Rumors spread fast. Just like in this case as a fierce looking man came close to the ruins of a building formerly known to be the dark guild Phantom Lord. The girl who accompanied him to this place waited in front of the area that had once been the great hall. „I'm here to claim my bargain, José" said the man now to another one he found in the guild master's office and right there he noticed the young boy with the pitch-black hair, ruby red eyes and with a skin so pale it looked like fresh fallen snow to him.

„This one here is all what is left of this guild. Maybe you have better use of him, Jienma. I really hope he'll be of better use than that worthless Gajeel" said José now to him with a greedy grin appearing on his thin black lips. Shortly he looked again at the boy next to the guild master of Phantom Lord and honestly he had hoped of at least one of the top mages of this guild for is own to claim. With one of the Element Four or even the famous Iron Dragon Slayer Sabertooth would quickly become a well known and strong guild within Fiore.

„So how much for this one?"
„Let's see, you get him for 100.000 Jewel"
„50.000"
„Now you are insulting me, Jienma. How about we go down to 95.000?"
„50.000 and no more"
„75.000, my last offer to you"

came now from José with a greedy grin, rubbing his hands and honestly he started to become unpatiently with the dark mage standing in fornt of him. „Agreed" are now his final words while he looked at the boy who is now official property of Sabertooth. While the deal was now completed he had called for the girl waiting outside so that she can take care of the newest member to their own guild.

************

Only three years after the disbanding of Phantom Lord he had cast aside the name he once used and tried as hard as he can to keep up with the standards the master is giving the entire guild. Even through his own time within this guild the Iron Dragon Slayer had been he wasn't wearing any insignia. The former guild master of Phantom Lord sold him like he was some property or a mere piece of furniture to get rid of. So even if he decided to leave, he was still bound to Jienma, the current master of Sabertooth and owner of his life.

Silently he endured any kind of punishment when he wasn't showing the kind of efforts the master hoped to see from him. Once again he was called out infront of the entire guild only to be humilated because of showing mercy to some young magicians he had encountered during a job request. He said no single word. In a way he somehow hoped of Jienma to release him from this terrible place at once. But deep within he knew very well this man wouldn't get rid of someone he spent his money on.

Since Skiadrum's death he hadn't smiled once. It was as if he had forgotten how to do this simple task. Instead he became so silent and distant that nobody within the entire guild wanted to be close to him. Even the older members of the guild were avoiding him as if he was some quiet danger or kind of dangerous disease towards them. But somehow deep within his soul he knew it better. ,They are all afraid of me because of the shadows surrounding my body' were his thoughts at this time. It kind of made him more lonely and sad at the same time. So if he died nobody would really notice his absence. If this was the only way for him to be free, so be it.

In his shadow form he secretly snuk up one day into the master's office to find himself the most dangerous mission possible. Right in this moment when he found a suitable Job Request he decided to leave the guild immediatly. He was only few steps away from the building when he noticed a familiar smell coming closer towards him. Minerva. She's the only female mage in his age in the whole guild and on top of that the daughter of the guild master. Somehow he always ended up being on a mission with her. But this is because of the fact they share the same dark secret. Both of them chose missions far more diffcult than their current level of magic allows them to master. Only in order to become strong. Only to become free for a short time. Only to seek out death and survive the next day.