《Raido》 Prologue ¡°It is the age of change and new. With it, the old powers look for a new heir¡±, said he, the old one. ¡°This time, the unheard songs of the past paved a way for the new stars.¡± And he showed everyone around him, all of the shades and lights, a vision. What they all have been waiting for. ¡°Five lights, to show the way in our darkest moments: In a flowery palace, the one to instill fear. It will show us how to love. In the deepest parts of a dreary forest. It will show us how to create. Born in a bloodbath, small and barely breathing. It will show us willpower. Forgotten. Despised. Thrown aside. It will show us potential. Cursed from birth, lonely and without a crown. It will show us determination.¡± The vision ended. The details were few. Nothing was shown apart from the fact that they exist. ¡°What do they fight for? Had it been so long the passage of time, in our conscience, that we forgot what we fight for? There is no mercy in this cold universe. When all are against us, I will be proud to look by my side and see not a human, but a brother. That is our mission.¡± The narrator stepped between the shades and lights, some looking vaguely humanoid, others not so much. He put his hands on their shoulders as he went by them. Saluting them by their names and greatest deed, though those were only whispers. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°It has been waiting for them! But they are no different from you! They might not even change anything, and we would be standing here! Fools and daydreamers!¡± As he said those words he arrived at the back of the room, where a small, barely visible light in the shape of a child stood lonely. Out of it, sparks fell. The only light out of which something like this happened. The narrator stood before it. His fiery gaze looking down to the floor. ¡°Yet, I dare not even look into your eyes. The biggest dreamer out of us all. We do not believe. We are old men and women, our life rife with failures. Our eyes often met the gaze of the earth. Sometimes, we didn¡¯t even look back up.¡± The narrator slowly bowed before that light, with him, the whole group. ¡°But you looked to the stars, and saw what eyes can¡¯t. We show our respect and now we, too, await his arrival. We believe now, and it¡¯s not too late, even for us. The honor, though, will forever be only yours.¡± Then they all stood up. Nothing changed but the lights and shades moved in a much more lively manner. The narrator faced the gathering as the shades and lights slowly took their past forms. Those of warriors and mages; leaders and healers; rebels, traitors and unforgiven. They were ready for war. For the end that had to come. For this they chanted. ¡°We wait for a new beginning. The brightest light in its full glory!¡± The almost mute chanting grew louder and louder. ¡°We wait for a hero! And with him UNITY!¡± he shouted the last word as his hands reached towards the ceiling. ¡°UNITY! UNITY! UNITY!¡± The small, lonely light took the shape of a boy, crying and bleeding out of love for a world that didn''t want him. Even for a forgotten and shunned child, there was a place between the greatest. For he began it all. The rebellion for a better life. And the formless, cold void was, maybe for a slight moment, warmer than usual. Chapter 1 - The Prodigies ¡°It¡¯s a full moon tonight, you know what that means.¡± A hooded figure said to another while preparing a pyre under the light of the stars. ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯ve been cutting wood all day¡± answered the man while putting said wood inside a circle of stones. There was a green altar in the middle of the circle. ¡°By the way, where are the apprentices? I was told that Sarlam recruited quite a few recently.¡± ¡°Dunno. I didn¡¯t see them either. He said that they were quite good. One of them can even see slightly into the future and another can cast curses.¡± ¡°Sounds like a lot. Can they even handle such powers? Our lord¡¯s blessings aren¡¯t given without a reason, that I know.¡± ¡°Then why do you ask?¡± ¡°It just seems off. Barely any of us got any blessings, some were in service for decades, yet a bunch of kids got them just like that?¡± The other man, Teroh, pondered for a moment. ¡°You know what Devas? You are right. Keep in mind though, that our lord doesn¡¯t do anything for naught. Whatever happens with the kids is not our business. Now get some guys to bring more wood. We need a strong fire.¡± The wood was slowly but steadily piled up as a few men helped. As the pyre was ready, a few other people came. They all wore hoods, some of them had a strange symbol on their chest. Devas and Teroh would keep their distance from them out of instinct. Next was the incense and the chalices. ¡°Wait, weren¡¯t the apprentices the ones to bring the chalices?¡± said Devas. ¡°So I was told. They¡¯re late even for a bunch of kids. Shit, this is why I told Sarlam to put someone else to do it. The moon will be at its peak and the ritual didn¡¯t even start.¡± ¡°Well, we have nothing to lose if we just start the fire. I wonder who will be sacrificed, the last one was quite screamy and we had to cut his neck.¡± Teroh looked around. They weren¡¯t many as the crackdown on sects began not long ago. This city in particular was difficult due to the local officer and that damned wizard. The ritual would be more difficult without the proper tools. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do it.¡± The people started to slowly hum on a predetermined rhythm. Teroh and Devas did the same and as the song progressed some of them started to sing. It was a low beat song, made specifically so as to not be heard easily. The night is long, the fire is strong. Hearts forgotten, show yourself. A snake¡¯s kiss, flow in our veins. Death to me and death to all. * A few hours earlier, before the sun set, three teenagers were in the market. Most stalls were closed but there were still quite a few late sellers. There was one girl among them and she looked behind them at all times. ¡°Veni, what are you doing?¡± asked one of the boys without looking at her. He was approaching one of the few open stalls. The seller seemed shady, but his wares were really good. The copper cups looked especially pretty with their small coloured stones. ¡°Someone is tailing us. I can feel its presence but I can¡¯t hear nor smell who or what it is. We should hurry.¡± Her hand was at her waist where she kept a dagger. She was not the best combatant around but she was better than the other two. The other boy was silent. He didn¡¯t speak at all since they were grouped together, she thought that he might be a mute. He moved his hands to say something to her. ¡°¡®Your voice is hurting my ears.¡¯? I¡¯m gonna twist your fingers if you talk like that again.¡± She was even more uncomfortable now. Someone was following them and her teammates didn¡¯t listen. She did the sensible thing and came between them to look at the wares. At least she should be shielded. ¡°Change your mind?¡± ¡°Yeah, I may still be a little paranoid.¡± A few silent moments passed by and they decided to buy most of the chalices and cups that were there. ¡°Thank you for your patronage.¡± said the old man as he began closing. He had a tattoo under his neck that Veni noticed. He was one of them, though more in espionage and population mingling. ¡°Be aware of the delinquents.¡± Before anyone could ask for clarification, the man closed the stall and spirited away. The three teens saw that the sun set and hurried to the meeting place. They¡¯d be chewed on by the organizers if they failed on their first assignment. There were a few more streets before they could leave the city only to see a bunch of kids in rags playing with sticks. They were near the slums. ¡°What if we bring one of these kids as a sacrifice? The fresher the blood the better the result, so they say,¡± said Veder, the bold boy. Veni was still on edge. Now even more than before. She could even feel hatred centered on them, especially Veder. Maybe that was her gift? She was always wondering why she was put with these two. ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t. They are dirty and unclean. Hell, some of them may even have some disease! Let¡¯s just hurry. We are already late.¡± While Veder was somewhat convinced, the silent one, Blest, just up and walked towards the kids. He mumbled something and slowly, but surely, the kids were moving slower and slower as their energy was drained until none of them could stand. When Blest got to them, they were sleeping. He took the smallest boy on his shoulder and came back to his group. ¡°He does as he pleases. As annoying as that can be, you did a good job. Now let¡¯s¡­¡± Veder stopped mid sentence as he noticed that one of the kids was standing behind the mute. Actually, he was about the same age as them, yet he didn¡¯t see him get up or even be there before. He was taller than any of them, however, and seemed furious. Or at least, that¡¯s what he could tell, the sun was almost set and the light wasn¡¯t great. Blest sensed the shift in mood and turned around, mumbling something. He was preparing another attack with no hesitation only for his face to meet the fist of that ruffian. That threw him on the ground, blood spilling from his mouth and a few teeth falling. The other two were taken aback at the sudden violence. Well, not Veni, she grew in a precarious condition before coming here, so this was nothing new for her. ¡°He is the one! He kept following us all this time!¡± She said this to bring her teammate to reality, but all it did was to get the ruffian¡¯s attention. She was fairly confident that she could escape, but if they brought an intruder there was no telling what could happen. At the very least they should beat him real good. He¡¯d be a better sacrifice anyway. She took her knife and prepared for a fight. ¡°Wait,¡± said Veder out of his stupor, ¡°you¡¯re gonna¡­¡± She ran a few steps before falling flat on her face, getting her foot stabbed by a sharp stone. ¡°...fall.¡± She groaned in pain and surprise, as that particular stone wasn¡¯t there before. It cut through her leg leaving a fairly deep injury. Veder ducked just before a girl from behind him did a round kick so strong it made a small breeze. She was precise and tried to hit his head. There was no point in reasoning, these guys wanted them beaten. The ruffian did not wait long and jumped on Blest only to be repelled by a strong force a few meters away. The ruffian didn¡¯t seem phased at all and stood up as soon as he touched the ground. ¡°That all?¡± the ruffian mocked. Blest seemed to pop a blood vessel as that was, what he considered, his strongest defense. He raised his arms before him in a motion that mimicked strangling. The ruffian started to run, however his breath was heavier and his movement odd, as if he was sick. Blest smirked, except his opponent was slower than before, which did not say much given his previous strength, and the ruffian still got to him and decked his ass. This time he beat him so hard he fell unconscious. Veni was, in the meantime, assaulted with pebbles from all directions. She soon realized that there was a third person who didn¡¯t show itself. ¡®He has all the advantages, unlike me.¡¯ She decided to hide herself by going into a bush. Next to a house. That was the bush her attacker was in. ¡°Would you look at that¡±, he said pointing a finger at her. She immediately rolled out of the bush as a small water whip went out and cut some branches. She threw another knife she kept in her back pocket into the bush only to be reflected by a gust of wind. The knife landed in the bush. The ground under her feet arose around her feet and kept her in place. The magic boy stood up, holding her dagger with one hand as if it was smeared with shit. With a flick of his other hand the earth moved forward, making her lose balance and fall backwards onto the same stone she fell from, only it wasn¡¯t as sharp as before. The last ones were Veder and the fighter girl. It took them the longest because the boy kept dodging her attacks, but he could not counter attack. This dance kept going on for a few seconds, during this time the girl threw around six punches a second. He knew that, because he started to count them after being hit several times. The boy could see into the future, that was the only reason he managed to survive this long. However, the girl¡¯s movements were so fast and sudden he could not react in time. Then he saw a weakness in her stance and took advantage of it. Well, he tried. She changed her stance ever so slightly and hit him square in the face, his cheeks fuming from how fast she hit. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Losing focus, he staggered for a bit but that was enough for her. She kneed him in the stomach repeatedly until he fell unconscious. As far as the assailants were concerned, they didn¡¯t even sweat. The three teens gathered around, each holding his victim by the neck of their shirt. The fighter girl, named Zara, spoke first. ¡°You just had to take his attack head-on? The guy gave you a curse, idiot.¡± ¡°I beat him squarely. Besides, I was angry at what he¡¯d done to my friends. They were just playing around minding their business. You know it,¡± said the ruffian, named Efar. Alberto, the magic boy, grew weary of carrying the cunning girl and just let her down. ¡°Zara, just dispel the curse. You are better at this than me. That aside, it is interesting how low the sect stooped. Taking advantage of teens and kids and making them kidnap others.