Chapter 45:

Chapter 45 [Not again]

Tasteless


"My help, care to elaborate?" I queried; as I walk toward my neatly folded cloth on the ground, since when did she manage to do this? Wait how long was I out?.

"Yes, your help" Jeanie chimed.

"Wait how long were I out?" I ask; I wear the black shirt first then the rest of my cloth.

"Hmm... Human times divided by... 5 minutes" Jeanie said.

"What? 5 minutes" I exclaim.

"Yes but that, not the point, the point is I need your help to kill Lorenzo again," Jeanie said.

"First off, why should I help after you try to defend him earlier," I said.

"Well, I didn't try to defend him, I was trying to stop you from completing the contract but since you the one who kills him and completing the contract with a sacrifice so it partly your fault," Jeanie said.

"Touche.. fine, I will help but let me get my gun first," I said; finally putting on my black hoodie on.

"You don't need your gun because he can't be killed by a regular weapon," Jeanie said; extending the kunai at me.

"What do you mean?" I said; taking the Kunai off her hand and sheath it back on the side of my jeans.

"I mean he is under contract with Akroz, his body is protected from any regular attack while he still under the contract with Akroz," Jeanie said.

I look back at Jeanie; suddenly she holds a rectangular wooden box in her hands with an etched runic word on surround the lid; waits where did she take out the box from? 

I look up and down; she doesn't seem to be wearing any sack or bag to store that box in.

I ignore my thought and look closely at the etched word;

ᛏᚺᛖ ᚹᛖᚨᛈᛟᚾ ᚲᚱᛖᚨᛏᛖᛞ ᛒᚤ ᚨ ᛚᛟᛋᛏ ᛋᛟᚢᛚ ᛋᛏᚢᚲᚴ ᛁᚾ ᚱᛖᛁᚾᚲᚨᚱᚾᚨᛏᛁᛟᚾ, ᛗᚨᛞᛖ ᛏᛟ ᛈᚱᛟᛏᛖᚲᛏ ᚹᚺᚨᛏ ᚺᛖ ᛚᛟᚡᛖᛞ

"What in the box?" I ask.

"I'm glad you ask," Jeanie said; grinning and she opens slowly the lids.

But suddenly, somehow she manages to slip her hands causing the box to fall from her hands to the floor breaking the lid open and exposing the M1879 Reichs revolver that was inside it.

I quickly turn my head and covering my mouth with my hand; trying to hide my laugh. 

Jeanie faces redden and her mouth tightens as she stays silent while her body froze in place.

She regains her composure and let out a cough while pretending to not notice the mistake that she did earlier.


"You can kill him with this revolver," Jeanie said; looking at the M1879 Reichs revolver on the ground.

"well aren't you gonna pick it up or should I be the one to pick it up?" I ask.

"Oh, I can't touch the revolver, only mortal can such as yourself. Anyway, could you please pick it up?" Jeanie said.

I sighed; squatting down to the ground I reach for the revolver. Looking closely at it; I can see it has a brown wooden grip while most of the metal part is dye in black, on the barrel of the gun there is also a runic word etched into the side of the gun.

ᚠᚱᛟᛗ ᚠᛁᚱᛖ ᚤᛟᚢ ᚹᛖᚱᛖ ᛒᛟᚱᚾ ᚨᚾᛞ ᚠᚱᛟᛗ ᚠᛁᚱᛖ ᚤᛟᚢ ᚲᚨᚾ ᛒᛖ ᛞᛖᛋᛏᚱᛟᚤ

Grabbing the grip of the revolver, I felt the weight of the gun; running my finger on the runic word etched, feeling the crevice of the etchings.

I check the ammo inside of the cylinder; seeing only two bullets left in the cylinder. I push the cylinder back into the gun; I look at Jeanie.

"Nice revolver so what so special about it?" I ask; still checking out the revolver.

"It was made by someone who was close to me, it a special revolver that can kill otherworldly being such as myself," Jeanie said.

"Hm..this the most progressive talk I ever had with a mortal so far, usually they would suddenly start to think I'm crazy and went crazy," Jeanie puff.

"Oh actually I don't care about the stuff you said, my uncle once said that the world is full with mystery so I not really surprised when you said about the weird stuff," I said.

"That good, at least you understand what I am," Jeanie said.

