The heavy silence that descended upon the ship's deck was broken only by the rhythmic crashing of the waves against the wooden hull. The lifeless bodies of the soldiers and the brave captives who had fallen in battle were being lowered one by one into the dark waters of the ocean by those left on deck. The ocean silently swallowed this bloody feast offered to it, making no distinctions. Though the sight of the captives' bodies mingling with the sea wrenched the hearts of the survivors, the whispers spilling from their lips were all the same: "At least they are free now. The torture is over."
Amidst this gloomy commotion, Kaelith stood motionless. His eyes were locked on the severed head of Captain Bojr dangling from his hand. The voice echoing in the depths of his mind, wrapping around his thoughts like poisonous ivy, refused to be silenced: "You cannot protect those beside you, Kaelith. You are weak, powerless... Because of your weakness, they will continue to die. Accept our power. Stop denying it."
These words opened deep wounds in his soul. He turned his gaze to the boundless, pitch-black ocean. As the tragedies of the past flashed before his eyes one by one, the lump in his throat made it hard to breathe. "They died because of me, didn't they?" he muttered to himself. There was pure sorrow in his voice. "There's nothing I can do... I just hope you are at peace now." He hurled Bojr's severed head into the cold waters. As the captain vanished into the darkness of the sea, the weight on Kaelith's shoulders seemed to grow a little heavier.
Watching his broken state from afar, Boran wanted to take a step forward and offer support. However, seeing Kaelith's distant gaze at that moment, he hesitated. Sometimes, a man just needed his own silence.
Returning to his cabin, Kaelith passed out from exhaustion the moment he threw himself onto the bed.
His mind immediately severed him from reality. When he opened his eyes, he was on the peak of a majestic mountain soaring among the clouds, right at the edge of a precipice. The warm breeze caressing his face, the birds gliding in the sky, and the landscape sprawling beneath his feet filled him with a peace he had never tasted before.
Before long, he heard that familiar, warm voice coming from behind him. "My son... How are you? Why are you so sad?"
Kaelith's breath hitched. As he slowly turned around, he couldn't believe his eyes. "Mother?" he said, his voice trembling. At first, he just studied her face, frozen in place for a moment. It really was her. His shoulders slumped. "Mother... I'm tired. I'm more tired than anything."
His mother smiled with affection. "Kaelith, you can tell me everything. I am your mother."
Kaelith hesitated for a moment. He bit his lip and took a deep breath. He needed to let out the poison inside him now. "My relationship with my father is terrible," he whispered. "He won't even look me in the face. I don't even think he sees me as his son. All my friends, my loved ones were killed right before my eyes. Since my grandfather's passing, there is no one left to watch my back, no one who believes in me. And you're not here either... I don't know what to do. I am being crushed under this burden."
Just as Kaelith was about to burst into sobs, his mother hugged him tightly. That familiar affection, his mother's scent enveloped him. "My son, do not worry. You can overcome all of this. I believe in you."
These words acted like a salve to Kaelith's bleeding soul. For the first time in a long while, he felt the support not of a stranger, but of someone he trusted unconditionally. "Thank you, Mother," he said, hugging her even tighter.
Just as he was getting lost in that peaceful moment, his mother's body suddenly stiffened. Her voice, completely stripped of its previous warmth, took on a tense and cold tone. "My son... I have to warn you."
Kaelith pulled back in shock. "What happened?"
"Do not trust him!"
The moment those words struck his mind like a lightning bolt, Kaelith opened his eyes, drenched in a cold sweat. He was gasping for air. As he stared at the wooden ceiling, his heart beat as if it would tear through his chest. What did she mean? Was the person he shouldn't trust a seer? But why?
He sat up from the bed, exhausted. His throat was dry. When he opened the door and stepped outside, a completely different atmosphere ruled the sunlit deck.
"YES! DRINK TO OUR HERO, KAELITH, MY BROTHERS!"
Boran was shouting joyfully, holding his wooden mug high in the air. The moment he saw Kaelith, he ran up to him and threw his thick arm around his shoulder in a friendly manner. "We are free thanks to you! The people here wouldn't even know what their fate would be if it weren't for you. Thank God, my friend!"
My friend... Kaelith flinched slightly upon hearing this word. When was the last time someone had called him a friend? The tense expression on his face gave way to a faint smile. "I only did what was right. You don't need to be grateful to me for that."
Boran turned to the helmsman with a grin. The joy in his eyes instantly yielded to a harsh warning. "Helmsman! Don't you dare steer the ship to the wrong place. We all know what your end would be."
