At sunrise, Samuel serenely marched into the gaze of Arithmos, the god of war. Arithmos is currently on his knees, while the divine chains piercing through his flesh, hanging, leaving him in a constant state of regeneration.
Samuel sympathetically stared at him, nodding once more.
"Thank you," he muttered, with a soft expression.
Arithmos didn't respond with words. Instead, he bowed his head in silence, passing on the last of his blessing.
Suddenly the blade, Aegirion, moved.
Without warning, it muft, changing its appearance, and dark green energy began to penetrate Samuel's fleshy. It didn't hurt. It was warm and weightless. The blade had become part of him, sealed inside his body. He felt stronger. He could move better, faster, more naturally. Heightened senses.
He had never held a blade before, but now it felt more natural, like a second nature.
The knowledge no mortal could have, the Pinnacle of swordsmanship. Eons worth of knowledge, It came from the blade.
The battle knowledge of, Arithmos, the gods of war.
Feeling overwhelmed, Samuel decided to rest for a while.
After a while, Samuel fully regained his strength.
He bows one final time.
Then, ventured towards the entrance of the runes.
The runes reacted. The opened, and spiral stairs appeared again, Samuel exhaled deeply and started climbing.
The moment he reached the top, he stopped.
He glanced back at the runes, Then, without another word, he stepped into the mist and headed out into the vast landscape.
After walking for several hours through different landscapes and into dense mist, Samuel stopped.
Right In front of him stood a gray wall of energy, a veil. Separating the celestial graveyard from the rest of the realms.
He didn't hesitate.
Summoning "Aegirion!"
The blade appeared in his hand, pulsing with dark green energy. With minimum effort and, a clean motion, he slashed the veil, splitting it into two parts.
It tore open with a burst of pressure and air, He stepped through.
The air was completely different. Less dense. Odorless.
Samuel exhaled deeply, behind him was the veil sealing itself.
Then it hit him.
A wave of sound. Voices. Whispers. Cries. Songs. Giggles. Screams. All of it at once.
Samuel plunges to all fours. His ears were bleeding. He screamed in pain.
It was too much. Too many sounds. All at once.
But then it gradually faded, The noises didn't stop, they were just, organized. He could now focus more on individual sounds. He could hear them clearly and separate them in his mind. It was like tuning a radio, but instantly, without even trying.
He heard something. People.
A city. Roughly 70 miles away.
Having to acquire the powers of a god, Samuel decided to put himself up to protest.
He ran.
With a single movement, he broke the sound barrier, tour through the wind, in under two seconds. By the third second, he arrived.
The city gates were in his vision now.
Stopping in his tracks to avert attention. He continued on foot.
Blending in with a merchant, Samuel stepped into the city of Ira, unaware of the next move.
He strolled the vicinity, looking for clues.
Slowing his pace, while looking around carefully.
Samuel didn't know the rules here, and he could already tell this city wasn't like the usual ones he'd seen before. These people were different.
After walking for a couple of minutes, Samuel came in contact with a small restaurant at the corner
Written in bold text.
A Merchant restaurant.
In its open-air design, A few tables were scattered around, most of them empty. A sweet aroma of grilled meat and soup came from the back.
Samuel stepped in.
In an instant.
A man with short brown hair and a long coat was gently sipping tea at one of the tables. His clothes weren't noble-like, but they were clean, travel-worn, He carried a large bag beside him, overflowing with scrolls and wrapped goods.
Noticing Samuel instantly, he walked up, "You look like you just ran across the continent," he giggled jokingly.
"Name's James. I'm a merchant. I know things. Maybe I can help. Sit."
They sat at the nearby barstool. James leaned over, "So what do you need?"
"I need directions," Samuel affirmed intensely. "I'm looking for someone called. A Celestial Navigator."
"Sorry I don't think I have had for that," James uttered.
"But do know quite a lot about the city maybe it might help you locate whoever this celestial navigator is?"
"There are three main parts of this city," he explained. "Most people don't know that. First, you've got the Outer Ring, that's for us 'The Unholy.' People like you. Mortals. Low-bloods. Anyone who ain't got a drop of divine anything."
Samuel nodded.
"The Second ring," James continued, "is for the Sovereign-Born. Children of the gods. Or their direct creations. Real powerful folk. They live there, train there, and don't let anyone through."
"And the third?" Samuel asked.
James pointed through the glass window toward the tallest structure in the city.
"There it is, the Main Palace. Goddess of fertility.
Isn't it beautiful?
Rumors say she resides there, others say it's a gateway to her divine Kingdom. Well, It's not a place you just walk into. The only time people like us can enter it is during the Yearly Cycle
"Yearly Cycle?" Samuel Firmly questioned.
"What's that?"
"A religious event. Happens once a year," James responded. "One day, and one hour only. The gates to the main palace open, and the Unholy are allowed to enter and make a prayer request inside the palace."
Samuel's eyes narrowed.
"When is it?"
James glanced at the large brass wall clock behind the counter. His eyes widened.
"Today."
Samuel leaps upward, "What time?"
"1:00 p.m. That's when the gates open. They only stay open for ten minutes before the guards start pushing people out again."
Samuel turned his head hastily toward the clock.
12:55 p.m.
James froze. "Wait… it's starting in five minutes."
Samuel's eyes locked onto the main palace.
He stood up without a word.
"Hey!" James called after him. "You won't make it, even if you run!"
Samuel's body tensed.
He stepped out of the restaurant, the sun's rays burning above him.
He had only five minutes to cross an entire city, through the guards, gates, and the main palace.
His only chance of finding the Celestial Navigator was through that palace.
He took a breath.
And then he ran. The ground beneath him exploded.
Living James speechless.