Venka was a mess, for the past few days she had been with the mages day and night, scouring the city for traces of Faris. Unfortunately, none of the prison guards knew where he went. What had truly infuriated her was Rembrant, despite the proof levied against him he maintained his innocence throughout, claiming he was being framed. Unfortunately, the judge ruled the case inconclusive. Until a witness came forth. Venka had been incensed when Yacob had first appeared before them,
"You!" She had attempted to strangled him, if not for Seya holding her back, she may just have done that.
"Yes, me…"
"What the hell do you want?! You've already done enough!"
"I've come to help you all." Yacob stood unflinching as Venka still strained to get at him, but a few beads of sweat began to form. "I'm doing this because my father has been acting oddly for years now, and this explains everything. And because I want to protect the rest of my family." Venka stopped struggling, and Seya let her go. Yacob took out a bundle of sheets. "I stole them from my father's study." After handing them to Morgan, he spoke again, "Now how do we legally allow them to be seen."
"I can take care of it," Lord Jaya had said.
It had taken a few days but he had prepared a captured prisoner.
"What was he here for…" He had asked guard.
"He had… ah, yes, larceny, assault and battery, murder, and arson. He had broken into a home, and slit the homeowner's throat, beat his wife and children to death, and burned down the home, they had had an argument the night before, with the victim quoted as saying that he was 'done keeping secrets' the night before in an open pub. The assailant would not answer questioning, yet when we entered his mind, we could not find any evidence of whatever he could be hiding.
Lord Jaya peered into the room, he could observe the man's scars, and his magically enhanced sight allowed him to pierce the illusion and see what they could not, a tattoo of a black hand clutching a red heart. He watched the guard closely, she was nervous in his presence, fidgeting more than a few times, and he could tell from her elevated heart rate she was both frightened and…
"How old are you ms…"
"My name is Lissa, Lord Jaya." The woman smiled, blushing."
Lord Jaya smiled and nodded. "That is a beautiful name, Lissa, it reminds me of an elegant orchid the Elves call the Lovissa." His grin widened as she blushed deeper. "Tell me, did it hurt?"
"Did what hurt sir?" She asked, enraptured by Lord Jaya's gaze and suave smile. She felt light headed, like she was above the clouds, then all of a sudden, she collapsed, convulsing.
"The wound in your chest, but I see you've answered my question." Lord Jaya stared at her impassively as the blood pooled at his feet, he stepped away, lifting her keys with his magic. "I apologize, I would normally have left you alive, but I felt it necessary to give Seya closure, as from what I can tell." He frowned, "You used Burrowing Grubs on Faris, and she hates those." The prisoner looked up in surprise as his locks broke and the jail cell opened.
"What is this?" He wondered aloud.
"Brother!" Lord Jaya said, "I'm here to rescue you, Lady Jahat plans to sack the city, she needs every able-bodied ally ready."
"Truly?!" The man stared in awe. "But I have no magical ability…"
"Yes, but any man as devoted as you deserves the time to honor our great leader." Jaya rolled his eyes as the man bowed deeply.
"Thank you, sir!"
"But take these." Lord Jaya handed the man a map of the city plans, and Lord Rembrant's documents. "Another of our esteemed allies is being held under threat, these documents may compromise him, I need you to take them to Lady Jahat." The man nodded, after slipping into less conspicuous clothes he made his way out of the city and began sprinting away.
"I… I need to make it!" He panted as he ran, he ran so excitedly that he didn't notice the girl on the road before it was too late, the last thing he saw before his head flew off was the flash of steel and a black mass blotting out some of the stars.
Seya looked down on the man's corpse. Turning to her left a few soldiers entered the clearing. "As you can see our anonymous tip was correct, someone was planning on escaping the city baring plans."
The guards gasped as they read through all the documentation. "And these papers on Rembrant?!"
"Oh?" Seya smiled innocently, "They must have stolen the city plans from him, he was an important figure for infrastructure remember?"
The soldiers paid her no heed as they read the papers. "This, this changes everything!"