¡± ¡°Nah,¡± interjected Efar while Zara took his hand in her palms and recited something, ¡°they decided at the last moment to do that, I heard them. The girl noticed me somehow and wanted not to, but the mute just did it without their approval. That¡¯s why I was angry. It felt like they defied all warnings.¡± ¡°Still, think more carefully when fighting. We are not dealing with mere thugs,¡± said Zara. Small sparks suddenly appeared out from her hands and burned Efar¡¯s skin. It did not hurt and the burns disappeared as soon as the reciting was done. ¡°It will take a few days before the curse is completely purged, but given your stature, you are as good as any time.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get the guys to your father, Zara. He will be happy to get information out of them,¡± pointed Alberto to the defeated ones. ¡°Efar, take mine.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡®Cuz I don¡¯t wanna touch her. This she-viper could poison me even unconsciously.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re alright with me being poisoned?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Efar mumbled something and took the girl on his shoulder and the mute on his other. Zara took the brave boy on both her shoulders while giggling and they all went back to the town square. * It was almost midnight, the preacher started speaking. Teroh and Devas were sitting farther from the fire than the others. They looked at each other and understood that something was wrong. The errand kids didn¡¯t come and they received no word from Sarlam. Because of this the ritual would be incomplete no matter what happens. ¡°Good thing we kept our daggers.¡± ¡°Indeed. I guess someone got on our tail.¡± ¡°Maybe the authorities?¡± ¡°Ridiculous. They are incompetents. Hell, sometimes they make our job easier, either by accepting bribes or by not patrolling.¡± said Teroh. ¡°Let our lord take care of your needs! For we are Hiiis chosen ones! We are sons and daughters of a higher will! Whooo will stand against us, against our divine mission? Even if we fall, we shall rise!¡± shouted the preacher. ¡°Yeah, but that is the case in most places. This town is unusually tough to crack. We lost many while trying to bribe the militia.¡± answered Devas. Teroh was now half listening to the preacher. ¡°Why do all these new preachers shout so much? Especially here, he will be heard by the whole town.¡± He took a short pause and continued. ¡°But yeah, you are right. Let¡¯s prepare an escape plan.¡± They mostly looked around to get to know this place. Given that they were in an opening in the forest, there were only two escape routes. The one they came through and a second one to the west that pushed them deeper into the forest. On the second route, however, were wild beasts. A bear was also sighted recently from what Teroh remembered. They noticed a much better hidden route that seemed to go somewhere else. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be surprised if that¡¯s where lovers usually go,¡± said Devas smirking. ¡°Shut it.¡± retorted Teroh, listening to something. Devas noticed his friend¡¯s expression and looked before and behind them. Nothing seemed wrong, but that was worrying in and of itself. They both retreated into the shadows, their daggers in hands. They no longer spoke anything to each other, yet they coordinated their movements precisely. They always stood apart but never too far from each other and always looking where the other wasn¡¯t. Out of nowhere, people started falling, from the backseats to the front. Teroh and Devas noticed that those were arrows, likely poisoned. They looked at each other and went to the direction the arrows came from, but there was nobody except for faint traces of someone recently being there. Given that they hadn¡¯t met with the culprits, it meant they went ahead, or worse, noticed them. The preacher and the attendees noticed the sudden change. ¡°We are attacked, come together! We shall vanquish our opponents!¡± The preacher tried his best to rouse the people, but he, too, was distraught. Perhaps he believed they were safe all this time. Teroh and Devas tried their best to find the culprits, but all they could find was a lost teen. His hair was ruffled and his clothes were like that of a hunter. He wielded a bow. ¡°What? What are you doing here!?¡± asked Devas while walking furiously to the boy. To his surprise the boy tried to punch him in the face disregarding his bow. His strength and speed were much too good for a kid and his stature was almost that of an adult. It was Efar. Devas was taken aback by his courage, however, he side-stepped and impaled his shoulder with the dagger, to which Efar grunted and took a step back. Devas approached Efar and looked at him. ¡°Impressive. Never met someone like him. Sturdy and strong. Too bad we are enemies.¡± Teroh looked from a few steps away, behind a tree, when he noticed a flying sharp stone going straight for Devas¡¯ head. Teroh threw his dagger, changing the stone¡¯s trajectory. Devas looked at it surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down, idiot. That¡¯s how they get you.¡± Teroh took another knife from a back pocket and threw it not from where the stone came, but at Zara who tried to knee him from the side. She dodged but was surprised that she was noticed. She didn¡¯t approach, afraid that the man held other tricks. ¡°Two of them, huh? Or three? No matter.¡± Teroh raised his hands. ¡°We surrender. It¡¯s clear that you got us surrounded. We will come peacefully.¡± For a moment, Efar and Zara relaxed, only for Alberto¡¯s voice from deeper into the forest to be heard. ¡°He¡¯s lying don¡¯t-¡± But it was too late. Devas threw a smoke grenade, blinding all of them. The smoke scattered in all directions, engulfing even a part of the forest clearing. Teroh managed to get out of the smokescreen and took the preacher with him. ¡°Next time speak quieter. Now come on. At least you should come with us.¡± ¡°But what about the believers? We can¡¯t-¡± ¡°We can help them later. You are more important.¡± Teroh¡¯s coldness made the preacher listen to his words and obey. Despite his rather quick cooperation, they were intercepted by a guy with a fox mask who wore hunter garbs. Teroh¡¯s eyes bulged for a moment. ¡°The Fox! Shit! Get behind me, now!¡± he shouted nervously. While fighting the kids he was quite calm, as even the most talented can¡¯t beat experience. But the one before him had even more experience than anyone present. The guy was infamous in their circle as an exceptionally dangerous individual. An adventurer and hunter. He would have been higher on their priority list if he had any position of power. Even so, he proved dangerous without all that. He was living proof that man needed only wits and determination to get by in the world. ¡®I have no chance against him, not without Devas. And even if he was here, we have a much more important mission. We got sidetracked for too long already.¡¯ The Fox slowly approached him. His stature was impressive, though he was not particularly tall. He raised his crossbow. From the tip of the bolt a small liquid drop fell on the ground, leaving a small coloured cloud. Teroh was sweating. He was in mortal danger. While all this was happening the smoke cleared and revealed that most of the people either ran away or were with the faces planted on earth, foaming at their mouths. Devas managed to shake off the kids, but he turned back when he heard Teroh¡¯s voice. As surprised as he was, he thought that the kids and that man were together. Even if they were not, the adventurer would not let some random kid be killed. Instead of going to Zara and Efar, who likely were prepared to fight again, he went to the one kid he heard from the woods. He pinpointed his location quite fast and took him by surprise. Alberto was shaken that he was found so fast and tried to yell, but Devas suddenly became faster and moved as if there were no obstacles in his way. He put his hand on Alberto''s mouth and hit his throat, near Adam''s apple. As if it was all a lie, the magic that Alberto used seemed to disappear for a moment. It was there, but he could not use it. This terrified him. On the other side, Teroh and Fox were still facing each other. ¡°Are you really alright letting these people die? There¡¯s laws in place, no?¡± said Teroh. ¡°What¡¯s it matter to you?¡± said Fox uncaringly. ¡°Let them rot in the hell they tried to bring here. Same to you, blasphemer.¡± ¡°Now, we only have different perspectives.¡± ¡°Devil talk. Don¡¯t try your arguments with me. True faith needs not sacrifice another, only yourself.¡± Not much of a talker, it seemed. However, that bought him enough time. Devas was slowly approaching the men, with Zara and Efar facing him, ready to attack at any moment. They did not, however, risk putting Alberto in danger, who was held by the neck in one hand. He was struggling and gasping for air but Devas seemed unperturbed. Fox barely looked at Devas but there was no way to even guess what he was thinking. He grunted soft enough that only Efar noticed it. ¡°Leave.¡± Devas reunited with Teroh and the preacher while still keeping Alberto in his hand. They retreated close to the secret escape route they''d noticed a while back and, in a swift motion, tossed Alberto and threw another smoke grenade. Efar caught Alberto, Zara coming next to him and checking his neck. When the smoke cleared, the men disappeared. Alberto was bruised a lot, a testament to Devas¡¯ strength and how little the man needed to hurt others. ¡°Sorry. He caught me and I troubled Fox.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You are more important being alive than them being dead,¡± said Fox as he put back his crossbow while carefully taking the tip of the bolt and put it in a flask. Even so, Alberto was frustrated at his own incompetence. ¡°That aside, Efar, you need to treat your wound,¡± said Fox, checking his pockets. He took a small herb and gave it to him. Efar took it and smashed it between his palms then smeared it on his wound. It hurt a bit. Zara¡¯s fingers seemed to glow as she caressed Alberto¡¯s neck. Slowly, the bruise was disappearing and with it, his power was regained. ¡°Thank you.¡± Zara nodded and stood up. She was a bit weary but otherwise, fine. The sect members were mostly dead, with a few exceptions. Fox came next to each one and swiftly cut their neck. As much as he hated them, he was a hunter at heart and a painful death was unpleasant to watch. ¡°You kids will come with me to the guards¡¯ place. We each need to give our testimony.¡± * The road there seemed a bit harder now. They were tired, one of them hurt. The three teens Efar, Zara and Alberto fought were brought to the same place they were going to. They were questioned for quite some time, though they would spend a long time in the dungeons no matter what they said. The kids must have known this, as they managed to escape. Only a guard was hurt in the process, somewhat. He was cursed with blindness and could barely see in front of himself. Zara had to heal this guy too since she was the only one around who could, but this drained her of energy and she had to be carried in the captain¡¯s room, her father, Gard. Fox took her up and, followed by the other two, went into the office. Upon seeing Zara Gard was shaken, but when he heard that she was just tired, he relaxed. He put her on the only sofa in the entire building, in the next room, and put a blanket on her. Despite being stern and cold, courtesy to his job, she was his soft spot. Once he closed the door to Zara¡¯s room he sat down at his desk and massaged his head. Fox took a chair and sat just before the desk. Efar and Alberto sat down on the floor in a corner speaking about what had happened. Alberto¡¯s revelation of a way to stop magic surprised Efar as well. ¡°I wonder if it works on someone like Zara. The Soul Arts, despite flowing differently, use the same veins as magic,¡± theorized Alberto. Efar asked for some bandages before entering the office. Before he could answer to Alberto, he snuck to Fox, took some herbs from one of his many pockets along with a salve and came back. Fox didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°The only other one who knows Soul Arts is Seon, so unless you want to be kicked to high heaven you better leave it as only a theory. Help me put this bandage on.¡± As the kids were busy with their things, the men were putting together the facts of this encounter. ¡°How was it? Any leads?¡± asked Gard. ¡°A few. This time I managed to get a glimpse of the organizers. They took the one who preached but left all the other members dead.¡± ¡°I will send some men in the morning for the clean-up. As Decen had said, the corpses are breeding grounds for illnesses.¡± Gard pondered for a moment. He was tired as not only was he on guard duty during the night, but he also had to take care of other small crimes that took place during the day that the vice-captain couldn¡¯t bother to solve. ¡°How were they?¡± ¡°Experienced and with excellent teamwork. The kids are good at this, but those two guys were something else. I could not see their whole faces as they wore hoods, but by how they talked they must be easterners.¡± ¡°Bit rare. We will look into them though I doubt they will stay around for more.¡± Once he was done writing something on a wooden board he looked up. ¡°Efar, come.