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Apr 20, 2017 12:57 PM
#101
CHAPTER 89 A NEW START It was already late in the morning by the time I finally woke up in my room in the inn. It felt like it was ages ago since I’d slept in a normal bed; it was so warm and comfortable, but a sudden, constant knocking on the door ruined everything. I hastily put on the large, green vulcan hide that Rage had made me. It was pretty much my only piece of clothing besides my pair of boxers... at least it was better than nothing, but I did notice the terrible stench that came from it. It hadn’t seemed so bad when I was out in the wilderness... I opened the door and was greeted by the impatient face of a cleaning maid. “I’m glad that you’re finally awake, sir. I hope you’ve had a good night.” She sounded like she was reading from a script, and despite trying to keep a professional tone, it was clear she was irritated with me. “Cleaning of rooms begins at this hour; we’d like to ask you to leave your room in the meantime. Feel free to order breakfast down below,” she continued, then made room for me to leave, awkwardly glancing at me as I passed her, probably because I wore little more than just a monster hide if I had to guess. I had to get something done about that... The inn was a decently sized, two-story building with guest rooms on the upper floor and something more resembling a tavern on the ground floor. Unsurprisingly, most of the tables were empty, leaving the innkeeper with nothing much to do. I ordered a small breakfast and took a seat at one of many empty tables. In one of the corners, there was a group of three. They were all silent, but I felt a large magic source coming from one of them. I casually glanced over at them for a moment; the young man of around my age had instantly noticed, and looked back at me. His eyes were sharp and cold, like those of a person who has endured harsh trials, having come out on top stronger. The girl sitting next to him had her eyes cast downward and sat still like a statue. It seemed the source of magic was coming from her, but it wasn’t easy to tell with a source this massive. Opposite of the two sat a large, bearded man. His impressive physique reminded me a little of Elfman, with arms thicker than the body of a regular person. He, too, was quiet, but he did seem to be the most relaxed of the three and appeared to be enjoying his morning meal, which was like ten times the size of mine. I quickly averted my gaze and focused on finishing my breakfast. For the first time since I’d left the volcano, it felt like I was experiencing peace and safety. Before, I had been on the run from Fairy Tail. I had to deal with life in the wilderness and all discomforts and dangers that came with it. This was a good moment for me to decide where I’d want to go from here. I had received a fair bit of Jewel from Rage’s dad, but it would run out sooner or later. Having experienced the luxury of sleeping in a bed and having a normal meal again, I wasn’t sure I’d be willing to return to the wilderness. Having my thoughts wander off to thinking about a new place to call my home, made the memories of my old home and family return in that instant, immediately hitting me with a strong feeling of emptiness and grief. I briefly shook my head to try to clear my thoughts and seize control over my feelings. I wondered what mum and dad would think of me right now, if they could see me now; would they hate me and what I’ve become? What about Myra; what would she want me to do? As kid, I always disliked her overly energetic and mischievous character. She was loud, continually begged me to play with her, and would always find new ways to tease me. She changed so quickly after we joined the Blazing Phoenix guild, as though she had become a completely different person. Those last memories I’d seen of her, right after she... died, she seemed so grown up; so different from how I’d always known her. I never realised how much I really loved her, now that she was gone. Even during our time in that guild, I had been hard on her, always trying to distance myself from her. Despite all that, she had still always loved me; it was thanks to everything she had done for me that I was still alive... “Hey, you’re all right?” The loud voice of the innkeeper woke me up from my thoughts. Barely being able to see a thing through my tears, I realised only just now that I had been crying all this time. “I sure do hope it wasn’t the quality of the food that brought you to tears?” he asked and let out a hearty laugh at his own joke. I shook my head, then answered, “no. Just memories.” “Well, if you’d like to talk, I’m here to listen. It’s not like I got much to do anyway,” he offered while he continued to clean the tables, even though they didn’t look like they needed it. “In that case, what can you tell me about