23 What does it look like, Buddy?

*Gallop!* *Gallop!*

The distance between Lostvale and Cravel was surprisingly short. It would take three days if one traveled at maximum speed, that is, riding on a horse or any other means of transportation.

'I kinda thought I would ride on a dragon or some magic train sh*t.' Seth thought inwardly.

The latter was impossible. Darla once told him that the magic development of this continent was crippled after the Eternal Night. Before that, the elves had teamed up with the ancient human kingdoms to build transportation means that bore immense similarity with what he identified as a fantasy magic train.

The fiends soon destroyed it because the noises it made unsettled them.

As for dragons, Seth wished someone would talk to him about dragons.

Sometimes he wondered, was there a dragon slayer in this world? Or a black dragon king that threatened to end all things?

Seated behind Trystan, Seth struggled to hold his own against the bumpy ride. His best option was to hug the rider, but Seth didn't see that as an option.

"Trystan, why are we leaving at night?" Seth shouted.

The blast of wind covered their ears, and it would be hard to pick up on any regular inaudible sound.

The party and Seth had been on the move for a couple of hours now. They accessed the forest Seth came from, the same dark forest that assaulted him with a horde of howlers, but this time, Seth felt a bit secure.

Perhaps this was because the horses rode on a paved road that had a clear destination. The roads were made with the same strange material that was used for the streets of Cravel. It absorbed the horses' sounds, making them almost undetectable.

"It's not safe anymore. The Stygian Knights are too dominant. They wouldn't take it well when we decline to assist them." Trystan responded as he focused on the road ahead of him.

"Assist them… ?"

"Yes. The continent of Ryithh is immense. The Stygian Knights cannot accomplish anything without having a guide. And who knows our lands better than our adventurers?! They need us to navigate and we won't help them. At least, most of us."

"Oh…"

"Don't worry. This is not our first time traveling late. As long as we don't encounter a horde. We will be safe."

Seth didn't doubt that. The time he had spent with the party had made it clear enough. All of them were mystically involved. Mana surrounded them as if they were the sons of mother earth.

The party might appear to be full of smiles, but deep down, Seth knew they were far more deadly than anything he had ever met.

He thought, 'So, this is the life of an adventurer.'

Right now, he might be weaker than them, but when he broke his cause… a vampire that bypasses their innate curse is always unstoppable.

Suddenly, Seth heard murmurs up ahead. They belonged to Raina and Caleb, who were at the utmost front. The murmurs were loud, as if they were something that caught their attention.

"Halt!" Caleb raised his hand and commanded the party to stop.

The way ahead was hazy, but when Seth focused enough, he could see a group of indistinct figures moving closer to them.

Nearer and nearer, the figures appeared until Seth could vividly describe their facial features. This strange group had four men. One of them was clothed in an atrocious armor made of sparkling black metal. This armor wrapped around all parts of his body, and the sword in his sheath seemed to vibrate now and then.

The black-haired man bore a tattoo on his forehead. An obsidian star.

The others also looked intimidating. Two of them dressed in adventurer outfits; a set of leather armor that Seth was used to seeing. Whilst the last one was of a plump physique. He wore a long black robe and a sly smile, permanently fixed on his face.

The moment this group saw Seth and the others, they jumped out of their horses and approached with utter silence. The tension in the air peaked as Caleb and the rest looked at them with grim expressions.

There was a reason for that. One that Seth easily figured out. He found a strange symbol on the black-haired man's armor. The symbol depicted a black wolf chasing a star.

'That man is undoubtedly from the army of Avonia.' Seth concluded.

The man led the group. Behind him was the pompous young man who seemed oblivious to the tension.

The two adventurers were at the utmost end of the group. Their heads ogled the ground, seemingly hiding from the berating looks of Raina and the co.

The warrior from Avonia moved past Caleb with no words. He observed Raina for a brief second before walking towards Burke.

