Chapter 187: You Are Mine

Swift was gone, hunters hardly noticed her missing after the battle.

She always did the unnoticeable exit after a fight, Ned wondered how she did it.

Ned was called back to the viewing box after the fight. A team of Hunters took Jerra and Farmer-boy back to the manor for an immediate, but not life-threatening, care.

Horn left the arena with shoulders ahead of him but was lingering down, obviously, he was disappointed. New captain, full of inspiration placed in the wrong part of the House. He needed more experience and experience he got.

The crowd left the arena, mostly with wary eyes looking at the box. Some disappointed, some lost the gamble, but mostly were pumped-up as they noticed a fight no other hunters could offer.

Ned received a cold stare from the other team, the fifth team gave him a respectful nod. Loti smiled, the old man's greying hair nodded with expectant as if he wanted more from Ned.

Bud, the bulky warrior, seemed to give Ned a wee of a smile, seemed to accept the fact that the dark skin between the bridge of his nose was what he deserved from a fight he took lightly.

Ned stood and waited at the entrance of the stone box. Outside, the Hunters that remained were the recruits of different teams, the rest left to tend their quests or raids given by the House for the day. Horn and the fifth team went back to train with two people missing. Still, Loti and Bud trained with excitement after seeing the fight. Especially Bud.

Mond, Bram, and Arm, the three Gold Ranked Hunter bowed to Twali and threw a canny smile at Ned before leaving the rectangular box.

There, Ned and Twali remained while Lord Sven waited for the place to go empty with an unnecessary person.

The silence lingered in the air for almost five minutes. After Twali made sure that no one was listening, and presumably no one was around near the box he started by lifting his slender arms. He muttered words, then a magic bubble formed with rainbow luminescence enveloping the inner box. No light was needed since the sun's cooperating bar of light shone the box through the wide gap—that serves as the viewpoint overlooking the arena.

Outside, the ground shook, and the massive sparring circle descended with smoothness. It was complete silence inside the magic bubble, but inside Ned's thought, was the scene in the arena with mechanical sound going down. He shook his head as Twali called out for him.

"Ned?" He said, hands behind his back. "You seemed to be in a distant."

"I am. Yes, " Ned said. Eyes boring the mechanical stage. Slowly, the circle formed flat along with the grassy ground. "That stage has the same mechanism like the one in the ruins of Castle Burmstone."

"Ah. Yes, Ned," Lord Sven said inside the cube. Voice was flat and echoing inside a room. "Castle Burmstone was once our House's seat of power, but after the Old King died, it became a ruin. And after I took over the House matters, I remodeled it with the latest technology. Technology that we might—hate to say without the mana stones, will soon become parts of the ruin. You weren't—

Politics. Hate to say it, I wasn't good at it. Calahir or Kamma did a proper job though. After all, all I did was... Ned shook his head. Scenes of different races in humanoid form dying in his hands flared like a big screen inside his head. Even until now, Ned couldn't believe that he once was somebody's piece. All they needed to do was pull the trigger and Ned would do the rest, depending on who the gun was being pointed at.

—and so I decided to be here, what you gave Twali was a week's worth of resources. Seven Mana stone for a week's worth of raid—my mages will sure to envy you Ned. That alone should have given you a seat at our House. But since you do not want any part of it. Then, claim your prize. I am entertained, and you are given privilege close enough to that of my Gold-ranked hunters. You're really in a nick of time Ned. Ah, that damn Arthurius."

Lord Sven then cut off. Without waiting for Ned to reply, or giving orders to Twali.

But it seemed that Twali and Lord Sven was already in an arrangement the moment Ned won the battle.

Twali hovered his hand above the cube. Then, just like Ned, the cube disappeared with a slight delay than Ned.

Ned already knew that Twali had his pocket dimension. As to how big his ring was, only Twali knows, or the people that gave it to him.

"How are they?" Twali asked, referring to Jerra and the farmer-boy. He then waved his hand, dismissing the magic bubble that concealed the noises.

Ned shrugged. He went to the gap of the box, at the bottom was the sparring circle now flat on the ground. After the bubble burst, the hunter's voices echoed the training ground. There was a handful of them left, mostly the recruits.

Ned opened his hand, feeling the cold stone under the flat of his palms. Twali stood beside him, now waiting for Ned's next command. The shift of attitude seemed to be greatly attributed to the mana stones Ned has given.

Were you expecting this, Edwin? Ned thought overlooking the field of grass and circles inside the training ground. The mana stones. You knew that I needed them the moment I entered Bogblot? Then, sucks to be you. The moment you wake-up from my pod. Mana stones you gave will sure be spent only on your demise. Ned smirked. But Twali wasn't aware of the gesture.

"They're good for a recruit," Ned said over his left shoulder, eyes at Twali. "Jerra was a Werecat, surprisingly. She was good but lost track of her goals the moment she started fighting. She needed someone to remind her of that. The lightning element was rare too."

Coco, Ned thought. Be well with Naari.

Ned then added, "but the farmer-boy, give—"

"Erarke," Twali butted in Ned. "The farm boy's name is Erarke. He passed the last year's Hunter's exam without flying colors. Last of the passers. Barely passing. But even after he got his license, he continued to work as a Companion."

Ned said, "Why?"

Twali said, "For the same reason you were here." He paused.

Ned said, "And what is that?"

Twali said, "An Outlander."

"Outlander? A farmer and an Outlander?"

"No." Twali raised a finger, correcting Ned. "He wasn't a farm boy. Certainly not a slave. Freeborn, yes. But not here. Tall, tanned skin, bruises all over his neck and arms. I'm guessing there was more to it. Hunters of this place seemed to stick with their own. Ersrke was certainly good with magic. Terra was the slowest magic to conjure. But he did it with ease."

"Then where?"

"Far," Twali said, looking to where the sun has risen. "East. But far. Very far."

"Cassan?"

"Far," Twali said. Eyes looking at the East inhibited with longing.

"Ekan," Ned whispered.

Twali nodded and turned back to Ned.

"But something more," Twali noted. "The place he was registered is called Brookfay from the outskirts of Titan's Cay. That's two continents apart from where he was born."

"And lately," Ned said without hesitation. "Emperors of the Sea seemed to be wary of the landlubbers."

"Kid?" Twali said. "Where'd you hear that?"

"Seafarers," Ned replied. Lady Darcey said that their empress was preparing for something, and Ned couldn't just blurb out the pirate's name. As far as he was concern, he was a pirate himself entangled with certain events.

Twali cocked an eyebrow and he smirked. "Seafarers you say," Twali said. "Are you a spy kid?"

"You're asking the wrong person," Ned said. "Was Erarke a spy?"

Twali shrugged, turned around, and stopped at the edge of the open door, a slope comforted with stony stairs leading to the bottom of the ground.

"You're not normal, kid," Twali said, hand leaning at the edge of the door. "I admit that. I believe you know the rules. But let me remind you, I am loyal to the House Tarragon. Loyal to Lord Sven—which took a liking on you. And loyal to Lady Sasani—which took an extreme liking on you. That is why I am here, making sure they get what they wanted. If what they wanted was a hindrance to them and the House. I also must stop whatever, or whoever this hindrance is. Even if it's you."

Ned spun around, leaving the training yard to their busyness. He took a step, slow, and striding, and stopped beside Twali. Towering he may be, but Ned didn't falter.

"And I don't care what House you're on," he said, looking up and meeting Twali's eyes. And the switch was on. "I believe I'm here to claim my prize. Now, Twali. Take me to my team, let me finish the raid. And I'll be gone before you know it. But let me remind you of this, Twali-sir. You are mine as long as the raid is in effect."