that group of three that was here earlier?” I quickly changed the subject, as I didn’t feel like sharing any of my past with this man at all. Besides, I was more interested in knowing more about those three than telling him my life story. That source of magic I’d felt coming from them, it was quite incredible. “Sorry, can’t tell you. Customer privacy and all,” he said. If he’s like the average businessman, changing his mind shouldn’t be difficult. I casually chucked a gold coin at him. “If you insist... I don’t think they’ll come back, so it should be okay,” he said as he caught the coin and put it away in his pocket. The combination of gold and boredom sure can do a lot... “From what I’ve heard, they come from the neighbouring kingdom, Bosco. What they’re here for, I don’t know, but apparently, the young man in their group is a member of the Obsidian Knights.” “Obsidian Knights? Is that a wizard’s guild?” I asked, having never heard of them before. I didn’t really know anything about Bosco in the first place, other than the fact it has land borders with Fiore. “Hm, something like it, yes. But they operate differently than those in our kingdom. By the way, are you a Fairy Tail wizard?” He asked after seeing insignia on my hand. I almost forgot it was still there. “I’m not. But I’m a fan of them.” I made up a lie on the spot. I had no reason to tell him the truth. Seeing how easy people could get information out of him, it probably was for the best. Although I really did need to do something to get rid of the guild’s insignia, or at least cover it up with something to avoid any more situations like this. I knew the Fairy Tail emblem was widely recognised throughout most of Fiore, but I had always taken it for granted when I was still member of the guild. “That reminds me, we had one of them visiting a month or two ago. Destroyed half of the inn in the blink of an eye after drinking a few too many beers. I hope I’ll never see him again...” The innkeeper grumbled to himself. That made me wonder who it could have been... it must have happened some time during the Grand Magic Games, in which case, the only person it could have been was Gildarts. “That sounds... troubling. I hope he paid for the damage he caused?” I asked. “He sure did. Twice the amount that I needed for the repairs, so I guess he wasn’t all that bad, heh heh.” He grinned by the memory of all that money. “Anyway, what brought you to this village?” “I don’t know. Is there anything to do around here?” I questioned, glad to get off the topic of this Fairy Tail wizard. “If you’re looking for a job, you’re in the wrong place. Unless you’re a wizard, that is.” He said with somewhat of a troubling look on his face. “A wizard? Why’s that?” “Recently, the wildlife in the surrounding areas has been getting more and more aggressive. Even the village guards have had trouble keeping things under control. Unfortunately, there are no wizard guilds nearby, so it’s not always easy to get the help from one.” He explained to me. “It’s strange, even creatures normally tame suddenly have gotten bigger and grown hostile.” “Recently...?” I went into thought. I wondered if it could have anything to do with Firaea’s death. After all, her source of magic had been beyond belief; it’s not something that simply vanishes into nothingness. From what I’d read, it could be similar to how the power that was released when Dragons were slain... which eventually resulted in a certain Dragon Slayer’s magic growing out of control. Firaea’s energy might have spilled all over the region around the volcano and found its way into the animals. Which, in turn, would also explain the trouble I’ve had beating that wyvern. Though, if this village needed the help of a wizard, then, perhaps I could offer them my powers. I knew I could never atone for the things I’ve done in the past, but that didn’t mean I shouldn’t at least try to do something good for the world. I wanted to use my magic for good things; I was sure Myra would want me to, too. “Hey, where are you going?” The innkeeper asked as I stood up and made my way to the exit. “You just gave me a good idea. But I’ll be back for the night, so keep a room free for me,” I answered and then went outside. I first wanted to go to Rage’s house, as I had hardly been able to say goodbye to him yesterday, after he was brought back to his parents. However, there might not be much need of a goodbye if I was planning on staying in this village for the time being. Spotting the right house wasn’t difficult, as the carcass of the wyvern was still lying outside, with a small crowd of curious villagers gathering around it to see what was going on. It seemed it was stripped of most of its flesh, making me wonder if wyvern meat tasted anything good. It was only when I was right in front of the house that I noticed Rage’s dad behind the body