“So, do you have a name?" I asked. “Of course,” he said before clearing his throat. “My name is Zaki. I’m the bellhop here. But sometimes I get stuck with mundane tasks like knocking on doors, cleaning, and escorting people to the boss. ” He said before stopping in front of the metallic elevator doors.
As I stood here, I felt a slight budge in my heart. I’m sure the most he met to do with that little teed bit about himself was to engage me with some small talk, and here I was being hit with a wave of memories. I’d never worked at an inn, but I understood having to pick up the slack and do a fair share of work outside your job description.
Before all this mess, it was just me, my mother, and my sisters working in our boutique. we couldn’t afford to hire any extra hands. So we all took turns doing all the work that comes with up-keeping a shop.
I can remember it as if it was days ago. My sisters played quick little strategy games to decide who did what chores that day, and my younger sister Avery was always excited to play, promising that “this time would be different” and that she would win the first round for sure. As capable as she was, she would never win the first round, as well as somehow always finding herself losing to every one of us.
Then there was my oldest sister Anya every time I would win the first round she would swear I was cheating somehow, while my second older sister Anaya would defend me as if she knew for sure I wasn’t, she was wrong of course, but I didn’t have the heart to tell her.
So instead I would act oblivious to every accusation Anya threw at me, “huhu” I giggled. Damn, I miss them, I thought as I stood there and basked in my melancholy. “um, or you all right Mr. Everclune?” asked Zaki, as he slightly raised an eyebrow. " no. don’t worry about me, I’m more than fine, just got a little lost in thought,” I said as I shook my head a bit, and tried to snap myself out of my loathing. “ um. Would you mind? joining us on… the elevator?” he said while beckoning me to join him with a slight hand jester. “yes, yes. My apologies. I replied. without further delay, I joined Zaki and Iornhide in the elevator, as the door creaked close.
~~~~~
I scanned about the dingy elevator in fear. Hoping that we wouldn’t somehow get stuck or plummet to our death. The walls were a rusty brown, and I couldn’t tell if it was because they were made of copper or if it was just simply rusted although, it could be the latter. As if that thought in itself wasn’t nerve-wracking enough, the elevator just had to start creaking as it began to move. " is that, umm… normal?” I asked. “Oh don’t mind old Moly. I assure you she’s way sturdier than she looks. She can handle more the two times the weight we can produce, you’re In good hands. I promise,” he said before the elevator came to a shaky halt. As it did I feared my worries had come true. “haha” Iornhide laughed.
“You look like you’ve spotted an apparition,” giggled Iornhide. “Oh can it,” I said while eagerly watching as the doors flung open. “you see safe and sound,” said Zaki. he then made his way towards the doors and led us out of the elevator
As we exited the elevator I was surprised to see, how up-to-date everything was, the entrance had one of the newer modeled automated doors, and the floor was made of silver. which most inns tended to do, although most inns would dye it to tie it in with whatever aesthetic they happened to be going for, and unfortunately they happened to be lacking in that department.
due to the simple fact that the walls were painted golden brown, which deafeningly didn’t clash well with silver floors, but they more than made up for it with the walls chalked full of different as well as eye-catching portraits and paintings, that did a good job at pulling your attention towards them, and the pretty little brown and gold square patterns on the walls didn’t hurt either.
there was also a fun little sitting area with enough furniture to seat a small family, sitting there was a crowd of rowdy individuals watching a huge TV embedded in the entirety of the wall they faced, that happened to be playing the annual fist-to-cuff tournament. which was pretty smart on their part. any place playing it was easily guaranteed to have some footwork there, and a few feet to the left of the loud display of fist-to-cuff fans was a little clerk’s desk that to no surprise zaki was motioning to follow him too.
there at the very counter, we were being led to, sat a huge brown-skinned muscular lady, with long light brown and flowy curls of hair. she was honestly the most handsome woman I’d ever laid eyes on, her pronounced jawline, strong collar bones, and neck tattoos (that somehow made her budging muscles look more pronounced) being the reason I perceived her as handsome. She had her elbows resetting on the very slick Marvel counter, as she pulled at the collar of her tight-fitting black button-up, her hooped earrings slinging about as she did so. Once she realized we were walking towards her, she immediately trained her eyes on us with an uncomfortable, intensity.
