Early Afternoon, Sylva Outskirts, Wistal.
Swooo...
A peaceful wind blew through what was left of the forest. Most trees were uprooted, while the surviving ones were either burnt, scathed or out of leaves. The ground was bare and dry, like a world war had just happened there.
The forest was enshrouded in silence, until...
Whirl! Swirl!
Fast swirling sounds suddenly filled the air, as a massive black helicopter-looking airship, with a large propeller appeared from the clouds, hovering towards the forest grounds.
Swirllll....
The airship slowly landed on the forest ground, sending up a mix of dust and air, as it slowly came to a halt.
As the ship stopped, the huge door, connecting to the inside of the ship immediately opened, as it slowly materialized into a flight of stairs to the ground.
Two men who were clad in black stood at the entrance, as the sunlight reflected off their sunglasses.
"Arrrgh," a voice suddenly boomed from inside, as another man, wearing a black toxedo suit that stretched to his knees, over a black shirt and trouser stepped into the open. His golden wristwatch reflected off the sunlight, as it screamed the real deal.
His thick black hair resonated with his clothes, as his eyes gleamed darkly.
His whole being screamed aura, and every footstep that he took left fragments of aura on the floor.
"Sir Glock!" The two men at the entrance stood at attention, as the man walked towards them.
The man yawned, as he waved to them. "Don't forget to add the Harbinger," he said, as he walked to the entrance.
The sun penetrated into his eyes, but he didn't seem to care. He slowly lowered his gaze to the forest floor, and this time, his eyes widened.
"Whoa," he whispered, as let out a dry chuckle.
"This place's done," he muttered, staring at the chaos left of the forest.
He carefully tucked his hand into his pocket, and brought out a pack of cigarettes, and he picked one out with his mouth.
One of the men, who were by his left stretched a lighter towards his cigar, and...
Switch!
Fire sparked out, and lighted it.
"Suuu..." Glock took a deep whiff of the cigar, as he puffed up a ring of smoke.
"Think there are any survivors?" Glock asked, as he turned to face the men.
Another one had already joined them - he also was dressed like them, and in his hand was a cup of thick black coffee.
Glock stretched his hand to him, to receive the coffee. The man, who for some reason, was nervous, took a step forward, but as he was about to give the cup, his hand shivered.
The cup slipped out of his hand. Time seemed to slow, as the cup fell to the ground with a CLINK!
The cup shattered, as it's internals spilled out to the ground.
But most unfortunately...
...A drop fell on Glock's shoe.
"Shit," one of the two men behind whispered, as his eyes widened.
"Now, he's done it," the other whispered.
The third man slowly raised his grim gaze from the spilled coffee, to Glock Harbinger's shoe, to his trousers, to his shirt, and to his face.
His eyes went wide with horror.
Glock wasn't frowning. He wasn't angry.
He was smiling. His eyes were strangely slitted, and only his thick black pupils could be seen.
The man gulped repeatedly, as he staggered backwards.
Then came the voice.
"Aww, good grief," Glock purred, as he took a step forward.
He raised his hand, and placed it on the man's shoulder.
"What's got you so nervous?" Glock asked, as his tone softened.
"Uh?" The man exclaimed. He didn't know the right reply to give.
"You need to be careful," Glock said, as his smile got deeper...
...and darker.
Sweat poured down the men's faces.
Glock's grip on the man's shoulder was getting hard by the second.
Then-
"You motherfucker!"
Glock instantly pulled the man down, smashing his head into the sharp pieces of the cup on the ground.
But he wasn't done. He bent low, as he grabbed the man's hair.
"What's got you so nervous? Uh?" Glock asked, and...
Smash!!
The man's face went right into the ground.
"That you soiled my shoe, uh?" Glock asked, as he kept smashing his face into the glass pieces.
Blood spilled onto the ground, but Glock wasn't stopping.
Smash! Smash! Smash!
The man's face rammed into the floor numerous times, and Glock lost count.
"Ahh," Glock finally stopped.
He slowly stood up, dusting his clothes, as his smile returned.
The man, laid on the ground, not even moving an inch. His face was totally brutalized with piercings as a pool of blood formed under him.
"Shit, I went too far again," Glock whispered, his tone remorseful.
He slowly raised his gaze and darted it at the other two.
A shiver instantly ran down their spine.
"Nah," Glock waved. "We're cool." He added, as he stepped out of the ship, landing on the stairs.
"Oh," he muttered, as he raised his left hand to check the time.
"Arrrgh," Glock sighed. "Time's ticking," he whispered, turning to the men behind him.
"You two go right, I'll go left," his tone turned serious. "Immediately report whatever you find, we don't wanna get on the old man's bad side," Glock commanded.
"Yes, sir!" The two men stammered, as they ran down the stairs, and into the woods.
"Hmm?" Glock smiled, as he slowly stepped down the stairs.
"This place doesn't look like there are any survivors left," Glock whispered, as he turned left.
"I decided to take a break from Blackthorn, only to get a call from HQ saying I was to investigate some forest?" Glock murmured, his brows furrowing in frustration.
"What the fucking hell?" He exclaimed, as he walked through the trees.
He walked, his footsteps echoing off the trees, as he reached a point, and suddenly stopped.
"I think I -" Glock started, but halted.
Beside him was a deep trench, large enough to swallow five airships the size of Glock's.
"Whoa...!" Glock exclaimed with a grin.
However, something else was there. Deep inside the trench, a faint energy was oozing out.
