"Get up! Someone wants to talk to you," Merill woke up Caden.
Caden stood up and walked with Merill into the tavern.
"First we'll eat something," Merill sat down with Caden at the bar, and the tavern-keeper gave them food bowls.
"Hmm... Isn't that our famous chosen one?" the man sitting beside Caden laughed.
"Do you have a problem with that?" Merill turned.
"Calm down, Merill..." Caden calmed him.
"Go ahead, send your dog on me, a bloody magician. You're all the same arrogant bastards."
"You're drunk. I am not here to start disputes, what is your problem?" Caden asked.
"Uhm... Maybe I am. If I were like you, I wouldn't have to get drunk."
"Like me?" Caden said.
"Of course, "magically gifted" as they sometimes say. I was a descendant of a powerful family when they found out that I don't have any ability."
"I'm sorry... Well... If you have nowhere to go, you could join us," Caden said.
"Are you mad?" Merill replied.
"You mean... you really? I... I don't know what to say, certainly the offer of the income. I'm Elard."
"So, Elard, I'm Caden and last name...?"
"I don't have a surname, they took it from me."
Merill hit Caden, "You've gone completely mad. Are we taking every drunk here?"
"He's not just every drunk, have you heard? He's a sort of outcast nobleman. Moreover, he will be useful to us in these lands, everyone knows more than we do."
"Okay, but just him!" Merill agreed.
"Don't worry, Merill, by the way, who did want to talk to me?" Caden asked.
"Come on. You can come with us, too," Merill looked at Elard threateningly and they all left the tavern.
In front of the tavern stood a tall man with a violet-black hood with a man who greeted them and two other men in hoods stood by his side.
"Em... where are Stephan and Cassandra?" Caden whispered uncertainly.
"They said they went to explore the neighbourhood," Merill replied.
"So you're the chosen one?! Hah!" the man in the violet-black hood called.
"Is there something wrong with you, are you sick?" the man continued.
"Well, I... come from land near the Wall of Sorrow. There's a slightly different... climate," Caden replied as the man was circling slowly around them.
"Looks like your strength is already deceiving you, Aldre, this weak child can't be the chosen one," the man proclaimed.
The man who greeted them came forward. "But, sir, I'm sure of that. I don't feel that kind of power even... from you."
"Nonsense! He can't be stronger than me!"
"Then why don't you test him, sir?" Aldred asked.
"I don't want to fight a child, but I always trusted your judgment, old friend. I'll try him then."
"Uh... what exactly does that mean?" Caden turned to Elard.
"The power duel. A sword will be stabbed into the ground between the two chosen ones, and they both shall use their power to kill each other with it, and he who dies was weaker," Elard explained.
"Uhm... and wouldn't it be possible with a branch or something?" Caden's speech was ended by the loud stab of the sword into the ground.
"Get ready. I'll try not to kill you, let's see what's in you," the violet-black hooded man said.
Caden took a deep breath and stood at the same distance from the sword as a hooded man.
"Get ready. Let the duel begin!" Aldred called.
The sword raised into the air and held in the centre with its blade pointed on the ground. But then it slowly began to move toward the man in the hood.
"That's not possible, someone is helping him!"
"None of his companions has power," Aldred replied.
The sword was near the man in the hood, but Caden turned the sword and the handle struck the man in the hood slightly.
"Uh... so what, I won?" Caden asked.
"It's not possible... Why didn't you kill me?"
Caden laughed. "I have no reason to do it."
"Then I owe you my life. I'm Mordredor, the ruler of this land."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Caden."
"I'd like to invite you and your companions to my house. I desire to learn more about such a powerful one."
"Well... We actually have nothing to do, so why not?" Caden replied.
They all went to a large castle on a hill above the village.
"Please sit down," the man pointed to the big table.
"Please tell me, who are you?"
"As I told to your em... companion, I am from the house of Snead, the last of the family which lived near the Wall of Sorrow."
"Were you all so powerful? How is it that you are the last?" Mordredor asked enthusiastically.
"My father believed that everything would be improved by breaking the Wall of Sorrow. He planned the attack for months, then it happened, and it was a disaster. There were far more soldiers than expected, and only thanks to my companions, I survived," Caden explained.
"Aldred mentioned an elf, dark elf, and someone with magical powers. Where are they? And how did you get the elf here?" Mordredor asked.
"They are currently looking around. We managed to save the elf in battle before we had to escape."
"Aldred also said something about a special gate..."
"Oh yes, I was just raving because of the dehydration," Caden smiled.
"Oh. Well, if you plan to settle down with your party, someone of your skill wouldn't be lost in our ranks. Of course, we would take care of you properly, the alliance with someone so powerful would certainly support us in Jidur," Mordredor suggested.
"Uh... sure, but we're not going to stay here..." Caden said uncertainly.
"That's a pity, at least we'll serve you, and hopefully, we won't meet as enemies on the battlefield," Mordredor smiled.
"Perhaps... well, let's go, we'll stay here for a while, we have to find others if you'll excuse us," Caden said and stood up.
"Of course, feel at home here. Aldred will do everything you want, if he isn't in the tavern, you'll find him in the town hall on the edge of the village," Mordredor said.
Caden, Merill and Elard went back to the village.
"What is Jidur... or what was he talking about?" Caden asked.
"Hah, you really lived outside of all the events in these lands, didn't you? Jidur is a war of noble families for rule over the whole region. It started after the death of king Zarius," Elard explained.
"So the whole country is permanently at war?" Merill asked.
"More or less, in weak moments, some families are willing to make a short-term reconciliation and focus on the greater threats, perhaps the war is taking so long because of that. No one is able to move," Elard continued.
Everyone went back to the tavern.
Stephan and Cassandra were waiting there.
"So what did you find?" they joined them at the corner table.
"There's just a grey desert everywhere," Cassandra announced.
"Hah, you really don't know anything about modern civilization, huh?" Elard laughed.
"And you're who?!" Cassandra asked offended.
"That's our new ally, he will help us navigate here," Caden announced.
"Wait, you really don't know anything about our civilization?" Elard was stunned.
"We'll explain this later..." Caden replied.
"Caden, I need to tell you something..." Stephan stood up and went outside.
"All right, in the meantime, arrange a room for our friend Elard," Caden said, and went out.
"So what's so important?" Caden asked.
"Maybe it doesn't mean anything, but... you know, in that demon's land. The amulet continued to shine," Stephan explained.
"So, Mormir...?"
"Maybe, I don't know for sure, it could just be the demon. We should tell the others," Stephan replied.
"Don't rush it, they might panic. Especially Cassandra," Caden said.
"You're right, Caden. We'll discuss it with them when the time is right."
"Okay, let's go back to the tavern and rest," Caden finished.521Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjxT0cmHeo
