Arc 2: A vigorous first month -
Gray: "Uhg"
Gray sits up, sore while once again being dressed in a nice soft robe. This time covered in bandages, as it was only a few hours since he fell unconscious against Musashi.
Gray: {Hey I know this room.}
Taking a deep breath and getting ready to fall back asleep to snooze off his wounds, he jumps and screams. He was spooked when he heared a sudden knock at the door, but yells back anyway.
Gray: "COME IN!"
The elderly butler from earlier walks into the room, holding Gray's clothes he was transported in.
Gray: "Oh hey. Your name is Al, right? Oh, those are my clothes!"
Al softly handed them over to Gray as Gray instead threw them onto the bed, quickly getting dressed as they spoke.
Al: "Yes, my name is Alon, but you may call me Al. Ophelia and I have cleaned and repaired the clothes you arrived in."
Gray: "How long was I out, an hour or so?"
Al: "Ophelia and I carried you inside and I clothed you, then laid you here about, well since this morning."
With that, Gray looked over to see it complelty dark outside. The city lights were illuminating the streets, filled with people and bustling carriages. Something Gray could barley see while staring out of his balcony doors, his head aching in pain.
Gray: "Thanks! So um, what do I do? Just sit here or…"
Al: "Just come with me into the hall please."
Gray: " Uh ok, gotcha."
As they walked Gray healed his body tightly, never having felt such pain before.
Gray {I wonder what I gotta do now?}
Right as Al left Gray rushed and fixed his hair in the mirror, proceeding to walk outside into the hall. He sees Musashi and Edward waiting for him, answering Edwards joyous wave with an awkward, forced one.
Musashi: "Come with us will yah ."
Gray: "Okay then, wait did you finish what we were doing outside?"
Edward: "Well Musashi was testing them as well. Though his daughter, my cousin Kioshi, showed up earlier than expected, she started practicing with them instead."
Gray: "Okay cool, so where are we going."
Musashi: "You'll see."
Gray followed them through the hall, walking to the complete opposite side of the small, but still large, manor.
Gray: "Alright then. So Edward, what's with the great sword? You picked the heavy class or something?"
Edward: "My father fought with one so it's like he's with me, to honor his strength."
Gray: "Oh that's nice, cool too I guess. Probably not a lot of dudes strong enough to fight with somethin like that."
Musashi couldn't help but laugh, leading to Al patting Edwards shoulder with some reassurance.
Musashi: "Hah! More like there's not enough people dumb enough to use one. My damned brother and now his son."
With Musashis smile and Edwards somber look, Gray could tell that whoever Edwards father was, he was important, and he was gone. They proceed to walk down the hall, into Musashi's study. It was a small, quaint office with bookshelves lining the walls. Musashi stepped to one of the shelves, pushing it in with great strengh. The sound of old locks were heard before the shelves slowly moved open.
Gray: "A secret door in the wall? And in a bookcase of all things? You some sorta vigilante?"
Musashi: "What are talkin about?"
The others walked through the dark doorway while Gray followed quickly behind. But he had to stop dead in his tracks, stopping himself from falling down a winding and steep stone staircase. However he quickly caught up to them as he sped in dropping circles/
Gray {HIS IS SICK! Swordmasters, spells, nice butlers, and a secret lair with a secret staircase.}
Gray couldn't help but keep a wide smile on his face, forgetting about the burdens over his heart for just a moment, any pride envy or ego, and simply laughed to himself.
Edward: "It is pretty cool."
They get to the end of the stairs to find a slim hall. The hallway is lit up by glowing red crystals, making the dark room filled with cobwebs, and spider-webs, look even creepier, especially with the hall's wooden cell doors on the walls.
Gray: "Spooky. You got a jail in here?"
Musashi: "My house used to be a courthouse, I just remodeled a bit.
They walk up to one of the doors. Musashi then pulls a small key right out of his pocket filled to the brim with keys. And after two awkwarkdly slow tries, he opens it. Giving Gray the chance to see the prisoner.
Gray: "No way, you got a prisoner down here too?"
Musashi: "Why do think I brought you down to a secret prison? To lock YOU up?"
