Chapter 76: New Beginning

"Lad, ye food for today," said the lady. Pushing a tin of soup between the iron tubes. Darkness enveloped the cubbyhole, but Ned was sure, she was half-wearing a linen clothing, high noon-light made their way through the holes, making her figure visible, along with a blade hanging on her hip. Just like the other ladies that served him soup. The same soup that contained sea creature's meat, seaweeds, and water-filled with salt. The same soup for the past two weeks times. 

For once, no males served him food. He was eager to learn how many are they outside. If only he would unchain himself. He could, but he won't. Unchain from the rusty iron, binding him along with the moss-laden wall. 

Ned shut his eyes, feeling the weightless ship waltzing left and right to appease the angry waves. He breathes in deep, unsure if he was taking in air or water at the same time.

As the lady opened the timbered door, the breeze of sea wind made its way inside the darkened room. A wind clogged with salt and sand. Closing the door made Ned realized he was back to square one. Sitting. And waiting. And eating. And absorbing the thin Mana scattered in the parameter. 

Ned has been doing this routine for the past couple of weeks, if only he was alone, he could hoard all the Mana by himself. To his left, a man who hasn't moved an inch since he was caged inside the ship. For two weeks, the man's posture was cross-legged. Straightened back. And calm breathing.  A man wrapped with ragged linen bandages, a wrap that shut his eyes on the process. 

Ned was stretched at 5'8". But to his right, Ned was nothing but an ant. A gigantic life form, triple the size of Ned, stood unmoving, Maker only knew for how long. Beneath his foot was a coffin. Beaded with black and white pearls on its edges. A coffin the size of the giant's palm. 

Ned let out a sigh, the iron chains clanged as he sat and lean. Feeling the cold moisture creeping on his back. 

I kept on absorbing Mana these past few days. Ned said in his thoughts. Communicating to ICE. Yet, the increase is too slow. 

[Remember,]

ICE responded.

[You only absorbed Pure Mana. The rest of impurities were discarded, by either your bodily fluids or in your breathing.] 

Two weeks for 600 Mana Points? Ned sighed. After I... Devoured Rassus, I can feel something has changed within my body. ICE, can you check it again. 

[Scan complete.]

[Aside from your low energy, and mysterious Core that formed inside your body. Everything is fine. Your body is stable.]

Well, I don't have the appetite to eat. Ned thought. Waving his hand above the soup. The soup then disappeared. Focused his mind and felt his inventory. Sixteen soup, perfectly lined and all looked the same inside his Inventory. Along with the 30, 000 Mana stones.  The Knight's Token. Master Will's Token. Kingdom of Griffith's Selection Token. The broken Butterfly. Praha's Cube. And the mysterious packages floating randomly in vast space. And the five dishes Kamma left him; Ramen, Phadthai, Ham and cheese, Rocky Road Ice Cream, Cassoulet. 

[What are you doing with the soup, Ned?]

I haven't eaten for two weeks, and I don't want to eat Kamma's food just because I'm starving. Ned replied. And food is my main source of energy. I'm only fourteen, so my body will keep on growing. 

[How about you eat one?]

[According to Earth's customs. A birthday should be celebrated with the people you cared.]

Birthday huh, Ned scoffed. It doesn't work that way here. Besides, that was two weeks ago. Too late for that. 

[It is only the second week of December. It wasn't that long. No harm with eating a soup, Ned. Celebrate, this might be the last chance you will have.]

ICE said. Trying to outwit Ned and force him to eat his soup. 

Lower frost month huh. I wonder what the Upper Wind month would give us. 

[Do not mind January. It is the future. And we are not there yet. The key to the future; is your present Ned.]

Ned breathes in deep. He balanced himself with his hands as the ship went struggling with the ocean waves. Iron chains clanged across his cell. Barrels rolled and liquids leaked. Ned heard a commotion outside. But he doesn't care. He's a prisoner after all.

He breathes again, taking in the damp air. And focused. He could feel a hint of Mana entering his very pores. 

[Plus. You are not alone here. Celebrate with the people around you.]

Ned opened his eyes, feeling outwitted with ICE's persuasions. He smiled. And grateful. Thank you, ICE. At least I'm not left alone, and I rather talk to you, than anyone else. Well, just this one, okay?

