"Do we have enough supplies?" Caden asked.
"Maybe yes. I do not know how much you all eat per day," Elard said.
"Hah, we'll make it. We can't carry anymore anyway," Merill laughed.
"So, let's move out!" Elard ordered and led the group forward.
"Well, where are you heading?" Aldred and several hooded men stood in front of them.
"If I remember well, we are allowed to leave," Merill laughed.
"Certainly, but... where is the elf?"
"What elf?" Stephan asked.
"Don't insult me, she didn't look very well, just like your master. She said something about... demons," Aldred said.
"Ah, this one, yes. She went completely mad. I had to..." Caden replied.
"I see. But I cannot let you go anyway," Aldred proclaimed.
"And does Mordredor know about it?" Caden asked angrily.
"Sure. Give us a traitor and you can leave."
"What traitor?" Merill didn't understand.
"Haha, so he didn't tell you? All this time, he was bravely hiding under our nose!" Aldred pointed at Elard.
"He? He seems loyal to me, and he was even persuading us to join you," Caden objected.
"You're lying without a blink of an eye, and you think you'll go through with it, sir. Mordredor perhaps is a dreamer who wants to believe in miracles. But I have seen through you long ago. Give us a traitor, or you'll end up like him!" Aldred shouted.
"You are very much in favour. What betrayal did he do?" Merill asked.
"Enough! I am arresting you in the name of the One Church!" Aldred called.
"Do you mean the only legal church?" Elard laughed.
"You're just making it worse," Aldred frowned.
"You'll never get me alive!" Elard shouted.
"Hah, I was hoping you'd say that," Aldred grinned, and they drew their swords.
"Stop, I can kill you all by moving my hand, but for now I have no serious reason. Let us go, and forget it," Caden urged them.
"You can't use your power against the One Church's servant, Mor'lak will..." Aldred said and Caden began to choke him with his power.
"You're not giving me a choice..." Caden whispered and rose Aldred in the air with his power. After a while, Caden released Aldred on the ground.
"Uh... ech... how? Who... who in Mor'lak's name are you?!" Aldred shouted.
"Well, that's what I call devotion. Will they be next who will you arrest?" Caden laughed as Aldred's companions ran away.
"You violated the sacred law. You're mad... Now all the houses will unite against you. In the name of Mor'lak..." Aldred coughed.
"I'll make a short process with them as I did with you. You better get away before I rethink leaving you alive," Caden waved his hand and walked away with others.
"So the traitor?" Merill laughed.
"I... I didn't tell the truth with that disinheritance," Elard admitted.
"Oh really?" Caden smiled.
"Actually, I'm a nobleman, and I really don't have the magical ability," Elard continued.
"And why exactly are you a traitor?" Caden asked.
"My family was loyal to the king Zarius. There were many smaller churches of different gods in front of the "One Church", all tolerating each other. Then the... High priest came. The priest wanted to unite all churches under one god, and in his name began a kind of holy war against all who disagreed with him," Elard explained.
"So... the king disagreed with him, I suppose?" Merill said.
"Yes. The advancement of the high priest was aggressive and it was threatening the king's people. The war began. We had no chance, it was as if they had some unnatural power on their side. King Zarius was proclaimed a traitor of faith and all his loyalists were hunted like beasts. King Zarius did not believe in the superiority of the mages, but the high priest did. That is why he handed over the rule to several of the greatest families, and they are now waging a war for supremacy," Elard explained.
"So what is the role of this "high priest" now?" Stephan asked.
"He holds the highest post of the One Church, the Church is superior to all noble families. Its residence is in neutral territory. Even though they are fighting against each other, all houses obey him like a sheep," Elard said.
"That's interesting, listen. Why are we going on foot everywhere? Don't you have horses or something?" Merill complained.
"Where we're going, we can get only on foot," Elard replied.
"And where exactly are we going?" Merill asked.
"Over there!" Elard pointed his finger at the mountains in the distance.
"Mountains? Well, that's really amazing…" Merill muttered.
"Stop crying all the time, we have to find out what happened in the Empire," Caden replied.
"Actually, those are not quite the mountains, just some of them," Elard said.
"And the others?" Merill asked.
"Volcanoes. But long gone... most of them,"
"Great..."
They finally reached the mountains.
"What our guide tells now?" Merill groaned.
"There should be a path somewhere. But it is protected by magic. Caden must find it," Elard announced.
"What, do I? You know where it is, and I should find it?" Caden asked.
"You are a mighty mage, aren't you? You will surely feel the barrier, just close your eyes," Elard said.
Caden closed his eyes and put his hand in front of him.
"Emm... so what?" Merill muttered.
"Don't disturb me, I have to concentrate!" Caden shouted. Caden put his hand in front of him again. "I can feel it..." Caden reached the corner of the rock. Suddenly, a piece of rock melted away and cleared the way.
"It really worked!" Elard rejoiced.
"What? You didn't know if it would work?" Caden asked.
"Of course not! I'm not a mage," Elard smiled and walked in.
"How did you even know about this path?" Stephan asked, uncomprehending.
"It was king Zarius's last plan, his remaining loyal wizards have created this barricade so that the high priest's caprioles won't get beyond our lands. It was supposed to serve as an escape route in the event of our defeat, but it took place much earlier than our king, or any of us assumed," Elard explained.
"How did you survive?" Merill frowned.
"When it came to the final battle, I wasn't there. My father was, he didn't let me go. I helped with evacuating the civilians. Something horrible had to happen in the palace. When I was in disguise, I saw how the high priest's soldiers carried pieces of flesh, the sky at that time was blood red, and besides the blood of our soldiers and theirs, there was something... like a slime. All the horrors I have seen there still haunt me in dreams," Elard said.
"I'm sorry, Elard," Caden said.
"Me too," Elard hung his head.
"How far is it?" Merill asked.
"I don't know for sure..." Elard replied.
"Damn, and do you even know if it leads to the Empire?" Elard replied.
"It should..."
"It should? What the..."
"Shh... Silence. Look!" Caden stopped him.
"What is it? Elard?" Merill asked.
"You wanted to travel to the Empire. I never said it is safe," Elard replied.510Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrV1xudmsSP
