{Authors Note:

Spoiler :

So sorry for being so long with this chapter. I have been working 14 hour nights on a festival and sleeping in a tent during the days. I got back a couple of days ago but I had nowhere near the energy required to do any writing.

The rest of my comments will be at bottom like usual but wanted to give my apology for the delay right from the start. <3

Chapter 14: Aftermath

Hindsight is as glorious as it is depressing. Tobi knew that all too well as he struggled at the shackles bound to his wrists. He wasn't sure how he'd got to the cell he found himself in—the last thing he remembered was being trapped in the sewers. There had been enemies in front and behind with no way out; the next thing he knew, the sewers were lit up by a bright light and his green-skinned companion with horns was under attack.

Confused and unsure what to do, Tobi was greeted by a notification claiming he was stunned. The stun was pretty weird to experience and not at all like the concussion he had experienced back in Brackley. This time it was more like being crippled whilst knowing what was happening around you. He even felt the blow that knocked him out moments later.

He didn't know how long passed after being knocked out, but he soon found himself being shackled to some chains hanging from a ceiling. As much as he wanted to sit down and rub his head, the shackles didn't reach far enough for him to gain any such luxury.

Shifting his weight from one leg to the other periodically, Tobi thought about how the night had come about—how his stupid curiosity had gotten the better of him (again) and why he couldn't just ignore the sewers entirely. What was wrong with a grown man cuddling up to his girlfriend in a B’n’B anyway? Why had he not just shared a room with her and snuggled up for the night?

Of course he knew why. He'd be awake watching her all night whilst she was sleeping peacefully. For some reason, the scenario in his mind seemed a little perverted. He also didn't know how he felt about living a normal life inside a world he once considered a game.

Thinking on it, Aevitas was nothing how he'd expected from the beginning...and not just because he'd become trapped there.

Back in his home world, Tobi wasn't a coward and he always did whatever he felt like (whenever he felt like it). He followed the rules like normal people, but he wasn't averse to experimenting or satisfying his curiosity when something interested him.

This was nothing like those times though. In his old world, he wouldn't find weird men escorting a strange creature in the sewers. Nor would he have spent a year living as a baker for fear of dying in the forest beyond the city gates.

Hindsight: The perfect opportunity to suffer twice. First in reality and then in retrospect.

Tobi was doing just that; punishing himself through his memories. His life in Aevitas had been far from one he would choose for himself but hadn't he always done whatever he wanted?

The answer was no. Right from the start, a baker wasn't what he planned on being. He'd wanted to go out and investigate the woods, fight, battle, level up and play. Ultimately, he actually wanted to live a second life—a new life. Wasn't that why people played games in the first place? To escape reality and get a second life they were more satisfied with?

He hadn’t realized that was what he wanted when he first joined Aevitas but it was obvious to him now. So why wasn’t he living his second life? Why was he just aimlessly going with the flow?

The only thing Tobi was satisfied with was Selene; The chess tournament, his life as a baker and his invention of chess...what meaning did they have really? Only Selene seemed to remain important to him as his small cell seemed to get smaller on all sides.

Lost in his thoughts, Tobi thought back to the beginning and how his life in Aevitas had unfolded. It had been Lorry and that strange GM guy that told him not to go out hunting. They had been the ones to make him afraid of death and had him stay in Brackley where it was safe. He no longer even knew why he'd listened. The only answer he could think of was that he was afraid of being remembered as an idiot that actually died thanks to a VR game.

The strange series of events came after his decision to make a chess set. What happened to him from that moment on was beyond bizarre. At the time it was simple and things just went as they did. He'd followed the flow and moved along accordingly. Ranall, Deedee, Galven, Lorry, Vallen and every other person he met...nothing made sense when he put things into order.

Reversing the role of Deedee and Galven, Tobi wondered how he would have reacted if a man came to his shop learning to be a baker. Should the guard show up on the same day and ask about that very same man, would he help the guard or help the man escape? Why had it seemed like they were just being kind? What had they gained by helping him? What had they risked?

Vallen was no different. Why had he been so happy to take Tobi in despite knowing so little about him? What was his/their agenda?

Lorry too was under suspicion. Why had Lorry acted so interested in Tobi's safety and yet never taught him how to fight, use magic or about the world in general? Why had Lorry been so intent on letting Tobi live a boring life as a baker and why did he stop visiting every few days?

