AN: Short chapter, mission complete. And on my birthday as well!
Beta reader: You are welcome. Also, 15K words is not short!
Chapter 35
Her hands felt heavy… her yellow eyes lazily focused on the stains of blood on them. The now dried liquid had a solidified weight to it so it felt futile to raise them.
But it wasn't only her hands, it was her whole body. Heavy, tainted… proof of the crime she had committed.
If the name Rose Fannett was ever uttered, everyone would think of the ever-stoic Guild Member; a cold beauty that had rejected every single Adventurer that had asked for her heart. But also of the most responsible workers of the Guild and one of the most senior persons in the institution as well.
Now though… her name will forever be remembered as the person who murdered in broad daylight.
A few hours ago.
Rose Fannett walked through the streets of Orario, humming a random tune without noticing.
Even if she didn't want to admit it, her previous meeting with Drake earlier had left her in a good mood. Yeah, she might have pushed him a little too far, making things escalate out of proportion.
Thank Gods he had some self-control, otherwise they would have enacted something out of an erotic novel by doing it in the library.
"Ah!"
Her thoughts had been stopped, feeling a sudden rush of wind hit the city; many people covered their eyes and the ones carrying something or had a weak constitution fell on the ground.
"Are you ok?" Rose extended her hand, helping an elderly woman stand up.
"Thank you, dear." The lady accepted the help, standing up with the help of the Werewolf. "That darn climate doesn't seem to take a pick; at times it's calm and serene, and then all of a sudden this happens." She sighed. "It has been like this for a while now."
'Right…' she looked at the clear sky.
It has been a while since the city was suddenly assaulted by a sudden gust of wind.
It was strong enough to damage some establishments and even wreck up some streets. Soon after, the city of Orario had started to receive some strong currents of winds.
There wasn't any type of specific pattern of time in which this occurred, it just did, randomly at that.
'I hope this isn't like something that happened in the Great Fall' Rose thought, recalling there hadn't been too much time between the two events.
But the Gods hadn't reported anything nor had there been any other unusual activity in the Dungeon.
'…' she narrowed her eyes, recalling there had indeed been some weird secrecy in the Guild when the previous event happened… but again, nothing of the sort was happening now.
"I must say, you are quite strong, dear." She blinked, having been brought back to reality as she looked at the frail lady. "You didn't even budge when the wind hit; ah, youth."
Rose tried her best not to chuckle, although her ever-stoic face twitched slightly as the lady left; a smile looking to break out.
"Strong, huh?"
She was a Werewolf, a race above a normal human in terms of spec. Yes, sometimes she even carries some of the heavier stuff in the Guild for this very reason. But even so, that wind was nothing to laugh at.
The Werewolf had heard claims of even Level Two individuals having a problem standing still against it… and yet, here she was, unmoved by it.
The answer as to why this was happening came to her easily… even though she still had problems processing it; her choker, the one given by none other than the Cyclops.
'Hey~'
Her eye twitched, having a mental image of Tsubaki Collbrande.
Yes, the item the Blacksmith had given her to test had served more than its original purpose; Fuck/Test to see if any of her physical contact made him feel anything.
Suffice to say, mission accomplished.
But beyond that, the choker had given far more than that. Rose felt more energy at work, relaxed even; she could even say she felt stronger in every sense of the word.
Rose sighed, touching the choker concealed by her uniform, thinking for a moment about whether to return it or not. She knew for a fact Tsubaki Collbrande wouldn't ask for it due to her easygoing attitude.
Yeah, she could be serious when it came to her craft. But she would have asked for it back when they met earlier in the day, probably because she could just forge more… she just forgot about it.
She sighed.
Regardless of that, it was Rose herself who was contemplating returning it. It was only sinking in that the item around her neck might be more powerful than she initially thought.
Maybe she was exaggerating, but if Gods fought like children for Adventurers they found interesting, then how would they -Both Gods and Adventurers alike- act towards this sort of item?
'No surprise she asked me to keep this a secret.' Rose pinched the bridge between her eyes as she finally arrived at the restaurant.
"Good afternoon to you, Miss Fannett; a little earlier than usual, isn't it?" The waiter standing near the entrance of the restaurant she and her co-worker frequented greeted her.
"Yeah, I managed to finish early. So, I decided to go ahead of the rest." She replied with a smile as the staff member looked inside for a moment. "The rest should be coming as well soon."
"I am afraid your usual table is busy at the moment." The man said apologetically. "Would you like to sit on a personal table or-"
"Hey! Watch it!" Their attention was taken away, looking to the side near the end of the street to see a small boy sitting on the ground; a lot of dismantled carton boxes on the ground and two grown men looking down on him. "Don't you know where to look when you walk, you stupid brat!"
Rose stared, seeing no one around doing anything as the men continued to insult a boy who couldn't be older than ten. Reason? Nobody wanted to be part of something that could escalate, especially if no one else had your back. That… and the fact that judging by his old and ragged clothes, the boy may be a beggar.
"I will be right back." The Werewolf stated, making the waiter panic as he told her to wait but the man was swiftly ignored.
She approached them, all intending to just drag the kid away. However, it didn't seem like there was a need for it. The two men were now looking over their shoulders at her; walking away a moment later. Her eyes remained on them, looking over with a confused but stern gaze before looking over at the boy picking up his boxes, limping.
The Guild member internally sighed, deciding to leave it like that or help him out at least take the boxes. In the end, she ended up doing the latter, looking at the kid as she handed him the remaining boxes.
"Thank you." The boy muttered in a timid voice, hiding the pile of boxes he carried before walking away with a limping leg; looking as if he were to fall again at any moment.
"…" She took a deep breath after staring for a moment before sighing in exasperation.
"Give me that." She said, catching up to him and taking the boxes off him. "The place you are going to, is it close?"
The boy timidly nodded, walking ahead of her at a slow pace.
Luckily, it was indeed close by. Even so, she internally frowned, seeing how they had stopped in front of an alley. It was sad, but she was already expecting this.
She walked in, placing the boxes where the boy had indicated, next to an old cushion the boy probably used as a bed… which meant the boxes were meant to cover him at night.
'The world sure isn't fair.' She thought with a frown as she prepared to walk away.
"Wait…" she stopped mid-step, looking at the kid looking for something among his stuff. "I don't have much… but please let me give you something."
Rose sighed in exasperation, not wanting to be rude, but not wanting to be in this situation out of guilt. "Listen, you don't have to-"
"I insist." He said, walking towards her with both of his hands holding something. "It is my most expensive possession… please look at it." she gave up, deciding to humor him, kindly reject him and then leave. But all she could do was raise her eyebrow after leaning closer to see what the kid was holding… colored sand?
The boy suddenly blew it in her face, making her cough as she stepped back, feeling dizzy as she felt her back hitting a wall… no, her back had crashed against someone standing behind her.
Her mouth and nose were covered by a piece of wet cloth, making her feel drowsy as she looked over her shoulder… noticing the two men that had been assaulting the boy, handing him a bag of Valis before he ran perfectly fine out of the alley.
'Ah… this is why I hate being nice.' Rose thought, losing consciousness a moment later.
"Rose doesn't seem to be here." Eina Tulle stated, sitting around her usual table along with her co-workers; most of them letting their heads fall on the table due to exhaustion.
"Actually," the waiter that had been standing near the entrance got her attention; explaining what had happened not too long ago.
The eyes of the Half-Elf widened. "How long was this?"
"About twenty minutes ago." The man sighed. "I am just glad that things didn't escalate."
Eina frowned because that was exactly what sounded off; surely, Rose thought the same… but then there was the kid in the equation. It worried her because she knew she would do the same if she were there at the moment.
"Eina, relax; you are worrying over nothing." A Silver haired Elf commented. "It's Rose we are talking about; if anyone can take care of herself, it's her."
Eina nodded slowly at Sylvie's words.
"I am sure she will walk through that door at any moment." The Elf looked at the waiter, calling him to take her order.
Eina, on the other hand, could not stop her worries in the slightest.
