Laudis woke up in the morning, and he didn't recall any meeting with Will. Either it didn't happen, or his memories were altered. After all, it wasn't an uncommon mannerism for the being. The Crusaders travelled without any major accidents for six more days until they reached the crossing point. The youth checked the time; it was around fifteen past six. The sun was in the process of hiding behind the horizon. The wind blew lightly.
"Take care," the owner of the horses said, taking the animals.
"Yeah, thanks," replied Gladius, raising his right hand.
Now the hardest thing awaited them. They had to cross the river, which was around three hundred kilometers wide.
"How should we cross the river?" the boy asked, looking at the body of water.
The continent of Mundusia was diverse, containing both the thicker and the thinner rivers. The geologists named the first kind as the Aqurias. Currently, there are eight of them; they range in terms of length and width. There isn't any logical explanation, how they were created. Some say it's the aftermath of an ancient and unknown war. Others say they're a natural anomaly. The position that most people take is that it doesn't really matter. They are a constant variable during the travel, and that's pretty much it. Nonetheless, there weren't any major bridges around them.
"That's easy. Udania, could you?" the paladin answered, taking her baggage.
"Yes. Ice Bridge invocare!" she shouted, slamming Gutta's Staff on the ground.
Shushh! — the water began to turn into ice. The process wasn't steady; the freezing process was getting faster and faster with every second. It grew in semi-hexagonal pieces, just like the bees making their honeycomb. The woman was a skilled mage, especially in terms of water manipulation. She didn't have any problems with it since her birth, unlike the others. People tend to learn creation first, and then the elemental alteration. It's easier for most to create than to alter something. The bridge was formed. Dantenium passed down the chains for their boots to everyone. The knight carried Udania's stuff because she had to focus on maintaining the Ice structure.
"Before we enter the bridge, I have to do something first, come closer to me," the knight said, searching for something in his bag.
The Crusader took out a white powder. Its smell was off-putting for the women, but still they endured it. He added blessed oil to it to make a thick paste. Then, the man marked everyone's forehead with it.
"Second Grade Blessing of Hermes: Divine Speed," he whispered. The substance lit silver and was absorbed by their skin.
The Crusaders entered the ice pathway. They were walking, but way faster than normal. Their speed was great, around half of the horse's speed. From time to time, they passed by the clumps of aqurias algae. Unlike its sea counterpart, it was yellow and mostly used for potion brewing. The plant was edible, but its taste was pretty bad. It was salty due to the constant water submerging and bitter because of its self-defence mechanism. Its price was low, so the poor people ate it. You can wash away some saltiness with water, but the bitterness doesn't go away. Still, they had to consume it; either you eat it or die because of hunger. The clumps made Laudis realise their high speed.
"How fast are we walking?" the youth asked, intrigued by their abnormal pace.
"Fast enough to cross the Aquria in thirteen hours. Without it, we would have to walk for at least nine days. Nonetheless, Udania can hold such a structure in ideal conditions up to four days. The Aquria's ones aren't so nice, therefore she can hold it up for around two days. The bridge is complete; that is, the entire three-hundred-kilometer passage is done. Most cannot perform similar things," replied Gladius, reading the map.
"And what was that white powder?" wondered Laudis, recalling the unknown substance for him.
"Do you really want to know it?" the knight responded, raising his eyebrow.
"I guess so."
"It's salt, but not a normal one. It had direct contact with the remains of Hermes. He lived some time ago. The truth is that the Olimpian Gods are historical figures. They were living near Mount Olimpus. Still, the most important fact is that you can create an aura, a blessing, or a curse using their relics. Their weapons or armour can also be used, but only if they have a strong bond with their wielder. As you've heard, it's only a second-grade blessing, because it isn't really something he used on a regular basis or part of his body."
"Do we have any other known location of the other's remains?" he wondered, fascinated by the countless possibilities.
