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Sorry for a reaaaaaaly long hiatus that i had. It's a really bad thing I understand, especially for fresh fiction like mine. Either way SORRY! I'll try to post more stuff of soon. Hope you'll enjoy the chapter!

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“Wake up, you drunken piece of shit. Morning’s up. Rise and shine. Time to go. ” – a man with ronin-esque ponytail grumbled right after he gave a surprise tap in the guts to the young man in a pile of drunken bodies. The brat was lying on top of a jolly man with a great white beard.

*cough* *cough*

*other choking sounds*

“Uuuugh… fuck oooooooff Rom… nobody wants your shit…*mumble* mumble*” – was the answer he got back.

*smack*

*cough* *cough*

After fuming at Nick, Rom sighed and decided to get this over with.

“All right, if I’ll continue this we’ll get nowhere… You really shouldn’t get fucked up when you’re already fucked up.”- remarked the man, cringing at the smell of alcohol mixed with vomit. He could hear some more random mumbling coming out of Nick’s mouth but didn’t pay it much attention. Grabbing the boy by his boot, he then dragged him out of the mountain of wasted men towards the bar stand, where the main waitress was standing, overlooking the chaos of an inn and rubbing her forehead.

‘I really do need to fix my sleeping habits don’t I?’ – thought Rom, after cringing yet again as he stood in the yellow liquid on the floor.

“Mmmmmmm…, from here the inn really does look like shit doesn’t it. A question, Reifa: What the fuck happened when I was asleep? “– said the hunter with shock, intaking the same view as the waitress did. Ignoring the niceties of half digested food and drink on the floor and walls, the inn still managed to look horrible. Most of the tables and chairs were all over the place and some were even broken , charred undergarments were hanging off a small chandelier, men, that Rom knew had will as hard as a rock, were hugging each other and making weird noises like “Hyaaan”. The innkeeper, Broley, had one side of his beard charred, while the other one was… yellow. Even the innkeeper guard, Khern, was out of it, sitting on a chair in the corner, snoring.

*sigh*

Both of them sighed in unison.

“I can’t really remember. I’s bloody dronk too, sure tho t’ was yer friend’ere whom started all of ‘is. So next ‘ime, keep’im on a leash…please. We o’nt charge’yeh fo’ damages, but please… Next ‘ime, look afta ‘im. ” – Reifa, woman in her 50s with red hair, large build and green waitress attire pleaded to the adventurer.

Scratching his short black beard(full beard), severely confused Rom, made an attempt to understand her Kairin accent, but gave up almost instantly, resolving to a classical smile(which usually didn’t mean anything) and a quick nod. The only man he could understand in this bloody inn was Broley, but he currently was busy making out with his foot, so it was out of the question to make sense. And so after waving to Reifa and saying ‘have fun’, he proceeded to the exit, dragging the shitty drunk behind him.

‘Chaos, huh.’

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Rom always liked to stroll through the forest no matter how dangerous or eerie it could be, he just loved it. The fresh air, untouched by the smell of furnaces and mana converting machines of Illidan, always had a refreshing effect on him. Maybe he got this habit as a child as he used to sneak out of his village in the Railrok Forest to play every time. Being fairy-touched also helped it as forests, full of life and magic denser then the fog on Broken Isles amplified his abilities. But even this atmosphere didn’t relieve him of his displeasure. He knew he was about to deal with some really annoying shit.

‘Should’ve gone here first, he looks far worse. Bloody boy, shouldn’t have left him… Fucking drunkard.’ – he contemplated as he carried Nick. The brat didn’t wake up even after 3 hours of him being dragged around the city. He shook his head yet again, regretting his ‘sleeping habits’ and focused his sense again. The aura of the forest, again shared with him a fresh breeze of mana. It wasn’t too long till he finally sensed another source of energy, more focused and shielded away, hidden from any humans and tainted alike. He increased his pace

The closer he was to the source the less light was sipping through the trees, making it a touch eerier than before, as if to scare away all those that could not feel the pleasant aura in front of them. Soon enough, he stumbled upon a thin-looking vine wall, covered in darkness of the forest.

One time he saw a man trying to force himself through one of those, before the vines quickly gripped his body and like a wooden doll disassembled him, dragging the broken pieces into the wall itself. Rom shuddered as he recalled the crunching sounds he heard from it. Though memory of that bastard dying did bring him certain satisfaction, he still didn’t want to deal with the sanctuary security. Never.

‘Well… let’s start this…fuck…Hope she won’t kill me for bringing someone like…Haaaa… I can already sense malice coming from the other side…’- cringed Rom as he removed the glove off his right hand.

