The peaceful surrounding was disturbed by the loud and angry shout of a man, non-other than Oraculi. As his blood boiled in fury, his face grew redder.
"Are you insane?!" he screamed at Darius upon hearing what happened, a finger angrily pointing at the young man. His face was red and veins are now visible on his neck and temple.
"What can I do? It was a request from a deity?" The young man reasoned with his mentor.
"How can you tell that for certain?" Oraculi asked.
"W-well… he named himself." Purple orbs darted to the side unable to meet his mentor's eyes.
"You can't just believe what people say, especially not the ones you will meet inside a forest."
"I know but I have a gut feeling on this one," Darius tried to think of a way to appease his mentor. He will admit, his decision was rushed and was not well thought out. However, he already gave his word.
Then… there are other reasons.
Ravana trusted Cernnunos and said he can request a reward that can him gain more power. The sound of it was music to his ears if the quest can make his even just a little bit stronger. Then it will take him closer to his goal.
"A gut feeling?!" a vein popped on Oraculi's temple. "Wonderful, and here I thought you were smarter than Brennan."
"Wait… Why did I get involved?" Brennan asked with furrowed brows and a slight pout on his lips.
"Argh! Enough this getting nowhere!" Oraculi exclaimed before turning to leave.
A heavy sigh left Darius's lips, he knew that his mentor will be furious but not this much.
"He scared that we will die in the quest, isn't he?" Brennan stated.
"Yeah…" Darius nodded.
"Wait, Excuse me, what did you say?" he suddenly turned to Brennan.
"What? Of course, I'm coming with you. I can't let you go all by yourself now can I?" he replied with a toothy grin and closed eyes.
"No." Darius tried to be as sternly as he could.
"I mean… you could try to leave me behind but… I will still follow you. Besides, Cernunnos said you will take me as a companion,"
Oh that smile, if only Darius could rip it off of his face.
He frowned at Brennan's remark, it's not a lie, so why bother?
Another sigh left his lips, 'How can a person be this careful?' he thought to himself.
"Leave at first light," Cernunnos told him. "And I shall send thee a white dove to guide the way."
"Upon reaching south and finding the nest, however, thy fate is on thy own hands." The deity sounded so weak and sickly, that Darius fear that he will not survive the day.
"Remember, the path ahead will be a treacherous one. Thy enemy hides within the depths of the shadows. Thou must take thy steps with caution, along the way- thou shall not trust anyone else other than your chosen companion." He said as he gazed at Brennan.
"Now, thou must head back. The forest is not safe at night, there are creatures in the wild that even I cannot control. Especially that serpent in the north."
With his final warning, the deity disappeared into an explosion of fallen leaves. Leaving behind a strong scent of damp moss and freshly dug peanuts.
By the time the moon claimed its glory in the night sky, Brennan was already passed asleep. While the other remained wide awake, fight every bit of urge to close his purple eyes and fall into a deep slumber.
Laying in his bed, he patiently waited for Ravana to come. After all, she has promised him an explanation.
'Tired?' her low voice finally appeared inside his head.
"Cut to the chase, you know the reason why I waited," Darius said between gritted teeth.
'Ah yes, the reason you needed a sacrificial beast.'
'As I said, the sword demand blood. The soul of the basilisk still lingers inside the metal... down to its very core. Therefore, if you want to use the sword to its fullest potential. You must feed the sword with blood.'
'You will need to offer twelve sacrifices, and so far you've provided four.'
"Four? I don't remember sacrificing anything."
'You did kill me with the sword did you not? Then there was the Slaugh in the open field when you were on your way back to the Dead Swamp. The third was the frog or the water leapers in the forest. Alas, the fourth was the Dearg Due.'
"I see, then if I killed any creature with the sword. It is considered a sacrifice."
'Yes, but keep in mind that the power of the monster you killed with be absorbed by the sword. There are only twelve sacrifices, only twelve special abilities you can inherit. Needless to say, you already wasted so many possibilities for greater power. The Slaugh and the water leapers could hardly give you any power.'
'And that's why you have to kill a stronger monster in the future to ensure greater power.'