As we walked up to the counter she finally decided to speak. “You know I was hoping you weren’t real, so I could have an excuse to throw that little shit to the wolves. This little one here has been nothing but trouble since the day he checked in. Speaking of checking in, you tell me how it is that I have someone manning the front all hours of the day, and the only time anyone outside of this brat sees you, is now. Asked the imposing lady. that was a good question, one I hadn’t thought of, nor was I briefed on.
What the hell am I supposed to say, when I don’t even know the answer to that question myself? “easy, I’ve already told you before. my guardian here hasn’t been all that conscious since our last run-in with a few bandits. Afraid a mace to the head will do that to most people, and with anti-healing gear nonetheless,” said Iornhide as he walked up to meet Aamina’s gaze. “So it took him a while to come back to, and I’m sure you can understand someone as young as me carrying around such an older man is quite the task so I had to use this to do so,” said Iornhide while pulling at the strange purple jewel, hooked to a chained necklace clasped around his neck. “Don’t tell me that a spatial array,” said Zaki. “Are you crazy boy? Are you trying to be robbed,” said the woman standing behind the counter.
“Oh please, you and I both know the only person strong enough in this room, to pry this from my hands, is you. I’m just surprised I hadn’t had to show you this sooner. is there a reason you hadn’t asked me this a while ago? I was starting to believe you all were a bit dense,” said Iornhide. What is he doing, is he trying to get us killed? this lady is well beyond the mid 4th stage, maybe 6th or 7th. And from what I’m sensing Iornhide is only at the 4TH which might I add so is the boy who escorted us down here. “are you trying to unite with your ancestor’s boy,” said Aamina, as she began to stand up straight, her eyes locked on him angrily as she did so.
“I’m just curious is all, I’d never met any offense,” he said as if he hadn’t just called her dense a minute ago. “It’s just that, I find it strange that you’re acting as if you are just now learning that I have this. I put a nice little clasp on it, but I’m sure you would have no problem seeing through that, with your eyes, Dufreta,” he said. Before whispering the last part so silently I could barely hear it.
{ʀɨ [ռ] ǟʀɮʊʀռ ɨռƈǟֆɛ [ռ] ֆɨʟɛռƈɛ}
In response to the name Iornhide had called Amina, she immediately began speaking a foreign tongue. Then, a wave of dark energy pulsed from her entire body and stretched out into an orb, growing beyond us and trapping us all in its confines. I could only imagine what she was planning to do to us now that we were trapped in a cage of her own making, so much so that I started to silently hyperventilate.
“Ugh, stop your whimpering, it’s just a silencing encasement, but I advise you not to leave, or I’ll have to result to a much more aggressive spell,” she said as she stared me and Iornhide down with a hint of malice in her glare. Even Zaki squirmed from just the pure energy she dispersed as she did so, which also had me trembling a bit, but with a quick once over, I realized that Iornhide looked completely unfazed.
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“Are you going to tell me who told you that name, Verick child,” said Amina, as she focused her gaze on Iornhide’ “my pleasure. I was told by the chrome witch. I’d been helping her for a bit with… things, and as a favor, I asked her if she knew anyone who could help me board a private vessel. Your name was the one that came up. I was told you run an underground immigrant transporting service. is that true?
“And how do I know what you say Is the truth bloodsucker? retorted Amina. “She said you’d say that,” and what exactly did she instruct you to say if I did? replied Amina. “All those smarts yet you waste them on a fool’s errand,” he said
“Not this Again, is this meant to be some type of message?”
" As much as I would love to answer that, I am but a messenger. And before you think of doing away with my request. she also said to tell you that if you don’t help, she’ll stop sending you… the goose eggs?” said Iornhide while shrugging his shoulder.
“Oh no, that’s not fair, that hag, she knows I need those god-dame bottles, ugh. whatever you little shit. I help you. But first I’m going to need something from you two. I’m not going to be able to run a transport any time soon, because of a certain dirtbag enforcer that’s been trying to run a fucking smuggling transport on my root.
