False Aisle

It took almost 3 hours of walking until we reached the town of storms. I was quite exhausted because of some monsters we encountered in the path before reaching the town. Luckily this woman easily handled them with my help by healing her. Because of that I was low in mana, I needed to take a break.

Our mana flowed like blood inside our body and that was the reason why we could feel and determine the mana in our bodies. If we constantly used our skills, the mana would deplete, leading to exhaustion. Further depletion of mana would result to fatigue. Casters like me needed to control and use our mana wisely. Certain classes didn't need mana when using a skill, instead they used energy or blood.

Sun was still up but there were few people in town. The town was peaceful and you could hear the wave of the sea. Two soldiers were guarding the gate of the town, wearing blue plated chain mails and both holding a spear.

''Keida Balfrodoust.'' She said. ''I know someone. He lived near at east entrance— '' then she pointed at the east side of the town. ''Follow me, I'll show you his house because I need to report something to him also.''

She started walking towards east side of the town. As I followed her, I was looking around then realized that most people who passed us always greeted Ms. Balfrodoust. That made me wonder if she were a noble or an enforcer in the town.

Suddenly, when I looked at the alley, I saw someone looking at Ms. Balfrodoust. I couldn't identify the person's gender since it was looking at the dark alley the shadow of the house covering its face, but I could see the dark blue eyes carefully looking at Ms. Balfrodoust.

''I wonder…'' As I looked at that person, our eyes met. Both of us looked startled. I avoided that person's gaze but that person was already running towards the alley.

Ms. Balfrodoust suddenly stopped from walking and looked at me. ''Don't mind them. Also, don't look at them.'' She continued from walking again.

I wondered if she knew that person. Meanwhile, we arrived at the big manor. For me, it looked like a guild house.

''This is my guild house.'' She said. ''I'm not the guild master but one of the members that I knew can help you.'' She continued. She knocked on the door, but the door suddenly opened with a creepy creaking sound.

Huh, right now. Why am I starting to doubt her? if I entered this place, I might get killed or kidnapped and get my precious body sold on the underground market.

She saved my life, why was I doubting her? The house was not creepy at all, it was just big and old… There was also a signboard but for some reasons the words were quite confusing…

''B-L-U-E… What?'' I tried to read it, but I was only able to read the word 'Blue'. Half of the signboard was covered in dust.

''It's Blue brigades.'' I saw Ms. Balfrodoust already inside of the house. ''That's the name of the guild.'' She gestured me to 'come in'. As I walked to the door, I saw a wood carving on the upper part of the entrance: two swords pierced into the head of a dragon.

I guessed that was their crest. Creating guilds consisting of different people was quite hard because people often called them cults instead of 'guilds' since most famous guilds were created by a famous noble family. A lot of strong big guilds around the world and some nations feared them.

I entered the manor. The air was calm and I let out a sigh. I realized that I was not going to get sold at the black market today. I saw Ms. Balfrodoust standing at the hall, waiting for me. I saw someone beside and it was a priest-looking guy. He was wearing a black robe with a cross sign on the right shoulders and he was also holding a book.

I guessed he's the guy… just by looking at him I could already feel the holiness.

''Glad to see one of Ms. Balfrodoust acquaintances.'' He suddenly said to me then he smiled. He waw somewhat in his thirties the same as Ms. Balfrodoust. He got a blonde hair and a pale white skin.

''Mr. Furlock, a healer class.'' I introduced myself then bowed my head. The hall was big, it had three sofa circled to each other and a lot of bookshelves. There was a stair on the corner that leads to the upper floor of the house. The interior was made from a fine wood and the light from the chandelier was enough to cover the whole hall of the manor which was nice.

''You like the place?'' I heard the priest guy asked. Keida sat on the sofa while the priest guy sat beside her. He gestured me to sit-down.

'Comfy...' I thought. My bottom and feet feel relaxed after sitting on the sofa. Glad to take a break for a while. I looked at them and they were whispering something, but I didn't mind it.

''My name is Imriel. I'm the support of this guild and I heard that Keida— '' he looked at her then back at me with his serious face ''—she said that you want to learn how to be a good healer.''

''Y-yes, I'm willing to pay.'' I instantly grabbed the money in my bag, but he stopped me.

''I'm not willing to help you.''

When he said that I was surprised, even Keida. I couldn't tell if he were joking or not since he said it with a dead serious face.

''Unless you join the guild.'' And that also surprised me. I didn't have any plan on joining other guilds because it would only cause trouble. This man, I didn't have any idea why he wanted to recruit me all of a sudden.

''H-hey. We can't just force someone to join in our guild…'' I heard Keida said to him.

''But I cannot just teach someone. You said that he only helped you battling against does filthy orcs.''

''At least he helped me. Looked, he healed all my wounds! Isn't that impressive?!'' she said pointing at her body where some of her wounds were located.

''I see. But I'm only going to teach him today, until tomorrow of twelve in the afternoon.'' He looked at me, but I avoided his gaze, pretending not to know what's happening.

''Okay, Mr. Furlock. Let's have a deal.'' When I heard him talk to me, I sat up straight then looked at him with a serious face. I had reasons why I didn't like guilds, mostly because of my family problems and the other reason was, I never liked joining guilds.

