Chapter 91: Cave Of Beliefs
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They continued to travel and had gone weary, and the leader, Sangfroid, noticed that a storm was afoot.
Therefore, they must prepare for it.
The main issue is looking for someplace to hide from the hurricane. The tents wouldn't do, and the danger of a tree falling down from a lightning strike cannot be discounted either. So in the wild, the first place you would look for....
Would be caves.
Luckily, they managed to find one just in time, their stuff and clothing drenched. The cave they found was big enough for everyone including the corpses and the dead wolves.
"I hope it would not last long." Leron said worriedly.
"I pray to the Holy Dragon Lord as well." Sangfroid agreed, clenching the Amulet of the Dracon tightly. He had noticed Leron is getting more and more pale and sickly, and they have to make as much time they can to get an antidote.
Vladstin was drying his clothes happily, twisting them as he hummed. They can now see his shirtless body full of scars.
Leron dreaded the sight. Sangfroid saw the new ones he made from the wrestling, particularly the big blue bruise on one on the ribs.
"Why don't they heal?" Leron asked. "Don't they usually heal immediately?"
"I chose not to heal them!" Vladstin grinned. "It's more fun this way."
Sangfroid narrowed his eyes. "What's so fun about it?"
"The fact that I can keep being in pain every waking hour of my life! No human can experience that, so it feels very special to me." The vampire grinned.
They didn't say anything else to counter the vampire's twisted way of thinking.
Sangfroid made a fire and brought over the carcass of the deer he conjured using the Amulet of the Dracon. With it, the two of them can last with three days of food. He just has to cure the meat so it won't spoil.
He carried with him a jar of vinegar since the start of the trip, and put the meat in them with a couple more seasoning to be saved for later.
"Did the Bishop teach you how to preserve food?" Leron asked by his side.
"Mn." Sangfroid nodded. "All kinds of survival skills.... He thought to us."
"Your Bishop sounds like a wonderful person. Too bad he's involved with Leron's bastard father." Vladstin shook his hair about.
This made the hunter frown
"I didn't know that he and King Casserome had that involvement. I've seen them talk with each other, but I've always thought it was a distant relationship or just acquaintance."
"I was surprised about it too. My father never mentioned the Bishop much. Well...." Leron gritted his teeth. "All he ever talk about was how to take over kingdoms and how weak I am."
"When you go back to New Ilvedia as King, you should send out a warrant to Faldenhorf and have his head cut off." Vladstin suggested.
"I've read on history books that this isn't the first time the former king escaped somewhere so the new king wouldn't slit his throat. Faldenhorf itself used to be ruled by a tyrant, but the people revolted and a king that used to be a peasant had taken over the throne. He set out a bounty for the tyrant."
"I'm not sure if I would go that far....." Sangfroid looked at Leron hesitantly. "He had his faults, but he also did it for the kingdom and just to secure a future for Prince Leron—"
"Kill him." Leron said coldly. "Kill him if you want to. I don't mind, he never did it for the kingdom or for me. Why else would he escape like a coward when his people need him? I agree with Vladstin, he is nothing but a tyrant."
Vladstin shook his head. "No, no. Sangfroid has a point. It may not be his intention, and he may just be a greedy bastard, but the results are the same. Because he conquered Crescentia, Ilvedia had gotten richer and had more prospects, no?"
Sangfroid weighed both of these, and had come to a decision. "It was a decision made with the prospects for the kingdom in mind, but it is still an immoral decision. He must pay for his crimes somehow."
"I will consider it for a bit longer. For now, we must focus on finding the Hermit."
The fire had cost shadows to dance in the cold, smooth walls of the cave, and they soon noticed some writings up ahead.
"I heard hermits existed since the time before the Thirteen Kingdoms." Vladstin touched the writing. "But they all died, and there's only one left. How lucky of them. Imagine how many people have died since the beginning of time.... How much memories and suffering."
"Once they get into the afterlife, the good people would no longer suffer under the Holy Dragon Lord's gaze." Sangfroid said.
