SSS-Ranked Evolution: Worlds Unbound-Chapter 65: Demons and dungeons (dont buy)
"Nothing." he closed the conversation there. Von didn’t push further and left to get changed once again, and maybe have a word with Elisa. Ren watched him leave, and he couldn’t help but wonder.
The food drained him of energy once again and wanted to sleep, planning to take Luna with him till he saw her already asleep with a few kids on her. Not wanting to disturb, he left her there. Two days, Ren had stayed with the people of Karnak for two days, and they had gotten used to his presence. During those two days, he and Von talked less as he often went out to scout and see what he could bring back for them.
But Ren was finally ready to leave, his clothes had dried and putting on his mask, and collecting his weapons, he made his way to the exit. Dawn was just upon him and Luna was still stretching, getting ready to follow him up north.
Being as quiet as possible, he made his way to the exit of the Inn. But reaching the outside, he met Von there, sitting on the damaged fence, as if waiting for him. Their eyes both locked and with a flip, he landed in front of Ren, and closed the remaining distance.
"You are still going?" his purple eyes reflected a lone ray of sunlight, his brows furrowed,
"A promise binds you till death." he nodded slowly and with a huff from Von, he turned his back on him.
"Lead the way Friend." new partner acquired.
Chapter 16: The Road To The North.
"You mentioned you were looking for your brother." the sound of his voice broke the silence that had once ensued, the only thing previously heard was the sound of their footsteps against the broken earth. Ren did not spare him a glance, and waited for him to respond. Which took him up to a minute or two.
"Yes. My younger brother." There seemed to be so much love in his voice, so many emotions. A feeling of longing and desire to be reunited with family. Ren understood but he wanted to know more.
"Were you two separated because of the earthquake?" Now they walked side by side, with Luna in front of them, her nose glued to the earth as she picked up various scents. The silence was louder this time as unpleasant memories flooded through Von. How he wished that day never happened.
"No." he took his time with his words, never letting his guard down, "he was like you. He reached the age of awakening and was cursed with the ability to tame beasts. He was the first in Karnak to be a beast tamer." fate took him down memory lane of when he and his brother were younger, "and although Karnak was known for hiding the awakened youths, my brother couldn’t be hidden. The empire came, and took him forcefully from me. He had no parents, it was said that they died in service to the empire so it was just us."
Ren’s eyes caught the sight of his hands balling into a fist, and he wanted to offer him some form of comfort, but he didn’t exactly know what to do. But another question burned his mind.
"What about you? They didn’t take you?"
"They tried to. They came back for the rest of us after they took my brother. Many fled, some were taken by force. I roamed the lands for years, trying to get to my brother, but after I heard he escaped the empire I—" Von was cut short by Ren’s surprise.
"He escaped?!" This was the first time he was hearing that someone escaped the hands of the empire. People who attempted were hanged publicly and without mercy, their bodies were left to be feed for the vultures. And the people who desired human flesh. His eyes shifted unsurely of the horror he once witnessed, a memory that haunted him till today.
A high ranking mage had once awakened, but she had no purpose of being a slave to the empire, in fact, she was to be married to the love of her life and was already pregnant with a child after hiding for so long. The empire found her. Offered her a new life but when she refused, both her and her lover were hanged. Their bodies were never taken down, but some people said that they were missing their heads and limbs after a few days. Ren tried not to puke as he remembered the sight, it was one of the reasons he didn’t like the empire and stayed home.
Anything could lead to a death sentence.
"Yes. I returned to Karnak after years, now a shadow of its former self." his eyes softened before he turned to Ren, "I might never find my brother, but it doesn’t mean I will stop searching." peeling his eyes away, focusing them on the wolf that was a distance ahead of them, "and you? What do you seek up north?"
Ren paused for a moment, the image of Rami and Reina flashing in his mind, knowing he shouldn’t be saying this but having built enough faith and trust in Von, he spoke, "there was once a land where beasts roamed..."
"That is what you seek? Your own death sentence." a cruel chuckle escaped from his lips and all Ren could give him was a side eye. The sassiest one he got.
"Not a death sentence. I am young but stronger than you think." he made that known, after all, he had defeated him in a battle, "I made a promise to her that I will restore the land."
"Who is this... her? Is she a beast? Beasts have never been on good terms with humans." he reminded him but deep down, Ren knew it wasn’t true.
"Only because of our greed." His reply was curt, picking up his speed a little to catch up to Luna who had stopped. Von stayed behind, his mind racing a thousand thoughts. He wanted to believe that Ren had made an alliance with a formidable beast, it wasn’t impossible since he was a beast tamer, but beasts will never trust humans not after what they did to them.
They walked for a bit longer and soon, they stopped as Luna stopped again. Feeling this place as familiar, she alerted them that they had entered the land of the tiger beasts but upon looking everywhere, it resembled a forgotten land. Decay and destruction everywhere and no sign of life.
"I think we have made it." It didn’t take them the whole day to reach it and even Von could confirm, the elders had told him not to stroll far into the territory, but his brother always had a thing for adventures. They had entered the land once and had seen a very beautiful tigress. She was kind to them but told them to never cross their border again.
It was a memory etched into his being.
Ren could see Von had frozen, and he snapped it out of him, still being able to hear the beast’s voice, he hesitated going into the land, "the land is desolate, why do you seek to restore it?" his voice was void of emotion as he looked upon the edges.
"The same reason you wish to restore Karnak." Ren urged forward and with an exasperated sigh, Von followed after him. He could have decided to not but some part of him wanted to protect Ren, even if it would cost him his life.
As they entered into the ruin, Ren imagined how Reina would feel if he saw her former kingdom like this. The structures they had built years ago had been overtaken by giant sturdy barks and numerous vegetation. There was a strong smell in the air, smelt like rot, and it was so pungent it was making Ren sick despite his mask being on. Even Luna was beginning to whine after they spent a lot of time walking. Whatever it was, something had died. And it was still fresh. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
"We need to be careful, monsters lurk around this section." Von asked Ren to slow down and he adhered. Creeping through the roughness of the bushes, but there was a problem. Ren had no idea how he was going to fix this mess. Was there something he was supposed to look for? He had no clue, but he said within himself that he was going to figure it out.
An unearthly growl halted their movement. And then it emerged.
The creature was grotesque, a nightmare given flesh. Towering over them, its hulking frame was a twisted mockery of a human form. Its flesh was pale and sickly, stretched taut over bulging muscles, with veins pulsing like black rivers beneath its skin. Its face was a horror to behold—a gaping maw filled with jagged, yellowed teeth, stained with fresh blood that dripped in thick rivulets down its chin. Its eyes, sunken deep into its skull, burned with a malevolent red glow, devoid of humanity.
