"Hey, Mikey! How are you doing?" I greeted him.
"Hello, Alex! Long time no see!" He replied with a smile. "How are you?"
"Not bad," I replied.
Michael then noticed Lucy holding my hand.
"Oh? Who is that girl beside you?" He asked, laughing.
"O-Oh, she's Lucy. She's my-" my voice got interrupted.
"I'm Lucy, currently Alex's girlfriend and his future wife," she said with a smile.
I blushed.
Michael laughed. "I knew it! You two are a perfect match!"
"Hehe~" she giggled in an evil but cute way.
"Oh, well, I guess I should introduce myself." He said proudly. "I am Michael G. Fortys, the best blacksmith in this city! Ha-ha-ha!" He added while striking a strange heroic pose.
"Hahaha! You have such great friends, don't you?" She said to me.
I sighed and then said, "Well, yes. He was also a great hunter like me."
Michael then put his arms around my shoulders to hug me in a friendly way. "Heh! But this guy is totally on another world! Haha!!" He said to Lucy.
Lucy looked at us and she laughed. "I never saw him fighting! How is he?" She asked with a lot of excitement.
I sighed again.
"Oh well… I have a LOOOT of things to say but… I guess that we don't have the time now." He totally changed his tone from a friendly one to a really serious and cold one. "So? What brings you here, Alex? Are you here for your things?" He asked.
I nodded at his question. "Yes. I really need them. That's an emergency. I was attacked by a vampire during this night."
"A vampire?! Where?!" He asked, surprised.
"Here in Lungi," I replied.
Lucy was shocked about this information.
"Are you serious about this, Alex? How the heck did a vampire arrive in Lungi? I thought this was the only safe city in this world!" He then asked.
"Well, I don't know how exactly, but he was able to enter the city without anyone noticing. He even passed the magic barriers at the entrance," I answered.
"A vampire?! Well, that's weird. I've never heard about that before… that's really weird and nonsense… but if you say so, I have no other choice but to believe," He said while scratching his head. "So? We're not safe anymore, right…?"
I shook my head. "No, we're not. Not yet."
"Why?" He asked.
"Because we don't know how many of those creatures are in Lungi. And we can't find out either," I replied.
"That's true. So, what are we gonna do?" He asked.
"We're gonna search and then kill all of them," I said with a cold and emotionless tone.
"Kill them all?" He asked. "Alex, are you asking me to help you by any chance?" He added.
"No, Michael. I'm not gonna force you into something you don't want to do. But I only want you to stay on alert," I said while putting my hands on his counter. "So… are my things ready?" I asked.
Lucy was looking at us with a scared expression
Michael stayed silent for a minute and then he spoke. "Yes, everything is ready, come down." He said and then he opened the secret door of his workshop for us.
We went downstairs and we saw that his workshop was full of weapons and equipment for hunters. It was a big room with a lot of shelves and tables and it was filled with different kinds of items and tools. There were silver knives, flowers, crossbows, daggers, swords, axes… anything you need to fight off vampires.
"So many tragic memories…" Michael sighed.
I looked at him with a curious face.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"This place used to belong to my father. He was a hunter too. But after he met my mother, he had to give up his job to take care of her and her family. How funny, we shared the same fate," He said while sighing. "But anyway, let's get your things done!" He then turned around and walked towards a table.
Lucy was looking all around the room in such a dumbfounded way. She kept analyzing every single object in the room. She was so enthusiastic and curious.
"Uhm… I should have left your things here… mmm" Michael mumbled while searching over and under the table.
"Oh! Here!" He finally found it.
He picked it up and gave it to me. It was my old and broken katana with a wooden hilt. The blade was made with a magic black steel found in the realm of demons. Michael managed to make the katana like it was when I got her many years ago.
It was a totally new sword with a dragon drawn on the blade. It was really beautiful.
I took it in my hand and inspected it carefully.
The handle was wrapped with a red cloth and it was decorated with some golden elfic symbols. On top of the hilt, there was a small green gemstone which glowed softly.