¡± The night was awfully long for everybody except Zara, who slept peacefully. Chapter 2 - Unwanted It¡¯s been three days since the secret congregation came to an end. The three men who managed to flee, along with the three teens who escaped prison were still on the run. While some guards knew somewhat how they looked, there were many people in the town. It didn¡¯t help that there were migrants coming in every day. Efar and Zara also noticed this. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with all these people?¡± asked Efar. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like this until now, did your teacher do something, Alberto?¡± Alberto was smirking, thinking about all the many things he had heard from his one teacher. ¡°Yes, in fact. For quite a while now our town proved to be much safer, even when talking about the huge city! Especially now, when there is a nasty plague going around.¡± ¡°A plague? Never heard of anything like it,¡± mused Zara. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s because Teach has been giving advice directly to your father Zara. Yours as well, Efar. Gard keeps the streets clean in more ways than one while Fox fends off any outside threat. Or inside, as he did a few days ago. There is more to be learned about the world than we can imagine. I can¡¯t understand even half of what he¡¯s saying and it makes my blood boil!¡± Alberto was so enraptured in his own monologue that both Efar and Zara got the words in one ear and out the other. ¡°Hey, what do you say we go to the ruins? Fox just recently got rid of that pesky band of thieves,¡± said Efar. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he or other mercenaries take whatever¡¯s there?¡± answered Zara. ¡°He was in a hurry to get back to town so the quest was technically finished. The others seem way busier nowadays with other things. What do y¡¯all say?¡± Zara and Alberto were curious as well. Both of them studied to a certain degree the local history and were aware that many things were unwritten. Nobody was sure what even happened a hundred years ago. ¡°I¡¯ll talk with papa.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk with Teach.¡± And so they convened to leave in a few days. * Teroh and Devas, together with the preacher, were walking along the road. Their robes were torn during their escape so they threw them. Now with their faces in the sun, they grimaced. ¡°I hate this sun. Why does it always seem that it¡¯s hotter here than anywhere?¡± inquired Devas. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s closer to the sun.¡± answered Teroh. Devas snickered. ¡°Never gets old.¡± The preacher was out of the loop and listened curiously. Devas smirked and told him what was so funny. ¡°Y¡¯see, we once had to burn a whole village as offering but the good old torch was not fast enough for it. So we hired a lunatic who kept babbling something about a black powder and how the voices in his head made him think he was a dancer. Honestly, he was actually good at it. Ah, it¡¯s worth mentioning that it was also terribly hot there, Teroh kept complaining about it.¡± ¡°You did it more. And your other little experiment almost choked me to death. Prick.¡± ¡°So what happened? To the village I mean.¡± ¡°He told us to stick the powder sacks to some hogs and put them on fire. However, we found some old tunnels underground. Man, I tell you, we kept making that powder for a year! I counted! Anyway, when it was time to set it on fire we literally blew the village up! Physically! And with that, it was actually closer to the sun!¡± Nobody except for Devas laughed. Teroh checked the surroundings when they arrived at a crossroad. ¡°Where do you want to go? I know these places fairly well,¡± said the preacher. ¡°Perde. There are some fellows waiting for us. The folks around here seem to stay within their little borders so it works fine for us,¡± answered Teroh. ¡°This way then,¡± pointed the preacher to the right. ¡°Now that I think about it, you speak about us as if you are from another place. Where exactly do you two come from? You look different from most fellows I¡¯ve met,¡± he said referring to their slightly paler skin and narrower eyes. Their words were sometimes weird despite their best attempts at mimicking the local dialect. Devas, who¡¯s got over his silly joke, intervened. ¡°We¡¯re from the east. Get past the Drunken¡¯s Pass and you¡¯re not far from our place!¡± The preacher was curious more than ever. ¡°The east? I heard that place was cursed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not, though it might as well be. The Ice Queen¡¯s reign is nothing short of madness. She makes the tyrants of the south look like lambs,¡± said Teroh, his eyes clouded. ¡°I know firsthand what it means to fight her army. Living ice and dreadful storms. The Druid of the Emerald Forest would be similar, that one you know of, though at least he prefers to stay in his place.¡± Devas¡¯ cheery mood dropped slowly as memories came into his mind. That was the one person he would never want even his enemies to meet. Out of pity, mostly. Despite them not looking like it, the preacher thought that they were veterans from some insane war. Not an unusual sight, all things considered. The last war in their region was twenty years ago. By all accounts, it was as peaceful as it gets. Now that the Land of Mountains and Rivers was united, most threats would, he imagined, come from outside. * Efar, Zara and Alberto were walking on the beaten path towards the ruins, Efar held most of their things in his backpack, together with his bow and arrows. He held a spear though he wished to eventually have another weapon, despite him having two axes at his belt. When inquired about it he¡¯d always say that the spear wasn¡¯t ¡°fierce enough¡±, whatever that meant. The axes weren¡¯t great either. Alberto had the smallest backpack as he put most of his things in Efar¡¯s. His copper bracelet seemed to be the most expensive object any of them had together with a necklace also made of copper. Precious stones were few and often taken to Ravos before appearing on the market so he had to make do with what he had. Even his teacher didn¡¯t use precious stones unless necessary. Zara had some strong boots, bronze plated, and a set of gauntlets dangling from her backpack, also bronze plated. She didn¡¯t have that many unusual things except a book that she would often read when they took a break. It was made out of rabbit skin which Efar and Alberto hunted constantly for weeks so that Seon could write a copy of the monks¡¯ book. Efar knew the way to the ruins as he had been close to that place several times. It took Fox a great deal of strength and convincing to keep him in place that time. Now that they were together, few things would stop him from doing as he pleased. While walking they spent their time speaking about all kinds of things, from silly jokes to serious subjects. Eventually, Alberto and Efar told Zara about that unusual method of stopping magic, though after the first few words Efar disappeared into the forest. ¡°Sounds weird,¡± was her unenthusiastic answer. ¡°Truly. Do you think it would affect you? You told me that the monks use the soul in a similar way as the wizards use magic.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not entirely impossible. However, you¡¯d need at least equal mastery as your opponent to properly use such a technique. With magic I guess it matters not. At least this is what Seon told me. Our souls are rigid compared to magic.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Their talk was interrupted by Efar, bringing a few rabbits as his stomach rumbled. They were hungry too. On the side of the path they made a fire together, Zara and Alberto bringing wood and Efar stoking the fire. Alberto was then tasked with maintaining the fire while Zara and Efar would go to the river and skin the rabbits. It was an unpleasant job, as such they left Alberto out of it as he always grimaced at the gore. ~ Some time later the sun went down and the rabbits were ready. While rudimentary, it was a good meal. Each one of them had a small vial of salt, courtesy to the monks. With it no meal was bland. They also brewed some tea with a bunch of medicinal herbs that Efar had found while returning with Zara from skinning the rabbits. ¡°Say Efar, what are you gonna do when you come of age?¡± asked Alberto while munching on his rabbit. Efar, who also ate heartily, pondered for a moment. ¡°I think I will go explore more. This world is vast. The forest I came from is still a mystery so I want to see what¡¯s there, who¡¯s there.¡± He seemed upbeat, but Alberto knew that Efar had a deep trauma from that place. In his eyes Efar was brave to go back to the place he had suffered the most. ¡°You want to make a name for yourself?¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°No, I just enjoy going to places I have never seen or can¡¯t understand. Still, why do you ask?¡± It was Alberto¡¯s turn to tell his part. ¡°My teacher wants me to go to Ravos. He says that there are other teens our age who learn the secrets of nature and magic. I¡­ don¡¯t know if I should.¡± Efar and Zara looked at each other. Zara thought about it for a bit. ¡°It¡¯s up to you what you wish to do. But never forget that never practicing at length what you learn will make you similar to that mute guy Efar beat. He was undoubtedly stronger than any of us, but he lacked actual experience.¡± ¡°She means that she wants you to hang out with us.¡± Zara puffed her cheeks but didn¡¯t retort. Alberto was happy that he was wanted somewhere. Just like Efar he carried some baggage. Maybe someday he will be able to tell them everything without endangering anyone. ¡°You Zara? I heard that Seon wanted to actually take you to the Monk Villages. Isn¡¯t that great?¡± questioned Efar. ¡°In theory, but there are no women in those villages. I would be happy to make a way for other women, but it is weird only for me to go there. Unless I am strong enough to stand face to face with the Grandmaster, I will stick with you guys.¡± Zara was different from them as she had a somewhat normal life despite her mother being absent. She never talked about it but Alberto realized quite soon after they met what kind of situation her family had been in. He could relate to her somewhat. ¡°Tomorrow we will arrive at the ruins. Finally, we are on the frontier of discoveries!¡± said Efar with excitement. Zara and Alberto shared the sentiment. The heavy weight on Alberto¡¯s soul would always lift whenever he was with them. That made him happy. ¡°Teach always said that few adventurers could actually explore until now because of a crisis that happened more than a hundred years ago. Our fellow men were always struggling to survive. Couple that with the war twenty years ago and most people would be anxious to stray too far away. Maybe we are the odd ones in the end.¡± That made them snicker. Three teens, pioneers of the unknown and forgotten. Under the starry sky, all earthly woes seemed to disappear for a moment as they¡¯d weave a new story. As they came closer to fall asleep the gods looked from above, their faces unseen, cold. ~ The next day they arrived at the ruins, memorizing every detail they could either from a decrepit wall or from a half fallen column. Despite the wear of this place it still felt important. Time is a wonder, maybe a spell, which always changes even the most immutable stone. As the sun neared its zenith they set up their camp. Each one of them equipped their weapons, expecting either wild animals roaming or some brave thief trying to make a quick coin. Unlike such thieves any discovery they made in this place had to be given to either Gard or Alberto¡¯s teacher, Decen. Despite not having any proper writing tools Alberto still knew a spell which temporarily recorded a limited number of images in his head. The spell was highly volatile and too much of a physical harm could also affect his permanent memory. Efar and Zara knew of this so they took it upon themselves to protect him. ¡°Efar, there is a high column up ahead,¡± said Alberto while looking at a scene inscribed on a column. Efar nodded then ran and climbed a tall pillar of marble. With quick, experienced moves he got at the top in no time at all. Standing there the wind blew slightly stronger against his face. His senses were much stronger than a normal man, a gift which he used often when hunting. He could see a bit farther than the ruins thanks to this. After a few seconds he noticed motion and a few figures. They seemed to fight but were also quite far, near the river so even his enhanced sight could not properly discern them. After checking the surroundings he came back down. ¡°There is a fight near the river. I counted five people, three against two.