This was a Terribad Idea - B rank mission "Corrupted Blood"

[Nines]

Nines looked back at the slowly disappearing shoreline of Fiore. He wore a large grin on his face, even though he knew he had no reason to be smiling. Where he was going, many people had gone, and little to none had ever returned. He chuckled though as he thought about the graver danger in his life, “When I get home Tori is going to kill me”. He thought about his Squire back in Oak Town as he stretched his arms and yawned, it was going to be a long boat ride he was told. He left her behind for this one, which he felt was for the better, he was pretty sure this one would be one he probably wouldn’t come back from. Let alone she would.  If there was one thing Tori didn't need experience in fighting, at least until she grew up a little more, it was Demons and Blood Mages.


Nines woke up that morning with no prior goal in mind. He was currently training an apprentice junior paladin, Tori. He very much appreciated her personality, and the fact she put up with his shit. While he was out around town he started catching rumors about a man from the “Haunted” Isle of Galuna. That was interesting, but the most interesting part, was he came to the mainland for help. Serious help, he was looking for a group of powerful mages to help his people back on Galuna. Nines looked all around Era to find the man from Galuna isle. It took him a few hours but he finally did. “Ghoulsby?” Nines asked the man as he walked up to him.
“Aye that be me” The man replied, looking like he was thrown off a mountain and into a gutter. “What can I do for ye Councilman?”
“Simple, tell me the story you told everyone else, the one about the problem on your island.”
“You got a group do ye?” The man asked his eyes filled with hope, something that made the man seem as if he’d seen a candle for the first time in his life.
“Something like that yeah” Nines replied with a knowing smile and a kind nod. “Lets go back to my house, you can tell me the details there” he invited the man in, and gave Sarah his landlady a nod in greeting as he went to his tiny apartment with the man.


“Galuna Isle, is home to my town. We’re all very happy there, away from the mainland you see. Our tribe is capable of fending for itself, until a ship came. We thought it bore tourists, but it only contained nine men, and a woman, all wearing the crimson of the Council.” As he said that he pulled a scrap of cloth out of the inside of his jacket. The cloth scrap was very much from a council jacket, it even bore the sigil of a Seeker.
“Where did you get this?” Nines asked setting it back down after examining it.
“When my wife was taken, she fought back, with tooth, knife and nail.” Ghoulsby explained.[color=#FF6600 “This was all that was left in my house after the struggle. I have kept it since”[/color] He finished grabbing the cloth and putting it back inside his jacket.
“Taken?” Nines felt he needed clarification, from their description they were either slavers, or worse, from a Dark Guild.
“They would take people from our tribe, to use in their rituals towards their god.” Ghoulsby said. “They have magic, strong magic, my people do not. There is not much we can do to stop them when they come.” He continued as Nines poured him a cup of tea.

“Any sugar?” Nines asked the man curiously.
“Ah yes, five please”
Five cubes of sugar? Damn that was a lot. Dude didn't like tea.
Nines handed him the cup of tea and let him take a drink, before asking him to continue. “Their magic is redish, and radiates a kind of feel that I do not feel from your kinds of magic on the mainland. It feels as if it has a life of its own, an evil feel.”


Nines had felt that before, long long ago. Back before he even went after his brother long ago. It was a cold feeling, a feeling you never forgot after you experienced it. A soul less feeling, as if the magic itself wanted to kill everything. “Blood Magic” Nines muttered. If Blood mages were taking people from the village, it was very likely this was a Dark Guild. Slavers used a specific kind of magic, that didn't harm or kill their victims, it left them paralyzed, unable to fight back as they watched everyone and everything get taken away from them, to be sold to someone else.


“Is the ship still there?”
“Yes, their water craft is still there, we got this from the inside, on a mans body wearing the same clothes they were. As well as ten other bodies, naked and rotted.” Ghoulsby nodded, and pulled out a small book, it was binded with blackened old leather. Nines picked up the tome from the table, and flipped it open. Magic circles, something he was also familiar with. His master taught him these, he also taught him which ones to avoid making, interacting with, and so much as look at.


Nick slammed the book shut as he saw one five pages in. Causing Ghoulsby to flinch. It was good Tori was out on errands. The last thing he needed was her coming with him. What he just saw cause him to fill with anger, fear, but also excitement. “I understand why you need a group, probably more than you do. I’ll save your island and your people for you, only one thing.” Nines said tossing the book into the fire nearby, its pages blackened, and started to smoulder, its secrets lost forever to the flames. [color:6295=cc6699]“I need a boat.”

