Elias whistled, hugging the grimoire tight to his chest. "Oh my precious. Daddy is here, don't you worry."
His attitude a complete contrast from the day he went around bashing people with the same book.
Anyone who saw Elias right now would only think that they were watching a complete maniac. And that was exactly what the brown-haired woman concluded as she tailed the man talking to a brick-sized book in his arms
Bringing herself to focus a little she went through her checklist: A central city bloke, check. Has a thick black covered book, check. An insane bastard, double check.
The woman's mouse shaped ears twitched in anticipation. At last, she had her target, her mind worked in overdrive as she quickly went through several plans. However no matter how hard she thought she couldn't think of a natural way to approach the bumbling man lost in his own world.
As they strolled through the bustling streets, people blurred by, going about their days. The air crackled dense with mana, Lily always felt the stark difference in quality the city had from it's abandoned outskirts. Scent of spell and enchanted incense wafted from many shops they passed by on the streets.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, Lily finally decided to stay at an unnoticeable distance behind, her eyes glued to the man. Let's see what he does for now.
Ahead of her Elias only calmed down after showering his grimoire with what he thought was sufficient appreciation. Although tired, there was no doubt he had changed on a fundamental level. He brought his free hand up, just by focusing a little he could catch traces of green tinted particles moving around his palm. He couldn't wait to experiment with his new found ability.
I need to harvest more miasma and safely. I'll be damned, If I ever set my foot back again in that cemetery filled with actual ghosts. That aside, can't wait to get home and study this grimoire. Shit, to think I almost even sold it off!
Elias kept walking, humming along the way. Closing in from behind, the short mouse girl slapped her cheeks and decided to wing it.
"Excuse me?" Lily asked, her voice timid but enough to reach Elias's ears. She could only hope her acting skills were up to par.
"Hmm." Elias turned around, his gaze falling upon the short woman. She stood with her hands tucked her back, her cute mouse-ears flapping along with her nervous fidgeting.
"Don't be racist." Elias mumbled to himself before turning to the short woman coughing, "I don't have any cheese."
The short woman, Lily stopped fidgeting, stunned at the unexpected statement, "What?"
"What." Elias blurted out. Trying to avoid the short woman's judgmental stare Elias coughed again and continued, "So much pollution nowadays, how may I help you?"
His query fell on deaf ears as Lily was still reeling from the shock. Cheese? Why would I? Wasn't that joke from some TV show? That's so dumb!
Her face hardened, not because she was hurt by the statement rather it was the only way she knew to stifle her laughter. After all, how could she be offended by something so juvenile, she had heard way worse growing up in the outskirts.
But still she couldn't miss an opportunity, could she?
"I — wow. Well, hello! I happen to have a name, and I'm not an actual mouse asking random strangers for damned cheese! I only wanted to ask if you knew the way to the nearest pawn shop, but I guess I shouldn't have!" Lily shouted the last part, her brows drew together in a frown, her lips curled in a snarl. Elias almost stepped back at the short woman's glare, she looked ready to unleash a storm of yapping at any wrong move.
"Ahahaha, you heard that. It was just a joke earlier from that TV show about the mouse girl and the cat man. I know a good pawn shop, hell I can take you there myself, please don't report me." Elias said, book in one hand, he clasped Lily's hand with the other. Without giving her any time to think, Elias pulled; their hands wrapped around each other.
Elias jogged dragging Lily behind him, who couldn't help giggling in secret. It wasn't everyday she got to deal with a funny idiot. And at the end of the day she would be getting paid for leading this fool to his own demise so win-win.
"What's with the book? Is it some family heirloom?" Lily asked as they jogged hand in hand.
"Much more important than that." Elias replied and Lily nodded.
Soon enough, they reached their destination, a weathered storefront adorned with a sign with the words, "24 Hour Pawn Shop."
Elias brows furrowed as he observed the illusory particles flickering near the shop, the density of it surpassing some actual arcane shops dealing in magic appliances. He turned to look down at Lily, "Here we go. There's the pawn shop, the owner's name is Phil. Part time haggler, full time miser try not to get ripped off."
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I'm Lily, by the way. I didn't catch your name." Lily beamed at him, her smile infectious.
Seeing her smile, Elias breathed a sigh of relief. "Call me Elias. Elias Thorn. Anyway, I should be on my way now."
As he turned to walk away, Lily tugged at the cuff of his shirt. "There was one more thing."
