surprising him: in power, in resolve, and in morals. Even his assailants expressed regret at his supposed death when they got caught in Theresa¡¯s illusion. His previous life of seclusion and constant war seemed so far away despite being in the new world for only a few days.


    He had already arrived in his current home and was still in a pensive mood when the sound of someone knocking on his front door interrupted him from it.


    Serath was standing outside his door when he opened it and the man gave an apologetic smile as his greeting.


    ¡°Mr Azrael, is this a good time? You don --¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, might as well get this over with.¡± Azrael just left the door open and went to his receiving room and sat on one of the couches.


    Serath closed the door behind him and sat on the opposite couch with a low wooden table in between them.


    Azrael just sighed and leaned at the back of the couch after Serath settled himself, ¡°Before you start, please stop addressing me as Mr and drop the formal way of speaking.¡±


    Serath had a complicated look on his face before replying, ¡°I can adhere to your first request Azrael but I apologize as I only really know how to speak formally.¡±


    Azrael closed his eyes and tapped the armrest of the couch with a constant rhythm, ¡°Fine, is this about Theresa? What did she tell you?¡±


    ¡°She informed me about the invitation that she extended to you,¡± Serath¡¯s deep and pleasant voice paused but continued after a few beats, ¡°and about your refusal.¡±


    ¡°Wrong, I said I¡¯ll think about it.¡± He replied, not bothering to open his eyes.


    There was another beat of silence before Serath replied with a smile in his voice, ¡°Theresa likes you, you know?¡±


    Azrael had to open his eyes at that and raise his brow at the man opposite of him.


    Serath ignored his raised eyebrows and continued, ¡°Theresa¡­ had a bit of a difficult past. Her constitution brought her more problems than solutions as a child, and only when Raea came by her village that she managed to find someone who wasn¡¯t coerced into loving her.¡±


    Serath wasn¡¯t looking at him anymore and he had a far-away look in his eyes as he recalled his memories about his first meeting with Theresa.


    ¡°We were only ten back then when Raea brought Theresa in the Empire of Light. I remember my father enforcing everyone¡¯s mind with defensive formations at the request of Raea.¡± His eyes crinkled at the memory.


    ¡°Nobody openly requests something from the Emperor of Meshiere but there she was, just an elf who had a small child with closed eyes, clutching at her robes with tiny hands; telling my father to help the child in having a normal childhood.¡±


    ¡°Theresa still didn¡¯t open up to anyone, she just stuck at Raea¡¯s skirt every time the elf came by to teach me in the Elemental Ways.¡± Serath paused again, leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes, ¡°that was until she was called by a mind full of stories and dreams -- of pure innocence. Theresa followed the call and it brought her to the library, there she found Yomire; peaceful in her sleep, surrounded by mountains of books.¡±


    ¡°Yomire was also going through a tough time and finding someone who could listen to her stories without actually speaking fascinated her. They became inseparable,¡± Serath suddenly chuckled before continuing, ¡°and Theresa and I started fighting like the kids we were.¡±


    Azrael didn¡¯t know where Serath was going on with his story so he just remained silent.


    ¡°I was to be a king and Yomire was supposed to be my queen; I was a child back then and I had only dreams of being a good ruler and I knew I needed a queen for that.¡±


    Serath opened his eyes and looked at him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I got caught up in the story and lost track of my point; I never did get the hang of storytelling.¡±


    ¡°Theresa does not wish to read upon other people''s mind but even with the help of several seals, she still could not escape them.¡± Serath was looking at him seriously now, ¡°A seal she was willing to break just to look upon your troubles and punish your assailants.¡±


    Serath stood up and bowed in his direction, ¡°I am deeply sorry if you feel like she went overboard and I assure you that she did not reveal any of your secrets.¡±


    Azrael also stood up as he didn¡¯t feel comfortable sitting while the man was bowing in his direction, ¡°I-It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t have to.. Uh.. lower your head.¡±


    ¡°Theresa has already left the city.¡±


    Serath turned around and headed for the exit after informing him of Theresa¡¯s departure. He stopped just as he reached the door and turned back to him, ¡°Would you like to know to know something?¡±


    Azrael didn¡¯t know what to reply so he just nodded his head.


    Serath opened the door and exited as he was speaking, ¡°The Mother of the World and The Storyteller were titles that Theresa herself spread; Raea was like a mother to her and Yomire was her personal storyteller. She wanted the whole world to know about it and so they did -- as what Theresa wants, she always gets.¡±


    Serath turned around and faced him with a wide grin on his face, ¡°Theresa has left the city to convince Raeain personally inviting you to the guild,¡±


    He was left speechless at that.


    ¡°Be careful Azrael, The Mother of the World is coming to get you.¡±


    <hr>


    End of Chapter 11


    <hr>


    trader-seal - A seal placed upon dangerous artifact so that they would be allowed to be carried in Trader''s Area. It doesn''t actually seal the weapon but it breaks at the slight use of it.


    Empire of Light - Capital of Meshiere

 Chapter 12: The Orleys, The Lizard, and The Ageless Immortal

    <hr>


    <hr>


    ¡°Are you hiding from someone?¡±


    Elira figured that two days were enough for Azrael to think about his assailant¡¯s burial so she decided to drop by for a visit on the third day after their shopping. However, what greeted her was a wary looking face that peeked through the gap in the door.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just you,¡± relief flooded his face after taking a glance at her pointed horns, ¡°and no, I¡¯m not hiding. Not at all.¡±


    Azrael opened the door for her but immediately closed and locked it after her entrance. She raised her eyebrows at the man radiating anxiousness and followed after him to the receiving room. He gave a deep sigh and dropped his body in one of the couches.


    Elira sat on the opposite couch, ¡°You do know that anyone who could get past this residence¡¯s barriers won¡¯t get stopped by a simple metal bar?¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± he rested his head in his hands and frowned, ¡°but the additional security still helps me relax.¡±


    Elira made a guess at his host¡¯s problems, ¡°Is it Theresa again?¡±


    Azrael¡¯s frown deepened at her question, ¡°Apparently, she had already left the city.¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be happier now that she¡¯s gone,¡± Elira looked around at the sparsely decorated drawing room, ¡°don¡¯t you plan to decorate? or ask if your visitor wants a drink? you¡¯re quite a bad host you know.¡±


    ¡°I would be if she isn¡¯t fetching one of the most powerful individuals in this continent to meet me.¡± Azrael leaned back in his chair and gave another deep sigh.


    Elira¡¯s tail twitched at his statement and asked for details. The man was quite glad to unburden himself about meeting with Serath after they separated at the trader¡¯s area and she learned of The Barrier Master¡¯s apology and warning.


    ¡°Are you sure he isn¡¯t just messing with you?¡± Elira didn¡¯t actually think so but she needed to at least try comforting the man.


    Azrael¡¯s deep frown lessened a bit, ¡°I''m su¡­ you know what, maybe you¡¯re right. Serath''s grin at that time is quite blinding.¡±


    Elira ignored his choice of words and further reassured the man, ¡°and even if The Mother of the World does come, it¡¯s not like she¡¯s gonna tie you up and drag you somewhere because you refused.¡±


    ¡°Why do people keep saying I refused? I clearly said I¡¯ll think about it!¡± he ran his hands through his hair as he corrected her.


    ¡°Well, ¡®they¡¯ll think about it¡¯ is usually used as a euphemism for ¡®no¡¯.¡± Elira ignored the man¡¯s hysterics and stood up, ¡°come on, let''s take a walk. You need to relax and staying cooped up in your room won¡¯t help with that.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Elirasmirked at his silence, ¡°You¡¯ll be harder to find if you¡¯re not here you know?¡±


    She decided to bring him to the park at the center of The Bloodied Borough as they just passed by it during their tour. The combination of the red bark, white leaves, and pink flowers of the trees that populated the park were easy on the eyes and they produce a relaxing scent.


    They were heading to one of the benches when Azrael noticed one of the Flora Orleys watering the trees. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any of their race before, are they part-humans with plant blessings?¡±


    The Fleypossessed the same red bark of the trees around them as her skin and clothes, white leaves were stuck to her head that was arranged like hair, and she had pink almond shaped eyes without any irises.


    Her face and body were shaped like a female human with the difference in the absence of hands and feet; branch-like fingers jutted from her stumped wrists and she had roots growing on her legs for feet.


    ¡°They are the original inhabitants of this world and they populated Lochley even before the First Age of Unity. They don¡¯t have human blood in them and they are one of the major participants in The Orley War and The Triumvirate War.¡± Elira patiently explained to Azrael the origins of the other species.


    The man turned an exasperated look on her, ¡°I don¡¯t know any history from this world Elira.¡±


    She ignored the man¡¯s look and continued, ¡°The First Age of Unity was the event that opened up Lochley to the lower worlds. It resulted in The Orley War which was humans against the original residents, followed by The Divided War when the Second Age of Unity happened and brought the part-humans in this world.¡±


    Elira paused to see if the man was following and when he absently nodded she decided to summarize the last part, ¡°The Triumvirate War was the last major war before the Great Peace which we have today, any more questions?¡±


    Azrael inquired about the Fley instead, ¡°Oh¡­ Do they all look like that? She looks like the trees planted here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because she was born here,¡± Elira shook her head at his question and continued walking as she added some details to her explanation, ¡°Orleys take the form of the environment they were born in. They take up the appearance of the local flora if it was a Fley, local rocks and stones if it was a Ground Orley or Gley, and local corals and sea plants if it was a Water Orley or Wey.¡±


    Elira noticed the man¡¯s furrowed brows as they sat in the unused bench, ¡°Don¡¯t worry there are no bird Orleys.¡±


    Azrael scoffed at her direction, ¡°I wasn¡¯t even thinking that!¡±


    Elira crossed her legs and played with the tips of her braided hair, ¡°What are you thinking so hard about then?¡±


    Azrael slouched in the bench beside her, ¡°Do you know the requirements to be invited to the Fallen? You said you were preparing for your application on Thirteens, does the Fallen have something like that?¡±


    ¡°Hah, as if. They wouldn¡¯t have only twelve people if they were openly recruiting,¡± Elira huffed at his question, ¡°why did you ask?¡±


    ¡°Just that Theresa told me something before she invited me¡­¡± The man trailed off and Elira waited for him to continue but he didn¡¯t.


