Book 5 – The Court of Flames - (Interlude) Fragment of the Past XVI: Lost (Felkin)

Felkin stepped and stumbled, and then fell to the ground with his palms hitting the dirt and grass of the forest, defeated. He clenched and dug into the forest floor below him, and then punched the earth. "Argh!" He exclaimed, tears in his eyes. Kieron held her arms around herself, she looked once towards Felkin but couldn't bring herself to console him and turned away with a dejected expression. Jura watched them as he stood nearby, with a serious and stoic expression on his face. "Where's…" Raln asked, he stopped himself midway and had a sullen expression. He looked up towards the two of them, as he was tending to some of the wounded.

Children, the elderly, and some of the warriors were camped out in the forest, with a few makeshift tents and coverings placed on the branches of trees to act as shade. "He… He-" Felkin had tears in his eyes "I… know. He left himself behind. The others heard him say to go first before him and as warriors we're expected to put others first but... I never even managed a proper goodbye." Raln remarked.

"What… exactly happened?" He asked them. "The basilisks suddenly attacked us, before they arrived at the temple as the world was crumbling. And then we left from there to this forest before darkness swallowed everything." Kieron answered. Felkin used his sword to dig into the ground and it served as an anchor to lift himself up. He solemnly spoke to Raln and the others who survived in the tribe. "I… I went to the great tower by myself, and I fought one of the giant serpents, but I couldn't defeat Her alone. Then he… and the twins… They came to my aid, and we were able to defeat her but…" "The two young lords… Where…" Raln remarked, alert and panicked.

"The fact that they are not with them… Says well enough." Said the old elder of the tribe. Raln turned towards him, confused and surprised. "He's right… We… were able to stop her, but… The world crumbled, because of me. I… I misjudged and I destroyed the old god's corpse and it led… To this." Felkin said, looking down towards the ground, somewhat shyly. "Raise your head, child." Said the elder. He followed the old man's instruction. "You did what you believed was necessary… And had you not done so, you could have lost if you thought that was the only way to overcome the situation… "Said the old man. "But it's because of me that the serpents attacked your home, and then… Now you have no home left to live in." Felkin answered, the old man raised his palm forwards to Felkin calmly.

"With those serpents… They've always sought to seek us out and hunt us down, the only thing that's changed is that they all attacked all at once. As for our home… We've already lost it long ago. We just went from crumbling temple to crumbling ruin, being driven out by the giant serpents and the encroaching sands. That place was no world where we could belong. Those two… The young ones, they've been a miracle to us. They've spent all of their short lives to ensure that our people survive, leaving the sands was a faraway dream for us. This sight in front of us, is a testament to their will. And you too, have been a gift to us. We've had… losses. But, all of them… Dagran, most of all… Would have given their lives to see our survival to come to pass. I thought that I would see the end of my people in my lifetime, and this is… Better than we had ever hoped." The old man tried to be optimistic, but he was slightly saddened. All who were there looked towards the elder with melancholic silence.

"Old man…" Said Raln, there was frustration and sadness in his expression, but he did not continue speaking. Djura watched them and did not speak a word. He had seen sights like these in his long years of living, a scene of grief, and he was used to it. "I… will speak no longer. I once served as guidance for our people, and my guidance is no longer needed." Said the elder. Felkin winced and blinked away his tears, he looked as if he wanted to say something to refute the old man's words, but he understood them well enough. Felkin faced away and sighed, before he began to slowly walk away. "Hey kid." Jura said to Felkin. "It might not be apparent, but because of how time works differently in decaying worlds it's still the same day here. Anyways, I'd better be going now, I have other things to attend to." He remarked.

"Wait, the same day? And you're going already? We… still might need your help." Kieron said to Jura. "This place… It's safer than the desert. There are beasts here, but they aren't as massive or vicious as the serpents. You should watch out for the people though. Some of them can be helpful, but other people can be more dangerous than any monster." Jura warned to her and the others. "With the nearby villagers actually… We've met them already." Said Raln. "!" Jura had a slightly surprised expression.

"The villagers…" Felkin said, turning around to Raln's words. "Well, it was hard to hide all of us and the injured in this environment, so we had to address them somehow…" He added. "And what did they ask?" Felkin asked. "What did you say?" Kieron added, slightly alarmed. "Well, the first thing they asked was if we were attacked by bandits as well." Raln said. "Bandits…" Felkin said to himself. "Because we didn't know how to respond, and I was the one who happened upon them… I… said yes. I made up on the spot, that we were a travelling tribe, and we were attacked. I don't exactly know how common an occurrence that is… But it seemed to work. We've stayed in the forest for a while but… They've helped us. With some supplies for the injured. And… for the burials." "…" A slow breeze flowed through the forest, as the desert-folk looked up at the birds and the slowly falling leaves from the trees, Felkin looked solemnly over the horizon. "Is it being done, down there?" He asked, pointing down the way. "Yeah." Raln said.

As Felkin walked down the forest path, Jura caught and held him by the shoulder. "Don't… Blame yourself too much." After he offered a questionable consolation to Felkin, he walked away and brought out his tools to prepare to leave the area. Felkin then continued walking, on a dirt path between the people who were injured or simply sitting or lying on the ground. Some of the injured warriors were groaning or complaining in pain, but the tribe were generally a quiet people. Their wounds were being treated and bandaged by the less injured or the young and elderly of the tribe.

Felkin walked calmly and kept looking forward, the people he passed all looked towards him with conflicted emotions. Sadness, unfamiliarity, relief, and anger, but they all merely tended to themselves and their wounded and focused themselves to their own. The hot orange sun poked through the leaves of the canopy above and shone at Felkin's face and dried away his tears. He saw others were lying on wooden stretchers being cared for by both the people of the desert, and some of the villagers. Kieron followed after him and they both looked as one of the gravely injured warriors closed their eyes, and then after vigorous checking by their caretakers, one of them pulled a cloth sheet over their face.

Felkin gripped the moon sickle on his waist tightly. He gripped the blade, and looked at his hand which healed almost immediately. The villagers who tried to treat and care for the wounded had handkerchiefs tied around their mouths and on their tied hair. Matters looked grim for a few of the warriors, and one of the young women who was from the village, was baffled from the wounds. "These injuries, they don't look normal… They're more like from attacks from a beast or a giant animal." Felkin was surprised, Kieron and the other desert folk were nervously silent. "Didn't you see what happened last night? Those bandits were far from normal, one used some kind of sorcery. And that swordsman who cut through scores of them! If these people encountered them, a wound like this is possible." Another villager said to her. "I… guess so." She answered. Kieron and the others sighed in relief.

