Trouble

'The Rising...'

"Why do you think that Oddity Beast attacked?" Athena asked turning to look at her friend Davi.

"I don't know, I'm not an Oddity Beast. They're all weird. Animals with magical powers and the like." He shrugged. "Though..."

"Though?"

"That's not the first time an Oddity Beast attacked the city I was in." Davi sighed. "If I had to take a guess I'd say that prick Kuro is back at it again." He gritted his teeth showing off his shark like fangs for a moment. "If he's here I'll search for him and find him!" He announced loudly pointing up towards the sky above. "Than I'll find Iris for sure."

"Kuro..." Athena frowned for a moment shaking her head as if that name didn't make her happy. "I wonder how big sis is doing... What did you think of that Oliver boy."

"Hmm."

"Hmm?"

"He was... Lame!' Davi threw his arms behind his head rolling his eyes. "Not really someone I'd care about. He also seemed like a bit of a crybaby honestly. Though his name... Oliver... I feel as if I heard that name once." He shook his head folding his arms. "Oh well. If he really wants to become an Arcane Hunter then I'm sure we'll meet him again."

"Yeah..." Athena looked down the street they had been heading following the way Oliver had gone. The boy was to far up ahead at this point to be seen. By now it was mostly night as well so everyone on the street were all heading into a direction of inns, or hotels, or their homes. "For some reason... I have a bad feeling..."

Meanwhile...

Oliver walked down the now, mostly dark street, heading towards the local inn that was in town, where he had been staying at during his time in this city. He hadn't been here long. Only a week at most. He had left the Alnwick Kingdom a few months ago and moved here excited to see what awaited him.

By now it was mostly dark the moonlight shining down on the streets below as the boy walked.

He let out a small sigh as he carried his pet cat, the strange black puff ball that went by Cath. His eyes slowly drifted up to the night sky as he frowned.

"Who were those two weirdos. Davi, Athena... They were..." Oliver let out another sigh as he brought the cat up and placed it back on his head. "They were so weird and strange... Who were they..."

Oliver slowly brought Cath down meeting the cats eyes. Davi had claimed to know who Cath was. Said he found them... His Master had taken Cath when he left.

For a moment Oliver's mind went to his Master's words.

'Oliver... I must be heading out soon... I will be leaving you. I trust that Cath will come back to you. Until then travel forth young child of the Black Knight.'

Oliver felt a sigh escape his lips as he ran his hand through the cats black fur and frowned. "Master... What do you think I should do... I feel so lost without you-" Cath suddenly let out a loud cry as Oliver's eyes went wide as he heard a loud crackling sound. He ducked down just in the nick of time as a wave of lighting flew past above him.

He stared in shock at the man who was covered in lighting that landed in front of him.

Pako gave a small frown as he jumped back a few feet down the street. "Darn." He muttered. "I was hoping we could take you down in one attack. Whatever the case you're fast... Tell me how did you know I was about to attack? Did you sense my mana? You a Mana Senser as well?"

"That lighting! You were the guy who was dressed up as the Fake Grimval weren't you!" Oliver hissed. 'Geez... That was close. If Cath hadn't warned me...' He shook his head and centered himself back on the topic at hand. "Why are you attacking me! Leave me alone already you crazy nut job!" He placed his hand on the handle of his sword. "Unless you want trouble..." He announced. 'Man! I bet I look so cool but I can't get my legs to stop shaking!' He thought.

Pako brought his hands up as lightning began to crackle. "Sorry. But I do need to come at you I'm afraid."

"But... Why?"

Pako gave a small sigh. "We're what you would call... Magic Collectors. We go from City to City, Town to Town, Village to Village, looking for rare and unique kinds of magic. You see we, take these people who have those kinds of rare magic and sell them. There are several particular sick, and twisted, people who would buy someone with rare abilities. And Time Magic... Magic like that hasn't been seen in a few hundred years. Only Merlin, the magic advisor of the King Arthur had Time Magic."

Oliver felt his blood run cold for a second. "So that's why you want me..." He drew his sword pointing it at the man as he nervously entered a battle stance. 'Calm down Oliver...' He thought to himself as his arms shook. 'You beat this jackass once you can do it again. And you have Cath with you to... She's like really strong once you unleash her power... You can win for sure! And this sword is... It's suppose to be strong. I don't know how to use it but all I need is to add mana...' He closed his eyes as a small gray went over his body and covered the blade but nothing happened. 'Why is the sword not lighting up... My mana isn't going into it... With magical items you just need to pump mana into it!'

"Of course. That's why we want you. You'd sell for a nice price."

"Wait..." Oliver frowned as something the man had been saying slowly clicked in his head. It sent a shiver down his spine as he gained a sick feeling in his gut. "Did... Did you say we?"