"If we can prove that's his signature." Seya said, "And I think I know someone who can recognize it…"
Lord Jaya sat in his study, pondering his next move. All the pieces lay there, all he needed to do was find Faris before Rembrant sent word to have him killed. The procedure normally took a week, he was told, so he'd have a few more days. Before it went down. "If worse comes to worse the child dies, though I have to set up a team to coordinate his rescue. From the interviews with the guards…" After the 'tragic' death of Lisa, one of the personal guards of Rembrant who slipped in to the prison to help him vent his frustrations out of Faris, the other guards were more talkative, doing so, he was able to triangulate an appropriate area to search for Faris. He needed to determine an effective team, he had decided on Bergan, Rakus, and Celica as the team leaders, afterword he determined few teachers and exemplary students should be allowed as well. As well as some guards, he eventually got a team of 50 men and women, and ordered them into teams of 10, 4 mages and 6 knights. Each of his chosen Thirteen would take the lead of a group, with the fifth being led by a Triple, a mage whose skills meet the minimum requirements to be a member of the Thirteen, but who are weaker than the established member they would replace. Many of them couldn't understand that it wasn't about who would win, but about what their personal skills were, and who in the council best matched those skills. It didn't matter that someone with skills similar to Rakus could likely defeat Mortimer through a long-ranged battle, or that someone a smidge less inventive with his golems could eventually overcome Sona's non-combative ways. Or that a healing specialist almost as but not as talented as Sona could hurt Celica and maybe even kill her. What mattered was that the ones they really would replace were still stronger. He didn't choose council members out of nepotism, but out of necessity, as each held an important role.
"Lord Jaya! Please reconsider! I am a much stronger mage than Bergan!" Maya Chamberlain, the prime example of such an ignorant Triple had pestered him for months to become a mage of the Thirteen, she was a fierce rival to Lady Celica, and was second in command in their guild. If anyone were to inquire though, it would be immediately apparent that Maya was a lesser skilled combatant than Celica.
"As I had told you before," He reiterated for the fifty-sixth and one hundredth time, "The one you would have to defeat and replace would be Celica, I told you that almost exactly three years ago, seeing as you come pester me once a week, I would have hoped you would have imprinted that. I see I was unfortunately wrong."
"What is Bergan's role in the Thirteen?! I remember he replaced Caileen, who's replacement would have been Anya, but he, Anya, and Caileen all have different combat styles!"
Lord Jaya yawned, "Maya, you are an excellent mage when it comes to physical augmentation and ward bypassing, but let me ask you, how skillful are your conjurations? What is your healing capability? And how is your ability to construct flexible wards to both protect you and not completely drain your reserves?" Maya gave him a flustered look, "Oh? Then perhaps you have a decent understanding of the enchantment of magical tools, and can especially enchant a non-weapon tool? Or perhaps you have a good command of golem crafting? I don't necessarily need you to be the best at any of those, but a healthy understanding of each skill would be all I need. If you had all that, then defeated Bergan in a battle utilizing all these skills, then yes, I would give you his position. Bergan fights differently from Anya, and fights differently from Caileen yes, but he's a master level mage in all these skills, and for that reason, even if you are a better mage than he is in a battle using your similar guild taught skills, he would defeat you if allowed to utilize everything in his arsenal."
"Are you doubting my strength?!"
"Not at all, I merely don't overestimate your capability, but I do not underestimate it as well, I have an assignment for you, one of our student mages has been kidnapped."
"The boy who killed the two dozen and such men? Yes, I'm aware of the entire story." Maya frowned but remained silent, she had no real opinion on the matter but found the boy's actions to denote foolishness and a naïve immaturity.
"I have begun setting up teams to go and strike the area I believe he may be held. You will be in a group with three other elite mages and 6 elite knights as part of a larger group of 50, comprised of a 2 to 3 ratio of mages to non-mage combatants."
Maya raised her eyes, "This seems a little too much, why?"
"We have reason to believe Rembrant was colluding with the Black Hand remnants, and that Faris was taken by them for their magical research, as well as to presumably interrogate him for what he knows."
"By now then he should have squealed."
"I would agree with you if Faris was normal, I can say he's no ordinary student."