"Anyways… He… He's no longer…" Said the girl. "Please take him down as well." She told one of the people near her. "Please… Allow me." Felkin said as he walked down the path and bent down to pick the wooden stretcher up. "You sure? It's heavy." She said to him. "It's… no problem." He replied, as he picked it up with ease and continued walking downward. Kieron and the villagers looked at him with slight awe, but the girl noticed Felkin's sword on his back as he passed by. Felkin walked downwards and picked up another body, he carried both on each shoulder as he continued downward.

As he proceeded, he came across a large pit at the edge of the town and various mounds of dirt as the villagers buried some of the desert folk. He looked at the giant dug pit, men were working on tossing corpses of the bandits and shovels and other tools were stuck into the ground and around the area. "Just lay them down here." A burly man said to Felkin, He was another of the people from the desert and he assisted with the burial of his people. Felkin gently laid down both wooden stretchers on the ground. The man grimaced as he pulled back the sheets that covered them, and then sighed deeply. They had serene expressions on their faces, even though they battled pain and grievous injury before their death. Felkin stood and watched as the man pulled both bodies from the stretchers.

"What's the matter? Do you want to help?" Asked the man. Felkin nodded. "Grab that shovel over there." Felkin did as instructed and returned with shovel in hand. The man pointed at the flat ground a space after another mound and said: "Start here." As the man went to grab another shovel, Felkin dug and threw up a load of dirt in one motion. "Whoa, you've got a good arm on you." The man exclaimed. "But it's important to dig in a certain way, and not just to remove dirt from the ground… Is what they told me." He said as he evened out the large hole Felkin dug. "So, you've returned. Did Dagran come back with you?" He asked as he continued to dig with Felkin. "No." He replied quietly. "I hoped he would, but… He was already gravely injured when I left." The man replied, having a few bandages wrapped around parts of his body as well.

After a while, the man pulled one of the bodies forward and placed it in the shallow grave they dug. "We bury our dead, but we don't put gravestones or any markers where we did. Do you know why that is?" The man asked Felkin. He shook his head in response. "That's because any marker we put on the ground will disappear along with the body. It gets returned back to the sand. And as we travel, it gets impossible to go back to the places we buried them before… So, we only remember those we lost in our head and in our hearts." The man told Felkin as they slowly piled dirt onto the body. As they started to repeat the process the man talked some more.

"They told us that even here, what we bury returns to the earth, but it's much slower. They were confused at first when we tried to throw them off into that pit they dug over there. But they buried their dead like this as a sign of respect. And we complied." Felkin and the man then worked silently on burying the fallen desert warrior. The man wiped sweat from his brow from the hot sun, but Felkin appeared like he did not struggle much at all. "If… you're looking to help some more, maybe helping with that huge heap of bodies is more of your stride." He motioned towards the huge pit where the slain bandits were being thrown in. As Felkin walked towards that direction, the man said something to him, he stopped to listen. "You know… The kids… They see you as some kind of hero. As for what happened, its not my place to blame you. But just… Don't beat yourself up too hard about it." "Thank… you." Felkin replied, trying to muster a faint smile.

Kieron glanced at Felkin as she helped with caring for the injured and passed medical supplies to the others. "Pass me the wine." Said the young woman from earlier. Kieron confusedly obliged. She handed the bottle to her, and she poured it onto a leg of a man who cried out in pain. "Hmh!" The injured man bit down on a piece of wood the woman had placed in her mouth. "Pass the bandages please." She said to Kieron. Kieron looked back towards her and stared for a few seconds. She had light skin and brown hair tied in a ponytail behind her, a striking resemblance to her former compatriot, but the color of her eyes was black, differing to Isha's green pupils.

"You look familiar… Do I know you?" She asked Kieron. "Uh… No! I was just spacing out." Kieron nervously responded. "Okay…" The girl answered, going back to treating another of the wounded. She looked towards Felkin once more, now as he reached the mass grave where the bandit's bodies were being dumped. A few carts with bodies were placed near the mouth of the pit, and one was being hauled from the town by a few men from the village. "Looks like this is the last of them." A man said, as he pulled the cart close to the edge of the dirt. There were two men who were throwing body after body into the hole, the two of them using their strength to hold one body at a time at the head and the feet and toss downward. The first man was a stout but burly and had a greying beard, he was the one pulling the cart. The second man was a tall, lanky fellow, with black hair and a thin mustache. The third was a man of average build and height, and had dark brown hair extending down his sideburns and onto his cheeks.

"Yep. A whole night spent digging this, and then the whole morning trying to clean up these bodies from the town square." Said one of the men. "I wish that swordsman would have killed them, without cutting them into pieces." Said the other one. "That bloke's a madman. Somebody who can turn people into mincemeat like that, is definitely some kind of sick beast." Said the man who pulled the cart and was now slowly tossing the bodies down as well. "Not like they didn't deserve it, these plundering bandits got what's coming to them I say." "But I'd rather that swordsman didn't smash up and burn half the town while doing it! Lucky nobody was killed during that night, at least not one of us." "Well… Madman or not, I'm just glad he's gone, he's only trouble caused to the town." "You got that right, but at least he's more helpful than those darned knights. The lot came here and then just left without helping us with the bodies, with the broken buildings, or with helping the townsfolk!" "Weren't there knights who fought the bandits as well last night?" "Bah! It wasn't them; it was that swordsman!"

As the first man tossed another body into the chasm below, he saw Felkin standing right nearby him. "Bloody! You… scared it right out of me, kid! What are you doing here!" He asked Felkin. "I… was told that I can help with the bodies of the bandits." He answered calmly. "Well, I don't really know if you're suited for this kind of hard work, but you're welcome to try." He chuckled as Felkin walked forward and went to one of the carts. Felkin pulled one of the carts to the edge with ease using only one hand and started to pick up and throw bodies into the grave. "You're stronger than you look, kid." One of the men remarked surprised. The men continued to struggle and Felkin continued to throw bodies downward, he then asked them a question. "Why aren't you burying them?" "We are burying them kid; this is a big grave." One of the men said. "But why not individually?" Felkin asked once more.

"Are you one of those people who were travelling and got attacked? Your clothes look like it." Felkin paused, and then nodded. "Well, it's because those we toss here don't deserve respect. They're filthy bandits, they kill and steal from villages." The other man said. "If you encountered them, I'm sure you'll feel the same way as well. Their dead bodies show that they're nuisances even while dead. The dirty lot of them." The third man spat on the ground. Felkin was silent. He went to the rear of the cart next to him and raised it, allowing it to tip over and to slowly slide bodies onto the grave below. He couldn't help but feel negatively as he watched the bodies roll over the other corpses, all slain by his hand.

"You're a genius, kid!" The first man said. "Why didn't we think of that earlier?" He asked the two others. "Because we couldn't lift the cart all three of us together." The third man remarked. "Say, you look familiar kid. Did you pass through here some time ago?" The second man asked. "I… don't think so." Felkin replied. "Uh-huh." The second man remarked. "Now could you do the same for the other carts now?" The third man said obliviously. Felkin nodded and walked over to the other carts. As all the bodies were now emptied from the carts and piled on top of each other, the first man sighed. "All in a day's work!" He said. "Now, to fill this hole with the dirt we dug." "Can't we just call the others back? Do we three have to do it?" The second man said.

