Mana Mutation Menace (Journey to Chaos Book 3) (22 page)

"Happy Torch Day, Eric," she said dreamily. "Prince
Lunas is wonderful company."

The handsome boy gazed upon Eric and his eyes focused like
a falcon spotting prey.

 "Eric
Watley
, I presume?"

Eat him!
"Yeah, that's me," Eric said as
he shook the guy's hand. "And you are?"

He locked eyes with Eric. "Lunas Latrot. Pleased to
meet you and happy Torch Day."

A wave of feelings entered Eric's mind. Warm and
comforting, they wrapped around him like the coils of a snake. He felt
confidence in Lunas' ability to do whatever he said he could and trust in that
he would do what he said he would. He felt like doing A+ rank missions for free
if it would help achieve whatever noble goal the prince put his heroic heart
towards. He also felt bullshit because he knew how artificial it all was. After
his possession by Dengel, mana mutation scrambling his mind, and his recent encounter
with mind control by Nulso, he could tell when someone was poking in there.

"Do you have a mission for us, Your Highness?"

"No. I came to announce my own mission.”

“What would that be, Your Highness?”

“To become your friend."

The feelings bounced around Eric’s head like the lyrics of
a catchy song. The repetition was becoming annoying.

"Really? You wish to be friends with a humble
mercenary?"

"I may be a crown prince but between of the two of
us, you are the celebrity. You are the Trickster's Choice, the Landlord of
Dengel, and the Modern Demon. I've heard much about you, but I wish to know you
personally.”

Mist gathered inside Eric's mind and a light shined on
Lunas. Both attempted to obscure his thinking and suppress his reasoning. Eric scattered
and darkened them with ease. His Razor Spirit increased his awareness of such
trickery and boosted his resistance.

"In that case...There’s only one way to become
aquatinted with a mercenary." Eric stepped towards a door and gestured
inwards. "Why don't we have a friendly spar?"

Lunas held up his hands. "I'm no warrior. A
professional like you would tear me apart."

"Don't be so modest. I hear the prince has a profound
spirit and masterful skill with a sword." His eyes slitted. "I'd like
to see it for myself."

Lunas assumed a thoughtful pose. "Perhaps I could...”
He turned his mesmerizing eyes and charming smile on Mia. “…If a certain lady
would grant me a kiss upon my victory."

Mia giggled and nodded. "I'd be happy to offer you
the same, Eric."

"I'm taken!” If he thought about it, he would
consider it.

"By whom?" Lunas asked.

 Eric glowered. "Follow me, Your Highness."

Lunas didn't move. "A guessing game! Did you meet her
at school? Did you study together? Did you rescue her from an orc?"

Eric felt a chill and his body prepared itself for combat.
Threat…

Lunas smiled slyly. "The only way it could be more
romantic is if she were his abused maid and you slew the beast to protect her
chastity."

 Eric drew one hand behind his back because it was
transforming against his will.

"Shall we duel, Your Highness?"

Lunas held up one hand to ask for more time.

"Give me a second to remember. It was such big news;
the daughter of Dnnac Ledo's ambassador and Mana Mutation Researcher rescued
from an orc by The Trickster's Choice. It's remarkable that you killed an
orc
for her. She must be a special lady to you.”

THREAT!
Eric breathed a calming breath to dismiss
the killing instinct.

"I express only honest admiration, Eric. I did not
mean to offend you."

Despite his best efforts, his right hand transformed,
followed by his left. "
I
take a focusing breath before fights that I look forward to.
"

Lunas didn’t react to either change. "Then let's not
waste any more time."

They entered the courtyard to see Raki and Aegis dueling again.
As always, it ended with Raki's swords flying out of her hands and Aegis pinning
her to the ground, but there were fresh cuts on Aegis' clothing and he was more
out of breath than usual.

"That was amazing," Lunas said.

He made eye contact with Raki and she blushed like a
schoolgirl. It increased in size and strength of color when he kissed her hand.

"If my own guards were half as skilled and lovely as
you are, then I would be both the safest and luckiest prince on the
continent."

Raki looked away bashfully. "Oh, stop...I'm not that
good."

Eric had never seen her act this way before. Nor had he
seen her so taken with anyone other than the lieutenant.

