8 Chapter 3 (2/5) - The Grudge that falls on me.

Surrounded by people whose features I couldn't see on all sides didn't feel good at all. I wouldn't have anything to track them with. I was confident in running away, but if they really put everything at stake then I might not survive this. That is if their intention was to put he out here for good. But it didn't seem so.

"Its really amazing how you, the cripple who couldn't even match other defects, was the only one who was similar to his own ancestor. Ah! Such a blessing, yet being laden by a curse. It seems fate can't help but give you a two-sided fruit."

This wasn't the first time I heard such a comment, that I was the only one who could be considered 'successor' to the old man. The first was from the Old hag herself.

I hadn't yet seen my ancestor or even met him. But I could picture his face, with all they were saying, I just needed a mirror or something reflective to see my face and that would be it.

Black hair that fell down freely on the sides and the back, reaching my ears on the sides and my neck on the back. A sharp nose with a tall nose line. Arched eyebrows that weren't too thick or thin. Pale pink-white lips and a pale white face. Most of all, misty-grey eyes that might be mistaken to glow like gems.

"Then why are you here? What would you need a cripple for?"

"One man's trash is another man's treasure. Even trash can provide useful in the right situation. Like right now. We came here today to ask you for your help Ashwaal. I'll cut to the chase, we need that 'MurkVeil' blood in you. Would you let us borrow some?"

To speak of borrowing something like blood, the world really was cruel. Well, not exactly like the world, it was more or less the people that were cruel. I'm sure he didn't mean just a few drops.

"That's too bad because my blood is just like anyone else's, you won't be able to use it for what you think. It's really nothing special."

"Of course that's true, and that's also why you're alive, isn't it? After all, if we just needed your blood then we could take it right now and that would be the end of this discussion."

True. I couldn't refute him. It was easy to guess that they came here knowing what to do, the question now was to what extent they knew. They wouldn't know much, that's a fact, it would have been hard enough to even know about me, or how I was alive. To come after me just after I returned, I really wanted to know who was the one who told them about it. Who was the one who still remembered me? Maybe they could be counted with my fingers, but all those who would remember me weren't people who would sell me out.

"But we need your help, we need you Ashwaal, or to be precise, what 'you' can do with your blood. Of course, we're more than willing to reward you for your hard work. Here, take a look at this." He took out a small blue square box, enough to fit on his palm. On a closer look, it had blue markings all over.

"This can be considered the 'advance' payment if you agree to help us. I'm sure you'll be tempted by it and don't forget, this is only the 'advance' part, though this is compared to the real payment. You can see it clearly from there, can't you?"

Of course, I could see it, my eyesight was good. It was great. And so was the box on his palm. The blue markings were for sealing something so that nothing can exit or escape it. In in this case, it was keeping the thing contained inside it from seeping out, and from the way the markings were blue, it had to be.

"A mana stone isn't it? And not only that, a rare type with an element. To find one as big as your palm, there aren't many places where you can get those from. Though they aren't scarce and just rare, mines with stones like those are all monopolised by the big ones."

"You really do know your stuff, saves me the trouble of explaining. So what do you think? Are you willing to help us? Just know that if you accept, we'll also be owing you a favour?"

"And that's supposed to tempt me? Do I even know you all?"

That's right I didn't know anyone. Either their figures were blurred with shadows or I couldn't see them at all. There wasn't any disturbance in the surrounding mana. If it was one person concealing them, then he would need a whole lot of mana and to do that without using the surrounding mana on a large scale was highly unlikely. The other way would be to use a machine. A device, powered by magic. In this case, they seem more like an organization so this was the more likely guess.

*Cough*Cough* "Oh, right, there's that. You can call us Viath's Council, and another hint is that we're wholly composed of nobles. In fact we....."

"Oh, for crying out loud! Stop talking and get the job done. We didn't come here to introduce ourselves or worse, tell him all about our secrets. Stupid white-haired clown, always getting sidetracked. We still have more things to do. Get it over with and let's go!" The anger and irritation in the voice were apparent. Probably a woman's, since it was still of a higher pitch when compared to a man's. It came from the south-west building's roof that was under construction.

"Now, now, remember that he might be the 'clown' but he's still our leader. At least show him a little respect. Or is it that you're in heat? Already at this time of the year?" The giggle of another one echoed out. This one was pleasing and melodious. Possibly another woman. The sound came from the south building's roof."

"What was that? Are you looking for a fight?"

"Have you ever won any?"

"I didn't but, that was last time. I'll definitely crush you this time and paint your face black."

"You said that the last time, and before that, and before that and..."

Suddenly, I couldn't hear them bickering. Did they suddenly stop? No, it was more like the sound was being concealed so that I couldn't hear it.

"Anyway, you get the idea, so are you willing to help us, Ashwaal? In fact, you could join us right now. We'll gladly accept you, even if you can only do this for us we'll still treat you like a treasure."

