Zrocker119: Well, I can't remember how long it was between the last two chapters, but this one at least feels like it didn't take as long. Now, a lot has happened since I last posted. A LOT of information has been revealed in JJK(including the passing of one of my favorite characters T-T). But worry not, none of the reveals will affect my plans for the story.
Now, about the last chapter, more than a few reviews were left about how the fight between Choso and Marcus went down. While I understand that many felt that everyone's favorite older brother fell too easily, no it wasn't due to any sort of 'nerf'. There's a reason he was as caught off guard as he was, as will be explained in this chapter.
One last thing, I apologize for any typos or grammar errors. I use Grammarly, but lately, it feels like the free version doesn't off nearly as much help as it used to and I ain't paying for the premium!
-Chapter 9-
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The smell was the first to registered to Irene. One that stank of spilled blood and meat that was beginning to spoil and rot. Though it had been centuries since she had last stood amongst one, the once queen could never forget the smell of a battlefield. No matter how much she dearly wished that she could banish those memories.
But why? Why was it this horrible stench that greeted their long overdue return? All of these thoughts flooded into her mind as she and the others stood amidst the remnants of what had once been their home.
The home that Yuji had opened up to Irene when she had been at her lowest. The house where the two had raised Erza into a bright and happy child. The toys they had made. The pictures they had taken.
All of it was gone.
Irene blinked. She silently prayed to whatever deity would listen that she was stuck in a horrible nightmare. That she simply had to wake up and it would all go away. But this wasn't a bad dream. This was reality. And she knew that there would be no waking from it.
And worst of it all. Irene had no way of knowing where her daughter was.
"W-what happened to this place? Where are we?"
Her eyes snapped open. Turning, she looked to Ur, who was still leaning against her for support. Amongst the rise of despair, she had almost forgotten about the presence of her and Yuji's tag-a-longs.
The ice wizards each appeared to be on the verge of throwing up. The carnage that now surrounded them put the previous villages to shame. Whereas Deliora's rampage had left little behind in terms of human remains due to the destructive nature of its power, the same could not be said for those who had raised Rosemary to the ground.
Bodies were strewn about the streets. Many of which were in various states of dismemberment. The humid spring weather sped up the decay rate, saturating the air with a foul scent that caused the mages to gag. Gray was unable to keep it together and emptied the contents of his stomach, with Lyon following suit a second later.
Irene looked to Yuji, who, much like her, hadn't so much as spoken a single word since their arrival. His gaze was alarmingly blank and stood so impossibly still that he appeared to not even breathe. Then, in the next instant, life returned to him as his eyes locked on to the destroyed home of their neighbors Sid and Kaguya.
She blinked and found Yuji gone, now standing before the ruins of their friend's home. As the others gave startled shouts and moved to catch up, Yuji pointed two fingers at the pile of rubble and swiped to the side. In an instant, stone, wood, and mortar were all assaulted by a barrage of hundreds of slashes all invisible to the naked eye, reduced to not but the finest particles of dust.
The act revealed the body that had been buried underneath it all.
Irene, having caught up to him, let out a horrified gasp.
"Choso!"
The man's body was in a horrible state. His chest appeared to have been carved open with his internal organs threatening to spill out. The way he lay sprawled over the rubble left his head lulled at an awkward angle, allowing them to see something metallic protruding from his neck.
Just as Irene felt tears begin to gather, she noticed something off.
Yuji didn't appear saddened at the sight of his slain brother. No. Much to her confusion and horror, he seemed almost annoyed, exasperated even.
"What happened?" He asked the corpse.
And to the shock of everyone else present, there was a response.
"Left for my yearly visit to the others," Choso's eyes opened. "I returned to find the village under attack."
His aloof expression was ever-present. Acting as if he wasn't currently lying down gutted and with his throat pierced. He grunted, coughing up blood. "Remove the blade from my spine. Can't heal properly with it blocking the signals to the rest of my body."
