These words were surrounded by an incredible feeling of warmth, but also power. They worked on me like hypnosis. Like an order.
"Damn it..." I whispered.
I calmed my breathing. I calmed myself. I managed to control the power and calm the aura. But when I came to my senses, the hand on my shoulder was gone. It left only a memory behind. I turned around quickly, but the woman whose voice I heard and whose touch I felt was nowhere to be seen.
"Am I losing my mind?" I asked myself.
I had the inquisitor before me. Solar's emissary. The murderer who killed innocents with the name of a false god on his lips. I swore to myself that I would avenge my loved ones. But not yet. I am too weak, I have not yet mastered my power. I would not stand a chance in a fight even against the thugs who previously started a brawl in the tavern, let alone a real Inquisitor. But that will change. Soon.
"Frei... dude, are you okay?" I heard a familiar worried voice.
Han was standing next to me, looking worried about the whole situation.
"This is the real Inquisition... the plan is falling apart. You know I'll follow you into the fire. But this is no joke," he continued.
"Relax, Han. Trust me," I replied with a fake smile. 'I have the situation under control.' Well, I didn't have it under control at all. Oh, I didn't. But we'll worry about that later.
"The plan doesn't change," I said, patting him on the shoulder.
"Fuck, man, I need more beer," he replied with a worried smile, then headed towards the tavern.
As I watched Han walk away, I felt something strange and dangerous. It felt like my eyes were on fire. And my brain was falling to pieces. It only lasted a moment, just long enough that despite the intense pain, I couldn't make a sound.
Something has changed in me. My eyes... I feel as if I had been blind all my life and only now am I regaining my sight. Now I see more, I am beginning to see the world as it really is. When I was a child, I managed to get some education. My parents were wealthy merchants from a very famous and prestigue family. I don't know much about it, but I heard that it was an extremely old dynast from the country of Loretan. That's why we were surrounded by scholars and professors who took care of my education. I remember the words of one of the researchers who raised me.
"The whole world, the whole of creation, every stone, every branch and every living creature is made up of mana. This mana represents the six main elements: fire, air, earth, water, light and darkness. Every creature, every person has an element within them that dominates the other elements. Some call it nature, others simply mana, but I prefer to call it the soul. So that's what he meant, I thought.
I saw a world before my eyes that I had never seen before. I could still see the same village, the same trees, I could hear the same stream nearby and I could hear the voices of the same people, but something had changed.
Everything around was surrounded by auras. As if they were shells of flowing energy. The energy of the elements.
I could feel the energy flowing through the world. Some auras were much stronger than others... some were even blinding. But when I looked at the Inquisitor, I saw... nothing. It was like a black hole that absorbed light. It was as if... he had no energy at all. Even the smallest branch... stone... drop of water. Everything was surrounded by elemental energy, but him... no.
After a while, my vision started to blur, and when I rubbed my eyes with my hands... the auras disappeared.
"Damn it..." I swore. " So, I can't maintain this state for a long time. "
Now is not the time to think about it. I don't fully understand my abilities, but I am sure they will help me face my enemies. I just have to master them. I will avenge my parents, I will find and disembowel those bastards. Even if it's the last thing I do.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm the whirlwind of thoughts in my head. I need to talk. Han, where is Han?
I turned on my heel and headed for the tavern.
The tavern was not as crowded as before. There were a few regulars and a few pilgrims, but it was not overcrowded. That's why it immediately struck me that Han was not there.
I glanced at Pierce. The owner was pouring beer into two clay jugs. I walked over to talk to him.
"Hey, Pierce. Have you seen Han? I heard he was supposed to be drinking here, but I can't see him anywhere."
"Oh, kid. I saw him here a minute ago. He went outside with some tough guy. He didn't seem happy. Maybe he tried to pick his pocket?" said Pierce, smiling and revealing his missing teeth.
A chill ran down from my spine. "Which way?"
Pierce gestured toward the back door.
Without another word, I turned and run outside. The night air was crisp, carrying the distant sound of insects and the occasional drunken laughter from inside the tavern. I moved quickly, my boots barely making a sound on the damp earth as I rounded the corner to the alley behind the inn.
I couldn't believe what I see.
Han was on the ground, clutching his side, his face twisted in pain. Blood stained his fingers.
Standing over him was a hulking brute of a man—the same thug from earlier, the one who had started the brawl in the tavern. His massive frame blocked out the moonlight, and in his thick hands, he gripped a heavy battle-worn axe. The curved blade dripped with fresh blood.
My hands clenched into fists. My heart pounded in my chest, not with fear—but with rage.
"You son of a bitch. You are a deadmeat" I said it calmly. More calmly than ever.
I could feel the energy flowing through my body.
"Prepare to die," I said, looking at the monster with murder in my eyes.