Chapter 13

Elisabhet's lips tasted of strawberry, they were soft and warm, smooth as silk, Mahel remained kissing Elisabhet for almost a minute, when Elisabhet pushed him away, mahel looked at her, for a good ten seconds, she was squatting motionless near the tub, she covered her eyes with her hands and was breathing hard, she looked at her with a blank look and as she looked at her she began to speak without even looking Mahel in the eyes

-What .. what are you doing? What ... what's gotten into you? - she stammered, trembled and panted, couldn't look at him, Mahel didn't answer, got up from the tub, dripping and wet, got out of the water and approached Elisabhet, she was already behind her hands red, but as she approached it became scarlet, Mahel bowed before her, and took her hands away in front of her face, she turned away, but Mahel gently turned her face towards him and looked into her eyes, she tried to turn around but she couldn't and had to keep looking at those eyes, the left one was black with an almost human warmth, the right one was blood red but at the same time black, swirling and turbid, that eye was like a vortex that attracted her, the his mind, without realizing it, was slowly drawn towards that eye, it was shattering into thousands of pieces, then the eyes closed and his mind returned whole to its place, Elisabhet jerked away from Mahel, the blush left his face, and east he raised a dagger from his right boot

-What the fuck, what did you do? How did you do it? - Mahel opened his mouth and a distorted voice came out of his throat and spoke

-I see that the girl managed to escape- it was a slightly hoarse voice, another distracted voice spoke

- True and it was enough for him to close his eye for a second - This time the voice was high-pitched, feminine, yet another spoke

-He has a great will, I perceive it- this time it was slow, theatrical

-But shut up, always perceiving things you, it must have been luck- said a powerful male voice

-Yes okay, but who kissed her of you? Although she liked me, she disgusted another voice a little snobbish

-I think she was still conscious when I kissed her- said a thin and shy voice

-oooh how cute- said a voice with a very sarcastic tone Elisabhet looked at Mahel amazed

-What, who are you? What is happening?-

-Well, to answer the first question- said the first voice

-We-

-We are-

-Mahel-

-IS-

-He-

-is-

-We-

-What, I don't understand- Elisabhet said with a very, very confused expression

-The girl is hard on the uptake-

-Already lasts-

-Very hard-

-Too hard-

-Hard hard-

-Extremely hard-

-Really hard-

-Greatly tough-

-Okay I understand, but now, since I'm hard on the uptake, explain it to me in a simpler way-

-Okay- said the "boss" - in the past we were Mahel's entire consciousness, but one day that we don't even remember, Mahel's consciousness every time he uses his Mana in large quantities breaks into Thousands of fragments, the most of the time all the pieces come together but sometimes a fragment becomes aware and separates from the group, the side effects of this process are always hearing our voices and then the breaking of the boy's sanity, his single mind falls in the abyss of madness, probably when he kissed you his conscience was looking for support, and maybe a little bit, in the sub-conscious he wants to protect you, for this reason, perhaps, he is training you and he kissed you-

Elisabhet, she was in shock, all those voices, all those consciences, had been a part of Mahel, her mind was broken, he had been putting up with these voices for a long time without showing it, she had lost her parents and then her father adopted but it was nothing compared to what he endured. he had been putting up with voices in his head for a long time, had crises where he lost his mind and was also hunted by a criminal organization.

- Well now that you understand who we are, we have to go, he's recovering and we have to go we will try not to talk too much, but you have to do one thing for us - and while he spoke the voice faded - find a plant for us, plant that if ingested, will make us shut up and we will reunite, even if for only a few months to his conscience, he has already taken this plant, this plant is called "star of silence" I don't know where .... it grows ... but ... you have to ..... find it-

Mahel closed her mouth and the voices fell silent, she blinked a couple of times, and looked at Elisabhet, but it was not her usual cold look, it was a normal, human look, and she burst into tears, it was unexpected, Elisahet did not expect tears, stood still for a couple of seconds, while Mahel's silent tears poured copiously, Elisabhet walked over to Mahel and tried to touch his shoulder.

Mahel, what, don't worry now the voices aren't there-

First in the first few seconds he let himself go, but then he immediately regained his coldness,

-Forget what you saw, and forget the kiss-

Elisabhet remembered the kiss and blushed again, but as he mumbled, a couple of words like, pervert, maniac and other colorful curses, he saw out of the corner of his eyes a good tomato red color on Mahel's face.

-mahel what's on your face? -

- Shit, don't look at my face, -

-Mmmmh okay- Elisabhet said, equally red and trembling

Mahel just next to the bed, right on the side of the bed, dropped heavily on the mattress

-Tomorrow we go on a mission, your first mission, I think you are ready-

Elisabhet, always pretty red, smiled through toothy teeth and started hopping like a five-year-old girl, she was thrilled, she was on her first mission, but she didn't know what kind of sadistic, missionary bastard Mahel wanted for her. They fell asleep in the same bed with enormous embarrassment for Elisabhet, and with a coldness that masked Mahel's embarrassment.

