TBATE: The Rook

"I will keep this," I said, only to realize that I had been gripping the shard of the horn too tightly.

The elven woman, despite her condition, let out a hoarse chuckle at what i said , catching me by surprise. Raising an eyebrow, I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind. It was admirable that she could still laugh, given her situation.

"You're looking at me as if I've gone insane. Yes, you're right about me being pathetic," she said, struggling to turn her head toward the sound of my voice.

"No, not insane. Sympathetic, if anything," I replied.

"You're a strange one, saying something like that to a dying person 

You can have it; it won't hold any value to me anyway." She let out a sigh, and suddenly, her face appeared to age twenty years, the grave expression weighing heavily upon her.

"I don't even know your name, kid, but I'm going to die soon. There's no need to be sensitive about that fact." The elven warrior exhaled a ragged breath, yet her expression remained resolute.

"My name is Ellis, and... yeah. Unfortunately, you are definitely dead." I tucked the black shard into my dimensional tattoo.

"I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Since I don't have much time, I'll tell you as much as I know." She easily cast aside her hopes and accepted her fate.

"My name is Alea Triscan, as you've figured out. I am one of the Six Lances, and the corpses you probably spotted upon your arrival were my troops. Each Lance was in charge of a battalion composed of top mages." She let out another heavy sigh, lamenting that she would never witness the gruesome slaughter that had turned this once-beautiful place into a graveyard of mangled corpses.

"After the commencement of the Six Lances a few months ago, I had been training them to work as a team to clear dungeons and other unknown areas. The Six Lances rarely go on missions together unless we are exploring an S-class dungeon or above," she continued after pausing for a gulp of air.

"From the direction of your footsteps earlier, it seemed you came in from a different entrance. This place is actually connected to three dungeons. Which dungeon did you come from, Ellis?" Alea wiggled her body, struggling to prop herself up against the wall.

"I came from the Widow's Crypt." I took a seat against the wall next to Alea, surveying the carnage displayed before me. I could vaguely imagine what had happened by how the bodies were positioned and where they had sustained their fatal injuries.

"I'm not sure how old you are, Ellis, but no one should have to see something like this," Alea whispered, her voice laced with remorse.

"My age probably won't correlate well with situations like this, but you're right. No one, regardless of age, should have to witness something like this." Her breathing became more ragged and sporadic, but she held on.

"My troops and I came from an A-class dungeon named Hell's Jaw. We were assigned to investigate the dungeon after receiving reports of inconsistent sightings inside. The adventurers who returned alive were those who frequented the dungeon for training. The ones that made it back were barely alive, and they all spoke of how the beasts residing within had suddenly become stronger and fiercer. Was that the case for the dungeon you came from as well?" Alea asked, her words coming out slower than before.

"Yes. Just on the first floor, an army of minion snarlers welcomed me. The minions weren't bad, but two queen snarlers showed up. One of the queens, after devouring the other, transformed from gray to black, and its strength increased severalfold. I suspected this was the cause." I lied.

"What do you mean you suspected?! Are you saying you've seen that demon before?" Alea's limp body suddenly sprang up, shock evident in her voice.

"I'm not sure if it's the same one, but yes," I responded frankly.

"The same one? You think there's more than one?" Alea's already pale face drained to an even whiter color.

"I don't have definite proof, but I know that the one you saw, Vritra, is just one of the Retainers out there," I replied, recalling the story.

The Scythes are the strongest warriors in Alacrya. The Six Scythes are all awakened Vritra-blooded Alacryans and are extremely powerful. Each Scythe has their own Retainer. With the knowledge that Uto, a Retainer, can be taken down by a single Scythe, it has become clear that the Scythes possess immense strength.

My mind began to spin as I ponder over the different possibilities.

"What... are you thinking about, Ellis?" Alea let out a strained cough as fresh blood escaped from the sealed wound above her mana core.

Before I lost myself deeper in thought, Alea's ragged coughing snapped me back to reality.

"Are you okay?" That was a dumb question. Of course, she wasn't okay.

"When my team reached the first floor of Hell's Jaw, there was nothing unusual; the mana beasts were the same ones that had been recorded. It was when we reached the final floor, where the master of the dungeon made its den, that things changed. 

The Hades Serpent, an AA-class mana beast, should have been something I could have defeated fairly easily." There was no trace of boasting or overconfidence in her tone; it was just a fact to her. "The Hades Serpent, known for the blue fire spouting along its long spine, looked different. At first, we were confused because it didn't appear to have any flames at all, but when we looked closer, we realized that the flames themselves were black.

"It looked like thick smoke flickering wildly along the spine of the hundred-foot serpent. That particular Hades Serpent also had a black horn jutting out of its forehead, while its scales, which were recorded as being a matte gray color, were now a sleek black..." Taking a deep breath, I noticed Alea shivering.

