《Gilded Cage》


 One foot in hell / A Light Warmup / A moment of peace

    One foot in hell


    Heavy breathing, nausea, wet closes and acing cold. Kiyeri woke up.


    Eyes, still drowsy, met with morning sun glow with an ache, but little by little - world came it to focus. Marble red leaves tossed by wind on grayish blue shore by the lake, dark, rolling sky and rain drops coming from it, hitting his face, sending chills through spine.


    It¡¯s been a year. A year of constantly feeling like something is stuck in your throat. No matter how much you try to take a deep breath, to relax, you just can¡¯t. Every minute is suffocating and you just end up gaping, like a fish, tossed from the water.


    Although Kiyeri knows it¡®s useless, he tries ones again to fill his chest with deep breath, then hisses. ?Will this ever end...?¡°


    Crisp annoyed voice from behind his back, makes Kiyeri¡®s muscles tense up.


    ?Kiye, this is what happens, when you try to save others forgetting yourself ¡°.


    ?Mhmmm... ¡°. Kiyeri closed his eyes and made innocent face. No need to turn around, he knows quite well with what expression Ashiya talks. ?Aaahhh... why the second I return from hell, I need to babysit you ¡°. Feeling hopeless, Kiyeri rises from soft cushion of maple leaves and sits facing Ashiya. Steeling himself, he crosses his legs and slowly lifts his head, to meet that annoyed brat eyes.


    This conversation might be serious, if not for this comically high lifted eyebrow on Ashiya face and messy long black hair, that looked more like wet crow¡¯s nest, then a bun. Kiyeri did put a lot of effort to look at him normally. ¡°Don¡¯t laugh, don¡¯t laugh, DO NOT LAUGHT! ¡°but ultimately couldn¡¯t and started to snicker through talking.


    ?Ashi, look at yourself, what the hell? Please make an effort to at least look presentable ¡°.


    The youth, kneeling on one knee before Kiyeri, now drew both eyebrows together in one line. ?What¡¯s the problem? It¡¯s not like anyone can see me here ¡°.


    ?That not the point, your moron. A warrior should always look orderly and dignified ¡°. Kiyeri patiently explained, while crunching his closes to drain the water and collecting his own hair in to neat ponytail. ?You have to look after your image, be more disciplined, no matter you seen at the moment, or not. Also, I¡¯m here ¨C I can see you, so make haste ¡°.


    The youth clenched his fist for a moment before talking ¡°We¡¯re not¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter, I have no energy left for that¡±. He fixed his hair in rush and extended a hand, helping Kiyeri to stand up. ¡°Let¡¯s go. While Kiye was trapped in Beyond I scouted the forest. Half an hour from here I could hear dogs barking and sheep crying. It should be residence nearby, we can eat and sleep there¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Kiyeri answered immediately while grabbing that extended hand. Now standing on equal footing he swept a look across Ashiya and stopped his eyes looking straight him in to eyes. After giving himself a moment to focus, Kiyeri calmly but surely continued, ¡°You know you can¡¯t go there. We only have a week left until we reach destination. We will travel without rest¡±.


    Now, like every time Kiyeri denes Ashiya request, he did not let his guard OR gaze down until hearing the answer. They both knew well how uncontrolling and dangerous Ashiya gets, when he can¡¯t have whatever he wanted. After being exhausted this morning, Kiyeri didn¡¯t mince his words. ¡°You know perfectly why. Accept it¡±.


    Ashiya clenched his teeth for a moment, the opened up to speak, only to bit them again. Fingertips already white from pushing into fist, face changing colors. At last he could not take it. ¡°Why? Why always everyone else matter more, then we? Why we always run like coward??¡±


    Being used to temper tantrums, Kiyeri stayed silent, but already could feel his blood boiling. He is the one who wants to know why he needs to explain basic things about life again and again to this brat. If someone want to have anything in this world, to go anywhere, to reach something, they have to work hard, head bowed low and stay silent. But this spoiled lord will never learn it, he just doesn¡¯t understand, he can¡¯t take whatever he wants.


    Ashiya presses further, voice louder, ¡°Why on earth we should wade through swamp, dirty and hungry, when there is food, shelter and horses just around the corner? This makes no sense! ¡°


    ?And if they say NO?¡°, Kiyeri interrupted calmly, ?What will you do, if those people say no?¡°


    Ashiya looked at him strongly and rised his hands in the air, like answer would be the most natural thing in the world, ?I will take it by force, of course ¡°.


    This arrogant pose of human, who thinks everything on this planet belongs to him, standing surrounded by trees with open hands, finally broke Kiyeri ¡®s calmness. He felt this temples to pulse ?You can¡®t just do whatever. You gave you this right??¡°.


    Ashiya started to laugh ?Gave? I had it from birth! Who can take it away from me?! If I want it, I take it ¨C simple. It¡®s not normal to hurt yourself for others!¡±


    ¡°But hurting others for yourself is normal??¡° Kiyeri finally broke out in shout, ?The things you did in that village is normal?? Burning EVERYTHIG to the ground is normal to you?!¡°


    Ashiya froze. The look of bewilderment in his eyes, like he really could not comprehend why he was yelled at. After moment of stunned silence he spoke ?I did it for Kiye...¡°


    ?WHO ASKED YOU? ¡°Kiyeri shouted. Now his blood really was boiling. With every sentence he took a step and showed Ashiya away. ? YOU called me, when I was running from dungeon. YOU followed me this whole year. YOU are the reason they find me every time. YOU are the reason we¡®re hungry and dirty! And YOU dare to tell ME it¡®s for my sake?! If not for YOU, I would sleep in BED, SATED! ¡°


    With that last push Ashiya stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. Not because Kiyeri pushed him too hard, but because he stunned silent. Not only because Kiyeri yelled at him like that for the first time, but also because he finally heard what Kiyeri thought all this time and never voiced it. In front of these words, all Ashiya''s arguments had fallen and gave out, just like his legs now. He could not think a single word to answer that, he could only sit there and stare at the ground silent, not daring to lift his eyes.


    After a minute of that cold silence, Kiyeri felt his anger dissipate. He relaxed his shoulders, looking pitifully to the youth on the ground. Why did he lash out like that? Even he didn¡¯t know. Regret and fear crept to his heart. Ashiya could really just turn and go away after these words, Kiyeri opened his mouth to say at least something, afraid he might not make it and Ashiya will really leave.


    ¡°Ashi,¡± the voice that came out was too timid and gentle, so Kiyeri paused to collect himself ¡°I¡¯m moving on, and you can come with me. I just want you to understand, that we need to avoid problems¡±.


    Ashiya was still and silent.


    ¡°Ashi?¡± Kiyeri felt his heart press to his throat.


    "How am I supposed to get through to you...¡± Ashiya murmured, his face still hidden, but Kiyeri still heard the thing he did not want to hear.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    Ashiya took a deep breath lifting his face up and finally looking at Kiyeri¡¯s eyes ¡°Nothing. I understood, Kiye is right, we should move on¡±.


    Received a correct answer Kiyeri wanted to give a hand and help him stand up, but those gentle eyes, staring directly at him, changed his mind. So he just turned on his heel and moved away, carefully stepping on wet, slippery leaves that spread all around this lonely path on the lake shore. Kiyeri listened carefully for sounds, making sure he was being followed and when he heard rustling of closes and quick steps, he finally relaxed quickening the pace.


    Nerving sounds and angry voices of villagers could still be heard across lake''s surface from a distant shore, and only silenced when the couple entered a denser forest. A few minutes passed and all they could hear were branches breaking beneath their feet. Wet clothes were weighing on Kiyeri''s body and that grey sky felt even more heavy, making his steps falter and slower from time to time.


    After some time, something came to him ¡°All that chaos, where is my stuff?¡± he thought while shaking his pockets. A few golden and silver coins fell out. Kiyeri checked the belt and found his two beloved combat daggers and some throwing daggers. A lazy voice drifted from behind him.


    ¡°I collected everything¡±.


