Phoenix Flight

"I really need to thank you two for agreeing to do this!" Farkiss said, his typical merchant smile on his face. "It was high time I left my town, and the two of you showing up when you did truly helped me out!"

"Don't worry about it, bro." Bruno chuckled and fist-bumped the man. "Ash and I were glad to help, isn't that right, Ash?"

Ash let out a scoff and folded his arms, looking away. "Whatever. I just want to get paid."

It had been a full week since he set out with Bruno, and Ash was not having a good time. The cash Bruno had packed was used up three towns ago, and the two of them were forced to set up tents and camp out in the woods since they could no longer afford to stay in inns or pay for bus stations. Ash was even forced to hunt for his own food like some sort of peasant.

Despite how awful everything was, Ash was forcing himself to keep up with Bruno, who was right at home in the wilderness. They were making good time and would soon arrive at the capital, Rose City, where the Arcane Knight exam was held every year. Once they reached the city, they'd just have to take the exam and pass, which would allow them to join a guild. Bruno was also planning on looking for Olivia, but Ash was content with moving on with his life. Once he became part of a guild, he wouldn't have to worry about anything else. He was close to reaching his goal.

During their travel, they kept getting sidetracked since Bruno went out of his way to help strangers out. Their latest side mission was helping a merchant named Farkiss out. Farkiss was a tall, plump, dark-skinned man. He wore bright purple robes and had dozens of golden rings and necklaces draped all over his body. A few of his teeth were golden. He stank of money and wealth, yet instead of hiring some Arcane Knights to get him to his destination, Farkiss had instead opted to pay Bruno and Ash, since the two were far cheaper. Ash got the feeling Farkiss was one of those guys who would try to spend as little money as possible.

This fact was solidified for him by Farkiss's wagon. There was no car or truck, or anything that would make traveling to a different city easier. Instead, Farkiss just used a shitty wagon.

It was old and worn down, covered in dozens of boxes, all containing various types of meat. The boxes were all specially enchanted to keep them frozen and make sure they'd last longer, like a fridge. There were no horses or anything else to drag the wagon, so the walk through the woods was especially slow since the wagon had to be dragged, the wheels so old they no longer spun.

It was important for traveling merchants to get hired help in case a dungeon opened up on the path they were traveling, since that happened a lot, but usually the merchant would actually hire mercenaries or Arcane Knights. Farkiss had opted for kids to keep him safe instead, since they were cheaper.

"How much longer until we reach the city?" Ash asked, letting out a sigh. His legs were killing him. He had been forced to walk well into the night.

"Not too much longer," Farkiss promised. The merchant had his wand out, and its tip held a large glob of fire, which lit up the forest around them, allowing them all to see. The path they walked down was a winding trail, with woods on either side of them. Farkiss had traveled it a few dozen times before, so he knew all the right ways to turn and the best shortcuts. "Once we arrive there, I'll give you guys your earnings and point out a good place to stay!" The man gave a toothy grin.

"You're a real bro, my bro!" Bruno grinned back. "What city are we even heading to?"

"Daffodil," Farkiss stated. "It's a bit of a large city, and right next to Rose. It should be easy for you three boys to hitch a train ride and make it to Rose in order to take the exam."

Bruno nodded happily. "Are you also planning to take the exam, spearman?" He asked, turning to look at the last person Farkiss had hired.

On top of hiring Ash and Bruno, one more person came along with them and was the one dragging the wagon. It was another guy, though Bruno had no idea what he looked like since the man was decked out head to toe in old, ragged black robes. The guy's hood was pulled up, and he wore a red, oni-like mask for whatever reason. Beneath the robes, dozens of bandages crisscrossed over his flesh, many of which were wrapped around his arms and legs. Besides the mask, the other notable thing about the man was the weapons he carried. Three spears were strapped to his back, wrapped around him thanks to the bandages he had. They weren't hunting spears, though. They were heavy, forged out of a black metal, and were the kind of weapons you'd see a soldier carry.

Bruno's question went unanswered, as the man in the oni mask ignored him.

"Okay?" Bruno frowned slightly before forcing his smile back in place. "Either way, I guess it doesn't matter."

The masked figure hadn't spoken since the job began and remained silent for the entire walk. The only reason Bruno even knew he was a guy was due to the small grunts he would make anytime the wagon he dragged got snagged on a rock or stump.

The masked figure didn't complain, or whine, or do anything really. He just stayed quiet and dragged the carriage behind him, not showing an ounce of emotion.

