He was a highly trained killer, serving a 1000-year-old secret organization on Earth. He was betrayed by the people he served all his life and left for dead. His entire team gone.
He took his revenge, reducing them to ashes, and died in the process...
The next day, Captain left early and went to the Mercenary Guild to pick up the information package for the Thanatos territory.
"Here you go, Lord Thanatos. It's rare for a Lord to ask information about his own territory." chuckled the old man, but of course, he knew the situation.
"Mmm." replied the boy that was already reading the stack of papers.
The information package was massive. Trade routes, travel paths with risk assessment, diplomatic relationships with neighbors, names and location of high-ranking officials, military structure, and key personnel. They even had information about Daniel -- updated to his miraculous recovery and even listing the recent contract on his life.
The data pack was perfect for the Captain or, more specifically, for Jon. The boy walked out of the building with his hood covering his face; he put the documents in the storage ring and headed to buy a light carriage. Helena didn't know how to ride a horse, so they had to travel in a carriage.
Back at the Inn, the boy met with Helena and had breakfast together. Helena was looking around hesitantly. Apparently, she was scared that some 'old acquaintances' would show up and recognize her.
"Don't worry, they're not coming back again." her brother said, leaving Helena wondering. She already knew that her brother was the boy she served two nights ago and that he saw the awkward interaction with the thugs. But how did he know they wouldn't come back to make trouble.
"Do you need anything to buy before we leave?" asked the boy, breaking her train of thought.
"No, brother. I have everything I need. You don't need to spend any more money on me!" replied Helena.
Initially, the Captain wanted to stay a few more days at the capital. However, things were getting complicated, and he attracted too much attention. It seems he would need to deal with his uncle as soon and as decisively as possible.
They packed everything, bought enough supplies for the road trip, and departed the capital, using the main trading route. Although this was the path with the highest chances of an ambush, it was also the shortest and fastest way.
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Near the capital, the roads were paved and well maintained. The single-horse carriage moved quickly and covered a great distance. Helena was chatty and took it upon herself to remind her brother of everything he had forgotten. She talked about their childhood, their parents, the games they used to play, their grandparents that died before Helena was born, the small bakery outside the Lord's mansion that made the best muffins in the world. The Captain smiled and nodded while Jon in his head was absorbing everything and 'smiling' as well.
The first night, they camped near the caravan that made the route from the capital to the southern territories. There was safety to be found in numbers, especially against wild beasts. They sat around the campfire and bought some soup from the caravan cook. They heard stories about adventures, magical beasts, and damsels in distress. They danced to the songs of traveling musicians, and Helena reminded him that he was a lousy dancer. It seems that didn't change when the Captain took over.
During the night, they slept in the same tent. According to Helena, they often shared a bed in the past and sometimes even with their parents on stormy nights. Thankfully, the weather was not freezing yet this time of the year.
The Captain had been extensively experimenting with his foggy domain and trying to find ways to keep them safe. He was able to release the domain all around them and minimize the power only to monitor for life forms. That way, he could cast a 20m domain and keep it on indefinitely. Any living creature to enter this domain, he would know immediately.
Helena was scared in the beginning. Inside the fog, it was cold and frightening. She got used to it a bit because they practiced a lot of strategies for fighting. They needed to be ready in case of an ambush. Helena couldn't fight, and she didn't have any magical powers. She was smart and knew how to run and hide.
What Helena didn't know was that even when her brother was sleeping, Daniel could still monitor his domain for intruders. This was a blessing from merging with the consciousness of Jon and having a never-sleeping ghost living inside him.
The night passed without an incident. The same the following day. On the third day, they parted ways with the caravan and headed west. This is where the dangerous part of the trip would start.
A few hours down the road, they met their first magical beast. A coyote-like animal could use its wind magic to move fast and create after-images confusing its prey. The boy dispatched the animal quickly and without effort. He didn't even need to use his domain or dark powers.
"Will you get the magical crystal?" asked Helena.
"Magical crystal?" replied the boy with a questioning face.
"Tsk. You don't even know this?" the girl chirped, happy to be able to show off to her brother. One of her part-time jobs was at the adventurers guild, where she would help process magical beasts. She gave up shortly because it was too hard.
"There is a crystal inside the animal that condenses magical power. You can remove it, and it can power magic devices!" said the girl happily.
Captain! It's like a battery but for magic! Ask her how the magic devices are made! We need to get a book on them!, Jon's inner geek was soaring.
"So, Helena. How do you make the magic devices?" asked the boy reluctantly.
"Oh, there was an introductory course at school, but people study decades for it. There are hundreds of runes that are connected to make a magic device. There are different ways to accomplish the same thing, and each way consumes more or less magic from a crystal." recited the girls proudly.
"Do you need special powers to create such devices?" followed up the boy.
"Mmm. Not that I know of. Anyone can do it if a master accepts them and they study under him." the girl said.
Cap, you need to get a book! It sounds like circuits! I want iiiitt!, a childish voice said in the boy's mind. The boy nodded.
"Mmmm." the boy said, leaving the girl wondering if he was talking to her. She had noticed that sometimes her brother was conversing with himself. Maybe this was a side-effect from the near-death experience he had.
They continued their travel, each lost in their thoughts.