Her body felt sluggish; those were her first thoughts as her eyes started to open, her sight blurred.
Not only that, but Rose soon realized her hands were tied, her mouth covered… and she was currently upside down… and inside a bag, no less.
'… I am being carried like a sack full of potatoes.' Just like her state, her thoughts also seemed to be dulled… or not.
Her drowsiness started to fade, along with the return of strength in her body. As a matter of fact she now felt wide awake.
'… Drugs are not meant to be this ineffective.' The Werewolf scolded herself, it was as if she was scolding some Adventurers… she internally sighed at her own priorities.
Her mind shifted gears, trying to figure out how to get out of her current predicament… and remembering how she got into this position in the first place.
Rose shook off the idea, opting to just blame herself for being so fucking naïve. The worst part of it, she didn't even know how to feel about the brat who forfeited her life for a bag of Valis.
The Guild member prayed she didn't happen to see him again… because she didn't know what she would do if she did.
"You guys done?" her eyes narrowed as she heard a door closing behind her; they had arrived at their hideout.
"Secured and bagged," Rose felt being left to fall, hitting the floor… and not feeling anything.
"Any word from our client?"
"Just that we are ready to move her to a specific place… and kill whoever it is that comes to rescue her."
Rose blinked, realizing she was being used as bait… but bait for who?
"Anything else besides that?" a disgusted tone was heard as her eyes widened, feeling a hand going through her bagged body; going from her hips and up.
"Not to touch her; we are dead if a single hair of that woman is harmed."
"Shame." Rose had been gritting her teeth, an internal anger she always held back in the Guild trying to take over; her Werewolf instincts. The instincts of a predatory people.
She breathed in, and out; calming herself as the anger resided, even if she was no longer being groped.
"Move her to the room and make sure she stays like that."
There were some grunts replying in annoyance before being literally dragged away.
The last things Rose heard of them were complaints and the sound of a closing door.
She waited, expecting to hear something. But all her Werewolf ears could catch were very distant voices afar, and not a single sound around her.
'I am alone,' she looked at her roped hands. 'First I need to get-'
*RIP*
Rose stared, and stared… trying to comprehend how the ropes holding her snapped so easily!? Yeah, she was a Werewolf, but this was just too much!
The Guild member looked down, her confusion still present. She freed her legs and then herself out of the bag. She stared at her hands, recollecting everything weird that had happened until now.
She didn't feel any pain when she was tossed, the possion supposedly had been of low quality, and now it seemed she had a strength up… without a Falna.
Her fingers slowly went to her neck; to her choker. The only thing that could explain this whole grade up. Tsubaki never mentioned anything about this, except the reason she made it.
But there wasn't any other sort of explanation.
Rose sighed, looking around and focusing on saving herself for now.
It was a dark room with no windows; but her enhanced senses were able to see in this environment. It looked like she was in an old house.
Some barrels, some bags, but no weapons or anything she could use.
Her frown deepened, looking at the door.
'Adventurers shouldn't go to Adventures.' The voice of a certain Junior of hers came to mind, the thought of the message in her voice made her scowl a little; Rose would have agreed with Eina on any other occasion, but this one wasn't about a Hero taking on some kidnappers and freeing a damsel in distress… This was about her own damn survival.
The Werewolf steeled herself, walking towards the door. But she stopped, her eyes widening as her ears twitched; someone was coming.
She quickly planted her back against the wall next to the door. It opened, covering her before someone entered and closed it. The man just kept going forward, almost falling as he stumbled upon something.
Rose tensed, seeing the bag she had been in tangled around his feet. "Who the fuck left this here?" he asked, tiredness easily identifiable in his voice. He tossed it to the side, not seeing the broken ropes before suddenly turning around… and letting himself fall on the bags behind them, using them as a bed.
Meanwhile, the redhead just stared; hand covering her mouth to not let out a single sound escape her lips. She waited and waited as the snores started, making sure the man had fallen deep asleep before swiftly moving towards the door, looking outside first before slightly opening it to get out.
Her legs moved towards the corner, seeing she was indeed in an old house… a big old house; three floors tall no less.
'…Don't tell me this is a sort of thief's den?' She cursed, especially thanks to the fact that she was on the very last floor.
There was no way she was getting out of here without being seen.
'Calm down, Fannet.' She hid herself behind the wall and kneeled, rubbing her temples as she started to think.
Running was a hard if.
Sneaking was nearly impossible.
And fighting… she didn't know how strong she was with the collar, but she didn't want to risk it and…
'I am not an Adventurer.'
Never in her life had she picked a sword or anything with an edge for anything that wasn't other than opening a letter or preparing food… not that she was a good cook anyway.
She carefully looked around her, noticing there was no one on the first floor, at least not visible from the floor she was on. Her eyes closed, catching the sound of steps on the second… and a lot of voices on the first.
'… It must still be around noon… so they might be having their lunch…' A sigh escaped her lips, this meant she only had a little time before they started to move through the whole place.
Her legs moved again, swiftly but silently moving to the stairs , stopping as she saw someone yawning and resting on the handle.
The thought of going back invaded her mind, only to look at her own hands with a bland expression before going down the stairs, stopping dead in her tracks as one of her steps made the floor screech.
The person in front of her raised an eyebrow, looking in her direction; only managing to see a red blur past him, wrapping her arm around his neck to put him in a chokehold.
His eyes widened, instantly losing his breath as he tried to struggle himself free of her hold. His elbows rushed back, hitting the ribs of the person trying to suffocate him… but Rose Fannett didn't budge ; seeing the man's face turn blue before his eyes rolled back in his head, letting him hit the ground slowly.
Rose breathed erratically, staring at the man lying on the floor as her heartbeat tried to jump off her chest.
She turned around, resting a hand on her chest to calm herself as she continued.
For a moment she considered jumping down to the first floor, but she could hear the group of voices right below her. Her teeth gritted with one another, looking at the stairs and deciding to go down a floor, making her way down slowly as she looked over; not a soul to be seen.
She went down, her eyes widening before hiding behind a couple of barrels.
There they were, at least a group of twenty or so men; drinking, eating, laughing, chatting without a care in the world. To make things worse, she now could confirm some of them were Adventurers.
'… Damn it' she cursed once more, recognizing the Falna on some of their backs in a heartbeat; she needed to get the fuck out of there.
Rose looked at the end of the hall, seeing the big entrance; along with some barrels and boxes on the way for cover. The Guild member still had to be careful though, seeing there were some gaps in between them.
'Ok… you can-'
*SLAM*
Her ears twitched,the loud sound of a slamming door coming from all the way from the third floor.
"Guys! The bitch got away!" The shout made everyone stop what they were doing, slamming their hands on the table as they stood up. "And someone fucking knocked out Jimmy!"
'… Fuck it.' The Werewolf stood up and dashed towards the door; ignoring every shout directed at her.
She steeled her body, prepared to push the door open with her shoulder… there was just one slight problem; the door was opening.
For a second, the meaning behind that didn't sink in for Rose; the only thing that her eyes saw was a way out of the place. But just as the door and her continued, the realization finally hit her… who was opening the door?
Her steps became hesitant, seeing the face of a confused Adventurer; confusion turned into surprise, and finally… amusement as his hand extended.
"!"
Her throat was grabbed with ease, only to throw her back in the center of the hall.
"Well… it seems we have a runaway princess, don't we?"
Once again, she didn't feel anything. But even so Rose Fannett could not raise her head; her eyes stuck looking down at the shadows of Adventurers surrounding her.
"Look at her, she's trembling." A voice sounded, the very same one she heard when she was being groped. "Come here, I will take good care of -"
*SPASH*
*THUD*
Rose froze, seeing a head rolling in front of her as she ignored the fresh blood on her face and uniform.
"I told you; she was not to be touched." A grave voice said, slamming his ax on the ground before walking towards Rose. "But we can't let this happen again, either," she frantically looked up, seeing a big man walking towards her; getting a hold of her head before punching her and sending her body crashing against a wall.
