Chapter 32: Experimenting with different types of blood

 Darius was in Orc's eye again, a demon with a mission. He went to the bounty poster wall, and taped a new poster on the wall. 

Wanted: Different types of beast blood. Magical blood is preferred. 

Reward: Runes made with a part of the blood. Any runes, no matter the rank. 

"You went from taking jobs to offering them?" Tom, the barkeeper, asked. Darius was startled by him coming behind him so silently. He turned around, and nodded. 

"I found that if you mix your own blood together with that of a magical beast, at least when it came to Basilisk blood, the rune will tattoo itself on your skin. See?" Darius pulled back his hair, to show off his water breathing tattoo.

After Andiel was done scolding him, the little demon boy had gone back to his room, and made another water breathing rune, this one for Anastasios. Now, it was placed in a box, one that a lady in the jewelry shop used to store rings in, and it just waited for Anastasios's birthday. 

"Well, I have never seen something like that. Permanent blood removal would be something that could potentially clout wounds. Have you thought of that?" Tom asked, and Darius shook his head. 

"Not really. I suppose that is my best-selling rune. I will do my best to improve it. Do you think you can help me get some of the hunters to help with this?" The demon boy pointed at the poster. 

"They will get priceless runes in exchange for a hunt that they could combine with another job," Tom said, and then turned around, to face the customers. "Hey, everyone. Our resident rune genius has found a way to take out the paper from the runes. All you need to do, is come back with a bit of blood from a hunt." 

"No one can use the runes, without the paper," an elf said, but he came to Darius. "I thought that you could only do up to C ranked runes?"

"With beast blood, I don't have to bleed so much. Yesterday, I made an S ranked rune," Darius rolled up his sleeve, and showed off the titanium armor rune that was tattooed there. "See?" 

The elf took out his dagger, and before anyone could stop him, he pressed it on the rune. The dagger's tip broke, and the rune remained unblemished. 

"How are you going to bleed for your other runes?" The elf asked, and Darius rolled up his other sleeve. There was a different rune there, that would serve to soften his skin, should he need it. It wasn't active now, and it was pale. 

"Hey, Ulric, what gives! You could have harmed the kid," Tom growled, but the elf just shrugged. 

"I had faith in the boy. Look kid, I need both of these runes. If you make them for me, I can get you dragon blood. How much do you need?" Ulric asked. Darius stared at him with stars in his eyes. 

"You kill dragons?" The little boy asked, and Ulric nodded. 

"Small ones. Not those that look like living mountains. After you get me the runes, I might try my luck with the bigger ones," Ulric said, sounding wistful. 

"Bring me the entire blood supply of the dragon. Also, the body parts. Dragon fire glands are a very good medicine. Dad can use it to cure frostbite," Darius said, as his tail began to wag. 

"Well, two things for two runes. Sounds fair enough," Ulric said, and he took off the poster. 

"Wait," Darius protested. "I want more people to get this job. I must experiment until the fall, because come autumn I will be heading off to Westermire Academy." 

"Look, kid, just make more posters, and be more specific. Rules dictate that only a single poster counts for a single job. I see much writing in your future," the elf gave him a smirk, and made to leave, when Darius grabbed his sleeve. 

"I already have the two runes that you need made," Darius pulled out two sheets of paper, and waved them at the elf. "Where do you want them?"

"You will prepay?" Ulric asked, eyebrows high. 

"You will face a dragon. I have to make sure that you are well. Do you also want a fire-resistant rune? I have one here. Oh, and a water breathing rune, and blood removal, and..." Darius began to list, as many of the bounty hunters moved closer to him. 

"Kid, do you want to get me into indebted servitude? There is no way that I can pay for all those runes with a single dragon," Ulric scoffed, but Darius was already rolling up the man's sleeve, and pressing the rune on it. "Hey!" 

"You have to be safe. Heroes don't delegate jobs that could kill people, and I will be a hero," Darius murmured, and Ulric stopped to stare. "I will outfit you with all the runes I have here, and you will get me blood from your jobs. Oh, and medicine body parts." 

"You are a good kid, you know," Ulric was no longer resisting. But there was guilt written all over his face. "I should have gotten you off the streets, when old Beth died." 

Darius blinked at the man, when he placed the titanium armor rune on his arm. 

"I have a home now, and a father. I remember you. You gave me money and food, from time to time," Darius said with a smile, trying to chase the bad atmosphere that surrounded them away. "If you want to help someone, why don't you adopt a child off the streets? There are many like me, in Brukleon." 

Ulric looked uncomfortable at that. 

"I am a bounty hunter, kid," the man reminded the boy. "I could die at any minute, and then the child will end up homeless again." 

"You won't die," Darius promised, as he pressed the preservation rune on the elf's second dagger. The blade glowed, and marking appeared on it. "I will outfit you with all that I can offer. You and everyone in this tavern. Because a hero always looks out for other heroes." 

"You think me a hero?" The elf murmured, and then bowed his head. "You think too highly of me, kid." 

"You save people, and kill beast. Capture criminals, who would have done even more crimes. You are a bounty hunter, and all bounty hunters are heroes, even if they go unsung," Darius insisted, and then looked around.

Guilt was written on the faces of the people who were crowding around the trio. Yet, Darius gave them all a smile, and his tail began to wag. Some smiled back, no one backed away.