I wake up. Still alive, yet cold and unfeeling.
Hungry, I get up and start exploring the place, which by the way is mostly ashes.
After walking for a bit I reach one of the untouched houses.
Going in I see the body of a mother and her son impaled by a sword, the view not so great but the spoils are. I extract the sword and test the effectiveness on the bodies.
It Cuts quite deep, no blood comes out.
"Clean cuts I guess"
After searching the rest of the house I found 2 things, first a bag of meat secondly a manual called
"The bengleis Ascensions, a guide to ascension of the Arcanas"
After all that I walk around the burned town and see a soldier guarding a house.
I crouch and hide in the high herbs, Walking slowly towards him. I arrive at his side, the soldier unprepared and drinking from what I think is alcohol.
I deposit my things on the ground and prepare the sword.
Its heavy, normal taking my constitution then after placing it on top of my head I rush. Hearing me he turns around but fails to react because of his drunkenness.
My attack lands on his shoulder but after pushing more it descends into his chest and continues into his thigh.
He screams in pain but before he can act I plant my sword into his chest.
He stops moving and falls to the ground struggling to breathe.
So I decide to redo the process, Stabbing him another time and it seems that does the job.
I loot him of his bottle, gun and cigarettes that he hid in his hat.
I open the door of the house he guarded and surprise there's a bunch of potions on a table but no one.
I take a look at them and they all have different labels, some have devil or world written on them others have Incomplete Star or empress.
I understand that those potions have something to do with the arcanas so I search for anything tied to mine. Finding 2 with different names then the others.
" Perfected Wheel Of Fortune" and "Mixed Fortune"
I just want to drink them, so badly I want to.
I don't, I just stash them in a bag I found. I stash some of the others that have the complete label. After exploring the rest of the house I decide to continue my travels but this time leaving this Scorched place.
While leaving I feel something rise in my chest, a great heat that is near immediately replaced by cold then normal.
'Truly interesting, I wonder when will I sync with this body. I wonder how my emotions will fare against what I did'
While wondering my near zero reaction to my first kill I Humm a tune and walk ahead.
—————
As we arrive at the storage we notice frank, our mate who volunteered to guard the fort, dead on the porch.
We rush inside to check, Hans Rushes upstairs to see if the intruder stole our munitions. I check the potions instead, taking a notebook from my sack. I open the listing page and begin counting.
As we feared the intruder took some of the potions, worse he took those that we made using the people of this village.
"Sir! It appears the guy didn't check the attic, we still have the ritual and the kids." Hans says to me
"Alright folks, we're accelerating the harvest then! Ask the general for authorisation to proceed with the ritual!" I yell to my squad.
"Sir Yes Sir!" They all yell back and our messages which is Actually Hans Rushes outside.
"Better and better this war is becoming" I say while utilizing my arcanas to summon a lantern a Perk of the hermit.
"Alright, the rest of you will follow me, we're commencing a hunt for our mystery guy!"
The lanterns reveals to me the lingering auras and I focus on a unknown golden one. Just my luck, he must be one of those rare arcanas.
—————
After walking for a while the sun is starting to set, so I march towards the village infront of me.
After arriving behind a house, I prepare the sword and knock on the backdoor. After a while a lady opens the door Shocked at seeing a Kid like me holding a weapon.
"Let me in or you won't like what I'm going to do" I simply say with exhaustion.
She let's me in and trembles a little, I order her to make me tea & food. She does so, beginning to eat I ask her questions. What is her name, what is the language she speaks, her age and all that.
After a while I ask her to tell me her arcana, she tells me she doesn't have one.
Wow, guess not all people have it huh?
I just approach her and then tell her I'm not going to do anything, telling her I'm going to sleep now.
She shakes her head accepting what I said and pointing me to a room.
Tucking myself in the bed and preparing a escape plan incase. I block the door with a chair and begin sleeping.
What a strange day to not feel emotions, man I wonder how big this world is.
It seems that my arcana agrees as I then feel a comfortable heat rise up around my body.
———————
Chapter 2 end.