“…Huh!?” Poula caught Theron off guard with her request. His face immediately became a canvas of utmost confusion. Brief images of marriage swept through his mind, creating a humorous pause.

Facepalming and resting her other hand on her hip, Iila corrected the misunderstanding. “Don’t get the wrong idea, Braveheart. I'm simply coming with you on your quest.”

Theron's face contorted further in confusion, his eyes widening and raising an eyebrow at the declaration. “HU-!?”

“Got a problem with me tagging along?”

Immediately shrinking back, Theron sheepishly responded. “No ma'am… Wait! Y-yes I do!”

Raising a hand to speak. Chief Harkon interjected with full confidence. “You said it yourself, you're going on a very dangerous quest, no? I'm proud to offer Husui's best warrior in generations to accompany you, Braveheart.”

Theron clasped his hands together in gratitude, albeit nervously, in response. “With all due respect, Chief Harkon, Iila and I didn't really start on the right foot… Forcing her to com–”

Iila interjected, cutting Theron off. “It was both my plan and decision. I'm not being forced at all. When I caught wind of why you came back to Husui after the man-killer's defeat, I thought it'd be a good opportunity to help repay the debt Husui owes you,” Coming face to face with Theron, Iila finished her pledge. “As my father said, as Husui's lead warrior, it's my duty to fulfill that debt.”

“B-But–!”

Patting Theron’s shoulder as she passed him and into the chief’s hut, Iila chuckled at Theron’s dazed face. “You may as well start getting ready, as I'm not taking no for an answer.”

After another brief pause, Theron hung his head in defeat. “Man… I just can't win against her…”

“Hehe! That's my elder sister for you!”

—

Now at the front gate, dressed in his usual adventurer attire, Theron laid himself on one of the giant wooden stakes.

Staring at the map he bought in Kirull Valley, he thought about his next move. “So, neither Ms. Kuina nor JoJo knew anything about the rune. I guess the only thing I can do is search around the Husui Region.”

Rolling off the base of the spike and onto his side, Theron scratched his head in contemplation. “Where should I start… Oh? Aha! There! Titan's Reach!” Theron set his sights on a place southwest of Husui Village, circling with his finger on the map. “There’s also Joulm Village along the way! Hopefully I can rest there.”

“Yo, Braveheart.”

Theron looked up at his name being called, meeting the gaze of the Harkon Family. “Hm? Oh! Iila… That’s a big bag you got there, ready to go I assume?”

“Yeah, ready when you are.”

“I, uh… I see…” Theron tried to be enthusiastic, but his trailing words betrayed him. Having someone come along with him didn’t sit right.

Chief Harkon was the first to notice and stepped forward. “Something wrong, Braveheart?”

“It’s just… It'll be dangerous. Are you three honestly sure about this?”

“My boy, it's no worry. As chief, and more effectively, as a father, I’d be against it too. But from what Iila told me, you have a good head on your shoulders, with experience to boot. I feel confident having Iila venture on such a quest with the likes of you,” Turning to and smiling at his daughters, Harkon continued. “And either way, she's now a grown woman of twenty years. She isn't my little princess anymore…”

While Iila gritted her teeth in rare irritation with her father, Theron and Poula both quietly giggled at the princess statement.

“That’s why I would love for her to be able to journey across the land of Edens. Allow her to grow outside this small pond of a village. It’s what my dear Fifia would have wanted.”

“I see…” Momentarily looking down, Theron responded with a hand to his heart, his own pledge. “I appreciate your words Chief Harkon, and I give you mine: I'll put my life on the line to ensure your daughter makes it back alive.”

“Aww!” Finding Theron’s pledge endearing, Poula couldn’t help but be pleased.

Iila on the other hand wasn’t so keen. “Tch, like I need your protection…”

“Yeah, you're totally right. You did save me from the bear after all. I guess that'd make you more of a bodyguard, haha!” Accepting his new comrade, Theron stretched out his hand. “Either way, if you're serious about coming with me, I'd be honored to fight alongside you.”

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Replying with nothing but a smirk, Iila shook Theron’s hand. Their partnership now solidified.

“You go elder sister!”

“Show the land of Edens the might of Husui Village, my daughter.”

“Be safe you two!”

“Iila! Iila! Iila!

As the newfound traveling pair looked on to the farewells of not only Iila’s family, but also the villagers that had gathered around the front gate, a fleeting thought crossed Theron’s mind.

“Oh, that almost slipped my mind,” Walking over to Poula, Theron solemnly bowed, much to her confusion. “Ms. Poula, I’m very sorry for making you cry earlier. I know I already apologized before, but just know. I will endeavor to create a world where you, your child, and everyone else, won’t have to fear the wrath of Ryukaros!”

Warmly smiling, Poula hugged Theron. “Thank you… Hero… And good luck!”

—

Now exiting the Husui Region, the pair entered the vivid grasslands of the Buon Region. The lush greenery was a stark contrast to the Husuian snow-laden landscape. While at first there were many trees harboring small critters like Husui, the further they walked, the fewer trees there were.

