Three days later, Xidriel timidly sat across Lysander inside the carriage that is bound for his family’s territory to the north east of the kingdom.

His personal aide, Noé,  sat next to the coachman outside, probably chatting up a storm. Zain led the procession up front on his horse, the white plumes on his helmet gently swayed behind his head while the other four Sternberg knights flanked the carriage on all sides.

Trailing behind them were the supply carriages, guarded by a handful of Seymour knights.

Bringing up the rear is the carriage that carries Lan and Amon, accompanied by two of their own people, with the lamest excuse they could muster.

At least Lan’s excuse of wanting to personally choose a pick up location for the medicines he had promised to supply him is more believable compared to Amon’s “the engineer I need for the young master’s commission lives in the dukedom”.

When Xidriel had frowned at them, pointing out that they didn’t have to travel together, Lysander nudged him towards the carriages with the terse response of “It’s for your safety”, and refused to elaborate further.

The Sternberg retainers didn’t even question that ‘safety’ excuse, which boggled Xidriel further yet he couldn’t find anyone who would give him a straight answer.

Thus, Lan and Amon joined them in their travels to the north east and offered to cook their meals, which Lysander accepted right away.

Xidriel briefly glanced at his irate friend, half confused as to why he would be displeased that they’re being accompanied by his own subordinates when he himself accepted their excuses right away.

He should have full authority on who would be deployed, right? So why is he acting as if he didn’t have a say in it?

He was itching to ask his question but was afraid of stepping on a nerve so he kept his mouth shut.

The whole day passed, with them only stopping once in the closest town to get lunch. With night fast approaching, Zain led them off the road to set up camp and the knights immediately went to work on securing the perimeter, while those who came with Lan and Amon started preparing their dinner.

Xidriel, who had fallen asleep in his seat due to the monotony of the travel, blearily looked around when he heard the clatter of people moving about outside. He noticed twilight blanketing the skies and the bonfire cackling nicely in the middle of their camp.

He could see Lysander outside of the carriage, conversing with Lan and Amon with a serious expression on his face in some distance away from everyone.

Noé had come up to the designated cooks for their journey, overseeing their work and reminding them of certain foods that Xidriel is allergic or not inclined to eat at all.

Xidriel moved to open the door and the fleece blanket he was not aware of being draped over him fell to the floor. He stared at it for a moment before picking it up and haphazardly folding it over his arms and setting it aside.

Lan was the first to notice him emerge from the carriage, and he gave a subtle cough to tell the other two to wrap up their conversation. Xidriel only raised an eyebrow at them when they walked over to chat with him about his condition after a long day of riding the carriage.

Xidriel stared at Amon for a moment, prompting the red haired man to smile at him in confusion.

“Is there something on my face?” Amon asked as he slightly tilted his head to the side.

“I realize you’re not wearing any glasses…do you only need them when reading?”

Amon blinked at that before chuckling. “It’s mostly for…let’s say, aesthetics. Why? You liked it better when I wore them?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh, that’s a shame…”

Lan subtly kicked Amon’s shin with a frown, while Lysander’s lips thinned, unamused by their exchange.

×××

Xidriel found himself once again in that strange void when he regained consciousness in his dream after having a hearty and warm dinner with everyone.

Is another deity coming forward this time or is it the same one from last time?

He patiently waited but no one came forward. Annoyed by this, he started to walk to wherever his feet brought him to. A few minutes later, he stumbled upon a section of the void that is vaguely lit with swirling stars, with water soaking his feet.

He looked back at the void behind him, wondering if they are really connected to one another before shrugging it off and moved forward to explore further until whoever brought his consciousness here shows up.

He could hear muddled voices every time he passed by some bright clusters of stars, yet whenever he tried to strain his ears to make out the words being said, his head started throbbing in pain that he almost tripped over his own feet.

He quickly moved on, covering his ears with his hands as he squinted through the pain in his head.

The next area he arrived in was lit with the soft glows of the seven moons in the sky and the ever swirling stars. The water that once covered his feet now reaches halfway up his calves.

In the middle of that area, he saw a dark and thick trunk of what he deemed to be an ancient tree, wizened by age. Its bare branches stretch out to the sky and seemingly act like a mount for the moons, holding them in place like a precious stone on a ring.

Xidriel gaped at the moons, unnerved by the sight of them.

He had seen the moon in this void before, mounted on that giant diadem, yet its presence pales in comparison to the seven moons in front of him, as if the one he had seen before was a bad imitation.

He flinched when he noticed movement from the dark trunk and he shifted his attention to it.

Something or someone has emerged from it and is making its way towards him, only stopping when he’s an arm’s length away.

He ogled at the dark mass that vaguely resembled him, with golden irises standing out from its “face”.

The very same irises that he had once glimpsed before in this same void.

A feeling of kinship stirred within him when they locked eyes up close, and relief bloomed in him instead of fear, knowing that it wouldn’t harm him.

He instinctively knew that it was also trapped in this world like he is, summoned to the world but didn’t have a physical host so its consciousness latched onto him that has a body.

He could also tell that they couldn’t maintain their consciousness like this for long, so he opened his mouth to ask it a question.

“What do you need from me?”

The creature raised its right hand, reaching out to him, and Xidriel finally noticed the heavy cuffs around its wrists and ankles, with the chains stretching all the way back to the dark trunk.