Chapter 82: One Last Errand

Ash: “Are you crazy?”

Nathan: “It’s the only way to get a new one, I don’t have a choice.”

Iris had yet to return, leaving the three free to talk. Ash now knowing the truth behind Nathan’s abilities, held his head like he had a headache.

Ash: “She’s gonna be so pissed off when she finds out.”

The three glanced over to Iris, moving about with Belle, blissfully unaware of their conversation.

Nathan: “That’s why I’m not telling her for now, at least until I told all of you.”

When Nathan first obtained the ability ‘Bane’, he was surprise at the conditions. For every new poison he wanted to obtain, he had to be infected with the poison from an outside source; simply meaning someone besides him had to dose him with it. And similar to the time limit with his new plants, where if he opted to eat the plant or the plants’ seed, depending on how much poison he is infected with, the time limit is longer or shorter. However, the worse of the conditions was the types of poisons he could utilize. The only poisons he could use are poisons created by man for the purpose of being used as a poison; meaning that natural toxic substances couldn’t be used.

Ash: “So only poisons created for the purpose of poisoning someone or something can be added to your repertoire.”

Nathan: “That’s right.”

Ash: “What a convoluted condition, you have to be attacked in order to use it.”

Nathan: “You’re the one who said it could be anything and I had to experiment.”

Ash: “I didn’t say get shot with a fricking arrow, I hope you’re not planning to let people attack you just to see if you can obtain more poison?”

Nathan: “Not if I had some friends who were willing to help me out…?”

Ash: “What? Wait. Is this why you’re telling me…? You want me to attack you with deadly poisons?”

Nathan: “Not attack me, just a prick in my finger with a poison needle would suffice.”

Ash: “You sound like you already tested it.”

Ash turned to Anais, who simply shrugged her shoulders.

Ash: “Are you kidding me, you really did it!?”

Anais: “I didn’t know what he wanted; he just came to me in the middle of the night and ask me to prick him with a pin. It wasn’t until after the fact, that he told me what I did.”

Nathan: “If I had told you, you wouldn’t have done it.”

Anais: “Of course I wouldn’t have, willingly injected you with poison.”

Nathan: “Even though i keep telling you guys over and over, I’m immune to being poisoned.”

Ash: “Okay, then why don’t you say the same thing to Iris?”

Nathan: “I will, I just need all of you to help me convince her.”

Ash: “You think we can help change her mind!? Why would she listen to us over you?”

Nathan: “Well, the thing is I don’t have a good track record when it comes to experimenting with my abilities.”

Nathan turned his head away from Ash, trying to avoid eye contact.

Ash: “I don’t get what you’re saying.”

Anais: “He means he’s done stupid things before.”

Ash: “How many stupid things?”

Nathan: “Not that many.”

Anais: “A lot.”

Nathan: “Don’t over-exaggerate.”

Anais: “Exaggerate? Let’s see, you tried dropping a 3,000+ page book on your head to test your healing.”

Nathan: “That was one-off.”

Anais: “You tried eating corpses of monsters multiple times.”

Nathan: “They all looked like plants.”

Anais: “You healed a wild monster and was bitten in the process.”

Nathan: “I thought it was cool-looking.”

Anais: “You get into your ‘experimenting’ in that you throw caution to the wind and just try anything you can think of.”

Ash looked at Nathan in disbelief.

Ash: “No wonder she so overprotective, you’re a walking disaster.”

Anais: “No he’s just stupid.”

Nathan: “Okay, I get it. I do stupid things, but I really can’t help it this time. I need both of your help to convince her, pleeeeeeeeease.”

Nathan put his hand together and pleaded with them. Anais looked at each other and then sighed simultaneously.

Anais: “Fine, will help you, but only to convince her.”

Nathan: “Really!?”

Ash: “And if she says no, I won’t be helping you go behind her back.”

Nathan: “That’s fine, thank you.”

Anais: “Yeah, yeah.”

