The lands of the west are poor and inhabitable, I’m not even sure any living organism could thrive in such a place, however, maybe that place is where I must go…
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Kai’s heart jumped as the voice rang in his ears, and he slowly turned around with an awkward smile plastered on his face. This voice…
Much to, or rather, little to his surprise, the familiar voice was accompanied by its owner - A man dressed in a fancy black suit with gray stripes, short hair, and a trimmed beard.
“Raymond,” the dwarf sounded out from behind Kai. “Not much. Just conducting a bit o’ business with this wee friend here.”
“Hmm? Is that so?” A smile manifested on the man’s lips, his eyes scanning Kai with an intrigued expression. “Looks like you’re earning quite a bit from the guild, seeing as you can afford Mahe’s services.”
Oh trust me, this hurts me more than you can imagine… This is what Kai wanted to say as he remembered the amount of coins he handed over just for the few pieces he ordered for the microscope. Luckily Barhm has some money as well… otherwise it would hurt too much.
“Well… I had some savings…” Kai blurted out with a tinge of annoyance. “And his items are well worth it. However, did I hear you say your forgery?” He replied, then attacked with another question, raising an eyebrow at the strange man who wouldn’t stop bothering him.
“I did? I don’t remember.” Raymond feigned ignorance and chuckled, walking away with a hand in his pocket and the other waving “Well, I have some other business to attend to right now, so I’ll see you around, Ichor.”
“Right, see you around, Mister,” Kai said, a shiver running down his spine as he heard Raymond call him by that name. Something’s off about the guy!
He cleared his throat and turned back to the dwarf - Mahe - and let out a sigh. “Who is that man anyway?”
“If he didn’t tell ye, I’d much rather not get involved in his affairs, aye.” The dwarf said, almost avoiding Kai’s gaze as he scribbled on a piece of paper, which he then signed and handed over to Kai. “Here’s the receipt. Return in a week with the payment and somethin’ to transport it with. If ye haven’t got anything we can handle delivery for ye.” He said with his unmistakable accent and dialect, then apprehensively went to the back of the smithery after saying a brief goodbye.
That was weird… Kai thought as he walked away, and sighed as he headed toward Barhm’s house.
…
Meanwhile, in the back of the smithery, in a side room, separated from the smog and heat of the furnaces and metals, a man played with a coin as he waited with a leg over the other. He wore a black suit with gray stripes, and a smirk creased his lips as he spotted Mahe hurrying toward him. The door slammed open and closed just as quickly as the dwarf stood before the man with slightly shaking pupils.
“Is everythin’ alright, Sir Raymond?” Mahe’s quivering voice escaped his large body and waited for Raymond to speak.
A few minutes passed, a time in which the coin in his hands never stopped moving, and he finally clicked his tongue and said. “I want you to write me a report of everything that boy has been doing, and keep interacting with him as normal.”
“Is there a problem with young Ichor, if I knew-”
“No,” Raymond interrupted him and sat up with a small sigh. “Nothing concrete yet, but I have a suspicion. However, that’s all it is right now.”
After giving Mahe one last look, Raymond pulled out a wand - as black as the night sky, and shining just as bright due to the amount of dark crystals covering its surface. He murmured under his breath and drew a circle in the air, which he then stepped into, his figure disappearing without a trace.
Mahe gulped and shook his head, wiping the sweat from his forehead and quickly leaving the room. He let out a heavy sigh which turned into a yawn, and he stretched his limbs as he walked one of his employees. A human woman, her short hair barely reaching past her ears, and her skin wearing a bronze color, tanned from the heat, coated with dark patches from the smog and coal. A few freckles covered her face, and her beautiful black eyes sparkled under the orange light. “I’m heading off for the night. I trust you’ll take good care of the shop, aye lass?”
“Yes, sir!” She said, jumping slightly as she saluted Mahe, not breaking her posture until long after he left her sight.
…
Kai dragged his feet through the alley, having already grown accustomed to the sometimes quiet, sometimes loud, and all the time creepy atmosphere of the streets he took to avoid as many crowds as possible. This road had already become second nature to him, as during the two months he’s been sneaking through the city at night, even the shadows have come to know him.
Tonight was especially quiet, however, and even as he phased through the wall, he had a weird feeling that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. However, somehow, he felt watched.
“Where’s the cage?” Barhm asked as soon as Kai stepped foot inside the building, a bitter expression decorating his face.
