The following morning, after a quiet night despite the sudden attack, Lucian and Brodin were mounted on horses as Lunaris walked up to them.
"You ever ridden a horse before?" Brodin asked Lucian
"Yea, I think so." Lucian said, "I don't remember.....It feels weird...I just know I can ride one, but I don't remember how I know."
"Hm." Brodin said as his horse shifted, "Your memory still hasn't recovered."
Lucian steered his horse, a black stallion, around as he tried to get used to the handling. To him, it was a surreal feeling; he wasn't so sure how he was able to ride a horse without any memory of learning. Maybe he had learned as a child and it's something he was curious about. Deep down, it excited him, as this could be a step forward to fully remembering the entirety of his past.
"So I know how to ride a horse, huh?" He thought to himself, "Nice."
Lunaris walked up to them, "Alright, the barriers are still working on the crystal, which is very concerning." She said, "This could be some powerful Sorcerer's doing. Anyways, your new mission is to ride to Hornvein and extract Michael, my direct subordinate."
Lucian straightened his horse to face her as it snorted loudly, "What's he doing there?" He asked
"An undercover operation investigating a potential Cult." Lunaris said, "I haven't seen him in a month or so, he's deep in there."
Brodin nodded as he leaned forward while holding the reigns of his horse, a chestnut-colored stallion, "I see." He said, "So who is it we're looking for? Any description?"
Lunaris sighed, "Michael is eccentric and takes things too far sometimes." she said, "Normally, I'd say he's a young and slim man with brown hair and blue eyes, wears glasses, and is quite tall, as tall as the two of you. But since this is an undercover operation, he's more than likely disguised. He mentioned his cover is almost blown, so look for individuals who are out of place."
"This is a foreign world to me." Lucian frowned, "Everyone will be out of place."
Lunaris chuckled, "True." She said, "Be careful, Michael isn't someone who would ask for help. That means that he made some progress in his mission and the Cult does have a presence in the town."
"What kind of Cult is this?" Brodin asked, "Never heard of any sort of group dwelling in the Bull Kingdom."
"Details are vague at the moment, but these are the same people from Oakview." Lunaris said, "You heard of what happened over at the Simian Kingdom, right?"
Brodin narrowed his eyes, "Are you serious?" He said, "Those lunatics?"
Lucian raised an eyebrow, "That's a story I need to hear."
"On the way, maybe." Lunaris said, "Be on the lookout for Michael. There's a code word he uses when he goes undercover....it's stupid, but it always works. I won't say it out loud to not compromise it and the fact that I am too embarrassed to say it out loud."
She pulled out two pieces of paper and handed them to Brodin and Lucian.
Lucian took the paper and read it, raising his eyebrow and looking at the Paladin Knight, "Y-You're serious?" He asked
Lunaris backed away, "Yes."
Brodin sighed, "I can already tell, he's not a serious man." He said as he crumbled the paper and placed it in his pocket, "Very well, Lady Lunaris, we'll embark on the journey now."
"Tristan here will guide you. He's not allowed to enter Hornvein since he's already known in the Bull Kingdom." Lunaris nodded as a man pulled up on them on his white horse, "As soon as you two enter the town, he'll turn and return to the rendezvous point that he'll point out to you on the way. Please bring Michael back safely, he's a valuable asset to the Sect."
Lucian nodded, "Okay then."
He looked at Tristan, a tall and muscular man with a black goatee. His hair was black and was combed in a slick-back. He had serious jade-green eyes, looking right at Lucian which unsettled him.
"Tristan, be nice to these gentlemen." Lunaris said as she turned around, "Brodin will keep Lucian in check, so do antagonize the Cursed One."
As Lunaris walked away, Tristan raised his hand and shot a quick bolt of light at Lucian, hitting him on the chest as he was engulfed with light.
"H-Hey!!" Lucian exclaimed, "What the hell?!"
Tristan didn't change his serious expression, "Don't fret." He said, "Wearing Darklight Sect clothes will bring about suspicions. The Old Man's attire is odd but won't raise eyebrows."
Lucian's clothes changed to a brown leather trench coat and white pants and a black shit. He had already grown accustomed to his coat, despite it being replaced twice due to it getting ripped apart during his fights.
He frowned, "What is this?" He said, "I don't like this!"