¡± ¡°We should check it out. Who knows if the victors will be against us or not,¡± concluded Alberto. So it was decided. But before they did that, they hid their luggage by propping it on a pillar. Then Alberto made the earth rise and covered their things with a blanket of earth and grass. Having done that they approached the place hastily, only hiding when they came near the other people. To their surprise, it was a three against one fight, with the one lone fighter always being on the offensive. He was clad in an unusual armor as such: his face was covered by chainmail and the helmet was of unusual artistry. He wielded a two-handed axe which got Efar¡¯s attention. Behind him, a few meters away, was a man dressed similarly to a messenger: light clothes but still covering his entire body. An even bigger surprise was that they recognized the three assailants. They were the sect members they fought a few days ago. It was clear whom they should help. The sect members were already their enemies. Efar looked at Zara and Alberto. It was customary for Alberto to set the stage. He put his left hand on the grass and spoke a few words. A mist slowly appeared around, eventually taking everybody¡¯s sight. The warrior noticed it in time and used riskier moves whose weakness was compensated by the lack of visibility. He started yelling and laughing at the same time, likely in excitement. Eventually, one could barely see in front of himself. Except for Efar. His senses helped him greatly and got around Devas and Teroh and reached for the preacher. He didn¡¯t seem like a fighter. ¡°What the¡­¡± The preacher was caught by surprise but still fought back. He had two knives, with another two on his belt. Efar took his axes and parried him several times before catching one of his hands with the nook of the axe head and cutting his arm with the other until he met the bone. The preacher yelled in pain and jerked back, alerting his companions. Blood spilled on the wet grass and kept on dripping as he tried to stop the bleeding. ¡°So it¡¯s red. Unusual, for an insect.¡± Efar mocked before attacking him again and again. Though the man was a mess he managed to dodge the more threatening blows. Devas and Teroh were confused by this situation and thought that their enemy did something and tried to step back. Devas was taken by surprise when Zara hit his head with her gauntlet fists then followed with a knee in the back, putting him down, face in the dirt. Then, stepping on his back, fire erupted from her boots, scorching Devas¡¯ clothes and skin. He was in pain, that was certain, but he barely made any noise. Zara was frowning. Teroh was appalled at the sudden surge of flames and realized who they were dealing with. The armored man used this opportunity to go even more on the offensive. Then, at the worst possible moment, Teroh tripped over a sharp stone and injured his leg. The armored man was laughing maniacally as he swung the axe for the killing blow. It took less than 2 seconds, but Devas, with inhuman speed and strength, threw Zara off him, rushed to the warrior and pushed the axe enough to miss his friend. The warrior did not seem surprised and tried to headbutt Devas, only he was faster and dodged. Zara stood up and sprinted into the action. Devas kept dodging between Zara and the warrior in a dance-like movement. He did not counter attack even once, though he seemed to have wanted to. Teroh seized the opportunity and hurried to the last place he knew the preacher was to. His bleeding leg was warm but he managed to walk. He was almost taken by surprise by Efar and Alberto but he dodged them and hurried further. He looked at the man and felt sorry for the preacher as he laid there, bruised and cut but fortunately alive, probably because Efar tried to ambush him. Teroh didn¡¯t look at his face but he guessed he was swollen beyond recognition. He took the fallen preacher on his shoulders and whistled at such a high note that Efar had to cover his ears. Alberto channeled the surrounding water of the mist into a whip which proved to be useless as Teroh made a weird motion of the hand and dispersed the water. Soon, Devas went by them at an astounding pace, took Teroh up as he held the preacher and ran at the same speed far away. Zara followed with a fiery sprint, leaving scorched grass behind her, but Devas was too fast and so she stopped a few tens of meters away. ¡°They got away again,¡± said Alberto, frustrated. ¡°We¡¯ll get them eventually. They can¡¯t hide forever.¡± Alberto mumbled something and the mist settled down. The warrior was standing in his place where he was first found: a few meters from the other man. ¡°Tsk, they ran. Weasel guys,¡± clicked his tongue the warrior. His voice was deep and had a weird accent that none of the teens ever heard. ¡°Nice moves girl. I see that the southerners are more ferocious than we thought. And the boys must be good too, shame I didn¡¯t see much of them.¡± He was also unusually talkative for a warrior. The other man walked closer to his escort as Efar and Alberto also came closer. The man had an unusual accent too yet somehow different from the warrior, a bit similar to theirs. ¡°Greetings. I presume you are adventurers?¡± he asked. The teens looked at each other and put Alberto forward. ¡°Not officially but adventure we do anyway. If you wish, may we have your names?¡± The man blinked several times at Alberto. ¡°My name¡¯s Silv and I am a messenger from the town of Sirius. Are you perhaps a noble?¡± ¡°No¡­I am afraid there are no nobles around here, unless any of you esteemed sirs identify so.¡± Alberto was a bit taken aback but he proceeded with the talk. The warrior stood to Silv¡¯s left and used the axe as a walking stick to relax a bit. ¡°No noble would ever take an axe in a fight, mage. One wouldn¡¯t move his arse to begin with,¡± said the warrior roughly. Silv pondered for a moment, but before he said anything Alberto spoke first. ¡°You did say you are a messenger, right? I don¡¯t know what business you need, or where, but if you follow this river you will get to the nearest town, Onoa. Our town.¡± Silv was taken back from his thoughts and smiled. ¡°Thank you for the tip. Would it bother you if we made camp next to each other? I have many more questions to ask of you.¡± Alberto looked at his friends. Efar, maybe due to his fascination, had his sight only on the big axe while Zara was indifferent. He sighed. ¡°Very well.¡± ¡°Marvelous! We¡¯ll bring our things at once. Hakon, can you help me?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± As Silv and Hakon the warrior went to some stones where they left their belongings the three teens would strategize while walking to their place. ¡°What do you say, Efar? Do they seem trustworthy?¡± asked Alberto. Efar looked at the two men as they were walking. He had another gift that many would kill for, that is, a good instinct at discerning people. Well, less of a gift and more of a survival necessity. Life hasn¡¯t always been nice to him as it is now and he wouldn¡¯t take it for granted. ¡°They are not thieves and they actively fought the sect members. Whoever fights these insects knows what they can do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also seen him fight. He seemed to know them well enough to not be surprised. Maybe the sect is much grander than we thought,¡± intervened Zara. They soon reached a consensus: the two men were not dangerous. Next was a sort of after-battle talk. This was something that Zara and Alberto decided to do as a way to be better. ¡°Let¡¯s see first what we learned about them. What did you notice, Efar?¡± asked Alberto ¡°That preacher is their weak link. I don¡¯t know why they keep him around, he¡¯s holding them back.¡± ¡°You think only of martial prowess, but that man might be the most dangerous,¡± said Zara. ¡°In the last year the number of sect members went up. I don¡¯t know when he came, but if he arrived around a year ago then he must have a great charisma to get such a number of men and women. There were almost fifty members, not counting the newbies who weren¡¯t there, despite our efforts to eradicate them.¡± ¡°Zara is right. The two fighters could be disposed of by simply getting someone stronger than them, but a preacher can move hearts. Stand enough with him and you might agree with his ideas.¡± It was then set that if they met again the preacher would be the first to go. Well Efar did half of the job by now. That man needed lots of stitches. Their next subject was about the two fighters, of which Zara had the most to say. ¡°I can say for sure that they also practice the Way of the Soul. One of them withstood my flames and moved at an unnatural speed.¡± Efar and Alberto looked at each other worried. If they were that strong then they had slim chances of fighting them on equal footing. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t ambush them like we did this time, but they will be prepared. Next time we¡¯ll need something more chaotic. Also, they definitely hold a grudge now.¡± Despite their victory they were aware that Hakon did most of the fighting. The gap between them was big. However, there was nothing they could do now except be more cunning and chaotic than them. Where experience and strength failed, quick wits and a penchant for chaotic recklessness would thrive. Chapter 3 - A past lost ¡°A fire under the dark sky, a miracle of ingenuity and a sin against the beauty of the night. For the darkness in our hearts cuts and bleeds, but nature shows beauty and elegance.¡± The hooded figure rambled, stretched down on grass, looking at the starry sky. ¡°The night is safe. You can hide. You can create. No eye can discern your doing, whether good or bad. It is not a friend but a blanket with no end. How I love it! It enthralls me!¡± And just as mesmerizing, silence. So unsophisticated yet so noble that the peace of the night matches the one in my heart. How I wish it would consume me. * Hakon and Silv brought their luggage a few paces from the teens¡¯ camp. Because of this they had to wait until tomorrow for them two to leave. Silv seemed quite cheerful, though as Alberto put it: ¡°He¡¯s trying to soften us. He likely doesn''t think too highly of us.¡± Nevertheless, they had to put up with them for now. Even though Efar did say they weren¡¯t a threat they still were strangers. Well, only Alberto was slightly on edge, as Efar was pestering Hakon to show him how to use that battle axe. Hakon eventually gave in and showed him some basic moves. ¡°It¡¯s nothing too fancy, boy, but it¡¯s efficient. Here, you can even use it against shields.¡± Zara on the other hand kept asking Silv about all sorts of things. Alberto perched his ears at every answer as curiosity got the better of him. ¡°Our town is far north where snow falls almost all year. We are really close to a great sea that in particularly rough years can freeze. There were people who walked on it to look for new lands, but we never heard from them. Gods have mercy on them if all they found was more sea.¡± That made Alberto think more about the world. Where he came from was so far east that he doubted anyone even heard of those lands. The world is even bigger than he was taught. All in all, it was a pleasant atmosphere. When it was their turn to speak, Efar showed them the bounty of the forest including useful plants for all kinds of illnesses and injuries. Hakon was the most curious as a warrior was as good as his body. He even asked if there was a remedy for a sore throat to which Efar rumagged in his backpack and gave him a few plants tied together. ¡°Make tea out of these. They pair nicely with fir buds.¡± Hakon¡¯s eyes sparkled for a moment, glad to finally find something for his problem. The night settled in and with it Silv, Alberto and Zara went to sleep. Hakon and Efar would keep talking in whispers as they took care of their fires. * Early in the next day Hakon and Silv departed leaving the three teens alone. Now they could finally sink their teeth in these ruins. Alberto hid their belongings in a similar manner as before and with their weapons in hands they started looking around. Efar and Zara would look for recent signs of human presence but there was nobody here in the last few weeks at least. Alberto would look, mostly, at old murals that were barely seen though he would just as often not record anything. These murals seemed to record some religious scenes related to either the sun or the weather in general. Efar seemed mesmerized by the latter. He would look at the men or women in white clothing. They looked towards something, or someone, from where the power of changing the weather came. ¡°Alberto, try to memorize these, they seem important.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just some odd lost cult of theirs, we need to find more practical information.¡± ¡°Still we might need it. Oddly enough they remind me of your teacher.¡± Alberto¡¯s attention made a full rotation and now he was curious. ¡°What makes you think that?¡± he said while looking at the mural. ¡°The way they look and move, I guess? Also, didn¡¯t he change the course of an oncoming storm a few years back? Or so I heard from Fox once.¡± Zara, who was more interested in the sun parts of the murals listened to them for a while before she chimed in. ¡°Efar is right, we oughta try, at the very least, record the more detailed parts. Gods know what we¡¯ll discover later.¡± Alberto did as Zara advised and recorded the parts he deemed most important. A few hours have passed by and all of the ruins were explored. They also discovered some signs of struggling in the form of cracked stone as if a great force was exerted on it. They didn¡¯t know whether a man or a beast did it. ¡°Let¡¯s look for underground rooms. Maybe they were better at making basements.¡± Efar came in great help there as he could notice slight shifts in wind and temperature. It didn¡¯t take them long before they found a few trap doors. They tried each and every one of them, only to find normal basements. There were some rats here and there, but nothing too special. As the day went by they checked pretty much all of them with only one remaining. Despite this not being a tough job, the repetitiveness sapped at their minds. They now stood before the last trapdoor. It didn¡¯t look particularly unique nor did it smell any weirder than the others. In fact, the lack of a smell alerted Efar. Once he cracked it open ever so slightly he bent on his knees and clutched his chest. He was breathing heavily but he managed to yell in a raspy voice. ¡°Zara!