“It’ll be done in a week…” He replied with a tinge of hesitation and looked toward Darky, who stood still under the giant’s Onyx gaze. “Not sure what to do until then.”
“Well,” Barhm said. “I can just repair the cage and make sure it won’t act up until then… Besides that, I think you have some explaining to do.”
“I do?” He asked, before realizing that Onyx was indeed not small anymore. “Oh yeah, I do.”
“What’s there to say? It’s a big wolf…”
“A big wolf wouldn’t make that thing shiver in fear.”
“It’s a very… scary big wolf.”
Barhm stood in silence, staring at Kai with a baffled expression, and sighed in frustration. “Fine, don’t tell me, I don’t care enough. I guess we’re lucky… Damned thing took me by surprise.”
“Yeah, what happened?” Kai asked, looking at the fresh wounds on the boy’s body.
“The hell do I know? It turned invisible, which isn’t uncommon, however, the next second the bars broke and suddenly it put its entire weight on me. It’s all because you overfed it.”
“I wouldn’t be giving it so much food if you didn’t take so much blood, you know?”
“I need as much data as possible, and-”
“Yeah, yeah.” Kai interrupted, disregarding Barhm’s words. “We’ve already talked about this. The new cage should be able to hold it, you know, inside the cage.”
“I hope so, I need to make better preparations. Here’s another list, bring me these things. I’ll be damned if I let myself be killed again.”
Again? Kai thought but didn’t voice them out, and simply took the piece of paper from the boy. “You know, writing better doesn’t cost you anything. And why do you always send me to buy you stuff, go yourself.”
“I’m a child.”
“So am I?”
Barhm paused and looked Kai up and down. “I wouldn’t be able to tell.”
“Same goes here…” Kai replied sarcastically, looking at the child with the personality of a grown man. “Anyway, I need to get going…”
“Right,” Barhm said and took out five dark crystals from his ring, and walked over to the ebony beast. He threw all of them out into the air, and they spun around as they flew toward a specific point. One in the center and four diagonally, close to the beast’s body. A wall of dark light connected each point as the crystals fell to the ground, then connected to the centric crystal.
Kai got closer and pressed his fingers against the light, however it felt like pushing against a concrete wall. Fascinating
“What kind of magic is this?”
“I should be the one asking you that, to me this is normal,” Barhm replied and sat down on the chair, staring at the quivering beast. “This should hold out for a while, but it’s not a permanent solution.”
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
“Yeah, but how does it work? Kai couldn’t help but ask, his curiosity getting the better of him.
“If I were to tell you I’d have to kill you,” Barhm said, earning a chuckle from Kai, however, the boy didn’t seem to be joking this time. Choking on his spit, Kai turned to the wall and left the boy’s room together with Onyx, who had returned to his original size.
“Don’t forget to bring me the items tomorrow-” Barhm’s fading voice echoed in Kai’s ears before being cut off completely by the wall. Kai scoffed and walked away, biting his lower lip as he read the list of ingredients the boy gave him.
Fuck, what does he need so many of these for? I don’t even know what they do! He cursed and kicked a pebble, the muffled sound of stone hitting stone bouncing against the walls. Suddenly, a rustle landed in his ears, and Onyx’s twitched as they both turned in the same direction, staring at an empty corner next to a recently crushed bag. The Obborik sniffed the air and approached the suspicious spot, however, he didn’t detect anything worthy of suspicion. With a last sniff, he left together with Kai.
As their figures faded into the dark alley, a heavy sigh escaped the constraints of the corner, followed by hurried footsteps in the opposite direction.
…
Kai was greeted by the familiar sight of the run-down bar, the place he long since started calling home. The dirty windows barely let the warm orange hue escape, the almost broken-down door, which creaked as he pushed it open. The beautiful melody of the bell he’d grown accustomed to signaled his entry, and the usual faces immediately popped into his vision. Karfi laughed with Natasha as she drank glass after glass of alcohol, and Tausi stood alone not far away, reading or drawing.
However, besides those three, there were a few new faces. Namely a man with a bald head and broad shoulders, his large stature dwarfing the chair he was seated on, and the pint of ale he held within his hand. Next to him, leaning against the table was a wide sword, with a large hole near its tip. Its blade was painted with the ferrous color of rust, tainted with blood most likely. And its hilt, as long as the man’s hand and thick as his fingers, was decorated by a few dozen short cloths.
