Felghan handed him a small slender leather bag before he was to leave to do his own work for Lady Meredith. He had put off important tasks to resolve some disputes between lords all because Kiran had run into him at the abandoned fortress. How lucky of him to run into little ol’ me.
Kiran opened the leather bag finding a bunch of vials inside. “You’re letting me have all of these?”
“I am. Those of us who travel in the dark must care for each other and ensure we can at the very least see out there during our travels.”
“Well thanks.” These potions that enhanced his vision in the dark proved useful during their relatively brief travels together. He would have to use them only when necessary though since there wasn’t an infinite quantity of them.
“I hope you make it safely to your people.”
Kiran gave the man a stern shake of the hand and saw him walk out of the room he had been staying in for a few nights. He could’ve easily left and not said anything, but before leaving to head south on his own personal journey to serve Lady Meredith, he had come by to visit Kiran before he too was to leave to go in an entirely different direction.
He made sure that all of his things were gathered. He hadn’t exactly come to the fourth domain with a lot so that was fairly easy. All he really had was the dead arcane root carefully wrapped and pocketed along with Della’s necklace around his neck. His attire was changed out for something less scraggly with the kindness of Lady Meredith providing him some new clothes.
He wore a relatively unworn pair of black leather boots and wore some fairly comfortable brown trousers. He also found himself wearing a nice black tunic and a warm black cloak. It was already nearly impossible to see someone out in the dark barren lands. With all of this black attire, he’d be practically invisible which would make traveling a bit safer since it ought to be harder to spot him out there during his travels.
Thankfully, it appeared that Aphelia hadn’t told anyone of his incursion last night. For that he was grateful. He felt somewhat guilty for having done it, but that butterfly who had helped him had wanted him to follow them.
Since then however, the butterfly hadn’t reappeared. Perhaps they felt guilty for luring him to a place he wasn’t meant to be.
Or maybe they had another reason for not reappearing. Whatever the case, he found his mind preoccupied with the coming journey he was to experience.
Before he was to set off however, he found himself in Lady Meredith’s presence as she sat in that fancy red chair of hers that he imagined had gotten a fair bit of use from her and possibly others before her.
She gestured over towards her white-haired guardian. The man hoisted up a scabbard horizontally and appeared ready for him to take it. “If you’re going to go out there, this ought to be of some use to you,” she said.
Kiran grabbed the scabbard. He then gripped the hilt and pulled the blade free to see a little bit of the blade’s steel.
“It’s yours to keep,” she said.
He bowed his head towards her. “I’m grateful for your generosity my lady. You’ve been more than helpful towards me than I rightfully deserve.”
“Nonsense. It is the duty of my position to care for those within these lands even if you are technically not from here. But the existence of yourself and your people has awakened a crisis for me and I expect you to work towards resolving it. The reality is that I need you as much as you need me.”
Her words made it clear that she expected him to give back in return. Kiran fully intended to do so. “I admit my lady, I don’t fully know how I am to do such a thing. But I promise I will do whatever it is that I can.”
“I expect that you will. While you do so, I, in whatever capacity I can, shall begin working towards forming a link of communication with these people of yours. As for you two,” she said looking towards the two maids. “I expect you both to help Kiran navigate his way to the east and do so as if it were me.”
They both curtsied perfectly in sync with one another. “Yes, my lady.”
“I shall also provide two of my horses so that you may travel more easily. Just please try not to lose them. They are quite dear to me and quite practically speaking, a dying breed within this domain. But before you are all to set off, is there anything else that I might possibly be forgetting to mention?”
The two maids looked towards one another. “Should we perhaps mention—”
“Ah yes,” Lady Meredith said interrupting Aphelia. “I almost forgot. I’d caution you,” she said directly eyeing him personally,” in going too far to the east. There are dangers beyond our borders that you’d likely prefer to avoid dabbling with.”
“Such as?”
“Such as a familiar that appears as a red serpent. Their name is Lucias. They are in control of the eastern territories and they have allied themselves with the more, intelligent banespawn that exist within their lands. Anyone who would dare ally themselves with those fiends is someone I’d caution against and I’d make it rather clear to your people that they ought to not consort with them or Lucias for that matter as well. Thankfully it sounds like your people aren’t within his lands so they ought to not have encountered him or his spies. Just know that if you or them were to involve yourselves with that serpent, it will cause more problems for everyone involved and we may not be able to lend as much assistance to you if such is the case.”
”I understand,” he said not knowing much about this serpent she briefly mentioned. If getting help from her meant not involving himself with whoever this familiar was, then that ought to be easy enough. Although that meant having to take her word for it and truthfully speaking, he didn’t know whether he ought to do just that since he didn’t know her very well.
“Is there anything else I have forgotten to mention?”
Neither of the maids appeared to think so.
“Very well then. Kiran, may your travels go well. With these two to assist you, I’m sure that you’ll make it back to your people in due time.”
I sure hope that’s the case. Although are maids really who ought to be taking me to them? She must’ve been short on other potential people to carry out this task. It did at the very least signal to him, that these two maids likely knew how to fight. Evelyn certainly was willing to kill due to the threatening maneuver she utilized against him during that that one particular moment they shared together.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Kiran found himself in the foyer waiting for the maids to come so that they could all leave. In the meantime, all he could do was stand there and find himself observing the strange painting on the wall that depicted the man with a crow’s head once more.
Unlike the last time he waited in here, however, it wasn’t as dusty thanks to his previous efforts. He wasn’t able to dust every surface or room inside this manor though. He hadn’t been given the time or opportunity. Perhaps in his absence, they’d acknowledge how much better things were and take such matters into their own hands.