¡± At a moment''s notice Zara put her palms on Efar¡¯s back and a strong fire erupted. Efar¡¯s skin and clothes weren¡¯t damaged, instead, his breath calmed down. Alberto, rightfully horrified, looked at Efar and then back. His thoughts were in great turmoil. Who knows what lies ahead? A monster? An even worse curse? ¡®I have to know!¡¯ thought Alberto, ¡®I need to see it!¡¯ However his thoughts subsided once he realized that he was about to open the trapdoor completely without his friends. ¡®No. Together. Together we are better, isn¡¯t that what Zara kept saying before? I¡¯ll wait until Efar is good to go.¡¯ Zara¡¯s diagnosis wasn¡¯t great, a rarity for them and a testament to the dangers that lie ahead. ¡°You¡¯re afflicted with a weak constitution, worse than what you dealt with. The past people were merciless.¡± She kept her palms on Efar¡¯s back for a bit more and then stood up. ¡°I can¡¯t fully heal you, but I eased the burden on your soul.¡± Alberto couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He had to wait even more? He wanted to go now! Even so, he would likely endanger them. Besides, he already had enough research material that he could go back and be considered a success. ¡®I guess there is a long way for me to get rid of this selfishness. Curse those court politics¡­¡¯ ¡°Alb, send a message to Seon. He needs to be here,¡± instructed Zara. ¡°Sure.¡± Seon was Zara¡¯s master. If there is anyone who could deal with this then it would be one of the candidates for the Grandmaster position in the Monk Villages. They both helped Efar walk back to their camp since even walking would become tiresome after some time. ¡°I am impressed with how well you hold together, I think most people would fall flat on their nose after a few dozens of steps,¡± added Zara. ¡°Lucky will be my future woman¡­¡± said Efar between teeth, half-tired. That made Alberto spit-laugh and Zara slightly redden. If anything, his usual demeanor wasn¡¯t affected. * Back in town a simple man was tending to his garden. It has been some time since spring came and he wanted to see what he could grow. ¡°Some onions wouldn¡¯t be that bad. Ah, but where will I find the seeds?¡± He was still getting used to this unusual town life. He came from the villages deep in the mountains to help this town grow one step at a time. His fellow monks sneered at this offer at first, but he saw Zara and her endless potential. Likewise, her so-called ¡°brothers¡± were nothing short of prodigies. Efar had an incredible physique which allowed him to punch above his weight category and Alberto held so many secrets despite his weaknesses. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Each one covered a weakness the other had, they were almost perfect. It would do, however, if they had a proper tactician and maybe someone more pious. As it stood, all three of them either didn¡¯t believe in a god or were half-hearted in their praises. ¡®There is more, I think. There is a certain rarity to such people appearing at all. Three of them at the same time seems¡­interesting¡­¡¯ As he was burrowing some seeds words appeared on the dirt he was about to touch. They formed slowly so before he read them Seon planted those seeds somewhere else. When he came back to look the words were as follows: ¡®Ruins. East. Strong curse.¡¯ Seon wrote back and then cleaned his hands with a random cloth. ¡®One day.¡¯ With those words he went to the ruins with nothing on him except for the clothes. * Alberto received the answer in the dirt by the campfire. Seon will be here tomorrow, then. Efar went to sleep and woke back up several times, a testament to his tenacity. Zara was inspecting the place, analyzing the contents of this unusual curse. To keep his mind entertained Alberto kept the words Zara told them about the soul and how it works back when they first began their training. ¡®One needs to be honest to himself before even attempting to tap into the endless power of the soul. It is not an exaggeration. Our souls have no limit. We can grow as much as we want.¡¯ The words that Alberto found interesting were the first ones. To be honest to himself. If that is the first step, then what kind of man could have created such spells? Magic is manipulation of nature, but the Soul Path shows what you truly are. Curses are considered much too complex for mere mortals so they are created by using parts of the soul as blueprints. The only drawback is that you¡¯d have to be in tune with yourself. ¡°Humans are so terrifying¡­¡± he whispered, lost in thoughts. A day passed quickly enough. Zara was dead tired and didn¡¯t even complain, just fell flat and went to sleep. That left Alberto as the only one to protect them. The fire crackled, occasionally a breeze of wind blew over it, losing its shape, but it came back to how it was. ¡®How often has this happened so far? They always show their backs to me, trusting me.¡¯ The grasshoppers were singing, taking the birds¡¯ place. Surrounded by ruins and with a clear sky Alberto almost felt the sadness of the people of the past. How many children laughed here? How many heartbreaks took place? How many dances and songs were played around a tall fire? ¡®Though we rarely call each other as such, you are brother and sister of mine. I will never let you down.¡¯ * The next morning Seon arrived at their campsite. ¡°I see you all barely woke up. Efar is sleeping though? I rarely see him like that.¡± ¡°Master, he was the one cursed.¡± Seon raised an eyebrow and stepped slowly to the sleeping beauty. A very drooly beauty¡­ ¡°This will take but a moment.¡± Efar must have heard him because he twitched for a moment. Seon put his palm on Efar¡¯s head and chanted what seemed like an entire poem in a few seconds. Zara and Alberto, despite hearing him, couldn''t pinpoint the words. And just like that, as Seon said, the curse was lifted. Efar slowly opened his eyes to see everybody gathered. It took him a moment to recognize Seon and once he did he also realized the gravity of the situation. ¡°I¡­am embarrassed¡­¡± Seon sighed. ¡°Be more careful next time. This world is, seemingly, more dangerous than we could fathom.¡± Just like that Seon came to stay with the young team and explore these ruins. He looked a bit around and took in the sight. As someone close to the peak of mortal ascension he could feel the long-forgotten sentiments of the people who once lived here. He felt sadness and sorrow mostly, something he was so used to since living in town. There were some new powerful sentiments too. Like betrayal. ¡®Not even the baron¡¯s mansion had these emotions. What exactly happened here?¡¯ With his curiosity stronger than ever he went together with the teens to see what they discovered. Once he arrived at the scene he was almost overwhelmed by the strong sense of hatred and betrayal. ¡®This is an unfortunate tomb. How rotten.¡¯ He stopped Efar from stepping in first with a gentle move. ¡°We should take pieces of clothes and cover our mouths and noses. It¡¯s been a while, but gods know what diseases might be left here.¡± He had never been this cautious, for rare was that a sickness ever won over him. But even so, he was slightly afraid, something he had forgotten for years. They all did as he instructed. Only then did they descend, this time, he went ahead first, holding a bracelet in his palm as he intoned a slow prayer. ¡°In the name of the Messengers, who have created the four corners of the world and let them in the care of their angels. Guide our hands and eyes to see the truth¡­¡± As Seon kept saying the prayer he slowly descended on the stairs. There was a slight gust of wind that came from further down. Was it a sign? The cold sounds of their steps reverberated unnaturally. Efar found an old oil lamp on a stair step and gave it to Zara. She took a small rope from one of her pockets and put it inside the lamp then she breathed a tongue of fire into it. The lamp slowly made light way more than it should thanks to her. Eventually they could see the end. And just there, hugging the steps, was a skeleton. The first sign of some sort of struggle. None of them were fazed by this sight. Seon stopped praying just in time and took the skeleton slowly and put it aside. ¡°I wonder what happened here¡­¡± Zara¡¯s soft voice stood in stark contrast to the dark, now dreary, atmosphere. ¡°Do you think it was a famine? Or a drought?¡± said Alberto, trying to rationalize all of it. ¡°Unlikely¡±, whispered Seon, ¡°they were chased.¡± Now that they came down they were looking around, trying to see what happened. Zara would stay with Seon while Alberto and Efar would look around. Alberto made a small sphere of light but its light was weaker than Zara¡¯s. ¡°Sorry, as long as I have to memorize most of what¡¯s here we¡¯ll have to make do.¡± Efar nodded. Despite his enhanced sight he was still a bit weakened from the curse and his eyes had trouble differentiating some shapes. ¡®There sure are a lot of skeletons. Did the entire village come here?¡¯ Just like the ruins up there the walls in this room had carvings. They were better preserved which helped them put together a sort of story. That story was, honestly, depressive. At first there were humans with a tall tree behind them. Mankind came from the earth and mud and were eating from the fruits and leaves of this tree. Whatever the tree was, it meant a lot as some of the people were worshipping it. Then, on both sides of the humans two other beings came to be: the loyal dog and the fierce flying serpents whom Seon called dragons. A crack was formed between mankind and the dragons which could mean some sort of rift formed in their relationship. And then there was war. During this war mankind had grand heroes, signified by better-looking weapons or armors, whose names will be forever forgotten, as well as strange visitors. Some were drawn stockier than humans, others tall and lean. There were only a few but they were noticeable. They appeared at critical moments and they taught humans strange arts in magic. Alberto was unsure what to make of this. It is a truth that before the past decades there was no written record of who and what happened. This is one of the few leads they have about the past of these lands. The only problem is that it¡¯s more akin to a foundational myth of a weird religion. Seon on the other hand didn¡¯t seem surprised. Did he know about this? Or was he simply seeing it as a pagan belief and completely disregarded all of it? Alberto wasn¡¯t sure. When they met in the middle of the wall Zara was also perplexed but before she could ask anything Alberto¡¯s light was completely extinguished. ¡°Huh?¡± Zara¡¯s light was fine, if anything, it seemed to be stronger. ¡°Stand behind me kids. It is an order.¡± Seon¡¯s orders resonated within them and they did as he instructed. Alberto was saying something under his breath but mostly kept to himself. The room was colder and darker than it should, a cloud of uneasiness. Seon looked up at a corner as if something was there. ¡°Show yourself.¡± His voice once again felt powerful, commanding. As soon as he said that a dark mist materialized from that corner. It seemed heavy, as if a metal was made into a gas. Seon stepped forth with no expression other than a faint sliver of hatred. ¡°What have I done to you, son of light?¡± There was a voice that scratched one¡¯s mind in the most unpleasant way. Each word almost felt like a separate headache. ¡°Answer me, son of light!¡± But Seon did not speak. It wasn¡¯t worth even one¡¯s breath. Seon¡¯s chest seemed to glow ever so slightly and his fists trembled, waiting to hit. The mist tried to move but Seon was faster and stood in its way. He hit the mist and an iron-like sound resounded. Efar could not make it if it was from the cloud or from the fist. Seon did not wait for that being to recuperate and grappled the cloud as if it was a log of wood. Interestingly enough there was no sound of pain from neither of them though it was clear that Seon had the advantage. After a beating that was more akin to a brawl than a proper fight the cloud was reduced to a mere puff of smoke. Seon¡¯s hand glowed slightly and caught the puff as if it was an ugly snake. ¡°It¡¯s alright now, you can come closer you three.¡± Efar and Alberto didn¡¯t know what to make of this, but they were also curious. Zara seemed a bit more familiar and approached first. ¡°Is this a demon?¡± ¡°Yes. A particularly nasty one, too. Had I been unprepared he would have cast a curse on me, as it did on Efar.¡± Efar¡¯s eyes darted to the puff of smoke. ¡®That thing cursed me?¡¯ Alberto on the other hand perched his ears at that word. ¡°A demon? Do demons actually exist?¡± ¡°Yes and this is proof. I believe Decen didn¡¯t tell you anything, as he should have.¡± Alberto and Efar looked incredulously at him. Seon took a small bottle from his belt and put the demon there. Once inside the glass turned black. ¡°What we, as in, our circle, deals with, are the demons. Even knowing about their existence is dangerous as they exist everywhere and they are quick to create ¡®accidents¡¯.¡± ¡°Also, as master Seon showed, you need proper training to deal with them. Mere strength and magic hardly, if ever, counter them.¡± At such a challenge, both Efar and Alberto asked how to deal with such an enemy in spite of their weakness. Seon explained succintly. ¡°Never speak to them. Never listen to them. These are the best ways to undermine their plot even if your soul is not trained. One other good way to make them go out of your way, at least temporary, is to pray to the Messengers. That is all you need to know for now.