Chained up in his little cell, Tobi felt as though he'd been nothing but a pawn since he arrived. The Gods that wanted his favor and yet did nothing to help him in his current situation. The NPC angel woman that seemed to know how and why he was trapped and yet couldn't talk to him. The quests he'd had forced onto him like addressing slavery for Selene.

Had been in control of his own life at all since coming to Aevitas?

Questions upon questions hounded Tobi as he thought about his life.

Remembering the strange and nightmarish time when he’d woken as someone else, Tobi questioned who he really was. He’d had problems with his own identity shortly after arriving in Aevitas but now it felt different. It wasn’t that he was two different people, just one person fractured into different parts. He wasn’t even sure who he was anymore.

Every scenario that played in Tobi's mind from his life so far made him question the people around him and the life he'd lived. More than anything, he questioned who he was personally. Had Tobi from England really been the kind of man that would bend to the will of others or go with the flow?

No. Tobi of England was a man who sought activities to occupy his mind and keep him busy. He was a man who tried anything once and regretted nothing. Here he was though, chained up and doubting the world with nothing but regrets for company.

There was only one thing he didn't regret but in that present moment but he was wondering if she would soon be another regret on his steadily growing list. Selene, the mysterious admirer that appeared from nowhere. If he died without escaping his cell, she would be heartbroken. At least he hoped so. That in itself would be a regret. Perhaps it would have been better if he'd never entered her life.

Gently pulling at the chains without the strength to actually perform the task, Tobi recalled his only regret from his home world: Niamh. He didn't regret the relationship he had with her; he just hated how it turned out. He regretted the emotions he wasted on her when it was over and the depression that followed. He regretted the nights he went without sleep as his heart tried to escape his chest and the pain it was suffering.

He regretted that he ever loved her to begin with and soon, he would probably regret Selene too.

God...I hate depression.

For the second time in his life, Tobi felt depression and questioned the value of life. The value of continuing to live. He had a theory that when it came to negative emotions, you only had to experience them once and they would return again and again for the rest of your life.

He doubted the same was true of good emotions. Whilst it was true he cared for Selene and felt he could one day love her, he didn't call it love. Not the way he felt love for Niamh. That feeling would never return. Any and every love he will ever feel again will be different to the love he had for Niamh.

Every form of depression however would just build up on the last time he felt it. That was happening now. A new depression latches on to the old one and becomes stronger. A new love however builds from scratch and makes a new fire with fresh wood. Hate was the same. Hate latched on to old hates and became extra fuel for the fire. Happiness on the other hand was fleeting. Each happy moment was one of its own—separate from other happy moments.

Becoming even more depressed at the thought of negativity being stronger than positivity...Tobi sighed and tried to think of something to cheer him up. He knew the real cause to his current emotions: It was idiocy, plain and simple. He'd been stupid and there was nothing he could do about it. All night there had been something niggling at his attention and he ignored it. He had ignored right up until he seen somebody throw something into the sewer. From that point on, it consumed him and he had to go and investigate.

Now he had Selene who would be worried sick about him and a high probability of dying. Part of him blamed the green man with horns...if that man-thing hadn't been around, he would have left the sewers and thought they were nothing of interest. Instead, he had to play the hero and do what was possibly the dumbest thing he'd done in his life.

Shaking his head and clearing all thoughts, Tobi took a deep breath and  exhaled slowly. He had to think and being lost in his emotions, doubts, confusion and questioning everything did nothing to help his situation.

"Open Status window"

Status:

Restrained by chains infused with magic and enchantments.

You will suffer from mental fatigue, confusion and negativity.

You cannot lie whilst shackled by these chains.

Mana cannot be accessed.

All physical stats dropped to their minimum.

He'd guessed as much about his stats, he had no strength in his body at all. He could have just checked his stats window but that wouldn't have told him why they were so low. The mana caught him by surprise however because he hadn't even considered using magic yet–partly because he didn't know any magic that had the ability to free him.

Above anything else, a small and extremely fleeting feeling of relief washed over him. His negative emotions, thoughts and feelings were being caused by the chains. If that was true, then it was simply a battle of will to maintain his state of mind. That was easier said than done though as the feeling of relief was washed away by a new wave of depression. Thoughts of life being trapped by the chains for all eternity were just few of many that flitted through his mind.

Now he knew the chains were imbued with magic and enchantments, he tried to inspect them a little closer. He could just about make out little carvings on the links and cuffs but nothing that stood out. There was a strange purple pentagram on the cuff that looked familiar but he wasn't sure if he'd ever actually seen it before. He also didn't know if he'd seen it in this world or his old one.

