The journey continued for another week, and thus they ran into their first problem.
"We're out of supplies."
Yadrith clutched his head while using the last of the paste he used to brush his teeth, "I guess we'll have to stop at the next village."
Oliver nodded.
"We're near the border of the desert, so we should find one soon... We need a lot of water and stored up food to attempt to cross the desert, anyway."
"Is there a main path through the desert? We could try travelling with another group?"
Oliver shook his head, "It's slow, plus I've told you both this a few times. But, I'm being hunted by Neo Ogma's guild. Ravenhood."
"Right."
"We need to stay one step ahead and avoid groups of people."
During the past week, Oliver had explained his situation, a terrifying man known as Neo Ogma who goes by the title 'The Man Without A Face' is currently hunting him. Apparently, Oliver's teacher had angered the guy.
Also, Yadrith had begun his next move towards the First Step. 'Resonance', he was beginning to understand the essence of a blade and the world around him. This practice was a lot more simple than learning how to fill his blade with intention.
He simply had to ponder and spend all his time touching his blade. Which meant he slept with it on, and even walked while holding its handle.
'What is a blade?'
'Is it used to kill? To protect? To serve? No, it's used to move forward.' He resolved himself into this understanding of a blade. 'A blade is essentially life.'
He felt a droplet of water hit his forehead.
"Shoot." Oliver picked up his pace. "Let's run."
Yadrith nodded and followed after him.
'Why is a blade life? Why did I think that?' Yadrith frowned, following after Oliver.
Mahaya had crawled under the cloak Yadrith had been wearing.
After trying his best to keep up with Oliver for about ten minutes, and nearly passing out. The rain had finally stopped, and an eerie fog descended upon them.
"Huuh..." Yadrith let out a deep breath and wiped the water on his face away. "...Fog?" It didn't seem like a day hot enough for fog after rain. In fact, it was quite chilly.
"A village is up ahead."
"Perfect."
The two young men approached the village under the cover of the fog.
'It's quiet,' Yadrith thought, before suddenly freezing.
A young girl was standing before him and Oliver.
"...God?" She spoke whilst staring at Yadrith. "Have you come to bless us once more?"
Yadrith's face twisted in a confused manner, and he took a glance at Oliver, who simply shrugged.
"It seems you're mistaken."
"Really?" The young lady spoke, "Is this a test, God?"
Yadrith shook his head, "Erm... I'm sure. I don't have any divine powers, and I'm not impotent." He showed the girl a small cut he had on the back of his hand from mishandling his sword.
She stared at the cut, "Hm... You must not really be God then."
"Ha, yes, as I said. Does this village have any supplies for travelers?"
She frowned, "We don't get much visitors, but I can ask the Elder for you. I will take you to him in the sanctum."
"Let's see the Elder, then."
However, that seemed to be a mistake. The Elder was even more insistent on the fact Yadrith was some sort of god.
"How dare you not prostrate before our God, you blasphemer!" The Elder shouted at Oliver with bloodshot eyes full of anger.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not your God. I said this earlier."
"O God, you trial will not deceive my faith..." He further lowered his head to the ground, "Please, allow me to reveal the image of you we have kept since you have blessed us with your grace."
Yadrith raised an eyebrow, 'Image?' He told the Elder to rise.
"Please, show me this image, then."
The Elder nodded respectfully and walked over to where a cloth was held over something. He lifted the cloth carefully, and below was revealed a statue.
"..."
Yadrith and Oliver both stared at it silently.
"It does look like you."
"How dare you refer to our God as an it! Prostate yourself, now!"
Oliver, with a mischievous smile on his face, did a short bow to Yadrith to appease the old man.
Yadrith speechlessly approached the statue and stared at it. It really did resemble him, aside from the long hair. But it was also a statue, so it had its discrepancies.
'...Who else could look so much like me?' He frowned.
He suddenly thought of the chance he was secretly a god who got injured or something like that. It was a somewhat reasonable thought.
'Could this really be me?' He reached out to touch the statue, but his hand was stopped. A man wearing a black robe stopped him.
"Do not touch our God."
