Chiron had a tall, slender frame that was hidden by his robes.
‘One would never expect this man to be one of the strongest on this continent…’ Faust gulped as they walked back to the Inn with Chiron.
‘I don’t feel tired… meditation has a similar effect to sleep… considering I can’t sleep very well anyways, I should be able to spend my nights meditating.’ Faust felt delighted at the thought. He could increase his power while others slept.
The sun had risen when they arrived at the Inn. They saw their group sitting at a table and when Ronan saw them in the company of Chiron, he facepalmed.
Aquila raised an eyebrow and looked at Faust.
Chiron was unfaced, smiling as he always did, with his quarterstaff in hand.
Leona stood up and walked over to them.
“Hey, I thought you had run away during the night. Yet here you are with a new friend… again. I must say you surprise me again and again…” She planted a kiss on his lips and he put an arm around her.
“Good morning. The night was… very interesting. We have news, but we won’t be able to discuss it before we are on the road.” He smiled at her and she looked at Chiron with a curious expression.
“A beggar? No, his clothing is not shabby…” she whispered, forgetting her manners for a second.
Chiron just smiled.
“A monk. You should not speak about others this way before them, child.” He said with a soft smile.
Leona blushed, coughed, and excused herself, Chiron just waved it off.
When Faust looked at Ronan, his facial expression was more complex. The Companion crossed his arms and Chiron sighed.
“You think I am crazy.”
Ronan smiled amusedly and nodded.
“Yes, I do. The things you told me yesterday are nuts. The talk of Desire, suffering, and all that. You won’t survive in this world with views such as yours.”
Chiron smiled softly.
Confusion spread in Faust’s mind.
‘Did they meet yesterday? Did Chiron tell Ronan about his teachings?’ he pondered before looking at Ronan.
“He is stronger than Elena.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Titus, who had been sipping from his cup, suddenly dropped it on the table and it shattered. His hand remained in place as he looked at Chiron. Leona, Cassius, and Ronan weren’t much better.
“He is a… Cu-“ Ronan stammered before Leona rammed an elbow in his ribs. He coughed and bowed briefly.
“I need to apologize. Considering your strength, what you said makes much more sense.” He scratched his head.
Titus, who seemed resigned more than anything else, turned to Faust.
“Kid, from traveling with you I’m starting to get the feeling that the continent is full of people like you and stronger.” His expression soured a bit.
Faust scratched his head.
“Well, considering the events it only makes sense for powers to leave their caves… Chiron will travel to Antioch with us, he is a monk and not allowed to own anything but his staff. I have offered that he can stay with us and gain knowledge about our enemy… for a reason I will tell you on the way.”
Titus rubbed his temples but nodded in the end.
“Sure. Why not, this cannot get any crazier.”
Aquila looked at Faust and snickered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An hour later they were travelling on the road and Chiron sat on the wagon with Leona and Cassius.
“I am only one of many Cultivators from a hidden order…” he explained to them what he had previously told Faust and Aquila. Titus and Ronan also listened in.
Aquila rode ahead of the wagon with Faust. Aquila had let his hair grow out over the last months. His pitch-black hair had grown to shoulder length and he wore it open, letting it flow in the wind. The wine hills had turned into plains with large fields with varying crops.
Aquila sniffed the air while he was rocking on his horse and grinned at Faust.
“The Sea.” A smile blossomed on his face.
“Could it already be?” Faust thought excitedly and something deep within him steered at the thought. He had been eagerly awaiting their arrival at the sea. Despite having never seen it, he felt a magical draw towards it.
They saw a hill before them and grinned at one another.
“Think what I think?” Aquila asked and after Faust nodded with a laugh, they started charging forward, both attempting to reach the top of the hill before the other.
Faust reached the top a short while before Aquila. He slowed down before he could look over it.
‘Is this it? Are we finally there?’ his heart pounded as he rode the last bit, so he could finally look into the distance. And what he saw made his mouth drop wide open.
Before him, the road wound down at least several hundred meters until, in several kilometers distance, he saw a fortified town.
Yet it couldn’t captivate his attention for long, because right behind it… there was a picture more magnificent than what Faust had ever seen. The sun glistered in the azure water that stretched as far as Faust could see.
‘There is just no end to it… it's infinite…’ A small tear dropped down his right eye.
He felt something he hadn’t in months.
‘I feel at home.’ He smiled and closed his eyes, focusing on the breeze and smell of the sea, which smelled so enticing and like the most wonderful thing in the world. It felt like a hunger he hadn’t known about had finally been stilled.
Yet when he opened his eyes his gaze landed on something else, completely unfathomable.
Two kilometers off the coast, there lay a city. It was not a normal city. It was an island. An island so bright and magnificent, that Faust had trouble to believe his eyes.
Surrounded by a gigantic wall, there was a combination of large buildings and towers, made of white stone, that were visible even from such an incredible distance. Within the wall he saw a gigantic gate that let in ships and allowed entry to the city.
It looked more like a gigantic, beautiful piece of art, built on an island and surrounded by formidable defenses.
It was an incredible feeling Faust had. He felt whole. Something told him, that this was where he needed to be. The city welcomed him. He sat upright on his horse, looking into the distance with a determined gaze.
‘Antioch… this is my destiny.’