All things considered, there was only one thing he was sure on: whoever chained him up had reason to keep him alive. At least for the time being. When that person came to visit him, he had to make sure that his life’s value increased and there was no reason to kill him. If his life’s value ended, there was only one way for the scenario to end.

Briefly thinking that it might actually be better to be killed, the thought gave him hope and satisfaction. Those emotions were positive though so they quickly changed to negative emotions of being kept alive. Before he knew what he actually felt or was thinking, he'd become confused as to whether or not he wanted to live or die.

He was still trying to make up his mind and suffering from delusions when a dark skinned man with orange eyes walked into the room. His smile looked scary and yet for some reason, it seemed to give him hope that he would soon die. Almost instantly, the hope was washed away by fear that the man would set him free.

Wait, no–I want to be free.

"What is your name?"

Tobi Donlan...I think... Tobi replied in his mind. He'd actually meant to answer out loud but for whatever reason he'd forgotten to actually open his mouth.

"I asked what your name is." The man demanded an inch from Tobi's face.

Seeing a mental image of himself head-butting the man had been appealing and he tried to enact his vision; instead, Tobi's head fell backward and the black ceiling had him thinking of how pretty the sky had been on Braddock’s ship.

"Let's try this another way. My name is Kleetz, what is yours?"

"Donald...I mean Doonan. Donlan? My name is Donlan."

"Donlan is it? What were you doing in my sewers?"

Watching as visions of him entering the sewers appeared in his mind as clear as day, Tobi tried to recall why he entered the sewers at all. He knew it had been curiosity, he had thought about that very same thing not long after he woke up in the cell.

Wait...did I wake up in this cell or did I wake up when I was being chained up?

"Stay with me Donlan, what were you doing in my Sewers?"

His mind replayed the scene of him walking through a sewer without any purpose, "Walking."

"Why were you walking in my sewers?"

"Curiosity. Boredom. Exploring." Tobi replied. Speaking in full sentences was giving him a headache and he was too busy trying to lift his head back up to give much thought to his answer. For some reason, his head was trying to move further back whenever he tried to lift it up.

"Why did you try to fight my men?"

If my head goes backward when I try to make it go forward, will it go forward if I try to make it go backward?

Moving his head backward so far that it caused his hyper-extended throat to choke, Tobi suddenly found himself facing forward again thanks to reflex. Being able to see the man in front of him again, Tobi forgot why he'd wanted to be able to see the man.

"Why did you try to fight my men, Donlan?"

"Who is Donlan?" Tobi replied groggily before remembering that his last name was Donlan.

Wait, I am not Tobi Donlan anymore. I am Tobi of Brackley.

Looking at his chains with curiosity, he tried to clear his mind and keep control of his wits. The chains seemed to become stronger the more he tried to concentrate. He'd always been proud of his ability to concentrate when he needed to though so he was stubbornly refusing to lose to the chains. Whenever he'd needed to study hard or focus on a game of chess, his concentration was second to none.

Stubborn...my sister is stubborn.

Smiling at the thought of his sister, he realized his thoughts were straying again. Forcing himself to concentrate as much as he could, Tobi looked at the yellow eyes that stared back at him.

"I didn't touch your men." Tobi finally answered.

"So it wasn't you that blasted the tunnel with a magic spell?"

"You asked me why I fought your men–not why I blasted the tunnel. I didn't men your touch."

"Why did you blast the tunnel?"

Replaying the words 'men your touch' in his mind and finding himself slightly amused by them, it took him a moment to realize he'd been asked another question.

"To free the ... thing."

"My Talin? Why did you want to free my Talin?"

Shrugging and trying to remember why he freed the green-skinned man, Tobi thought about how the men had been stabbing it with some kind of stick. He'd wanted to stop them hurting it unnecessarily.

"The men were being mean to it."

"What business is that of yours?"

He'd been about to shrug again when he'd felt his stomach shift and bubble. He'd not felt a sensation like that in so long he didn't even remember what it meant. Whilst focusing his baffled thoughts on the sensation, it was almost with surprise that he suddenly burped in the man’s face.

As the man's face shot back as a blast of magic hit him in the face, Tobi's amusement and fear shot through him simultaneously. He knew he'd found it funny but for some reason the humor was being battled by unexplained fear.