"You said this revolver can kill people like you?" I said.

"Yes, I did say th—" Jeanie trail off.

She didn't finish her sentence because of me, raising the barrel of the revolver to her head and half cork the trigger; I look at her while my face showing no emotion in the slightest.

"Haru?..." Jeanie muttered.

"Shhhhh... stay silent," I said; placing a finger on my lips.

"Did you think I forgive what you did earlier?" I said; my voice calm.

"But it not my fault that Lorenzo lives again!" Jeanie said.

"No, no, no, that not what I angry about," I said.

"What I was pissed off about was the fact that you knock me unconscious, take off my cloth in the middle of winter, tied my hand to the chimney," I said.

"and to top it all was you had the balls to stand in my way at the tower," I said; glaring and scowled at her.

"But Ha—" Jeanie was interrupted by me moving the front barrel closer to her forehead.

"I said to stay quiet!" I ordered.

Jeanie gulped; her cheeks begin to redden like a red apple while her lips flattened and the corner of her lips twitch.

.....

With my other hands, I move it closer to Jeanie's forehead; my thumb holding back my index finger, I release it and flick her forehead gently; She let out a yelp but I can't help but let out a smile.

"Next time, don't stand in my ways," I said after uncorking the trigger and holster it in my belt.

Jeanie places her hand to where I point the barrel of the revolver was and let out a smile of relieved.

Squawk.

I look at the sky; seeing a familiar crow flying overhead in a circle above us, it suddenly noses dive toward us and at the last minute extend it's wing slowing down; landing on Jeanie's arm. the wind that comes with the crow flutter Jeanine bangs revealing a red iris,

I blink my eyes; clearing my mind.

"I'm gonna grab my helmet," I said; walking toward my helmet.

I could hear Jeanie speaking behind but not at me "Hey, how are you doing?" she said.

is she speaking to the crow? well call me crazy but she is; seeing Jeanie petting and talking with the crow at the corner of my eyes. I thought I was insane but still, she could actually be speaking to that crow.

Shaking my thought away, I put on the helmet and the HUD light up.

"HARU?! is that you?!!" Cindy called.

"Yeah, it's me" I answer.

"God damn, I and Kusagi were worrying about you, I try to search the city for you but failed," Cindy said.

"The last thing, I ever saw was the footage of you disappear at the tower," Cindy said.

"Wait.. wait. I'm speaking to him right now" Cindy let out; I could hear Kusagi voice near the microphone.

"Kusagi asking whether you are fine or not?" Cindy ask.

"I'm fine a little cold but I still have my arm and legs" I answer.

"Look like I said he is fine, you know that he is unkillable" Cindy reassure Kusagi.

"did you get the fingerprints?" Cindy ask.

I let out a deep sigh.

"He got away, somehow he is under some kind of magic that let him resurrect himself," I said.

"what? that doesn't make any sense" Cindy confused.

"It's a long story but I think I found a way to get the fingerprints and end him," I said; while running my finger on the revolver wooden grip.

"If you say so but how about the woman that giving you trouble earlier?" Cindy queried.

Turning my head; I look at Jeanie, she still petting the crow and saying something to it.

"I look different to you? No, I'm not always moody, what do you mean by that...... maybe it because of him?" Jeanie said to the crow.

"She is currently helping me," I said.

"How did that happens?" Cindy puzzled.

" Its—" I was about to say but was interrupted by Cindy.

"It's a long story... I get it, you have one hell of explanation when you get back" Cindy said.

"Indeed I do," I said facing toward the city light.

"so what can I do to help you?" Cindy ask.

"can you find a way to track Lorenzo?" I ask.

"I could but it will be hard, that dude is even harder to find than you," Cindy answer; I can hear the clicking sound of keyboard behind the scene.

"see you later my old friend," Jeanie said; a crow flies past me and toward the concrete jungle.

"It could take me 20 minutes.." Cindy said.

"Make it five," I said.

"I could try," Cindy said.

"No need, I know where he is," Jeanie said; she standing closely behind my back.

"what?—" I let out.

Suddenly, Jeanie chokehold me from behind again but this time I remember to hold my breath, her ice-cold arm wrapped around my neck and everything went to black. I could hear the sound of Cindy's voice before everything went quiet like everything was getting suck in by a void.

...

Silence and Darkness.