Chapter 145: The Hermit's Abode
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Anything is possible with the Amulet in his hand.
He can make someone fly. He can bring back copies of the dead, and though they are soulless and not like the real thing, he can just command them to act like it. There is absolutely no threat that he can't manage if he can wish for the Amulet to counter it at the right moment.
This kind of power... God forbid it if someone like King Casserome received it. And God did forbade it.
But.... Is Sangfroid really worth of such power?
He had used it again and again for menial tasks, a solution to tiny problems, and for necessity. The Noble Huntsmen is right. With its power, he can make a new kingdom rise from the ashes like a phoenix. No, he can even rise another Thirteen Kingdoms, endless kingdoms, more and more....
If he had even the sliver of greed normal humans have, he would have realized this already and used such power for that.
Even so, that doesn't mean greed is inexistent in him. He has goals after all, desires like everyone else. So even if he was comparatively less likely to use the power of the Amulet for evil.... That doesn't mean he won't use it for evil at all.
The Hermit won't give the cure to Leron and Vladstin? Then he is willing to threaten his life, to flatten the Libitinous Mountain itself that he calls home.
The Noble Huntsmen would chase after them and won't leave them alone? Then he is willing to send hurricanes, to send waves from the sea to rise from the skies itself, to smite them all with lightning.
And because he was aware of his own willingness to commit such wrong deeds just to achieve his personal desires and wants.... He felt like he too, was the wrong person to receive the Amulet.
But wait... This Amulet belonged to Kings of Ilvedia before him, right? What stopped them to use such power? How come Ilvedia had not taken over Crescentia as it had always wanted, or even taken over all the Thirteen Kingdoms and began its rule as an empire?
These questions bugged him as he conjured gusts of wind to carry them, as gently as it can, towards the apex. But he knows he won't receive an answer any time soon. And maybe.....
Maybe there's no one left to answer that at all.
All sources of knowledge like the libraries or the Ilvedian Palace itself were destroyed.
The heir of the Amulet before him, the exiled Prince Vinsen, was long dead. Had died before little Sangfroid was even capable to ask him questions. And all the other kings before him had also died.
He is alone in carrying this truth, this power, this responsibility.
"W-We're flying!?" Ofelia exclaimed, a little on edge at first, but it eventually became a nervous excitement. "We're flying!"
"Oh, it really is a strange feeling to fly!" Leron exclaimed, with a light chuckle at the end. "Can you take us higher, Sangfroid? If only I wasn't tied up, I could have touched the clouds, haha!"
"I'll touch the clouds for you, Daddy Leron!" Ofelia said.
Vladstin meanwhile, was not amused by flight. He had kept it a secret for a long time, but he is actually acrophobic. He had become more apathetic of it since becoming a vampire, and much more as immortal, but the sinking feeling in the pits of his stomach is still there despite how well he suppresses it. "Sangfroid, dear, I don't want you to rush you or anything. But it is best that we arrive at the Hermit's abode as quickly as we can to take advantage of the element of surprise!"
"En. I'll make it fly higher and faster."
He closed his eyes while clasping the Amulet, and their little tornado ship of wind brought them up, up above, until they reach the highest peak of the Libitinous Mountains. Soon, they caught sight of a cave.
The cave was just a normal cave. Nothing different from the one they were once in, the one where they met and reunited with Yulio. Though it appears to be bigger and less damp. There's not much to notice besides how normal it is.
The normal cave was really out of place to the supernatural place. So much so that it gave an eerie air. Just like how a beautiful doll would be out of place in a pile of dead bodies from the war, or a piece of delicious chocolate among a pile of garbage.
It was so normal.
Their little tornado landed by the mouth of this average and plain-looking cave. They proceeded to scan the area for any more threats. The Hermit is not on sight, as to be expected thanks to the Wind, but one can never be too cautious in the Libitinous Mountains. Those vines may not be the only trap awaiting them, especially now that they are in the Hermit's home itself.
