That point marked on the map was a complete disgust. We couldn't stay there for long.
We were all masters of combat, and it didn't take long for him to realize that the strength of these creatures was at least equivalent to that of a beginner warrior—and there were many, as well as intelligent.
With this, we conclude that an orc should have the strength of a master of combat. But trying to imagine what a troll would be like in the middle of that... It was scary.
In addition to the obvious danger, the environment itself was a problem.
It was rotten.
Just breathing that air, I felt my strength wane. It would not do well to camp there for long. The whole place was toxic, an invisible poison spreading.
In the end, we decided to set up camp outside that damn place.
The sun was beginning to set.
I was leaning against a tree with my back crossed, hands clasped together, my thumbs touching in a gesture of silent concentration.
As the hours passed, I felt something strange growing around my head—a dark halo that looked like a gloomy halo, enveloped in a pulsating red glow. For a few seconds, the glow was intense, then it began to blink, to slowly disappear.
I opened my eyes, the weight of exhaustion taking over my body almost immediately, as if my whole being cried out for rest.
Even so, I stayed focused. I approached the campfire, opened my bag, and pulled out my notebook.
On the first pages, there were two drawings. The first one showed the 12 standard runes of the Dark Clock. The second, my own runes—each a unique work of art. Looking closely, I noticed small subtle differences: a line here, a crooked line there. They were essentially the same patterns, but with fundamental changes in essence.
The twelve runes, when combined, formed a larger symbol—an upside-down tree. The fundamental symbol of the School of Necromancy: the inverted Tree of Life.
In the center of the tree, the Fire of the Soul burned. Ten branches spread out at the top, ten roots at the base—but at the tips, only faint remnants of energy.
The entire inverted tree was surrounded by a centipede that bit its own tail, forming a perfect circle.
He knew that when he managed to stabilize the 12 runes and fully complete the symbol, he would have reached the next level: that of Apprentice connected with nature.
By now, I had already identified several patterns. For example, my ancestor had his best meditative performance at three in the morning, while I performed more at midnight.
He had a deep connection to the flames, preferring environments where fire was present. I, however, did not have this affinity. My sensibility was different—toward the light of life, something more subtle and distinctive.
These variations were part of the heritage, and were expected. From what the book said, I was classified as an Extreme Necromancer, unlike my ancestor, who was just a higher-class Necromancer. This applied to our natural affinities and aptitudes.
I only had one book on magic, but absorbing, understanding, and applying it all was proving increasingly difficult.
As time passed, the others began to return from their meditations. Each carried his own inheritance, though I didn't know exactly how some had received it—after all, not all were noble. But one thing was certain: everyone meditated regularly.
We gathered again around the fire, soaking up the strange atmosphere of the moment. Our eyes crossed, charged with a silent embarrassment.
The seven were completely quiet, and if the silence continued, I knew they would soon start fighting among themselves.
"We've been traveling together for a month now, why don't we share some stories?" Orisis spoke up before Anker started criticizing Orisis' look and sexual choices again, and before Orisis decided to give him more 'love and affection'.
"Why don't you start?" Faceless smiled, an expression I couldn't read properly. "Tell us about your first love. A handsome guy like you must have had several romances"
The looks of defiance soon turned to curiosity. I thought for a moment, feeling my smile turn a little bitter.
"What if I say I wasn't that popular... Good... my first love was called Aline..." I spoke, while the crackling of the fire filled the silence. I began to tell, from my point of view, that disastrous relationship I had.
"I can't believe it!" Osiris was the most expressive. "You... I don't know if I get angry or sorry for you. Thankfully, you didn't keep begging for more. Damn... Just imagining being in this guy's shoes annoys me"
"He should have had more attitude, taken her to a room and shown all his love so that she could feel his emotions firsthand. Listen here, I'm going to talk about my first love" Ermmind said, shaking her head in that kind of arrogant way.
The climate changed quickly as soon as the subject reached this point.
"I was eight years old, she was the daughter of our housekeeper, and she must have been eight or nine. When I told her how I felt, she just laughed and called me a child, said I needed to get older first" he began to foam with anger, the words coming out like a discharge.
"So, I found her room key and broke in. I was so angry that I could hardly contain myself" he continued, his voice heavy. "And I pierced her, again and again, with the kitchen knife. She made me suffer, so I returned the suffering and pain in equal measure. You had to see her eyes... Ah, they were unforgettable. I could see the love in that expression as she lost her life. It was so... so pure, so unique" he spoke as if that was the kindest and most precious memory he kept.
"I hid the body in my room, but it started to stink and fill it with pests. So I had to choose the right place to 'kiss'. My father... In his complete insanity, he removed the body from my bed and didn't let me sleep on top of it anymore. Who did he think he was to take my love like that from me?" the voice charged with anguish and madness cut through the silence.
"True" someone murmured, agreeing.
He totally broke the mood.
While the others seemed to accept what they heard, I wondered if I was the only one who thought it was too macabre.