Then, to Trystan.

Then, to… Seth!

Unlike the preceding times, the man from Avonia instantly unsheathed his dark blade immediately as he saw Seth.

He gritted his teeth, and a single word escaped. "Elf!"

*Whoosh!*

Caleb and Raina took to action without thinking!

The agile figure of Raina appeared in front of the man from Avonia. The dagger she held against his neck threatened to sever his head. Meanwhile, Caleb had his longsword behind the man's back.

This took the man by surprise. He looked betrayed as he slowly asked, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like, buddy?" Raina shot back.

"You are protecting an elf?"

The man from Avonia's speech pattern was unique. His deliberate slow speech induced the feeling of perfect composure. His neutral face complimented well with this speech pattern. The combination of both intimidated Raina and the rest easily.

But Raina was different. She was crazy. The craziest woman Seth had ever met.

"I must say you are ignorant. One look, and you already decided he is an elf. Is that what you were taught?"

"So, are you telling me that this–this thing is not an elf? "

Caleb took this moment to intervene. "He is a vampire. Go stick your nose elsewhere. You won't find what you want here."

"Hmmm…" the man voiced out.

Within seconds, his body blared up. Energy rushed into him. A shock wave of interconnected mana erupted from his body, repelling all things around him to a far distance.

When the man stared at his surroundings, his expectant looks turned into shock as he discovered that Raina still held a dagger to his throat, seemingly unaffected by the shock wave.

"You want to try that again? Maybe it will work this time." Raina sneered at him.

The man calmed himself as he looked at Raina. When it seemed he was about to raise his blade, he did the opposite.

"Raina of the Wild. I see. It is you. I have heard of you. Surely, you know how to distinguish an elf." The man from Avonia commented.

He continued his speech. "I am in possession of a thornelle. I believe that thing should be able to prove his identity if he is what you say he is."

He continued addressing Seth as an object, disregarding his existence.

Seth was absolutely silent, a rare occasion for someone like him.

He positioned his hands behind his back. If one was behind him, they would see blood dripping down to the horse from his hands. His finger punctured into his skin deliberately, bringing forth pain.

Only by concentrating on this pain did he overcome the desire to kill the man from Avonia, not that he could kill the man.

It was a game of control for Seth. One that he wasn't sure of winning.

The man from Avonia presented a flower with beautiful thorns on it. He held it with his gloved hands. So, not a single thorn pricked into his skin.

The man held the flower high and advanced toward Seth without an explanation.

It was Trystan that whispered to him what he wanted to know. "Thornelle is a popular flower grown by elves. It blossoms in their presence. Whatever happens, stay calm. We can't afford a fight with a knight of Avonia. The consequences might be dire."

The man was now five inches away from Seth. He stared straight into Seth's green eyes, hoping that the flower in his hand would turn into a thing of beauty that would inadvertently spark a bloody scene.

Meanwhile, Seth's fingers reached a new depth in his skin.

Faced with such embarrassment, he could not bear to say a word and only locked his eyes with the man. Seth was not scared of the man, despite the noticeable difference in strength.

'Stay calm. Stay calm, Seth. You do not want this.' Seth spoke to himself.

After a while, the flower still failed to bloom. Dejected, the man retreated a few feet from the group and said, "A vampire, you said. I will be sure to report this to the black knight."

With that said, he climbed on his horse and left with the group.

Meanwhile, Seth finally released his bloodied hands. Although he was far from relieved.

Raina spotted his hands but said nothing. She went to Caleb and commented. "That man is most likely a knight that serves under the black knight. Thankfully, we didn't fight, or we would have caught the attention of the black knight."

Caleb nodded. He was used to Raina being so knowledgeable. "Let's go."

The forest was silent, and so was the group. Each of them contemplated the encounter. But the most silent of them was Seth, who hated the feeling of not being able to act on his emotions.

Suddenly, something happened that woke their minds from slumber.