The Heartstone Journey

Book 3 | Ch. 17 - Revolutionary

It was clear this was no way to torment and degrade me or her. For what reason did he write this in the first place if he chose to flee with such haste? I had no clue as to what that demi-god was considering. But one thing was for certain. The pungent air reeked with deathly despair was no more and nothing more than the thing of the past. His presence was nowhere to be found for at least a long distance away, proving that his aura covers a wide range around him. I sheath my weapon to my back wrapping the hilt with a leather strap making a clunking sound once it is attached.

"Why would he take back what he said so confidently?"

I asked knowing something wasn't right.

I distracted myself by spotting a broken structure floating afar in the corner of my eye. The cottage drifted along quietly in space prompting me to rush at it to reach the boys. I hoped they survived the aftermath of the blows I dealt, not considering their wellbeing during our duel. I tensed my calves, lathering my legs in a smoothened layer of aura and blasted off shattering where I originally stood. I steered my way toward the cottage making my way there in merely a minute's time. I controlled myself, reverting the energy around me back to what it always had been, crimson red. My eyes shifted back to red a tiny bit after giving me a sense of relief in tension.

"Whew~.. I loathe using the same energy as the vile man."

I scorned just by the memory of that instance back then.

Making my way up the stairs and onto the front porch I only came to remember of the ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕟𝕖 and where I had placed it. I frantically scavenged all the unnecessary yet necessary pockets I had, eight pockets to be exact. Four for each side with two small pockets on my rear end to hold tiny trinkets. Luckily the ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕟𝕖 was on my right main pocket still safe and sound. Although the brilliant shine it once gave out now died out leaving it empty and dull letting off a sense of loss in my mind.

"*Sigh*.. At least it's here."

I puffed out a breath of air relieved of at least one thing out of all the shit I had to deal with so far.

I switched my attention to the doorway seeing it mostly intact and opened it up in search of the boys. The moment I entered it was nothing compared to what it had before, the spacious halls now reduced to rubble, the fireplace scrapped and destroyed. The portraits, the little plants there, everything was damaged beyond repair. The pillars of the hallways cracked and dirtied by myself and death's brawl. My worries began to take shape, increasing my negative thoughts to greater levels than before. I shouted for the boys with no response forcing me to run around heavily and noticeable with chunks of the ceiling removed from my fight revealing the abyss watching.

"Royal, Nick, Cloudy! Are you here?! Give me a sign that you're all ok, it's over now he fled!"

I rummaged through some rubble and ruin that collapsed above finding them buried underneath. That made my heart skip a beat from the sight. I hurriedly dug them away from the pile and laid them down gently checking their pulses. They were only unconscious from the last blow that sent everything soaring. No additional medicine was needed thankfully since we had hardly anything left. I caught a glimpse to my left spotting where I snatched the ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕟𝕖 from the pedestal looking at it gathering dust and debris. It was.. invigorating. I freed Lucy from her shackles not to be shown off as merely a display. That must've been such a blessing from her perspective. It's been far too long since I felt this accomplished, alas I had to push that aside now with a new objective: Escort this treasure back home.

"The question is how will we return?"

"This place is literally endless if we head the wrong way. Should I try retracing our steps? No, that'd take far too long with the amount of finite resources we have available."