Leonidas could feel the power of the steed beneath him. He had grown quite sensitive to blood and the power it held over the past several months. With a bit of focus, he could feel the movement and rush of it. Contrary to what one might think, a slower, more forceful heartbeat seemed to coincide with a more powerful individual.
This strong, black-maned steed of Leonidas’ made him inwardly feel content. Just half a year ago, he was forced to release a horse of this caliber because he couldn’t afford the ramifications of owning one. But now, he could proudly ride out of the very town that had oppressed him for most of his life.
To his side, Lady Eve rode along. He was intimately familiar with her horse as he had cared for it personally. Though it was small, it was purebred and known for its speed. It was perfect for a slender woman like her.
“There should be three main hotbeds for Level 1 missions. The Greenwood Forest, Sandstorm Valley, and Wolf Pond Forest. Sandstorm Valley is the most dangerous and it’s likely that she’s there, we’ll check there first.”
Sandstorm Valley started off lush and green before being overwhelmed by dryness and turning into a deep trench of rock and sand. It was known for its odd windy climate which would often lead to harsh dust storms that frequently made traversing its terrain almost impossible. However, for whatever reason, it was also a rich deposit of ore, especially Blessed Ores.
These sandstorms weren’t what made the valley so dangerous, though. While Greenwood Forest was closer to Violet Waters, Sandstorm Valley was much closer to Swallowing Tusk. In fact, the lush forests of Greenwood Forest guided Greenwood River which continued into the mouth of Sandstorm Valley before eventually forming a small lake and ending.
This valley also happened to be part of the reason there were many battles against Swallowing Tusk that have taken place in Violet Waters, but almost none of the vice versa. Swallowing Tusk takes great advantage of the end of the valley and the dense forests that surround it to protect themselves, allowing themselves free reign to attack and yet none of the drawbacks of defense.
There was no doubt that the mining tunnels of Sandstorm Valley would be the worst place to send someone you wanted to survive, and the best place to send someone you wanted to torture. And, it also happened to be the very same place Lady Eve had almost taken Leonidas’ life.
The pair of horses veered from the main road, charging into the forest. Their speed fell by a measure and Lady Eve’s horse showed off its agility. Lady Eve’s ability to navigate through long distances was no worse than Leonidas’. In fact, she had completed so many solo missions that the terrain was practically imprinted onto her mind.
The two rode into the night, using a combination of expertise and instinct to avoid the territory of Blessed Beasts. Their timing was perfect, making it to Sandstorm Valley just as a crescent moon peeked over the horizon.
Leonidas didn’t have the sharp vision he would need in such an environment, but he had brought along a pair of Night Vision Potions. They had the unfortunate side effect of making your irises glow a tinge brighter than would be natural, but it was a worthy trade-off.
“Something is off.” Lady Eve said softly, her volume instinctively lowering.
Leonidas didn’t respond, waiting for her to explain.
The two were currently riding along the edge of the valley, using the line of trees as protection and weaving in and out of them.
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“That’s what it is… The crickets, there aren’t any of them. By this time of night, they’re usually already chirping, especially around here. The only time they wouldn’t be is during sandstorm season when it gets too dry for them and they retreat deeper into Greenwood Forest. But, it isn’t that time of year.”
The region around Violet Water and Swallowing Tusk experienced hot summers and mild springs and falls. As for winter, it was essentially an extension of spring and fall, ultimately becoming known more for its dryness than its coldness.
Leonidas, though, had remained in secluded training for that period, dodging the winter months. By now, they had entered spring which was the wettest of the seasons. The crickets should have had no reason to retreat to moister pastures.
Leonidas nodded. Lady Eve had already proven to be patient and resourceful, but it also seemed that her observational skills were also exceptionally strong. Plus, her experience was greater than his own. He didn’t have the foundational knowledge necessary to draw this conclusion.
“What reasons could there be for this?”
“Well… Smaller creatures are often driven away by stronger ones, usually caused by a disruption in the natural order. It means that either a new boss has moved in, or one of the older ones has recently evolved and now wants to expand their territory.
“The trouble with that is that I don’t see any other telltale signs of that level of strife.
“The second option could be the increased human and Lower Ogre activity. Animals tend to be very sensitive to conflict, but again there aren’t any signs of excessive humanoid activity in this region either.
“The only explanation left is that there’s been a change to the environment.”
“The air,” Leonidas responded. “There’s an earthier-than-normal smell hanging within it, even more than what you’d expect from a forest. It’s less soil-like and feels… drier.”
Lady Eve pulled her horse’s reins, coming to a stop. Her gaze locked onto something up ahead and toward her left. Leonidas’ own gaze couldn’t help but narrow when he noticed it.
On the opposing side of the valley, a sight one would have never expected to find lay. It should have been difficult to pick out something so far away, even with the help of a Night Vision Potion. However, the resulting destruction was so large that even without the potion, even Leonidas wouldn’t have missed it.
The rock face had collapsed along a section of at least thirty meters, taking with it even much of the line of trees that had once lined the top of the valley’s edge.
“That location…” Leonidas said slowly.
“It’s the location of the Blood Sacrifice Shrine.”
This so-called Blood Sacrifice Shrine was none other than the Fallen Apostle hideout that had changed the trajectory of Leonidas’ life. But, Leonidas had no intention of correcting her. What was important was that this wasn’t a coincidence.
‘Could it be that the spirit destroyed the hideout after realizing it was impossible to keep protecting it?’
Leonidas could feel Lady Eve’s questioning gaze on his side profile. He could guess what she was thinking, but the truth was that he had been so afraid of her retaliation back then that he had left this area even before she did. If anything, she should know more about this than he did.
“I don’t know either,” Leonidas said.
Lady Eve looked away, eying the destruction again.
“You’ve yet to tell me anything, that much is fine. But I hope that you won’t lie to me about things that might put me in danger, or else what have I sacrificed for?”
Lady Eve’s words reminded Leonidas of just how odd their current relationship was. Ultimately, she was a woman who sought after power, so much so that she was willing to kill her own nephew in pursuit of it. Lady Eve was most definitely not a ‘good person’.
However, even in saying this, she was correct. The two were now tied by circumstance and neither could easily abandon the other any longer. The last of Lady Eve’s betting chips had been placed on Leonidas, while Leonidas himself was being slowly backed into a corner where now the only person he could rely upon was a woman who hadn’t hesitated to kill him.
This made cultivating their relationship all the odder. What was he supposed to do? Caress and whisper sweet nothings to her?
Leonidas wasn’t averse to doing such a thing if it would work. He understood a lot about female nature after interacting with so many of them every day. The trouble was that it wasn’t quite time for him to spring something like that onto her. Any fool would be able to tell that it was forced.
‘This relationship won’t work if there’s always a seed of apprehension. The obvious path is to fuck her again. She seems like the type of woman to stick to her word even if she enjoyed it the first time, so breaking down that barrier and having her relax is a good first step. None of this can be forced.’