“Uh, sir.”
He looked away from the painting spotting Evalia. “Did you come to tell me goodbye before I am to leave?”
Unlike the first time he had encountered her, she kept a kind and more charitable face. She managed to warm up to him, unlike Evelyn who still for all intents and purposes, hated him. Or so it seemed.
“I wanted to wish you a safe journey. And I—” She paused as she pulled her hand away from her back revealing something in her hand. “I wanted to give you this.”
He grabbed the silver coin-like object lifting it with the palm of his hand. The front of it depicted a beautiful bird with outstretched wings. “What exactly is this for?”
“It’s a good luck charm,” she said.”
“A good luck charm? I hate to tell you this, but I’m not a big believer in luck.”
“I’m not either admittedly. But still, it’s something people do, right? Just keep it and who knows, maybe it’ll give you a bit of luck. You can never truly know.”
He tightly grasped the object and pressed his closed palm to his heart. “I’ll cherish this with all of my life and being,” he said in an exaggerated playful tone.
She began to furrow her brows. “Are you always like this?”
“Like what?”
With a shake of her head, Evalia let out a long drawn-out sigh. “Never mind. I can tell you must be like this to everyone you’re around.”
“Only towards some people,” he said smiling.
“Oh, I see how it is then. I suppose a bit of levity and silliness never hurt anyone.”
“This world could use a lot more of it if you ask me.” With a domain as dark as this one, someone who could garner laughs or joy played an important role. If Kiran could provide some tiny morsel of that, then he’d press forward with that minor objective of his.
Eventually, the two maids appeared, except this time, they wore different outfits. Their chosen attire was similar to his. Evelyn kept a sheathed dagger-like weapon on her side while Aphelia kept a short sword.
“Are you ready?” Evelyn said towards him.
“Sure I am. I’m the one who’s been waiting around here ready to go after all.”
She looked less than thrilled at him. Evalia came to her though causing her anger to disappear. She handed her another silver-like coin. “I’ll miss you Evelyn. Make it back safely, alright?”
“You have my word,” she said sternly.
“And likewise to you as well Aphelia.”
Aphelia took her own coin bowing slightly towards her.
Evelyn gently grazed Aphelia’s backside. “Alright already. Let’s get moving so we can get this over with.” She thrust the door open walking outside.
Without further delay, Kiran began to follow. Evelyn held up a lantern making it possible for them to see outside. Shadows cast out from the horses and stretched out further as they neared them.
The horses appeared eager for them to be ridden. They were both packed full of supplies and gear. They had to bring a lot of supplies for the journey. It was one thing to keep Kiran, Evelyn, and Aphelia fed to a sufficient degree—although at least in Kiran’s case, he could forgo food for an unnatural length of time if need be. But they weren’t the only ones that needed to eat on this journey. They also had to consider the horses and make sure they received enough to remain in proper condition and not simply starve to death. They would have to visit a few villages on the way to make sure the horses particularly didn’t run out of food and water themselves. Thankfully the two sisters knew where to go in order to accomplish such a thing.
Evelyn pulled herself up on one of the brown horses. “I’ll take this one,” she said. “You can have his.”
Aphelia looked at him. “Do you know how to ride a horse?”
He pondered on that question for a moment lifting a finger to his chin. “We’ll just have to see.” He hadn’t known whether he could really properly ride a horse. It was quite possible he did know how to ride, he just needed to see so he chose to get up on the horse, take the reigns, and see whether his instincts kicked in. “Yeah, I think I can.”
“Shouldn’t you know if you could?” Evelyn asked.
“Well, it’s been a little while, since I’ve ridden on a horse you see.”
“That’s not something you’d typically forget.”
“Let’s just say that my memory isn’t quite the best,” he said without any further elaboration.
She began to roll her eyes. Neither of them knew that he had lost his memories. He supposed if he had to, he’d inform them but otherwise, he’d keep it to himself for now unless he had a good reason not to. For now, they could think him to be a bit weird for some of the things he said. If being a bit weird was the worst criticism he received, then he would gladly accept that and move on.
With the reigns in his hands, he motioned it causing it to snap. The horse began to go forward down the cobbled path that drove its way through the thick forest that surrounded the path from each side. They eventually motioned past the metal fence and went around the dry fountain with a worn statue atop it.
It was eerily quiet and dark in this area. If he had to traverse on his own, he imagined it would be easy to lose his mind knowing that the darkness would remain at all times. Thankfully he wasn’t alone, even if it meant having to deal with Evelyn’s fury from time to time.
They rode along the dark forested road for a while longer. The darkness outside was nauseating in a way. All of the dead trees all around them and endless darkness that went on for practically forever was all that he ever saw. If there was ever a way to end this darkness, he wondered how such a thing would be possible. Given that this phenomenon first came up a dead or so ago, something had caused it or forced it to occur all of a sudden.
At least the lantern that dangled from Evelyn’s horse provided enough light for them to travel. If it weren’t for that lantern, he’d have to take one of the potions Felghan had provided to him.
For a much longer period of time, their ride continued with similar surroundings in all directions. Eventually, things did begin to shift. The path ended, and a more barren and flat landscape appeared welcoming them to stride along it for an eternity.
“You two have been awfully silent since we left the manor,” he said towards the two of them. “Surely there is something fun that we can all talk about together.”
“Aphelia, permission to gag him.”
“Permission denied.”
He cracked a smile as he began to feel something surrounding his eyes. “W-what’s this?”
“Sorry about this,” Aphelia said as she tied a knot around the piece of thick fabric covering his eyesight that would prevent him from being able to more accurately determine the whereabouts of this forest and the manor hidden within.