Chapter 5: Chapter 5

• 3^rd Person POV

Days, weeks, then a month have passed in Vogun.

Chrys with the approval of Maleah have prepared a place to stay for the upcoming Eastanians resulting in the creation of a large tent in between the residential district and hunter’s district.

The tent resembles what hunter’s guild tent used in their extension explained by Itgul. It is a row of beds in a large single tent to provide hunters a place to sleep similar to barracks. That way it saves more space.

Chrys walked towards the shore as the village of Vogun is located near the edge of Airun. Upon reaching the shore, a half-giant male already stood with his arm crossed, currently using his great-axe as a pole to lean on while watching the sea waves crashing to the hard rocks.

“Where are the others?”

He furrowed his brows as Leo briefly reply.

“Francis, Old hag, and Itgul have something going on. So, they wanted to discuss privately.”

Leo shrugs not knowing what the other party is discussing.

*I see… hmmm… well, it’s up to us to see them then”

Chrys expression turn normal as he can hear the ocean waves crashing to the stones beyond the shore of Vogun. In his mind, it must be incredibly urgent that Itgul & Francis needed to be called.

The port of Vogun isn’t as lavish as their trade partner ‘Bluesail’ as that city is a port city after all. But there’s necessary parts of a harbour here and they are adequate enough to receive a single large ship or three smaller size ships.

Since Airun is isolated from others, the ships can only come within a certain period of a month. If not, the currents will be too dangerous for sailors to dock or set sail. Thankfully, the arrival of the Eastanians coincide with that certain period of the month.

As soon as the pair of half-giants come to the vicinity of the port, Leo & Chrys is greeted by the sight of a massive ship that’s already docked and unloading.

The dockmaster & her assistants already make everything easier for them to assesses things. Seeing that the goods from Bluesail are displayed, sorted, and accounted for.

Chrys already taken a report from one of the arriving dockmaster’ assistant there since the dockmaster herself is currently busy with something.

Leo glances to the side and there he sees groups of people wearing strange clothing, the atmosphere surrounding them is gloomy and they did not speak with one another just staring to the distance with forlorn gaze.

(“Are they from Eastania?”)

Leo’s thoughts as he notice their clothing style. Clearly it is different style of clothing compared to the citizens of Vogun.

They are wearing black or brown coloured tattered robe & skirt regardless of male or female. Although judging from the damage those robes have endured, indicated that they went through hard times.

“Hm?”

Leo eyes caught something that interests him beside the groups that came from Eastania. In the far corner of the dock there is a large rusted cage filled with a single humanoid

He wore ragged and torn tunic, on his neck a thick metal piece of a collar is placed and secured. His thin scarred body & shaggy unkempt hair shows that this person had undergone extremely harsh time.

It feels like a single blow of wind from Airun could topple that person down.

The humanoid figure chooses to lean on the metal bars of the cage as a support. In doing so, lifted parts of his clothing revealing something to the keen eyes of Leo.

With that, Leo furrowed his eyebrows as his mind begin to think

(“That… mark…”)

A sense of urgency bubbled within his heart as he wanted to tell his mother about this unprecedented slave as soon as possible.

But their scouting have been noticed by the dockmaster as she comes forward and greeted them as she explained what’s going on.

--

Meanwhile, in the Council’s tent. Maleah currently wander around behind her throne chair as she thinks while Francis have displayed several reports made from vellum paper in fervent vigour on top of the table.

“See!!! Here… and Here… I thought it was my imagination but its real.”

He points to one paper with eagerness that’s quite rare for an old scholar like him as if he’s turning back to his youth.

Within those papers, several locations in Vogun & its vicinity are extensively written and hand-drawn.

These spots have been reported by scouts & watchers that it is a bit colder when approached than usual including dampness in the air and through the sands as well.

“What do you think then?”

Maleah who’s pacing around stopped and abruptly asked Francis breaking him of his momentary feverish euphoria. Making several smaller coughs, Francis replies as he calm himself down.

