No Pain, No Gain 1

Polemos was lazily lying across Rose's head as she swam around in the medium water source as he was reading through all of the journals and books that Alayah had. He had already read through five of the journals as all it was were scheduled meetings with bandits that captured and sold others. But Polemos wasn't annoyed by learning about what was in the journals. He had a small smile on his face as his purple eyes shone a devilish light.

"Well it seems I've found a source of income as well as information for a while I guess. Just how many groups did the tribe work with?"

Polemos continued to read through all of the journals five times over as he remembered how many bandit groups the tribe was dealing with. Polemos had read through ten journals but was surprised when he counted 15 bandit groups!

But he also saw a recurring thing that was mentioned in all the journals.

"They always met near the Minor-Oasis but, she never wrote anything like a location just was always close to the damn Oasis. But still 15, hopefully they have money since it seemed like they do as Jar-roll had 500,000 in silver in his ring. Hopefully this will be enough for some information, glad the Oasis has a mercenary guild they should have information on the groups." Polemos was making plans as he knew the information he was looking for was going to be expensive.

'I wonder what else I have to read. Got me some new books and I hope they're better than the ones I bought from Carl. Like they are so damn boring there's nothing good about them.'

Polemos pulled the books he was able to find through Alayahs tent as her tent was the only one that had actually read books. Jar-roll looked like he was smart or at least seemed he was but only had journals in his tent and all it was were his writing and torturings of all the slaves he vented on. It was one of the things Polemos had forced himself to read through as most of them talked about a slave he called Number 2 or as he was able to put together, Elder Spear!

He was disgusted as rage boiled inside him when he read through the journals but he held his anger, saving it for when Alyans death finally happened.

"Oh it seems like she had a few from the same authors I wonder if some are alive or not and if I find any I'll let any who are alive know their books were trash like one maybe had something interesting but, that's a major maybe. Looks like a romance, huh let's see how it is then." Polemos chose a book at random and opened it and started to read as he tried to relax atop of Rose as they shared the afternoon in the sun and enjoying a nice swim.

When the sun finally sets, bringing a start to the long and warm night.

Polemos was surprised when he noticed the sun had set. "Well, that was at least interesting. Who was the author again? Wait there's no name on this one, the hell?" Then he noticed a symbol that caught his attention on the bottom left corner.

"Oh what's this?"

Polemos saw a symbol of a fist on fire.

"Well that's simple but you need a name. I'll just call your pseudonym Xing Yi Quan and it seems like I've got one, two, and three more. It seems like I have three of them to read. Hopefully they are as good as this one." Polemos was only halfway through the first book as he put it away as he looked in the direction of the tribe.

'Need to head back and see Carl. Maybe he can do the Mana washing for my marrows tonight. I think it's time to end everything soon. I just wonder how much pain I'm going to be in for the marrows?'

When Polemos thought about the pain he would have to endure he shivered as he cracked his neck in the process.

"Well no pain no gain right. Gods that saying has a real truth to it here I must really be mad then screw it, I'm writing my books I've made from my first life. And I even have a pen name for my books also. Mad One. Are you watching this you white tuxedoed asshole! If you are."

Polemos struck a pose and gave the night sky a forceful middle finger.

"Little heads up would have been nice."

Rose was looking at Polemos and was tilting her head as he was in a funny and weird pose and hissed.

"Hissssssss?"

When he heard her hiss, he flinched slightly and started to laugh.

"What, I'm only showing and telling, a certain god and he knows who he is, dick. That he could at least have given a heads up and know that he's an ass. That's all."

Polemos put his hands behind his back as he put the book into one of the rings that held all his books, and stood straight like a spear and smiled. Rose had no idea what he was saying and hissed and laid back on the sands.

When Polemos saw that his smile faltered slightly as he shook his head and sighed. He pulled out Elder Spears urn as a sad look started to form on his face until a cold and emotionless look started to form. He forced himself to take a deep breath to stop the feeling from forming. But what calmed his mind was a soothing yet cold chime that came from his Death Bells.

