An Unexpected Burial

When we set about on our journey to discover the world, I was certain that I had prepared all the necessary things to make our trips easy.

But I had forgotten one of the most important necessities when it came to traveling.

A map.

Even if the map was crude or outdated it would still have helped as long as it gave a rough idea of the surrounding lands. 

We were, of course, not lost. My enhanced senses were more than capable enough of scouring the land, allowing me to draw my own map inside my mind. 

Since we were already quite the distance away from Ylvalil, I decided that the masking spell was no longer necessary. I could now use my magic with some impunity.

However, I still kept my aura in check through standard mana manipulation. It paid to be careful and aware.

I may be invulnerable in the conventional sense, but there was also the slimmest chance that there were powers or magics that had come to be with the power to defeat me. 

As far as I was aware, I was still the strongest being in this world. But until when will that fact persist? The possibility of someone far greater than me existing in this time and era was considerable.

At first, I doubted that the chances were of any concern. But now? Now was different. 

Which meant that I needed to hone my skills once more, and if possible, gain further strength and power. 

The magical ability I currently possessed made me formidable.

But it would not be enough for the coming apocalypse. Not yet at least. There were parts of myself that I could improve and change, allowing me even the slightest of advantages. 

I was going to need all the help I could get.

First of all, Zeal and I had to traverse a winding dirt road that twisted between grassy cliffs and vast plains.

There were trees here and there, but no forests to speak of. There were a few small woodlands here and there but other than that? Nothing much.

It was a boring place. Yet it was a serene sight, nonetheless.

A hefty wind blew without fail throughout the day as the sun bristled in the sky above. There were no clouds to offer their cold shadow nor trees to give shade while I walked down the road.

So I had to make do by summoning a black panel and made it hover a few feet above my head. It was a simple solution though admittedly looked very weird from afar.

I mean, if you saw someone walking down a road with a black panel hovering over their head, you would probably think that your lack of sleep was finally getting to you.

There were many other ways for me to use magic to keep us from the light of the scorching sun. I could have summoned my own little angry clouds, changed part of my magic shielding to be visible so it would have looked like I had a floating hat.

But to be completely honest, a black panel floating above our heads and following us wherever we went was the most amusing out of all my options. 

A bit of amusement was nice.

Most importantly, I was not about to let the little beastkin get a tan, if that was even possible for a beastkin, or give her a dangerous case of sunburn.

Though Ylvalil was no longer visible to the naked eye, I could still feel the magic that came from it. A concentration of life always had a distinct magical presence that would light up like a beacon whenever a magic user limited themselves to perceiving magic.

As we walked by another cliff overlooking a narrow canyon, I noticed a small stream curving between the jagged rocks. Different kinds of fish swam within its clear waters.

Life prospered on the cliffside. Flowers bloomed and grass clung firm to the edge. Insects meandered about, flying and crawling with no other concern than what their needs entailed. 

A bunch of honeybees buzzed nearby, brushing themselves against some of the flowers before eventually returning to their hive. 

The sun was warm and the wind was cool. There was beauty in this place. A calm air choked not by civilization, but blessed by untamed nature. 

However, I eventually stumbled upon a sour sight. There was a shattered carriage in the distance blocking the stream. 

Judging by the fact that the wood was rotten and its passengers had turned into skeletons, it unfortunately fell into the canyon long ago. 

I felt a certain bitterness in my heart as I noticed what the skeletons were. A family of halflings, two adults and five children. 

Nobody had bothered to give them a proper burial. Well, it was hard to spot them in the first place. They perished in a secluded part of the canyon, far from a good vantage point for anyone walking down the dirt road.

Speaking of the distance between the dirt road and the canyon, the fact that their carriage veered so severely off course and plummeted there of all places, it felt sudden. 

And forced. 

I sighed as I summoned a small portal and pulled out a small cushion. Laying it by the side of the road, I placed the sleeping Zeal on the cushion as to not expose her to what I was planning to do.

Besides, having her wake up and see skeletons would not have been a wonderful experience. The black panel hovered over the little beastkin, shielding her from the sun. 

To be sure of her safety, I cast a tier 7 shield spell around her, a protective bubble that could withstand any offensive spell tier 5 and below. It could also withstand considerable punishment from physical attacks and martial Skills. 

Basically, it kept everything and anything from coming through, aside from the caster themselves. I could simply walk through.

As I began my descent down the cliffside, I thought that surely nobody would come out of the nearby woods and threaten Zeal?

Because I would not hesitate to kill them if they even dared come close. 

My enhanced senses assured me that there was nothing of immediate or potential threat nearby. 

Thus, I descended down towards the shattered carriage. I walked between the rotting rubble and inspected the damage.

It was as I expected. The carriage had been attacked by something or someone. There were still somewhat visible scorch marks on the woods, possibly from an attempt to set the carriage on fire. Claw marks were all over as well, accompanied by punctures. 

I suspected that bandits had tried to rob them, but it seemed more likely that they were preyed upon by a monster. One that had a nasty bite, sharp claws, and the ability to wield fire. 

Surely it was not a dragon.

Shaking my head, I decided to carry on with what I was really planning to do. Burying the dead.

I dragged the bodies from their unfortunate positions and dug up a large pit nearby.

Though I pondered burying them in their own separate graves, I figured that this family died together and therefore had to be buried together. 

It was the least I can do for a family I did not know at all. 

I took some time going through whatever personal belongings they possessed that had survived the passage of time. 

Pain flared in my heart as I realized that the family seemingly brought everything they had. Clothes, spoons and pans, books, toys. 

Maybe they were on their way to another town to start a new life, only for their hopes and dreams to be cut short. 

As I looked at the skeletons, I could guess that the youngest was barely 3 years old.

3. 

Clenching my fist, I gently laid their skeletons down, side by side in the pit. I made sure to lock their hands together, so that at least they held on to each other even in death.

After I had finished covering them in dirt, I cast a spell that sprung forth five moon flowers over the grave. 

Moon flowers were beautiful crystalline flowers that took on whatever shape the moon had in the night. They glowed brightly in the night, never dimming even if the moon was absent. 

They shall mark the graves of this forgotten family. 

A moment of silence later, I climbed up the cliffside and continued with my journey with Zeal sleeping on my back.

I wondered what monster had attacked them. Did it still roam the land? How many more unfortunate souls had been lost traveling down this road?

From what I could tell, it was the longest road leading south. A map would be really nice. 

I would eventually use my enhanced senses to forge my own map when night came. For now, however, I decided that following the dirt trail would suffice.

As midday came, lunch was now my priority. The little beastkin was already waking up, her stomach growling for food.