The hustle bustle of the streets could be seen as the afternoon stalls soon began to close, making way for the night market to open.
Wandering about on the ever familiar yet…. Foreign surroundings, the Guide wearing a cozy cloak that hides his face, wound up in front of an antique bookstore.
The perfect place to find references for the Hero’s language lessons.
Clink Clang
“Ohho welcome, please feel free to look around this humble bookstore”
Giving a slight nod to the noticeably weary and old shopkeeper, the hooded Guide then proceeded to wander about the towering shelves filled with books.
“Are you by chance looking for Αρχή dictionary?”
“Ah, yes. Do you have a copy available for purchase?”
“Indeed we do, it is just behind the counter. Let me get it ohho”
The Guide then went closer to the counter as all of a sudden [Wind] magic was used by the shopkeeper, albeit to clean off the dust from the book, but it was strong enough to lift off the cloak covering the Guide’s face.
“Achoo!” The Guide startled by the sudden dust shower, unfortunately began to sneeze as he seemed to have inhaled some of it.
“Here it is…” The shopkeeper then got up from the counter’s table while trying to show the book he had finally found, his words then seemed to trail off at the end when he was now face to face with the startled Guide.
He thus continued his words and came to a reasonable conclusion.
“Ohho, aren’t you the Guide selected to help the Hero?”
“…”
Seeing that the person in front of him had no plans to answer, the shopkeeper then began to reminisce as he was then reminded of the Hero’s predecessor.
“Ohhoho… It may not look like it now but, this shop used to be frequented by the previous Hero. She was a beautiful missy that was oddly obsessed with reading books.”
“…”
The shopkeeper then began to wipe off the remaining dust from the book that had been sitting for who knows how long, just from the amount of dust that had accumulated on it and soon resumed to tell his tale.
“After purchasing this book from my shop, the missy said she brought the book everywhere she went as it was pretty helpful. She even began popping up from thin air from time to time just to borrow even more books.”
As if in deep thought and contemplation, the Guide soon opened his mouth to answer.
But it felt as though there was a lump stuck in-between his throat as he could barely even say the following words.
“…If I am not mistaken, the previous Hero’s ability is teleportation…”
“Yes indeed, it is recorded as so in history. She visits very often and would usually have a month long interval for each visit. She was also pretty captivating that even I often found myself looking at her every time she visits ohhoho."
“…You must’ve been very fond of the previous Hero…Sir”
“Yes, indeed! I was infatuated even! if I were to be honest ohhoho! But… suddenly, the missy just stopped coming altogether… and sooner, I found this book in front of my doorstep. But that was already a long long time ago, the wee lad I was is no longer to be found. I even have a wife and kids. Maybe soon, grandchildren! ohhoho.”
“…”
Smiling at the sullen Guide, the shopkeeper then finished wrapping up the cleaned book, now it is ready to be purchased once again.
“Seeing that there is a new Guide and a new Hero… then I believe it is time for me to stop having delusions of her once again entering this bookstore…But, if I may… Sir Guide you are oddly like your predecessor… ”
"I....don’t deserve such praises.”
“Of course you do Ohho! Guides are existences that help the Hero don’t they not? And the more I talk to you, the more it reminds me of that nagging Guide that always tailed the previous Hero…..”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Slightly flinching at the shopkeeper’s words, the Guide is now convinced that the former fully believes that he is now talking to the chosen Guide at the moment.
Though it is not wrong, the Guide couldn’t help but be perplexed due to the given situation and could only barely squeeze out a reply.
“….You must’ve been wrong Sir… Guides are existences that only the Hero could fully recognize.”
“…Yes, perhaps so… seeing that while I’m talking to you Sir Guide… your figure.... no, never mind.”
With a slight bitter smile the shopkeeper, without finishing his sentence, then handed the wrapped book to the Guide and the latter in turn payed for it.
Giving a slight bow to the shopkeeper, the Guide then reached for the door’s handle seemingly wanting to leave the place as quickly as he could.
But as the Guide was about to leave, all of a sudden a blond haired youth appeared as the bells to the shop’s door rang.
Clink Clang
“Hey~~ guide what’s taking so long, I’m starving remember?”
