VLADIMIR: The Last Blood Mage

The Engagement

Chelsea had eye bags, heavy ones. I had never seen Chelsea look so tired and distraught. She had tear stains on her pink-but-not-so-pink-any-more cheeks.

"Chelsea don't cry I am well now, let's fix your leg". I stood up from my lying position.

"Vladimir, what are you trying to do?".

"You'll see".

I sat on the ground beside Chelsea. I didn't know what I was about to do, but I felt I could heal her.

I placed her broken keg on top of my crossed legs to have a closer look at it. Lord did her leg look destroyed.

"All this happened from one fall?". I asked Chelsea with a stupefied expression.

Her leg looked shattered. It looked as though it had been pulverised by a huge sledgehammer from behind, causing her bone to break out of her skin tearing her muscles...ligaments and tendons.

"Ahh, Vladimir, at least I am better. You just had a little cut to your head and torso, and you died. Don't you dare judge me". Chelsea looked as if she was about to cry or throw me a punch or both.

"I wasn't, and you are kind of noisy for a person who has lost so much blood".

"Humph".

"Promise you won't tell your father what happened in here. If he asked you just call me, OK?".

"OK, I promise. By the way, can you heal me or not?".

"OK let me see, don't say anything. Let me concentrate". I raised my hand above Chelsea's injured leg.

After a fleeting moment, my palm glowed a red light and Chelsea's leg began to fix itself. The bone that was sticking out went back inside, and merged with the bone it had broken off from.

Her previously torn muscle connected with itself, and her skin came together and sealed itself. Not even a scar remained.

" you-, you are a saguimancer?!". Chelsea almost screamed.

"You are welcome. now let's get you home". Left her leg and then stood up to carry Chelsea out of there.

"I can walk by myself". She slapped my hand away as I tried to help her.

"Suit your self". I turned around and walked away. I had walked for some time and bi did not hear Chelsea's footsteps behind me. I looked behind me and I saw Chelsea struggling to stand.

it's not as if I did not heal her. It's just her brain has not yet caught up with the fact that it had been healed. The injury Chelsea sustained was somewhat severe.

I walked back to Chelsea picked her up and carried her horizontally.

"I said I don't need your help!!!".

"You are welcome". I could feel Chelsea had changed. She was no longer the easygoing Chelsea I knew.

" Chelsea, what happened? You have changed".

" hmmph, you don't know...last night".

As confused as I was about what happened I still had to ask. "Tell me I may have forgotten what happened"

" you have forgotten? Seriously, you forgot before you 'died ', you took advantage of me".

"What? I don't remember doing such". Honestly, I did not remember.

"argh! You brought this upon yourself. You have defiled me, my father said whoever kisses a woman would get married to her".

I internally laughed at the girl in my arms.

Before I had 'died', i fell face first on Chelsea with my lips connecting with Chelsea's lips.

"When we get home you can tell me all about it". I had to find a way out of this.

I wanted for a long time whilst still carrying Chelsea before I could see the gate of the Marshall's manor.

From inside the forest, I could see that the entire manor was restless. The few people still inside the fence were sad and anxious for the safety of lord Marshall's only daughter.

I glanced well and saw lord Marshall on the balcony pacing back and forth with his shrivelled hair and distracted look as though he had been sentenced to death by the king.

the distraught expression on his face could not be masked one bit. Anybody could see that Marshall was drowning in sadness.

At this time Chelsea had woken up in my hands. "Why did you stop, I can see the mansion".

"Your father loves you".

" I know. That's why I want you to walk and take me home". With that Chelsea hit my chest with her hands she pointed towards the manor. "Let's go".

"Ouch, ok ok am going. No need to be violent". I walked towards the gate of the manor.

"Hmmph, your problem not mine".

IN FRONT OF THE GATE...

"I hope they find Lady Chelsea". A 4th rank red soldier said to his fellow red 4th rank soldier.

" Finn, look behind you".

"What? Oh my god LADY CHELSEA!! She is back!!". He started running towards Vladimir and Chelsea.

"What did just hear, lady Chelsea is back".

"Yes, I heard that too, lady Chelsea is back".

"I have to tell the lord about this". The servant who had said this started running towards the mansion's balcony, almost falling multiple times.

"My lord!".

"What is it?".

"Milord lady Chelsea is back".

"where is she?". This time lord marshall turned to look at his servant.

"The maids carried her to her room and Gilbert has gone to call the doctor to check her up".

"Who brought her here?". Lord Marshall asked.

" She was being carried by that white shared boy, Vladimir".

"Send for him to wait for me in my study".

"Yes, milord".

After dismissing the servant lord Marshall almost ran out of the balcony to go and see his daughter.

IN THE MEANTIME, ...

I was about to enter his room to go and start a bath to wash off the blood on my body when a servant came running towards me.