"H-hold on," spoke Ur. "I don't know how he's even alive right now, but we shouldn't touch him until-"
Her words went ignored. Walking up to his brother, Yuji pinched the inch or two of metal sticking out of his neck and pulled. The sound of the blade slipping from its fleshy imprisonment sent a chill up the wizard's spine, but Choso himself barely flinched.
The moment the forearm-length blade was free, the wound immediately began to emit a large amount of steam and stitched closed within a matter of seconds. The instant he could feel anything below his neck, Choso reached out with an open hand that Yuji took.
Hauled to his feet, the elder brother massaged his neck, working the stiffness out. Once it was nice and loosened, he felt something off around his stomach. Upon looking down, he saw what the issue was.
His small intestine was partially hanging out of the open wound, obstructing the healing process. Rather than try and stuff them back in, he manipulated the blood within his organs and willed it back through the gash, sealing it closed once his insides were back where they belonged. Soon enough, he sported no evident wounds, not even scars remained.
"W-woah." The two youngest wizards quietly exclaimed. The boys were both equally fascinated/disgusted by the process.
"Choso!" Setting Ur on a nearby pile of rubble, Irene pushed past Yuji and grabbed the man by his shoulders. Desperation shone in her eyes. "Choso! Where is Erza!? Where is my daughter!?"
At the mention of the young girl, Choso gave a quiet sigh.
"She was taken with the rest," He gave a cursory glance at the area that had once held the captive villagers. "Judging by the lack of footprints and that I can't sense the mages that were with them, I'm guessing they used a mass teleportation technique."
"That explains the residual trail suddenly stopping," Yuji spoke. He had picked up on the foreign energies the moment they showed up. The largest concentration of which was located at the village center. But he was more concerned about how his brother had ended up in such a state.
"Were they strong?"
"I only sensed one of note. The rest were fodder like that one over there," Choso gestured towards a body that was only partially cut in half. "Blonde. Wore a lot of white. Fired lightning at me and used some sort of shield that vaporized my blood."
"But there was another one. The one I properly fought. He was…weird. For a lack of a better word."
Yuji's eyebrows rose. The two of them had experienced much throughout their extraordinarily long lives. For his brother to declare something out of the ordinary, then it must be something big.
"How so?"
"He had little magic energy. Would barely class as a 4th Grade." Choso grunted. It was evident that he was more than simply annoyed. "By the time I started to realize what I was going against…well you saw the state I was in."
"...I see," Yuji spoke. But there was an odd inflection in his voice.
Confused, Irene turned to question what they were going on about. But the moment saw Yuji's expression, the words died in her throat.
He was smiling.
All of this death and destruction surrounded them, and Yuji was smiling! She wanted to be angry, more so than she already was by what had happened to their home and their daughter.
But just as Irene was about to explode, she felt that something was off about what she was seeing. Putting a stranglehold on her rage, she stared, studying his features for a moment before realization hit her.
Irene knew Yuji's smile. He always smiled, whether it be at some dumb joke when he played with Erza and the other kids. When he would tease her. He was always looking for a reason to be all smiles and "good vibes" as he called it.
In her darker moments, when she had been on the cusp of giving up, he had been there to pull her away from that edge. And he had done so with that smile of his. That simple expression always radiated warmth and reassurance. That everything would be okay.
This…this wasn't one of those smiles. This wasn't "his" smile. This one had a sinisterness that didn't belong on his face.
"Though he has longs since been devoured by my psyche, bits of his personality come forth when I feel intense emotions."
The words he had spoken during their last intimate moment came racing forth. And with them, the anger she had instinctively directed at him fell to the wayside.
Yuji speaking brought her out of her thoughts. And much to her relief, he was no longer smiling. "How long ago did this happen?"
"A couple minutes at most." Choso had stopped his heart the moment he was buried, restarting it roughly ten seconds afterward. It was a crude but highly effective method that the brothers used when one needed to other to come post haste.
"Please tell me you placed something on one of them?" questioned Yuji.
Choso crossed his arms with a scoff. Holding out a hand with his fingers curled like claws he made a pulling gesture. With a slick, wet sound, all of his blood that had been spilled throughout the short battle peeled off of whatever surface it had been splattered across. Even the bits that had been detonated over a mile away in the forest came surging forth. It flowed past the mages where it briefly surrounded Choso in a continuous ring before being absorbed back into his body and turned into cursed energy.