Gray: "I dunno maybe I'm just goin' with the flow."
The prisoner sighed with massive annoyance, but also groaned in pain. Covered in bandages, covering bruises cuts and burns. On top of that he has his eyes and mouth covered while His arms and legs were bound by chains. Lastly he had a necklace with a glowing purple crystal is around his neck. Musashi then uncovers the prisoner's face, revealing who it is. And both the prisoner and Gray screamed.
Gray & Jeremiah: "YOU!"
Jeremiah, the anarchist who lead the attack on Sokus home to retrieve Gray just a day ago. Now locked up, bound, and still beaten to a pulp. Looking even worse than he did against Gray.
Gray: "Didn't think I'd be seeing you're ugly face again. Wait, doesn't he have those arms he can fight us with!?"
Gray jumped out of the room, his arms up and his mana struggling to flow out.
Musashi: "Calm down! You see that purple crystal, it grounds your mana to your body, and he can't use any spells so we just had to bound his arms and legs."
Gray: "Oh, I guess I get it."
And he slowly stepped back in, Edward moving out of the way in silence.
Jeremiah: "Oh, it's you boy… You seem different."
Gray: "And you seem to be imprisoned, also you're like twelve why are you calling me a boy? Oh and do those wounds I gave you still hurt?"
Jeremiah: "How's that house that girl lived in doing? Still burned down I assume. How did they feel about that by the way, such a nice gesture to people that gave you a place to sleep? Or what about that idiotic Golden Knight, is she still hurting!? ARE YOU STILL -
While Gray jumped toward him with fury Edward lunged forward, snagging Gray by his jackets hood and holding him up for Musashi to wack him in the stomach.
Musashi: "I said calm down dammit! And your you, one more word and I'll send you to a real prison. And trust me they're going to make this place seem like a castle."
As they spoke Edward sat Gray down, instantly blowing raspberry's at the boy.
Gray: "Nice dig at me, and it wasn't even a direct insult either, an A for effort and all that. However that doesn't change the outcome of our fight."
Jeremiah: "OUR FIGHT!? YOU ONLY WON BECAUSE OF -
And a wack for him to, popped in the mouth and forced to shut up. Musashi's presence shaking everyone's will, aside from Als.
Musashi: "Can you idiots shut up, please! I assume you know what I'm gonna ask you, Anarchist."
Jeremiah: "I continue to ask you to use my real name sir. You dehumanize me to this degree to insure your mind dosen't waver from your foolish country! Do you know how many lives you've ended fighting for them!? You're no worse than any other criminal! YOU BELONG TO THE -
Musashi: "I SAID SHUT UP! Now I'm not gonna get into how much I hate Walgonia or how much I'd like to smack every noble across the face with the back of my sword. I'm not going to make you feel anything but sorrow for what you've done to the people of this world."
Edward could feel Musashi's spite, as he watched Jeremiah get grabbed by the throat. However, Musashi's emotions were still completely in check. But Edward moved in front of him anyway to stop anything else from happening.
Edward: "Jeremiah please, the faster you answer us the sooner we will deal with your release okay?"
Jeremiah: "See there you go, thank you, sir. But I have already informed you of everything I know."
Musashi kicks Jeremiah, stepping on his shoulder.
Musashi: "Say it again for us now will yah!"
Jeremiah: "OKAY! My superior informed me that somebody with mana similar to Azalea was around. Somebody with a lot of mana, the most ever! Even more than hers! So I went to where my superior said, and there he was. That being the boy standing right there. I went to collect him when I saw an Elf, which was already surprising enough. But then a Golden Knight om top of that! I never thought I would see an Elf outside of Oni-mas, followed up by A member of a fallen faction. A faction I witnessed the fall to! So I went to collect them and they attacked me. That is all."
Gray: " HEY! We attacked in self-defense! You just walked into their house with dudes wearing scary clothes and holding swords!"
Gray once again got face to face with Jeremiah, Al pulling him back so Musashi can take his place.
