Chapter 17

The incident with Juan, changed Ariel's mind about keeping Lewis cooped up in the house. Fifteen guild members were hospitalized with varying types of broken bones, the most severe being a caved chest cavity and the least being a cracked jaw. Vernon himself had decided to put Lewis in the lowest level of the guild building, where Lewis received advanced instruction on reflexes. His instructor was a masked fellow, or helmeted really, he had no distinctive features, only a fully black suit that allowed superbly free movement.

"Your reflexes are poor at best, and you've made practically no improvements over the last five days. You start classes tomorrow yes?" The man's voice was muffled so Lewis had to focus strainingly in order to hear him properly.

"Yeah, I just received my Uniform yesterday, or so I was told, cause you know, I've been imprisoned down here for five fucking days!" Lewis swore.

"Blame your cosmic misfortune for trouble." Javelin, as that's what he called himself, replied dismissively.

"You say I've made no improvements, but I feel like I'm starting to see your pattern." Lewis commented, sweat glistened on his face.

"See, there's the problem. You seek a pattern where none exist. You are too used to conventional training and dungeon monsters that you forget that there are also human enemies that hunt you. You mentioned that there was a guild interested in you, and that an unknown assailant attacked you, claiming to be a part of it. There are only a few guilds that would be so bold as to attack a B-Rank's residence without restraint. The Garden and Dark Guilds, though we can't prove any of them, it's safer to just assume that all of them are after you, therefore, no, you have made absolutely no improvements." Javelin responded with his arms crossed.

"Patterns exist in all living creatures, though you may believe that humans are a cut above the rest, we are creatures of habit. So I counter your statement with fact, now are we done with this training?" Lewis stated, countering Javelin's explanation.

"For now, but I expect you here after school every weekend." Javelin confirmed. Lewis sighed in relief and began to leave, Tali was waiting for him outside the door with an anxious look on her face.

"What's wrong Tali?" Lewis asked the nymph.

"There's been a discovery." Tali replied, the anxiety remained present even in her voice.

"What kind of discovery? And, why are you so concerned?" Lewis questioned her further, a tad worried for her.

"Well, a new type of orb was discovered in a 'Gate' by a certain mercenary group." Tali continued to give vague answers.

"Tali, please just tell me what it is." Lewis sighed. The two were getting into an elevator to head up to Vernon's office.

"Another nymph is in that orb, only she still has the light. But, nonetheless, I'm worried she might go to someone terrible." Tali looked at Lewis with a slight tremble, as if she were getting ready to cry.

"Tali, how do you know it's a nymph in the orb? Where did you even find out about this discovery? I mean, It's not like you were physically there when it was discovered right?" Lewis replied as they reached their floor.

"Well, the thing is, the mercenaries came here with the orb, and I felt her immediately. She's not a world tree seedling, but she is an earth nymph, a gnome." Tali explained. Lewis looked at her and sighed again.

"Well, take me to her then." Lewis stepped back into the elevator and let Tali press the main lobby floor button.

"The group is making a fuss right now with reception about selling the orb for an unholy amount." Tali warned Lewis.

"I'll help the nymph, but my bonding with you was luck. I won't guarantee I can take her in as my own familiar or whatnot, besides her light and your dark will contradict eachother." Lewis reminded Tali.

"But what if she can bond with you? Wouldn't that be great? To feel the light again without being weakened?" Tali looked at Lewis with regretful eyes.

"Tali, I by no means, regret the bond I've formed with you. Besides, in the next half hour, my original state will be restored, so I won't be terribly weak." Lewis patted Tali on the head. Tali blushed and looked down.

"Alright, just save the nymph please." Tali requested softly.

"Of course. I could never deny you something you want." Lewis smiled. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Once Lewis stepped out, he was met with the sound of a loud crash and then a scream. Lewis burst forward, dark static charges crackling around him as he flashed towards reception. The scene he arrived at was chaos, the floor was cracked and the main desk was smashed. The brunette that first greeted him when arrived to the Hephaestus guild was trapped with a group of men standing above her.

"I said, get your master down here, and pay for our troubles. We came all the way to this guild to give you the opportunity of a life time, first dibs on the new blessing orb. But you deny us? We require compensation for our time right?" The main guy, presumably the mercenary group's leader, looked down at the girl with an evil glare and a perverted smile. He looked exactly how a typical scumbag would. A muscular body, tanktop, ponytail hairstyle, and a face only a mother could love.

