"Here are the items needed for a soul contract," the gladiator woman said, blocking the slug man with a paper and pen in front of me.
Looking down at the things that the gladiator woman handed; sanity came back to me as the hunger for blood lessened, and this made me remember my priority.
I closed my eyes then opened them with a bit more clarity. "Thank you," I mumbled, receiving the items.
"My pleasure," the gladiator woman replied.
I nodded and didn't respond anymore. The gladiator woman then went back to stand beside the slug. Seeing the silver haired man still glaring at me, the gladiator woman jab his ribs with her elbow, and the man straightens up again.
Meanwhile, Saint Agatha is still observing me, and Joan seems to be unbothered as she smokes on the side. I, on the other hand, concentrated my eyes on the items in front of me.
Papers are stuck neatly on the clipboard folder, the pen looks like a feather's bird, and the inkwell doesn't look that extraordinary either. The paper looks a little brown, and the quill pen is probably from the feather of a bird. I don't know where the ink came from, but probably from an ash or from the ink of a squid.
Considering that this world seems to concentrate on their magic stuff rather than their technology, then there is nothing particularly peculiar with their appearance. After all, making white paper can only probably be made from an advanced and revolutionising technology.
However, these are the necessary items for the soul contract, so I'm kind of expecting to see some eccentric looking things. Not something ordinary that only looks to have come from the mediaeval era of earth.
I weaved my eyebrows together, turning my gaze to Saint Agatha with an inquiring look. "Are these the things I need for the soul contract?"
Saint Agatha nodded affirmatively. "Yes, it may appear ordinary, but that paper is made from the hardwood of the Rowan Tree, the Tree of Life. And the quill pen is from a halfling sacred bird. The ink is made from the ash of the Rowan wood. Only the clipboard folder is ordinary."
"Oh…" I replied, then I looked at the items again and said, "so, how do I do this? What's the first step? Do I need to chant some weird incantations?"
Joan chuckled hearing my question.
I knitted my brows on the seven foot tall woman. "What's so funny?"
"Silly kid, you just have to write out the words in that paper, and afterwards, they just need to leave their blood seal and recite it, promising the words to their worship god or goddess," Joan explained, breathing out smoke from her nose as she grins, still laughing at me.
I ignored Joan as I looked at Saint Agatha with a questioning look. Saint Agatha nodded with her expressionless face, confirming what Truman said.
"Then what are the implications of starting this soul contract?" I inquired.
"None, the implicated party are only those who recited the oath," Saint Agatha answered.
"In other words, you mean I also don't need to write it?" I said, looking down at the items.
"That's right kid, it's not necessary, but since you're the one who wants to bind them with their promise, then you have to be the one to think of the content," Joan stated.
I nodded understandably, looking down at the ordinary items resting on my lap.
If that's all I need to do, then it means that the only ones that would probably be implicated with this soul contract are those who recited it as an oath. In other words, I just need to write cleverly, so I can get the best of this opportunity.
I look up at the two slugs, standing in front of me. While they look down at me with a threatening look as I remain seated on the couch.
My brows creased as I tapped my finger, pondering what to write.
Suddenly, an idea flashes through my mind, and hurriedly, I scribble on the paper with my left hand.
Afterwards, I finished writing and I handed it to the gladiator woman.
"It's done, go and read it," I said, urging them both.
The gladiator woman frowned, taking the paper from me slowly. The slug beside the gladiator woman only glared at me. And I smiled sweetly at them.
With a reluctant face, they both slowly look down at the paper, reading the content I wrote on it. The reaction on their faces changed from curiosity to horror.
"Go recite them now, I still need to arrange a funeral for Pula," I said, looking at them expectantly.
The gladiator woman remained silent as she frowned, running her eyes at the content on the paper once more.
On the other hand, the silver haired man glared at me even more menacingly. "Do ye think we're stupid? Ye want us to become a slave for eternity?!" He bellowed, striding towards me.
Truman came in front of me at a speed faster than light.
The man immediately stopped as he took a step back, but he gritted his teeth, glaring at me. "I rather die than become a slave of a noble!"
"The man doesn't want to accept, what should you do now?" Joan asked, glancing at me with the pipe in her mouth.
I sighed loudly, standing up as I approached the silver haired guy. "I'll give you a chance again, think more clearly," I said in a calm tone.
The man shook his head with a smirk. "I don't need to think twice, I won't become a slave!"
"Mm," I hum, and without warning, I raise my right arm, striking the white blade at his abdomen.
"Aaaaaaahhhhh!"
His loud scream reverberated inside the room. The man folded both of his arms in his stomach. His blood flowed out unstoppable, dripping down on the stone floor. The scent of the metallic iron lingered in the air, making it through my nostril.