    She was about to ask about it when he inquired the reason for her visit, ¡°Why did you want to talk to me again?¡±


    ¡°I actually haven¡¯t told you yet,¡± Eliralet the man change the subject as she thought it was none of her business anyway, ¡°I need to know your skills for the team role.¡±


    Azrael placed one of his knees on the bench and faced her, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have asked that before actually inviting me to the team?¡±


    She did the same and rested her elbow on the backrest of the bench, ¡°I had a feeling that you were confident in your skill when you threatened me at top of the cliff.¡±


    ¡°I already apologized for that!¡± His face flushed red at the reminder of his actions, ¡°If you really want to know, I did scout work before and I¡¯m quite good at it. I¡¯m also good with a bow and flying knives.¡±


    ¡°Good we still don¡¯t have a scout,¡± she expected the man to be a ranged fighter and being a scout was a nice bonus, ¡°I¡¯m more of a physical close combatant while William is quite adept at converting unowned energies to boost his own distinct energy for his spells.¡±


    Azrael nodded at her, ¡°So he¡¯s a mage¡­ wait, are we a fully offensive team?¡±


    ¡°The three of us at least. I asked William to search for our fourth member,¡± Elira didn¡¯t know many people outside her clan and Azrael just arrived in the Lochley so she left the recruitment to William.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of a support elemental mage preferably someone adept in earth or water spells,¡± she stood up from the bench and motioned Azrael to follow with her tail, ¡°you¡¯re free today right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t really have anything to do yet other than sleep. Why?¡± He gave her a confused look as he stood up, ¡°are we going shopping again?¡±


    She shook her head at the man, ¡°No, I¡¯d like to see you fight so let¡¯s head over to the Merc Hall to get a simple mission. I know you survived two mages and a sneak attack but I¡¯d like to see your skill for myself.¡±


    Azrael looked happy at her idea, ¡°Huh, I guess this will be my first mission here then.¡±


    Elira got infected with his excitement and grinned at him ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s try to find something interesting then,¡± her smile faltered after that, ¡°although, I doubt there¡¯s one available right now.¡±


    They arrived at the Merc Hall after a few minutes and walked past the tavern to the mission area. They were greeted by a man waving both hands above his head and a booming voice that made everyone in the room pause to turn and look.


    ¡°Elira! Azrael! Here!¡±


    ¡°Quiet!¡± A book went flying from one of the counters to the direction of the screaming man.


    William saw the projectile and ducked down under the table while screaming at the aggressor, ¡°Ronda! That¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    The elven woman behind the counter huffed in the man below the table, ¡°You should stop screaming then, how many times do I have to remind you! Hand my book back to me!¡±


    Everyone in the room went back to their business after the screaming match, used to the sudden outburst of the receptionist to the man slowly walking with a book in hand. Elira was also used to the display and headed to the same direction as William with a smile on her face.


    She reached the counter and interrupted the elf who was reprimanding the man in front of the counter, ¡°Ronda, how many books have you thrown at William today?¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Just this one and he is acting like a man who lost his whole fortune already,¡± The elf smiled at her approach and noticed the black-haired man following behind, ¡°and who is this man? He is definitely a step-up to your usual companion.¡±


    ¡°Hey! I heard that!¡± William pointed his fingers at the receptionist who slapped it away with the returned book, ¡°Ow! Stop being violent.¡±


    Ronda just sniffed at him, ¡°Then stop pointing at people, and you were meant to hear that.¡±


    ¡°This is Azrael,¡± She introduced the man who was busily observing the room and other people in it, ¡°he¡¯s -- uh, new... but he is a genuine Journeyman and we¡¯re here for a mission.¡±


    Ronda held an open palm to Azrael¡¯s direction and asked for his papers, ¡°Identification.¡±


    ¡°You guys are gonna do team missions and you didn¡¯t invite me?¡± William was sulking which made Elira¡¯s eye twitch.


    ¡°I knew you would be here so I didn¡¯t bother informing you,¡± she remembered the task given to him and inquired about it, ¡°any news on the fourth member?¡±


    William shook his head and frowned at her, ¡°Nothing really panned out, most people here are already in a team and they didn¡¯t want to join a new one. There are those that doesn''t have a team yet but.. Uhh¡±


    Elira raised one of her brows at his hesitation, ¡°Just say it.¡±


    William scratched his head and answered, ¡°They were kinda afraid of you.¡±


    His answer made the black-haired man beside her laugh which he tried to cover with a cough.


    ¡°Then we don¡¯t need them.¡±


    Elira had expected the result and she wasn¡¯t bothered by it. She turned back to Ronda and stated what kind of missions they would like, ¡°Give us a mission suited for three Journeyman that¡¯s close to the city and it should be on the difficult side.¡±


    The receptionist browsed the connector in front of her and looked for a mission that would meet their requirement.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ what about this, an alchemist is in need of a spiked tail gorilla¡¯s manly parts. Other requirements would be the source should be from a fully grown specimen and you need to bring at least three.¡±


    Both men at her side froze at the given mission but she smiled at the receptionist that displayed her sharp canines.


    ¡°Perfect, we¡¯ll take it.¡±


    Elira was followed by two mumbling men outside the Merc Hall and they made their way to the stables to look for a ride. She was wearing her adventurer set and weapons when she met up with Azrael but William wasn¡¯t as prepared and had to separate to acquire his supplies.


    Azrael narrowed his eyes at the other man¡¯s retreating back, ¡°He won¡¯t ditch us, will he?¡±


    Elirawaved her tail at his concern, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, so any questions about the mission?¡±


    Azrael tapped his chin with a finger, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be scouting for the enemy so a description would be nice.¡±


    Elira recited their target¡¯s appearance, ¡°They are furred bipedal creatures that have strong and thick limbs; they use their spiked tail as an extra limb for climbing and attacking and they mostly use physical attacks. They possess a strong upper body and they are quick to anger that¡¯s why they usually live and wander alone unless it¡¯s mating season.¡±


    She took out a telepath stone and handed it to him, ¡°Here¡¯s yours, we got it for you after you left last shopping trip. Just send your distinct energy through it while thinking of something and it will automatically convert them to thought energy and connect to our own stones.¡±


    Azrael turned the stone around his palms and observed it, ¡°These are quite convenient, how much do I owe you?¡±


    ¡°Just buy me the next one,¡± She stopped him from withdrawing money, ¡°they¡¯re consumables so we need to get another after its energy gets depleted. Telepaths would be more convenient and would be harder to intercept but looking for one is difficult.¡±


    They arrived at the stables and Elira inquired for the next schedule of the carriage while Azrael asked her another question,¡°Where exactly are we going? And why are we using beast pulled carriages instead of that hunk of metal we used before?¡±


    She found a schedule for the next half hour and registered their names and paid for it, ¡°We¡¯ll be riding a carriage heading to the next city, Towering Cairns, as they will pass the Rolling Slopes where we will find our target. Energy carriages are quite expensive and beast-pulled ones would be more economical in this case.¡±


    William arrived around that time, wearing the same leathers as her which was fitted for his body and a metal gauntlet for a weapon. He was also equipped with several straps and belts for easy access to other consumables that he might need.


    Azrael commented on their equipment, ¡°You guys make quite a pair.¡±


    ¡°I know! We hunted these lava bears together and they were quite nasty, one almost burned all my hair off!¡± William was eager to narrate the source of the leathers but Elira told them that they should make their way to the carriage in case they missed it.


    The carriage was quite comfortable with only five people occupying it before it departed the city. They shared it with a friendly elf who narrated her whole life with them and a quiet avian which Azrael discreetly avoided.


    It was an hour and a half later that they disembarked the carriage and were greeted by a tall grey mountain with a thick forest in its base; the trees populating it were impressive but not as much as the trees from the Ends Forest.


    ¡°I need you to observe how we fight first so that you know when to attack. The creatures in this forest won¡¯t be as dangerous as the one in Ends but they can still pack a punch.¡±


    Elira explained some of the monsters they might encounter inside to the newcomer, with William piping up additional information here and there. They entered the forest and it wasn¡¯t long before they encountered their first enemy.


    It was a giant lizard that had long hind legs, hard green scales, and a row of sharp teeth that were visible as it snarled in their direction.


    Elira immediately rushed to the creature while withdrawing her katars from the straps on her back. Channeling the soul of a Shadow Cat, her body burst with speed and she managed to close the distance with the target before it could move to her other party members.


    The lizard snapped its jaws at the incoming demon but she nimbly dodged it by rolling to one side while a blast of energy hit the side of the creature when it tried to take a bite of Elira.


    It snarled at the direction of William, rage building up at the pain it received, but Elira made a quick stomp at its direction backed by a strength increasing soul that pushed the lizard off balance.


    William didn¡¯t miss the chance and gathered the surrounding energies to his fist and then punched it in the direction of the stumbling lizard. The mass of energy sizzled as it hit the scales of the lizard and it made agrowling sound of pain.


    Elira followed up with a jumping stab from her katars, followed by a kick as she used the body of her target as a leverage to jump back in the distance.


    The lizard was smoking on one side and bleeding on the other but it didn¡¯t plan on going down without a fight; deciding to ignore the long ranged attacks and focus on the nearest enemy.


    Eliradidn''t panic and easily sidestepped the desperate attacks of the dying lizard, slicing it with her katars to produce more bleeding injuries with William constantly barraging the monster with balls of energy.


    After a few more seconds of fighting, the lizard went down with a quiet thump. It lay on the forest''s floor, struggling for its last breath as it died from too much blood loss.


    ¡°Basically, I will take the attention of the monster while you guys try to sneak some long range attacks on it and wear it down,¡± Elira explained to Azrael as she holstered her katar and withdrew a carving knife, ¡°Any of us could have killed the lizard alone but by being smart about it, we get to save our energies for the next fight.¡±


    She started pulling the longer teeth of the lizard and deposited them in the pouch hanging on her waist. Azrael nodded at her explanation but he was looking intently on how she dismembered the lizardm for its useful parts.


    ¡°Are you harvesting it for materials?¡±


    Elira remembered the cloak he was wearing and realized she could use the man as the team¡¯s mule. ¡°Can you deposit the whole body of this lizard in your cloak?¡±


    Azrael answered her while poking the dead lizard¡¯s body with the toes of his boots, ¡°That would depend on its worth. Putting something as big as this would require a bit of my energy and taking it out again will require the same.¡±


    ¡°Wha --, he is a Seeker of Space?!¡± William was pointing at Azrael with his finger while directing the question at her.


    Elira threw one of the lizard¡¯s claw at William, ¡°Stop pointing at people, and he is a Weaver of Space not just a Seeker.¡±


    He stared wide eyed at Azrael, who chose to ignore the attention he was getting from the other man, ¡°I think I¡¯ve been called that before, what does it mean?¡±


    ¡°Seekers of Space can affect the threads of dimensions but only at the extent of their own personal bubble,¡± Elira raised her brow at the man as she thought he would know about it, ¡°Weavers of Space can affect the threads of dimensions outside their own bubble and use the unowned energies in the surrounding instead.¡±


    Azrael nodded in her explanation, ¡°We didn¡¯t have those terms back home but I understand the difference.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine him as a Weaver of Space, doesn¡¯t opening one outside the personal bubble require huge amounts of distinct energy?¡± William was still observing the other man, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude but your distinct energy amount sucks, even mine is bigger.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I use life energy instead of distinct energy,¡± was Azrael¡¯s off-handed reply.


    ¡°You use your life span as an energy source?!¡± Elira screamed at the man, she knew he wasn¡¯t using distinct energy to open the dimensional cracks but she didn¡¯t expect him to use his life energy.


    Azrael was confused about their reaction and nodded at them.


    ¡°Are you insane? Do you want to die?!¡± Elira couldn¡¯t believe the man was acting like he was throwing leftover crumbs and not his own lifespan.


    ¡°Oh, as long as I don¡¯t overuse it I¡¯ll be fine since I can regenerate it easily if I use it in small amounts.¡± he was smiling at them like he didn¡¯t say something that would make anyone drop their jaws in shock.


    Azrael, as it turns out, was an Ageless Immortal.