“I have a boat.” Ghoulsby replied to the man with a large grin. “I will give you ride”
“Good, Oh look its Sarah with dinner” Nines said surprised as he looked at Sarah who was holding a platter with enough food for two people. The two men ate their fill, and Nines let the man leave to where he was staying, setting up a meeting with him for a ride to Galuna isle in the morning. As he shut the door and turned around he found Sarah standing there her fists on her hips glaring daggers at him. “We need to talk” She said.
“Can it be over tea?” Nines asked smiling awkwardly.


[color:6295=33FF00]”Nick you know as well as I do that doing this mission is tantamount to suicide, Leave it alone” were the words his landlady told him after she heard the details of Galuna Island. “ So ignoring the fact you were eavesdropping, I can’t just leave it alone, there are innocent people there who don't need to be sacrificed by a bunch of crazy monster worshiping goons.” He replied with a sigh, he handed her a cup of tea as she blushed in response to him calling her on it. Three cubes of sugar, just the way she enjoyed it.

[color:6295=33FF00]“Your need to protect innocent people is going to get you killed” She sighed back taking a sip.
“Dying a hero is a good death, at least I know that the beast would stay on the island to recover”
“A martyrs death is not a good death Nick, its better if you lived. What are you going to force Little Tempest to pay for rent?” She replied immediately, she knew him well if she brought Tori up.
“Okay then you have a fair point.”
“So you're not going?” She asked giving him an angelic happy smile.
“No I’m going but i'm coming back for Tori, last thing she needs to do is find a job, technically she already has one, Squire’s monthly stipends are rough.” He replied with a smile back, it was warm and kind.
The grown woman groaned and rested her forehead on her head as it shook, and she went back to her room. “You are simply the worst you know that?” She asked before she shut her door.


The Next morning he gave Tori the remainder of his jewels he had saved up, and told her to go open a bank account and come right back they had some studies to do. He smiled as she ran off. He pulled out a copy of ‘Grimms Fairy Tales’ and ‘Tsun Tsu’s the art of war’ from his bookshelf and wrote her a note saying ‘read these, thats your studies till I get back, something came up’. He stepped out, throwing his coat over him after it appeared around his body. He locked the door, knowing Tori had a key, and as he turned to continue down the stairs he found himself eye to eye with Sarah again. “Your crazy you know that?” She asked.
“I get that alot from my superiors, do me a favor?”
“Whats that”
“Take care of Tori while i'm gone, I’ll come back as soon as possible alright?” WIth that he saluted her, and started down the stairs. “Arn’t you gonna turn in your key incase you die?” Sarah yelled.
“Why? I'm gonna need it when I get back” were the last things he said back to her before shutting the door behind him.

Nines knew in his heart he didn't even want experience fighting Blood Mages. Demons he hadn’t encountered yet, however. He still had Nightmares about the official day he graduated from JR seeker, and the day he pretty much lost the only man he gave a single care about in the world. His mentor was a great mage, super good with sealing techniques and rune magic. However Blood Mages ignored all conceptual rules of casting, due to the fact they didn't use mana to sling spells, they used their life source. It prevented sealing from working. He closed his eyes as he laid down in his hammock on the boat, and forced himself to remember that tragedy in his life.

"Word Count:

[Atrum Furea]

Atrum was not happy, not happy at all, He comes over to visit his friend at his own place.  Give a friend some support in his endeavors and instead he finds that nines took it upon himself to take a extremely dangerous mission alone, it was basically glorified suicide from what he was told.  Having shown up at his place he instead found a woman who looked sick with the world, and already sick of Atrum's particular brand of bullshit.  Not a feeling one often got from a glance form a person they've only just met, The woman was nine's landlady, and she had a lot to say on the subject of Atrum's missing friend.

"The man is a special brand of idiot, overly selfless and stupidly confident, a man who thinks that he'll make it out of impossible odds because he intends to."  She complained at the Giant eager to vent about the man rather than the expected marvel at Atrum's size or expressing any sort of worry.  In fact she seemed more annoyed than anything, as if Atrum's mere presence was proof that Nines was going to live to pester her again.  "He's a fool, but he's a good man and he is definitely in over his head on this one.  Someone needs to help him or he'll end up in a ditch before he realizes he's had a misstep."  She said an edge of finality in her voice.  

"Right then, could you tell me where he went in that case?"  Atrum asked shifting about nervously, this woman honestly made him feel like he was on edge, she stared through people rather than at them and it unnerved him.  "If you believe he is in need of a friend then I should probably go help him as soon as possible."  He added, trying to not let the anger seep into his voice.

