I emerge on the forest's edge as the sun rises, my abilities diminished in the day's light. I scan the terrain for a sanctuary to sprint to and conceal myself. The landscape, mostly open fields, leaves me with little choice. Opting to remain within the shadows of the forest, I continue running along its edge, eyeing the distant holy city.
The majestic towers of the city stand tall on the horizon, bathed in the sun's glow. The journey will be lengthy, particularly under the relentless daylight.
Inadvertently, I collide with a farmer as my attention remains fixed on the city. The farmer stumbles, and I swiftly regain my balance. "Oi! Watch where ya runnin'!" the farmer protests. My red eyes hidden beneath my hood, I notice he has a horse. "How much for that horse?" I demand. "What the hell?" he retorts. "How much for the horse? I have lots of gold." I reveal the guard's coin purse. "Neight-Neight here is not for sale! She's not for sale! Especially not for a blind bastard like you!" the farmer defiantly declares. "Well then, I guess I'll just steal her from you!" I unsheathe my sword and point it at the farmer. "Back away from the horse. Now." The farmer complies, backing away. I mount the horse and warn the farmer, "If you tell anyone of what happened here, I'll kill you and your family in their sleep." With a disdainful toss, I throw the fat coin purse at his feet and use the horse to continue my journey. This way, the humans won't witness a super-fast figure sprinting across a vast open field in a matter of seconds, avoiding unwanted attention.
Approaching the gates, a lively ceremony unfolds. The crowd of humans cheers for the princess as she exits the gates, accompanied by guards adorned in gilded, shining, golden armor. Amidst the celebration, I struggle to identify Lucius or Ardent among the rows of guards. They appear to have succeeded in obtaining uniforms and blending in. Despite feelings of humiliation and self-loathing, I press on, riding the horse to the mountain while the humans remain captivated by the princess.
Arriving at an overgrown section of the mountain, unseen by prying eyes, I dismount and equip my special gauntlets. These gauntlets, with the ability to change shape at will, are adapted to have fingertips transformed into sharp climbing nails. I insert one finger into the mountain rock, and with strength and precision, the gauntlet's nails pierce deep into the stone. Satisfied, I climb while searching for an optimal hiding spot. Multiple good spots above the princess's planned path present themselves. Moving seamlessly with my gauntlets, I position myself to leap toward the next hiding spot each time they're out of sight. Once landed, I await...