Chapter 9

[Feel free to point out any typos that you see down below so I can fix em!]

Chapter 9 - LOT

Coarse stone and gravel lined the floor of the cave. Dark shadows covered the area, the luminescent plantlife found elsewhere in the cave not visible here.

A few solemn figures stood above the bodies of the two dead nobles. One of the figures was nervously tossing a pair of daggers from hand to hand, his face pallid.

“There is no way your Lord Frederick would fall to the second son of the Snowbank City Lord. Someone has tried to hide it, but it seems apparent a third party was at work.” The overly tall tracker, Corker, leaned over one of the bodies, examining the wounds.

“Yes, yes…” He mumbled, his head turning.

“It seems the two lords had a disagreement of sorts and a falling out. Lord Frederick killed the Snowbank City Lord’s son, Lord Jacob. Then, a third party came and killed off Lord Frederick.”

Jackal stared at the tracker, his eyes closed as if he was hearing his death sentence be pronounced. He opened his eyes, darting around the dark cave.

“Why did they break out fighting?” His voice was low and calm, a deadly edge to it.

“I’m unsure.” The tracker looked around the cave, not seeing anything unusual. The cave walls had returned to normal without Jack here, the hidden chamber of the ancient Golden Flame Clan vanishing.

“This must be reported to the Duke. I cannot wait any longer.” Despair tinged the voice of Jackal as he spoke, his voice grating.

“Find the men that did this, Corker, and your reward will be tripled. Find them. FIND THEM!”

..

..

Jack came to groggily, his senses muddled. He blinked a few times in confusion, his mind unclear.

A sharp tinge of pain in his left shoulder, however, cleared the fog from his head as he lurched upward, yelling out.

“Little Seven!”

Jack glanced around his surroundings frantically, his heart pounding.

He was currently lying on a soft, feather bed, in a clean small room. The decorations in the room were sparse, just a few white curtains covering the windows and a vase of flowers on a nightstand. A tub of water lay on the side of the room, with the word “boiled” engraved on the side of it.

Jack recognized the room as the room the orphanage used when treating sick or injured kids.

“Arrrgh!” As he sat up, Jack abruptly yelped out in pain, the tinge in his shoulder exploding into full blown agony. He turned to look at his left arm in shock. It was completely wrapped in white bandages, pulled together tightly. Pulses of agony rippled out of his shoulder every time he tried to move, rendering his left arm unusable.

We winced as he stood up, a sheen of sweat covering his forehead as he stumbled off the bed. Just as he was steadying himself, a stern looking woman walked into the room.

“Now young man, sit right back down on that bed. You are in no condition to be up.” Auntie Elm, the owner and chief caretaker of the orphanage, gave Jack a stern look. She was a tall woman, at just shy of 6 feet tall, with a motherly, if stern, appearance. Greying hair and a lined face made her seem weathered. She carried a small clay cup in her hands.

“Auntie Elm. What happened to Little Seven?!” Jack panted as he looked at the lady, leaning against the bed.

The stern looking woman pursed her lips as she looked at Jack, and then sighed. She walked over to the tub of water on the other side of the room.

“She awakened her Natural Ability, finally, and found someone willing to take her in. I had no choice to refuse that man. I’m sorry.”

As Jack watched, the clay bucket in the woman’s hands expanded, swelling to twice it’s regular size. The stern looking woman then flicked her wrist to scoop water into the small cup, nodding as she easily filled half of it. After a few seconds, the size of the cup returned to normal, but the water remained, filling the cup up fully.

The woman pulled a scrap of cloth from her waist pocket and dabbed the cloth in the water. She then walked up to Jack and began checking his temperature, washing the bandages on his arm.

“That man told me to give you a message.” As Jack met her eyes, he noticed a tinge of respect and fear as she looked at him. Jack frowned. She usually looked at him like the rest of the orphans, with a sort of unattached care.

“He said he was called Jebraim, and that you should give up on seeing your friend again. You two will live different lives from here onward, just forget she existed.” The stern looking woman trembled as she remembered the man’s words, she herself in shock at how powerful the air around him was.

Jack’s hands trembled for a split second, his mouth twisting. He grinded his teeth as he clenched his fists, feeling an unreconcilable anger in him.

It’s not fair. It’s not fair. IT’S NOT FAIR!

Jack activated his Natural Ability, the world around him slowing to a fifth it’s speed as he focused, needing to think. His heart calmed in the slowed down time, feeling a sense of control fill him.

A stranger had taken Little Seven. No, a man called Jebraim took Little Seven. Jack’s eyes focused as he tried to remember every detail about the man.

He had a large sword on his back. Fiery red hair. Was extremely strong. And a gold and red tattoo of a giant flame on his chest.

A flame. A golden flame. Jack’s eyes widened.

The Bloodline Origin Crystal he had given Little Seven was from the ancient Golden Flame treasure room.