"Leron, do you sense anything?" Vladstin asked his fellow vampire lord. "You go look to the right, I'll look to the left."
The Beast followed suit, turning his head to the side, though the smell of his wounded and bloodied donkey, the empty husk Sangfroid, is pervading his senses a little. Still, he managed to thoroughly determine the area for any threats, and there was none.
He turned to Vladstin and shook his head.
"None on my side either." Vladstin told Sangfroid on his back.
The Hunter nodded, squinting his eyes. "Even so, we have to be careful on entering the cave itself. I do not trust its appearance, the real threat must be inside it."
They took small steps inside the unassuming and dainty little cave, one foot over the other. Once they were fully inside the mouth, though, something strange happened.
The cave has become larger than life, larger than what it should have been on the inside. The ceiling stretches all the way up in heights they shouldn't have. It sprawled in such a humongous height and vastness that it could have been the whole world itself. There was a bright ambiance in it like the light of a summery sky, and soon, the light of their torches is barely needed to transverse such a place.
The Hermit's cave is more like the Hermit's world. There is nothing else that could have existed outside of it. It was his only home.
Baffled, they all turned around to the entrance from whence they came. There was nothing there, only the wall of the cave.
"Ah, so this is the trap. We cannot go out once going in." Vladstin chuckled.
The Beast feels at home in such a place. Imagine living in a cave like this, all your life, for eternity. It will be nice once you have achieved all that you are pursuing, all the desires and passions of your life. He hasn't attained it yet, and believes he may never attain it for he is always hungry, he who is Hunger itself, but it would be fine to rest in such a place with only yourself once in a while.
Ah, but this isn't his home. This is someone else's. He doesn't want this particular cave, he wants a new one for himself.
"So..... We wait for the Hermit to come back here after being distracted by the Wind?" He asked his companions.
"We prepare." Sangfroid said. "We need to make sure that he doesn't harm us, or escape from us."
"It will be very easy to do that, Sangfroid." Vladstin slowly put him down, examining if there's anything else in the expanse of such a cavern. "We have the Amulet of the Dracon, and we know now its full capabilities. We could ensnare him in ropes of flames, or keep him subdued in mud or hard earth or quicksand. There are many options to do so, and they all will do nicely."
"Then I was right. We just have to wait." The Beast was also plopped down along with the husk carrying it, and they all sat on the cave's dry floor. Caves are usually damp but this one is just a wonderful little place to rest in. "I am a little tired from the tussle earlier, and I believe Sangfroid should be even more because he is a human and the one who did most of the work commanding the Amulet to save us."
"I see. Are you tired, Sangfroid?" Vladstin ask, as he helped fix Sangfroid's position so he would be more comfortable for any future rest.
Sangfroid from the past would have not spoken the truth, and acted like a self-sacrificing martyr saying he is alright, but the recent events had molded him a little to be honest about his true feelings. "I am a little. But we shouldn't remain complacent for too long. There is much about this area we don't know about."
"En." Vladstin nodded. "I will look around for you. Just stay here and don't worry."
Vladstin walked forward, leaving the two Ilvedian's to recuperate and rest. The Beast was in no mood for conversation and would rather drink blood to heal all his wounds, while Sangfroid check up on little Ofelia, speaking in her language, since the Wind wasn't here to translate automatically anymore.
"Are you alright, Ofelia? Are you hungry? I can conjure some fruits for you." Sangfroid asked.
"Ofelia got a little boo-boo, Daddy Sangfroid, but it's alright." She showed her grazed elbow. "And I'm not that hungry either. You look worse than me, Daddy Sangfroid, maybe you should conjure the fruits for yourself."
Sangfroid nodded, too tired to argue, and just followed the siren girl's command to recover his strength. He conjured a small apple shrub, and ate from it, still unable to stand as his legs are rendered useless.
Meanwhile, Vladstin found a lake inside the cave the deeper he went. He counted his steps so he would know how far he is to the others. According to his estimation, this lake is a mile away from them, though it's really nothing for him to go back to his companions in just a second due to his speed.