Ash kept shooting the masked man a dirty look, but still, the man did not speak or react, no matter how many questions were thrown his way. That just made Ash more suspicious. He was starting to wonder if the person was covered head to toe in order to hide the fact that they were a Magical Mutant.

Farkiss cleared his throat, getting the attention back on him. "Either way, I'm glad you three offered to help me. I was content with staying put but decided it was time to move after I changed my mind."

"What brought on the change, bro?" Bruno asked curiously.

"Well, we merchants are rather well informed about each other." Farkiss chuckled and twirled his wand. "I happen to know a person I met once is heading to Rose, after a friend of mine sent me the message. That's why I needed you guys to help me get to Daffodil. Once I'm there, I can take the train to Rose on my own."

"Is this person a friend of yours?" Bruno raised his eyebrow. "I mean, you're going out of your way to go see them?"

"Not exactly." Farkiss snorted. "I only met them once, but they did help me out by bringing a package of mine to a friend, and that friend later told me how they saved the town. I'm the type of person who thinks good deeds shouldn't be ignored. Besides, I have some information for them I think they'd like. He mentioned something about a dragon, and well… Never mind. It's for their ears only."

"Well, I don't get it, but this guy must be pretty special if he caught your eye!" Bruno laughed.

"Indeed." Farkiss also laughed.

Ash just sighed and shook his head before once again turning to look at the robed figure. The man in the mask still refused to speak and just kept dragging the wagon of supplies behind him. Ash didn't know why, but he was getting ticked off. Something about the robed figure was rubbing him the wrong way. Perhaps it was the fact they wore a demon's mask, or maybe it was the strange, stabbing, static feeling he got from standing next to the person. He truly wasn't sure, but Ash knew this guy was bad news.

Luckily for him, he didn't have to stand next to the figure for much longer, as eventually the forest path began to clear out and Daffodil City came into view.

"Whoa!" Bruno let out a whistle. "Impressive."

Lotus City was the only city anyone from Fri would get to see. It was rather large, with a castle in the center and dozens of stone buildings scattered about, and it had a large wall wrapped around it. Daffodil was very different.

Daffodil also had a castle, but it was way bigger, massive in scale, and placed near the edge of the city. It had large, towering stone structures that rose off the ground, going high into the air, likely created through magic. There was a wall around the city, but it was split in half, and running through the streets was a series of railroads. A lot of major cities had train stations that connected them to the capital. Many of the buildings were large, and bronze pipes poked out of several sections, spewing waves of smoke and steam.

The path Farkiss took them on led to a section of the wall around the city that was made for merchants and caravans. Two guards stood on either side of the door. Both held large-looking rifles. The guards didn't even bat Farkiss an eye, and one of them used his rifle to bang the butt of it against the metal doors, which glowed with a blue light and then began to open on their own.

Once they were actually in Daffodil, Bruno let out another whistle as he looked around. Daffodil was large, but everything was packed tightly together. There were dozens of roads and alleyways that people walked through, and hundreds of different carriages or wagons were dragged down winding streets. At the end of each corner was some sort of merchant shop, and the entire city had a smoky smell due to all the pipes. The men wore expensive black suits, while the ladies were decked out in fine dresses. Magic existed in Daffodil; many of the buildings only existed the way they did because of it, but it was more reserved and not being shown. The train's constant buzzing also filled the air, followed by loud blaring music.

"Well, boys," Farkiss began. "It was a pleasure spending the last few days traveling with you three, but I'm afraid this is where we'll be parting ways." Farkiss reached into his robes and tossed out three wads of cash, one for each of them. "If you're looking for a place to stay, I'd recommend finding an inn called the Horse-Stall. I'll be heading there myself, actually. In the morning, the train will be arriving, so perhaps we'll all see each other when we board it?"

Ash remained silent and instead counted the wad of cash he got. Five hundred in total. Neither Bruno nor the masked man bothered to check theirs and instead just shoved the wads into their pockets.

Bruno pocketed his, far too trusting, and just grinned. "I do have a question for you, Mr. Farkiss!"

"Yes, what is it, my boy?"

"Earlier, you said merchants had a way of knowing stuff, right?"

Farkiss rubbed his chin and tugged a bit on his bushy beard. "That I did. Is there something you want to know?"

Bruno nodded. "Yeah! I'm looking for a friend! I'd like to know she's doing alright."