¡± They knew of this religion of the Messengers as the monks¡¯ belief but it was so powerful? Now that the danger was out of their way they had to go back and report these strange happenings. All of them realized that the world is such a strange and sometimes scary place, but instead of fear they felt determined to go further than others. Chapter 4 - We become Come at the pyre Come all of you, lost and afraid! Warm yourself up, sing a song of celebration and dance with the cinders under the dark sky! Let your voice speak of the sorrow and pain, let the gods hear your plea! Drum the earth with your feet, applaud in the open air No instrument sings louder at heaven¡¯s door than your heart! Come all of you, teared and tried Come at the pyre! * A few days after the ruins expedition the entire upper echelon of the city was in turmoil, that is, not the baron who was concerned only with the usual affairs, but Decen, Alberto¡¯s teacher and Fox, Efar¡¯s father and mentor. Gard was preoccupied with the emissaries sent by Sirius, a northern city, who were handed by Alberto to Decen who in turn handed them to the baron who handed them to him. ¡®This is a plot against me I swear!¡¯ thought Gard while handling mountains of paperwork. Silv was wondering why a captain would be so busy with duties he should not have but he saw and understood that Gard¡¯s abilities went beyond his normal work. He was actually good at what he did and coordinated the people around him masterfully. Then a man arrived, hooded and secretive. The door barely made a noise and his steps were light. Gard looked at him seriously. Silv tensed up, not knowing what would follow. ¡°Did you bring the news?¡± asked Gard in a grave tone. The hooded man nodded. ¡°Regarding the city baron¡¯s latest infidelity.¡± ¡®Huh? What?¡¯ ¡°Hehehe¡­We got him, men! Let us hear it all!¡± Silv watched with apathy as the news were told in greater detail, from who to who did what to the color of their underwear. ¡®No, why does he know that?¡¯ But before he even thought of anything else the story was in full swing and he found himself drawn to it. ¡®Wait, latest? How many infidelities did he do?¡¯ And just like that another one was caught in the temptation of drama. * Efar kept pestering Hakon, the warrior clad in iron, to teach him more in how to handle the battle ax. It was a mighty weapon, hacking any who stood against the wielder but it would take Efar some time before he¡¯d be confident enough to take it in battle. From under the helmet came the voice of the warrior that often said the same thing. ¡°Kid, why do you want to learn something like this?¡± Efar, always sweaty from the training, replied the same. ¡°Alberto and Zara have incredible talents while I have to rely on them often. My body is my best weapon.¡± Then Efar would continue training in silence while Hakon mumbled something about crazy youngsters. In no time at all Efar¡¯s body was used to the weapon, which left Hakon speechless. ¡®Something is wrong with his body¡­his muscles formed too quickly.¡¯ * Alberto was in deep research together with Decen. That was when his teacher started asking unusual questions. ¡°Did Efar feel any different from before?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Did he show any strange symptoms, unrelated to any illness?¡± ¡°Not that I know of. That curse was the only ailment and even then he wasn¡¯t any less of who he is.¡± These odd questions would not go without Alberto wondering why was Efar so important. He would forget most of it as he was deciphering the images, shown on a clay tablet. One day Decen brought to the lab a long parchment made of cow skin. Alberto, always one to take on new information, asked what that was. Decen took a deep, soft breath. ¡°Do you know where magic comes from? Its source before it reaches our mind and then the tips of our fingers?¡± ¡°No,¡± Alberto said bluntly, still looking hungrily at the parchment, ¡°it is the first time I have heard of this question¡­¡± Decen slowly unfurled the parchment. It had diagrams and drawings, but mostly words. ¡°The Emissary of Magic is the one source of all magic in the world.¡± Alberto looked at Decen incredulously. ¡°Emissary? Like the ones we hear in that new church?¡± ¡°Yes. It was my and Seon¡¯s idea to create this small cult. It¡¯s rooted in reality.¡± ¡°Then the Gods are false?¡± ¡°No, they are real. But they are not who they say they are. Compared to an Emissary they are powerless.¡± Alberto heard it all, but it was hard to process. Even back home the Gods were the main religion. Then Alberto thought about this differently. If both are real, and one of them is trying to diminish the other, then a conflict of interests would appear at some point. ¡°I see you united some dots.¡± ¡°Yeah, a war between them is brewing slowly.¡± ¡°But is that all?¡± Alberto didn¡¯t understand until he saw the tablets from the ruins. ¡°The demons. You don¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°Tell me this, dear Alberto. What would a noble at the king''s court do to gain power?¡± A question with so many answers. It terrified Alberto that he could see all of them happening. There were more things that they¡¯d talk about, with the help of some wine. * Zara trained hard everyday. She was aware of her weaknesses. She was, in fact, weaker than most girls her age. It was a problem that often bugged her mind, especially before meeting Seon and becoming his pupil. But things are different now. There was an enemy that out of her friends, only she could deal with swiftly. She meditated on what she learned in these years while doing standing push-ups on one hand on a cold morning. She followed the Path of the Soul where she trains and uses her soul. Similar to magic in flashy effects but too rigid to form anything too complex. She did the hundred and fiftieth push-up. She could not control flames, her innate element, unless it came from her so she needed to stay in close combat to maximize efficiency. But then a problem arose: her weak body. Zara ended her warm-up and began training her moves on a training dummy. Seon was the one that gave her his signature technique: Empower. The dummy slowly turned blacker as it was burned by her fists and feet. The fire inside her constantly expelled impurities from her body, making the muscles stronger. She hit the dummy with her kneel and followed by ragdolling it left and right with fluid motions. She, however, did not suffer only physically. She could not create powerful flames with her hands, only small ones. This is the reason why her style uses legs as the physical attack. She then jumped back a meter and from her mouth a strong fan of flames engulfed the dummy. And her head was the elemental attack. Her flames do not only burn, but they engulf the soul. Untrained enemies suffer mentally and wish not to fight anymore. The dummy was unburned by the flames, but it was a shambling mess now. * On one of these days she met Efar in the slums playing with the kids. She knew that he was here for other reasons too. That he was slowly but steadily gaining influence with the common people in other ways. He was talking with some boys, a little younger than him. The boys had heard news of some new gang forming deeper into the slums and that they were seen closer to the gates, where they were at that moment. ¡°What do they look like?¡± ¡°They have thick beards, black like smoke. And long knives!¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± The boys were thinking when one of the older ones answered. ¡°Ah! They have their pinky fingers cut!¡± Efar grimaced at this revelation for a second but smiled at them. ¡°Thank you. That really helped me.¡± ¡°So will you give us food?¡± ¡°Tch. You little rascals. You were taught well. Here, take it and leave.¡± Zara approached Efar. He had a disgusted expression. ¡°What are you planning now?¡± Efar looked at her for a moment before sighing. ¡°We need to see this for ourselves. Trouble is brewing, I can tell it. Gard is too busy right now, Father went on another expedition. Alberto and Decen are out of it.¡± ¡°The usual.¡± ¡°Right. The sun is setting.¡± ¡°You want to do it now?¡± ¡°What better time than now?¡± As if they spoke of a plan days before, they ran deeper and deeper into the slums. The darkness enveloped them as the sun slowly disappeared. Soon enough they heard drunken laughter and a sound that barely passed as music. Efar also heard a peculiar clinging, not of coins. All of this came from a lesser known tavern. Efar tapped Zara¡¯s shoulder and they went to a window on an alley. They didn¡¯t even make a sound. The voices of the people from inside were rough, croaky or just idiotic in nature but one of them had an interesting piece of information to say in his stupor. ¡°Agh but who do those brats take us for eeehhh?! They came in *hic* and they beat our leader then they uhhh¡­uhhh what was I¡­¡± He was so drunk he barely strung words together but Efar and Zara understood. Those cultist apprentices came back. Then a man sprung his head through the window with a thousand yard stare and a scarred face, but nobody was outside to greet him. He looked right and left and up. ¡°...what was that¡­¡± His voice was like a whisper, filled with venom. ¡°Scar¡­ehhh¡­come ¡®ere¡­¡± ¡°Chicken.¡± ¡°Ehh¡­? Whaht?¡± ¡°You drank too much.¡± ¡°So what¡­you¡­bast- bleghhhh.¡± And then he puked straight into his meal. The man named Scar went back inside to bring Chicken back into his room. Zara and Efar were mortified. Fortunately they were quick enough to get past the corners of the tavern. ¡°Shit, that scared me.¡± ¡°Ugly as hell too.¡± With that in mind they decided to wait until those guys would fall asleep. The one called Scar was too dangerous but the other one might be easier to deal with. They entered through the room¡¯s window and scavenged anything they could find. The loud snoring almost reverberated in the nearly empty room. Rummaging through a small pouch they found a small coin with weird runes. They¡¯d have to bring this to Alberto. While they were busy stealing a shade snuck behind them. It was Scar. Efar heard him at the last moment and stepped away. The attack left him with an injury on his neck that kept on bleeding. ¡°Kurk¡­you¡­¡± Efar tried to speak but Zara, who stepped aside, looked at him insistently and he shut up. ¡°Well well¡­you two¡­I guess you were the ones from before¡­odd, I noticed only one of you back then¡­¡± Scar got another knife from behind. Efar then noticed a familiar smell. Poison. It was also likely that this man was a specialist. There was no reason to continue this fight. They had to go to Gard and tell him about this. The resurgence of the cultists was not too far away. Zara might have had the same thoughts as she stepped slightly behind. They could escape through the window, but that may leave them vulnerable for a split second, enough for Scar to attack. Scar sprinted at them, making next to no sound, and tried to cut at Efar. It might be that he saw the young tall boy as a bigger danger than the seemingly frail girl. But that was a mistake some paid dearly to make. As Scar attacked at Efar¡¯s chest Scar felt a sudden surge in temperature and was kicked in his ribs by a fireball. It wasn¡¯t that terrible of a force, but the heat was unbearable.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He immediately stepped back, barely standing up as he felt his insides boil. ¡°Argh ack ack¡­!¡± He couldn¡¯t hold back his voice. The fire sent jolts of pain he had only once experienced. ¡°The damn monks¡­urgh¡­¡± Zara¡¯s foot was alight yet it did not burn the wood they stood on. Her flames burned a fiery red with hints of orange. The flames dissipated as fast as they appeared. It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t maintain them, but she needed every ounce of strength while fighting. Efar and Zara seemed a bit more relaxed now since their opponent wasn¡¯t that tough. Alas, such is the world that one cannot let his guard down. Chicken, who eventually woke up, hit Zara in the head leaving her unconscious. Efar looked at the new opponent surprised and scared. He failed to notice that he didn¡¯t snore anymore. Scar didn¡¯t let this opportunity slip by and rammed Efar into the wall and hit him repeatedly until he, too, was unconscious. ¡°The fuck¡­man¡­¡± The alcohol was still in his blood but he was aware enough. ¡°Why the hell¡­did you beat kids¡­? Urgh my head¡­¡± Scar sheathed his daggers. He tried to touch the place Zara had hit but he recoiled back, as if he nearly touched an open fire. ¡°Do they seem like normal kids to you?¡± Chicken barely looked at them, shrugged and went back to sleep. ¡°At least clean up the mess.¡± Scar grumbled but he did so. ¡°Oh well¡­our young masters might be interested in fresh sacrifices.¡± * It was nearly midnight when Alberto woke up. He drank some wine to help him stay awake, though it seems like it was of no use. His teacher, Decen, was also in a stupor. There were many mysteries in this man. He was taller than any human and had complete white hair despite not looking any older than fifty. Alberto groaned as he stood up. His mouth felt sticky and his eyes were slightly unfocused. He went to Decen to wake him up. ¡°Teach¡­get uppp¡­¡± Decen slightly jolted before opening his eyes. Alberto could swear for a moment that his eyes looked infernal. He looked again but Decen¡¯s eyes were the normal brown. ¡°Yes yes¡­I will¡­¡± Decen stood up slowly and with a gand wave the windows opened letting in the cold air of the spring night. ¡°We were overzealous with our drinks.