Felkin looked at the large mound of dirt nearby, and quickly sent out his sword and extended it towards it. With one swift motion, the blade went behind the pile of dirt and then swept it into the pit, filling it instantly. The three men were stunned, their jaws dropped. The desert folk watched in slight awe before continuing what they did before, but all the villagers were surprised. "You-you… You're the swordsman!" The men exclaimed. A nervous bead of sweat ran down Felkin's face as he absentmindedly used his sword to perform a necessary task and was frozen and tongue-tied.

"That sword… It's no mistake, he's the one who tore through the town!" Another villager stated. "He's… Dangerous! We should do something about it!" "Stay… Stay back! We won't allow you to attack the village any longer!" The clamor and panic from the nearby villagers grew louder and louder as Felkin watched them with uncertainty and recalled his sword back to him. The desert folk were confused and were silently watching the clamor and were observing, not knowing how to handle or communicate with the situation. As their accusations and yells grew louder, Felkin shortened his sword and gripped the handle tightly.

"Hey, stop!" Kieron yelled as she quickly ran down the hill and ran in front of Felkin to defend him to the other villagers. "Stay away from him, girl. He's dangerous!" One of the villagers said, brandishing one of the nearby tools. "I… can't say that he isn't but… I know he did it to protect the people, to save your village!" Kieron reasoned. "Protect us? The reckless destruction he's bringing could have been the end of the town!" Said another of the village men. "Did you see the bodies of those bandits? It was like he only killed them because of some intense bloodlust, I don't think it would have mattered if it was us or them at the edge of his blade!" 'Bloodlust. Urge to kill.' Kieron thought to herself as she gritted her teeth trying to think of a response.

"Everybody, stop!" Raln said loudly to the villagers as he stood on top of the hill. "This man… He- He saved us from the bandits. Look at him, he's clothed in our clothing as repayment for his help. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be able to survive, yet alone make the journey here. We… ate with him, and he slept in our company. Allow me and my people to defend him on his behalf." He loudly but nervously announced as he walked down the steps. He was shaking and sweating slightly. "Er… Yeah. Yeah!" The other desert folk and then spoke up from their silence to defend Felkin.

Kieron and Felkin were surprised as they saw the others vouched for them. Felkin slowly released his grip on his sword as the villagers looked up and were silent and confused but still held their weapons firmly. They did not speak any words, but they appeared agitated and were still not backing down. The girl who was treating the wounded stood up and spoke to the villagers below. "Everyone! Let's hear his side of the story first! He hasn't spoken yet, and… The others trust him, so…" Felkin raised his hand upwards towards her and then he began to talk. "I'm… Not exactly sure why I rushed to attack and kill the bandits. Maybe it's just because… They were going to be in my way. But I think it's because of… What the bandits are, and what they do." The villagers and the desert folk were transfixed and listening intently. Felkin exuded an aura or presence that was overpowering and unfamiliar to them.

"From what I've seen, and what I've heard… I saw what they did to places, and to people. They… take from them. I have very little, and I don't want what I have, to be taken from me. And I don't want… Them to take from other people, and for any chance of them attacking or stealing from me and my friends in the future. I only used what I have with me. My sword is my only tool and is what I rely on the most. As for the damage, I didn't consider it at the time, but I wasn't trying to actively damage any of the town. I'm… Sorry for any destruction I've caused for the town and… I want to make up for it. I'm willing to do as you ask if there's anything I can do to undo it." He spoke to the crowd with sincerity. They appeared stunned and were awaiting if he would speak another word.

"You… You should have said that earlier!" The silence was broken by the first man, dumbfounded. It was silent for a few more seconds, everybody there looked at him and at each other wondering what was supposed to happen next. "Alright! Everybody back to work, we don't have all day to dawdle around!" The village girl exclaimed to the others, and both the desert folk and the villagers sheepishly went back to their previous activities. Kieron approached Raln who moved down the path and met her halfway, Felkin stood close by. "Thanks for that." She said. "I… We… didn't expect that from you earlier, without it I don't think the situation could have been resolved as easily as it had been." Kieron added. "I… was just doing what Dagran would have said in that situation. And speaking of unexpected things, what was that speech you just did?" Raln asked Felkin. "I… just spoke my mind, it was nothing special. Thanks… too." Felkin said meekly.

"Hey, there still plenty injured here to tend to!" The girl said as she tightly wrapped bandages around another of the injured, a pained groan letting out from them. "It looks like I'm needed." Said Raln. "I better go back to what I was doing, and there's that promise you made to the town." Kieron said to Felkin as she walked away. He mustered a smile and nodded, before walking back to the carts near the pit. "So… What can I do?" Felkin asked the men. "Uh… Those carts, we… drag these back to the village." Said the third man "Okay." Felkin replied. He extended his sword and wrapped it around the handles of the three carts, wrapping around the wooden carts one after the other. He then walked calmly towards the village and pulled away the carts with ease and was followed by the men.

"Pass the sutures, please." The girl said to Kieron. She looked and retrieved a needle and a spool of thread from a basket with other medical supplies in it. Kieron passed it off. As the girl stitched up another one of the injured, Kieron looked into the distance, at Felkin who was walking into the town proper. "You ran in immediately to his defense before the others did. Is he a friend of yours?" The girl asked Kieron as she stared at Felkin. "Uh… Still there?" The girl said once again, towards Kieron who did not seem to hear what she had said. "Oh! Um… I… not exactly? I'm… not sure." Kieron replied. "Do you like him?" "Wha-What? No! He's just… I was just… I was just paying him back a favor, that's all." Kieron answered, slightly flustered. "Alright, alright... I get it." The girl replied jokingly. But as she worked, a downcast expression formed on her face.

"What's wrong? How are their conditions?" Kieron asked. "Not good…" She replied. "What's wrong? Is there anything I can do?" Kieron responded. "No, there's… Nothing much we can do with our limited supplies. Unlike the big cities, we don't have access to large hospitals where they have more medicines and equipment, and they can take better care of them. The capital Lodeleth, is quite a ways away and we wouldn't be able to move all of them that far as the others are in a pretty grave condition. We could move them to the town, but there's not enough space… We're already doing what we can right now to treat them here… We can give them medicine, but…" She stopped herself midway. "Hey! Don't… Don't be down on yourself." Kieron remarked.

