~~~~~
Hagrid's entire being glowed in a purplish hue encasing his entire body with Hexagon-like runes. His strict expression crumbled and was replaced by a pained one, as his body trembled from the onslaught of the mysticism upon his burly body.
Adams's eyes gazed at the Half-Giant named Hagrid. Adam could sympathise with the half-giant pain as he also went through a similar experience in life. But what he saw after gave him goosebumps.
A red, thumping aperture emerged out of Hagrid's torso. The reddish-blue veins beat violently as the thing, which Adam recognised to be a heart, came out of Hagrid's massive torso and hovered over his hands slowly and steadily.
Adams eyed the heart warily before finally asking the close-eyed hagrid.
"What are those patterns?", he asked with an intriguing look on his face, akin to a mad Scientist." And how are you alive?"
The massive heart hovered over Hagrids massive palm, before twitching for a bit, which naturally plunged Hagrid into a grimace. However, he controlled his expression and answered the man laying on the bed.
"Runes kid!Runes!Bloody Binding Runes!" he scowled.
"These are called Shackles of Finality. A Curse which was deliberately placed on me. A Dark Mage from the court of the Orc Princess made sure to put this on me before I took the gig. And...I think you know what its functions are."Hagrid grimaced before gesturing his left free hand over his neck and making a slicing motion.
"Any Betrayals or Conspiration with the enemy, My head flies off. Or to be precise..."Hagrids paused before pointing his finger at the runes as he continued."You see those runes..yeah...that one.."
"If the news of my betrayal or conspiracy against the Kingdom reaches the Orc Princesses ears, the runes will grow by themselves into pointy spikes with roses around them and strangle my heart."
"Blood flow to my entire body will slowly begin to recess, while I would lay, motionless, dying a very slow and painful death. Moreover, it even has modified runes to prevent any suicidal attempts!"
"It's horrendous, boy! Whoever gets cursed by this binding rune dies a painful death! It's called Bloody Marys Mercy for a reason!"Hagrid grimaced.
Adam shivered as soon as the name ' Bloody Marys Mercy' entered his cold ears. The curse sounded barbaric and ruthless enough but this...this was authentically Demonic.
Adam looked down on the broken floor of the room as he was once again reminded of the cruel reality he was living in.No amount of excitement curbed his genuine and human instinct to fear the unknown in the God dammed Fantasy world. He didn't even know this world even followed the same narrative he read in those fantasy storybooks!
Adam clenched his fists tightly as his body thundered with determination.
'I have to survive..' he beckoned in his mind.
Hagrid finally retracted back the aperture as the runes lost their lustre. Sweeping his worn-down eyes he looked at Adams's dainty body before sitting up from his chair.
Waddling towards the door with his large metallic boots, he muttered in a low tone enough for Adam to hear," I will tell you about the Snow Elf only if you agree to help me. We will sign a Mana Contract to seal the deal. Plus, I would be training you in at least the basics. As with the body you have now? it won't be a day that you will be able to survive in the wilderness much less compete in the succession ceremony of the Kingdom or take my revenge. So, make your decision, keeping your future in mind."
"Think about it and give me your answer. I expect it by noon after I bring you your lunch"
And with that Hagrid closed the door.
~~~~~
[Back to present]
"I need to think this through and make my decision. Any hesitation and I might die at this rate."
Adam contemplated and all the while stroking his chin full of white stubble beard, he thought,' Hagrid said he would train me...Taking the subsequent knowledge about combat is a must. And by the looks of it, there is a training camp funded by the kingdom to give both to potential soldiers or to be precise, meat shields.'
'I need to join that camp and train to win the succession ceremony. I refuse to believe that horny bastard didn't leave behind something for us fellow test subjects'
'And about me being able to walk...I have to ask Hagrid about it. But first and foremost..'
Adam swept his eyes towards the worn-down yet giant books kept haphazardly on the bookshelf beside his bed. And from the looks of it, they were highly expensive books as they were beautifully embroidered and carved with gold-not to mention the strange halos surrounding them-they we were inevitably Magical Books! And Adam was convinced of it.
Closing his eyes he bit his lips and thumped his left hand over his lifeless legs and muttered with a determined tone.
" I will someday walk...I just know it..."
Adam said with his now opened eyes, affixed on the burning firewood inside the room.