of the dead animal, plucking at it with a large knife. “Oh, it’s you! Did you find the inn?” He greeted me jovially when he saw me approaching, sticking the knife in a chunk of wyvern remains and waved at me. I was glad he actually noticed me, as he wasn’t paying attention to the onlookers. “I did. You’ve been busy, by the looks of it,” I answered and looked at the results of his work. “How is Rage doing?” “Fine. He fell right asleep after you left and hasn’t woken up yet. He must be tired after those two months away from home.” “I can imagine. Did he leave after attempting to burn the house?” I asked out of curiosity. I had heard Rage mention that he tried, so I assumed that was probably the reason as to why he left. “I did get mad at him when he did... I never thought he would leave us, though.” The man said with a tone of regret. “He knows how to use magic, just not how to properly control it.” “I noticed that during the short time I’ve spent with him. But it seems all he requires is something that he can focus onto. Anything would do, but if you have a lacrima lying around, that would help a lot,” I advised him. I thought that was common knowledge, then again, it probably wasn’t for non-magic users. It did seem it wasn’t that common of an issue amongst wizards, as most wizards that I knew didn’t need anything of the sort to use their own magic to the fullest. “Lacrimas, really? I believe we still have some of those lying around in the attic,” he responded happily. “Reagan could probably learn a lot from an experienced wizard such as you. But I realise that might be asking for too much...” “Not at all. I was thinking it might not be such a bad idea to stay in this village for a while. At least until I figure out what I want to do. In exchange, I’d like to ask you to do me a favour...” And so, Rage’s father and I came to an agreement. I would help train Rage in the use of magic and in return, he would help me get started with my idea for doing some business in the town. That was the beginning of my new life in this little village. However, whether or not things were going to stay like this for long, that was still uncertain... |
Apr 21, 2017 8:03 AM
#102
Fairy Tail is on my PTW, so figured out that reading a fanfic of it may just give me some ideas about what the universe will be. Read the first six chapters, and gotta say you've gotten nice atmosphere and world building. From that, I'd guess that FT is an upbeat shonen series with magic. Guess I'll see that soon, but that thing itself already makes me bump FT into a more prioritized series I should check. The character that stand out to me so far is Gajeel. A cold anti-hero kind of character. Me likey! However, the battle can use a lot of improvement. My high standard for battle scenes is likely because I'm spoiled by some great battles in other fanfics I've ever read. 1. Big paragraphs take away the tension, along with long sentences. The paragraphs can use more spacing. I don't know if it's intended to be paragraphed that way or it's the BBCode problem, but it loses a lot of tension. 2. The visuals aren't enough. The prequip paragraph is a good example of visuals, but next up? Not too much. When Levy uses [Solid Script: Fire], how does the spell look like? A barrage of fireballs? A stream of fire? I can't visualize [a powerful fire attack]. And Elfman's monster form? How does that look like? I get that he's big, but it's still a very scant visual. 3. The most lacking aspect in the battle is the physical strain. You just tell that the characters are tired/hurt. Go deeper into the character's feeling. How's the pain? Searing? Stabbing? Etc. But if the characters can't feel pain, then you can forgo them. And the wounds. How do they look like? Where are they located? Etc. More visuals are surefire way to increase tension because if described enough, readers can even feel the characters' pain, whether the characters feel it or not. The key to write better fight scenes? First, read more stories that features great battles, not necessarily from fanfics in general or fanfics of the fandoms you know and love. This is the best one because it's hard to express the awesome explosive and/or bloody fights in your head with mere WORDS, so seeing the examples of such great fights will certainly give you ideas how to write them better. Second, this is less helpful, but do reflect on a few action animes/mangas you like. For example, what makes the fights so awesome? Answer it by yourself (e.g. awesome choreography a la TTGL, very bloody with emphasis on physicality a la Berserk, etc), and see how you can apply the answer to your work. |
"Who wouldn't want to be like me? Handsome and free like a bird in a tree! Badaboom!" |
Apr 21, 2017 10:09 AM
#103