    ¡°Well, at least we are talking,¡± Kiyeri thought to himself smiling. Week of travel with no food or rest will be hard, even for Sigil bearers like them. Lost in thought ¡ª or maybe just out of habit ¡ª Kiyeri reached inside his shirt, brushed his chest with his fingertips, and found that engraved Sigil. Somewhere deep in his mind, there was a thought, maybe something had changed? Maybe it¡¯s gone? But what he found was the same empty circle, as big as his hand burned deep into his skin. Instantly, he left stupid for checking it and blushed. Remembering he wasn¡¯t alone, Kiyeri turned slightly ¡ª and met Ashiya¡¯s gaze, staring intently at him.


    Kiyeri sighed, ¡°I told you, don¡¯t worry about me. You need to focus on controlling your own Sigil¡±. Slowing his steps, Kiyeri let Ashiya catch up, ¡°Let¡¯s make our way to Leyla town, it¡¯s large enough for mixing with the crowd. If we find some clothes, we can rest and eat there. Okay? It¡¯s far enough, no one should recognize us¡±


    Their destination was Temple of Metal Sigil, one of five Temples for worshiping Celestial Stones. Although more or less, everyone could manipulate life energy ¨C mana in their body, only ones with great talent could extract elemental Sigil from those Stones. Legend says, that thousands of years ago, those stones fell from the sky like rain, scattering across the continent, and over time, people learned how to purify and use them to their advantage.


    Nowadays, only eight Celestial Stones are left on the Continent, all of them are covered by Temples. Five in this ¨C Moon Kingdom and three in neighboring Sun Land. And two of those rare Sigil bearers are traveling here, to Temple of Metal Sigil. To be exact, not two, but one and a half. Ashiya carries Fire Sigil on his chest, but Kiyeri has only an empty circle, no Sigil in the center, proving, that something went wrong.


    ¡°Kiye, what¡­¡± ¨C the voice of Ashiya was hesitant, ¡°What did Kiye see Beyond this time?¡±


    Kiyeri looked at soon after the question firmly pressed Ashiya¡¯s lips. It was hart to lie for someone so sincere, so Kiyeri had to turn away, facing the road, and tried to keep a light smile.


    ¡°Nothing bad this time. When I fell from that cliff, I did not die instantly¡±.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t fall; you were pushed down¡±. Ahiya interrupted.


    Kiyeri laughed ¡°If you want to be specific ¨C I jumped. You know they were just doing their job as soldiers, I am a runaway, you can¡¯t blame them¡±.


    ¡°You are not a criminal¡±.


    Kiyeri sighed ¡°I know that, you know that. So what? We are no one, so no one cares what we think¡±.


    After a beat, Ashiya asked again ¡°Kiye still haven¡¯t told what happened in Beyond. Did you encounter any Voidbornes?¡±


    Kiyeri crossed his arms behind his back ¡°Like I said, when I jumped off the cliff, I got stuck between some branches, that slowed my fall and did not die instantly, so already less time in Beyond. When I finally crossed the line, there was just empty space, full of gray sand. No one was there. So I just sat in that dark desert until you woke me up. That¡¯s it.¡± He put his hand on Ashiya''s shoulder and smiled, ¡°You did a great job this time, you brought me back quickly, made it just in time¡±.


    Ahiya turned away slightly, ¡°No need to thank me, I just did exactly like you said. Waited for you to fall, found you and swam to next lake shore, and gave my mana to you. I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t see them, this time.¡±


    Although Ashiya only had one chance to see Voidborns with his own eyes, while receiving his Sigil by diving to Beyond, it was more than enough. Ugly deformed black creatures, tearing apart human souls with their claws was horrible to witness and no one would forget that in their life.


    On the other hand, Kiyeri messed up in Sigil transfer ceremony, so every time he dies and goes to Beyond, where all dead people go, he can come back. The only problem ¨C he has to go through literal hell and meet Voidborne ¨C punishers of another world. After a couple of these ¡°visits,¡± Kiyeri discovered, that he could come back quicker if mana were poured into his vessel, calling his soul back. Because the soul can¡¯t exist in a body striped from mana, and mana scatters when people die.


    ¡°Mmm, thank you.¡± Kiyeri patted Ashiya¡¯s shoulder two more times and turned away to move forward. Brutal images surged in his head on the Beyond visit just now. Ashiya did not make it on time. There¡¯s no such thing as making it in time or calm desert sand. Voiborns are always there, waiting for next unlucky soul to come, they grab and shred it with their four crooked beastly hands to pieces, bite out their innards, and leave it to scatter, just to be formed into shape again before those fourteen fly-like eyes and repeat the process. Kiyeri counted those eyes many times in his torture.


    But Ashiya doesn¡¯t need to know that, everything is complicated enough as it is. It''s hard enough to teach this youth, that there are times, when self-sacrifice should be made, and there are times when you have to do things you don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s just how the world works. The two of them traveled together almost a year now, many things have happened. There were calm days, enough food and rest, and there were bad weeks, when all they did was run from one point to another, just to reach the next Temple. Four Temples visited already, but no answers were discovered, Metal one is the last hope. As if that weren¡¯t enough, for the last couple of months, Kiyeri goes into Beyond while sleeping!


    While they made their way through forest beasts'' paths, sides of the fields, and small roads, the sun was setting lower and lower until completely disappeared behind the horizon. Sky was blessed with countless stars and a big round moon lighted up their journey. They talked strategies, had some unserious fights, joked about meaningless things, and walked until the morning sun came up again. Kiyeri felt like that nightmare never happened and his mood was good enough to go along with Ashiya''s silly talks. He concluded that it was safe to go where people were when Ashiyas mood was this good, so he started to look for a shortcut to town. Warriors like them can go without food for a long time, only feeding on mana, but it¡®s smart to eat at least something if they have a chance and conserve some strength if trouble comes their way.


    A Light Warmup


    The road between plowed fields started to get busier. At first, they saw a couple of people carrying bundles of vegetables on their backs. Later came carriages and, later more people. Men, women, and children were everywhere. Some made haste and looked busy, some just walked around admiring nature, and some were drinking beer in fields on breaks, but everyone looked at these two with bulging eyes or tried to sneak a discreet peak and whisper among themselves.


    Kiyeri sighed, ?We¡®re inviting trouble...¡°


    This kind of behavior by commoners was understandable. Ashiya had an elegant face, long black hair sparkling in the sun, proud posture, and calculated steps. It was evident he came from a good household, possibly a rich lord. But now that face was dirty and tired, hair messy and that posture wrapped in old torn and patched clothes, looking like they were worn by three generations and handed down from father to son. On top of that, on his wais, Ashiya had gold enbrodined Shamshir sword. Sheth buttoned with jewels. How can anyone react to this man in any other way? Random commoner had never even seen this kind of treasure in their whole life.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Next to that show-off, Kiyeri looks a little bit more decent to these surroundings, but not much. More fit, than elegant, he still carries a long reddish ponytail and a white well-kept face. Kiyeris weapons were always hidden, it was part of the job actually ¨C a habit he kept. Like being able to adjust his ?aura¡° to fit in anywhere and not be discovered. He grew up in a common household, so it¡®s not that hard.


    At the end of the busy road, they finally reached Leyla town. This broad territory was surrounded by a fence of grown men''s height made of logs. In front of them were big gates, that could fit three carriages at once. These gates were open to masses of people walking in and out. It was evident this town lived a good life, not like in many towns of the Kingdom. Many were carrying little piglets or ducks to sell, not mutch beggars sat on the streets and no steeling bandit children were present.


    Kiyeri pulled Ashiya''s sleeve, ?Let¡®s stop here to rest and eat¡°.


    Hearing these words Ashiya went wild with joy. Kiyeri thought he would see tears of happiness soon. They found the biggest inn, full of people, and sat down next to the farthest table in the corner. Ashiya tried to order a white whine and quail bird stewed with tomatoes. Waitter looked lost with words, having nothing to say, and stared intently at him, before looking back to his colleague. ?Did you hear what this psycho ordered?¡° was practically written on his face.


    Kiyeri buried his face down into his palms, ?You never give up, do you?¡°


    ?It¡®s worth trying, you never know¡° ¨C Ashiya answered like it was the most natural thing in the world.


    ?Behave appropriately, please¡°.


    Finally, they received lunch, two beers, and a pig¡®s hoof. Food was delicious, a little greasy for the lord, but just right for a commoner. Soon, plates were empty, only bones left. Hearing all the whispering around them and feeling uneasy, Kiyeri decided it was time to go, even leaving his beer unfinished. ?Enough, we should go get some clothes and find a bath¡°.