"I think what Vladstin meant is the concept of reincarnation. Their belief is different, Sangfroid." Leron explained.
"I imagine the Ilvedian afterlife must be very crowded if all the souls since the beginning of time just go there!" Vladstin grinned. "The problem with that concept that no souls get recycled is that cannot explain why some people have memories of the past."
Leron nodded. "I have read a whole book about recounts of individuals who can remember their past lives."
Sangfroid felt countered by these two who don't share his belief. But then again, the Amulet of the Dracon holds true power, so that means the Hold Dragon Lord is true, right?
"Did you not consider that these recounts and incidents may just be coincidences?" He said. "Or maybe hallucinations?"
"True. You're skeptical of other beliefs that don't match yours, aren't you, Sangfroid?" Vladstin deduced.
"I'm just.... Considering all the options. I am also willing to receive any counter with the Draconian religion but...." He coyly presented the amulet. "I have enough proof as it is to keep my faith."
"But just because one belief is true, doesn't mean the other is false." Leron offered. "They could co-exist."
"Co-exist?" Sangfroid's eyes widened. "I've.... Never considered that before. The Holy Text says that the Father of the Holy Dragon Lord is the one true god."
"But that doesn't deny the existence of other gods, does it?" The vampire picked up a stone and drew something on the wall. "They could be going like this:"
He scribbled a dragon and spoke in a deep voice: "Hi, I'm the Holy Dragon Lord, God of Ilvedia. Nice to meet you."
Then, he went on the other side, drawing a wolf. "Hi, I'm the Crimson Wolf, one of the gods in Crescentia. Nice to meet you too."
He went back to the dragon: "Let's divide the afterlife according to our believers."
Then back to the wolf: "Alright, let's do that!"
He turned to Sangfroid again, grinning. "See?"
For some reason, Sangfroid found this... Slightly adorable.
He was like a child when he explains things.
But instead, he just wore a straight face. "I already get it. You don't have to explain it in such a weird way."
"Thinking that all gods co-exist in some kind of harmony..... I wonder if there's a belief centered around that?" Leron rubbed his chin, now curious about the ancient writings on the wall.
Voadstin brought again a new perspective. "It's also possible that it's not always in harmony. Humans are naturally war-loving creatures after all, and their concept of gods is based on themselves. And in nature, it's also natural to fight for dominance. So who's to say that gods don't fight from time to time?"
"And if they do fight, that would mean that there is a good side and a bad side." Sangfroid added. "Because fighting often means that two forces have different intentions, and one of them would be better than the other. "
He had grown more interested with the way this two discoursed, it is not the same as he was in the Chapel because the Bishop would always have the answers. Meanwhile, they are equals here, sharing all their ideas and theories with the same level of credibility.
"A good side and a bad side, huh? And what would be the basis for which one is good and which one is bad?" Vladstin grinned. "The hero always thinks he is the good one, but in truth he is the villain and the villain's eyes. In the end, aren't they just both killing each other?"
"In the end, they're just both murderers, and if not murder, then life-destroyers. If the hero puts the villain in jail, he suffers. If the hero asks the villain to compensate for his crimes, he suffers."
Vladstin draws a circle around his stickman drawings. "In conclusion, humans love to make each other suffer! And perhaps gods too! And that's the beauty of this world!"
Sangfroid suddenly took a hit on this, his strong faith suddenly being challenged. The Holy Dragon Lord.... Makes people suffer?
Didn't the Bishop say something similar about this? About how there's a balance, about how there's beauty in suffering.
He had always been raised and thought by fellow Ilvedians that all the Holy Dragon Lord can do is good.... But if everything is good, why does suffering exist? Could it be that the Bishop and this vampire are actually right?
That the Holy Dragon Lord is not a purely good entity, but something gray and ambiguous? Or perhaps, a side of him is in the white, and a side of him is in the black?
As he thought about this, Leron suddenly called out to them. "Um..... Can you two please come here? I think you should see this."
They approached him as he was looking at a wall.....