    <hr>


    End of Chapter 12


    <hr>


    Energies of the Wesh


    Distinct Energy


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">One¡¯s unique energy produced by their own body. (Think Mana)</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">All distinct energies are owned energies, but not all owned energies are distinct energies.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Can have several properties that would boost certain affinity towards another type of energy.</li>


    </ul>


    Personal Bubble


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">A term used to indicate the reach of one¡¯s own distinct energy outside the body. (Think a bubble surrounding the person¡¯s body)(Think Personal Space)</li>


    </ul>


    Owned Energy


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Energies that are in possession of someone and cannot be used by others according to the rules of energies.</li>


    </ul>


    Rules of Energies


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">The first rule of energy states that no one can take hold of an owned energy and must be pierced or moved from the outside first if one wants to invade/attack it. (Think personal space)</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Example: One cannot produce a fire inside his opponent''s body as it would violate the rule. Instead, one needs to make a fire outside the opponent¡¯s personal bubble and throw it at his target if he wants to burn the man with his fire.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">There are always exceptions to the rules but they are very rare anomalies.</li>


    </ul>


    Elemental Energy


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Energy that can be found in the atmosphere of Lochley and is the main type of energy that one absorb and uses for their own elemental spells.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">They are considered unowned energies until someone actually takes hold of them and convert them intoowned energy.</li>


    </ul>


    Life Energy


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">One¡¯s own lifespan.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Life energy increases as one¡¯s own distinct energy increases but deteriorates throughout one¡¯s life.</li>


    </ul>


    Thought/Mind Energy


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Energy that¡¯s naturally emitted by all living things.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">It would require a special constitution or training to actually understand and use them for different purposes.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Telepath uses them to communicate with their team members.</li>


    </ul>


    Special Energies


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Energies that doesn¡¯t fall under normal categories and is commonly used by unique constitution holders.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Example: Phasol¡¯ Constitution which allows them to understand and harness Soul Energy.</li>


    </ul>


    Ageless Immortal


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">A title given to someone who possesses a constitution that allows them to regenerate life energy. They can still die from injuries and overuse of life energy but they don¡¯t normally age and could live a very long life if left to their own devices.</li>


    </ul>


    Elemental Mage


    <ul style="text-align: justify">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">A known classification of mage who uses elemental energies either by converting their distinct energy into elemental energy, and/or using the surrounding elemental energies as a source for their spells.</li>


    </ul>

 Chapter 13: The Silent and Broken Man

    <hr>


    Azrael - The Rolling Slopes


    <hr>


    ¡°Tens and Thirteens! You¡¯re an Ageless Immortal?!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t understand any of the words you screamed,¡± Azrael was confused at Elira¡¯s sudden outburst and judging by how wide William¡¯s eyes and mouth were, it sounded like it was a big deal, ¡°Ageless Immortal?¡±


    The demon closed her eyes and massaged her temples, ¡°You don¡¯t die from old age?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ not really?¡± He was slowly realizing his mistake, ¡°There are no one who can regenerate their life energy here, are there?¡±


    Elira shook her head at him, ¡°There are constitutions that give bonus to life energy but none that can regenerate it.¡±


    ¡°I know someone with it,¡± William raised his hand as he volunteered additional information, ¡°June Harriliere, The Life Giver¡±


    ¡°That was only rumours and none from the Fallen really confirmed it,¡± Elira denied his claims, ¡°you should really stop reading gossip newsletters¡±


    William frowned at the demon and defended the authenticity of his source, ¡°Oh, come on! there¡¯s life in her title!¡±


    ¡°Raea has a mother in her title, do you see any of her kids running around?¡± Elira rolled her eyes at the man.


    ¡°What if she has an illegitimate child? You know, like Serath? Maybe that¡¯s why he abdicated because he was an illegitimate child and the Devourer Queen found out?¡± William was whispering conspiratorially which Azrael found funny as they were the only people in the vicinity.


    ¡°What are you on about, you¡¯re the one that told me it was because of someone he loved,¡± the demon¡¯s right eye was twitching now, ¡°your sources can¡¯t even stick to one version.¡±


    Azrael sighed at their behavior, ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to gossip, we should do this during lunch and not in the middle of a monster-infested forest.¡±


    As if on cue, the bushes from their far right made a rustling noise. It made the three of them tense for an upcoming fight but only a small tree rodent bounded out of it.


    Elira narrowed her eyes at him, ¡°Fine. But we¡¯re still not done talking Mr Ageless Immortal, let me determine the safety of our location first and then you can scout for our target.¡±


    Azrael felt the general impression of Elira change like something was added to her being. He felt it during the previous fight, sudden bursts of speed and strength that were different from the normal distinct energy reinforcement.


    ¡°Amazing, isn¡¯t it?¡± William was observing Elira¡¯s actions, ¡°she¡¯s probably using the soul of her long-eared rabbit.¡±


    ¡°Soul?¡± he wasn¡¯t familiar with other types of energy as most constitutions from his world uses distinct and life energy.


    ¡°Yep, the Phasol Demon Family are few of those who possess the constitution to allow understanding in the way of the souls,¡± William nodded and tossed a few more explanations, ¡°the long-eared rabbit doesn¡¯t just increase her hearing range, but also the precision of it. She can identify which sounds are real threats and which are harmless.¡±


    ¡°The long-eared rabbit and its ancestors lived their lives as prey,¡± Elira opened her eyes and spoke to the both of them, ¡°their soul possessed the reason for their survival and I managed to resonate with it.¡±


    ¡°The area is safe despite the ruckus we caused from our previous battle,¡± Elira nodded in his direction, ¡°you can go scout now, we¡¯ll wait here or contact us through the stone for directions.¡±


    Azrael reduced the pull of the world from his body and jumped to the nearest trunk, using it as a foothold to continuously jump from one tree to the next. It required precise use of energy if he wanted a smooth and quiet transition but he perfected the action long ago.


    Guided by his instincts, he managed to cover a wide area before resting his back against the base of a tree; hiding his presence from the gorilla who was engaging against a larger version of the lizard they fought before.


    He sent his energy through the telepath stone strapped to his waist and instructed his party members for the direction they should follow.


    The gorilla was having the upper hand in the match, possessing an additional limb with a longer reach and striking whenever the lizard least expected it. The deathmatch was reaching its climax when his two members arrived in his position.


    ¡®I will engage right after the lizard dies,¡¯ Elira¡¯s thought arrived from his telepath stone, ¡®try to stop him from using his tail.¡¯


    Elira jumped out of hiding just as the gorilla delivered the final blow to his opponent, accompanied by a ball of distinct energy rushing from William¡¯s gauntlet. She threw a bottle containing a green liquid in sync with the rushing energy and it hit the gorilla¡¯s hand, its spiked tail being occupied by the ball of energy.


    The bottle produced a green smoke around their target and she rushed to confront the disoriented monster in close quarters. The gorilla was a few heads taller than the demon but she was fierce in her approach, unafraid of the difference in weight and size.


    Azrael decided to support on the sides, throwing daggers at the right time to intercept the tail whenever it was about to attack the demon. William left the role of distracting the tail to him and focused on inflicting injuries with a barrage of distinct energy.


    He withdrew his recurve bow from Shadow and nocked an arrow in its string, waiting for an opportunity to release the energy reinforced projectile. He didn¡¯t need his hands to control the flying daggers so he decided to help in the offence.


    Elira produced a guttural cry with her throat, getting the attention of the gorilla who was about to bound away in William¡¯s direction. The distraction was what he needed and the string of his bow produced a vibrating sound as he released the tension from it, letting the arrow fly to their enemy.


    Azrael expected the tail to ignore his daggers and prioritize the approaching arrow so he redirected its path by opening two cracks in space; one in front of the arrow and another one facing the undefended legs of their target. The arrow made the transition with only a slight reduction in momentum and it pierced through one of the monster¡¯s leg.


    Elira didn¡¯t miss the chance and slid through the gap below and sliced the base of the creature¡¯s tail. Her push daggers weren¡¯t sharp enough to cut it in one slice but the injury made the rest of the fight easier.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the gorilla fell to the ground, riddled with holes and burns from different projectiles it received.


    Elira¡¯s face was dotted with sweat, having taken the brunt of the monster¡¯s aggressiveness.


    ¡°We messed up.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Azrael was confused about her statement, the fight didn¡¯t actually take long and none of them were in great danger during the course of the engagement. Considering its size and strength, he would consider the fight as an excellent start to their mission.


    ¡°It¡¯s a female so no manly parts for me to cut off,¡± Elira stated without emotion at the two confused men.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Azrael apologized for the mistake but the two waved it off as they didn¡¯t notice the gender of their target immediately either. Elira chucked it off to the chance of engaging the gorilla after it fought against another inhabitant of the forest.


    Elira harvested some useful materials from the dead monster and Azrael took off again to find another target. It wasn¡¯t long before he found another one and he made sure that their target would possess the required materials for the mission.


    The fight went just as well as the first one and Elira harvested the corpse while William did his best to avoid looking at the mutilation the demon was performing. Azrael was quick to make his escape from the scene and gave a reason of finding their next target.


    It was already dusk when the three made their way out of the forest, the demon and the brown haired human having additional bruises as compared to when they first entered it.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m gonna feel this tomorrow,¡± William was rolling his shoulders from its socket and made an inquiry to their next destination, ¡°so we heading back to the city now?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll stay the night in the Towering Cairn and then try to find our fourth member in the morn of morrow,¡± Elira shook her head at the man¡¯s question and directed an inquisitive gaze at him, ¡°unless you have prior engagements Mr Ageless Immortal?¡±


    ¡°Are you gonna keep calling me that now?¡± Azrael rolled his eyes, ¡°because if that¡¯s the case then consider this team as over.¡±


    The demon just laughed at his annoyance but turned a serious look at him after, ¡°You need to keep your constitution a secret.¡±


    ¡°Would it pose a problem in this world?¡± he was curious about the insinuations of his regenerating life energy in Lochley, ¡°besides, I think Theresa knows already... though, she assured me of secrecy.¡±


    ¡°Not really, but it won¡¯t hurt to be careful,¡± She shrugged at his first question and followed up on his second statement, ¡°do you trust Theresa then?¡±


    ¡°Not one bit.¡± he answered without missing a beat.


    ¡°Then maybe you can trust her after all?¡± was the demon¡¯s offhanded reply.


    Azrael stopped in his tracks and stared at the demon with narrowed eyes. Elira stopped as well and tried to explain her reasoning, ¡°Think about it, she could have easily planted a feeling of trust and connection between you and herself.¡±


    Azrael countered her thoughts, ¡°Maybe because she can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen her do it before, on top of the cliff when you first arrived here,¡± Elira started walking towards the road again, waving with her tail for him to keep up, ¡°you forgot the oh-so-scary demon and focused your attention on the tall and handsome man instead.¡±


    ¡°Theresa this, Theresa that, who are you guys talking about?¡± William was pouting on the side for being left in the conversation.


    Azrael ignored the other man and tried to recollect his memories during that day. What Elira told him was the truth, he remembered the sudden urge to speak and the quick way he adapted to the presence of the demon. He shuddered at the subtle way Theresa¡¯s power work and considered it as more dangerous than the aggressive illusions that most telepaths prefer.


    The demon¡¯s eye twitched at the sulking man, ¡°No one, just be thankful you haven¡¯t officially met her.¡±


    They arrived at the wide official road between the two cities and waited for a free carriage to pass by. Azrael was busy with his thoughts when their female companion interrupted it with an advice, ¡°Just ignore her for now and hope you don¡¯t meet her again, unless you plan on joining their guild?¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer the demon and tried organizing his thoughts about the matter and other problems he is currently facing. A carriage that could ferry them to the Towering Cairns passed by around that time and he decided to think about his problems inside it.