"I… I know its good to be realistic, but… Its not good to be negative! I guess." Kieron said, trying to be positive. The girl sighed. "Alright then, pass me those wood pieces and that cloth!" She said, reinvigorated. "Right." Kieron replied, passing the materials to the girl. As she applied a makeshift splint to another of the wounded, she asked Kieron another question. "I forgot; I haven't caught your name yet." "Oh… Kieron." "Mine's Isabel." "Huh…" Kieron exclaimed. "What's up?" Isabel asked. "Its nothing. You just reminded me of someone I knew." Kieron replied. "So, that's why you've been looking at me like a ghost." Isabel replied. "Yeah…" Kieron remarked, dejected.

Felkin strolled into the town followed by a few of the town men, pulling along the carts with his extended sword. One of the older women in town who was in the street caught sight of him and went to one of the men behind him. "Who's the kid?" She asked. "He's with the other travelers, he's the swordsman who massacred the bandits last night." One of the men whispered. "That kid?" the woman asked, bewildered. "Look at his weapon, how he drags those carts with ease, I didn't believe it at first but… I'm seeing it with my own eyes!" Another man chimed in. "So, he's the one who caused all of this destruction?" The woman asked. "Well, he was just defending the town." Said one of the men. "Those bandits would have left us alone, maybe a few houses pillaged, so what?" The woman replied. "But what if they did something, those bandits were different from the rest, they were surely going to attack us." The second man answered. "I have to agree with her, what if they retaliate. We shouldn't draw attention to ourselves, that's how we got through the attacks in the past." The third man said. "What? No, no." As they bickered and argued, they followed behind Felkin who walked forward seemingly unbothered.

"Where do I put these carts?" Felkin asked, interrupting the others' discussion. "Uh… Oh! Just over there please." One of the men pointed, and then Felkin dropped off the carts at the side of one of the buildings. He dragged the carts to a spot, and then he unwrapped and retracted his sword back to size. Hushed whispers from the townsfolk inside their homes and those who were walking around in the streets began to grow more frantic as the surroundings were abuzz with conversation. "Who's that kid?" "What's he doing here?" "Did you see that?" "What's that in his hands?" "What's that weapon?" "Have we seen him before?" "Is he from those travelers?" Young and old, walking outside or peeking from inside their homes; from curious children on the street being ushered away by their mothers to able workmen doing repairs and construction looking down from the roofs to elders inside their homes lounging or doing household tasks, they paid attention to the stranger who walked straight into the town.

"Is there anything else I can do? Maybe to clean up, or for repairs?" Felkin asked them. The men looked amongst themselves, and then one of the men working atop one of the roofs called out to him. "Kid, can you… Pass me those planks there. If it's too hard for you to climb the ladder, then…" Felkin grabbed the various wooden planks laid on the ground and then bent his knees, before jumping and reaching the top of the roof while hugging the pieces of wood in his hands. "Woah!" The man remarked, who stepped backwards as Felkin cleared the distance from the ground in one leap.

The eyes of all the nearby villagers who looked out of their houses and the people that congregated outside followed him up, all in child-like shock and awe. "Those… Uh, those wooden planks aren't too heavy for you? You can… Just set them down here." The man was taken aback as Felkin dropped the planks at his feet. "You didn't… Uh… Splinter yourself carrying that didn't you?" Felkin looked at his hands and saw a few pieces of wooden splinters in his fingers which shot out of his hand and onto the wooden roof at his feet, as his hands healed. He clenched and lowered them, trying to keep them out of sight. "No." Felkin replied. "Uh… yeah, I'm all good now. I can handle it now, so…" The man said to Felkin, who jumped down the roof. "Hmph." He exclaimed as he exerted himself for a jump.

As he landed on the ground, he looked around for more things to do or take care of, and then spotted large stone rubble in the center of the road. He walked over towards it, and remembered how the battle that took place there "last night" shattered it. Even though it had only occurred recently for the villagers, for him it was days past. He suddenly remembered his fight with the blue demon bandit, and the golden relic used by one of the shadow knights. He crouched and touched the remains of the stone pillar crumbled on the ground. "You've… been unable to remove this rubble?" Felkin asked. "Yeah, we haven't found a way to lug these big pieces of stone out of here yet." Remarked one of the men. "Those knights were barely of any help! They left right after they cleaned up that mysterious gold thing on the road, wouldn't tell us what it was, and then told us to bury their dead! They didn't even leave some of their own behind to protect the town in case the bandits return!" The elderly woman exclaimed.

"Figures. Our village is of no concern to them since it's so far off." One of them remarked. "They said they would send someone here, but it's only been a day, so…" Another one of the villagers said to Felkin. "Hmph!" Felkin exclaimed as he wrapped his sword around a large boulder and then lifted it up, his other hand holding the bottom of the blade. "Where… to?" The middle-aged man was at a loss for words as he raised his arm pointing to the edge of town. "Just put it at the edge of town and we'll figure out a way to deal with it, we just don't want it lying around at the center of town." He said, almost mumbling. Felkin went slowly, step by step and lugged the boulder in his arms and then deposited it at the town's outskirts. He went back and repeated the process, moving each large chunk of stone out of the town's main road, all the while being looked at as if he was some sort of rare elusive creature, fascinated by his presence and actions.

He dropped off the last piece of the stone and walked back to the town's square. Felkin dusted himself off and looked up towards the others. "Is… there something else?" He asked them. "Uh… our house was damaged during the night before, and we need repairs." "One of our storehouses caught fire last night and even though its out, there's still some of the goods we have there that we hope is underneath the rubble." "Our main road is dug out and opened up, and carts, horses or donkeys can't cross without going around the village and the nearby forest." Young, and old called for attention and had requests, Felkin raised his hand to quiet them. "I'll… Do what I'm able, but please don't expect me to be able to do everything…" He remarked.

Felkin went on his way to try solving a few of the villagers' problems. A wooden beam fell into a house and collapsed into it, and then created a hole into the wooden structure. He retrieved with both hands and removed it, laying the long wooden beam onto the road, and disposing of it at the edge of town. He then went to the pile of ashes and soot which was a small storehouse that burnt the night before. "Here. We've tried removing the wood piece by piece but with helping those people and clearing the bodies, we haven't had much luck in trying to clear up all of it." Said a man nearby. Felkin used his sword to flip and upturn through the rubble. "Hey! There still might be some of our stuff in there!" Cried out a man who watched Felkin perform the sudden action.

"Sorry…" Felkin remarked as he shortened his sword and then knelt in front of the rubble he upturned. "Help me with this." He said to the others. "Oh, yes, sorry." The man said and then called another to help assist Felkin. The roof had fallen to the ground and the walls which had not fully burnt down lay in pieces. Felkin did a majority of the work, carrying the large wood pieces and the partially broken-down shingled roof away, while the other two dug through the scraps to see what they could find. "Well… We didn't expect much, but I guess something is better than nothing…" Said the man, picking up a slightly charred axe head along with other tools which had been damaged by the fire. "Well, at least we can still work some of these parts into new tools somehow." Said the other man. Felkin observed the destroyed structure and the tools the men retrieved from it, he looked at them without saying a word.

