38 Felix arrives! (1/2)

A month slowly ticked by. During this time the garden department worked closely with the alchemy department, to provide the needed pills for the coming battle. The unified front quickly broke down as people deserted. John soon noticed that the people who came to request materials changed. When he asked he found that half of the alchemy department had escaped in the night. Even worse whole combat division disappeared without a trace. This loss cut the already weekend strength significantly.

John wasn't surprised to find his division to be filled with deserters as well. However, when those left behind he was asked about creating countermeasures, he could only sigh. ”There's no need just continue your work,” he told the disciples.

”But we won't be able to replant at this rate,” the disciple in charge of sowing seeds complained.

”Don't bother replanting. Just focus on the plants that are left behind and aiding the other departments,” John commanded bluntly. The disciples were taken aback by this notion. They could only grit their teeth as they bowed and left.

As the new month began a disciple from the guard division arrived. ”Gardener head a Felix Snow is here to visit you. Should I let him through?” the disciple asked, with a mix of suspicion and curiosity. John looked up from his desk with a smile. ”Of course I sent for him to help me with a project. I'm glad he made it in time,” he said disarmingly.

John went out to greet his friend as he was escorted to the garden division. He soon saw the skinny bespectacled man. He had dark circles around his eyes. Though he looked like a bookworm, his demeanor gave the feel of a proud adventurous man.

”Felix you made it! I thought you'd scampered off to wait for me to come haunt you,” John teased. The jovial John is contradicted by the irate Felix. The friend comes stomping towards John as if to punch his lights out. Worry filled the onlooking disciple's eyes, but it was for not.

As Felix neared John, he pointed angrily at John. His hand shook with rage as he says, ”You asshole dragging me to a place like this! This damn letter. Instead of coming up with stupid things like this you should just escape.”

John unperturbed by the outburst just pats him on both his shoulders. ”You're making this into a bigger deal than it is. You haven't even heard the details yet, and there is plenty of time. Let's discuss this over a cup of tea,” he told his friend. John wrapped his left arm around Felix's shoulder and guided him cheerily to his garden home.

Once inside they sat down at John's desk. John took some tea leaves and threw them into a pot. He then activated a simple heating inscription. Felix grimaced and complained, ”How can you brew tea like that? You heathen.” John shrugged. ”Why would I go through extra work for you? Warm tea is already good enough for us,” he replied dismissively.

”Fine,” Felix harrumphed as he threw the letter on the table. ”What is this crap?” he asked in frustration. ”You're pretty good at inscription right? So I thought it was time to call in a favor,” John said smugly leaning back in his chair.

Felix jumped up from his chair and sent it shattering against the wall behind him. He snatched the letter up and opened it. He then slammed the open letter on to the desk, causing it to creak angrily. ”You know damn well what I'm talking about,” he sneered.

The letter only contained a death mark. Such death marks were used to curse the receiver. Upon the death of the inscriber, it would allow the inscriber to latch on to the soul of the receiver.