Before him, on the rained-out road leading into the heart of black woods, were nine men mounted on the largest steeds Lex had ever seen. Each wore a nine-pointed star medallion; the star was branded on their mounts' flanks and plastered on their mantles with golden liveries. Yet, to Lex, they might as well not exist; he couldn't feel any heat from them or their mounts.
Their leader trotted forward alone. His eyes were intense; they were always searching, hungry for answers, and pitiless. Even meters from him, he couldn't sense the man. It boggled the mind because these men were inquisitors and all at the foundation realm or above. No one else could wear the nine-pointed star so brazenly on their person. The leader stopped a meter from him.
Lex marveled at the rider's steed; it was large, powerfully built, and held wildness to it. Yet, under the inquisitor's hand, it obeyed. Irrefutable, this man was powerful, and Lex couldn't sense him.
For a moment, the man said nothing. Instead, his eyes glowed in a very green light, much as Morgan's had on their first meeting. Once again, he felt the sensation of an invasion of privacy. It was more thorough than even Morgan's had been. But Lex couldn't escape; more than even Sigurd, these men were dangerous.
The man turned his head and spat on the ground. "Fifth stage qi condensation, for one so young you are quite powerful." The man went from calm to loud and angry. "Boy, what are you doing in this forest. Do not value her own life? Is the thought of adventure too great to pass up? I see your potential, and epsilon weeps tears of despair at the folly of youth." The inquisitors said.
Lex didn't understand until he looked down and noticed his Institute medallion and mostly torn black robe. He looked like a roughed-up Hidden Dragon Institute student.
Lex looked the man in the eye. "I know how this looks, but I want a familiar. There were rumors of a nightmare in these woods." Lex said.
A sudden force unparalleled in strength crashed down upon his cultivation base. In moments he was subdued and overpowered by the inquisitor in a greater realm. At once, he felt the raging inferno of the man in front of him.
"Core formation," the man's eyes suddenly widened in shock.
"You aren't a sensor; your acuity is too low. I can tell that with a glance. Breach and enhancement with the lowest acuity I've ever detected. How do you interpret qi?" The man asked.
Another of the man's party galloped up behind the leader, stopping at his left side. "Capt. Franco, don't we have time for this, you know what's opened today. We should send him back. If he follows the trail, he'll eventually hit the main road." The man said.
The man's gaze swept over Lex once again. "Johnson, what do you see when you look at this boy?" Capt. Franco asked.
Once again, Lex faced scrutiny. "Some dumb Institute brat with more balls than brains. Is there something special about him? He's only in the fifth stage of the qi condensation realm?" Johnson asked.
The captain shook his head. "This brat is a breach enhancement type. You know what that means, don't you?" Capt. Franco said.
"He's opposed to witches on the Invictus scale. How many pills did he swallow to reach that stage? His family must be wealthy, or someone's taken notice of him." Johnson said.
"Wrong on all accounts. Have you noticed anything else that's weird or something that this young man lacks? I'll give you a hint; you're doing it right now." Johnson looked confused, and Capt. Franco sighed. "If you ever want to make captain, then these lessons are the least you'll have to learn." The captain said.
Lex turned his head to the side, and then his eyes widened. He quickly took a breath and let it out. Johnson's head snapped towards him.
"He doesn't breathe to cultivate." Johnson froze at the implication. "I've read the reports on the experiment; it was a failure. None of the trials even matched a lower-rank breathing technique. So he has to have used pills, rituals, or something." Johnson said.
The captain shook his head. "No, if he had, there would be a residual taint on his qi. It's neutral, more neutral than any breathing technique can come close to." The captain said.
"What's your name?" Johnson asked.
"Lex, are you going to stop me from finding a familiar?" Lex asked.
The captain stared down at him, and Lex could see the options weighing in the man's eyes. If Lex could compare the man's gaze to some other profession, it would be a money lender. Instead, the man flowed through variables and options at rapid speed, deciding quickly how best to make use of Lex.
"You're coming with us. If you ride with us, you might find the nightmare. Or you can wander the woods searching forever. We're on a holy mission to protect the Duchy from one of its oldest enemies. Have you heard of the witch of the black forest?" Capt. Franco said.