"Tie her up with chains this time." The man dragged his ax back with him, ready to continue what he was doing.
Meanwhile, Rose stared down as she remained stuck on the stone wall… not suffering any wound at all.
It didn't hurt, it really didn't hurt… but the shock of surprise had pretty much knocked her out of it, allowing something else to snap inside of her.
Call it pride, or simple annoyance, or anything of that sort… but something had snapped inside of her as she gritted her teeth violently.
"Huh?" one of her abductors looked at his hand, being gripped by Rose as he and others tried to get her off the wall…
*CRUNCH*
…and that same hand getting crushed it in an instant.
"What the fuc-" she didn't let go of him. Instead, she used him to smash all the others in front of her.
The huge man who intended to knock her out saw some of his men flying past him, making him raise an eyebrow before turning around.
There she was, holding the same man; battered and bruised from being used as a weapon… all while she snarled as her messed up hair covered her eyes.
"I know she's a Werewolf, but this is ridiculous." The man muttered, especially because the sun was still up and there was no moon in sight.
Rose Fannett was known for being the most responsible worker in the Guild. But that didn't mean she was a passive person at all. Only because she was a member of the Guild and didn't have a Falna, it didn't mean Adventurers and such could walk all over her.
In her early days, maintaining a stoic face was a challenge she went through constantly; not lashing at Adventures that ignored her advice and teachings, enabling stupid arguments with Adventurers that just wanted to unload on the Guild for their own mistakes; hell, she once made an Adventurer cry with her own words for almost dying in the Dungeon and trying to pin the blame on another Guild member.
But it all changed through the years; the wonders of growing old. However, her tongue and stoicism also became as sharp as a knife to the point her actions in the past were no longer needed.
She was a Werewolf.
It was in her very nature to not be looked down on and put on a fight in any sort of way possible… and that very behavior had completely snapped right now the moment her reasoning got shot down.
"Get her." the men muttered just as everyone present charged at her with a shout.
Her arm moved, tossing the man she had been holding at the group; knocking the front guys down before stranding one of them.
"Looks like someone is ea-" A fist shut him up, and another, and another, and so on; leaving no room for words, and tooth by tooth fell out of his mouth in five seconds.
"Get a fucking hold of her!" two Adventurers wrapped her arms. However, her arms didn't seem to slow down as she finished crushing her current target. "Wasn't this bitch supposed to be unblessed!?"
"Yes, she isn't!" one of the two getting a hold of her shouted before her opposite hand got a hold of his face. "Stop! Stop! Let me go you bitch! It hurts!"
The many others who were trying to subdue her decided to start to pile on her. Their attempt was futile as a roar escaped the pile before they were all flown away in a surge of blue light.
Her snarls seemed more feral while being surrounded by a blue light, her eyes finally visible to show they were completely blind of rage.
"Oh, fuck the contract." The Leader thought out loud as he armed himself. "Everyone, use your weapons if necessary! I don't know what's going on, but that bitch has lost it!"
A dagger was thrown only for Rose to catch it with her teeth before crushing it. She charged, like a wolf in a hunt before her fingers easily piece through an Adventurer's neck. Her reflexes kicked in, catching a blade with her bare hands before breaking it; using the broken edge to plunge it into the man's chest before punching him away.
Her head moved back, seeing the tip of a lance fly in front of her sight before grabbing it. Her eyes moved to the side, seeing the Adventurer that threw it give a few steps back in panic before Rose felt something on her head.
"What the fuck is this bitch made of!?" An Adventurer wielding a War Hammer exclaimed after slamming his weapon down on Rose.
The Werewolf in question let go of the lance, grabbing a hold of the Adventurer's throat as she yanked the hammerout of his hand… only to use it on him by hitting him on the side of the head.
Her use of it was sloppy, but it didn't matter if other aspects were covered for her.
One by one, more sounds of bones breaking could be heard inside the building.
Even if they somehow were able to coordinate an attack, their weapons didn't seem to wound her in the slightest. Even if her uniform was now partly shredded, there was not a single wound on her being while the blood of her assailants covered both herself and the surroundings.
She looked around like an animal, as if searching for the next prey stupid enough to approach her. Surrounded by what little remained of the group, none of them dared to give a single step forward or backwards… all while it seemed as if she was debating who to go after next.
"Fuck this. Fuck this. Fuck this." One of the Adventurers kept muttering, over and over. He was in complete terror as his legs and hands trembled; the perfect bait.
The eyes of the Adventurer widened as he felt a large hand grab his head. "Uh!? Boss!?" his leader didn't say anything, opting to remain silent as the man tossed his subordinate to the wolf.
The hammer in her hand made contact with the man's stomach, just as a giant ax was slammed behind him; cutting through the man's body, clashing with the hammer, and breaking it before going for Rose.
The Large man growled. "What the fuck are you?" his ax hadn't pieced through, that blue light around her body continued to protect her.
Rose growled, getting a grip on the massive ax before putting pressure on it-
*CRACK*
Breaking one of its sides before the Adventurer let go of it to punch her with all his might. "Fuck you!" his shout started to show his desperation, seeing as the Werewolf had managed to catch his fist before slowly crushing it in her grip, making him fall on his knees as he tried to pull back.
Rose didn't waste any time, sending a knee strike to his chin and the large man fell flat on his back.
"Bitch!"
His screams continued to reach deaf ears, seeing as Rose straddled him after getting a hold of his ax. She raised the weapon, but her prey still wasn't gonna let things go. His hands quickly went for her throat, trying his best to strangle her.
She was completely unfazed, slamming the weapon down on the man… but it was not the edge of the ax she used. What Rose used to strike the man's forehead was the end of the pole of the ax. Slamming it on his forehead over and over again as the hands that had been trying to strangle her lost all force before falling down for good.
The Werewolf ignored the sound of his shattered skull, still breathing erratically as she looked around… seeing the terrified Adventurers that remained… her missing prey.
Her head hurt… a lot.
Once again, her vision was blurred.
She really couldn't make out anything.
All Rose Fannett knew was that she felt incredibly dizzy, trying her best to stand properly as her vision cleared… little by little, a sense of trepidation invaded her as she started to make up the vibrant and vivid red of blood.
Her body trembled, but not out of dizziness or anything… rather, it was pure and utter terror as she looked at her own hands, uniform… and all the bodies and blood around her.
The Werewolf fell to her knees, completely in shock and catatonic as very being was completely disconnected from the world.
To the point she didn't hear a familiar voice shouting from outside the building before the door was kicked open.
It was after a moment that she realized someone had been calling her name for a while now; gently shaking her shoulders before finally getting her attention.
"Shakti…" her dead eyes looked at the Captain of the Ganesha Familia, whose eyes were filled with worry. "… What did I do?"
LINENBREAK
Apparently, Eina and the rest had requested the aid of Ganesha Familia after some time had passed.
After a short investigation, Shakti and her Familia were able to track the place Rose could have been at from the description of the two individuals who had bullied the kid.
None of them expected to witness the aftermath of the massacre that had taken place.
Shakti had ordered many members of her Familia to stand guard and close up the whole area so no one could see it. All the while she helped Rose return to the Guild, covered by a coat that hid her current appearance.
By the time she arrived at the Guild, her co-workers had come to see how she was doing.
With a lot of hesitation, Shakti revealed the state she had been found in and stated what might have happened… or rather, what did happen.
Rose didn't dare to look at any of them, but she could hear the gasps and murmurs that started soon after… along with shouts and complaints; among them being called a murderer.
Because of this, the Guild had been forced to close early so they could hold a general meeting on what to do with Rose… like a sentence of sorts.
Of course, some people like Eina and Sylvie defended her, some others were standing on the complete side of the spectrum.
But the biggest problem in the decision on the matter… was him.
When someone mentioned an Elf, the many words that came to mind were the image of someone beautiful, tall, and most certainly arrogant; only the last adjective fitted that description.