The night usually brings advice, but for those two the night brought nightmares for Mahel and "strange" very pleasant dreams for Elisabhet, when they woke up they were both sweaty, so Mahel let Elisabhet in first, and waited a little while smoking a cigarette, when Elisabhet came out of the bathroom, and without looking at anything, although a couple of voices told him otherwise, he went into the bathroom, changed the water and after the tub was full again, he immersed himself in the water and cleaned himself, quickly and accurate, then he realized he was still wearing the bandages and started cursing in dwarven.

A few minutes later, after a complete cleansing of the body, Mahel came out of the bathroom with a towel to cover him and without bandages, the scars were on display, Elisabhet was from behind, so he dressed quickly, so as soon as he dressed in all the armor he he was about to put on the bandages when Elisabhet turned and saw the mutilated arm

-What the hell, what are those scars? -

-Well you have seen them, you know enough, this arm is a curse, I am not entirely human, neither do I know what I am, but I know the immense power of this arm, these scars are the price to pay to get this arm, they will never stop healing every now and then they will start to bleed again, then a couple of times I'm from when I tried to get it over with- and he pointed to the wrist- although I'm not physically there because this arm really doesn't want me to die, now we go out we have to kill some Spiritual Wolves- elisabhet first did not understand what the Lupispirituals were, she was amazed by the scars but by now Mahel had put the bandages on so she didn't ask questions. Elisabhet then noticed that he had put a bandage on his right eye to cover it

They arrived at the guildhouse, Mahel had regained her coldness, the entrance was full of people, adventurers of all kinds, who chose a mission, chatted or formed a party, a girl of about twenty, brunette and curly girl elegantly dressed

-Hello gentlemen so what do you want today? -

-hello I would like the mission of the spiritual wolves-

-Oh sure what rank are you? -

- iron degree -

-Mmmh I think you should choose something else, an iron grade is too low-

-Give us the mission I promise you will have their fangs in four hours-

the hesitant girl agreed and gave them the mission, then they left the building, but a voice called them

-Hey! You! wait, - A boy of about nineteen armed with a sword and shield, along with a half-orc armed with an ax and a half-elf with a bow approached them

-I know you have accepted a mission of the wolves, we would like to come with you, you would never be able to do it alone-

Mahel did not answer, looked at the group for a second, then turned and walked towards the forest

-Hey come back here, you could never do it alone-

- Boy shut up, you don't know in the least how strong we are-

- Right, I bet from your armor that you are fucking daddy's sons, you bought the rank-

Mahel then slightly irritated drew his daggers and pointed them at the boy

-Come come on-

The boy charged with unsheathed sword and shield raised, not even a couple of steps when he found himself on the ground with the broken shield and the sword planted on the ground up to the hilt.

"What the hell," the half-ogre exclaimed

-Kay all right? - said the girl pulling out an arrow

-You're all right, tear it to pieces-

The girl shot the arrow that broke in the air halfway, the half orc instead attempted a blow towards Elisabhet who parried him with the sword, then with the hilt hit the stomach and sent him to the ground, finally Mahel with an invisible shot with the human eye he approached the girl and tore the bow from her hands, she pulled a dagger from her belt, but when she got into position she realized that the dagger was in the hand of that cloaked figure that was Mahel.

-We see you kids, don't try to get in our way- and threw the dagger to the ground.

They were at the entrance to the forest near Dorst, "The Forest of Whispers", Elisabhet was already on guard with his hand already on the hilt of his sword, while Mahel took up his leather gloves and lit a cigarette, without any hesitation Mahel entered in the forest, the shadow of the trees enveloped him, the fresh smell of the forest, pungent and mossy entered his nostrils, refreshed him by clearing his mind, Elisabhet instead remained outside the foresa, hesitant,

-Mahel you feel it too, this Mana-

-They are the spiritual wolves, they are wolves that in rare cases have eaten a magical beast and have acquired their Mana, they transmit it to the puppies who in as many rare cases acquire a different power and become Alpha this Mana that you feel is their trace, from I would say there are at least ten normal wolves, and two Alpha-

-Are they hard to kill? -

-Wolves "normal" not too much, but Alphas are very difficult to kill for Iron-grade adventurers, but rest assured, by your current strength and your mastery you are already bronze-

-....- and with a faint whisper Elisabhet muttered a couple of things- you are crazy ...- and entered the forest.

They went into the thick of the forest following the trace of Mana, sometimes it disappeared, but immediately after the trace reappeared stronger, the trace led many times near watercourses, at a certain point they found a carcass of a silver deer.

-This deer is a magical creature as you can see, perhaps a "Crystal Deer" a rather rare magical beast, the wolves must have attacked it to gain more Mana, if we leave even one alive it could mate with a normal wolf and form even more powerful wolves-

-In what sense are more powerful? -

-With more Mana than more types, nothing special-

Elisabhet stood motionless, pricked up his ears for a moment, and drew his sword with a snap

-Mahel I think they are coming-

-In fact, they've been following us since we entered the forest-

-And are you just saying that now? -

-I forgot, sorry-

-Fuck it-

A ghostly howl echoed in the forest, twelve white wolves with blue flames bursting out of the fur, one was gray with purple flames while another was black with red flames.

-Mahel you're a bastard-

-I know, now let's go hunting, Tsk ... what a nuisance.