Chapter 15
It had been eighteen years since Alex came to this world. Eighteen long years of training his body, learning about the world, and protecting Iliasville from any potential threats. His guardian Aurelia taught him everything she could about the world and its history. Ranging from what heaven knew about monsters to sword fighting and everything in between.
Alex did not know if he could have stayed sane without her. The constant threat on humanity, the lack of hope the unfaithful presented, and even the hardship of food shortages. Without Aurelia to strengthen his faith in Ilias he may well have not the will to carry on. But she gave him direction and purpose, just as he had in his previous life.
"Luka stay focused!" Alex shouted after his sword passed a few inches by Luka's face.
"I'm trying Alex," He called back before thrusting his sword forward.
Alex swiftly dodged to the side then interlocked their blades and forced the point to the sky. Not wasting a second he pressed forward and slammed his offhand into Luka's stomach.
The purple-haired boy curled forward and his sword fell from his hand. One knee hit the ground slightly before the other, causing him to fall on his side. His hands fell lower and reached for his stomach in an attempt to ease the pain.
His non-stop coughing showed Alex that this session was over.
Slowly walking forward he placed his sword on the ground and lightly patted his friend's back.
"In a fight, every motion should have a reason," Alex said, "Especially when you're dealing with a weapon that requires precision."
"That's what I've been doing," Luka said, "I'm trying Alex, I really am."
Alex sat down on the ground next to him, "I know you are Luka, you just have to keep trying it. With enough experience, you'll know what to do. It's not helping you that I have years of live combat experience."
"Then I'll just have to keep training to beat you," Luka said while looking up to Alex.
There was a glimmer in his eye that Alex saw time and time again. It seemed like it was going to be another one of those days when he had to carry Luka back home.
"Alright, get up then," Alex said, "let's go again."
Luka needed to use his sword to stand up but he was able to get on his feet regardless. He held his sword in front of him, tightly gripping the handle to stabilize the blade. One hand over the other with his lowest hand shifting down to the pommel.
Alex followed Luka and readied his sword in the same position. He shifted one foot back before placing their blades next to each other. With a simple nod of his head, he signaled Luka to start the fight.
The second his head went down to nod Luka forced Alex's sword to the side and stepped forward.
Alex shifted and disengaged the blades in an attempt to create distance between himself and his opponent. Luka decided to take the initiative in this fight, Alex would let him have it. A rare experience for Luka but one he still needed to familiarize himself with.
Luka continued to slash diagonally only for Alex to parry the strike when it came too close to his torso.
Alex kept his eyes focused past Luka's sword, and more on his arms. Based on how his arms are bent he should be able to predict where the strike will come from. A more advanced trick that Aurelia taught him.
Each step Luka took forward was another that Alex took back. Luka continued to attempt to close the distance but Alex did not let it happen. He could tell each strike came with intention but the placement was still off.
Luka paused his two-handed slashes. One hand left the blade and reached to his side.
A fatal mistake.
Seeing the more than a clear opportunity Alex stopped his backward momentum and shifted to the opposite side where Luka reached. With a forceful downward strike, Alex smashed his sword into Luka's sending it flying out of his hand.
Not wasting a second he threw his shoulder into the now unarmed man. Luka fell to the ground but before Alex could press his blade against his throat he felt a burning sensation on his ankle.
Ignoring the pain, he put his unaffected foot on Luka's chest and his sword lightly against his throat. After a few seconds of the two staring each other in the eye, unmoving, Alex backed off Luka.
Their panting only increased after the fight. Luka wiped the sweat off his forehead before pressing himself off the ground.
Alex stabbed his sword into the ground and rested his arms against it. Before looking down at his leg. Blood slowly poured out of the cut that ran across the front of his ankle.
Luka smiled and slowly raised the dagger he had in his hand. A small amount of blood was on the tip of the blade.
Alex lightly kicked Luka's foot, "Fighting all the way down, that's what we like to see Luka."
"I'm not letting you beat me up for free you know," The purple-haired man said with a light laugh.
"You can't say you haven't learned anything though," Alex said while reaching down to offer Luka a hand.
"I'm better than before that's for sure," Luka said before accepting Alex's hand and pulling himself upright, "But I'm still not good enough to bring co-existence myself."
"That dream isn't possible you know," Alex said solemnly, "I can respect it, but predators will never see their prey as an equal."
Luka smiled softly and placed a hand on Alex's shoulder, "That doesn't mean I can't try."
Alex shook his head before looking toward the village, "Come on let's get patched up. We have our baptism coming tomorrow. I'd rather not be a complete mess in front of Goddess Ilias."
Aurelia sat at a table with a needle and string in her hand. The white string connected with other white fibers to form the edge of a skirt. She lifted up the piece of clothing and held it over her waist before placing it back on the table.
