Chapter 111: Maya.

"Woah…" Haru whispered to himself as he stumbled into the light. He had gone back to where he started and in what seemed to be the exact same spot he had first appeared in the Soul Tempering Grounds.

"I will never get used to that feeling." Jasper's voice called out as he appeared in front of Haru. He held his head before turning around seeing Haru stood looking at him.

"You are already out? So how did your first fight go?" Jasper asked Haru with a forced smile.

"It was good. I managed to get a lot stronger. I had to absorb some demonic Qi but it all went fine." Haru told him before feeling a sharp pain in his head.

"You're feeling it too aren't you? That happens to most people here don't worry too much. It is just the effects of soul transporting. It doesn't feel like it but your soul is actually ripped apart and put back together inside the small world." Jasper explained and then put his hand on Haru's shoulder.

"It's lucky that they offer soul mending juice in the reception area. Come with me lets get some together. It will get rid of the pain." Jasper said and then they both began to walk up the steps back into the huge pyramid. As they entered it was silent. And there were a few looks of concern from other people.

Haru looked around seeing a group of human clansmen standing together surrounding something or someone. As soon as he spotted them the group of people opened up revealing someone lay on the ground panting and sweating profusely.

It was the man that had just fought against Haru inside the small world. He seemed to be severely injured and was shaking as he punched the ground with his left hand.

As soon as the group opened up to reveal Haru a few metres away the man's attention changed. He looked up and noticed Haru. He recognised the clothes and mask that he was wearing and then jumped up off the ground and ran over to him.

"You! Who are you? What is your name! Don't you know who I am?" The man began to yell as loud as he could.

"If I had a dollar for every time I heard that phrase…" Haru whispered and then looked back at the man. But before he could say anything he was cut short.

"Shut up you idiot. He doesn't care who you are. You are nothing compared to him little human now hurry up and get out of my way." The same familiar voice of the elven girl from earlier called out to the man blocking Haru's path.

"Y-you are…" The man stopped and changed his attention to the blond elf who was walking toward him. He then looked back toward his group of friends who all shared the same expression that he did. Which was one of fear.

As soon as he turned back to look at the blond elf his friends decided to take off running without him.

"Wait up! Don't leave me to die like this!" The man screamed before running off in the same direction, Following his friends back outside.

"There's no need to thank me. You are welcome." The girl said to Haru with a proud look. She clearly thought that she was above over people so she acted without thought.

"Okay, I wasn't going to thank you anyway. And here's some advice, don't stick your nose into other people's business. You might get hurt. There's no need to thank me…" Haru said and then turned back to Jasper.

"So where do we get this soul mending juice?" He asked with a smile. Putting what happened completely out of his mind. Jasper looked on edge for a second as he looked at the elven girl stood behind Haru. She was clenching her fists down by the side of her body but there was no intent to attack.

"Oh, Yeah. Follow me then." Jasper said nervously and then quickly began to walk toward the market place.

They walked along the corridor through the middle of the reception and then out into a small room before barding an elevator and heading up to the second floor. As they entered the elevator the elven girl also got on board.

"Why are you following me?" Haru asked bluntly.

The girl coughed out of shock. She didn't expect him to ask her outright and honestly, she didn't know why she was following him either. He already made it relatively clear that he didn't like her but Haru was the first person to push here away and speak his mind in front of her. It was a new experience even if she didn't like how it felt.

"I'm not following you! I am heading to the market place!" She shouted loudly. The elevator was small and seemed to be made out of some kind of metallic material so her voice echoed around like the inside of a tin can.

"Okay, There is no need to shout," Haru said clutching his ears. He then looked to Jasper who was doing the same but it seemed like it was actually painful for him. 'I guess elves have sensitive ears.' Haru thought to himself just as the doors to the elevator opened up.

As soon as the doors opened Jasper stepped out, Followed by Haru. Jasper turned back to Haru for a moment and then nodded his head.

Haru had the same thought. He nodded his head also shortly before They both took off running at full speed.

Haru didn't know where they were heading but jasper seemed to have a good idea where he was going as he dodged between stalls and people shopping.

"Hey wait!" The girl shouted before running after them.

It was no good. The girl seemed to be just as fast as both Haru and Jasper. They couldn't get out of her sight as they tried to leave her behind.

After realising they couldn't escape Jasper was the first to stop. They had already made it to the store where they sold the soul mending juice.

The whole room was very similar to the floor below. The ceiling was very high and the floor was white marble and the only difference was what was inside the room.

Instead of the many desks and counters that were on the floor below them. This room was filled with many small tents and wooden huts all lined with valuable goods inside and out. Each store was very different and seemed to specialise in very particular things.

There was an individual store for swords and spears. Every single weapon seemed to be placed in a store with weapons like its self. It was well ordered and nothing was out of place.

"Do you have any beast core?" Jasper asked Haru.

"Beast core? Why?" He asked.

"That is what people use as a currency here," Jasper explained.

"Um… No, I don't have any." Haru said. He had only seen a single beast core in his whole life and it was destroyed after absorbing the Qi from it. He began to feel a little guilty.

"It's fine. Let me treat you then. They aren't that expensive anyway." Jasper said before walking up to the store and handing over two beast cores. In return, he was handed two glass bottles filled with a red liquid. He came back holding them both in front of him.

He held out his hand and offered one of them to Haru.

"Hey, They might smell bad but they taste pretty good. Don't let it put you off." Jasper warned Haru before popping out the cork on his bottle and drinking it in one.

"I feel better already." He smiled.

Haru looked at the drink in his hand and then took off the cap with his mouth. His nose was then flooded with a chemical smell as he looked down at the liquid that was seemingly bubbling inside the bottle.

"Don't wait too long. It will evaporate if you don't drink it right away." Jasper warned him once again.

And then without a second thought, Haru tilted his head back and slammed the bottle into his lips. The smell alone was enough to make him gag as each drop slid down his throat but Jasper was right, The taste wasn't too bad. It reminded him of grapefruit.

He finished drinking it and then stood still for a second. The light dizziness and the pain he felt in his head had vanished almost instantly.

"It worked. That was more effective than I thought it would be." Haru said with a laugh. He kid of doubted it actually working but it surprised him.

"Well yeah. That is what it was made to do." Jasper laughed again and then turned his attention to the blond elven girl behind Haru.

"Seriously Maya. What do you want? Why do you keep following us?" Jasper asked the blond girl who kept the same expression that she had in the elevator. It was a mix of sadness and anger.

"None of your business! Shut up, Jasper." She shouted back at him.