A well worn road threaded through the western countryside of Sarth Continent. There were patches of newer as well as older stone embedded into the ground, but it was always there even if something had damaged a section.
It was one of the oldest roads laid down by the Divine Sword Sect and if seen from above, it would look exactly like the object of their obsession, a sword. It was a sword of civilization that pierced the wilderness and connected the sect to the rest of the land around it.
It was traversed at all hours of the day, but there were individuals who no one would dare obstruct. The colors varied, but the symbol was identical for all. A sword strapped to their backs, their waist, or simply emblazoned on their robes.
There were 2 such men making their way back to the Divine Sword Sect on the road. They were walking simply because it was part of their duty to check the road on their way back. Beasts were allowed to thrive in the wilds of the Divine Sword Sect lands. It was a place for the strong to thrive, but where the strong went, the weak would try to live shielded under them.
An older man with a short gray beard walked with a firm stance. His wrinkled face showed he had seen a great deal of life and death, but his pale red eyes sparkled with mischief. Unlike the young man next to him, the old man was enjoying the walk immensely.
The dark haired youth was solemn but his pale eyes revealed he was bored. The mission had been a breeze for them both but his master had sprung the walk back on them after all the excitement was over.
"You need to enjoy life more, Solon." The wrinkled old man smirked as Solon's serious face twitched. Solon would always take a task seriously, but he could not hide his true feelings from his master.
Both men were in the World Realm, but there was a stark difference between them. Solon's earth and air Qi was sharp. The very air vibrated with his sword intent as the earth trembled to it as well. The high-grade Sand Tier aura was out in the open for all to see.
Bord, on the other hand, seemed to be harmless. The broadswords on his back were plain to look at, but that was true of all Divine Sword Sect weapons. They loathed special weapons unless Fate willed it.
A sword was to be an extension of the cultivator, thus only the material it was made of mattered. It had to be able to withstand the sword intent cultivated by its wield, nothing more and nothing less.
Solon glanced at the old man and frowned. Although they were walking steadily on a pleasant day, Bord was sweating quite a bit, while Solon was perfectly fine. A World Realm should not be getting tired so easily, but Bord was nearly 300 years old.
He should be in the prime of his life as a cultivator but instead looked like he was near the end. Sadly, it was because that was exactly where Bord was.
"We can make camp, Mas–" Solon tried to suggest a stopping point but suddenly a crushing aura surged from Bord. His weak body became irresistible as his eyes blazed with power. Any cultivator or beast nearby would feel all 6 elements flare from the old man. If they were in balance, it would be terrifying far more than it already was, but if Lind was there, he would be sad.
Only 3 fonts were present while 3 cores floated in Bord's dantian. His foundation was heavily cracked as were the cores. The Sand Tier was as far as Bord could go. He was lucky to be alive, but as a member of the Divine Sword Sect, it was not death that worried him, but being seen as weak or useless.
"I see you need a reminder of who has taught you how to endure these past 10 years." Bord's voice had dropped an octave. The power of Qi could briefly restore a cultivator but it was only a false renewal as the aura quickly faded and Bord was now sweating profusely.
"Stubborn goat." Solon frowned as he quickly chose a spot for them to set up camp and recover. A convenient spot was empty so they took it as a caravan came in sight behind them. Solon only glanced at it, but frowned at what he saw.
Still, he had no time to dwell on it as he carefully set up the firepit and began to warm a stew over it as Bord assumed a lotus position with his swords tucked beneath his arms. His robust body still worked but the best healers only gave him a few more years before that changed.
As both men settled in, the caravan slowly crossed by them. The mark of a howling wolf was on the side of the carriage. It was a demon envoy from Darkmoor Kingdom. Solon could feel the twisted Qi flowing off the demons and their mounts of darkness. They always brought the twisted creatures from their damned arenas.
Solon knew a lot of demons with honor lived in Darkmoor, but their nobles always made him want to start fighting to the death and not for fun. The caravan did not stop but the black curtained windows twitched while someone looked out at them. Nothing else was done but the drivers bowed to them as they passed.
It was a rule that rituals be honored in foreign lands, but this was as far as the demons did in the Divine Sword Sect.
"Always pretentious little pricks, aren't they?" Solon nearly snorted his stew into his nose at Bord's comment. The old man had no fear! Solon was at high Sand Tier but he could tell most of the guards were above him. This was an important person to Darkmoor.
"I wonder why they have come?" Solon did not dive deep into politics nor current events. The only exceptions were tournaments or the battle rankings at the yearly festivals of the Divine Sword Sect. He had placed well in the last one, but now that he had broken through, he wanted to test himself again.
