The Messenger of Death

"Alex, where is he?" Camron started to worry. He was dumbstruck and concerned. How could Adrian disappear from underneath the bell without raising it or breaking through it?

"As you can see Camron, I also don't know." Alex was confused, just a few seconds he could see Adrian in the tub screaming. Now there was no one there.

"System, deactivate X-ray vision.

*Deactivated.

"Adrian!?" Drake called out.

"Adrian!!" Katherine did the same.

"Did we just misplace a teammate of ours?" Drake thought out loud.

"This bell that Xiao En gave to us, does it have special properties? I don't see how it's possible for Adrian to pass through the bell. Alex thought and he began touching the bell, round. Trying to see if one could actually pass through the bell.

Contradictory to his hypothesis, the bell was solid and firm. Adrian couldn't have passed through.

While they were deep in their thoughts, they failed to notice a drenched person coming out from the river that was just at the end of the grassy field. It was Adrian, he walked towards his teammates with a huge smile on his face.

"Guys!!" He called out. He had never felt this way before.

They turned around when they heard his voice. "Adrian!! Goodness, I thought we lost you. How did you? When did you?" Camron wasn't able to finish asking any of his questions. He was dumbstruck at the moment.

And so were the rest, including Alex. He was certain that he looked around and he didn't see him when he did. Now here he was, smiling.

"I really don't know, but I have never felt so… one with myself before. All remember was a loud sound hitting and taking me along with it. When I opened my eyes I was in the river and the tub anymore." Adrian explained.

Alex opened had his eyes wide open when a realization hit him. "You traveled with sound and at the speed of sound." He blurted out. "That's why he was able to leave the bell. Sound is able to move through solids because its molecules are densely packed together. If he can travel with sound, and at the speed of sound, isn't the possibilities of his ability compound?" Alex started to talk to himself. He was marveled at Adrian's ability.

All of them listened to what Alex had been saying. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Adrian was the most attentive there. After all, Alex was the one that pointed this ability of his out, and also the one that helped the most.

"The speed of sound is dependent on the medium that the sound waves travel through, be it water, air, or solid materials." Alex continued to think of the many possibilities that could be done with Adrian's ability.

"Now, I'm a little jealous." He finished. Alex didn't know that they had been listening to him, he didn't even know that he had been talking out loud.

"Just how much do you know about his ability?" Camron asked, surprised at the wisdom of his friend.

"Huh? Why do ask?" Alex snapped out of his trance.

"Forget about it." Camron dismissed.

"Alex," Adrian walked towards him and held his hands. "Please help me understand this ability." He pleaded. Although he did what he did, Adrian didn't know how he did it.

Alex looked at him weirdly and pulled his hands back. "Isn't that what I'm already doing? You don't have to get emotional about it. We are still in the experiment stage, and I'm also interested in this ability of yours."

At this moment Adrian didn't know how to express his emotions and gratitude, he fell on one knee and said;

"I don't know what I did to deserve this, I don't know if I would have ever had the chance to find out that I have an ability like this is if I didn't join this team. Even if all I just had was a glimpse of this ability, I am satisfied with knowing that I am not a disabled cultivator. From today you do not need to give energy crystals. I, Adrian Hamish, swear and pledge my loyalty to you, Alexander. So please teach me how to use this properly."

What Adrian did was unexpected, none of them knew how to respond, especially Alex. He had a confused expression on his face.

Camron walked to Alex's side and whispered in his ears. "He wouldn't stand up until you accept his pledge."

"Accept!?" He faced Camron and blinked at him.

"Yes, aren't you royalty? You are meant to be used to things like this." Camron whispered.

['F*ck-']

['Keep it PG13 Alex.'] Xander interrupted.

['I can't even curse in my mind no more!?']

['You've been doing it way too much. It needs to be regulated.'] Xander pointed.

['Ah, here's that big brother act I was talking about. Enjoy every bit of it rabbit.'] Al interjected.

['Should I accept the pledge or not?'] Alex asked.

['You, should, it doesn't hurt to have someone that willingly wants to follow you. But don't trust.'] Al advised.

"Alright, I, I accept?" Alex still felt weird as he said that.

Adrian stood up with a huge smile plastered on his face.

"Hey, is it really okay for you to do this?" Drake who was still recovering from his shock asked.

"Yeah, I mean, it is his decision after all," Katherine said.

"Alex," Emma walked towards him and did something that they didn't expect.

She too dropped to her knees.

['What is wrong with these people today? I haven't done anything for her so why is she kneeling?'] Alex wondered.

"Even if you haven't done anything for me as you did for Adrian, yet, I also want to pledge my loyalty to you. I, Emma Daniel, pledge and swear my loyalty to you, Alexander. From today on, you don't need to give me energy crystals, I just hope that you can help me find out what I am capable of." Emma pledged.

Alex facepalmed himself. ['F*cking hell. Don't tell me anything Xander, it was needed.'] Alex cursed.

He watched her as she was still on her knees. "Okay, okay. I accept, get up. You guys are pledging your loyalty to me over something this small? I don't even know if I'm going to be able to help you achieve what you want, yet the two of you did that. Fine, just don't regret it if the outcome isn't what you hoped for." Alex stated.

"I won't regret it. I have already experienced a glimpse of it thanks to you. I have faith in you that you would be able to help me do this." Adrian was absolutely optimistic about this, unlike before.

"You said something about Adrian having an affinity with the sound element, and it turned out to be the truth. Then you said that mine was a tree, I also have faith that you would be able to help me figure this out." Emma grinned.

"Aren't the two of you being a little bit too optimistic?" Alex questioned.

"Even if you are not able to do much about it, no matter what the outcome is, I won't take my words back. My loyalty will remain in your hands." Adrian assured him.

"Same here too." Emma joined.

Alex bobbed his head. "Okay, suit yourselves. Not my problem."

"Should we get back to-"

"Alex," It was Drake that called out this time. Alex turned and saw that Drake was heading towards him.

"Wait right there, don't move another muscle. If you get down on your knees and say that you want to pledge your loyalty to me, then not only will I reject it, I will kick your big head to the ground." Alex warned him.

"Why!? What did I do wrong? I wasn't going to do that. I just wanted to ask if you could give me the energy crystals that you used to give them. The ones that they just rejected when they were giving their pledge." Drake asked with his hopes high.

['This bastard is trying to take my money for free!!?? The guts of this guy, the effrontery!!'] Al bellowed.

"No," Alex answered and turned away.

['Good, for a moment there, I thought that you were going to agree to that.'] Al was relieved.

Drake stood there heartbroken, he sighed and looked at Emma and Adrian. Lucky bastards.

"Does anybody have anything else that they would like to say? Anybody?" Alex asked because he didn't want to be interrupted again.

"Nobody?" He looked at all of them, they were all smiling at him, except Drake, he was still in his heartbroken state.

"Good, now let's get back to what we were doing. Emma, we have to find some things out about Adrian's ability before I begin with yours."

['Really, just tell her the truth. You don't know how or what to do in her case.'] Al jabbed at him.

['Who says that I don't know what to do? Even if I don't, I will think of something as I assist Adrian.']

['Whatever you say, rabbit. Whatever you say.']

"No problem, I can wait," Emma stated…