He looked at the surface and......
Instead of his reflection, he found someone else looking at him.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Anything is possible with the Amulet in his hand.
He can make someone fly. He can bring back copies of the dead, and though they are soulless and not like the real thing, he can just command them to act like it. There is absolutely no threat that he can't manage if he can wish for the Amulet to counter it at the right moment.
This kind of power... God forbid it if someone like King Casserome received it. And God did forbade it.
But.... Is Sangfroid really worth of such power?
He had used it again and again for menial tasks, a solution to tiny problems, and for necessity. The Noble Huntsmen is right. With its power, he can make a new kingdom rise from the ashes like a phoenix. No, he can even rise another Thirteen Kingdoms, endless kingdoms, more and more....
If he had even the sliver of greed normal humans have, he would have realized this already and used such power for that.
Even so, that doesn't mean greed is inexistent in him. He has goals after all, desires like everyone else. So even if he was comparatively less likely to use the power of the Amulet for evil.... That doesn't mean he won't use it for evil at all.
The Hermit won't give the cure to Leron and Vladstin? Then he is willing to threaten his life, to flatten the Libitinous Mountain itself that he calls home.
The Noble Huntsmen would chase after them and won't leave them alone? Then he is willing to send hurricanes, to send waves from the sea to rise from the skies itself, to smite them all with lightning.
And because he was aware of his own willingness to commit such wrong deeds just to achieve his personal desires and wants.... He felt like he too, was the wrong person to receive the Amulet.
But wait... This Amulet belonged to Kings of Ilvedia before him, right? What stopped them to use such power? How come Ilvedia had not taken over Crescentia as it had always wanted, or even taken over all the Thirteen Kingdoms and began its rule as an empire?
These questions bugged him as he conjured gusts of wind to carry them, as gently as it can, towards the apex. But he knows he won't receive an answer any time soon. And maybe.....
Maybe there's no one left to answer that at all.
All sources of knowledge like the libraries or the Ilvedian Palace itself were destroyed.
The heir of the Amulet before him, the exiled Prince Vinsen, was long dead. Had died before little Sangfroid was even capable to ask him questions. And all the other kings before him had also died.
He is alone in carrying this truth, this power, this responsibility.
"W-We're flying!?" Ofelia exclaimed, a little on edge at first, but it eventually became a nervous excitement. "We're flying!"
"Oh, it really is a strange feeling to fly!" Leron exclaimed, with a light chuckle at the end. "Can you take us higher, Sangfroid? If only I wasn't tied up, I could have touched the clouds, haha!"
"I'll touch the clouds for you, Daddy Leron!" Ofelia said.
Vladstin meanwhile, was not amused by flight. He had kept it a secret for a long time, but he is actually acrophobic. He had become more apathetic of it since becoming a vampire, and much more as immortal, but the sinking feeling in the pits of his stomach is still there despite how well he suppresses it. "Sangfroid, dear, I don't want you to rush you or anything. But it is best that we arrive at the Hermit's abode as quickly as we can to take advantage of the element of surprise!"
"En. I'll make it fly higher and faster."
He closed his eyes while clasping the Amulet, and their little tornado ship of wind brought them up, up above, until they reach the highest peak of the Libitinous Mountains. Soon, they caught sight of a cave.
The cave was just a normal cave. Nothing different from the one they were once in, the one where they met and reunited with Yulio. Though it appears to be bigger and less damp. There's not much to notice besides how normal it is.
The normal cave was really out of place to the supernatural place. So much so that it gave an eerie air. Just like how a beautiful doll would be out of place in a pile of dead bodies from the war, or a piece of delicious chocolate among a pile of garbage.
It was so normal.
Their little tornado landed by the mouth of this average and plain-looking cave. They proceeded to scan the area for any more threats. The Hermit is not on sight, as to be expected thanks to the Wind, but one can never be too cautious in the Libitinous Mountains. Those vines may not be the only trap awaiting them, especially now that they are in the Hermit's home itself.
