Having won his battle, Fishy still rests next to Venenum's cold dead body. Fishy attempted to sit up and looked down to his arms with his blurry vision focusing on the one that grew back. Despite it being chopped off in the fight, it returned to Fishy's arm like it never left.
"I fixed it for you. Be more careful next time." A voice in his head spoke to him. Normally anyone would panic about another voice in their head, but it didn't seem to bother Fishy.
"Oh, so you were the voice in my head?" Fishy responded to the voice, seeing a clear image of a small blond girl in his head.
"Yup, although I'm technically in your shadow."
"That's pretty cool. I think I remember seeing fangs, so I guess you are a vampire?"
The girl that Fishy saved from the colossal marionette rested with him the entire time. A timid voice that belonged to a red-clothed fanged girl who rested inside his shadow. After passing out from blood loss and general pain, the girl used her ability to heal Fishy's wounds. One that was unique to vampire's, sacrifice.
"Yup. I can't come out for a while as I swapped our life forces. Basically, I used all my mana to heal you and have drained myself."
"Got it. Well, you rest there. I won't forget our promise."
Fishy pushed himself off the ground, as if he was never injured, and looked around as he brushed off the snow that had set on him. He looked down to Venenum's body that rested quietly in the snow. Before moving on, he approached several boxes that were stacked up larger than himself, draped in a piece of grey cloth which he used to cover Venenum.
# # #
"Where have you been?! Why couldn't I contact you?"
Having moved to his next location, Fishy found himself standing opposite an angry pink-haired woman. Fishy had met up with Ziu and Clara. They all hid in a dark alley with a new addition to the team. Someone who when compared to Ziu and Fishy, appeared to be quite small.
"Who's the kid?"
"This is who we are here to find."
They investigated him closer as he pulled his face away. His long dark hair covered the piercings they saw in the mental image given to them by the druid king, but either way, it was undoubtedly the person they were after.
"Perfect. Now, all we have to do is leave." Fishy entered with unrivalled enthusiasm.
"It's not that easy, dumbass." The kid said, "We need to look out for the guards and kill Venenum."
"Venenum? I'll take him on." Ziu wielded his sword as he started practising his swings on the individual pieces of snow falling around them.
"No need to worry about him. He's gone."
"What do you mean gone?"
"He's gone…" Fishy repeated.
"Well, either way, let's get out of here quickly. I want to go home to the warm." Said Clara as she stared down Fishy with sympathetic eyes.
"Yeah, let's get out of here." Fishy took one step forward but was pulled back by the boy who refused to believe what he was hearing.
"How are you all so relaxed? We are in the middle of one of the most dangerous cities, anything bad could happen to any of us?"
"You're right, but we've been in danger before and are still alive. Come on let's leave, the king wants you alive for some reason so let's just go."
The boy was shocked to hear about the king wanting him back but quickly came to terms with it.
"I supposed I should tell you everything…" The boy reluctantly spoke.
The boy spoke to Fishy and Ziu and informed them of everything he told Clara. He told them his name, Elcan, and why he was in Tanba and about why he wanted Venenum dead. However, he did add one last detail.
"I am the son of the king… really he's overly protective as I didn't need people to find me, but whatever."
Clara and Ziu were shocked as Fishy casually rested on the snow, waiting for nightfall.
"Why are you not surprised?"
"I figured he was royalty if the king wanted him alive," Fishy explained. "And anyway, about you wanting to kill Venenum for your sister. If she was poisoned by his magic she'll be better now. All you have to do is go home and see."
Elcan looked at Fishy whilst not believing him, but as he continued to look at the relaxed man in front of him, it seemed as if Fishy had no reason to lie.
"I suppose you are right… Since my reason for being here is useless, I guess we can return to the king… If we escape, that is."