‘I can’t even move a finger!’ Eder’s resolve faltered.
At that moment, the crushing weight of Asher’s force vanished entirely, making it seem like Asher wasn’t even there, but Eder knew better. This young man before him was showcasing his mastery, of a skill that most could only dream.
It was another mastery apart from ‘Output.’ It was Shrouding, an ability to hide one’s energy or at higher mastery, hide that energy while also using it to hide yourself!
It usually took a decade or more for even the talented people to master Shrouding. Asher, however, had sped up the process to a time of mere three months, training like a man unable to feel pain. All this was fueled by the pain of Sirius’s death. The result was a perfection of the craft that defied logic!
Eder exhaled deeply. “I see now. You’re not just a noble—you’ve mastered a profession.”
“Do we have a deal?”
Eder rose to his feet. “Your strength will be useful in fighting the Kraken so how can I refuse that?”
_____
Asher stepped out of the building and found Alex chopping wood with an axe. At the sight of Asher, Alex paused mid-swing.
“I have convinced Eder,” Asher said. “After killing the Kraken, he will continue with us to Goliathsgrave.’
“So Sirius is there?” Alex’s gaze shifted to the horizon, his voice tinged with unease. “I heard that place is vile.”
“By the way… what happened to your hair? The Ashbournes—ever since Zenas the first—have always had gray hair. You had it, too… before I died.”
Asher smiled a bit.
“A lot has happened after your passing, Alex.”
Alex sighed, studying him closely. “It seems a lot has happened to you. It’s not just your hair. You look… different, you feel different.”
Lowering his axe, he added softly. “I hope my words don’t offend you.”
Asher chuckled lightly. “They don’t.” He stepped forward, taking the axe from Alex and gesturing for him to drop another log for him to chop.
“My lord…”
“Don’t worry,” Asher interrupted. “I want to chop the wood.”
Alex hesitated before reluctantly agreeing.
“It’s clear that Nero isn’t around you. Neither is my brother—or any of the commanders or they wouldn’t have allowed you to risk your life by coming here, and worse, coming alone…”
“There’s a fracture in my spirit, Alex,” Asher admitted. “One that can never be mended if I don’t revive my bond with my pet beast.”
Alex’s eyes widened. “Sirius is dead!”
“He is.”
Asher lifted the axe and swung it down, splitting the log cleanly into two with a single swing. His lips curled upward a bit only for him to see something that took the smile out off his lips.
His left hand.
The little finger of his left hand was slightly transparent!
‘Ah, so the countdown has already begun.’
He forced himself to focus and turned to Alex. “Do you know anything about this Kraken we are about to face?”
For now, he decided to ignore the state of his left hand. At least he could still hold an axe with it.
Alex hesitated, then sat down on a nearby stone. “Well, it’s a mythical beast that summons storms when it appears. I have faced it once and barely survived. It was thanks to my wings. Without them, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
“But you’re not alone this time,” Asher reminded.
“Indeed.” Alex nodded. “This time, we are going to board a ship that is capable of withstanding the storms without being ripped apart and Eder will fight alongside us with his lightning spear. However…” He looked at Asher with a small smile. “I still wasn’t confident of our victory until I saw you.”
Asher turned his gaze toward the sea. “I will need a sword.”
_____
Rumble! Rumble!
A sturdy, compact ship floated atop restless, reddish-pink waters, its small frame rising and falling with the rhythm of the waves. The boat was about 35 meters long and had a single single red sail bent in an inverted U-shape.
The hull was sharp, almost weapon-like, as if designed to slice through the ocean—or fend off larger beasts. It had a small staircase at the rear which led to the higher deck, made with the same material as the sail.
Nine cloaked men moved about the ship, their figures swaying along with the ship’s movement. Before the hull stood Asher along with Eder and Alex.
The wind howled, whipping their hair back, while their cloaks snapped violently in the gale, their sounds reaching their ears.
Above, a vast sky, glittered with millions of star-like lights, stretched endlessly.
“We’ll meet that beast soon,” Eder murmured, his hand gently stroking the shaft of his spear.
“How soon?” Asher asked.
“She stays around the Ten Monuments,” Alex replied, his voice solemn. “A place you can’t miss.”
“She?”
Asher turned to Alex with a raised eyebrow.
“The kraken is a mythical beast my lord but it has been possessed and corrupted by time. It was once a guardian of the sea—majestic and noble. But time has corrupted it, twisting it into a bloodthirsty, raging beast.”
Asher frowned, a shadow crossing his features. For some reason, he almost saw himself in that kKrakenbut…
He wasn’t bloodthirsty.
Alex’s gaze lingered on Asher’s side features, comparing them to the one he had once known. A faint smile touched his lips.
“Eritrea would have been awestruck to see your new look,” Alex said softly. “She… has always been fond of talking about hands—!”
“Rest, Alex. We have a battle ahead of us.” Alex interjected and walked to a spot and sat.
Eder frowned. “That’s not the kind of man you described to me.”
“He has changed,” Alex sighed.
Hours passed. Asher, seated quietly, opened his eyes at the sound of the approaching footsteps. Alex stood before him, his expression unreadable.
“Your Lordship… I see that the lords of the high plains have broken you.”
Creases formed on Asher’s forehead. “What?”
“I have been with you since the day you became lord,” Alex continued. “From the moment you performed your first miracle by defeating a group of orcs with a bunch of men who barely wore armor. Even then, you hid your pain, shedding your tears in silence.”
A bittersweet smile crossed Alex’s face. “You are my lord even now. But the pain you carry is like poison. It’s corroding the man I once knew, it’s eating away my friend. Let it go. Let my death go. Nurture the hope that we can still revive Sirius. Your people need you. You are their pillar, the foundation of that county.”
Asher’s pupils dilated as the words struck something deep within him.
“You might be a lord, you might be a swordsman, you might be the last hope of the Ashbournes,” Alex pressed. “But… you’re still a man, just one man.”
Asher raised an eyebrow, flickers of fury in his eyes. “You lost your family. Don’t you feel pain? You’ll never see them again—and yet you tell me to live as if nothing happened!”
Alex’s gaze hardened, the fire in his eyes matching Asher’s. “My goal has always been to die for my lord. It never has and will never change. Isn’t yours to restore Ashbourne’s former glory? To build a formidable northern kingdom you spoke of after we conquered Greenrock Castle.”
Asher’s eyes widened a bit. That memory that was pushed aside for a long time, resurfaced.
He lowered his head, his voice quieter now. “It’s too late, Alex. If I keep doing things the way I used to, it will only make me bury more.”