    After paying for food, they turned to visit the market.


    The broad main road was surrounded by long iles of market stalls from both sides. Everywhere voices were heard, bargaining, suggestions, praise of good looks, anything to sell an item. There were too many people, Kiyeri got anxious he would lose Ashiya, so he turned to look at him from time to time, but every time he was there, looking back with a small smile.


    ?What are you so happy about?¡° Kiyeri could not take it anymore, ?Smiling all day for no reason. Is the food the only thing you need to be happy?¡°


    ?No, but food helps, even if it¡®s just a pig¡®s hoof¡° Ashiya answered, still smiling.


    ?Cut it out. Be useful and find a decent stall of closes¡°.


    ?Yes, sir. It is right here actually¡°, Ashiya pointed to a stall near them.


    After rustling in clothes and finding a couple of hooded items, Kyeri gave the owner last of his golden coin. Shaking the money pouch he saw only two silver coins left ?Now it¡®s really over, this is our last stop. Tomorrow we will need to travel without stopping to Temple. If not for clothes, we could pay for a ride¡°.


    ?I¡®m afraid the last Temple will be guarded heavily, given all events that passed. No disguise will be sufficient for sneaking in¡° Ashiya answered while pushing items into the bag.


    ?I know. It will help at least to come into town. From there, I will think of some way. Now, lets go and find a bath¡°.


    While they were walking that uneven street, looking for a public bath, the sound of thundering started to appear like ten or more horses were trampling tiles. Tired and sleepy after lunch, Kiyeri did not register it at first. Autumn is the season when everyone is in a hurry. Big harvests and sowing again, everyone moves around like little ants. Only when some angry shouts were heard from a distance did he freeze and look at Ashiya. Both of them listened closely, taut like bow strings.


    ?Get out of the WAY!¡°


    ?You headless chicken! Where do you think you''re going? The street is full of people! Slow down your horse!¡°


    ?Madman...¡°


    ?Is your ass on fire?? Or do you have diarrhea?! Look where you''re going asshole!¡°


    ?Do you know whose taxes pay for your food, you pig!¡°


    ?I said, GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY!¡°


    ?Look at that, soldiers who kick commoners! You should be ashamed, you dog!¡±


    ¡°Fucking animals! Dogs! Give us back the money you wasted!¡±


    These interactions made it clear who came into town. Clutching their bags, Ashiya and Kiyeri started sprinting in opposite from sound direction. While running, they pushed the crowd, much like those soldiers, some people stumbled to the ground swearing at them. Soon, they reached the back of the town and came to face that wooden log fence. Quickly and gracefully they hoped over it and the most horrible sight came into their eyes ¨C bare fields and plains, no were to hide.


    ?Shit!¡° ¨C Kiyeri smacked his tongue. No time wasted, he looked over the distance calculating then pointed his finger to a small pond way across those fields¨C ?There!¡° Ashiya did not waste any time nodding, just moved as instructed and they both shot like arrows in that direction. The soldiers who were practically at their heels ran into that wall and had to stop. Some of them dismounted and jumped the fence, others went around through gates. Soon, the whole battalion was following them.


    Kiyeri instructed while running, ?When you reach the pond wait for them to come closer, then jump in, but don''t swim. We need as many of them to reach it as possible. When they...¡°


    ?Got it.¡° Ashiya interrupted.


    Kiyeri looked at him intently before replying. ?Don''t overdo it¡°.


    While running, Kiyeri kept looking back until he spotted arrows flying in his direction. Feeling annoyed he smacked his tong again, ?Well of course...¡°


    Ashiya reacted to these words by looking over. Seeing the sky full of arrows, he lifted his hands and started chanting a spell silently, but was immediately stopped by Kiyeri, ?No. Don¡®t waste your mana¡°.


    Ashiya put down his hands in agreement and picked up the pace with full confidence, that his back would be protected. Right behind him, Kiyeri managed to run the same speed and deflect arrows, that would hit them with his dagger, shouting some evaluation words to those soldiers from time to time.


    ?Wow... Where are you looking when shooting?¡°, ?Ha, ha, ha, this one was blown by the wind, I¡®m sure¡°, ?I know an old lady, that can spit sunflower seeds better than you shoot¡°, and ?Your father must feel ashamed of you, he could aim better¡°.


    Ashiya could not hold out anymore and started to laugh hysterically. The more vulgar taunts ¨C the better. Kiyeri wanted this battalion to get emotional and use less logic. When these soldiers fed town people with kicks, they proved their incompetence and exposed their weeknesses.


    When they finally reached that pond, Kiyeri and Ashiya turned around to face their enemies with confident combat poses. Ashiya lifted his palms for a spell and Kiyeri was holding his deadly daggers. No fear on their faces, only confidence, anyone would falter before attacking a couple this calm, collected, and looking ready for anything.


    Kiyeri threw down the last taunt while smiling ?Why your group is so small? The two of us can¡®t even warm up on this number. Bring a whole brigade next time¡°.


    ?Our clothes...¡° Ashiya looked at the bag trampled under the horse''s hooves and sighed.


    ?Also BUNS. I didn''t even get to taste them¡°, replied Kiyeri in a serious tone.


    This kind of tone and behavior from these two turned out to be the last drop and the foot soldiers in front of them really got a little scared. Soldiers slowed down their pace considerably and were obviously wary to approach. This led all of them to huddle together in one neat straight line, moving slowly. When they finally decided to attack, Kiyeri yelled ?Now!¡±


    Both of them jumped into the water with a backflip. Soldiers were lost for a second at what to do. Some of them tried to follow, others started baking up startled, and some decided to circle the pond and take prisoners from the other side. Plain chaos, no discipline. When so many people move in disorder ¨C it''s over. They started tripping on one another feet, half of the battalion was already on the ground. These couple of chaotic seconds were all Ashiya needed. He resurfaced and made a huge fireball before directing it to enemies. Kiyeri swam toward the opposite shore, but kept peeking back ¡ª making sure Ashiya wasn¡¯t hurting anyone too badly, but to his surprise, fire was controlled perfectly.


    Soldiers were wearing leather and metal armor, so it wasn''t that bad, but there were some cloth, so everyone was in panic, rolling on the ground, jumping to the pond, no need to chase anyone anymore. The couple had all the time they needed to swim to the other side and run like crazy to the nearest forest. Kiyeri managed to spot alone running horses, ¡°At least one of them could come this way¡­¡±, but decided, you can¡¯t get lucky at everything.


    ¡°Kiye saw their emblems?¡±, Ashiya asked ¡°They¡¯re from the same camp as we were¡±.


    ¡°Yes, I saw. Unbelievably disappointing¡±.


    A moment of peace


    After couple of days waning thro swamps, climbing thro branches, and crossing thick bushes, both of them looked like old flor rags. They had water to drink from springs passed, but it was different with food. Also, if you can go without food, it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re not hungry. The hunger never goes away; you just don¡¯t starve. The road was getting longer, because Kiyeri tried to bypass all towns on the way, not risking any more encounters. When the finish line is so close, they have to avoid problems. Not to mention the fact, that last couple of weeks, they are too easily discovered. It¡¯s like someone knows where they are at all times. Last time, they stayed in a village for a couple of days, and soldiers just popped up from nowhere one morning. Because of this, he had to strategically fall from that cliff. And now, this last incident. They hadn¡¯t even rested for two hours and still were discovered. All evidence shows they are being followed.


    Fourth evening of this travel nearing the end, the forest changed again, from the bushes to tall conifers. All trees grew with big spaces between, tall and mighty, swinging in wind, carrying sweet smell of sap. Kiyeri felt like he finally could breathe full lungs of fresh air and space opened up a little. The ground was covered in nice soft moss and every step felt a little lighter. Little bushes with small leaves started to appear bit by bit. Some of them had berries, red, round and plump, shining in evening glow. Even looking at them made one salivate from that juicy sweet and sour aroma.


    Kiyeri didn¡¯t even had time to open his mouth when someone grabbed him on the wrist. That grab was so sudden, that he even lost his balance for a second.


    ¡°Kiye, look! Drunkards!¡° Ashiya''s face was practically glowing from anticipation, ?Can we stop and have a taste?¡°. Still holding Kiyeris wrist he seemed to almost squat from joy. By looking at this Kiyeri left conflicted, it may be funny, but not pretty. Pittifull maybe? He didn''t know.