In the main road of the town, there were multiple holes and cracks in the road because of the destructive battle beforehand. As Felkin walked, the people who were conducting conversation, going about with their daily tasks and doing various repairs on houses and cleaning up the battle's remains turned their heads to watch him pass. He saw that there were still various bloodstains on the road, and that some of the weapons that the bandits carried were being gathered into a pile. He walked until he reached a large hole smashed or dug up from the ground. Large pieces of wood were laid down above the opening and were slowly being nailed and hammered down and were being tied to wooden posts stuck to the ground nearby. An elderly man was hammering and talking to others who were helping him with the construction. Felkin walked and picked up one of the long pieces of wood nearby, "You're going to carry- Yes, just… Bring that here." Said the old man, surprised with Felkin's strength. Felkin did as he was told.

"Is he… really the one who killed all those…" "Just look at his strength… He'd be surely capable of…" "Everybody! We all have a lot of work to do, so let's focus and not treat this situation like we're watching some travelling circus perform!" Isabel said, carrying a large pot. The ones who were watching turned their heads away and stopped their gossip. "Thanks… for that." Felkin said to her. "It's no problem. I was just passing by to get some water from the well for the others." She said, politely.

Felkin nodded and went back to grab another large piece of wood. "Can't we just refill this hole in the ground with dirt instead of making a bridge?" Isabel said to the elderly man. "Afraid not. The ground's been burnt or blown up. The dirt's not even here anymore for us to fill it in." He answered. As Isabel nodded and walked away, Felkin walked and placed another wooden plank. "These repairs… Do you do this every time bandits attack?" Felkin asked. "Oh, yes. Whether it's stolen goods or burnt down houses, all we can do is repair and rebuild. Nothing is permanent anyway, so repairing and rebuilding is always necessary." The old man answered. Felkin looked solemnly at the buildings and at the people around him.

"Those weapons… Why do you gather them?" Felkin asked as he looked to the pile nearby. "We might be able to sell some of them, not like there's any more of them left to use it." The elderly man replied. "Hmph. Except the one who we have locked up." Remarked one of the other men. "What?" Asked Kieron, who was walking down the road and following Isabel. "A coward. He was hiding when the other bandits who remained left. Those knights wouldn't take him, so we kept him in a cell." The old man added. "Where is he?" Kieron asked. "That building there, we used to have a small jail to keep people until the knights arrived." The old man continued to work, Kieron walked away and Felkin followed.

They walked to a small stone building with an iron roof, with small windows leaking in light, and the air was musty within. Two men were sitting in wooden chairs with the iron bars of the cell behind them. "Who are you two? Outsiders aren't allowed here." Said one of them. "It's fine. They're with me." Isabel entered and said to the men. "Isabel?" One of the guards exclaimed. "If you two are with her, then I suppose it's fine." The other guard added. Felkin looked within the cell behind me, while Kieron turned to Isabel. "I was wondering where you went, I had to pass the pot to someone else to follow you." She said to Kieron. "Well... This is a pretty pressing matter to me." She replied back.

Felkin walked forward, and one of the guards knocked on the door of the iron cell. Felkin looked at the imprisoned bandit, dirty and disheveled, sitting on the ground and looking down at the floor. "You have visitors!" The guard yelled. The bandit looked up at Felkin and had wide eyes. "Y-you! No, please. Don't hurt me! I surrender!" He cried out towards him. Felkin walked to the side and crossed his arms, as Kieron walked forward. The bandit's eyes grew in disbelief. "Big sis! I mean... Bandit Lord... I... Can't believe you came back!" "Just call me Kieron, I don't think that title suited me much anyway..." She remarked, raising her hand towards the bandit. "So you... Really did betray us didn't you? You joined up with the swordsman now. But it doesn't matter, he... The boss has gone insane!" They exclaimed.

Both Isabel and the two guards had a puzzled look on their faces but remained quiet. "What?" Kieron asked, confused. Felkin paid full attention. His piercing gaze unnerved the bandit, who looked back towards Kieron. "You know those... Enhancements, he's been giving some of the others?" The bandit asked. "Yeah?" Kieron responded. "Well since last night's... Battle, he tried to force it on everyone! He said that the reappearance of the swordsman meant we had to speedup the plan. The visions told him to. We... Had no choice but to follow him and be " burned" or... We would be forced to!" The bandit cried out. Kieron covered her mouth. "I saw that he... But I didn't think that... I had... No choice..." She started muttering to herself.

Felkin put a hand on her shoulder, calming her down. "Plan? What plan, what will he do next?" He asked the bandit. The bandit looked uneasy and avoided Felkin's gaze, and then looked back towards Kieron who motioned them to continue. "Uh... Our plan." The bandit coughed and cleared their throat. "We were going to head to the capital, the plan was he'll use those he turned and he would take the capital over himself! It's crazy! You... You gotta help us, help the others. You... Might be the only one to snap him out of it!" "No... I can't. The only one who can is no longer.... Anyway, it's impossible." Kieron answered. "The capital..." Felkin remarked. He thought back to his contact with Metas that happened before he went to the desert. "We didn't have any choice! I... Had to escape." The bandit said.

Kieron stepped out of the building, the gazes of the guards and Isabel followed her as Felkin walked behind her. "What's wrong?" Felkin asked. "I don't want to absolve myself of blame but, we... We had no choice. All of us, we had no money and we were only doing what we could to survive. And times were tough, so... I can't take the blame away from myself anymore. I should've done something back then... I... Don't want to run away anymore." Kieron was out of breath. "That bandit, he was forced to do what he did. You... Did too. Then..." Felkin raised his sword and looked at it, envisioning it soaked in blood. "What we did was wrong... But... I should've..." Kieron remarked as Felkin began to walk away. "Hey wait! Where are you going!" She called out towards him.

"Straight to the capital, I have to stop him. Before he hurts or kills anyone else." He said. "Wait." Kieron laid a hand on Felkin's shoulder stopping him. "Let me go with you." "You... Should stay and rest. You need to eat, drink water, and sleep. And since the other world's gone, we don't know if you still have your powers. And you have your people. They need you. I'm... Just a stranger." He said to Kieron. "If... You're going... You... Have to try and save him." Kieron pleaded to him.

"Save him?" Felkin was confused. "He... Was normal before... Before sister Isha... It's his arm. It's the one who gave him his power and his visions... You... Need to remove it somehow." "Remove his arm..." Felkin said to himself. "I thought if anybody can do it... You could." Kieron said with conviction. Isabel stepped out from the small building having overheard their conversation. "Please. If any of you are going to leave, it will be our honor to at least treat you to a meal." She said to the both of them. "I need to go as soon as..." As Felkin spoke, he started to turn pale and sweat. He clutched his head before falling on one knee. "Whoa!" Kieron stepped in to help him up but Felkin waved her off and stood to his feet. "Maybe... I can use a few minutes or so of rest." He remarked. "I knew it! I'll get it ready right away!" Isabel said cheerily. "There she goes." Kieron said, smiling. She turned to Felkin who was smiling serenely.

