"Make some sense Cherie, you want me to trek back all across the wilderness to Coppervein?" Shaking his head, David got up and walked to the fire.
"Look, I know you're shaken up, but whatever happened, I don't think it'll happen again." David sat down on the log next to Cherie.
"David. You don't have any idea of what it feels like. Not having full control of your own body. Of your own mind. " Cherie's teary eyes glared at David.
David had to stop himself from yelling at the top of his lungs. he did know, he knew exactly what it was like, but he had no way of telling Cherie.
"This whole thing, it hasn't happened before. It's probably all the fighting that triggered it. We're almost at Lightharbor, just let me take the lead from here." His clenched fingers digging into his palms, David did his best to stay calm.
"Maybe. Ok. I just need you to promise me one thing. Once we get to Lightharbor, and find my dad's friend, you'll go back home" Holding her head in her hands, Cherie voice broke as she sobbed.
"Ok. I promise." David replied, but inside, he knew he couldn't abandon Cherie with some stranger. Whatever happened, he would stick with her.
-----
Stab
David pulled his sword free from the Rock Mouse's chest. Turning his back from where Cherie stood far behind, he leaned down.
The tentacles broke apart the plates of rock that covered the mouse's sandy fur, and dug dee down into its chest.
David didn't realise it, but a sinister smile spread across his face as the mana rushed into his body.
'Mana?'
[50/60]
Since David had started taking on the majority of the enemies, his mana had skyrocketed, he was now equal with Cherie, both at the six star coreless stage.
But he had noticed, since Cherie had the patterns appear on her skin, her mana had been steadily increasing, even without her training.
"You okay?" Cherie called out, she had been wondering why David would always take a moment with slain Magical Beasts. She started walking down the sand dune she she had been waiting on.
David quickly flipped the mouse over onto its front, hiding the countless tiny holes the tentacles had made.
"Yep. Just fine!" David responded, turning back towards her, his hand behind his back as the purple tendrils disappeared back into his skin.
"I don't understand David. Why do you always do that thing where you bow down next the beasts?" Cherie asked, as she stopped next to David.
"Just paying my respects. Y'know. It's sad that the beasts die for nothing." David gave Cherie a sad smile, but internally he was screaming.
'Nice one David! You couldn't think of a better lie?'
"Oh right. I never took you for the spiritual type. Just another change I guess." Cherie gave David a half laugh, and they continued onwards.
Ahead of them, was the steep slope of an enormous sand dune, its side thick with desert grasses.
"Just over this. We should be within sight of Lightharbor." David said as they scrambled up the slope, tiny showers of sand falling behind them.
"Wow." In sync, both Cherie and David said in amazement. Both of them had only ever seen Coppervein, this was a whole different story.
Far below, stretching as far their eyes could see, was a sparkling expanse of water. Tall waves rippled across the surface, and below the surface, you could glimpse the shadows of enormous sea beasts.
"No way." Cherie sighed, as the pointed snout of an enormous sea serpent broke the surface. It raised its head out of the water, looking around water streaming from its shining green scales.
There was an enormous splash as the serpent dove back into the water, the coils of its body causing the surface of the water to heave.
The countless ships that dotted the water were sent bouncing up and down, and David could see tiny figures running back and forth on their decks.
The ships started to move across the water, all heading to the coast, towards their destination.
There it was. After weeks of travelling, Lightharbor was in front of their eyes.
Next to the coast, David could see the wooden docks, where the ships were clustered so tightly that it made no sense how they were able to even sail in or out.
Shoddy wooden buildings surrounded the docks, and David could see narrow twisting and turning streets.
Further away from the ocean, Lightharbor looked like a completely different city. Vast stone buildings, the roofs of which shone and glittered even from here lay in neatly organized rows.
"There it is. The cathedral."
And in the center of it all, rising high above the city, was the where the name of the city came from.
Between three tall pillars of stone, that reached up to touch the sky, a enormous ball of golden light.
The stone pillars continue down into a beautiful building, made of shining white marble.
Parts of the marble were plated in gold, that shone in the radiance of light above.
"Can you see them?" Cherie's face was filled with amazement as she gestured to the cathedral.
All around the cathedral, flying through the air, were figures with shining wings. Some only had one pair of wings, others had multiple.
"Angels." The two of them had heard stories about these beings all through their childhood, and here they were, in front of their eyes.
Since the Convergence, humanity had lost much of their respect for deities and mythical beings. Afterall, seeing them before their eyes, acting in emotional and selfish ways changed everything.
But angels had been some of the few beings that humanity had maintained respect for, afterall, they were one of the few races to protect humans.
"Alright. Come on. Let's go." David shook himself out of the daze of amazement he had fallen into, pulling Cherie forward by the hand.
"Right. We can get a better look when we get closer." Chere replied, still staring up at the golden orb.
The two of them, jaws still wide open, looked on and on in amazement as they drew closer to Lightharbor.
[User. Please note, that it would be much less suspicious for you to approach by the city gate.]
'Oh. Right.' David realised that they were walking straight towards the city walls.
"Cherie. Let's head that way. We need to enter from the gate." David gestured toward the road that stretched out from the west of the city.
"It would've been so much easier for us if there was a road like that near Coppervein." Cherie murmured as she took in the unending stream of beings that were walking along the paved road
All manners of creatures were walking along the road. Just as there were all different colors of skim, from red, green, orange and more. There were all sorts of shapes and sizes.
Some towered high up above everyone else, others scurried low, darting in and out from around the countless legs.
As they drew closer to the road, the pair of them expected someone to give them a strange look. Afterall, they were a pair of dusty and dirty young teens coming out of the desert.
But they didn't even get a second look.
"Oi! Bumpkins! It's rude to stare." A gruff voice growled at the two of them. It came from a tall creature that was so covered in thick white fur that no features could be seen.
"Oh. Sorry." David replied, as they joined the side of the road heading into Lightharbor.
"Oi! You'll need this." A long arm extended out of the mass of fur, and dropped two shining copper coins down onto David.
"And try not to look so much like you've never seen civilization before." The mass of fur shook in disapproval.
"Ummm." David started to thank the creature, but it had disappeared amongst the crowd.
He handed one of the coins to Cherie.
"I guess there's some sort of entrance fee." She whispered to him.
"Let's hope there's nothing we'll need." David replied as they drew closer to the gates.
"Pass!" A enormous troll in a white uniform yelled down at David, who had been caught in watching a snake haired woman arguing with the guard on the other side of the gate.
"Huh?" Startled, David looked up at the troll. Then took out the coin from the furry creature.
"In the box!" The troll pointed at a wooden box hidden by its enormous foot.
Clink
David dropped the coin in the box and stepped in through the gates.
There was another clink behind him as Cherie paid the toll and joined him.
"MOVE!" The troll bellowed at the pair of them, who had stopped to look around in amazement.
David and Cherie hurried forward, as the mass of bodies behind them continued onwards, pushing them forwards.
Far on the other side of Lightharbor, in the basement of one of the countless bars that were scattered around the city, a seductive voice spoke.
"That took long enough."