Chapter 24: Nine

We have been travelling for five days now and things are progressing quite smoothly without any monster in sight. It was unbelievably peaceful, considering that this place was once known as a very dangerous forest. It made me more curious about the root of the problem, other than that, before we started to travel I made the three kids promise, using the covenant's vow, to never betray me. It's not like I don't totally trust them, Its just that I don't want them to think that I trust people too easily. It's also a lesson to Tafi, to learn how to be doubtful and careful at things and decision he will do in the future. I don't know why but for some reason, I feel like I should guide Tafi on the right path.

"Lady Anya, There is a silhouette of a house ahead" Tafi shouted, who was sitting above the carriage roof.

I was against that idea at first but then he insisted. He said that sitting in an open space while feeling the wind in his skin calms him. I just let him be after hearing that, I think this is what they call Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. I think I read it before, its a mental condition which is a result of a traumatic experience. I'm not sure about the details but that's what I know, I mean if It was me, I would rather die than live life like that, starved and abused every singe day, who wouldn't be traumatized?!

"Tafi, Don't shout carelessly, you might attract monsters!" Eli said while looking out of the window

"we have never encountered a monster since we started to travel! Not even a shadow of them!" Tafi shouted again

"God, this is why I said I will never have kids." Eli mumbled with close eyes while shaking his head from left to right.

Elliot said once while we were travelling that we should just call him Eli, Since we were all friends and our age are close. I did not bother to correct him about that and decided to call him Eli while they call me Anya, except for Tafi. I don't know what's gotten to that little kitten, He stubbornly calls me Lady anya.

"Just let him be Eli, He's just a kid" Zain said

"Even if you say that, what if some strong monster suddenly appear? We would be putting Anya's life in danger. We are still too weak to fight, even a Rabbimon can kill us at our current condition." Eli said

Zain closed his mouth and looked at his clenched fist, The little kitten also went down through the open window and sat beside Zain.

I can understand where Eli is coming from, but its just as Tafi said. We have never encountered even a shadow of a monster ever since we started to travel. Despite knowing this, I just shut my mouth and listened to them. I dont want them to always depend on me after all.

//Hey, Can I sleep now? I'm all out of mana!//

The staff that is floating in the middle of the carriage suddenly said in my mind. I just nodded my head and it floated towards my direction and fell on my lap. The carriage also stopped moving. The staff and I have alternately used mind control magic, which is as she said, a higher level of magic under the shadow attribute, on the horses.

"I have been wondering this since I saw it, If you don't mind me asking, Anya, is that staff alive?" Eli said while looking at the staff on my lap.

I used the same magic the staff used on the horses and the carriage ran again like it did earlier.

"How did you come up with such an idea?" I asked back

"I saw it, I mean, I told you before that I am a mage right? I am a special type of mage, and one of my abilities is to see mana, Not inside the body but when magic is being cast, and I saw mana coming out from the staff like a person casting magic" He said

Oh, that's something like the Dragon eyes.

"hmm, It is indeed alive. I just happen to stumble upon it, I don't know how its alive" I answered while holding the staff in my hand

Now that I think about it, our synchronization did not rise from 25%, should I make time to talk with this staff? yeah, I also have to know her name, I mean, I kept on calling her staff but never actually thought of its name. I also never thought that it would follow me up til now. What is wrong with this staff? Did I accidentally make a contract with it? I can't seem to recall anything of that sort.

"Wow! so it talks?" Tafi asked with sparkling eyes

"Yes, in my mind, we have a telepathic conversation all the time" I said, well not entirely true, neither is it false. I did not talk much to it, it kept on talking to me though, or rather complaining, about everything to me. Its so annoying, I even muted her in my mind once, I can totally do that without her noticing, Thanks to the Dragon's teachings.

The moment we got near the house, I immediately stopped the carriage, The house is on the top of the mountain, actually its more like a hill than a mountain. Anyway, we just walked our way towards the house.

