Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Negotiation II

After briefing the team about my conversation with the King, we headed back to the river and made our way to Leopold Bridge.  Crossing some creeks on the way, where Dean was able to shoot two fish with his arrows and stringing them up with materials he found… at that event Harry calls, Level 2.   

They also heard my story from my life on Earth to all the events that have unfolded thus far.  Dean kept an eye out for threats, while Harry kept questioning about being a Lord.  The forest was noisy with howling and screeches in the distance, but with the moon light shining in our path along the river, we could see a fair distance inside the forest.

I knew we arrived when the tall intrinsic stone bridge spanning over 30 meters high came into view, with an grand arch in the middle for ships to pass.  However, it seemed to have gates on either side of the arch to block passage, perhaps for a toll way or military defense.  It was worthy of the name of their first King.

As we approached and entered the bridge, we noticed a carriage and four men at the opposite end standing in a forward formation.  The two men at the ends were carrying a pole with a large flag showing a lion in front of a sun, assuming it was the royal mark.  The man on the middle left was wearing a blue noble attire with knee high socks, and the one on the right seemed to be wearing shabby clothes, perhaps a commoner?  

Dean was preparing his bow, but I motioned to wait.  Harry was a bit more calm, as he seemed to have been collecting mana, seeing his aura grow a deeper red.  

"Welcome to the Kingdom of Sarconia, my name is Julian von Linberg, and I will be your guide to the royal castle," boomed out from the man with an air of superiority. 

I nodded without a word, and allowed him to show us into the stage coach colored dark maroon, my team following close behind.  The two carrying flags, set them into the corners at the front, and climbed to sit on top, while the shabby one worked his way on to the drivers box.  

"You must be exhausted, please use this repair stone to help get yourselves cleaned up," Julius stretched out his hand, but retracted when I didn't accept.

"My apologies, let me show you how it is used.  You bring it up to your clothes and pass collected mana into the stone, it repairs and cleans any cloth or leather materials," Julian demonstrated as he pulled a button off then placed it back and used the stone to meld it back together.  

Impressed with the device, but my body and face stayed neutral, as this was a game of survival, I will use every tool at my disposal.

I looked at Harry whose black track suit was in bad shape, and he grinned from ear to ear before taking the stone and pressing against his legs,as he closed his eyes to concentrate and slowly the rips began closing and the grime fading away, returning to its factory state.  It didn't seem to repair his shirt from the pants, so he moved it to his chest, and finished with each of his shoes.

He handed the stone to Dean who had already been recovering mana as his blue aura was shining, seeing him compress the mana closer to his body I couldn't help but think he is controlling the mana better.

Grabbing the stone from Harry, and moving it to his arm the hole from the arrow seemed to reach out for the opposite ends and slowly sew itself shut, while the blood and grime faded away.  He continued for the rest of his outfit.  

Once he finished, he looks at me in the eye and leans over and puts it on my shoulder to help me, knowing I haven't had the chance to learn collection.  

After cleaning my clothes, he hands the stone back to Julian, but quickly motions for Dean to keep it as a gift.

Julian takes out a red stone, "This one is called the spring stone, it cleans the body."

He began motioning to use the stone keeping it in front, when his face became twisted and he yells, "For the Kingdom!"

Dean seemed to have been on high alert, as he quickly positioned himself in front of the man, rotating his hips, with his hand gripped tight, arm glowing a dark deep blue, and thrusting it forward, striking right through the hands, catching the stone with his closed fist, and smashing the stone straight into Julian's face.  

His head swiveling straight back hitting the inner wall of the stage coach and exploding out the other side as his head with the stone stuck in his forehead goes flying into the forest.  A moment later, a large explosion is heard as we peek through the hole to see a raging fire the size of a three story house lighting up the surrounding forest.

Harry, having moved closer to the stage coach door, sticks his arm out pointing his finger, as if he is attempting a new ability.

Dean and I just stared blankly as a long beam of plasma grows out of his finger eerily similar to a light saber.  Seeing the smile on Harry's face looking like a kid, he swings his arm over his head and a straight line burns through the ceiling slicing at the legs of one of the men above.  Harry climbed outside looking above on the roof as he swings his arm and slices the squirming man on the floor in two.  The other man jumps off the stage coach and rolls on the ground, as we see him get up and run into the forest.

The commoner, not knowing what was happening, continued to rein in the horses who were now in full sprint. 

Dean started checking Julian's body and took out another blue stone using a handkerchief hanging from the dead mans coat pocket, perhaps a telepathy stone.  My curiosity at how these things worked grew even more, it seems there were endless possibilities with magical tools, learning this technology would be a priority once things stabilized.

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I turned my gaze towards Harry as Dean tossed out the body, "Tell the commoner we have new plans, to move us quickly to the opposite side of the city walls… and please get rid of those flags."

Feeling the horses coming under control, and hearing a loud shriek, a minute later Harry makes his way into the stage coach, "He said he will follow our orders, to please not kill him, the nobles only play with commoners lives and was threatened by Julian to drive the carriage."

"Find out everything about this King and the city, be nice to him as long as he doesn't make any wrong moves…" I laid the groundwork for Intel.

Dean, who was poking his head out to investigate our location, came back in and calmly mentioned, "I see the city ahead."

"Great, as for me, I am going to finally attempt collecting mana, as I am tired of not helping.  Alert me if anything happens." 

Seeing Dean nod in approval, I leaned back into my seat and aimed my face upwards closing my eyes.

Accept the mana into myself, my thoughts echoed what Harry had mentioned.  My mind wondering through the events of this day, swinging towards my experience in the Sea of Feelings.  

My imagination that was running wild seemed to slow, and began focusing on the emotions I felt, the feelings of humanity, the feelings of my family.  Empathy with the lives trapped in the sea, my presence possibly giving hope to escape.

Suddenly, as if dreaming, my mind was thrust onto a rollercoaster seeing twinkling shiny orbs of varying colors passing me by, as I reached out and touched one.

"Coach!  Let me play!  I know how to cover number 6!" my emotion was synced with the kid playing basketball.

Feeling like I was moving passed, I was slung back onto the rollercoaster.  Looking ahead, my curiosity was struck seeing a bright space lit up ahead that I was quickly approaching.

As if the emergency brakes were pressed, the cart stopped and I found myself standing in the middle of a pure white space.

Glancing around seeing nothing for miles but white, that was when I heard the voice.

"Congratulations! You arrived here faster than all who came before," the eerie voice rung out from all directions.

Long dark cracks the color of darkness began growing from the distance approaching me faster with an overwhelming aura of black escaping through the cracks.  

Just then the sound of footsteps behind me appeared as I turned around to find nothing.

"I am disappointed you haven't accepted my gifts, and then you trespassed onto my domain, just what shall we do with you," the voice continued from the direction of the cracks.

I turned around once again and see a gentleman standing with perfect posture, a long elegant black coat, white gloves, fierce golden eyes bordered with red, and long black hair.

"Who are you?" I spoke, ignoring what he just said.

"When your s- time is ripe, all will be known."

I was about to respond when I was pulled backwards and found myself back in the stage coach with Dean shaking me.

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