He gently touched the vines and focused his senses on it. The skin on his hand started to shine in pale blue color.

[Open.] ‘And don’t rip me apart…’

The vines slowly untangled themselves revealing a small entrance enough for Rom and his passed out companion to fit in. A bright light coming from the other side made Rom to cover his eyes until they finally got used to it, just to see the beautiful scenery of a pond surrounded but luscious green and cyan trees, with many different rare beasts peacefully roaming around. A kenasha, three-eyed deer with five crimson horns, its hide coloured white, hooves made out of ebony and a tail comprising of ebony and diamond scales capable to pierce even the Ancient’s armor, where kenasha’s magic capacity able to wipe out half of the town. Zemiar, a serpent like creature capable of fusing with other beasts. Qualot, a half-dog half crow like beast with feathers capable of transmuting flesh into plants. All of the animals near the pond were extremely dangerous, yet passive and generally not aggressive to humans, their pelts, horns, feathers, canines on the other hand were objects of desire by many hunters looking for a small fortune. But what caught Rom’s eye the most was the pond itself. Reflecting the sun rays of a still surface, it coloured the water into ivory, making it look like a mirror of kings and queens themselves. Its aura is what was also attracting him, the purity, the density of magic and nature, the essence of life itself.

[I greet you, Lord of Ei’arasha. But I must say I am not pleased to see you bring such… abomination in my small home. I am afraid you have to explain yourself.]

A calm beautiful voice echoed through the sanctuary.

A small blue wisp emerged from the pond, quickly flying towards him. As it flew above the grass and animals, you could see the grass waving in this windless space and animals bowing, to their host, their ruler.

Rom carefully placed Nick on the green land and bowed curtsey. The grass under Nick’s body started to wither and change color to yellow. The fairy’s blue body flickered brightly red for a moment.

‘Shit.’

[I greet you, Host of Al’onasha. I am here to ask you a favor…] ‘Fuck, this is going to suck so badly…’ [This young man here, has been struck with the curse of amyralla. He has saved my live, but by my mistake got cursed. I have been incapable to purify him, but still managed to sustain his state. He cannot wake up, right now and I fear he is soon to meet his end. For the past history we had, please help him.]

The wisp flickered again, brighter, as if in anger, but a calm echo emerged yet again.

[Why should I care about an abomination, such as this, hunter. You know fully well the debts have been paid and it is foolish of you to lie to me about… it. You know fully well, I am not prone to tolerating any petty lies or half-trues. Do not forget your place, human. Even if a part of you is like us, you are not like us.]

‘Well, fuck…’- thought the fairy-touched as he gave a quick look around. The beasts were staring at him and the grass was ‘waving’ at his boots as if trying to grip them. He looked down at his Iwarian sword and his trusty old sylverite kama and then gazed at Nick. Considering, he finally decided.

He kneeled on one leg and faced downwards.

[El’asha A’oriem O’imalat, The Guardian Of The Pond of Life, Lord of Purity, I beg you to forgive me and listen to what this man truly is and if you so will, help him.]

[Have dwelling amongst the humans, made you completely dull to our customs. Rise, hunter. I can already feel everything there is about this man. The magic around him distorts. The taint that he, and only he should bear sips through into the air, into the essence of magic itself. He is like a disease here, spreading his leprosy to those that are innocent…]

The small ball of energy was flickering constantly, letting all of the anger she had at Rom.

[What if I told you he is the incarnation of chaos itself? That he is capable of not only ‘distorting’ the magic around him, but the time space and the essence of life itself.] ‘Fuck you, making me throw out most of my cards…’

The energy of fairy, in a split second, moved as an uneasy sea , as if baffled, intrigued by Rom’s words.

[And the taint?]

‘She is not going to be happy with this one…’[…Is that of a demon.]

Silence.

[Class?]

The wisp flickered yet again and then again and again.

Rom swallowed hard.

[Gargantula.]

Silence.

-

-

-

The fairy seemed to twinkle constantly without stop, like one of those magic decorations people put around their house upon Norsendir, a celebration of the rebirth of the true king Nh’shasa. He recalled his days long ago in the past with his mom and … Rom caught himself as the small ball stopped its light show. Frustrated at himself for losing his guard and diving in pointless dreams, he cursed inwardly and then started to construct possible outcomes, considering his circumstances, surroundings and battle prowess. To be honest with his (almost) super human abilities he would’ve be able to fight off all of the creatures and flee, without bliss, but with Nick cursed and unconscious, made his escape so much more complicated, if damn nearly impossible.