The person in question was too short for an Elf and so he could be easily mistaken for an old Pallum. His face could easily be seen as that of a rotten fruit. Out of all the Mortals in Orario, he probably held the biggest power in the city due to being the leader of the Guild… but above all of those traits, the worst of it was that he was also most likely the greediest person in the city.
Royman Mardeel.
"The Guild has to maintain an image of order and authority in the city," the Elf centered in the room stated with seriousness. "We cannot risk that image to be tarnished by the actions of a single individual."
"But it was in self-defense," Sylvie shouted; going for her friend's defense. "She had been abducted in plain daylight! Gods know what could have happened to her; Rose could have been sold, tortured, or even used as a sex slave." Her voice was heard throughout the whole hall.
Many more murmurs were heard, most of them in favor of letting Rose stay after hearing such reasoning.
However-
"Yeah, so?"
-the person she was against was an Elf who looked down on every other race or person that wasn't a God. His line of thought always aimed for the most practical solution… as long as it served his purpose. To him, this was the same as an Adventurer dying in the Dungeon… just things that happen in life.
"The best she could have done was wait, hope, and pray for a better outcome," Royman said, his voice sounding eloquent as he stood firm in his words.
The talks between members resounded again, arguing between each other; never noticed that the door of the hall had partially opened… as silent steps entered the room.
"Are you saying she should have just been left to her fate?" Eina made her voice be heard, in a surprise sound seeing she was known as stern but quiet.
"If she dies, she dies; such is the reality of the world we live in." the older Elf narrowed his eyes at the Half-Elf. "Besides, should we really keep such an animal employed here?"
Unbeknown to Royman, someone in the room had taken that comment personally.
"From what I heard of the Familia Ganesha members; her abductors met a cruel and inhumane fate." He scowled, raising his hand at the silent Rose. "Throats cut through, skulls completely crushed, limbs torn apart…"
The older Elf rejoiced in the silence in the hall; the room was completely his now.
"Do all of you want to work every day on with such an… individual by your side; waiting for a day she may lash out at you all in a fit of anger… do all of you want to be looking wary and over your shoulder every time she's close by?"
The seeds of doubt were planted; its roots growing soon after as small whispers of agreement started to fill the room.
Rose just listened in silence, every word that she heard sounded so distant; her mind was completely out of it. Royman was now making it look like she was an animal that could kill everyone at any moment. Never mind the years she spent serving the Guild; working and helping some of the very people who agreed with Royman.
The worst part was… she couldn't blame them. For years she had kept her Werewolf side in check and today it finally broke out. A part of her even believed some of the other things that Royman had been saying regarding her abduction, even if it would have led to her death…
*thud*
Her eyes opened slightly, feeling someone calmly placing their hand on her head… a familiar feeling invaded him. It was as if her fatigue and everything negative had been drowned out… Indeed, it was a familiar feeling.
Something in her snapped, her mind becoming clearer by the second as a realization hit her… Rose recalled when she had experienced such a feeling.
She looked to the side, her eyes widening in recognition… but also a little bit of fear; the reflection in the eyes of the person next to her was anything but calm, as she was used to seeing, while focusing solely on Royman.
"But-!"
Eina tried to raise another counter-argument, but Royman left no room for anymore words.
"Enough! Miss Tulle!" he raised his voice. "As cruel as it may be; as I mentioned before, she should have waited for things to unfold and if it so happens Fate decided she should breathe her last, then she should have let it happen."
Eina looked down in defeat, the old Elf having completely shut her down.
"By that logic," her eyes snapped, hearing a familiar and obnoxious voice. "You are stating that if someone is in a deathly situation, they should just stand still and pray nothing bad happens instead of doing anything against it?"
Royman sighed with closed eyes, not even caring to look as to who was making such a stupid statement; not realizing someone was now approaching him.
"Of course. What else can the powerless do in that scenario?"
"Good." The person said, far closer than Royman remembered.
Royman opened his eyes, seeing a massive form standing in front of him.
"I take it there will be no complaints if I kill you then, right?" Drake Aurion's words sealed every single noise in the room, with everyone present just staring as if a God had descended in front of them just by the sheer amount of disrespect someone was showing to Royman.
"How dare-"
"Be. Quiet."
The older Elf fell on his knees, to the point they almost broke by the intensity with which they hit the floor.
"It is only fair that you practice what you preach," Drake commented as he looked down on the Elf. "To feel the sense of hopelessness at not being able to do anything, to feeling your whole body betray you when you need it the most, to stay frozen at your inevitable end… that's what a truly powerless person feels when they are threatened… true Despair."
Royman's whole body shook as he looked at the man's abnormal eyes. He gritted his teeth as he looked around for help… but Drake beat him to it; taking a hold of his throat to lift him up and choke him.
Shakti Varma, who had been seeing with widening eyes, tried to step in. Even if she had been warned not to go against Drake, something she wanted to avoid as well, she could not just stand there and watch how the head of the Guild was murdered.
But she could not move any further, stopping dead in her tracks as she heard the indistinguishable sound of chains. The Adventurer looked down, cursing as she saw her own shadow chained in place, making her unable to move.
"He- He-" Royman tried to plead for his life; everyone witnessed how the Elf's face started to change color.
"As much as I would like to see this maggot's death," Shakti's eyes widened, turning her head to see the only person in the room who could stop this; Adam Taurus. "He's the head of the Guild, and Orario will suffer the consequences if he dies prematurely; both economically and order-wise."
Royman had control over some minor Familias that worked for the Guild, after all. Along with that, he was also in charge of all of the deals outside of the city for the trade of goods and such. There was also the fact he had some dirt on many people; secrets that kept them at bay…
If he were to die, who knew what kind of chaos would fall upon Orario?
"You should know, Adam." Drake finally spoke, in a very low tone before tightening his grip. "No one is indispensable," Royman's feet continued to kick in the air as he struggled. "Such is the fate of all mortal life." His eyes started to close, his vision fading along with his consciousness.
Royman fell, gasping for air as he crawled backwards, looking around to see his assailant; his hand still extended after letting Royman go as Rose Fannet calmly had her hand on it.
"I think you scared him enough," the Werewolf said before looking coldly at the Elf. Drake stared at her eyes, not a hint of anything of the Despair that invaded her in sight. He sighed, putting his hand down as she looked at the whole Guild staff; giving a solemn bow.
"I thank you all for working alongside me for many years, along with this workplace for serving as my place of growth. I am fully aware I have shamed this very place with my actions and I will be presenting my resignation letter at a later date." She lifted his head. "Again, thanks you all, and please forgive the position I have put on the Guild in for this."
The only thing that soon followed were her steps, heavier and heavier with each one she took. Drake stared, following her and ignoring all the stares in the process.
"Stop right there," Royman shouted, his face red with ire as he stared at Drake's back; the blonde continued on his trail without care in the world. "Shakti Varma, arrest that man!"
The Adventurer could finally move, but she simply just sighed in exasperation as her face rested on her hand instead of doing as told. "I can't do that."
"Useless!" He looked at Adam, trying his best to save face seeing he was one of Ouranos VIPs. "Mr. Taurus, could you please-"
"Sorry, but this animal has had a rather immersive day and it needs rest," Adam said with a smile, clearly holding a grudge over one of Royman's previous comments. "Ok people, nothing to see here. Just because the Guild closed early doesn't mean you can just stand there; chop chop." He clapped his hands, indicating there was nothing else to see; leaving an infuriated Royman alone.
"Are you sure about this?" Drake asked, standing next to a cloaked Rose close to the Guild. "Because I am sure I can ask that imbecile to tell Ouranos to let you keep your job."
The Imbecile in question was none other than Adam.
"I am wondering exactly what kind of relation the two of you have," Rose said with a chuckle at the hostility he showed in his voice. "It's ok." She sighed. "I should have expected this after Shakti found me."
It was a sad reality.
In society, it is normal for people who went through something to be judged by others. Whether it is the victim or the perpetrator, you will be treated like an outcast most of the time, isolated by that singular group called society. In this case, it wasn't weird if a company were to terminate a victim who was forced to kill someone in self-defense.
