Chereads / Ichor Vow / Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: To Our journey, Begin

Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: To Our journey, Begin

After his promise to Brunhilde, he would speak

Seigfried: Then let me get my belongings before we head out into this hell.

She nodded her head, and the both of them would return inside the run-down structure when Seigfried was packing all his stuff. He saw Brunhilde in another room, looking around the house where she once rested. Even though her face doesn't convey much emotion, the look she gave was almost as if she were reminiscing about something she had long forgotten about. He would approach and say,

Seigfried: Are you sure you want to leave now? If you like, we can stay here a little bit longer. After all, there's no turning back once we leave here.

There was a brief pause there, but she would respond.

Brunhilde: It's okay; it will get easier the sooner we leave. *Her tone seemed melancholy, and her expression was detached.*

With no hesitation, both of them would leave the run-down house, and not once did she turn around and look in the direction of the house she came from. As both of them walked further from the house, Brunhilde would try to look away from Seigfried. Because of that, he didn't say anything to her. Is it because she didn't want me to worry? he thought.

They continue to walk around the ruin city, the once-populated city, which is now covered in greenery, flowers, and trees. As a result, the city itself was incredibly beautiful and colorful, beyond what words could completely convey. From time to time, in spite of the magnificent scenery of the city, they would stumble upon human remains of all ages that had been lying for a century. Brunhilde would collect them, dig a grave, and gently place their remains in the grave. Meanwhile, he would also help her bury the remains, pray, and lay them to rest. During the process, he would speak.

Seigfried: Brunhilde, I want you to know that we won't have time to bury anyone else after we leave the city.

Brunhilde: I know. I just want to give them a proper burial since no one else is able to. *As she was talking, she was holding the skull of a child that was in poor condition. Though her expression wasn't sadness but rather pity.*

Seigfried: Don't worry, I totally get it.

Brunhilde: Thank you, Seigfried.

After they were done, they continued their walk around the city. They would come across a variety of animals, such as deer, birds, and even new species of animals yet to be identified, roaming this abandoned city.

When they left the city, they would come across a group of humans. Each of them had a different physique, but there was one thing they all had in common: they were covered in scars from all their previous battles. It was clear there was something wrong with them because, as soon as they put their eyes on Brunhilde and Seigfried, they immediately attacked them. The both of them would talk nonchalantly to each other as adversaries came toward them with weapons.

Brunhilde: I'm assuming they're not the heroes you mention, right?

Seigfried: Yep.

Just as he replied, he came up with an idea.

Seigfried: I have a genius plan, Brunhilde. *When he said that, he turned toward her and gave her a thumbs-up with a horrid smile.* This is the perfect time for you to...

Brunhilde: No. *Although expressionless, it was clear she had no interest in his idea.*

Seigfried: What, why?! I didn't even finish what I was about to say. *He said it with a shocked expression.*

Brunhilde: Because my only mission is to kill the heroes and Gilgamesh.

Both of them would stare at each other with blank expressions in awkward silence. while the enemies are approaching them with weapons. She would look at him for a couple of seconds and reply.

Brunhilde: *she sighs and gives a nonchalant tone* Fine. *she then grabs the sword behind her waist and lunches toward them*

She stabs two of the enemies in the chest as she advances on them, then twists the blade to cut the enemies that are closing in on her. She would dispatch her opponents proficiently; she would never waste an opportunity to strike. She would utilize every tool at her disposal to her advantage in that battle, such as using their weapon against them, utilizing their bodies as a shield, or filing their bones into tiny blades and hurling them as projectiles. After finishing the fight, the area she fought in was a bloodbath. Brunhilde herself was covered in blood, but none of it was hers; in fact, she didn't seem phased and looked as if she had just killed a fly.

Meanwhile, all Seigfried did was sit around and act as a cheerleader for her. In his thoughts, she did better than I thought; in fact, she did a little too well for someone who hadn't fought in a long time... But hey! I ain't arguing. She would walk back to him and say,

Brunhilde: Let's go. *She said it with her usual expression while making eye contact with him, covered in blood.*

Seigfried: Ye yeah, let's go. *in a nervous tone while he thought to himself* Damn, she's kind of scary up close, but...

So they continued their journeys, whether it was the magma-hot desert or the tundra. They didn't take a break for days at a time. Although Seigfried wasn't tired during the journey, there was something that bothered him. In his head, he thought, Damn, this is so boring; not once has she spoken to me on this journey... Wait! Could it be that she was still mad at me at that time? He would then look at Brunhilde, who was behind him. When he looked at her, she had already been staring at him, which caused him to turn around and panic. Shiiit! Is she still mad about that? I should apologize before our relationship gets worse. Brunhilde herself would speak before he had a chance to apologize.

Brunhilde: I originally wasn't going to ask, but I seem to notice that I don't need to eat or sleep. Is it because I'm dead, or is it something else?"

Seigfried, upon hearing that, thought, Huh, she wasn't mad at me? Thank goodness. After his little incident, he would pause and turn around with a shit-eating grin on his face that would make Beelzebub himself ask him to take the position as the new king of hell. Then he uttered:

Seigfried: Well, well, well, it seems you have finally taken an interest in your body. *While he was striking a pose and stroking his chin, he was still maintaining the same grin on his face.

