It took me a couple of days to fully recover from my battle against Artoria. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I fell into a two-day slumber, nothing waking me. I was now one of the Servants of Order, a Third String under the direct supervision of Artoria. I wouldn't escape her eye, no matter what I did; she was frankly too powerful to even think about escaping.
Although I didn't join the Servants of Order on my own volition, it wasn't so bad at the moment, I didn't socialise with anyone past Artoria. While she was mostly silent and observant, her presence still invited a warm feeling into my heart for some reason unknown to me. I felt safe around her. Perhaps due to our similar situations, but I didn't exactly understand my feelings towards the woman yet.
Artoria and I were walking through the bustling streets of Grandheart's town square. In Kathoros, it's thought to be highly disrespectful to fly over populated areas, and if every single person flew, the anti-air machines protecting the city wouldn't be able to keep up with the overwhelming amount of targets.
This obviously didn't apply to me as I still hadn't figured out how to replicate Seraphina's actions when using my body. I couldn't even lift myself up past my normal jumping range. I'd just have to wait until I got stronger and Seraphina's divine light awakened.
Ickni had declared my presence to go interrupted, only Artoria was permitted to interact with me past normal greetings. I wore a white and golden cloak unbranded by the Order to not stand out in public, but that would never happen. I would always be noticed when walking with the Primordial String; people retreated in fear at the mere sight of the woman clearing us an unblemished path wherever we went.
My eyes curiously drifted from the market stall to the next, inspecting what they were selling with my eyes. We were currently heading towards a rebel sighting, so I couldn't just go shopping. But I wished I had the time to go shopping. I would love nothing more than to look at the interesting items of this world.
From the looks of things, the merchants of Grandheart sold a variety of interesting and delicious items, and the smell of perfectly cooked bread and sweet treats filled the town square, inciting a ravenous hunger to fill my stomach.
"Tskk," said Artoria.
"Hm? Is there something wrong, Artoria?"
"No. Just focus on readying your mind, don't concern yourself with me."
I wasn't exactly sure what Artoria meant by that we hadn't gone here on any especially sinister orders, our only orders being to investigate and report our findings back to Ickni.
One thing she was correct about was steadying my mind for whatever was to come. This world wasn't a pleasant one; it was riddled with death and decay. I already knew that despite being here for a couple of days, I had never experienced more cruelty in my life on Earth than I had received in these past three days.
I need to be able to control my power so I don't end up as some statistic on a snob-nosed official's report. I wouldn't let myself die before exploring this world, its mysteries still echoed throughout my mind, begging to be uncovered.
The soft touch of rain drew my attention upwards, gazing into the sky as I walked. I let the heavy rain coat my clothes and face. Enjoying each sense and touch, I was overjoyed to still be breathing; even the rain now excites me. It's absurd, but it's my silly feeling just knowing I can feel is enough for me to push through whatever lies in my wake. That was enough for now.
Ever since Seraphina took control of my body, I'd felt traces of the warmth of power and superiority she had shown me that day. While it was fleeting and scarce, it was still there, and I could harness its power if I concentrated on the traces of light swirling in my veins.
Following Artoria's footsteps, I closed my eyes and focused on activating the traces of light in my veins. As I did so, I felt the burning effect of authority and power. It wasn't as powerful as earlier, but it was still there, and that was a start.
Picturing a ball of light the size of my palm in my mind worked effectively when summoning my power. Opening my eyes, I saw my mental image made reality, a burning collection of blinding lights sat serenely in my palm, staying perfectly harmonic and still.
Focusing my mind on the ball of light, I willed it to split into five separate balls, pushing them upwards into the sky. They floated in the rain, twinkling and glistening, before dissipating, becoming part of the world's natural cycle once again.
"I don't understand that power, but it is quite beautiful. I'd like to see it again sometime."
Artoria's sweet words fell hollow on my ears; I couldn't get past her somber eyes. She looked so sad, and I just couldn't get past it.
"Yeah, of course…"
Eventually, Artoria stopped her path, signaling that our trip through the city was over, and we had arrived at the sighting. Soldiers in azure armour bearing the mark of order were positioned around a small office building, sealing the building off from the public eye.
A familiar scent caught my attention.
The stench of death.