KIDNAPPED

In a dark humid room that's only enlightened by the moon beams passing through glass of the only window in it, Emelia was tied up by chains to a wooden pillar behind her and a piece of cloth was tied around her mouth to prevent her from screaming, she wasn't awake, on the contrary, she was sleeping or precisely, she wasn't conscious at all.

After some time, Emelia started opening her eyes slowly but still not completely conscious, she was feeling dizzy, she started looking around her before she panicked and realized that both her hands are tied up and her mouth is shut up by a tight cloth.

Emelia was breathing heavily from fear before she felt a little pain from her abdomen so she pulled her legs closer towards her abdomen while regularizing her breath, she looked upwards at the ceiling then started remembering what happened before she got here.

She was at Miller's house in her small lab, she was still working on the things that Jaxith asked her to help him with.

"Finally! This gland proved to be a challenge but as I thought, a volatile liquid pressurized in a small bottle is the best way, it's already a liquid after its excretion but just after this beast pump it out of his tubes it turns into gas which means it's a very volatile liquid, it took some time but that's a good thing to learn at least.", Said Emelia while smiling and looking at the small glass bottle in her hand.

"Now all what's left is to bring the antiserum.", Said Emelia while putting the bottle in her bag before getting two small vials and adding them with the small bottle, she looked at the shelf on the other side of the rooms where there were two small stones shining faint blue, those are the guiding stones that Jaxith gave them to her before! She calmly walked then grabbed them.

"How can I forget about you?", Said Emelia sarcastically, her mood was perfect and she was happy that she was able to help Jaxith for once, he seemed dedicated to helping Irene so why not help him? It's actually noble to help someone in need like her without looking at her kind, that's why even though Miller doesn't approve about what Jaxith is doing but he still respects him.

Emelia was getting ready to leave now and head to the inn to give Jaxith his things, she was standing against a mirror checking herself before she slowly lowered her hand at her lower abdomen and patting it passionately while smiling, from this angle a small bulge appears at Emelia's lower abdomen, she's pregnant!

It's like she's in her late third month by this small bulge, suddenly there was a knock on the door of the house which cut her off from what she was doing, she quickly adjusts her hair and clothes before walking towards the door with her bag over her right shoulder, she was already leaving but decided to see who's at the door before leaving.

Emelia opened the door to find a strong man standing at her door, this man was Shisk!

"Excuse me young lady, Sorry for the disturbance.", Said Shisk politely.

"No disturbance at all, I was already leaving.", Said Emelia politely.

"Looks like a bad timing for me, I'm not from here but heard that you're the best alchemist in the region so I decided to take a look and maybe start a business with you, if you don't mind of course, but sense you were already leaving I think that it will be hard now.", Said Shisk politely.

"Oh I get you, listen I'm really sorry but in fact this is not my shop, my shop is in Bernia, if you want to visit my shop I will be honored but right now I'm really sorry cus I got nothing to show you.", Said Emelia after she closed the door behind her then stepping out while looking sorry.

"It doesn't matter too much, you've already done your part.", Said Shisk while smiling.

"What do you mean with my p-!?", Said Emelia before someone knocked her out by hitting her head hard from behind, she fell directly in Shisk's arms.

"Quickly put her in the carriage, we don't want anyone to notice.", Said Shisk seriously to the other guard who hit Emelia, they both left her quickly before they started moving.

Now Emelia remembered what happened while looking at the ceiling above her, she doesn't know who these people are and what they want from her but she can't get the fear out of her heart.

After calming down a bit, Emelia started feeling someone breathing nearby, She tried looking at her left corner to notice someone tied up just like her but he's much smaller, in fact it's a she, Emelia started focusing more on the girl, short red hair and pale skin, the same dress, that's Irene who isn't conscious too!

"Mmmmm", Muffled Emelia while trying to awaken Irene by any noticeable noise but all her efforts were in vain, it seems like Irene is drugged not knocked out like her, maybe that's why she's sleeping heavily.

Outside, John was examining Jaxith's sword carefully.

"Fascinating, whoever made this sword is a master!", Said John in amazement.

"Why? It doesn't even emit any source of energy, it seems like a blunt heavy sword incompatible for practical use.", Said Edward.

"That's the main idea behind it, combining the sharpness of this blade and this outstanding rigidity with his negative abyss is extremely lethal, he doesn't need any source of energy to increase his damage, just raw power, but that's not the only special thing about it, I think this sword hides a secret.", Said John while looking carefully at the golden mark above the helt.