¡± ¡°Not the first time. I will catalog what we found today.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Decen took a jug of water and sat next to the window. The wind always seemed livelier when Decen did this ¡®ritual¡¯. He usually said he was just meditating. As he sipped from the jug the wind caressed his cheeks and cooled his body. Then, at one point he stopped drinking. ¡°Alberto.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Where are Zara and Efar?¡± ¡°Dunno, the slums? We didn¡¯t talk today but that¡¯s where they usually go.¡± ¡°I see. Come with me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°They might be in danger. I¡¯ll explain as we go. But before that¡­¡± Alberto didn¡¯t get it but hearing that his brother and sister are in danger put him on high alert. His teacher was amongst the best wizards in the kingdom. If he said there is trouble, then there is truly trouble. Decen approached a chest he always kept locked. The lock was fairly simple, anyone could break it. It was just that nobody dared do it. He opened it and took out a fairly long staff and gave it to Alberto. ¡°Your birthday is a way off but you need it now.¡± Alberto was silent for a bit. ¡®Is there a catch?¡¯ But Decen didn¡¯t look twice at him and donned his gear. ¡°Come. They need you.¡± Alberto focused. Whether there was a trick or not to garner his favor in the future did not matter. His brother and sister needed him. He¡¯ll take anything if it means their safety. At once they left the building. * When Efar woke up he realized that both he and Zara were bound with rope in a cave. He tried to muster some strength but found himself lacking. In fact, the whole world was kind of blurry. His memory was no better. There were some sudden instances when he woke up, but never enough to form a proper image. ¡°...and that damn boy. We had to sedate him two times with bull sedatives! What in the hell is wrong with him?!¡± The voice Efar heard was that of Chicken but he couldn¡¯t see clearly. He checked in on Zara but she was still unconscious. Despite his foggy thoughts he tried to listen to the men. ¡°I am more worried about the actual bull. Did they send more?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Damn it. Let¡¯s hope it won¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Enough,¡± said a raspy voice. Both of them stopped talking and turned their heads to a boy that seemed familiar to Efar. ¡°One of them is awake. He may have heard you.¡± He was a little older than Efar which meant he was an adult. His features were quite usual for what you¡¯d see in the slums: black hair, rough face, a look of slight depression and dirty garments. He held a big club probably made by himself. Chicken and Scar turned to Efar as he was the usual culprit. ¡°Damn, again?! What the fuck is this kid made of?¡± Scar put a hand on Chicken¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let him. Even as sturdy as he is, he is weakened. Besides, I have an idea. C¡¯mere.¡± They whispered about something for a minute or two, the third man drew a piece of wood from one of his pockets and started sculpting it. He was the closest to Efar, about five meters away. It was then that Efar saw a big contraption clad in a big cloth. A cage. ¡®A bull? What are those cultists preparing now?¡¯ ¡°So, what¡¯s your name kid? We got all the time here.¡± Efar tried to stand up as well as he could without his hands. Scar and Chicken didn¡¯t seem to mind as they stopped talking and went further out. ¡°Efar.¡± ¡°Van-...Vanjos¡­¡± He stopped mid sentence as if he remembered something, his knife going off the intended trajectory. ¡°Ah shit¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°What a name.¡± ¡°You tell me. Father had hoped I¡¯d be a hero or something. What a fool. Let me guess, same with you?¡± ¡°Not sure what my name means.¡± Vanjos raised an eyebrow as he tried to correct his sculpting mistake. ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s a hero''s name.¡± ¡°Never heard of any Efar the Brave or Efar the Great.¡± ¡°No? Thought all slum kids knew of Efar son of the First Hero.¡± ¡°Sounds like a mouthful of a title.¡± ¡°That is true. But what he did was most impressive. He beat dragons with his empty hands, defeated a leviathan that fell from the sky and threw the Sword of Man into the abyss of the leviathan.¡± Efar listened intently to this story. He never heard of it, it was not part of any local folklore. For all intents and purposes, this was a grand story for sleep time. What gave it some sort of validity, though, was the existence of dragons and the fact Vanjos knew what they were. Something he just recently found out. ¡°Vanjos.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Where did you hear this story from?¡± ¡°Obviously my father. Always with the tall tales, though I suppose this story has far more details than usual. Makes it fun to memorize.¡± Is there more? And he knew it by heart? Their chat was interrupted when Chicken and Scar came back together with two smaller hooded figures. Vanjos stood up and approached them, leaving his sculpture and knife there. He bowed slightly and let the people see Efar and Zara. At that point they lifted their hoods. They were Veni and Veder, two of the three teens who got their asses handed to them by Alberto and Zara respectively. ¡°Them again!?¡± Vanjos was surprised. ¡°Do you know each other?¡± ¡°Something like that. How did you manage to get two?¡± asked Veder, the boy with premonition. ¡°Scar and Chicken beat them when they tried to steal.¡± Veni and Veder looked at one another then back at the duo. ¡°Good job, then. We shall dispose of them then we¡­huh, what do you want to say?¡± Chicken then spoke. ¡°Uh, I know you might know this, but the girl is the daughter of the captain.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I know your master is strong, don¡¯t get me wrong. You two are unusually strong too!¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°We should let the girl go. Her father is one of the most powerful men in this city, baron aside. If you harm her anymore I¡¯m afraid we all will suffer.¡± Vanjos looked at Zara stupefied. There were surprises after surprises tonight. Veder thought for a bit, Veni did not seem interested in this conversation but looked intently at Efar and approached him. Efar looked at her almost uncaringly. ¡°If she is off the table then this one will do.¡± At that Scar stiffened up. Veni noticed. ¡°What? Spit it out.¡± Scar inhaled. ¡°We¡­might have only one man after us if we do something to him. His father, to be precise.¡± ¡°What can a lone man do anyway? At least the girl has influence through her father,¡± said Veni as she prepared to kick Efar in the stomach. ¡°It¡¯s Fox.¡± Veni abruptly stopped her kick mid air. Veder was also mortified. They knew all too well what that lone man could do. Veder let a ¡®shit¡¯ leave his mouth. It was then that the cage that had been covered made weird noises. ¡°Did you properly sedate the bull?¡± asked Veder. ¡°We had to give some to the boy as he kept waking up and causing a ruckus. Couldn¡¯t let anyone hear us during the night.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡± Veni almost shouted exasperated. The bull, now properly awakened, saw only darkness before him and that angered him. He heard humans and that angered him. He felt iron around him and that angered him. Anything and everything angered the animal. As if a button was pressed he thrashed the inside of the cage, bending the bars more and more. It was also a smart beast despite its anger issues and tried to destroy the bars in the immediate direction of the humans. ¡°Shit. We can¡¯t let it go out, nor can we kill it. We have to calm it down somehow¡­¡±said Veder before his sight fell on the two prisoners. He had a second of silence. Chicken tried to say something but Veder beat him to the race. ¡°Everybody, get behind me. Let them two there. Veni, take these and put them one step apart in a line. Fast.¡± Veni did as instructed and took some runestones from Veder. She was incredibly fast and made the line from one wall to another in less than a minute. The others did as instructed while Veder took a small stick out of his pouch which grew taller than him in the blink of an eye. It also had runes, gems and a few rare metals on it. ¡°What the¡­¡± ¡°¡®Tis magic Chicken.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah sure sure.¡± As soon as Veni put the last stone she jumped between the others and the ground lifted up until the stick touched the ceiling. They were now about three meters up. ¡°And for good measure¡­¡± Veder took out a much more complex runestone than the others and inserted it in the wall on the part facing Efar, Zara and the bull. Its effects were not visible. ¡°Now they are trapped. No matter what happens it will be seen as an accident after we do a bit of cleaning.¡± Chicken and Scar felt uneasy but couldn¡¯t say anything, else they found themselves on the other end. The bull was loudly tearing apart the cage. In a few seconds it¡¯d be free. Efar now felt the urgency and looked around for something sharp when he saw the knife Vanjos used for sculpting. Veder side eyed Vanjos angrily but Vanjos, unlike the other two, retorted. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who raised the wall in a hurry.¡± Veder¡¯s eye twitched but he said nothing. What¡¯s done is done. Efar took the knife and cut the ropes both to him and Zara. He barely did so when the bull got out and focused its eyes on Efar. It was blacker than night, with its mighty hooves trampling the earth like a king and its mouth foaming red rage. Its eyes were half bloodshot, only the center white. The horns were unnaturally bent, forming a demonic imagery unseen before. Every muscle full of vitality and strength, none will stand before him. Efar wasn¡¯t all that knowledgeable on bulls but he knew that slow movements were, in most cases, the key to survival. That only made him the target though and the bull charged with such force that all hairs on Efar¡¯s body stood up. He dodged, but by hitting the wall and leaving a gaping hole the bull reminded Efar that life often threads on a hairline. Chicken yelled and whistled as if it was a spectacle, forgetting his past fear. ¡°Shred the boy! Shred the boy! Shred the boy!¡± Until the bull got its head out from the hole and charged at the wall. ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± Chicken hid behind Scar, using him as a meat shield. Scar grunted not because Chicken did that, but because he did it before him. Fortunately whatever spell Veder used made the bull do a full turn back to Efar. ¡°Hey, did you just¡­!?¡± Scar turned, trying to punch Chicken. ¡°I would neveer! I was checking for intruders! Hehe.¡± ¡°Those intruders, you mean?¡± said Vanjos while preparing his club. ¡°Huh?¡± Veni looked back from the spectacle and saw the one she lost to before. It was Alberto and Decen. They tried to sneak but it was clear that their talent lay not there. ¡°Teacher, they saw us.¡± ¡°Amusingly, yes.¡± Alberto held his own staff like a true wizard with his chest puffed out, proud. Even though the staff was simple in design, especially compared to Veder, it was efficient. Made out of iron, copper and bronze, together with runes on the outside and inside, it was a state-of-the-art weapon that will follow him for many years to come. Usually he was not one to give names to objects, but he liked this staff so much he couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡®Dor. Make your enemies regretful.¡¯¡¯ Vanjos jumped down together with Chicken and Scar. ¡°Dunno who you two are but you chose the wrong turn!¡± As expected Chicken jumped into the action and Scar followed him closely. ¡°I will deal with other things here. This is your test now. Prove you got what it takes.¡± Decen said and then dissipated into the air. Alberto put his hand in his satchel and got two runestones and a vial with an unclear liquid which he drank. ¡°Yes.¡± After taking a breath, Alberto hit a runestone with his staff as if it¡¯s a ball, sending it straight to Scar. Scar dodged at the last moment but it didn¡¯t matter as it exploded in flames sending him on his stomach, his back burned. ¡°What?!¡± Chicken didn¡¯t get a moment as the ground under him shifted and made him fall just before Alberto, who stuck one end of his staff in his back. ¡°Ack!¡± A powerful cold overtook Chicken in mere moments sending him in hypothermia faster than the body could handle, and fainted. Vanjos saw all this and took a step back. ¡®Fuck me¡­¡¯ Veni came down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s not invincible. Those spells cost a lot.¡± ¡°Not much of a reassurance.¡± ¡°He tried to scare us off.¡± ¡°It worked.¡± ¡°Move your ass.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± Vanjos moved in a straight line while Veni moved on the side, throwing small daggers with pinpoint accuracy. Alberto was well aware of his weakness, but Veni, still, underestimated him. Alberto rotated his staff with one hand, creating a powerful wind which stopped the daggers and from the other hand he made small firefly-like embers which followed Vanjos. Expectedly, Vanjos tried to dodge them, but they always followed. ¡°Idiot! Those aren¡¯t¡­¡± Veni tried to shout but Alberto hit her in the head with a stone. It wasn¡¯t a spell, he just threw a stone. Veni fell flat on her face, a pool of blood slowly drenching the earth. Vanjos understood what she meant so he went through the embers, only for them to explode in his face. He fell flat. ¡°Shame, you¡¯re really smart for a thug. Too bad fools keep leading you.