    ?What do you mean, taste? You have tasted them before. And quit this jumping/squatting... It¡®s unsightly, what kind of grown man acts like that?¡° Kiyeri ripped out his wrist with force, ?You do remember, right? I brought ten of these berries for you during my mission in the south and later regretted it. You became so drunk, that you turned upside down the whole pavilion!¡°.


    Ashiya turned away his eyes, ?Yes, I remember... But I ate them alone that time. Also, there is nothing to turn upside down here¡°, he said with such conviction, Kiyeri was left speechless.


    ?...Nothing to turn..?¡°. Kiyeri pressed his fingers to his temples and rubbed on them, but it did not help. He lifted his eyes again gazing at that excited young man and spoke again ?I¡®m speechless from this argument¡°. Ashiya just smiled brilliantly, but for some reason, Kiyeri could not look at him any longer, something seemed to send a shock to his chest. So he looked around. Brightly red sky was hugging tree tops on the evening side, the whether was getting cold. The two of them traveled a long way avoiding any, people or roads. It was very quiet, only birds singing on branches.


    Ashiya did not back down, ? Drunkards are so rare, I can collect them all here, while Kye can rest. We can eat a handful and sell the rest at the market, or exchange them for clothes and food. How about that?¡°


    ?Well, now it sounds like an actual argument¡°, Kiyeri thought to himself. Ashiya was right, these berries were extremely expensive. They were only suitable for harvesting one week in autumn and it was now, when they are red. Any earlier, and they have nothing to offer, no toxin, no healing abilities, no taste. Any latter, and they will fall and rot right away, becoming poisonous. They are difficult to find, the fact they just stumbled on this plot of land was pure luck.


    ?Okay...¡° Kiyeri let out a breath, ?It is deep in the forest and undiscovered yet, but keep your guard up, just in case. We can sleep here tonight. You go collect the berries and I will set up the camp¡°, he said, while unbuttoning letter pouch from his belt and giving it to Ashiya.


    The drool on Ashiya''s lips was practically visible, eyes shining be quickly grabbed the pouch and crouched right there and then, collecting from the nearest bush.


    Kiyeri just raised his eyebrows, a difficult look on his face, ?Do you really miss the taste of the wine this badlly?¡° mulling in this line of thout, he wached Ashiya work with dedication for a couple more seconds, before turning away and going to look for some wood to make a campfire.


    While Ashiya cleaned all and every red berrie from bushes, not even leaving one behind, Kiyeri took care of firewood and collected a mountain of moss, which will be used for beds. Cold evenings only just started to show up, but nights are not comfortable to sleep anywhere anymore. At the same time, when Kiyeri had finished building these forest beds about fire, Ashiya came back, proudly showing off a full pouch.


    ?Wow, it didn¡®t seem that much when we came here. With this quantity, we can make some money¡°, Kiyeri said.


    ?Mhm¡°, Ashiya answered satisfied with himself, ?Should I light up the fire?¡°


    ?Please, do¡°, Kiyeri smiled.


    Ashiya gave bag full of berries to him and moved to campfire. With his right thumb, he circled one time on his left palm and fire instantly erupted in it, carefully, Ashiya brought fire close to cone of branches in the middle, lighting them up.


    Watching this process, Kiyeri could feel seed of envy deep within him move, but it died at the same moment, drowning in sense of admiration. Theoretically, everyone could manipulate mana in their body. The ones who wanted to study this energy, could enroll in the academy and take exams after turning sixteen. To pass it, one has to have good theoretical knowledge of mana and be able to send its current one way, for example, to injury and make it heal, or lead it out from their body and give to another. If one passes this exam, then by the time they are eighteen, they can enroll in the military branch, by proving the capability of mana flow to two sides at the same time. The most exceptional warriors were noticed by military chefs and made into candidates for receiving elemental Sigil, the biggest honor one can get. When the time comes to transfer Sigil from an old person to a young one, the best of the best are chosen for this.


    Ashiya and Kiyeri were in those ranks. One year ago, Ashiya successfully received his Fire Sigil and finally could turn his mana to a higher existence ¨C fire. Kiyeri also had to receive his Sigil from the old Master and Sigil bearer, who was ready to retire, but the ceremony failed, Sigil Wardens did something wrong in their ritual, in that event, Metal Sigil vanished and most people participating died. That was the day Kiyeri lost everything he worked so hard for.


    Lost in this thout, he sat down on a log and looked at the young man, who was staking branches into the fire. That pretty face looked to serious for task like this, it made Kiyeri smile unknowingly. Somewhere deep in his memories was buried a phrase, that came to the surface out of nowhere in the form of a whisper, ?Only in complete darkness can light burn the brightest...¡°


    ?Mm?¡° Ashiya lifted his head.


    ?I¡®m asking how many berries you want to eat?¡° ¨C Kiyeri replied playfully, taking two drunkards from the pouch and rolling them in his palm. Kiyeri could see Ashiya brighten up for only a second and then go serious again.


    ?Only a few...¡° he turned away completely. ?Or maybe none. Better next time¡°.


    Kiyeri found this weird, ?Werent you the one, who begged to stop here and eat them? Where is this coming from?¡°. But mere seconds after finishing this thought, he realized the problem. He came to sit on the mountain of moss behind Ashiya and gestured to him by tapping two times on it. Ashiya came to sit next to him immediately.


    Kiyeri asked in a small voice, still playing with berries in his palm, ?You want me to sleep at least a little and you arfaid to get drunk and fall asleep also?¡°


    Ashiya pressed his lips together, so Kiyeri continued after the pause, ?You are afraid I will be gone Beyond, while asleep and you will not be there to wake me up? You know I can rest, just by sitting a little, I don''t need sleep. Besides, someone needs to be on guard for people and wild animals. So eat.¡°


    ?I will stand guard, Kye should rest¡°, Ashiya didn¡®t surrender.


    Kiyeri sighted demonstratively, ?When you bring trouble to me, by fighting some villagers, you are not remorseful, but when I try to spoil you a little, you turn into a knight¡°. He made sure to put the bag of berries on moss next to them, so Ashiya could see, then came closer to him and couped up his chin in his hand and turned to make Ashiya face him directly. Both of Ashiyas eyebrows were instantly on the top of his forehead from this unexpected move, Kiyeri also felt, like he may crossed the line with this, but it was already done, so no point in turning back.


    Three, five, then more seconds passed with them frozen like that, faces apart by meer inches, but Kiyeri did nothig else, just stared squerly into Ashiyas eyes, finaly, Ashiya opened his mouth to speak.


    ?What...¡°


    That same instant Kiyeri showed drunkards he was holding in his other hand into Ashiya''s mouth and pressed his chin shut, making it bite on them, then started laughing, but no one could tell if he laughed from this joke or because he felt awkward.


    The two of them met five years ago, when Ashiya was put as a punishment into battalion, Kiyeri was leading at the time. The talented, smart, and brave young man instantly was spotted by Kiyeri. He loved to curb smart-ass noble ones like Ashiya, but for some reason, soon after joining, that young man started to calm down and did not make any more huge problems, like at the start. In one year, that hotheaded prince became compliant and simple, and in the end, he confessed his feelings to Kiyeri. That took Kiyeri by surprise and he decided to hold as much space as possible between them. Every commoner like him knew one golden rule ¨C do not associate with nobles, if you care for your life. After that messy part, now their communication is on the delicate side and often awkward if simply put.


    ?There, problem solved. You can drink today and I will keep guard¡°, Kiyeri laughed while turning back to sit on his own moss bed, tossing that pouch to Ashiya. That lord looked like he was somehow wronged and stared angrily at the one who did that. After a short ?hmt¡° he started to chew on more berries himself. At the same time, Kiyeri lay on his back and crossed his and behind his head, watching the countless stars in the sky and listening to the sound of sparks in the fire.


    In that black sky, surrounded by every color and size of stars was seated around the full moon. Kiyeri was thinking about how rarely they could gaze into the sky so beautiful this year. They ran all around, many times sleeping in cold basements or debilitated shacks, staying completely silent.


