I woke up feeling drained, the memory of putting those men out of their misery still fresh in my mind.
The sorcerer had already packed up his tent and was making breakfast by the time I woke up. It was the usual porridge but the tense atmosphere around us made it taste blander.
We continued our ascent after that.
...
My voice cracked a little as I asked "Why did you take there blood?"
"It involves the thing at the top of this mountain."
That wasn't a direct answer but to be fair I wasn't specific.
"About you being a paragon, if you're so strong why and how are you stuck here? Can't you leave?"
"I was sorta being hunted so I came here .Well to be honest I'm not really a paragon rather I'm a fragment of one."
"Fragment? Like you're some sort of copy of an original."
"Sort of like that, it is more complicated though."
"I have a few more questions, you mind?"
"No not at all anything to pass the time "he said jumping over a protruding root.
Doing the same I asked a flurry of questions that had been clawing at me "How old are you, how powerful are you, how much do you really know about trials, what caused those men's deaths, is it dangerous?,can you kill it, "
With a chuckle he said " Slow down kid we have all the time in the world. But answering your questions. I'm old enough, strong enough, know enough to understand this one's objective, a creature born of shadows one that has been corrupted, greatly so, lastly yes and no."
"Those answers are too vague and what do you mean by 'yes and no' ?"
"Knowledge is power, why would I give it out for free. Well that last question is kinda hard too answer."
"If it's so valuable why did you give me those books?"
"Uh why did I give you those books hmm oh yeah . You need basic sorcery knowledge for that thing I need help with."
Sigh
"I guess that's enough questions?"
"Yeah, for now atleast. How long till we reach the top ?"
"A few hours at most. No after the sun sets though."
...
A few hours later we reached a bridge connecting to chunks of the mountain. While crossing I asked " why haven't we been attacked by any beasts ever since that thing tried killing us "
"We've been marked as it's prey so nothing dares to provoke it."
When I saw the other side I quickened my pace. On the other side I could see what lay at the mountains peak. A structure resembling something I'd seen in a scavenged book " a temple "
"Ding ding ding , right on the mark. Now hurry up before nightfall ."
During our final stretch of this journey a thick mist started appearing clogging our view. "Here take these" sorcerer said handing me ear plugs.
"Why-"
"Put them in kid you don't need to know why" his face was Sturn so I didn't protest.
As I put them in ghostly figures appeared out of the mist. There forms they floated through the mist, there ethereal forms blending in the mist. There presence was marked by an unsettling chill, and there eyes burned with a faint, malevolent glow. The figures very existence seemed to draw the warmth from the air, leaving only an aura of dark malevolence.Its non-humanoid form twisted and contorted, as if forged from the very mist itself.
They didn't come to close but at the distance they were I could see there ghostly mouths move as if they spoke.
I felt a shiver run through my my, and blood in my body run cold. They didn't near us but felt so close.
We quickened our pace either from freight or unease.
When we exited the mist I took out my ear plugs and asked "what are those?"
"Wraiths, ghastly bastards those"
"Why'd I have to wear those plugs?"
"Didn't you see there mouths moving? Come on take a guess as to why?."
Pondering on the question I answered "Yeah I did , is it because of what they were saying?"
"Yup they were trying too cast a mind hex on you."
"Then why weren't you affected?"
"Mental defenses and I'm already a bit crazy."
"Yeah I could tell ." I said with a smirk
"That's a bit rude you know."
"You said It yourself I was just telling you what I thought"
"Why you little ,wait before I forget again what's your name kid?"
Hmm I hadn't thought about that either. Well trying too survive being killed at any given moment really messes with your memory.
"Thorne" I said proudly.
"Weird name anything important about it?"
"My mom gave it too me after a rose blossomed under the light of a blood moon."
"Sure would like to meet her if she birthed a kid like you."
"She's dead" I said coldly.
"Oh, well your father could-"
"He's dead too."
"Any siblings?"
"I don't remember much but I'm pretty sure I'm an only child."
"Damn, now I feel bad."
Chuckling I said "Don't worry about it, I'm used to it. Anyways what's yours?"
"Sanguine, it means blood in some old language. Isn't it ironic how our names both have to do with blood?"
"Yeah, kinda. What about you, do you have parents or siblings? No considering your age I should ask, do you have any kids or grandkids?"
"You little shit, I swear you're gonna pay for all those remarks of yours, but no I don't have parents I lived with my grandparents. As for kids... I'm not gonna answer that."
"Dodging questions again are we?" I said with a grin plastered on my face.
We walked in silence until we reached the front of the temple.