Farkiss hummed. "I see. If you want to know where someone is for sure, I'd recommend heading to a nightclub called the Mellon. The owner there is a mage named Biggie. Word of advice, though: try not to get on his bad side. I personally don't like him, but even I'll admit, when it comes to information, he's the best of the best."

Bruno threw his arms behind his head and let out a slight cheer. "Alright! Will do, bro. Come on, Ash!" He grabbed Ash's arm and began to tug the grey-haired boy after him.

"I can walk on my own." Ash yanked his arm out of Bruno's grasp.

Farkiss watched the two boys leave and couldn't help but let out another laugh. "Ah, to be young again. I remember the good old days. Now. What are you planning, my friend?" He stopped when he saw that the third boy was gone. The one in the oni mask had wandered off earlier. "Hmm. A shame. Oh well!"

It didn't take Bruno and Ash long to find a club called Mellon. The two of them just followed the music. The streets of Daffodil were crowded and full, so they had to twist through the crowd, but they soon stood outside of a set of stairs that led down beneath the ground.

Mellon was built like a makeshift bunker, though it had been expanded and turned into some sort of depraved party place. Blaring lights shone up from the stairs, and massive booming music blared through. The stairs led down quite a bit, and at the bottom was a man in a suit. Most likely a bouncer. Luckily for them, all were welcome in Mellon, and the bouncer opened the door for them both.

Bruno's nose wrinkled once he was inside, and he made a face. Everything was dark but bright at the same time. Dozens of glass orbs connected to the roof, each enchanted to shine a different color of light, and they spun around at high speeds. The ground felt like it was made out of glass, and the room was rather large but still extremely crowded with hundreds of different people all scattered about.

The music was extremely loud, and Bruno had to cover his ears. People were also yelling, cheering, and singing, making it all the worse. The entire place stunk of cheap booze. Besides the dance floor, there were dozens of tables scattered around where people sat and ate expensive food or drank fine wine. Finally, near the back was a bar.

Ash sighed and wiped at his eyes, which stung from all the different colors. "Let's get this over with." He grumbled and made his way over to the bar.

Bruno followed the boy, and soon they took a seat. Only one other person was seated at the bar: a short man, barely three feet in height, who was wearing an expensive black suit and black tinted sunglasses. The man had on a fedora and was smoking a cigar, tapping the ash into a tray. Past the bar was the bartender, who was a tall man dressed in a simple uniform with an apron. He had pale skin and white hair and bored-looking blue eyes, thin hands running a rag across a dirty glass cup.

"Aren't you boys a little young?" The bartender asked, though he didn't sound like he actually cared.

"We're both adults," Bruno said, giving a grin. "We're old enough to take the Arcane Knight's exam now."

"Fancy." The man said, not actually listening.

"We're looking for a guy named Biggie," Ash spoke up.

"What do ya need 'em for?" The small man in the fedora grunted out.

"You, Biggie?" Bruno raised an eyebrow and looked the tiny man up and down. "So is it like a nickname or…"

Biggie took a drag on his cigar and puffed out the smoke. "Just answer the damn question, brat. What do ya need ol' Biggie for?"

Bruno rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and tried to force his smile back on. "I was told that you're the guy to come to if we need to find anyone." Bruno held his hands up and started motioning. "I'm looking for my friend Olivia—oh, her real name is Mary, if that helps. She has white hair, red eyes, and is kind of curvy in a way, but she's always wearing baggy clothes so you can't tell."

"How do you know she's curvy then?" Ash frowned.

"We take baths together."

"What!"

Biggie took another drag of his cigar and stayed silent for several seconds. Finally, he spoke. "Five."

Bruno nodded. "That's not too bad—"

"K," Biggie added on.

"Oh… Yeah, I can't do five thousand."

"Guess ya better come back when y'er a Knight then." Biggie shrugged. "Them's the rules."

Ash's eye twitched, and he was about to say something, but suddenly someone else sat down at the table next to him. He looked over, and his eyes widened when he saw the man in the oni mask. Not missing a beat, the spearman reached into his dirty robes and smashed down a fat wad of cash. Ash, Bruno, and even the bartender all gawked when they saw at least five thousand different bills.

"Milk." The figure's voice was shockingly soft. The way he spoke was calm and quiet, barely audible.

It took the bartender a few moments, but he managed to process the command and finally acted once Biggie gave him a look. He poured three glasses of milk and turned his back, muttering some sort of spell, before setting the three glasses down and handing one to the oni and the other two to Ash and Bruno.

