“Um… this is it right?” Kori thought back to what the receptionist lady said. Upstairs, down the left hallway, 5th door on the right. This should be right.
“I think so. Knock on the door.” Kori knocked. The door gave a loud echoing sound.
A voice could be heard from inside. “Come in.” They opened the door and stepped inside the Guildmaster's office. It was plain, like any other office, it had a desk, bookshelves, and lots of papers.
“Ah, you must be Kori and Elizabeth. I’m Liam Ross, the Guildmaster of this guild.”
“Hello. It doesn’t look like we need to introduce ourselves. So, lets cut to the chase. You’re curious about our affinities? What’s that supposed to mean?” Kori knew he was probably intrigued by his affinity with Time.
“Well, more specifically, yours, Kori. I understand you have an affinity with one of the Elements of Existence, Time. You are aware of this correct?”
“I am. What about it? Do you think I’m some kind of threat?”
“Kori!” Elizabeth hissed as she elbowed him.
“What?”
“You’re being rude!”
“Oh no, don’t worry about it. But just so you know I would never harm someone blessed by Athaliah herself. That’s just asking for divine punishment.”
“Then what did you want?”
“I just wanted to hear it from you, just to make sure. And another thing. Can you use your powers of Time? Any spells?”
“No, I’m not trained in any magic yet.”
“I see. That is unfortunate. You could become a great asset for any country if you had mastered your affinity. So what does one as blessed as you want with Evergreen?”
“We were attacked and we hoped we could take refuge here.”
“I see. What do you plan on doing after this?”
“We’re leaving for the next city or town in the morning. We’re planning on getting to the capital.”
“In that case I shall send word about you two to the other Guildmasters. You shouldn’t have to personally meet one for something like this again.”
“Thank you.”
“Well I have no reason to keep you here any longer then. You’re free to go.”
“Thanks again.”
“Bye!” Kori and Elizabeth both left the guild with their Adventurer’s Licenses. Afterward, they got some Horned-Rabbit stew at a local café for lunch and stocked up on supplies. At the end of the day, they had 1 silver coin and 50 copper coins. They had a few hours till sundown and figured they would stay in this city for a little longer and spent their last silver on a night at an inn.
The day next day,Kori and Elizabeth returned to their journey. They hunted Horned-Rabbits and Two-Tailed Squirrels, which Elizabeth complained about killing them and wanted to save one and keep it as a pet.
Kori and Elizabeth were setting camp when Kori was suddenly alert. “Shhhh. Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“I heard growling, and a whimper. Sounds like a dispute between Demon Beasts.”
“Lets check it out.” They carefully and stealthily made their way over to the source of the noise, Kori in the lead. In a clearing, they saw a large beautiful white wolf with brilliant blue eyes. Its fur had a very interesting pattern of light blue. It swirled around like the artic wind itself.
Its face was fierce. Aggravated. It was staring at a wyvern, a class B Demon Beast. The wolf howled and an icy cold wind struck. It stomped the ground and ice jutted from the ground, attempting to stab the wyvern from underneath.
The wyvern simply flew up and dodged the ice spike that would have pierced its heart. But this white wolf was using magic. Demon Beasts usually cannot use magic and are unintelligent. But this one, was a Demon. Intelligent Demon Beasts capable of magic.
Kori heard some can even take human form, but on the inside, they will always be Demon Beasts. The wyvern was a bad matchup for the wolf. The wyvern flies away from any attack the wolf gave and melted its ice with its flame breath. Even if the wolf was a demon and the wyvern was still a Demon Beast, both were class B and the wyvern was simply a bad matchup.
“Kori… what should we do? It looks hurt.” Elizabeth was right. The wolf's hind legs were bleeding, staining its majestic fur with red, like blood spilt on snow. Even if Kori wanted to help the Wolf, what can they do?
Then Kori had an idea. They had bought a few magic stones from Evergreen before they left. They allowed the user to summon an element by feeding the stone mana. They had one Water magic stone. “Elizabeth, shoot as much water as you can at the wyvern. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“I'll do my best.” She took the stone and poured her mana into it. With her affinities with water, it should be even more effective. It glowed a bright blue and she aimed it at the wyvern. Water shot out like a waterfall and drenched the wyvern.
Kori then simply took off his gloves and touched the water, and instantly froze it all. The water stopped pouring, and the water on the wyvern instantly froze, rendering the wyvern unable to fly.
The wolf took this chance and pounced on the wyvern, ripping it apart. The wyvern was screeching and screaming as it was ravenously torn apart limb by limb by the wolf. Finally, the wyvern's life finally came to a merciful end.
Without even eating the wyvern, the wolf walked over to Kori and Elizabeth. It loomed over them, its shadow covering them all. Kori and Elizabeth braced themselves.
But the wolf did not attack, it simply stared at them with bright eyes, as if studying them. It then gave a huff and started to shrink. Its fur morphed into clothes, its body changing, bone and muscle structure cracking as its form changed. Some Demons can take human form, Kori thought. This was it.
The wolf took the form of a little girl in a white fur coat. The hood was in the shape of a wolf head. The girl still had the same brilliant blue eyes and her fangs were slightly showing.
“Thank you.” The girl bowed and thanked us. “For saving me.”
“No problem. But I want to know what happened. What’s your name?"
“My name is Akira. That fiendish wyvern destroyed my home and slaughtered the rest of what was left of my family…”
“I see. Your family were Snow Demon Wolves right? I heard they were almost extinct.”
“Yes. I was the only one who had ascended to a Demon and so they were easily killed…”
“I'm sorry for your loss. Well, I’m Kori and this here is Elizabeth.”
“Hey Akira, if you want, you can come with us if you have no where else to go.”
“I suppose I don't. But I can survive on my own.”
“Are you sure? If a wyvern attacks again we won’t be there to save you.”
“I didn’t ask to be saved! I was fine!”
“Oh really? Then let me see that wound on your leg.”
“This is just a mere flesh wound. I’ll be fine.”
“You’re not fine! And plus if you keep bleeding like that, it’ll attract other Demon Beasts. And you can’t run with that wound.”
“I won’t run. I’ll just kill-" Akira collapsed of exhaustion. She must have been defending her family for a while now.
“Akira!” Elizabeth caught her and laid her down. Akira was breathing hard. She lost too much blood. “Why is she so stubborn to protect her pride? Why can’t she just accept help! Jeez!”
After Elizabeth managed to heal Kori's wound, she has been able to use a little Light magic to heal wounds. Elizabeth channeled her mana into Akira's wound just like she had with Kori.
A faint light glowed in her palms, and muscle and bone stitching back together could be heard. Akira's face was pained for a little bit, then relaxed, and she was fast asleep, like a cub in its mother's lap.
Comments (3)
See all