"Alright, alright, hold your horses. I'm still recovering from running all the way here for you to be pitching a fairy tale and a horror to me at the same time. Do you want to get into the movie world or anime? Is this what it is, because for all of this to make sense you've got to be pitching a script to me or something?"
Son-join said, still tired from running faster than a cheater back to his home.
"I am serious over here. This all happened, just stop messing around and take me seriously for once.
"Pal, I would have taken you seriously if you had finally revealed to me that you are an alien species that came to take over the world and showed me your true hideous self with all your glorious tentacles, but this is beyond crazy."
Nolamine sighed and took something to eat that Son-join's mother had left them. He was feeling hungrier than usual after almost dying and ever since drinking the blood potion.
"Ok, ok, let me get this straight."
Son-join said after drinking some water.
"You are saying that mythical creatures do exits, same as ghosts, beasts, and others, and you are telling me that you saw and fought one at the parking lot?"
"Yep."
"You are also telling me that just like Miss Park said, there is some kind of veil protecting us from them and that it's actually another world. They call it The Veil and some call it the Hunting Grounds."
"Yep, that's what Pulchra told me."
Son-join took another sip of his water and finished it in one go.
"What, is she cute, sexy, beautiful, mystical, or maybe a succubus? Can I have her number?"
Nolamine who was gouging down food like no other laughed.
"Can you for once stay on topic?"
"Ok, ok, keep all the mysterious girls of the night to yourself. Do not blame me if you go missing one day."
Son-join sighed.
"She also said that there is another world beyond that, that is similar to ours, but since you were born on earth she could only tell you that much."
"Yep."
Nolamine only gave him one-word answers with food in his mouth.
"Well, I'll be... Awe, almost forget. She is from that world and she is in some Assassin's Guild, which is also called the Information Guild. She was around doing her rounds, which is collecting information when she smelled that beast or whatever."
"Yep."
"I guess you were lucky. You would be dead if she was a second late. A Canabris huh? You say she told you that evil witches sacrifice babies to it in exchange for some power? It brings with it famine, disease, and misfortune and that it can evolve into a Hellhound, and that was the weakest of its form."
"Guess you have been listening to everything I had to say."
"Damn man, what kind of twisted, evil, horror filled, carnivorous shit have you got yourself into? If I am to believe this shit, I would start under aged drinking. I'm fourteen and my hair is falling off just thinking about it. And you made it out in one piece? And she gave you blood or whatnot? Nah... I can't take this."
Son-join could not take what was coming out of his own mouth. Thinking about the Canabris made him shiver. He stood up and took some juice from his fridge and drank it like old folks would drink alcohol.
"So, why would she give you all this information?"
He asked. Nolamine took out a brownish crystal the size of his thump and tossed it to him.
"What's this?"
Nolamine knew how he would react when he told him, but he still did.
"Well, it's the equivalent to a mana crystal."
"Wahahaha, you know, I'm not one to curse, but you fucking with me, aren't you?"
"Nope, and you curse all the time, you bastard."
"Nolamine, I swear to god this is not funny."
"I am not messing around, this all happened."
Son-join started to cry. Seeing this, Nolamine laughed inwardly.
"You mean to tell me... to tell me magic.... exists...."
Nolamine kept quiet and Son-join cried even more. He was holding the crystal like a precious baby and cuddling it.
"Man, stop. You making my food test bad."
"So, why did she give you this?"
"As we were talking, she finally noticed my eyes. She then acted strangely and mumbled to herself. I had the words 'noble' and 'I can't invite him then'. She then said it seems I will be a valuable asset one day if I do not die, since I am considered weak. Well, I did not get what she meant by that, she had just said I was the only one to survive a fight with a Canabris."
"Awe, aren't we acting full of ourselves?"
Nolamine ignored him and continued.
"Anyways, she gave me that after I told her my parents were dead. She said that if I wanted to go to the other side, it would help me and in exchange, if I made it that side and become a Primordial, I should repay her for saving my life by doing one request for her."
"What's a Primordial?
"I do not know."
"Damn man, you already in too deep. But if you go, you taking me with you no matter what. I'll find a way to talk to my mother."
"Awe, it's funny you went from thinking I was pitching an anime script to you and now you wanting to go on an adventure. But sorry man, that's all she left me with and this."
He said, showing him a coin that had a hooded figure on it and with the face clouded in black.
"I would not know where to start. She only said that the coin is an introduction to the Assassin's Guild."
"Damn it all."
Son-join said, looking at the crystal.
"Well, there are two more things she warned me about."
Nolamine said as he put his plate in the sink.
"She said that the storm was not natural. It was caused by the ruler of this region waking up. She did not know why she or it was showing its strength but she thought it is because something or someone powerful had overstayed their welcome here, which is usually the case for something so powerful to wake up. Well, she also thought it could be something else like it stretching its legs. That was why she was around. They are also responsible for taking care of beasts that make their way from The Veil to here. It seems because of the storm, I had somehow stepped in it and brought the Canabris with me."
"Huh? How?"
"Remember what Miss Park said, sometimes believing in them lifts the veil that had been put there to protect us, allowing us to physically touch them and them to do the same too."
"Yeah."
"I think by seeing it and with the storm being unnatural, it was easy for me to bring it to this side since, well, seeing is believing."
"Told you that you already in too deep. Well, will it happen again?"
"No, seems the storm is dying down now, unless I go searching for The Veil."
"I see. So, what's the second thing she warned you about?"
"She said I needed to go see a witch or shaman."
"Hahaha, seriously? I do not know what to say anymore. Why would you need to do that?"
"Well, she told me that someone cursed me not that long ago."
"Who the hell would hate you enough to curse you?"
"I do not know, but I guess I will find out. She said whoever cursed me must be from this world and is a skilled amateur and, well, I do have a witch in mind that might help me."
"Don't tell me..."
"Yeah, the one that just moved in next door to my flat. I am not 100 percent sure she is one, but now I have to ask."
"Man, you do not know her. She might be one of those evil ones. And why are you so sure she is one?"
"I do not know, I just felt it when our eyes met."
"Careful buddy, she might be your soulmate."
Nolamine wanted to curse at him but stopped himself, for it would only encourage him.
"Where else can I go? Pulchra saved my life and even took the bully I beat up to the hospital. Not listening to her advice would be kin to shooting myself in the foot. Even though this all happened so suddenly, I have no reason to doubt her warning after what she did for me."
"Well, I guess so. When will you go?"
"Tonight."
"Seriously?"
"Yep, I'm leaving now before your mom comes."
"Well, good luck, I'm not going to a witch after learning they sacrifice babies."
Nolamine gulped. He looked up and said a small prayer, hoping she was not one of those witches.
He left the house with the storm not being as severe as it was earlier. He was at his flat in ten minutes' time. He went up the steps as quietly as he could for reasons he did not know himself.
He reached the door of the old lady's apartment and stood there. He gulped and prayed again. Even after what he had seen, faced, and heard that day, he was still scared of the person he saw. For some reason, he felt he would rather face the Canabris again than be alone with the old lady.
He gathered all the courage he had and was about to knock.
"Come in."
A voice resounded from the inside, old and horsey such that you would think it came from a mummy. Nolamine was startled but he steeled himself as the thought of being cursed also haunted him. That was why he wasted no time going to her even after almost dying that day.
He opened the door and went inside.