Licking my lower lip, I glance at Joan standing beside me. "Can you hold him for me?" I asked, looking up at the seven feet tall woman.
"Alright," Joan said as she shrugged, then she went behind the blood guy holding the man up.
"Thank you," I mumbled, thrusting the tip of the sword inside the man's stomach.
I twisted the white blade inside his stomach, twirling his inside as I rotated the blade. The guy screams, groaning in pain as he curses at me to stop.
"Stop? Don't make me laugh. I've been craving for this blood ever since I saw you entering that door," I stated as I wet my lips with my tongue, curving my lips in a crescent smile.
I laughed loudly, poking the white blade at his intestine. The guy cried out in agony, muttering that he will never beg me or plead for his life through curses.
However, I ignored his wailing cries. If I can't make him agree to the contract, then I need to make him suffer now and inflict a psychological trauma in his head.
This went on for more than five hours, and every time the man looked like he was about to die; I would ask Saint Agatha to heal him, then afterwards, I would continue to poke my white blade inside his organs.
Saint Agatha and Joan have both cooperated with me willingly, and this only made me suspicious of them.
However, I hid these thoughts in my mind, because I still needed their cooperation to settle my vengeance. I'm thinking of confronting them later after I settle everything. Anyway, as long as they are on my side, then I can tolerate the doubts in my heart.
At the present moment, Saint Agatha is healing the bloody guy, and I'm standing on the side watching in awe. I could hear a powerful buzzing sound in my ears as the large open wound on the man's abdomen closed up and became a scar.
I still don't know how this magic thing works, and I have no idea how Saint Agatha did it, so when I asked her, this is what she briefly explained; her light attribute is used to close up the injuries and to regenerate the blood cells. She said that there are seven tiers in healing.
From S, A, B, C, D, E, and to F. The highest tier, according to Saint Agatha, is S-Tier and the lowest is F-Tier.
A low quality healing will only close up the wound on the skin, while the wound inside still remains. On the other hand, the high quality healing will not only close up the wound on the outside but also on the inside.
While the most highest form of healing is when; a healer not only heals the wounds both inside and outside, but also regenerates the body with energy to make up for blood loss or mana loss.
That's how healing works is what Saint Agatha said when I asked her.
Still, I didn't understand a thing about what Saint Agatha said, but I think I get it. In other words, she's a healer. That's it. No need to complicate stuff.
While I'm deep in thoughts, Saint Agatha is healing the man again for round twelve. However, as soon as the bloody guy got healed up, he immediately went to grab my legs.
"Please, stop!" He cried, looking at me with tears in his dark brown eyes. His armour and clothes are soaking in blood, dripping red liquid on the floor.
And the room is filled with the stench of blood.
I shook my head, smiling sweetly at him. "Tsk, tsk, is everyone in this city a clown?" I said, glancing at the gladiator woman.
The gladiator woman swallowed hard when my eyes went to her. Her hand grabs the scar on her left bicep as she looks at the white blade in horror.
I chuckled, laughing at the gladiator woman. I pierce the blade to the man's intestines, and the bloody guy screamed begging me to stop.
"How about you? Do you not agree as well?" I asked, looking at the gladiator woman as I twisted the white blade on the man's abdomen.
"Amana, recite and make an oath to your heavenly being," Saint Agatha said.
I glance at Kendra's look alike.
"Do what you promise like a knight and a general," Saint Agatha added, looking at the gladiator woman with her expressionless face.
The gladiator woman gritted her teeth at me then at the paper.
I smiled even more sweetly, thinking that this gladiator woman would also probably not accept the content of the contract. And just imagining this woman pleading to me is making my heart pound in excitement.
The gladiator woman frowned, taking a deep sigh of resignation. "Alright, I agree to this," she said heavily.
"Oh," I mouthed, retracting the white blade from poking, dripping liquid red on the stone-floor. After that, I tilted my head to the side, gazing at the gladiator woman. "Interesting."
The man fell down on his pool of blood as he fainted yet again. Saint Agatha kneeled next to him, healing the unconscious man. Joan smokes on the side with a knowing grin on her face.
While the gladiator woman glances at me with heavy emotions.
"Go ahead, I'm waiting for my slave," I said with a bright smile.
The gladiator woman let out a sigh, looking down at the paper in her hand stiffly. She bit her thumb, making her blood drip, then she pressed it on the paper leaving her thumb's fingerprint.
Afterwards, I heard a loud boom of crackling and a loud whistling ringing blended together like they are in harmony. The building started shaking, and the windows burst open as the strong wind came in.