“I can get a new one, but that’ll take a year, and I can’t afford to deal with them on my own, due to some complications. Zaki here can help you, but that’s about all the manpower I can lend you, due to a certain problem I’m trying to address,” said Amina
“Are you crazy, what are you asking us to do? stop a smuggling operation. That’s absurd, do you know how many dark market goons will be up are twats, even if we did succeed. Not to mention that enforcers even at the lowest scale are at least inter-ascendant stage. I may be around that power level, but I doubt anyone running a successful smuggling operation would be a low-level enforcer. Said Iornhide quite abrasively,
"you’re getting a little too comfortable liping off at me, runt. I advise you to hold your tongue, blood child. now. I’d like you to tell me. exactly when did I ever ask you all to personally stop a smuggling operation? asked Amina as she focused her intense gaze on Iornhide. “I thought it was implied,” answers Iornhide.
“Well, you thought wrong, if you’d listened instead of interrupting me with those putrid lips of yours. You would have known that I was asking you to investigate it, you see what closing your trap can do for you,” said Amina. “Investigate, I’ve never done anything like that before,” I said. Finally, gaining enough courage to enter the conversation.
“Well, I advise you to figure it out or live it up to the brat and Zaki as much as I hate the kid. I can’t say he's not capable. but you. I can’t speak for you. You seem too strong for a mid-level first stage, but your confidence is lacking. So if you’re not up for it leave it to the professional kid. I can’t have you fucking up any chances I have of securing my root, Said Amina. I couldn’t say I didn’t agree with her. For most of my life all I truly cared about was making garments, and providing for my family.
So investigating a criminal smuggling operation was way out of my depth. But regardless of that, what real choice did I have? I couldn’t sit down and let Iornhide do all the heavy lifting for me. My pride wouldn’t allow me. Besides. If I want to become strong enough to protect my family and destroy the pirates responsible for our separation, as well as the death of my mother. doing things like this should be child’s play compared to what I’ll have to do in the future.
“I won’t lie even that sounds a little dodgy,” stated Iornhide.
“How so?” replied Amina.
“Well for starters I don’t have enough info, I don’t know how you intend for me to survey anything. If I don’t even know the most basic information about them. like when do their operations start? and who is this quat-on-quat enforcer in question? what preparations can I even set in place, with no credible information to go off of? I might as well be asking to be found out. given the lack of precautions I have set in place to prevent it?” said Iornhide
“As much as I’d love to answer and give you an hour run down. as of right now I’m on the clock. And this has already taken up way more time than I can spare, you’ll get your answers soon. Be patient.” replied Amina before commencing to yet again speak some strange foreign language.
[ʀɨ [ռ] ɛӼքɛʟɛ]
“She spoke before the barrier recently shrouding us broke, and the outside noise came flooding back in. It’s your lucky day, you’re not being kicked out, do with that as you may and make yourselves scarce, will talk later.”
And like that Aamina’s eyes were no longer trained on us, honestly, it felt like she was ignoring us all together as she focused her attention on some incoming guess, signing them in and having Zaki show them to their rooms.
I and Iornhide did as we were told and made ourselves as scarce as we could, and by that I mean we headed back to the elevator to make our way back to our room, well at least I was. I believe Iornhide said he still had some errands to run, that I’m most likely not invited to join. Be that as it may, I can’t say I was too interested in doing so.
But I’ll tell you one thing I was interested in, whatever strange technique Amina was using, cultivators tended to not really need to use any words when activating their techniques. Yeah. Most techniques if not all of them had names, but they tended to not announce them when activating, due to how secretive cultivators tended to be, and there’s also the fact that everything needed to activate cultivation techniques is mostly enteral.
‘What has you so quiet? fledgling,” asked Iornhide. “How interesting,” I said in response to Iornhide question. Iornhide frowned a bit and stared at me curiously. “excuse me if I may have missed something. But what exactly do you mean by interesting,” asked Iornhide.
“Nothing. Just a little surprised that you care so much to hear me speak,” I taunted. Iornhide rolled his eyes and scuffed. “Don’t flatter yourself, anyone can see the aneurysm you're having to whatever nonsense is going on in your mind, I was trying to lend you an outside perspective as a mercy, ” replied Iornhide. “Sure you were.” I giggled.
