Gustov banged his hand on the wooden table, frustrated- "How can you abandon the mission midway? Does the blood moon sect has no commitment towards their missions?"
"We had no such deal Gustov, we serve our sect and the whereabouts of an inner disciple holds more priority than you or your petty town." one of the two messengers spoke, his hands clenched tight in frustration.
"You and your sect is -" Gustov was just mid-sentence when three blades rested on his shoulder.
"Gary.... Tiara..... " Gustov looked at the two of them with pleading eyes. They both had spent more than a year in the town by his side and now they were just a swing away from severing his head. They stood their unfazed, both their weapon touching his neck.
"Gustov dear, I genuinely like you so I would suggest you choose your words wisely." Tiara spoke playfully. It had been more than a year since they came to Withlock town, they were just weeks away to steal that communicatoionsjkjadnkjsa. They would have had destroyed it earlier if it had not been for Elora's cautiousness.
The other messenger who was sitting calmly raised his hand. All three of them withdrew their weapons and took a step back.
Gustov took a sigh of relief.
The messenger then spoke -"Gustov, I know it's not right to do so, but we have to look for Darvin, it had been 2 months since he last contacted us." After taking a pause he continued -"I know we have not fulfilled our duties here and it is not possible to do so in this situation, but I could provide you a solution which would remove an obstruction from your path." The messenger spoke slowly weighing each and every word . He continued as he saw Gustov sat their motionless, desperate for a solution- "The lady of the town has been busy lately, so it wouldn't be much of a task for Gary and Tiara to kidnap her child Emma, you could then hold the child leverage against Drake and Elora. That is the most we could offer in the current situation."
Hearing the messenger Gustov's expressions eased and his shrewd eyes that had gone dull earlier sparkled , just moments ago he believed all the past years planning had gone wasted. Kidnapping or better killing Emma would shatter Elora and Drake and who knows if Drake could even continue being a Lord after such a loss.
"That would be marvelous, I could kill her and throw her pieces in the middle of the town for everyone to witness." Gustove spoke in excitement
"That sums everything up, you two know how to carry complete such a task." The messenger then got up and gestured the other to follow to leave for the WildWitch forest, where Darvin had left for two months back.
Within moments the messengers vanished into thin air.
(IN WILDWITCH FOREST)
"You finally awake child." an old woman spoke as soon as Nile gained his consciousness, her voice weak and timid just like her appearance.
"AHHHHH" Nile groaned and held a hand to his stomach as he felt excruciating pain.
"Easy kid, it will take a day to heal completely."
Nile jumped up from his cot as he heard her voice, he had not realized until now he wasn't alone.
"Who are you ?" he asked trying his best to mask the pain in his stomach, as he stood taking a battle stance, which looking around the small wooden hut he was in.
"Calm down son." the woman spoke smiling gently at Nile.
"Are you the female cultivator known as the WildWitch ?"Nile spoke, even though the old woman looked fragile but Nile could tell she was the strongest cultivator he has come across on this planet.
"Yes, I am" she replied.
"But why we did not come across you in these past years ?" Nile had been curious why the rumored cultivator was only active at the center of the forest.
"I can just move within 50kilometers, I am just a soul fragment here to complete my task." she spoke calmly, seeing bewildered expressions on Nile she spoke further- "Yes, the parent soul is not from this planet."
"AHhhhhhh" Nile groaned in pain once again as he again felt the pain on his stomach return.
"Rest child, the gland will take a few hours to adjust inside." she said pointing towards Nile's stomach.
"What do you mea-." Nile lifted his ragged shirt , expecting a bruise or a cut, he got dumbfounded as he lifted his shirt. Dozens of dark black veins ran beneath his skin like a spider web around a swelled portion around his stomach, Nile's eyes widened as he knew exactly it was.
"BUT HOW ?" he shouted while staring at the ancient woman.
"You developed it child or should I call you Hecate ?"
Nile took a step back and stuttered - "Wh....oo are yo...uuu ?" . How could she know so much ? Dozens of questions ran through his mind in a matter of seconds.