Maya scoffed, but bowed, "If you wish it my lord, who else will lead the other teams."
"Rakus, Celica, Bergan, and Loria"
"Sir! If my squad does better than Bergan's!?"
Lord Jaya nodded, "I may reconsider my statements yes." After bidding her away, he waited until his daughter materialized from the shadows. "I take it things are going well?"
"Yes father, Faris's friends, they have slowed down their searching, and there are mages situated outside their room."
"And I take it you did not notify them?"
"Yes father." Seya smiled, "They would get in the way."
"Good, saving Faris will put him and that girl in my debt, and it will help show the dignity of the mages. Along with the rest of tomorrow's activities."
"Father… is it wise to allow what would happen tomorrow?"
"It's a necessary evil, and if everything goes well, no one would be hurt. Besides," He laughed, "You know it is my specialty my daughter."
"Yes, your magic truly matches your nature."
"Well, isn't that a bit mean?" Seya continued, "Rembrant is so sure of himself, and he has his 'trump card' that he's so sure of, won't it be cruel and demoralizing when he tumbles not once, but twice?"
Jaya laughed, "Pity? My daughter?"
"Well I don't hate the man. But If it were up to me, I would have just killed him, keeping him alive after all this is a crueler fate wouldn't you think?"
Lord Jaya laughed louder, "True! But even then, I'll leave his ultimate fate to Faris's hands. No doubt after that he will have no choice but to be indebted to me, and perhaps he'd be more partial to you after this."
"Perhaps…" Seya bowed.
"Seya…" Lord Jaya spoke up again. "I am sending you alongside Sona's group."
"Father?"
"I believe the other children, similar to you are there, if that is the case, you'd be instrumental to defeating them."
"Yes." Seya left the chambers. She was quiet as she returned to her own personal resting chambers, looking out her window, she sighed, sleep wasn't a thing she needed, but it still granted her relief from the passing hours. They came to get her earlier than she expected, only two hours later. Opening the door, she switched on her sarcastic almost knowing smile. "You're early."
"Does he think we're still stuck indoors?" Venka asked.
"Yes, I didn't tell him about the golems, though…" Seya spied Alanna and Dusan worriedly, "Is it safe for them to tag along?"
"I decided I would not stay idly by while our friend was in danger." Alanna answered.
"And I already planned on going any way regardless of what you said." Dusan smiled. "And when we reach him, Faris may need his tools." He jostled Faris's pack.
"If that matter is settled…" Bartholomew muttered, "Let's get a move on."
"Bartholomew?" Seya genuinely smiled, "I thought you didn't get involved with situations like this."
"He owes Faris a favor apparently, his ice and fire golems were inspired in part by something Faris suggested. And his uncle was especially pleased." Morgan chuckles. "Anyways, we don't need to keep talking like this, Ventus is waiting."
Venka nodded, casting the spell to teleport them a few miles into the forest. A trilling call alerted them to an owl that landed in the center of their group.
Late…
"Sorry Ventus." Venka smiled, "it took us a while to catch them unawares."
Hurry… Ventus needs help.
"We know" Nya announced, lead the way. With that assurance Ventus allowed Alanna to cast a spell above Ventus, a glowing pulsing red light appeared over his head, and he took off quickly, a short trail of red appearing behind him. The children sprinted out into the forest.
"So…" Nya turned to Venka, "What will you do when you see Faris again?"
"If he's hurt, I'll heal him, and kick the arse of the people who hurt him. If he's not hurt, and merely captured, I'll kick his butt."
Katya laughed, "You sound like my mom."
"Does that make Faris her hubby?" Nya wryly said.
"Yes" Venka said quickly.
This was met by a bit of silence.
"So, you admit you like him?" Nya said, surprised.
"I always knew I liked him, I just… Faris and I…I didn't know whether I hated him more that I cared for him." Her eyes glistened, whipping them she continued her quick trek across the forest as they followed Ventus's trail. "I don't want him to die thinking I still hate him, or that I'm still angry. And I want him to hear me say it."
"You really like him, don't you?" Bartholomew rode a flying golem, his face serious. "All of you care about him greatly I've noticed."