Barely remembering that the chains were causing him negative emotions, all idle thoughts fled from his mind.

I used magic. The chains stop me using magic...!

You have learned a new spell: Arcane Void.

By Mixing Elven Carpentry magic with Arcane Blast and using Arcane Blast as the primary source of magic, you have unlocked the second variation of Lions Roar: Arcane Void.

This spell is the exact opposite of Lion's Roar and does physical damage to everything except wood.

Open Advanced window to see more information.

You have learned a new ability: Mana Conversion.

By using life force (health points) in place of mana, you have learned how to convert mana to life and life to mana.

This ability can be raised to a maximum of 1:1 conversion ratio.

Currently level 1:

Conversion: Mana 1 -for- Health 10.

Open Advanced window to see more information.

You have used Arcane Void at a life for mana ratio of 1:10

Equivalent of Mana used: 50

Damage Received: 500

Spotting his health bar drastically reduced, Tobi glanced at the man current picking himself up off the floor and wiping blood that dripped from his nose.

"Open Mana window" Tobi whispered to himself. Unlike a moment earlier, his thoughts weren't clouded. He didn't know if he'd broken the enchantment or if it was temporary so he was trying to act quickly.

Mana:1437/1437

He knew his mana was cut off, but he wasn't sure if that would prevent mana conversion to life. If it didn't prevent mana conversion, his current 150 health could be returned to 650.

"Convert Mana to Health: 50 Mana"

As nothing happened, Tobi opened the Advanced Window for Mana conversion and quickly read the instructions.

"Convert Mana: Fifty."

You have converted 50 mana to health at a ratio of 1:10.

You have regained 5 Health.

"Huh?"

Quickly skimming the instructions again as the man used the wall to help himself up, Tobi realized his mistake. Whilst using health in the place of mana, he would receive 10 damage per equivalent of 1 mana. The flip side was that 10 mana only healed 1 health.

"Convert Mana: One-Thousand."

You have converted 1,000 mana to health at a ratio of 1:10.

You have regained 100 Health.

It wasn't much but it was better than nothing. He now had 256 Health and it was still regenerating. He would definitely need to level that ability. If he could get it to a ratio of 1:1, he would be able to heal himself more than two full health bars from a full mana bar. If he'd been a  Melee combat type with that ability, he would be a self-healing mega tank.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Actually, why don't I ever use melee fighting? Just because I can use magic doesn't mean I can't use my fists or a sword. Isn't that what gamers call a battle mage? Or are they something else?

Standing as far away as the room allowed, the man asked how he'd used magic and gave a quick glance at the chains. Tobi also remembered that the man introduced himself as Kleetz during his earlier groggy state. Taking a fresh look at Kleetz, Tobi noted that he was well built with dark skin but he was a little on the short side. 5ft6 at best. Standing an almost perfect 6ft, Tobi was feeling much less intimidated by the second.

"These chains are making me delirious," Tobi replied calmly, "Whilst I can't access my magic, it is still there. The magic inside me is running wild and it came out all on its own. I have no control over it."

Narrowing his eyes, Kleetz called him a liar, "The chains enchantments are probably wearing off."

"They wear off? Is there any way to check what enchantments are still working and put them back on?"

"Why would you want me to do that?" Kleetz asked as his hand fell to the hilt of his dagger.

"Because of that." Tobi replied as he nodded toward the dagger in the man's belt, "If the enchantments wear off I have access to my magic. If I have access to my magic, I am a threat. If I am a threat, you will kill me. I don't really feel like dying, so if you can make sure I can't access my magic or whatever, maybe you won’t feel the need to kill me."

"I am pretty sure I am going to kill you anyway."

Without another word, Kleetz turned and walked out of the room. The constant glances he'd given the chains made Tobi think he'd gone to get someone else. Maybe someone to reinforce the enchantments or check they were working. Maybe someone to protect him from Tobi's magic. Whatever the case, Tobi had an idea; Out of the 1,437 mana he had, he'd used 1,050 to refill some of his health. Since then, he'd regenerated 67 Health and 371 mana.

He couldn't remember the exact speed mana regenerated when not meditating but he knew it was supposed to be on the slow side. Despite that, his high intelligence, wisdom and logic (at least for his level) were allowing for quick-ish mana regeneration. His life was also refilling fairly fast but he had no idea what determined the speed of health regeneration. A vague memory in the back of his mind had Lorry telling him that HP-Regen was 10% of your HP per minute. It hadn't been 10 minutes since he accidentally used the spell though so the math didn't work out.

