Chapter 10:
The Otherworldly Patron of Blood
Eric's first month and a half in the kingdom of Phegolan was incredible, to say the least.
Sure, there were downsides to this whole experience. Not being able to meet his family again was a bummer, and so was dying from getting his ribs crushed by a piece of the bridge. But the experience of learning about an entirely new world, as well as gaining the ability to command lightning, was quite the fun time! He even learned how to combine the sword given to him by the king with his powers to amplify his combat prowess! And after joining up with a new squad, he felt that nothing could stop him in his quest to... what exactly was his quest? He didn't know, but he'd probably figure it out in time.
The king wanted him to train as quickly as possible, probably because having him as strong as possible led to more power for the kingdom. Of course, when he asked why, the King refused to answer. Maybe something terrible would happen, and his services would be needed to strike it down as fast as possible. But gaining power was fun, so he kept at it, helping the Phegoli with whatever they needed.
His latest client came up to him, clad in a grey overcoat and a well-groomed beard. He had a mahogany cane, speckled in gold. The man got Eric's attention by pulling on his blue cape, which annoyed him but excused. After all, he was just an old man. The man cleared his throat before beginning his query.
"Sir Eric, have you the time to listen to an old man such as I?"
Eric nodded, and he followed the old man into a nearby alleyway to talk privately, although his armor may have gotten in the way of that.
"Have you seen this elf before?" The man pulled out a picture of an elf with long blonde hair and blue eyes.
Eric studied the photo intensely for about two seconds before shaking his head. He didn't know why he bothered staring so closely, because he had never seen an elf in his life, even in Deusterra. "Can't say I have, sir. Why the question?"
"She's a servant of mine at the Applecot Mansion. She was serving twenty years, when all of a sudden she disappeared on me! I couldn't figure out where she had gone, or if anyone had taken her. It's been five years since her disappearance, and I am gravely worried for her. Would you be so kind as to try and find her?"
"If it's been five years, then I don't know if I can. Anyone can change in five years. Sometimes, even a week. I would know."
"I know, I know! But still, I need closure! I want to know desperately what happened to her. Please, if you can find any clues regarding her, tell me! I'll give the picture to you, so you can compare and contrast with any elf you come across."
"Don't you want to keep it?"
"Don't worry about that! I have several other pictures just like this."
"Alright then." He took the picture and slid it into a pouch on his waist. "I'll be sure to keep an eye out for her. What's her name?"
"Eliza. Her name is Eliza. If you do find her, please take her back to Applecot Mansion. I will pay you five hundred gold coins to do so."
Five hundred gold coins? One gold coin was worth a thousand silver! He wouldn't need to even lift a finger for the rest of his life here if he had that kind of money! Or maybe he did, but he'd figure that out another time. "Alright. A deal's a deal. If I find her, I'll take her there."
"Thank you so much! Take care now!" The old man disappeared into the alleyway, leaving Eric alone. He exited out into the main road, where he met up with his crew at a nearby cafe. He explained the gist of the quest quickly.
"So, we've got a search quest?" Antoni asked, adjusting his round glasses while gripping his staff. His white coat mixed in wonderfully with the cafe's white furniture, although Eric kept that to himself.
"Not another boring quest! I want to punch something already!" Laura complained. She had short messy brown hair, brown eyes, and defined muscles that were shown off easily with her questionable outfit.
Eric scratched the back of his head. "I know you want some more action, but not everything can be about punching people. Plus, who knows? A longtime servant belonging to a rich guy, going missing for five years? She could've been kidnapped by some nefarious crew working to get ransom. Although, if they were doing that, I guess they would've contacted him already, huh?"
"Whatever the case, I suppose we're along for the ride, aren't we?"
"Eh. Only if you want to. She might not even be alive, after all."
Laura sighed. "Yeah. Bummer, but we might have to just do it on the side. If he hasn't found her, then what chance do us three have? Better to do something else and get her back if we happen across her rather than dedicate our time to her and not come up with anything."
"Got anything to say, Antoni?"
"Nope. Sounds like a pretty great plan."
Eric nodded. "Alright then. We're setting off tomorrow anyways, so if anyone sees an elf, just call me and I'll see if they match this 'Eliza' we need to find."
The three ate brunch at the cafe that day, and as they walked through the streets of Phegolan's capital city, Antoni couldn't help but ponder where he'd heard the name Applecot Mansion before. He'd read once in a history book about Applecot Mansion about something that happened there, and he couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was a bit off.
Maybe, just maybe, it would be better for Eliza to never come back there.
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