    His first and foremost problem would be the thing inside his Shadow as it¡¯s likely the source of all his problems. He was sure that his brother would try and find him for it¡­ but when and how?


    His brother would assume that he was already dead in the abyss so even if he realized that the missing thing was with him, he¡¯ll have to retrieve it from the abyss. The thought of his brother dying in the abyss if he ever decided to look for it made him chuckle which broke the silence of the carriage.


    Azrael ignored the curious looks of the other passengers and decided to move on his next problem, though, it was more of a question than a problem: how did he survive the trip to the abyss and how did the thing end up with him.


    Nevan, or anyone, would have died if they touched the thing but she was still present during the exile ceremony. However, now that he thought about it, the woman was looking quite worried at that time; in contrast to the happy freedom spiel the day before it.


    He concluded that the thing hated his brother as much as him and decided to escape with his body, saving it in the process from the abyss. He was not sure if it possessed any sentience to prove his theory but he didn¡¯t want to think about the other alternative.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking quite funny with your expressions.¡±


    Elira¡¯s voice interrupted his thoughts, ¡°As much as I hate to disturb you from your musings, I thought you¡¯d like to see the Towering Cairns from afar.¡±


    Azrael looked out the window and saw the city, or specifically, its namesake.


    A tower made of stones stood proudly on the horizon, its height twice as tall as the surrounding walls of the city. The cairn blocked a part of the setting sun, highlighting the rays of light and shadows it cast into the city, with a painting of orange skies and dark clouds decorating it as the background.


    It was beautiful. His new world was... beautiful.


    He was glad he struggled for life, for fighting against the crushing force of the abyss, for not giving in to despair. He thanked his brother for the exile, for the words he whispered before they activated the Wesh Root.


    ¡®This is not an exile Azrael, this is -- execution.¡¯


    It made something inside him burn.


    His brother had expected him to stop struggling, to stay obedient like how he lived his whole life in Ost, to accept his fate, to silently die.


    Like how he stayed silent as he was assigned to the front lines, as his brother fed his cat to the birds, as he listened to the testimonial of his beloved against him, as the judges made their decision of exile.


    Nevan had always cried for him but he had stayed silent throughout all of it.


    But the fire inside him burned at that time, he screamed at the abyss as it tore through him, crushing his every bone and flesh, trying to put the fire inside him out.


    ¡®Live¡¯


    He didn¡¯t know where the voice originated; from himself, from someone¡¯s soul who perished in the abyss, or from someone created by his own mind. It was like a light for him in the darkness of the abyss, he followed it, and so he lived.


    ¡°Hey¡­ I think you broke hi-- oof¡±


    William¡¯s voice brought him back to the present and when he looked up, he could see the blurry images of his companions. The man was curled up in his seat, rubbing his palms at his sides; mumbling about domestic violence.


    Elira reached out to his face and dabbed the tears streaking on his cheeks, worried face surfacing as she wiped the tear drops from his eyes.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± her voice was quiet but strength and concern were evident behind it.


    Azrael stared at his two friends; one who was looking at him with a weird face, the other full of concern and silent support.


    ¡°Mood swings and being glad, that¡¯s all. Thinking that this world is beautiful and that both of you are beautiful,¡± he gave them a full grin, their faces flushing red at his compliment.


    The man tried sputtering something but couldn¡¯t make the words with his mouth while Elira closed her eyes and breathed a deep sigh.


    ¡°William is right¡­ I think I broke him after all.¡±


    <hr>


    End of Chapter 13


    <hr>

 Chapter 14: The Guilt, The Newsletter, and The Fourth Member

    <hr>


    William Benioff - Towering Cairns


    <hr>


    William was being avoided.


    He hated the feeling of being unwanted and right now, his demon friend was trying to avoid him. He looked for her the day after the excursion with the Wesh Enthusiastbut she wasn¡¯t in her own house and she didn¡¯t reply in any of his messages.


    At first, he thought something bad might have happened but a quick question around the Merc Hall brought news about sightings of his demon friend -- with The Barrier Master. He didn¡¯t know how to feel when he heard the news, he didn¡¯t want Elira being close to the man but he also didn¡¯t want his idol to be close to Elira.


    If anyone asked him what he wanted, he would answer that he wanted to be with both of them at the same time.


    William reassured himself that it was for the best he wasn¡¯t invited, he was still recovering from his previous behavior in front of the celebrity after all. He decided to wait for Elira to finish her business and ask about her relationship with The Barrier Masterover dinner.


    The demon was unperturbed about his presence in front of her house and accepted his invitation for dinner, murmuring about being ditched for other¡¯s company. They went to a nearby restaurant and were seated immediately after entering.


    Elira started perusing the menu, ¡°So, why are you hanging around in front of my house like some sort of stalker?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be there if you answered my messages,¡± he had been standing in front of her house for a while and was hungry so he also started browsing the menu, ¡°where were you today?¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that... I was tired and I had to tour someone,¡± Elira placed her menu down and flagged the waiter.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not done deciding yet,¡± he wasn¡¯t fond of hovering waiters so he tried swatting the demon¡¯s raised hand.


    However, Elira ignored his complaints, ¡°just order anything you want, it¡¯s my treat today.¡±


    ¡°You do know I can actually pay for my own food?¡± William was thankful for his friend¡¯s help whenever he had troubles with money but that didn¡¯t mean he liked depending on the demon.


    ¡°It¡¯s my apology for ignoring you, and someone treated me to a meal today despite my objections,¡± Elira justified her behavior and it surprised him that she let someone else pay for her meal.


    He knew the demon was proud and stubborn; that even after he got lucky with some missions and tried repaying some of her kindness, she always found some sort of excuse to decline his good intentions.


    ¡°Stop staring at me like that," Elira rolled her eyes at him, "he didn¡¯t play fair and stole the bill after he distracted me.¡± She started ordering his favorite foods and the waiter left after that.


    The demon discussed her tour with the traveler and he didn¡¯t miss the demon¡¯s darting eyes when asked about the said man, instead, he was given a vague description and assurances of possibility in meeting the man soon. Serath¡¯s presence during the tour was also because of the traveler and learning as much eased his heavy heart.He still wanted to be with them, though.


    Another problem popped up the day after.


    He was called by the City Watch about a group of people found dead in the slums but he didn¡¯t know anyone from there; the orphanage he grew up in was in a more reputable part of the city and he also made sure not to wander in the area.


    William¡¯s heart dropped at the sight of the dead elf and dwarf lying on top of a table in the city¡¯s morgue. He didn¡¯t remember their names but he remembered how generous they were with drinks and how they tried to cheer him up with his worries.


    ¡°You know the two of them?¡± One of the investigators saw his expression and inquired.


    He mechanically nodded with eyes still stuck on the lifeless bodies, ¡°just for a few hours¡­ they treated me to drinks the other day.¡±


    ¡°Must have been one good drinking session since the two left their belongings to you,¡± the other man gestured at two wooden weapons resting on a weapon shelf. After answering routine questions, they released him with two good weapons in hand and told him to stay out of trouble.


    William inquired of what they planned to do with the bodies and he offered to pay for a proper burial for his benefactors, that earned him weird and suspicious looks but they agreed to wait for his payment.


    He knew that the party fought someone in the slums and lost, the elf''spuncturedbody and the dwarf''s stitched head were enough proof for it. They were probably not good and upstanding people but they were kind enough to ease his worries; he¡¯d feel bad using their weapons for his own gains so he decided to at least give their bodies a proper burial.


    William also met Azrael that day and he couldn¡¯t determine yet if the man was another problem; the black haired man was attractive enough but he was also very weird.


    The man loved black; all parts of his apparel were in the same lifeless color, even the hooded cloak he refused to remove inside a sheltered building.


    He also had a funny expression after he announced his decision about his benefactor¡¯s bodies -- like he had a deep philosophical thought over basic decency and good will.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± he asked the demon after the other man left.


    ¡°Nothing. He isn¡¯t from around here so probably just culture shocked,¡± Elira changed the subject, ¡°what do you think of him as a teammate?¡±


    William shrugged at her question, ¡°he¡¯s a bit weird but you picked him so he must be good in a fight.¡±


    His comment turned out to be a serious understatement as a few days later, he found out that the man was a Weaver of Space, an Ageless Immortal, and very very unstable.


    They settled in one of the more reputable inns at the Towering Cairns and the episode the man had at the carriage resulted in a late night visit to his room by a demon.


    His heart skipped a beat the sight of the demon in casual clothes, blue hair wet from the recent bath, and standing outside his room with a familiar connector under her arms. However, her first sentence made him groan and slashed his hopes apart.


    ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    William hesitated before opening his door in full and gestured at the demon to enter, ¡°Is this about Azrael?¡±


    Elira walked into his room and placed the connector she was carrying atop the table and settled herself at one of the chairs beside it, ¡°Yes, I need to tell you something about him.¡±


    ¡°You two are in a relationship aren¡¯t you,¡± he narrowed her eyes at the seated woman, and gasped as a thought invaded his mind, ¡°you¡¯re carrying his child aren¡¯t you?!¡±


    The demon didn¡¯t even change her expression at his declaration and rebuked him for his errant thoughts, ¡°Stop spouting nonsense, this is about his origins.¡±


    William remained standing and rested his back on the closed door, ¡°If you wanted to tell me that he is the traveler you guys fetched at the Ends Forest then save your breath, I already figured out that part of the happenings in the Rolling Slopes.¡±


    That earned him a raised brow from the demon, ¡°Good. Then the following discussion should be quick, he was the one who got attacked by your benefactors.¡±


    William almost lost his balance and his blood ran cold at the implications the demon¡¯s statement brought. He slowly made his way through the room and slumped himself at the edge of the bed, pushing the palms of his hands on his eyes as he tried to calm himself down.


    He felt the demon leave her chair, followed by the sound of a glass being filled with water.


    ¡°Come on, drink up.¡±


    William removed the pressure from his eyes and accepted the water from the demon but remained looking down at his feet; trying to avoid looking at Elira''s eyes.


    ¡°Does he blame me?¡± he winced at the sound of his hoarse voice and drank the glass of water to clear his throat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he doesn¡¯t hate you for sponsoring the burial for his attackers,¡± she sat back down to the chair and crossed her legs, ¡°he was probably confused but mo--¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± he was as surprised as the demon at his outburst and he took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°not about that¡­ I-I think -- I¡¯m the one that informed them of his arrival.¡±


    He spoke the last part of his sentence in one breath and he felt the demon tense in her seat. He waited for the accusation to come but the demon stayed silent and she had her hand on her chin when he risked a glance at her.


    William was about to suffocate in guilt and silence when his friend stated her opinion about the matter, ¡°I think it wouldn¡¯t have mattered.¡±


    The demon didn¡¯t give him a chance to interrupt as she continued with her explanation, ¡°Mr Gerund said that the mission wasn¡¯t confidential and the one aiming for him would definitely know about the details already, so don¡¯t beat yourself up over it.¡±


    William wasn¡¯t reassured but knowing that the demon didn¡¯t judge him for his mistake and stupidity eased the burden in his heart. He silently nodded at the wall, still too afraid to look Elira in the eyes.