'No. Not yet, not yet, keep calm. I'll let it loose when it's time.' Polemos was slowly taking deep breaths as the bells continued to chime in the wind.

Polemos only opened his eyes after the first moon was starting to crown, when he saw that he raised a brow and smiled. "Well at least both moons aren't out yet as that would have been very rude of me if I were to show up. At least he should be either about to close or is closed."

Polemos rubbed his chin as he walked over towards a sleeping Rose as he rubbed her head before turning around and left for the tribe. It didn't take Polemos that long to reach the tribe and reach Carl's tent. When he was nearing his tent he actually saw that Carl seemed to be waiting for him as he was sitting on a chair with a pipe in his hand.

Carl took a long drag off his pipe, and exhaled the smoke through his nose, as he waved to Polemos and laughed in a deep voice.

"Took ya, long enough, Polemos but, you've actually arrived at a good time, Captain will be joining as I'll need his help for what's to come. I'm a little lucky as it would have been a little difficult with just myself." Carl handed him the pipe. "Trust me it'll help with the pain if you want it but, if you're really mad then?"

Polemos looked at the pipe and shook his head but thanked Carl for the gesture.

"Are ya sure because the method I'm using is the method they used for the soldiers and it's pretty brutal?"

"I really should but I have a question. How many-." Polemos couldn't finish as Carl replied very quickly and sent chills down his spine.

"All but five. Then only two survived." Then he took another long drag from his pipe.

Polemos's purple eyes went wide! As he pointed towards Carl's.

Carl waved his hand as he exhaled a big cloud of smoke from his mouth.

"No, they're the current leaders of a huge mercenary group. I retired and left the tribe before they left and last I heard they were Minor Oasis's major players. If you see them, tell em I said hi and." Carl released a small but violent pressure!

Polemos was surprised as he saw the seriousness in Carl's eyes.

"That those assholes owe me 250,000 in silver!"

Then Polemos laughed.

"Can do Carl. And if they don't?" Polemos asked as Carl smiled with a viscous look in his eyes.

"Ruin them! They're both self-righteous assholes. They think of themselves as Gods and above everyone else. And this was before they were Mana washed and in this method. Apparently they got worse afterwards." Carl didn't hesitate when Polemos asked as it seemed he had thought about it for a long time.

"Can do Carl."

Polemos smiled as he reached out to shake hands with Carl. Carl reached out and firmly gripped Polemos's hand and shook it.

They both laughed as they waited for Captain to arrive as they didn't have to wait that long as he arrived pretty quickly.

When Captain saw Polemos he smiled wryly making his scarred face take an odd form. Then he took a deep breath and tried to make a neutral face but failed as his twitching scars gave him away.

"You really are a damn Mad One, Polemos. Mesakyle as been losing his mind since he found out what you did to Alayah. But what in Ra's name did you do to Hassan?"

Polemos shrugged his shoulders and spoke the truth but didn't talk about the robe as it was unique.

"Honestly, my best guess is with Ra. Trust me, I'm as confused but also incredibly intrigued on how it happened."

Captain and even Carl were surprised by Polemos's answer!

"What? All I did was kill him with a fire spell as he asked of me and after he was dead I left but, before I left Ra spoke to me and when I looked back to Hassan." Polemos snapped his fingers and continued. "He was gone."

Captain and Carl saw the seriousness in Polemos's purple eyes and felt that he wasn't lying. Captain shook his head while Carl laughed getting up from his chair and cracked his burly neck.

"Well that sounds like a great day but we best start as it is gonna be a painful and brutal experience. Are you sure?" Carl raised his pipe.

Polemos didn't hesitate as he responded.

"No. As they say no pain no gain."

Polemos walked into Carl's tent followed by Captain with Carl taking one last drag and finishing it as he looked towards the night sky releasing a thick cloud of smoke.

"He really is a Mad One."