Belle: “Here’s the water you asked for.”

Iris returned with Belle, who set a pitcher of water on the table, along with several cups for their use.”

Belle: “Do you need anything else?”

Nathan: “Ah, no, but thank you for the water. Has Matthew finished with his meeting?”

Belle: “I’m afraid not, I’ll have to ask you to wait a little while longer.”

Ash: “Well, I’m done here, gonna finish helping out Ramol, before you guys leave, let me know if you change your mind about shopping.”

Ash whisper to Nathan on his way out.

Ash: “We should wait until will all together, that way everyone can co-operate.”

Nathan nodded in agreement, as Ash waved his hand and walked off. Nathan sat back down then grabbing a cup; he filled it with water and took a sip. He glanced over to Iris who had begun conversing with Anais, until she noticed him looking.

Iris: “Master?”

Nathan: “It’s nothing.”

Nathan leaned back in the chair, while Iris and Anais when back to talking, leaving him alone to rest. He didn’t notice until now, but he was a little tired; the morning events must have taken more out of him than he thought.

While he had time, he decided to fiddle with his abilities for a bit, namely his ‘Tweak’. Right now, all he really knew about it was that he could add and subtract stats from armor and weaponry, along with removing and replacing special traits. He began to test a lot of things, but he was coming up short.

The one thing he really wanted to try was to see if he could possibly change around the stats of a person, but there was a risk. If by chance it worked, he could permanently change some stats, with no way to reverse them. He would have to try this on a subject he thought that wouldn’t matter and the only thing he could think of that would fit this would be a random monster.

That would take some doing, since the monster won’t just sit there and let him do what he wanted to do. He had to hold off for now, at least until he was in the dungeon, then he could find his un-willing subject.

Belle: “Excuse me.”

Nathan: “Yes? Is Matthew done with his meeting?”

Belle: “Not yet, but Miss Anais has received a message.”

Anais: “Me!?”

Belle: “It seems the Rselaia family wishes to meet with you, in person.”

Anais: “What?”

Belle: “They want to thank you for returning the emblem.”

Anais: “Ah, sound tedious, no thanks."

*Bonk*

Anais: “Ow, what was that for?”

Nathan: “What do you mean?...They want to thank ‘you’ in person. It probably meant a lot that you returned it. The least you could do is meet them.”

Anais rubbed the back of her head.

Anais: “But, you’re the one who actually got it back for her, so you should go.”

Nathan: “But, they asked for you and I have to wait for Matthew.”

Belle: “Actually, she wishes to meet with everyone involved.”

Nathan: “What, but it’s almost noon now, I’ll miss the meeting.”

Belle: “There is no set time for the meeting, Master Matthew may be done by the time you return.”

Nathan: “But-”

*Bonk*

Nathan: "Hey, what was that for?"

Anais: “But what…they want to thank you in person, it must have meant a lot that you returned it, the least we could do is meet them~”

Anais spoke sarcastically, throwing Nathan’s words and actions, right back at him.

Nathan: “Sigh, fine where is it?”

Belle: “It seems they want to meet in the park just past the gate leading into the noble district. If you want, I could make you a map.”

Anais: “No, that’s okay, we’ll just ask for directions.”

Belle: “Are you sure, it’s no trouble?”

Anais: “Absolutely, let’s go guys, we don’t have much time.”

Anais hurriedly pushed passed Belle and out of the lounge, pulling Nathan out on to the street.

Nathan: “What was that about? We could have used a map?”

Anais: “Trust me, no we couldn’t have.”

_

_

_

Nathan, Anais and Iris made their way through the noble districts, by now haven gotten used to the stares and whispers, but now they had to deal with the constant guard watch.

Iris: “Did we do something wrong?”

Nathan: “No, it’s probably that Bernard guy, there wearing similar armor.”

Anais: “The one who ask about your weapons?”

Nathan: “Yeah, he’s been keeping an eye on us, ever since that night.”

