Chapter 168: Letter

"But," Twali said after the Cube cut off. Shaking his head, he continued with voice diminishing. "That won't be appropriate, Lord Sven."

Ned wasn't sure if Twali was pitying him, or genuinely declining his Master. This Lord is difficult to read, Ned thought, sighing. "So what now?" He said. 

"He seemed to be eager after talking to you, Ned," Twali said, picking the Cube. "Tell m—"

The Cube blinked of light. Twali lifted it back over the table, brushing the stack of paper with his elbow. The Cube shone red, and Twali injected mana with haste. "Lord Sven," Twali said, nodding at Ned.

"Twali," Lord Sven said, he seemed to be departing. The background noise crackled with different voices, some shouted; others laughed. "Make s—" he said, stopping as someone in the background shouted closer to him. "Make sure to give the kid what he needed, as for the resources"—he paused and grunted—"these urchins. Anyway, Twali. I want to see the kid fight it's either you or find other his match. I won't just give the kid what he wanted that easy.

"You hear me, kid? That or none." The Cube dimmed red, and before Ned or Twali could retort, the Cube went off. Leaving the sighing Twali and driven Ned. 

"Your Lord, Master Twali," Ned said, standing. Grating black-leather made a squeaking sound between his legs, his tunic looked pleasant. Looked, but Ned felt stiffened. "Sure is ecstatic."

"Yes, kid," Twali said, picking the Cube. It then vanished before Twali's hand reached his lap. He then rubbed the ring on his thumb with his index finger and sighed. "And I just hoped Master Finn did the same." 

Ned reached for the door, boots tapping against the floor. He turned to face Twali. "How long will it take to settle things?" Ned said, reaching for the metal knob. 

"Depending on your request," he said, standing. He ran fingers across the edges of his black suit. "Gathering hunters, resources for their survival, and preparing the party with weapons and items they needed. Give me three days, that's the fastest I can settle things." 

Ned nodded and spun to leave Twali. 

"And how about this?" Twali said, pointing at the Mana stone over the table. "Kid, this is not enough for the requests you needed." 

Ned went back to Twali, stretched a hand over the table. Then, after a clink, like a stone over a glass object. Six more Mana stone appeared. "How about now?"

Twali widened his eyes, his lips twitched, and his arms shook as he reached for the Mana stone. "Y-you," Twali said, swallowing something. "How many do you have?" 

Ned remained silent.

Twali sighed. "That was unprofessional of me," he said. He reached for the stones. Seven Mana stones hoarded inside his sweating palm. "Be wary, Ned," Twali said after the stones went inside his ring, he breath wheezing after he used his ring. "Only the Kingdom of Griffith produces Mana stones. That is how they became overly powerful, and use sl—" Twali paused, boring eyes at the wall behind Ned as if he remembered something from the depths of his mind. "Just, do not use it too often. If you want to use it, give it to me. I will exchange it for gold, just be safe. That way, even if how many of it you use, people won't be alarmed." 

There is more to these stones I do not understand. This wasn't used in O'rriadt, so I'm an alien about it. Ned thought, nodding to Twali. Edwin wanted me to use it for his purpose—our purpose. But, I won't play his game. I will make my own game.

After making sure all the purposes were settled, Ned left the semi-circular room. Outside, Mond rested his back against the wall beside the door. Too close, Ned could smell his expensive perfume, he doesn't look like a typical noble. Maybe he's trying to be one. Ned thought, looking at the eye-patched hunter. A silver necklace hung his neck. This time, Ned saw what Hunter's necklace looks like. Mond's necklace hung freely outside his neck. A silver slate engraved with Mond's name and numbers that Ned doesn't need memorizing. 

Ned moved with silence on both sides, Mond scoffed passing Ned and went back inside the room—his room, or a room was given to him to manage the House Tarragon Hunter's Sudden Plate branch. 

Ned could hear praises coming from Mond. 

"Master Twali," he said, boasting. "Our Hunters are ready. This time we will… "

His voice descended and cut-off after closing the door. 

