"The description isn't vague, but is there anyone like that at all, white hair and red eyes?" Nichole walked around, looking at everyone passing by her.
"Hey, little girl, I was kind of lost, can you help me here?" a white haired woman tapped on her shoulder. Her red eyes stared down at her.
Red eyes, white hair, she must be the one, so what do I do, should I just say the code? Nichole stammered slightly before replying, "Jack of all... trades?"
"So, what is it you need? Red Wine, or Purple Daze?"
I think the message told me something of a Red Wine, should I try it?
"I'll take the Red Wine?" she spoke half heartedly.
"Indeed Red Wine is a good choice, you do look a bit young to be working there though." She got down to examining her, taking a look at Nichole from all angles.
Nichole watched the strange woman examine her, "Working?"
"Red Wine is quite the brave choice, the men there are pretty pent up, you know, not soft."
"Not soft?"
"They have big strong workers, knights, captains and more, but are you sure about Red Wine, it looks like your first time?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Hm, the brothel, you just told me the code for joining the brothel."
"As a prostitute?"
"What do you think, as the manager?"
"Ah, no," Nichole took a few steps back, "sorry, you seem to have gotten the wrong person."
"Hah, another dud? Well, if you need anything, feel free to contact me," she handed her a small black card.
Nichole hesitantly accepted it, "Thanks, I guess."
Fuck, that was close, I almost ended up pleasuring men for the night, thank goodness she was understanding, she sighed as she put the card away. So, was she someone else, where is the one I want?
"Hey there little girl, do you want some Red Wine?" a white haired woman leaned down on her from behind.
"Huh?!" Nichole gasped in disbelief, She's the one. "Couldn't you have come earlier, I almost ended up as a prostitute."
The woman took a step back, her height towering Nichole. "I have no idea what you're talking about," her red eyes glistened under the evening twilight.
"Red Wine, Jack of all trades," Nichole sighed as she straightened her clothes.
"You must be the one my master is proud about, you know he only has good stuff to say about you."
"Ah, classic Professor."
"What was that about a prostitute?"
"Apparently, the code he gave me is a straight recruitment to the nearby brothel, Red Wine."
"Oh my, what a silly mistake," the woman chuckled. "So, what kind of help do you need?"
"Information. Missing children, but we couldn't find a single clue, were basically stuck."
"And you need information? Leave it to me, before that give me your contact info." She brought her wrist up.
Nichole brings up her wrist and taps on the Vördr with her own. The machine slightly glows before a small window of information pops up.
"See you later, Elara," she prepares to leave, before skimming through her information.
"You should visit the Master's estate once."
"Master? What's up with that?"
"Well, if you must know, we are bound by laws, but if you want to know more, please visit the estate," she winked at her before leaving.
"See you later."
_________________________
"Nichole picked it pretty easily, I don't even have to explain it to her," Finn watched as Daniela conjured a thin thread.
"You can't really compare me to that girl, she has monstrous talent," Daniela added mana to the thread.
"That's true, hey what did you do to the book you found the other day?"
"I gave it to my Boss, he asked for it kindly," Daniela had flashbacks of the encounter, the slight touches and moments. Kindly my ass, he took it from me, but when I think of him, my heart...
"Princess?" Finn called out.
"Ahh, I'm still here," she quickly composed herself, but her red skin still flushed red from the thought.
"Can you do it now?"
"I can try," she extended her hands over the sleeping boy's body. Multiple threads extended from her finger tips, all going to the multiple pressure points present on the lower body.
"You can absorb the mana, or simply let it flow naturally, when mana is left dormant, it turns to yang mana, turning into a cold energy from no circulation."
"This thread technique, this is very helpful," she focused on Jamie. The threads slightly shone blue as a small amount of energy trickled down into his body.
Finn placed his hand on Jamie's head, letting a small amount of flow in. "I'll keep him stable."
"Alright, I'll do it." The mana I got from the elixir is still ther—
"Don't use that," a voice came from beside her, it was the wisp.
Why?
"It's a foreign energy, if you were to inject it into him, the results might be unforeseen, why don't you use your Aqua element as an anaesthetic?"
I can do that?
"If you can focus on water at a really small level, you'll be able to control the temperature to cool the veins."
Woah, let me try, she focused on the threads. Using the threads, she let her mana out.
"There are quite a few points clogged by the mana," her eyes quickly strained. "Isn't this quite odd, there are traces of some other energy in him."
"What?" Finn stopped, heading towards her to check it. He puts his hand on top of hers before taking control of the threads.
"Woah, how did you do that?" Daniela looked at him in surprise.
"It's close to a spell, but it's still as skill, as long as I know the principles I can alter and whip it to my will."
"So, what's wrong with him?"
"I see..."
"What is it?"
"I... don't know."
SMACK
Daniela lands a slap on his head, "Stop hyping it up."