In front of Alex was his own shirt made out of the same fiber that Aurelia had used. He pressed the needle through the fabric one last time before tying a knot and cutting off the string. Alex took a candle on the table and burned the edge of the knot to cauterize and stabilize the fabric.
He held the shirt in front of him and nodded.
It may not have been his best work but it was still a cut above the rest. Aurelia said this was some of the string they used to make clothes in heaven so the quality was already higher than anything he could find here. However, it was missing something.
Alex reached for the yellow string and found an open spot on his shoulder. He put the string in the needle and hesitated while hovering over the fabric.
"Is there a problem Alex?" Aurelia asked.
"I wonder if Leo is here," He said slowly.
"You mean your brother from your past life?"
Alex nodded his head, "Part of me wants to believe he's here, but another part of me begs he isn't. He would never survive here."
Aurelia stood up and walked toward Alex before grabbing his hand, "Ilias would have noticed if he was here. You had a spike of energy when you arrived, he would have had the same when he appeared."
"I know," He said, "But I'm also surrounded by the faithful while he could be anywhere, even Hellgondo. As much as I believe Ilias would do the right thing, she would not investigate it herself as she did me."
"She would have done everything she could," Aurelia said calmly, "There are thousands of angels that could look, it was possible to find him despite the finite number."
Alex sighed, "My only problem is his lack of faith, and I know how Ilias treats the unfaithful. He was never a firm believer in God but he still believed. So he's either in God's heaven or he was sent here, and that uncertainty is what kills me."
"Then you just have to search for him on your adventure," Aurelia said, "If his lack of faith is a problem then we can show him the truth, Ilias' truth."
Alex started to sow the yellow string into his shirt, "Then I hope he'll recognize this." Slowly the yellow marking on the shirt began to take the form of a cross.
The Holy Cross, if there was something that Leo would recognize it would be this. As far as Alex knew there was not an instance of this having religious significance here. If anything it was a simple symbol that most would brush off as nothing more than his emblem.
Aurelia moved over to the kitchen and began to load some food into their bags. Dried and salted meat, bread for the short term, several herbs that had magical properties. Not only this but several balls of the pure white string.
Alex also noticed her placing more than enough rope in their packs, something he had to remind her of several times before. Rope was highly versatile and if someone was able to tie even a simple knot they could figure out other uses.
He also noticed a basic map of the continent, he had yet to find a topographic one but he suspected there might be one in Illiasburg. There was a basic compass on the counter, something that he knew from experience would be invaluable. Alex desired to bring a quill and ink so they could mark the map but carrying it around was not practical for them.
Before long Alex had finished his cross and Aurelia had finished the main packing. Alex stood up and walked toward the door, grabbing his and Aurelia's sword.
"Eighteen long years of waiting for this moment," Alex said.
Aurelia grabbed her sword and began to put on her armor, "Ilias' blessing will be proof of your devotion to her. You have more than earned the right to bear it."
Once she finished she quickly opened the door and waved for Alex to follow her, "Come, let's see our Goddess once again."
When they reached the temple it was already crowded with potential heroes. Individuals from all across Ilias continent and Sentora came here to show their devotion to Illias and their drive to rid the world of the monster threat.
Before long Alex noticed Luka rushing toward the temple. His iron sword rested at his hip and the smile on his face was as clear as the sun was bright.
"Luka, perfect timing," Alex said waving his hand up.
"It has been a while Luka, good to see you are doing as well," Aurelia stated.
"I just can't believe it's finally the day I get the be a hero," Luka said, "I never thought this day would come."
Alex simply chuckled before taking a glance at his friend. It had been so long since he had seen Luka this happy. He was so focused on getting stronger and becoming ready to travel the world. Alex knew it came down to proving himself to Lucifina and making her proud.
She was everything to him and she was ruthlessly taken away. It was cruel and it was unneeded, but when death calls you have to answer. It is nothing short of a miracle that Luka still holds his values to the same degree. Not only that but he's not as resentful at the village as he should be, as a normal person would be.
Luka was special and Alex knew that. His resolve and pure kindness were a blessing for the world. Alex simply hoped that it would not lead him astray or into danger.
Alex began to walk forward to hopefully get a view of the priest before a mass heard a massive sound in the forest. It reminded him of tank shells being fired and IEDs going off after an unfortunate soul stepped on one.
His hand instinctively found its way to his sword and his body turned toward the massive sound. Alex's eyes flashed around looking for the source of the sound yet he saw nothing but the empty forest.
Aurelia had drawn her sword and her wings flared behind her, in less than a second she was hovering above the humans shifting her head right to left and scanning the edge of the forest.
