Chapter 3: Eyes Everywhere.

"I'm Natasha by the way, but everyone calls me Nat and I am a Dwarf" -Nat said looking up to Chronos while walking towards a relatively ancient-looking shack. "You?" She asked.

A Dwarf, that explains her stature -Chronos thought before answering. "I'm Chronos" -He replied.

"I'm sorry for what happened back in the inn, I know Bernard since I have use of common sense and he likes to fool foreigners but lately the number of travelers has decreased and he has got barely income from his job. Anyway, you look like a foreigner, so let me tell you: some weird stuff has happened lately, a strange light appeared about a month ago and special teams from the government came many times to inspect the town asking for a dragon egg, don't you think it is weird? Some people were taken to the capital to be interrogated a week now" -Nat explained.

"It is true, I'm a foreigner, and thanks for the information, Natasha" -Chronos replied. So this is what is happening now after Mother died... -He thought. "Where are we going?" -Chronos added.

"Please call me Nat, it is weird when people call me Natasha, only my parent do that" -She countered. "And we are about to meet a collector, I think he will pay for information and also jewels or precious stones" -She said.

"I see" -Was all Chronos said before arriving at the shack.

Nat knocks on the door a couple of times before it opens and reveals a tall and old man. "Hey, doc! I brought you a traveler" -Nat said to the old man.

Kindly and patiently he smiles and motioning his hand to the inside he let us in. "What a glad surprise to see you here boy, there are not as many travelers as before. Probably because a town like this does not offer good rewards on guild requests" -he said. "So what brings you here today?" -Doc asked.

Before Chronos could even open his mouth. "We are here for you to buy his precious stone, so he will actually have money" -Nat answered.

"It is weird to see the town's blacksmith trying to help a traveler instead of offering him good quality armor and weapons" -Doc countered.

"Well you see, I was walking by-". Before she could continue, a faint sound of helicopters in the distance caught Doc's attention, then he looked at Chronos realizing he was also aware of them despite the very low noise. This made Doc realize Chronos has a good hearing. Maybe a good training? Maybe experience? I can't really know part of his past or personality from his looks. He could be dangerous -Doc thought.

"Then give back to Chronos his emerald and brought him to sell it" -Nat concluded.

Doc lets a small chuckle slide from his broken lips and gives an enthusiastic expression to the pair. "Well, in that case, let's see what you have for me, boy" -Doc said standing up and walking towards his counter which was full of jewels with tags, and behind it, on the wall, was a large number of books and all of them related to jewels and their properties.

Chronos couldn't hide his expression of fascination when he saw them. "Are the jewels used for more than magic catalysts and decoration?" -Chronos asked while reading the tags.

"Yes, I dedicated my life to studying them. They are special energy transformers; when electricity is applied, the outcome becomes way higher than it would normally be with normal metals" -Doc explained. "The many carbon-based gems have different degrees of power, this makes them as strong as they are" -He concluded.

"They are also good base materials for forging weapons" -Nat added.

"Yes, that's why your customers come to me for material for you to forge them powerful equipment" -Doc replied.

With a big smile and a giggle, Nat went to sit down by the stools they were sitting on before.

Chronos puts down his backpack and opens a pocket with all the gems he has and places them on the counter. Doc notices something weird on them, like if they were preserved for thousands of years after being found. "May I ask where did you get them?" -Doc asked with a low tone.

"It was a gift from my parents" -Chronos answered without hesitating.

"Interesting... were your parent collectors?" -Doc kept asking while inspecting the jewels.

"Yes" -Chronos answered while focusing on the helicopters' flying sound. I need to hide or leave this town -He thought, worried for the egg from being taken away from him.

Nat was humming while waiting patiently for Chronos to finish his deal with Doc. Maybe I could show him the town and them ask him if he needs a good weapon -she thought.

When Doc finished inspecting the jewels his expression stood into a midpoint between joy and melancholia, then he said something that made Chronos expression change into astonishment. "I know these precious stones... some people many years ago made me inspect them before going to study the mountain of Death. They had a baby among them, and by now he would have your age".

"I don't know what are you talking about, sir..." -Chronos stuttered while stepping back.

"The mother of the child was my daughter..." -Doc said with a faint smile reflecting grief, then he looked up at Chronos. "...You resemble her" -he concluded.

Chronos, not sure of what was happening, tried to change his expression into disinterest again. "I...just want to sell these stones, sir. How much do they worth?" -he said coldly.

Doc sighed and looked at the stones. "Yeah...I see. I can give you 30m in cash for all of them" -Doc said while opening his safe. "But because of the amount, I will give you 30 white gold coins which worth the same" -He added.

"Ok" -Chronos replied trying to avoid thinking about the earlier statement of Doc.