"I'd like to see more if you don't mind. Perhaps a
fight against Eric?"

"Oh sure. I spar with him all the time. Now's as good
a time as any."

"I thought I would duel
you
, Your
Highness."

"I thought this room would be empty, Eric, instead of
occupied by this deadly angel."

Raki giggled and made doe eyes at Lunas. Then she took a
fighting stance and her eyes became a tiger’s. She struck without warning and
Eric was instantly put on the defensive. Raki struck fast, strong, and without
mercy; three times, he blocked a shot at a vital point. While he debated using
grendel power, she passed his defenses and stabbed him in the heart.

Just like with the arrows earlier that morning, it hurt
like abyss. Also like the arrows, the damage quickly repaired itself. He
exploited Raki's confusion to place his crystal blade against her neck. Both
Aegis and Raki herself were too shocked at what happened to declare the duel.
Lunas, by contrast, was not.

"Grendel biology," Eric said in anticipation of
the question. "I just look human."

"If that is the case, then Miss Raki is even more
amazing than I first thought."

Lunas closed the distance between them and grasped her
hand once more.

"Might she do me the honor of joining my personal
guard?”

Raki’s face was flushed, her eyes glazed, and her feet
unsteady. Smiling widely, she said, “I’d lov—” Aegis slid his shield between
their faces and Raki shook her head. "I can’t. I have training and Bladi
duties and I still have to take this old man's title from him."

 Lunas made eye contact with Aegis. "My apologies. I
didn't mean to overstep my boundaries. I understand you're only trying to
protect her."

Aegis' eyes unfocused. "Yes, she's a reckless
girl."

"There's nothing wrong with energy and drive, but it
has to be structured so she doesn't hurt herself. That's what you're doing,
right?"

"Yes. She has the potential to surpass the captain of
our squad." Raki beamed proudly. "For now, she's too young and
immature." Raki glared harshly.

"That's why you protect her with your shields."

Aegis nodded. His stance was loose and his head droopy.

"That one on your left. Did you enchant it?"

"No. It's the Chaos Shield."

"Wow! I hear it has abilities that border on chaoscraft."

"Those are legends, but a sufficiently skilled user
can indeed draw out tremendous power that is influenced by chaotic energy."

"Such a legendary weapon must be a family heirloom."

"It is."

"Then you will give it to your children one
day."

"Yes, I plan to."

"I'm sure they will work hard to prove themselves
worthy of it. No doubt, they will see it in their defense or that of your
wife."

He wriggled his eyebrows at Raki and she was reduced to
more blushing and stuttered denials and other lovesick behavior. It made Eric’s
skin crawl. Terminating the threat was sounding more and more reasonable by the
second.

"You would do anything to protect them, wouldn't
you?"

"Absolutely."

"Even above your shield?"

"What good is an heirloom without heirs?"

"Indeed! Well said!"

All of a sudden, Lunas' manner changed from affable friend
to cunning trapper. The switch startled even Eric, who knew him for a snake. He
held out his hand and demanded, "Then give me the dangerous item on your
left arm."

Aegis unbuckled the shield, slid it off his arm, and
placed it in Lunas' hand. He did all this with little reluctance. Raki covered
her mouth in horror. It glowed dimly in Lunas’ grasp and burned him where it
made contact, but his expression didn't change nor did he break eye contact.

"I'll hang on to this and make sure no one is hurt by
it. Now please admire Raki."

Again, he obeyed and this time without any reluctance at
all. Raki herself was so surprised and too busy enjoying/protesting that she
was as distracted as Aegis himself. Lunas turned the shield on Eric and said, "I
did not bring a weapon because I did not expect a duel. Will this do?"

A spear wielded by the Trickster's Choice against a
shield wielded by the Ordercraft Prince. One would think Tasio arranged it...

Eric pulled his staff out and assumed a battle stance.
"It will do fine." 

He moved into a thrust and Lunas blocked. He struck left
and right and Lunas parried each time. He put more strength into his strikes,
but he couldn’t budge Lunas; his skill with a shield pushed his strength aside
each time. Then Eric feinted for the prince's eyes and stepped forward into a
swing with the butt that swiped Lunas off his feet. His head hit the ground and
the crystal blade nicked his ear.

"Again, Your Highness?"