Luka on the other hand, immediately sprinted toward the sound. A hand grasped his sword handle to stabilize it while he ran.
"Luka we have to protect the people!" Alex shouted before running toward a small platform to see further than before.
"That's what I'm doing!" He called back.
Not thirty seconds later Luka had vanished into the forest, absolutely in search of the sound. Alex contemplated running after Luka but instead stayed focused on protecting the villagers around.
There was no doubt in his mind this was a monster attack, terrorists had no value in setting off bombs in the forest. Not to mention no major caravans were scheduled to arrive today, so the roads should be clear of humans and value.
Alex scanned around the villagers and future heroes. He noticed a few others with their hands on swords and some with their arrows knocked in their bows. Some of these people had clear training and for others, it was clear they were in way over their heads.
"Protect the villagers at all cost," Alex commanded, "They are priority one, the temple comes after!"
Alex saw Aurelia nod her head and a light smile showed on her lips before it returned to her typical neutral expression. Others looked at him in clear confusion before nodding their heads and following along with the plan.
He had faith in Luka's abilities, he was not the same mess of a swordsman he was when they first started training. However, what was out there was clearly more than nothing. Regardless, Alex had his priorities. Citizens and the innocent first, always.
The second he heard the sound Luka knew he had to see what it was for himself. Alex and Aurelia were the ones who always protected the villagers from monsters or bandits. This time it was something far out from the village, something that Luka could actually deal with.
He knew Alex had his mission, he always preached about faith and protecting the innocent directly. So Luka knew he would never rush out into the forest and fight it head-on, not when there was something he could leave behind.
"I'll stop this monster," Luka said while tightening the grip on his sword, "They won't hurt the people here on my watch."
He continued to run through the forest as fast as his legs would take him. Each tree branch in his way Luka either pushed away with his arm or ducked underneath. Regardless they did not stop his momentum.
Luka hopped over small roots that would trip someone if they were unaware. But he knew this forest like the back of his hand. Constantly he wandered out here, either looking for time to himself or to train with Alex.
Before long he began to see a light grey haze above the canopy. Luka slowed down his pace and caught his breath, preparing himself mentally and physically for a fight. Maybe, just maybe he could convince the monster to leave and not fight.
It was worth a chance. If he really wanted to fight for coexistence then he needed to talk first and only fight if he needed.
Luka noticed some trees completely stripped of their leaves. Some branches were fractured while others had been torn off the trees. Leaving behind a few splinters and the light brown hardwood.
After another few paces forward Luka saw chunks of dirt that had been excavated from the ground. He could clearly smell the fresh dirt but at the same time, he noticed what wasn't there. The lack of a smoky smell completely detracted from the fire he thought had started.
Luka saw the forming of a deep crater and once he walked to the edge he saw the monster which had formed it.
It was a woman with long white hair and purple skin. Her exquisite body was hardly covered by her black skirt and bra which left almost nothing to the imagination. However, what surprised him the most was her long red tail that extended from her waist down. It extended for several meters and coiled underneath her.
He saw what looked like an eye marked on her hair, the same marking was also present across her body. One above her breasts, another as an earring, and some around her elbows. Not to mention her body was covered in several black lines that even Luka could tell were magical.
Not wasting a second Luka slid down the side of the crater to check the health of the monster. He lightly tapped her shoulder to try and get her attention.
"Are you okay miss?" Luka asked.
Luka watched the monster twitch at his touch. Her tail curled slightly more underneath her. It worried Luka as her whole tail moving at once made him fearful of her strength. But he had to put that behind him, he had to be strong for his dream.
He lightly shook her shoulder once again, "Miss?"
The monster's eyes shot wide open and she immediately wrapped her tail around Luka's leg. With a quick tug, she managed to pull him to the ground before he could even react. Her tail quickly ran up his leg before finally curling around his torso.
Luka struggled to move, his arms were locked at his side. Even with his hand on his sword, he could not draw the blade. He squirmed as best he could but with every attempt the monster only tightened her grip.
"Who are you," She said leaning closer to his face, "Where am I."
Luka coughed, the pressure against his chest was intense.
"Lu-ka." He choked out, "Ili-as… ville."
He struggled to breathe, but the monster's tail continued to restrict his breathing. Her tail continued to move around him, the friction from her scales constantly scraping against his skin.
The monster hummed while staring deep into Luka's eyes. Seemingly satisfied with his answer she relaxed the grip on her tails.
Luka took in a deep breath the second he could. He attempted to move his arms and legs but he still could not move him. The monster granted him the luxury of breathing but despite that, she was still in control of his movements.
"Luka," She said slowly, "Who else is waiting for you, why did you approach me."
"It's just me, I came alone," He said quickly, "I just saw you here and wanted to see if you were okay."
