Eryth tilted the jug upside down, and only a single drop of water escaped.
"Yup. And now we're completely out of water," he muttered, capping it and slipping it back into his bag.
Blutox wiped the pool of sweat from his face and shot a frown at Eryth and Danila.
"I warned you about the way you drank but you didn't listen."
"Err… what did you expect me to do, let myself die of thirst?" Eryth queried.
Blutox hissed and continued forward. "Fuck! I knew I should have gone my own way."
"It's not too late now."
Knowing no place in the Herimolian Realm, Eryth had chosen to follow Blutox toward the Kanrei village—while Danila, in turn, followed the Azkaal wherever he led.
The three had walked for hours, moving swiftly in search of shelter from the hot and cruel sun that cast terrifying rays across the desert.
[I see a village]
Eryth quickly ran to where Danila was standing and used his hands as shade from the sun while staring down in the direction the fairy was pointing.
"Hey, big man, there's a village over here."
Blutox turned and walked over to where the duo were.
"Thank the gods. Let's take shelter there."
"Yes, child of Dun, none of us thought of that," he said sarcastically.
Danila let out a soft chuckle as she listened to the two continue to throw sharp words at each other.
A while later, the trio arrived at the village and they were immediately allowed inside. It was as if the people of the village were expecting their arrival.
They were quickly and eagerly led into a chamber by a dark skinned man, the chief of the village who ordered his people to serve them many and different varieties of replenishment.
"Oh my, this is… thank you."
The man smiled. "Do not mention. It is our tradition to treat our guests with the utmost care until they are satisfied, so please, have more." The man filled their cups with more drinks.
"Oh, by the way… my name is Gal, and I am the chief of this village," he revealed.
"If I may ask you, oh dear travellers, what are your names, from where and to where is your journey leading, Hopefully, we could help with the resources we have available."
A servant walked in with more food and drinks, dropping them in front of the trio. Eryth gulped down his cup before raising his head to answer the Chief while the others continued to eat.
"I am Eryth, this is, Danila, and Blutox," he revealed.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Likewise… you know about Hex?" Eryth asked.
The man nodded. "I do. We have heard stories of how he attacks and steals the soul of anyone he kills, but we in this village have the protection of the gods, so we are safe for a while I believe."
Eryth nodded. "So yeah, our story is somehow linked to the evil of Hex and whatever."
"I see." Gal nodded.
"Well, my village will provide everything you need to continue your journey forward."
"Much appreciated."
The trio continued to fill their stomach until there was nothing left on the table then they were shown to a room where they were to stay until they were ready to leave.
Eryth relieved himself of his armour and weapon in the room given to them before walking out to the main village. He couldn't help but smile as he noticed the cheerful laughter of children and smiles all over the older individuals' faces as they walked around, unlike that of Monk Zumma's village he left where they were constantly on the lookout for attacks from shadow monsters and the High Knights.
As he walked through the street, he locked eyes with a light-skinned lady who was seated on a chair in front of a small hut. She had arctic blue hair and blue eyes. She held his stare for a moment before turning away from him.
Eryth took a step to walk towards the blue-eyed woman but something tucked in his shirt. He stopped and turned to see a young girl holding a smile on her lips.
"Hi, are you the adventurer?" She asked.
Eryth smiled and curbed to her level. "I am. What is your name, little girl?"
"Pelee," she revealed. "Can you teach me how to use the Energy Act?"
"Energy Act?"
She nodded. "My mother told me it is my Act and that I'd be the saviour of this village so I have to build on my energy."
Eryth chuckled and tapped her head gently. "Of course, I can teach you the Energy Act."
The girl led him to an area free of noise and from the other villagers before jumping eagerly.
"Show me, teach me."
Eryth smiled. He wasn't an Energy Act user like he had told the girl, but he was sure with his Rune Act technique, he would be able to use the Act she had asked to be taught.
He hid his left hand behind his back and extended his right. Rune marking appeared around the wrist of his left hand before his right hand began to glow bright red.
"Whoa!" The girl cheered. "I want to try, I want to try."
"Go ahead, try it."
The girl extended her hand and groaned but nothing happened. "It's not working." She frowned.
"You are young and your energy is still building up, you will be able to do it when you get older."
"I want to do it now," she cried.
Eryth sighed before placing his hand on her shoulder. "Go on, try again," he said while a small rune marking appeared around his fingertips.
It only took a few seconds before a white energy light began to glitch around the girl's hands.
"It's working, I'm doing it."
