Soon, Zeran and Ru went to the weaponries shop that had a wooden sign of a sword on top of the door. As soon as they entered, the chimes strung and created a soothing sound of welcome. More than that, the whole place looked-like an average shop, with its glass encased swords and blades. Some other weapons were being hanged upon the wooden walls showcasing the shop's merchandise. A carpet of yellow along the way. At the distance, they saw Gav the owner the shop at the counter. He kinda looked-like a pompous but trustworthy guy, looks more mature than Zeran. Gav had short hair ridden in all deep black. He had noticed Zeran. Later, Gav calls unto him with his deep male voice and confident smile,
"If it isn't Zen...".
Zeran responds to him in a kinda friendly way,
"Yeah...long time no see Gav...".
The two of them went near and hugged each other, since they weren't been together for such a long time as close companions. The two had stopped hugging later on. Ru went near Zeran. She let out a smile directed at him in a subtle manner and gripped his sleeve, trying to say to him that she is very eager about her stolen artifact. Zeran kinda understood her gesture and he asks Gav with an unsure look on his face,
"Oh yea...I wanna ask you something..."
"Very serious..."
"Do you still have that...Mandra or something?".
Though, Gav had his sights on Ru with an interested look yet, in order for Zeran to not notice his engaged look at Ru, Gav suggested in a calm manner at him, trying to clear out sudden suspicions that would leak out,
"That huh...let's talk about this in private...".
As Gav had turned around, he was wearing a terrifying and maniacal mask upon his face, yet, Ru and Zeran didn't seem to witness his demonic grin. Though, Ru kinda felt that something is very off about him and the situation they were in, even if the two guys were close companions. Afterwards, the three of them had entered the other room. It was a smaller room but, the air around the place was very heavy. As soon as the two entered the room, Gav locked the wooden door, turning Ru to look more and more cautious of Gav's behavior, sadly she doesn't want Zeran to know of her suspicion on his friend. Sometime soon, Zeran and Ru sat down on the two metal chairs beside. While Gav sat on the brown sofa that says "Gav's " in the sofa pillow. Gav looked at them with his complacent expression and said,
"So ...before I tell you about that THING..."
"Could you introduce me to your GORGEOUS female companion?".
His question made Zeran to scratch his head and made him feel kinda flattered even in his look. Though, Zeran still tries to respond in the utmost understandable way but hiding some sensitive bits with white lies,
"Gee...Uh...her name's Ru..."
"She's my new client, since she offered me a quest of finding some certain artifacts...".
Zeran took a glance at Ru looking very daring to see and collected in herself, such as she was a high status aristocrat maiden to anyone's eyes. Though, it seemed he was also kinda mesmerized by her intense beauty and he exclaimed in his thoughts with a mix of adoration and confusion,
("Well I must say...Ru's beautiful and hot but...SHE'S THE EVIL GODDESS FOR PETE'S SAKE!")
("AND AM I THE ONLY ONE NOW WHO KNOWS WHO SHE REALLY IS!?").
Gav knacked out an evil grin in a sudden glimpse, As he had heard Zeran's introduction to Ru, although in a split second, it was easily covered by his friendly smile. Then, he gave out his hand in a formal way and says in a calm manner to her,
"I see..."
"Well...it's a pleasure to meet you lady Ru...".
She gave out a friendly yet, subtle smile and shook his hand with her slim left hand, accepting his greeting,
"Likewise...".
Although, she felt that his grip was kinda predator-like and not that very gentle, despite his gentle outlook. Not only that, her eyes to him were very irksome to see in a split second. As soon as, they were done with the introductions, Gav leaned upon his sofa, looking very relaxed. Later, he says with sudden flattery at Zeran,
"So you're a treasure hunter and quest hunter now huh Zen..."
"Now that's the kind of King we need..."
"He still helps the measly troubles of others no matter how simple...".
Zeran was quite flattered in his very expression. Yet, he just convinces Gav by saying,
"You could say that...".
Soon, he recalls in his thoughts the very definition of the statements Gav had said before,
("Quest hunter...meaning people who take on requests from others...")
("And it seems...Everyone here haven't heard of the news yet...").
