"Master please." Jun stood over Eren, who refused to move. The white-haired man stood under the circling blue vortex, a gate that had yet to be cleared.
"No." Arms folded and a scowl on his face.
"Please. It is the last one. Mr. Baelor has assigned us to clear the blue gates in this area." A plead from the taller protégé.
The pair had been clearing gates all week and Eren already had enough. The constant gate hunting, the needless fighting with monsters; something his younger self would have revelled in. Now though, he was finding it more of a drag. It was dull and repetitive, not to mention exhausting. This was the pairs 15th gate till this point.
"You do it. Take the knights and kill the monsters. I'll wait here for you." Eren refused to move, like a stubborn school girl who refused to do her studies.
"How about I shout you some ramen after this? I know a quiet but nice place. It serves the spiciest ramen."
"..."
Moments pause. "Fine, we do this quickly. Ramens on you." Eren agreed to Jun's terms.
"Of course, master." Jun gave a bow, and a smile. Leading first into the blue light.
*Sigh*
"I want a new job." Eren begrudgingly muttered, while rubbing his temples.
Whilst the monotony and tedium of gate clearing weren't to Eren's preference, his ability to clear gates were second to none. He had become efficient and proficient in clearing gates in the best way possible.
What really irritated him above all else:
---
Gate info:
Location: Ice fields of Saryn
Opening time: Once every 12 days, for 6 days
Danger level: C+++
Owners: Silvermane.
Last clear: 3 months ago;
Rewards: Ice gems, ice shards, snowflakes, and winterberries, as well as gold and silver coins, rare herbs, and medicinal plants.
Special conditions: Low temperature, cold winds, ice fields with hidden terrain features, such as crevices, sharp edges, and deep holes.
Gate closing time: 03: 07: 28: 20
---
The cold force of the wind struck their faces, like a thousand icy needles piercing their skin with every gust. The temperature was unforgiving; to lesser rankers, death would come swiftly. To Eren however, his Reaper form took the edge off the cold. Either that or he was so annoyed that it made him too hot to care.
"Who is Saryn?" Eren muttered, returning to his arm's folded pose.
"I don't know master... It's just a name." Jun's shivers could be seen through his coat. Unlike Eren he couldn't call on his blood to warm his body.
A vast, white landscape stretched out before them. The ice fields were a seemingly endless expanse of frozen tundra. The terrain was uneven and treacherous, with sharp and jagged spikes of ice protruding from the ground, creating an obstacle course of potential dangers. The wind howled relentlessly, whipping up snow and ice in its wake. The sound of the wind was the only noise that broke the eerie silence of the frozen wasteland.
"Off you go; the boss is over there." Eren said to his ward, pointing seemingly in a random direction. But the white-haired man could sense a stronger life force than the others in the area.
"I don't think I can take down a boss on my own." Jun was unsure of his own abilities. Although confident he could take down some of the lower ranked monsters. He couldn't hope to beat the bosses on his own.
From the shadows of the gate his knights rose. Eren's new knights stood proud, each of them had a black sword on their waist.
"You've got the shadows." Eren assured Jun.
"Go as fast as you can." Jun left with a platoon of 25 knights. 17 swordsmen, 6 archers and 2 brutes. They made their path to the boss. Swords drawn, bows notched and shields ready. Disappearing into the snow-covered fields.
The white-haired man stood, watching the snowflakes dance and swirl in the air. With a sigh, he muttered under his breath, "I should have stayed home today."
The snow however, provided a canvas for reflection. He had a long night of stalking the streets and an early morning of gate hunting. His mind wandered to his family and the recent events.
'Emi still hasn't spoken to me.' She hadn't said a single word to Eren since she found him wounded on the floor. Giving a silent glare to her brother; her words were not needed to express her feelings.
"She's still not forgiven me for abandoning her. I don't blame her."
Talking to himself with only the howl of the wind for company.
'Dad too; with no job he spends his days drinking in a dive bar. And when his sober he at least tries to find a job. No one wants a former criminal accountant.' The image of his father, drowning in self-pity, filled his mind with disgust. But there was little Eren could do for him; how can you help a man that won't help himself.
"I've returned to zero..."
*Boom* *Boom* *Boom*
A rhythmic, dull sound could be heard in the distance. Growing louder and louder with each thud. The ground quaked and shook, causing chunks of ice to break free and tumble down.
*Boom* *Boom* *Boom*
A hulking creature that resembled a boar the size of a bulldozer, made its way to the gate. Its woolly white coat covered in blood; shadowed knights clung by swords embedded in its hide.
"GRAAAHH!" A pained bellowed to the sky. Jun rode atop the beast, Seraph held high. Although the swaying of the beasts' movements was making it difficult to keep his balance.
*Schlick* * Schlick* * Schlick*
Seraph went deep into its head over and over. Blood cascaded like a fountain, covering Jun's face, hands, and sword.
*Crash*
The beast fell to the floor. Skidding along the ice and snow, coming to a halt a few meters from Eren's apathetic stance. A cloud of ice particles, and a soft sigh was all that remained of the once mighty creature.
*Huff* *Huff* *Huff*
His breathing heavy; Jun managed to take down the boss on this own.
"How... did I do?" He asked his master, panting as he did. Although not able to see it from the blood on his face, his eyes were beaming with a hopeful expression. Hopeful that Eren would see his improvement.
"Good. You are... getting better." He gave a light nod, and an emotionless, almost cold, tone to his words.
The young boy began to beam; if not for the boar's blood, he would have been smiling from ear to ear. "Thank you master, I-"
"Let's go." Eren left through the portal first, not even a glance back.
"Is he always like this?" Asking the knights that remained.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
A group shrug was all that answered his question. He could sense that something was bothering the white-haired man, but he wasn't sure what. A sense of sadness filled Jun's eyes as he looked at the gate, which was slowly closing.
'I want to help you, master.' He thought to himself, before stepping through the portal.
The end of autumn air, crisp, cold and silent. Not as bad as the ice fields, but enough to chill to the bone. The sky above was clear, with only a few scattered clouds, and the sun began its slow afternoon descent.
"So, ready to have some of the best spicy ramen in the ward?" Jun spoke, hoping to cheer up his master.
"For dinner Jun. I might bring Emi along to try the place." The white-haired man dismissed the idea of late lunch.
"Send me the details. I'm going to speak with Baelor." Eren without another word.
His ring showed its screen; another gate cleared. 'I've had enough of these.'