"Deal with it." Tristan said, "Let us go."
******************
"So, what happened in Oakview?" Lucian asked as they rode behind Tristan at a stable pace, "What's the Simian Kingdom?"
They were riding on the road, a few hours later. They had reached the crossroads Lunaris had mentioned the day before and had already turned, making their way to Hornvein, the town that Lunaris's subordinate was in.
"The Monkey Kingdom, as called by many, is officially known as the Simian Kingdom." Brodin began, "Oakview is a merchant town at its border, just outside a vast jungle that separates it from the main country. There's a small system of roads that merchants take through the jungle so it's not isolated from the Town, but despite that; the Kingdom rarely hears things about it."
Lucian nodded, "Okay..." He said, "So I assume some Cult started there?"
"The Cult was already a thing, they just happened to perform a vile ritual there." Brodin said as he looked ahead, "But as Lunaris said, the details are quite vague. It's unsure if it's the same one."
Lucian tilted his head, "If one of her subordinates spent over a month undercover investigating, you'd think it's quite serious." He said, "And if he feels like he's being found out, maybe it could be serious. It might be the same one. Although, I'm not sure what they did to be so heinous."
"This isn't like our world, Lucian." Brodin said, "The Cults we've heard of over at Earth were insane, yes, but these are more than just that. Whatever they worship is more than real and that's even more terrifying."
"So...." Lucian said as he looked at him, "We're talking about Demonic worship? A sacrificial ritual?"
"Worse." Brodin said, "I wish it was just mortal sacrifices."
"Then what?" Lucian asked
"You don't wanna know." Brodin said, "It's unsettling."
"Hm...." Lucian said, "If you say so."
"You two seem awfully chatty." Tristan called out from ahead, "Keep alert, we don't know what could attack us from anywhere."
Lucian looked around, seeing nothing but grassy plains on the side of the road. This was such a vast country diverse with greenery, something that Lucian had just noticed. When he escaped Lunaris, it was nothing but rivers and woods, massive trees, and such. At Rivertown, there were fields with grass and crops, with vast woods next to them as well. Now, they were next to massive plains with grass, who knows what could graze there?
He'd assume either horses or cows, but this was a magical world he was in now. He had just fought and absorbed a Wyvern that shot out golden lightning.
There was still that he had to address; his Calamity had taken in the Royal Wyvern and his Second Seal had unlocked yet nobody addressed it one time.
"There's nothing around us." Lucian said
"So you'd think." Tristan responded, "But how is it that you two were ambushed by not one, but two Onis? Do not trust your eyes."
"He's got a point." Brodin said
"I know what Onis smell like, they exude a sulfuric stench, I don't smell anything of the sort." Lucians said as they all rode forwards, "We're in the clear."
"There are much more horrors that the Demons have in their arsenal aside from the Onis." Tristan said, "You do well to remember that, Traversed."
"Okay then..." Lucian muttered
"We'll reach Hornvein soon. On the way, we'll pass a safehouse that I'll point out." Tristan said, "When you retrieve Michael, I'll be there, waiting. Make sure the fool doesn't die; he probably hold valuable information about this Cult he's been investigating."
Brodin nodded, "Very well."
Lucian sighed, "Wonder what this dude is all about...." He said, "Lunaris said we'll get along. I don't know about that."
"I doubt that." Tristan said, "Michael can be insufferable sometimes."
"Well, anyone would be to you..." Lucian muttered under his breath
"What was that?" Tristan asked as he glanced over
"Nothing." Lucian simply said
Brodin cleared his throat and looked at Lucian, scanning his body and sensing nothing out of the ordinary when it came to his Ether. It was strange, considering he watched him undo the Second Seal and absorb a Royal Wyvern.
"You've unlocked your Second Seal, right?" Brodin asked
Lucian nodded, "I would say so."
"You don't feel any different?" Brodin asked again
"No." Lucian replied
"Hm, maybe that's because you have to reach the fourth one." Brodin said, "Lunaris mentioned how she wanted you to undo the first three. Maybe undoing the first one will grant you access to the Calamity and the two after that are simply the ones blocking the next level of your power."
"That's...." Lucian frowned, "A bit excessive...don't you think?"
"That's what the Seals are, Lucian." Brodin said,
"They're meant to be excessive."