Godly Grey Sky

It had not been his task.

Aether, at first was dumbfounded, "How was that not my Task, I've spent my whole life, spending any amount of money I could scrape up. Doing anything and everything I thought of. And it all amounted to nothing". He said, his voice cracking, not because of the pain of part getting his flesh ripped off. But because of how hopeless he feels.

Aether lays there, crying and not being able to move. Then he looked at the corpse of the Cottontail Rabbit. He had done something that most people had never done. Maybe because of the difficulty, or the fact that it was stupid to do. Probably the former, but he had done it nonetheless, even if it wasn't his Task.

"Guess I should be proud of myself, at least I know this isn't my Task" He said with a hint of self-deprecation. Trying to cheer himself up from this massive risk and disappointment.

"Since this wasn't my Task, I guess I have to get back". He thought as he tried to get up, but fell back down. "Shit" he thought as he miserably failed to stand up. "I wish I'd had the money to buy a tonic". He said with some more deprecation.

"I'm not bleeding too bad so I won't die for now, my main issue is my arm and side". He looks at his swollen arm which looks a little discolored, then his side, which had a decent size chuck bites off. Luckily it wasn't fatal or bleeding too much.

He tries to get up again, but ultimately can't. "Shit I'm gonna pass out soon if I don't get back, damn the Gods". He says as he starts to crawl with feet and one arm. As he crawls he thinks about what to do when he gets back to the Inner World.

"First thing would be to fix my body up. I'd have to go to a healer for that. Shouldn't be too expensive, well maybe for an average person". He thinks, a little self-deprecating.

"Second would be going back to finding my Task, then after I do find it, I'll get a job, after sixteen years. Hopefully my Position abilities are combat, those make the most money". He thinks, wondering what the future will be like, "but first let's get out of this hell".

"Damnit, this is worse than fighting that Ordinary". He says his broken arm is being dragged as he crawls back to the wall.

As he's crawling he hears a noise, a kind of swooping noise, one that Aether has never heard before. "The hell?, what is that?". He thought as he looked up to where the sound was.

He looked up and saw what looked to be a bird, pitch black, and was about the size of two of him, Which really wasn't saying much, but what was horrifying is that it could fly. "Wait, it can fly, SHIT".

He started crawling as fast as he could, "it's definitely seen me, no way it hasn't" He thought as he remembered what the free school had said about flying Grey Creatures.

Greys that could fly were at a bare minimum a Servant.

He continued crawling and just as he could see the wall, he heard a whistling sound.

"It was diving, I'm dead". He thought as he crawled even faster.

He kept crawling, with all he could, even using his broken arm as much as he could. He knew that if that bird hit him, he would die, painfully at that.

Then the bird struck.

But not Aether, instead it decided to go for the bigger and meatier corpse of the rabbit.

Aether had never been happier to be malnourished. Despite the bird's change in target, Aether did not slow his speed. Cause he knew once the bird was done with the rabbit, he'd be next.

He was almost at the wall, only a couple of yards away. But then his legs, which had been doing most of the work, gave out.

"The hell?" He thought, "My legs didn't get damaged in the fight?" He wondered, maybe he was wrong, maybe he just didn't notice his other injuries. 

Despite this setback he continued, with just his right hand, and his broken left. Just then he heard it again.

The Black Bird was over top of him again, circling. This time there won't be another corpse to stop that wretched bird.

"Shit" He thought, as he continued crawling towards the gate. The bird would be on him in a minute or two, he had to hurry.

Just then, as he was just at the gate entrance, arms went out. "What?, no way, this isn't possible, my right hand was never damaged, why can't I just move my hand" He screamed inwardly.

Then Aether did the only thing left he could do.

Which of course, with his legs and arms not working, was to scream, As loud as he could.

"HELP, HELP ME DAMNIT, THERE'S A VARIANT FLYING TOWARDS US". He screamed as loud as he could for a couple of grueling seconds.

Then the gate opened.

"I'm saved, my nightmare is over" He thought, then he saw the person coming out.

It was a taller girl, with long, straight, black hair, with very healthy looking skin. She had some very wealthy looking clothes on, with a sword in her hand.

"A girl?" He thought in confusion "Where's the guard?" Just as he thought that he heard a crash.

The Black Bird had appeared and had landed right next to him.

Aether screamed "HEY girl that's at least a Varant, get out of here, run".

The girl just stood there, not batting an eye, with her sword up. Looking stoic, like this didn't faze her at all.

Aether screamed again "Didn't you hear me" louder this time.

Then the bird lunged at the girl, now the bird wasn't that big, but that didn't matter, it was a Varant, a Rank VIII when compared to a human, it had the power to kill a thousand Rank 0's like himself, with ease.

Aether closed his eyes not wanting to look at what was about to happen with her.

The girl then took one step forward with her left, then swung both her hands back to her right. Then in one, clean motion, cut the head of the bird clean off. Send black blood over on the walls.

Aether then opened his eyes and saw the aftermath, he couldn't believe it, "No way, she has to be at least a Rank VIII or even a higher Ranked XI" He thought on the verge of passing out.

The girl then casually walked over to him, then squatted down. "Will you live the next ten minutes?" She said with little emotion.

Aether nodded as much as he could.

Then the girl picked him up with ease and pulled him up to his feet.

"Sorry, I can't walk* He said, smiling a little.

"It's fine, but why are you smiling?" She asked, with not much emotion, just genuine curiosity, as she helped him walk through the gate.

"Oh it's nothing, I just thought you and me we're going to die as all, I'm just happy we're ok" He said, a little confused, "Is she socially awkward? or maybe I'm just weird. He thought as she stared blankly at him.

"Oh I see," She said with a hint of satisfaction.

*Hey sorry about this, but you think you can get a healer here, I'll lost too much blood* He said falling to his knees as they entered back into the Inner World.

"Hey wait" She saids, as he falls back on the ground.

Just then he heard it.

The words he had been waiting for sixteen years.

*Congratulations Aether Torn*

*You have completed your Task*

*Please name your System*

Just as Aether heard these words, he passed out.