"Also, I should thank you… both you and Tsubaki," the latter was obvious why, seeing Rose was unconsciously brushing her concealed choker. As for him… "I know what you did…" she looked at her hand. "But this time, you did something more than just take away my fatigue."
Rose Fannett didn't feel guilty, or anything of that sort… not one bit. All of it seemed to disappear the moment he placed his hand on her. "The first time, I didn't think much about it seeing I just wasn't tired anymore… but this time you took more than that… are you ok?" She was familiar with Skills, and she knew some of them could have serious drawbacks.
"I am used to it," Drake replied, trying to be as truthful as he could, making her sigh at his stubbornness. "What are you going to do now?"
She couldn't help but smile seeing how his tone sounded lower than usual. "I can think of a few things, of course, many of them might be limited when the whole Orario hears about what I did." The Werewolf raised her hands and shrugged with an uncaring smile.
"Only because I took away your Despair away doesn't mean you can be carefree." Drake pinched the bridge between his eyes before noticing her extending hand.
"Despite all of it… it was truly a pleasure," in a weird gesture, she could actually see him frown behind his scarf before taking her hand. "I know you are capable and all… but please be careful in the Dungeon." She meant it, considering past events.
He simply nodded, letting go of her hand before she walked away.
The blonde just stared, seeing her disappear into the crowd.
"I am surprised you let it end like that, considering everything I have heard about you." He looked over his shoulder, staring at Shakti Varma looking at him with a stern face with Adam next to her.
"He hasn't." The Faunus got her attention as Drake just continued to look where Rose used to be. "Don't think I didn't notice what you did to Royman."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Adam ignored her stern face. "You could have easily tortured him from a distance, but opted to put a number in there…" The lack of response from Drake made Adam sigh. "I just need to know… is someone going to die?"
Shakti's eyes widened before looking at Drake. "Royman… no." Shakti sighed. "I am still debating about the other guy."
She raised an eyebrow, ready to question him on the matter; stopping only because Adam prevented her from such.
"See you later, Taurus," Drake said before walking away, leaving Adam and Shakti alone.
"Why didn't you stop him? Even if there's some sort of arrangement in place, he can't just go on and threaten the Guild!"
In that, he agreed for the reason already explained. "Believe me, I know what will happen if that Leprechaun bites the dust." He sighed, recalling the events with Rita earlier in the day. "But I am in no position to counter anything he does."
The Adventurer stared, seeing as Adam seemed to be deep in thought for a second. She sighed in resignation; conforming herself with just knowing.
"Can you at least explain something to me?"
He raised an eyebrow, detecting honest curiosity in her tone.
"What's a Leprechaun?"
Adam simply snorted as his reply.
"I hear no complaints about this." Drake walked through the streets, waiting for his brother's replies on the matter.
His reply came in the form of Zelos materializing next to him, wrapping his arm around his neck.
"Zelos here, being the voice of everyone in saying you have a green light." The redhead replied, speaking in his left ear as if it were a devil on his shoulder.
"Huh… was expecting Lloyd or Flynn to say something about the other guy."
'Kids are scary, Jack.' Yuri made his voice heard, quoting a rather infamous line. 'If no one sets them straight, this is the kind of shit that happens.'
Drake really hated how much that reference fitted on the occasion. "Good… then I am gonna-"
"Leave it to me."
The blonde raised an eyebrow at his best friend, stopping as the redhead started walking ahead before turning around. "Give me an hour, I will set him up nicely for you." Zelos replied, going on his way before being left alone.
He clenched his fist, gritting his teeth for a moment because of the whole stupidity of the situation; not helping but feeling responsible every step of the way.
His name was… that wasn't important.
He was just another one of the bunch, born in the slums of the city of Orario.
People called him a brat, a kid, a waste of space and so on.
He didn't know his parents, nor did he care at this age. For all he knew, they could be dead, and the sole reason to visit their tombs was to rob them of their possession.
That was the type of life he lived.
Stealing, taking shady jobs for others… seeing the 'wealthy' and those with roofs to sleep under… he hated them all, feeling their pity or outright ignorance of his existence. However, his age came with some advantages sometimes, using their very pity for his own gain.
Like today, setting up a Guild worker to be taken hostage. The money he got was enough to live well for a few weeks. But it seemed like his work for the day wasn't done.
"Soma Familia?" The boy asked, being approached by two old Adventures for another job offer. They took him to another person… long red hair, wealthy clothes, tattooed hands, positive attitude… and rich by the looks of it, the kind of people he hated the most.
"A little birdy told me you already had experience with various kinds of jobs," One of the Adventurers said with a devilish smile. "Luckily for you, you have to deliver something for us," he showed him an envelope. "Just deliver this to the head of the Guild, and leave; no exchange of words needed or anything like that."
The eyes of the kid widened, seeing a big bag of Valis being thrown on the ground… and another one on the hand of the men in front of him. "The one on the ground is an incentive for taking the job," he looked at the one on his hand. "This one is after you complete it."
The eyes of the boy sparkled, seeing something that he could never imagine… an opportunity that would never present itself again.
"So… do we have a deal?" Zelos Wilder smiled, perfectly playing the role of the Devil.
Royman laid back in his chair… more like slammed himself against it; growling as he recalled today's events.
He loosened up the collar of his shirt, softly caressing his neck; the phantom pain of being strangled still felt fresh.
"Animals, idiots, incompetents! I am surrounded by fucking mongrels!" he went for his drawer, taking out an expensive bottle for his exclusivity only along with a shot glass.
Of course, he wasn't gonna let that bastard blonde walk away so easily… at least that was the plan. Shakti Varma had approached him a while ago, specifying that just like Adam Taurus, his aggressor also seemed to be a VIP for the god he served.
He gulped down a full shot in anger, slamming the glass on the table. Of course, it made sense to him as to why the green-eyed freak would have the audacity to choke him in front of his workers.
'He thinks that because he's under Ouranos' protection, he can do whatever he wants!'
A second shot went down his throat.
The simple thought of it reminded him of the time he was introduced to Adam Taurus. The Elf recalled he had done his best not to scoff after seeing the man's horns. But he had to put even more effort into saving face due to having to bow to an inferior being.
A third shot down.
At the very least, Adam hadn't bothered him in a single way; except for jobs that directly involved Ouranos.
Royman sighed, serving himself another shot; thinking that there was no hand to play in his favor to get back at the blonde bastard… well, there was something.
Rose Fannett.
Someone who had been working for the Guild even before Orario's dark days.
Of course, he didn't like the girl but he had to play by the rules and for her to make mistakes… something that never happened.
As much as he hated to admit it, Rose had been the face of perfection and stoicism in the Guild. The person every member looked for when they had doubts or problems, hoping for a solution they could reach with her insight. Above all else, she knew how to deal with Adventurers like Finn Deinme, Princess Riveria, or even some Gods by knowing what to say.
But that didn't change the fact she was a Werewolf; sooner or later her instincts would take over and she would make a mess… something that happened today in a rather spectacular fashion.
He stood up with his drink in hand, making his way to the window to watch the sun finally going down, it was finally nighttime.
Usually, the Guild staff would be leaving by now. But thanks to today's events, he issued an order to work after hours to make up for the lost time. Some workers might be underwhelmed with today's events… but such is life; they would get over it eventually.
He went to gulp his drink-
*CRACK*
Only to spit it as he heard something breaking. He sighed, seeing the bottle he had been drinking from on the floor, broken. His eyes narrowed, the bottle had been left at the center of his table… and now it lay broken on the top of his carpet floor… weird.
"What a waste." He sighed, opting to leave someone else to clean that tomorrow. The Elf went for his chair, laying back as he sighed, deciding to take a short break… until he felt someone getting a hold of his chair from behind.
"Rooooyyyymaaaan."
His eyes snapped open, falling back along with his chair.
He rolled on the floor, looking around erratically from left to right as a monstrous and hollow voice continued calling his name; getting louder by the second, never noticing the black energy surging from his neck, invading all of his senses… making everything around him look darker and darker.