¡± Alberto looked at the wall. He felt an unusual power from it. Even so, he came closer and touched it. ¡®I lost a family once due to my doubt. Now I will prove my worth and save them.¡¯ These were words that often haunted him. That if he thought like this, things would have been different. Now he used them as strength. * After leaving Alberto, Decen went straight to the wall. He felt an all too familiar energy in the air. As soon as Veni jumped down he appeared before Veder. He wasn¡¯t startled, rather, he seemed calm. ¡°It is you. The betrayer.¡± ¡°Ohoho. Facetious are we?¡± Efar was still fighting off the bull, dodging and outmaneuvering. Most men would have already been too tired for such movements. Decen realized something at that moment. Alberto defeated several people by himself, Efar was fighting with an enemy way out of his league and Zara had to wake up. All three of them dealt with something unique. ¡°You put them like this intentionally. You saw something.¡± Decen said calmly while the air around him got heavier. Veder, despite barely standing up, gritted his teeth. ¡°They have it all! Suffering comes to us all!¡± Yes. Suffering. He knew it all too well. When his eyes fell on these lost puppies back in the day, that were struggling right now, he saw potential. ¡®Suffering births ambition for something better. In the hands of even the most wretched, having ambition can make one shake the world.¡¯ There is more to them than meets the eyes. Decen couldn¡¯t explain it, but their talents were on the surface. If such people gain ambition what will they bring further down the road? When he had that thought the first time, he felt shivers down his spine and goosebumps on his arms. For the first time since he came back from hell he felt alive. Decen made a step. Then another. Slowly. He was amused at his own thoughts. Veder stepped back every time. He was now shaking despite his calm demeanor. ¡°Stand back! I will¡­¡± ¡°Do it.¡± ¡°I have an old friend to meet. And he is with you.¡± ¡°How do you know¡­¡± From under the sleeves of his robe Decen pulled a whip-like item. ¡°I am a Fragment of Wisdom.¡± Veder¡¯s eyes and hair started to change in color. His facial features reflected rage and disgust in inhuman ways, as if looking at something ¡®wrong¡¯. ¡®This is the time of change I so dearly awaited. For me, there will never be a higher honor than to help them.¡¯ ¡°I challenge the Profane One!¡± As Decen said his proclamation, Veder changed his stance, from that of a coward to that of a lord looking at someone below him. Whatever looked at Decen now was ready to finish a job long overdue. Chapter 5 - We become (2) In those days mankind will arrive From the bounties of the earth Under a mournful cry. Those above closed their eyes Not all is lost, they will see A wrathful fist, colored in dirt and blood. * Zara opened her eyes before the sun. She tried to look at it, but it was blinding. She had no shadow, and what she thought was a desert around her was her imagination. She tried to remember why she was here, in this place. Then she remembered that attack and how Efar kept fighting before she fainted. All of that seemed to destroy her. Is this her limit? A hit to the head and she was useless? ¡®No! I am learning! I can become more! Master Seon told me so!¡¯ ¡­ She didn¡¯t believe herself. Empty words that she told herself to feel better. ¡®Why was I born like this?¡¯ Often she was told by seers that her birth was a bad sign and she should be ostracized. Many people would try to hurt her. Whether Gard and Decen kicked them out of town because of this, she did not know. Her father tried to reassure her that there is nothing wrong with her. That everybody has setbacks. Maybe she understood it all too well. The sun shone still. But the more she looked around she became all the more doubtful. Was it right for her to be like this? She tried to cry, but the sun evaporated any tears. It was distant, yet it kept sending light. She turned her head up. It was still hard to look at it directly. ¡®I¡¯ve seen you in my dreams, always bringing light to my nightmares.¡¯ She chose fire as her element, for it brought light. She didn¡¯t care for its destructive side, but the warmth. She wanted to embrace it even if it killed her. To feel a warmth that the world may have never given her. Doubt not. The sun will rise, with it, a new strength. ¡®Live. Die. Rebirth.¡¯ She repeated these words in her mind. ¡®I died once before. I refuse to let go.¡¯ For the first time in her life, she decided to follow the sun wholeheartedly. ¡®No more tears. It¡¯s all or nothing!¡¯ The sun scorched her. At that, she realized something that would push her further. ¡®Not enough.¡¯ The sun was just another stepping stone. * Efar on the outside was struggling. He looked around and saw that Decen was fighting against something that unsettled him deeply. He heard Alberto on the other side, but seeing as to how he wasn¡¯t beside him meant it would take a while. Efar looked at himself. Dirty and tired, some small pebbles in his hair fell. ¡®Same as back then.¡¯ But he couldn¡¯t afford to lose focus. The animal was near. He dodged the bull. Sometimes he caught its horns and trying to put its head down, but it was relentless. It was then that the bull made an unusual motion and impaled Efar somewhere in the ribs, pinning him in the wall. That was a place he felt specifically. The slave traders often hit him there. ¡®NO NO NO NO!¡¯ Like never before in his life, Efar united his hands in one fist and hit with full force the bull¡¯s neck. The bull felt it in its bones. It was shaken so much he let go of Efar. Blood soaked the dirt, flowing constantly from the injury. Every cell in Efar¡¯s body kept telling him to give up. To run. They weren¡¯t voices in a real sense, but something Efar felt. Usually, he listened. He never wanted to push himself too far. Especially in a life or death matter. Not now.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Efar ¡®forced¡¯ his body to listen to him. He refused to believe there was an injury. He refused to believe he was tired. He refused to believe that there is a limit. In response to his inner voice his wound stitched itself slowly by stretching the skin and covered it in bodily oils. As disgusting as it was, it was the best his body could do now. ¡®Not enough!¡¯ Efar¡¯s muscles grew the tiniest bit in size, barely noticeable, but Efar knew a secret about himself. Each and every fiber in his muscles would raise his strength substantially more than normal. It was the reason he learned grappling and he kept learning how to wield different weapons. With hatred Efar declared: ¡°Come here, beast. I will tame you the hard way!¡± The bull, not understanding a word, stepped forth furious. It, too, was not letting go of its prey. Efar took the bull by its horns directly. He was still pushed back, but not enough for the bull to claim victory. ¡°Hooo¡­¡± With all of the strength he could muster, from his lower body firmly planted in the ground to his upper body that held back the beast he made a step forward. ¡°Curse youuuu!!!¡± And he made another step forward. The bull, surprised, lowered its head trying to shake off Efar. But Efar waited for this moment and, holding the horns so hard they almost cracked, he pushed the bull into the other wall with increasing force. The blood vessels in his hands popped and bled, his muscles torn from the inhuman strength. The bull hit Efar in the chest with a sudden surge of energy, sending him to the ground. Efar stood up. His arms were a mess. Hot air came from his nostrils. He clenched his fists despite the intense pain. This time the bull wasn¡¯t so keen on fighting. But Efar was. His muscles changed again, his feet bulged considerably. Then he ran to the bull. The bull, as usual, stood his ground. Only now Efar strengthened his bones too and when he hit the bull with his knee something cracked. In his heart, Efar fought fiercely against his fears all these years. Ever since he was rescued and adopted by Fox. He was followed in his nightmares by the abysmal fear. So much he dreaded it. The horns fell apart. A hole was left in the bull¡¯s head. Blood seeped slowly from it, as if its body was just now realizing what happened. When Efar was hit in that weak spot he imagined what would happen to Zara if he fell. What would Alberto go through? What would their parents think? The bull fell. Just like the fears in his heart, only one could emerge victorious. And it would be him. Now, with the bull felled, Efar hurried to the erected wall but he fell flat. It was one thing to force his body to listen, but his stamina was another matter. Despite knowing that Alberto and Decen would help him, a thought came in his mind. ¡®Not enough.¡¯ * Alberto had to dispel a curse without Zara¡¯s help. He knew it was dangerous. His master knew too. But he couldn¡¯t just sit by. ¡®They will die if I don¡¯t do anything!¡¯ Alberto was aware of the weakness of his soul. That he was born weak spiritually. How often did he fear this day, when he had to deal with the supernatural by himself? He was naked compared to Zara. A demon could ravage his soul and even take control of his body to an extent. Even Efar, despite not training his soul, could not be overtaken like that. After their first encounter with a demon they were all given a crash course about the supernatural. Seon specifically told Alberto to never battle a demon alone. Dispeling a curse wasn¡¯t like a spell. Always behind the incantation laid an alarm of sorts. It awoke the demon under whose authority the curse was made. If one was unlucky, a brand would appear and the entire demonic legion would try to make life a living hell. After all of that? Condemnation. Despite these dangers he pushed on. He didn¡¯t live long, but he was subjected to the insidious treachery of court politics in a country that did not even have a name here. He learned much from them. The best and last lesson before he departed was the following: ¡®It¡¯s not worth it.¡¯ All of the bickering, backstabbing and plotting were with no value if all he gained was a meager position which could be lost at the slightest mistake. ¡®As easy as you can gain, you can lose,¡¯ was his mother¡¯s saying. She was not any better than the others as she killed and betrayed often enough. But those words stuck with him even now. The curse was dispelled, but all of the mana he had saved even after drinking the potions was depleted. His head throbbed in pain and he fell on his knees. The staff helped him not fall face first, but looking at it, admiring its complexity, and then looking at the wall before him he sighed. ¡®Not enough.¡¯ * Decen faced an abomination of a man. Not physically, but spiritually. The soul of the boy had been contorted so horribly he resembled a beast more than a man. On the surface, nothing changed. To a normal man something would feel off, maybe even dreadful. But he saw in the empty eyes of this possessed boy: a smouldering hatred that went beyond rage. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, professor.¡± As a greeting ¡®it¡¯ sent a red fireball straight to Decen¡¯s face, but it got chilled out completely by his hand. The Profane One. Someone as insidious as its title would suggest. Just as the possessed kid tried to send another spell Zara woke up from her slumber. With no pause, like a bomb, she went flying after she made an explosion at her feet using only her spiritual power. Her target was the one Decen battled. She kicked him with such force that Veder¡¯s bones audibly cracked. The possession ended with a fiery attack, Zara¡¯s flames of orange and green burning at the Profane One. Decen, surprised, caught Zara before she fell from the wall. Her eyes kept closing and opening as she was still fighting against the drug. Decen looked around him. He saw Efar surpassing his mental blocks, Alberto taking risks and Zara going beyond her limitations. He was worried for their well-being, but he also was happy beyond belief. Half an hour later, he was tending to the kids and binding the perpetrators when heavy footsteps resounded. It was Gard and his men. He was visibly angry, but that anger melted when he saw his dear daughter safe. He didn¡¯t even bother to look at anyone or anything around him, or even tell why he had Blest, the mute, beat so hard it was surprising he was still alive. ¡°It was them again, wasn¡¯t it?¡± asked Gard as he took Zara up. ¡°Yes.¡± Gard thought about something while looking at Zara. Onoa is no longer safe. Until he kills every last cultist these kids would be in danger at every step. Especially now that they are involved. Fox was of the opinion that one must go through fire to be better, but Gard disagreed. ¡°How about we send them on that delegation?¡± said Decen as he instructed a soldier to take Efar. Gard looked uncomfortable. ¡°We can¡¯t keep them here forever. Besides, most of their training is done and the city already sent someone to spy on us.¡± ¡°That is too soon, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯ve dealt with these cultists far better than they. As far as we are concerned, Sirius is our best solution. They will think twice before dealing with us.¡± Gard sighed. ¡°We will talk about it. I¡¯ll summon a council soon.¡±