He moved through the shadows of the outpost, wrapped tightly in his leather jerkin. Stray dogs snarled at him from alleys, but one look into his predator's eyes sent them scurrying.
He climbed up into the hollow mountains.
Eventually, he stopped across from a room in the middle wing. A fizzling bonfire crackled faintly nearby. He crouched, motionless, his eyes locked on the door. It was the house that Soren and Fenric went to earlier in the day and where he thought Soren might be now.
He didn't sense anyone but he was hoping that he would return there soon.
But time dragged on, and after an hour of silence, Eldros's expression darkened.
He silently withdrew, circled around the courtyard to ensure no one was watching, and only then did he head to Jarek's place.
Inside his room, he cleaned off the dried blood, rubbed warmth into his fingers, then sat cross-legged on the bed.
He thought of Fenric's death.
The man had stolen from him, yes, but more importantly, he had been a threat.
Eldros wouldn't leave threats alive. Not if he wanted to live. He remembered his lessons well, the man who later killed him in his last life was a threat he left behind and didn't kill.
Soren had to die.
He poured out Fenric's belongings onto the bed.
Most of them were junks but he saw the silver coins, over fifty of them. He also saw a potion that had, 'cleasing potion' written on it and after sniffing it to see that there was no odd thing about it, he drank it.
Then closed his eyes. A warm current spread through his limbs, his veins, his heart and into his mind and his sea of consciousness where his Arcana art was.
His blood felt cleansed, his whole body was the same. '..it actually helps with the corruption..'
He stored the remaining potions and resume meditating and he did that till dawn. The night had passed without incident.
The next day he slipped through the gate into the cold morning.
The wind cut into him, harsh as ever. Because of the hollow mountain, the cold winds so high up continue to howl in. Fog lingered in the streets, thick and suffocating, reminding him of his life in the streets.
He was ready to hunt Soren again. But before he could begin, he noticed a commotion on the camp's outskirts.
A dozen horse-drawn carriages rolled into view. The guards and drivers were richly dressed, radiating strong pressure of power.
Eldros had heard Jarek mention merchant caravans like this, they came to trade for anything the foragers.
Among the onlookers was Soren. He was rubbing his sack as If he had something to sell.
Eldros slipped into the crowd and started tailing him.
Before long the outposts was buzzing. Market stalls opened, traders shouted, and business boomed. There was too much attention for Eldros to do anything.
That night, he followed Soren back to his wing, but had to let him go. He tucked his dagger away and returned to his room.
He'd missed his chance. But he was patient.
He sat down cross-legged and meditated, eventually falling asleep in it.
The next morning, he wandered the outpost again, his eyes always searching. But the more he searched the more he began to look back himself, tensed.
He felt as if there was eyes on him always following him, it began the moment he finished the testing and he hadn't been able to detect where it was.
He shrugged. There was nothing he could do.
Down below, Eldros finally spotted Soren and resumed following him.
The day passed. Then, as night fell, Soren veered toward the mountain bottom of the outpost and then toward a remote area.
Eldros eyes narrowed. Had he been spotted? He couldn't be absolutely certain. He was in a word of magic now, who knew what others might have up their sleeves.
He didn't follow immediately. Circling around, he ran into the forest and reached where he was sure Soren was going first, after he confirmed there was nothing weird going on, he hid behind a tree and waited.
He made sure all his killing intent and aura were withdrawn.
A few moments later, Soren arrived.
"I know you're there," he said aloud. "Come out. This place is nice and quiet, nothing will disturb us until we are done. After I kill you, I'll take your body to that old hag."
Eldros's face tightened.
'...so I was right..they wanted to use me as a bait to draw her out..'
But he knew there was nothing else to be done. Soren had to die as well, so he stepped out.
Soren stared at him, then grinned. "I know you'll be here, you rat. Thank you for disposing Fenric for me. Now, I'll take all the credits!"
With no more words, Soren lunged.
He moved fast, far faster than a second-level Initiate of the Arcana.
Eldros realized instantly to his dismay, this wasn't someone at the second star. He was in the third! He must have a way to control his mana pressure to he could fool others!
And besides that, Soren had obviously prepared for this!
Soren gestured and ice spears exploded from his hand, shooting forward with blinding speed.
It was the first time Eldros would be fighting a Magus Mystic.
But he wasn't afraid. Not that afraid.
He knew he had miscalculated very badly, but he must do what must be done!
As the ice came toward him, Eldros dodged and shot around behind him. His fist slammed into the man's back with the full force of his own Hand of Demon power.
Bam!
Fatmountain staggered, his eyes widened. "You're strong for a second star!"
Eldros didn't pause, he drew on his Arcana art and his body shuddered, instantly his hands turned dark, fingers stiffened and his eyes flashed.
Hand of the Demon! As a two star, he had more powers than before. Compared to that of twenty ordinary men!
He didn't dodge the next set of ice spears, he used his hands like hammer and directly shattered them from the air.
But that slight pause gave Soren the chance he needed to cast more spells. His hands flashed and suddenly a frigid wind blasted out from him with such intensity that Eldros was sent back and the ground began to freeze.
Soren laughed. "Fool! Don't you know the difference between a two star and a three star of the Initiate of the Arcana....!"
Before he finished speaking his hand flashed again, his fingers gesturing. A shield of ice formed in front of him but that didn't help him as an iron disc smashed through it and almost take his head away, but he twisted at the last minute.
His eyes widened. "How...?"
Eldros didn't say anything, he had already crossed the distance between them and his hand smashed into the rest of the shield, shattering them as he broke through.
Soren backed away, cursing. He picked a potion from his sack, two of them, one red and one purple.
He drowned the red one and then opened his mouth wide. Red fog of poison, powered by coldness bellowed out covered the space all around him.
Eldros jumped back at the last moment.
The red fog that covered Soren began to melt the ice on the ground and Eldros knew it was a very potent poison.
"You bastard, I don't know how you're doing it, being as strong as a three star when you are in the two star but I'm really going to kill you no matter what! I'll use all of my resources!" Soren immediately removed the cork of the purple potion.
Eldros's eyes narrowed as he felt a wave of danger. He absolutely cannot allow him to drink it!
He didn't know what it was but Eldros knew he must not let it happen. Without care for the poison fog Eldros burst through like a bullet, moving too fast to track.
Soren raised the potion and then froze.
The hand plunged through his forehead.
He dropped silently, his body collapsing in a heap.
Eldros panted, breathing hard, he had breathe some of the poison and it was already beginning to affect him.
But first.
He looked around him.
Satisfied no one had seen, he bent over the corpse, retrieved the man's sack, and pried open his fingers to find the half-spilled purple potion.
He examined it briefly, then covered it. Then he took pains to remove his presence from the scene.
Before he vanished into the night.