"The fight was gruesome. I lost five of my men to that Hades Serpent. The battle lasted several hours, but I managed to kill it. However, when we tried to retrieve the beast core, it wasn't there." She broke into another fit of coughs, so I pulled out a water bag and a small towel, soaked it, and allowed the fabric to absorb as much water as it could before turning back to Alea.

"Open your mouth," I instructed.

She hesitated for a moment but eventually complied. As I gently squeezed the towel over her mouth, the water trickled in.

She let out a small yelp in surprise at the cold liquid but soon began gulping it down fiercely. She whispered a small thank you before continuing her story.

"Although we were tempted to return to the surface, we hadn't managed to figure anything out, so we started searching for clues inside. One of my men used a spell and discovered a hidden tunnel beneath a thin layer of earth.

After crossing the tunnel, we arrived here..." As Alea's voice trembled at her last words, tears mixed with blood streamed down her closed eyelids where her eyes used to be.

"H-He was here... when we reached this cavern. I still remember the way he looked at us. Those scarlet eyes..." After letting out a trembling breath, she continued.

"My team and I... no one knew what that monster was, so we did what our instincts told us to do. We raised our weapons... that was our first mistake. I can still picture it so clearly. His pale gray skin. His face... it was beastly yet almost... human. He looked at us and smirked, exposing his sharp fangs. What threw us off was when he spoke..." Her voice fell into a whisper.

"Mm," I responded, just to let her know I was still there.

"He wasn't even surprised to see us. Vritra, he... that thing, just looked at us before..."

"Before?" I asked, sitting upright.

"He gave us two options." Tears and blood continued to stream down her once beautiful face as she willed herself to finish.

"He looked straight at me, as if he knew instantly that I was the leader, and told me that he'd let me walk out unharmed if I—" she choked back a sob, her only hand clenched white into a fist, "—if I dismembered each of my teammates, one by one, in front of him.

"The ridiculous offer would have infuriated anyone, but looking at the state Alea was in right now, I didn't have the confidence to say she had made the right decision. Maybe her teammates would have wanted her to kill them quickly instead of being tortured the way they were , in my opinion i will kill every one of them if the opponent was much stronger than me.

"What was the other option?" I asked in a cold tone.

"He just... scoffed at us and said, '...or you can try and fight.'" Her blood-mixed tears stained the torn remains of her clothes as she continued to softly cry.

Unable to find the words to comfort her, I just kept my mouth closed . Moments trickled by with only the sound of running water and Alea's silent sobs breaking the deathly silence.

"We didn't... stand a chance," she whispered, hiccuping.

"Ah, the feeling of weakness is foul, Alea." I gently stroked her hand.

She didn't respond and continued, "He had one horn in the middle of his forehead... that curved backward sharply."

She tried her best to talk calmly.

"One horn isn't two, or am I remembering incorrectly?" I thought.

"Y-Yes. My strongest single-point attack only managed to create a small chip in that horn." Alea seemed like she wanted to ask me something but continued, her breath getting shorter.

"He... It... Vritra was able to use magic—magic that seemed to defy the common understanding of any magic I've ever seen." Alea's lips began to quiver.

"What kind of magic did he use?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Metal. Black metal. He could instantaneously conjure metal spikes, blades, any sort of weapon from the ground and himself. I can't even describe it properly. It was over too quickly. Half of my team was dead in the first wave of attacks he unleashed with a simple flick of his wrist. When the ones that were still alive attacked him, he didn't even bother to dodge... plates of black metal instantaneously materialized and blocked whatever attack managed to get near him."

My head turned toward Alea at the sound of her coughing. It was worse than before. She coughed up blood; she still had a few more hours.

"Vritra... He left after leaving me like this. I'm not sure if he knew someone was going to come, but the last thing he said before going was his name... and that Dicathen was going to become a warzone..." As blood dribbled down the corner of her mouth, she turned her head toward me.

"Yes, there will be a war in a couple of months, and the one you just fought is not even the third strongest rank. They have a bunch of Retainers. What do you think, Alea? Can this country fight back or even have a chance of surviving?" I asked.

After a long silence, she answered, "I don't know..."

"This may sound preposterous, but can you do me a favor?" Alea let out a faint smile, revealing her teeth stained with blood.

"Sure."

"Hold me?" she mumbled.

I leaned in closer, only catching the last part. "Sorry. I didn't quite catch that."

"I always thought that I didn't need anyone... as long as I was strong enough. I never had a family or lover... to depend on... but you know? I-I really don't want to die alone right now..." Alea bit her trembling lower lip. "Can you hold me?"

"That is a lewd favor to ask, Alea. I'm saving my chastity for my future wife," I said in shock jokingly .

She smiled weakly and said, "It's for practice purposes only."

"Perverse."

Without saying another word, I gently wrapped my arms around Alea's fragile neck and waist, leaning her head against my chest.

"I'm scared," she muttered. "I don't want to die..."

"Die? What die? Who will die?" I said.

"_"

"It's okay; I know I have little time left."

"Oh, you are taking about your self,I can heal you at any moment if I wanted to ."

"What do you mean... wait, please don't give me false hope," she pleaded.