Anais: “What, I don’t remember seeing anyone like them watching us.”

Nathan: “Of course not, we are being watched all the time now, we’ve gotten too use to it.”

Iris: “And they wish to start trouble now?”

Nathan: “They could, but they probably won’t, at least not until we finished our business.”

Anais: “Speaking of business, where the heck are, we?”

Anais asked an obvious question, with an obvious answer.

Nathan: “I don’t know, you’re the only one who’s been in this part of town.”

Anais: “I was exactly stopping to take in the sights.”

Nathan: “That and you found it by accident, right?”

Anais: “Let’s just ask someone for directions.”

Iris: “She avoided the question.”

Nathan: “So I was right then...”

Anais: “Shut up.”

Looking around, there were only guards and the citizens of the noble district. If they asked a guard, they would in turn ask a million questions and report any little thing they said back to their superiors. Also, if they say something that either of the girls didn’t like, it could lead to an altercation. That only left the nobles, but they were avoiding them like the plague, choosing to stare at them from a distance.

Iris: “Master, why not just follow the scent?”

Nathan: “I’ve been trying too, but it’s hard to make out with this ink, not to mention this paper.”

The paper itself wasn’t too bad a smell, but the ink was a whole different story. It was an extremely overpowering smell, that was destroying the scent of the writer. It was akin to the smell strong smells produced by hardware chemicals from his world, a dizzying, headache-inducing and nostril-wreaking smell.

Anais: “Then just use your eyes to see the smell.”

Nathan: “What? In the middle of the city…are you crazy? You know what happened last time I did that here.”

Anais: “You passed out drunk.”

Nathan: “I wasn’t drunk, I was extremely dizzy and disoriented.”

Anais: “That’s what I said; drunk.”

Nathan: “I wasn’t drunk, you know what; I don’t care. Cause’ I’m not saying it.”

Anais: “You’re not saying what?”

Nathan made a deflated expression, one of Anais’ over-used tricks.

Nathan: “Do you really think I’ll fall for that?”

Anais: “Tsk!”

Nathan: “Don’t suck through your teeth at me.”

Iris: “Anais, what are you trying to do to Master?”

Anais: “Nothing.”

Nathan: “Don’t lie, she’s trying to trick me into saying the phrase that will activate the ability.”

Iris: “What phrase is that?”

Nathan: “She trying to get me to say, ‘I’m Lost’”.

*Shnnnnnng*

Nathan: “DAMMIT!”

Nathan eyes were flooded with information, as the sounds and smells of the word became visible. Nathan held his head as the headache started to arrive.

Iris: “Master what’s wrong?”

Anais: “Good job Iris, the plan worked.”

Iris: “What?”

Nathan: “So, Iris was in on it, huh?”

Iris: “What!? I haven’t the faintest idea what’s happening.”

Nathan: “Sure, let’s just get this done so this ability shuts off.”

Iris tried desperately to explain that she wasn’t involved, but Nathan ignored her as best he could. Her voice along with every other sound and smell around him was seen as a multitude of different colors. Like a million-color-rainbow they danced around him, but he had to admit, it wasn’t as bad as when he was in the storm, far from it. He focused on the invite letter; the ink color was a bold black that encased the entirety of the letter, even spots where no ink rested. However, the unpleasant sight of the ink was nothing compared to what he was seeing from the letter writer.

He had found the trail, but it came to him as a black, intangible mass. Like a swarm of insects, it danced all over the paper and rose into the sky. Nathan shuddered looking at the mesh of black, it was extremely uncomfortable sight and he wanted nothing more but to toss the letter aside and move quickly away from here, but at the same time he was curious as to what the black mass meant.

Iris: “Master did you hear me? Hey wait…Master?”

Anais: “Come on let’s follow him?”

Anais and Iris took off after Nathan, who followed the plague-like scent. Though extremely unpleasant to see, the black mass consumed every other color that came close. No matter how unpleasant, it made it easier for Nathan to concentrate on following and soon enough, he arrived at a park. The black mass danced around the area, but Nathan caught onto the tail-end of the scent.