    From early childhood, he always was fascinated by celestial bodies and their movement. Children in this Kingdom often hear stories, about how special are noble people in their land especially Sigil bearers, even stars follow them and light up the way as they go. It was said, that no other land can see stars, because they only shine here, for the chosen ones. As a child, he was fasinated by these stories, but growing up and enrolling in the military taught him otherwise. Any soldier who traveled to a distant land could see the same sky there, nothing different.


    Humming his favorite song from childhood, Kiyeri went down memory lane, thinking about other bearers: ?I wonder how they are.¡±


    Suddenly, he heard a sharp whistle, but before he could identify it, a sharp pain pierced his stomach. Instinctively crouching he looked down and saw an arrow, piercing straight through his abdomen.

 A Shortcut Through Hell

    ?Put out the fire! ¡° Kiyeri spat out these words along with a mouthful of blood and hurried to cover over moss bed.


    Ashiya wasted no time. He waved his hand in direction of the campfire and it went out instantly. He gathered Kiyeri to his arms to run, before stopping for a second to pick something up from the ground.


    That whistle again. The second arrow went straight into Kiyeri¡¯s back and he kneeled in pain, ?Ahhh, does she see me?!¡°.


    Gesturing Ashiya to help him sit down, Kiyeri gathered his mana energy in his eyes, trying to spot where those arrows coming from. In the far distance, he saw one little blue flame, then took out his dagger before pointing to that place ?There. It¡®s too far away¡°.


    Ashiya didn''t have this Master-level tracking sense, like Kiyeri, so he could only follow directions.


    ?How far? How did they do that with all these trees around??¡°


    Kiyeri did not let his eyes rest for a second, following that blue flame of a human, soon he saw another, but much smaller and flying rapidly in his direction, so he raised his dagger to deflect this third arrow, ?Not THEM, HER. It¡®s Ruki¡°. Kiyeri almost cried out from pain while speaking and tension, but succeeded in defense, broke the third arrow in half. After spitting up more blood he turned to Ashiya and froze. The face he saw was so distorted from anger, that Kiyeri could hardly recognize him. Reacting quickly, he grabbed Ashiya''s shoulder, pushing him down.


    ?Calm down¡°, Kiyeri said with difficulty. ?All arrows are following me, there''s a chance she can¡®t see you¡°.


    Ashiya, eyes bloodshot, was panting so heavily, Kiyeri thought a fire would erupt all around them, but after a few seconds, this hot-blooded one normalized this breathing, closed his eyes, and nodded. Only after he received this confirmation, did Kiyeri let him go and gave short instructions.


    ?Go there, 60 steps, light up the forest, and come back. DO. NOT. ENGAGE. Do you understand me?¡°


    ?Yes¡°, Ashiya replied and wanted to take of, but froze again, because Kiyeri has deflected yet another arrow.


    ?GOOO!¡± Kiyeri said through his clenched teeth, blood bubbles going down his lips, chin, and neck slowly.


    Another arrow. ¡°When the hell did you became so fucking talented??¡±. This one was deflected with much difficulty, it almost got him. In the next second, hot flames erupted into the sky, ¡°Forgive me, if I survive, I swear to replant it¡±.


    While Kiyeri pleaded with nature for forgiveness, as if summoned by that thought, Ashiya returned. That blue flame in the far distance became smaller and smaller. Kiyeri clenched his teeth, grabbing that arrow in his abdomen, and after a moment of focus ripped it out in one smooth pull. Behind his back, Ashiya did the same with the other. Blood flowed like a river, but with mana healing that wasn''t a problem, blood could be stopped immediately, only it hurt like hell.


    A little ribbon was tied at the end of the first arrow. Having no time to investigate, Kiyeri just broke it and put it away behind his belt. Next to him, Ashiya was panicking, putting his hands on wounds and moving them away again repeatedly, with no way to help.


    ?You... Kiye said she was alone? How can that be? Maybe it wasn¡®t Ruki?¡°


    ?All these arrows led between the trees. It has to be her¡°


    At the age of twenty-one, Kiyeri became a Master and, according to established rules, quickly received a group of recruits with whom he had to work during missions, sort by abilities, and train them. Being in a group led by a commoner was a kind of punishment for nobles, so it was not surprising, that such problematic young ones like Ashiya and Ruki¡®s brother Dali were sent to work for him.


    Much later, the same group was joined by Princess Ruki herself. Both her and Dali were grandchildren of the King. Living faithfully to the principles of this land, the King had several dozen children and, naturally, even more grandchildren. People even joked that no one had taught them to count to the point of knowing the exact number of descendants. With so many heirs, it was not surprising that they were shoved left and right for every mistake at the table. Dissatisfied with his grandchildren, King gave them away for the commoner to correct. Ashiya, similarly, was sent to such a punishment camp by his own father.


    Who could have predicted that Kiyeri will correct them so well, that all three young men were soon recognized as candidates for Sigil, and later even chosen to receive it along with Kiyeri himself. Ashiya received the fire mark, Dali received the life mark, and Ruki the water mark.


    Kiyeri knew from the very beginning that it was not young ones, who had problems, but the system, so he began the training by showing the simplest human understanding, and the talents began to develop on their own. In Kiyeri''s eyes, they were people who had everything from birth and losing that wealth or status was unreasonable.


    The youngest Ruki was especially talented, quickly grasping the theory and easily applying it in practice. The arrow guidance using water was a theory that Kiyeri himself came up with and passed on to the princess. Although it was impossible to verify at the time, it seems she applied it perfectly on her own, even without Kiyeri''s help.


    ?But she can¡®t be alone, someone has to accompany her¡°, Ashiya''s voice brought Kiyeri back.


    ?I know. We need to go ¡°.


    ?No, Kiye needs to heal first ¡°, Ashiya pushed down on Kiyeri¡¯s shoulders gently. Kiyeri could feel those hands shaking minutely, but he did not let his eyes down from that burning horizon, because this time, there were three blue flames behind it.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ?There¡®s no time, they are coming. Three of them. o light up a bit more of the forest, Ruki should put it out anyway ¡°.


    Not taking his eyes off the three flames moving towards the campsite, but at the same time concentrating most of his abilities on healing, Kiyeri slowly limped through the forest. Even for him, it was a difficult task.


    Any warrior in the kingdom could direct energy in one direction. Only a few hundred could use two directions, many of whom were noble. Among them, were even rarer talents, able to concentrate mana in three directions and recognized as Masters regardless of their status. The kingdom could not afford to lose talents, even if those talents came from the slums. But just because it was allowed, did not mean it was approved.


    Kiyeri got distracted by memories of the hardships and humiliations he had experienced in the past, even after receiving the title. He heard snickers all around him, accusations that he didn''t belong there, and vile treatment. If before he only remembered them occasionally, now after meeting "old friends" for several days in a row, all the emotions began to rush out again. It seemed he didn''t even notice, how with each step he gritted his teeth and frowned more and more, and the flow of energy became unstable. The wounds not only stopped healing, but opened up again, and little by little blood began to fill his boots to the brim.


    Suddenly, a hand pressed on his shoulder and slowed his pace. From behind his back came a trembling scared voice, ?If Kiye will allow, I can help ¡°.


    Ashiya looked at the blood, slowly flowing to the ground and Kiyeri instantly felt caught and embarrassed, he shook his head, ?It¡®s not that bad, I just lost my focus a little...¡°


    Ashiya looked away slightly, but this gesture angered Kiyeri for some reason.


    ?Are you trying to protect my dignity here??¡°, he could not hold back that comment, ?Moreover, to heal oneself is one thing, to help ¨C is another. How on earth you can help me??¡°


    Ashiya startled, eyes round.


    ?There¡®s no time to waste, just go¡°. Kiyeri focused again to stop his bleeding and moved on slowly. Behind him Ahiya followed, cold sharp eyes glued to that wound on Kiyeri¡¯s back, not even blinking, then moved on to look at those three flames. That stare was so intense, it made Kiyeri shudder, but he concluded Ashiya would not leave him here alone in this condition, to follow those bastards, it should be safe.


    After a few minutes, the three blue flames stopped and did not move for a while. Ashiya and Kiyeri had already reached the path towards the town. Taking the opportunity, Kiyeri gathered all his energy to treat his injuries, but then realized something and, lowering his hands, began to talk.


    "Ashi, the arrows are poisonous, my reserves are almost empty. After all those fireballs, you probably don''t have any more either. There¡®s only one way left".