"I've always wanted a little sibling." Nya admitted, "Sometimes I'd get in arguments with my sister, being around Faris makes me understand her a little bit, and he's a fun guy to be around, when he's not brooding."
"Ditto, and to be honest, my life was boring before meeting him, I would have expected to join a powerful team of fourth-year students and just barrel through the trials. The only challenge would be from a group that happened to hold one of you guys in. I've taken the time to learn a lot more… and… I guess it feels good to go help the people at the slums from time to time, the illnesses they have, it could be easily treated if they had the money, but I guess I would have overlooked that if not for Faris." Katya grinned embarrassedly. "And I'm supposed to call myself a Protector of Life."
"Faris was the first human child to be comfortable around us." Alanna said, smiling, "He's full of secrets but he is my first human friend."
"And his cooking is delicious." Dusan added.
"Oh?" Bartholomew said, "I better make him my friend too," this elicited a few short chuckles from the group.
"We all owe Faris and you Venka," Morgan began, "I wonder how much more ahead we would have all been if we had known each other when we were younger."
"That sounds like an adventure I would have loved to have taken part in!" Nya added.
They continued on in silence, only stopping twice to make sure everyone kept up and they hadn't been followed. Ventus was gone, but his trail was still bright and glowing. It took them all of half an hour to finally catch up again, Ventus was flying circles around an area; diving towards what looked like an outgrowth of weeds every once in a while.
"These plants…" Alanna began.
"They don't belong in this forest, right?" Katya continued, "I updated my botany and geography for times like this."
"Alright, then let's just go in." Nya said, Morgan held her back.
"Katya?"
"Working on it…" Katya's eyes seemed to shimmer as her spell began to feel the area around the entrance. "Okay, there's an alarm of sorts in there. We've got to carefully destroy it… I'll isolate it's connection, someone else break it." "Letta un mela duvard" (stop and quiet the ward)
A quick shot of an arrow destroyed the mechanism and the group made their way inside. Ventus hopped unto Alanna's shoulder, hunching over to make as little space as possible. The group found to their surprise that no one tried to stop them. In fact, there was no one to be seen.
"Where is everyone?" Venka began to fear the worst, until they heard the sound of fighting. They began running towards it, Seya took the lead, hair glowing white and eyes radiating an imperial gold.
"Stay on your toes, expect any mages who happen to have white hair to be as strong and fast as I am, go for a kill shot every time, as soon as you see them drop begin sealing their movements and keeping their bodies from reconnecting, if they expend too much energy trying to reconnect they'll die, and if they dissipate it will take them at least days to reform."
"What are we talking about here Seya?" Morgan was worried, he remembered what Jaya told them, "Are they really as strong as Shades then?"
"Shades die when they're stabbed in the heart." Seya replied.
The wall next to them exploded, Katya was fast enough to block the debris, and Morgan conjured a quick gust of wind to blow it away. On the other side was a group of mages and fighters, many of whom charged the kids, only to run around them, as if sprinting away in fear.
"The spirits went crazy, so many of them escaped! Why'd they do that?!" One screamed, they continued streaming through.
"What are they running from…" Nya said cautiously.
"…We're about to find out."
Danger! Dangerous! Run away! Go away! Flee!
Ventus began to shift uncomfortably, repeating this mantra to everyone's discomfort.
"…"
The area within the wall was still smoky and gloomy, and the sound of cracking and snapping, followed by a horrible choking gurgle put them all on edge. A scream, dripping with deranged malice was let out as something rapidly hurtled towards them, Venka held her hand out. "Letta!" She nearly puked as she redirected the mangled corpse, twisted in an agonized fashion, to the side. A figure began to emerge from the smoke, tall and lean, hair a deep crimson, and eyes a bloody maroon.
"We are Hruk" He laughed, extending his hands.
"What the…" Katya raised her hands almost too late as a huge conflagration exploded around them.
"Keep alert!" Seya screamed, "The fire is merely-" As she was tackled by the shade, who wielded a sword.
