Chapter 18

Beso eyed the slim man in front of him, he almost didn’t recognize Naro for a moment.

“Oh the filthy Vagrant, you cleaned up a little. Since you’re new to town I imagine you don’t understand what you just said. Since for a moment it sounded like you were telling me what to do.”

“Don’t go near them and return the money to Venilis Beso.”

Beso stared at Naro, he waited for him to play it off but when he stood his ground the man couldn’t help a laugh escaping from him, his minions seeing him laugh started to laugh alongside him, though their laughter was bit more forced.

“I’m guessing you mean that old man. I-”

Beso cut himself off as his hand raised and caught the rock that was hurled at him. His minions laughter immediately stopped alongside the man’s, creases lined his forehead as his brows furrowed his gaze moving to the thrower who had picked up another rock.

“I don’t like repeating myself,” Beso said fire surrounding his hand before he crushed the rock in his grip. “...you attacked me so I’m not responsible for what happens at this point filth.”

“I’m a dead man,” Naro thought lowering his body.

“You two…stay out of this,” Beso said drawing the blade at his side. “I’m tired of looking at his face anyway. This is my town, I let you live in it and this is how you repay that kindness. I’m going to enjoy teaching you your place.”

Naro had no real experience fighting people and he had never used his magic against another person. His battle experience was slimes, he just had to pray that was enough.

“Fireball!”

Naro’s eyes widened and he stumbled to the side falling against a house as a ball of fire flew past his head, the heat tickling his skin.

He let out a shaky breath reminded that he was fighting a fellow mage…who also had a sword and far more battle experience, he also remembered what happened when he had prayed a moment ago and how well that went.

“Fireball!”

Naro moved out of the way again hurling a rock at Beso when he dodged this time, the warrior leaned his head to the side dodging it.

Thankfully there was a telltale sign to spellcasting, so long as he maintained distance dodging the attacks weren’t a problem.

“Firestream”

Extending his hand a stream of fire exploded from his hand, Naro dived into a nearby ally as the human flamethrower burned the street he was just on, setting a fair amount of houses on fire.

Leaning against the wall he peered around the corner as Beso lowered his hand.

“Okay…if I can last against him long enough…the guards will get involved, especially if he keeps setting things on fire.”

“Boss if you take too long the guards will come. Fire in the Old District could spread to the new district.”

“Fair point, better be quick then.”

“Dang it!”

Naro went to move only to see a blade raised above his head, he immediately moved backwards as it came down crashing into the earth.

Backing out of the alley Beso pursued him swing the blade at his neck, Naro ducking and falling as the blade narrowly missed him.

He threw up sand into Beso’s eyes causing the man to scream as he swung his sword around, trying to hit anything in front of him.

Naro scrambled out of the way and grabbed a rock ready to hurl it again when Beso opened his bloodshot eyes and raised his hand.

“Fire-”

Naro jumped out of the way of the hand preparing to throw the rock, when he noticed the man’s smile. By time he realized what Beso’s goal was the man was already upon him.

His blade fell towards him and Naro went to move away from him, a sharp sensation suddenly ran through him, his eyes seeing the red flying in front of him before his brain could realize what happened.

The blade cut across his torso, a large scar forming across his chase as he hit the ground, screaming in pain as pain coursed through him.

Beso immediately spun the blade and stabbed it through Naro’s left shoulder, Naro’s screams grew louder, almost eclipsing the laughter escaping Baso as he moved the sword in it’s new home.

The warrior straddled Beso and raising his fists slammed it into the weaker man’s skull, once, twice, three times, breaking his nose and bruising his face as he kept the firm grip on his sword.

“I’ve fought monsters whose dumps are being than you are. How did you think this was going to go?”

Beso twisted the sword again causing Naro to cry out in pain once more, the man’s lips curved up, forming a sadistic grin, his laughter echoing his prey’s screams of suffering, his fingers wrapping around Naro’s neck.

“Oh I’m going to take my time with you, I’m going to make sure you’re a proper example to what happens when people don’t listen. Sure that old man will be open to protection when he finds your mangled body where his stand was.”

Once again Naro was staring into the eyes of his killer, and once again he was powerless to do anything about it. This whole matter was hopeless and he still tried, and what did it amount to?

The exact result he expected, he couldn’t protect anyone…he couldn’t even protect himself.

It was getting harder to think, he could feel the wetness of his blood on his back, could see it mixing into the sand. What was the point of looking at the future? Nothing had changed from back then.

A hand grabbed Beso’s wrist, he grit his teeth and ignored the taste of copper in his mouth. He wasn’t going to let himself be a coward in this moment, not now!

With every ounce of willpower he could muster he opened his mouth and spoke.

“Vo….id.”

A surge of purple energy exploded from his hand causing Beso’s eyes to widen, his cohorts seemed just as shocked as he was and almost stepped forward.

“Stay back!” Beso yelled. “It’s fine. I don’t feel anything.”

Beso let out a chuckle tightening his grip, a strangled cry escaped from Naro but his grip didn’t loosen.

“Didn’t realize you were a mage…and a Shadow one at that. You’re full of surprise. Well fine, if you’re going to use magic, I’ll do the same. A charred corpse will still make point.”

Beso searched within him trying to pull his mana forward but he found that nothing was responding to him, before he could realize what was happening a sudden dizziness hit him.

“W-what…”

He barely got the words out when his eyes moved to Naro’s hand, he couldn’t sense his mana anymore, and for some reason he could feel his mana being pulled to that particular spot.

“You…little.”

Beso pulled his sword out of Naro’s shoulder ignoring the man’s cry and raised it above his head, Naro shut his eyes only focusing on the flow of his mana, waiting for the sword to fall.

“I don’t need magic to-”

Searing pain crashed into the larger man, his entire body froze up and the purple glow around Naro’s hand suddenly started to draw in red wisps of energy, being pulled off the larger man towards the glowing violet, circling it as he was pulled into Naro’s own body.

It felt as if someone was stabbing him repeatedly outside his body, an invisible knife being swung hapazardly cutting him from every angle, the pain soon slipped into his body and the sword fell out of his grip as he lost all control of his motor functions.

Blood fell out of his mouth splashing into Naro’s face causing him to open his eyes, the hulking man that had him at death’s door was staring at him, eyes wide and filled with fear.

His bulging biceps had shrunken even smaller than Naro’s, his body shrinking considerably until the man looked malnourished, akin to a dried out mummy.

Seeing this and realizing he could no longer grip his neck Naro stopped causing his spell.

Beso fell to the side barely throwing up sand, laying on his side, his clothes hanging off his now thin body, his bones showing through his torso, his chest slowly rose and fell revealing his ribcage under his now thin skin, his breathing slowed, eyes staring at Naro desperately.

“Help…m…e…”

A final gasp escaped the man before his body went still, no more rising or falling, his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

“I…did I…”

Naro couldn’t speak the words, so taken in by the sigh he only realized the wounds on his own body had closed, healing on their own when one of minions spoke up.

“He…he killed Beso!”

“W-what do we do? What was that magic? I’ve never heard of magic that…that drains the life out of someone!”

Naro looked at the two, he wanted to explain to say anything but the words caught in his throat. The two men immediately turned and ran away from the scene, Naro watched the two run away and looked back at Beso motionless body.

He stood up, grabbed the pouch and ran away from the scene, clutching into his chest and doing his best to ignore the sudden weight inside his chest.