With his current health at "317" and Mana at "758", Tobi worked out that he could add another 75 heal himself. With the speed his mana was regenerating, he would refill his mana twice before his health filled. The bigger question was how much risk was involved with trying to use a specific amount of magic so that he didn't accidentally kill himself.

Thinking that he might be able to break the chains with his new spell if he repeatedly hit the cuffs with small bursts, he weighed up the chances of success and the amount of risk involved. He was pretty confident he could use exactly 50 mana, but did it feel the same when using Health as a mana replacement? He also wasn't sure how much magic it would take to break the chains. With his current health and mana, he could only use 39 mana worth of magic at best. That would leave him with 2-Health total. Any backlash or misjudgement of mana used would kill him. He also doubted that 39 mana worth of magic would break the steel cuffs that bound him to the chains.

Yep. Definitely a bad idea. Probably even dumber than the idea of entering the sewers. Definitely dumber than trying to save that green-Talin guy.

Wondering if its name was Talin or if the species was Talin, Tobi decided he would try his plan when both his health and mana were full—providing the man didn't return by then. Even if it didn't work, he figured it was probably a good way of levelling the conversion ability.

"Actually, open window: Mana Conversion."

Ability Name:Ability Type:Ability Level:Skill Experience:Mana ConversionMagic12%Converts 10 mana to 1 Health

Converts 10 Health to 1 mana

Uses Health as a mana replacement at a ratio of 10 health per mana replacement.

"I have used Mana Conversion twice since unlocking it, so is it 1% per time I use it? That explanation is better than what the advanced window said too..."

Whilst the advanced window had explained things easier, Tobi still had to change it's actually ability in his mind before reading the window that told him the abilities level.The new explanation of the conversion ratio was much simpler.

If he got the ratio high enough, it would essentially allow him to merge his health and mana into one pool. The pools would have a divide but he could easily swap and change which pool had the water he needed it to be in. He was already looking forward to when that would happen.

Realizing that if it went up 1% every time he converted mana to health—or vice versa—meant that he could simply convert 1 mana at a time for 1% experience. Tobi kept the window open and did exactly that. He realized his mistake instantly. He had to convert a minimum of 10 mana each time. After converting 10 mana twice, Tobi found out that wasn't the case at all. He continued to convert 10 mana at a time until it rose by 1%.

By the time his ability reached 3%, he'd used a total of 450 mana.

450 mana per 1%? Not bad...Oh, no...wait. That would be 500 mana per 1%. I have actually used 1,501 mana total in conversion so far.

He knew he could still grind the ability, but it wouldn't be as easy as he expected. The ability was definitely a cheat though. All he had to do was use some magic, convert health to mana, eat...and then convert health to mana again. When his mana was full, he would use the mana to fill his health instead of food and repeat the process.

Would be much better if I had more health though. I have six professions right now, if I remember right, humans can have seven. I need another profession that raises HP.

Snapping out of his thoughts, it was almost a welcome surprise to realize that he was planning for the future. He didn't even know if he was going to live and yet there he was, trying to remember if humans could have 7 professions or not.

He didn't forget everything from his delirious state though. Thoughts on Lorry and the GM guy having him live a dull life in Brackley had rung some bells. Chief among them was the question of why they didn't teach him more about the world. If they were so concerned about his life and safety, shouldn't they have taught him a few things? Why did they give him money and leave him to it? Why didn't Lorry teach him about magic, fighting and leech him up some levels in the forests?

Deedee and Galven hadn't escaped scrutiny either. He really wanted to know why they had been so quick to help him. Why hadn't they doubted him at all and simply led him to Vallen?

All of his doubts had been depressing and negative beyond belief but some thoughts had to be considered even now that he was back to normal. There were other things to be addressed too, like issues he had with himself. He wanted to know when, why and how he had become such a laid back wimp. When had he stopped looking for things that interested him and why had he been content to live as a baker for a year.

His problems had piled up but he was starting to get a grasp on himself and what he wanted. The only thing that had remained true and constant whilst he was out of it was Selene. He didn't quite know what she meant to him but he had started to understand a little. Above all, there was one thing he had to decide on: Aevitas or Home.

As long as he waited on the chance to return home, he would never live his life in Aevitas. If he chose Aevitas though and eventually got the chance to go home...would he still want to go back?

