Chapter 75

'I wish it was all still a dream.'

'That I wasn't shown this new world.'

'Just so that this voice… this voice of doubt and sadness would shut up and leave me alone.'

'Because I see all of these new things… and I feel comfortable.'

'And that voice speaks up again.'

'Let go.'

'If I'm going to be stuck here, then I might as well stop worrying about things that are out of my control.'

'I hold on and cling to things for no reason.'

'The voice even sounds like my own at this point.'

'There is nothing wrong with its reasoning as they are common thoughts that flashed briefly throughout even my own mind, but for some reason they stayed and repeated over and over.'

'That's when I realized that, every moment of my life has been spent trying to work for that one moment. That one moment where I could finally let go.'

'Everyone was living life like this in their own ways. Working day in and out to maybe one day say farewell while being at peace.'

'But this damned voice, is acting like the end isn't the end. As if me forgetting about what has happened and what will happen back home, is fine. Maybe it isn't my place to step in and change things.'

'But then whose job is it? Is it that being who was written about, the so called final judge, jury, and executioner? Right, it is isn't it. So just let everyone continue to fight against one another, allow people to trample one another in a scuffle for power, and just let go of it all…'

The sound of hundreds of voices woke Alex as he sat up and focused on a strange feeling.

"I feel like I do after meditating on my dark affinity, terrible." He muttered before walking over to the window.

'The sun has barely risen and these people are already wide awake.'

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Taeral and Ospret entered a second after knocking.

"We need to go." The two said simultaneously.

"Did something happen?"

"There are people everywhere in town, they are searching everyone and say that they are Rovil's divine temple of order." Taeral said as her ears twitched.

"But their actions seem to say otherwise. We believe they are from an evil faction."

"You've got some good ears." Alex complemented the two before closing his eyes to focus.

"I am going to take us to the shop from yesterday, hopefully he has at least a map. You can tell me more about these factions later." As he spoke a portal appeared and he stepped through it startling the balding man who was on the other side.

"Hello friend, sorry to enter abruptly but I'm afraid I'll be leaving earlier than planned. I see that you have been busily working on finding the maps. Any luck?"

"I, uh, oh um yes? I managed to find the towns in which the main temples reside and a few more of the surrounding lands, but from here and most of way in between, I haven't managed to fill in the gaps."

"That will work, do you have a compass?"

"Of course I do." The balding man answered before piling all of the good maps together.

He walked over to a table and picked up a compass before handing everything to Alex.

"I don't know what it was you gave me, but the wizard has been up all night talking to himself and refusing to leave, ever since he set his eyes on them."

"I can tell, be sure to tell griffin we said farewell whenever he snaps out of it."

"I will do just that. In the meantime just keep all that, he has covered the cost of it all."

"Very kind of him. Well, we will be going now, bye."

As Alex and the other two turned around green scenery appeared in front of them, and after stepping through they continued moving until the voices with the city couldn't reach them.

"Okay, here you go." He said as he handed over everything he had just gotten.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that? I can read it, believe me I've already tried. Right now I'm the equivalent of a of an illiterate child."

He leaned over and watched as they spread the maps out and put them together.

'Those must have been some markings that the old man left, they are using them skillfully to put the maps together.' Alex thought while pulling out his own compass.

"We just have to go northwest." Ospret said as she started picking up the maps.

After facing northwest, Alex spoke up. "Ahem, well, I think the map is wrong."

"And why is that?" Taeral asked as she looked over at the device in Alex's hands.

"Because my compass says northwest is that way, the complete opposite of what the maps showed."

"Your compass is broken then. Look, you are facing southeast." She said while pointing at the compass in her hand.

'That can't be right, isn't there a difference in magnetic poles?'

He tried to think of an answer but just couldn't. 'There's the North Star. But wasn't it just given it's name cause it happened to be in the north? Right, so it's just two names that we gave to places with the highest presences of magnetism, and had someone been in a different mindset we could've had a South Star.'

"It's not broken, just labeled the backwards. I just have to think a bit differently and it works like normal."

"Exactly how far away are we?" He asked as he turned around.

"Anywhere from a few days, to a few months of travel." Taeral answered.

'So anywhere from a hundred miles to a thousand. This is a big continent.'

"You two ready to go?"

To Alex's surprise they both shook their heads.

"We didn't eat breakfast. While we have forgotten to do so a lot ever since you showed up, we would like to not go hungry for most of the day." Ospret said before sitting down and spreading out a piece of cloth.

"That's right we didn't buy any food for the road."

"You didn't, but we did. You went to bed early so we gathered what we could while you slept." The other elf said as she tossed Alex what looked like a brick.

"What exactly is this?" Alex asked as he shook the brick next to his ear.

"Rations, they said it's the normal meal for adventurers. It doesn't go bad and it's very compact." Ospret answered while pulling out a bunch of juicy looking fruits.

"It tastes like saw dust, grass shavings, and old gym socks."

"How many of these gym socks have you eaten?"

"I haven't, but this is definitely what they would taste like."

——————

Last night in another place.

The dark figure peered into his domain. His gaze settling on a vortex within which was slowly emptying it.

The figure was about to enter the domain but was stopped by a hand which appeared from thin air.

"It's dangerous. Observe but do not interrupt." A man sporting a set of reading glasses and casual clothing, said as he appeared along with his hand.

"Oz? You actually left your library, you must have some clue what is happening."

"That book you have, it must know exactly what is causing this. Tell me."

"The human boy, do not get in his way. If you push him too far he will swallow your domain and you with it. Our best hope is to guide him back home, so that your power will not be at risk anymore."

"What boy, where?"

"You will soon find out, just remember my warning. The Beast must not awaken here for the prophecy to be fulfilled."

"Beast? At least tell me what to do before leaving like this. OZ!!!!!!"

——————

Back to the present.

"He left?! When was he here? More importantly why didn't you tell me?"

"It was so abrupt, one second he appears in the shop, and the next he and the two girls walk through a portal of some sorts and are nowhere to be found."

"He can use high leveled magic?! I can't believe I allowed myself to pass out!" Damien squeaked out and held a hand to his head as if he were about to pass out once again.

"Wait you said two girls?"

"Yes? Oh, yes I did. One with blue hair, hard to miss."

"Oh you beautiful man. This helps a lot."

"They have to go to Goxardale, for the temple of knowledge. That's my home city, quickly draw their faces, I can't let an opportunity like this pass me up."

"So you have met him? I thought it was a bit weird when he said your last name." The balding man asked as he quickly sketched on three different papers.

"Yes, yes young kid. I was surprised when he escaped a terrifying encounter and I didn't, but now it all makes sense. He must have cast a spell to charm the two ladies who travel with him. He must be quite the devil, acting all innocent and the like."

"Such a magic can exist? So I'm guessing that his sticks are well worth the purchase?"

"Indeed, after an entire night at looking at them, they showed no magical properties until I touched the activation rune. Even when I tried to etch the rune onto other sticks, it refused to work. You can expect them to sell for a fortune."

"He must be tied to what happened last night as well. That power was frightening and my guards still haven't found out anything new. Perhaps he is about to ascend. I should speak to my sisters, they could benefit from a powerful husband. If they refuse he could just charm them as well, I'm sure father wouldn't mind such a thing…"

Unaware of what was happening Alex followed the two elves, happy that they were just walking and not in a full on sprint.

"I hope not. You two scared the soul out of him yesterday, if he had seen you in the shop he could've run us out."

"Maybe, but if he heard that there were people from the evil factions here, he may have gave us some support." Said Taeral.

"Oh yeah, speaking of the evil people, what are they exactly?"