    Ashiya looked at him in confusion for a bit, then his face changed rapidly. ?No! ¡°


    ?Stop being so difficult ¡°, Kiyeri felt annoyed.


    ?I said, NO.¡°, Ashiya jumped from where he was crouching, ?I will fucking END THEM. RIGHT NOW!¡°


    Kiyeri grabbed his wrist, ?And then what? There are three of them, you will not be allowed to hold back, when what? Do you intend to lose more of Sigils? You don¡®t even have mana left, THEY will end YOU, you moron.¡°


    Ahiya was silent, but his eyes were persistent, so Kiyeri tried talking again in a gentler tone.


    ?Ashi, listen. You know I will heal faster dead. Look at me, those arrows were soaked in her mana, I can¡®t even move now. How long can you carry me? I can die here and now and return half an hour later, while you carry me, or I can die at their hands and it¡®s over. We need to do this. ¡°


    Ashiya closed his eyes, head bowed and still silent.


    ?Or, you can just leave me and go, that¡®s an option¡°, Kiyeri smiled


    This made Ashiya smack his tongue, but he still did not say a word, only looked at Kiyeri desperate. Kiyeri pulled him closer, ?Come on, it¡®s not a first time. Who knows, it may not be that bad, maybe I will get a calm desert sand again ¡°. He put his hand on Ashiya¡¯s chest, where Sigil resigned and poured last specs of his mana, it would scatter anyway after death. Then took out his dagger and stabbed himself in the heart in one quick move.


    Before his eyes have closed, Kiyeri could see Ashiyas face, twisted with hatred.


    The next second, he opened his eyes in the white boundless void.


    "Lies..."


    Black, tall creatures began to crawl towards him from all sides, screeching in deafening voices, "What peaceful place? Why am I lying again?"


    Those creatures kept getting closer, saliva running down their slimy bodies from their jaws.


    "I could let him go ahead, let him slaughter everyone like sheep, let him burn them like sticks, why am I lying to him?"


    Kiyer grabbed his daggers and as their claws approached, he began to chop, his face emotionless.


    "I didn''t do anything, I didn''t ask for this, why do I have to be here?"


    He started counting kills, "One...Two...Three...Four...Five...SIX...SEV-E-N-"


    They cut off his leg, he heard something screaming, but still didn''t stop, "E-I-G-H-T...N-I-N-E.......T.T..T-E-N,"


    They tore off his arm, and that scream he heard was mixed with laughter. "E-L-E-V-E-N..."


    The eleventh one grabbed Kiyeri by the head and dug his claws into his skull, the screams stopped, and the laughter was replaced by giggles, "Hmt, I didn''t even set a record..."


    Kiyeri stared into nowhere with a calm face until the claws sank all the way to his brain, but suddenly in the corner of his eye, he saw something like silver, shining in the distance. Then there was a "crack" and his soul scattered into pieces.


    In the Beyond, one can enter having the same gear as they had while living. If he was carrying daggers, they were with him, if he had a bun, he could still eat it, once he even lost a few silver coins from his pouch, but when he woke up, he found them in their place, in the physical world, and the bun he had eaten didn''t disappear either when he woke up it was in his hand.


    The soul tearing here was repeated like a cycle, so immediately after the skull-crushing, his soul gathered from the particles and took shape in the same place again. This "body", which was only a soul, did not bled from being torn or bitten, but the pain was as real as it could be. This time, having formed again, he immediately turned his eyes towards the light


    "Can it be something I lost here before...?" Deciding to immediately test the theory, he drew both daggers and threw them on the ground, then ran towards the nearest Voidborne and let himself be torn again.


    The next second, he was standing in the same place, but there were no daggers on the ground, they were in their sheaths. "Everything is falling apart and coming back with me, there must be something else there." Deciding to look around, Kiyeri tried to break through again, but after killing fifteen, he fell and started the cycle again. "Too far, I can''t get there this way... But on the other hand, what else can I do? Read the book?"


    Deciding that there was nothing left to do but try, and psychologically it was easier with a goal, he didn''t give up. Each time he moved closer and closer, repeating the cycle. Before he woke up, he had already neutralized more than twenty Voidborne, thus breaking the record and realizing several important facts.


    First - the number of creatures is limited. When he found himself there for the first time, there were so many of them that he couldn''t even take a step.


    Second - their concentration was highest near that glowing block as if it was their job to protect it.


    Third - although he couldn''t see the object clearly, the silver light was not emitted by the object itself, but by a circle drawn on it, the same shape he had on his chest.

 Chance encounter

    When Kiyeri woke up, he didn¡¯t even have time to realize when and where he was when he felt a strong nausea with his first deep breath. Realizing in an instant that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back, he suddenly sat up and leaned to the side, immediately after which he began to vomit and to his own surprise, a metal bucket was already in front of him.


    ¡°Kiye!¡±- an anxious voice came from above and someone¡¯s hand began to rub his back.


    For some reason, Kiyeri was annoyed by this, he turned his shoulder several times trying to get rid of it, so the hand withdrew. After a few dry heaves and a small amount in the bucket, he finally felt relieved and sighed. Someone handed him a piece of cloth in front of his nose. Taking the cloth, Kiyeri wiped his lips and, breathing heavily, threw his body back onto the bed, spreading his arms to the sides as if defeated. "Can¡®t remember the last time it was so bad..."


    Only then did he slowly start looking around. Next to him, Ashiya was sitting on the edge of the bed with a worried face taking cup from the table and handing it to the patient. The entire space around seemed unfamiliar. A small room with two tiny windows that let in very little sunlight, an old, cluttered wooden wardrobe with chipped corners, a metal-framed bed that creaked annoyingly with every movement, and an equally cluttered table. The wooden floorboards had obviously been walked on for many years.


    ?For how long was I out? ¡°, Kiyeri asked taking a cup.


    ?More than three hours¡°.


    ?Three hours??¡°, Kiyeri almost spit out the water. ?No wonder it¡®s so bad... Where are we? ¡°


    ?We¡®re at the outskirts of Bronze city, I found a cabin, a little farther from center¡°, Ashiya explained.


    Kiyeri¡¯s heart froze, face white. Although this room looked cramped and poor, it was obviously lived in. Warmth came from the furnace at the back of the room, where firewood crackled. Sheets were old and yellowed, but clean. There seem to be pleasant sent of warm food floating in the air.


    After finishing his water from that cup, Kiyeri asked, tone strict ?And how did we get here? Does this cabin still have an owner? ¡°


    Ashiya pressed his lips together in silence before answering in an even tone, ?Yes. The owner is making soup for Kiye, as we speak ¡°.


    It was true, when Kiyeri listened closely again, he discovered sounds coming from behind that full wall furnace, His heart went back into its place and started to beat again rhythmically. After realizing, they were guests, he asked again, ?So, how did we get in here? ¡°


    ?She let us in ¡°, Ashiya answered, as he was lifting the blanket, to look at Kiyeri¡¯s wounds, ?When Kiye stopped breathing, I poured all mana I had into Kiye¡¯s body, then ran through fields carrying you. There are cabins in outskirts, far apart one another and there was a light in the window of this one, so I knocked, until it opened¡±.


    ¡°Someone let you in themselves?¡±. Kiyeri could not understand what reckless person would do that ¨C 2 bloody men running away from burning forest in secret, a threat indeed. He also doubted Ashiya had done everything peacefully, without force.


    In the meantime, woman emerged out from behind that furnace. Looking at her face, one would suggest she¡¯s about eighty years old, but she moved like much younger would. Her long white hair, done in a braid seems to make her look even younger. She smiled lightly, while carrying two metal bowls of soup.


    ¡°I did indeed let you in myself¡±, she said giving one bowl to Kiyeri and placing the second on the table, in front of Ashiya, ¡°Careful, it¡¯s hot. But I did not invite you for free. You, little children, will keep me company and do some work¡±.


    Kiyeri felt shocked, but after considering atmosphere was normal in this room, he calmed down. When he looked down at his bowl, he saw yellow rich soup with chicken and vegetables, incredibly fragrant.


    ¡°Thank you¡± he said while drooling.


    Behind the furnace came lively ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡±.


    ¡°Bread?¡±, Ashiya offered one slice, ¡°I don¡¯t know if someone is looking for us, but no one came here for now. The Town good 10 minutes away, we won¡¯t be able to hear anything from there¡±.


