CHAPTER 49: PASSION

After fiddling with the knife some more, he strapped it on his belt, unable to decipher any other mystery about it other than the fact that it could cut through anything, besides flesh.

For now atleast. No matter present in the room atleast, was spared by it.

He couldn’t kill with it, at least not directly, but it was sure to be of some sort of help.

Looking at the smooth slab of rock at the floor, Noctis kneeled before it to inspect it carefully.

The cut made by the knife was smoother than any surface of mirror he could find in this world so far. As Noctis extended his hands to touch it, he had to jerk his hands back as he realised just touching the surface had cut his fingers.

’My true goodness. This is quite interesting indeed.’

The surprises however refused to stop as he noticed the stone suddenly glowing after touching his blood.

Soon the rock had vanished and its place appeared a small double sided broach inlaid with the same obsidian like rock.

His wound healed rapidly as Noctis was left once again to marvel at the sheer unpredictability of this world.

’Whatever. I could use one to fasten my cloak anyway.’

***

Krrr~

Noctis was sitting cross-legged at the cliff of the ridge where the giant owl had once taken him.

After looting, no... collecting his rewards, Noctis had taken some time to stretch his body, finding it best after all the pain he had gone through.

His cloak covering him, a double-sided brooch pinned on his chest — twin emblems shaped like outstretched wings, each affixed to opposite sides of the coat. A fine silver chain linked the two, draping lightly across the chest like a ceremonial tether.

It looked like regal and added to the noble attire.

His archery needed some improvements now, but he’ll get to it eventually.

To say about the rewards, he was conflicted on how to feel about it.

They were quite good. The cloak adapted to the weather and temperature, protecting him from rain to sunlight as long as he stayed in the hood.

It could also change its colour to a very deep blue, almost black, helping him blend if he needed it, although he had come to like the pure white.

The quiver and bow he had found in the temple was certainly better than his own back at home and the knife was sure to be of help later, somehow.

But was it worth all the ordeal he had gone through in the strange space?

His heart resisted saying yes but his brain told him, perhaps it was. Not because of the cloak or the knife however.

The actual biggest gain he had from this, was the broach.

It was a storing artifact. The moment he had figured out its function he had almost jumped in joy.

He could actually carry his bow with him all the time along with other essentials. What could be better than this right?

’Where else would I have gotten the opportunity?’

He reasoned.

Nevertheless, he focused on the critter that had finally decided to come back.

Minerva had been back after a full three days after all.

"Just where have you been?"

Hoot-hoot~

"Oh you found it! Where.. I mean which direction?"

Krr-krook~

"That far huh?"

"Even a river in between? Hmm... well it can’t be helped. Let’s just get going. You can rest in me. Good work."

Noctis patted the owl as he dusted himself up.

Krr~

"Oh them? Don’t worry about it anymore. I’ve a way to evade them now."

The owl shrugged once and just entered his mental plane to rest, apparently convinced.

Noctis looked at the vine sprouting from the rock, extending all the way down as he jumped at it, sliding down with immense speed.

***

Moving in the directions provided by the critter, Noctis encountered the area that held the whole pack of the hounds along it.

It was in such an area, that he had to go through them, if he intended to ever move in the direction of his home.

With the help of his vines to scale and move through the complex terrain, which stirred the whole pack, he had managed albeit it took some efforts.

The pack which was more than double the number of what he had encountered previously, as he had feared, albeit some were still quite young, proved much more fixated on finding him than he had ever imagined.

But with the help of his natural camouflage and the disguising ability he had moved through them after almost half a day’s effort.

After continuously moving for a couple days he finally came out of the forest that had held him for god knows what period.

However, it seems that forest still had one last surprise it wanted to express to him as the moment he took a step out of the forest he was suddenly transported in an illusion.

’Oh please no, come on!!!!’

•••

In the middle of a lush forest was situated a glade, mesmerizing in the strange atmosphere.

It felt as if the sunlight faded together with the moonlight as it basked the place in an otherworldly light.

In the glade, young women of world-defying beauty and a body so perfect, it felt as if it was sculpted with the most precise dimensions, made specifically to corrupt mortals with uncontrollable passion, playing together, splashing water on each other.

A hunter enters the forest, his hunting hounds tagging along with him as he stalked the golden mare that he had been tailing for miles now.

The moment he entered the forest he heard the sound of laughter echoing all around the forest.

The voice so mesmerizing, so hynotic, that the hunter was tranced almost instantly, losing the sight of the prey he had been looking for such a long time.

Even after losing sight, however, he wasn’t angered in the least for he started moving together the laughter, unbothered by anything else at the moment.

Moving through the forest he soon encountered the glade and its mesmerising atmosphere that clung onto it.

Despite his heart beating like war drums and his dogs halting the moment they reached the precipice of the atmospheric area, something that surely would have alarmed him considering their training and loyalty, he couldn’t pay it no mind.

That is, if he had any mind to house any other thoughts than finding the origin of the passion that made his essence fetter.

It was all that he needed now.

Soon he passed the final tree that shielded his view from the scene at the glade.

The last chance to stop himself from crossing the ultimate boundary that held the mortals from damnation.

The hunter came across the vision of flesh that he wouldn’t be able to forget even after being consumed by the maws of lowest of hells.