“Forgive me, I haven’t felt the presence of mana for a long time in this place”

Maleah nods to his reply urging him to continue.

“As you can see, within these spots. Scouts & Watchers have reported that the area feels humid compared to other spots. Thus, in my experience these signs indicate the presence of new water sources.”

He brought out another paper, showing that workers tried to dug up the damp looking sands with a result of small puddle of water emerges from below.

“At first, I thought it was simple coincidence until me and my students participated in analysing the water contents for safe consumption”

He brought out another vial containing the supposedly water from those spots. It looks like normal water in the naked eye, but Maleah can feel something exuding from it and it is familiar to her.

Although Francis is more receptive to it, there’s presence of mana in that vial of water and miniscule amount have permeated through the air. In fact, Francis believed himself to be able to cast magic for the first time in twenty years albeit the easier ones.

Francis & Maleah look at the vial as if seeing a miracle has descended on Airun. He licked his lips reminiscing the way to use magic when he was back in Etude. Seemingly eager to do it but needed to ask Maleah’s permission as he turn his head aside.

“Mind if I demonstrate?”

Maleah nod and allowed Francis to do his demonstration.

He began to say something. Upon uttering these words though, his voice resonated through the tent completely different in tone when he normally speaks.

“{Flames that purge away darkness, who gave warmth to ones in need. Burn bright and show me your strength}”

Opening his left palm, flickers, crackles, and sparks of fire begin to appear & reappear on top of his palm. After several attempts.

*WHOOSH*

A bright burning flame appeared on top of Francis’ hand hovering and emitting heat just like flames from a campfire would.

Maleah look at it with amazement, Although she already knew the existence of magic as she occasionally travel away from Vogun to Bluesail. The sight of it still fascinated her.

Her experience in Bluesail, in there she can feel her breathing pattern eases and feel healthier than before. Contrary to when she came back to her home, it would be tempting to continue her stay in Bluesail, but her home is Airun, so she opted to leave those things behind.

Never she had thought that Airun now would produce mana on its own. She asked something to Francis as he swishes his hand & close his palm snuffing out the flames.

Before saying those words though, Maleah eyes twitched for a second after realizing something.

(“Now that I think about it, my breathing pattern feels more at ease albeit slightly.”)

As a veteran fighter, Maleah would be able to differentiate between slight alteration in breathing pattern to find out if the beast she’s facing is fatigued or not. To differentiate her own breathing would be an easy thing to do.

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Maleah expression hardened after showing a bit of relief. She knew very well what’s going to happen. A place filled with mana would attract people but also enhances beasts resulting in stronger version of them as she discovered when encountering Bluesail’s very own creatures in the wild.

She asked something to Francis with Itgul listening intently as the leader of the hunters also came to the same conclusion with her.

“Do you know the reason behind these phenomenon?”

(“Then the hunter’s guild must prepare”)

Maleah eyes already looking at Itgul which the half-giant nod in response knowing the danger of the beasts in Airun. Francis carefully replies with a bit of uncertainty.

“Unfortunately no… the sudden presence of mana that permeated in the air can be felt almost everywhere making it exceptionally difficult to pin point. But…”

Francis explained clearly but at the last part his tone waver for a second.

“But?”

She interjects trying to dig out, Francis’ way of thought. In doing so, Francis speaks again with more confidence.

“I suspect that it came from underground.”

Upon hearing that, Maleah rubbed her under chin in deep thought as she reminisces the tale of her ancestors regarding Airun’s underground. A past memory told by her grandma regarding the very first settlers in Vogun.

(‘Maly, you must remember to never went underground. Scarier creatures lurk within even more than above ground’)

She has upheld that memory for so long. So far, there’s no massive problem encountered in Vogun and it is better to stay that way.

The tent flap opens revealing Leo and Chrys seemingly have something in their mind as Maleah, Itgul and Francis change their gaze over to them. Their conversation stops with Maleah look at her son as she asked.

“What’s wrong?”

Maleah speaks first upon noticing her son’s concerned expression as Francis drank water from his canteen, the act of using magic for the first time in 20 years made his throat feel parched.

