The Grounds Keeper

Chapter 11 The Witch With The Third Eye

Chapter 11 The Witch With The Third Eye:

Two red class students dragged Richard's limp body into the Mana Gazette building and laid him on the floor in front of Theo, who frowned in concern. He knelt down and examined him closer.

He was beaten to a pulp. That's not like him. He would have defended himself better than this.

Theo conjured his student ID between two fingers and tapped it to the wrists of the two students, giving them both twenty credits each. "Piss off. You didn't see anything here, understood?" They bowed quickly and fled in terror.

It wasn't unjustified. The Mana Gazette was frozen in its entirety. The entire road leading to it was misted with cold. Arthur and Vivian were trapped in a thick glacier, and the entire warehouse was slick with a mirror-like sheen of solid frost.

Theo clicked his tongue casually. The ice engulfing Arthur shattered to dust, and he landed shivering on the floor.

"How was Richard beaten?" Theo asked, rolling Arthur onto his back with a foot.

Arthur coughed and panted before spitting, "Severely."

Theo casually kicked him in the ribs. "Don't be a smart arse."

Arthur writhed, grabbing his ribs. "He just beat him. Grabbed his right arm and went to town, slamming his face into mincemeat."

"And Richard didn't fight back? Did you see him use a glass tube of some sort?"

Arthur tried to rise, but Theo pressed a foot to the back of his head and, with a blue flash, froze him from the neck down.

"I want you to speak, not stand. Did you see a glass tube? And did he fight back?"

Arthur's teeth chattered. "Y-yes, I saw a t-tube, but he couldn't use it. The man was fast and strong. He just beat him with his fists until he stopped moving."

Theo grinned. His eyes lit up.

"No magic? He just pounded his face into burger meat?"

"Yes, just as I said. He slammed his fist into his face over and over until his hand was a mass of torn meat."

Theo began to laugh, genuine humor bubbling up.

"I need to meet this guy."

He snapped his fingers and the ice binding Arthur burst apart.

"Get up. I have a new edition to put out. This one will be called: The Gazette in Danger, Groundskeeper Summoned."

Arthur stood shakily and pointed at Vivian.

"I need her to let out a paper too. Don't worry. We won't run."

A gleam of determination filled his eyes.

"We want to be around when he comes for you."

Theo smiled and clapped him on the shoulder.

"I hope he likes you as much as you like him."

He released Vivian in a shower of shattered ice. She was left shivering on the floor, and Arthur caught her in his arms.

Theo sat at a desk and yawned.

"Put my challenge in the paper. If he wants you to live until tomorrow, he needs to meet me here by 9 PM, or your blood is on his hands. But write it in a suitably colorful and dramatic way."

He looked at the clock in the corner and scratched his beard.

"I could eat."

He walked to the thick wall of ice that covered the door. With a touch, the ice vanished.