"I killed two water leapers didn't I? Then I only have seven chances…"
'No, there are still eight. The sacrificial counts according to the species, not by number; the water leapers counted just one, not two.'
"I see, what beast should we ask from Cernunnos then?"
'Fear not, I already have one in mind. For now, you must prepare for the day ahead, something is telling me that this quest is more than what it seems. There's another person behind it.' Ravana snarled at the thought, 'it was her… it has to be.'
When dawn came, Darius opened his eyes due to the sound of a person tapping on the glass window. As he gaze in its direction, Darius saw a white dove pecking at the glass surface.
The guide Cernunnos had sent already arrived.
His purple eyes widened with surprise, immediately bolting upwards he desperately tidied himself.
He grabbed what he might need in the journey ahead. After talking to Ravana he must have fallen asleep, he thought to himself. Forgetting to prepare for the journey ahead.
"The horses are ready and I had already packed some of the necessities," Brennan smirked claiming his victory, as he stood by the door.
"I told you can't leave me behind," he pointed out.
Darius could only sigh, "Fine you can come along." Although he was actually taking Brennan along from the beginning.
Brennan walked over to the window and open it, as the breeze came in so did the dove. The tiny creature flew in a circle above them before comfortably sitting in Brennan's head.
"I think you should know, he's at the front door." Brennan said awkwardly, "And seem to be angry."
"Well…" Darius exhaled.
"We'll see how it goes."
The young men head for the door, as quickly as they can. Hoping that their mentor will not say a single thing. Heart beating wildly against their chest, not wanting to deal with Oraculi's lectures.
But to their disappointment, his eyes watched them take every step. A deep frown adorning his lips; while anger and worry can be traced in his teal-colored eyes.
And as the wooden door creaked open, the mentor decided to speak.
"If you ever die, I will seek your souls in the underworld and kill you both a second time! Do you understand?!" he shouted.
"Y-yes Sir!" the young men replied simultaneously.
"And even if just one died, while the other returned. I will bury the person who returned alive. So both of you better return." He added.
"Understood Sir!"
"Now leave! You're making my head hurt."
As the door slammed shut, Oraculi sighed. 'They had grown their horn too quickly, just like the others.'
Overconfidence can be a double edge sword,' he thought to himself.
'You better not bite more than what you can chew or you'll choke to death.'
With another heavy sigh, Oraculi stood. His aching bones cracked as he walk, the toll of old age had long been slowing him down.
This is the reason why his students must survive, he must pass the torch he had been carrying for a very long time.
Before his body return to the earth.
Blizzard rage along with the sharp cold wind, the heavy snow covering every bit of land as far as the eye could see.
A cold that's enough to freeze a person to death, winds so sharp it could cut the stones in half.
Anne shivered as she walked along with the snow-covered path, hugging herself to keep her body's warmth. She bit her teeth, 'It shouldn't have been me, the others could have gone to this place.' She thought to herself.
Just because she wasn't the strongest, she was turned into a servant. With her mother ordering her around to do her bidding, all the while the other sisters can do as they please to gather more power- until the day of the summoning comes.
"It's not fair!" She hissed out of anger.
The sound of strong wind whistling against her ears. As the blows of the cold wind became stronger, so did the shaking of her small body.
Finally, her eyes caught a glimpse of the palace entrance. A staircase formed from polished ice, a huge pair of double doors engraved with two figures of giants standing tall as if guarding the doors.
Upon reaching the entrance, Anne took out the knife. She held it tightly against her trembling hand, looking down, she noticed her cold fingers were now starting to turn white.
Biting her lower lips, she pricks her finger with the cold metal. Its sharp point drew blood from her shuffle skin.
The young woman wiped the blood in one of the giant's right hand. Immediately… its eyes glow in the faint shade of yellow.
Followed by the sound of the massive doors opening before her.
"Ah! If it's dear Anne~" The woman standing in the ice staircase greeted with joy.
Anne stepped inside the castle, and with a peculiar gleam in her eyes. She raised her head to speak to the woman and spoke with every bit of her confidence.
Yes, just like how her mother taught her to do.
"Mother has sent word," She said with an eerie smile on her face.
Soon war will take place and there is no stopping it.