"How about you let the girl off today? What can I assist you with?" Lewis stepped forward. There was one rule set by Vernon while Lewis was residing in the building. 'Be nice to the people who enter the lobby.' The merc looked at Lewis with a disinterested expression, until his eyes landed on Tali. Then his face was upturned in absolute perversion.

"I was just asking her to compensate my wasted time, and now I see that you've brought me the compensation!" The man approached Lewis and Tali, walking as if he owned the building.

"Terribly sorry sir, I didn't bring any compensation, but, I am here to assess the damages, and from what I see, I believe you have the compensation we need for the repairs. I'll gladly take the orb and let you walk out of here with both legs intact." Lewis smiled kindly, though forced. The man stopped and began to laugh.

"Hah? You think you, a puny child, can tell me what to do? You think you can even hurt me? Huu, you're funny kid, but I'll be taking the girl as compensation." The man reached for Tali. Lewis grabbed the mans hand, his face now purely twisted in disgust.

"She's like fifteen dude, I get you couldn't land a whale with that face, but going after kids? Disgusting." Lewis activated black ant and threw the man back towards his group, who were heavily caught offguard. The dark static charges darted around Lewis's body and the vine armor enveloped him. In a flash he was in front of the group.

"The orb. Now." Lewis held his hand out, his intimidation on full blast. From the perspectives of the mercenaries, Lewis looked like a monster from a chaotic gate, a villain with unfathomable power. They began to shake in fear and the leader who had just been thrown reached into his bag and handed the orb to Lewis. It was just an orb from a lowly d-rank gate, that was easy enough for them to clear solo, it wasn't worth much compared to his life.

"I-I deeply apologize f-for my actions sir. P-please except this token as a means to atone for the damages we caused." The man sweated coldly as he and his group bowed to Lewis. Lewis took the orb and handed it to Tali. The group stood up and began to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lewis asked the group menacingly. They froze and looked back at Lewis, who had picked up a broken piece of the desk that had a solid piece of marble still attached to it.

"Y-you said you'd let us go!" One of the men shouted.

"I said I'd let you walk out with both legs intact." Lewis replied as he approached the group with a menacing aura.

***

Lewis sat in Vernon's office, surrounded by the raid team leaders, including Joshua and Ariel. Vernon sat across from him with an exasperated expression that furrowed his brow.

"Lewis… I get that you did what you did with the guild's best interest at heart. Further more, I am grateful you saved Emily." Vernon began.

"Well, seeing as we are in agreeance, perhaps I should-"

"I'M NOT DONE YET! SIT DOWN!" Vernon bellowed, his voice carried a high amount of authority and anger. Lewis sat back down instantly.

"Ahem, now, as I was saying. Your actions were appreciated, but totally uncalled for. Six men, Lewis, six mercenary members sent to the hospital with mangled bodies, missing teeth, and one euniched. I mean, what possessed you to crush a mans manhood to such an extent? Fuu, now we have to do a thorough investigation and appease the White Wolves Mercenary Guild." Vernon stated in an exasperated tone.

"He tried to touch Tali and take her as compensation." Lewis replied.

"WHAT!" Vernon stood up, his face now as red as a strawberry.

"Vernon, sir, please restrain yourself." Joshua put his hand on Vernon's shoulder. Joshua's face was also contorted in rage. The last five days, Tali had gone around pointing at objects and trying to name them, asked questions about things that gave her the appearance of an innocent child. She would also ask for chicken nuggets at every hour of the day, to the point that the whole guild had come to adore the little nymph. She was practically the mascot of the Hephaestus guild, and it took her three days to do it. Well, Ariel was the exception, she was still jealous of the girl.

"Joshua, I believe there's business at the hospital that's been left unfinished." Vernon gave Joshua a glance.

"I agree sir, I believe I should attend to that business post haste." Joshua returned the glance. Lewis sighed, these old men were incorrigible.

"Lewis, despite their feelings, what the guildmaster is trying to say is, you are prohibited from using your blessings until further notice, until the investigation by the White Wolves Guild is concluded." Ariel interjected and told Lewis.

