Contracts

"So, what do you need from me?" Ayako asked, while Ezekiel is sitting right beside her, holding him down in his hand and gripping it tightly so he can't and won't escape.

"We knew you were a high level mage" Pierre replied "And so I hope you can help us dispel a possession mark from countless people".

"And how will you pay my services?" Ayako asked, looking down at them three "As you know that I won't work for free".

"We'll give you Ezekiel for a day?" Evan said, trying to bargain against a mage, from which he never done before and is a bit anxious. But, he is willing to throw Ezekiel as bait if it meant that she will help them.

"And why should I agree?" She hugged him harder again "She's my little brother and I have all rights on him" She raised her hand and started to chant until a dark electricity started to appear, as it got bigger and faster as time passed. "Besides, I could kill you all if I wanted too".

"She does has a point" Castriel answered, thinking of another thing to bargain with.

"Killing us meant Ezekiel will hate you forever" He looked at the now pitiful Ezekiel, listening and doing anything her sister wants forcefully, as he has no choice forever. "Right, Ez?"

"There's no way he'll hate me...."

"I hate y..." Ayako covered his mouth.

"ALL RIGHT ALL RIGHT!" She admitted "HE HAS ALWAYS HATED ME EVER SINCE BUT THIS FEELING..." She touched her bouncy chest, calming down a bit and talking in a subtle, alluring voice "This feeling of pure love for my little brother" She looked down at the table "Is something that will never fade, no matter how hard I tried"

"Let's have a deal" Evan said "We'll give you Ezekiel for a month in exchange on helping us with the possessed and the incoming horde of Scorpix coming in six months from now".

Ayako started to think if the deal is something advantageous to her, hugging her brother much more tighter, making him suffocate more faster. Then, she let go.

"Deal"

"Yes...."

"However" Ayako added "My brother will tell me how he truly loves me and follows all of my...."

"Most" Evan added, not knowing what she will mean by *all orders*

"Fine. Most orders I gave to him, deal?" She replied, reaching out her hand in a form of handshake. But retrieve it anyway and said something else instead. She winked to Evan "Contract".

Suddenly, a big white paper is seen at the left side of the table, blocking Castriel who was seating on the left chair.

"Hey" Castriel complained "What the he..."

"I think you already know what this is" She gave him a serious, interested look at the person in front of him. "E-van"

"What are you talking about?" He replied, looking at her, confused as to what she's talking about.

"So, where playing that game then" Ayako laughed a little while only Ezekiel stared at it in curiosity, as when Castriel stood up and saw what they're doing, she returned to her seat in silence. Pierre also remained quiet, as he knows how important this is. "I'll play along to your lie, but remember" She answered, patting Ezekiel at the head "That all lies will be revealed, and no secret shall always be hidden forever" She clapped her hands and a big ink showed up at the big paper, starting on the left side on top. "Let's start shall we?" As she said those words, the ink pen started to write.

*A CONTRACT THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED, OR THE PERSON WHO DISOBEYS, THE LIFE FORFEITS*

"I know we're on a serious note" Ezekiel said, pointing at the big paper on their right(or to Evan, his left) "But, what is that thing?"

Ayako patted him in the head, which he accepted for now to get the information he wants.

"That, little Ez, is called a contract" She crossed her legs to become comfortable. "It is usually used by merchants or nobles for when they bargain for something. Just by uttering its name, will it show itself" She continued to pat him and enjoyed his soft red hair. "Once both parties agreed, no one can call it off, even the most strongest of Chronos users cannot break off what they made in the contract, or else" She crossed her neck on a horizontal line using her index finger "One forfeits his or her life, immediately". She looked again at Evan looking interested at him. "Now" She offered her hand in the table, wanting for a handshake using her right arm. "Let's fix the conditions of the contract".

"Agreed" Evan replied.

"First" The ink pen started to write the number *1* "I will have Ezekiel for thirty days after I helped you in your adversaries, saying how he loves me so much" Ayako said.

"Second" Evan said "You will be in our services until the Scorpix horde is gone and defeated, contributing as an ally, nothing more" The ink finished writing what Evan said, while the three who were watching was either amazed or anxious about the outcome of the contract.

"Lastly" They both said at the same time "You won't ever be permitted to betray" The ink pen finished writing the last condition, writing in a gothic alphabet.