impmontamer03 said: Fairy Tail is on my PTW, so figured out that reading a fanfic of it may just give me some ideas about what the universe will be. Read the first six chapters, and gotta say you've gotten nice atmosphere and world building. From that, I'd guess that FT is an upbeat shonen series with magic. Guess I'll see that soon, but that thing itself already makes me bump FT into a more prioritized series I should check. Your guess is right on spot. Fairy Tail's definitely lighter than Naruto or Bleach, which had some serious dark tones. impmontamer03 said: However, the battle can use a lot of improvement. My high standard for battle scenes is likely because I'm spoiled by some great battles in other fanfics I've ever read. 1. Big paragraphs take away the tension, along with long sentences. The paragraphs can use more spacing. I don't know if it's intended to be paragraphed that way or it's the BBCode problem, but it loses a lot of tension. Have you tried reading it on fanfiction.com? I'm not sure, but it might be a little more readable on there than on here. Link is in the first post. impmontamer03 said: 2. The visuals aren't enough. The prequip paragraph is a good example of visuals, but next up? Not too much. When Levy uses [Solid Script: Fire], how does the spell look like? A barrage of fireballs? A stream of fire? I can't visualize [a powerful fire attack]. And Elfman's monster form? How does that look like? I get that he's big, but it's still a very scant visual I know I'm bad at descriptions, but most of it is stuff from the anime, and this was written for those who have watched the show in mind. As for original designs (like the MC and his Prequip ability), I know they're super barebones and something I need to work on. I suppose that on the brightside, you can use your imagination to make it look whatever you want, lol. impmontamer03 said: 3. The most lacking aspect in the battle is the physical strain. You just tell that the characters are tired/hurt. Go deeper into the character's feeling. How's the pain? Searing? Stabbing? Etc. But if the characters can't feel pain, then you can forgo them. And the wounds. How do they look like? Where are they located? Etc. More visuals are surefire way to increase tension because if described enough, readers can even feel the characters' pain, whether the characters feel it or not. I have deliberately avoided going into greater detail about wounds, as Fairy Tail, the show, rarely shows any either. You'll hardly see any blood or real injuries, mostly just bruises, which is what I'm sticking to for my story as well to stay consistent to the feel of the original work. There might be a few exceptions to that in later battles, but that's mostly how it's going to be like. impmontamer03 said: The key to write better fight scenes? First, read more stories that features great battles, not necessarily from fanfics in general or fanfics of the fandoms you know and love. This is the best one because it's hard to express the awesome explosive and/or bloody fights in your head with mere WORDS, so seeing the examples of such great fights will certainly give you ideas how to write them better. Second, this is less helpful, but do reflect on a few action animes/mangas you like. For example, what makes the fights so awesome? Answer it by yourself (e.g. awesome choreography a la TTGL, very bloody with emphasis on physicality a la Berserk, etc), and see how you can apply the answer to your work. Thanks, though you've only read the first battle? I'd like to know what you think of any of the later battles if you continue reading to see if there's any improvements. But I appreciate the feedback, and glad that you're at least liking it. |
Apr 21, 2017 7:51 PM
#104
Okay, marathoned until ch10... And Gajeel remains as my fav. I'm always a sucker for anti-heroes, so he has my attention. Also, Elfman sounds like a fun character. Talks about manliness all the time like Kamina! Milennin said: Have you tried reading it on fanfiction.com? I'm not sure, but it might be a little more readable on there than on here. Link is in the first post. Read it and find out that the formatting is much better there. I'll be reading from FFnet afterwards. Milennin said: I know I'm bad at descriptions, but most of it is stuff from the anime, and this was written for those who have watched the show in mind. As for original designs (like the MC and his Prequip ability), I know they're super barebones and something I need to work on. I suppose that on the brightside, you can use your imagination to make it look whatever you want, lol. Not all readers are fandom familiar, although that's a rare case (unless you frequent FFnet general forums and play the review games). Like me, I like reading fanfics to get an idea about a series I'll be watching/reading, so I'm likely to come fandom blind. It sounds funny, but I was just that nosy. Leaving to readers' imagination actually takes away the power