    The demon sighed and stood up from her chair, ¡°Look, don¡¯t worry too much about it okay? Just make sure you don¡¯t carelessly hand over his information to strangers again.¡±


    Elira handed the connector to him as she left the room and told him she borrowed it from Azrael so he could unwind with his favorite past time. The thought of how she predicted his reaction about the news made him smile and he settled himself in front of it.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He appreciated how fast the connector started and he logged in to his account, thankful that the Towering Cairn had just installed a new connector tower.


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    William browsed for a bit before closing the connector, too stressed about the recent discussion to actually enjoy his pastime. He decided to sleep it off and try to be productive the next day to keep himself busy.


    He was gorging on his breakfast when Elira found him in the inn¡¯s dining area. William handed the connector back to the demon and wisely ignored the raised eyebrow at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look for our fourth member, go tour Azrael in the Towering Cairns... or something,¡± he said in between bites and added as an afterthought, ¡°and try to get him in other colors, he looks too suspicious in all black.¡±


    Elira seated herself at the table and waved the waiter for her breakfast, ¡°Okay, but you can¡¯t avoid him forever.¡±


    William gave the demon a full smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry I won¡¯t... besides, I like his face too much to avoid him for too long.¡±


    She rolled her eyes at him, ¡°You like every attractive face so I¡¯m not surprised.¡±


    ¡°Hah! So you do find him attra-- Hey!¡± William accused with a point of his finger but the demon tried to bite his finger off so he pulled it back to his chest and gave her a narrowed glare.


    ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience so early in the morning,¡± she warned him by pointing her tail in his direction.


    The breakfast remained silent after that and William said his goodbyes to the demon after finishing his own meal. He still wasn¡¯t prepared to face Azrael so he decided to make his escape before the black haired man went down for breakfast.


    It wasn¡¯t his first time in the city so he didn¡¯t meander around and headed straight to the Merc Hall. It was close to the stone walled inn where they stayed the night so he arrived in the bustling building a few minutes later.


    The Hall was full of mercenaries rushing to begin their day with a mission, eager to start early and hoping to finish them before nightfall. Most of the missions being obtained at this time were the routine extermination and gathering quests, where local mercs help in managing the population of the monsters nearby and in picking up common materials that were used in the city.


    William waited for the rush to subside, not wanting to trouble the people who relied on such missions for a living. Once the counters weren¡¯t swamped anymore, he approached the one who handled team registrations and missions.


    ¡°Hey Ecco,¡± he waved at the smiling receptionist, ¡°not bad for the morning rush, huh?¡±


    ¡°Will, this counter is for team missions,¡± the man politely reminded him, ¡°unless you and Elira finally started one?¡±


    ¡°Yep, should have three names registered already,¡± he rested his arms and elbows on the counter and slouched his body in front of it, ¡°I¡¯m looking for the fourth one, anyone you can recommend?¡±


    ¡°Familiarity and synergy are important in a team,¡± the man fixed his glasses and started operating his connector, ¡°you should be looking for a person in your city of operation, why here?¡±


    William scratched his head, ¡°Uhh... you know how Elira has some kind of ¡®reputation¡¯ in The Bloodied Borough...¡±


    ¡°A reputation that¡¯s also well known here,¡± Ecco gave him another polite smile, ¡°a fierce demon who eats the souls of her enemies.¡±


    His mouth curled down at the receptionist, ¡°which isn¡¯t true¡­ well, she¡¯s definitely fierce but her constitution doesn¡¯t work like that.¡±


    ¡°You know there aren¡¯t many constitution holders in our backwater cities,¡± Ecco laughed at his offended frown, ¡°people should be rushing to be part of your team but they prefer to believe in dubious rumors.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I warned her to let the insults pass...¡± he rubbed his face with his hands to stop his rant, ¡°just find me someone, okay?¡±


    The receptionist went back to his connector, ¡°Requirements?¡±


    William tried to remember Elira¡¯s demands for their teammate, ¡°a short range fighter with an affinity in ground energy or someone able to transmute their energy with earth property.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re also planning on taking missions difficult for our rank so someone capable and willing to do those kinds of missions,¡± he continued with his other requirements and added a compromise, ¡°if you can¡¯t find someone then water energy will do too.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense, the two of you are already pretty strong for Journeymen anyway,¡± the receptionist nodded at his requests, ¡°anything else?¡±


    ¡°Someone unattractive, or at least someone less attractive than me,¡± he added shamelessly that earned him a condescending look from the other man.


    ¡°Dare I ask, why?¡±


    ¡°Our third member is already pretty close to Elira despite their short acquaintance, they seem to have bonded over something -- it¡¯s ridiculous,¡± William tapped his fingers on the marble counter, ¡°now, I don¡¯t mind it if they get together, just that if they plan to have a third party I hope they would choose me.¡±


    He straightened his back, puffed out his chest, and declared righteously, ¡°I can¡¯t have our fourth member bumping me down the queue so¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hopeless¡­¡± Ecco lifted his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, ¡°strangely enough, I have the perfect candidate for you... he won¡¯t mind Elira¡¯s reputation either.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± William closed his face and the other man backed off at the sudden invasion of personal space, ¡°Wait¡­ he won¡¯t be someone weird right? Actually no, scratch that¡­ he can¡¯t be any weirder than our third member.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t be weirder than you, that¡¯s for sure¡­¡± the receptionist mumbled under his breath and retrieved the information from his connector.


    ¡°Journeyman rank-3, ground elemental energy specialist. He left his contact address here,¡± the receptionist gave him a piece of paper with an address in it, ¡°I¡¯ll send him a message through connector so he knows that you¡¯re dropping by.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the address written here,¡± William scratched his head and asked for directions, ¡°any good landmarks I could find?¡±


    ¡°Just make your way to the Blue Cairn and ask the residents there for that address.¡± Ecco sent him away with the piece of paper and a ¡®go find out for yourself¡¯ when he tried acquiring more information about the suggested man.


    He left the building and browsed the sky for a bluestone tower; he could see it in the far distance and with a deep sigh, prepared himself for a long walk throughout the city.


    William was starting to figure out the identity of their mysterious fourth member, the sudden decrease in foot traffic of humans and part-humans in the streets clueing him in. He was ahundred percent sure when he arrived at the Orley settlement built around the Blue Cairn.


    Ground Orley, a ground elemental specialist that no human would find attractive.


    William couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at Ecco¡¯s perfect suggestion for a teammate. He didn¡¯t know if the non-humans knew how to fight as there wasn''t a mercenary Orley in The Bloodied Borough; they seemed so peaceful, just watering plants and helping to manage the structures of the city whenever he saw them.


    He was expecting curious stares in the settlement but he was ignored by the non-humans who continued their tasks; talking to each other in their own language, walking with a destination in mind, doing chores, and other mundane jobs you would normally see in a human residential area.


    William didn¡¯t know how to navigate through the settlement so he resolved himself in asking one of the rock-skinned people kneeling silently on the ground.


    ¡°They are resting. Can we help you?¡±


    A high pitched voice interrupted him as he was about to reach thegley.He turned around and saw the source, a brown-barked fley with long green leaves as her hair.


    ¡°Sorry... I didn¡¯t know,¡± he apologized and tried handing out the piece of paper to the fley, ¡°could you¡­ give me directions to this address, please?¡±


    The fley¡¯s green eyes glanced at the paper and with a simple ¡®follow us¡¯, turned around and walked away from him. He followed along the plant-woman, observing the different houses shaped like a mound but he couldn¡¯t detect any differences between them.


    They stopped in one of the identical mounds, the fley just pointing at it with her stumped wrists before leaving him alone. William stared at the wooden door and decided to finish his business early, hoping that he wasn¡¯t overstepping some sort of Orley tradition that would end with him crushed between boulders.


    He was about to knock when the door opened by itself, a towering rock-skinned man appearing behind it.


    The gley was a head taller than him, with hoofs instead of feet and legs slightly bent at the knee. His whole body was covered in dark colored rocks that fit around his body like puzzle pieces, a face with two bright colored rock for eyes and large underbite jaw that seemed detachable from his head.


    ¡°Will. Come in.¡± A gravelly voice was heard coming from the gley despite its unmoving jaw. ¡°Heard about you. We are Drukvu.¡±


    William entered the rock covered mound and was surprised at the cleanliness of the place. He was expecting soil and mud inside the house but the smooth and marbled floors shattered his prejudices against the non-humans.


    However, the lack of furniture and other household items were expected, with only a counter built on one side of the wall and a connector sitting atop of it.


    ¡°We are sorry. Not human friendly. Sit on floor.¡± Drukvu folded his legs forward and kneeled on the smooth floor and waited for William to do the same.


    He decided to spare his knees and sat comfortably in a crossed legged position not far from the gley. They stared at each other for a minute before William got tired of waiting for the other man to speak.


    He went straight to the point, ¡°We¡¯re looking for our fourth member for a Journeyman Team and I heard you might be interested.¡±


    ¡°Yes. If you will take Orley.¡± The gley¡¯s gravelly voice sounded again and he wondered how could the man speak without moving its jaws.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that,¡± William waved his hands in dismissal at Drukvu, ¡°though, I¡¯d need to know how good you are in earth element abilities.¡±


    ¡°Gley are best. Ground Elemental Spells.¡± the stone man¡¯s face didn¡¯t change but he could hear a hint of pride from its statement.


    William stood up and waved for the gley to follow him outside but Drukvu remained sitting and was looking at him with a tilted head.


    ¡°Well... we need to test that, don¡¯t we?¡± William puffed out his chest and placed his hands on his hips.


    ¡°Let¡¯s fight.¡±


    <hr>


    End of Chapter 14


    <hr>

 Chapter 15: The Favor, The Guardians, and The Chat Group

    <hr>


    Azrael - Towering Cairns


    <hr>


    Azrael was hiding in a locked room, not from a god favored individual, but from his own companions.


    He cursed himself for the abrupt emotional episode, for thinking that he settled his mood swings back at the Ends Cliffs. Worse, he let his moment of weakness be witnessed by other people -- good people -- but still strangers if considered the length of their acquaintance.


    Elira¡¯s outlook in life had dazzled him; proud and unyielding, she despised those who had another say about her own choices. Add her educated background, she was the perfect person to emulate and learn from: in values and in Lochley knowledge. The only problem was how weak she was in the grand scheme of things.


    Azrael needed strong allies for the inevitable arrival of his brother, the heirloom in his Shadow a guarantee of it. Fighting alone against the future Emperor of Ost was a sure way of killing himself and escape was nothing but a borrowed time.


    ¡®Nevan would know what to do¡­¡¯


    He shook his head before the melancholic mood could take hold of him. His guardian was no longer able to give counsel and he only had himself for making decisions, a thought that made him both happy and nervous.


    The need for sustenance and information made him leave his comfortable bed, the angle of the light from the windows indicated that it was almost noon. He was still embarrassed about facing his companions but he prayed that they ignore his previous eccentric behavior.


