7

I dodged its first slice easily, and lunged at it before it could strike again, but my sword stuck.

"What the heck?" I asked.

The giant grunted, which must've been laughter, I flexed my hands, wondering if flames would work against this thing, I glanced at my belt and noticed metal glinting, I smiled.

"GAH!" The giant roared, and charged again, I pulled my dagger out and flipped it as its tip caught fire which spread through the rest of it, but the giant charged nonetheless.

"For Hyromomania!" I cried and charged towards the giant, and willed myself to summon a fire avatar for myself, as I erupted, and even the avatar had a tiny dagger in its hand and only then did the giant halt, but this time I didn't stop.

The giant was slightly shorter than me now, but his mallet still outmatched my dagger, by strength and size, nevertheless I couldn't show fear right now, so I kicked his chest, which sent him tumbling back but didn't drop him.

It roared, and I figured more in anger than pain, "Come on, give me your best." I panted.

It glared at me, then spun and threw it hammer at me, I tried to sidestep but it was too damn fast, striking my chest and my vision flared red, and I hit the ground.

I groaned, and tried to stand but the giant reached and kept on kicking my chest, until I finished the avatar, mainly because I couldn't hold it much longer with that thing kicking and rolled away, and stood when I saw the giant charging towards me, so I summoned a created a fireball, and pushed it away with all my might, and before it reached the giant exploded, and my sword went flying to the other side. I turned the fireball into a flaming hand and it caught the blade and willed it to come to me.

"Well that happened." I muttered to myself as I caught the sword, wondering why it exploded.

So, I went to where most of the giant's remains were, and saw an orange gem, "What the hell?"

"Don't touch that." I heard the Dotek Kinsa say.

******

For the next 3 days, we sailed south continuously, not pausing even once, the fishermen would do the fishing, with the ship sailing, which is not an easy task, but the fishermen were experts and somehow, they managed.

"Hey, Samuel," I heard Timothy call me.

I sighed, "Yes?"

"For some reason," he sat, "You seem pissed at me."

I blinked, but Timothy was after all as down to earth as you could expect, "No, just feeling annoyed of you."

He nodded, "So what do you think this voyage is going to result in?"

I blinked again, "What do you mean?"

He sighed, "If we fail, then what would happen to us?"

I stood up, "We'll make it out of here. As victors."

He smiled, "Buddy, you also have to think of the other hand, defeat, we might not even make it out."

I braced myself from falling, "Our mission is to capture the Heir of Darkness, and bring him back captive."

He stared at me, "I know that, how does that even prove your point?"

I sighed, is he seriously that stupid, "Just reassuring you that our mission is simple and easy."

"Nah," he disagreed.

"What?" I asked, because no one would this flatly disagree with me, except for my thirty best friends and they too would hardly ever disagree like this.

"It's not simple or easy."

I sighed, "You're right, but it's not like we can abandon it."

He walked towards me, but stopped around 3 feet from me, "We also have to think of the consequences of failure."

And went back to fishing.

******

As we entered our room, I spewed a series of curses enough that Veronica slapped my back.

"Ow!" I yelped.

She ignored that, "So are we really taking James?"

I turned to her surprised, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Her expression was neutral, "We can leave him here safely, and if we find anything to heal him, we'll bring that back and heal him."

Lysandra raised her eyebrows, "What's gotten into you?"

Veronica sat on the edge of the bed, "There's a risk, of not only him but all of us dying, if we take him along."

"Well, you've got a point," Alice said, "But defying the Queen's order... what good will victory be then?"

Veronica raised an eyebrow, "Think of it from Lady Emily's point of view, her son who's on Death's doorstep, and we're dragging him along a life-and-death quest." She looked at Alice, "What do you say now?"

Alice just shook her head, "Even like this, how do you think we will manage to get any of the items without him?"

"Wait," Sorscha raised a hand, instantly all of us turned to her, "We will take him with us, but we'll leave him at a safe place, and once we get the ingredients to heal him, we'll send someone to heal him, and then he can join us."

I nodded, "It's a good plan, any objections?"

No one said anything, "Well, let's rest in that case."

******

And that night I filled in the Dark Lord and my other client.

If only I knew who it is, I thought, everything will become so much easier.

******

My father smiled at me with the rest of my family, as I stood in the temple of the village.

"Do you accept that you are now going to leave this village?" The priest asked.

"Yes," I said putting a hand on my heart, then removing it with a slight bow of my head.

"Do you accept that you are not forced, nor threatened to go?" he asked.

I swallowed and looked at my dad who nodded slightly, then I nodded, "Yes," putting a hand on my heart.

"Do you forgive everyone in this village with clean intentions?" he asked.

This one was easy, "Yes," and put a hand on my heart and gave a slight bow of my head.

"Will you," the priest paused, "Can you keep thoughts of this village second to your work of the God of Relief?"