"I wrote down the conversation that got him into this mess in the first place, the details are inside I can't really help you much more than that."  She said flatly handing Atrum a job request from the Island of Galuna.  Atrum took the paper and read it quickly his mood souring even more from the news that he had basically just missed the most convenient ride to the island, instead he'd have to find his own way there that wasn't good news.  "There is a problem isn't there?"  Sarah asked plainly not sounding worried, or even curious.  She was simply affirming that Atrum was having trouble, and took no pleasure in his confirming that he indeed was.

"I need to get my own boat to go out that way, unfortunately not many people are willing to sail that way.  It will be tricky to get to him with these conditions..."  He murmured the smile almost leaving his face. he was understandably angry with this situation.  "Very well I wish I could talk more but I must acquire a boat and a navigator before he gets much further away from me.  I will bring him back alive, and harmed." He promised causing an amused look to enter Sarah's face.

"You do mean Alive and unharmed right?"  She asked incredulously, almost unwilling to believe he had said what she had heard.

"No.  I do not."  Atrum growled leaving the building and heading for the nearest boat.

"You said you knew where you were going."  Atrum stated his voice uneven with anger as he struggled to keep smiling at the man across from him.  He had looked for what felt like ever before he found a man who knew the location of Galuna Island and was going out into the water as well.  He also had to pay the man a big for taking up luggage space in his glorified row boat.  The Giant refused to call the small vessel anything else.  Oh it had an Engine and it was large enough to have a roof but this thing could be thrown off course by a small breeze, even giving it credit.  

"Well I do, Me knowing where I am going and you getting to your location may or may not be mutually exclusive."  The man rowing responded simply, shrugging at the War Flame mage as he tried to keep form ending his debate on whether to sink the boat... by sinking the boat.

"I feel I must inform you that I am willing to swim to my location if I must."  Atrum started smirking.

"If you're so willing why don't you then?"

"Because If I have to swim..."  He said raising a single hand.  "So do you, and I do not know about you, but I am rather confident in my ability to swim." The giant chuckled.

"So you're saying 'Take me where I want to go or-'"

"Or I shall destroy this boat and drag you through the ocean for directions if I must."  Atrum cut him off finishing the statement.

"Message received one way trip to Galuna Island it is."

"That is better."  Atrum said forcing himself to smile as he sat there fuming at the situation.  Here he was; a fire mage stuck on a rather large rowboat heading to a supposedly haunted island to save his suicidal friend who was from what he understood hunting blood mages.  "BLAZING BLOOD MAGES!"  Atrum shouted angrily startling the rower for a second.

"What's got you upset now?"  He asked sounding pretty annoyed himself.

"Nothing much; my friend is a suicidal idiot, my magic is entirely fire based, I have no method of quick travel, I am heading to a supposedly haunted island that from what I have been told houses blood mages that I WILL have to fight, and the guild prom is tomorow!"  Atrum said putting his hands on his head tempted to rip his hair out of his head.

"Ahhh Youth I remember when I had to jump through fifty hoops in order to get a date."  The old man said laughing.

"I also happen to be stuck on a rowboat in the middle of nowhere with a smartass."  Atrum snarked back, leaning back as the rower gunned the engine.  "I should be happy that I am going to get to fight powerful enemies, but all I can think is that that moron did not invite me in the first place...I am going to punch Nines in his smug face when I see him."

Word count: 1071/2000

[Nines]

He was 20, and on the verge of graduation. His master, the Council Seeker Ral had gotten a job to stop a den of mages, a small time Dark Guild. It had less than nine mages in it, however a squad of Council Knights went in, and didn't come back out. They requested his help by name. Nines fought his mentor tooth and nail to come with. Something he would come to regret later on. They had their disputes from time to time, but his mentor was serious this one time. Nines managed to talk the man into it, he couldn't remember how, but he knew he did. His memory was foggy before they entered the cave. After that though, he remembered everything. Nines opened his eyes, he could’ve sworn he heard screaming coming from the ocean. Ghoulsby tapped the man and pointed to the shoreline, “We are here” He said with a nod. 

“Oh good, Guess i'm going to find me some Blood mages then” Nines replied walking off the boat hands in his pockets. He looked around casually as he did. The island was dark, mysterious, filled with fog and had a darker ground than the rest of the mainland. It was understandable people would call this place Haunted. It definitely gave off that vibe.

He walked along the port until he found the abandoned Blood Mage Ship. it was big enough for twenty people, and if what he was told was correct at one point held that many. He was looking for clues, anything that would help him find where they were heading when they got here.