Leo began to speak regarding the receival of the Eastania and their conditions upon entering Airun. Chrys and him already told them about where they would stay and what they needed to do to keep staying in Vogun.

Until he reached a certain topic.

“A Slave?”

Maleah questioned that with Leo nods to her question affirming a reply of ‘Yes’.

It makes sense after all since it isn’t recorded in the letters that she have read. But slaves that comes to Vogun aren’t an uncommon sight since being sent to Vogun means a death sentence most of the time.

There must be something different about them, that made Leo tell this information to her specifically.

Leo remembered what he sees on the slave chest. A strange blackened symbol as he relay all of those things to Maleah.

Maleah’s gaze suddenly turn to Francis, since she knew that Francis would’ve known something about it as a scholar from Etude.

Francis underneath the gaze of Maleah nods confirming that he knew what that entails. He began to spoke after clearing his throat.

“What you saw there, is a curse mark”

“A curse mark…?”

Francis collected his thoughts as he explain in much deeper and more detailed.

“I believe, you guys already know since the presence of deities since religions are prevalent in Bluesail”

Francis said it in a matter of fact.

All the members of the council nod in Francis’ statement. Especially Chrys, Maleah, and Leo who frequently went there to establish relations and business deals.  Since the place is a trade centre for different countries, they have been exposed to various religions in that place.

Nevertheless, Francis explain in more detail for Itgul as the hunter’s guild leader who rarely leave Airun.

“Let me explain, Airun hasn’t had a feel of divine power for such a long time that the citizens here who hasn’t left Vogun would have thought they are just fairy tales. I can assure you, Deities exist in this world, they are indeed real as they can be interacted with and give power in form of miracles to those in need that worshipped them.”

Itgul firmly nods, the concept of higher power that rules over men slightly baffles him but if Professor Francis the intellectuals of Maleah said so then it is indeed real.

He continues…

“The ones who’s blessed by them are capable of performing miracles, healing, seeing the future, and many more depending on the deity’s specialization. For example; a believer of water god is able to manipulate water to some degree. It is still a mystery in Etude on how they work, live, procreate, and many others. But clearly they are tremendously strong.”

After finishing that, his expression grew dire upon reaching a certain topic.

“A curse mark is… a symbol of an individual that earned the ire of a powerful deity”

Francis tone went deeper notifying the group on how dangerous that is. He continues in his talk while remembering something that he read in Etude.

“In every cases that I have encountered in my time. Most of them did not survive long… consumed by unexplained illness, unfortunate accidents, or worse. They even be called as harbinger of disaster and excommunicated from their birthplaces or other countries”

“Then it makes sense that they landed themselves on Airun.”

Maleah interject with most of the participants nod their head.

Although before she can continue, the tent flaps opened revealing a stationed guardsmen. Thus, the talk is halted for a second.

“Chief Maleah, the Eastanian’s Group Leader have come to speak with you”

She nod and made a gesture with her hand to invite the refuge leader in. as the guardsmen nod and came back outside. As she tilts her head to the councils member.

“We can continue this topic later, let’s focus on this first”

After a while, a figure appeared with the very same guardsmen currently escorting him.

He wore tattered black robe and skirt, with Chrys already knew the clothing is eastern in style. He has long shaggy black hair that’s tied up into a single pony tail that billows from the dry winds coming from outside.

That man’s face probably in his mid-twenties but the expression he adorned looked far to mature for his age.

Seeing Maleah’s in front of him, that man put his hand together in a clasp and bow as he speaks.

“Greetings Chief Maleah, I’m Chen Tianyu of the…”

He goes silent for a split second before continuing.

“Heavenly Sky Sect”

As he said it with a grimace on his face.

Chrys nod as he translated as quickly as he can to Maleah.

Since Chrys who’s in charge of business and trade deals of Vogun, he frequently meet with other ethnicities in Bluesail as such he picked up some of the language and earnestly studied them. This makes him able to understand the common language of Eastania and some of its distinct dialects.

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