Chapter 78: Men and Mice

High above, a small shadow bounced along he rooftops. Nimbly and accurately, the shadow bounced about, sometimes erratically, sometimes consistent. Then as quick as it was moving, the shadow stopped. The black mass it once was had now become a mouse. Feeling dizzy, it shook its head before looking around. North, south, east, west, no matter which way it looked, it could not find its way.

*Poof*

Anais returned to her Therian form, scratching her head she sighed heavily.

Anais: “Ugghhh, Where the hell is this house?”

She waved her hand and a map appeared. Unrolling it, she looked at the crudely drawn map. A small red building, a fountain, a giant gate and a green building with a giant flower, these was the symbols use to illustrate her destination. She turned the map every which way, but it was just terrible and the more she tried to figure out, the more irritated she became.

She took a step over to the edge of her perch and looking down onto the street, she could see the fountain, but according to the map she should be southeast from the fountain. However, because she wasn’t paying attention, she crashed head-first into a pile of crates. To add injury to insult, several of the crates fell on top of her, knocking her loopy. She would have been okay from that, but, for some reason, the moment she regained her senses, the borrowed ability “Threat Detection” went off.

A blonde-haired good-looking man was standing above her, dagger drawn. She took the initiative and pelted him with fire, however, there was some weird mana-flow circling the man. The moment the fire balls touched it, they were shredded. She quickly assessed that the mana was protecting him from all fronts, except right below. With her next attack, she aimed for that weakness, this time she was successful and the man leapt away to avoid the attack.

Anais took that moment to activate “Shadow-Sneak” and with a few bounds she had jumped to the rooftops to escape him. Good-news: she successfully escaped; bad-news: in doing so she had lost her way. She couldn’t tell which road she had to take in order to reach her destination.

Anais: “Damn that Bastard.”

Anais cursed the unknown man. She racked her brain for a solution; she could go down and ask for directions, but, in doing so she would inadvertently let people know she was searching for the Rselaia estate. She waved her hand once more and a badge appeared with a flower emblem. She sighed recalling the plan.

_____________

Thirty minutes earlier…

Anais: “What, why can’t Ash do it?”

Nathan: “Because he can’t go as undetected like you.”

Anais stood there fuming, she wanted to fight, but the plan kept her from doing so. While Nathan and Ash distracted the adventurer’s, Anais and her “Scribe Eater” form would take the badge to the Rselaia estate in the noble’s district. It was a simple, yet efficient plan.

Anais: “Why do you always leave me out of the good stuff?”

Nathan: “Anais, you have the most important role here, no one else can do this, it all counts on you.”

Anais turned her head towards Nathan.

Anais: “Are you sure, you wouldn't want a klutz like me, handling such an important item.”

Nathan took Anais’s hand and placed the emblem in it.

Nathan: “But you are the single luckiest klutz in the world, you'll find it, most likely by complete accident.”

Anais scoffed at Nathan’s remark, while he patted her head.

Ash: “She’ll probably knock over a cart or something on her way there.”

Iris: "Ash, you shouldn't say what we're all thinking.

Anais threw them an in-appropriate finger, as they made fun. Nathan asked Belle to draw a map for her which she then placed it in her inventory. Turning into her mouse form, she bounded out a side window, rolling her eyes at Nathan saying ‘good luck’ as she bounded away.

______

Anais: “So much for that. This map’s only good if I head back to that fountain. It says a green building, but there’s no building that fit the description as far as I can see."

Anais sighed again, this was becoming more complicated then she needed. She would just have to risk going back to the fountain. There was a good chance that ‘man’ was still there, but as long as she kept her presence hidden and avoid crashing; everything should be fine.

She didn’t have time to wait around, even while she stood there, Nathan was fighting battle after battle. She looked over the map once again.

Anais: “You’d think a giant flower would be noticeable from up here.”

Virgil: “Maybe I could be of assistance.”

Anais quickly turned around and brandished her dagger. She was stunned for a moment seeing the man who had attacked her moments ago. He smiled wryly as he stepped onto the roof.

Anais: “That’s close enough, who are you?”

Virgil: “You don’t know who I am, that’s rather surprising.”

Anais: “Consider yourself enlightened, again who are you?”

Anais held her dagger higher, readying herself for a fight, or so she made it seem. She was sure her mana couldn’t be sensed, she should be invisible to the naked eye, not to mention she had used “Shadow Sneak” to run from him. And yet, he had found her, how did he do it?

Virgil: “Wait, I don’t wish to fight.”

Anais: “Then leave me alone.”