'Bang!'

Orange flames slammed into Oliver from behind making him yell out in pain as his back was lit on fire. He dropped the rabbit, which ran forward in an attempt to escape.

Kaen walked forward, from behind Oliver, where he had been standing. He brought his foot up and slammed it down on his badly burnt back making Oliver yell out in pain and gasp as the man put pressure on it. He reached down picking up Oliver's sword. "Hmph. Nice blade." Kaen said eyeing it up. "It holds together pretty well." He twirled it around sheathing it.

"My sword!" Oliver yelled.

"Oh yell as loud as you want," Kaen smirked holding up a glowing pink rock. "There's a bounded field around the area. No one, but those with magic, can enter. Every normal person feels the need to avoid this place like the plague. No one can hear you scream in here so let it all out!" He yelled slamming his foot down onto the teens burned back. He grinded his hill into it as hard as he could ripping the flesh.

Oliver continued to scream as the pain rose up.

"Is... Is it a good idea to do that?" Pako asked hesitantly. "We don't wanna kill him.."

"Time Magic Types are quite powerful," Kaen said as his face grew serious. "Some can rewind their time and reverse their wounds depending on the user. Others can boil a persons blood to lethal temperatures in a second. Weaker ones are usually unable to affect living matter in that way, but I don't want to be too careful... I won't risk it."

Pako raised his hand up placing two fingers towards the man. "Vil Lighting Bondage..." He muttered saying a spell.

Blue electricity covered Oliver's hands and feet bounding them in place.

Kaen grabbed him slowly lifting him up.

Oliver eyed him with painfilled eyes as he gave the burnt boy a small smile. "Don't worry. I doubt they'll kill you. Well... Not right away at least. Knowing Dragon Dwellers and Umbra Mortis, they'll rip your magic, painfully out of your body first."

"M... My magic..." Oliver whispered out making a face.

His magic was all he had though. The only good thing about him... He couldn't lose it.

Then who would he be?

***

A few hours later and Oliver found himself thrown down into the hull of a ship. They had dragged him out to a large vessel on the docks and dragged him to the hull of the ship throwing him down into it.

He crashed down into the wooden floor with a soft thud and let out a groan of pain. His back was screaming at him to be treated but he had no way to do that. It just hurt really, really bad...

He slowly looked up and saw a few other people down there with him. They were all bounded by the electricity much like he was, and all were huddled up in a corner with their heads down.

"W... Where are we?" Oliver asked quietly. He tried to sit up but it was hard to move since his hands and feet were bound. The lighting around them didn't hurt. It tickled more than anything making the hairs on his arms and legs twitch rapidly.

"We're in the hull of the ship..." Someone muttered quietly. It was a young girl, even younger than Oliver. He balled up slightly and was looking down at the ground not meeting Oliver's eyes. "They kidnapped all of us..."

"Do... Do you know where they're taking us?" Oliver asked.

"No..." Someone else commented. This time an older man. "All we know is that we're all going to be turned into slaves, or sold for some form or another."

"I'm sure the Guilds will save us," Oliver stated.

Someone shook their head. "We've been on this boat for nearly a month kid... Some of us for even longer... Nobody's coming to save us..."

'That's not true...' He thought to herself. 'Someone will... Someone has to... Even if that someone is me.' Oliver let out a quiet gulp and closed his eyes for a moment. He concentrated and felt a sensation inside of him for a moment.

Good. He still had the ability to use his magic. So the lighting wasn't cutting that off. Unfortunately, he didn't have his sword with him so he doubted he could cast a spell or properly control the mana.

'Okay... I still have my Magic, and enough Mana to cast a spell... If only I had my sword. Why did it not turn on when I placed my mana into it... I've never been able to cast or control my mana with it... I could try but what if I fail... What if...' Oliver took a deep breath for a moment calming himself down. Once he managed that he slowly looked over to the rest of the people. "Can everyone still use their magic? Does anyone have a way to cast without a wand or something? Maybe someone has a spell that can remove these bindings?"

"Of course we can... But what's the point." A man sighed. "None of us can get these lighting ropes off of us so I'm even if we could still cast a spell we can barely move. And the ship has those two people... I don't want to fight them again anyways... They could kill us with ease."

"Everyone in this room has a rare form of magic though! Or at least that's what they said to me." Oliver said taken aback. "And you all just want to give up? Does no one have a way to break out of this spell?"

Everyone shifted nervously unable to meet the boys gaze.

"N... None of us are fighters..." The girl from earlier said. "Most of us barely even know how to use our magic..."

Oliver felt another chill run up his burnt back. It really was going to be up to him wasn't it...

He slowly looked down at his bindings and got to work. He concentrated on the area focusing all his will, and intent at the one spot focusing any drop of mana he could.

But nothing happened...