I refill my tea as I think about that damn Olympus Cove. I thought they're just a small time black market traders. Rumors says they disbanded 2 years ago. So what the heck are they starting to act up again? And those two, I don't think that the information I got from her brother is nearly enough to pry on that organization. But there's no doubt that the crest I saw earlier is the crest of that family. I sip my tea and it was way too bitter. Yuck! I almost spilled it. Antonette is the one who usually make my tea. I should have ordered some drinks earlier.
I heard the rustling of the sheets and look at the bed. She's awake. She immediately pull the sheets and throw it on my way blocking my sight. Too bad she's too slow. "Time Freeze" I said and in a split second everything stopped from moving. Well to be exact everything within a specific radius from where I am stopped. I know I should not be using this for this type of situation. But I'm too lazy to deal with her and Antonette is not here to scold me, so I'm good. I'll just be careful not to use it often for it might affect the original time frame and I'm still unfamiliar with this ability. I still don't know how to manipulate the area of proximity of this magic. I stand up and walk to her back and placed my hand on her shoulder before i said "Release." Everything are now back in motion. She soon realized my hand and turn to looked at me then I poke her cheek with my point finger.
"What?" She said.
"Got yah." I said smiling at her and she stop from moving.
"What have you done? Do you wanna die?"
"I don't think you're in the position to threaten me. I just paralyzed your body up to your shoulders. Don't worry it's not fatal but if you want me to paralyzed your heart I can do that too." I said although I have not tried paralyzing anyone's heart for I don't know what could be the consequence if I took a life with my magic. The sorcery book I was reading when I was a kid says that every magic have it's own equivalent. In my case, I have not encountered heavy side effects when I cast magic usually I just get tired, sleep a lot or eat a lot afterwards but for some it's not like that. They use actual sacrifices. I'm thankful that my mother give birth to me. She's one of the strongest sorceress of her time though she works in the shadows that's why only few knows. I'm thankful that I found the diary she left and because of that I was able to know her.
"Where's my brother?" She asked furiously.
"I can assure you he's safe but I need to be cautious with the people who tried to harm me awhile ago so it's up to you, if you answer all my questions honestly then I might let you go scratch free."
"What do you want to know? I figured you already asked my brother about it."
"You're right but it is simply not the type of answer I want. It is too filtered. He's under a spell. More like a puppet dummy infuse with a brainwashed soul."
"How do you know that? You must be higher than a rank 5 to be able to see through it."
"What do you mean by rank 12?" I asked curiously. This is the first time I heard about this.
"Are you an aristocrat? Well you don't have the vibe of a magic user so I thought you would be an easy target. But I'm wrong."
"Enough of that. Tell me more about the rank you're talking about?"
"You see, in the Sorcery industry there are ranks from Rank 1 being the highest while Rank 13 being the lowest or often called the beginners rank. Every sorcerers must have a sorcerers ID but aristocrats are forbidden from learning magic. Sorcerers often come from the middle class range. It is a type of profession but then most from the lower ranks often became candidates for the festival that's why it's either they rank up using dirty tricks or never register themselves."
"That's interesting. Never heard of that before. Now that I know what Rank is let's proceed to my real question. Why do you have a dummy with you?"
"It is for surveillance. If ever I betray the group that so called dummy is programmed to kill me."
"But whose soul is it? Your brother."
"That's right." She said trying to hide her emotions.
"Do you want us to continue talking like this or you'll join me for a cup of...." I glace on the table. "coffee." I said. I obviously can't offer that bitter tea. But I have to make sure she'll never try anything again.
"Sure." She said and let her guard down then I remove my hand from her shoulder. She followed me to the table and sit on the chair facing me. I pour her a cup of coffee and place it on front of her and sit down.
"I saw the crest engrave on the knife you're holding earlier. Are you perhaps from the family of Norabelle."
"Yes." She said.
"Your family is one of the greatest gunsmiths of history. So why are you with Olympus Cove?"