Deciding he would choose if he ever got to see Selene again, Tobi thought of his sister and changed his mind. He would only choose after seeing both his sister and Selene. If that ever happened considering his current circumstances.

Hearing a pained, roaring howl as the door to his cell opened, Tobi's attention quickly shifted to the tall, skinny man in mage rooms that entered his room. The man was followed by two men dressed in black from head to toe. As the mage began inspecting his chains instantly, Kleetz also edged into the room.

"The mind altering enchantment and emotion enchantment have broken. I don't understand why exactly but the rest are still working. He shouldn't be able to use magic or lie. His strength and so forth will also be drained. Are you sure he hit you with magic?"

"Of course I am. Are you sure that your enchantments are working properly?" Kleetz replied with a tone of indignation and anger.

The mage nodded in response and glanced back at the chains, "The mind enchantment appears to have been overpowered. I am not sure how, it should be impossible. The level of concentration required to even attempt it is beyond belief. The emotional enchantment seems to have overloaded. I can only guess how that happened."

"Then guess and explain." Kleetz snapped.

"It has happened once before. There was a man who took pleasure from pain. The enchantment makes you think and feel negatively, but he was getting pleasure from those very same negative thoughts and emotions. The enchantment became overloaded and broke down. My guess is that this gentleman did something similar."

"So what about his use of magic? Could it really run out of control and escape his body without his will?"

The mage shrugged and looked towards Tobi's stomach. Tobi doubted that's where his mana pool was but he had a feeling that the man was looking directly at his mana pool somehow. The sensation was a bit unsettling so he convinced himself it was just his imagination.

"I suppose it is possible. Your ‘Mana Leech’ should solve that problem though."

With a nod toward one of the men dressed in black, Tobi's attention shifted. Black gloves, black hood, black mask, black clothes and dark skin. The only thing not dark about him (and his counterpart) was the whites of his eyes and a white pouch hanging off his belt. The man said nothing as he pulled a purple leech covered in yellow spots from the pouch.

To Tobi, Mana Leech meant one thing: A Leech that sucked out mana. His mana bar currently said [793 / 1,437] and his health was far from full. The last thing he wanted was zero mana and half his health so he quickly converted all 793 mana to health.

Watching as the man placed the leech on his wrist, Tobi waited to see what happened. He didn't have to wait long. His mana bar quickly flashed 1/1,473 and then turned back to zero almost instantly. The same thing happened a few moments later and kept his mana at zero.

"I am assuming I am no longer needed here?" The mage asked of Kleetz as he turned for the door.

"Stay close by in case I need you. How long until the Leech drains all of his mana?"

"It doesn't matter, the Leech draws all mana towards itself and eats at a constant rate. You can't use magic at all whilst it is on you. They never get full either, so you can leave it there for as long as you like. Be careful of its growth though. They grow directly in proportion to how much they feed; it could easily grow large enough to actually start eating him rather than his mana."

Kleetz nodded but didn't seem to care. With a small gesture of his head, both men in dark clothes moved to the back corners of the room behind Tobi; the mage gave one last glance at Tobi before leaving the room.

"Where were we?" Kleetz finally asked after the mage left and he closed the cell door.

"I don't remember, you were going to kill me I think."

Kleetz shook his head and smiled a little—there was no humor in the smile though, "I think I was asking why you tried to free my Talin."

Tobi didn't think that had been the last question at all but he really couldn't remember. All he could think about was whether or not his health magic would work on getting the leech off his wrist later. He'd been delirious when he used the conversion type magic and wasn't exactly sure how to apply it. He expected he would try to draw on his magic and use it from his health pool naturally. If his mana was zero though, would it work the same way? Would the leech interfere with it? He really wanted to test it out.

"So...Mister Donlan, why did you try to release my Talin?"

"I thought I told you...I didn't like how your men were treating it so I tried to set it free."

"Oh that's right: Free the thing—men were mean to it. I believe those were your words. You're much more eloquent now that your mind isn't addled."

Tobi remained silent and tried to recall what else he'd said. He could only just remember saying that his name was Donlan but even that had been an accidental slip of the tongue.

"So, you go into my sewers, see my men mistreating my new pet and try to save it. That's what happened?"

Giving a non-committal shrug and a half nod, Tobi figured that Kleetz had summed it up pretty well.

"I guess it worked out well in my favor then, eh?"

Frowning, Tobi asked what he meant.