Eric offered a hand to help him up, and when Lunas grabbed
it, he shifted it into a grendel's. For just a moment, there was instinctive
fear in his eyes. They faced each other and again Lunas took the defensive by
standing still and blocking attacks. Then he took the initiative. By deflecting
a blow and stepping closer, he set himself up for a punch to the nose. Eric
stumbled and Lunas shoved him with the shield. Eric lost his footing and Lunas
dropped the pointed end of the shield between his legs.

"Again, Trickster's Choice?" 

Lunas offered a hand to help him up, and when Eric grabbed
it, a second hand reached out; a ghostly parasitic one like Nulso’s. For just a
moment, there was instinctive fear in his eyes. The invisible feelers probed
his mind and spirit. If he hadn't fought off such attacks from Nulso, he
wouldn't have noticed at all.

Their dance continued and, this time, neither gained an
advantage. The chaotic mercenary struck with many and diverse attacks, but all
failed to break his opponent’s guard. The lawful prince repelled every attack,
infiltrated his opponent’s mind, and physically counterattacked when possible, but
he failed to break his opponent’s will.

If he wants in so badly...I'll open the door and
welcome him.

Eric unfurled his spirit just enough for Lunas to sense
his monster madness. It permeated his sense of self so finely it was easy to
hide in public. It was also easy to give eavesdroppers flashes of what he hid
in private.

A monster’s mind is unfathomably chaotic and savage,
frightful for anyone. Someone like Lunas would fear it all the more for his
lack of experience. Once he was sufficiently on edge, Eric struck him with the
Right Arm of the Grendel. Lunas blocked with the shield, but the force of the
blow traveled through it and knocked him off his feet and a yard backward.
Lunas lowered the shield and revealed himself as fresh as a daisy.

"Mr. Watley, you didn't tell me it was going to be
that
kind of duel."

A grey-white fog gleamed within him and the shield blazed
golden-brown. Lunas grounded himself and fired a shot of chaotic energy. Eric
dodged and the shot vaporized part of the wall behind him. Lunas fired again,
Eric dodged again, and another section of wall disappeared. These weren’t just
holes; they were
voids
. Eric half-expected eldritch beings from beyond
time to crawl through them.

Lunas fired a third time and Eric dodged into the path of
the fourth. He grendel-jumped to avoid it and kicked off the air to avoid the fifth.
I have to end this now!

He was too far away for Grendel strength or mage staff and
he knew from practice that the shield would absorb any spell he threw its way,
and that was if Lunas' own power didn't dispel it first. There was no doubt
that he was sharper than Gruffle, so the dust cloud trick wouldn’t work...

“He's amazing..." Raki swooned. Her hands were
clasped at her chest and her eyes gazed adoringly.

"I didn't expect an ordercrafter prince to be so
talented with chaotic weaponry," Aegis agreed. Between the approving tone
of voice, the hand on his waist, and the way he gestured with the other, one
would think he was praising his own son. “Truly, he is a masterful warrior.”

How can he maintain control without eye contact?
Eye
contact!

He caught the prince’s gaze and poured forth his new and
improved Evil Eye. This was not the sorrow and hatred of a young human man, but
a monster’s killer instinct. This was the Universal Dread.

Mr. 15 didn’t assault him or Kasile with personal problems
because those were limited. Someone with a lack of empathy could easily block
its power. The simple and naked desire to kill someone was, in a spiritual sense,
un-blockable. There was nothing personal about it; like a force of nature. That
was what made it so scary.

The prince froze long enough for Eric to close the
distance and grab the shield. It burned his skin, but he grit his teeth and
wrenched it from Lunas' grasp. Once in his possession, it pulsed a wave of
energy through the room.

Aegis shook his head and asked, "Eric, what are you
doing with my shield? Didn't I…?”

He trailed off when he saw the holes in reality. Without a
word, he yanked the Chaos Shield from Eric and fired a quick succession of
shots into each one. The last void filled just as a red-eyed
thing
pushed its presence into the world. The fragment dropped to the ground and
Aegis crushed it with the shield’s hammer end. Then he flared the shield’s
power to vaporize it and sprinkled glowing dust across a square foot area of
the fragment. Finally, he recited a prayer in a language none of them
understood. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.