It was night. We were sitting by the fireplace. Andre on a high quality chair sipping some tea. Banshee sat next to me on a stool while I sat in a lower quality chair.
"Sorry about the chair. I didn't expect company."
"It's fine." I responded
We began talking about my sister. I left out the stuff about the being and how I was an Angel.
"I see, well I assume your going to continue your journey. The road only gets more dangerous from here. I suggest you learn how to fight better."
"I know how to fight but for some reason I feel slow and weaker."
"Hm, well I should start training you. When your done you should be able to be as fast as me." He said.
I wanted to ask him how to use my vision.
"Could you teach me how to use my vision?" I asked him
He sipped more of his tea and looked into the fire.
There was a short pause.
"I'll teach you."
My face lit up.
"Your training will start tomorrow at the brink of dawn. Don't expect me to go easy on you."
I nodded.
He went off to bed not shortly after. He let me and Banshee stay in a spare bedroom. I slept on the bed while she slept on an old dog bed.
As I close my eyes I start thinking about my sister. Where is she? Who was that terrifying being that blocked our path. Her power was bottomless there was no end to her strength. If I'm supposed to save my sister I'll one day have to go through her. Hopefully one of the Gods will help me.
I had a dream. My sister was standing in a black void. Crying as the void started to lighten up. I saw a ruined city. The same cubes I saw when I fought against that deity spiked up from the ground swallowing anything in its path. The land was shattered into multiple floating fragments. Lava was just beneath them.
"Hey, get up. There's no need to cry. The war is over." Said a mysterious man
My sister stopped crying.
"But it's all gone. Everything." She said
"This land is lost unfortunately. However, we can reforge it. Together" He said
He lent out his hand and my sister stared at it hesitantly before grabbing it a few seconds later.
I woke up.
It was still late outside. Maybe an hour before dawn. I woke up Banshee and told her what happened.
"WHAT?" She yelled
"Shhh not so loud!"
"What's going on? I thought your sister was taken from you?"
"I don't know what to think. She was taken last time I saw her but I didn't see the presence of that God around besides the cubes."
There was a short pause before Banshee spoke.
"All this thinking is making me hungry." She said
We decided to head out to look for something to eat. Should be around 45 minutes until dawn so we should hurry.
We looked around in the small forest nearby the mansion. As we were talking around the many bushes and trees we started hearing music..?
It sounded like a flute. The wind became slightly colder then before.
"What's that music? Is there a town nearby?" Banshee asked
"I don't remember passing through a town here."
We followed the music until we saw a small lake with a little cliff with a single tree on it. You could see the city in the distance.
We looked around looking for the source of the music until we looked onto the tree. A man dressed in green was parched upon one of the branches playing the flute. We sat and listened to his song. It was beautiful. After he was done he finally jumped down from the branch onto the ground.
"Hey! Nice music!" I called out which seemed to startle him
He turned around and it wasn't a man? Well it was but he looked like someone who just turned 16. Wait a second.
We walked up to the cliff to greet him and he looked familiar. It was the guy that ran away while we were at the bar!
"Hey I know you!" I said
"You do?" He said
"Your that guy that we saw at the bar."
"Ohh yeah!" Said Banshee
"Well I'm usually seen there playing my songs or reading my newest poem." He said
He let out his hand.
"The names uh" he hesitated
"Gale." He said after a small pause
"Well, Gale I'm Astro and this is Banshee."
"Hello!" She said
"So what brings you here at this time?" He asked
"Banshee was hungry so we wanted to find something to eat."
"Hmm." He thought for a second before pulling out an apple and tossing it at Banshee.
"There you go!" He said with a smile
"Thanks!" Banshee barely finished her sentence before chowing down on the apple.
"So what about you?" I asked
"Huh?"
"What are you doing out here at this time."
"Oh, uh let's I was calling an old friend."
"By.. playing your flute in the middle of the night?"
"Yep!"
There was a small pause only thing you could hear was Banshee eating the apple.
"Want to hear the legend of the 4 winds?" He asked
"Uh what now?"
"The 4 winds? Don't tell me you don't know them!"
"I don't." I say confused
"Well I think you've at least heard the names Boreas, Zephyrus, Notus and Eurus. Right?" He asked
"The different names of the God of Wind?"
He looked confused.
"What? Is that what people have been saying?"
More awkward silence which wasn't being interrupted by Banshee's eating since she already ate the apple.
"Anyways, those aren't the different names of the Wind God. Those are the 4 winds. I'd tell you about them right now but that'll spoil my story." He said
"Well, I guess we can hear about them."
His face lit up.
"Ok, ok, ok!"
He cleared his throat.
A long time ago when the God of Wind roamed the land. He forged the mightiest beasts that struck fear into the hearts of any monster. The 4 Winds that of course blew wind in each direction. But on one fateful day. A Dragon attacked the land. It was a Dragon of Death. Parca. Destroying many different towns and villages. The people cried for the God of Wind but nobody heed the call. Until the 4 Winds fought back. A storm raged across the land formed by the 4 Winds as they attacked the Dragon of Death. The 4 Winds fought long and hard but they fell in battle. All but one. Notus. He watched his friends fall in battle. And as he stared down the wounded Dragon he plunged his teeth into the Dragons neck and ripped out his throat. The blood of the Dragon seeped into Notus's injuries causing him pain. Dragons blood can turn people mad just from being near a wound. Notus's pain grew louder. He called out to the Wind God for help. But just as the people never got a response. neither did Notus.
"The 4 Winds must have been strong."
"Indeed they were. Many people have since looked for Notus but to no avail. Some people are angry with him turning his back onto the city just as the people were with the Wind God."
"Wait, people are mad about the Wind God leaving?"
"Not so much anymore. The people have lost hope for the Wind God to return but they do still hold festivals and parties for him."
Gale stopped and started thinking.
"Wait a second. This might be random but could I ask you a favor? I promise I'll repay you."
"What is it?" I asked
"Help me find my friend. I must pay him a visit."
"I'll gladly help. I know what it's like to lose someone."
"Thank you. You are a kind traveler."
He looked up and saw the sun rising.
"We should head back." I said while looking at Banshee
"I'll see you later today. I'll be waiting at the City's church." He said while running in the direction of the city
We went back to the house to already find Andre already waiting for us.
"Where were you?" He asked
"We were looking for some food since Banshee got hungry."
"I wouldn't mind if you helped yourself to my pantry." He said
I let out a slight chuckle.
We walked to the barn and I saw the usual barn equipment until I looked at the stables and didn't see horses but weird hay bail test dummies.
"You are going to practice on these test dummies until I feel that you are ready to face me." He said
I grabbed a wooden weapon since I didn't want to damage my already dull blade.
The training began.