"I didn't know that you're obsessed with swords, so what's that secret, brilliant one?", Said Edward sarcastically.

"See this mark?", Asked John while coming closer to Edward and showing the mark.

"Yeah I see it, an insignia, maybe it has something to do with the blacksmith if you want something like it.", Said Edward.

"That's not for the blacksmith nor the hunter, it's not carved.", Said John while touching the mark several times.

"What do you mean by not carved? Then it's what?", Asked Edward.

"This small circular area surrounding the insignia is actually a bit lower than the rest of the blade, you can feel it by moving your fingers softly above it several times.", Said John while hovering his finger above the mark.

"See.", Said John while showing the sword to Edward, especially the insignia, Edward slowly did the same like John.

"Fine, what does that mean too?", Asked Edward sarcastically, it's clear that Edward doesn't understand why John is obsessed with this sword.

"I read about something like that before when I was studying in Reldret, I guess it has some sort of mechanical build, something that's only done by a few blacksmiths in Legnica, now looking at the metal it's not from Vidin too, it looks very different, something like that is only found in the mother of mines.", Said John while looking at Edward.

"Legnica! Do you mean that the hunter may be a Legnican?", Asked Edward in surprise.

"Maybe, that's what I want to know, why did lord Blamore himself warn us from him?, I've already gotten rid of him, but why didn't he want to rush things?", Asked John curiously.

"What did you use by the way?", Asked Edward.

"A poison that I've created while studying alchemy in Reldret, ingredients fused together by dark incantation, it's toxicity is beyond dealing with it after noticing the effects, in fact, the body itself becomes toxic to anyone touches it after the poisoned person loses his conscious, even the clothes won't stop poison from reaching another person, a very strong poison.", Said John before putting the sword in its sheath.

"That's why you told Shisk to not touch him whatever happens.", Said Edward.

"Exactly.", Said John proudly.

"But why did you ask him to bring the sword?", Asked Edward.

"I needed to know more about him, maybe the sword could tell us about his origins and how he came across the girl, maybe there's another enemy, that's why I need you to take a look at any connections between the negative abyss and Legnica, as I know, Vidin has nothing to do with a prohibited art like that, it was the first time I heard about it from lord Blamore, I didn't have much time to do research afterwards, so maybe you can find something for me, I know you got some books about the cultures with you wherever you travel.", Said John curiously.

"Although it doesn't matter now, I will see what I can find.", Said Edward.

"Thanks Edward.", Said John.

"By the way, I have to admit it John, you amazed me, totally the prodigy of Mr. Alphonse, I can already imagine the words of praise, you deserve whatever will happen, you took the risk and did it right, kidnapping the inn keeper's daughter to push him to poison the hunter and drug the hybrid was a brilliant idea, it was risky although, but you nailed it.", Said Edward.

"He trusts the inn keeper, he came from Orstone after what happened to here, without a doubt he trusts him, that's why I decided to exactly use the inn keeper, he was my best option to get rid of the hunter without dealing with him directly.", Said John smartly.

"I never thought any less of you John, just look at yourself, you brought the girl that the strongest dark caster himself was worried about the one with her, I was afraid that you will hurt yourself but that's a part from the past now, you even took control of everything connecting us with that happened.", Said Edward proudly.

"About that, call Shisk, he was supposed to report what his men had done with the witnesses.", Said John.

"I'll.", Said Edward before moving out of the room, John decided to look at the bag that was with Emelia, it was on a table close to him.

John calmly opened it and looked inside to find some regular things except the bottle, guiding stones and the two vials, John inspected them carefully, the black liquid inside the glass bottle was so light and strange, it's the first time he sees something like that, he put it down and started thinking what's this.

While thinking, Edward entered the room with Shisk behind him, John turned to Shisk.

"Did your men take care of the farmer and the lumberjacks?", Asked John seriously.

"Yes, Mr. John, they have just come back, they have been dealt with and no one will find them.", Said Shisk seriously.

"Perfect, now I need you to go to the inn and deal with the inn keeper too then get rid of all the bodies, the external poison effect should have worn off now from the hunter's body, just make sure no one sees you.", Said John seriously.

"Of course, Mr. John.", Said Shisk politely before turning back and gathering some guards.

"Now what?", Asked Edward.

"Inform my father then check the information I told you about the hunter.", Said John.

"Fine, I'll do it now, but you're forgetting something, there's still someone that needs to be dealt with.", Said Edward while looking at the end of the room where lies a door.

"I know, I'll deal with her now, just see if you can find something useful about the hunter.", Said John.