"Whose soul fragment are you, Asura race ?" Nile asked. 'I would have been dead if she wanted to so she ain't an enemy.' Nile could tell that even though the woman looked timid but she had the strength of Lord or above rank cultivator. As the name suggested soul fragments were part of one main soul. Strong cultivators could divide their soul into different parts, there were basically two main reasons for it, (1) even if the main soul in the body was destroyed that cultivator will still survive and (2) to complete certain tasks.
"Someone strong. That is all I can tell you."
"Can you tell me anything which is not obvious ?" Nile asked irritated, even though he knew fragments could only say and do what had been asked of them.
"I can tell you my reason for being here. Will that do ?" Nile nodded in agreement.
The old woman raised her three fingers and spoke-"First I had to help you with your Deorc Gland, second I had to give you these items" she lifted her other hand and a sword took shape on her hand, the sword was black as charcoal and had a sinuous aura to it, as if it belonged to the death god himself, there were intricated design made upon it.
She then gestured Nile to hold the sword, Nile gladly accepted the sword but as he placed his hand on the hilt a shock ran across his body. He quickly dropped the sword, but instead of falling to the ground, the sword vanished into thin air as soon as it left his hand.
"Don't worry it just made its connection, now no one except you could wield this sword."
"This sword, I have not seen anything like this ever?" Nile spoke, amused by the sword as he summoned it again.
"Feed it the souls of your enemies and its strength shall be unparalleled."
Nile smiled, it was a perfect weapon for him.
"Third reason" she spoke to get Nile's attention "-to protect you."
Nile's paused hearing the words, her words made him recall the life-threatening battle 'they' had been, where was Darren he panicked and voiced out his fear in a trembling voice- "Where is Darren ?"
"He is dead." the woman spoke with a somewhat pity face. She lifted her arm and a body came flying out of her ring-. "This warrior deserves a proper burial."
Nile did not even have to look at the face to know it was Darren who laid their lifeless on the ground, he fell to the ground his eyes filled with disbelief -"Why... Why didn't you save him ?" he spoke bitterly.
"You both were not in my range ?" the woman spoke helplessly.
Her words made him feel even more miserable, he knew his recklessness had caused Darren's life.
Nile laid beside Darren's body, his eyes fixed at the bamboo roof of the hut, his mind lost. Pain and agony which he had long forgotten trickled down his cheeks in form of tears. How can he make such a blunder? How can he get so reckless even after going through countless battles?
'Only if, only if I would have retreated Daren would have lived.' He had to face it, he could never outrun this feeling. He gathered himself up and gently turned the stiff body, Darren's head hung loose, almost severed, just attached to the body by thin flesh at one corner of the neck.
Nile's breathing became erratic at the dreadful sight, but he did not close his eyes he had to live with it, he had to shoulder Darren's death, this sight he knew will haunt him till eternity.
"Easy kid, you are not an ordinary cultivator now, you have deorc energy too, be careful. " the woman spoke. Nile had not realized in his agony that he released his abilities without knowing, the hut was covered in black ice and was slowly disfiguring.
Nile stored Darren's dead body in his ring and calmly got onto his feet. He had to get back to his town. From what Darvin had told, there must be enemies within the town, this was not the time to lose his wits. Even though he managed to push off the feeling at one corner of his head but he still felt numb. He touched his neck trying to feel his pendant but realized it was missing. He then started walking towards the frozen exit, his back bent as if carrying a heavy load.
"Where ?" the woman spoke.
"I am going back home." he felt warm as he spoke those words, he was yearning to be around his loved ones.
"Take this storage ring, and make sure to protect the girl." she tossed a ring towards Nile's and clicked her finger.
"What girl ?" Nile asked catching the ring.
She smiled replied calmly- "You will just find out in a minute."
A bright golden light rose from the ground covering Nile's body and blinding his sight.
[NOTE- I have skipped almost an year as it was getting a bit boring , so here is the power level of Nile
Nile- warrior 6, his grade weapon upgraded to grade 2, learned 80% of his skill ice manipulation.]