"Leron, do you sense anything?" Vladstin asked his fellow vampire lord. "You go look to the right, I'll look to the left."
The Beast followed suit, turning his head to the side, though the smell of his wounded and bloodied donkey, the empty husk Sangfroid, is pervading his senses a little. Still, he managed to thoroughly determine the area for any threats, and there was none.
He turned to Vladstin and shook his head.
"None on my side either." Vladstin told Sangfroid on his back.
The Hunter nodded, squinting his eyes. "Even so, we have to be careful on entering the cave itself. I do not trust its appearance, the real threat must be inside it."
They took small steps inside the unassuming and dainty little cave, one foot over the other. Once they were fully inside the mouth, though, something strange happened.
The cave has become larger than life, larger than what it should have been on the inside. The ceiling stretches all the way up in heights they shouldn't have. It sprawled in such a humongous height and vastness that it could have been the whole world itself. There was a bright ambiance in it like the light of a summery sky, and soon, the light of their torches is barely needed to transverse such a place.
The Hermit's cave is more like the Hermit's world. There is nothing else that could have existed outside of it. It was his only home.
Baffled, they all turned around to the entrance from whence they came. There was nothing there, only the wall of the cave.
"Ah, so this is the trap. We cannot go out once going in." Vladstin chuckled.
The Beast feels at home in such a place. Imagine living in a cave like this, all your life, for eternity. It will be nice once you have achieved all that you are pursuing, all the desires and passions of your life. He hasn't attained it yet, and believes he may never attain it for he is always hungry, he who is Hunger itself, but it would be fine to rest in such a place with only yourself once in a while.
Ah, but this isn't his home. This is someone else's. He doesn't want this particular cave, he wants a new one for himself.
"So..... We wait for the Hermit to come back here after being distracted by the Wind?" He asked his companions.
"We prepare." Sangfroid said. "We need to make sure that he doesn't harm us, or escape from us."
"It will be very easy to do that, Sangfroid." Vladstin slowly put him down, examining if there's anything else in the expanse of such a cavern. "We have the Amulet of the Dracon, and we know now its full capabilities. We could ensnare him in ropes of flames, or keep him subdued in mud or hard earth or quicksand. There are many options to do so, and they all will do nicely."
"Then I was right. We just have to wait." The Beast was also plopped down along with the husk carrying it, and they all sat on the cave's dry floor. Caves are usually damp but this one is just a wonderful little place to rest in. "I am a little tired from the tussle earlier, and I believe Sangfroid should be even more because he is a human and the one who did most of the work commanding the Amulet to save us."
"I see. Are you tired, Sangfroid?" Vladstin ask, as he helped fix Sangfroid's position so he would be more comfortable for any future rest.
Sangfroid from the past would have not spoken the truth, and acted like a self-sacrificing martyr saying he is alright, but the recent events had molded him a little to be honest about his true feelings. "I am a little. But we shouldn't remain complacent for too long. There is much about this area we don't know about."
"En." Vladstin nodded. "I will look around for you. Just stay here and don't worry."
Vladstin walked forward, leaving the two Ilvedian's to recuperate and rest. The Beast was in no mood for conversation and would rather drink blood to heal all his wounds, while Sangfroid check up on little Ofelia, speaking in her language, since the Wind wasn't here to translate automatically anymore.
"Are you alright, Ofelia? Are you hungry? I can conjure some fruits for you." Sangfroid asked.
"Ofelia got a little boo-boo, Daddy Sangfroid, but it's alright." She showed her grazed elbow. "And I'm not that hungry either. You look worse than me, Daddy Sangfroid, maybe you should conjure the fruits for yourself."
Sangfroid nodded, too tired to argue, and just followed the siren girl's command to recover his strength. He conjured a small apple shrub, and ate from it, still unable to stand as his legs are rendered useless.
Meanwhile, Vladstin found a lake inside the cave the deeper he went. He counted his steps so he would know how far he is to the others. According to his estimation, this lake is a mile away from them, though it's really nothing for him to go back to his companions in just a second due to his speed.