"Uh, sure. What is it?" Elias asked, meeting her eyes. Since the short woman held him, he couldn't help but notice her short brown hair, which paired well with her hazel eyes.
Lily's smile widened, seeing Elias relax.
Despite the disadvantages of having a short stature, thanks to her bloodline belonging to the mouse family there were a few saving graces. People underestimated just how easy it is to throw perfect uppercuts from her position.
Elias couldn't even see the lightning-fast palm strike hit his chin before it was lights out.
Glancing around, Lily sighed in relief at the lack of onlookers near the pawn shop. Her smile from earlier faded as she looked down at the knocked-out Elias. She pried the book away from his loosened grip. "Hope you can forgive me later, Elias Thorn."
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
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Orange sky hung over the outskirts, shaping up to a usual evening in the outskirts. That was until the tranquility was shattered by a lunatic zooming through the streets, screaming, "Get away from me!"
A handful of onlookers paused to watch the mad man run past them. No one batted an eye at the madman running from imaginary pursuers. One of the bystander shrugged getting back to his newspaper, he muttered under his breath, "Bloody addicts."
Truly, an usual outskirts evening.
Tyre's lungs burned, at every step he gasped for more air. Even with the pain coursing through his knees, his legs kept moving from the sheer terror.
"Oi, rat face! Look at that. Night's coming, we're gonna get ya!" A menacing voice echoed followed by unhinged laughter.
"Hmph, look at him trying to run. I can't wait to tear this bastard's soul to shreds," sneered a lady-like voice.
"Patience, my dear. Surely even this filth knows when it's futile to struggle," a noble voice interjected with cold indifference.
Tyre collapsed to his knees, his hands clutching at his ears as he screamed, "Aah, get out of my head! Please! Get out! Get out!"
Backed in an unfortunate corner Tyre clawed at his contorted face. His screams echoed through the corners, with the full moon bathing the world in it's eerie silvery glow, Tyre grew still.
Calm and composed, Tyre rose to his feet, his movements as fluid as a marionette strung along by a master.
"Necr... mancer," a haunting blend of several voices spoke through him. Hidden in his tent, the beggar who watched the whole thing began furiously praying to his gods
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Elias woke up to the sensation of wetness soaking his face.
"Ugh, where?" Through his blurred vision he could still make out several people standing in front of him. He heard people speaking but he was too disoriented to make sense of them.
Elias tried to move but soon realized he could not. Struggling a few moments adjusting to the moon lit alley. Attempting to move, he soon realized he couldn't. After struggling for a another few seconds, his eyes adjusted to the darkness. It was a corner he knew all too well — the dead-end alley. The same place where he had encountered the old man and where he had robbed the wannabe gangsters.
Noticing the tight ropes digging into the skin of his arms and legs, he realized he was in deep trouble. Glaring at the unsavory group, his gaze locked with the man towering over him. Elias noticed the bandaged nose on the man, he frowned, not this bastard again!
Dressed in noble attire, the man shed his suit, one of his lackey handed him a steel pipe.
"Having fun squirming, worm?" The man came forward, weapon in hand. He walked tapping his shoulder with the steel pipe every step, a unsettling smirk on his face, "When you ran back to the shitty slums, I thought you would know your place and not come back here."
Elias stared in silence as the man gently brought the steel pipe to rest on his knee as if marking it. "How lucky of me, the rat I hired found you so soon. Ought to give that short bitch a bonus, right boys."
The men behind him snickered, some cracked their knuckles.
Elias wasn't in a position where he could afford immediate medical services, one broken leg would mean getting crippled; crippled! And by the looks of it he could guess these whoresons, wannabes playing at being gangsters wouldn't know when to stop. He tried to struggle free from the damned ropes yet they were tied so tight around his limbs it seemed impossible to break free.
I- I'm done for. Elias realized, his eyes moistening from despair.
And the bandaged nose picked that exact moment to raise the steel pipe above his head. Their eyes met again, the man saw Elias on the verge of breakdown making the man laugh.
He brought down the steel pipe and Elias braced himself, closing his eyes.
Bang, came the sound of steel slamming the cobblestone. Elias' eyes jerked open as he saw the steel pipe laying on the road a few inches away from his knee. Elias breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ahahahhahaha." The wannabe gang leader's shoulders quivered as he laughed out loud.