"Beautiful…" I said. "It looks like a total new sword." I added while admiring my old but new katana in my hands.
"Hah! I knew you would have loved these changes!" Michael said proudly.
"Uhm… that is nice. But Alex, don't you already have a sword?" Lucy asked.
I looked at her and smiled. "Yes, I also have my Xanderyl, but this sword has a condition. It can only be used to kill evil creatures like demons, vampires, monsters… etc. If I somehow kill a human or anything else that's not a monster, the sword will break and I would die since my family's ancestors made a contract with the gods. So, I used this other sword to protect myself from other dangers but it broke two weeks ago and I asked Michael to repair it," I said.
"Oh! This surely sounds interesting!" Lucy replied in an enthusiastic way, just like when a child listens to the stories of their grandparents.
"So, what do you think about this sword?" I asked her.
She then examined the sword in her hands and she smiled.
"I like it. It's really beautiful. If I'd have been a Hunter like you, I'd surely want some weapon like this," She replied while still looking at the sword.
"My, my, you two lovebirds even have the same taste in weapons. You truly make a good couple! Hahahaha!" Michael laughed.
"M-Mr. Michael! You're flattering me!" Lucy said while blushing and putting her right hand on her cheek.
I laughed a little at this joke. "I guess you're right like always, Michael."
"Of course, I am!" He said while shaking his head.
Lucy smiled at him and she bowed politely.
"Thank you, sir!" She said with a sweet voice.
"Anyway, what about the other things like my suit and bombs?" I asked.
Michael then grinned in such an evil way.
"Haha… follow me." He said while turning around.
"Sukiva! Open!"
He pronounced a magic formula in an ancient demon language.
Suddenly, a portal opened out of nowhere.
He pronounced a magic formula in an ancient demon language. Suddenly, a portal opened out of nowhere.
"Follow me, my dear guests," he said while walking into the portal.
"Wait, Michael! Where are we going?" I asked.
He looked back at me.
"Don't worry, Alex. I know where we are going. Trust me," he said while his body disappeared into the portal.
Lucy then grabbed my arm. "A-Alex, I'm a little bit scared of entering this portal."
I took her hand and said, "Don't worry, we can trust Michael."
Lucy smiled and said, "Okay then, I trust you."
We then entered the portal and found ourselves in an enormous room full of armors and work stuff. Shelves and tables were filled with different kinds of items and weapons. There were also a few big cabinets filled with different types of potions and elixirs. More than that, there were lots of blacksmith items and workplaces.
"Welcome to my paradise! My hideout!" Michael shouted proudly.
"W-What is this place…?" I asked in shock while taking a look around.
"This is a special place my father used for working. This is the last gift he gave me," Michael replied.
"Wow! This is amazing! I never imagined that you had such a huge workshop!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Yeah, I know, right? I couldn't believe it either when my father showed me this place. Haha!" He said while opening his arms and moving around, showing all of his works, like a salesman showing his products.
"So, Michael, where is my stuff?" I asked.
"It's over there," he replied, indicating a mannequin.
"Uhm… it's a mannequin," I said while scratching the back of my head.
Michael snapped his fingers, and on that mannequin appeared a black leather hunter suit, even with gloves and boots.
"W-What is this…? It's amazing!" I said while walking closer to my stuff.
"Heh! It's a magic suit! I made it with a lot of effort, but this should help you a lot against monsters. It's impregnated with white church magic, and no evil creature will harm you! Haha!" He then indicated the gloves. "These gloves help you climb and protect your hands, while those boots are enchanted with a magic spell that will make you run faster," he said proudly.
"But… Michael? How did you manage to put magic into this stuff?" I asked.
"During my time as a hunter in Nazaria, I never heard of hunters enchanting their stuff with magic. They said that the only people who could enchant items with magic were the elves," I thought in my mind.
"My wife is an elf… we're in LODGARD! Haha!" He said.
Me and Lucy stared at him in shock while our eyes widened.