''Our guild is lacking members and we need another one to complete the requirements or our guild will be disbanded. I'm willing to teach you to become a good healer and help you to rank up your class. I'm a Light Emissary Class and a B-rank.''

'Wow, he is really serious about me joining their guild' I thought.

I guessed they were desperate to reach the requirements. I scratched my head because I was having a hard time to choose, but I knew if I accepted the offer, I would receive a lot of benefits. I could tell that this guild already had a good and strong members even though I never saw the other members and he was willing to teach me until I rank up. Which was good but I would be useless in this guild.

The downside of rejecting this offer was I wasted a lot of my time and something happened in this guild. I stood up and let out a small sigh.

''Sorry, I-I cannot accept that. Thank you for your time anyway.'' I bowed my head. Then I walked out of the Manor. I didn't look back and I didn't get to see the reaction on their faces, but I knew that they were shocked with my decision. Rejecting that beautiful offer of Mr. Imriel.

The sun was already down, and I needed to find the nearest inn in this town. As I walked away from the manor, I asked some people where I could find some inn so I could rest. The women I asked told me that I needed to go straight from the alley. She pointed at the alley where I saw the person who kept staring at us earlier.

As I walked in the alley, a cold wind suddenly hit my face maybe because the town was near at the sea. There were two or three lamp posts in this alley, enough to make me think I was safe. I tightened my grip on my wooden staff for some assurance.

The fire from the second lamp post suddenly disappeared. I stopped, then the fire from the lamp started to lit again. Then suddenly a person appeared, leaning on the lamp post. I looked back and I didn't see anyone walking to this alley…

*clap.

I heard a clap then my body suddenly stopped from moving. My hands, feet, eyes and mouth won't move. This person casted paralysis spell on me. For the love of God, I was just an E rank. Why was this kind of stuff happening to me?!

I could hear the person's footsteps walking towards me.

The spell only lasted for 10 seconds but it depends on the person's resistance and the skill level of the person who used it. In my situation, I didn't have a high resistance to this kind of effect but only 8 seconds had passed but I could feel that some parts of my body were moving.

'Shit…!' I shouted on my mind as I kept resisting to the Paralysis spell.

When the spell stopped working. I swung my staff, but I got stabbed in the right shoulder with a short sword. The person suddenly pulled back the short sword but I stopped it with my left hand. The person was wearing a leather hood enough to cover the face but right now I was staring at that person with 'her' deep blue eyes.

''A fucking girl…'' I said then groaned in pain. I pushed her away from me.

I pulled the short sword in my right shoulder, a quick pain rushed through my body. The wound was deep and I couldn't move my right hand due to the pain. I held the staff with my left hand and prepared myself for the next attack. The girl suddenly grabbed something on her left thigh and she threw it at me, it was a knife. I deflected it with my staff, but she dashed at me with her speed, I couldn't react.

I groaned as I tried to pull out the short sword that was impaled in my right shoulder, the pain ran through the entirety of my body. Damn, I couldn't feel my right arm anymore. I hurriedly grasped the staff which was broken in half due to the impact. I held the staff high preparing myself for the incoming attack. The girl drew another short sword behind on her left thigh and threw it straight at me. I parried with my staff but the girl dashed to me the sword was just a decoy.

''Holy--! Arghh!'' I tried to cast 'holy light' in despair to defend myself but she was too swift for me. A knife was pierced on my right leg. Losing my balance, I fell down. She stabbed my right leg over and over again.

''Arghhh!!'' I howled in pain. Its fucking hurts, I didn't even know why this girl attacked me.

Shit… Am I really going to die today?

I don't want to die…

''Why did you join.'' I heard the girl asked. I tried my best to look at her, the light of the moon struck her face. This psychotic and beautiful girl asking me question that I didn't really know.

''They don't even need you!!'' She shouted then stabbed my right leg again.

''Arghhh—S-stop--!!'' I begged on her. She looked disgusted as I said those word… As a weakling I need to know my place, begging to avoid death.

''WHY DID YOU JOIN THEIR GUILD?!'' She shouted in anger.

"Wait what guild? Did I even join a guild?'

I just realized what she was talking about. My prediction was right. Something really happened on the Blue Brigades, this fucking girl thought I joined that guild.

''I didn't….''

''What? I couldn't hear you.''

''I said I didn't accept their offer!'' I shouted. She was surprised by my answered and suddenly her hands started trembling. ''S-sorry, I-I didn't mean to raise my voice…''

I thought she was going to stab me again. I looked at my right leg, I couldn't feel both my right arm and my right leg, great. I couldn't use my skill to heal myself and I was also exhausted from the fight. I didn't have any strength to lift my arm to cast a spell. I also thought I was gonna die because of this massive blood loss.

''I-I'm sorry…'' I heard the girl said. I looked at her and her teary eyes, she was going to cry, maybe realizing the mistake she did.

"Oh, god…" I rolled my eyes as she kept repeating the word 'sorry'.

I thought this was the end…

I was slowly losing my vision because of the blood I lost. I guess my life would end here. If I survived, I would kill this girl first--