Eryth smiled. He had transferred a bit of energy enough for the girl to be able to use her Act.
"Yes you are, a little more practice and you'll be able to stabilise it."
She jumped cheerfully before dashing back to the village, Eryth could tell it was to show her friends her abilities.
"That was incredible."
Eryth veered around to see a lady in her late fifties staring at him with a smile lingering on her lips.
"How long have you been there?" He queried.
"The whole time. I witnessed everything, but worry not, I'm only here to invite you to our gathering, held tonight at the village hall. It is not of my concern that you are a Dark Mage."
"So long as you do not pose any threat to my people."
"Oh, okay."
"You can come with your friends. Let us take care of you while you stay." She bowed before walking away.
"Yes, of course. We'll be there."
Eryth returned to their hut to inform his companions about the gathering, only to find them lying on their beds, weak and barely moving, their bodies drenched in sweat as they coughed uncontrollably.
"Guys, are you okay?" He asked, curbing in front of Danila.
He placed his hands on her forehead but quickly retracted them as the heat burned him.
"What the hell? You are burning up."
Danila gripped tightly around her belly and turned away. "Don't look at me in this state." She whispered.
"I feel my inside burning," Blutox cried.
Eryth hovered his hands over them, trying to heal them but nothing happened.
"That won't work," a familiar voice said from behind.
Eryth turned to see the old lady from earlier standing by the door with a bag strapped around her shoulder.
"What?"
"It's a sickness, not an injury. You'll need to analyse what's wrong then diagnose a potion for them."
The lady made her way into the room and placed her thumb on Danila's forehead.
"How… how did you know they were in pain?"
"I am blessed with heightened senses, now keep it quiet, let me work." Her eyes turned bright green. She placed her free index finger on the fairy's chest before moving down to her belly.
She did the same action on Blutox before turning to Eryth. "They will be fine, it's just fever… we've had quite a lot of that recently."
"Was that the Green Eyes?" Eryth asked.
The old lady nodded. "Eyes that allow one to see the flow of energy in the body of every being, yes and object."
"That is amazing," he replied.
She smiled. "Why don't you go to the gathering, mmm? Let me take care of your friends."
"Sure, right… Thank you for your kindness."
He turned his heels out of the hut and made his way to the village gathering. Inside, there were a decent number of people, eating, drinking, and some dancing to the slow steady song that was being sung by a group of people.
As Eryth looked around the place, he caught sight of Gal, the chief of the village seated in one corner of the room, aggressively kissing one of the many ladies sitting around him.
"Hmm," Eryth hummed.
He picked a drink from a servant who kept passing by him and moved the cup to his mouth, taking a sip of it before setting it down and helping himself to a stack of meat that was on a plate on a nearby table.
As he continued to scan the room, he locked eyes yet again with the light-skinned, arctic blue-haired lady from earlier. She held his stare for a moment before disappearing out the door.
Eryth dropped the cup and threw the piece on the plate before rushing out after the lady. He got outside just in time to catch sight of the lady walking into the woods.
He took a step to follow her but a hand tucked on his shirt.
"Eryth! I did it."
Eryth turned to see the little girl whom he had taught about the Energy Act.
"I can do it now." She extended her hands and concentrated. It only took a few seconds before her hands became engulfed in bright white energy that brightened the whole place.
"Wow, you are a fast learner," Eryth said, looking over her head in the direction he last saw the woman.
"When can I shoot it out of my hand?"
"With a little more practice. Why don't you go and show your friends, once you've mastered this move, I'll also teach you to create energy shields for protection."
"Okay." She gleefully ran off.
Eryth quickly rushed into the woods where the woman had entered. He cautiously walked forward, looking around and searching for any sign of her.
Suddenly, he felt his back collide against a tree and was immediately followed by a piercing pain in his neck. Eryth could tell that fangs were biting into his neck and he knew he could overpower the attacker but he stood still, letting the person have their way.
A long while later, the attacker pulled their head away, leaning into the moonlight to reveal their face. It was the lady he was following from earlier. Her eyes widened in shock as she realised Eryth was still breathing fine. She hissed and quickly lunged her hand forward but the Dark Mage quickly shifted his head, letting her hand fly past his head to leave a deep cut in the tree behind.
He grabbed her hands and turned her around, now pinning her to the tree.
Eryth sucked his teeth and shook his head. "I let you feed on me and instead of your nonstop gratitude, you try to kill me?"
The lady looked down at Eryth's neck to see the bite wound already healed.
"What are you?"
....
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