As the day emerged Ivan was forced to walk without rest while constantly being surveyed by his captors. With one in each direction and his arms restrained by the same mana nullifying restraint Ivan had no chance of escaping.
While traveling Ivan began to notice the difference and unique personalities of his captors even though he could not understand what they were saying.
Meara was the most outgoing of the five, she was more of a child than Ivan was and tended to be quite curious. Any chance she got she examined him behaving like some wild doctress, exploring every inch of his body with intense curiosity.
She was also surprisingly strong even though she was so small, lifting Ivan up when they saw it more fit and efficient to travel through the vast treetops.
Iona on the other hand was more uptight and stern. She was like an unreadable block that let off no emotion whatsoever.
Then there was Durlan who was what you would call a mixture of both these two contrasting personalities. In the company of Meara a incredibly fiendish grin came upon his face but he knew when it was time to focus and take things seriously.
Arywn was a prideful warrior who kept his distance from Ivan but the boy could tell he bore a grudge, the reason for such being unclear.
Maybe it was because he was bested in combat by a child or maybe it was deeper than that.
Last but not least there was the leader of the party, Norri. Like any leader she was authoritative and kept them in check.
She advised them on every step they took and told when they could rest or when they could not.
Nothing about her stood out to Ivan other, like Iona she was "a block"
Though they had taken him captive they tended to his needs, feeding him to satisfy his hunger, allowing him to drink when his thirst grew intense and letting him take leaks.
Well that was before Ivan pulled a stunt that would limit this even further.
On the second day of their journey, Ivan made a daring attempt to flee after being momentarily allowed to drink from a flowing stream. That was quickly thwarted by his captors before he could even make it half a kilometer.
Now, his restraints tightened, surveillance heightened. Drinking privileges revoked, and the already meager food ration vanished altogether.
He was forced to walk, climb and tree travel on his own, without the aid of another person or enough time to rest.
That was two days prior and the boy had grown weary. His legs were bruised to the point it slowly bled the more he walked.
He was beyond tired but was finally given a moment to rest as the group suddenly halted in front of two similar arched rocks that were the entrance to his oasis but something was different about it.
For starters it looked more chiseled and less weathered, it also had writings on them that Ivan could make out.
Next to it stood two moss-covered stone statues of warriors, clad in armor that seemed almost otherworldly, with blades crossing above the arch.
"Mask him," Norri commanded, her gaze fixed on the archway.
Meara replaced the blindfold back over Ivans eyes, completely blocking his vision before standing directly beside him, her hand gripping his shoulder.
Norri glanced back at her companions, exchanging the slight getsure of nodding, before they each followed as well, a sense of foreboding settling over them.
Turning back to the archway, Norri took a deep breath before exhaling slowly.
Norri took one step forward, her tense expression shifting to one of tranquility for the brief moment she did so.
In a singular step the scenery before her changed.
The forest's bright yet shadowy gaze vanished, replaced by a rich, refined beauty that unfolded before her.
A kingdom of divine ivory white that blended the modernity of the universe with the more ancient aspects.
Trees with both leaves of red and green surrounded the kingdom , each one larger and more abstract in shape than previous ones.
Beneath her feet lay chiseled quartz, with meticulously carved streaks coursing through its center, forming a mesmerizing spiraling pattern that extended in every direction before converging straight ahead, leading down a bridge made of the same quartz before her.
``It never gets old``; Norri whispered, basking in the radiant light of the sun.
As her comrades emerged, one by one, Meara lingered behind, finally guiding Ivan into the masked haven as the last to arrive.
Norri's gaze shifted to a pedestal on her left, then to Meara, as she issued a command.
``Use it``
Meara swiftly retrieved a luminescent blue crystal from her side pocket and placed it upon the pedestal.
Like a ballet dancer it began to spin while hovering right above the pedestal. A rhythmic flow of mana began to burst out in slow bursts, the pattern carved on the ground glowing the same luminescent color.
A constant flux of wind spiraled around them, sweeping up fallen leaves from the ground, creating a swirling tornado of green.
Suddenly a beam of blue struck them from below, entrapping them within its eye before in a single second they were no longer where they once stood.
The grounds they now stood on were vastly similar to the one they stood on, having the same chiseled quartz floor, patterns and pedestal but what was different was the sight before them.
A castle adorned with the same pristine white as almost everything in this haven with hints of midnight blue running up sloped pillars along its walls.
Along the pristine white and midnight blue walls, two towers soared, crowned with golden spires holding flames that burned fiercely, casting their light even in the daylight.
Within each tower stood a soldier, clad in iron armor that brandished a copper leaf symbol and helmets concealing their pointed ears, standing guard with unwavering vigilance.
Before them stood even more of these soldiers brandishing metal spears, standing on each stair on opposite sides while also evading the red carpet rolling down its middle, all except for one.
A man descended the stairs, his bold braided dark hair framing his face, except for the bangs at the front.
He was clad in a more refined iron armor, its usual shiny silver replaced with a dignified green hue.
His pupils a dim green that brought out the authority and significance among the other soldiers along with the stern expression on his face.
``It's good to see that you made it back safe``; he said as he took the last step off the stairs, arriving on the flat surface.
``Was there ever a concern that I wouldn't, General``
He simply smirked before his gaze landed upon the blindfolded Ivan.
``Is this the one that infiltrated our grounds``
Norri replied with a simple nod.
He walked closer towards Ivan before halting a few cm away from him, visible shock appearing on his face.
``Is that a…``
``Yes, your speculation is right. Therefore we need to see the council this instant``; Norri said, interrupting his sentence.
He had not answered that instant and stood silent, gazing down upon the unknowing boy.
``I'll call forth a meeting``