"Rooooyyyymaaaan."
"Wh-who's there!? Stay back!" he used the wall to stand up, rushing to the table to grab a letter opener with a sharp point. "Show yourself!"
Most of the room had darkened… all but the door. However, it soon seemed like someone… or something was trying to enter as hard knocks were heard.
"S-stay away, I said!"
His words were ignored, just as the door banged open; darkening the rest of the room to show some dark amorphous Monsters resembling humanoid figures barging in; calling his name as they got closer.
He aimed with his letter opener as if it were a knife, a futile attempt to keep them away seeing they kept getting closer.
The Elf gritted his teeth, seeing one of them manage to grab his shoulder, making him feel an inhumane chill run down his spine before snapping.
"HELP!" he shouted, waving his 'knife' to cut the Monster's arm before dashing to the door. The head of the Guild stopped, eyes widening at seeing he was in a completely unrecognizable place… a place void of everything… all but complete darkness.
His ears twitched, seeing the Monsters coming after him. He ran without any direction or real objective in mind other than staying alive.
Royman fell, feeling as if he had given a step into an empty space. It hurt, rolling until finally felt he had crashed against an invisible wall.
"ROYMAN!"
He looked around, noticing there were even more Monsters than before. All of them looked at him, approaching him slowly. The Elf panted, breathing erratically as he waved his weapon around, surprisingly seeming to have an effect as they took a step back… as if they were wary of him.
"Not one move, vermins! I will not hesitate to kill you where you stand!" his hands and everything else trembled; all bravado… but he would still try to do it out of fear. He walked back, preparing to run once again, but his eyes widened, seeing even more of the same dark figures standing in front of him… dozens upon dozens.
He shouted in horror, turning paler as he felt their gazes on him. His legs wanted to give up, not being able to take a single step.
His screams suddenly stopped, feeling again the cold… inhumane sensation running invading his whole body. His eyes moved to the side, seeing one of the creatures getting a hold of his arm… a creature of his own height… no, it was slightly smaller than him.
His eyes widened, his teeth gritted, and the grip on his trusty letter opener tightened.
Royman yanked his arm back before lunging on the smaller Monster; pinning him down before retrieving his weapon, raising with both arms to stab the creature once more… only to be brutally tackled into the ground before being subdued.
His screams continued on, hearing the voices of the Monsters… becoming clearer and louder the more he heard them.
"Royman!"
His eyes snapped… as if he had been put out of a trance.
The first thing he noticed was that he was being subdued on the ground, by one of his workers no left. And the second one was that he was outside of the Guild with a lot of people, civilians and passerbys, looking at him in fear.
"Le- Let me go you imbecile! You are making a scene!" the Elf shouted outraged at the indignity he was going through. But to his surprise, the worker just scowled at him.
"I can't do that, sir," his worker replied, a deep scowl and anger displayed in his face. "You have already done enough damage."
His anger increased, preparing to lash out once more before noticing there was another group of people close by. Many of his workers were part of that group… but they weren't looking at him.
"Does someone have a potion!? Hurry!" One of the Guild members shouted, seeing many others kneeling on the ground… giving first aid to someone.
The eye of the older Elf widened… managing to see a small bloodied arm while the rest of the people covered the scene. Royman looked to the ground close to him, seeing his letter opener bloodied…
Realization finally struck him.
Meanwhile, from the roof a couple of houses away, a familiar pair of emerald glowing eyes looked at the scene with a neutral expression.
"Crumble."
Rose Fannett ran her hand through the humid mirror of her bathroom.
The person she was seeing on it didn't feel like her at all. It was such… an alien feeling; not being able to feel any sort of guilt at all. And the more time passed, the less she thought about her actions today.
She sighed, letting a soft chuckle escape. Sadly, the Werewolf was now going through one of the stages in her life she had long left behind… being unemployed.
Yeah, the work in the Guild was tedious… but it was also the one with the most order in terms of environment.
What was that supposed to mean?
Leaving aside the fact that the Werewolf was kind of a workaholic, there was still a limit to how much she was willing to work if the environment was… toxic; working for a Familia for example.
"Demeter would be my best choice; the kindest Goddess in Orario would most likely accept me in helping her with all the documentation of her Familia." she started to ponder out loud, sitting on a chair in the bathroom as she ran a towel through her body. "But I am sure she would also put me to work on the fields."
Rose would sit three whole hours doing everyone's paperwork rather than doing farm work.
"Ganesha…" the image of the God shouting his name flew through her mind. "Nope." There was so much certainty in his voice that God would sneeze at that very moment
"Loki…" easy no. "Sexual harassment is something I will never tolerate."
… Frey-
"Fuck no." she interrupted her own thought before even completing it. "I would prefer to keep my mind as my own, thank you very much."
"…" she stared at her white wet floor before going for her room, thinking about the last Goddess she had a meeting with. "Hephaestus."
Organized, responsible, respectable; the very image of the hard-working Goddess in a World where many of those just came here for a vacation… the only issue was-
"Tsubaki."
'Hey~' the image of the Captain of the Hephaestus Familia came to mind; giving her a smug look as her eyebrows wiggled.
Rose groaned, letting her back fall on her bed as she closed her eyes; putting a stop to her thinking for a moment.
"There's also Soma Familia."
Her eyes opened slightly, moving her head at the sound of a familiar voice, looking out the window in her room to see the back of a waving hand outside of her window.
The Werewolf stood up, going for the window-
"Only because I have seen everything you have to offer, it doesn't mean the whole world should see it, as well." His words stopped her, making her look down to see she only had a towel resting around her shoulder.
Her lips twitched upwards, denying the obvious blush of embarrassment displayed in her face as she put on a bathrobe.
"How long have you been there?" Those were Rose's first words after opening the window, looking to the side to see Drake sitting on the end of her roof.
"Since you were taking a bath…" Drake snorted. "A full hour bath; and Zelos says women only take an eternity deciding what to wear." He looked at her, deciding to drop the subject seeing how her ear kept twitching.
She sighed. "You know, the point of saying goodbyes entails not meeting each other for a while… especially not after only a few hours."
His face softened behind his scarf. "I needed to see you."
His sudden declaration made her blush.
'Wording, dumbass.' His brothers berated him.
"Did you write your resignation letter?"
The tone of the conversation shifted, making her frown a little; quickly changing to a sad smile before sighing.
"Yes. Ready to deliver it to-"
"Do you have a spare uniform?" she raised an eyebrow, looking confused at him. "Yes but-"
"Good, wear it. Tomorrow you are gonna go to work as always; your resignation letter will be rejected on the spot."
Her eyes widened, then went back to normal to stare in a hint of disbelief before scowling a little.
"… What did you do?" Rose would like to think she knew him enough to know he had pulled something.
"Me, nothing… technically." How he hated his inability to lie.
His reply only started to annoy her. "Whatever it is you did, you can't expect me to walk in tomorrow like normal after what I did."
"I don't expect you to." He stated. "What happened today can't be changed. And you and everyone who knows are gonna have to live with the fact one way or another."
Despite feeling calm about the incident now, she couldn't help but frown when it came from him.
"Wait and Hope; that is what all the wisdom and effort of Mortals can be summed up with. Some people will murmur behind your back, some may not. But I can assure you that will be easily foreshadowed by other events."
Despite her attitude, she couldn't help but wonder again what exactly he did to be so sure the Werewolf would be allowed to return to work.
Her eyes zoned on his own. Even though he was staring down at the street, his eyes looked to the sideline, looking at her own. Nothing but determination could be seen reflected in those emerald orbs.
She sighed in defeat, shrugging with a snort as she decided to humor him.
"At this rate, I am even convinced you might as well drag me there yourself."
He fully turned to her. "I would have woken you up and made you breakfast before doing so."
