The morning sun bathed the forest with golden rays, illuminating the path of that trio. Cale wore the cape of Aries, covering his face and his presence as he walked silently along the trail leading to the Academy of Othea. It had been a few days that they were on that journey, which seemed to last an eternity with their constant stops and camps.
Not to mention the detours when they came across some Krynt's holy knight making rounds in cities.
"Isn't this Melli's territory? So why the hell is Krynt putting his pawns here?" growled Cale behind a wall.
"Humans always need safety. The knights of the god of war are the most respected in this aspect" Aries replied, pulling Cale and Yvaine to the other side "Let's go this way, we better go through the forest again. Then I'll come back for supplies."
It was hard to get to the Academy when they had to make so many detours. But that would not stop Cale from continuing. Not until that flame stop burning
The road was long, and the terrain became treacherous as they approached the Academy lands. The dense forest gave way to rocky hills, and the trail became less defined.
"We're being followed" Yvaine commented, looking at the shadows of the forest in the distance.
Aries stopped immediately, raising his sword.
"What kind of company?"
Yvaine closed her eyes for a moment, her stars shining lightly around her.
"Small demons, but dangerous in pack. I believe it must be Guyel. I told you they would track us if I opened another portal."
The three looked north, where a dozen creatures tried to hide in the shadows. They were small demons of gray skin and bright eyes like coal on fire. They advanced with ferocious grunts, moving quickly across the ground.
"Protect him!" Aries growled, wielding his sword and taking the lead.
Attacking first, Aries moved with a lethal force. His sword cut the first demon with ease, and turned to block another blow with the blade of the sword. Yvaine also remained on alert, using the bright spots to cast golden rays at the creatures further back.
"Give me some weapon!" cried Cale, clenching his teeth.
"My lord, it is better to avoid exposing yourself..."
"Give me a dagger!"
Aries growled and pulled a small dagger from his belt, throwing it into the air. Cale picked it up promptly, to Yvaine's disbelief. He stared the dagger, holding it tightly and took a step forward.
It was like a test.
With every step that Cale took, he observed how the cowardice curse worked with little demons. Yvaine kept them busy with her beams of light, worried that they would attack their master, which made Cale very grateful.
Being just a step away, he felt. The tremor running through his body and feet getting heavy. A completely irrational and annoying fear.
"Damn."
Cale raised his dagger and tried to attack the creature, but the trembling of his hands did not allow the necessary force to be used. A mere scratch was all he could do. To his misfortune, the creature realized his proximity, and made him his newest target.
Immediately Cale tried to take a few steps back, an unconscious escape. If fate did not want to play tricks on Cale, how to make him stumble backwards and fall to the ground. The demon advanced, his claws shining in the sunlight.
Before he could attack, a ball of starry light struck the creature, disintegrating in the act.
"Concentrate, my lord!" Yvaine shouted, raising another sphere of light in his hand.
Cale gasped, getting up with difficulty. He tried to concentrate, but the fear squeezed his chest like an invisible chain. A gray smoke covered them like a blinding mist. They were isolated, without time for the Theiodesmos to run to their master to protect him.
Turning by the heels, Cale felt his chest tighten and blood flow rapidly in his veins. The purple eyes shone brightly as the curses played their part in making him a pathetic demigod, terrified before the unknown.
"Yvaine!!! Aries!!! Where are you??" Cale shouted, starting to sweat cold and pressing the dagger between his fingers "Aries!"
"Hahaha... hahaha that's pathetic" the seductively cruel voice laughed in Cale's ear, causing shivers and making him petrify in place "Look at that, screaming by the subordinate! Longing to hide in his shadow..."
Slowly Cale turned back, the purple eyes wide as if seeing the ghost of Nuria looking at him as close as a haunting. The heart jumped in the chest, the blood froze in terror and fury.
"You again..."
"Shh, shh, shh... dear, we are intimate enough to avoid calling by name" Nuria's arms wrapped Cale in a frosty embrace, long fingers caressing her arms "Ah... were sewn back. And I took them from you with such devotion..."
Cale could not move. It was as if he had returned to the hell of Nuria. To the arms of a curse that chained him to the ground and made him entirely useless without any hope of living. The dagger fell on the ground, Cale felt his legs weak, but not even fall to the ground had been granted the right.
Ah... Cale wanted to kill him.
He wanted to kill him right now.
