"If you wanted to keep him around, my dear. I needed to question him." T
Cherie ignored Lady Schwarz, running over to David, who lay collapsed on the floor.
His breathing was shallow, and blood poured out of his face. Even from his eyes, so it looked as though he was crying tears of blood.
"That was all to ensure he would tell me the truth. He's not dead honey." With a hint of annoyance in her voice, her heels clicking against the ground, Lady Schwarz sauntered around the desk.
Now that she was standing up, her full height could be seen. She towered above Cherie, and a pointed tail twisted in the air behind her.
"We can get him a new heart, or, you could send him off to the church." Lady Schwarz spat out the last word, her voice filled with hatred.
"You'll soon grow out of the need for pets like him. My dear, a human can only live for so long. And from what I can tell..." Her voice trailing off, Lady Schwarz leaned down to David, her glove dissolving into thing air.
"DONT. TOUCH. HIM!" Cherie yelled, faint black patterns starting to appear on her skin.
Lady Schwarz froze for a moment, then looked a wide smile spread across her face.
"Your father is going to be very happy." She murmured, touching Cherie on the forehead with the tip of a finger.
Instantly, the patterns disappeared, and clarity returned to Cherie's eyes.
"You. You stopped it?" Confusion filled her voice.
"Hah. You have much to learn. Sweet child." Lady Schwarz chuckled, her pointed black tail swishing back and forth in happiness.
"So, whatever will you do with this boy?"
"He can't possibly continue to accompany you. His puny little human mind would surely collapse." Walking back to her desk, Lady Schwarz picked up a thick leather book.
"Hmmm, let me see here, I could send him to my friend, she owes me a favor. She'll keep him moving for a few thousand years." Flicking through the book, Lady Cherie stopped at a page, looking over to Cherie.
"No. Just, let him go. I want him to go home. He needs to stay safe, away from me." A few tears fell from Cherie's face onto David's unconscious face.
"Now now, don't be too upset my dear. I'll take care of everything" In a soft tone, Lady Schwarz comforted Cherie.
-----
"Hey."
"Hey!"
"Hey kid! Wake up!"
A cold hand shook David by the shoulder. David struggled to open his eyes, they felt extremely heavy.
The last thing he could remember was a pair of scarlet eyes, that had grown to fill his entire world.
David looked around in confusion, he was in tiny cramped wooden room. In front of him, his body was covered by a thin wool blanket.
Next to the bed, were his boots, and his sword was propped up in one corner of the room.
"Kid. Focus." A gentle voice came from David's right, and he looked up into a pair of empty eyes.
"Ahhh!" David screamed in pain, as a stabbing pain shot through his chest, and it felt as though his heart was leaping around in his chest.
"Damn. My Lady did a real number on you. A coreless little human. I swear her jealousy has only gotten worse with age." The man shook his head, speaking to himself.
"Find yourself a healer as soon as you can, kid. Or you'll need to find a new heart." The man looked away from David, as if he was ashamed.
[User, please be assured. Your body is in perfect condition. I a merely simulating the previous damage to ensure your enhanced abilities remain hidden.]
For once, David was glad to hear the system's voice.
"Where's my friend? Is she okay? I need to see her." David tried to leap out of the bed, but the system caused him another stab of eye watering pain.
"Shit." David hunched over in the bed, as he heard the man give a sad sigh.
"Listen to me carefully kid. Get this into your head. Whatever that girl was to you. It's done." The man crouched to get down to David's eye level, his empty eyes peering at him over his glasses.
"Erase any idea of ever seeing her again."
"What? Never!" David was furious, and forcing through his way past the stabs of pain, he struggled out of the bed.
"You're a mere human. She'll be in places where you would die jsut by trying to step foot within."
"Just forget about her, and go home." The man shook his head, and walked toward the door.
"Wait. Please tell me, where is she going?" Even though David was filled with anger, he spoke politely. He knew that the man in front of him could wipe him from existence with a mere gesture.
"Kid, who knows if you'll ever be able to walk around Lightharbor without fearing for your life? Don't worry about things that don't concern you." A condescencding laugh echoed from the mans mouth, his fangs glinting in the light of the single flickering candle.
There was a soft click, as the door shut behind the man, and David crumpled to the ground. Sure, Cherie was safe now, he couldn't even imagine something that could harm that man, let alone his mistress.
But there was a terrible feeling in his chest, he knew the man's words were right. To most races, humans weren't much different from rats.
Only those rare humans who had the determination, talent and luck would ever be able to speak with them on an equal level.
But there was a chance. David had something different, something that gave him an edge.
This was something he could use, even as it used him.
'Hey! You! Help me! Make me strong enough to beat that demon.'
David called out, but instead of a reply, there was a loud ding!
[User Backstory Event Unlocked: The Loss of a First Love]
David froze, remembering the terrible pain he had experienced only a few weeks ago, as he had been forced to watched Brogan die.
In front of his eyes, all the sweetest memories he had of Cherie began to play. Even those he didn't consciously remember.
Meeting her as a tiny toddler, sitting with her under the stars, the first time she baked for him, the first flowers she had given him, and on and on.
Tears poured down David's face, but he didn't try and stop the system. He only sat there, a bittersweet smile on his face.
And after a minutes, finally David was able to see what he had missed, when he was unconscious.
He watched as Lady Schwarz tried to examine his body, and as Cherie requested that he be sent away from her.
Then, his heart sunk.
"Now now, don't be too upset my dear. I'll take care of everything" Lay Schwarz was saying to Cherie, patting her softly on one shoulder.
But from this angle, hidden completely from Cherie, David could see the devilish smile on her face.
Anyone who saw that expression would be able to tell, that her intentions were not pure.
'HEY! Haven't you tortured me enough? Do something!'
Again, David called out to the system and this time it responded.
[User. Unfortunately, it is impossible to increase your capability to a level where you will immediately be able to defeat the enemies you have encountered.]
[However, I do have some good news.]
ding!
A blue window popped up in front of David.
[Congratulations dear User, you have now unlocked the Mission Function!]