Lodgard. The capital city of the elves kingdom. It's 4000km distant from Lungi.
"You're not joking… are you? Weren't elves hostile against humans?!?" I asked.
"You're right. But they are not hostile against vampire hunters, regardless of their race. My wife introduced me to everyone here, and I happily live here with her and my daughter. You're in my house right now! Haha!" He replied, laughing.
Lucy looked at me with her puppy eyes and grabbed my sleeve as if she wanted to say, "Please, don't leave me!!" She was so cute, so I gave her a little head pat to calm her down.
Lucy closed her eyes and smiled.
"Uhm… that sounds great. Can you tell me how this "magic" works? Do I have to cast a spell or…?" I asked while analyzing the suit.
Suddenly, Michael totally changed his mood again. From a playful man, he became super serious, and his eyes became so sharp they could pierce my soul.
"Once you wear this, all the magic on this equipment will bind to your soul. Since it is impregnated with white magic, your heart must be pure. If everything goes well, you won't need to cast any spell. You'll just need to concentrate on what you want and think about the enchantment you need. For example, if you're wearing these boots and you want to run faster, you just have to concentrate, breathe, and think about it. The magic will follow what your mind thinks and will give you everything you ask. That's how elven magic works," Michael replied in a very serious tone.
"… Okay," I said, in a very confused way and crossing my arms.
"I know… it's much easier to do than to explain. You just have to get used to it," he said while grabbing the suit from the mannequin and putting it inside a bag. "Alex, your bombs are inside this bag. Everything is ready, but…" Michael started scratching the back of his head. "I remembered that I have something important to say and give to you."
He then looked at Lucy. "Lucy, can I have a little private talk with Alex?" He said, lowering his head and looking at the floor. He seemed like he became pretty sad.
"S-Sure… but… where can I go? I don't see any other room…" she replied.
"You can stay here, don't worry," He then looked at me.
"Follow me, Alex. It will only take five minutes," He added while opening a door near his workbench.
I looked at Lucy and reassured her by patting her head. "You're safe here, don't worry, I'll be back soon," I smiled at her.
She nodded and smiled back to me. "Don't worry, take your time, I will sit here," she said while sitting on a chair.
I turned back to Michael and followed him into the other room. It was a small library with a lot of books and stuff for writing. It looked like this was his little office where he spent his free time. Michael always liked to read books.
"Alex… I must tell you something important," he said with a very serious tone.
"What is it?" I asked, feeling a little bit nervous.
"It's about you… and your family…" he replied.
I gulped.
"W-What do you mean?" I asked, nervously.
He just looked me in the eyes.
I then looked at Lucy and reassured her by patting her head. "You're safe here, don't worry, i'll be back soon" I smiled to her.
She nodded and smiled at me. "Don't worry, take your time, I'll sit here," she said while sitting on a chair.
I turned back to Michael and followed him into the other room. It was a small library with a lot of books and writing materials. It seemed to be his little office where he spent his free time. Michael always liked to read books.
"Alex... I must tell you something important," he said with a very serious tone.
"What is it, Michael?" I replied.
Michael opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a small wooden box. "Take a look at this," he said while handing me the packet.
"What is this?" I said while analyzing it.
"Open it," Michael said while looking away from me.
"O-okay, I'll open it right now."
I opened the little box and saw something I didn't think I'd see again. I felt a shiver running through my spine, bringing coldness, fear, and sadness.
"Tell me that this is a joke and that this is not real."
Inside the box, there was a red hair ribbon with a small silver-gold ring on it. Inside the ring, there was a phrase saying "Two hunters, one heart. Alex and Scarlet."
I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought this was a bad joke of Michael. I looked at him with a shocked expression.
"Michael. Please, tell me that this is a joke," I said with a trembling voice.
"No... it isn't a joke. This is really true. It's Scarlet's ring. I kept analyzing it with my elvish magic, and it really is her ring," he said while looking me in the eyes.
