In the afternoon, the same day. Ekiu was bidding goodbye to his sister then rode his horse to a town that was mentioned in the letter. This trip will take at least 2 day of non stop horse riding.
"I was actually know how much hassle this work without Equ. But I can pretty much do this. Kinda?" He speak to himself and keep going through the pathway in the forest.
After a few hour of riding, he stop by a spring and let his horse rest and he also drink the spring water as well. The tranquil water of the spring suddenly become wavy and then an magical beast known as Spring Gator emerge out the water and attempt to attack him.
He quickly jumps back to evade the sudden attack from the Gator. The Gator aggrasively keep chasing him but just before he's about to be biten, His horse charge and kicked the Gator's stomach and it's rolling to side.
As that happens, He quickly cast a lightning bolt and followed with a firebolt. The two bolt fused together to his command and he said.
"Mix bolt: Overload." He glares to the gator.
It get hit by the bolt and an explosion occur, sends the gator back into the spring with heavy burnt damage. It floats in the spring for a moment before swimming away. Ekiu take a deep breath and sit for a bit. His horse walk to him and start to lick some part at his hand that were scratch while evading the gator's attack.
"Thanks, Hallelu." He then caress the horse's face and then they continue with the journey.
Ekiu wasn't really good in close up combat but he is quite a powerful magician since his magic power were scaled to an Enigmata tier which is second highest tier among magic scale. He have very high control over his mana and can pretty much do something that normal magician can't do.
Even so, He's lacking over the need of distance between him and his opponent since his spell mostly strong and he may talk the impact from his own spell. It could be said as taste his very own medicine. That's why he need Equ since Equ was a very good fighter combined with her enhancing magic.
After another few hours of horse riding, he finally reached an old bridge which is the ravine below the bridge was the borderline of Oakwood(His current state) and Fallidom. Fallidom is one of the state that were marked as Beast Nest since the amount of Magical beast that appear in within this state is very high.
"Here come the hard part of my journey. Let's do this." He said and the horse walk steadily on the old hanging bridge.
Meantime, the sun is almost start to set as the sky turn slightly yellow. Black Blade was on his horse still riding and not yet reached the point he was aiming to.
"I must find shelter for tonight or I might be magical beast dinner. Go, Bladge!"
As he said so, the horse runs faster toward the north. The evening wind of Lothal was good but also the starting of magical beast's hunting time warning.
The horse keep running for hours but they can't seems to find any good spot to hide since all the eye can see was grass, tree that was far to each other and some caves. He looks at the hill with cave as he frown.
"That also one of the beast nest. I don't want to enter a cave unknowingly again. The last time already a gig."
He said and quickly going away from the cave area. The last time he sleep in a cave that supposed to be safe. He was already in a beast nest. Those beast we're known as Avondele. A tarantula like magical beast but like a size of a caravan.
To his bad luck, he couldn't find any good place to stay for a night but proceeding the journey also a bad choice to the amount of Night Watcher that was roaming around. (A Night Watcher is a magical beast that looks the same as a wolf but the size of an elephant and be able to cast some dark magic.) He then take a deep breath and prepare for the worse since he had no choice but to continue the journey.
Time passes again and the sun completely set and the night falls upon the land of Lothal. The second the darkness completely engulf the grassy land, The distant howling of the Night Watcher start echoes all over the place. Black Blade sigh as that happen and he take out his Black sword hilt and give some mana to it and turn it into black staff.
"I'm not paid enough for this... But, bring it on."
He completely aware that watchers already on his trail since a Night Watcher could smell mana from miles away. Since, magician contains mana in them... they just becoming most magical beasts favourite dish.
As he keep speeding on while keep looking for a village or a house in this unhabitable state, the howls and sound of running Watchers are getting clearer and clearer.
"They already on our tail." He said as he cast a spell that create floating fire on top of his staff.
The Watchers eventually reaches him and his horse. A watcher strike from the right side. He swing the staff to it and it's fall back. Those watcher were weak to light so a small fire will do the trick.
Even so, the watcher keep attacking aggrasively that giving him a hard time. Another watcher attacked the horses leg but instead of fallen, the horse give a kick to the watcher's face and it launched to another normal sized watcher. Then, a leader of the pack arrived and start to attack the two.
"Here's the leader. As usual, Bladge!"
The horse neigh once and it lauched Black Blade up from his back. He was high up in the sky and fall right on the leader that was the sized of a large wagon. At the sky, he again channel his mana to his staff and turn it into a sword. With the impact from falling, he pierced the leader's head and cast.
"A shard of fiery flame. The combustion from the pressure. I shall command thee. Fire blast!" He chant the spell and focused it to the tip of his sword that was already inside the leaders head.
The heat increase as a fire magic gathers at the sword tip. The watcher start struggling very hard before a damp blast echoes and the big watcher's head already blown appart. He jumps from the watcher's body and landed on his horse. as the leaders fall, some of the pack runs away while some start to attack them more aggrasively.
His horse start running away and the watchers is on their tail. He then cast another spell.
"The wall made out of fire. Protect us and lights the night with it's nature. high above the lower beings, I hear summon thee, firewall!"
A firewall suddenly appeared behind them and blocked the watcher's path. They can no longer pursue them since again... Watchers afraid of light and will never crossed a firewall.
"At least this strategy still working."
"*neigh*" The horse keep galloping.
After a short while, the finally reaches a village that was surrounded by torches. The torches main purpose it to repel those watchers away. He get in the village compound and he was greeted by two village guard who was a magician. They let him pass and he set's bladge in a stable.
Right after he leave the stable, his stomach grumbles that makes him walk to a nearby tavern. He choose a table and order himself for a good dinner. While he was sitting, waiting for the food. A girl in hood sit at the table in front of him saying nothing.
"Who are you?" he said after feeling something was off.
...to be continued