And found that an ancient cave drawing has been slashed at by what seems to be big, monstrous claws.
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They continued to travel and had gone weary, and the leader, Sangfroid, noticed that a storm was afoot.
Therefore, they must prepare for it.
The main issue is looking for someplace to hide from the hurricane. The tents wouldn't do, and the danger of a tree falling down from a lightning strike cannot be discounted either. So in the wild, the first place you would look for....
Would be caves.
Luckily, they managed to find one just in time, their stuff and clothing drenched. The cave they found was big enough for everyone including the corpses and the dead wolves.
"I hope it would not last long." Leron said worriedly.
"I pray to the Holy Dragon Lord as well." Sangfroid agreed, clenching the Amulet of the Dracon tightly. He had noticed Leron is getting more and more pale and sickly, and they have to make as much time they can to get an antidote.
Vladstin was drying his clothes happily, twisting them as he hummed. They can now see his shirtless body full of scars.
Leron dreaded the sight. Sangfroid saw the new ones he made from the wrestling, particularly the big blue bruise on one on the ribs.
"Why don't they heal?" Leron asked. "Don't they usually heal immediately?"
"I chose not to heal them!" Vladstin grinned. "It's more fun this way."
Sangfroid narrowed his eyes. "What's so fun about it?"
"The fact that I can keep being in pain every waking hour of my life! No human can experience that, so it feels very special to me." The vampire grinned.
They didn't say anything else to counter the vampire's twisted way of thinking.
Sangfroid made a fire and brought over the carcass of the deer he conjured using the Amulet of the Dracon. With it, the two of them can last with three days of food. He just has to cure the meat so it won't spoil.
He carried with him a jar of vinegar since the start of the trip, and put the meat in them with a couple more seasoning to be saved for later.
"Did the Bishop teach you how to preserve food?" Leron asked by his side.
"Mn." Sangfroid nodded. "All kinds of survival skills.... He thought to us."
"Your Bishop sounds like a wonderful person. Too bad he's involved with Leron's bastard father." Vladstin shook his hair about.
This made the hunter frown
"I didn't know that he and King Casserome had that involvement. I've seen them talk with each other, but I've always thought it was a distant relationship or just acquaintance."
"I was surprised about it too. My father never mentioned the Bishop much. Well...." Leron gritted his teeth. "All he ever talk about was how to take over kingdoms and how weak I am."
"When you go back to New Ilvedia as King, you should send out a warrant to Faldenhorf and have his head cut off." Vladstin suggested.
"I've read on history books that this isn't the first time the former king escaped somewhere so the new king wouldn't slit his throat. Faldenhorf itself used to be ruled by a tyrant, but the people revolted and a king that used to be a peasant had taken over the throne. He set out a bounty for the tyrant."
"I'm not sure if I would go that far....." Sangfroid looked at Leron hesitantly. "He had his faults, but he also did it for the kingdom and just to secure a future for Prince Leron—"
"Kill him." Leron said coldly. "Kill him if you want to. I don't mind, he never did it for the kingdom or for me. Why else would he escape like a coward when his people need him? I agree with Vladstin, he is nothing but a tyrant."
Vladstin shook his head. "No, no. Sangfroid has a point. It may not be his intention, and he may just be a greedy bastard, but the results are the same. Because he conquered Crescentia, Ilvedia had gotten richer and had more prospects, no?"
Sangfroid weighed both of these, and had come to a decision. "It was a decision made with the prospects for the kingdom in mind, but it is still an immoral decision. He must pay for his crimes somehow."
"I will consider it for a bit longer. For now, we must focus on finding the Hermit."
The fire had cost shadows to dance in the cold, smooth walls of the cave, and they soon noticed some writings up ahead.
"I heard hermits existed since the time before the Thirteen Kingdoms." Vladstin touched the writing. "But they all died, and there's only one left. How lucky of them. Imagine how many people have died since the beginning of time.... How much memories and suffering."