“Well, I guess if you’re so interested, I can share a few thoughts I have. Besides, something tells me you’d more than likely have a better understanding of it than I do, being that you’re so… you know. Old,” I said. “I’ll take that over being called a child,” retorted Iornhide.
“It isn’t as if I was intending to insult you. Just an observation. But back to the point. I’m sure you saw the strange thing Lady Amina did. I can’t say I’d ever heard anyone use such language to activate a cultivation technique
" not a technique but a spell, if you weren’t so busy trembling like some naked fool in the streets. You might have heard her state this,” he corrected before stooping completely and staring at me curiously. “Wait. are you not aware of what a mage is?” he asked. “ I mean I have. but I can’t say I ever met one. Just rumors. I remember some saying they channeled energy from the outside of the cosmos. and beyond the ancestor plain, is that true.,”I asked
“yes and no. The energy they use is called Mana, and it exists in our plain as well, although it’s still considered foreign to our plain, some say it’s supposedly a gift from the heavens. Others believe it’s a product of the rift that happened twenty thousand years ago. Since there was no such thing as Mana before then. Regardless of the reason, people are now born with the power to commend it. So I advise you to learn as much as you can about it. I don’t know what bolder you’ve been living under. to have not already been educated on it. But that ignorance can get you killed. Mages or dangerous.
They are not as limited as we cultivators. but that aside, I must go, the day is not yet over, I have errands to run for the chrome witch, ones that you could not run with me before I was planning to have you tag along, but now that we are not to leave, you can just stay here, and wait but do not become complacent, my growth hinges I am in know, so you will know discipline soon enough, so prepare and steal yourself, I am not willing nor capable of teaching the weak, and nor is my lessons met for them," said Iornhide before speeding of, and exiting the inn. Whereas I took that as my queue to excuse myself to my quarters/ shity hotel room.
~~~~~~
My descent to my room was short-lived as I was soon stopped by a big husky man, who reeked of alcohol, and he had to be at least 6 feet tall. he ran his hands through his coarse and wet blond hair, flinging about as he stumbled over to me.“Hey, Hiccup! Looking for a good time ?” said the drunken buffoon blocking my path. “Thanks for asking. but no thank you,” I said as I slightly nudged the man out of my way, only to find myself surprised once I heard A large thud. Before looking back and seeing the big blond oaf flat on the floor.
“My apologies I met to jus..”
“You fucking bitch!” screamed the man before flinging what looked like a danger at me. Luckily I had dodged it before I’d even noticed I began to, but unfortunately, it still nicked me a bit. I instinctively wiped a finger across my cheek to check for bleeding. and to no surprise there it was. wait what’s this? I thought as I looked at the black smudge on my hand. is this eve… before I could finish that thought I could sense something rushing toward my face. So I quickly raised my arms to guard against the blow, only for them to be met with the full brunt of a heavy punch. “All you assholes are the same in this shit hole city. first those shits at the pub. Now some fucking stuck-up bitch thinks she can throw me around and treat me like shit. for simply just asking a question,” he said while sluggishly swinging at me. It was quite sad. his attacks were so uncoordinated that blocking them felt counterproductive. I may not be the best fighter, but even I can doge attacks like this. “listen, this Is ridiculous. what I did was an accident. is fighting necessary? ” I asked but I knew it was useless, all spiritualists were the same.
“ You expect me to believe that you accidentally slammed me against the wall,” he said with a look of pure disdain. I know that his fall sounded pretty nasty. but I didn’t know It was that bad. That nudge shouldn’t have been enough to hurt him. his only a level or so under me. I shouldn’t be that much stronger than him. right?
The man then unsheathed yet another dagger and messily swung it at me... due to his complete absolute lack of skill I was able to catch and squeeze his arm till I heard a crack followed by the sound of my attacker’s screams. in a fit of panic, and a desperation to shut him up. I quickly grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him in for a headbutt. slamming my head into his. As I did so I could feel something hard shatter from the impact, for a split second I feared I had injured myself before I realized the screaming had stopped and there wasn’t even a glimmer of pain lingering anywhere on my body. I quickly pulled away to see what I had done only to find my attacker slump in my hands. out of fear I retracted my hands from his shoulders and watched as the man fell to the floor like a rag doll. “He’s not dead is he,” I thought aloud.