Walking amongst the Buon Plains, carpeted with colorful and vibrant wildflowers, Theron silently reminisced his encounter with the Chimera. It was a quest given by the Kona Village, a bit north of Kirull, though too down south than where he and Iila were headed.

Looking up from Theron’s map, a sweaty Iila glanced at him to clarify their destination, only to see Theron with his head in the clouds. “Braveheart? Everything okay? You look kind of out of it.”

“Oh, I’m fine. Thing is, down south, there’s an abandoned dungeon. A little while ago, I took a quest to slay a Chimera Beast that took residence in it. It caused a lot of problems for a nearby village, mostly attacking and eating livestock.”

“That? Hijun mentioned something of the sort…”

“Oh yeah, Hijun! He asked me what was my wildest adventure, and I obliged. He’s a nice kid.”

“He is…” Iila looked back down at the map. “So, how long do you think it’ll take until we hit Joulm?”

Looking at the sinking sun above the horizon, Theron knew they had enough time. “I’m confident we’ll get there by nightfall. Once we do and get some rest, I’ll arrange for us to get a horse for easier travel.”

“Thank Vahla, my feet are killing me, not to mention this heat…”

“Man, guess Chief Harkon was right. She doesn’t have that much outside-world experience.” Theron inwardly mused. “What’d you expect coming dressed in so many layers and heavy-duty boots?”

“Oh shut it,” Iila replied as she started to take off her fur-lined hood and cloak. Tying them over her brown waist belt, she then unbuttoned and took off her coat, revealing a leather tunic. It was sleeveless and the same snow-white hue as her hair. “Ah, much better.”

As she stretched, Theron’s jaw dropped at seeing her toned, yet slender figure. It was honestly his first time seeing such a muscular woman, especially her pronounced abs peeking from her midriff the tunic provided. He was so mesmerized in fact, he didn’t see her coat flying towards him.

“Hold my coat, will ya? I’m already carrying the backpack.”

“I-uh, got it…”

Once they packed the loose clothing, the two resumed their journey.

“So, Braveheart, to clarify… You're on a quest to find the missing pieces of the rune you found, in order to find this fabled ‘Immortality Elixir’, right?”

“Yeah,” Theron pulled out the rune tablet from his pouch. “I can’t quite decipher it yet, but I just know it could lead to the key to slaying Ryukaros, the God of Destruction…”

Iila smirked. “Pretty big aspirations. I’ve never seen Ryukaros myself, but I have heard of him.”

“Everybody in Edens both knows and fears the wrath of Ryukaros.”

“So, wanna spill why you’re pursuing to kill a god? Let me guess, for the recognition? The thrill of it? Or maybe you’re bored and wanted an excuse to leave your home village.”

“Trust me, if I could have stayed in Kakori Village, I would.”

“Hm? Then why did you leave?”

“I had no choice…” Theron looked down, his face shaded by his own hair and sorrow. “Fifteen years ago... When I was seven, Ryukaros attacked and destroyed Kakori Village without warning. Everyone, including my older sister, perished that night, except me…”

Shock painted itself onto Iila’s horrified face. Glancing at Theron, she could see his face was laddened with grief, masked by a burning vengeance.

Bringing his left hand up to his face and squeezing it into a fist, Theron reminded himself of the burning pain from his scar that fuels his vengeance to this day. “At first, I wanted to know why, but these past few years, all I’ve seen is mindless destruction the more I chased him. I don’t need a reason anymore.”

“I… Vahla, I di–”

“No, it’s fine. Actually, this is where you come in, Iila.”

“Me? How so?”

“Well, the prayer you gave to the fallen, back in the man-killer’s den. It gave me hope that they’re in a better place with this Vahla.” Theron looked up with a grateful smile. “I’ve never been into religion myself, so thanks.”

Adopting the same smile as Theron, Iila replied. “No problem… I did say I would tell you about Vahla back then too, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, and there’s no better time than right now, we still got some land to cover.”

“Well, as I said before, Vahla is the Sun Deity my people worship. More specifically, he’s the God of both Fire and the Sun. We believe that all life, even our souls, originate from the Sun. The concept of fire was a not only a gift, but also a test from Vahla. Fire warms our bodies, boils our frozen water, cooks our raw meat, a select few humans can even use it as a weapon in the form of Arcanic Fire. Fire gives us everything we need to survive. But if used recklessly or taken for granted, it can easily burn us.”

Looking up at the bright sun while shielding her eyes, Iila continued. “The sun even moreso. Without it, life on earth is impossible. Without its heat, everything would freeze. Without its light, we would never be able to see the smiling faces of our loved ones. Without its energy, plants that animals eat could never sprout. Yet, stay out or look at it too long, your skin and eyes boil.”

“What happens when you die?”

“Your soul goes back into the sun and incubates. Awaiting the chance to be sent out as energy and be reborn anew. We call it the eternal cycle of life and fire. You say you’ll achieve immortality by finding this elixir. In a way, I guess you could say it’s our own perspective of immortality.”

Looking ahead in consideration, Theron took Iila’s words into deep thought. “…Do you think others have their own ideas of immortality?”

“Think? I’m sure of it. After all, Vahla isn’t the only god…”

-

Next: (Chapter 6) Joulm Village