"Hello child! I'll enjoy your blood!" The shade screamed shrilly, attempting to stab her. He was stopped when a bolt of lightning hit him dead on, causing his body to nearly explode if not for Seya holding it together with magic.
"In the heart!" She screamed as Nya rushed past, stabbing her sword straight into the monster's chest. He screamed in pain, howling with all his might as his skin seemed to rip apart, tearing at the seams as if the loose flaps of a poorly treated puppet. Hruk wailed, turning his head back and forth, back and forth, like a flag in the wind as he seemed to collapse.
"You kiiiiillled meeeee-!" He collapsed, "Just ki-dding!" He screamed. Nya screamed back in fear as she realized she stabbed the wrong part of the chest. Barely missing where his heart should have been. Hruk stood up casually, raising his fist to smash Nya into the floor, only to be blocked by two quick blade movements. He looked at his arm, or the stump of his arm, and wordlessly screamed at the Elven children, who covered their ears in pain, he began charging towards them, losing all levels of coherence, almost reaching them he was stopped, as if held on strings. Venka had a desperate look on her face, even using her magic on him felt, wrong. As if his very presence was an affront to everything natural. Even Seya hadn't felt so off even though the process that gave her those abilities were similar. Hruk turned to look at Venka, turning his head without moving his body, his neck twisting unnaturally. "Your light shines bright! It feels warm!" A shadowy aura began to suffuse his body as he began walking backwards, head still turned 180 degrees, eyes on Venka, hungry, evil eyes. Venka felt great fear as he began walking closer, and even greater fear as he began to invade her mind. All her friends began to struggle, this one shade, nearly overpowering them all.
As the Shade continued to walk Nya and Seya charged it, swinging their blades at it, he surprised Seya by catching her sword by letting her slice down his hand to his elbow joint, where the blade stuck. He smiled, punching her hard enough for her rib cracks to be audible. She crashed into the wall, white light glowing as her body began to heal, out of the fight for now.
Morgan reached into Faris's pack, taking out Faris's cannon, he aimed it at Hruk, firing it, Hruk's eyes widened as the burning ball of iron struck him, he looked at the hole in his stomach, laughing, his mental attack increased, forcing everyone still fighting into a state of immobilization.
Go Away!
Ventus shrieked and charged Hruk, who smacked him away casually, blowing through his months of amassed wards. The crack of his bones on the ground and the blood that spilt was quickly followed by Alanna's enraged cry. This was enough to snap Venka back to attention, concentrating her magic she enhanced her mind, and everyone else's, bolstering their mental fortitude with magic, pinning him down they stopped his movements, and in a deft motion, Katya brought her sword down on his heart, but Hruk blocked it with his hand, screaming and laughing as it pierced his skin, jerking to a stop inches before his chest. His laughs were cut short when Ventus, recovering using the last of the amulet's magic, hopped to the back of his neck and tore at it, causing his head to go limp for a few seconds and the blade to plunge in deeply.
"No!" He screamed as he collapsed, body truly breaking apart. Before he fell, he launched a huge bolt of fire towards Ventus, Alanna leapt in the way, screaming some words in the ancient language, the flame struck her and she collapsed. Hruk's laughs were cut short as his body broke apart and 12 spirits rushed out of his body and towards the exit.
Katya immediately ran towards Alanna, her healing magic at the ready, Dusan tearfully next to her. "She'll be okay, the burns aren't deep, I can get rid of them now, but it will take a while."
"We don't have a while," Seya came out, angry, before two of the spirits could escape, she extended her hands. A high-pitched whine escaped them before they exploded into orbs of light that she absorbed into herself. As if on cue several demonic laughs were heard, echoing throughout the halls. She blew up the ceiling above the opening in the wall. "We have to find a place to hide for now!"
As they ran forward, they encountered more eviscerated and brutalized corpses. They finally found a room to the side, it was full of food supplies, barricading the door they camped inside, resting and healing their wounds.
"I'm alright, thank you, how's Ventus."
Alive, beast is gone, hunted, scary, don't want to fight. Painful, find Faris, save friend…
"Ditto buddy." Nya chuckled, she added a few spells unto her sword. She found herself trembling slightly, gritting her teeth she tightened her grip.
