章節 4: The Road Ahead
As Damien led the two of them out of the slums, Talon and Thorn couldn't shake the conflicting emotions that clung to them.
The dirty alleys, their makeshift tent, and the cruel lessons they learned on these god-forsaken streets were all they had ever known.
The slums, for better or worse, had been their home, the home where they learned the cruelties of life, the art of theft, and worst of all, the desperate necessity of taking a life.
Walking away from that familiar yet brutal environment should have brought a sense of relief, all they ever wanted was to escape that trash heap.
However, doubt still clung to their hearts.
Could they truly, without a single doubt trust Damien?
Even if he was their fellow gifted, he was aligned himself with the hunters.
The very same organization responsible for making their kind live in fear. Persecuting and butchering their kind like animals.
And now, they were supposed to join that very same organization they evaded for years.
These conflicting emotions brewed within them, they were grateful for the chance to escape this hell that they called home for years.
But what if they just find themselves in a different hell?
Were they even escaping? Or just walking to their execution on their own.
The duo continued to ponder on the decision they just made, unsure of the choice they made.
As they pondered their decision, Damien, sensing their doubt, attempted to console them, albeit awkwardly:
"Don't worry, the headquarters won't be lacking Gifted so you won't feel out of place. They plan to recruit young Gifted, train them, and send them to neighboring countries in the ongoing war. Trust me, even with my ice powers, I wouldn't want to go back to Edoran… that place is too cold, even for me."
'Another hell it is…' chuckled Talon by himself.
"What are you laughing at?" Thorn asked her friend.
"If you think about it it's p-" he could not even finish a simple sentence as he started to laugh hysterically.
"Just tell me already, damn it" Cried out Thorn in her frustration.
"What I wanted to say is, if you think about it, we could just go back to our tent and that would be the better choice for us in the future."
Finally, Talon managed to say what he wanted without angering Thorn even more.
He was half expecting the usual smack that he always gets for making jokes that are only funny to him. But to his shock, Thorn started laughing just as much as he did.
Damien observed them from the sidelines, a smile was playing on his lips, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"You're probably right..." he whispered, the words unheard by Talon and Thorn amidst their laughter.
For the first time in a long while, the two found themselves laughing without a care in the world.
One of the hunters, wearing a malicious expression while eying the two, interrupted, "Should we bring them horses, sir?"
Damien's response was sharp, "What do you think, dumbass? These are 17-year-old kids from the slums. Do you expect them to know how to ride a horse? For all they know, a horse could very well be an overgrown rat!"
He shouted, visibly frustrated. "Just bring a carriage for them," he added, rubbing his temples in irritation.
"We know what horses look like!" Chimed in Talon.
Thorn whispered to Talon, "I can see the veins on his forehead, so I don't think that we should say anything."
Turning towards Talon and Thorn, Damien informed them, "I won't be riding with the two of you in the carriage. I have my horse. Take this time to rest, when we arrive at the Headquarters, both of you will be occupied."
Damien walked toward a hunter holding the reins of a magnificent white stallion.
As Talon and Thorn waited for the carriage, the hunters around them shot them dirty looks, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere. Yet the two only bickered with each other, ignoring the Hunters.
After waiting for half an hour, Damien returned on the back of a stunning white stallion.
The horse boasted a long, white tail, a thick, elegant neck, and a muscular torso, all accentuated by eyes as deep as the oceans themselves, closely resembling his eccentric rider.
Behind Damien, a simple yet sturdy carriage rolled in, drawn by two muscular brown horses. The horses were robust, with well-defined muscles, and their coats shimmered in the daylight.
The carriage, though far from luxurious, was a practical and well-constructed mode of transportation.
It showed signs of being practical, with worn but dependable wheels and a simple yet functional design.
The carriage bore the emblem of the hunters, a red wolf enclosed within a black insignia.
Despite its simplicity, Talon and Thorn were more than ecstatic at the chance of riding in it. The two had never even come close to witnessing a carriage in the slums, let alone riding in one.
Damien dismounted from his horse and approached the two, waving at them.
"These incompetent bastards couldn't manage to get a better carriage, and even this one took them half an hour. Our people fear them, but honestly, they're all just a bunch of idiots." He remarked with a smirk.
Damien assisted them in boarding the carriage, and after another half an hour, they set off under the watchful eyes of a few dozen hunters.
