The Druid Guardian

Chapter 20: Staying On Course

Marcus was currently back in the city.

After his encounter with Terra and Crimson Rogue, it's clear that things were going to get out of hand quick, so that's why he left in a hurry.

"Man, I should've at least finished off Miss Rogue. With that one out of the way, Marcus wouldn't be having any trouble." Marcus(?) muttered to himself, apparently in third person.

Marcus(?) then walked over to a little antique shop near the center of the city. He went there so he could report to his Master.

Once he got inside, he was greeted by a robust man with a black beard.

"Hey, Rick," Marcus(?) greeted the muscular man.

The muscular man named Rick looked at Marcus(?) and smiled.

"Well, well. If it isn't Marcus Freeman." Rick chuckled. "Good to see that my little gift was helpful to you, Simon."

Suddenly, Marcus started to get consumed by a green mist. Once the mist dissipated, Simon appeared out of nowhere.

"Did I at least fool you a little bit?" Simon asked.

"Ha! Like you would fool someone like me!" Rick cackled.

In truth, Simon was Marcus, to begin with. He was able to do this thanks to one of Rick's little toys he made.

It was a purple necklace hanging around his neck. It was called [The Illusion Necklace].

It was an item that could let the user turn into any person they could think of. Simon used this to give the real Marcus some time to escape.

He knew that Terra and Crimson Rogue would chase after Marcus, so he decided to disguise himself as the Noble and distract the two assailants.

"So, you here to see The Master?" Rick asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes. I have to report to him about my encounter with Terra and Crimson Rogue."

"Oh yeah," Rick suddenly remembered. "I heard you ran into those two when you were with Edward. It's a shame that he was going to bail on us."

"It truly is. I was confident that he would be of great use to Master. Unfortunately, he didn't have the guts to continue."

Simon was crushed when he killed Edward. Although he didn't really show it, he really didn't want to kill him, but he needed to get cut off any loose ends.

With the information that Edward had, he would be a target of interest. Simon had no choice but to kill him.

"Well, you know where our Master is, so go on down." Rick pointed towards a shelve to his left.

Simon walked over to the shelve and pulled one of the books. The book he pulled wasn't actually a book, but a lever, to reveal a secret room downstairs.

Wasting no time, Simon walked down the stairs and was now in a dark room with little to no light. In front of him was a table with a clear orb on top.

Simon walked over to the table with the orb. Once he got close, the clear sphere started to glow bright blue.

"Hello there, Simon~" The person talking through the orb had a raspy voice as if he hasn't had anything to drink for a while.

"Hello, Master," Simon greeted the Orb. "I'm here to do my report."

Yes, the person that Simon was speaking to was his Master.

"Are you now?" Simon's Master queried. "Well, let's get started then. What do you have to report?"

"Yes," Simon began. "I was able to hold off Terra and Crimson Rogue to give Marcus some time to escape. I also managed to injure Miss Rogue, but I'm not sure if she's dead or not."

"I see. You've done well in distracting those two. Especially the Druid Guardian. He's the one that's in our way of obtaining the Grand Forest."

Simon's Master was pleased with his results. This made Simon extremely happy.

To be useful to the man he pledged his loyalty too was everything to him. Simon would do anything to gratify his Master.

"What is our next move, Master?" Simon asked with eagerness.

"For now, we keep an eye out on Marcus." Simon's Master declared. "Since Terra and possible Crimson Rogue are in play, they'll likely come after him. He's our whole operation that needs to be kept safe or we'll be compromised."

"Understood," Simon complied. "I'll head over to where he is now. I'll also get reinforcements to back me up."

"Good, good. Do your best and do not fail me."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Master." With those final words, Simon headed off to start his new mission.

"There's something else, Simon," His Master called out to him before he could leave.

"Yes, Master?" Simon asked.

"I got word that the Clan sent in some members in the city. It's possible that they finally found you."

Simon's blood went cold, and his entire body started to shiver.

If the Clan sent in people in this city, it's clear that they know where he was. The Shadow Blades Clan have been on the hunt for him for years now.

He's being hunted because the clan doesn't take betrayal likely. Simon used to be part of the clan until he left them for his Master.

Simon was brought in by the clan and was taught everything from them. He would do anything for his clan because he thought what they did was necessary.

That is until he learned the truth behind the people who he admired and respected. This led him to betray the clan and devote his loyalty to his current Master.

"What do you wish for me to do about them, Master?" Simon asked, seeking guidance.

"Leave them be for now." His master told him. "If they are here for you, then you know what to do."

". . . Yes," Simon hesitated but gave his reply.

This caught his master's attention.

"After all this time, you're still hesitant about killing them, even though you know their true nature. I can't say I'm surprised." Simon's Master sounded displeased.

"Forgive me, Master!" Simon pleaded. "I promise you that I will not falter in front of the enemy. I will kill all who stand in the way of your goal."

At the sound of Simon's promise, his Master laughed.

"Hahaha! I sure hope so! Those pesky clan members have been a thorn in our side for ages. While they try to keep all the power for themselves, we try to give it to the people!"

"Yes, I absolutely agree with you, Master."

"As long as you understand what you have to do, then there's nothing else for me to say. You may leave now."

Once his master gave him permission to leave, Simon went back upstairs where Rick was.

"Don't worry, Master. I swear that I won't waver in front of those monsters." Simon swore to his master under his breath.

Simon then leaves the antique shop and begins his mission.   

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading this chapter and I hope you'll read more of them. Please comment on the chapter to tell me what you think and vote on it if you think it deserves it.

Also, share this book with your friends to spread the word about it and I hope to see you guys in the next chapter.

See Ya!