He looked at the surface and......
Instead of his reflection, he found someone else looking at him.
Anything is possible with the Amulet in his hand.He can make someone fly. He can bring back copies of the dead, and though they are soulless and not like the real thing, he can just command them to act like it. There is absolutely no threat that he can't manage if he can wish for the Amulet to counter it at the right moment.This kind of power... God forbid it if someone like King Casserome received it. And God did forbade it.But.... Is Sangfroid really worth of such power?He had used it again and again for menial tasks, a solution to tiny problems, and for necessity. The Noble Huntsmen is right. With its power, he can make a new kingdom rise from the ashes like a phoenix. No, he can even rise another Thirteen Kingdoms, endless kingdoms, more and more....If he had even the sliver of greed normal humans have, he would have realized this already and used such power for that.Even so, that doesn't mean greed is inexistent in him. He has goals after all, desires like everyone else. So even if he was comparatively less likely to use the power of the Amulet for evil.... That doesn't mean he won't use it for evil at all.The Hermit won't give the cure to Leron and Vladstin? Then he is willing to threaten his life, to flatten the Libitinous Mountain itself that he calls home.The Noble Huntsmen would chase after them and won't leave them alone? Then he is willing to send hurricanes, to send waves from the sea to rise from the skies itself, to smite them all with lightning.And because he was aware of his own willingness to commit such wrong deeds just to achieve his personal desires and wants.... He felt like he too, was the wrong person to receive the Amulet.But wait... This Amulet belonged to Kings of Ilvedia before him, right? What stopped them to use such power? How come Ilvedia had not taken over Crescentia as it had always wanted, or even taken over all the Thirteen Kingdoms and began its rule as an empire?These questions bugged him as he conjured gusts of wind to carry them, as gently as it can, towards the apex. But he knows he won't receive an answer any time soon. And maybe.....Maybe there's no one left to answer that at all.All sources of knowledge like the libraries or the Ilvedian Palace itself were destroyed.The heir of the Amulet before him, the exiled Prince Vinsen, was long dead. Had died before little Sangfroid was even capable to ask him questions. And all the other kings before him had also died.He is alone in carrying this truth, this power, this responsibility."W-We're flying!?" Ofelia exclaimed, a little on edge at first, but it eventually became a nervous excitement. "We're flying!""Oh, it really is a strange feeling to fly!" Leron exclaimed, with a light chuckle at the end. "Can you take us higher, Sangfroid? If only I wasn't tied up, I could have touched the clouds, haha!""I'll touch the clouds for you, Daddy Leron!" Ofelia said.Vladstin meanwhile, was not amused by flight. He had kept it a secret for a long time, but he is actually acrophobic. He had become more apathetic of it since becoming a vampire, and much more as immortal, but the sinking feeling in the pits of his stomach is still there despite how well he suppresses it. "Sangfroid, dear, I don't want you to rush you or anything. But it is best that we arrive at the Hermit's abode as quickly as we can to take advantage of the element of surprise!""En. I'll make it fly higher and faster."He closed his eyes while clasping the Amulet, and their little tornado ship of wind brought them up, up above, until they reach the highest peak of the Libitinous Mountains. Soon, they caught sight of a cave.The cave was just a normal cave. Nothing different from the one they were once in, the one where they met and reunited with Yulio. Though it appears to be bigger and less damp. There's not much to notice besides how normal it is.The normal cave was really out of place to the supernatural place. So much so that it gave an eerie air. Just like how a beautiful doll would be out of place in a pile of dead bodies from the war, or a piece of delicious chocolate among a pile of garbage.It was so normal.Their little tornado landed by the mouth of this average and plain-looking cave. They proceeded to scan the area for any more threats. The Hermit is not on sight, as to be expected thanks to the Wind, but one can never be too cautious in the Libitinous Mountains. Those vines may not be the only trap awaiting them, especially now that they are in the Hermit's home itself."Leron, do you sense anything?" Vladstin asked his fellow vampire lord. "You go look to the right, I'll look to the left."The