It would have been very weak to sense for ab average sorcerer, but Glock Harbinger was a 1st-grade.
"Hehe," Glock chuckled menacingly. "Down we go," he said, as he immediately jumped into the trench, without thinking twice.
He fell into the darkness, and landed on the trench's floor with a soft thud.
The darkness was excessive, so much that the sun's light couldn't get in.
But that wasn't all.
Something else was the energy.
It was far greater now, and more choking.
The darkness was no problem for Glock, since as usual, he was a 1st-grade.
Glock slowly walked through, his eyes wide. "Hmm, now where is it coming from?" Glock whispered, as he stepped further into the darkness.
Then, he took a few steps forward, and...
There it was.
The source of the choking energy.
"Good grief," Glock said with a smirk.
In front of him, was a massive haul of mesmerized demon flesh, bones and visceras, all stacked up in a pile.
"An energy so great is coming from just a demon's flesh?" Glock pondered, as he walked towards the demon.
That was conflicting. Normally, after a demon's killed, it's soul and energy are dissipated. So, seeing energy coming from a demon's parts was strange.
Glock raised his hand, and placed it on the flesh, as he closed his eyes.
A blue light shone out of his hand.
"Hmm, that's strange," Glock muttered, as he opened his eyes. "The light is supposed to die out," he added.
"Then that means..." Glock grabbed his chin thoughtfully.
Then his eyes widened.
"The energy's not coming from this demon?" Glock realized.
"Then, where else?" Glock turned around, but nothing seemed to be strange. There was no other thing in the pit, aside the demon's flesh.
Glock's brows furrowed. He took a step in the direction of where he was coming from.
He took the next step forward...and stopped.
He spun around again, to take a last look at the demon. But as he did, he suddenly noticed something.
Glock's eyes widened.
Amidst the flesh, amidst the bones, amidst the sea of blood, something stood different.
Glock took a step forward, as he crouched low in front of something. His gaze fixed on it.
It was round, red, and stood alone in the sea of crimson.
"Oh my," Glock whispered.
It was a drop of blood. It was red just like the demon's blood, but something made it different.
It remained a drop!
When a drop of blood falls to the ground, it is supposed to splash all over, but this one?
Nahh, it stood. It didn't mix with the rest of the demon's blood, instead, it coalesced at a point, and remained there.
And strangely, it was the source of the energy Glock was feeling the whole time.
"What do we have here?" Glock said, as he stretched his finger to touch it.
But as his finger came in contact, the drop reacted.
Psst!
A part of the drop contorted, and formed into a pressurized juice that instantly penetrated Glock's finger.
"Ugh," Glock winced, as he drew his hand back immediately.
That single penetration had its toll on him, as it sent a course of energy through his veins, and his eyes went bloodshot.
"Whoa..." Glock exhaled, as he calmed. His eyes slowly went back to its thick dark colour.
A mischievous smirk slowly crept to his lips. "Hehe, this is the real deal," he whispered, his voice reechoing ominously.
Glock slowly opened his suit, and brought out a transparent test tube from his pocket.
"Let's see what we've got," he said, as he inverted the tube and placed it over the drop of blood.
Then he carefully raised it, avoiding contact, as he sealed it with a rubber cover, and cautiously put it into his suit pocket.
Then, with a jolt, he stood up.
"I guess this is worth my coming," Glock said, as he walked away.
The energy which was in the air earlier was now gone, proving that it all came from the single drop.
...
Glock stepped out of the trench, only to meet the two men.
They instantly turned to face him, face serious.
Glock's face went back to its "cheerful" smile.
"Find anything?" He asked, walking up to them.
"Yes," the men nodded in unison.
Glock raised a brow. 'Did they find another drop?' he thought to himself, eyes narrowing.
"A letter," one of the men said, as he stepped forward. In his hand was a white envelope, with a golden stamp on it.
"A letter?" Glock repeated, his tone dropping to a disappointed one.
"Yes, we found it hanging from a branch, and since it had a golden stamp on it, we thought it might be important," the man replied.
"Hmm...?" Glock raised his gaze heavenward. 'A golden stamp?' he thought to himself.
Sending a letter in Tenebrous is done using a blue or red stamp, however, using a golden stamp could mean either of two things - a Sorcerer-general or a 1st-grade sorcerer is the one sending the letter.
'Does that mean a 1st-grade was here?' Glock pondered. 'Then was he the one who defeated the demon?'
'But come to think of it, why would he throw the demon's carcass into a trench?' Glock's eyes narrowed.
'Was he hiding something? The blood?'
"Sir?" The man called.
"Uh?" Glock jolted back. "Let me see the letter," Glock said, as the man gave it to him, cautiously keeping his distance.
"Now, who sent it?" Glock whispered, as he read what was written on the envelope.
"TO Sir Zelazny Zoldrak, The SG, WAS, HAZEN."
"Hmm," Glock read on.
"From a god..."
As he saw that, Glock immediately stopped reading. He already knew who it was.
"That bastard," he gritted his teeth. "He was here already?"
"Ackerman...!"
"I wish I could open the letter," Glock hissed, as he turned.
"Let's go!" He commanded the men, as they walked back to the ship.
Glock really wanted to open the letter and see its inards, but he couldn't, because it had a golden stamp on it.
"A golden stamp addressed to the SG himself commanded utmost respect, and must not be opened by anyone else unless otherwise stated."
- According to no. 32, Page 25 of the constitution.
And also, maybe because he acknowledged that the letter was coming from a "god".
***
To Be Continued...
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