The Elder suddenly looked at the man who spoke, "What are you doing? Do you not see this boy's face? He is the incarnation of our Lord!"
"It is clear that he is of Jubel blood."
Yadrith stared at the young man for a moment. In the next, the man performed a movement faster than Yadrith could dare to perceive. Oliver appeared and threw Yadrith out of the way. He instantly drew his blade meeting, a whip from the man.
"Our Lord hates his wicked descendants the most! This one must begone!" A spear made of flames appeared in his hands, and he threw it toward Yadrith.
Oliver calmly leapt in front of it, deflecting the spear. "A neat Regalia. It's not often to see one so easily powerful in combat."
"I give you my thanks!" The man shouted, he snapped and six miniature blades of flame shot at Oliver. He easily parried them, but in expense of that, the man had his chance to attack Yadrith.
He leapt across the sanctum and sunk his foot into Yadrith.
"Guahk!" Yadrith felt the air drain out of lungs, and was sent flying right through the wall of the sanctum.
"The unworthy one has been expelled." He looked toward Oliver, "I will not kill you and your companion, as your appearance here is too much of a coincidence. Leave. Do not return."
Oliver nodded, walking out of the sanctum through the same hole Yadrith was sent through.
"Are you okay?"
Yadrith sat up, "Mahaya took most of the blow for me... I would've died otherwise."
"Tsk, he said he'd let us live but tried to kill you." Oliver looked back toward the hole and clutched his blade. "I'll try to settle things with him if you want."
"It's fine, we should leave... This village is a bit ominous with that statue. It is probably of a Jubel from a long time ago."
Oliver nodded, "Jubel, huh? I can tell you a bit about your family later. But, for now, let's hurry to the desert. We'll have to stop at Telbak, the desert city."
Yadrith felt inside his cloak and pulled out Mahaya, who looked smashed against his chest. "...Is she dead?" His face was suddenly filled with rage.
Oliver shook his head, "She's just wounded, it's nothing serious."
"How do you know that?"
"She just told me."
"Oh."
Yadrith held Mahaya in the palm of his hand for the rest of that evening until she was well enough to jump back on his shoulder. Eventually night fell, and they set up camp.
'I need to get some new clothes.'
He was still wearing his clothes from Earth, that were punctured through, and tattered from the wolf. Sure, he had them cleaned at some of the inns, but the only thing keeping him from getting ridiculed on the streets was his cloak.
'However, it's still hard to part with these.'
Clothes from his precious home, a home that he had forgotten. However, Earth still remembers him. His loved ones are probably frantically searching for him, and his marks left on the world are still there.
At least he hoped so.
He thought about his resonance with the sword once more.
'A sword is a tool used to move forward, its essence is life.'
'When wielding a sword it becomes your life, when facing anything with a sword it carries your hope and will.'
He suddenly drew his blade, alerting Oliver and to an extent Mahaya. He took a stance and lifted his blade to deliver a downward vertical slash.
'When my sword moves, it's just for a moment. But it carries me within. My hopes. My life. My dreams. My everything!'
He suddenly thought about if he had a sword when he had faced that black wolf, would it be different? Then the only thing to represent his life was him. Now, he has a sword, a powerful tool that can carry out his will.
He swung his blade and felt far more connected to his blade.
'If I have forgotten Earth, if I have no place in this world. Then the only thing that knows me now is my sword, and with this sword, I will project my will!'
His intent surged, and his blade cut through the air in a perfect arc. Unlike before, his skills were sloppy, at most his will be projected in a half-hearted way. Now that he had resonated with his blade, he could feel its trajectory, weight, and even convey a much stronger will into the world.
"Not bad. You've completed Resonance. When I was at your stage, I had come to the conclusion that the blade I wielded was my purpose. What about you?"
Yadrith smiled, "I have decided the blade is my life... The tool that will project my life upon this world."
Oliver smiled, "To entrust your life into your blade carries resolve... Congratulations. I will tell you the next and last step to reach the First Step of Rekh and it is the most simple. You must experience combat. Especially with your unique Resonance, you must truly stake your life on your blade."
Yadrith smiled.
'I will be prepared.'