"It is the truth; I really can heal you," I said in a serious tone.

"Then why didn't you... what do you want? Who are you really?" She sounded more confused than reliefed . 

"First things first, I was listening to your story and it's really disrespectful if I interrupted you . My full name is Ellis Rose, a good citizen of Sapin City. To tell you why I really didn't heal you it's for safety purposes , I need you to sign a contract with me for me to be able to trust you ," I answered.

After a long silence, she said, "As you can see, I can't read now."

"Don't worry, darling," I said before making a hand sign. My right hand started to glow purple, taking the shape of a ball, which I sent into her forehead.

Letting out a low growl of discomfort and pain, she stopped talking for a very long time.

"I accept," she finally said.

"The fuck do you mean you accept? Why is it easier than I thought , make it more difficult ?" I shouted in my head.

"Are you sure ?" I asked.

"I don't really have a choice, and the contract isn't that bad. It states everything clearly, and you can't lie in a contract like this as it has consequences for you, you are also saving my life it's only fair that I have to repay you somehow ,Lastly, you are not a bad guy in my opinion. If I was wrong, so be it. Oh and I just took your chastity, so I need to take responsibility..." she said simply, ending with a small laugh.

"Can you really heal me, Ellis?" she asked, her tone lacking hope.

Fuck this shit! I stayed up all night thinking about how to convince her, and she simply accepted. Ahhhhhh! Taking a deep breath, I thought, if it proves anything, it proves that I am a great contract maker.

"Sigh, don't move," I said before making a shadow graphic with my hands and summoning Round Deer, a large deer manifesting from my shadow standing at my right. "Heal her," I commanded, but he didn't move.

"Oh, sorry, wait a moment." Crouching down to Alea's level, I began to peel the burned skin from her injuries.

"Ouch! Wait, it hurts," she protested.

"Stay still," I instructed before breaking the black metal embedded in her chest. Looking back at my deer, he gave me an approving nod.

"In three, one... two... three!" I pulled her from her place. 

"Aaaagghhhhh!" she screamed in agony as I set her down. My deer quickly began to heal her.

She was healing at a rapid pace; in just a few seconds, she was back to normal. "How do you feel now?" I asked, observing her transformation.

Alea blinked in disbelief, her hands moving to touch her body, checking for any remnants of her previous injuries. "I... I feel... whole , I can see again ," she stammered, her voice filled with wonder.

"Good. You should be able to stand and move without pain now," I replied, relieved to see her recovering.

She looked up at me and froze for a moment. After what felt like an eternity, she said, "I didn't expect you to be this good looking . How old are you again?"

"I know, right? I'm handsome! I'm twelve years old."

"Too young," she sighed. "Thank you for your help, Ellis."

"But why?" she questioned, her expression shifting from gratitude to suspicion.

"Because you signed the contract," I replied, meeting her gaze firmly.

Alea's eyes narrowed slightly as she processed my words. 

"Contract? You think I can be of use to you?".

" you already signed why the questions women!!" I thought.

"Absolutely. You have knowledge and experience that could be invaluable," I said.

She took a deep breath, her demeanor softening. "I suppose. But what's in it for you?"

"I want to ensure that Dicathen stands a chance against the coming war," I explained, my voice steady.

Alea considered my words, her brow furrowing in thought. "And you think I can help with that?"

"No, you can't help me as you are right now. I'll change that. I don't want a weak slav… cough* cough*, friend."

She nodded slowly, a flicker of determination igniting in her eyes , "Alright, I'll help you. But I want to make one thing clear… wait, you said 'slave.'"

"No, I would never. Are you okay, Alea?"

"No, don't do this! You definitely said 'slave,'" she pouted, clearly annoyed.

I stepped closer and placed my hand on her head. "Mmm, you don't have a fever. I think you're having a hard time hearing because of the blood in your ear."

"Aaaaaahh, I deserve it!" she shouted.

"This is a partnership, not a hierarchy," I assured her.

"Then let's get to work," Alea said, her voice regaining strength. "We need to gather information and alert the others. The sooner we act, the better."

"Now, now, calm down. You were on death's door just a moment ago. What do you think you can accomplish with your current strength?" I said, pulling out a beast core and tossing it to her.

"Use this to absorb mana, and the beast will inside , it won't resist."

She stared at the beast core for a moment before looking up at me. "Thank yo—"

I cut her off. "Do it now. We'll have a long conversation after you finish… and cover yourself; I can see them ." I turned away from her and started walking.

"_"

Her face turned red with embarrassment as she covered her chest with her hands, shouting, "Why didn't you say something earlier, you lustful child?"

"Why should I?" I replied, continuing to walk away.

Her personality is so different now. Did the experience of death change her? She seems more relaxed about the current situation and hasn't asked any questions about my powers or knowledge , it shouldn't be like this I don't know what happened did she really change or was she always like this but what i do know she will have nightmares about what happened to her it well leave a scar for ever.....I was lost in my thoughts.