15

A surge of anger went through me. I could feel my pupils constrict to barely visible lines.

"Do I look like an elf to you?" My voice was barely loud enough for him to hear, but my tone spoke levels of murder I didn't know I was capable of.

I cracked my neck, and let that wave of prideful rage subside. I was glad I didn't throw temper tantrums on the same level as I did when I was a hatchling. I'd destroyed my copy with my unstable mana. Having my entire mind in my head did help me calm down a little faster. Sekka was on the ground looking like I'd just threatened to eat him.

"I apologize," I rolled my shoulders casually, "Please don't compare me to the elves again."

I offered him my hand.

"We should leave," Sekka gingerly took the offered hand, "A mana disturbance that big will draw some attention."

"Then let's take the short cut," I opened a single stable portal for Sekka to step through with the birds, "You should be fairly close to the road here. I'll join you in a second after I lay some false trails."

I said a second, but it took me more like a minute. By the time anyone got out to the woods to examine the spike in mana there would be nothing but a few false trails for them to follow. I'd even taken the time to erase our presence from that time, and place as well so even if someone who possessed the time element came, and looked they wouldn't find anything. I needed to figure out how to create a time element crystal. Out of all the elements time was the one I struggled with most.

I'd tried to fuse with it on multiple occasions, but so far I'd been unsuccessful. I cracked my back slowly as I walked beside Sekka on his bird. Once again I got more dirty looks for having weapons on my hips. I ignored them, and kept my eyes forward. The guards briefly looked at me as they waved us through.

They'd seen me before so they didn't need to inspect me as much as they did the first time I came through. My slave collar was operational, and I appeared to be under control. That, and I was strong enough to take out the head knight that guarded this city's lord. Our final destination in this city was the mercenary hall. It was more of a large restaurant/ bar then anything else, but it also housed mercenaries that were members of the mercenary guild.

They got exclusive rights to jobs, and rooms in the large building at a mere ten percent of their profits. Then the large hall also made money selling these mercenaries alcohol, and food on top. It wasn't a bad deal for the mercenaries since they didn't have to scout out jobs themselves, and anyone that lied trying to get free labor would basically be put on a hit list until they paid off their debt to the guild. Not paying the mercenaries or the guild was basically a death sentence. If you were lucky enough to be brought back alive to pay your debt then you would be expected to work it off.

Thus the reason that the guild also had a thriving brothel across the street. Prostitution being legal kind of made sense with slavery also being legal, and the ability to literally magically cure most diseases with a few coins or cores. Cores were the main ingredient in most weapons, and artifacts so that fact that it was treated as legal payment was interesting. I mean guilds had the same policy off planet for humans, but on earth you were expected to sell cores to get money to then buy the cores you need. It was a bit backwards in my opinion.

If I thought that the elves on the street were giving me dirty looks then the ones in the guild were plotting my demise. It took only a few scant seconds for them to realize there was a human with weapons on his hip when I stepped in the guild just behind Sekka carrying our large supply of elemental crystals in the saddlebags I had draped over my left shoulder. Sekka walked right past them without showing a care in the world even though his emotional hue screamed terror, and the intent to kill mixed together. In his eyes this was a lions den. He showed none of that panic as he walked, and that would have made me smirk if I wasn't so focused on being expressionless.

This was the second time today that he'd been scared out of his mind, but these people seemed to frighten him less then I had. I took a little bit too much pride in that fact. Sekka stopped at the front desk with me two steps behind him. Turning to look at me for a moment.

"Don't move unless I tell you to," His tone was firm, and his emotional hues stabilized as he focused on his part in this act.

I did exactly as I was told. Even when some of the elven mercenaries came up to me, and started insulting me to my face. It wasn't anything I hadn't heard before. The group parted for a particularly tall elf. He was well muscled, and wore thin leather armor.

I could tell he was the type that prioritized mobility over power. Sekka looked over his shoulder at this elf. He could sense the bloodlust coming off this guy as well.

"Don't touch my property," Sekka snapped like a proper slave owner.

Then he returned to his business. His emotional hues were less mixed now. He hated these mercenaries, and he feared me. The tall elf reached down, and gripped the hilt of my blade. I didn't move because I'd been ordered not to.

"Don't let him take your sword," Sekka was paying more attention to what was going on behind him then I gave him credit for.