Chapter 122: Attempt

Ned left the ruins with a handful of gold in his possession. Two hundred fifty-six gold plus two thousand silver for clearing the game, while Kwan received the same amount of two hundred fifty-six gold and he refused to accept the one thousand silver Ned offered.

This was the first time Ned saw the currency gold. It wasn't shining nor glossy. Roughed edges running in a circle; just like the silver, and bronze, in the middle was a small hole. A hole where one could put a string for convenience purposes.

Kwan left with bandages around his wounded shoulder. Yet, his face wasn't like before; he was more than happy after he received the gold coins. The small bag behind him was bulging round. He almost hugged Ned with the gold he received.

After they exited the forest of Pillowgrass. Kwan left Ned and hoped that they would meet again. After he recovered, Kwan might leave the slums and found his own House. With the resources; his House might last a couple of years before he could start his own business inside the city of Bogaressi.

Ned left the slum and went ahead back to the House of Woods. The lady attendant received Ned with a smile and a furrowed brows.

"You've been occupied, Ned of House Sskat," Fia said. Standing briskly with a smile, her curled hair was tacked behind by a knot. Unlike before, she now looked comfortable. "I heard you joined the famous Chance Arrow game? How was it?"

"How did you know?" Ned said, bowing.

Ah, men of House Tarragon might have visited here. Ned thought. "Nevermind the question," Ned said waving his hand across his face. With the bag behind his back; which Kwan returned before leaving. A brown leather bag the size enough for a regular man to carry, and a small pouch under his belt. Ned then opened the small pouch and chipped two gold coins on the table between him and Fia. "That's for maintaining my House for a year."

Twenty silver for a month for maintaining my House, I might call it cheap. Ned smiled as he thought of how he could save resources at the cheap prices.

Fia flung her head seeing the gold coin in front of her. "Don't tell me," she said with almost a quivering lips. "You? You won the game?"

Ned nodded but soon remembered what Twali have said after he gave Ned his winnings: "Be careful out there, kid."

It seemed thoughtful if it was his master or Toni that said it. But the way how Twali said, slow and heavy under his breath, it was more like a threat. But Ned was sure that only he and Lord Sven were talking about the Mark inside the glass room.

"I must tell Dey," Fia said muttering. But Ned was sure that it should have been a whisper or her thoughts. Seeing how Fia turned red after he said those words, Ned was right. Trying to change the air and conversation Fia pointed at Ned's cheek after she put the gold coins under a high table to her left. "Do you need help with that?"

Seeing that the pieces of furniture filled with dust, Ned thought that they were only out as a cover with their real business. Ned shook his head retracting his eyes away from the furniture that looked like a dresser.

After inquiring about Houses, Ned learned that if he wanted to have a real, and functioning House, he needed to have a family within his House. This family was people that are willing to join his House by giving them his last name—which was Sskat that Ned had registered.

But of course, the price went high starting from a hundred gold coin to have a formal House, which gave Ned thoughtful thinking. Not now. He thought. Master Will comes first, by then, I will have my name changed to Strat.

Ned left Fia by tipping her with a smile and a hundred silver. Which changed the latter's mood to ecstatic.

Ned reached the neatly polished room. After fixing small things, like taking off his clothes, took a warm shower; which he thanked Dey for loaning him the room, he sat at the corner, where the bed was fixed on a wooden floor. He put the bag, and the pouch on the side table, together with the lamp made of bold wood tampered with iron. While his damped clothes were left hanging against a wall, while his boots were placed beside the door.

Ned sat on the bed, after rotating his hands to ease his stiffing joints, he fixed his gaze at the ring located left of his ring finger. With a thought, he recalled the mechanical bow Swift gave perhaps lend to him.

ICE, did it matched? Ned said to his A.I. companion. The voice from the game and the voice her princess had? Ned added in his thoughts.

[Aside from the forced distortion of Swift's voice during the match and the voice Sasani had. With a little comparison of their voice's data. Aligning some spikes of her tone and adjusting the depts. It is safe to say. That Swift and Sasani's voice signature did match.]

"Swift huh," Ned muttered. Why hide, Sasani? Her guise seemed to fit her. The way she fought, Sasani seemed to enjoy the freedom the mask gave her. Ned thought, remembering Swift fought alongside Ned.

That he—no, she, she seemed to enjoy it. But after I saw her in the room, she seemed to distance herself from everyone else, her father, especially her brother. Ned thought as he examined the mechanical bow with a handful of arrows left inside the rectangular casing.

I've got resources, and a bow, this night was plentiful. Although I don't get to learn how to extract the Mark, having bits of information still could help. But—

Ned sighed remembering how his master was sent inside Praha's Cube. Blood dripping, eyes almost dying, and life was at the edge of death. All this, inside the cube, frozen in time.

But. I need to find Roy. That's the only way I could save my master.

Ned put the bow inside his inventory and swapping it with Praha's Cube; rough edges, and felt bold on Ned's hand as the cold sipped to his fingers. He lifted it midair as he throws his back on the cotton smooth bed.