He also distinctly remembered the crystal having been absent from Little Seven’s necklace when he saw her. The necklace had been damaged, barely still around her neck, but the spot where the crystal had been had vanished.

As he went back with his mind, he remembered the condition of the room. It had been damaged by fire.

Gradually, a picture took place in his mind.

A picture of Little Seven finally completely absorbing the Bloodline Crystal. Of her, for some reason, being unable to control the powers, perhaps in the initial activation. Of that strange man sensing this and deciding to take her. A man related to the Golden Flame Clan, and her new Golden Flame Ability.

Jebraim. Jack burned that name into his mind, alongside the handsome face of the brutal warrior.

Jack released his power, letting time return to normal as he turned to look at the kind orphanage owner.

“Did he say anything else? Did he indicate where they were going?” Jack asked the orphanage owner, wincing as she adjusted his bandages. He nodded at her gratefully.

“He said to say if you had an issue with any of that, to come find him when you could defeat a Gem Beast.” The stern woman had a questioning tone in her voice as she spoke, as if she wasn’t quite sure what that meant either.

Jack committed the term to memory, and then took a moment to compose himself, feeling a deep pain in his heart.

..

..

Jack stood out in front of the entrance of the stone courtyard, looking back at the orphanage. He had the rag covered golden sword in his waist, along with the pouch of Lopsided Bear claws and the sole remaining Spirit Crystal. A bag on his back carried all of his other belongings. The bandages wrapping his arm remained tightly wound on, this time with medicine added to them to help reduce the swelling and a makeshift sling holding it up.

His short brown hair tussled in the cool wind of the north as he turned away from the orphanage, his blue eyes gleaming.

After Little Seven had been taken, Jack had rested for a single day before making his decision. He was leaving the orphanage.

He was far stronger than other thirteen year olds, and his demeanor far more mature. He would live on his own, earning a living killing beasts in the wild while he grew stronger. The most important thing he needed to do right now, however, was apply and become an official Hunter.

His eyes tightened as he considered his plan. As a Hunter, he would have access to larger resources and knowledge. He would rapidly become stronger, and he would hunt down this Jebraim, and find Little Seven.

First, though, he needed to actually pass the examination. He took a glance at his left shoulder, wincing.

If he waited for his arm to heal, he would lose out on at least a month of time. Jack shook his head, his determination gathering. He would just have to pass the exam without using his left arm.

Jack took one last look at the orphanage behind him before turning, and heading off towards the center of town. One of the gate guards he was familiar with had given him advice on a cheap inn he could stay at, and he planned on heading out from there directly to the Hunter Association Branch.

Forty minutes passed by as Jack walked through the city, wincing as he walked. The pain in his shoulder grew more and more pronounced as he carried the weight of his extra clothes and belongings.

Finally, he arrived in front of the inn address he had been given, looking it over. It was a decent sized inn, three stories tall with a couple of connecting buildings. Not extravagant, but larger than smaller inns.

He walked into the inn and found the greeter. A few minutes later, Jack had successfully managed to rent out a room for the next week, spending half of his leftover gold from hunting beasts. Renting a room was much more expensive than he had anticipated, but still not a real issue.

He dropped everything off till he had just the rag covered golden sword and the Hunter outfit he had purchased earlier on, as well as the pouch with the bear claws in it. He hooked his arm back into the makeshift sling as he looked in a foggy mirror at himself, frowning. The large red, cross shaped scar stood out as ever on his face.

The innkeeper he had spoken with downstairs had been very well informed. Apparently this Inn was quite popular with the local city guards due to offering them one free drink a night, and as a result of that, gossip and information made its way here.

Jack had learned from the innkeep that the next opportunity to take the Hunter Examination would be in two days, and that these tests were opened every two weeks.

Jack sighed, feeling a smoldering pit of anger in his stomach, and a sense of helplessness. He looked up at the ceiling, wondering how Little Seven was doing, and hoping she was okay.

..

..

In the blink of an eye, two days passed. Jack had spent the time resting and recuperating in his room, trying to train his Spirit. In that time, Jack had noticed that his Spirit Circle had grown from eighteen meters to nineteen meters, just a step away from the peak of the Bearing Light Stage.

The swelling on his left shoulder had gone down slightly, but the fact that it was broken remained unchanged. It would take several weeks to heal. Once he became a Hunter, Jack would have access to whatever doctors or staff the Branch Association had. Till then, the best he could do was see a local midwife the Auntie Elm knew, one who was very experienced in setting broken bones.

Seeing anyone with any medical talent required money, which Jack was sorely lacking. He didn’t want to sell or use the last Spirit Crystal unless he absolutely had to.

And now, Jack blinked as he looked up at the large Hunter Association Branch before him. It was an hour before noon, an hour before the examination began.

The building itself was huge, easily five times the size of his inn, spanning several hundred meters. He could see that it had 3 stories, and a few other smaller buildings off to the side. It was made out of some type of dark grey stone, and had a very solid experience.