"Young. sir, please... a. moment. with. Haa. you...". The servant said trying to catch his breath.

"What is it you want to talk to me about?". I was almost impatient I had to wash this blood and dirt off my body.

"My lord, Lord Marshall has requested to see you in his study. I am here to escort you"

I thought in my mind. ' This old man doesn't know I need to take my bath ' But I had to keep my cool.

" OK, wait let me have my bath".

"But my lord wishes you were present in his study now".

"then wait!". I don't know what had possessed me. Normally I would not do what I was about to do.

* BAM*

I shut the door in the face of the servant.

Little did I know that his soul had been corrupted by the devil's heart.

After slamming the door, I proceeded to take my bath. It did not take long before the sound of water splashing was heard from my bath area.

"soo exhausting.... ahh. That felt good". It felt good to stretch.

I walked towards the wardrobe and picked out deep purple apparel; feeling a bit majestic, I walked to the bathroom with my new clothes.

MEANWHILE...

Lord Marshall was running through an exquisite hallway as the servants stirred clear of his path whilst bowing to him.

"The city lord loves Lady Chelsea. You saw how he ran past us?". A female housekeeper said after lord marshall left the hallway in a rush.

"Don't you know? Lady Chelsea is all he has left of his wife Lady Irene. He loved her even more than Lady Chelsea". Another housekeeper responded.

"I wonder when idle chatter was allowed in the marshall manor". A deep monotonous voice scared the hell out of the two housekeepers.

They already knew who had that voice. Only one man in the Marshall Manor could have that voice. They turned around and bowed.

"We are sorry, butler Gilbert; we will return to our duties". was all they said before fleeing as fast as their dress could allow.

"Pathetic mortals". Gilbert spoke with disdain. "Time to go see our little princess".

Gilbert placed his hands behind his back with a dignified posture as he walked in the direction lord marshall had taken.

MEANWHILE...

Lord Marshall was already breathing hard trying to catch his breath as he approached Lady Chelsea's compartment.

"Milord". A 3rd-ranked soldier clad in green armour opened the door for lord marshall.

"Greetings city lord". A green-haired middle-aged man clad in white bowed to lord marshall.

"Willard how is she?". There was a tint of tension in lord marshalls voice.

"Milord she is fine. She is just asleep".

"Thank you so much. Willard I owe you a lot".

"It's nothing. She is my niece after all I have to take care of her to the best I can. Milord, I have to take my leave. Lest I forget make sure she exercises her legs".

Dr Willard closed his bag and picked it up but bowed before he left the room.

Lord Marshall picked up a chair and sat down by Chelsea's bedside. "You look like your mother, please get well soon. I would have nothing if I ever lost you".

Lord Marshall stood up and stepped out of the chamber. " do not allow anybody into this room and let me be the first to know when she wakes up".

"Yes, milord". Lord Marshall's countenance had returned to that of a dignified presence as he walked away from the room.

MEANWHILE...

I opened the door to my room after I had washed off the blood and dirt from my body and was now in my exquisite purple apparel.

" Young sir, please".As expected the servant was still at my entrance.

He led the way to the city lord's study which I deduced by the time we got there was on the other side of the mansion. This part of the mansion looked more majestic than others, even the floor was gold engraved.

I sat down before lord Marshall entered the study.

"Vladimir, is it?". I heard the city lord's voice from behind me and I stood up and bowed.

"Yes, milord"

Tap tap tap

I heard lord marshall's steady footstep on the hard gold engraved floor.

"Sit". and I sat down.

"Thank you for saving my daughter. Without you I don't know what would have happened to her... Wine?". Lord Marshall asked with a smile I never knew he had.

"Yes, thank you". I took the wine glass from him with both hands and a bow.

Lord Marshall sat down on his black leather chair. "So, tell me what happened in the forest?".

Lord Marshall's voice became solemn.

At this point, I knew he would never believe me if I told him the truth. But I still had to tell him the truth so that he could use his resources to investigate what happened.

At this point, a beautiful story came to mind. "Milord, as you know.... "

I told lord Marshall a half-truth narration of what happened. I told him about the beast but said that it was a passing expert who had saved us and healed Chelsea's injury.

Lord Marshall became visibly furious. "You mean the beast that attacked my daughter was a black panther with a blade at its tail end."

"Milord I am not sure because this was happening at night, but I did see a blade" I had to pick my words carefully to not piss him off the more. The killing intent emanating from him was almost visible, and I was suffocating.

"It's alright I will get to the bottom of this. By the way Vladimir?". suddenly the killing intent had disappeared it was off the pressure I could breathe.

"yes my lord "

"You are too close to my daughter. If you break her heart you are dead, and yes your test is in three days, so be prepared. You may leave".

"Yes, milord. Thank you, milord". I stood up and left the room.

"This boy's aura is familiar, hmmm".

Outside the room, I could finally act normally. "Phew...that man was dreadful".