Lex weighed his options. Fighting a witch, especially one as famous as the witch of the black forest, would be difficult. This battle would also give him a chance to learn how inquisitors fought. There might also be an opportunity to use Gram. Fighting for them would give him a lot of opportunities and chances to expose himself. By going with them, he had an opportunity to learn, expand his horizons, and possibly get the familiar he sought. A familiar that wouldn't go on a crusade to rescue their sibling.
"Alright, I'll help you. But, I don't know how well I'll do against a witch as powerful as her. She survived here in the heart of your territory for a reason. Is there something I don't know about?" Lex asked.
One of the men snorted. "I doubt you'd know about her weakness. It's not something that's told in her legends. Once every decade, her wards need to be revitalized. While the wards recharge, her refuge is exposed." The captain said.
Lex nodded; that made sense. Fortunately, the witch's weakness allowed the inquisitors to find her home, and soon they'd end a legend.
One story declared the witch to be an ancient Invictus Empire vassal, Lex preferred the tale of inheritance, and a more popular myth claimed she was just some witch.
The stories only agreed that she's known for her powerful familiars, demonic summons, and powerful curses.
Even if they found her home, they were walking into a fortress. The witch has had over a millennium to shore up our defenses. Nine inquisitors, no matter how well armored, trained, and seasoned, shouldn't be enough. But there wasn't any doubt in the men galloping down the road.
Johnson hoisted him up behind him, and just like that; he began traveling with the inquisitors. All the while, he knew that eventually, he'd have to fight them to escape with Morgan. This battle was his only chance to see what they were made of before he had to fight them himself.
"You seem, nervous boy, well don't worry. If you do what I say, I'll put a good word in for you at the Hidden Dragon Institute." Capt. Franco said. Despite the captain's words, the rest of the men looked troubled. Lex could sense resigned courage from them. If they weren't here by choice, then it was a good chance this was a suicide mission. Even if he followed orders, the chances of getting out of here alive weren't that good.
His best chance of survival was to get separated from these men and travel back. Lex still had his contract with Zhan even if she left to fulfill her desires. The power he gained from their bond hadn't gone away. Dragon force had only put up a wall. Or it could be that Zhan put that wall up.
Even now, as they rode towards the legendary witch's home, Lex could feel what lay beyond the mental barrier. The barrier was a dam holding back rage, hunger, and madness. Without it, Lex would be a gibbering idiot right now.
When he touched it, Lex understood even a little bit could sweep him away. He'd need to use dragon force in doses, or it would destroy him.
While he thought about his bond with Zhan and the dragon force in general, the party continued their travel. Finally, after hours of traveling down scrawny bur-filled deer trails, they came upon a wide, well-kept road.
They hadn't traveled far down the road before they came upon an inn. Right in the middle of the forest, it was in the middle of the road surrounded by trees so thickly packed together; they couldn't ride through them or around the inn. Heat like a burning village radiated from the inn. Several entities waited for them inside. Lex looked to his right and saw a stable boy approach them. Lex felt overwhelming heat pass over them, through them, and wrap around them. It pushed against him but failed to gain purchase.
Lex rebuffed it with little difficulty. The stable boy frowned and glared at him while the rest of the men dismounted—even Capt. Franco seemed affected. He heard teeth grinding as the ranchhand led their horses into the stable.
The men around him struggled against the technique but couldn't break it once it took hold. Lex stared at the stable boy until the image of an unassuming boy changed.
Suddenly, its form changed to a giant purple demon with bulbous cheeks and long curled horns. Its long reptilian tail curled around the neck of one of the horses. Drool dripped from the demon's mouth as it absently licked a horse's snout. Finally, its long reptilian tongue slipped up one the horse's nostrils and out the other. The demon drew back its tongue and smacked its lips in satisfaction. Then, with every step of its goat-like legs, its giant purple balls dangled, and its huge flaccid member began to stiffen. He couldn't allow this creature to have its way with such noble steeds.
Lex sighed and stepped forward. He grabbed the demon by the tail and yanked him off his feet. The demon turned and shrieked as Lex wrapped his hand around the demon's throat. It struggled, but Lex had already pinned its arms. And its reversed legs couldn't get a hold on Lex.
With one hand choking the demon and his knees on its shoulders, Lex drew Gram. The hungry blade practically salivated at the meal. He stabbed the demon in the throat and watched as the crimson ichor soaked into the blade. Finally, he pulled the sword free of the dried-out husk of a demon.