"Why was that thing so strong!?" Morgan groaned, he munched on several loafs of bread.
"It's a shade, what do you expect?" Seya sighed, her bones finally resetting. "The Spirit's size determines it's power."
They grimaced, remembering the beach ball sized spirit that escaped Hruk's corpse, and the tennis ball-sized ones that hadn't managed to escape Seya's attack.
"Can we absorb spirits?" Morgan asked.
"There's a concoction, poisonous to anyone with the incorrect body type. If you survive, then yes, if you don't you die."
"I'm perfectly okay living without trying those odds then." Morgan said, frowning. "Gods… and to think, the last two to slay a shade were a rider and an elf!"
"Yes, we are a group comprised of two elves, 6 young but talented mages, two of which were as strong or stronger magically compared to the shade, and a magically enhanced talking owl."
Ventus perked his head at the compliment.
We live.
"Good point boy." Morgan chuckled. "Looks like I've lasted longer than you thought, huh Bartholomew?" He turned to look for the large boy, he began to pale. "Guys…"
"Damn them all!" Bartholomew rode a golem of a horse-like creature, he hated normal horseback riding, and this was almost no better, but it was that or be torn apart as he ran away from two shades. The shades had decided to indulge in the chase, running after the boy.
"Three strikes and you're out boy…" The female would call out to him. "Are you sure you don't want to give up now… We can have some fun before we say our goodbyes."
Bartholomew called back to watching her tear off the face of a fleeing cult member with her teeth. He definitely wasn't ready for a fun time. He took out two golems. One formed a flaming tiger, and the other formed a winged woman seemingly made of ice. "Telda du fjandí" (Entrap the enemy) The tiger began to burn brighter as the icy angel unleashed a cooling mist, rapidly freezing the walls, floor, and ceiling. The ceiling began to crack and break down. The shades began to slip on the ice just as the tiger roared a combination of heat and wind. The force of its flames pushed the shades backwards on the ice and they were crushed under the rocks. Or so Bartholomew hoped. Those hopes were dashed after only a few minutes, he heard the shades scream loudly.
"I will wear your entrails!" The woman screamed.
Panicking Bartholomew looked around, finding a nice bit of rubble he leapt in to cover himself, taking out another clay doll he whispered into it. "edtha" (me)
The golem began gathering from the rocks and dirt around it, forming a facsimile of Bartholomew, he directed it to ride the golem horse and directed his flame and ice golems to follow after, directing them to continue to try and slow down the opponents. He hid behind the rubble, hiding his presence as best as he could he had the horse continue. He kept his head down and body covered despite his curiosity, until he remembered that Shades had an enhanced sense of smell. Shit! Footsteps began approaching, he hurriedly took out a mirror and a few crystals, and another clay doll.
The shade's slowed to a halt at a narrower stretch of the hallway. "He stopped here, but the trail leads forward, it smells faintly forward, but it's the strongest here." The male said.
"Maybe he decided to rest before continuing? You saw how fat he was, even if that thing was moving for him, he must have been tired from holding on." They laughed cruelly. The shade turned left then right, she narrowed her eyes, in a pile of rocks was where the smell seemed to be the strongest, she slightly floated in the air to avoid making sounds, peaking over she spotted a shoe, and the boy's jacket, she turned to her partner, who smiled viciously.
"It seems he left, we might as well go after him." The shade's floated up, creating false versions that ran forward, the sounds of footsteps fading away. The shade's waited an indefinite amount of time, finally, a telling sigh of relief was let out. Screaming viciously the shades laughed peeking through the openings to see Bartholomew cowering before them. The female laughed.
"Good bye!" She brought her hand down to smash his face in like a soft fruit, and completely passed through it, her hand hit something else though, and the whole hall exploded in flames and shrapnel. The shades screamed, one of them clutched Bartholomew's jacket. "I'll eat that boy alive, starting with his arms and legs, so that he's alive as long as possible!" They screamed off in the direction of the golems. After a few more minutes Bartholomew phased out of the wall, which seemed to liquify, forming from the walls, as if they were an extra layer all along. Bartholomew sighed in relief, heart pounding, he looked at his crystal.
