A Long Journey (Part 1)

I had to go around the Sludge Factory, and then head north east. This was where the Atols lived. Their territory was not that big, and from what I saw on the map, it was near the edges of the bordering line. The North was not the way I imagined it. With my new map, I now knew how the North really looks like. It was a piece of northern lands, that even had access to the sea. I didn't have the map of the whole Endrosian Empire, but I could extrapolate some things.

If you took away a chunk of Endrosian Empire, and created a border line around that area, you would get the North. It was still big, but this alone suggested, that the size of Endrisian Empire, was much bigger. My journey this time would be long, but I wouldn't just walk there. I chose to visit the Atols, mainly due to the distance between them, and my current location. 'This long road, will give me the time in order to approach the wall of my Inner Limits. I can now improve, and my training already bore some fruits. I just have to do it, like I used to in the past' I thought, and with my slow pace, I began training most of my skills, as well as my strength.

Time passed. The environment change, to that of weird clouds in the skies. Usually, there were no clouds in the North. Of course, besides the one big cloud, that covered the whole sky. These were separate, and less grey. Not only that, there seemed to be lightning in them. I checked my map, just to make sure I was on the right track. I noticed that I was about to enter the territory of Voltars. 'I didn't think that Voltars, would have such a different environment. I can visit them later. For now, I will head towards my destination' I thought.

The Voltars territory, was unusual for sure. Besides the strong winds, electric energy seemed to flow around the whole area. 'No wonder they can command this electric energy. Being born into that kind of environment for many generations, they actually managed to learn how to command it' I thought, then an idea come to my mind. 'I can use this for my own skill. My Wind Daggers need some real improvements. Although this place possesses more electric energy than wind, it's still much better than anywhere else, I've visited so far in the North' I thought.

I resumed my training of the Wind Daggers, as I walked through the Voltar territory. I met a few of them on my way. Voltars didn't seem like a bunch of bad people. We exchanged some pleasantries, and they went onto their way. No one stopped me, and demanded anything from me. No one also chased after me. 'I have some peace of mind. Fortunately, Voltars are not hostile towards humans. Otherwise, I would have to go around this area' I thought.

I made great improvements, on my travels. Besides training my strength, which increased little by little. I also finished training, the first step of my Stringed Hidden Weapons. I got more used to it, the more I did it. The first step was completed, but it was not the whole skill just yet. 'The skill is very usable as it is right now, but it lacks the "hidden" part of it. I need to combine my control, with "hidden" part of the skill, then it will be completed' I thought.

I was already at the limit, of my aim, and control of my Art of Hidden Weapons. The only thing left for me to do, was to "become the hidden weapon". When it came to my pure skills, they were as advanced, as Nick's. Yet, it would still take me time to develop the Stringed Hidden Weapons properly. 'The problem is, when I use those daggers continuously, and they are attached to the strings, I lose the ability to hide them. I can be unpredictable, but not hidden. I can be hidden, but can't use the strings… There is more to it, I'm sure!' I thought to myself.

I wrecked my mind about it, for a long time. When suddenly, I realised something. 'Aura… I need an Aura. Woody already demonstrated to me, what will happen, if I attach my Aura to a weapon. The problem is, I can't even condense the Domineering Aura to just stay on my body, even more so, attach it to an object' I thought. This was not the only issue. I currently had no other Aura, which I could use freely. The Unyielding Aura, awakened whenever it wished. I had a clue, as to what were the conditions, in order for that Aura to awaken, but I wasn't sure. The Bloodlust Aura would only activate, when I was very angry. 'This Aura is dangerous though. I lose control of my body, and the sheer craving for blood… it's something I don't need really' I thought.

The final Aura, was something I experienced many times, yet never witnessed it with my own eyes. I still had no dreams of the Dark Traveller, even though I could now understand the language, and what he spoke of. 'If I have no dreams, how can I even accept or decline you?' I thought to myself. I didn't know if those dreams would come back or not, but something still urged me to go north, further north.

I was getting closer, to the end of the North. Instead of feeling that I'm almost there, I felt that my destination was still far away. I felt, as if the north I was looking for, was not this North. 'Is it possible, there is something more? Beyond the North, beyond the Endrosian Empire?' I thought to myself. The only way to find out, would be to either visit the Imperial City Endros, and maybe some cities would have information about that. Or, just head north by the sea. 'Imperial City Endros, should have more information on that, it is the Imperial City after all. But I don't even know where it is! No maps, that I got throughout so many years, had the Imperial City marked. Just how big is this place?' I asked myself.

Every map I received or found, had no marking for the Imperial City. This was weird, because even Woody's map, which showed great details of the Great Forest, had no markings for the City in question. 'Woody's map is shit, when it comes to the North and its locations, but it is excellent for the Great Forest locations. Yet, there is no mention of the Imperial City…. Just where is it?' I thought.

I decided to drop that topic. Wasting time on it, would bring no benefits to me at that moment. Instead, I decided to try and figure out, how to awaken or perhaps create a new Aura. An Aura that would allow me to hide my daggers, while I used the Stringed Hidden Weapons. At the same time, I had to train my Domineering Aura, and condense it, until it stayed on my body. When I managed to achieve that. I would need to learn, how to make that Aura leave my body, or rather how to transfer it, onto my daggers or arrows.

I still walked through the thundery, and windy environment of Voltar's territory. I wasn't sure how many days passed. I wasn't sure how long it would take me, to arrive at my destination either. There was only one thing that I knew, I had to train like crazy, with only one word in my mind 'Improve!'.