"I, Amana Cassidy, promised to Bathala that my soul will be bound to the person who wrote this for eternity. She is the owner, and I am owned. She commands, and I obey. She is the master, and I am the slave. She is to be pleased, and I am to please. For eternity, I will follow and act on my oath to the person who wrote this." The gladiator woman recited what I wrote on the paper.
Shortly after, I saw the sky outside rumble with an exploding thunder, and in a blink of an eye; a lightning flashes directly inside the room through the open window, hitting the paper on the gladiator woman's hand.
The paper burned to a crisp until nothing was left in sight. The gladiator woman cried out in pain, falling down on her knees in the stone-floor. She places her hand on her chest.
"I did it…haaah, my soul is bound to you for eternity," the gladiator woman said, looking up, meeting my eyes.
I smiled sweetly. 'Contract sealed.'
Despite what I have seen, I still decided to test the gladiator woman. Just in case, so I can prepare myself if this bloody woman is deceiving me again.
With a honey smile on my face, I mumbled, "...bark like a dog."
"What?" The gladiator woman muttered with a flustered face.
"I said bark like a dog," I repeated.
The gladiator woman clenched her jaw and said, "I don't…*aack!*"
The gladiator woman's body shook, trembling as if electrocuted. She frowned, gritting her teeth. "Arf, arf!" The gladiator woman barks, glaring at me.
"Good." I nodded, curving my lips even more. "Next, meow like a cat."
Her face crumpled as she reluctantly opened her mouth. "Nyaaah~" the gladiator woman meowed.
'Ain't cute,' I thought to myself.
Still, I can finally take a breather and focus on Pula's funeral first. I turn to look at the two people who help me handle this situation.
Saint Agatha is healing the unconscious man on the floor. While Joan is smoking on the side.
"Thank you for helping me handle this matter," I said, looking at Truman and at Saint Agatha.
The two simultaneously turn to look at me. Saint Agatha nodded her head with her expressionless face, then she continued to heal the bloody guy.
On the other hand, Truman waved her hand dismissively. "Don't mention it, anyway, what's your next plan?"
My brows creased. "Arrange a funeral," I answered, looking at Pula on the couch.
Joan, who was smoking beside me, offered the pipe to me once more. "Want to smoke?"
This time, I felt tempted to accept the pipe from Joan. However, I remembered my promise with Pula. "I can't smoke, it's unhealthy," I replied.
Joan shook her head at me. "It's not unhealthy, I used a healthy herb that is good for calming tense nerves," she said.
"Really?" I asked, sceptical.
Joan nodded her head. "Yes, you can try if you're curious," she said, wiggling the pipe in front of me.
The sweet salty fragrant brought a thunderously earthy desire. The scent has a relaxing romantic feel to it. It's nice to the nose, but I still prefer lavender. No reason, I just prefer lavender.
"What herb are you using?" I asked, curious.
"Passionflower," Joan answered, grinning. "Want to try?"
"No, I don't want to use your pipe," I said.
Joan clicks her tongue. "Tch, still a brat, eh?" she muttered.
"Where did you buy it? I want to get one as well," I inquired.
"Black mark—"
"Aaaaahhh!"
The man screamed as soon as he woke up, interrupting my conversation with Joan. He hurriedly went to kneel in front of me, begging me with desperate bloodshot eyes.
"Please stop, I beg you," the bloody guy pleaded, crying as he whimpered like a bullied little child.
I tilted my head to the side, looking at him for a while, then slowly I laughed from the top of my lungs with tears in the corner of my eyes.
"Hehehe…hahaha…HAHAHAHA!"
The man crumpled his face, sniffing with snot on his nose. "Do ye not have mercy on yer heart?!"
Instantly, I stopped laughing as I squinted my eyes at the bloody guy. I wet my lips with my tongue. The thirst for blood came back, hearing what the man said.
I grab his silver hair, making him look up to my eyes. "Isn't that so funny?" I whispered in a teasing tone.
The bloody guy frowned, knitting his brows in confusion.
My lips curved to a sugary smile. "What a clown," I commented, shoving him away.
"Ye cruel monster!" The man yelled, pointing at me with his veins bulging from his neck.
I chuckled. "That's a rich compliment coming from you," I mumbled.
The bloody guy screamed as if turning into a madman. I didn't bother looking at him again since there is a matter at hand that needs to be prioritised.
I glance at the gladiator woman. "Slave," I called.
The gladiator woman frowned at me, but I didn't care as I continued, "knock him out."
The gladiator woman nodded, smacking the man at the back of his head, then he fell unconscious on his own blood on the stone floor. I then turn my gaze at Saint Agatha and Joan.