Then, Ru turned her face at Zeran. She kinda praised him with her grateful nod and endearing smile. As he noticed Ru's face in a glimpse, he felt awe-strucked, with that he just responded out a confident smile upon his face. Gav had a cold stare at Zeran for a brief moment since, he was witnessing that the two were somehow close at each other. Gav was leaking out an envious aura although, he just brushed it off with a composed look and said,
"And this GOLDEN MANDRAGORA is what you're after huh..."
"As a reknowned merchant, I'd say this'll cost you...1, 000, 000, 000 Himes..."
While he brought out a miniature mandragora; a root crop-like monster that has a terrifying screaming face in its very putrid form. A miniature statue tinged in glistening gold, that was very noteworthy to look at and somehow cute. Ru looked glad with a sudden endearing smile since, she saw one of the artifacts she was looking for. As Zeran heard the mind-boggling price, he was utterly shocked in his very expression that gave him shivers even in his thoughts,
("THAT MUCH?! THAT COSTS ALREADY 1 SMALL VILLA HERE!").
Although, to let things to be still civil enough, he just knacked out an awkward smile, that was oh so very hilarious to see and he says, trying to negotiate,
"Y-you're joking right?"
"B-but...we're friends right?".
Gav looked with his eager eyes and replies,
"Well if you put it that way...why don't we negotiate...".
While he brought out a remote control and pressed the red button. Suddenly, Zeran was immediately shackled and chained down unto his chair, restricting all of his movements. The atmosphere became heavy and chilling cold. Zeran was very surprised and he squirmed quite helplessly in response, yet to no avail, it was all futile. Instead, he exclaims from the top of his lungs with an angered face,
"OI! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!".
Likewise, Ru was also chained on her chair with golden shackles instead. Gav went close to Zeran's face and gave him a maniacal grin, that would seep fear to anyone's vision. Soon after, Gav uttered out his words directly,
"I'll be blunt here..."
"If LADY RU, DO me here...then I'll oblige to give you this artifact..."
"And even free you..."
"Not a bad deal is it? Since she's just your client and all...".
As Zeran witnessed those twisted words and expression, he was really frustrated, turning him to wear a mask of seething rage. His hands turned into steel fists that would want to punch the lights out of Gav.
("DAMNIT! I KNEW HE HAD AN INTEREST ON HER!")
,as Zeran said in his thoughts. Gav had stopped leaning near his face. Next, Gav looked at Ru with an eager smile and said, trying to lure Ru into his carnal trap of dark passion,
"How about you lady Ru...I'm sure you'll have to take this offer now...".
His words made Ru to look down and wear a dark expression that would depict grave disgust and deep hatred in a glimpse. Though, sooner or later, her abyssal expression was suddenly swapped by an unsure look instead and said,
"Hmmmm...let me see...".
Yet, she just sighed to herself and nodded to him with a defiant look on her face. Then, she uttered out her response to Gav's deal and looked at the hopeless Zeran,
"If only to get back my artifact...I'll have to do this..."
"Don't worry MY ZERA...I'll save you...".
Gav replies,
"Glad we had an understanding..."
"And yes I shall keep my word...".
The air was filled by a thicker miasma that was leaking out from Gav's demonic aura of carnal lust. On another note, Zeran was utterly shocked and even confused upon what he had heard from her, making him to blurt out sensitive words,
"RU! WHAT THE HELLS?!".
More than that, it was much more deeper and intense in his thoughts,
("D*MNIT I KNOW SHE'S AN EVIL GODDESS BUT SHE'S THIS DESPERATE TO GET THOSE BACK?!")
("AND...I SHOULD BE THE ONE TO TAKE HER VIRGINITY!").
The sudden deal was sealed. The carnal harvest ridden in fornication shall commence for Zeran's eyes to see later on. Gav wore a prideful smile and walked near to Ru. As soon as she noticed him, she looked frustrated and turned her face away from him, defying him from within, since she wasn't interested in him to begin with. Yet, Gav just cracked an evil grin and held her chin up-high forcefully, that made Ru to feel terrified in her very expression and let her eyes see him against her will, in which Ru wasn't treated as a majestic Goddess yet, instead as a captured maiden, Not only that, Gav says in a devillish way to Zeran, stomping Zeran's pride down in the gutters,
"Oh and Zen...you have a huge bounty on your head...as said by OUR new queen..."
