The Strongest

Who were those people? where did they come from and what are their true intentions?. These were the thoughts that raced through Aiden's mind as they travelled through the vast expanse of land. The atmosphere was so tense that the Aegis Blade could cut through it like paper.

"Where exactly are we headed to? Aiden finally broke the silence.

The cart remained silent for a brief moment. Isadora and Selene still in confusion and overwhelmed by the recent events that had occurred in a short period of time. Everything seemed to fall out of place only when it all seemed so clear. The cart was slow but steady, it's unhurried pace an expression of Isadora's own personal feelings and uncertainty. Aiden fell into silence once again and wondered on the reparations of what Lethion had told them.

"First with the Shadowbane and now with this? is anything ever straightforward?" Selene exclaimed in a somber voice.

Aiden paused for a moment, his gaze shifting to Isadora as if waiting for a response from her. A response that never came. This made Aiden feel a wave of uncertainty and discouragement, if his mentor who knew so much and never quivered could be so stunned by these recent revelations, then was there really any hope for them?

"I don't know much about the heart of Desolation or if what Lethion says is true" Isadora spoke out.

"I don't even know where to begin looking or what we need to do. I'm just as lost as the both of you. Lethion didn't leave us with any clues whatsoever"

The Ethorian continent was massive and stretched out to far corners of the world. This was the general overview. The Ethorian continent was home to Elves, humans and dwarves. Despite the commonality shared by the races, some parts of Frostholm located towards the northern part of the world were hostile to strangers and had high reputations of violence. The Icy kingdom took their geographically inherited name a bit too seriously.

"For now let me think, I'll come up with something" Isadora voiced out trying to hide her uneasiness.

The cart grew silent once more. uneasiness and worry could be felt in the air and it's aura pierced through even the firm resolve of Aiden. His eyes rose and looked at Selene. She appeared to be trapped in a constant loop of peril and detriment. She had been through so much, probably more than he has had to endure and yet the worse hadn't even begun.

I weild the Lightbringer, basically the most powerful force in the world. why do we need these relics to best the Shadowbane and whatever darkness may be trying to consume the realms? Aiden thought to himself. Despite the realisation of his own current limited abilities and experience, confidence and ego filled him up like water in a well. He considered himself to be the strongest, which in some ways he was.

Hours had passed. The cart remained at it's original pace. Isadora was growing tired as the sun set. "We'll set camp soon and try and come up with a plan of action" Isadora explained. There was no response from Aiden nor Selene. She turned her view and gazed into the cart.

"That's...that's fine I guess but Aiden is asleep at the moment" Selene muttered out.

....

"huh? where is this?" Aiden exclaimed. The space was white and appeared to have no end. Aiden instantly could tell he was in a dream but this was much more vivid than normal dreams. He was completely self aware of himself and the infinite space around him.

"Hello? is anyone here!?" He yelled out.

"Yes Aiden, I am here" a familiar voice responded

Aiden's focus shifted to where the voice had emanated from. Thane was standing a few meters away from him.

"Thane" Aiden said with relief

"I brought you to this space so I could talk to you. I didn't foresee the involvement of the Forever conclave and Lethion in your quest"

"who and what are they exactly? they showed up out of nowhere"

"First of all, the Forever Conclave and Lethion are not together. The conclave are a cult who worship the Shadowbane and want the world to be engulfed in darkness" Thane explained

"Huh? but Zephyrus said he was offering us his help. The whole reason why he attacked us was because we refused to accept his help"

"That is also true. You see they want the world to be engulfed in darkness but they have no intentions of letting the Shadowbane rule afterwards. They intend to harness the power of the Shadowbane and use it for themselves, which is why they came to you and your friends" Thane explained further.

"Right. and Lethion? who is he?"

"He's known as the one who fell. He's a god who was banished from the Eternal Realm and seeks to regain his divinity"

"A god?! I didn't know those actually existed" Aiden exclaimed.

"And what do these two factors have to do with any of this then? what even is the heart of Desolation?"

"I can't tell you anymore than that for now Aiden" Thane responded.

"Like hell you can't Thane! I was a normal guy living a normal life. one day you show up and tell me that I'm marked with the Lightbringer and it's my destiny to stop the Shadowbane. it seemed as simple as just that, now I and the people I care about are caught in an Eternal deadlock between primordial forces and gods..."

"You can't tell me that's all you can tell me for now" Aiden lashed out. his fists infused with energy, as if prepared for a punch.

"You can't harm me in this space Aiden. It may be a dream but it is just as real as the world itself. Either way, it's a space which I created and control infinitely" Thane said In a calm voice.

Aiden calmed down and took a deep breath. "Alright then. What can you tell me right now?"

"You need to go to the Kingdom of Frostholm. When you get there, you need to look for a man named Magnus. He'll explain to you where to find the heart of Desolation" Thane explained.

"So we're really going to assist Lethion? do you even trust this guy? Aiden responded

"Whether or not I trust him is of little relevance now. He speaks the truth, he can help you especially if you retrieve the heart of Desolation. in the meantime, I suggest you hone the Lightbringer properly...the way you still use it now is far beneath it's capabilities"

"Yeah, thanks for the tip Thane" Aiden let out in a dismissive tone.

With a light smile on his face. "Good luck Aiden"

........

Aiden opened his eyes. Surprise and shock quickly overwhelmed him. He didn't recognise where he was. All he could see were tall trees that seemed to stretch forever. His state of confusion quickly faded once he made visual contact with Isadora and Selene who were seated by a fire and roasting some meat. Aiden got up and walked towards them.

"Look who's finally awake. Hope you weren't dreaming of doing anything naughty to Selene" Isadora flirted.

"uh...uhmm no" Aiden exclaimed while trying to keep his composure. Selene let out a light giggle.

"You seem better Selene, that's good to see"

"I realised I couldn't let my confidence and resolve dwindle in the face of a little obstacle. We still have a job to do"

Aiden's smile of approval quickly turned into a serious expression. "I have something to tell the both of you. I spoke to Thane in my dream"

"Thane?! how exactly did you speak to him?" Isadora exclaimed while investing herself into the conversation.

"He created some type of space and well...he brought me into it while I was sleeping"

"and what did he say?" Isadora said in response.

Aiden explained to Isadora and Selene all that Thane had told him in the white space. He explained the real agenda of the Forever conclave and who Lethion truly was. Aiden further explained on their next course of action and why they had to leave for Frostholm first thing sunrise.

"That's a lot to take in Aiden" Selene said. Her face stuck in an expression of disbelief.

"I always heard stories about the existence of gods but I never encountered one. I thought they generally don't interfere in matters that involve the world" Isadora exclaimed.

"Well they don't I guess...this one was banished from the Eternal Realm" Aiden responded.

"At least we know what we're doing next. We'll leave for the kingdom of Frostholm first thing sunrise. It'll take us a while to get there from where we are now tho so we should probably take up a few jobs on the way" Said Isadora while taking a bite out of her meat.

"How about a sparring match Aiden? we could both use the training and distraction" Selene suggested.

"Let's do it. I've been meaning to hone my powers more proficiently anyways" Aiden said in a confident tone.

"You almost sound like you don't expect to lose. Don't underestimate me, I have the amulet of the red phoenix" Selene contested

Aiden's smile turned into a grin. "Naa I'm the strongest"