"Once they get into the afterlife, the good people would no longer suffer under the Holy Dragon Lord's gaze." Sangfroid said.
"I think what Vladstin meant is the concept of reincarnation. Their belief is different, Sangfroid." Leron explained.
"I imagine the Ilvedian afterlife must be very crowded if all the souls since the beginning of time just go there!" Vladstin grinned. "The problem with that concept that no souls get recycled is that cannot explain why some people have memories of the past."
Leron nodded. "I have read a whole book about recounts of individuals who can remember their past lives."
Sangfroid felt countered by these two who don't share his belief. But then again, the Amulet of the Dracon holds true power, so that means the Hold Dragon Lord is true, right?
"Did you not consider that these recounts and incidents may just be coincidences?" He said. "Or maybe hallucinations?"
"True. You're skeptical of other beliefs that don't match yours, aren't you, Sangfroid?" Vladstin deduced.
"I'm just.... Considering all the options. I am also willing to receive any counter with the Draconian religion but...." He coyly presented the amulet. "I have enough proof as it is to keep my faith."
"But just because one belief is true, doesn't mean the other is false." Leron offered. "They could co-exist."
"Co-exist?" Sangfroid's eyes widened. "I've.... Never considered that before. The Holy Text says that the Father of the Holy Dragon Lord is the one true god."
"But that doesn't deny the existence of other gods, does it?" The vampire picked up a stone and drew something on the wall. "They could be going like this:"
He scribbled a dragon and spoke in a deep voice: "Hi, I'm the Holy Dragon Lord, God of Ilvedia. Nice to meet you."
Then, he went on the other side, drawing a wolf. "Hi, I'm the Crimson Wolf, one of the gods in Crescentia. Nice to meet you too."
He went back to the dragon: "Let's divide the afterlife according to our believers."
Then back to the wolf: "Alright, let's do that!"
He turned to Sangfroid again, grinning. "See?"
For some reason, Sangfroid found this... Slightly adorable.
He was like a child when he explains things.
But instead, he just wore a straight face. "I already get it. You don't have to explain it in such a weird way."
"Thinking that all gods co-exist in some kind of harmony..... I wonder if there's a belief centered around that?" Leron rubbed his chin, now curious about the ancient writings on the wall.
Voadstin brought again a new perspective. "It's also possible that it's not always in harmony. Humans are naturally war-loving creatures after all, and their concept of gods is based on themselves. And in nature, it's also natural to fight for dominance. So who's to say that gods don't fight from time to time?"
"And if they do fight, that would mean that there is a good side and a bad side." Sangfroid added. "Because fighting often means that two forces have different intentions, and one of them would be better than the other. "
He had grown more interested with the way this two discoursed, it is not the same as he was in the Chapel because the Bishop would always have the answers. Meanwhile, they are equals here, sharing all their ideas and theories with the same level of credibility.
"A good side and a bad side, huh? And what would be the basis for which one is good and which one is bad?" Vladstin grinned. "The hero always thinks he is the good one, but in truth he is the villain and the villain's eyes. In the end, aren't they just both killing each other?"
"In the end, they're just both murderers, and if not murder, then life-destroyers. If the hero puts the villain in jail, he suffers. If the hero asks the villain to compensate for his crimes, he suffers."
Vladstin draws a circle around his stickman drawings. "In conclusion, humans love to make each other suffer! And perhaps gods too! And that's the beauty of this world!"
Sangfroid suddenly took a hit on this, his strong faith suddenly being challenged. The Holy Dragon Lord.... Makes people suffer?
Didn't the Bishop say something similar about this? About how there's a balance, about how there's beauty in suffering.
He had always been raised and thought by fellow Ilvedians that all the Holy Dragon Lord can do is good.... But if everything is good, why does suffering exist? Could it be that the Bishop and this vampire are actually right?
That the Holy Dragon Lord is not a purely good entity, but something gray and ambiguous? Or perhaps, a side of him is in the white, and a side of him is in the black?
As he thought about this, Leron suddenly called out to them. "Um..... Can you two please come here? I think you should see this."
