Dove Leaves Cage, Crow takes Stage

After briefly conversing with his master, Nekros's once again vanished and Marcus was left alone. He didn't mind it though because he was still tired.

Falling unconscious for a few hours wasn't hardly enough rest for what he'd been through, and with the sun beaming over head, he was exhausted.

He'd thought that after devouring the spearman, known as Tom, he'd feel as energized as when he'd devoured the swamp creeper, but this seemed to not be the case.

'Maybe it's because the swamp creeper was stronger. Hm... oh well, I'll think about it later.'

As Marcus was evacuating the area he'd previously been in, he'd been looking for a tree to rest in to provide shade from the sun and a place to properly rest and recuperate.

'That one should work,' Marcus thought as he spotted a tall enough tree to rest in at least until the sun went down.

Marcus swiftly climbed the tree he'd spotted, and almost as soon as he secured a safe position on one of its branches, he placed the blindfold over his eyes and instantly entered a peaceful slumber.

***

In another location were two individuals dressed in brown robes with a hood covering their heads. They were moving along a busy roadway that was crowded with people buying and selling there wares.

The roadway the two seemed to be traveling on must have been a market place judging by the constant shouts that rang out all around them.

"Come and get your fresh Aittrog tongue here! Aittrog tongue!"

"Freshly baked loquat strudels here!"

"We got obis horns here for that special someone! Come and get yours now while supplies last!"

As the two individuals maneuvered their way through the crowd, one of them communicated to the other in as low a voice as possible, well as low as one could be in such a bustling environment.

"Mia why must you be so stubborn. You and I both know how strict your parents are about you venturing to such a place without protection," one of the individuals spoke in mild sarcasm and exasperation.

Mia, whom the individual was speaking too, didn't bother to turn around as she spoke.

"You didn't have to follow me Skyler. You and I both know there isn't a soul in this kingdom that'd lay a finger on me, and those foolish enough to try are just that... foolish."

Skyler, the second cloaked figure, could only relent as she knew just how obstinate the young woman in front of her was.

Although, that didn't stop her from speaking her next statement.

"Mia, you may be one of the most talented individuals, regarding those near your age, but do not fool yourself into believing you are untouchable," Skyler replied in a far more serious tone. "Otherwise, you yourself will end up becoming the fool."

Immediately after saying this, Skyler's serious persona vanished with the wind, and it seemed like it was never there to begin with.

This abrupt change didn't seem to surprise Mia either, as she merely turned forward and continued to walk in the direction ahead.

Though she didn't reply to her sister, she did take her words to heart. If there was anyone who could get through to her, it was Skyler, and they both knew it.

As the two continued on their way, they eventually stopped in front of a massive building. Well, it was massive compared to the buildings around it and was much more orderly than the surrounding structures too. That being said, it was nowhere as large as her own estate, but that was only to be expected from someone of her stature.

All around them were shady looking bars, brothels, and numerous other buildings not fit for a young woman like Mia, but the duo paid little attention to them as they gazed at the two-story building in front of them.

The building was extremely elegant and seemed to be a place for only the most refined individuals to partake in; however, such a thing was not the case as numerous individuals of all back grounds were seen entering and exiting the building.

Some were well-kept and exuded an aura of sophistication and elegance; whereas, some were the exact opposite and were more barbarous-looking and uncivilized.

The only thing the two parties shared was their aura of strength and the equipment they wore as they entered the facility.

Almost every person that entered possessed the strength of an intermediate ranked mage or martial artist, and those that did not were accompanied by those that were.

Some also carried spears, axes, and swords. Others carried staves, magical gauntlets, and various other trinkets that seemed to complement whatever mage arts they possessed.

Taking their eyes off the numerous individuals entering and exiting, the two looked towards one another and nodded their heads before heading inside the prestigious-looking facility. They seemed resolute as they walked through the doors of the establishment; although, they were unaware as to what fate had in store for the two beautiful young women.

In the coming months, Mia and Skyler would make names for themselves that spread far and wide amongst the inhabitants of where they were located; however, because of this, Marcus would eventually find himself garnering more attention than he would have liked.

Nevertheless, this was a tale for another time. For now, all three individuals were experiencing very different aspects of life and would not meet for some time. All that mattered to them currently, were their current situations and predicaments.

***

In a separate location, Marcus sat in a forest in a meditative pose. The sun had now vanished behind the horizon and the night sky now hung above.

He wasn't doing anything at the moment and surprisingly, there weren't any beast, monsters, or humans trying to kill him, and after a few seconds of silent meditation, he stood up and exhaled.

"I'm ready."

For a moment, there was no response, but after some time had passed, his master spoke.

"Good. I'll first begin teaching you the [Spectral Scythe] mage art."