The surveillance was specifically for Zachary, who remained nothing more than a living icicle due to Damien's gift preventing his escape.
Later, the hunters would subject him to torture before his inevitable execution.
Talon peered out of the carriage window, observing the desolate landscapes of Rondor.
The kingdom was predominantly barren, with sparse forests and extensive mountainous terrain. The harsh living conditions were exacerbated by the unfertile lands.
"He could only watch the surroundings pass in silence, a monotonous experience that bored him to no end.
He wanted nothing more than to engage in a conversation with Thorn, but the consequences of waking her up were not something that he was ready to find out.
"If this gets any more boring, I might as well just walk back to that damn tent!" Talon fumed internally, but soon he found himself drifting to sleep.
***
Bang—
Talon and Thorn awoke to the sounds of a raging battle. Before panic could fully set in, a light knocking on the side window caught their attention.
They turned to see Damien, casually smiling as he rode on his horse, seemingly unfazed by the chaos unfolding around him.
"Talon stared at Damien, dumbfounded. After waking up from his stupor, he couldn't help but ask, "Shouldn't you... I don't know... help them?"
"Yep, I definitely should." acknowledged Damien, still doing nothing.
"Sooo, will you?" asked Talon again.
"Nope, no chance."
"Just wake me up when we arrive." Said Thorn, lying down once again, trying to filter out the noise.
"How can you even try to sleep in the middle of this?" Talon stared at his friend, but at this point, he did not even know how to feel.
"I hate them too, but they are your subordinates. Won't you get in trouble if they die under your watch?"
"I will for sure, but I already told you, that being the strongest has its merits."
"By the way, what is even going on out there, what is attacking us?" asked Talon, no longer caring about the 'crisis'.
"Oh, it's just a couple of beasts. Most of them are Green or Blue rated. I think the worst of them is Yellow, definitely will take some hunters down before dying." Chuckled Damien to himself, almost making Talon share his amusement.
"What do you mean by Green, Blue, and Yellow rating?" Asked Talon.
"Oh, it's not a surprise that you don't know about it, there is a universally used rating system shared by both gifted and beast.
The weakest beasts are rated Green. The blue-rated ones are significantly stronger than the Green ones.
While Green ones can be beaten by normal equipment forged with iron. For Blue and above, relics needed that are forged from the remains of the beasts… or gifted."
The revelation from Damien shocked Talon.
"This is why we are haunted? So those bastards can forge us into some dumb weapons?" Shouted Talon, demanding answers.
Damien clenched his fist and took a deep breath before saying: "That's exactly why."
Damien exhaled then continued: "Above Blue are the Yellow-rated ones, unlike the beasts below them, they are capable of more complicated thoughts and the worst thing is, they are in the possession of gifts.
Above them are the Violet-rated ones, these monsters, are even stronger, even smarter. And their gifts are even harder to fight against.
Creatures that are rated Red pose a significant threat, capable of demolishing smaller towns.
Similar to the violet-rated ones, they too possess Gifts. However, their true danger lies not only in their abilities but in the fact they can form strategies, and think almost like humans.
And then there are the worst, the Black-rated ones. They possess the destructive power to level entire cities.
Little is known about them due to their strength, making them nigh impossible to hunt."
"And what about Gifted? You said that they are rated the same way." Asked Talon.
"Oh, so you are paying attention… you are not the first I thought but the first one to listen." Damien said.
"That's just sad." Laughed Talon.
"Anyway, for the Gifted, it's a little bit different in that aspect. Gifted individuals are rated by their potential, the higher it is, the stronger they become over time. You have to train religiously no matter what, but the higher-rated ones are always stronger. Before you even ask, I'm rated Red." stated Damien proudly.
Talon thought deeply for a moment.
"Hey, can I get out of the carriage?"
To his surprise, Damien flashed an amused smile and said: "Oh, why not? Let me get something for you."
Damien dismounted his horse, walked to one of his fallen subordinates, took the sword from his dead hands, and handed it to Talon, who had already gotten out of the carriage.
Damien observed Talon with a wry smile as he handed him the sword.
"You know, Talon, those Green-rated beasts can be quite the challenge. How about you stretch your limbs and see what you can do? It might be a good chance for some hands-on combat practice. Just be careful not to get yourself killed, alright?"
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