A small portion didn't though and instead formed a small orb that hovered between his clenched fingers before crystallizing. He tossed the marble-sized orb to his brother.
"Took a shot in the dark and managed to sneak one of these into the group before they disappeared." Even as he spoke, Choso was keeping a lock on the minuscule portion of his essence. Much like the blood bond between him and his brother, no amount of distance could stop him from sensing it. Nothing short of it being sent to another realm could sever the connection.
Even so, he could sense that the orb was far. Very, very far.
Yuji tossed it back to his brother where it quickly dissolved and returned to his body. So, they had a way to track them. This was good. Very good. Now they just needed to go and get her back. But there were a few things he needed to do first.
Looking over his shoulder, he eyed Ur and her boys. He had promised them shelter until Ur was fit and capable, but with the unforeseen destruction of his home, that was no longer possible. But he couldn't just abandon them.
He suddenly stiffened as a thought came to mind. Yeah. Yeah, that might work.
Turning away from the others, he made of show of searching through his hoodie, but in reality, a second mouth had formed on his ribs. Reaching inside, he retrieved an effigy that appeared to be made out of fine, fibrous material and was roughly shaped like a human. It was a small thing. Barely even occupied the palm of his hand.
He turned to the others and showed it to the others. Choso, the only other one besides Yuji who understood its purpose, could only widen his eyes as Yuji pumped his cursed energy into it, causing it to burst into purple flames. A few moments later it was reduced to little more than ash that was then blown away by the cool breeze.
Irene was the first to speak. "What was that?"
"Just calling a friend." Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Yuji moved to stand over Ur and the boys.
He opened his mouth but the Ice mage spoke before he could. "We're going with you."
The hybrid blinked. She hadn't even heard what he was going to say. Pushing through his surprise, Yuji narrowed his gaze. "I appreciate that you're willing to help, but you're in no condition to fight."
Ur returned his hardened gaze with one of her own. Furrowing her brows, she stood with the assistance of a prosthetic made of her magic. Giving the limb a few test stomps, she nodded in satisfaction before resuming their glare-off.
After several seconds of intense silence, Yuji sighed. He knew the look in her eyes all too well. She wasn't going to back down from this. Her will to fight was something that he respected. And in any other instance, he might have allowed her to do so.
But not this time.
Faster than Ur could react, Yuji reached out with two fingers and tapped her in the center of her forehead. One moment, she was standing tall and burning with determination. In the next, her eyes had rolled back and she fell forward into Yuji's arms.
"Ur/Master!" Gray and Lyon both cried in shock.
Neither had a moment to move however as Choso appeared behind them faster than their eyes could track. And with quick chops to the back of their necks, they were out like a light.
Carrying Ur to the remains of what had once been his home, he laid her gently on the grass. One of these bastards had managed to get the upper hand against his brother, someone who would've made mincemeat out of Deliora had Choso been there.
Even if she were in peak condition, the fight they were going into was shaping up to be far beyond what Ur was capable of handling. Best to just leave this one to him.
There was a brief burst of cursed energy. One that was detected by all three of those who were still conscious. Irene felt her eyes go wide as they locked onto the remains of their home and saw who it was.
"Hanami?"
Her eyes weren't deceiving her. Amidst the burnt remnants of their home stood the ancient cursed spirit of the forest. Given their sudden appearance, they must have utilized the same teleportation technique the Yuji used to traverse long distances.
The curse spirit gave the redhead a brief nod before turning their attention to the destruction around them. Only once they had taken in everything did they set their sights on Yuji.
"Where is the little one?" Given how fiercely protective the three before them are, the absence of Erza was something to take note of. "I take it her not being here is part of the reason why you summoned me?"
"She's been taken. Along with part of our village." Walking through the ruins of their home he started sifting through the rubble that had once been Erza's room. "Thanks to Choso, we've got a general direction to work with."