Master Will, hold on. All my life, you stood and acted as my father. I can't—

Ned gritted his teeth instead of shedding a tear. He promised himself after he was brought back to life by the protocol. That he would stay strong, and be strong until one day, the people that he cared and cherished the most would depend on him. Only that day, that day would come that Ned would give his genuine smile. A smile Ned never revealed; but never forgotten. A smile he yearned to show his master, Toni, people of O'rriadt: Lady Zoreena, Granny Lola, Xi, Coco.

"Master," Ned whispered. "Toni, and Coc—

A knock, rapid and loud, came banging behind the wooden door. Ned squinted his eyes and the cube went into his inventory. He stood, and locked his hands on the door handle—it felt hot even though the wind was blowing cold outside the stained glass of the window—and stood with his head leaning closer to the door. As a habit, Ned summoned the mechanical bow. Instead, a despairing green went humming into his hand; the broken Butterfly revealed itself against Ned's thoughts.

Ned frowned looking at the Butterfly, it shook, and the light went green and dimming black. Later. Ned thought. As he leaned closer to the door. Another knock came in through. This time it was soft.

Detect. Ned muttered. His mana along with his senses expanded, and in a limited radius of almost ten meters, Ned could sense life coming behind the door. A life-force he couldn't understand. It should have been warm, yet the person behind the door swells a cold aura.

"Ned," the voice rang. Sweet, soft, and almost singing. "We need to talk."

Ned took a breath, looking under his shoulder. Who could it be? This voice: Fia? But, she sounded like Sasani. "What do you want?" Ned spoke before the door.

"I just want to talk." Sweet, and almost a breath: long, and soft.

"No." Quick and direct.

"But, Ned," the voice said.

Flickering of blue, and yellow light glared behind Ned, it was the lamp. It swayed, left, right, left, right—then it stopped.

"Please, Ned," the voice didn't give Ned a time to think. "It's me."

"Who?"

"They call me Swift."

"Sasani?"

Swift didn't answer.

With a click, Ned turned the metal that locked the door against the edges of the wall. The door pushed open in which Ned didn't have time to prepare himself against the rushing Swift.

Swift pushed Ned—who was almost naked, with only a piece of loincloth that covered his unexplored region.

Ned made a quick stretch of his hand, balancing him from the push. But Swift insisted, and resisted the glaring eyes of Ned. She pushed Ned against the bed.

With her slender body, she pushed herself even further at the top of half-naked lying Ned.

Swift wore a fitting leather that made her body outlined against the dancing light of the lamp. The leather made a squeaking sound against her legs as it spread above Ned. She then clipped her legs on Ned's waist, making sure that struggle was not an option for him.

"I just want to talk," Swift said, but this time her voice was that of lady, she didn't make it rounded or low. She then leaned closer to Ned, and with her left hand, she fondled Ned's lips, then his chin, down to his chest, slowly, and taking her time. Unsatisfied, she pushed even further, under her glossy mask, a cloud of breath exited the edges of her mask, her hand went from chest under Ned's waist.

[Ned.]

Ned disregarded the prompt, and glared as Swift's hand did its job, he then shook his head as he felt her hand—cold—went rubbing on the loincloth that covered him. He stopped Swift by pulling her hand away from the cloth.

"What are you, doing?" Ned said. He should felt warm. Instead, he felt a chilling force coming out of Swift.

Swift raised her right hand closer to the mask and, with her finger, she made a shushing sign.

[Ned.]

ICE prompted once more, but it seemed that Ned wasn't aware of it.

Ned glared at Swift's body, her curved figure appeared closer to Ned. The black leather was squished tightly that made her bosom appeared provocative.

Swift brushed Ned's approaching hand, away from her body.

But Ned wasn't going for the body. Ned fought Swift, his hand against her hand. Eventually, Ned took the upper hand and inserted his finger under the edges of the mask. He then pulled hard, making the mask propelled in the air landing near the side table.

"Toni?" Ned said, almost in surprise. "What are you—"

"Shut up, Ned!" Swift—no, now Toni brushed Ned's hand away from her face. Her hair was golden that covered half of her dark and cold eyes. She then took the chance to unzip the black leather she wore. Toni's body revealed and paling, her breast along with a small and pink dot bounced in front of Ned. She gripped Ned with her legs. Toni leaned forward, now closer to Ned. Soft lips and pink dot almost kissing him.

She gripped Ned's hands upward, together with the broken Butterfly, locking him with her legs and her arms. She leaned closer to Ned, and whisper: "I missed you, Ned. I missed every part of you. Your warm breath. Your cold glare, I need it. I need you inside me—Now. I can't take it anymore." She moaned under her breath—cold and cloudy breath. "I need you, Ned. I want you. I will be yours. I will.... let me do it."

Ned remained silent as he listened to Toni. Her lips almost touching Ned's ear. Her body touched Ned's. Ned closed his eyes. "You shouldn't be here," he said, unwavering. "This is not you Toni."

"No," Toni said. Her golden hair fell against Ned's face. "Let me do it. I want you. Inside me. I will... let me do it—"

Her back went ripping as a dark smoke clouded behind her. Her hair stood, her chest wobbled as she straightens her body. She screeched, and hold both of her breasts and ripped it open; without a single drop of blood. Bones appeared followed by a dark figure, dark, green eyes, and blue hollowed chest. The figure then spoke under its green hollow eyes, and sharp teeth: "Let me do it... Let me devour you, Ned!"