"Fine, if you can't do it then you can tell a guard to simply do it instead.", Said Edward.

"No.", Said John while grabbing a dagger from a drawer in his office.

"I've to do it myself.", Said John seriously.

"Whatever you want, I'll get going, we need to start traveling tonight before the people suspect anything with us and to reach Mr. Aplhonse before he thinks that something bad happened to you.", Said Edward before leaving.

"I'm coming home, father, but this time I'm victorious, I'm bringing you the honor that you always said that I won't be able to achieve.", Thought John while looking at the dagger.

He moved towards the table where Emelia's bag lies, he grabbed it before heading to the door then opened it, Emelia inside quickly noticed the light entering the room from the outer room, she started feeling afraid and muffling hard while watching John enters the room, she noticed the dagger in his hand and started panicking but the cloth was blocking her voice.

John calmly stepped inside, Emelia couldn't see it but John was a bit nervous while walking closer to her, he put the dagger on a table beside him before walking towards Emelia with the bag in his hands then he calmly kneeled before the tied alchemist.

John slowly opened the bag and got the glass bottle and the vials out.

"Four years at the Fienberg academy, the greatest alchemy academy in Reldret and across the continent, yet this bottle picked my curiosity.", Said John while waving the bottle in front of Emelia who was breathing heavily and resting her head backwards.

"I know you're afraid, but if you don't talk then I see no reason for keeping you alive.", Said John intimidatingly, of course he's lying, he just wants to know if these things have anything to do with Jaxith and also learn about something extra because he also loves alchemy, either she tells him or not he will eventually kill her before moving with Irene.

"I'll remove the cloth on your mouth, you better cooperate if you value your life.", Said John calmly before he untied the cloth around her mouth, Emelia, still her heart beating fast from fear, slowly took her breath, she knows that it's not wise to scream, probably she's away from the villagers judging by this place.

"Now tell me what are those?", Asked John calmly, Emelia looked at him in fear but decided to talk.

"Where's my father? I-irene is here, what happened?", Asked Emelia in fear, she can't contain her fear from the pressure, a pregnant woman in a situation like this is surely terrifying but the first thing she asked about was her father.

"Focus on what I've asked you about.", Said John seriously while waving the bottle and the vials again, Emelia looked at them before looking at Irene.

"You're the people after her, right?", Asked Emelia in fear, the people who were after summoning a dangerous demon in Orstone, she is tied before one of those!

"Looks like the hunter talked a bit too much, you were creating those for him, say I'm wrong.", Said John while smiling, Emelia started getting more afraid and sweating.

"Please, we were helping a friend in need, a-at least tell me that my father is well.", Said Emelia in fear, her eyes were close to tearing.

"He's alive, until now at least, you should worry more about yourself.", Said John seriously, Emelia decided to tell him what he wanted to get away from him, she thought that Jaxith may still be out there trying to find a solution, maybe buy some time before he find them, she doesn't know that the hunter was poisoned by her own father.

"It's an Onohly hallucinating bomb, I extracted the substance from the organ producing it but at once trapped it before turning into gas be-.", Said Emelia before John stopped her.

"Because it's volatile, that's what produces the infamous dreaming mist of those rare beasts, brilliant thinking I've to say, and those vials must be antiserums for it, so he can use it without getting affected.", Said John, Emelia looked at the ground while nodding.

"What does he need something like this for?", Asked John.

"I don't know, he just told me to make something useful out of the organ to help him in any difficult situation while helping Irene.", Said Emelia.

"I see, poor hunter wasn't lucky to witness what you did.", Said John while smiling, Emelia looked at him slowly in fear.

"He's done.", Said John proudly, Emelia stared at him in complete fear her breathing became heavier that she felt that she can't breath well, the only person that she knew that could help them now is dead, she didn't know what to do, she felt that everything was collapsing, she started tearing, she cared about Jaxith and she knew that Miller would also cry on him, he was just trying to help Irene, Irene herself will break if she knew, she was totally looking up to him, while Emelia was deep in her thoughts she didn't notice that John has moved to get the dagger and returned to her, she noticed it.

"No please.", Said Emelia in fear, she started feeling the same pain from her lower abdomen, this pressure is too much for a pregnant woman.

"You know too much, young lady, I don't have any other option.", Said John before putting the dagger at Emelia's throat.

"I'm begging you, please don't do it, I won't tell anyone, just leave me and my father alone, even Irene doesn't deserve all of this, please have mercy.", Said Emelia while tearing, John was nervous, something inside him doesn't want to kill.

