Journey
We started the journey riding through the woods then we broke out to a grassy plain at noon which took us to the mountains before nightfall. Camp was divided into three; One tent for the girls, the second for me and Matt, and third for the the other knights. We sat on the mountains and eat dried food but no fire was made for fear of beasts getting attracted to the place, but the night was bright from the light of the full moon. We did not sleep early though, the soldiers spoke with themselves while me and the girls chatted with together. I sat leaning against a big tree while the girls sat at either side of me with me in the middle.
".... They said the academy is more beautiful than the Coldfire castle. I wonder if it's really true," Cvela said.
"Hmph!" Celestine scoffed in disdain. She has left her hair open; damn she's so blond that she's almost white. Is this the famous silver hair? "That's what the pagan Crystaliers would say. I'll sooner believe the devil!"
"Well," Cvela said carefully, "I.... It was what I read, Master what do you think?"
I looked at Cvela in thought then turned to Celestine. The little princess was looking at me with apprehension. Somehow she takes everything I say more than it's worth. The air had suddenly got colder, and I inclined my head to see her clenched fist white with frost. "I think we'll see," I said.
Celestine scoffed again and looked away. The ease at which she loose control of her powers amazes me. This girl is almost as op as her mother but with half the control. Like mother and Viktora the princess has an element type of power. Celestine control the power of Ice while Resfiya has the power of fire, and Viktora of water. Together they made quiet the trio. I should have possessed the power of fog or something similar if I didn't posses the Highvoids' gene that demands I manifest a more subtle yet wicked ability.
You might wonder why Viktora is considered overpowered by me when her power is just water. The answer is simple, powers don't work in this universe as there are conceived. Like Viktora's water element. This is what she can do; she can make water clones, create poisonous and healing waters, spread a water forcefield that let her cancel other's powers and resurrect from water anytime she dies. There was a time in the novel that she spread her clones all over a city to kill Viesh. Of course she didn't succeed, but she's the only person that ever seriously threatened the bastard's life.
The next day we descended the mountains. Normally the road to Kingsground wouldn't be this adventurous but we couldn't go the usual way through Chyralis as we feared my father. Instead we were taking the eastern passes through normally more dangerous areas if we didn't have special circumstances. We encountered the high mountains after that and started climbing the passes. These mountains were smooth gigantic stones with beautiful sloops that let one climb up and down even on horseback. These mountains we'll take five days to rid off.
On the seventh day of our journey we trended into a thick forest, home sick, already and weary. Damn I hate forests. Bees and flies and other bugs made my life hell. In fact not only me, all of my companions. Only Matt seemed okay relatively; he just rode ahead not even waving the bugs away. He just let them dig at his skin. That actually soured my mood more. "It'd be better if we all stop worrying about the bugs and concentrate on getting out of this forest as fast as possible," Matt said.
"Because it's the most dangerous part of our journey," I replied. "Yeah, yeah we heard," I waved my hand wildly. Damn I hate bugs. The knight just scowled at me and said nothing. A thought occurred to me. "Say what's the name of this forest?"
"Sentient pass forest. I already told you."
"Does it have another name?"
"Merchants and adventurers calls it Heroes grave. But Sentient pass is what you'd see in maps, get it?!"
I stopped chasing away the bugs abruptly. Heroes grave?!!! Oh shit, that's where Maduke lives, that fucking cursed forest!!!!??? Wasn't it in Crystalis though? No that was after the Winter wars, now it's V'alekre land. Oh hell, I am dead aren't I? I looked around questing the surroundings with my mind. I froze as my powers caught a mind. This mind was like nothing I had ever felt. It was violent and unstable like fire; it was filled with rage and anger and greed. I trembled with horror at the contact with it, wishing I could scream.
Celestine looked at me suddenly so I pointed to the direction in silence. She swiftly gathered and threw a ball of ice at the place. I saw something move to avoid it, but it landed on the tree beside and exploded out, piercing the creature. We all paused to give it a good look nailed to the tree. It was a black obsidian humanoid beast. Atop its human like head was two goat like horns that curved to the front, a long tail ran out from its armor like trousers to the ground. It was shirtless however, with only one eye in the center of its forehead. Luckily it was dead, with my power I can confirm that.
"Sain!" Matt cursed breaking the silence.
Yeah. The little princess has killed a devil.