of the scene (especially actions), because your mind is too busy to picture what's happening. Reading becomes tiring IMO. However, there are times when using bare descriptions and leaving to readers' imagination can work very well. This is still a mystery to me, so I don't know how to explain it. A fanfic ever pulls it out so well and grosses me out. Also, considering that you have an OC, describing only the OC's skills in detail runs the risk of pushing the OC into Gary Stu/Mary Sue territory. Try balancing the descriptions. Milennin said: I have deliberately avoided going into greater detail about wounds, as Fairy Tail, the show, rarely shows any either. You'll hardly see any blood or real injuries, mostly just bruises, which is what I'm sticking to for my story as well to stay consistent to the feel of the original work. There might be a few exceptions to that in later battles, but that's mostly how it's going to be like. If there are rarely detailed wounds, I thought you could use more sensory descriptions to make up for them. Not just visuals, but other senses as well. As for the Geo Golem battle, I see that there are more descriptions already, although [monster made of rock] is still...very bare. But aside from the scant descriptions, the writing style isn't strong enough to bring out all the tension (or maybe it's because I'm so spoiled at this department). Avoid passive voice. Keep "telling" minimum and use more "showing." For example, Roth feeling drained is "telling." But if you describe Roth panting and sweating with aching muscles, it's "showing." I wonder if you ever read action fanfics/original works before writing this? If it's a fanfic, do share it. |
"Who wouldn't want to be like me? Handsome and free like a bird in a tree! Badaboom!" |
Jul 16, 2017 10:05 PM
#105
CHAPTER 90 LIGHTNING It was early in the morning and I had just finished my breakfast in the inn. I walked outside and made myself comfortable, sitting on the floor, on the green vulcan hide I’d gotten from Rage on the corner of the main street in the village. It was the start of another day of work for me. Wizard for hire Will do jobs for money and/or food or drinks Having done this for nearly a week now, things here were slowly starting to develop into a routine. A routine of staring into the distance for long periods of time, as with a village this small, there really wasn’t a whole lot people would need a wizard for. Even so, the innkeeper hadn’t been kidding when he said that the wildlife was getting increasingly more aggressive in this region, as the guards had been requesting my aid on an almost daily basis to get rid of hostile animals getting too close to the village. Animals that a normal human was not able to handle so easily. And helping the guards was good for me, as they paid well. Enough for me to pay for a room at the inn and at least two meals a day. Aside from that, I had also been teaching Rage the basics of magic, or at least tried to. He had a hard time sitting still and was easily distracted. He also didn’t seem to like just listening to me talk, but when I gave him exercises to do, he would often complain that they weren’t exciting enough. It wasn’t easy trying to teach somebody like that, but I wasn’t going to give up. Rage’s father had not only helped me set up my little stall on this street corner, he had also crafted me a set of clothes, made of the leathery skin of the wyvern that Rage dragged all the way to the village. I could tell he was experienced doing this, as it was of excellent quality. Nice and sturdy, as well as providing enough warmth to keep me warm on chilly days. On request, he had also made me gloves so I could hide the Fairy Tail’s guild emblem on my hand from strangers. “My cat! Please, help my cat!” a middle-aged woman yelled as rushed towards my stall. “What’s the matter?” I replied and stood up, ready to fight in the case of another wild animal attack. “Mister Harley Mittens Tucker climbed a tree and now he’s too scared to come down!” she breathed heavily. “And you need a wizard to help you with that?” I asked, not impressed by the request I’d been given. “Also, what kind of person names their cat that, really?” I spoke under my breath to make sure she couldn’t hear me saying that. “I tried everything, but nothing worked! I need your help, please!” she begged me. “I pay well!” “Okay, I get it. Calm yourself down, I’ll get your cat out of that tree.” I decided I might as well help, as that’s what I was here for, and it’s not like I was busy with other things right now. And so, I followed her to the tree where the cat was sitting in. I looked up and saw the poor thing standing on one of the many branches, looking down with big, round eyes that were full of fear. I lifted one finger and sent a tiny spark of lightning that struck the tail of the cat. As if hit by real