"You're too soft for a man, my son isn't supposed to be that weak, you just have my name but nothing from me.", Remembered John, those were his father's words to him while he was crying, John wasn't too young it's about two or three years before now, he was sitting on a bench with blood on his face and clothes, but that wasn't his blood, his father was blaming him about something, John was in a total shock but his father wasn't caring about it.

"You couldn't even complete your ritual right, pathetic follower for our cause.", Said Alphonse angrily, Edward was standing on the side.

"Mr. Alphonse, I know you're angry now but I think that John is in shock.", Said Edward trying to get Alphonse to deal with John better than this.

"Of course he's, only a real man can deal with situations like these, pitiful soft types of men like my son will break like a kid does when he loses his toy.", Said Alphonse angrily before leaving them.

John now decided to push the dagger a bit after remembering this exact situation, no more fear, he'll just do it then everything will be done, blood starts dripping from the side of Emelia's throat, it's just a bit to the left and she will be done too!

"Please, I'm pregnant, stop it.", Said Emelia while crying hard, John was stunned and stopped, he moved his left hand towards Emelia's lower abdomen to notice the small bulge.

"You're really pregnant!", Said John in fear while looking at Emelia who completely lost hope but she looked at him and nodded in fear, John was in trance and started remembering something he doesn't want to remember.

"I'm pregnant, John, that was my present.", Said a female with tears on her face, she was tied to a bed and the ground around her was glowing in red color, John was standing away from the circle surrounding the bed, he was wearing the same clothes that his father was blaming him in but the only difference is that there wasn't any blood, at least for now, John eyes widened after hearing what this woman told him.

"No, no no no.", Said John in fear while the glowing started getting brighter and horrifying sounds was getting clear, the female looked at him before closing her eyes in regret, John started tearing.

"STOP!", Shouted John while dashing inside the circle and loud roars were emitted.

John immediately dropped the dagger while walking backward and looking at Emelia in fear, Emelia was surprised by what happened and didn't understand it, John quickly grabbed the dagger and dashed out of the room!

Back at the inn, Shisk and three guards were outside while two were into the inn, the two inside were standing before Miller.

"Where's my daughter? You told me that you will be back with her, Jaxith is dead for sure now.", Said Miller angrily but immediately a guard draw his sword and stabbed Miller in his chest!

"AHHHHH.", Shouted Miller from the pain as he fell with his back to the counter.

"Sorry, old man, this is not a game for naive people like you.", Said the guard who stabbed him.

"The man thought that it's a fairy tale, although in fairy tales friends don't poison each other.", Said the other guard before the two of them burst in laughter, Miller looked at them in desperation, he realized that he killed the person who saved his daughter's life once for nothing and now he's also dying.

"Wait a minute, wasn't the hunter supposed to be at the front of this room?", Asked the guard who stabbed Miller.

"You're just imagining things, he was inside a bit, you won't see him from here, I'll call Shisk to get this mess done.", Said the second guard who started walking out of the inn, the first guard decided to walk into the room to check on Jaxith.

"I'm sorry, Jaxith.", Said Miller while closing his eyes.

"Hey, Shisk, we're done inside, time to move the bodies.", Said the guard, he's outside the inn now.

"Keep your eyes around, warn us if anyone was close.", Said Shisk to one of the three guards with him.

"I'll make sure of that.", Said that guard.

"Good, you two, follow me inside with him.", Said Shisk while turning to face the guard then he noticed that the lights of the inn were turned off now!

"Who turned the lamps off?", Asked Shisk, the guard who was inside turned to notice that it's off, they were standing before the entrance of the inn and a moment ago it was lightened.

"That bastard must be joking again.", Said the guard who was inside a moment ago, Shisk looked carefully inside before suddenly one of the side windows were broken and something was thrown out, the guards looked at it and they noticed it's their friend, the guard who was inside but in a moment they were all strucked by fear, he was headless!

"What the f***?", Said one of the guards before something rolled out of the entrance, all of them drew their swords and stepped back including the one that was inside a moment ago, but they found that the head of the guard who was checking on Jaxith's body inside the one causing this rolling, it reached their feet, they looked back in the darkness of the inn until they heard calm steps before finally a silhouette appears and gradually his features revealed, the silver hair and beard, the scary scarlet eyes and the dark-blue coat, Jaxith was standing at the front of the inn looking coldly at them with blood covering his face!

"By the gods! What's this?", Said the guard who was inside, they were all losing the strength to stand, Shisk wasn't believing his eyes, the hunter is back from the dead!