"I can sense that capacity for your mana has damn near doubled." Utrix remarks.
"If you were to double one apple, you've only got two apples," Barin scoffs.
Utrix and I chuckle at his response; apparently, the girls don't intend on finding any humor in the situation.
I'm not really that good at feeling how much mana I or others have; I guess it'll come in hand to have more fire at my disposal. I'll have to find out how much I can use before passing out again.
"Now that we're all somewhat back to normal, anyone mind telling me what happened in Cochagine?" I ask.
After a brief moment of silence, they begin to recall the events following my last memory. If it were not these four, I don't think I could believe a single word of their recollection.
First, I survive being engulfed by my own flames, a feat that seems unlikely itself. Then, I became a completely different person, who was able to overpower the Devil and reduce it to a bawling mass of shadows. And after all of that, I, who was overtaken by Sur, then burned down the entire city and surrounding forest.
Seems rather convenient if you ask me. We're about to die, but then great power overflows from me. Shit, we don't even know where the Devil went off too… will we have to face it once again?
Apparently, they found me at the epicenter of the burnt ground. My wound had closed, and my eye was shut until now. Barin and Utrix carried me down the road until they found a small town. They rested, got some provisions, and acquired a wagon.
"Ok. So what are we doing now?" I further question.
"Rahdeur, where else?" Barin answers.
Guess Barin isn't in the mood for answering my questions, as usual. I look towards Asteria for an answer; she looks at Barin, then shrugs her shoulders. Did he tell her not to say anything to me? Utrix and Isla don't answer my question either.
“Are all of you trying to keep in the darkness?" I ask. "Cause if so… it would make me fuckin’ pissed," I grunt.
“Draw your own conclusions, you fool," Isla responds.
The fuck does that mean. Am I being tested? Is there something rather apparent that I'm missing here?
I sigh and rub my face. If this is one of Barin's test, and I want answers, I can only find out for myself.
I hear the faint chirping of birds off somewhere in the distance. I think I recognize the call.
The more my thoughts are cleared, the easier it is to look for clues.
I lift my head and gaze towards the trees; upon closer look, the trees are a different species of oak… a few spruce… maybe pine? I look at the sky, thin clouds that are broken up. The winds are gentle too. The conditions are favorable for the species of bird that live far north of Avalon. The only thing that would be all the way north of the capital are the border mountains.
"We made good time to already be near Rahdeur," I state.
"Didn't miss out on anything eventful," Utrix remarks. "Nothing that would top what happened in the Cochagine."
A loud horn bellows from afar, rattling leaves from the branches above us. The trees disappear all at once as we come to barren ground. The void ground stretches to a wooden wall at the bottom of the mountains. As my gaze rises up, I see the buildings and structures carved into the rock, leading all the way to the ridge. The fortress city of Rahdeur. The impregnable wall defending the nation… the first task of our contract.
Hopefully, this city isn't hiding any secrets... or another Devil.
Avarice Twilight Page 28