    ¡°How about the fire?¡±, Kiyeri asked.


    ¡°It died as soon as I walked in. How was Beyond?¡±


    Kiyeri jumped, ¡°Yes! I almost forgot. I found something interesting. You know how I told you, there is a white infinite space, with no width length height?¡±


    Ashiya nodded while eating, so Kiyeri continued, ¡°In some distance I saw some white slab of rock, I guess, and on that rock, silver circle was engraved, same shape and size, like one on my chest. It was far and glowed strongly, so I could not make out more details, it may not be empty, like mine.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Kiyte couldn¡¯t walk closer to it?¡±


    Kiyeri took full spoon of soup into his mouth, chewing and swallowing slowly, that gave him time to process some things, ¡°I only saw it before the awakening, so just didn¡¯t make it. I will have to go back for inspection¡±.


    Ashiya looked deep in thought, ¡°If it looks the same as Kiye¡¯s, its definatly worth investigating, but will it be so simple? Kiye may end up in whole another place everytime. It may not be worth it.¡±


    ¡°Aaaahhhhh¡­ Lies have short legs¡­¡± Kiyeri thought. But when he thought about it, dying now would be inconvenient, they should investigate the last Temple first, as it¡¯s covering Metal, it should be holding some answers. So he decided to drop Beyond''s plan for now. Sipping on the last bit of soup, he felt tension finally leaving his body, ¡°Yea¡­ Let¡¯s visit the Temple first, then will see¡±.


    When they fled the capital almost a year ago, they chose the north, knowing that it was less protected by soldiers. Later, after talking about what had happened, they decided to search for answers together and they needed to start with the temples because if the Metal Sign had disappeared, there was a high probability that it had returned to its stone. The Metal Celestial stone was the southernmost in the entire kingdom, so they were as far from their goal as it could be. It was decided they would visit all Celestial stones, maybe find some clues, feel the synchronization of energy, or something, but failed to find anything. Now, after a year, there was no hurry, once the Sigil returned to the stone, it could not be appropriated by a person again for ten years, which is why there was a ceremony for passing it from one bearer to another, not losing military capabilities.


    These temples also had a secondary purpose. If the human body accumulated mana naturally during the day, then the mana accumulated near the stone would be replenished hundreds of times faster. Ordinary residents who did not feel the energy threads still visited temples for a reason. After sitting here for half an hour, wounds healed faster, illnesses passed more easily, and simple fatigue disappeared altogether.


    For bearers of the Sigil, ten minutes of meditation completely replenished huge reserves. In normal life, this amount could last for a year. Wounded, without food and water, such a warrior could survive for a month on mana alone, this fact was confirmed by the skin of Kiyeri himself when, after the fateful ceremony, he was kept and tortured in the dungeon. He remained in such conditions for almost three weeks until his first death.


    ¡°About the Temple¡±, Ashiya broke the silence, ¡°Remember that cloth on the arrow Kiye collected? It¡¯s a letter from Ruki¡±, he passed down a little bloodied bundle of cloth to Kiyeri.


    ¡°Why would she do that?¡± Kiyeri asked unrolling it and instantly recognising the fabric. Luxurious white silk, one corner embroidered with golden and blue threads. This was a kind of fabric, that was used to sew uniform tunics for royalty. Kiyeri never liked it. By putting these kinds of clothes on, it seems they declared, they will never get dirty, but in Kiyeri¡¯s squad, everyone was equal ¨C uniforms just like that, worn by Dali and Ruki were black and dirty the first day on the mission.


    Now, he held this piece of the past before his eyes, and written in it by coal was message:


    ¡°I am forced to hunt you. Next midnight, Temple gates, I have information¡±.


    Kiyeri looked to Ashiya and they exchanged knowing glances. Ashiya opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it again, squinting his eyes. Kiyeri knew what he was thinking. If Ashiya and Prince Dali couldn''t pass each other without swearing, with Princess Ruki he didn''t interact at all unless absolutely necessary. Although the girl always behaved properly, didn''t break the rules, didn''t like to use her title, and studied diligently, Ashiya simply never liked her, and now she was coming at them. On the other hand, Kiyeri admired her dedication to improving herself, and taught her everything he knew, and if it weren''t for a few bad antisocial habits, she would have been the ideal princess.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just ignore this¡±, Kiyeri said.


    ¡°Fine, but I will go alone¡±.


    Kiyeri thought. He did not have mana to heal quickly, it could be obtained at the temple, but how could he get there safely? Ruki would definitely be protected by guards. Ashiya''s reserves were also empty, but he was healthy. If he could sit in the temple for at least two minutes, it would be beneficial, but he could be followed on his way back. Meeting Ruki at midnight already seemed unreasonable, but meeting her unprepared or injured would mean death.


    ¡°Mmm, that¡¯s for the best, but you need to restock mana first, can¡¯t go defenseless¡±, Kiyeri turned to face furnace, ¡°Grandma, do you have some old rags to spare? My friend here needs to dress before going to the city¡±.


    ¡°No one is going anywhere. I already said I have work for you two¡±, the woman answered from the kitchen area.


    ¡°We will do anything you ask, but later, ok? He needs to go out for a bit¡±


    That woman came back to the room, this time carrying a basin with steaming water, some bandages, and a basket. She put everything on the table and sat down in front of Ashiya smiling, ¡°Child, do you really think some random old lady will let you in at night, just like that? Then listen to everything you talk and would not run to seek help?¡±


    Booth guest stared silently at her.


    The woman rubbed her forehead, ¡°How na?ve can you be? Button down your shirt for me.¡±


    Ashiya looked confused, ¡°I¡¯m not injured¡­¡±


    ¡°I can see that, I have eyes¡±, losing her patience, the old woman moved to undress Ashiya herself, ¡°In my days when you tell a child to do something, he does. Who disciplined you? Asking questions, defying the older, what a disgrace¡±.


    After buttoning down Ashiyas shirt, with some help, the old woman pressed her palm on his Sigil, ¡°I don¡¯t have much, but you will have to manage. The Temple was guarded even before you came, but after what you did here, it may be locked. If you go alone, you may not come back at all¡±.


    Both of them were in shock, Ashiya jumped from place yelling, ¡°No, wait, he¡¯s hurt, give it to him!¡±


    The woman snatched him back, ¡°Tch, sit down! As if I couldn¡¯t see what you two were the moment I opened the door, you think I survived this long by being stupid? It won''t help HIM, his wounds are infected with foreign mana and won''t heal until clean. When it¡¯s poured directly into the heart, mana is filtered and converted, but if you get it through wounds, it is the same as poison. Who taught you? Did you skip your classes in the academy??¡±


    ¡°Madame, did you serve in the military? Or medic brigade?¡±, Kiyeri finally asked.


    The woman finished transfusing mana, dipped one bundle of cloth into water and turned to face Kiyeri, ¡°I was a Bearer of Metal Sigil¡±.

 The silence before a storm

    If both of them had been in shock before, then the state they were in after hearing these words was beyond explanation. If Ashiya didn''t even dare to speak, then Kiyeri simply didn''t know where to start. He stared blankly for a while as medicinal herbs were applied to his wounds until he finally blurted out "I have a million questions..."


    "And I don''t have time to answer them.¡° The old woman immediately retorted, ?While one of you is chopping firewood and the other is shelling beans, maybe my joints will stop hurting and my tongue will loosen."


    Briefly and clearly, no way to argue.


    They worked together all day, and there really was much to do. Not only beans and firewood, there were many other vegetables and berries that needed to be sorted out. Ashiya took heavy labor, letting the easier tasks fall to them. One braided onions, another loaded hay, the third repaired the tools, while the first painted the fence, working like that all day long they learned a lot.


    Grandma, named Lorena, was definitely not ordinary, noble by birth, with high talent, she distinguished herself everywhere - in the palace and war. Still young, only twenty-three, she had a daughter, and soon, two sons. After a little rest, she returned to battles, claimed victories and later had the honor of taking over the Sigil. When her sons grew up, they followed in their mother''s footsteps, but both died in the war. Heartbroken, the woman devoted all her attention to her remaining daughter and did not let her out of sight, everywhere together.