"My family was massacred three months ago because one of our competitor is envious of us getting the deal of making armor suits for the palace guards of the West I still remember the warm breeze of the wind my skin that day. My mother baked my favorite apple pie and my father looked at her very dearly. Catching steal gazes from her they looked to much in love. That day I have some errands to do at work so I took my brother with me to give our parents some time together. I never thought that it would be the last time I see them breathing. Later that day when me and my brother got home we saw them at the kitchen soak in blood holding each others hand stiff and cold. Then a man with an eye I've never seen before stood before us and he confessed everything without sparing the details about my mother's pleading voice begging for their life while my father tried to protect her. It broke my heart as I listen to him. My father trying to be stronger for my younger brother who's brawling next to me. He was too young to experience such thing. I have to protect him but he.." She paused. I can see her trying to suppress her emotions as she remembers everything. I don't see sadness but anger from her eyes her hand is shaking as she hold the cup with force. I can see the cup cracking and before I knew it it's already broken into pieces. She throws it on the floor. "But he was not content with what he had done to my parents and took my brothers hand by force. I stopped him at the right moment before his hand reach my brother's heart. I offer myself. I asked him to spare my brother's life. He looked at me from head to toe like stripping my clothes one by one. I swallowed everything, I detest him but what choice do I have?" She looked at me fisting her bleeding hand.
"So you plan to stay there?" I asked.
"Of course not. I'm just waiting for the right time to slit his neck."
"But how are you going to do it? You're not even with him all the time."
"I'm working on his trust. If he trust me enough to allow me inside his chamber then that would be the time I'll strike."
"How about your brother? Do you plan on ditching him after you killed that bastard?"
"No never. I'm planning to escape with him afterwards."
"But how would you do that? He's not in his real body."
"Somehow I'll manage to get his real body first then continue with my plan." She grasp and looked at me. "Why am I telling this to you? I don't understand."
"Oh that's because I put something in that coffee you were drinking awhile ago." I said. She was a little shock. "You don't have to worry. It's not poisonous."
"What did you put in that coffee."
"Plant essence from the leaves of truth flower. It was quite popular in the market so I bought it and I never thought it would actually works."
"Why?" She looked at me with the eyes of someone being betrayed.
"Geez.. Of course I need to be extra cautious. Who knows maybe you're good at lying. I've been in a lot of assassination attempts so I cannot just trust everyone that they're telling me the truth specially when I'm travelling alone."
"Are we done?" She glared. "Can I see my brother now."
"Sure no problem." I said and snapped my fingers. She can now see her brother sitting at the chair near entrance sleeping. She looked at him and then turn to looked at me. "He's only sleeping. He'll wake up soon enough. He needs to be asleep so that his master will not hear what we've been talking about." She head towards her brother and pat his head. "Do you wish to see your brother's body?"
"Of course I do. Every single day." She said.
"I have a proposal." I said. She turn to face me and curiously looked at me frowning.
"What kind of proposal?" She asked.
"Let me ask you a question first. What if, I can free you and your brother from Olympus Cove. What will you do after?" I asked. She looked at her brother. "You haven't thought about it. Am I right?"
"Yes but I'm sure I'll think of something afterwards. We will get by." She replied with ease. It looks like she's thinking what would be the next step after she was able to pull off her plan.
"Do you think a plan like that will work? You know how powerful magic can be."
"SO what do you want me to do? Just stand by and do nothing while those rotten bastards are having fun and laughing!" She shout.
"Not really." I said. "Your story is actually interesting."
"What!" She said as she slammed her hands on the table. "Is it interesting to hear how my parents died?"
"Absolutely not. I'm quite interested in Olympus Cove. You told me that someone from there is powerful and I wanted to test it out myself." I said and sip my coffee. Sigh. "It doesn't taste good when it's cold." I looked at her and I saw her confuse face.
"You may have beaten us but I don't 'think you have what it takes to win against them. He's not the only person you should watch out. There are seven guards that control that organization. it would be seven against one. I don't think you can take them."
"Well I'm not alone. I have you and your brother so it's three against seven."
"You must be crazy." She said. "What made you think that I will team up with you and besides my brother is technically held hostage as of the moment."
"Don't get me wrong. I'm not crazy enough to go there without any plans on my sleeves." I said and looked at her. "And I'm definitely confident that we can get your brother back without a scratch." I smirked.
TO BE CONTINUED