Ned swept his eyes toward the crowding hunter. To his far left, the stairs where he came from. Stairs painted with brown and outlined with black—what seemed to be iron. Going right, room after room was identical. A wooden shop and thick wood pillar on both sides extending above the third floor. The only difference within the shops was the item being sold: herbs, vials, talismans cut from the rock; others made of wood. Weapons were labeled with writings that read discounted if the buyer was from House Tarragon. Others sold whetstones along with blades, bows, some were parchments and clothing of different varieties. This clothing wasn't made for fashion, but durability and sustainability for hunters: mostly made of leather just like Ned had been wearing, some piped with fur, and metals, others were armor exclusive for Knights with no holes metal covering the body.

Through the crowd, Ned saw a glimpse beside the knight's armor being sold, it was a coat. Coat almost identical to Ned. He frowned, remembering Sasani. Her naked body, and the coat Ned used to cover her. My coat, he thought. Sweeping his eyes, uncertain to see Sasani. 

She was hiding in the first place, and her being in Sudden Plate would cause a ruckus. But it was too late, people already knew that their Master's daughter was back to Sudden Plate. Ned wondered if how long did Sasani use Swift as a disguise. Does his father even knew? Perhaps, yes. Twali saw her, and as a servant pledged to Lord Sven, he was obliged to inform his master. 

Ned went back to his room after taking the time to look for Sasani. She wasn't there, or inside one of those shops, or kiosks that sells food.

Putting the boots beside the door, Ned entered the room, and Ned smelled redolence: strong and aromatic, a mixture of mint and what seemed to be lemongrass. The fragrance was strong even though the window, to his right, was swung open. Ned proceeds to his bed, unbuttoning clothes along the way. 

Ned threw his back to the bed, puffing dust off the bed. The dust flew swirling Ned's body, and sunlight made it looked like tiny birds circling the sky. 

"ICE," he said. "Status."

A burst of light expanded his view. The head's up display shone blue—a display meant normal. Then the display jerked back and forth. Ned frowned. This has never happened before, he thought. Shaking his head, the display went back to normal in a steady-state, it was followed by ICE's voice along with the chime. 

[Mana Points: 70/ 4, 000.]

His mana pool went up after he fought Gogmurch. He was too exhausted and drained. And just like muscles, the more Ned strained his body; the more he could expand his mana pool after recovering. But, his absorption still lacks speed. 

Ned raised a hand across his face. Grasping nothing but air, he frowned. Looking at the light attached to the ceiling and back to his hand. The aroma whiffed closer to him. 

It I keep using mana stone to absorb, then I might not have resources left by the end of the day. Ned sighed, resting his hand back to his side. ICE continued. 

[Energy: 40%.]

Ned felt his arms became heavy after lying back to the bed. Now that he didn't move a lot, Ned could feel all the strains and pain lurking in his body. Limbs and muscles felt heavy. Ned was reluctant to sleep after the unknown visit to the dark and mysterious plain. It felt like he was trapped in time, and Ned couldn't leave until he is dead. Ned covered his eyes with his forearm. Yet, the aroma was getting stronger. 

Ned lying down, his body crossing the bed. His feet hanging at the edge of the bed. Lifting his arm he turned his head. There, he saw the side-table with a candle heating a small bowl of metal. The small bowl was attached to a tiny metal stick and was made with a flat-iron base to keep on falling. Below the small bowl was the candle, heating it. Making the small bowl exhumed the aroma. Ned raised to look at the bowl, there he saw an oil inside. Beside the stand of the bowl and candle was a parchment with writings. Ned reached for the paper and read the writings ( it was written with delicate as every letter were made to look like vines extending at every edge) and it read: 

'Ned, I learned what happened from Twali. I have your coat and I am ashamed to give it back. You have seen the flesh of me, so I needed time to recompose myself. Tomorrow, when the sun is above, meet me at the fountain in the center of the city. I will be waiting beside the third Hunter's board. - Swift.'