Nothing Without It

Chapter 3: How Weird

Honestly, I don't even know anymore. Whenever we go to jobs, they wouldn't even speak to me until the word "damage" and "money" was uttered. Everyone's eyes would quickly shoot to me and I couldn't object because they'd probably pester me throughout the day.

I sighed and plopped on my bed, tired of taking a solo job today. That job was pretty weird, I'd say. I tossed and turned in my bed, thinking about what the hell had happened today.

- FLASHBACK | A FEW HOURS AGO -

My hands glided on the request board, squinting my eyes to search for any easy job with a high pay. I smiled in glee as I saw a particular job request that didn't seem too easy or too hard. 'Hunting a Troll for 85,000 jewels' was written. I snatched it from the request board and headed to Mira.

"Mira! I'm going to go on a solo mission! Bye!" I said quickly. I went back to my apartment to prepare anything I needed and boarded the train.

I was informed that the ride was going to be fairly long, so I scanned the job request again.

'Please help us. A vile troll has been ravaging our lovely village of Danaba. If you manage to ward off this beast, we'll pay you 85,000 jewels! Send help as soon as possible.' And on top of the text was an picture of a quaint village in the middle of the forest. 

"I must get there, quick." I muttered to myself before turning my eyes to the window of the train, watching the moving landscape. 

-

After an hour or so, I had finally arrived in the village of Danaba. It was very quiet there and the only sounds you could hear was the children playing in the street. I approached the children to ask about their chief/mayor's whereabouts and they gladly took my hand and pulled me into a small house hut with stairs on each side. I went inside and met their leader, Sev, an old man who looked like he had no problems in the world, and if he ever did he wouldn't even care because he was always smiling. He shook my hand and thanked me for taking on the 'challenge' and led me where the troll would usually be sighted. He filled me in with more information and quickly left.

I, apparently, had to wait for night because the troll only appears when it's dark. Sev advised me to set a small camp and so I did. It was quite eerie, hearing only the noises of grasshoppers and twigs somehow breaking, so I summoned Virgo to lighten up the mood. 

"Open, gate of the maiden, Virgo!" There was a bright light that soon disappeared and revealed the pink-haired girl.

"Yes, princess?" Virgo inquired.

"Could you go scout the area for some troll?"

"Understood, princess." Then she disappeared. 

I just sat there and fiddled with my fingers, until I heard a twig snap quite violently, but being the idiot I am I just ignored it. The noise repeated again and sounded closer, I started getting quite paranoid, and thinking it was just Virgo but when I looked outside, the view was very unpleasant.

A huge, ugly, yellow troll was staring at me with its beady eyes and it had slimy drool dripping from its mouth. That had very sharp teeth. And was where I would be if I didn't take action right now. I tried to re-summon Virgo but she just wouldn't appear.

"Open, gate of the Lion, Leo!" I shrieked and waved his key around, before a bright light appeared and there came Loke. 

"Well hello there, you seem to be quite in a-" He was cut off.

"Just be quiet! Try to render it unconscious while I look for Virgo!" I commanded and rand deeper into the forest, calling for Virgo. It didn't take too long before a slightly battered Loke came back and updated me about what was happening.

"Well, I managed to fend it off, because he ran away. Its attacks were too rash- you'd never know what or who it would hit first." He sighed in disappointment. "Has Virgo yet to appear? I'll check in the Celestial Spirit World, maybe she's there." I just nodded while he disappeared. I just leaned helplessly on a trunk of a tree, waiting for them. But of course, something had to happen. I rolled my eyes as I saw the troll limping towards me.

I quickly grabbed a key but before I was able to summon it, a white ray of light shot through the troll's chest. My eyes went wide as the troll just fell right in front of me and a voice of what seems to be a kid resounded through the forest.

"Hey! Who the heck are you?! What are you doing in here?" The mysterious kid voice said.

"Well that's rude. I'm on a job!" I retorted.

"Good thing I came here cause you wouldn't even be talking right now!" It said cockily.

"Well, thank you for that." I said sarcastically. "I could've handled it myself..." My voice faded as I realize that the key I was holding was Plue's. "Not." I muttered under my breath.

"Anyways, show yourself!" There was a silence before I heard the kid blow a raspberry. "No way! I can see you though. A fairy tail member, huh? Cool!"

A tingle vibrated through me being recognized as a Fairy Tail guild member. "Yeah, that's right. What's a kid like you doing here?"

"Now, that's classified info! You're indebted to me! One day we'll meet and you'll have to pay it back!"

"Uh, what?" I asked, confused.

"Welp! My friend's calling me, I better go. Bye, fairy!" The sounds of twigs and leaves crunching followed.

"Wait, who the heck are you?" I shouted, but the mysterious voice never answered back.

I managed to get back safely into the village, reassuring the people that the troll will never come back and that it's body was in the forest and it was better to not be found, which I didn't even do anything for it to happen. I received the jewels and went back to my apartment.

I cleaned up first before returning to the guild to tell Mira that I have accomplished the job, drank a strawberry milkshake and went back home. I summoned Virgo and to my surprise, she actually appeared. 

"I am sorry, princess. Are you going to punish me for my absence?" She said it like she was pleading for punishment.

"No, Virgo. And it's alright." I grumbled as I sit on my bed. "Where were you though?"

"There was a weird magic interfering with our connection, and for some reason, I couldn't return until you went out of the forest..."

"Weird.." I scratched my chin. "Well that's that, I guess. You may return now." I stated.

"Understood." She answered in a disappointed voice, probably because no punishment for her.

- PRESENT TIME - 

"Well, at least I still got the money." I said, and went to sleep.