[Atrum Furea]

"While we are stuck together might as well chat right?" The man spoke after a while causing Atrum to sigh and sit up in response,

"What do you wish to know then?" Atrum asked still clearly annoyed with his situation but no longer taking it out on the man providing him transportation. "I will answer your questions to the best of my ability."

"Alright then," The man shrugged not really planning on questioning the flame mage. "Let's start with why a Northerner is so far south?" The man asked causing Atrum to unfold his arms and stare at the man with curious as to how he knew where Atrum came from.

"My family and I were driven from our home by undead beasts." He said simply not going into extreme detail but not depriving the man of his answer either. "How did you know where I hail from? Most people have no clue that I am a foreigner. They simply assume I come from the forests or something." He asked feeling a bit suspicious.

"Aye, that was a bit tricky to figure out." the man agreed nodding his head. "You have a distinct lack of an accent, you say your words almost exactly how they are pronounced most people have some sort of lisp even if they don't notice. Only the Northerners are unique in that they don't have any oddities in their speech."

"You are making that up." Atrum said incredulously, no way he didn't have an accent accents were a part of speaking in general this man was making stuff up.

"Maybe, not that it matters really. where do you come from then?" He asked without looking back at Atrum, who had gotten the distinct impression he had been written off.

"The Furan Forests." Atrum replied eyes narrowed but the small smile never leaving his face. The man laughed at him, it was obviously directed at him.

"Now you're making things up kid the ones from that Forest are the war tribe." He said shaking his head. "We aren't going to get anywhere if you tell me lies might as well not tal-"

"I do not tell lies." Atrum said simply not waiting for the man to finish. "My name is Atrum Furea, I come from the village of Shanraia, in the Forest of Furan, I am a member of Fairy Tail and I do not lie. I answer all questions posed to me with the truth, or not at all." The Giant said glaring at the man his smile softening to almost non-existence, this boat ride was only getting more annoying for him. The other man smiled as if Atrum's rage was only serving to entertain him.

"Calm down now young one we're almost there you can see it." The man said pointing out the isle in the distance, he was telling the truth they would be there soon. The giant shifted uncomfortably in his seat as they approached, having had nothing happen over this entire trip other than his own complaining he was suddenly getting a bad feeling about this.

"Tell me sir," Atrum began as he stared at the island. "Was there any reason that you had no interest in coming here?"

"Eh? I have no business here kid but you paid me so I'm dropping ya off." The man said simply avoiding the real question Atrum was asking of him. The giant nodded somberly as they got closer.

"I suppose that is fair, even if I can not understand it." He said a fire glowing brightly in his eyes, the War flame mage could taste the conflict in the air. He was going to enjoy this little vacation of his. "Well then I suppose I should prepare myself to rescue him before he gets himself killed."

Word count: 1703/2000

[Nines]

It didn't really take Nines that long to find the pile of corpses from the murdered and stripped Magic Council members. It was a pretty gruesome scene. The blood mages didn't even bother to dispose of the poor sobs. Dried blood coated the walls of the room, the floor itself sticky with the substance. Flies buzzed constantly, crawling on their bloated flesh and nesting to say the least. Nines covered his face with his arm, he’d seen worse, this wasn’t that bad. But it was still pretty bad, he looked around the smell was terrible. They were in a state of decay that he couldn't really describe mentally. He looked around and decided that no clues were to be found around here, so he shut the door to that room, and grabbed the bookcase next to the door and shoved it to block passage to that room.

There was a thump as he did. He looked down to find a black leather book hit the ground. He crouched down and examined it, then drew his knife and flipped the front cover open. You never knew what was booby trapped when it came to blood mages. The first page was covered completely illegible, by a bloody handprint of all things, the words underneath smeared and ruined. He used the fine point of his blade to flip the page, sadly due to the sticky substance, more than just that one page flipped. At the middle of the page he found words he could actually read. Apparently it was a journal of one of the unfortunate victims of the magic council members, saying that they were from the R&D Department sent to investigate a set of ruins on the island under the guise of tourists. They would be bringing their Council Uniforms, but wear civilian clothes when they got to the island. The ruins location wasn’t described in full detail Nines realized quickly.

No that would be too easy, he thought to himself with a sigh. Nor would it make sense for a secret mission. These guys were concerned with the safety and well being of the residents of the island, it made sense they wouldn't disclose information like that in a journal anyone could find and read. Nines closed the book, and stood back up, sheathing his blade with a rapid motion, the runes lining up with the runes on the sheath and activating. He had gotten a vague description of the Ruins themselves.