When Kaelith sat at the table, the food placed before him didn't look very appetizing, but he began to eat in silence to suppress the gnawing in his stomach. He listened to the excited conversations of the people around him. Some dreamed of returning to their families, while others spoke of holding onto life to keep the memories of their deceased loved ones alive. As Kaelith sipped the wine in his hand, he got lost in people's stories, lulled by the comfort of this warm atmosphere. As night fell, that bloody ship had transformed into a tavern full of hope, if only for a while.
After three long days, a deep voice echoing on the deck tore everyone from their sleep. "THE CITY OF MARITUMA IS IN SIGHT! WAKE UP, EVERYONE!"
Kaelith looked toward the horizon. The moment he had to make the delivery had finally arrived. His eyes searched for Boran on the deck, finding him at the bow of the ship, watching the sea. He approached him with slow steps.
Noticing Kaelith's arrival, Boran turned slightly. "You don't need to feel indebted to me," he said in a calm voice. "If you have another goal, I won't stand in your way. But if you want to come with me, my door is always open to you. I can't say no to a comrade like you." He grinned and placed his thick hand on Kaelith's shoulder. "The decision is yours, brother Kaelith."
Kaelith reached into his cloak and pulled out the mysterious box from his inner pocket. "If you are content with this situation," he said with a resolute expression, "I have a small delivery to make."
At that moment, the sound of bells heralded their approach to the port. The Free City of Marituma stood before them in all its glory. When the ship docked, the duo were the first to step off the wooden pier. Though Kaelith thought for a second about the other boxes left in the ship's hold, he shrugged it off and kept walking.
The city was, in a word, colossal. The smell of salt, freshly cooked meat, and exotic spices mingled in the air. All around, merchants were shouting to attract customers, amidst shops with colorful awnings and crowds rushing by. They were right in the heart of one of the largest trade networks in the lands of Talion.
The moment they stepped onto the cobblestone path, the box in Kaelith's hand suddenly began to glow, emitting a golden light.
Kaelith slowed his pace, his brow furrowing. "Why did it start glowing? Think, Kaelith, think..." he muttered.
Noticing his suddenly serious demeanor, Boran asked, "What's bugging you, brother Kaelith? Is there a problem?"
Without taking his eyes off the box, Kaelith said in a hushed voice, "Boran, we're going to wander the city. The box will signal when I get close to the right place. We'll just make the delivery and leave."
Boran nodded in agreement, and they blended into the crowd. As they navigated through the cries of the merchants, a few brazen vendors tugged at their arms, trying to sell them things. Boran burst into laughter. "They just won't let up! Clinging to us like we're obligated to buy something."
Kaelith smiled faintly. However, right then, amidst the crowd, he met a pair of eyes watching him from the shadows. The Black Lotus. The moment he saw them, he understood their intentions; they expected him to prove his loyalty. He thought to himself in exasperation: "I'm already here for the mission. I'm seriously sick of you shoving it in my face like a threat."
As the sun slowly disappeared over the horizon, the yellow light radiating from the box grew increasingly intense. When they approached the entrance of a dark cave in the rocky region on the outskirts of the city, about a hundred meters ahead, the box had begun to beat like a heart. They had found the right place.
Kaelith stopped at the damp entrance of the cave and turned to Boran. "This is the right place. But we don't know what kind of curse or trap might be inside. I'll go in first, understood?"
Boran gripped the hilt of his weapon tightly. "Whatever you want, brother Kaelith. But if someone makes a wrong move against you, I'll be by your side in two seconds."
Kaelith plunged into the darkness of the cave with heavy steps. There was no sign of life inside. In the center of the cave, there only stood an ancient pedestal carved from stone, covered in primordial runes.
"I need to place the box here," he thought. The moment he carefully placed the box onto the pedestal, the inside of the cave was illuminated by a blinding yellow light. The runes had come alive, and golden specks of magic dust began to float in the air.
As the cluster of light slowly dispersed, a grimoire appeared on the pedestal, its yellow and white colors intertwining, its covers vibrating with a strange energy.
Kaelith took a deep breath and called out behind him. "Boran, you can come in! There's no problem."
When he turned his eyes back to the book and reached out his hand, the book suddenly dissolved into the air and vanished like a mirage. Kaelith's fingers grasped empty space. He froze where he stood. How had this happened?
At that very moment, the atmosphere inside the cave abruptly changed. That ancient feeling in the air was gone, replaced by an ice-cold, deadly intent.
Kaelith fixed his eyes on the darkness and shouted to Boran, "We are not alone!"
A mocking, high-pitched voice echoed from within the darkness. Cutting through the silence like a knife, the voice ricocheted off the cave walls.
"Thank you for gifting us this rare spellbook with your own hands, you fools."
Kaelith searched for the source of the voice. But it wasn't coming from just one direction. From out of the shadows, four separate figures surrounding them stepped forward simultaneously. They had been ambushed.
The stranger spoke with a ruthless grin on his face: "Now... let's send you to the fires of hell!"