NOW THAT EVERYTHING was clear to Xurden, he felt great. The coffee he was drinking tasted even better in his mouth. Its bitterness with a little sweetness sank into his taste buds.He was just sitting in the shade of an enormous umbrella on the white sand of a small island. The wind was blowing lightly, accompanied by the warmth of the rising sun. Crashing small waves on the beach seemed to be music to his ears. The flight of the flock of white birds was also present. They lined up towards the west.He took a sip of coffee before returning it to the saucer and placing it on the round table next to him. He sat up comfortably with his arms resting on the arch of the chair while connecting his feet together.Sticking his eyes on the rising sun, he did not forget to fix his hat.At that moment, he didn’t want to do anything else. He just wanted to stay on that island. He also hoped that the peace covering his mind wouldn’t end. Since Yric confessed the truth to him about why the younger b
XURDEN chose a mountain where Yric could train without worrying about other people. The mountain was peaceful, but behind the growing trees on its land, various creatures hid that caused accidents on the road built there. Because of constant death, it became rarer that a car took the mountain road even though it was a shortcut to get to the city.They didn’t bring a car, so they had to jog climbing up the slope. Xurden insisted on doing that for the improvement of Yric’s body. The younger boy was weak that he could see clearly. It’s been only twenty minutes since they jogged, but Yric was already exhausted and catching up his breath. The younger boy was the last one to climb the slope while Sebastian went on ahead. Marco wasn’t with them that’s why Sebastian could jog peacefully without competing with his rival.Xurden paused with his feet still moving when Yric stopped and sat down in the road, pumping his shirt to get some air. He could see how hard it was to breathe for Yric so he
THEIR CLIMB at the top of the stairs was peaceful. But that changed as soon as they reached the middle. Sebastian stopped walking in front of Xurden and Yric when two familiar demons blocked their path. Xurden also stopped, pulling the younger man next to him.“What’s the problem?” Yric asked. He didn’t notice the two demons because he was looking at the ground as he climbed up. Yric looked up and saw the creatures that made him hide behind Xurden.“Don’t move from my back and just stay quiet,” Xurden said. “We’ll take care of them.”The first demon was still wearing his colorful cloak. But he tied his long hair at that moment behind his head. His companion wore a black cloak and a skull mask covered his face.Xurden couldn’t stop to ask himself if he really became weak. He didn’t feel the two demons coming closer to them. His thought also changed when he realized Yric might be right about what he saw earlier from the tunnel. He had guessed that the demon did something to their aura w
THEY WENT straight up to the second floor when they arrived at the goddess’ place. The air around the house was so quiet that he couldn’t feel anything blowing at them. Xurden thought something bad might have happened to the woman since it was unusual he heard no noise from the inside when she knew they would come. He was sure she saw them in her mind through her ability that they were already there.He knocked on the door a few times, but he didn’t receive an answer. Thinking of what to do, he twisted the knob and opened the door. His forehead furrowed because Arasia left the room on the second floor unlocked. He didn’t even try to feel the woman because a spell that prevented anyone from knowing who and what has inside surrounded that house. One spell that he remembered didn’t work for Yric. That’s why he looked at him after he let go of the door while Sebastian went inside to check the room.“Do you feel her?” Xurden asked Yric.Yric met his gaze.“No,” Yric answered while shaking h
XURDEN REMOVE the sickle aimed at his neck. “You shouldn’t just aim a weapon,” he said to him as he pushed its pole.Yric lowered his weapon after Xurden said those words. The sickle’s pole made a slight sound on the round platform where they were standing.“I’m sorry,” Yric apologized.He couldn’t see if Yric regretted bringing the sickle closer to his neck because of the blank emotion on his face at that moment.“Don’t do it again,” he told the young boy. “We’ll start now.”Arasia interrupted their conversation when she came down from the portal. She was wearing a simple t-shirt and black pants. She tied her long black hair at the back of her head.“Do you want me to train him? You know, I am pretty good at it. I’ve raised armies before,” Arasia said as she approached them. “You will see what has to be taught and changed in him that way.”“Ask him if he wants,” was all he said to the woman.Arasia turned her attention to Yric who just stared at her. Yric surprised the goddess with w
YRIC didn’t thought that in just a few weeks a lot would change in him. The speed of time in Arasia’s training room was no joke. His body was now in good shape and he had developed muscles. Besides that, his skin was no longer pale. He was a little brighter now than before. After his training, he cut his hair.He made the right decision to find Xurden to help him grow. He gained confidence in himself to face the coming days with less fear. That’s why he went to university alone, without Sebastian and Marco watching him.He couldn’t listen to the new professor talking in front of the class because his mind was wandering. He couldn’t help but wonder what Xurden was doing at that moment. Since the end of his training, Xurden didn’t talk to him that much. He was worried that he had done something wrong, which displeased Xurden.The weather was nice and clear, and he just stared at it. He was sitting next to the window so he could clearly see the other people walking and some birds flying
AFTER THEY LEFT the building, they got into a car driven by Sebastian. He sat in the back with Xurden. Xurden said nothing, even though the man didn’t want someone sitting next to him. Ever since Yric lived in his house, Xurden had no complaints about him, so the younger boy got used to sitting there.“What’s with you? You’re talking to me now,” Yric asked as he closed the door. He made himself comfortable in the seat.Xurden turned his head at him as the man also close the other door. “I was busy. I had something to do,” the man said. They were really his reason for not being on Yric’s side, even though it became his duty to protect him.“Okay. I thought I did something wrong. That’s why I can’t see you for a while.”“I already kick you if that’s really the case.”“Where are we going? I still have classes to attend.”The car moved, leaving the school grounds. Sebastian looked attentively in the front in order not to bump into anyone walking along the path.“They were all canceled,” X
XURDEN could see that Yric didn’t like the neighborhood where the seer they wanted to talk to live. Maybe because the atmosphere in that place was not good. The stench of death constantly lingered there and the noises never ended. It was a place crowded with people and in this kind of place, killings were a normal thing that happened almost every day. Most of the houses in that part of the city had patchwork walls. People blocked the narrow road busy with their work that they have to walk just to get in. The group of men was watching as they passed by. It was still early, but the men were already drowning themselves in liquor. They also pay no attention to the other people as they continued to walk.“Why do we have to come here? We have Arasia. Did you forget to ask her?” Yric asked Xurden.The younger boy walked to his right while Sebastian was on his left. The people voluntarily avoided their path. They were driven by fear, thinking that if any of the beggars bump into them, it woul