They should just make it in time for the current year's festival even if they had to stop often. Solon was picturing the bloody arena fights and drinking to follow when Bord smacked him in the back of the head.
"Idiot, pay attention when I am talking!" Solon realized Bord had been speaking while he was looking far ahead. Outside of battle or duty, Solon was unable to focus, but this time with his master was so precious now. He bowed to acknowledge his fault and settled in.
"As I was saying, apparently to the lovely butterflies and crickets over there alone, they are here because Crown Prince Ryu still needs a bride and he has his eye on that lass." Solon frowned a bit, but he knew how Bord was talking about. The Divine Sword Sect may not have many rules, but there was one that had been unspoken until the last 20 years.
No demons.
Demons were a variable at the best of times and pure cruelty most of the time. Despite Darkmoor Kingdom being more honorable, it was only in comparison to small cults or the Demon Empire in Rith. Slavery was forbidden in Darkmoor, but whole villages could be crushed so long as it was done openly.
There were also many demons that simply made sure they were never caught doing anything the Darkmoor Royal family would kill them for.
Solon, however, had a rare event occur during his generation of disciples. A demoness was a child and the only survivor of a vicious beast tide far to the north. No one knew how she survived, but she was barely 2 years old.
Someone had brought her south and tried to send her off to Darkmoor, but she had run away instantly anytime a demon came near her. Some suspected the beast tide was not a natural event due to this, but no proof remained.
After a few incidents, an eccentric elder took her in to raise her until she was old enough to choose. Lo and behold, she was a natural born sword wielder. She had broken through to the Demon Soul Realm when she was only 12 years old.
She was a legend now. She was at the same tier as Solon last he knew. He had enjoyed working with her, surprisingly. She loathed his antics but praised his skill. She reminded him of Shoti at times with her vitality of life, but she hated demons to her core.
Solon looked at the receding caravan with new eyes. He prayed to the spirits that they made it out alive. He did not want to clean up after his sister disciple.
"What happened to make him look to her? Was he already set on her?" Solon was only mildly interested now, but Bord's next words cleared his disinterest completely.
"Apparently, Crown Prince Ryu lost to a human in the Lotus Empire over his first bride a few months ago. I was happy to hear a fellow 6 elemental could make a name for himself. What was his name again?" Bord was much like Solon in that he did not dive too deep into politics or intrigue, but a 6 elemental would snag his attention to look deeper.
"Lind Frey. His name is Lind Frey." Solon smiled as he remembered a promising youth fight desperately to protect his older sister from a nefarious villain. Solon had been so disappointed in that mission and was glad to help the boy along.
He was about to stir the fire when he froze. Solon knew Crown Prince Ryu had just recently broken through to the World Realm, or as they called it, Purgatory Realm. If Lind had defeated him a few months ago, Ryu would have been peak Demon Soul Realm. As he recalled, Lind was very slow to advance as he tried to temper his elements ahead of his foundation.
"How, how did he defeat a peak Demon Soul Realm?" Solon could barely contain his thoughts at such an incredible feat. He saw Bord smile wide as he began to recount the tale of the battle. Solon was stunned to learn Lind had a fiancee, a demoness no less, but he could see the boy being open minded.
Solon then dropped his cup of water when the circle of lightning from the heavens was described. Was Lind a monster? How could a Soul Realm call on the heavens?! He could not fathom it, but he swore to look more into Lind once they returned to the sect.
"I wonder how he is doing at the Lotus Academy after all that." Solon was only speaking aloud but Bord once more snorted and frowned. Solon recognized it as Bord suppressing some frustration.
"Damned demons made him leave. Thankfully those gentle lasses took him in. I do not know why, but it does remind me of something." Bord's pale red eyes suddenly locked onto Solon like he was a bird of prey. Solon began to finally sweat at this look. "Why did you never mention you knew such a marvelous boy to me?"
Solon felt the urge to grasp his blade as Bord's eyes drilled into him. He had meant to tell his master, he had! Things kept coming up, like challenges, festivals, and missions. He might have had that time he was injured to tell him, but Solon was focused on not being snatched up by the old healer in the sect!
His life and death had been on the line! He wanted that Vixen to show him some attention, but she never returned a single message! What was wrong with him that she would not be interested?!
A thwack to his head brought Solon back to reality.
"I don't have much time left, why not take a trip to see your friend once we get home? Maybe take your old master with you?" Bord was making it sound like a suggestion but Solon would be 3 days dead before he recognized it as anything less than an order.
"Yes master." Rubbing his new bump, Solon put out the fire. If the old fool had that much energy, they could keep walking till the next rest area!