"Sorry, sorry," Finn chuckled slightly. "It's a residual dropout of dark qi, it's stagnating the mana."
"What do we do?" Daniela looked at the boy, worried.
"Actually I do have a herb that can solve it, but..."
"But?"
"It's quite costly, maybe very costly."
Sigh, "I'll pay for it, how much is it?"
"A million ryū...?"
"Is that all?"
"Is that... all?!"
_________________________
"Was that enlightening enough, Thomas?" Jack sat beside the bed. Thomas was laying in the bed, bandages wrapped around his upper body diagonally.
Thomas let out a lively chuckle, his voice once more regaining the old life it once held. "You didn't think I was going to kick the bucket, did you?"
Jack noticed the shift in him, a small smile rose, seeing his friend back to how he was. "I was worried, you weren't hitting me back."
"If you must know, he's back, the Thomas you missed," he gently smiled.
Ha, thank goodness I got him out of his depression, I thought he was going to be like that forever.
"So, Master, what's that? And this estate?" Thomas got up, ouch slightly wincing at the pain. "The other guy did a number on me."
"Master is because I'm their master, and this is my estate, the one I rightfully own as the second son of the Duke." Jack took a small cup and handed it over to Thomas.
He graciously accepts the cup, smelling a green drink from the small steam rising, "I always forget you're a noble. Those two are your personal servants, doesn't explain why he's strong."
"He's a gift, how do I explain this?"
"Gift?"
"I have a few things to tell you."
"Spill it," he took a large gulp of the drink.
"I am a half-blood vampire, and in the vampire community—"
PPFFFT
Thomas spit out the drink, completely spitting it all over him.
Jack wiped the liquid off his face. "That's one way of getting me wet."
"Wait, wh—! No before that, you're a vampire!?"
"What do you mean before that?" he let out a knowing grin.
"Bastard, answer me!" Thomas demanded.
"Why are you freaking out?"
"Are you really asking me that?!" his face etched in worry.
"I know, unless I'm from a vampiric family, there is no other besides me to be born as a vampire, and no one in my family is a vampire, but that's not the whole truth."
"Then?"
"Have you heard of transformation via transmutation?"
"No... nope."
"I can't really explain, maybe another time, but when a vampire has red hair and grey mana, we are considered the rarest of vampires."
"Your servant is a gift because of that?"
"Yes, and he's the third vampire you met this week."
"He's also a vampire, does that mean the earlier maid too?" Thomas shot him another surprised glance.
"Aren't you glad you met me? You got to meet three vampires."
"I'm... I'm very glad I met you," his tone dropped, his voice coming out in a deep gasp. I'm truly grateful to the heavens for having met you, the words formed, yet he couldn't say it outright.
"What's that?" Jack looked away, mocking. "I didn't quite catch that."
"You!!" Thomas barked, his face flushing red. "I'll die before saying that again."
Sigh, Jack shook his head in defeat. "I'll get you some more of that medicine, since you fed it back to me," he got up taking off his damp shirt.
"What are you doing?" Thomas looked at him, slightly flushed at the sudden action.
"You did this? Remember?" he tossed the shirt onto a nearby chair.
"Whatever," he laid back into the bed.
But, what my sister did to me, I never expected her to turn cold at me, I thought she loved me, he looked down at the bandages, sliding his hand over his chest.
This is going to be one nasty scar, a slight chuckle escaped his lips. Still, this feels nice, getting treated.
SHINE
"Huh?" A sudden flash of light emanated from his wrist before stopping. He brings it up to inspect it, "What's this?" he looked at the small crescent moon symbol on his wrist.
_________________________
SHINE
"What?!" Nichole was blinded by a sudden flash. The sudden flash covered the entire room they were in before disappearing.
"What was that?" Ren asked her, a hint of concern flashing his eyes.
"I'm... not sure," Nichole looked at the source of the light.
A small crescent moon, the size of a coin illuminated on her wrist, its blue glow shining strong.
"I'm not sure, but I can feel something besides mana coming out of it, it's flowing into me?" Nichole looked at it in panic.
Ren gently holds her palm before checking out the symbol on her palm, before a small gasp escapes his mouth.
"What's that reaction?" she glared at him.
"That's the symbol of the Church of Chang'e, the Goddess of..."
_________________________
"Why do I have divinity flowing through me?" Finn shot back as a small crescent moon shone on his wrist.
"It's not just any divinity." Daniela inspected the symbol, feeling a tint of familiar energy react to it within her.
"I know, but the Church of Chang'e is one that doesn't exist anymore, why do I have this?" Finn shook his hand in a futile attempt trying to get it off.
But I thought I lost the Aureate Kiss, why can I feel a familiar energy, is it still in me? she put her hand on top of Finn's, sending a little mana into it.
BAAM
An invisible force repelled her hand as a small shock was generated from the point of contact.
"No... way?!" she frowned.
"What was that?" Finn pulled back.
_________________________