"Nearly empty…" He sprinted down the hallway in the opposite direction, probably moving with more urgency by himself than he ever had before, the mud-like golem slithered and slid after and in front of him, ready to alert and hide him should another shade show up. It wasn't another shade that found him, but a girl with white, messy hair, and green eyes. Bartholomew yelped, back pedaling as she rushed him, commanding his golem to stop her, it lasted all of five seconds before being crushed in roots. He looked in alarm as vines began sprouting from the walls and ceilings, grabbing on to and entrapping him. The girl walked up.
"Man… I didn't want to hafta work, now I gotta turn you in to the doctor…" She frowned.
Bartholomew's heart continued to beat quickly.
"Nah… too much work." Relief flooded him, only to be dashed away; "I'll just kill ya."
"Wait!" He cried out, whimpering as her fingertip barely pressed on his neck. "You don't wanna kill me, I'm no threat. I mean, my magic was so weak right? You can just let me go…"
"No no…" The girl said, "I can't even if you're weak you could be wily, you're just trying to get me to lower my guard."
"No! How about I give you something so you can trust me?!"
The girl released him, curious. Bartholomew straightened his tie, taking out a small box he revealed a bunch of sweets. The girl squealed, eating them. Bartholomew chuckled at the sight.
"Want one?" She offered a bit to him, he shook his head.
"More for my new, pretty friend."
"Awww… you're just saying that." Despite herself the girl blushed slightly. Bartholomew grinned, he continued.
"No no! You are the prettiest girl I've ever met, beauty and power, the full package! I'm honored you humored me! Now…" He smiled, bowing, "If you could just let me be on my way…"
"Oh no! The leader says I can't let anyone go around unsupervised."
"Then can you let me at least call and find my friends?"
"Sure!"
"Huh!?" Bartholomew looked at her dumbfounded, she looked at him innocently.
"Friends of yours are mine, too right? And it's too hard to find you all by myself."
Bartholomew shook his head, past the girl were the remains of three shades, a dark circle of purplish soot was normally all that remained of them, and three distinct cicles of the stuff were present, surrounded by hundreds of different vines and roots. He shuddered to think of what might have happened to him. He turned to look again at the girl, who gave an innocent smirk before yawning, smiling ruefully he took out his pocket mirror. It was answered quickly, Morgan on the other end.
"Bartholomew! Thank goodness you're still alive!"
"Yeah, no thanks to you, I'm alive, but…"
.
.
.
Afterword:
In case any of you are wondering, the girl he found is gamma, the one who doesn't "apply" her self, so she's pretty lazy. Thanks for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it!
As for this chapter, I needed to set up that some big things would happen next chapter, so I needed to set up for the climax of this arc. Thank you to apostlelord's review for chapter 12 (chapter 13) on January 2!
Yeah! I do need more reviews I think sometimes! Also thanks to guest reviewer Guest for your review on Chapter 20 (21), I assume that you are the same guest reviewer
who reviewed chapter 46 (47). Sorry if I'm wrong :p
Now, I got two reviews for chapter 46 (47) Which is pretty exciting! The first one was by Guest
their question was whether what has happened to Faris would be a temporary boost or a permanent one, I do hold that he will grow stronger from this ordeal, though I will hold that it won't be by an unimaginable difference, which I'll cover a bit on the next chapter.
This situation also makes a semi convenient time for a time skip, which I did say would be after this arc.
Now for the user Idhun's Durmgrist Feldunost
He made several points in his review that I wanna dicuss (Thanks again for that review)
His first was the similarity bewtween Faris's treatment and what made Deadpool, I can see the resemblance though I don't believe Deadpool was on my mind when I first though up what would happen. I also like that you find last chapter giving you positive feelings on the chapters about Faris's inner thoughts.
Dr. Mendel (or "Zachy") will explain his end game for the mejorated(enhanced) kids
And for Anya, in the next chapter I will explain everything a bit better, just know that it will have a lot to do with stuff Christopher Paolini said about Shades, and about a warning Oromis gave Eragon in Eldest.