lightning, the cat leaped off the branch, but I swiftly caught it in my arms. It seemed to relax immediately, and so I gently put it with its feet onto the ground, after which it hastily hurried to the side of its owner. “My poor darling! I’m so happy you’re back, I could cry!” She hugged the animal so tightly, its eyes were bulging and it desperately gasped for air. I felt a bit sorry for it, looking at it, but at least it was out of that tree. Seeing the woman reunited with her beloved pet again made me feel happy. “You don’t know how much of a hero you are, mister Wizard, please accept this reward as a thank you for your help!” The woman said as she turned to me and gave me a handful of gold coins. More than I’d earned from assisting the guards all this week. It was too much for me to accept, but the woman was already heading back inside her house, still holding her cat close to her chest, by the time I’d finished counting. I hesitantly added the coins to my pouch and was about to return to my stall when I was halted by a group of three. “I am here to make use of your service,” The young man, clad in leather and metal, spoke to me as he looked me directly in the eyes. Despite his demanding tone, the way he spoke sounded very formal, as if he was raised in a high class family. These were the same people I had seen in the inn last week... they had disappeared from the village that morning and hadn’t come back since then. What were they doing here all of a sudden? “What do you want from me?” I asked cautiously before agreeing on anything. The other two beside him just stood there. That girl, still with the empty look in her eyes, staring down at the ground. The big guy stood with his arms crossed, looking like he was somewhere else with his thoughts, like he was just waiting. I didn’t know if I could trust any of them. “I have been told you’re a strong wizard. I am in need of your help.” Somewhat stiffly, the man went down on one knee before me, then rapidly rose again after he finished speaking. On his back, he carried an enormous piece of metal... was that a sword? “I have little time to stand around and talk. I’ll provide you with details on the way to our destination. Here, wear this.” He threw me a bundle of clothing. What was this all about, I wondered, but feeling somewhat intrigued by this sudden turn of events. What could these three possibly want from me? “Give me a moment, please,” I answered and hurried the other way. “We are leaving in less than an hour. I will count on your return before that time,” The man spoke to my back as I left. I couldn’t just leave without saying anything. I rushed to my stall to grab my things, then went to Rage’s house. “Buddy’s early!” Rage yelled when he saw me coming. I only taught him magic in the afternoons and normally never visited before that time. “Yo, Rage. Where’s your dad?” I asked slightly out of breath. “Right here. What brings you here at this time?” his father asked, showing up in the door opening of their house. “I’m just here to say that I’ll be leaving for a while... not sure for how long,” I told him. He gave me somewhat of a confused look in return. “I’ve been asked to help this... stranger with something, as part of my job.” I continued to explain. “In case I’m going to be away for a longer time, I just wanted you to know.” “... I see,” He answered after a short while of thinking. “Hey... before you leave. Can I ask for your name? You see, we’ve known each other for a week now, yet you’ve never given me your name. It’s just something... not knowing the name of the man who saved my son, it feels something is missing.” That dreaded question. Yet, I was bound to be contronted by it again at some point. Refusing to go back to my old two names, I had to quickly think of something. I saw Rage looking at me, waiting for me to answer his dad’s question. He must have been wondering about it as well, I thought to myself, even if he had always just called me Buddy. It was then that I got the idea for my new name. “Lightning,” I simply answered, hoping I sounded convincing enough to make them think I wasn’t just making things up on the spot. If Rage named himself that because he got angry easily, then I would call myself this, because I use Lightning magic. Actually, repeating that thought in my head, that didn’t make much sense, but it was too late to change my mind now. “Very well... Lightning.” Rage’s father didn’t comment on it, but I could tell he thought it was an unusual name. “I’d like to thank you again for everything you’ve done for our family.” “Hey, this isn’t a farewell. I’m coming back here once I’m done, okay?” I said, even though I wasn’t entirely sure I could hold myself to that. After all, what really had I to return to in a place like this. I had nothing here, although I would feel a bit bad about leaving Rage behind if I