Clenching his fists, Cale felt every vein vibrate in an uncontrollable thirst.
"Did you really think that hiding in the arms of your subordinates would make you safe?" Nuria laughed, lifting his fingers up to the golden marks of Cale's arm seams, "They find you as useless as the gods of Keonna who betrayed you. Weak... coward... you should come back to me, and let me give you an end worthy of a cursed."
"Not now..." Cale denied with his head, the expression full of conflicting emotions "Not again..."
"Beg more, Cale Arkalis..."
"Please... LEAVE ME ALONE!"
An energy emanated from his body, like a bomb about to explode. The dark, purple glow involved him dangerously, answering the desperate request of the demigod who longed for the death of his eternal executioner.
"My lord!"
The fog showed two silhouettes, but not even their image made Cale wake up from that nightmare. Yvaine and Aries saw the image of Nuria hugging Cale, touching his arms and pulling as if trying to tear them off, but without moving an inch. The cry that Cale let out was deafening, but he was unable to struggle, no movement had made.
The two subordinates were without reaction until the demons dared to attack them again and wake from that torpor.
"It's a hallucination!!!! My lord, wake up!"
"I'll kill you... each and every one of you arrogant bastards."
"He doesn't hear" Aries growled as he swung his sword in the mist, trying to dispel it. "Damn, we have to find out who is creating the hallucination!"
"It's hard to see with all this fog! But if he... Wait, Aries!"
The warrior crossed all the fog until he reached Cale and attacked him in the neck, causing him to fall unconscious. Nuria's image faded in the air like smoke. Throwing the boy on his shoulders, Aries looked at Yvaine.
"Do something, hurry! I got him."
Yvaine nodded, and concentrated on gathering energy in her hands to create a wave that spread throughout the area. The fog did not give in immediately, needing more strength, energy and concentration from the goddess. Yvaine dispelled the fog, revealing all the creatures that survived.
Aries used his sword to cut them before they threw another hallucinatory blow. Even carrying his master on his shoulders, Aries was able to deliver a clean and accurate blow.
The battle had come to an end.
Aries and Yvaine looked at Cale passed out, and the warrior raised the sleeve of Cale's cape, observing the golden marks.
"It seems that Nuria is involved in this."
"These are not marks of the current gods" Yvaine said while stroking the marks softly "We need to investigate who helped our master out of Nuria's World of Chaos."
Carrying Cale, they continued the way to the Academy. More attentive and vigilant, they took a few days to get close. In the final stretch of the journey, Cale regained consciousness and remained silent as if still haunted by Nuria. Neither the two Theiodesmos commented anything.
When they finally arrived at the gate of the Academy, Cale was stressed and exhausted. He could feel the concern of both Theiodesmos, as if the silent questions were louder precisely because they were not asked directly. However, that was not what really made Cale angry.
It was the fact of being affected by a mere hallucination.
"We arrived" Yvaine said, finally.
Raising his eyes to the huge building, Cale felt nostalgic to see that the huge academy had not changed. However, the surrounding city seemed larger and more alive than he visited last time.
That's where it all started.
"Annoyingly full, as always" Aries muttered, crossing his arms.
"Let's use the usual way" Yvaine commented, and the two started discussing the best way.
Cale kept quiet, staring with an empty expression at the huge building. His memories of hiding and studying, praying in the temple... bitter and nostalgic memories.
"My lord? Something bothers you?"
The soft voice of Yvaine was like a soothing for Cale, although his emotions were too deep to dissipate. Without turning away the purple eyes of the academy, Cale muttered.
"I keep wondering how my family is".
The two subordinates exchanged glances, and it was Aries who took a step forward stopping in front of him, completely covering his vision to the academy. He touched the hood and adjusted carefully, saying calmly.
"They are alive. Divine blood causes us to have an aging time completely different from humans and other mortal beings. But I can assure you that no harm touched them."
Those words caused strange sensations in Cale. Of all the things, the confidence in Aries was the most comforting in the midst of the storm. Sighing low, he stared at his subordinates.
"Let's go in. I need to find a way to strengthen myself."
The trio passed through the gates of the Academy, following a path close to the winding and silent corridors, avoiding the young demigods who trained in the central courtyard. They kept the training of before, with Cale in the midst of subordinates to ensure their safety, although no greater danger within the Academy.
Now, it would be a matter of time before they find Norril.