After one more hour of training, Finn and Solon came back to the temporary camp. Galliyan was already by then. They then woke Sigimer up.
After the morning greetings, everyone felt the need of food right now. Although, Finn didn't quite feel hungry. Aether absorption can also compliment hunger.
All of them only ate oner or two grilled fish last night. After a full day of running. Specially Solon and Sigimer who didn't eat anything because they were locked up till then.
They only had two choices. Either go back to rain village. Or venture deep into the forest and find Galliyan's village first. Finn presented the options.
"Let's venture deep into the forest. The other option is just out of option.", Solon replied. It's decided. They packed up their bags and started to venture deep.
Galliyan felt a bit anxious. "Don't worry, and I think, we need to know too, what happened to them in the end. Don't you also think that?" Finn doesn't know how to give consolations to others. But he said an important fact.
Galliyan nodded. With no further hindrances they started venturing into the forest.
"It's all burned up. The whole forest. What happened here?", Solon asked, "It's whole mess out here, you can smell the intense scent of burned wood."
"There was a monster attack, happened here.", Finn answered with a straight face. It happened two weeks after I met them. I was too frail when I came out of the Tomb like ruin. Because I used up all of my Aether in finding the path. I didn't know it's called Aether and how to properly use it."
"A-and then...?" , Sigimer asked from the back.
"Well, I was too injured, so I passed out. When I opened my eyes, I saw Galliyan and his sister. The village head, Utokai, asked them to take care of me."
"Well, they did the right thing, anyway, after all they were the servant clan of Shezmu. Finn they really all died back then? It would've been better if atleast few people were alive...we are too alone to face them...", Solon cut in the middle of Finn.
"Well, I don't want to think about it, but I guess, they all died back then. But they weren't the servant clan anymore. I freed them.", Finn replied.
"I see, Okay, please continue...", Solon said while looking at Galliyan.
"So, at first everyone was uneasy around me, except those three. I had a hard time avoiding their gaze. But after an week or two, they started to accept me. And two days before we ran away, they organised a party on the occation of my recovery."
"And then?"
"The party was all good. And at that party Utokai told me about the servant clan. I understood why everyone was so hostile towards me. But I didn't wanted to play a king with my servants. I wanted to see the vast world. At that time I thought Galliyan's village was the outside world. So I refused them, and freed them all."
"I see..."
"After the party, a little boy came running and broke into the banquet hall. He was weating head to toe. Few were really anxious to see him like that. He brought the news that uncle Zhou passed away."
"Who is uncle Zhou?"
"He was a doctor of the village. He loved to break unfunny jokes. And he was the one who cured me. I felt a little sad hearing the news."
"How did he die?"
"Ufff, just let me finish my talk...you are continuously curring in."
"I see...and then?"
"..."
"Well, naturally, we went to see him. He was out their cold. It could be seen that he passed away few hour ago. But, his body wasn't stiff enough to verify that. And after the recovery and eating a lot in the banquet, I was full of energy. I applied my hightened sense on him....and I got scared. A terrifying aura was coming from uncle Zhou's body"
"A terrifying aura...what happened?" , Solon cut in again.
"Well, aparently it was a parasytic monster. It took over uncle Zhou's body. We tried to suppress it but failed. It got away."
"It got away? How, there were so many people right?"
"There were so many people. But not everyone can sense like me right? Who will guess that? The body of uncle Zhou suddenly jumped onto someone, everyone quite shocked. They got scared. What could they do? I tried to catch the monster but he looked at me for few minutes and ran away."
"Then?"
"We all chattered for a while and came back to our respective residences. Next day everyone tried to find uncle Zhou's body but no one found anything it in the end. That evening, Utokai sent another boy to me with a letter."
"Letter?"
"Yes, letter. Utokai asked me to carry my all luggages and meet him at his house at night."
"I see...I pretty much guess what happened after that. He asked you meet. You went to meet him. And he asked you to take Galliyan and ran away...wait wait wait...You said he had a sister?", Solon looked at Galliyan and got scared.
Galliyan's face was very pale all of a sudden. Solon looked towards Finn and asked, "Why are you silent now? What happened?"
"At that night a disaster fall upon the village. Suddenly many people died one by one. Many thought that I was cursed. But Utokai asked me to meet him and take those to away, Galliyan and Galliyome. They were shocked to hear that too. I asked what happened? He just said, "An apocalypse has just begun". Utokai is a direct descendant of the head servant of our ancestor. He knew very secrets of this world but didn't tell me anything."
"What apocalypse, I didn't know that. He just said, that thing is started to woke up...wait...", Finn suddenly stood their with shock.
"What happened, Finn?", Solon asked Finn anxiously.
"The hell did I do? I normally don't forget these things, I had very good memory. Shit, Shit, Shit" , Finn was acting really strang.
"What happened, Finn?", all of them stopped walking and look towards Finn.
"Galliyan, did you forget too?"
Galliyan looked at finn strangely.
"Remember, what Utokai said..."
"He said us to run away, take care ourselves, you will face a crossroad..."
"No, at the end...", Finn cut in.
"He said you to take care of me, and...", now Galliyan's eyes became big too...
"...And never come back here again!" x2
Finn and Galliyan's expressions were showing only one phrase.
"We messed up very big this time."
Finn fall on the ground in a sitting posture. They already ventured too deep into the forest. It's a peril situation. What will they choose. Over that side in rain village, enemies were waiting. And here god knows what apocalypse is waiting for them.
"Finn, what happened back then? Can you tell me?", Solon asked Finn.
"Well, is it important to know right now?", Finn replied.
"Yes, I think, I have a hunch about what happened here.", Solon said.
"I see. We were asking Utokai about what happened, and he was insisting us to run away, and suddenly two or more died villagers' body broke into the house. It was a very shocking scene. I never thought parasytic monsters could behave like that. They jumped towards Galliyan. Maybe because he was the youngest one. Galliyome threw her own body to save him and I saw with my own eyes, how they pierced through Galliyome body ruthlessly. Utokai was crying, but he tried to hold back a little and sent us away."
"What did you do?"
"I took Galliyan and ran away. And while we were running in that night through the forest. We saw the amber red sky. The whole village was burning. The fire started to spread into the forest. And you already know the rest of it.", Finnfinished his story hurriedly.
"I see. The forbidden territory is starting to woke up. Finn I don't want to explain it right now, but I will say it later.", he said that while directing his gaze at Galliyan. Finn understood what he meant.
"So, what will we do now? We can't go back either. And probably, they were in Galliyan's village. If my hunch is right, they will be there."
"I see, let's go to my home town then. But I don't know any other routes to there.", Finn said,
Galliyan pull the corner of his shirt and said, "I know a route which will reach us their without intercepting the village. But that path is quite bit dengerous, because many beasts dwell there."
"Beasts? Will it be okay?", Finn replied.
"It's fine. Beasts are cute compare to those things what you guys are calling parasytic monsters. We follow that route as Galliyan suggested and...it will be good to practice your newly learned techniques...right? Finn?"