When we got near the house, I saw a half naked man with gray hair, and beard. He stood there half naked with a body that looks like it was made out of boulders, glistening with sweat all over, while holding a wooden sword in one hand. He was looking at our party suspiciously.

"Who are you?" The embodiment of the god of War said with his deep voice in a coarse manner.

"We are nothing but travelers, We are looking for a man named, Nine" I said without removing my hood, so my face and hair are still covered.

Nine, is one of the few people who mastered the art of weaponry and martial arts. I made him into a hot grandfather that I had always admired in anime, when I was on earth. Nine is one of the characters in my book that I can never forget, because of his back story.

Nine was born as a slave, and just like all slaves he was never properly educated. A noble bought Nine and gave him his name, signifying to whom he belonged to. Nine was named as such because he was given as a gift to ridicule the ninth daughter of the house, he was young, skinny and small, so he was practically useless as a slave but the ninth daughter of the noble house cherished him. The noble lady educated, fed, and even let his knight teach Nine how to use the sword. As time goes by, Nine became a fine young man who is in love with his master. Both of them loved each other so they did the most unforgivable thing a slave and master could do, They made love which resulted to the noble lady's pregnancy. The head of the house was furious at what happened and even threatened to kill Nine if they do not get rid of the baby. It was degrading their family name. Nine fled with his lady leaving everything behind. They moved to the empire and lived there for quite a while. Nine became a mercenary and they raised their children like commoners.

Nine was very good with sword, so he became a master of the sword earlier than anyone had ever been, he then took on the spear, the bow and other weapons. Due to his extraordinary talent he was scouted as a knight but then, he refused. He ran away again and found this place, where he lives right now. They lived here, him, his wife and their 2 lovely children. It was until one day, when he was away hunting monsters for a living, He got home, not in a warm and cozy home but a blood filled house.

The ceiling, walls and floor were filled with dried and fresh blood, and in the middle of the house, three corpses lied on the floor, dismembered, their heads were severed from their bodies, so are their limbs. The eyes of the corpses were still open but are lifeless. Nine sank on his knees as he looked at his family on the floor. He felt rage, pain, and sorrow at the same time, he wanted it to be a dream but then the stench and he feel of blood under his bare feet are too real. He walked slowly to the corpses and with a trembling hand, he reached for the bodies slowly. That's when he saw a note, on the body of his wife. He took the note and read it.

The note says 'If she can't be of use to me, then she can't be of use to you either' . Despite the very short note, the intelligent man already knew who did it. various thoughts popped in his mind

They found us!

I should have never left the empire

I should have just accepted the knight offer

If only I accepted it, this would not have happened

I was so selfish, just because I don't want to be under someone else again, this happened. If only I accepted.

If only I didn't leave

If I stayed just for today

If I went home earlier

Regret, grief and anger consumed him. He felt like he was going mad from all the thoughts and the feelings. It was too much for him. He even felt like dying. Until one day, when the corpses were rotting on the same place he found them and the blood all dried up, a switch appeared in his mind.

It was a on and off switch. He turned it off and the next thing he knew, all the emotions suddenly faded away like they never existed in the first place. Reality registered in his brain. The rotting corpses, the blood filled house, the damaged furniture, the foul stench of the stored foods and many more. His face distorted at the sight and he immediately ran out of the house to vomit. He looked at his bony hands and felt the churning inside his stomach.

He went to the forest to get some fruits and cleaned the house. He burned the rotting corpses and the damage furniture, he even repainted the walls and ceiling, he also removed the wooden floor and changed it. After a month of cleaning he was done. He went inside his house with a smiling face but then when he got inside he felt like there was something missing, he knew what it was but then he ignored it like it was insignificant.

He lived his life in seclusion ever since and trained himself everyday. He never felt any emotion since then, no happiness, no sadness, no anger, no fear. He was just living, existing, and he was satisfied with that.