    Azrael knocked on Elira¡¯s door and entered after a muffled assent. He was surprised at a white creature made from energy, hopping around the cross-legged demon.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Elira stood up and the creature disintegrated into specks of light, ¡°I was practicing forming my energy.¡±


    Azrael was curious about her talent in souls, ¡°was that one of your abilities?¡±


    ¡°Yep, I formed the image of a long-eared rabbit and reinforced the shaped energy with soul energy,¡± Elira made her way to one of the wardrobes and commented on his late appearance, ¡°you missed breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Overslept.¡± Azrael sat in one of the stool as he waited for Elira to change in the washroom.


    ¡°Come on,¡± the demon reappeared with new clothes, grabbed the connector near the bed, gave it to him, and headed straight for the exit, ¡°let¡¯s get you something to eat.¡±


    Elira passed by their companion¡¯s room without a glance and he inquired about the man¡¯s affair, ¡°We aren¡¯t gonna invite William?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s looking for our fourth member,¡± she gave him a concise answer and instructed him to bring funds, ¡°bring your fancy credit stone, we need to buy clothes for you.¡±


    Azrael glanced at his pure black outfit, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my clothes?¡±


    ¡°Its black, its suspicious, and it screams rich.¡±


    The demon didn¡¯t even look at his clothes but she managed to summarize it well.


    Elira dragged him to a clothing store and told him to choose casual clothes that weren¡¯t black. He stared at one of the cloth racks, unmoving, until Elira sighed and picked some bright colored shirts and pants for him to try on. After a ridiculous amount of fabric passed by his hands and body, the demon finally brought him to a place that served food.


    Azrael eyed the multiple bags under their table, ¡°I¡¯m not gonna go broke from all these clothes, right?¡±


    ¡°The credit Serath gave you was equivalent to The Storytellers enchantment favor,¡± Elira saw his puzzled face and tried to change her explanation, ¡°it¡¯s equivalent to a weapon or armor that even a Saint Rank would want.¡±


    He gave her another confused look so she just shook her head and answered his previous question directly, ¡°no, you¡¯re not gonna go broke from buying clothes, food, or even a house in the capital -- but you¡¯re missing the point.¡±


    ¡°What point?¡±


    ¡°That you got yourself a favor from one of the Fallen.¡±


    Elira leaned back on her chair and prepared for a long lecture, ¡°Money starts losing its trade value the stronger you become, do you know why?¡±


    Azrael answered with the first thought that came to him, ¡°Because all powerful people already have lot¡¯s of it?¡±


    Elira nodded, ¡°Correct, any other reason?¡±


    ¡°Because the valuable things can¡¯t be bought by money alone?¡± He responded after a few beats of silence.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the demon smiled at his answer, ¡°for example, to get the service of VI The Dimensional Witch or IX The Performer they need to owe you a favor or you possess other things or services they would be interested in.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think the books I gave them are that valuable.¡±


    What Azrael handed to the Barrier Master were mundane books: cooking recipes, children stories, fictions, and other ordinary books accessible by commoners in Ost. He couldn¡¯t part with the romance stories that Nevan loved to read so he kept them for himself, along with the other books restricted for royals and nobles.


    ¡°They may not be important but they¡¯re rare,¡± Elira tapped a finger on the table to emphasize her next statement, ¡°and The Storyteller is all about rare books.¡±


    ¡°What does she do with them?¡± Azrael narrowed his eyes at the demon, skeptical about the use of the books.


    ¡°Read them of course,¡± Elira laughed at his frown from the obvious answer, ¡°nobody actually knows, but it''s one of the few information about her.¡±


    Elira enumerated the known information about The Storyteller:


    ¡°She is confirmed to be a woman, registered in the Merc Hall with an Imperator Rank to her name, enchantments that are well-known throughout the continent, and finally, her love for rare books and stories.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a lot for someone considered well-known,¡± Azrael was expecting a whole book of information about the Fallen member but the information given couldn¡¯t even fill a page.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear someone is trying to control information and only disseminate the important parts,¡± Elira was unconcerned about the conspiracy, ¡°like her love for rare books and the possibility of getting an enchantment through it.¡±


    ¡°Theresa?¡±


    ¡°Most likely.¡±


    Azrael was considering the small, but influential, guild as his first choice for ally so he continued fishing for information, ¡°are information about them as controlled as The Storyteller?¡±


    ¡°Only some of them, the others are quite popular and their information is spread through different channels.¡± Elira didn¡¯t find his curiosity suspicious and proceeded to tell him other intelligence about the guild.


    ¡°The Bloodied Queen and The Indestructible Construct are considered to be the guild¡¯s main combatants and they frequent the newsletter. You have to ask William if you want to learn more about them.¡±


    The ordered food arrived and they ate in silence, left with their own thoughts. He was in the middle of considering Thirteens and befriending a True Dragon when Elira interrupted him with her own concerns.


    ¡°What are your plans for the near future?¡± Elira realized the vague question and clarified, ¡°I get it that you¡¯re willing to help with this team, but what about after?¡±


    Azrael frowned at the question, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know yet.¡±


    ¡°I should also remind you that we might travel around the continent for obtaining good missions,¡± the demon¡¯s eyes widened when she realized she never asked about his opinion on the matter, ¡°you¡¯re fine with traveling for long periods of time, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that,¡± he was more than fine with the idea as traveling would be a fantastic way to learn about Lochley, ¡°how long will the team operate?¡±


    Azrael estimated that he had a few years to spare; as powerful as his brother was, the future Emperor of Ost was not without concerns.


    He might notice the disappearance of the heirloom but he won¡¯t be able to chase him immediately; war and politics would hinder him from leaving Ost. However, once the current war reached an end, he would be able to focus in suppressing their other sibling. The heirloom hunt comes after that.


    Azrael realized that it was possible for his brother to send elites, to scout or capture him. He cursed himself for not making relations with the Wesh Enthusiast to monitor newcomers.


    ¡°... the surging -- you¡¯re not even listening, are you?¡±


    He ignored the demon¡¯s exasperated look and asked, ¡°Do you have any connections with the Wesh Enthusiast?¡±


    ¡°I think that between the two of us, he¡¯d be more interested in making a connection with you.¡± Elira pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes, ¡°I thought he was visiting you every day after we arrived at The Bloodied Borough?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he crinkled his nose at the memory, ¡°but he stopped coming after the second day. Serath told me it has something to do with the Wesh Roots.¡±


    ¡°I can ask my Gigi but...¡± Elira waggled her eyebrows at him, ¡°you can just ask Serath.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to avoid the man,¡± he blushed at the playful smile the demon was giving him, ¡°it¡¯s not something personal¡­ I just want to spite Theresa.¡±


    Elira rolled her eyes at him, ¡°For someone who¡¯s supposed to be a noble, you act so childish sometimes.¡±


    ¡®You are a child, nothing but a child¡­¡¯


    The sudden memory of a familiar voice made his eyes flicker with emotion. The demon sensed the tense atmosphere around him and was about to speak when a loud voice echoed in his head.


    ¡®HEEEEEY! I found our fourth member!¡¯


    Elira flinched at the loud thought delivered by their telepath stones. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and sent her own message after a deep sigh, ¡®Don¡¯t use too much energy, we¡¯re eating in the Dancing Seafood so proceed here.¡¯If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Azrael was glad about the interruption; from his own thoughts and from the prying demon in front of him. He avoided opening up the topic by stuffing his mouth with food; the silent plea was acknowledged and the demon ate her own meal in silence.


    A commotion at the entrance of the restaurant announced William¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°What do you mean he can¡¯t come in? He¡¯s with me!¡±


    The waiter was glancing at the rock-skinned man beside the restaurant¡¯s new guest, ¡°But sir¡­ we don¡¯t have any food for Orleys¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, he won¡¯t eat. We¡¯re really just here for¡­ Elira! There! We¡¯re with her!¡± William¡¯s loud voice echoed within the restaurant and everyone¡¯s eyes followed the direction of his finger.


    Elira¡¯s face was now buried in her hands and Azrael wondered if it was pride that¡¯s preventing her from ducking under the table. The brown haired man waved as he approached them; followed by a silent gley and a waiter massaging his temples.


    The table and seats were rearranged to fit two additional guests and the introductions came after that. Azrael didn¡¯t miss the other man¡¯s attempt to avoid his eyes; it made him wonder how he offended the man.


    ¡°The demon is Elira and the.. uhm.. other man is Azrael.¡±


    The gley glanced at demon before facing him, ¡°Greetings. We are Drukvu.¡±


    Azrael chucked William¡¯s behavior to his eccentricity and focused on the non-human. It was his first time hearing an Orley speak and he found it fascinating that they didn¡¯t need to move their mouth or jaws.


    ¡°You are weak.¡±


    The gley¡¯s next sentence left him and the other table occupants dumbfounded. He didn¡¯t feel offended as there was no emotion accompanied with the statement but it still made his eye twitch.


    Azrael couldn¡¯t blame the gley. His distinct energy was being used for recovering his life energy and anyone curious enough to peruse it would find it lacking.


    ¡°Bahaha!¡± William shook with laughter and slapped Drukvu¡¯s shoulders, ¡°you¡¯re straight forward eh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about his qualifications,¡± Elira regained her calm and started the discussion about the team, ¡°he has other¡­ ways¡­ to get around. Did William tell you about the team¡¯s goal?¡±


    ¡°Travel. Prove strength. Increase rank. We are the same Phasol Child.¡±


    ¡°Address me by my name,¡± Elira turned to William who was reading the menu, ¡°did you test him already?¡±


    ¡°Yea.. yea¡­ what¡¯s good to order?¡±


    The demon rolled her eyes, ignored the man¡¯s question, and decided to ask the gley instead, ¡°How did he test you?¡±


    ¡°Block attacks. None passed through.¡±


    Azrael raised his eyebrow at that; William¡¯s energy bullet was efficient but it wasn¡¯t hard to block. Elira saw his expression and smiled, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re also guilty of underestimating your teammates.¡±


    He blushed at his own hypocrisy and gave a half-hearted defense, ¡°There weren¡¯t really many battle instances for me to draw on¡­¡±


    The demon ignored his mumbling and turned her attention back to the rock-skinned man, ¡°You¡¯re fine with joining our team?¡±


    ¡°Satisfactory. Heard reputation. We are willing.¡± Drukvu moved his head up and down in a stiff motion, imitating the human¡¯s gesture for approval.


    ¡°Good. Then we¡¯ll register as an official four-man team in the Merc Hall and request for a guided mission,¡± she turned to his direction and explained before he could ask what kind of mission it was.


    ¡°Guided missions are one of the ways the Merc Hall use to prevent too many deaths in their workforce. They assign a higher ranked individual to supervise aspiring teams who takes mission harder for their current rank.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to request for a Thirteens supervisor,¡± William piped up after the waiter delivered his food, ¡°Dunno about rocky and blacky but we still need to impress them and make connections before the annual recruitment.¡±


    Azrael gave the man a withering glare for the nickname but William just kept eating and ignored him; though, he did notice the brown haired man¡¯s reddening ears.


    ¡°I¡¯m planning to, but don¡¯t expect them to send someone just because we asked,¡± Elira glanced at the two humans and stood up, ¡°Drukvu, accompany me to the Merc Hall. I also need to brief you on other matters.¡±


    William widened his eyes and stuffed the remaining food to his mouth. It didn¡¯t end well for him as he choked and became on the receiving end of hard slaps on the back from the rock-skinned man.


