Chapter 28 : Tied With Fate and Chains

Returning back to Ember village, Satoru checked behind him due to hearing a twig snap.

When he turned around, he was met with Nova's full powered hook to the face that knocked him out cold.

About 5 minutes later, he opened his eyes and woke up, being kneeled down on the edge of a mountain tied up with chains. Magma chains that didn't inflict burning but instead dampened his powers and his ability usage to 0.

"I didn't wanna do this but Satoru, you've left me no choice after seeing what you've done. So explain yourself and why did you kill Anubis?" asked him Nova, standing front of him and crossing his arms.

"You've got it all wrong. I didn't do anything."

"Oh? Then tell me all the names and locations of the Gods."

Satoru was silent.

"I thought as much..." said Nova "So then tell me, what did happen in actuality? Why was there a dead God laying there?"

"I found him there like that. Nova... Why would I lie? We're good friend after all, are we not?" Satoru said, wanting to be let free.

"We are.. But if yo-"

"Look, who's that?!" Satoru yelled to him, making Nova turn around, tricking him. After turning back around, Satoru was gone.

He jumped off the mountain and landed, quickly rushing to the cave where sensei and Korama would be, arriving before Karoi.

He waited for a few minutes and Karoi walked in.

"Magma chains.. Nova can already use them huh? I see. Sit there, I'll cut them."

Karoi placed his arm out and after about 30 seconds, Satoru's axe responded and flew to his grip. He lifted the axe up and sliced through the magma chains easily, freeing the white haired boy.

"That's 3 of 9 collected now right?" the boy asked as he drank the energy and health recovery potion that Karoi had given him a while ago.

It took effect quickly as it visibly closed his wounds from the battle.

"Yes. The other 6 - you'll collect by yourself. To me personally, it doesn't matter how long it takes, meaning that you can train in between taking them down." the sensei told him as he sat down and began to check something on his table, papers, it seemed. 

"I see. With the conflict of the nations and the demon eyed clan, everything rank up and such related stuff are postponed. But why don't the nations simply send for a Mage and have them assist in killing the enemy mage and the entire demon eye clan? Wouldn't it be simple to overwhelm them?"

Karoi listed through the papers, which were yellowish and had their edges already falling off due to how old they were. "Yes." he said. "Though the nation leaders know shit and there's a slight possibility that they've got inside men or women in every village, undercover."

"I see..." the boy took note "And the gods I'm to hunt, how will I know who and where they are?"

"I don't know, though what I can tell you is that there's a piece of information, a page of paper, in Greenthorn village's library 'The Starlit', being owned and led by Eldric Thorne." Karoi said, pulling out a map of the village and showing Satoru where exactly the library is located in said village.

Satoru continued on to ask him "How do you know?" 

"He's a fanatic when it comes to gods, being sure that Zeus himself is at his favor. Gone crazy if you ask me, but there is truth to what he says about other topics. Oh wait, I have remembered.. Hephaestus, Poseidon, Hanuman, Hermes, Tithonus and Amphridite. Those are the names of the ones that bear the hollows, however their locations.. You'll still have to find Eldric." 

"The entire village is swarming with demon eye wielders and atop that, all are mostly under their illusion..."

"Be sneaky or try to kill them all, up to you. Eldric however, you can try zapping him with thunder enough to restart his brain and break the illusion. There's a chance he'll die, so try not to overdo it. There's no point in telling you the functions, weaknesses and strengths of the demon eyes itself as you already know them so that only leaves me to ask if you have any further questions?" Karoi asked, now sharpening the end of his spear

Satoru thought about what to ask, understanding everything and remembering something he wondered when returning from the fight with the Goddess of Insects. 

"Some gods appear to me, am I target to them?"

"Yes." the sensei replied instantly.

"I see."

He placed the spear onto his back and got up after noticing that Satoru's wounds were entirely healed. 

"It seems that I'll depart now. My absence will be reported as?"

"A mission. One of the higher ranked ones."

"I see. In that case, I'll take my time. I know you hold little to no interest of the demon eye clan and the conflict itself, but it would be nice to have Ishoki, Tomio, Lorin and the others removed. They've.. Let's just say their time has expired on the land of the breathing." 

The boy said as he took a random purple elixir glowing with glitter type of potion and placed it in his pocket.

"I won't guarantee anything but I will try. I also have to mention that it isn't just you who Gods know but me as well, meaning that the both of us will have to be much more careful and avoid them, especially if there's multiple at once. It'd be wise to surrender then and not fight as it would indefinitely lead to our deaths." 

Karoi stood up and pulled out a tied up leather pouch and tossed it to Satoru who quickly caught it.

"Here's about 2500 gold so be sure to use it wisely. It'll definitely cover an inn or motel you'll stay at, including food and stuff like that. Then again, what you use it for is none of my concern, only that you come back in one piece with the energies of the hollows."

Satoru stored the pouch and thanked Karoi, who also gave him a brown cloak with a hood as he's quite wanted by the Gods, despite them not taking much action and knowing his appearance by now. The sensei didn't tell for what reason the cloak is for, only that he recommends that he takes it.

Satoru decided to not take it.

The two left outside and headed through the village and to the gates of it to depart. 

A notification of an 'Alert' began to vibrate on the sensei's shinphone as he checked it and it said to come to Ignatius' office. Karoi and Satoru nodded at each other and noticed Nova staring down at the white haired boy from the distance, not moving.

They ignored him and Satoru headed out the village, having all of his things collected and ready for the life changing event that'll forever alter the future. Whether for better or worse.

Greenthorn village was at the center of the nation and they were on the far north of it, when viewed on a map, making the Ember village on the top of the map of the nation.

He activated the bifrost and arrived a bit further than there, hiding in the trees and their leaves as he made his way to the village and scouted it out. 

It wasn't hard to recognize demon eye possessors and differentiate them with civilians and warriors. They had everyone acting regular in the village, using the civilians and warriors for their own bidding. For an army, for sure.

"If I go about this wrong, it's likely that the entire village will charge against me all at once. But I need to find this Eldric guy and learn of what he knows."

"To go with stealth or up front... Either way, I'll have to be careful."

Satoru dropped down from the tree and circled around the village in the attempt of finding a blind spot where he can sneak into. 

Because of it's very tall outline walls and it being a large radius, it took a few minutes to circle it and despite that, they had every inch covered.

"Shit.. Perhaps... I could cause a distraction.." 

He approached the 'entrance' to the village and threw his axe at the wall part above the large 'frame' entrance which immediately collapsed. The axe didn't stop just there as it went on and hit the street, having loud lightning strike it multiple times.

It quickly drew attention as both mind controlled civilians and warriors alongside demon eye possessors rushed there to check it out, seeing the axe.

Satoru found it funny how they're like wild animals checking out something they've yet to see.

He ran up the tall village wall and jumped down onto the other side. Now all that remains is to reach the library.

Vaulting the boxes, fences and houses whilst simultaneously staying out of sight and avoiding the demon eye clan was proving to be tough. But eventually...

Eventually, after spending about 12 minutes avoiding them and making his way there, he reached the library. It wasn't guarded, but it seemed massive from the outside with a large wooden frame having written "The Starlit"

Satoru quickly opened the one of the big double doors and went inside, being greeted with a lot of books and a lot of wooden chairs, counters and bookshelves.

"Now to find Eldric."