"QUEEN FAE..."
"Also...you're just a sore loser now..."
"But thanks to LADY RU here...you'll be somehow saved..."
"As per the Law of equivalent exchange...".
As Zeran heard Gav mentioning the very name of his former wife the queen, Zeran was more infuriated in his eyes and blurted out wrathful words, having a huge grudge at Gav,
"DAMN YOU!".
Yet, Gav didn't mind Zeran's childish ramblings, as he just focussed on the scared and uninterested Ru. Thereon, Gav continues his business on her and says, commencing the harvest of carnal blood,
"Now let's get started shall we...lady Ru...".
Gav grabbed her two delicate wrists with powerful force. While he had her immobilized by his grip, Gav removed her chains with his supernatural powers. The feeling was ever more grimm for her and throughout the place. He brought her to the wall and pushed her unto the very edge of the wall very intensely, making a strong thump to reverberate around the room. In her case, it made her to feel severe pain that coursed all the way to her curvacious back. She gulped down her throat, since she felt scared upon seeing the maniac Gav eager for her steaming body and succulent rosy flower untouched by anyone. As for Zeran, he was feeling grave regret and pity for himself, as he was witnessing Gav preparing the lust of deranged passion. Gav went close to her neck and licked her neck with steaming sensation from his putrid mouth. He undressed Ru's hindering cloak, in which her amazing and voluptuous body was exposed for him. Her real outfit wasn't that much covering, instead it amplified her beautiful Goddessly body, that looked very delectable in his very eyes. Gav was then more entranced and engaged in his carnal urges for her. Ru was scarred with fear. Not only that, she looked at Zeran. Thereupon, Zeran saw a crystal tear falling from her left eye. He witnessed her heartbreaking and forced smile that was fading of its lights, turning him to feel traumatizing feelings to wreathe out and cry out with such seething rage. More than that, it seemed those expressions of hers crushed his will and sanity, making him to express deep hatred,
"D*MNIT ALL! "
"THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"
"YOU ALREADY STOLE ONE OF THE WOMEN I ADMIRE BEFORE!"
"NOW YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE ON RU TOO?!"
"TO HELLS WITH YOU!".
The next moment, a scary feeling coursed throughout the room that seeped out from Zeran's sudden aura of malice yet, his vision darkened into such of the abyss, that would pull anyone into the depths of nothingness, swirling into the endless void. The next thing that had happened was Gav wore a face of a terrified soul, seeing the sealed unknown of Zeran.
Soon upon, Zeran was in a deep trance once again. As the whole area was a bottomless pit of darkness this time. He saw the little girl with a vague face again but, she was also strapped and chained to a steel stake. Not only that, a malevolent dark figure was whipping the girl with insane tenacity and endlessly, letting out vibrant crimson liquid to spill-out from her whole petite form, echoing lashes of grave torture, that made the girl to scream out with an eerie voice, that would deaf anyone's hearing,
"Please stop it..."
"HERO!".
As soon as Zeran heard that ear-splitting cry, he arise from his slumber very suddenly and his face had sweated out a lot. Thereupon, in his normal vision, he saw Ru's calming face above him and they were back at her room somehow. He was lying down upon her comfy lap, that would serenade anyone's senses.
As Ru had seen him awake, she smiled very heartwarmingly to bear witness, that was freed from the ever chains of torture. Then, she greeted him,
"Rise and shine...Zera...".
Though, Ru can't help it but to release her traumatized feelings upon her face. She just embraced him with her divine arms. Her silent tears were falling from her cheeks relentlessly although, she was wearing an ever grateful smile too, freeing her from Gav's control. As for Zeran, he was utterly confused, turning him to question in his thoughts with a surprised look on his face,
("Huh? What just happened...?").
Later, he had sensed a whiff of a scent like hers from before and it seemed it was untouched, making him more confused in his thoughts,
("And she's still a...")
("VIRGIN?!")
("WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!").