Quest 2, Part 7: [Game of catch]

Without thinking of anything and clinging to the slight chance of survival, three shadows are running in different directions through the vast forest named after its speciality, the Ironwood. Although the wood itself is not that outstanding, due to its hardness, quick growth and fuel property it is well known and received in the world. It’s the only such forest known to exist, making it a popular exportation article.

This forest is also known of its beasts that are inhabiting it. One of the man stumbles on a long parched log leading his face crash onto the dark humus. The fall is not soft even with all the plant life, as his sickly bones collide with thick root that thought underground is not worthy of it’s presence. This very root reacting to the offense committed to it retaliates without limiting itself, crashing into the already weak person. The poor man’s pained face does not even change as the attacker plants its roots inside the deep wound on in his stomach.

“Weak.” The quiet female voice from the background comments like that, even if no presence can be perceived in the vicinity. In this desolated moment, the man is left behind, alone, to die.

The thoughts are not voiced out as I return to watch the other two participants who are still happily running for their lives. One is sane enough to use his brain and tries to bypass most of the dangers, while other is simply using his abilities to their maximum for the sake of getting distance the most quickly. Without any need to think why, the second is much further away from the start even if he suffered more injuries than the other.

Who will win? It doesn’t matter for I’ll gain something with both. The one who died first was the handpicked man. It’s a pity. The race is still going and I’m required to watch from the front row. Thanks for my stats and the beauty of magic, I have no problem following them. They are far away because of the hours of running and their pace slows down quicker than I wanted. The dragon and the pet are right behind the slower one. He seems to have no destination to head to, making it a harder catch. Well, nor for my pets.

Just as the hatchling pounces from a bush trying to get in his way to stop his movement, the man changes it’s direction so they won’t meet each other. The dragon is big compared to a human, of course it was noticed.

Bored from the sight I motion with my arm, indicating to the dragon to end his play. This same moment the frighteningly powerful jaw of his closes on the head of the victim. I snicker at the sight a little, only a moment later do I realise it.

What am I doing? I’m killing them for the sake of fun, and I do enjoy it. I admit that I see nothing of human’s lives, but I never felt such a way. I killed because I… I had to, since that is the best way to confirm my theories. But for me to enjoy killing… Even I know that is a really bad habit. Not only a very expensive hobby, but very dangerous. My neck is already under the gallows, I cannot permit myself to get addicted to it.

Sometimes even my own thoughts frighten me, I sound like some kind of crazy lunatic. The old me would spit on someone who kills for fun. Did I change when I discarded my memories? Am I even the same person I was back then?

I don’t even notice that I stopped in my tracks with such meaningless thoughts. My lovely shoes that were not made for such environment sank into the lazy mud under me. The last remaining victim is far out of my sight, just like my two pets that are chasing after him. I should use a location magic, let’s fly upwards. This is a very useful new magic I made recently, but for some kind of sad reason anything I do causes heavy strain. I can withstand a little headache, but since it all goes through my head it’s a tad annoying using them.

The good side is that I can use them instantaneously just by willing it, similar to how I click to a spell icon in a game. The weakest “suggests” I can implement into my head are simple and quick, they order my body under a millisecond. Normally it is impossible for the human brain to handle that. I don’t require quicker casting, but heavier imprints can be ten-thousand times quicker. The test subjects all died from such a strain.

I levitate myself over the height of the threes and active the spell. I have to grit my teeth, the wider the range the more the rebound.

I notice a five kilometer in front of me them, but they are not the only ones. Some of the rebels are watching me. I turn my head at them and the moment I cast the magic for farseeing, a lightning flash accurest from their position.

“Attacking me, huh… They seem to have similar toys to mine, but what is tha..”

The moment I see a two meter long, thin metal-rod with glittering ironwood orbs hanging from it, I move my body to dodge. A fucking railgun, just like mine, but how? That is not magic or I would have noticed it a minute before it fires. This is why no hand weapon can be made with that technology. Then how? I doubt they use generators.

I cancel my flight spell and force a gravity circle under me to pull me out of the way quicker, but the bullet is already shot. It’s speed is nothing compared to my weapon, but impossible to dodge.

I bit hard into my lips to prepare for the pain incoming, and watch as my fist injury in this world threatens to kill me. It’s painful. I hurts. It hurts so much.

I fall to the ground with at high velocity under the gravity spell that I have time to dispel. My body slumps on the ground and the unbearable hard pain won’t let me move or think normally. A few seconds later the gravity turns back to normal and under my tears my head starts to run again. How dare they cause me pain. I’ll destroy all of them. They will beg for me to kill to kill them.

I’m painfully aware that my anger and hatred is just the remains of my past, reaction from a trauma. I know, I know, but this burning hatred and anger is hard to contain. I can’t. No matter what I tell to myself, I’m unable to simply submit to rationality.

I move my head to look at the wound on my chest. The small lear projectile crumbled to dust when colliding causing small parts enter from the front, then exit at the back. The wounds are not simply deep, there are holes through my whole body. Many small holes. Slowly liquid comes from the wound, hiding away the ugly sight and making my torn, once very beautiful and expensive dress stained.

Oh, I’m going to get scolded. What kind of detergent can wash out… golden blood? I Almost laugh, if I’m ever captured they will milk me for my blood. It’s simply a liquid goldmine. And rich of mana too… I’ll cry.

No, I’m already crying like a weak little girl. The pain that can be compared to what the cruelest tortures use doesn’t fade, but my head seems to have reverted to a normal state. Well, hypernormal or whatever it is called when the damaged body is in crisis.

I take a look at my hp and notice that I lost is a mere 420. My body is mostly made out of magic, if they cut my head down and supply me with magic I might be even able to regenerate. How stupid. This world is stupid. But what if it hits my head? Or they use a magical weapon… I’ll have to test it later.

Trample, trample. This annoying sound of their dirty boots! They are already here? Let’s kill them quickly and go back home. I was selfish and stupid and I got what I deserved. I have to take a good long bath and show them what a real railgun is. If that bullet did not crumble it might tear my lower body apart. That will kill me. If not, I’ll die anyways from mana exhaustion. With no body I can’t take mana in, can I? Being a humanoid law-bending fairy sure comes with both advantages and disadvantages. If I could shapeshift… That would be overpowered doesn’t it?

It seems my head is indeed slower than it should be. How about a level 50 wind spell? I chant soundlessly the attack, but nothing comes. I notice the snickering sounds from the soon to be dead though. Why didn’t it work? I look at the heavy object on my hands. Oh, there is one on my neck too. Nice, looks like my fashion sense of metal collars is recognised by many.

It doesn’t seem to be my product sadly. Copycats. At least do a better job, this has no mind magic or anything on it. The only thing this is good for is to restrain magic users by stealing their mana away. Which in my case means death. Did they not even research after their enemy? Are they stupid? Everyone knows the ruler is not human, but a loli grandma. At least remember the dark history of mine, even if I hate to admit it.

Ah.. This is how the great ruler will die, killed accidentally after captured by months of hard work and use of advanced technology.

It’s not even a magic device… Or is it? There are some strange symbols embedded with mana on it. Oh, runes. How come I never thought of that. A ready made programming language. It is very amateurish looking work. I shed blood , literally, to create one and it barely works, but here is one fully operational handled by someone who doesn’t know how to use it. My mad-scientist blood cries, even while crying normally from the pain.

“Now. What do we have here?” The tough, well built rebel man with a strange moustache asks with a face of a child who just got his christmas present, playing the cliche villain role intentionally. Just die already!