I swallowed, "I-" I was about to say 'I don't know', but then would the god still accept me? But then he is the God of Relief, he should better like honesty, "I don't know." And put a hand on my heart and bowed my head slightly.

Lightning flashed, and suddenly everyone falls asleep, falling on each other, "You are accepted." A kind voice said.

Suddenly I started feeling dizzy, I groaned, I couldn't stand much longer, I tried to sit down when I heard a crack. And I lost control completely I fall and everything turned black, when a person wearing white glowing robes, had wings on his back smiled at me. I tried to smile back but was in so much pain, I couldn't. It took out a dagger, and stabbed my arm, when I shrieked out in pain, and tried to kick him the way I saw other kids do, but missed. It smiled again, and cut my head off.

But strangely I wasn't feeling afraid or scared or anything, just relief... relief that my life ended by an angel, and that I might go to Heaven.

******

I groaned as I opened my eyes, "He's awake!" I heard a squeaky voice say.

I looked around, and saw two angels flanking a young woman, with brown hair tied into a pony, green eyes- no blue? It seemed to change with the light, and she wasn't really the tall type, she was actually quite short, perhaps being shorter than my shoulders even. Nevertheless, she was beautiful.

"So... you were the one chosen?" she was clearly not the person who squeaked when I woke, her voice was colder.

It wasn't her beauty that took me a back but I felt like she's radioactive and she can easily direct her power at anyone she likes.

"Yes," I said as I put a hand to my heart and lowered my head slightly.

"The dramatics will be needed later," she responded.

I raised an eyebrow, "So I can just do whatever I feel like right now?"

She snorted, "If you think being chosen is such a big deal, you should clear that misunderstanding."

I wanted to retort back, but I wasn't sure her patience would last that long, "You're right, I'm sorry."

She looked down at me in disdain, "Listen up, faking your behavior or acting nice won't make a difference. If you can't survive the years of acolytes, you're dead. Remember that."

And sashayed off.

I cursed under my breath, Great, I thought, made an enemy as soon as I came.

I looked around and saw a guy on the receptionist's counter.

"Hi," I greeted nervously.

He looked up at me, with a grim expression on his face, "What? Hi, by the way."

I blinked, "Nothing, just what am I supposed to do right now?"

"Stab yourself." And went back reading, whatever grumpy holy people read.

I shook my head, "Please pay attention to me right now."

He muttered something, "What?"

"Can you tell me what I have to do?"

His expression just turned worse, "Great! He's deaf," he turned back, "Hey Molly, we got a deaf guy." He yelled

Molly- whoever she was- screamed curses at the receptionist.

"Sir, I'm not deaf, just asking what I have to do."

He arched his eyebrow, "You don't know what 'stab' means?"

I sighed, "Can you give me something to stab myself-" I grunted in pain, as I saw a dagger embedded in my stomach.

"You're welcome," he snapped, "And if you acolytes don't have manners, you'll be-" he moved a finger across his throat.

"But she just said..." my voice trailed off.

Okay, I thought steadying my nerves, this place is crazy and everyone wants their own behavior from us acolytes, which is just dumb and cruel.

"Hey," he yelled, "Stab yourself already and return me my dagger."

I scowled at him, and pulled out the dagger, as blood starting flowing out.

"Ah, blood's already flowing, just give me that." He said calmly.

I couldn't hold up much longer but I cupped my hands, and took as much blood as I could and walked to the counter.

"Whatever," he said, "Now drink this." As he gave me a tiny vial, about the size of my pinky.

"Thanks," I panted, then I popped the cap open of the vial, and drained the liquid inside. It tasted like honey, but also left a burning in my mouth leaving it feeling raw.

Slowly the blood flow stopped and my tissues started healing, and within the span of thirty seconds I was completely fine, though starving.

"Thanks," I said again louder this time.

"Shut up," he snapped.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Don't repeat what you say, at least not with me."

I sighed, "Understood, what should I do now?"

His head snapped to me, "Can you not shut up?"

I blinked, "Can you just-"

"Wait." He said simply.

"What?" I asked incredulously.

"Why do you ask what you have to do if in the end you make me repeat it?"

I was speechless so I just crossed my legs and sat on the ground where there wasn't blood.

After an hour of waiting, he clapped loudly, "YO!" he yelled.

I blinked and turned to him, "Yes?"

"Do you wanna live?" he screamed.

"Yes. And could you tell me why you're screaming?" I asked.

"Because of you," he snarled, "You, you, YOU!"

I stood up, for some reason not feeling meek or weak, "And what did I do?"

"You're an idiot." He spat, and gave me a vial.

"Thanks, what should I do with this?"

"Oh, I wonder," he said in a mocking voice, "DRINK IT!" He yelled suddenly.

I flinched, but I uncapped it, and drank it, unlike the previous one it didn't taste sweet, it was tasteless and it didn't heal any part of my body, it just made me feel dizzy.

I heard the receptionist cackle before my vision turned black.