"Look at this bitch, ahahaha. Don't relax yet you little shit. I'm gonna break each of your joints and then some." The wannabe leader grabbed Elias's hair forcing him to look at him.
"Before I do that though. The name's Reynard Dyson, remember to tell your other crippled mates from the slums. This is what happens when filth like you step into the central city." Reynard stood up, raising the steel pipe high in the air.
Resigned to his fate, Elias couldn't see himself getting out of this one.
"Stop right there!" Came a loud shout and an even louder whistle. Something which everyone present knew only belonged to the police.
Reynard wavered, he turned around to find some of his lackeys already getting apprehended by the two police men.
"Damn it." Reymond cursed out loud knowing that the only exit was being covered by the police. Shaking he thought, they can't catch me running if they are busy cuffing the others.
Reynard decided to book it. But not before yelling, "This isn't over filth."
Seeing Reynard trying to escape the chasing officers. The remainder of his lackeys followed their leader and in a matter of a few minutes Elias was alone again.
Elias who was still tied down saw the happenings with his jaw wide open. What in the hells, is his grimoire cursed? Everything has been a close brush with death ever since he got it!
Lying on the road his limbs tied, Elias somehow managed to sit up. Staring at the ropes tying his limbs together he muttered, "What now?"
"Now you can go home, I guess." Elias raised his head to see the short woman, Lily, grinning at him.
"You! Fuck, I should've known something was wrong." He yelled his voice hoarse from dehydration.
"Aww, I'm sorry. I get the rage, but no gratitude for your rescuer? Lily's nonchalant statement were only met with Elias's murderous gaze.
Lily calmly walked up to him still all smiles, she ran her dagger across the ropes tying his arms. She continued, "Look, if you forgive me, I'll give you something good."
Elias jerked his hands apart before rubbing his wrists, "Yeah? What's that?"
Lily put a hand behind her, fumbling in what seemed like a satchel tied around her belt. She brought her hand back out which now held a thick black book.
Recognition covered Elias's face, with a growl he swiped his hand taking the grimoire.
"You!" Elias muttered over and over absolutely livid. He wanted to say more, insult her in the worst possible ways but he couldn't. She stole the grimoire after knocking him out, true. She returned the grimoire back to him as a peace offering, also true.
Anger or relief, Elias didn't know what to feel. Even so amidst all those raging emotions he realized the grimoire was still in his hands. Is this even the real deal or did she manufacture a fake to get the information about the real one?
With that question in mind he said nothing and opened the book going over everything he had already read.
Lily tilted her head confused. She was expecting a barrage of nasty insults, threats among other things. Still she let Elias go through his book without comment.
Ignoring her, Elias flipped through the pages of the grimoire like a man possessed. Confirming the contents, his creased brows relaxed. Only then did he notice the mouse woman waiting for him patiently.
Her chin resting on her hand, the other holding the dagger. The mouse ears, her short figure holding onto a menacing black dagger really painted a contrasting picture.
She asked, "Having fun reading blank pages?"
"Blank pages?" Elias showed Lily the open grimoire then questioned, "You can't see the contents?"
"No? I took a peek while you were reading it just now but I only see blank pages." Lily admitted.
That's - good to know, Elias thought. He then fell back into the dilemma. What should I do?
This sneaky girl did steal the book but gave it back to him in one piece.
"What's your angle?" Elias couldn't help but ask.
"Angle?" Lily chuckled, "Guess, I didn't want you weighing down my conscience, Elias Thorn."
Perplexed, Elias continued staring at her. Lily sighed, "They were going to cripple you.
"You were listening?" Elias shot back.
"Who do you think tipped the police?" Lily went ahead, cutting down the ropes tying Elias's feet.
Finally free from his bindings, Elias found himself tongue tied. What could he even say to this confusing mouse girl. Lily stood up, offering him a hand. Which Elias took and she pulled him to stand with a strength that surprised Elias. He couldn't be sure but he had a good hunch even the size he had on the mouse girl, Lily could still beat him with a hand tied to her back.
"I think you have a lot of questions. How about we talk about them over some drinks? My treat." Lily offered, breaking off the awkward silence.
Elias had a lot to process and getting black out drunk seemed like the quickest solution, "Sure."
"No problem. Tomorrow night at the city gates around eight. I’ll be waiting, Eli." Lily said before walking out of the alley.
Elias watched her go, stunned. The whole event left him speechless.