Jeremiah: Those scary clothes are things we have to wear. The black cloaks and masks are blessed tp hide our mana presence, then the white mask shows that we are all the same at heart. My fellow followers are my friends, my family, we are all just trying to make the world better. To burn down these countries built on the backs of slaves and drowning in blood. To rebuild the world into a place where nobody is better than anybody else just because they were born lucky. One were we're all -
Musashi: "Blah blah blah. You say that and then force people to join you out of fear, or manipulating people who have nothing left. Who have anger they need to let out! Sorrow, or something to focus on! You prey on the weak and use them until they die just to get a little further in your pointless, never ending, chaos made quest."
Gray: "Yeah one murder and break-in at a time huh."
Musashi: " Exactly. But, I believe you. I will be back in a while to speak to you more for some one-on-one time."
Musashi couldn't help but feel immense pity for the young child, staring down at his broken and blooded face. The face of somebody who new nothing of a life outside of this. A boy who's life has become entangled in a web of others, cutting off dead ends and getting lost in hatred, forgotten and remembered as nothing more than some fear mongering devil.
Jeremiah: " You're going to torture me then? Well if it has to be done."
Musashi: " No, but I'm not going to throw you away either. I hate you Anarchists but I'm not killing a kid."
Jeremiah: "Well goodbye then, I'll be awaiting your arrival."
Musashi recovers Jeremiah's face as they others leave the room. He then slams it shut as Jeremiah screams in defiance, the others quiet.
Gray: "Hey what did he mean by me having the same mana as whoever Azalea is."
Musashi: "We were going to ask you the same thing. Though I wanted to see your reaction to hearing it for yourself."
Gray: "Who is Azalea anyway? And on top of that, why were you in the slums anyway? Was it plain plot armor or did you have a reason?"
Edward: "Azalea is, or should I say was, A very powerful woman in the Sect of Anarchy. She used one of the cursed charms of Alfheim, a cloak that could be stretched and moved to her will. She could take and force others to bend to her will. But She also had a god-like amount of mana due to a very strong connection to the spirits. People suspect that it was caused by her curupted OD, like Jeremiahs arms."
Musashi: "Yesterday around six PM, A group of Anarchists led by her attacked and killed The king of Walgonia. The ruler and the lords were in the middle of discussing who was going to rule the Country of Walgonia since the King had yet to find a wife or have any success with having children. They were in a meeting with my daughter and the leader of the Dragon army of Valatrocitus when it happened, so it was almost like a death wish with no chance of winning. Which confuses me since the Sect are usually better planners but that's besides the point, because they still killed him. And at the same time she sensed a large amount of mana pulse somewhere in the slums and I went to investigate"
As they spoke Musashi began to lead them back toward the stairs. Gray was a bit distracted, looking down the long hall to see another staircase at the end, but had to quickly catch up to continue speaking with them.
Gray: "Which would be me? I was teleported from my home right as she died, and I possess her mana on top of that… so I assume you thought I was an anarchist? Or atleast somebody connected to them? And if so, I guess you were right on the second end."
Musashi: "You would assume correct. Though when I found you fighting them I thought you may be in the middle of one of their plans. So I saved your lives and brought you all here. If they do have plans for you I hope to make sure they aren't fulfilled."
Gray {Okay, with this knowledge I might be able to figure out what happened to me. When I got hit by that truck I might have died! Or at least almost died. Then I got summoned or reincarnated because Azelea's soul or mana pulled me in since we died at the same time! Or a similar time. And now the Sect of Anarchy is trying to get me because I have her mana. It doesn't make much sense but whatever, it's the life I'm living I guess.}
Musashi snapped his fingers to break Gray out of his deep thought, continuing right after.
Musashi: " I will train you and your friends to be prepared to protect yourselves from these cultists. And there's somethin' comming up soon I want you guys to go to, Edward was gonna go alone or tag along with some random knights but you guys showin' up fills the slots. And for the two young girls, possibly start a life that doesn't involve stealing to survive. If that's ok with you."
Gray: " Of course it's ok with me! I'll show you that I'm worthy, I promise."
Gray {This really could be it! The start of my real journey. I got A real second chance. Something a lot of people would kill for. I can't waste it, not like I wasted my first chance! I promise I will be better, this is like my starting line, Walking down my path or road to becoming A hero or warrior in another world!}