Chapter 123: Air Head Fairy

Ty took a moment to stretch, feeling the weight of his blades in his hands. Suddenly, his mind was flooded with troubling images. He saw a battlefield, vast and chaotic, filled with creatures. People he knew were lying motionless, surrounded by pools of blood on concrete slabs. Among them stood a massive creature, its scales shimmering menacingly. The scene was vivid and unsettling.

Just as quickly as these visions appeared, they vanished, pulling Ty back to reality. The old General was looking at him, a bit puzzled. "Earth to Skeleton guy," he said, trying to get Ty's attention.

Ty looked down at his blades, noticing they were glowing with a strange golden light. This new detail caught his interest, adding to the mystery of the visions he had just experienced. "Sorry, I was lost in thought a bit," Ty replied, still trying to make sense of the vivid images that had momentarily taken over his mind.

The Old General stood resolute, his mind clear. "Your use here is done. We will be in contact once you're needed," he said sharply, snapping his fingers for emphasis. "In the meantime, do take care of Mattison."

The old General's reply was dismissive, but Ty wasn't about to be dismissed so easily. "You think I'll just let you kick me out? I can walk out on my own, you know," he retorted, his tone defiant.

Just then, his vision began to blur, a sign that something was amiss. Out of the shadows, a figure emerged, swiftly running a thin blade along Ty's bone leg. Ty cursed in response, raising his bone arm towards the assailant and flicking his index finger and thumb in his direction.

This gesture unleashed a small airwave, aimed at the shadowy figure, but it missed its target by an inch, landing with a thud next to him and cracking the concrete slab.

"You'll need better aim than that," taunted the voice from the shadows, as Ty's vision continued to fade.

Ty's world went black as he muttered "Shit" under his breath. When he came to, he was lying in an empty alleyway, the sounds of cheerful chatter and laughter surrounding him in the night.

As he was trying to get his bearings, a blue fairy suddenly appeared, crashing right into his skull. "There you are!" she exclaimed, sounding both relieved and frantic.

Startled, Ty swatted at the air, trying to fend off the unexpected visitor. "What are you doing here? Aren't you Nana's pet fairy?" he asked, still groggy from his abrupt return to consciousness.

The fairy, clearly offended by Ty's remark, retorted with a mix of annoyance and pride. "I'm not a pet, we are allies!" she declared, crossing her arms in a huff.

Ty couldn't help but give a slight smile, albeit a skeletal one, at the fairy's indignation. "Sure, sure, but uh, why are you here anyways?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

The fairy, still crossing her arms and looking slightly annoyed, responded, "Oh, she told me not to tell you, so I can't."

Ty probed further, "You mean Nana told you not to tell me why you came, or she told you not to get discovered?"

Mattison elaborated, "Oh, well, you're a skeleton wearing black clothes and glowing green eyes. It's almost similar to folklore of death or the collector we had as kids."

Ty clasped his skeletal hands together, understanding Mattison's reference. "Oh, you mean like a grim reaper? We have those where I'm from too, I guess skeleton figures are popular in many places," he said with a sly chuckle, lightening the mood.

Mattison, looking a bit puzzled, asked, "So why are you here again, anyway?"

Ty explained, "You literally called me to do an escort not too long ago. When I showed up, I got ju—jumped by a group of strangers. When I woke up, I was – was right here next to you. Then the fairy friend found me because Lady Nanako was worried, and, well, here we are."

"Wait, you got jumped and knocked out?" Mattison asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Y-yes," Ty replied, a bit slower this time. "It must have been an ability of theirs that just got the better of me." But before he could elaborate further, Mattison pointed to Ty's hand, changing the subject abruptly.

"And where's your index finger?" Mattison inquired, noticing something amiss.

Looking down at his hand, Ty realized the extent of the situation. "That's a good question. I have no idea. It wasn't here when I woke up. Maybe they stole it," he mused, contemplating the oddity of his missing index finger.

"People can do that?! Doesn't it just regrow or come back to you?" Mattison asked, surprised by the revelation.

Eager to shift the conversation, Ty responded, "Well, I have to be within a certain range for it to work. So maybe they stole it after realizing I'm a skeleton and ran off. But let's head back to the medical housing before more issues come up."

Mattison, however, had other plans. "No thanks, I think I'll go get a few more drinks and try to find that lady again," he said, making his intentions clear.

Ty, knowing his responsibilities, grabbed the back of Mattison's collar. "No, direct orders from Lady Amaris to bring you back so you don't embarrass yourself any more," he insisted firmly.

To Ty's surprise, instead of resisting or pulling rank, Mattison let out a short sigh and conceded, "Fine, I guess it is getting late anyway." He then pulled out the same device as Ty, checking the time, which showed it was past midnight.

As they prepared to leave, Mattison groaned and leaped into the air, unsheathing his blade for a brief moment. In a surprising turn of events, he suddenly transformed into a flock of a dozen crows. The birds flew in unison, then combined back into Mattison's form as he soared through the sky.

Ty, watching this remarkable transformation, ignited the fire beneath his feet to propel himself into the air, following Mattison. As he flew, a thought crossed his mind, "So he can turn into an actual bird? I have to ask how he does that."