"Because I wanted you too; Tobi of Brackley. What? Did you not think I knew who you were? I don't know where you pulled the name Donlan from but seeing as it is the truth, I am guessing it is an alias you are known by. Whatever the case, I still know you are the inventor of chess—is that not so?"

Deepening his frown, Tobi chose to remain silent. That seemed to only make Kleetz cheer up a though and guess that he'd been right in his guess.

"To think I tried so hard to capture you last night and then you walk right into my arms. I admit however that I didn't realize it was you at first. I realized it was you when we came back into the room. Do you know what gave you away?

“It was your eyes. When I left earlier I took the light with me. When we came back in, I could see a glow in the room and didn't know where it came from. As I came in, the glow disappeared. I moved the light out of the room and guess what happened? Your eyes lit up. I could see as you looked at my men without even noticing the room was almost pitch black."

Shrugging with impatience, Tobi asked why the man had been looking for him in the first place.

"It wasn't just me. Did you really notice nothing since you got off Braddock’s boat?"

Instantly thinking of all the nagging thoughts in his mind since he came into Chadú, Tobi's thoughts finally rested on the two men he spotted hanging around the sewers.

"I can tell by your expression that you at least noticed something. The first was at the harbor itself. The harbor falls into my territory so I planned on using it as my chance to introduce myself. Unfortunately, Scrim had used that time to invade my territory and attempt to grab you himself...by force. Believe me, paying the guards that had been bribed by Scrim hadn't been cheap. To top it off, our little skirmish above and below the city streets had cost me some men.

After you disappeared, I later found out you were in Sal’s Restaurant. That is Darien’s territory and even I didn't dare go into that area. Not until I found out that Darien was also facing troubles for people trying to get their hands on you. It seems that Scrim heard the same thing because even that dirty rat tried to take advantage. A five way battle started but when I got into the restaurant, you weren't even there.

That was my mistake though. How was I to guess that you would be in the kitchen making your own food?"

"I still don't understand; why are you all looking for me?"

Kleetz sighed as his smile disappeared, "Five of us wanted to hire you, three wanted to kill you. The others...I don't even know if they are aware you are here."

"I don't follow." Tobi admitted as he imagined small battles happening everywhere he went in the city because they wanted to either hire or kill him. He didn't even know anyone in Chadú, why would they want to kill him? As far as he was aware, the only thing he should be famous for in Chadú was being favoured by all the Gods. That included the god Chadú that the city was named after.

"I don't need to hire you anymore so I don't need to explain. I just have to keep you here for the next few weeks. If you had told me who you were from the start, I might have tried to cut a deal with you. As things are, I don't think I can trust you. Better to keep you out of the way. I don't want to anger Chadú though, so I will at least release you when this is all over."

"So you are planning to make me your prisoner for the next few weeks? How long is a few weeks?"

Kleetz shrugged, "The games start in about four weeks. I will release you when the games are over."

Watching as Kleetz turned on his heel and both henchmen followed him out the door, Tobi tried to work out what the hell he'd just been told. None of it made any sense and he felt like he'd been roped into another scheme outside of his control. This damned world was determined to control him.

Looking at the Leech draining his mana, Tobi wondered once more about using his life as magic. The first thing he needed to do was get that blasted thing of off him.

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Spoiler :

I haven’t done nearly as much in this chapter as I planned but it leads us into the chapter that comes next, I hope it makes enough sense. I feel a little rusty.

I have written this chapter so many times in the past 3 days that I am fed up of it. I definitely feel like I under-delivered and I might have squashed in some filler information … *sigh* Talking myself out of posting the chapter here. I guess I will just post it and hope for the best.

Anyway I drew the Talin for you guys. My drawing ability isn’t anything special, probably about as poor as my writing ability but I tried.Here is an image of the “creature” he tried to rescue. You will found out in this chapter that it’s race name is “Talin”

http%3a%2f%2fs6.postimg.org%2fbcf257kpd%2fTalin3.jpg [http://s6.postimg.org/bcf257kpd/Talin3.jpg]

Thank you for your patience, I will be working on the next chapter all of today so I will hopefully have it out tomorrow if I can. I will try to get back on track as quickly as possible and post with as much regularity as I used to until my next festival job.

With any luck, I will be more satisfied with the next chapter than this one. Hope you guys are satisfied with it for the time being.

Regards,

Aspirer <3

Big shout to the people that read this prior to my posting it. I probably wouldn't have posted it yet if not for you guys.

<3<3