Honestly speaking, the profit was great if I accepted their proposal. To get a magic stone that had an element which was the size of a palm and to only get even betting things, it was clear that this Viath's Council was loaded. To join might be a dream for anyone else. But for me, it was just cow dung. Honestly, nothing he said could actually catch my attention. I wasn't even a cripple anymore, even without changing, that is.

" I refuse." A clear answer, I wasn't changing my mind.

"Well, that's too bad. Though we came here perfectly prepared for that. So, please forgive us for being impolite." Their figures suddenly moved, disappearing in an instant like real shadows.

But before they could get close...

"Fog Explosion!" A pitch black fog suddenly swarmed through the square, through my body. It covered the square like a swamp of fog, making it hard to move, hard to breathe. As for sight, it was bordering on wide-eyed blindness. Even sound couldn't travel properly in the fog.

This was because the fog had a 'dark' element to it. That also gave it it's pitch-black colour. If not, then it would be like any other fog, the only difference would be that it was conjured with mana.

And this 'dark' element was the key of the spell. This was just a mid-level spell but it took almost all my mana for this. Without the 'key' element, it would have proved useless.

Would they be able to find me? Highly unlikely, I hadn't just been listening to them all the time. In fact, it wasn't wrong to say I was only half listening to them.

The whole time I was watching the buildings, the roads, the shadow figures that were surrounding me on all sides. The best plan I could make right now was to head directly east. Why? Because it was where their 'leader' was, so only the human-gorilla guy was there. Strength didn't matter in the fog, and even if they could find me, there were a lot of countermeasures. Worst case scenario, I wipe out all the evidence.

I ran east, had I passed the square? I didn't know, but one thing was for sure, I felt the 'presence' of someone in the direction I was headed.

Like I expected, their leader, the one with white hair, was standing there, not moving at all. He was now on another roof only a dozen metres above the road, enough to cover a wider area and to intercept me. I guess he didn't know me too well, and that he only had some info on me. Maybe the part where I was a 'cripple' who couldn't use his own ancestral magic made him confident. But he was sure in for a ride.

Amidst the fog I jumped, dragging it with me. It didn't constrain me like others. There was now a dagger in my hand. One formed of fog, now sharp enough to slice a building without stopping. The dagger went straight for him, aiming for his neck. Just a swipe and this would end.

Boosting my body with mana both from the outside and the body, the dagger came for him at a speed faster than wind, surpassing sound.

*Thud* Not the sound I was expecting, his arm actually gripped the dagger. His skin or arm didn't seem that hard. It should be that he reinforced it with magic. Just as I was about to slice him with another dagger with my left hand...

*Swoosh* My head turned to the side. The fog was being gathered, the square was getting clearer clearing. All that dense fog was now concentrated to a small ball by a girl, her face covered by a cloak.

As she was wearing black clothes I couldn't see her clearly, and also because my focus was on the ball the had on her hand. It was now getting more red, like a fireball, till small specs of fire starting spewing out of it.

To add fire to all that mana, my instincts were screaming 'danger', I knew that even without. If that hit me, I was a goner.

Change of plan, my left hand went for the leader's chest, a palm instead of a slice. Trying to push myself back. I had to retreat or I would get hit by that fog-fireball.

The palm connected, the force flowing through it blew away not me, but instead the leader.

He had let go of my right hand at the last moment, and let my palm hit. I could see his smirk as he was blown back. He was enjoying toying with me, that was for sure.

I really was a rat in a trap, that was for sure. Because right now, I could feel my feet, covered with ice. I couldn't run like I planned. I looked to my right and saw the culprit. An ice mage, for sure. With the cold air visible all around him, a blue haired boy was standing there, doing his best to keep me in place.

He wasn't covered like the rest, but right now I had other things to do.

My right hand still held upholding the dagger, I pointed my left palm to the ground.

"Explosion!" A fire spell, that was meant for a wide area burst of fire. This was a variated way of casting it, using mana without an element would convert it to a burst of 'force' instead of 'fire'.

The force travelled through the ground, not bringing me up. Another plan failed. I didn't even need to look to see the reason why. To my left was the human-gorilla guy. He was undoubtedly an earth mage, He made the ground soft so that the force would pass through with no obstructions.

"Haha! It's game over. Goodbye idiot!" This guy really could hold a grudge. Goodbye? Weren't they trying to capture me?

But he was right, game over. The smile on the face of their leader, now standing a few metres in front of me, said it all. 'Exactly as planned'.

To top it all off, there were now glyphs formed of ice surrounding me, etched on the ground. Making a circle. Preparation for an ice spell to seal me. The ice spell 'Tundra'.

I could guess it would take place after I got hit with that fog-fireball.

*Heh* " I guess it really is the end for me..... or is it?"

*Swoosh* The ball made a roaring sound as it flew to me, I didn't even have to see to know that. and as the ice spell was just prepared.

I gripped the dagger I was holding firmly on the handle, maybe they couldn't see because of the fog but the handle part of the dagger wasn't made with fog. It had a crest that had a line through a circle, painted space-black.

*Click* Was the last sound that I heard and everything went blank.