Above a cliff overlooking the ocean, apparently to have a beautiful sunrise but a more beautiful sunset. Placing his left hand against his chin and crossing his right arm across his chest he thought about it some more. He had an idea but he would need a map to figure it out perfectly.

He knew what he was looking for next.

[Atrum Furea]

Atrum stepped off the boat and bid the man who brought him here goodbye and turned to the island to take in the area.  He first had to find the boat Nines arrived on that would be the easiest way to find his moron of a friend, Nines wouldn't have bothered to hide anything regarding his presence, he wouldn't need to no one was as observant as he was so they wouldn't notice the small indicators of his presence regardless.  Atrum could only find them because he had gotten to know Nines, he might be able to get a general idea of where the man went.  The Giant made his way across the beach until he found the normal landing zone, and the boat in which Nines had surely arrived in.  the Giant stared at the dark cloaked figure standing at the boat looking into it obviously searching for something.  The giant lifted his leg and slammed it into the back of the cloaked figure knocking them over the boat and into the water.  The giant grinned as the person and immediately counter attacked a beam of smashing into the giant hurting him a bit.  Atrum groaned and stretched his arm rotating it as he stared down the dark cloaked mage.  He was definitely going to enjoy this.  

"Let us see what a blood mage can do then!"  The giant shouted snapping his fingers, flames covering his left arm as he reached out with his other hand and grabbed the mage before he could escape.  "I am going to cook you alive whelp!"  He shouted smashing his head into the mages disorientating him and punching him in the stomach with his mar's crash spell the resulting detonation causing the mage to catch fire as he fell into the ground screaming bloody murder.  "Oi, you can not be finished already if you are this pathetic why did I even come her-"  Atrum was cut off by the scent of blood and the sound of rushing wind as a beam of energy smashing into his chest knocking him off his feet.  The Giant growled as his hat was knocked off his head and he became much lighter than before.  The Giant felt his back smack into the ground and threw his legs over his head his weight carrying his body over and allowing him to recover from the blow relatively easily.  "There we go that is more like it!  Come at me with everything you have, attack me,recover those burns summon more allies!  It has been so long since I have fought an enemy that was out for my blood.  I am going to enjoy this so much!  Let us hold nothing back!"  He laughed manically, as the dark cloaked mage laughed back at the War Flame mage.

"Your blood will certainly make him happy-"  He was cut off by Atrum's fist the message was clear; 'Enough talk let us fight!'  There was no way Atrum was about to wast this moment he was going to fight until he couldn't anymore and when he was done he was going to find nines and he was next in line for a fist in his face.

Mp:185/200:

Word count: 2235

[Nines]

The first step to finding a map, was to figure out who had one. Which was a lot more difficult than it sounded. Nines stepped over a few of the rocks next to the town, and peaked around the corner to see the inside the wall. There were no people that he could see, but he could hear the sobbing. Which meant they were held captive, that was a wonderful thing to know. He scanned the area a bit more without moving too much, he didn't want to give his position away. When he did he saw a man in the Council uniform walking around near the wall.

A guard, scouting the perimeter. These blood mages were not fools. Nines reached down and picked up a small pebble, and tested the weight. It wasn’t perfect but it would suit his needs. With a flick of his wrist he sent the pebble flying through the air over the blood mage scout, and watched as it pecked off the side of a building and rolled into a nearby corner. The scout stopped, and glared at the wall for a moment. Nines started to worry if this guy was too stubborn to actually do the job he was so obviously told to do.

Then with a sigh the blood mage turned around and grumbled as he marched towards where the noise came from. Nines ducked back behind the wall and changed his clothes using his magic. His armor was off and now he was wearing mottled dark grey and shades of the color. The outfit covered his body entirely except for the tips of his fingers, around his neck was a scarf that went down as a half cloak along his left side. He threw the hood up around his head, and pulled the scarf up to cover the bottom half of his face, the less skin the better.

He heard the guard grumble about how he shouldn’t have to check every little noise. He leaned his head out to check on the blood mages progress and found him bending over to look behind a box. Nines was on him in an instant, the padded shoes silencing him as much as possible. Nines elbow found the back of the mans head and rendered him unconscious.

Now that the blood mage was unconscious Nines examined him more closely. Brown hair, close enough to auburn, however his eyes were hazel not green. He sighed, it was all he had so he had to pull it off. Nines pulled some rope out of where he kept his armor and hogtied the man up, and gagged him, then hid him behind the boxes carefully. All after stripping him out of the council uniform. Nines threw the uniform on over his current clothes, and dusted it off. He then tested his voice, after a few minutes of practice Nines could almost mimic the blood mage perfectly.

Now to find out who actually had a map.

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