Painted on the front of the building was a green circle with a dragon soaring into the sky on it, the universal sign of a Hunter.

With a deep breath, Jack walked into the building, ready to take his first steps on the path of becoming a Hunter, and more importantly, rescuing Little Seven.

As soon as Jack walked in, he noticed an immediate difference in the air. It had become cooler and more refreshing, making him feel more awake and alert. His eyes opened wide in surprise as he took this in.

He was currently in a wide open lobby, filled with wooden chairs and desks. Jack saw the figures of several Hunters walking by, many of them stopping and talking to each other. On the side of the room was an enormous board of wood, filled with sheets of paper.

Each of the Hunters Jack saw all seemed like amazing people. Some wore metal plated armor, others just leather pieces, still others regular clothes or even dresses. Some were equipped with a myriad of weapons, from spears and blades to small metal staffs and daggers, while some were completely unarmed. All of them, however possessed an air of danger that would have made Jack’s eyes shine if his mood was any better.

He walked forward to what looked like a reception desk. A woman wearing a tight grey shirt with long blonde hair and a smile on her face nodded at Jack as he walked up.

“The Hunter Examination. Where is it being held?” Jack cut straight to the point, in no mood to talk. He kept his voice polite, however, not wanting to take his anger out on other people.

“The waiting room for new applicants is down that hall to the left, the first big open room on the left. You should see several other applicants, the examiner will arrive in around an hour. Did you bring your beast proof?” The woman answered his question briskly, returning with one of her own.

Jack brought held up the pouch with the Lopsided Bear claws in them, nodding. The woman gave him a smile and waved him forward, then turning back to writing something at her desk.

He followed her instructions and went to the left, avoiding the gaze of any of the professional Hunters as he made his way down. He noticed a few of them giving him and his bandaged arm odd looks, but nothing malicious. Eventually, he came upon the open room. He looked into it with surprise.

It was as described, big and open. A large circular ring stood in the middle of the room, and several wooden chairs surrounded the room. Off set on the walls of the room were a variety of wooden weapons.

What surprised Jack, however, was what was going on inside the room.

Roughly 15 other applicants were visible in the room. Most of them wore standard leather garments, and carried a basic sword or spear with them.

To his surprise, he saw five finely dressed applicants that were around the same age as him, two girls and three guys. This group seemed to all be together, standing next to each other. The other ten applicants were all either in their early twenties or older, one of them even middle-aged.

In the center of the room right now, however, one of the male applicants that was Jack’s age was currently yelling at one of the applicants that was in their early twenties. Several of the older applicants currently all had angry or annoyed faces as they faced the younger applicant.

“Hahaha, oh that is great, commoners like you want to become official Hunters.” The speaker looked to be maybe a year older than Jack. He had long blonde hair and a very large hooked nose, with a lanky, tall body. On his back was a large steel mace. The rest of his friends were all smiling alongside him, staring at the one the noble had singled out.

Jack frowned. He recognized this type of arrogance. He’d seen and heard it before, in many of the local nobles, or the sons of some of wealthy merchants. It was commonplace. He shook his head as he walked into the room. He had no respect for people like that.

One of the girls in the group of young nobles, a heavyset brunette, noticed Jack enter, turning to her friends with a squeal,

“Oh look Daren! Now we have an actual beggar applying too! And look at his face! Horrifying!”

“Wow, seems like he isn’t someone we should cross, eh?” The other girl, a slim blonde with bright green eyes, chimed in, mocking the scar on Jack’s face. The group broke into laughter. Jack stared at them emotionlessly, long used to and inured from getting mocked for his scarred appearance.

In his heart, however, the small smolder of anger that had resided in him ever since Little Seven was taken began to burn a little brighter.

The speaker turned to stare at Jack and then began laughing alongside the rest of his group.

“Oi, beggar, what is your name, perhaps if you bow down to me I’ll give you some tips before the exam.”

Jack ignored them and sat down in one of the chairs, focusing on his surroundings as he prepared for the upcoming examination.

The speaker, presumably Daren, frowned when he saw Jack ignoring him. Veins throbbed in his lanky forehead as he stepped forward in front of Jack.

“Beggar. I said, What. Is. Your. Name.”

Jack looked up. The angry noble was currently glaring down at him, his eyes expectant. Jack looked around at the other applicants, seeming them all quickly avoid his gaze or look away, except for the oldest applicant, the middle-aged man, who just stared at him blankly.

Jack snorted in derision. He would never give in to arrogance like this, not unless he was forced to. Strength ruled this world.

“How dare you ignore me, beggar!” The young noble mistook Jack’s snort of derision to be directed at him and suddenly slapped forward with the back of his right hand, aiming for Jack’s face. Just faintly, Jack could see a gleam of blue light, indicating that the noble had imbued his hand with Spirit Energy.

Jack’s eyes went cold as he saw this, the deepset anger inside him begging to burst free.

He looked at the incoming hand, and, with a breath, activated his Natural Ability, causing the world around him to slow.