"Are these three survivors," Hanami glanced at the three unconscious mages lying nearby. From what they could sense, the woman carried an above-average power level, but nearly as powerful as the one that had invaded their home all those years ago.
Yuji shook his head as he continued searching through the rubble. "Straglers that we picked up while out on our usual sparing retreat. I want you to come with us and watch over them while the three of us rescue Erza."
Crossing their arms, Hanami shook their head. Due to their lack of facial features and thus expressionlessness, anyone not familiar with Hanami would assume they had refused. But Yuji and Choso had long since learned to pick up on the curses' mood from the flow of their cursed energy.
"A King does not ask. He commands."
Now it was Yuji's turn to shake his head in fond exasperation. Always with the formalities. The respite was fleeting however as he finally found what he had been searching for.
Turning to face the others, they saw he now held the doll he had lovingly crafted for Erza within his grasp. The one he had modeled off of his Sensei. It was scuffed and torn up, but miraculously still in one piece.
Yuji's head hung low, his expression was hidden as he stared down at the doll. But as the seconds ticked by, cursed energy visibly began to radiate from his form, lashing out in barely restrained rage.
He raised his head as the tattoos spread across his features, his secondary eyes opening. The energy around him settled and seeped back into him as his eyes, now swirling vortexes of brown and red, burned with an immense fury. One that was matched by the rest of his family.
"Lead the way, Choso."
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The Tower of Heaven. Of all the names and that was the one that they went with?
Marcus wasn't sure who came up with the name of the place and he didn't care to find out. One thing he knew for sure though was that whoever it was had one twisted sense of humor. Either that or they were just bat-shit-insane.
Fuck it. The chances of both being true were pretty high, even more so with these cult types. Especially the culty types.
That being said, they've done a fantastic job of fattening his bank account. So he'll tolerate their bullshit. So long as they keep forking over the jewels. But once this mine had been tapped dry? He would be out faster than these poor bastards could blink.
Now that he thought about it, this latest raid was the second time they had hired him and Issac. That in and of itself was unusual. The Cult of Zeref could've hired an entire Dark Guild for a fraction of what their rates cost.
And they hadn't even gotten that many slaves or materials out of it. The method they utilized for their mass teleportation magic was completely inefficient as it siphoned the magic required for the spell from the participants.
He and Issac had found out firsthand during their first raid. Due to his body's unique constitution, Marcus hadn't been affected by the spell and the drain was barely noticeable for a mage of Issac's caliber. But for the unfortunate captives?
Of the 137 that had been taken from that first raid, only 83 had survived the trip. That's barely a 60% chance of survival.
Issac had looked at the array they used and promptly called out how archaic it was in design before offering to improve it. A change that would all but eliminate the chances of their captives dying during transport. An offer that came with a hefty fee of course.
Instead of contemplating the offer, a fight nearly broke out once the suggestion parted Issac's lips. Something about how their Lord had devised the magics they used and that even thinking of altering his works was sacrilegious. A few members even went so far as to draw steel!
Dumb bastards would've been fried on the spot had one of the more level-headed members, not that that's saying much, managed to cool his heated brother's tempers. It's a true pity that. Marcus wasn't one to allow his annoyance to get the better of him, but ever since Rosemary, he had been feeling…off.
No. That wasn't quite right. That phrasing implied that Marcus didn't know what was bothering him. He knew what it was.
He was anxious. No! Excited! He was excited.
Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved the object that had filled him with such a feeling. To many, it appeared to be little more than a red marble, one that he had picked up off the ground near his boot after they had teleported away from the village.
But Marcus knew better than to judge things just on appearances. The scent was identical to the man he had briefly fought. Now, this wouldn't normally be enough to get his spirits up. After all, depending on environmental factors, most scents could linger for days, even weeks.
His excitement stemmed from the fact that energy was actively flowing from the damn thing.
It was so minuscule that no one, not even Issac, would pick it out from the natural Ethernano that permeated the air. Let alone in this hellish place.
But Marcus?
Well, in full honesty, he couldn't sense it either. But he could see it. See how the energy affected the space that surrounded it. It was like when one could see heat radiate off of an object.