They approached him as he was looking at a wall.....
And found that an ancient cave drawing has been slashed at by what seems to be big, monstrous claws.
They continued to travel and had gone weary, and the leader, Sangfroid, noticed that a storm was afoot.Therefore, they must prepare for it.The main issue is looking for someplace to hide from the hurricane. The tents wouldn't do, and the danger of a tree falling down from a lightning strike cannot be discounted either. So in the wild, the first place you would look for....Would be caves.Luckily, they managed to find one just in time, their stuff and clothing drenched. The cave they found was big enough for everyone including the corpses and the dead wolves."I hope it would not last long." Leron said worriedly."I pray to the Holy Dragon Lord as well." Sangfroid agreed, clenching the Amulet of the Dracon tightly. He had noticed Leron is getting more and more pale and sickly, and they have to make as much time they can to get an antidote.Vladstin was drying his clothes happily, twisting them as he hummed. They can now see his shirtless body full of scars.Leron dreaded the sight. Sangfroid saw the new ones he made from the wrestling, particularly the big blue bruise on one on the ribs."Why don't they heal?" Leron asked. "Don't they usually heal immediately?""I chose not to heal them!" Vladstin grinned. "It's more fun this way."Sangfroid narrowed his eyes. "What's so fun about it?""The fact that I can keep being in pain every waking hour of my life! No human can experience that, so it feels very special to me." The vampire grinned.They didn't say anything else to counter the vampire's twisted way of thinking.Sangfroid made a fire and brought over the carcass of the deer he conjured using the Amulet of the Dracon. With it, the two of them can last with three days of food. He just has to cure the meat so it won't spoil.He carried with him a jar of vinegar since the start of the trip, and put the meat in them with a couple more seasoning to be saved for later."Did the Bishop teach you how to preserve food?" Leron asked by his side."Mn." Sangfroid nodded. "All kinds of survival skills.... He thought to us.""Your Bishop sounds like a wonderful person. Too bad he's involved with Leron's bastard father." Vladstin shook his hair about.This made the hunter frown"I didn't know that he and King Casserome had that involvement. I've seen them talk with each other, but I've always thought it was a distant relationship or just acquaintance.""I was surprised about it too. My father never mentioned the Bishop much. Well...." Leron gritted his teeth. "All he ever talk about was how to take over kingdoms and how weak I am.""When you go back to New Ilvedia as King, you should send out a warrant to Faldenhorf and have his head cut off." Vladstin suggested."I've read on history books that this isn't the first time the former king escaped somewhere so the new king wouldn't slit his throat. Faldenhorf itself used to be ruled by a tyrant, but the people revolted and a king that used to be a peasant had taken over the throne. He set out a bounty for the tyrant.""I'm not sure if I would go that far....." Sangfroid looked at Leron hesitantly. "He had his faults, but he also did it for the kingdom and just to secure a future for Prince Leron""Kill him." Leron said coldly. "Kill him if you want to. I don't mind, he never did it for the kingdom or for me. Why else would he escape like a coward when his people need him? I agree with Vladstin, he is nothing but a tyrant."Vladstin shook his head. "No, no. Sangfroid has a point. It may not be his intention, and he may just be a greedy bastard, but the results are the same. Because he conquered Crescentia, Ilvedia had gotten richer and had more prospects, no?"Sangfroid weighed both of these, and had come to a decision. "It was a decision made with the prospects for the kingdom in mind, but it is still an immoral decision. He must pay for his crimes somehow.""I will consider it for a bit longer. For now, we must focus on finding the Hermit."The fire had cost shadows to dance in the cold, smooth walls of the cave, and they soon noticed some writings up ahead."I heard hermits existed since the time before the Thirteen Kingdoms." Vladstin touched the writing. "But they all died, and there's only one left. How lucky of them. Imagine how many people have died since the beginning of time.... How much memories and suffering.""Once they get into the afterlife, the good people would no longer suffer under the Holy Dragon Lord's gaze." Sangfroid said."I think what Vladstin meant is the concept of