wasn’t to return. I could see him grow into a powerful wizard some day, but he just might require a little more assistance to get to that point. “Not fair, Buddy! You not tell Rage name, but you tell dad name!” Rage angrily pouted, but this really wasn’t the time for me to get into an argument over something that silly. “Anyway, I’ve got to go now. Thanks for all your help!” I waved at the two of them before finally making my leave. On my way back, I unfolded the clothing I had received from the man asking for my help. It was a long, grey, brown-ish hooded robe, with an insignia in black on the back that was unknown to me. The insignia had the shape of a tower, with a triangle pointing upwards at both sides. I hastily put it on and ran back to the place where the mysterious trio should be standing. Despite not being sure whether or not I could trust them, I couldn’t help but feel a little excited about this. Life in this town hadn’t been bad per se, but it might have been a little too... bland. I was kind of looking forward to go on an adventure again. In addition, I was interested in finding more about these people, and especially that huge magic source. “We are leaving,” the man in the front said as soon as I showed up. All three of them had put on a cloak similar to mine over their clothes during the time I was gone, making us look like an organised unit. I wondered if this cloak I was wearing bore the insignia of their guild... the Obsidian Knights, wasn’t that the innkeeper told me it was called? “So, what do you need me for?” I finally asked once we’d left the village behind us and was no longer visible. Right now, all around was nothing but pure wilderness, and I had no idea where we were headed from here. If this was some kind of trap, things could end up badly for me, but I didn’t allow that thought to stop me. If I was to die here, then so be it. “I need your... help... defeating something.” Those words, coming from their leader, came slowly, painfully, as if it took a great deal of energy to speak them. “Excuse our master,” the big man in the back suddenly spoke to me after a pause. His voice sounded deep, speaking in a calm manner, articulating each word carefully. “It was not easy for him.” “What wasn’t?” I asked out of curiosity. “His pride shattered by defeat. Now, he has to rely on the power of an outsider.” The big guy continued to talk. “It is unfortunate, but this foe was more formidable than we had expected. It was stronger than it should have been.” Strong enough to take out these guys? Their magic source rivalled those of some of the strongest I’d felt in my life, outside of those of the dragons and the demi-god, of course. “Yet, I am grateful for this loss that our master has suffered.” “Why’s that?” I didn’t understand a thing of what he was trying to say. What kind of enemy were they talking about. Why was he fine with losing against it? “Our master must learn to be resourceful, even if that means hurting his own pride. Pride is not a virtue. It’s something that he must learn to stand above. Only then, he’ll be able to become a true knight,” the man explained. “He’s undergoing some kind of trial?” I threw out a guess at what I thought this was about. “Correct. But it is not a trial purely based on one’s abilities in combat. Being able to judge oneself his capabilities and limits and finding ways to work around those is also looked at. Truth to be told, I had not expected him to –“ “Hurry up, or we might lose track of it.” Their leader yelled from atop a hill. He must’ve run ahead during the time I talked with the other guy. We both kept our mouths shut and hurried after him. My head was full with thoughts about the little I had been told and the reason I was asked to come with these people. After my short talk with them, I had a feeling I could trust them... that they weren’t here with bad intentions. “All right. We rest here for the night,” the man they called master said after a long day of marching through seemingly unending wilderness. I was glad we finally got a chance to sit down and get something to eat. The big guy was the one doing the cooking, and it didn’t taste half bad. Their leader was sitting with his back against a tree, quietly cleaning the huge sword he had been carrying on his back all day long. Something about that weapon fascinated me. It wasn’t like anything I had seen used by any traditional wizard. Then, there was this girl in the group, yet she hadn’t said a word; I wondered what was the deal with her. She usually had her eyes aimed at the ground, like she was actively trying to avoid any kind of contact from others, and never seemed to show any sort of emotion. Though I was certain this monstrous source of magic that I felt... it was definitely coming from her, and not the other two. There was a crushing aura all around her that was stronger