'Oh, the House Husband Experience… sure would like to see that.' She honestly considered the idea, seeing the seriousness in his tone. The redhead took a deep breath, calming her heart. Yes, she agreed to humor him in his request… but she needed to know-
"Why?" her words left her mouth before finishing her thoughts. "Why go through all of this for me?" even if the details were scarce, the fact that he was doing far more than a mere acquaintance or friend would do remained. No, Rose was too pragmatic to accept such a vague explanation. "Why go to this lengths for me?"
They stared at each other for a second. Surprisingly, it seemed it ended in her victory seeing he sighed. But instead of giving her an explanation, he went for his jacket to take out a wrinkled letter.
She received it, slowly opening it before reading the contents… her teeth gritted. "What the fuck is the meaning of this?"
'We have taken Rose Fannett hostage. If you do want to see her again, come along to this location at night time. If we do discover you have asked for help, her life will be forfeited.'
Everything that has happened today… was because she had been acquainted with Drake.
At that moment, her very own rule of keeping Adventurers away came to mind… to avoid situations like this.
At least now she understood why the letter had been so wrinkled; his reaction had probably been no better than hers.
She breathed in, and out.
Rose didn't blame him… if anything, she blamed herself for making it look like there was something between them. At least her curiosity was now sated… so then, why did she feel so disappointed?
"It isn't your fault."
He snorted. "Maybe from your point of view… but I just can't let someone innocent pay for something that relates to me."
'… At least you are responsible.' She thought, unknowingly smiling a little as she secured the letter. "You don't have to worry about me… everything turned ok in the end. Even if you feel this is your fault, I appreciate you giving me a helping hand."
She felt tired with this whole revelation.
At this point, she was just annoyed with herself. Deciding not to pursue any kind of relationship with Drake that wasn't platonic… and here she was now, feeling saddened it was not to directly help her.
"I seem to recall you have worked as the Hostess." Her sharp mind came into play, recalling his side job. "It is already night time, I am sure Mia is having her hands full in her pub."
He didn't say anything… instead only staring at her before nodding.
"Take care, Rose."
She nodded, just as he dropped off her roof; soon disappearing into the crowd below.
Rose closed her windows and curtains, gripping her hands on them before looking at the letter with disdain… her eyes narrowing at the handwrite… a very familiar one.
'You know… you could have said, 'I would have helped you, even if I hadn't been involved~''
Drake just walked through the streets, ignoring Luke's comments… not wanting to think about it for a second.
'He knows…' Guy said. 'But in her state, she would have thought of his actions as him taking pity on her.'
Points to the oldest Guardian for saving him the trouble of explaining.
However, there was another reason why he didn't say those words… Rose was a good person… a very outstanding person… one who seemed to be on the verge of making the biggest mistake of her life if he didn't put a stop to it.
Just like Hephaestus, and Ryuu… he wasn't dense, he knew the signs.
And he eventually was gonna have to put a break on all those heart trains before things got worse.
'You can't keep running away from this.' Zelos commented, just between the two of them.
'You call it running… I call it me saving them from pursuing something that isn't there.'
There was a cold snort on the receiving end. 'Because you don't allow it.'
The scars under his armband ached, making him grab his forearm out of instinct.
'Because I don't deserve it.'
"This is a fucking mess!" Shakti Varma slammed her fist on a table, breaking it in an instant seeing she didn't care to measure her strength.
"Oh, yeah. What a shame." On a table not too far away from her, Adam Taurus lazily replied as he drank a bottle of Soma beer and enjoyed a chicken shawarma. "Can you please tone it down, I am trying to eat in peace."
They were currently in her office. She had requested Adam to stay in an attempt to convince him to stop whatever Drake was planning… or rather, had planned.
Not long ago a notice had arrived for her; Royman had been arrested after threatening various Guild Members, harming one of her fellow Adventurers… and almost killing a child.
She had ordered some vigilance on him without the Elf knowing. Ready to act in case something did happen to Royman…
"What exactly does Drake expect to get out of this?" she asked, waiting for an answer that never came. The Adventurer scowled, turning around to see Adam eating while staring boringly at her.
"Ah… you meant me."
Adam didn't like her… she was fully aware of it.
He had told her in front of her face a year ago. But he never went into the reason as to why.
The only reason they interacted with each other was solely because they were on the same side. She could even tell that the only reason as to why he came to her rescue from Drake a few months ago was for that very reason.
"You know what Royman means to Orario! You should have prioritized his protection."
He snorted. "Pretty sure that was your job," he took a sip of his beer, his smirk wiping off his face. "I am fully aware how important Royman is… and so is Drake… that's the only reason as to why Royman is still alive. For now."
She stopped in her tracks, her eyes widened as she heard those words… not understanding the logic behind them.
And so… Adam explained it.
"It was all for Rose's Fannet sake."
Drake could have easily done what he did to Royman from a distance, without making a scene in front of the whole staff.
So why do that?
To save face.
"I… I don't understand." Shakti tried to rationalize again, but could not understand the logic behind Drake's action.
Adam narrowed his eyes, looking at the table. The moment Royman's news reached their ears, it had become quite clear what Drake's intentions were.
Injecting Royman with Despair, unleashing it at the most opportune time for his plan to take effect; to the Elf, everyone around him must have looked like Monsters, making him sink deeper into Despair.
After the speech the Elf had given about norms and the dangers of working with someone dangerous… it only seemed fair that his own rules applied to himself, as well.
Little by little, the whole scene started to take shape in Shakti's mind.
Rose Fannett.
The Werewolf fought for her life and decided she would quit her work at the Guild at the petition of the establishment. Walking out after giving a speech and leaving with her head raised… accepting her 'crime' and the unfair punishment placed on her by Royman.
On the other hand, Royman Mardell.
The greedy Elf everyone in the Guild knew. Besides his past actions, behavior, and racist slur; He went crazy for no apparent reason, threatened his workers and nearly killed a child… and then tried to deny any crime or involvement in the incident.
Out of the two people… who was shown in a better light… it wasn't even a fair question.
Of course, Royman wasn't going to be fired from the Guild because of his importance… but his reputation was in the dirt now. Even his workers would do more than just take his order quietly; glares, insults, disrespect… that was all that was expected, not only in the Guild but also in Orario as well.
"The damn Elf has no other choice but to take Rose back," Shakti concluded, seeing as at least that would help him save some face. if he didn't do it, the Guild would face some kind of lack of order eventually; refusing to work with someone who doesn't even accept his own faults…contrary to Rose.
"That's what you meant by saving face."
"Drake understands how groups… how people think. So his plan most likely works when Rose arrives tomorrow at the Guild with her resignation letter. Royman will be there, in front of the whole staff to give some bullshit speech… ending in establishing Rose as a Guild member."
Adam's words made her grit her teeth.
"And getting a child involved was also part of his Master plan!?"
Drake might be an asshole, but he would never involve those that didn't have anything to do with what was going on.
"Rose had been baited using a vagrant kid… if I had to guess, the two kids in question might be the same."
Shakti stood quiet… in a sense, she didn't see a problem since all of those involved ended up paying in some way.
"… At least the child lived."
Adam's face turned serious without her noticing; knowing Drake and given the scenario… there was no such thing as a half-punishment.
His eyes snapped wide open with a gasp.
He quickly sat, noticing one of his hands were chained to the handle of a bed… a very comfy bed.
It was after a few seconds that he realized he was in a patient's room. His eyes widened as he recalled how he got here.
He had been paid a big amount of Valis to deliver a single letter to the head of the Guild. The best part was, he didn't need to enter the Guild; he was told the recipient would be outside at a certain time… and so it was.
He had approached him, getting a hold of his arm… yet the next thing he knew he had been stabbed and forced into the ground… the child grabbed the side of his head; recalling how it felt, the voices and the chaos around him.
Everything… including his wound.
He lifted his clothes, noticing that there was the sign of a wound that seemed to have been treated already in that spot.
"You don't have to worry about that."
Vision snapped at the sound of a familiar voice.
There he was, the red-headed man that paid for the job; stepping out the dark corner of the room… as if he had always been there.
"I… I am sorry, I couldn't-"
"Relax, kid." Zelos said, placing a huge bag of Valis on the bed. "You did everything we expected out of you. So here's your pay."