"Michael. Scarlet died three years ago right before my eyes. She was buried with this ring…" I said, while analyzing the ring and the ribbon. "…and this certainly is her hair ribbon… How... how do you have these things…?" I asked. I still couldn't believe my eyes. My voice was trembling.
"I'll be honest. I've got attacked by a vampire too many months ago. Right into my armory in Lungi." he said. "I could not see its face but… she knew exactly all the places of my home and my weak spots. I managed to survive by miracle."
He then raised up his shirt showing me a big bandage covering all his belly.
"You see this wound? That vampire made it. I managed to wound her too. I've cut its left hand and… I've found this ring. After that, the vampire survived and ran away, and the red ribbon fell off her hair. Luckily, I was completely alone in my armory in Lungi so my family wasn't hurt,"
he said, while pulling his shirt down.
"Alex, something strange is happening. If they managed to arrive in Lungi, something is REALLY off. And most of all, they exactly know our identities." Michael was really worried.
But why didn't he tell me that sooner?
"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?!" I shouted.
"Because... i didn't want to alert you for no reason. I survived... and i know how scary you become when it comes to vampires. I thought that the vampire only wanted me." He said.
I understood his action and i lowered my tone of voice by calming down.
"O-Okay... but if there's one thing that i'm sure its that the vampire cannot be Scarlet. She was buried right before my eyes. Maybe a grave robber stole her things from her tombstone right after her funeral… it's clearly impossible that it's her… but…" I thought in my mind.
I didn't know what was happening.
"No place is safe… The only people who know about my vampire slayer identity are Lucy and her father. In Lungi, I'm just a normal adventurer who works for the Sleeping Eagle and the guild so yes, something is really off," I said. "Michael, I think that we'll have to fight again and contact our organization."
Michael sighed and crossed his arms while his eyes started staring at the floor.
"Alex, I cannot do this. I cannot leave my wife and my child alone," he said.
"Michael, if you talk with our organization, I'm sure they will--" Michael interrupted me while saying with a loud voice: "I CAN'T DO THIS, ALEX!"
He then began to walk around his desk.
"I can't leave them alone! They need me! I have to protect them!" Michael yelled.
"Aren't they safe in this kingdom?" I asked.
"No," Michael answered with a shaking voice. "They are not. There are many dangers in this world. We are far from being safe. The elven kingdom is dealing against the demon realm... But I cannot talk about it right now."
"So there's nothing to do… I'll still have to fight alone, right?" I asked.
"I'm sorry, Alex… I can't do this. I have to take care of my family. But my shop will stay open for you," he replied. "I'll tell you everything I know, I promise."
** The kingdom of elves was dealing against the demons; there was a war between them. Elves want to free Yelrock while demons just want to live in peace. It's a little bit strange, but even though demons didn't attack any other realm, King Asmodio III of the elves doesn't believe that, so he declared war against the demons. **
"Uh… I understood. Feel free to call me anytime you want. I'll be here for you, my friend," I said with a little bit of resignation. I couldn't force Michael to help me against the vampires, not after what happened a long time ago.
Michael then smiled and gave me a little slap on my back, like the old times, but right before he was about to open the door to go back to Lucy, he said a totally random phrase: "The ghosts will always come back to watch over you… or to destroy you." He said. His voice was a lot different than before, like he was totally another person.
I pretended I didn't hear anything and went back to Lucy like nothing had happened.
When we returned, Lucy was looking at the equipment in the room.
"Who knows how I'd look with this armor on…" she said to herself, while touching the armors on the mannequin, with a sparkle in her eyes. She truly wanted to wear armor.
"Lucy! We're back!" I said, while getting close to her.
"Oh! Darling! Are you okay?" She said surprised.
"Yes, everything is fine. We can return home right now," I replied smiling, but inside me, behind my smile, I was pretty nervous and worried.
Lucy probably noticed that and she grabbed my hand to caress it and then she smiled at me.
"Yes, Let's go home," she said while closing her eyes and smiling...