Virgil: “I’m sorry, I can’t do that. It’s not every day you find such an unusual creature.”

Anais: “What?”

Virgil: “You’re the mouse who fired off the spells from earlier…”

Anais stepped back, she was positive no-one was around when she had transformed. Anais decided it she wasn’t going to wait around to find out.

*Woosh*

Virgil: “Please don’t leave, I wish to talk.”

In the blink of an eye, Virgil was in front of her, holding the map she was clutching.

Anais: “Flare Royale”

A rune symbol appeared above her, as several fireballs flew towards Virgil. Just as before, right before they reached them, the fire dissipated. Anais could see the swirling mana and wind, shredding the fire as it came within reach of him. However, just like before, the winds from below.

Anais: “Jag-”

Virgil: “No, no.”

The wind surrounding Virgil quickly expanded, forcing Anais to dodge or be shredded. Before she even landed, Virgil was already there quickly subduing her and stopped her from casting.

Anais: “LET ME GO, DAMMIT!”

Virgil: “I’m sorry; casting that spell here would be dangerous, mostly for the people below.”

Anais: “What!?”

Anais had forgotten that she was atop a roof, if she had used that spell, there was a good chance it would have caved-in and anyone occupying the building would have been crushed.

Virgil: “You didn’t even need an incantation, the time between your spell and release is non existent and your instinct are on point as well. Most can't tell that there is a constant wind current, swirling around me, until it's too late, but you reacted instantly and change tatics. Simply Marvelous."

Anais: “I SAID; LET ME GO YOU FUCKER!”

Virgil: “A lady shouldn’t speak in such a way.”

Anais wrestled herself free, before readying another spell.

Anais: “Cold-Snap!”

The temperature around Virgil instantly dropped, Virgil quickly leapt away, as a mass of ice appeared right where he had been standing. Virgil leapt away several more times, as the spot he would land would suddenly freeze. After a few more times the spell subsided, and Virgil settled down. Anais turned into a ‘shadow’ bounding to the opposite side of the roof.

Virgil: “I’ve never seen that spell before, another spell that ignore my winds and attack me head on, you are full of surprises, I must have you.”

Anais: “What the hell!?”

Anais stared at Virgil; he was smiling at her, a smile that sent shiver down her spine. She didn’t understand what he meant by needing to have her, but she did understand one thing, he was dangerous in many ways.

Virgil: “Like I said before, I just want to talk.”

Anais: “I don’t speak dagger.”

Virgil: “Ah that, I apologize wholeheartedly about before, I was just doing my civic duty, if I had known you were the mouse, I would have not done so.”

Virgil bowed deeply towards Anais.

Anais: “If you want to apologize, then give me back what you took from me.”

Virgil: “Yes, sorry again.”

Vigil rolled the map up and tossed it back to Anais, she still didn’t trust him, but she could at least tell that he was sincere.

Anais: “I have things to do, so if you got something to say, be quick about it and keep your distance.”

Virgil smiled the cringe inducing smile, delighted that she was allowing him to speak, but just as quickly the smile faded. Someone was coming and with his status it would wise to no be caught by the specific resident.

Virgil: “About however, I must apologise, it seems we’ve run out of time.”

Anais: “Out of time?”

Virgil: “I would really like to get to know you, but for now I must make myself scarce. But before that.”

Virgil bowed once again. He would really like to get to know her, however they would soon be interrupted, plus he had prior engagements.

Virgil: “The place you’re looking for, it’s a lot closer than you think.”

Virgil said nothing more and left, leaping down to the street.

Anais: “Hey, what the hell wrong witht that gone. Oh well, at least he's gone.”

??????: “Stay where you are.”

Anais turned to find several armoured guards pointing weapons at her.

Anais: “What the hell do you want?”

Guard: “That’s our question; you are currently trespassing on the Rselaia estate.”

Anais: “What? This is the Rselaia estate?”

Guard: “Freeze.”

Anais ignored them and walked over to the edge of the roof. She couldn’t tell because of the black roof, but the sides of the house were indeed green, even more so, the giant flower she was looking for; was actually a design of the front gate. Anais look at the map again, Belle drew the florwer and gate seperate, with and arrow leading from one another, trying to indidcate they were together.

Anais: “WRITE IT DOWN THAT WAY THEN...SO MISLEADING!”

*Thwap*

Anais screamed as she tossed the map to the ground, the guard unsure of her intention watch her carefuuly.

Guard: “This is the last time child…why are you here?”

Anais reached into her bag and pulled out the emblem and held it up for the guards to see. A collective gasp as they recognize what was in her hand.

Anais: “I’m here for the reward.”