    While traveling around the country, the daughter met and fell in love with a young man, a simple blacksmith. Such a union is not possible in these lands. Noble talents must create families only with their equals, in order to pass on their blood to descendants. The girl''s father was angry and wanted to lock his daughter at home and simply behead the boy, but Lorena secretly took them both to the south and hid there.


    The young couple found refuge in the neighboring country of the Sun, and Lorena returned home. After such a blunder, the entire family lost their title and Lorena was forced to give the Metal Sigil to the next heir. That next was Master Zeni. The same master who many years later had to pass this Sigil to Kiyeri.


    Lorena spoke over a cup of tea while the three of them watched the setting sun on a bench.


    ¡°When I was no longer connected to the kingdom, I moved here, as close to the southern border as possible, and only then did I feel happy for the first time. The morning dew under my bare feet, the lettuce I grew in my garden, the chickens walking around the yard, everything is so simple, but everything seems to have acquired color as if I had breathed air for the first time in my life. In the town, people negotiate, exchange, and chat, and no one counts heads. My grandchildren visit me several times a year, and when I was young, I never even thought that this was exactly what I had always wanted.¡±


    Turning to Ashiya, she continued "When I opened the door at night and saw your eyes, I realized that I had to help you." She glanced at Kiyeri and pulled herself together. "But I''ve known Zeni since he was a child, and that child has always been possessed. Many years have passed, I can''t talk about him now, but I still want to warn you - be careful of him, don''t believe anything he says."


    Kiyeri''s heart sank and he swallowed hard.


    After a little more conversation, the sun set and the trio got up from the bench. Lorena regretted not giving them a chance to bathe, only some clothes, and told them to leave: "I probably don''t need to explain that you can''t stay here. The injuries have healed more or less with the help of herbs, but they still need to be given time. I wish you the best of luck."


    Kiyeri bowed, ?We are extremely grateful as it is. You did so much for us already.¡°


    Lorena smiled, ?I did nothing of sorts, just hired two passing by boys for farm work in exchange for a meal and old stuff.¡°


    The guys turned around and left, but just after a couple of steps, Ashiya turned back again asking, ?Granny... Lorena, if we will go hungry again, can we come back for some work?¡°


    ?If I¡¯m still alive by then, you are welcome.¡°


    After hearing this answer, Ashiya¡®s eyes sparkled in the sunset, Kiyeri found that to be weird, ?Are you asking her for shelter next time? Was that food so delicious? And what about that comment on your eyes??¡°, but he decided to just leave it.


    The two of them made their way to town with caution, the sky was showing midnight.


    As they approached the gate, they tensed up a bit, there were no guards around at all. They had been chased by them last night, Lorena had also mentioned that the town, and especially the Temple, were constantly guarded, but now it was empty, only one other drunk beggar was still wandering the streets. After exchanging glances, the two of them cautiously walked on. Normally Kiyeri would use his mana vision and be able to see the approaching attacks in advance, but now he couldn''t due to his injury.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "What a strangely unfavorable coincidence..." he thought, carefully scanning his surroundings and straining his ears.


    ?Kiye should have stayed somewhere, ¡° Ashiya murmured.


    ?Somewhere, where? This meeting is unavoidable. And I want to hear what she will say myself.¡°


    That bad feeling Kiyeri had when entering the town now grew even stronger. They knew this might be an ambush, but they needed this Temple too much. Not to mention the scenario that if they did not show up ¨C every home would be turned around by soldiers trying to find them. Ruki and Dali weren¡®t that big of a threat, but if someone big was escorting them, there was no chance to win.


    ?Should we turn around?¡° Ashiya asked casually.


    ?I will hit you. Stop talking and be ready, but PLEASE, don¡®t do anything stupid¡°


    They reached the Temple with no troubles, everything was still empty and quiet. It was past midnight, but no one came to greet them. Then suddenly, from inside the Temple came a delicate voice, ?Master, Ashiya, you came.¡°


    Both of them looked up instantly and saw a girl emerging from within. This girl looked sweet and gentle, with a soft-lined face carrying a friendly smile. She wore a snow-white tunic, a bow hanging behind her back, and a gilded rapier sword hung on her side. Hands pressed to her chest, she looked at both of them, like seeing someone dear after a long time. This kind of girl would inspire trust in anyone. It was Princess Ruki.


    Kiyeri skipped all pleasantries, ?Did you bring Dali and Seyre with you?¡°


    ?They are a little farther away, we didn''t want to scare you...¡°


    Kiyeri glimpsed at Ashiya for a second. The hot-headed one was standing firmly in place, arms crossed, an unreadable look on his face. Kiyeri turned back to Ruki, ?Ah, yes, much appreciate your kindness, it wasn''t scary at all last night. Where are your guards? Also doesn''t want to scare us?¡°


    Ruki fixed a sad face, ?Master, I just want to talk. Our situation is not that different. My King sent us to hunt you, but we don¡®t want to do that!¡°


    Ashiyas voice, sharp as a knife sliced the air, ?Come closer, tell me more about it.¡°


    Ruki fixed her gaze at him for a second, before turning back to Kiyeri, pleading, ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°If you think, you have nothing to worry about, then you have nothing to worry about, right?¡± Kiyeri answered.


    After some displayed consideration, she grabbed the sides of her tunic with her fists clenched, lowered her head, and slowly began to descend the stairs, while Ashiya took a step forward and raised both palms, ready to attack. The girl stopped three steps away from them. Without looking up, she spoke quietly, "What do I have to do to make you trust me?"


    Who knew to whom she directed this question, but Kiyeri was the one to answer, ¡°For starters, you can command the ones hiding to show themselves¡±.


    ¡°You heard him¡±, Ruki shouted into thin air.


    Soon two more figures appeared from behind the open Temple door, one white, the other blue. The white one also carried a bow on their back and a royal rapier at their waist. The blue one had a long double-edged sword at his side. It was Prince Dali and Seyre - the fifth Sigil of Earth.


    Kiyeri smiled insincerely, ¡°Good. So we are moving on. Will your colleagues come down to talk?¡±


    The two figures did exactly as they were asked and stopped behind Ruki¡¯s back.


    ?Good,¡° Kiyeri spoke again, ?now, what do you want from me?¡°


    Ruki spoke, stroking the long copper braid on her shoulder with both hands, "We need help. We were ordered to bring you both back alive, but later we learned from a secret source that all five of us were planned to be killed in order to restart the cycle of Sigils. Not knowing what to do, we tracked you down and attacked blindly just to deliver the message and meet. The entire guard under the King is watching us, there was no other choice. We planned to fail that attack and use it as a pretext to send those guards home, saying that we couldn''t defeat you, so we will try to lure you in by deception."


    "And you are asking for help from two fugitive criminals?" Kiyeri raised an eyebrow.


    "We are asking the only ones who are not under the King," Ruki replied, almost crying out the words.


    "Then it''s decided!" Kiyeri shouted, clapping his hands so loudly that everyone flinched. "If things are that bad, we can talk about them tomorrow, and today we need to rest, but first let''s get ready." He climbed up the stairs to the Temple, leaving the other four behind, frozen and gaping.


    Ashiya couldn''t believe his eyes and ears "Kiye?!"


    The other three simply stood there, not daring to speak or move. When Kiyeri finally climbed up and entered, all four of them couldn''t hold back any longer and followed, avoiding each other''s eyes.


    Walking towards that Celestial stone, Kiyeri said, "I am a simple person, I need food and sleep, I am not going to stand all night and admire you all. After traveling to this temple for almost a year, I will not talk until I have done what I came here for."


    His tone was instructive, as if from the past, when he used to scold those three, so Ruki, Dali and Ashiya simply stood behind him and listened. Seyre was much older than the others and Kiyeri himself in age and experience. But as someone who was distinguished by his impeccable discipline, and tactful behavior, he stood next to the young ones in silence, though his eyes flicked toward Kiyeri¡¯s wounds with concern.


    Kiyeri examined the stone closely, closed his eyes, and tried to gather mana, but failed, the wounds were still infected. Although he had never seen it in person, the academy had illustrations of what a stone should look like with a Metal mark hidden on it, so he looked for the pressed-in bars, but they were nowhere to be seen. The stone was large, it would take at least four people to hug it, so to get a closer look he climbed over the surrounding fence, touched the stone, and then suddenly lost consciousness.