"Nations don't share any information about this kind of stuff. They prefer to keep it a secret. We were in possession of the Hermes' remains only. His bones were kept at the capital of Luxaris, but they were stolen. About six years ago, someone broke into the castle and took out every guard. The thief left about ten kilos of salt with a note. It said that it was properly prepared and blessed, making it a second-grade relic. After a close inspection by the experienced mages, it was proven right. To this day, their identity is unknown," the paladin answered, munching on dried meat.
"The second-grade relics need to be properly blessed?" the youth asked with curiosity.
"Yes. You need to cast a spell bonding the two products and use a material for the bonding. It's a sacrifice, so the blessing can be executed. The offering matters; gold is the best option, preserving the most properties. The silver can also be used, but with fewer benefits. The thief used gold; this salt has about eighty percent of the original product. Not the best option, yet they could have stolen it without leaving anything. Quite a strange person, if you've asked me."
"Yeah..."
They were running for three hours more; that is, until sunset. After it, they settled down. Udania cast a spell, creating a round island. They couldn't put up a campfire because the ice would melt. Normally, the woman could have altered its structure more to prevent it, but she would run out of mana completely. It had a radius of around five meters; thus, its sole invocation cost her another part of her total mana capacity. The Crusaders were putting up their tents. It was hard, but not impossible, to put them on. After thirty minutes, they finished the task. Dantenium took out an oil lamp and put it in the middle. The flame danced with the light wind. The breeze coming from the nearby water reminded Laudis of a fish market. He sat down on the blanket, but despite it, he felt the cold. Surrounded by the darkness, they gathered and started to eat dinner.
"It's pretty strange, isn't it?" the youth asked, eating dried fruits.
"Elaborate," replied Dantenium, surprised by his question.
"I thought there should have been some fish. I've heard that most of them are captured in the Aquria we're currently crossing. At least, most of those sold in the Luxaris."
"Yeah, you're right. Something is off. Do you sense anything, Gladius?"
"Not yet," he responded, closing his eyes. He was concentrating on the mana emission; even the mythical creatures couldn't hide it fully. Despite it, the paladin didn't find anything.
"We're safe, for now. There shouldn't be any vampires; they shun from such places. They tend to settle in the open areas. Nonetheless, just in case any of you see something, don't panic. If a vampire appears, it's likely that he's intelligent. The last one we met was a member of the True Lineage; they live alone, using their fangs and claws. They're less intelligent, but some are stronger in terms of raw strength compared to the second group. The one you will probably be a Post Notitalis VI, or PN for short."
"Notitalis VI? What's that?" he asked, hearing the name of an unknown city.
"The capital of the Vampire Empire, a notable center of their life. The council took place in the fourth century. It allowed the vampires to use human weapons, clothing, and to integrate into their society more. There were some who opposed it; they called themselves the True Lineage. The most important fact is that it's unlikely that a vampire would come to us; even so, they shouldn't be aggressive," the captain stated. He talked about it with passion; you could tell that he was fond of history.
"Okay, I trust you," said the boy, entering his tent.
The youth lay down on the piece of material. He used his bag as a pillow. It wasn't the softest, but it got the job done. The boy went asleep after a while. He met with Will. It was a completely new area. The space was filled with darkness and nine chairs. Their material was unknown because of the lack of light, one of them was placed in front of the rest. He tried to move it, so it wouldn't look so awkward. Laudis used his full force, yet he lacked strength to push it. He sat down on it. The black silhouette, a white smile was plastered onto its face. Suddenly, the floor became warm and the smell of charcoal started coming from it. A silenced red light was coming underneath it.
"Did you miss me?" asked Will, creating a structure to sit on.
"Hard to tell. Also, didn't we agree on meeting every night?"
"Yes, that's why, since today, you will be able to play music instruments again. The pact is unbounded."
"Why? How?!" he replied with frustration.
"Calm down. I just want to see you less interrupted. I alter your behaviour too much. Since today you will meet with the Marked Ones."
"With who the hell?" the youth murmured.
"Eight people, chosen by me. They come from different countries and cultures. To your knowledge, you are also one of them. You are the last one."
"Is this some kind of test?" he whispered, confused by the situation.
"No. This is the reality. You will meet with them. They still possess their consciousness, so don't be surprised when they don't want to talk with you so freely."
