What really bothers me most is that the issue of the fall of Eleanor. Why did they fall if they have such a trump card on their hands?
"I notice that you are bothered from earlier, am I right?" He asked.
I don't know but I got so excited and went closer to him. "Yes. Yes. Yes. How did you actually learn that spell?" I want to know where did he actually such technique.
Cayden took my shoulder and push me away from him. He sat down instead. "Please don't startle me next time." He said.
"I'm sorry. But I got so curious about it? Can you tell me more about your other ability? I mean you don't have to tell everything if you don't like?" I said.
He sighed. "Like I said earlier, I learned it just by reading it. I told my father about it and he yelled at me. He became so mad, as if he was fuming in anger. He immediately burned that book in front of me after he found out. Because of that incident, me knowing one of the ten dark arts, he remove me from having the right to inherit the throne. Even if, I am the only son he has. That's when my elder sister inherited the title of the crown princess. After that, he trained my sister to be a good warrior as she is when she is still alive. While I was cast aside. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't care about me. He gave me a good instructor." His words seems so sad.
"Why would he do that? I mean, I don't know about these ten dark arts? Are they really forbidden to learn?" I asked. Cayden looked at me with wondering eyes.
"You don't know about the ten dark arts? That is pretty much basic knowledge being teach in the academy. I bet your teachers already told you about it." He wondered.
He actually didn't know that my brother and I was sent to the North before we even enter the academy.
"Nah! My twin and I was sent to the North to be wardens when we are about to enter the academy. Silvester and I, learned on our own in the North. Maybe that instructors mentioned it to Silvester but not to me since I always prefer fighting." I said.
Once again, Cayden sighed. He continued his story about him learning that powerful spell. He pretty much told me about his childhood story. He also said that he doesn't have much adventures in his life as a child. He told me how he learns things fast because of his acquired talents. He then learned how to control his mana usage.
Hearing him telling me his life makes me comfortable around him. I didn't know that he actually also has a rough childhood. He was removed to his rightful rite just because of learning such powerful spell.
"Cayden, I can't help to wonder, why didn't you used that technique when your palace was being raided? What I mean is, Eleanor will not fall like this if you used that technique." I asked.
Suddenly, Cayden has a sad expression. "I wasn't around in the palace that time. I was outside of the palace's vicinity." He answered.
"Why?"
"The crown princess and I had fought and father sent me out of the palace to reflect my mistake. I was so angry that they didn't even hear my reason. Instead of staying in the outer palace vicinity, I left to town and headed west. There is a celebration that night and my sister, the crown princess, became drunk. She was really drunk and, as his brother, I told her to go back in her room but she got angry. She humiliated me in front of everyone and called me the fallen crown. I know she didn't mean it but I got so angry."
"Fallen Crown?" I asked.
"That is my name in the palace since I couldn't inherit the crown anymore. That's how they named me, fallen crown." He said.
"Well, you are indeed a fallen crown. Literary a fallen prince." I added. He looked at me with discontent but he just sighed after.
"You know, for a person, you are very rude. Can't you feel that I am being sentimental here? Well, anyway, I guess you just don't know about it."
"You know, for a guy, you are really soft."
He looked at me with those irritated eyes.
"Whatever, so the rumors about you ran away to hide is not true. To be honest, I also didn't believe that you ran away. More on, I already guess that you were away that time. Because of that rush decision, you failed to help your kingdom and got your parents and your sister killed in the process. Your sister Louis, must be lucky in able to escape that." I said.
"She is indeed. I thought she got killed also leaving me all alone but I found out that she escaped and stayed to one of our trusted vassals. Since his house is near the capital, he told us to flee from his mansion and we headed to the neighboring kingdom of Granger. They also didn't help us to take refuge. After that, everything comes next is hell." He clenched his fist. It might be very painful for him to remember the next events. I sighed after hearing his story.
"So, what about the ten dark arts? Please tell me everything." I asked. That is our main question from the very beginning but I guess I cannot cut a person's main ordeal in his life. But hearing his story is quite useful.
"Those ten dark arts are the forbidden techniques to learn since they consume life. Our kingdom, got hold of two which is the resonating dead that allows to control dead bodies and the abysmal cloud that calls fort deadly smoke to kill all the living. Unlike the resonating body that uses dead bodies for sacrifice, the abysmal cloud is different. It takes lives to destroy the surrounding." Cayden said.
"I already saw that resonating body but this abysmal cloud, how do it work?" I asked.
"Its rule is simple, a life for a life. If I take a huge animal for sacrificial, I can destroy one-eighth of a small town. But it takes time to caste it." He said.
"What a marvelous technique?" I said. I can't help but to be amaze. Cayden is actually a living killing machine. If he wants to destroy a whole town, he can do it alone. This technique is useful in North. "Cayden, can you teach it to me?" I asked.
He suddenly jolted. "No. Especially to you. I am afraid that you will just murder anyone you want. Seeing what you did earlier, gave me a good reason not to. Besides, I can't teach it to you." I said.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't know how? The book I said has a spell casted on it. Once you read it, it will register in your mind permanently and you will feel like you know it since the day you were born. But you cannot teach it, it will only stay to one person's mind. That is why it is unique." He said.
That is actually unfair, I also want to have a good technique.
We talk the whole night and we didn't even notice that the sun is starting to rise. I can also hear some people who are having some conversation. We put our hoods on and we headed to an inn. I didn't feel any tiresome but I can feel that my body is heavy. I need to rest at least. We went to the inn and it is surprising that there are no one around, not even a person in the reception.
We went outside and people are quite busy talking about something. Cayden used his eavesdropping technique and we found out that the adventurers are being forced to work for the army. All adventurers are being sent to the camp of Saha. Amazing. We don't have to sneak in inside the army. We head towards the camp and there are soldiers in the gate. We told them that we are adventurers and they immediately let us in.
The camp is filled with both soldiers and civilians. The adventurers are classified as civilians since they don't work in the army. Three soldiers escorted us to the adventurers' quarters and as soon we entered there, one can say that these people are devastated.
Cayden informed me the cause of their devastation is about two monsters in the form of human being, killing people merciless. Monsters in a form of humans are indeed terrifying news, but why are they not talking to us? Suddenly, a man running in to the quarters informed that victims and witnesses are starting to flood the camp.
I went out to take a look and I saw soldiers who are wounded and people who are begging to take refuge. What is exactly going on? The commander, I supposed, commanded the gate to be closed.
I am curious of what is really going on.
"May we know what is going on?" I asked.
The soldiers looked at each other and sighed.
"We also don't know what really is going on but we heard that two human monsters are creating havoc and killed many soldiers." A soldier said.
"Human monsters? Are they perhaps lizardmen?" I asked.
"No no… the witness said that they are human monsters. He is the only survivor after he pretended dead. He said that those human monsters have fangs and they practice the dark arts." The soldier said.
I think that they are talking about us but it is impossible to reach this area fast. There must be something out there that really killed those soldiers.