Even he didn't know how he picked up on such subtle shifts. Since he could not utilize magic, this wasn't the first time he had questioned the mechanics behind his capabilities. His body was stronger, his senses sharper.
In the end, Marcus didn't care if he never found out.
Stuffing the orb back into his pocket, he continued toward the upper levels, where the newly captured slaves were temporarily being kept. If by some miracle the blood manipulator he fought was still alive, then he was far more interesting than Marcus had given him credit for.
And he would certainly be coming back for his pound of flesh.
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"What did Choso mean earlier?"
Looking back over his shoulder, Yuji fixed Irene with a confused look. Much to her worry, he had yet to return to his normal appearance. His fury, while tempered, was too far gone for him to care about reverting his appearance.
The wind whipped around them as they tore through the sky at a blistering pace atop a massive spiral of roots. It must have looked terrifying for the villages and towns they passed over, but none were in the mood for subtlety. Not with what was at stake.
Choso sat at the front with Hanami standing beside him. The Blood manipulator was in a meditative pose, eyes shut in concentration with one hand held out, palm facing forward as he focused on his connection with the piece of himself that had been teleported along with those that had taken Erza.
As for Hanami, they had to keep their attention divided between following Choso's hand movements and watching over their other passengers. Turning their head slightly, they double-checked the bindings that were keeping the three unconscious humans secure.
Back with the other two, Yuji tilted his head. "What was that?"
"Choso said that the one he fought had little magic energy." Crossing an arm underneath her chest, Irene held her chin with the other. "But he has one of the highest magical signatures I've ever encountered. I know that technique and skill can help cover the gap, but there comes a point where that gap is just too much to overcome."
And it wasn't like Choso had nothing going for him but power. While Yuji was her primary partner, she had spared with him over the years and knew he had the skill to back it up. His fine-tuned control of blood manipulation was nothing short of masterful. No, artistic even!
With these thoughts and more going through her mind, she just couldn't figure out how Choso had been left in such a horrendous state.
"Heavenly Restriction."
Irene blinked. Her confusion must have been evident because he chuckled.
"It doesn't surprise me that you don't know what it is. They've become increasingly rare over the centuries." Taking a hand out of a pocket, Yuji held it out as it came alight with Cursed Energy. "You know of magic contracts, yes?"
She nodded.
"Jujutsu Sorcerers have them as well. We call them Binding Vows. Much like magical contracts, these pacts can be forged between Sorcerers or with a Sorcerer themselves where something is sacrificed to gain something seen as equal value."
He smirked, revealing sharpened canines. "Have you ever questioned why mages call out the names of their attacks?"
Irene made to speak, but just as quickly closed her mouth. Now that he pointed it out, she has never once in her life ever wondered why they did that. Even her teacher, Belserion, did the same.
"Mages subconsciously utilize a common Binding Vow called "Revealing One's Hand". By announcing your attack, you surrender the element of surprise. In exchange, the potency of the attack is amplified beyond its normal means without having to expend more energy."
"You can take it a step further by explaining the inner workings of your abilities, making them more effective. You can even seal away a portion of your power and unleash it under specific circumstances and be stronger than you normally would," A somber expression fell across his face as his mind momentarily drifted to one of his mentors.
Irene for her part was greatly surprised by the versatility of these Vows. She had utilized Magical Contracts during her time as royalty. They had mostly been for peace treaties or trade agreements between neighboring kingdoms, as once they were signed, the contracts were ironclad and couldn't be broken without incurring severe penalties.
Since she seemed to have a decent grasp of how contracts worked, Yuji resumed his explanation. "Unlike regular Binding Vows, Heavenly Restriction is completely out of anyone's control as they are placed upon one's body at birth."
He held his fists out. "Now, while there are varying degrees in which people born with a Heavenly Restriction can fall, every so often one will go to either of these two extremes."
He extended his right index finger. "One. They're born with an extremely crippled and fragile body but gain immense energy levels. I've heard of a few mages that fell into this camp over the centuries, but only a handful survived infancy."