"Right in the middle of the road?" A man asked Isabel who laid down pieces of spare wood on the dirt road. "It's fine. Practically everybody is outside anyway... Here." She said to another person, who put a large iron pot filled with water on top. "How's it going?" Kieron asked her. Another villager handed Isabel a torch and then she lit the wood below the pot with it. "I find it hard to start fires by myself. I had a... Friend that lit fires with a snap of his fingers." Felkin remarked. "I'm making soup." Isabel said to the both of them.

A few more villagers helped her, handing her plates of chopped vegetables, and pieces of meat which she dropped into the fire. She ran and retrieved a large ladle and lowered it onto the pot as Kieron and Felkin sat by the fire. The elderly man walked to them and stood by the pot. "Ah! Isabel's cooking soup, a little late for lunch but I suppose we all need some food." He remarked. "Old man. Sorry for leaving earlier, how is the bridge?" Felkin asked. "It's going well, the men decided to have a break, and you being there sure made it faster but, I suppose we can't keep you forever." Chuckled the old man. Isabel was focused rhythmically stirring the pot. "I've got to fetch the others take over for me!" She said to Kieron. "Whoa!" She remarked as Isabel whizzed past her.

"I… guess I better take care of this now!" Kieron quickly ran to the pot and began stirring. "Do you need help with that?" Felkin asked her. "Have you cooked soup before?" She asked him. "I don't remember eating any soup before…" He remarked. "Well, I have a bit of practice." Kieron exclaimed. "Uh hey, do you guys have any salt… Maybe some seasoning?" She asked those around her. Felkin and the others looked at each other awkwardly and then the old man spoke. "Come on, heed her request." One man paused before running off and fetching some ingredients from a nearby store of goods. Kieron "cooked" and prepared the soup as Felkin and a few others watched until some of the desert-folk and the villagers walked towards them, led by Isabel who was moving speedily all the while.

"We were called here, well more like dragged… but it would be rude not to accept." Said Raln, being followed by several his people. "And the others?" Felkin asked curiously. "I didn't want to force the injured to come along, I said to those who were left that I'd bring some bowls for them." Isabel said, almost out of breath. "I'll take over for now." She said to Kieron who complied and moved aside and sat on the ground beside Felkin. "Wait… Bowls?" He asked. "Oh, can somebody get them?" Isabel asked, almost walking away to get them herself. "No worries, I've already had someone retrieve them." The old man said, carrying a large stack of small wooden bowls and began to separate the stack and laid out bowls one at a time. His skin was incredibly wrinkled and sun-tanned, though he was old his arms did not shake or falter, and even though he was of shorter stature than most of the adults, he was muscular and strong.

He handed a bowl to Felkin and Kieron, and to each of the desert folk in a neat manner. The villagers looked unsure and uneasy and were hesitating to get a bowl. "Are all of you not hungry?" The old man asked. Somewhat reluctantly, one of the men stepped forward and accepted a bowl. And then one after the other, all the villagers slowly came forward and got a bowl. "Soup's almost ready, but…" Isabel said as she lifted the ladle and smelled the smoking broth from it. "This smells kinda odd… What did you put in it?" She asked Kieron. "Uh… A few spices, some seasoning… I think its edible… Maybe." She said to Isabel nervously. Isabel looked around unsure.

"I'll do it." Felkin raised his hand and had a serious and determined look on his face. "Okay." Isabel answered and poured a few ladles full into his bowl. He looked at it, and then took a big gulp. "It's… Good." He answered and then Kieron breathed a sigh of relief. Isabel then poured soup into the bowls of those around her, starting with Kieron and ending with pouring a bowl for herself. As the people around the fire quietly sipped their soups, Isabel remarked: "Don't ask for seconds, or if you're hungry don't go for a third. Let's leave enough for the others who can't be here."

As the villagers and the desert tribe were eating beside each other slightly warily, Felkin watched somberly as he sipped the soup and savored it. He went from sitting near the fire to leaning on the wall of a house nearby, and as he observed the others, Kieron went up to him. "What you said earlier… You weren't lying about the soup, right?" She asked. "I've only tasted a limited amount of food so I might not be a good judge of taste. But… It just tastes… Good, in a way. I think the others like it as well." He responded. "So, are you going soon?" She asked. "Yes. I've tarried long enough; I need to get there as soon as possible." He answered as he sipped once again. "I know it seems strange to ask but… Is there any reason why you want to go to where he is as soon as possible? I admit that he is a danger to others, but it seems… personal, somehow?" She asked curiously.

"I believe that you must have been told that I've fought him once already before I fought him in this village…" "Yes, you were somewhat of a high danger target to him. But I believe that he 'enjoyed' your fight and was disappointed when you died. But he had a vision forewarning of your battle with each other a few days ago. I mean… the night before." Answered Kieron. "Those visions of his… How exactly do they work? Can he control what time and what event he sees on them?" Felkin asked, before sipping some more of the soup. "No… As far as I know, he doesn't even know when they'll happen, and the visions only show seconds to a few minutes of a future event." She took a break to take a sip. "Way back when, it used to be an exciting event. We'd all gather around him in his tent like kids awaiting presents. It would only show a short snippet of a future event, and we would work hard trying to set it up. He was smart… you know. He, Rennon, and… They figured out plans to carry out every event, but eventually we figured out that no matter what we did, what was prophesied would occur." Kieron smiled momentarily, but then it turned into a sullen expression.

"So… you've been serving under him for a long time then?" Felkin asked. "Not exactly? Well, yes. Before… He wasn't like he is now. And we were more like family." Kieron was silent for a while before sipping the bowl of soup once more. "We were a small band of mercenaries, and they took in runaways or others like me or themselves. Our contracts were with a few odd jobs, but mostly taking down the other bandits. With his power to foresee the future, we were vicious and efficient little killers, able to hunt down any target or mark. But in truth, we were just a group of hungry children, having little to turn to and treated killing like some kind of game. We gathered together, and we were prosperous as every single thing seemed to go our way. But one day, there was a prediction that he didn't want to happen, happened… But then he changed. Or maybe, he went back to what he was. From what I've heard from the others, Grisham relied on using his power, attacking, and stealing from nearby villages before they started our band. I suppose he was just doing what he could to survive… After, many of us including me left from the group, and then they fully became bandits… Freeing some bandits from the kingdom's prisons and turning the peaceful kingdom outskirts into the bandit ridden place it is today. I… don't know where the others went but… As for me, I really tried for a while but… I came back to become on of them and I was branded a bandit lord. But I was just running away from myself when I let myself become… part of what he is now. I could've done something back then…" Kieron sighed.