*A CONTRACT THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED, OR THE PERSON WHO DISOBEYS, THE LIFE FORFEITS*

1. Thirty days of ownership of Ayako Reige towards Ezekiel Reige once the problem is done,

2. Ezekiel Reige must always say "I love you" when the 3rd condition is fulfilled for thirty days

3. Her services will be free of charge until the Scorpix problem is finished

4. No one betrayes the other

*A HANDSHAKE OR A THUMBPRINT OF BLOOD MUST BE USED FOR THE CONTRACT TO BE APPROVED*

At the lowest part is a square box that a person can fill in incase of the blood thumbprint contract.

"I agree to the conditions" Evan answered, accepting the handshake of Ayako, sealing the contract as done. The paper closed by itself, making two identical copies for each one of the contractor.

"It was supposed to have a copy in a person's Chronos whenever a contracts done" Ayako said, looking at the paper copy of the contract "But, I guess you don't have a Chronos" She intertwined both hands in the table "Still I sense great power within you" She analyzed him from top to bottom. "Strange yet interesting" She stood up and headed towards the door, making her way to the exit. "I'll be watching you, Evan" She closed the door as she left.

"Wow, is that nerve-racking to see" Pierre said, wiping off the sweat he has on his forehead for a long moment. Unable to move by the pressure of creating a contract.

"Yeah, kinda reminds me of how I made my first contract back in the day" Castriel added, thankful that nothing is blocking her view anymore.

"Yeah" Ezekiel replied, putting both hands at Evan "BUT WHAT THE F*** IS THE FIRST TWO CONDITIONS HUH!?"

"Well" Evan answered, calm but also holding off his laughter by smiling a bit. "Your sister won't help if there's no you in it" He held Ezekiel's right shoulder. "So" He made a thumbs up using the remaining hand "Do one for the team"

"HOW DARE YOU GET ME INVOLVE IN SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS!" Ezekiel replied, pulling Evan back and forth while shouting at him in anger "YOU WON'T HAVE ANY CHEESE COMING FROM ME STARTING TODAY!"

The once calm Evan started to cry in sadness. He hiccuped while talking "No. Cheese." He said, crying while Ezekiel rocking him back and forth by the shoulders.

"Hey guys" Zach said, coming back after a long day of hunting Vermites, carrying atleast three baskets worth. "I just saw a beautiful lady exit the door and thought...." A dart flew beside of him, inches from his face.

"Oh" She stood up and put her body against his. "A beautiful lady eh" She reading her darts behind her, holding it to her right arm behind her back. Her jealousy going up and up while her thoughts became full of wicked thoughts of her husband drowning in fire.

He used the opportunity and turned the tables, making her lean across the wall instead of him.

"But not as beautiful as you" He said, closing his mouth against her ear, making her heart beat much more faster while her face turned beet red. She dropped the blowpipe in her back and stared at her husband for a while.

"Great" Pierre said, leaning onto the business "Now, we have hetero and homo" He stood up and went to his room. "What's next? Mono?" He answered, slamming the door behind him.

>:T

After five days...

"Well, what a short week we had ever since" Ezekiel said, fixing up the supplies that he will use for the breach to the warehouse. Health potions, antidotes, needles and daggers stained with Vermite poison. He also worn the black clothes Castriel gave to him for them to camouflage with the dark.

"How time passes really..." Evan replied, stocking up on poison arrows and putting it on his arrow case. Filling up dozens till it is certainly full.

"Just five days ago we were hanging on to our dear lives" He said, a bit of disappointment crept up on his voice.

"Yeah, now that I knew how *STRONG* you are" Evan mockingly said, hinting a bit of sarcasm and teasing Ezekiel ever since he heard the story of how he got one hit and went useless for the entire battle.

"SHUT UP, YOU B******" Ezekiel shouted at him, releasing some pent up anger inside "WHERE WERE YOU WHEN WE NEEDED HELP ANYWAYS?" He asked for the millionth time, never learning on how Evan answers that question.

"Dealing with a whole squad" He said, covering his hand while looking at the ceiling "UNLIKE SOMEONE HERE WHO ALREADY FAINTER LIKE A PRINCESS....."

"STOPPPPPP!!!" He said, punching Evan in the shoulder, but he didn't cared nor he groaned in pain.