Listening to him go over some of the defects he had encountered throughout his long life, Irene couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Some of these deformities were nightmare-inducing! Missing limbs. Bones so brittle that they couldn't even support the weight of their body. Skin that could be burned when exposed to moonlight.
If what he was telling her was true, and she didn't doubt for a moment that any of his words were false, then she saw no benefit to being born with a Heavenly Restriction.
"Okay," She interrupted. That was quite enough of hearing about those unfortunate souls. "What about the other end? I'm going to guess that in exchange for having low magic energy, they're born with stronger bodies?"
"Try no magic at all." Taking on a thoughtful pose, Yuji continued. "Though these cases of the rarest. If mine and Choso's hunch is correct, the man he fought can be counted amongst this group."
Irene frowned. "But didn't Choso say he had magic?"
"It's possible, but a partial Heavenly restriction wouldn't be close to strong enough to defeat him. Even with the overall increase in power over the centuries."
"...What?"
Yuji blinked, puzzled by the question before silently cursing himself. The topic of the world's balance of power had never been brought up before. His unintentional slip-up had brought it to light.
He rubbed the back of his neck. After deliberation, he sighed and turned back towards his brother and friend. No. He wouldn't burden Irene with that knowledge. For now, they just had to focus on rescuing their daughter.
Until she was held in their arms once more, nothing else mattered.
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How many years had it been since he had been taken? A decade, maybe two? It had been so long. So long that Rob couldn't even remember the circumstances of his capture. He could recall vague details, but try as he might, the bigger picture was forever lost to him.
While a large part of his lapse in memory was due to his time as a slave, he knew that wasn't the sole cause as even before his enslavement Rob had been getting up there in the years. The decades of abuse he has suffered through coupled with his advanced age had taken its toll on both his body and mind.
Of the hundreds of slaves that unfortunately called this tower home, he was by far the eldest. And he suspected the only reason behind his continued survival was for their captors to use him as an example. While his memories fragmented more and more as time marched on, he will never forget his time as a mage of Fairy Tail.
A title that The Voice would use to break the spirits of the new arrivals. After all, what better way to end any hope of escape or rescue than by flaunting around a member of one of the most well-known Guilds in the country like a demented trophy?
A pattern that was being repeated yet again.
"For as long as you all have lived, you have been forced to carry the burden, the curse, known as life-"
Walked onto a raised platform and forced to his knees, Rob could do nothing but listen to the same damn speak. Time and time again.
"-and rather than struggle to make a mark on the world before dying a meaningless death, you have found purpose. Here, in this great tower-"
The Voice certainly loved to hear himself talk. While he knew for a fact that wasn't the man's name, but a title he carried like a badge of honor, The Voice was the only way Rob had heard the mysterious man be referred to.
"-For while you will toil and eventually die, know that in your final breaths, you would have brought this world a step closer to its true destiny-"
Even his appearance was a complete mystery. He was always covered from head to toe in form-fitting, black and gold armor over which he wore flowing red, hooded robes. Two belts brown belts crossed over his waist, on the right side of which hung a leather satchel. And his face…that damned face was hidden away like the rest of his form. Hidden behind a mask of porcelain, the lower half of which was gold. It even served to alter his voice.
The Voice clapped, the sound reverberating throughout the large chamber and breaking Rob out of his haze.
"The guards will escort you to your new chambers. And this gentleman. beside me," Patting him on the shoulder, The Voice had him rise, "shall give you all a rundown of the rules. Take heed of his words, for he had been a resident of this tower far longer than most. Myself included!"
"And for those foolish enough to believe that escape is still a possibility," The genuine cheer that always permeated his voice was gone. Tilting his head forward, the light in the room chased away the shadows created by his hood.
And from which, his strikingly blue eyes were illuminated as pressure fell over the room.
The Voice pushed the elder man's shoulder, forcing him to turn around and in doing so, revealing the Fairy Tail guild mark on his lower back. Many of the new slaves didn't know what the mark represented, but those who recognized it felt themselves overcome with despair.
"Know that even a member of that guild is not out of reach of our grasp."
And just like that, the oppressive presence was gone. The Voice's posture relaxed and he clapped Rob on the back.