Brunhilde would look at him with the emptiest face he ever saw, and because of it, Seigfried would realize the awkward situation. He immediately stopped posing and just walked off with his face as bright red as a tomato, acting as if nothing had happened. He displayed a fake cough with his hand covering his mouth and replied

Seigfried: The reason why you don't need to eat or sleep is because I gave you my blood, which contains ichor.

Brunhilde: Ichor? *She tilted her head as she responded*

Seigfried, still embarrassed, nevertheless continued walking and replied.

Seigfried: Ichors are the artificial blood that Gilgamesh produced. Which enhances a person's abilities beyond what any human is capable of, even being able to be granted user power that resembles "magic." One of the effects it has on the body is that it removes what humans find to be a necessity; it gives them a longer lifespan and immunity to all illnesses. Ichors can also be used to bring the dead back to life, but it has requirements, such as that the body must be in a favorable condition, and even if the body is in good condition, it doesn't guarantee they will come back. But let's say they did come back to life; they won't remember a single memory they made previously. But fortunately, for this mission, it doesn't require your past memory. With that, it will give us a favorable position when we go against Mr.Gilg here.

Even after Brunhilde was given her answer, all it did was bring up more questions; thus, she stopped walking and said,

Brunhilde: Is Gilgamesh actually his given name?

Seigfried: No, Gilgamesh was the name his followers gave him since no one knew what to call him. *In a sarcastic tone, he adds* Hey! Who knew the guy who already hated humans didn't want to be worshipped by them so he just squashed them like like they were bugs... Whereas his birth name was Hyun Ae-ra.

Brunhilde: Why do you know his name? *She then stopped following him.*

Seigfried: *He then stopped, looked at her in the eyes, and said,* Oh, look at that! It's a pretty rock. *He would crouch down to the rock and repeatedly poke it.*

Brunhilde: Tch, asshole. *she muttered quietly to herself*

Seigfried: What did you just call me?

Brunhilde: Nothing, *as she said it in her usual expression.*

Brunhilde was really annoyed that he decided to act the way he did, but she knew him very well, so she just asked a different question.

Brunhilde: Why did he create Ichor, and couldn't he use it for the betterment of mankind instead of destroying the world?

Upon being given that question, Seigfried, whose grin changed to a stern expression, answered with hesitation,

Seigfried: From what I remember, there are two versions of the Ichor. The original Ichor was used in the medical field to help patients with; diseases, viruses, neurological issues, boost stem cells, and lastly, improve physical strength. However, the Ichor project was ultimately rejected because it was too expensive, and the result it produced was unimpressive. Despite all the odds of the project being rejected and the obstacles in his way, it wasn't enough for him to stop. So he would work on it on his own to develop it; eventually, he'd meet someone who took an interest in the project, and with that person, they successfully created the first version of the ichor, but due to an unfortunate event in his life, he made the second version of the ichor, which is the one we have now...

There was a long pause for a moment. when he "finishes," but he gets up and walks on, and she follows, but he continues.

Seigfried: The original Ichor was safe to use since it accomplished its goal and could be applied to any individual. The second version of the Ichor, though, might be dangerous because not everyone can use it. If you're not one of the select few, you could go insane or, in the worst case, become the irrational beast we've witnessed in earlier days, whose sole goal is to destroy humanity.

Then he took another long pause. then she would respond

Brunhilde: Were you the person who helped him create the ichor?

Seigfried: I...

Even though Brunhilde was just following behind Seigfried, she could tell that he didn't want to talk anymore, and the way he sounded was almost like he regretted something toward the end of his conversation. Brunhilde straight away apologizes to Seigfried.

Brunhilde: *She would run before him and bow down to him* I'm very sorry, I didn't mean to...

That moment, Seigfried interrupted her and said,

Siegfried: You have nothing to apologize about; after all, I am the one who decided to answer your question.

He would then smile at her to reassure her that she had done nothing wrong. Compared to the devilish grin he gave a while ago, the smile he had was warm and comforting, as she saw at the start. He would reply,

Seigfried: Thanks for apologizing. Even though you didn't do anything wrong, I promise to provide you with everything you need to know before we are done with this mission.

Brunhilde: Yes, sir. *she said it while still bowing down*

Seigfried: Jesh, stop with the formal stuff we've been traveling together for days already; I don't like it. I preferred when you called me an asshole.

Brunhilde: *she would stop bowing and look at him.* Wait, you heard that? 

Seigfried: Um, yeah...

Brunhilde: Then why didn't you say something instead of pretending to act like a fool?

Seigfried: You want to know why? It's because I think it's hot when women like you treat me badly. *Would then strike a pose with a smirk on his face.*

She looked at him with a blank expression and walked away. 

Seigfried: Wait, wait! Where were you walking off to?! You don't even know where we are heading. I'm sorry, I was joking!

When she got far enough away from Seigfried, she covered her face with her hand and would quietly laugh to herself and thought, What an idiot.

Following that, both of them decided to carry on their journey and go to their first of many destinations, Argos, where their first target lies on a hero who was once a demi-god who ascended to godhood, who was driven mad to slaying his own wife and children. A hero who symbolizes strength, loyalty, and selflessness. The name of this powerful hero is Heracles. How will they take down their first hero?