Sorcerer's Shadow

Chapter 32: Nagging Thought

The first thing that caught my attention was the sky. It retained the ugly reddish-orange hue characteristic of the Empire, but it seemed loftier and oddly purer. We were enveloped by waist-high grass with no trees, mountains, or buildings in sight.

We remained silent for a few moments, Drevolan respectfully allowing me to regain my composure following the disorienting teleport. As I surveyed our surroundings, a question emerged in my mind. Finally, I voiced, "Alright, I'm stumped. How did you manage to teleport us to a location devoid of any distinguishing landmarks?"

He flashed a smile. "I didn't. I merely aimed for a rough estimate of the location, visualized the surroundings, and hoped nothing would obstruct us."

Taken aback, I gawked at him. He reciprocated with a smile. "Well," I conceded after a pause, "It seems to have worked."

"Indeed. Shall we proceed?"

"Which way?"

"Ah. Right." He closed his eyes, swiveling his head from side to side. He eventually pointed towards a direction indistinguishable from any other. "That way," he instructed.

Opal soared overhead. The wind was refreshing, not cold. Drevolan adjusted his stride to match mine, so he wouldn't leave me behind.

As hard as I tried to ignore the purpose and destination of our journey, Drevolan's staff, grasped in his left hand, served as a constant reminder.

We spent the night under the vast, open sky. It might sound romantic, but it was far from it. The hard ground should have been uncomfortable, but Drevolan remedied that. He doesn't snore, and if I do, he remained silent about it.

We didn't carry any cooking utensils, but with Drevolan's abilities, we didn't require any. I sipped tea from an invisible glass, consuming bread that wasn't present the previous night and fresh berries growing around us.

As I marveled at the gradually depleting cylinder of liquid in my hand, I remarked, "Now, that's the kind of magic I'd love to master."

Drevolan chose not to respond. The most desirable skills always seem to be the most challenging. We continued our journey. The day was pleasantly warm, and the distant silhouettes of mountains came into view.

I inquired, "Is that where we're headed?"

Drevolan nodded in confirmation.

"So, how much further do we have to walk?" I asked.

"That's irrelevant. Once we're near enough to discern some details, we'll teleport again."

"Oh."

Despite the situation, it was difficult to harbor resentment towards Drevolan, primarily due to the pleasant day and enjoyable walk. Birds filled the air with their songs and the breeze whispered through the grass.

Opal soared above us, periodically disappearing for short durations, presumably scavenging for food. I could sense his delight. Occasionally, we spotted wild Vorgan soaring high above us, but Opal and I paid them no heed.

We took a break around midday, during which Drevolan magically produced more food. Whether he created it out of thin air or teleported it from elsewhere, I couldn't say. My guess leaned towards the former, given the food's lack of flavor. While we ate, Drevolan studied the mountains, steadily growing more visible with our progress. As we prepared to continue, he remarked, "Not yet. We should get closer."

I had no objections. We resumed our walk, and everything seemed peaceful.

A nagging thought crossed my mind would I still be alive by the same time tomorrow?

* * * *

The following day, I received a summons to meet with Voltaire, this time at his office located behind the Torben game, which itself was nestled behind a small magic supplies shop.

I was granted immediate entry without needing to introduce myself ("Let the Terran in when he arrives"), and Voltaire gestured for me to take a seat.

"We should wait for Thorne," he said.

"I'm already here," came Thorne's reply.

Both Voltaire and I did a double-take before Voltaire recomposed himself. "Alright," he acknowledged. "Here are four imperials for the two of you to divide. And, Viktor, another four for your first week's wage. You're working for me now. I expect you here tomorrow evening to monitor the Torben game."

I accepted the eight coins and handed Thorne two of them. My earnings in a single day had surpassed what I would have made at the Inn in several weeks. I responded, "Understood, boss."

* * * *

Drevolan suddenly halted without warning, his gaze fixed on something ahead and slightly to his left. I followed his gaze, but all I could see was the endless plain, with more mountains in the far distance.

"Opal, investigate," I instructed.

"Sure thing, boss."

We stood in silence for nearly a minute, Drevolan still focused on something in the distance, while Opal flew towards the area. Shortly after, Opal communicated, "Boss, you need to see this."

"Alright. Show me." I closed my eyes, allowing Opal to project his observations into my mind.

Indeed, it was an impressive sight.

There were roughly two dozen creatures, moving at speeds I've never witnessed before. They were quadrapedal, with their lower halves resembling felines, albeit smaller than the Pardus, perhaps the size of the Ravdra but wingless. Their upper bodies seemed human. They were armed with spears.

"Tigryns, Opal?"

"I suppose so, boss. Didn't realize they were actually real."

"Neither did I. Fascinating."

"Seems like they're heading our way."

"Yeah."

I terminated the link with Opal, and I could now see them, albeit as a blur in the distance, with my naked eyes. By Nyxara, they were quick. It gave me a bit of relief to see that Drevolan hadn't reached for his sword. I began to detect a faint rumble, indicating that I should have been hearing them approach for some time. For their size, they were surprisingly quiet.

Suddenly, they were right before us. They stood, the ends of their spears resting on the ground, and looked at us with mild interest through their human-like faces. I noted their spears had metallic tips, a detail I found noteworthy. It seemed like they ran simply for the pleasure of it. None appeared short of breath. They stared at us with unblinking, feline eyes. They were naked, but many had pouches strapped to their backs. Their hind leg muscles were impressively robust.

So, I asked, "What other fun activities do you engage in?"

Drevolan shot me a glare. The Tigryn at the front, who was distinctly female, glanced at me and smirked. "Chasing things," she responded in impeccable Imperion.