~~~~~
Half an hour later, the sound of Hagrid's metallic boots thumped outside the room followed by a knock. Opening the door came in Hagrid, carrying a plate full of food.
"Ready to eat, perhaps eh?"
"Yeah.."
"Good, now wipe the drool off your face with this warm cloth and eat up. You need the nutrition."
Hagrid waddled in, the metallic boots thumped on the floor as usual but for some odd reason, Hagrid was walking a little more lightly than usual. Regardless of the fact, Adam reached out for the warm cloth and wiped off his face and eyed his food intently.
There were three slices of sourdough bread, coated with honey and margarine, perhaps? And two stripes of bacon, along with a blue-coloured sunny-side-up egg, which was ridiculously big for some reason as compared to a normal egg; not that he was complaining, it was free food after all. A bowl of salad. And a ridiculously large purple-coloured long fruit with spikes along its body, which for some reason gave off the vibes of a dragon fruit crossed with a banana.
There was also a wooden cup filled with a viscous liquid which he recognised as brandy and along with the buttery smell it emitted, it was inevitably one. All in all, it was a highly nutritious meal.
Hagrid noticed Adam's eyes visually devouring the food, which made him smile which could be seen through his thoroughly braided beard. Pulling up the stool, he kept the food tray on Adams's lap and sat on the poor stool.
"Eat up!"Hagrid chimed.
Adam came out of his stupor and was just about to say his answer to Hagrids offer. But to his surprise, Hadid put up his large left palm and said.
" Nod your head up and down for a yes and left and right for a no. I will understand."
"You see, we can't take a risk. You say that you will do 'you know what for me' can trigger the curse. Even the Mana Contract is being heavily modified for some possible loopholes so that our contract might look less suspicious"
Adam paused looking intensely at Hagrid before nodding his head up and down.
Hagrid smiled seeing that Adam agreed to his offer and the questioning look on his face said it all that he was concerned about his state.
Hagrid then suddenly stood up and walked out of the room before bringing him a dark blue-coloured futuristic wheelchair before him.
Adams's eyes widened in shock.
'It was not destroyed..'
Sigh!
Adam sighed in relief seeing that the wheelchair was fine. He had a hunch that it was destroyed due to the heavy Snowfall but he was glad it was safe.
Hagrid smirked seeing his relieved face as he kept the wheelchair beside his bed. Sitting on the stool, he finally broke the silence.
"I found this beside your seemingly dead body. And, I have to say, whatever village you hail from must be rich to afford such an artefact for the crippled"
"Hah. If only other humans and beasts were so thoughtful and kind enough to help the sick and poor. This world would become a better place. Anyway..."
"Before your start your questions. I shall clarify something. From tomorrow morning at dawn, we will start your training as the Mana contract will be ready by midnight and.."
Saying so, Hagrid put up three of his big chunky fingers and announced, "Every improvement you make, will be rewarded with three questions to which you will get answers. So choose wisely and work hard."
"Tsk.." Adam clicked as soon as he heard the condition, much to his dismay. He was happy that he was going to get answers to his questions but no, this goddammed Half-Giant had to ruin it all.
"Don't be a sad boy..and looking at you, you are a bumpkin. That's for sure. So you don't know how to evolve. But don't worry kid. You have me! Hagrid! As your teacher!"
"So Rejoice! And eat up. Sorry that I made you wait for so much and prevented you from digging in. So yeah, chop-chop, come on. Get some muscles, stickman"
Saying so, Hagrid sat up from his stool and walked back to the door.
Seeing that the coast was getting clear, Adam launched himself on the tray full of food, gobbling down the honey-glazed sourdough bread. But just as the door was about to close, Hagrid peaked back only to see a grown-up squirrel, frantically devouring the food placed on the table.
Sigh!
Sighing profusely he finally closed the door and stood there. But slowly his face twisted up in an evil grin etched on his face. But it was not of malice but of pure ecstasy. Ecstasy...for some training!
And Adam, the poor man, was oblivious to what was about to happen to him the next morning or for the next 5 years. It might be the most traumatic experience or the most rewarding. Only time would tell. But what Adam didn't know was that...
Time was what he lacked.
~~~~~
Please support the novel with power stones and those cola or pizza things.
Thanks for reading!
Enjoy!