"Farewell, Laudis," the entity continued, whispering lightly his final message.
The being left him.
'I can't sense his presence. He was real about it. Heck, those fools won't tell me shit. Besides, where are they? I don't see anyone here. Maybe when I sit on this chair, they will be summoned—' thought Laudis, walking around the room.
As soon as he sat down, the eight figures appeared. With no sound, mana emission, or anything else. Silence filled the space. He tried to catch a glimpse of everyone. The first man had a cloth tied over his eyes. The second man had a long beard. The third one was a woman. She had one arm and a battle axe. The fourth was also a woman. She had a golden, light-emmiting ring. The fifth was a man; he was limbless, but with a Water element prosthesis. The sixth was a female. She held a silver, filled with spikes chain in her hands. The seventh was a male. He wielded a double edged-sword without a handle. The blade was cutting his palms, but he didn't show any reaction. The eighth and final one was a man. He had two obsidian daggers. There was something notable about their eyes too, they were glowing in various colours. The first were yellow, the second were deep blue, the third were light purple, the fourth were orange, the fifth were turquoise, the sixth were crimson, the seventh were deep green, and the eighth were white. Laudis noticed that his own started to emit light too, it was light red.
"So... Anyone wants to talk with me?" the boy said, trying to start the conversation.
"..."
"Yeah, I wouldn't answer myself, if I were you. Can I get your names at least?"
"..."
"Nice... I'm going out, how to leave it?"
"..."
"I hate these people," he murmured.
"Fine! If you don't want to say anything, then be quiet!"
"..."
"What about a game? A coin flip, if I win, I will ask you a question, but if I lose I won't ask you for anything else. Does anyone want to play?"
No one answered him. After four minutes, the first man stood up. He walked to him slowly; the aura surrounding him was divine. Almost like he was an angel. The man stood in front of Laudis.
"Let me see the coin," the deep voice whispered. He reached out his right hand.
The youth gave it. It was a silver, the Luxaris currency. It had an image of the lion on the tails and an image of the current king on the heads. The man hid it, but he was unfamiliar with it. The only coins he knew were old Carolan with an X on one side and its value on the other. The weight was different too; that one was lighter than the ones he knew. After the inspection with his fingers, he returned it.
"Tails."
"Okay, but one question. Are you blind?"
"Weren't you supposed to ask after the game?"
"Right..."
Laudis placed the coin on his left hand. Thing — it spun in the air three times, landing on his wrist. He didn't move or alter it in any way. The youth gently touched his hand to signalise the end. The First checked the engraving. It was the heads. The kid had more luck than sense, or so it seemed. The odds weren't 50/50. Most people think that the heads would go down because of the heavier weight, but it's incorrect. Actually the lion is heavier due to the usage of a different metal alloy. Its odds are more 51/49.
"Aamir Inceptis, born in the year 173 AEC."
"173 AEC, what do you mean? I'm unfamiliar with such dating," he asked, surprised by the numbering.
"One hundred seventy-three years after the Establishment of Carola. What dating system do you use then?" the man wondered, intrigued by the current world.
"Before Vampire Era and Vampire Era. It's pretty universal, isn't it?"
"That's smart, it's good that the people came up with it. I could use all seven elements, that was my power. Also, the magic started with me. To be precise, during my life I awakened people's mana capacitors, so they could use magic. After centuries, they populated the Mundusia, making the non-magic humans an unknown thing. At least, that's what I've learnt from the Eighth. Aliases: The Blind Sorcerer, The First One, and The Sandstorm of Death. I alone killed the army of a thousand vampires. I was killed by... I don't remember, well that sucks. Nonetheless, what's your name?"
"Laudis."
"Nice to meet you, Laudis," replied Aamir, reaching his right hand.
"Same here," he accepted the handshake.
As soon as he let go of it, he woke up in the tent. It was morning. He checked the time, it was around half past six. Laudis wiped his eyes. Suddenly, he noticed a strange man standing next to him. He held a curved sword in his right hand and had a golden necklace with an X. The figure aimed for his neck and struck it with great force. The blade went into it like butter.