Iris: “Master.”

Anais: Why’d you stop?”

Nathan: “The scent, its circulating around here.”

Nathan watched as the trail lead around the park, zigging in and out of sight.

Nathan: “We’ll just have to search the area, until we find the source.”

Iris: “Will you be okay, until then?”

Nathan: “No choice, once the ability activates it won’t stop until I’m no longer lost.”

Nathan held his head and walked around the park, Anais and Iris following behind. Iris held Anais back, so that they may speak out of ear-shot.

Iris: “Anais, you shouldn’t have made him do this if it causes him so much pain.”

Anais: “I’ll apologize later, but I’m really doing it for him. Don’t you think it’s weird to have an ability that hurts from using it?”

Iris: “It is………… a bit strange.”

Anais: “Right, but on the other hand, it’s extremely useful ability. I was thinking the reason why it hurts when he uses it, is because he still getting used to all the information he’s experiencing. When I ate a book for the first time, the information that flew into my head all at once, made me feel like my head was splitting open. But after continued use, slowly the pain went away, to the point where I don’t even notice I had the information, until it’s brought up. It may be painful, but such a useful ability should be use when needed.”

Iris: “And if the pain doesn’t subside and he continues to pass out over and over, will you take responsibility?”

Anais: “What do you mean?”

Iris flew a bit ahead of them and turned to Anais with a cold stare.

Iris: “I mean exactly that; will you take responsibility?”

Cold sweat round down Anais’s neck, she had forgotten how scary Iris was when it came to Nathan. However, the fact that she didn’t attack meant that she trusted Anais to an extent. but still she nodded here head.

Anais: “I-I will.”

Iris seeing the determination in her eyes, conceded and return to her original demeanor.

Iris: “Very well, I’ll leave it for now, however, in the future please refrain from designating me as an accomplice in your schemes.”

A small bit of malice spilled from Iris, enough for Anais to catch on too.

Anais: “I’ll be more careful.”

With their talk finished, the two caught up with Nathan. Nathan had found the source of the black mist, but because of the amount of mist, he couldn’t make out the figures behind it. The two entire body was encased in a mass of crawling black; that hid their figures entirely. It was repulsive, seeing the insect-like color crawl around in a human shape, but he was unable to look away.

Iris: “Master?”

Anais: “Why’d you stop?”

Nathan: “I think I found it.”

No sooner did he say that, did the ability de-activated, the swarming mass of black dissipating in an instant. With the ability inactive, Nathan could finally make out two figures. One was a young woman with blonde hair and a white and black dress, sitting on a bench watching children play.

Anais: “Ah, that man?”

Nathan: “Man?”

Standing next to the woman was a handsome man sporting a light brown armor and a long sword on his back. His un-tamed short red hair danced un-tamed in the wind as he watches over the young lady, ever vigilant.

Anais: “Yeah, he was with the guards at the estate, he’s the one who took the emblem.”

The man quickly took notice of Nathan and Anais. He informed the young lady sitting on the bench who turned and smiled brightly. Standing right up, she made a beeline towards them with the gentlemen following close behind.

Nathan watched the two headed towards him, he thought the pair looked like characters right out of a fairy tale. The ‘princess’ and her ‘knight’, seemed the perfectly as they made their way toward him.

?????: “Kya!?”

*Fwomp*

Nathan’s group: “Ah!”

Suddenly the girl with absolutely no obstructions, fell, flat on her face. To add injury to insult, the wind swept over her, leaving her panties open for the world to see.

Anais covered Nathan’s face, keeping his eyes closed, until the girl was squarely back on her feet. He didn’t understand why she covered his eyes; the image of panties was etched firmly into his brain.

Nathan: “Ah, I honestly was not expecting black, not bad, two thumbs up.”

Anais: “NATHAN, SHUT UP!”