the closer I was to her, yet the other two didn’t seem to be affected by it. Perhaps they were already used to it? “Tell us your name,” the leader spoke to me, taking me right out of my thoughts. “It... it’s Lightning,” I answered, just remembering the name I had decided to go with for myself again. “Tell me more about yourself, Lightning,” that demanding tone was strong in his voice. “What do you want to know?” I asked, not knowing where to even start. “Where you are from. What kind of life you are living. Anything, really,” he spoke without taking his eyes of the sword. “I come from a small town called Oakhill. It was near the south coast...” I wasn’t even sure why I was telling him this. “The south coast? That is quite far from here.” He casually commented. “Things happened. I used to be in a wizard’s guild, but it no longer exists.” I kept things vague, as I didn’t want to be reminded of the past. Nor did he need to know of the details of my life. “What do you do now, Lightning? How has a wizard of your level fallen so low to end up living on the streets?” This time, he looked me in the eyes. Again, that same intense gaze as before. Why was he asking me about this? “I can’t answer that,” I replied after thinking about how I should answer, but nothing came up. The life I was currently living was without any sort of purpose. I had nothing. “What’s your name, and what are you here for?” I asked him back, as I didn’t want the conversation to continue going on about just me. I wasn’t interested in talking about myself, not with these people. “Thieme Rokhart. Member of the Obsidian Knights guild from Bosco.” His introduction was as stiff as could be, lacking any kind of personality. “The girl, Celia, is my Second, or slave as you call them in your country. The old man is master blacksmith, Beren Varrson, my retainer. Our mission is to defeat the mythical beast Savancaya, and claim its source of power.” So, she really was a slave... I’d had heard tales of slavery being common in Bosco. Though, with her magic power, she could easily break free if she wanted to? “Then, that’s what you need my help for?” I asked, ignoring my thoughts about the girl and sticking to the main topic for now. “Correct.” This time, he didn’t seem to be bothered to be reminded by his need to rely on my help. “This beast is known for the unique crystals it contains inside its body. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have asked for help, but with how rare sightings are, I cannot afford anything or anyone else to kill it. Chances are, wizard guilds in the surrounding areas have already been notified and received requests to take this beast down. I cannot allow that to happen.” “I see. I’ll try my best,” I responded and finished the last of my meal. “Is there anything more you can tell me about our target?” “Only that it is much stronger than it should be,” Beren joined in. “Savancaya had always been ranked as an A-class creature, but the strength it displayed in its battle against master Thieme was undoubtedly above its recorded potential.” “How is that possible?” I asked. This talk of a monster growing stronger than it should have been, once again, reminded me of the situation back in the village. “If only we knew. But, this is a good test for our young master, is that not right, Master Thieme?” Beren laughed and patted him on the shoulder. “As for the payment...” Thieme began, completely ignoringhis retainer’s attempt at a tease. “That can wait until after the job is done,” I stated before he could finish. Honestly, money wasn’t something I was hugely interested in. As long as I had enough to afford the basic necessities, I was fine. “Very well. With a little luck we should make it back to our target in one to two days. It wasn’t far from here when we fought it last week, and the markings on the ground I spotted earlier today indicated it can’t have travelled too far away...” He had been tracking the monster all this time? To me, nothing had seemed out of the ordinary. “...I want us to continue early in the morning, so make sure to get enough sleep.” After that, he closed his eyes and everything around us became silent. Berus, following his leader’s advice, wrapped a blanket around himself and went to sleep, yet Celia remained to sit there, quietly staring at the dying flames of the campfire. I wasn’t sure how to feel about her... was there a reason for her to stay with these two when she had all this power? Nevertheless, I had other, more important things to worry about... like making sure to be well-rested for what tomorrow would bring. I had no idea what this mythical beast thing was, but it sounded tough enough to not underestimate at any cost. I closed my eyes and quickly fell asleep on the carpet of leaves that covered the ground of this forest. |
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