Age of Heroes

The heat of the sun from the open window awakened Arial from his sleep.

He groggily wakes up from his sleep and look at his side looking at the sunlight that got into his room

He chuckles a bit. There is nothing funny. He just felt funny all of a sudden that he could feel good just seeing the sunlight

He got up a little late in the morning. After his tiring experience last night, he is tired and exhausted.

There was also something bothering him during last night. Something tugging at his heartstring and he felt very uncomfortable all night long.

This is tiring he mused. 

He looks at the sunlight and he no longer felt that the sunlight is very welcoming. He no longer smiles

This is tiring he thought again. For some reason, this feeling of unease did not dissipate.

But waking up he remember what he needs to do. 

The Seals. His wife killer. The Order of Death. Blood by blood. 

Then he paused his thoughts. And then he thought again, Blood by blood he repeated again.

It became a chant, a creed. 

His mission. He has massacres millions of people just to satisfy his anger. If he could pile all the bones of the people he has killed, he would create a mountain.

If the blood of the people he killed is gathered, it would form a flowing river that stream endlessly from the North to the South.

At night, screams of the people fill his ears.

Looking at his hand, he could still see blood. 

'Blood by blood' he reminded himself again.

The Seals. His wife killer. The Order of Death. Blood by blood he chanted again in his mind and only by chanting like this that he felt that his existence has meanings.

Has purpose.

He got up from his bed and first went to take a bath. The water washed away his fatigue, washed away the blood.

Even though he is clean, there are times when he could see his hand soaked in deep red blood, like he was there at the Massacre of Zettel all over again, hearing the screams and the pleading and seeing the blood flowing endlessly to the cold hard ground, feeling the same anger again.

Each douse of water falling on his body, lessen his pain. Lessen his anger. Lessen the fire in his heart, an Everflame.

Finished with his bath, he made himself presentable. A routine existence. And the mission chanted in his mind. 

And he takes a step again today. Bearing the weight of the world. Bearing his own guilt…. wishing for redemption, searching again for that something.

For that simple something that he has lost. Searching again and wishing for the blue sky. He sighed.

Closing his eyes and opening it, he takes a deep breath and exhales and he is ready to begin a new day…. alone again.

He went out from his room. The place is full of people.

Then he went to check on Ana but she was not in her room so he went downstairs and then he sees Ana is talking with someone. 

Arial somehow felt something when he looks at Ana. Though, he is not sure what he is feeling for Ana right now

The crowds in the tavern were a little rowdy and noisy. 

There are secret deals under the tables, people speaking in codes, people offering work, people accepting work and people hiding from authorities. 

People who are just there to interact with the adventurer, or an adventurer who is relaxing in their spare time. 

Arial could see this with a glance. He could hear it all, see it all, and he doesn't know why suddenly he develops this kind of ability.

Hearing all this all around him, he senses everything, hears everything. His hearing could hear people near the plains and it makes him cover his ears. 

The sound was too much, so many conversations flitted by, and him trying to make sense of the chatter only causes him to be more confused as all of these noises merged and become some kind of attack toward him

'Focus' that is a sudden inspiration that come to him.

'Focus the sound' he thought and he try to focus on one noise only and slowly the noises of the others fade away, and slowly he could focus this ability to only hear what he wants to hear and drown out the other distraction of unnecessary noises 

And then he looked at the man Ana was speaking to.

The man was a little tanned, lean and his hair was a little bit curly. He was handsome in that kind of exotic feels.

He was also tall as he towered everybody else and his smile is kind. 

But for some reason Arial felt that there is something off about the man but he couldn't quite point out what is wrong with the man so he just chalked that up to his extreme cautiousness and alertness

Arial then approached them.

'Greetings' he said. His tone was cold and severe.

Ana who was talking with the man was startled but she quickly regained her composure and then she said 

'Let me introduce you both. This is Arial. This is Sanaa. Arial is an expert in martial arts.' She said gesturing to Arial. 

Arial nodded shamelessly not denying anything that Ana said. Clearly, humility is not one of his virtues.

Seeing this she just shakes her head and then Ana was about to introduce the man. But the man quickly introduce himself 

'My name is Sanaa. I am Ana childhood friend.'

'Oh' Arial said. Ana glares at Arial apparent neglect over her friends.

Sanaa continued to look at Arial without Arial noticing but one thing caught Sanaa eyes and that was Arial hair and eyes and then for some reason he unconsciously tremble. 

Inwardly Sanaa thought 

What the fuck? How does the Emperor of Eden is here? Fuck, fuck, no one told me about this.

Sanaa could not hide the feelings he felt right now…which is dread. 

How many of his brethren were hunted to death by Arial Vermont, the Great Emperor of Eden, the Father of Eden Empire.

And to meet the very same monster that hunts them, how could he is not feeling any fear. 

But he hides it well, no fluctuation in his tone and not a spike in his heartbeat. But he is sweating cold sweat. 

And then something crossed Sanaa mind. 

Could the Emperor is also searching for Nia? After all, it is Nia that kill his beloved Empress.

Then something struck him in his mind. An idea. Looking at Ana and then at Arial, he smirked.

Is this fate? he mused.

Night Mother is helping him. He inwardly laughed

Ana then said to Arial when Sanaa was deep in his thoughts.

'I don't think I will follow you to the Adventurer Guild'

'Why?' Arial ask

'Sanaa promised me something. He said he will help me to settle in the city.'

Arial look at Sanaa and then not saying anything he grabs Sanaa and Sanaa who realized this could not even escape.

He could tries to escape but he did not want to use any of the skills he learned from the Brotherhood else he would sentencing himself to death.

Ana who was seeing that her childhood friend is suddenly grabbed is of course alarmed.

'What are you doing?' she unconsciously yelled.