He waved his hand, and a bowl of Ramen appeared, steam melted the salt in the air. He waved once more and another bowl of soup appeared. Not satisfied, he focused, then a cassoulet appeared. "Ramen, and Phadthai, with cassoulet," Ned muttered. Days had passed and he now felt a pinch inside his stomach smelling the aroma of meat, rice noodles,  boiled egg, and white beans. 

The man wrapped in bandages jerked. 

The coffin beneath the giant shook. 

And all it takes for the two of them to move was the aroma the dishes Ned served. 

"Kid," said the man wrapped in bandages. A croaky voice filled the room. "What provisions you got there?" 

"Choose one," Ned replied. Didn't bothered to look at the man. "You'd better hurry, the ships not on our side."

Ned believed that the man was captured longer than him. And this was the only time he spoke or moved. 

"Hmmm," wondered the man. "Give me your best."

"They were all -"

Ned gazed to where the loud bang was. His hand slid across his waist. Feeling the hilt of the sword, which he doesn't have. Muscle memory. Ned thought. And shook his head. 

The coffin cracked and a slender hand made its way outside the gaps of the coffin. Cracking joints and pounding woods made Ned realized that whoever was inside the coffin, was not human at all. 

Second to exit was a hair, a silver hair lit by a faint light. Next the face, aside from Toni, and maybe Naa'ri, this was the third time Ned saw beauty beyond, beyond. Then, her body creeped out the coffin. Wooden body. She could be a perfect lady If not for her wooden body. Puppet? Ned wondered. 

The puppet moved, her neck cranked as if it was mechanical. Looked at Ned and made a winking expression before she opens her mouth. Mouth filled with perfect human teeth, small nose, rounded eyes, she looked more of a living. Her head twitched and jerked. "The smell?" She said. Her voice was mechanical and high pitched. "May I... have one, mister?" 

Ned stared the puppet with amusement. He noticed a faint yellowish light inside her chest. Hollow wooden chest. 

"Afraid not, mister?" She said. Gazed at Ned with amusement as well. 

"No," Ned said. And smiled.  "Why would I."

The puppet went silent and kept on staring at Ned. And snapped only when the aroma entered her nose, once again. "May I have one, mister?"

There were six cages when Ned was captured. But he wasn't sure if there were others, since the other cages were filled with barrels and boxes. So he only took out three of his food. Or provision, as the man wrapped in bandages, said.

"Here," Ned said. Passing the Phadthai to the puppet, unluckily, the bowl wasn't fitted enough between the iron tubes. So the puppet stretched her hand and ate what was available. But Ned wondered if how would the puppet girl eat?

Ned pushed the Ramen towards the man in bandages. Which the latter willingly accepted. 

Ned stared at the cassoulet between his fingers. The plate was hot. And the food is better served fresh and hot. Ned ate the dish. The meat was tender and juicy, along with the beans that melted into his mouth. He peeked at the puppet girl. Ned wondered how magic really worked in the world of Earflgard. He saw the puppet ate the rice noodles, and her chest was hollow. But how come the food wasn't falling, nor entering her stomach. The food vanished before it reached her stomach. Ned could only shake looking at the puppet with a smile on her face. 

"Kid, here," the man said. Passing the bowl back to Ned. "Your provision's luscious, I am satisfied. What is your name, kid?" he grinned.

Ned took the bowl and vanished. Ned noticed the man shrugged a shoulder upon seeing the bowl entered his inventory. "Ned Strat," he replied. 

Inside the bandages, the man formed a smile. A smile so wide some part of his teeth, yellow teeth, could be seen. He pulled some of the bandages of his mouth, showing a full lip with visible scars. "Did you just tell me your name? Like your real name?"

It was too late for Ned to think of his consequences. He never thought that he'd went lax along with unfamiliar people. People he just met. 

[Ned, I could sense an ominous aura.]

The man grinned and laughed as the aura of black dispersed off his body.  "It's been too long that I killed someone with a name!" Cried the man. "Ohh, kid. I like your food. I really am. Unfortunately for you. I like killing more!" 

The puppet girl could do nothing but kept on sipping the noodle as she stared the man releasing an ominous aura. Blank stare it was.

Ned stared the man, lift a hand, lit a fire that danced on his palm. "Occultist," Ned said.