[Fine. I shall grant you, your request. As a price for tainting this place, you shall go to the other well of power and cleanse it of the tainted one, that resides there. As for the price for your request… Both you and … your companion will be in my debt and will bear the mark of l’keesen for 3 human years.]

Rom smirked inwardly at that. He, then, made a troubled expression as if shocked at her claim.

[That’s…… Yes, I agree. Thank you, Host of Al’onasha.]

The ball flickered yet again. Rom could not understand what it could’ve meant.

[Before I treat… this, you must seek the new well, at this location.]

Images of a dark forest with rotted trees appeared in Rom’s mind. He saw himself running, in a manner only farlessi do, with a small jump and a trajectory of half-crescent sun. The creature ran with haste as if chased by something. Soon the scene of dead trees, changed to the pond, water dark as the moonless sky, surrounded by piles rotting corpses and pieces of flesh. Rom faintly felt the creature’s despair and sadness, akin only to other animals, as it gazed at the pile and recognized its own family in it. Soon a shadow appeared, forming its shape from the darkest parts of the forest, like a hurricane mending itself together from the dead parts. First the main body, then the limbs and heads and lastly tentacles. It was Aurm, a tainted beast of pain and malice. A twisted creature born out of sick thoughts and insufferable pain inflicted on the creatures. It only appears at places where a large quantity of animals have been slaughtered and mutilated. The tainted once fully formed has multiple heads and limbs growing out of many spots on its body, like a meshed up together ugly sewn doll. Once the creature fully matures it is capable to use taint akin to magic, its behavioral patterns change – it becomes more nomadic rather than territorial, it gains intellect and is able to cast illusions altering its appearance. This abomination bears deep hate to everything that is living and even deeper to humans, like most tainted. And like most of them are weak against magic and fire. This one in particular seemed just to be couple of months old and it only used 2 legs to support its whole weight, which made it much easier for the hunter. Once the monster noticed farlessi, the poor creature stopped in its tracks, struck by fear. Rom felt faint echo of the terror the animal felt, heard the cries of the tainted one the fox heard, felt numb dull pain of the creature being skinned and shattered to pieces, before everything went black and the memory cut off.

‘Why so fucking dramatic…’ – Rom thought as he wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. He fought many Aurm in his time, killed many of them and fought far worse and far more dangerous things than a rampaging mass of dead flesh.

[Can you then, aed’nasha allow me to take him with me then?]

‘A push to…’

[Why so untrustworthy, palash, do you have more secrets to keep? Have you spoken more half-truths then I have expected?]

Rom smiled. This time openly.

[I do not bear much trust to those that want to place mark of l’keesen on me and things that belong to me. Swear to me on Heron of the Tree, that you shall not kill him, nor let him die and will not take advantage of the arrangement, then he may remain here.]

The fairy flashed in anger both at his insolent light hearted tone, the words and of course the demand.

[Also, if you will allow me, I shall remind you that taint grows stronger closer to the other source of taint. Aaaaaand before you say anything more.]

His tone changed.

[Yes, I am willing to take the risk. And I have my reasons for it. Everyone is allowed to have secrets but nothing I have said is half-truth.] He lied.

Fairy shimmered for a moment. Then flew towards the young man on the dead grass.

He had strong features and could be considered amongst humans as rather handsome or attractive. His blond hair smeared in dirt, were long, but they were shaved at the sides. The fairy read that this hairstyle was common amongst the adventurers in Amrolk, in Hjaalmar. She also remarked that he is relatively young, maybe about 20-22 human years. She felt the taint in him too, running deep and strong inside of him, though subdued by something strange, new for her. Like a hurricane keeping the wyvern in its range. She tried to reach deeper, towards his heart, to see the feelings, what kind of person he is, but caught herself before. Baffled by her own actions towards the stranger and most of all human and an abomination at that, she silently returned back to face Rom.

Once returned, the fairy was silent for what could be no less than a minute. The creatures around the pond now were relaxing and doing their usual routines – eating, conversing with their thoughts sometimes mixed in with their voices, sleeping, singing, running around. None were giving away the threatening atmosphere they had before. As long as their ruler is happy, they can do whatever they want and obliged to nothing.

‘How simple. Just like humans.’ – Rom remarked the irony.

[Palash, I… agree with your demands.] {I, El’asha A’oriem O’imalat, ’in the name of the Tree and the Cycles’, swear to comply with the agreements we have made before.}

‘Short and simple. Good.’

There was no need for fairy to voice any agreements as ‘The Oath’ knows what she knows, know what he knows, knows what everything knows, and thus sees no lies.

[So, Palash? Oaths have been made. Agreements have been sealed. What are you waiting for?]