Beast followed suit, turning his head to the side, though the smell of his wounded and bloodied donkey, the empty husk Sangfroid, is pervading his senses a little. Still, he managed to thoroughly determine the area for any threats, and there was none.He turned to Vladstin and shook his head."None on my side either." Vladstin told Sangfroid on his back.The Hunter nodded, squinting his eyes. "Even so, we have to be careful on entering the cave itself. I do not trust its appearance, the real threat must be inside it." They took small steps inside the unassuming and dainty little cave, one foot over the other. Once they were fully inside the mouth, though, something strange happened.The cave has become larger than life, larger than what it should have been on the inside. The ceiling stretches all the way up in heights they shouldn't have. It sprawled in such a humongous height and vastness that it could have been the whole world itself. There was a bright ambiance in it like the light of a summery sky, and soon, the light of their torches is barely needed to transverse such a place.The Hermit's cave is more like the Hermit's world. There is nothing else that could have existed outside of it. It was his only home.Baffled, they all turned around to the entrance from whence they came. There was nothing there, only the wall of the cave."Ah, so this is the trap. We cannot go out once going in." Vladstin chuckled.The Beast feels at home in such a place. Imagine living in a cave like this, all your life, for eternity. It will be nice once you have achieved all that you are pursuing, all the desires and passions of your life. He hasn't attained it yet, and believes he may never attain it for he is always hungry, he who is Hunger itself, but it would be fine to rest in such a place with only yourself once in a while.Ah, but this isn't his home. This is someone else's. He doesn't want this particular cave, he wants a new one for himself."So..... We wait for the Hermit to come back here after being distracted by the Wind?" He asked his companions."We prepare." Sangfroid said. "We need to make sure that he doesn't harm us, or escape from us.""It will be very easy to do that, Sangfroid." Vladstin slowly put him down, examining if there's anything else in the expanse of such a cavern. "We have the Amulet of the Dracon, and we know now its full capabilities. We could ensnare him in ropes of flames, or keep him subdued in mud or hard earth or quicksand. There are many options to do so, and they all will do nicely.""Then I was right. We just have to wait." The Beast was also plopped down along with the husk carrying it, and they all sat on the cave's dry floor. Caves are usually damp but this one is just a wonderful little place to rest in. "I am a little tired from the tussle earlier, and I believe Sangfroid should be even more because he is a human and the one who did most of the work commanding the Amulet to save us.""I see. Are you tired, Sangfroid?" Vladstin ask, as he helped fix Sangfroid's position so he would be more comfortable for any future rest.Sangfroid from the past would have not spoken the truth, and acted like a self-sacrificing martyr saying he is alright, but the recent events had molded him a little to be honest about his true feelings. "I am a little. But we shouldn't remain complacent for too long. There is much about this area we don't know about.""En." Vladstin nodded. "I will look around for you. Just stay here and don't worry."Vladstin walked forward, leaving the two Ilvedian's to recuperate and rest. The Beast was in no mood for conversation and would rather drink blood to heal all his wounds, while Sangfroid check up on little Ofelia, speaking in her language, since the Wind wasn't here to translate automatically anymore."Are you alright, Ofelia? Are you hungry? I can conjure some fruits for you." Sangfroid asked. "Ofelia got a little boo-boo, Daddy Sangfroid, but it's alright." She showed her grazed elbow. "And I'm not that hungry either. You look worse than me, Daddy Sangfroid, maybe you should conjure the fruits for yourself."Sangfroid nodded, too tired to argue, and just followed the siren girl's command to recover his strength. He conjured a small apple shrub, and ate from it, still unable to stand as his legs are rendered useless.Meanwhile, Vladstin found a lake inside the cave the deeper he went. He counted his steps so he would know how far he is to the others. According to his estimation, this lake is a mile away from them, though it's really nothing for him to go back to his companions in just a second due to his speed.He looked at the surface and......Instead of his reflection, he found someone else looking at him.
