Chapter Five: Filler Part Two

I managed to get to the guild before anyone seemingly left, I noticed Vanessa giving me the stink eye from the inside, but I choose not to do anything about it. She had been very upset with me about trying to get an early graduation, and still is I assume, so I turned around and waited for Damon to appear.

Not long later I heard the door open and saw Damon step pass me. I yelled out to him, “Hey Damon!” He turned to regard me “Yes?” He looked tired and bruised, Mars must also be feeling the frustration of not being able to spar with any in his league. Guess he’s taking it out on the other novices, the lucky bastards. I then noticed that Damon was staring at me silently before he spoke up “Didn’t you want something?”

“Oh, yeah I did.” What was it I wanted from him again? I stood silent for a minute and tried to remember what I wanted from him again, my nose started to bleed again. Damon looked at me with a hint of concern in his eyes that quickly left,

“Well if you don’t remember.. Just ask me later. I’m going to meet up with Master Julian-” I clasped a hand on Damon’s shoulder excitedly remembering what I was going to ask him “Can you show me to Julian’s lot?!” Damon buckled under my grip, but his eyes seemed resolute. “Now why do you want to know that?” He said low and cold, his eye’s staring into my soul.

His glare also most made me want to step back, almost. I returned a similar, but different glare, I could see my visage in his eyes a brutal, vicious grin, and a hungry glare in my eyes. “Why else would I want to go see Julian? I want someone to spar with…. Oh, and do you know where I can find George?” Damon had jumped back the moment I started speaking and produced two shining daggers. His body dropped into a low stance ready to take off towards me animosity clear in his eye’s, but that stopped once he heard what I wanted. Which is a shame he looked like, he might be a good challenge.

“Oh, I do believe I can arrange you seeing George, but excuse my wariness for you meeting my master and your desire to do violence on him.” I spoke to defend myself “I don’t want to do violence on him, just spar with him he looks pretty strong.” Damon looked at me before shaking his head “I don’t see the difference, but this is up to Master Julian to decide, let's go.” I followed Damon down the street towards the plaza, and we went north from there and took a couple of turns, and I stopped paying attention and just followed him.

After we get there I’d just follow the way with the most familiar smell or ask Damon to bring me there again. That brought me to another question “ Hey Damon why couldn’t I find this place?” He responded instantly “Because your an idiot probably... and there’s an enchantment to keep out the uninvited from other lots, the only reason I found it was because Master Julian, made me a charm to be let in and you can get in probably by just forcing your way in.” Oh that made sense, I guess.

A little while later we arrived at the lot, which is a lot nicer and cleaner than our lot. I found out why a minute later, the entire lot is divided neatly into rows and columns for the first three fourths, but the last fourth is divided into larger neater areas. “I can see your interest, Master Julian brought this lot to his heel on his first day and divided it into its current state, anyone you see from this lot, save a few, is a part of Master Julian's faction come let us see him.”

We made our way to the back of the lot where the largest area is, instead of a tent like I have and everyone else too, Julian seemed to have a small manor and a neatly trimmed property, had he made this in a month? Once I got closer I noticed that it’s made of woven live trees, soft looking earth to fill in the gaps, and a bedrock foundation, and reeked of magic. Damon spoke with pride “Master Julian made his home over the course of his first week. It has plumbing, lights, and temperature control, not to mention all the defenses his arcane might can muster.” I whistled that's some serious magic he has there, It would suck to be a robber.

As we got to the mansion, Damon produced an amulet and put it on the door, which swung open revealing a dark spacious room. I entered after Damon and noticed that it seemed to be one large room took up all the space on the first floor. We found Julian quickly, he’s sleeping on a couch made of soft earth, and plants, which looked pretty comfortable. I went over to him and shook him awake, to which Damon yelped and tried to warn me about something, but a wave of force launched me through the wall outside. I rolled with the force and righted myself to see Julian looking angry and sleepy, but trying to figure out which is worth more of his time. Damon soothed him rather quickly, and Julian made a gesture and the wall repaired itself. Feeling a little disappointed that he didn’t seem to want to fight me, I sat outside.

I sat outside waiting for them, and heard a familiar voice, “Atlas is that you?!” I looked and saw a sprinting mass of wild hair and crazed smile diving at me. George wrapped me up in a bear hug, and I responded in kind. He let go a moment later, and spoke a quickly “Atlas where you been buddy? Why haven’t ya come to play? How’s training? Minds going well! Oh, are you here to see Julian too, we’ve become right good pals, we have, I come to see him every day. He doesn’t say much but I think he’s a right good listener!-” I interrupted him “Everything's going fine, though I’ve actually been trying to find the other lots in my spare time and but I suck at it,” I said with a laugh “ I actually came here today see Julian too, and you too I guess, I’ve been suspended from class so I need to kill time till next week.”

That made him smile “Well if you need to kill time I’m your man, if time had a most wanted list I’d be on par with the “Fleet-Footed Adder” himself,” that sent a visual shudder down my spine, George picked up on it “My bad mate, I know most people aren’t fond of that bastard, but it’s just a name. Any way I can keep you entertained, but first, we need to wake Julian, that freaking shut-in wouldn’t do anything besides sleep and have poor Damon do everything for him if not for me! So, follow me!” George rushed to the door pulled out an identical amulet to Damon's, and put it to the door and was shocked and electrocuted till he was black and hair stood up. “My bad must have stolen the wrong one, or maybe they changed the locks. Atlas if you please.” He then steps aside and gesture to the door, I grinned “With pleasure.”

I stepped up to the door and planted my feet, and then swung a roundhouse kick at the door snapping it in two. “Thanks, mate, normally I pinch Damon’s amulet or sneak in when he’s not looking. Anyway time to wake the baby!” He rushed over to Julian still sleeping with Damon trying his best to gently wake him. When Damon saw George he hissed quietly “You! What are you doing in here, I swear I changed the enchantments, wait..”He paused and looked at me and the broken door sighed and said nothing. What’s his problem?

George then proceeds to violently shake Julian awake and was about to be blasted out to, but he dodged it and kept shaking him, “Come On, pretty boy time to get up and get some supper!” That seemed to wake him up instantly, “Where from?” Julian said softly and tiredly, without any anger. George responded instantly “Same place as last time, let's go!” He grabbed Julian by the wrist and dragged him out, I then noticed Damon sighing and looking irate. “Whats up with you?” He looks me in the eyes “The fact that fool, can get the Master to do in seconds what takes me minutes.” I then looked away and walked out.

Julian and George waiting outside, with Julian barely standing and George hopping from one foot to the other, I then heard a crash from inside and Damon walked out looking much less irate, George looked us over “Alright buddies! Let’s get some grubs!” I felt my stomach growl in agreement, and I asked “Great, but where are we going?” George look at me with barely contained humor and said “That be a secret my friend, but the foods great! I take Julian there like twice a week and he’ll vouch for it.” I looked over to Julian who’s head wobbled and his long hair bounced with it, I’ll just take that as a yes. I looked over to Damon but he just sighed.

We followed George, and going through several alleys, ending up here and George stopped us and said: “Welcome gents, to the Back Alley Bush!”

George had brought us to strip club for lunch, I stood their shock before looking back to George, but before I could say anything Julian said while half asleep and innocently “Can we eat out today?”

Causing George to burst out laughing, and causing me to hit him.