Northern sighed and looked forward; the path before him was winding, so it had cornered. What was ahead was being blocked by the bushes around.
Northern looked back once more, closed his eyes, opened them, and then began to go forward.
He knew very well that this decision he was making right now was bound to make many situations, which would be totally out of control, come his way.
He could even die because of a certain person’s smartness, naivety, and confidence.
‘She’s a walking disaster, I swear.’
But he was still going forward… and he too knew why he was choosing this path despite knowing how dangerous it could be.
‘…but maybe she’s right…maybe I have no passion…’ Northern thought.
What Raven had said was now living in his head rent-free, and it made him wonder.
Does doing this make those words a lie… or will doing this make him correct that very fact about himself?
Northern really had no idea why anyone should be passionate about strength at the cost of their own life,
when they need to survive…
But maybe he too had forgotten that after survival, what was next.
Maybe this journey was meant to remind him of one dream he had always told himself.
Northern cut the corner. Raven and Terence were standing at the edge of the point where the brown grasses ended.
Ahead of them was a low bamboo-built wall. The clearing was silent and serene beneath the moonlight, basking in darkness.
Raven looked at Northern indifferently. It was amazing; the smile on her lips just now was totally gone.
“Do you have an ability or anything that can erase your presence in the darkness?”
Northern was silent for a second. He looked at her with an intense glare and replied:
“Yes.”
“Okay, Terence will hide in the bush. I’ll knock on her door and lure her out. I want you to find a way to get into her house and find the map. It’s a black scroll. She has a table where she stacks her nonsense antiques since she loves exploring. All you need to do is get on that table; I’m sure it will be there.”
Northern laid a prolonged gaze on her and retorted:
“And if it isn’t?”
“It will be,” she said to him with a stern tone.
Northern smacked his lips angrily and walked away. As he did, black sparks began to fly around his body. His image changed completely from that of a poor footsoldier to a terrifying titan, one with horns.
Even Raven’s eyes seemed to admire his suit as he walked forward.
To top it, a black rope also appeared on the lustrous black metal suit.
Northern was looking like a dark knight birthed from the abyss.
Before long, he disappeared, and Raven couldn’t even see him nor feel his presence.
She curved her lips up a little and looked at Terence.
“It’s your turn.”
Terence looked at her, silent for a moment.
“What?”
“You do know that some of the things Mr. Northern said are true. And you really should work on your relationship with people.” She heaved a sigh, “Well, I think he too needs to do that.”
She glanced one more time at her and walked away, entering into the cold and itchy bush.
Raven made sure that Terence was completely hidden and looked around before she then walked forward.
She stopped in front of the wooden gate, which was reaching her shoulders.
She stood for a few seconds, then stepped back with just one leg.
Breathing steadily, she clenched her fist and threw it forward. Like a thunderclap, her fist crashed and shattered the wooden gate, sending its splinters all around.
Terence went bug-eyed, closing her opened mouth.
‘She’s crazy! Why is she announcing her presence?!’
Raven majestically walked into the clearing. In the middle of it was a cottage, one that seemed to have been haphazardly built, that could tear down with enough effort from the wind.
Despite how unseemly this cottage seemed, it had lasted its owner for quite a while.
The door of the cottage slowly creaked open, and someone walked out of it.
She was slender, even more slender than Raven. She had brunette hair, and they were braided. Blue paints like the marks of a hunter ran across her face, drowning her in a primal grace.
She was covered in furs, and most of her body was exposed. What she seemed to care about covering was her breast and waist.
Lean muscles rolled beneath her skin, like juvenile snakes. She had a young and beautiful face.
But there was a wild and dangerous glint in her eyes, one that looked like suppressed madness.
She looked just as crazy as Raven.
Helena stopped in front of Raven and scowled at her before speaking.
“You have some guts, coming back here and destroying my gate.” Her voice came off as strong, completely in vast contrast to how gentle she looked.
Raven looked indifferently for a while, then she scoffed and looked down.
She slowly raised her eyes to Helena with literal madness burning in them.
“What can I say, someone taught me what it means to have guts.”
Helena looked away for a while; one of her brown eyes closed, then she opened it and replied to the black-haired lady in front of her.
“Yes, yes, I have to admit, you had a great teacher.” She scratched her head irritably.
“You see, little grunt, I guess she didn’t teach you about respect and honor.”
A serpentine smile crept upon Raven’s lips.
“No, she wasn’t a person of such values.”
Helena raised her eyes and glared at Raven.
Silence ensued for a dozen seconds.
Then her voice rang in the cold darkness.
“You must be very crazy, Raven… ah, of course, you are indeed crazy.”
Helena spread out one hand to the side; white sparks flew into the air as a rod of light formed in her hand.
“Since you came here and even shattered my gate, you must have settled your scores with life and be ready for the reckoning of death.”
Raven threw both of her hands to the back and leaned her upper body forward, a devilish grin spreading her lips.
“How about you cut the poetic crap and come at me.”
The light faded, and Helena disappeared. Raven’s eyes widened in that moment, even though she was expecting it. She was still shocked.
Helena’s disappearance came with a terrifying clash that made both of Raven’s swords shiver. It was all instantaneous!
But it was more amazing that with such instantaneous movement, Raven, whose swords were just appearing, managed to block it.
Helena threw the black rod back and swung it forward again.
Helena’s movements were blindingly fast, pushing Raven’s defensive abilities to their limits.
As the black rod came hurtling towards her again, Raven crossed her twin blades in an X-shape, gritting her teeth as the impact sent shockwaves through her arms.
Sparks flew from the clashing of steel against that mysterious dark rod.
Not allowing Helena any respite, Raven disengaged and launched into a blistering offensive.
Her swords were mere blurs as she rained down a flurry of slashes and thrusts, each strike carrying lethal force.
But Helena was equally agile; her lithe form weaving between the attacks with almost supernatural grace.
The air around them crackled with energy, distorted by their high-speed movements.
With each clash of blade against rod, arcs of power danced across the weapons’ surfaces. Raven could sense Helena’s strength – of course, she was no ordinary opponent.
She was a Sage!
It was already amazing that Raven could even hold on, even though it had barely been a minute since they began.
Feinting with one sword, Raven caught Helena’s rod with the other blade in a bind.
Their faces were inches apart, eyes locked in an intense clash of wills.
“Not bad,” Helena purred. “But you’re still far from getting there.”
With an overpowering strength, Helena shattered Raven’s bind, causing the stalwart lady to stagger backward.
With that momentary opening, Helena drove the edge of her rod forward, stabbing it into Raven’s chest and throwing her away like a dry log of wood.
Raven managed to roll in the air and land on her feet, staggering back in slight loss of control.
But Helena was upon her again, her rod whipping in from behind. Raven haphazardly threw one sword in that direction, blocking the muscle tearing onslaught of the rod.
At the same time she threw her hand towards the sword, her other hand was already heralding a crude sword slash at Helena’s flank.
However, she exhibited a frightening flexibility, twisting and throwing her entire body upwards – barely dodging the attack by a hair’s breadth.
Using her rod as a stand, she twirled again, like a twisting snake, and threw bone shattering kicks at Raven who was too late to block.
Raven staggered back and coughed, a line of blood slowly ran down her nose.
Helena landed and placed the dark rod on her shoulders, raised her head and sneered.
“What the hell, I thought you came with a lot of fight in you?”