    Azrael was now sure that the other man was avoiding him. He raised an eyebrow at Elira who just gave him a wink and stopped William from standing, ¡°Finish your food properly. I¡¯ll pay for the food on our way out.¡±


    The pair of part-human and non-human left the restaurant, leaving two humans and their awkward silence. Azrael tried to guess what Elira was planning but he remembered he did have a topic to ask William about. He didn¡¯t know why the other man was conscious around him so he ignored his discomfort and asked.


    ¡°Can you elaborate how powerful The Bloodied Queen and The Indestructible Construct are?¡±


    William¡¯s stiff face morphed into a full smile directed at him; it was so sudden that Azrael had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn¡¯t seeing things.


    ¡°Jasmine, The Bloodied Queen, is a celebrity!¡±


    William pushed his chair closer to him and started his excited ramblings:


    ¡°She¡¯s the most active Fallen member in terms of doing missions, interview appearances, and promotion shots. She debuted during XI Couturier¡¯s showcase and had been a staple part of idol¡¯s newsletter after that. I could show you my coll--¡±


    ¡°How about her battle capabilities?¡± Azrael interrupted him as he wasn¡¯t that interested in perusing dubious collections.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± William paused, confused about his lack of interest, but continued after a few blinks directed his way.


    ¡°She¡¯s a bonafide Guardian; meaning she can expand her personal bubble and take hold of every unowned energy in the area, manifest her energy to its true form, and is contracted to a Guardian Being.¡±


    Azrael¡¯s eyes widened at the capabilities of a Guardian as it sounded like the requirements for a Royal Guard and Field Generals in Ost.


    If Serath was a Guardian, then Fallen would already have four people that could contend with the elites under his brother. He didn¡¯t know Theresa¡¯s exact power but he knew she was strong and tricky to fight against.


    He decided to initiate contact with the guild to sound out their characters and motivations. It would be risky but better than waiting for other options present themselves.


    Azrael retrieved his connector from Shadow and asked William who was giving him curious looks for his sudden actions, ¡°Do you know how to join a chat group?¡±


    ¡°Yea,¡± the other man nodded, ¡°but you need to know the group¡¯s name and password if it was set to private.¡±


    ¡°Can you help me join one?¡± He wasn¡¯t familiar with how the connector works and he didn¡¯t want to ask Elira as the demon would tease her for having The Barrier Master¡¯s invitation to a chat room.


    ¡°Uh¡­ sure,¡± William moved to the seat next to him and guided him through the process, ¡°you need to make a connector account first¡­¡±


    After answering several basic questions, he entered the information needed to join the chat group.


    <hr>


    Connecting to Chat Group - Ascension


    Please Wait¡­


    <hr>


    ¡°That¡¯s a weird group name,¡± William frowned at the screen, ¡°anyway, connecting to the group would take a while. You can close the lid of the connector as you wait; it would take a couple of minutes depending on the location of the group maker.¡±


    The two decided to leave the restaurant and wait for Elira back at the inn. They made their way to their own room and Azrael decided to take a quick nap while waiting to be connected to the group.


    The sun was setting when he woke up from his short sleep. He rubbed his eyes and noticed the blinking lights of his connector in the dark shadows of his room. The dazed man made his way to it and opened up the screen:


    <hr>


    ¡­ Connected to Ascension.


    [Az has connected to the group]


    [Six other users are currently connected to the group]


    Fight Me: She was crazy!


    Fight Me: Chopped me up to pieces while laughing!


    Fight Me: But she was a real babe


    Fight Me: Almost worth it, getting chopped up like that.


    Fight Me: HAHAHA


    Fight Me: SHITTY GODS SOMEONE ELSE IS HEREE


    Lovely Eyes: Hi Az, did you miss me?


    Fight Me: Oi kid, someone invaded our group!!! Your invention suckkkk!


    Fight Me: SPY! Fight me!


    Fight Me: Blind woman you know the spy?! Traitor!


    Miss Her: I gave the invitation to Azrael.


    Fight Me: Did you finally get tired of the book lady?!


    Fight Me: Ohhhh Angelman this the new housemate I keep hearing about?


    Fight Me: You finally got over that dead woman? HAHAHA


    Lovely Eyes: I told Jasmine to connect.


    Fight Me: change your nickname to Trashed Her¡­ or FUCKING A NEW ONE


    Fight Me: Az, leave the boring man and come to me if you want to be satisfied. I¡¯m goood.


    Fight Me: Fuuuck you Theresa!


    [Fight Me has disconnected]


    [Five other users are currently connected to the group]


    Lovely Eyes: Goodness, finally some peace and quiet.


    Miss Her: Azrael, I apologize for our guildmate¡¯s behavior.


    Miss Her: And well done on handling Jared, Theresa.


    Lovely Eyes: Azrael isn¡¯t chatting.


    Lovely Eyes: I¡¯m gonna kill Jared if he scared Az away.


    Kaed: Is he the one you invited to the guild Theresa?


    Kaed: and you were not supposed to hand out chat group invitations Serath.


    Lovely Eyes: Yes.


    Lovely Eyes: Oh, you¡¯re always such a killjoy Kaed.


    Miss Her: Mary agreed when I asked her if I could invite Azrael to this group.


    Kaed: That¡¯s because you agreed to do barriers for her experiments.


    Lovely Eyes: Ignore Kaed, Az.


    Lovely Eyes: You¡¯re welcome here.


    Kaed: You guys are easily bribed.


    Lovely Eyes: Yomire loved your books!


    Lovely Eyes: She¡¯s only read a quarter of it.


    Miss Her: Azrael might have left the connector open.


    Just a Kid: Another lurker.


    Lovely Eyes: Kaed, is Raea heading to Az now?


    Kaed: No.


    Kaed: She¡¯s too busy to bother with your whims Theresa.


    Lovely Eyes: Rude. My invitation was genuine.


    Kaed: Stop concerning yourself with the world traveler.


    Kaed: He will find us if he wants to join and we will consider it then.


    Kaed: I need to get back to my duties.


    [Kaed has disconnected]


    [Four other users are currently connected to the group]


    Lovely Eyes: But he¡¯s already here!


    Lovely Eyes: You¡¯re here to join, right? Azrael?


    <hr>


    There was no more chat after that and he decided to close the connector. Azrael tossed the rectangular metal back to his Shadow and curled back in his bed, thoughts of true dragons floating in his mind.


    ¡®Maybe befriending a dragon doesn¡¯t sound so crazy after all.¡¯


    <hr>


    End of Chapter 16


    <hr>


    Energy Manipulation


    Awareness - Detect the energies around you.


    Reinforce - Use distinct energy to amplify your own body or weapons.


    Discharge - Release distinct energy outside your bubble.


    Form - Shape distinct energy for practical use.


    Transmute - Change the nature of your distinct energy.


    Absorb - Convert unowned energies to aid your distinct energy.


    Substitute - Use other types of energy other than distinct energy.


    [Saint Requirement] Manifest - Culmination of all the experiences in energies and the Wesh. Embodies your energy into something that is utterly your own.


    [Guardian Requirement] Field - Spread your bubble and take every unowned energy in the area as your own. Creates a territory full of your own energy and tailored for your advantage.


    [Guardian Requirement] Guardian Being - Sentient creatures of the Wesh that holds great power. Can be contracted with an individual.

 Chapter 16: The Rain, The Tiff, and The Soul

    <hr>


    Elira Phasol - Windy Peaks


    <hr>


    ¡°After all we¡¯ve been through¡­¡±


    William stood at the edge of a cliff, red eyes framed by his windswept hair. His clothes billowed as he raised his arms to shield his face from the stinging breeze.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you would make me do thi ¡ª aaaahhhhh!¡±


    Elira, without as much as a bat of an eye or a twitch of her tail, watched as the rock beneath the man¡¯s feet crumbled to dust; it made him stumble and fall towards the edge of the cliff they were standing on.


    When she could no longer hear his shrill screams, she turned to the orley with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Monologue. Waste time. Hurried him along.¡±


    After speaking his mind, Drukvu walked towards the cliff and jumped with no preamble.


    Elira sighed as she couldn¡¯t blame him from being impatient, she was about to kick William herself. She gave the surrounding peaks and overcast sky a glance before following the two to the bottom of the crag in the same way.


    She started decelerating mid-fall and landed safely on the ground. The jump would have normally been dangerous, even with energy reinforcement, but went smoothly with the help of Azrael and his mastery over gravity.


    Elira¡¯s tail twitched at the sight of the man; him sitting in a chair you would normally find in a noble¡¯s house. It reminded her of the first time they met.


    ¡°You look comfortable there, did you get the hang of it?¡± She asked as she walked towards him.


    ¡°Controlling landings isn¡¯t that difficult,¡± Azrael stood up and waved his cloak towards the chair which made it disappear, ¡°William¡¯s landing wasn¡¯t the most graceful though, why did he fall like that?¡±


    ¡°Drukvu got impatient and made him fall.¡±


    They both looked at William who was talking animatedly at the Gley which somehow started a fight. It wasn¡¯t the first fight they had ever since they started training group synergy and tactics and it probably won¡¯t be the last.


    Elira didn¡¯t stop them as it¡¯s always done in good humor and seemed to make them familiar with each other¡¯s strengths and weaknesses.


    After creating their team two weeks ago, she conducted a team building activity to familiarize themselves with each other¡¯s abilities. Building trust and knowing more about her teammates was, of course, also part of the plan.


    At first, she was worried about the Orley as she had little to no interaction with one prior to Drukvu. Turned out she worried for nothing as the non-human was a very agreeable companion. He didn¡¯t have much in the way of words but he did what was asked and his control of earth element was top notch.


    William bonded the most with Drukvu, his enthusiasm to talk with the Orley was evenly matched by the latter¡¯s unfazed attitude in dealing with the talkative human with non-committal grunts.


    Azrael narrowed his eyes at the darkening clouds above, ¡°It¡¯s about to rain, should we stop them?¡±


    ¡°Nah, let them fight in the rain,¡± she shook her head and started walking back to their camp, ¡°we on the other hand should head back. I don¡¯t want to get my clothes wet.¡±


    The first splatter of water dropped, tapping the leaves and painting the soil to a darker shade. They managed to reach their shelter before the sound of rain covered the music of the forest.


    Inside the cave that served as their camp, Elira gathered their reserved wood and prepared to start their campfire. Reaching for one of the pouches strapped to her body, she retrieved a pinch of firestarter powder and threw it towards the bundle of wood; the powder burst into flame with a slight nudge from her energy.


    Done with the chore, she noticed Azrael standing at the mouth of the cave; arms stretched to the wall of rain.


    ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s your first rain in this world.¡±


    Elira walked away from the warmth of the fire and joined the pensive man. ¡°You should go out and let it wash over you.¡±


    ¡°Why would I want to do that?¡± He replied without moving his gaze from the rain.


    ¡°We have a superstition here in Lochley, that the first rain would open up your body to the blessing of the world.¡±


    She tried to recollect the exact quote, ¡°Let rain fall upon your child, for it is the hand of sky caressing the spirit of the land. It¡¯s every drop a blessing, it¡¯s every drop a joy.¡±


    Elira frowned before continuing, ¡°It¡¯s usually applicable to newborns but I guess it applies to world travellers too.¡±


    ¡°We have one too: Beware of rain. Beware of snow. Beware of the opportunity they endow.¡± A melancholic smile spread across his lips, ¡°It warns us to be careful of enemies hiding beneath the cover of rain.¡±


    Despite the implication of a war-torn world in his statement, Elira could hear Azrael¡¯s longing for his own home.