The man himself, besides his bald head, had an average appearance. His sharp eyebrows were neatly cut to resemble two swords, and his black eyes absorbed all light touching his tanned skin. A large scar ran that seemed to be made by a sword ran along his right cheek. His muscular arms seemed to have a presence of their own as he brought the cold ale to his lips, and he looked straight ahead, but at nothing in particular.
Next to him sat his direct parallel. A thin, average-height man with short hair and the allure of someone who’d rather read books than draw a blade. His fair, untainted skin spoke volumes of the life he seemed to have lived. His white clothes were clean, without a speck of visible dust or hairs, and his emerald green eyes were hidden behind a pair of round glasses. He sipped from a warm cup of tea. Its fragrance reached Kai’s nose, making the boy lick his lips as he walked toward his companions.
The two glanced at Kai, paying him little attention as they kept enjoying their drinks. However, the scholarly-looking man's eyes widened upon seeing Onyx. He immediately placed his cup on the table and took a second to compose himself before calmly walking in Kai’s direction.
Stopping a few meters away, he took a short breath, his lips parting. “Little friend, is this animal here your pet, by any chance?” The man’s tone wasn’t demanding nor ignorant, hiding a tinge of excitement behind his friendliness.
Kai raised a figurative eyebrow took a step forward, and said, “No, he’s not my pet.”
The man’s expression seemed to have saddened, however, his eyes lit up after hearing the rest of Kai’s sentence. “He’s my companion.”
His eyes beamed, and he cleared his throat. “Then… May I interact with him? Could you tell me what species he is?”
Kai’s pupils constricted slightly, and he unconsciously stepped forward, placing himself between Onyx and the man. Another weirdo… He thought after remembering Onyx’s last interaction with fanatics.
“May I ask, then, Big Friend, why?”
Seeing Kai’s apprehension, the man took a step back and an apologetic expression manifested on his face. “Please, little friend.” He said, “I don’t mean any harm. It’s just-” The man hesitated, a drop of sweat running down his now reddened face.
“Let me present myself first. I am Lutha, Lutha Vay. I come from the southwest, just like my friend over here.” He pointed at the large man, then continued.
“I have always been fascinated by animals, but canines, for some reason, I always wanted to know more about them. I studied almost every, how do I put it, almost non-lethal species of wolf, dogs, demi-humans… foxes. Everything.”
Onyx took a step back himself, a shiver running down his spine after remembering his last run-in with such a nerd, and made himself as small as physically possible. Kai sighed and turned to Lutha with an awry smile. “Well, it’s not entirely up to me, you see. Onyx has had some… accidents with other humans.”
“Please, friend, I promise not to do anything weird-”
“Define weird.” Kai interrupted the man, asking an obvious statement.
“Weird… well, you know, weird.”
Kai didn’t seem too convinced by the man’s answer, and he almost wanted to tell him to ‘fuck off’, but in a much nicer way. However, before he could even say another word, a notebook appeared in Lutha’s hands, which he handed to Kai.
“Please, if you don’t believe me, take a look at my notes!”
Taken aback by such a gesture, Kai couldn’t help but chuckle awkwardly as he grabbed the notebook from the man’s hands, and started flipping through its pages. His eyes widened almost immediately as he looked at the drawings, accompanied by text detailing every animal’s behavior, patterns, magic, diet, and so on. He was almost scared by the amount of information and foreign terminology that he only saw in the Elven libraries.
He raised an eyebrow as he coughed lightly, and handed back the notebook. Suddenly, he felt that the man could be of use to him, and he looked at Onyx with pity. The Obborik immediately lowered his ears and yelped slightly, however the decision had already been made.
“Fine,” Kai sighed and stepped away. “However if Onyx doesn’t accept, you can’t blame me.”
“Of course, of course. Thank you for giving me such an opportunity, Little Friend.” Lutha said and approached the cowering Onyx.
He kneeled before the Obborik extended his hand, a warm smile manifesting on his face, and his tone suddenly changed. “Come on little one, I’m no enemy.” His tender voice echoed in the room, sending a small shiver even down Kai’s spine as a warm, calm feeling washed over him.
What is this trick? He questioned and watched Lutha slowly approach Onyx’s snout, hanging his hand a few centimeters away but not touching. The Obborik’s head rose, and sniffed his hand carefully, before shyvily approaching and giving it a soft lick.