The kid that had set up Rose didn't read too much into Zelos' words, his greed feeding his mind with happiness as he saw his reward.
However, the surprises didn't end there, seeing as how Zelos had placed another bag of Valis next to the earlier one.
"And this!?" the boy asked excitedly, seeing so much money at his disposal, never noticing Zelos' dark gaze.
"Consider it an extra, seeing as you are gonna have it hard from now on."
"… Huh?" the boy asked, confused, and then finally noticing Zelos' expression. "Wh- what do you mean, Mister?"
"Oh, didn't you hear? Apparently, you are gonna get charged with trying to mug Royman, ain't that funny?"
It wasn't, not at all.
"But, but, but… I just did as you told me to!" his scream didn't show any of his previous joy. He tried to get up from the bed and get closer, but the chains around his hand didn't let him move… it was then that he finally understood why the chains were there.
"You did. But apparently, good old Roy went crazy and attacked you," Zelos shrugged. "Instead of accepting his fault, he claimed you were trying to mug him."
The child became pale… seeing that the power of a higher person in their society was forcing him down.
"I beg of you… please… help me out." the boy said, tears starting to roll down.
Zelos could say he cared, but he honestly did not.
The moment that kid willingly chose to take the work of leading Rose to her fate… all sympathy was lost to him and the rest.
This may look like a similar case to Lili. Born in poverty, with nothing at all, always fighting in some way to survive.
Hell, Lili might have been worse on the large scale of things.
But there were a few differences. One, Drake was using Lili, just like she was trying to get something out of him; being that was the initial reason why he chose to keep her around. Two, and the most important one, Lili recognized her mistakes and fought to change her lifestyle.
Although it wouldn't be fair if the brat in front of him wasn't given some sort of chance.
"Here." Zelos snapped his fingers, making the chains around his hand break in an instant. "The way I see it you have two choices."
"One, stay here and take the punishment given to you. Two, test your luck and run-"
Zelos never got to finish the sentence, seeing the boy stand up and take the bags; dragging them through the floor seeing he wasn't strong to lift them both.
The moment he saw an easy out, the brat took his reward and forgot about everything else.
… Zelos Wilder couldn't help but laugh.
"I expect no complaints from this, Lloyd."
'… None.'
Drake had promised nobody would die, directly or indirectly.
However, everyone involved had to pay in some way… that's why he was given those choices… and now, his fate was sealed.
The whole thing with Royman's statement had been a lie… everyone had seen what he did, so there was no way to bullshit his way out of it. But the brat didn't need to know that now, did he?
Now, it was only a matter of time before the streets did its jobs. A young kid with two huge bags of Vali in the lowest parts of the city… might as well be a wrapped present at this point.
"Fuck around, and find out." Zelos sighed, staring at the door where the kid left. "Karma gets everyone in the end."
Adam sighed, reaching the conclusion that whatever was going to happen to that kid… it wouldn't be pretty.
"All of that, all that mess, chaos… just for one person."
Shakti's anger returned after finally understanding everything. However, her words made Adam sit straight, a scowl on his face.
"Make no mistake, Drake would have helped Rose in some other way had the situation been different." Her anger resided, looking at him in confusion before he explained what happened with the letter… her skin became pale the moment she heard the contents… it all seemed very familiar to her.
"Rings a bell… doesn't it?" he stood up, taking a bite of his food before walking to the door. "I happened to spot the Captain of a certain Familia this very morning. Say, did you know they were back in town?"
Shakti shook her head, stating the truth of the matter. "Adam, if he's really back in Orario… and he's Drake's new admiration…" she didn't dare to finish the sentence.
A person that took no bullshit from the Gods.
And the God whose obsession with certain individuals was as bad as Freya's…
… It would be disastrous.
"I am gonna be honest… part of me can't wait for it to happen." Adam walked out of the room, leaving Shakti with a migraine as she prayed things wouldn't escalate.
"Well… that was a fine mess."
Two people walked through the busy streets of Orario, one of them with a neutral expression that vaguely resembled a scowl… and the other, a God who always had a mischievous smile on his face.
"I can only be relieved that things turned out ok, Lord Hermes." Asfi Al Andromeda stated, recalling how things got so out of hand the moment Rose Fannett decided to not play her role of damsel in distress.
"Such a shame though, after all it took to gather members of Ikelos Familia…" he sighed in defeat. "I mean, the plan always was to deal with them in the end but…" Hermed tipped his hat down a bit, hiding his eyes as his smile faded for a moment. "But not in a way I hadn't scripted…" his foolishness returned. "Since when does the rescue target save herself; that isn't how it is meant to unfold."
Asfi sighed.
It all started when Hermes had an incognito meeting with a certain 'pretty bird'.
Asfi wasn't allowed in the meeting for obvious reasons… but when her God had come out, he had that smile plastered on his face; a smile she hated most among all the ones he made.
The pretty bird had already gathered enough information about the target, including a person of interest; Rose Fannett.
From there, it was the usual stage setting; getting the antagonist, delivering the message, and waiting for things to unfold… of course, the last one didn't happen as they expected.
The members of Ikelos Familia were meant to die at the hands of the 'Hero' but Rose decided to take the role for herself… somehow managing to finish them all by herself.
They were curious, of course; how could a Mortal without a Falna pull such a stunt? Even if Rose was a Werewolf, a Level Two Adventurer was something she should have not have ever been capable of defeating.
They tried to approach her… but then there was a problem in sight that forced them not to.
Adam Fucking Taurus.
Asfi clenched her fists as he recalled the horned man.
They didn't expect the target and him to be acquittanced when she had gone to the Guild early in the morning to look after Rose.
When informed about it, Hermes' smile just widened; seeing an opportunity she did not. But only time will tell in that aspect.
However, she could just forget seeing Adam again… her hands hurt just remembering their latest encounter. Her anger resided, feeling her hand being wrapped by her God's.
"Easy Asfi… an opportunity will present itself," Hermes' kind smile made her relax. "And we will pay with interest for what he did… he, and his God."
Asfi nodded, while Hermes wondered again about his Hero candidate.
Destroying Aeshma's breeding operation, cleaning up the mess that was Soma Familia… going on par against Loki Familia.
Yes… a good prospect indeed.
Sadly, the chance to see his heroic prowess was ruined… but another opportunity would present itself eventually.
There was also the fact that Hephaestus might know him, seeing as Tsubaki was seen with him in the Guild, and they were apparently on good terms.
"Looks like I'm gonna have to pay Phae a visit." He thought out loud, smiling as they reached their destination… the Hostess of Fertility.
Despite the lost chance he had prepared today, that didn't mean he couldn't come directly to the guy.
"Let's go, Asfi! Let's meet our future source of entertainment!"
Asfi sighed, praying to whoever deity was receiving her prayers to give her strength.
"Mia! The man of your dream has returned."
Asfi groaned as they stepped inside the pub.
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
"OH FUCK OFF ALREADY!"
The walls of the Hostess were shattered, leaving a hole in place after a certain God had been sent through it.
Meanwhile, in the Hostess, everyone saw as the perpetrator retracted his fist. Blinking a few times before looking back to the person at his right… the original person the fist was intended for; Zelos Wilder.
"Damn, bud! I can't believe you would confuse me for such a ripoff!" Zelos feigned being insulted, all while Drake looked at Mia; her jaw completely dropped as he stared at him… only to be soon replaced by a red scowl.
"Ah… seriously, fuck this day,"
AN:
-How was that? Do you think it OOC for Hermes to pull this shit? After all, in Season 1 Hermes used Mord to abduct Hestia and used a letter to attract Bell for a fight.
-Rose's 'farewell' was meant to be a little light hearted. But my Beta reader agreed with me that this one was more realistic. (Beta-reader: obviously, you fuck -_-)
-Besides that, there's nothing much to say besides the fact the next chapter is going to be the calm before the storm… Honestly, not sure how many words that's gonna take. (Beta reader: Great -_-)