"Oh… I refuse." Lewis replied plainly. The rest looked at him and laughed, save for Ariel.

"This is serious! The White Wolves are extremely adamant about placing a blocker on him! I told them I could get him to just not use his abilities until the investigation is over. Surely even they would know when their members were in the wrong." Ariel pleaded her case.

"Ariel, there's no way Lewis will-"

"Alright then. Just my blessings then?" Lewis interjected and asked.

"Just your blessings. You won't need to wear the blocker that way." Ariel explained. The door opened behind Lewis and two women and a man walked in. All of them had white hair and smooth, young, attractive faces.

"Sorry, but that's no longer optional. We will in fact require a blocker to be placed on him." The man stated, the two women stepped forward and grabbed Lewis as they placed a metal ring around his neck. The connections he felt towards his blessings were immediately severed and Lewis looked at the two women with mostly indifference, but there was a hint of anger behind his silver eyes. One of the women stared back then looked away.

"Simon, you can't just come in here and-"

"I can, and I will. So, you're the fucker who made Sean a eunich. It's surprising that a brat like you actually defeated six men. But, until your claims are confirmed, we will require you to remain in this blocker until further notice. I also know that you took an unknown orb from Sean, and we require you to hand it over." Simon held his hand out. Lewis stared at it and laughed.

"No." Lewis replied. Simons face turned sour and the two girls grabbed Lewis and lifted him up.

"Then we will take you in for investigations right now." Simon snapped. Vernon stood up and walked towards the group, rather calmly.

"Simon, we've been more than cooperative with your father, but if you dare think, that you'll walk out of here with a student, then I'm sorry to inform you that you will return to your father in boxes." Vernon stared at the three, his eyes glowed like hot magma in rage.

"Vernon, surely you don't mean to threaten my guild? This would prove to be a mistake, as the White Wolves hold grudges." Simon countered. Lewis sighed and shook himself out of the womens grasp while they were distracted.

"I've given my statement. I did what I did. I will not return anything that I rightfully have claimed. If you don't like that, then take it up with your fathers ass. Since you look like you kiss it often enough." Lewis flipped the man off.

"I see, not only do you indiscriminately attack those that are innocent, but you also have no respect for authority. After this investigation is over, I will personally claim what is owed." Simon snapped before turning and leaving, followed by the twin girls, one stopped briefly to stare at Lewis before she too left.

"I just can't stop you from getting into trouble, can I?" Ariel sighed.

"Not at all." Lewis replied.

***

Lewis layed on the cot provided, on the lowest basement floor of the guild building. Tali slept soundly on the bed she was provided, the little orb next to her. Lewis got up and approached Tali, placing a blanket over her and turning back to go to the cot.

"You are a nice human, different from those angry evil humans." A small voice stated in Lewis's head, giving him serious deja vu. Lewis breathed in and out to calm the sudden surprise.

"I only did what was right for Tali." Lewis responded.

"No, that's a lie. You did it because you were just as concerned as Acotali was. Shes such a kind nymph, but her sadness and pain are deep. But whenever you're around her, that pain and sadness seems to disappear. She took away the light from you, but you hold absolutely no ill will towards her for it. She regrets not giving you any choice, she feels it was selfish. But you, you feel it was a blessing rather than a curse. You have the kindest soul Talila's ever seen in a human." The gnome nymph responded.

"You are very insightful. But, I do have a question. Why are you an orb? Don't you have a main body?" Lewis inquired.

"No, Talila does not have a main body. Talila was born of Gaia and an elf, but a body was never produced, so Talila became an orb. You can say this orb is technically Talila's body." The gnome replied.

"I see, well it has been lovely talking to you gnome. I promise to find you someone you can live happily with." Lewis yawned.

"Talila's name is not gnome, it is Talila, last daughter of Gaia." The gnome replied.

"Lewis Padova, the last of the Padova." Lewis again yawned and walked over to the cot, easily falling asleep.

"Lewis Padova, I, Talila, pledge our bond to the earth goddess. My power is your power. Your life is my life. If you die, I die. May the light bless you once more." Talila recited some chant, but Lewis was already dead asleep, and a new message hung above him.

[Light restored to user. System functional. Status updated, please look when ready.]