Adventurer Series 3: The Daemon

Chapter 4: The Electromancer

"Kurtis, I don't understand what's wrong with what I'm wearing right now." I said while Kurtis was purchasing things from a tailor.

"Lady Prana, what you're wearing right now may be enough, but don't you feel some kind of embarrassment?" Kurtis asked.

"Well...ever since we went to...that place where we met your brother, and ever since he...looked at me...I have been feeling a little...exposed..." My face was heating up just saying those words.

"Exactly. Now put these on."

***

The new clothes Kurtis gave me weren't so tight, they actually fit very well. He told me that they were garments worn by elf rangers to increase their agility; they were comfortable and easy to move in, while still covering up my exposed parts. With the purchase done, Karl was ready to help us with our journey.

"Do I need to check and see if her clothing is suitable?" Karl asked.

"Shut up, Karl." Kurtis said bluntly, "Just tell us how we get to Lady Prana's homeland."

"I have a friend who can help us. We just have to find him."

Another dark manifestation appeared next to Karl, staring at him for a moment before disappearing.

"Do you know where we can find your friend?" Kurtis asked.

"Yes." Karl replied, "Let's go."

Karl led us out of the town and on a trail through open fields. The sun shined down on all of us in the cool afternoon. Pixie had taken an interest in Karl due to the latter's reputation as a Hunter. Their conversation made the time pass.

"So Karl, how'd you get that big bounty on you?" Pixie asked with excitement, "You must've done something real big!"

"Well, I was first worth 1,000C just because I killed a crime boss' son." Karl answered, "Then I killed the crime boss himself and all his members."

"But how did you get to be worth 150,000C?" Pixie was getting excited.

"I had to rescue a woman from becoming a king's concubine; I usually don't do rescue contracts, but my client was very convincing."

"What was your most dangerous contract?"

"Uh...all of them are dangerous, but I guess the most dangerous one was the time I singlehandedly beat back an entire orc warband by myself."

"You beat a warband all alone? By yourself?" Pixie was flying around with excitement.

"Well, there were a few other Hunters, but they all died. Everyone thinks that being an adventurer or a Hunter is a quick path to glory and fortune, but in reality, it's a dangerous profession where you could die at any moment. You know, I met another fairy just like you; a companion."

"Really? What was their name?"

"I think is was...Laloca or something?" Pixie immediately froze and Karl stopped to look at him, "Is something wrong?"

"What happened?" Pixie asked with a hint of sadness.

"I accepted a contract to track down a slave trader. When I tracked him down, I found Laloca crying over the body of a dead woman. She was raped to death and discarded by these men. Apparently, Laloca's adventurer was supposed to escort a traveling merchant's family until these slave traders raided them and took them away."

"What happened next?" Pixie asked. There was a fiery anger in his eyes.

"Let's just say they'll never reach the afterlife. If it makes you feel any better, those traders died in as much agony as that woman they broke."