Some minutes later, Doc gives the money to Chronos, then he waves in farewell at Chronos and Nat while they leave the place. "Would you like to see the town? To be your first day, you may be pretty lost" -Nat said with energy.

"Sure" -Chronos said a bit bothered by two thoughts. One of them was that if he didn't leave the town, probably the last relative he had still alive would be in danger and the second thought was the helicopter's noise, which stopped a while now.

"Hm...why don't we go to my workshop first? I would like to show you the weapons I can make, maybe you'll be interested" -Nat suggested realizing Chronos' change of mood

.

"Are you ok with that? Isn't it far?" -Chronos asked while being pulled out of his thoughts by Nat.

Nat raised a finger showing where the place was, not so far from Doc's shack but closer to the rest of the town. "There it-" -She was interrupted by a group of people who were walking towards the two of them.

"There he is, I saw him chopping off Dan's hand when he just wanted to help him transport his backpack for him" -One of them said with an innocent tone.

Chop off Dan's hand? Chronos doesn't seem the kind of person who attacks when being helped, and Dan is a thug -Nat thought when heard the person.

"Are you sure this is the guy? He doesn't seem to be a big deal" -Pointed out the one who seemed like the strongest in the group while walking towards Chronos.

Doc was walking towards the window to clean them when then he saw the scene. "Huh? Chronos? Nat?" -Doc said confused while staring.

"Oh, I forgot about it, you may be friends with that guy I met earlier, he-" -Chronos was abruptly interrupted by a laugh coming from the one who seemed the strongest one.

"Friend? He is the only someone who owns my money, and now that one of his hands is missing he can't work. It means you will pay for him now." -the thug said.

It really seems there is no hope for some people after all -Chronos thought while sighing in disappointment.

"Why don't we show him who he has to pay from now on, guys?" -the thug said and Nat positioned herself to resist but Chronos seemed calm.

Right before the Strongest thug was able to hit first, a magic-enhanced bullet blew away his head and the rest of the body started to burn down.

Nat's eyes widened and Chronos quickly turned to see a team of soldiers with assault rifles marching towards them. The gang, disoriented and scared, started to run but they had the same luck as their leader. Then the team surrounded and aimed towards Chronos and Nat.

this is bad...they are too many for me to fight without being captured or killed -Chronos thought while getting closer to Nat.

Then, a known silhouette was walking towards them while clapping. "Nice job guys, now where's the reward you told me about?" -said Bernard.

Nat was shocked. "Bernard....w-what does this mean?..." -she faintly said with an expression of horror on her face while trembling.

The leader of the team was just arriving, when attached his rifle to his back and approached Bernard slowly. "You did a great job" -he said when then executed Bernard in a second with his gun which he took from the left side of his special-armored uniform pants.

"Bernard..." -Nat said before dropping on her knees while crying in silence without changing her expression.

The leader motioned for his team to captured Chronos and Nat. "Bring the transport, we caught them" -he said when then turned to see Chronos, who was now on his knees and looking at him right on his eyes while one of them was about to take the backpack from him.

Is this the end?...without even beginning? -Chronos thought briefly.

In a matter of seconds, one of the soldiers was thrown towards a building by the force of a high-speed projectile. At that moment all the team passed to be in alert mode. "It's been a while since I last used magic..." -Doc said while walking and a large number of jewels surrounding him. "Sadly, I can't last long. Run Chronos...take Natasha with you, she'll be very helpful" -He added.

"No! You will die in vain! I won't let you fight alone!" -Chronos refuted.

Nat was still in shock, she couldn't react to what was happening. She was only staring at who she thought was her friend while he was lying motionless on the ground surrounded by a crimson pool.

The soldiers started firing towards Doc, and he effortlessly stopped the rain of shoots by creating a shield with the stones, but by being magical bullets the precious stones couldn't last more than 2 impacts. "HURRY!" -Doc shouted while striking back. Without thinking, Chronos took his backpack and Nat, then he ran away to the forest where he settled a month ago.

"If you guys think I will let you get to my grandson so easily then you are mistaken!" -Doc exclaimed while increasing the rate of jewels being launched.

"Bring the destroyers and send another team to search the zone again" -the leader of the team said by radio to the helicopter pilots. Then, a couple of minutes later, Doc was surrounded by 3 quadcopters with heavy magic-enhanced ammunition and antimagic-weaponry armor.

The only thing I regret...is not being able to see you grow, Chronos -Doc thought smiling in relief while dropping his arms in defeat and looking towards the path Chronos used to escape. Then in a matter of seconds, Doc was reduced to nothing by the destroyers.

"Surround the perimeter and put trap-cameras in place, whatever moves is going to be tranquilized by those darts" -The leader commanded.