Flinching at the Hero’s sudden appearance, the Guide could only briefly stare and soon began to nag at the easy going Hero.
“…I was about to be done, you could’ve just waited in the inn… wait, how did you even find me here?”
“That’s a secret.”
The Guide, noticeably having a much brighter complexion than earlier, now decided to verbally say goodbye to the shopkeeper.
“Haa… well then shopkeeper, we best get going before it gets too dark out”
“Yes honorable Guide.” The shopkeeper then bowed his head as he bid goodbye to the Guide and then turned to face the Hero that just entered and continued his words of farewell.
“Safe travels to you too, dear Hero.”
“Oh, bye old man” Belatedly noticing the shopkeeper, the Hero then brightly smiled as he waved goodbye to the former.
“Don’t address people like that, it’s rude and also, don’t blatantly wave your status as a Hero.”
“Boo… the old gramps doesn’t even mind and why do I have to do such a thing… it’s a bother to be sneaky and stuff.”
“It’s for safety purposes!”
Clink Clang Cring
The sound of the bell once again resounded as the door closed behind the new Hero and the Guide.
The shopkeeper ‘watched’ as the duo left the store, bickering like the birds in the morning by the windowsill.
A single tear then ran down his face while reminiscing and soon heard his daughter’s melodious voice. “Dad~ you here?”
“Oh… ah yes sweetie” The shopkeeper then quickly snapped from his daze, answering the vibrant child as he wiped his eye with his palm.
The child then appeared behind the store’s counter and noticed her father rubbing his eyes as she then began to worriedly nag. “Dad please don’t push yourself too much, your eyes are not like they are in your prime anymore”
“Yes yes I know… These pair of blind eyes is no longer fit to man a bookstore… I just felt like looking over the store one last time before I retire…”
“Don’t worry dad! I’ll be the one to look over the shop now. Though, I know that dad can use his mana to sense others but that doesn’t go the same for inanimate objects right? So even if you can ‘see’ you shouldn’t force yourself too much.”
“Yes….”
The shopkeeper then looked back quietly towards the door the duo had exited earlier as he then said in a slight whisper. “Welcome back missy the bibliophile…”
“Huh what was that dad?” The young girl then asked as she couldn't hear the whisper that her dad had said.
“Ohoho… Just a phrase I always wanted to say”
After leaving the store however, while in the midst of their bickering, the Guide felt a huge headache as he then collapsed.
“Wha- Guide!” The Hero’s calls were unanswered as the Guide fell into slumber.
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The ever familiar marbled high ceiling was at sight as his whole body was chained with burning hot Aether.
Numerous sheets of white were floating through the marbled area as cloths of long yards dangled everywhere in a messy yet aesthetically simple feel.
The scene next was the most familiar and most repetitive one…. A Being clearly distorted stepped closer towards him.
The atmosphere noticeably growing colder with each step the Being took, as constant ‘eyes’ were aware of his presence.
He then wondered if he was shivering from the cold or from fear itself.
That he do not know nor would he want to answer as rage soon seethed into his being as he looked straight at the distorted yet majestic Being…
The Being in itself was hard to describe as its figure were hardly considered to be 'pieced' together.
Tap
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Tap
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Tap
Once again the Being walked ever closer and with a wave of a hand, the chains of Aether moved.
Now he was fully restricted with no hopes in being able to move an inch away from that fearsome Being.
[ αυτό {this} είναι {is} χάσιμο {a waste} χρόνου {of time} άγγελος {angel} ] It seemed as if his mouth was opening on its own as he said words that were foreign yet familiar at the same time.
The --άγγελος – that stared as if to peer through his very soul, then began to speak.
[ …Ανάγκη {Destiny, fate, needed} ]
Without giving him anymore chances to speak, the --άγγελος – proceeded to cover his eyes as then the white sheets fluttered intensely due to the bright energy emitted from the --άγγελος –.
[ Σε {I} καταριέμαι {Curse}…. να εσείς {You To Be} θνητός {Mortal} ]
The --άγγελος – seemed to be smiling gently as the surrounding palace of white soon faded from his ‘sight’.