"Welcome to the Tower of Heaven."
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The Voice sent the newest members of the flock off with an armed escort and a cheery wave. His smile went unseen, but he felt that his intention made in across loud and clear. Suffer they shall, but only as much as was necessary.
Only once the room was empty of all but himself did his hand drop to his side. Turning sharply on a heel, he gave a curt bow to the seemingly vacant corridor that had been behind him.
"Magnificent! You two have brought a great yield of workers yet again!" He clasped his hands. "Truly has the causes funds never been more wisely spent!"
From the darkness stepped out Issac and Marcus. While he had sensed the former long ago, it was only due to his blessing that The Voice knew of the latter's presence. "You are here for payment I take?"
"That and a favor," Marcus held out the shredded remains of his jacket.
"Oh my," approaching the mercenaries, he took the tattered article of clothing and examined it with a critical eye. While it was far from his most impressive work, as that was a title currently held by the armor he currently wore, for it to have suffered such damage?
"Just what did you encounter? I highly doubt that Mikazuchi was capable of this. No! The damage sustained here doesn't align with either Sidonis or his wife's magic."
Issac spoke up. "Your intel of off. There was another mage. A blood manipulator. Managed to give old Marcus here a decent enough fight."
"He never landed a solid blow on me." Marcus crossed his arms. "Regardless, the charms you wove into it are still active. While I like the thing, I'm more concerned about the equipment stored within."
In total, Marcus had spent a kingdom's ransom on all of his magic weapons and gear. For even one to be lost would be a huge blow to his effectiveness in the field.
"Worry not, my good man."
Releasing his hold, the jacket hovered before him, covered in a crimson glow. With one hand outstretched he gestured towards the side with the other. Any loose stone or speck of dust was pulled towards him, turning into a liquified state mid-flight. Flicking his fingers, the nondescript liquid mass flowed over the jacket, filling in the holes and other imperfections.
And with a final pulse, the liquid solidified, now indistinguishable from the leather and cloth that made up the jacket itself. It was now in pristine condition, looking as if it had never been worn even once.
Giving it a once over, The Voice nodded and floated it back to Marcus. "There you are. Good as new and free of charge. Consider it a bonus for a flawless job."
While not usually one to look a gift horse in the mouth, the aged mercenary couldn't help but quirk a brow at the choice of phrasing as he slipped his jacket over his broad shoulders. "Really? How many followers did you lose from the raid?"
The Voice waved a hand dismissively. "Please. Don't place me in the same light as these fanatics. Honestly, I'm disappointed that more of them didn't perish."
He was not blind to the look that the two shared.
He turned his back to them. "While I play the part of a devout well enough, I have my reason for throwing myself in with this lot."
Issac looked at his partner. Raising a hand he made the 'crazy gesture' while mouthing the words 'coo coo'. Rolling his eyes, Marcus' hand lept up, catching the pouch that had been tossed at his head.
It made the distinct clinking of coins. It weighed a little bit on the light side, but when he reached up to his elbow and felt nothing but coins, precious gems, and bundles of jewels, he took a gamble that they hadn't been short-changed.
"Seems right." Tying it to his belt, Marcus gave a faux bow. "I'd say it's been a pleasure, but-"
"I have another job. Pay is the same, but the mission is much less of a hassle."
Snapping his fingers, a figure stepped out of the shadows. Much to the surprise of the mercenaries, it was a young girl with long purple hair and brown eyes. Couldn't have been older than ten.
Beconing her over The Voice put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her into a hug. And if the annoyance that showed in her gaze, the affection was very one-sided.
"Meet one of my constituents. You may refer to her as The Soul. She was here on behalf of our leader to ensure that the construction of the tower was on schedule. Her time here will soon come to an end and will require an escort."
"I've told you before. I don't need a-"
She was shushed by a finger being placed over her lips. Blissfully ignoring the look of murder now directed towards him, The Voice held out a hand and an enclosed envelope appeared in his open palm.
Catching it, he flipped it between his fingers before offering it to them.
"She leaves in a few days. Easy Job and easy pay. So…what will it be?"
.
.
.
-End-