Chapter 19-The Lord

" Cash..."

A woman's voice I didn't recognize...I'm surrounded by darkness. It feels like I'm floating. What happened? Where am I?

" Cash."

Again I heard it but closer. I recognized this voice but didn't at the same time. I've never personally heard it but it seems so familiar...It's of an older woman so It can't be Lizas but it's not my grandmas either...So familiar...

" CASH!"

" Ah!"

I suddenly awoke sitting up in a hospital bed. The woman's voice changed from gentle and comforting to fierce and aggressive.

" Uh...So you're awake."

I looked to my right and standing in front of a window was a nurse in a typical nurse's outfit with short black hair. I startled her with my sudden awakening and she was cowering by the window which allowed light to enter.

" Calm down. You're safe."

That voice I did recognize. It was the last one I heard before losing consciousness. I didn't know if he was talking to me or the nurse but either way, I gave him my attention quickly. He did say he wished to kill me.

" Where am I?" I asked slightly terrified of his presence in this room. The light through the window was shining on him like a hallo from the gods. His orange hair seemed to shine brighter than anything, his face still contained that casual but terrifying look with his eyes barely visible and a sly smirk on his face." How long was I out."

" About a day. It's early morning now."

" Have you...Been on guard duty this whole time." He looked to the floor slightly after I said this. I remembered what had happened. When I fought the Tolu I seemed to turn into something...Based on what Captain Telon said...I became the very monster I was fighting.

" Yes but. Not entirely for the reason you might think."

" Huh. What else is there? You're making sure I don't go crazy right?"

" You are a valuable asset now"

" Huh."

Valuable asset. I feel like I should be in a cell and on constant guard. In the fight with the Tolu, I fought without regard for civilians or comrades. I only wished to kill the Tolu and nothing else. " Despite what civilians think. It's not our goal to save them."...Oh I see. I'm going to be a weapon.

" We ran some tests and got some interesting results...I would tell you what they were but I feel the lord will want to do that himself."

"...The, lord?" 

" The leader has requested your presence. If you're feeling up to it I'll take you to him right now."

The lord of T.H. wants me to meet him. It makes sense as he probably wants to see the boy who can turn into a Tolu but it seems a bit sudden. . .What if it's a test? I wonder what he's like?

" Okay let's go."

I went to stand but was halted by wires connected to my arms.

" Uh hold on." The nurse quickly walked over and began pulling off the wires connected to my body. " You know. For such a fierce battle you sustained very little injuries...Non really at all. You probably passed out due to fatigue."

" Huh. Non, but I remember..."

 I took claws to the chest and was thrown through multiple floors of a building, dragged along the grounds, and more. How the hell did I come away with nothing?

Once unhooked from all the wires I was handed back my swords and outfit I had gained from thin air...Either they trust me or are confident they could kill me.

........................................

We exited the hospital building and are now outside into the pure white land of T.H. walking along the pearl white path. I could see the massive town hall-like building slowly getting closer. I'm assuming that's where the Lord is.

" Just to make it clear." Captain Telon began to speak " I don't trust you. No one that knows about you does. Not even the Lord."

" Uh, I figured."

" If you make one wrong move or try anything. I'll cut you down before you can even breathe your last breath." I feel like he would like that.

" Okay."

" Tsk" He seemed upset that I gave him such a straight-up response, was he expecting some sarcastic or confident answer?

As we walked I noticed that there were much fewer Tolu hunters about. Yesterday the streets were packed with people preparing to decent down and talking about Rougs and the S.S. rank was all you heard.

We reached the front of the town hall building and I couldn't help but look up to the window I saw that guy but nothing. The doors swung open and Captain Tolu shoved them. It opened up into a massive staircase with a wide main floor around it branching off into multiple different halls.

" This way."

I followed Captain Telon as he stepped up the massive staircase. His steps thundered as he walked up and his cloak caught each step as he rose. We reached the second floor, straight ahead was a wide hallway, and at the end was a pair of pearl-white doors.

Captain Telon took the lead as we slowly approached. Even from the outside, I felt the presence of something strong, a leader who was strong and smart. A person who could kill me in an instant if he wished.

" creek."

The doors slowly opened and I saw a desk with a throne-like chair sitting behind it. In that chair sat...No one?

" Dam it." Captain Telon said to himself. " Where is he?"

" He's late." A man standing next to the desk responded. His face was covered and he had a darker cloak on.

" He called this meeting, how can he be late."

"Telon. You know him, don't you?"

"Yeah, unfortunately...I don't know how he even got put in the position of lord."

All the tension I was feeling quickly left my body. The presence I was feeling was completely paranoia, the man was late to his own meeting. He might be strong but he doesn't seem very organized.

" Shall we wait?" Captain Telon asked.

" The boy will stay but you may leave if you want." 

Captain Telon let out a sigh as he turned around. He looked to the floor as he thought for a moment.

" I have better things to do than wait for that-"

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence. I was still looking ahead at the guard who suddenly looked past me. Above me. I turned around and felt my heart skip a beat.

" Deal with what exactly."

A deep voice shook the room. A tall man stood before Captain Telon and me. At least six foot eight, much taller than me, had a black mustache slowly turning gray. His sideburns and down his jawline connected to his mustache but his chin was shaved.

" U-Uh...LORD!"

" LORD."

Both the guard and Captain Telon dropped to one knee. The lord stood looking down on Telon. I stood in fear as I was terrified by this man's presence. He extended his hand for Captain Telon and I feared for his life.

" Ha Ha. Jeeze guys. You know we don't do the kneeling stuff here. You can stand or even sit. I don't give a dam."

His voice changed from thunderous to grandpa...I never met my grandpa but this is how I would imagine his voice to sound.

" Ah. You're the kid."

" Uh yes sir."

" Ah! Drop the sir...Hold on let me get comfortable."

He walked past me and Captain Telon to the desk to the throne chair. He took off his cape which instead of being pure white had a gold outline with an interesting pattern stung across the spine of the cape.

I heard some weapons drop from his sides before he took his seat.

" I am Lord Yauhabucha. Call me Bucha for short."