    ¡°Also, the rain here seems... different.¡±


    He withdrew his hand from the pouring water and clarified, ¡°Not just the rain: winds, sea, forests, mountains¡­ every part of this world seems to be brimming with energy.¡±


    ¡°Lochley is rich with elemental energy, we have the Land of Storms to thank for that.¡± She answered the unasked question in his sentence.


    ¡°I seem to remember you mentioning that, along with the Elierd Tragedy or something.¡±


    The wind started to buffet the rain towards them so she motioned him back to the fire. They made themselves comfortable next to it as she started her explanation.


    ¡°Land of Storms or Eye of the World is a massive gathering of elemental energy located in the ocean south of Praenth, the continent where most of Orleys currently resides. It produces the Elemental Current running throughout the world, dividing the six continent of Lochley which makes intercontinental travel difficult.¡±


    She checked if her conversation partner is following before continuing, ¡°Records state that the presence of the current makes Lochley a cut above other worlds in terms of natural energy and is one of the determining factors for people choosing to migrate here during the previous Age of Unities.¡±


    ¡°How many Age of Unities did this world had?¡±


    ¡°I remember telling you about it before but I didn¡¯t explain what it was right?¡±


    ¡°You did mention it, we have the same term in our world,¡± He cleared his throat before explaining, ¡°The phenomenon when several worlds in the Wesh becomes connected and the Wesh Roots becomes active. Normally, it would take a lot of energy to transfer one person but during Age of Unity, you can transfer an army or even a whole nation.¡±


    Azrael recited in monologue, as if mocking whoever taught him the information.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same here, and we had three...¡± she fed more wood to the fire and added offhandedly, ¡°with every single one followed by war and disaster.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised Lochley endured three Unities, we only had one but we are still at war because of it.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Afraid that the man would go back to his pensive mood, Elira decided to change the subject.


    ¡°What do you think of our teammates?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She wasn¡¯t disturbed by his silence as she could see that he had his thinking expression on. He answered after half a minute.


    ¡°Who should I start with?¡± And with nervous glance at her, ¡°should I include you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your teammate aren¡¯t I?¡± Elira chuckled at his question, ¡°Why don¡¯t you start with our newest addition, Drukvu.¡±


    ¡°The most ¡®noticeable¡¯ thing is how he uses energy, it barely disturbs the surrounding elemental energy which makes it difficult to predict.¡±


    She was surprised as well at how seamless the Orley in combining his own energy to the energy of Lochley. The rate at which he absorbed elemental energy and convert it for his own use was ahead of William, which she thought was already talented in human standards.


    ¡°I wonder if all Orleys have the same aptitude as Drukvu.¡±


    Azrael voiced his thought aloud with a frown on his face. Elira wonders how the man keeps wrinkles away; with the number of times he saw the man curl his lips downwards, he should have a few already.


    ¡°And what about his personality?¡± She asked.


    ¡°What is there to say?¡± He smiled at that, ¡°he rarely talks but when he does, it¡¯ll be something so frank that it¡¯s borderline rude. William never takes it to heart though, sometimes I admire him for it.¡±


    Elira narrowed her eyes at him but with a teasing smile on her lips, ¡°Should I be worried then?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± He was confused at first but then got it after a few seconds, ¡°You mean --, What? No way! He¡¯s too flighty to be my type.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho, so you like the serious type then. You¡¯re keeping in touch with Serath right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Azrael refused to answer but the red tinge on his cheeks and the way he avoided eye contact was a dead giveaway.


    She conjectured that the man was in contact with The Barrier Master when William asked her about the group chat that he helped Azrael setup. Fallen was the only group that had close contact with him aside from the Wesh Enthusiast but Elira doubts that Azrael would willingly join a group concerning them.


    ¡°I¡¯m don¡¯t plan on starting another relationship,¡± He answered after a while and tried for nonchalance but his prickly attitude shined through.


    ¡°My previous lover made such an achievement by breaking something that¡¯s already broken...¡±


    He murmured, almost in a whisper, that Elira almost missed it if not for the onslaught of raw emotion his soul started to emit. Anger and pain but encompassed by such sadness that it made her own heart ache.


    Regret and determination came right after but the switch on emotions jarred her that she couldn¡¯t help but take a closer look at it. The latter feelings felt like it didn¡¯t come from his own soul but outside of it. It was¡­ weird.


    Elira was surprised at how fast she was able to read Azrael¡¯s soul. Normally, it takes a very long time of interaction before she could accurately read someone.


    ¡°So you like William then?¡±


    The change of topic wasn¡¯t that subtle but Elira decided to stop inspecting the man.


    ¡°Yes I do,¡± her honesty shocked the man but the following statement made his jaws drop, ¡°and he knows I like him.¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you two together then?¡±


    ¡°Who said we aren¡¯t --¡± she thought about it before correcting herself, ¡°or should I say weren¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°You two aren¡¯t together anymore? He still clearly likes you and you say you like him too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± she gave a deep sigh, ¡°complicated.¡±


    Azrael inquired further by raising his brow.


    ¡°We¡¯re in a tiff,¡± she continued after giving another sigh, ¡°he asked me something I¡¯m not willing to do as it¡¯s against something I stand for but he was being adamant about it and wouldn¡¯t back down even with the threat of abstinence from sex.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know it was possible but Azrael¡¯s brow raised even further.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯m gonna say on the matter,¡± Elira decided to bring their discussion back to track, ¡°so what do you think of William?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ enthusiastic enough,¡± Azrael stared at the sheet of rain in the cave¡¯s entrance before continuing, ¡°he radiates positivity, or is it cluelessness?¡±


    She laughed at that, ¡°With him, it¡¯s difficult to tell.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s also curious about almost everything. I guess that¡¯s why he knows a bunch combat skills, even those that are obviously unsuited for him. It¡¯s almost as if he¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Desperate?¡±


    He nodded, unperturbed by her interruption.


    ¡°That¡¯s because he is,¡± She said in a bitter tone, ¡°in a world where your potential is determined mostly by who sired you, he scrambles for something that could help him even the odds.¡±


    Elira rested her head in her knees and closed her eyes.


    ¡°He looks and he looks, he tries and he tries, and if he finds something¡­ I¡¯m scared at what he¡¯ll do if it comes with a price he can¡¯t pay.¡± She opened her eyes and stared at the fire, ¡°but I¡¯m more afraid that he¡¯ll find nothing at all.¡±


    ¡°The Wesh is never and always fair.¡± he whispered at the rain.


    ¡°The Wesh is never and always fair.¡± she repeated at the fire.


    ¡°It seems you don¡¯t just ¡®like¡¯ him¡­¡± Azrael probed and she smiled at his cautiousness.


    ¡°My first impression of him wasn¡¯t that great, I even disliked him for a time.¡± She answered vaguely, ¡°Did you know? A soul is one of the most honest thing in the Wesh, and his soul screams of recognition but whispers for affection.¡±


    ¡°How about my soul?¡±


    ¡°You want me to read yours?¡± She already did but he didn¡¯t have to know that, it was by accident anyway, ¡°Usually, when people learn that I can look into their soul they immediately run away in the opposite direction.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just reading,¡± Azrael wasn¡¯t intimidated though, ¡°I know that to affect another soul has a lot of prerequisites, not to mention the required energy.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re more educated than most people in Lochley then.¡± Elira reached her hand out to him, ¡°I¡¯m just beginning to familiarize myself to your soul so I¡¯d need direct contact.¡±


    She read his soul before without contact only because of his agitation. She also wanted to take a close look at the weird feeling she got from his soul earlier. Azrael repositioned himself closer and held her hands.


    Elira closed her eyes and started to probe for his soul which was unusually quiet. Judging by her experience earlier, she should be able to detect it by now. Frowning, she continued to look for it deeper but her hairs started to raise as she felt a chill from her own soul.


    She darted away from Azrael, accidentally pushing the man away from the suddenness of her action. Heart beating fast, she glanced at his reaction but only saw surprise and confusion on his face. He even looked offended.


    ¡°Wh- Wh- what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Elira closed her eyes and tried to collected herself. Breathing deeply, she looked back at the experience, ¡°Now that I think about it, I overreacted. It was definitely a warning of some kind, and the reason I couldn¡¯t detect his soul is that it is protected.¡±


    She walked back closer to Azrael who was now looking warily at her, ¡°Sorry about that, you didn¡¯t tell me your soul has some sort of no entry sign on it.¡±


    She clearly felt his soul before but between the short time, it suddenly got some sort of protection and an intricate one at that. It gave her a warning despite being able to lash out immediately and she wasn¡¯t sure if she could fend it off.


    Azrael wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would play a tasteless joke like that on her, so the only conclusion she arrived at is that the previous agitation on his soul activated the protection.


    ¡°Eh? You mean my soul has some sort of defense mechanism?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± she mused, ¡°do you know anyone that could have placed it?¡±


    Azrael started to shake his head but stopped midway.


    ¡°Serath?¡±


    ¡°Did he?¡±


    ¡°He offered all sorts of barriers before, but I refused. I would have known if he placed any on me.¡±


    Elira¡¯s eye twitched at that, people would pay premium for Serath¡¯s formations but the man in front of her casually refused it.


    ¡°I¡¯m stumped then, guess I can¡¯t read your soul.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    They were silent again after that, the crackling of fire and thrumming of rain accompanying their own thoughts. It wasn¡¯t long before the companionable silence was disturbed by rhythmic footsteps in the rain, Elira knew who it was before she heard his familiar voice.


    ¡°Hey guys! We¡¯re back!¡± William bounded inside the cave with his usual enthusiasm, hands closed together as if he was hiding something, with Drukvu arriving shortly after.


    ¡°Both of you sure took your time, was the fight that fun?¡± Elira inquired but she couldn¡¯t see any injuries on them.


    ¡°Ha! We didn¡¯t fight for long,¡± William sat between her and Azrael and huddled closer to the fire, ¡°Drukvu stopped after it rain and started to meditate instead.¡±


    ¡°I asked --¡±


    ¡°Pestered.¡±


    ¡°-- Drukvu what he was doing and he happily --¡±


    ¡°Reluctantly.¡±


    ¡°-- explained to me about that particular rain being blessed by Lochley so he wanted to ¡®accept the gift of the world¡¯ and he looked like he wanted --¡±


    ¡°Not.¡±


    ¡°-- company so I meditated as well. I must say, I feel refreshed and have a better understanding of water element --¡±


    ¡°Doubtful.¡±


    ¡°-- and look!¡±


    William opened his hand and a yellow flower with violet undertones was cradled in it. Sun in dawn, a very rare flower that grows in the windy peaks.


    ¡°Where did you get that?!¡± Elira¡¯s eyes widened at the flower dotted by raindrops.


    ¡°I found it right after meditating. I can feel it, our luck is turning for the better!¡± William was all smiles as he caressed the flower.


    ¡°You might be right.¡±


    Everyone looked at Azrael who was now holding his connector; looking at it intently as if trying to confirm if what he read was right.


    ¡°Our application got approved by the guild and they already assigned a guide to us.¡±


    Elira and William answered in chorus.


    ¡°Who?!¡±


    ¡°Thirteens.¡±


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    End of Chapter 16


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