They both were silent watching the crowd around the fire eat peacefully. Some of the desert folk and villagers were calm enough to chat with each other. Just with menial small talk and they sometimes could not understand, but continued talking to one another. They watched Isabel hand off bowls of soup to Raln and a few of the desert folk to bring to the injured in the forest camp. Kieron sighed. "My bowl's empty, I wish I could go for seconds." She remarked. "You can have what's left of mine." Felkin suggested. Kieron switched her grip on the bowl she had and received Felkin's, still half full. He then looked towards the horizon and then began walking off. "Hey! Are you… leaving already?" She asked him. "Yeah, I need to go." "Wait. I'm coming with you. Let me just… Uh… I'll need to get a weapon, and… Some supplies first before we go." "You… should stay." "What?" Kieron asked. "I'd hate to take more away from the village, and… I don't need to pack supplies to survive, I also have a weapon with me." "But… What if you need help?" Kieron asked.

"I'll… be fine. I've been through things that would kill, at least what I've seen other people be killed by and walked away fine. This village, and all of the places I've passed through, they all break and fall and take time to be repaired or rebuilt. The people, they get cut down easily and take time to heal. I'm… different from what I've seen from others. If I can go in place of others, I can go and do where the normal human is stopped. You… need to eat, sleep and rest. You have cuts and bruises on your body, in which I have none." "You… should at least wait until we can prepare transport for you? Maybe, a carriage?" Kieron said, disheartened. "I… can run the distance in an hour's time more or less." Felkin answered confidently. He walked up to her and reassuringly put his hand to her shoulder. "I'll be fine… I'll come back when I'm done. You… can follow me after you rest if you want." He said, with a small smile, trying to reassure her.

The two turned to the crowd around the fire who were now watching them silently. "So… you're going now?" Isabel asked, stirring the pot, and pouring another bowl of soup to hand off to another person. "Yes, as you heard… it's urgent." Felkin answered. "At least, take this…" The old man said, fishing in his pockets and procured a small bag of coins. He walked to take the item from the man's outstretched hand and picked it up. "This is… I…" "Come on, it's not that much, take it." The old man pleaded. Felkin looked towards the others who all had expressions that they would be disappointed if he refused it. "I suppose it would be impolite for me not to accept. And a small amount of these… coins, wouldn't be too big of a detriment to the town…" Felkin surmised as he pocketed it.

"Listen young man… Wherever you go, you can make use of these coins whenever you're in need in a village or a city. And the capital… No place can be better to make use of it." The old man laid his hands atop and below Felkin's hand which held the coin pouch. "And, one more smidgen of advice from this old codger before you go…" He said as he released Felkin's hands. "Everybody has their own bag of coins in their life, whether it be physical, material or within themselves. It's something that they have that they have, and some people have scarce coins, and others have plenty. Growing up in a village, I didn't have much to call my own, and I made the most of what I had as possible, maximizing it, and only choosing to use it as necessary. I can see… That you may not have much, but make sure you make the best of it. But remember, even if you have little right now, that doesn't mean that you won't gain any more in the future." The old man remarked.

"Thank you, I will keep that in mind." Felkin said, before looking towards the other villagers and then to Raln and the other desert folk. He looked towards Isabel and then at Kieron, he then nodded towards her before turning around and sprinting like a bolt and exiting the town. "Huff… Puff…" Felkin panted as he swiftly hastened through the forest, breaking through brush and branch, and stomping flat the grass under his feet. "That was quite selfish of you…" Felkin suddenly heard a voice from behind him. It was like a jarring chill of ice on the back of his neck, he quickly stopped in his tracks and then swiftly pivoted around and slashed behind him. "Hmm!?" He exclaimed.

"Attacking somebody unprovoked? I'd call that rude behavior." The voice came from behind him once again. His breathing became shaky as he felt an overwhelming presence behind him, but he tempered himself, lowered his weapon and slowly turned around. "You're the one from the abyss. What do you want?" Felkin remarked as the young girl waved at him. "Our partnership earlier was quite fruitful, and I see that you've been making quite the good use of the powers abyss-granted to you. Well, getting to the point… I've come here to elucidate you, on your fate." "My fate?" Felkin asked. "Correct, have you been getting headaches lately? Signs of unusual weakness?" "Yes, I think so." Felkin said, facing back towards the direction of the capital and walking.

"I need to move towards there as fast as possible, can you talk while I travel?" "That is… a doable arrangement." She replied turning into a ghost-like mist that floated beside Felkin as he ran faster once more. "Now the symptoms you are experiencing are an effect of the abyssal energy coursing through your body. You accessed this energy through the affected eyes of yours and as you did, you gained strength and power through it spreading within you." "Right." Felkin replied, trying to focus on the path ahead, blocking branches and hopping over tree roots while he tried to manage his breathing.

"Well, as you use it more, the symptoms will eventually grow and the roots entrenched in you, and you will be enveloped and consumed by it. Your flesh and blood belonging to the darkness." Suddenly, Felkin stomped hard and left a trail of dirt as his legs dragged as he stopped himself from moving. "What?" He said, alerted. "I'm going to be taken over if I keep using it? I should stop using it then!" He added. "Hmm? But it is so deeply entrenched into you that removing it would simply change the way you move or progress through the challenges in your wake. Being able to move as fast as you do, having the power to cleave multiple foes down, and being able to take pain and punishment and being able to stand back up without a scratch, will you leave it all?" She asked him. "I'd be taken control… I'd rather not, rather… I won't be!" Felkin asserted. "Really? It is more ingrained into your body than you realize. Even now, you're subconsciously using some of the dark energies to enhance your movement." Felkin looked at his arms and legs, he could feel something beneath, something apart from his blood and bones, and then subconsciously used his eyes to see the energy flowing through him.

"You used your eyes." The girl teased, leading Felkin to step back and then look ahead. "I… Don't have time for this." He remarked, clenching his fists and focusing to try to suppress the energy in his body. He then proceeded to keep running forward. As he ran, he stumbled over tree roots and raised his arms as branches scratched and cut his skin. He slowly began to lose speed and then stopped, panting from exhaustion, and then leaned on a tree in exhaustion. He walked forward, before tripping on a small stone and then falling on the ground. "Ack." He remarked as he impacted the ground. He slowly pushed himself upward and then looked around. He tried to look over the horizon but found himself lost, he turned around and walked back and forth before sitting on a boulder.

"Where… Where is it! I can't… find it!" He said, exhausted. In the forest, Felkin was trapped and surrounded by a singular view and the cacophonous bustle of its creatures which made him distracted and unable to get his bearings. The flow of life could be felt all around him, with the towering verdant trees to the cries and scuttles of deer and boar. Rivers flowed and lapped, with fish and those who seek to prey on them surrounding the waters. "I see your senses have dulled. You were searching for the energies you could feel that were leading you to the capital, yes? That is fate in play. It is not feasible for you to reach or find the location you seek at the rate that you desire, leading to the usage of powers to be required." "My… fate?" He asked, wiping blood from his chin.