A smile broke out on Lutha’s face, and a small piece of meat appeared in his fist, which he opened and handed over to Onyx. The canine gave the meat a good sniff before slowly eating it, and his tail began wagging crazily as he stood up, his eyes shining toward the strange man.
“How… Did you do that?” Kai asked, bewildered by Onyx’s sudden change in attitude.
“Well, if I told you the details it wouldn’t be a secret. But the short part is that I used magic to enhance my vocal cords and spoke on a frequency that calms the mind and body.” He explained in brief detail, not getting too much into it.
“You… changed your vocal cords?” Kai repeated, wanting to make sure, however he only got a slight smile in response.
Next, the man took out his notebook and a pen, as well as a primitive measuring tape and even a balance. Kai immediately gulped upon seeing it, knowing that his size wouldn’t match Onyx’s weight at all, however, he felt that it was too late for regrets now.
Onyx. however, didn’t seem to feel any sort of anxiety or discomfort even as the man put his hands all over his fur. This is… bizarre!
However, he sighed and walked toward the bar, exchanging a few glances with Natasha and Karfi, then observed as the man furiously wrote at an extremely weird speed. Just who is this man? Oh well… It should be fine.
“Looks like Onyx isn’t as careful as he seemed at first,” Karfi commented, pouring Kai a glass of water.
“Yeah, no… that man must know what he’s doing,” Kai added, bringing out a proper, metal straw.
“Why did you even agree to this?” Natasha’s sweet voice echoed in Kai’s ears, immediately followed by a sigh of satisfaction as she gulped down a strong liquor.
“Truth be told I don’t know much about Onyx either, after seeing that man’s notes… I figured we may get some good information.”
“Well, that’s fair I guess.” The two of them -Natasha and Karfi - said in unison, chuckling lightly to themselves.
A few minutes passed, time in which page after page got filled with countless notes and observations Kai could only dream of seeing. Meanwhile, the man accompanying Lutha stood in the same position, not moving a muscle, still sipping from his ale.
“Dad, look!” Tausi’s voice suddenly echoed in the room, accompanied by her tiny footsteps as she ran toward the three like a penguin, holding a drawing. “I finished it.”
“Hmm, now what is this?” Karfi said, a smile reaching from one ear to the other. “Let daddy see.” He said gently, reaching over the counter and picking up his daughter, placing her on the table. She gave the drawing to his father, and the smile on his face froze briefly before his expression changed to a melancholic, almost sad expression that hid a tinge of regret.
“What is it? Let me see.” Natasha reached for the drawing, and her expression came to resemble Karfi’s before she broke out into a cheerful, yet pained laughter. She placed it on the table, letting Kai see it as well.
The drawing, crudely as it was, colored using broken-down pencils and plants, brought a smile to Kai’s lips. On the white paper, drawn on a blue sky background with a smiling sun in the corner, sat four people and a wolf on a grassy field. In the middle was a small child with long hair, her bright smile outshining the yellow star, and she held the hands of a tall, large man and a smaller woman dressed in doctor’s clothing. To the side, a boy with black hair and a mask that resembled nothing at all, walked toward them, followed by a white wolf with an interesting-looking tail.
They weren’t labeled, however, the meaning behind it was clear. Kai couldn’t help but inhale sharply and glanced at the clueless, smiling little girl beside him. His lips parted, however, they only managed to smack back together as he decided to stay silent. And silent they remained, all of them, ignoring Lutha’s mad ramblings. Tausi’s smile began to fade, and she tugged Karfi’s sleeve. “Dad, is something wrong?”
Karfi broke out of it, and his eyes landed on his daughter as he began smiling again. His mustache moved as he picked up his daughter into a tight hug, patting her back as a small tear formed in the corner of his eyes. However, before he could say anything, the door to his bar swung open, almost breaking the bell.
His vision widened as a calm set of footsteps hit against the decayed wooden floor, creaking as the figure approached. Lutha, the man studying Onyx, turned around and stood up after seeing the newcomer. Even the tall man’s gaze shifted toward her and they gave each other a slight nod before going back to their business.
“Y-Yasa?!” Karfi’s shocked voice escaped his body, and Natasha almost dropped her drink upon seeing the foreign figure.
“Long time no see, Fatty.”