The spearman tilted his mask up just a bit and took a sip of his drink before setting it back down. Ash awkwardly drank his own glass and kept his eye close on the masked man, while Bruno had already finished his and was licking his lips. The oni adjusted his mask and shifted it back down. Then, he reached into his robes and produced another brick of money, just as full as the last one.

Ash nearly did a spit-take when he saw it. Even most Knights or nobles wouldn't simply carry this much money on them at once, yet here the masked man was. That kind of money was the kind of wealth a person could only get through raiding a powerful dungeon and keeping all the fortune for themselves or slaying a powerful magical beast and selling it to the right buyer.

It wasn't the only thing the robed figure had, either. The oni also produced a picture and slid it over to Biggie along with some golden coins.

Biggie picked the picture up and stared down at it. It showed a young boy, only about fourteen years old. The boy had raven black hair that was swept to the side and bright blue eyes, and he wore rusted chainmail and carried a heavy claymore.

"I'm looking for him." The masked man said quietly. "He's older by about five years but still has a baby face."

Biggie raised his eyebrow and nodded. His other hand reached up and casually took off his hat, revealing what was beneath. For the second time that day, Ash nearly did a spit take. Biggie's head was entirely bald, and metal coated it. An antenna stabbed out of the top of it and glowed with a red light, which hummed.

"What's up with your skull, bro!" Bruno said, having no filter.

"He's a Magical Mutant." Ash hissed out.

"He is?" Bruno looked even more shocked. "Cool?"

"Not cool!"

Biggie just smirked. The man's fingers came up, and he poked at the rod that went through his head. "Row Telepath Pulse!" The red light grew brighter and then expanded out rapidly, going across the club and outside in a bright flash. Biggie hummed again, and then his antenna started to glow once more. "Yeah, I found yer target." The oni-masked man nodded and turned, waiting for Biggie to go on, but the man's smile faded. "Sorry, kid. That information is classified. All I'll say is that guy belongs to the Knights now, and I ain't looking to get my arse beat by 'em." Biggie then swept the bags of money into the jacket. "No refunds."

"Sorry, spearman." Bruno winced. "That was a ton of cash, too. I feel bad for you, bro."

"I'm not a spearman."

"Huh?"

The spearman scooted his chair out and stood back up, letting out a sigh. Despite not getting what he wanted, he gave a bow to Biggie. "I'll be heading out then, sir." He spoke in his soft tone. "Thank you for trying—"

"Actually, you'll stay right put." Biggie blew on his cigar again, this time sending the smoke directly into the oni man's mask. "See, my little spell tells me all I need to know when I cast it." He slipped his hat back on. "I see not just what my light touches, but that which remains unseen as well. Surface thoughts and memories. One of the reasons I've been in the business for so long despite the number of crazy bastards trying to steal my life. Y'er not as clever as ya think ya are, boy. I know who you are. The stench of Mordheim clings to ya."

"Mordheim?" Ash shuddered a bit and glanced back at the masked man who stood there silently.

"Someone like you is a bit of a prized catch," Biggie said again. "I ain't letting ya get away."

Without warning, the masked man ripped one of the spears off his back and twirled it around. Ash stood up, knocking his chair over, and drew his wand. Bruno rapidly raised his hands, attempting to calm everyone.

"Whoa, whoa, let's not get crazy here! Look, we were just leaving." Bruno chuckled.

"Nah." Biggie blew another puff of smoke, which shifted in the air and formed a middle finger. "None of you three is leaving."

"You really want to do this?" Ash hissed, lifting his wand.

Biggie shrugged. "Oh, we already did it."

"What?" Ash frowned, but then suddenly he felt something. His head began to ache, and his vision started to blur. Bruno was the first to collapse, crashing to the ground unconscious, and before Ash knew it, he was also falling over, his eyes rolling back.

Lastly, that left the man in the mask. He dropped to a knee, and his spear slipped out of his hand and crashed to the floor. The music in the club didn't stop, and no one seemed bothered at all by what was happening. "What did you do?" the masked figure demanded, somehow still managing to sound calm and collected.

"Shouldn't have drunk the milk," Biggie smirked.

The figure looked up at the bartender, who was whistling quietly. "Poison?"

"Yep."

"Why, though? You didn't know until you used your spell." The figure grunted.

Biggie patted the pocket where he had slipped the two bags of coins. "A person doesn't just carry around this amount of Bells unless they're important. You doomed yourself the moment you flaunted your wealth."

"I see." The figure chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind for next time."

"Next time?" Biggie also chuckled as the masked man finally collapsed unconscious. "There won't be a next time."