"You are attracted by the great energy of your foe in the capital, and your friend who seeks the same city. Those who gained blessings from higher powers are often pawns of them, and even if they are not… Those in power attract risk, and opportunity. No doubt there are those who will benefit from a clashing of these powers." The girl drifted from his left to his right side, floating around as she talked to Felkin. "Like you?" He asked. "Well yes. It just happens that some things in life just happen to benefit all sorts of people without them intending to do so." She answered. Felkin looked at his slightly torn clothes and the cuts on his arms and feet. "I… need to use my power to go to the capital, huh?" Felkin said to himself.

"You will be overtaken by a great force yes, but you can use that force in any manner you wish, provided you submit to its whims." She offered, with a devious grin on her face. "I've seen people, with superior power offered to them. What happens to them, its like they've lost who they are… I could feel it. Their power offered them naught, but trouble and they were only puppets to something else's will, its like shackles. I… don't want to be trapped in those same shackles." Felkin said, looking down towards the ground. "So… choose. If you want to pursue, or you can go back and stay behind. Of course, you would have to resist its effects until it eventually consumes you. The abyss' roots have grasped to your nerves, to not utilize this power is to cut off yourself from your own body." She said floating above him.

"Why? Why… Me? I… don't know… I… can't remember. I have the power to brave situations that others can't, but that means giving something up." Felkin gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. "People are forced to do things they don't want to do… Being offered something but ending up as a pawn. Oppressed and pulled towards a destination that they don't favor… It's… Not fair! I… Only have this sword." He looked up at his own sword. "And only one trace to a path ahead. What if I… I'm being led as some sort of sacrifice! But its… all I know. All… I have." Felkin despaired. The girl inched closer to Felkin and was next to his ear. She tenderly grasped the blade of his sword and he could see the bright crimson lights that glowed from the covered eyes of her body, and could feel the deathly chill emanating from her, freezing tears streaming from his face. "There is always another option… You can use your sword to plunge within yourself. What I did for you when you succumbed to the crimson-hand bandit was a temporary intervention. If you choose to die this instant… The earth will certainly receive you…" She said maliciously. Felkin gently touched her hand, which caused her to release her grip and then he looked down at the moon-sickle entrusted to him, and then at the bag of coins tied to the side of his pants.

"Make do… with what I have." Felkin stood up and looked up, the bright sun peeking through the dark canopy of trees and shining on him. He looked around to see where the light was brighter, and where the view was clearer. "Hmm… It seems that you have decided…" The girl remarked. Suddenly, Felkin's eyes flashed like red fulminations and caused the girl to applaud gently. But Felkin's eyes only flashed for less than a second's moment. He then clenched his teeth, and tightened his arms and legs, the wounds he incurred when he ran through the forest healed almost to his previous condition. He started walking towards one direction, until he passed a clearing of trees and reached the road while the girl covered in bandages curiously followed.

"I thought that you didn't want to use your power?" "I didn't. I just used it barely enough, enough that I saw the direction where I need to go. And the capital is a large city. I also saw the lights coming from the people passing through a nearby road, a road that could lead to the capital city. Now that I've seen where the capital is, I'll keep it in mind so I won't get lost again." Felkin spoked assured, and with conviction. "You sure recovered quickly." She exclaimed. "I… only saw the path ahead, and all that I have done will be wasted. I also have my promises to keep." He said, a little unsure and trying to steady himself.

"So, you will struggle still? With withholding your power?" She asked. "I'm going to only use my ability when necessary. I'm going to attempt to control it; I won't be able to break away from it but… I'm going to try to limit it." Felkin said, holding his closed fist to his chest "You realize that many others before you have said that, with them succumbing due to their own desires afterward…" She replied. "I know. But I can only try, and if I fail, that will be the result of me trying the hardest I could." He answered. "So… What now?" She asked as Felkin looked upon the road, with carriages of differing make and extravagance, horses and donkeys carrying goods and hauling carts, all of which kicked up dust as they passed and created a smokescreen in the air.

"Hmph!" Felkin remarked, as he slid down from the uphill forest slope and down towards the road. Felkin slid down to the road and hid behind a bush. He looked upon the passing carriages and laid eyes upon the last in the batch of those moving along the road. He watched it move until it passed him, and observed that it's back was open and it only carried barrels and boxes of goods and was devoid of passengers, save for the driver. He stayed low but quickly ran across the road towards it. He ran after it, but as it moved with speed that he could not match, he sent out his sword and coiled it around the open window of the wooden carriage. And with a burst of strength, hopped and pulled himself inside. Thud! He retracted his sword and sat behind a box.

"Hmm?" The driver of the carriage wondered as he looked behind him but saw nothing. "Must be a stone in the middle of the road. Honestly, this road needs to be cleared and paved. It's difficult enough to ride through here..." The bitter man complained. Felkin breathed a quiet sigh of relief as he suppressed his powers once more. "Impressive. But you still used your powers once." She quietly whispered to him. "Still... It's an improvement to running and hopping the whole way." Felkin remarked. "You look like you'd be just fine… I'll be leaving-" "Wait." Felkin said, grasping her arm.

"Hmm?" She asked. "You're from the abyss, right? Do you know why abyssal beasts appear for me every day? And why a new type of creature attacked me today, and why I didn't encounter it in the other world…" He asked. "I sent them." "What?" Felkin exclaimed, aggressively letting go of her arm. "Well, I simply helped and directed them to their desired destination. Those beasts' souls and energies led them to you. As creatures, they seek flesh and desire growth, but their growth also can be caused by the absorption of abyssal energy from people like you. If they encounter a being more powerful than they, they themselves become sustenance for that being. Like the moon above pulling at the ocean and creating tides, or like a stone falling back towards the earth. Energy attracts more powerful energy, sending you to your destination, and others to theirs. Some may call it fate." She said with a smile.

Felkin clenched his sword and had a sour expression but then sighed deeply before leaning back. "Leave." Felkin said to her calmly. But the wooden carriage then suddenly stopped. "Who's there!" The carriage driver said, stopping the carriage and then walking to the back of the carriage to see where the voices were coming from.

He checked the carriage, lifted the boxes, and checked around the barrels but found no one. "Hmm… Must be just me then…" He said as he went back to the front of the carriage. As he whipped the horses to make them run swiftly once more, Felkin hopped up from below the carriage. He travelled down the road, and looked at the horizon and took in the breeze. He inhaled and exhaled, as he neared the capital. The girl had disappeared as quickly as she appeared, and Felkin wracked with uncertainty, hoped and prepared himself.