reincarnation. Their belief is different, Sangfroid." Leron explained."I imagine the Ilvedian afterlife must be very crowded if all the souls since the beginning of time just go there!" Vladstin grinned. "The problem with that concept that no souls get recycled is that cannot explain why some people have memories of the past."Leron nodded. "I have read a whole book about recounts of individuals who can remember their past lives."Sangfroid felt countered by these two who don't share his belief. But then again, the Amulet of the Dracon holds true power, so that means the Hold Dragon Lord is true, right?"Did you not consider that these recounts and incidents may just be coincidences?" He said. "Or maybe hallucinations?""True. You're skeptical of other beliefs that don't match yours, aren't you, Sangfroid?" Vladstin deduced."I'm just.... Considering all the options. I am also willing to receive any counter with the Draconian religion but...." He coyly presented the amulet. "I have enough proof as it is to keep my faith.""But just because one belief is true, doesn't mean the other is false." Leron offered. "They could co-exist.""Co-exist?" Sangfroid's eyes widened. "I've.... Never considered that before. The Holy Text says that the Father of the Holy Dragon Lord is the one true god.""But that doesn't deny the existence of other gods, does it?" The vampire picked up a stone and drew something on the wall. "They could be going like this:"He scribbled a dragon and spoke in a deep voice: "Hi, I'm the Holy Dragon Lord, God of Ilvedia. Nice to meet you."Then, he went on the other side, drawing a wolf. "Hi, I'm the Crimson Wolf, one of the gods in Crescentia. Nice to meet you too."He went back to the dragon: "Let's divide the afterlife according to our believers."Then back to the wolf: "Alright, let's do that!"He turned to Sangfroid again, grinning. "See?"For some reason, Sangfroid found this... Slightly adorable.He was like a child when he explains things.But instead, he just wore a straight face. "I already get it. You don't have to explain it in such a weird way.""Thinking that all gods co-exist in some kind of harmony..... I wonder if there's a belief centered around that?" Leron rubbed his chin, now curious about the ancient writings on the wall.Voadstin brought again a new perspective. "It's also possible that it's not always in harmony. Humans are naturally war-loving creatures after all, and their concept of gods is based on themselves. And in nature, it's also natural to fight for dominance. So who's to say that gods don't fight from time to time?""And if they do fight, that would mean that there is a good side and a bad side." Sangfroid added. "Because fighting often means that two forces have different intentions, and one of them would be better than the other. "He had grown more interested with the way this two discoursed, it is not the same as he was in the Chapel because the Bishop would always have the answers. Meanwhile, they are equals here, sharing all their ideas and theories with the same level of credibility."A good side and a bad side, huh? And what would be the basis for which one is good and which one is bad?" Vladstin grinned. "The hero always thinks he is the good one, but in truth he is the villain and the villain's eyes. In the end, aren't they just both killing each other?""In the end, they're just both murderers, and if not murder, then life-destroyers. If the hero puts the villain in jail, he suffers. If the hero asks the villain to compensate for his crimes, he suffers."Vladstin draws a circle around his stickman drawings. "In conclusion, humans love to make each other suffer! And perhaps gods too! And that's the beauty of this world!"Sangfroid suddenly took a hit on this, his strong faith suddenly being challenged. The Holy Dragon Lord.... Makes people suffer?Didn't the Bishop say something similar about this? About how there's a balance, about how there's beauty in suffering.He had always been raised and thought by fellow Ilvedians that all the Holy Dragon Lord can do is good.... But if everything is good, why does suffering exist? Could it be that the Bishop and this vampire are actually right?That the Holy Dragon Lord is not a purely good entity, but something gray and ambiguous? Or perhaps, a side of him is in the white, and a side of him is in the black?As he thought about this, Leron suddenly called out to them. "Um..... Can you two please come here? I think you should see this."They approached him as he was looking at a wall.....And found that an ancient cave drawing has been slashed at by what seems to be big, monstrous claws.