"We're going to a battle we don't know if we'll live and I see a two boys flirting with each other" Pierre said, as he opened the door to where the two teenage boys sleep in.

"Don't add into the fire now!" Ezekiel replied, embarrased and regretting on why he ever met Evan in the first place.

"Ahhhh, you compliment me too much" Evan answered, almost hugging Ezekiel at the back as a sort of karma after leaving him be with Miranna.

"GET AWAY YOU CRAZY B******" He shouted, trying to push Evan away, calling him all sorts of names in the process.

"Have fun!" Pierre said, as he closed the door while leaving Ezekiel again to his fate.

"But seriously" Evan said, stopping at the bullying he has been doing at Ezekiel all this time, suddenly becoming serious "How come you trusted me so much after just being with you for a week?".

"I don't know" Ezekiel shrugged "I just felt a brotherly bond on you, as if I had a brother I never had". He looked at Evan seriously "I just hope I wasn't wrong on my part"

Evan raised his arm and clench it into a fist, offering a fistpump. "Bros?" He asked. Ezekiel accepted the offer.

"Bros" He smiled, just as he finished packing up his things.

Then, both of them left the room, knowing that whatever happens after tonight, whatever happens after saving Miranna and this town, is that both of them found a friend they could trust.

>:T

"Oh, Ezekiel, Evan, come over here" Castriel said, urging them to come over the table with Pierre and Zach. When they got closer, they saw a huge layout of the warehouse and some figures, made out of wood, signifying the group. Two were in the front door, while the three were on the windows.

"Let's repeat the plan" She put the two wooden figures at the front and made a somewhat *what would they do* kind of play. "First, Pierre and Zach will cause a distraction at the front doors, attracting most of Avilius's minions attention" She grabbed the three of wooden figures near the window "While the three of us will infiltrate behind the front lines, aiming to save Miranna and try to get out of there" She stared at them seriously in the eye "And if all else fails, we fight to our last breathe". She grabbed a green pigment from the side where the map isn't covering the table. "A green smoke will indicate a signal of success, remember that" Ezekiel put his hand on the table. One by one they put their hands on the table, knowing what it means.

"1"

"2"

"3"

"OPERATION SV" They all shouted, and picked up their own racksacks and headed their way towards the exit.

Towards the warehouse.

>:T

"Sir, they're coming" A guy said, still wearing a white tuxedo, and has blonde hair, kneeling down the floor, along with all of the possessed people.

"Let them come" Avilius replied, still sitting on his throne on top, looking down his minions on top. He clenched the picture much more stronger, excited for a good fight. "And they'll face the wrath of Avilius"

"YES SIR!" They all shouted in favor of their boss, all at the same time.

"This time, I won't ever let you escape" He dropped the crumpled photo down to floor, rolling at the unidentifiable junk until it hit the floor, in front of his thousands of minions.

"Ezekiel Reige"

>:T

"It seems leading them both to each other seems beneficial to me after all" The cloaked man said, standing on top of the tallest building in the area. A bell tower in the middle of the town, at the highest peak is only a spire. He stood at the middle of it, not flinching at the height nor the freezing temperature of the night.

"How I long for this kind of entertainment, as after I recover my strength" The cloak man said, staring at the endless dark sky, stars shimmering down at the town, while the moon shined in its fullest, a full moon. At his right is five people saving the ones they love. In the left is a warehouse full of traps and such, with a boss filled with anger waiting for them. A night where only one group lives, as the one lives, the other dies.

"How I hope to stay to watch" The cloak man said, looking down at the people, enjoying what they thought is a quiet, cheerful night. Not knowing the oncoming dangers they'll face after this night, and the next six months.

"But someone call me from a far, needing my help" He answered to himself, jumping down the spire, into the ground, and slowly melding with the shadow, until no trace was ever seen of a man that ever stood there.

>:T

"Alicia or thousands of lives" Minon said, looking down at her people, enjoying the festive night as always after millenias under his reign. A decision she didn't know what to choose, as forsaking her loved one means forsaking her heart, while forsaking thousands of lives meant forsaking of her duty as queen. She never had that decision, before.....

"Strange, I can't remember" She said to herself, as she busied herself again in work, keeping herself with work to evade the decision of choosing someone over the other.

Something that will change her forever