The monster scoffed, "No human would have that compassion for a monster."
"Well if I want to bring co-existence then I have to at least try," Luka said firmly.
The monster raised an eyebrow before releasing him from her coils, "If you really think you can do that then you're too stupid to be a threat."
Luka stood in place and watched her tail form behind her. She was no longer towering over him by standing on her tail but her natural height was still more than enough to make him look like a dwarf.
He kept his hands at his side and refused to reach for his blade, she would not attack him, not after she already had him dead to rights.
"You think it's stupid, I think it's a reason to keep fighting," Luka said determined.
The monster slithered past him and out of the crater, "You're just a stupid boy who's getting into matters he doesn't understand."
Luka turned to face her before pulling himself out of the crater, "I'll be the best hero the world has ever seen and it won't be because I killed the Monster Lord."
The monster stopped in her tracks, her tail slowly crept toward Luka and he walked away from it. Ensuring he was a good distance away from the edge of her tail at all times.
Her glare darkened when she faced Luka, "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."
Luka dashed back from her tail once again. It continued on its path toward him regardless of the distance. She wanted to catch him off guard and Luka knew it.
"Illias' blessing will give me the strength I need to fight for what is right," Luka said, "Humans and monsters don't need to fight each other. I'll tell the Monster Lord to stop attacking humans and then we can all live in a peaceful world. I'll make her believe it if I have to."
The monster slowly shook her head, "If you survive long enough to meet the Monster Lord I doubt she would ever see you as anything but a nuisance."
She waved her hand dismissively, "Why don't you go off to your village and enjoy the baptism, I'm sure you'd love Illias' new look."
With that last statement, she wandered away from Luka and the crater. She weaved through the broken trees and traveled deeper into the forest, vanishing from his sight.
His hands rushed to his head in panic, the baptism. He needed to get back to the village temple before the ceremonies were over. This was his one chance, his one year to do it. He would never forgive himself if he missed it, his adventure would be over before it even started.
He started running toward the village, brushing past limbs as best he could. The only problem was that he could not mention the monster to Alex and Aurelia. They would hunt the monster until either they or she died.
Something about this monster was different, she felt so much more powerful than anyone Luka had been around. When he first met Aurelia he knew she was strong, but that was because she was a Valkyrie. This monster, on the other hand, had an aura around her that reminded him of Aurelia and that thought scared him to the core.
The main problem was that Luka did not think Alex could find this fight. Not that he lacked faith in his friend, but rather he did not know what this monster could do.
For now, Luka just hoped he would not miss the baptism and that the village was still safe.
Around an hour after Luka had left a priest came out from the temple. Some sweat dripped off his forehead and his hands shook constantly. Alex saw his eyes scanning around the crowd before they fixed on him and Aurelia.
Taking the hint he jumped down from his post and walked toward the priest. Aurelia took notice of his movement and followed behind him.
Alex kept his hand on his sheathed sword, ready for any potential threat. "What's going on? I know the noise caused a disturbance but the baptisms should have continued."
The priest moved his hands behind his back quickly and his shoulders tensed, he refused to look Alex or Aurelia in the eyes and continued to look away.
"There wo-, there won't be-" The priest moved his hands to wipe the sweat off his forehead, "There won't be a baptism this year."
Alex blinked several times in an attempt to understand what the priest had said. Only for it to hit him all at once. He ran his hand slowly through his hair before pulling it with all his might. The pain radiated across his scalp before he let out a long grunt.
Aurelia stood taller before resting her hand on her sword and glaring intently at the priest, "On whose authority do you speak?"
The priest bowed his head toward Aurelia, "I speak fo- I speak for Ilias. She came to me in a vision."
He fell to his knees and placed his head on the ground, "It was a bright holy light, so bright I could not see her. But it was Ilias, I know it was my Goddess."
Aurelia stood still for a few moments before nodding her head, "So be it, go into the temple priest and continue with your duties."
Alex looked over to Aurelia worry clear in his eyes, "You didn't know about this, did you?"
Aurelia sighed, "I am caught just as off guard as you. I have lost contact with most of heaven during my stay here, but not all. Illias would have said if something like this was planned."
"Fuck," Alex said before looking out to the forest, "We just wait for Luka now, I'd rather him be with us when we tell the crowd. It'd be safer for him."
Aurelia nodded her head lightly, "I agree, some of these people may react… Violently."
Alex was thankful the priest went to them before speaking to the crowd. A few people saw the priest walk up to them but they did not question it. A delay was expected considering the potential threat. The last thing the people wanted was an interruption during the baptisms.
A few minutes passed before Luka returned to the village. Not wasting a second he ran up toward Alex. Sweat was covering his body and he was heavily panting, the constant running surely exhausted him.
"Am I… late…" Luka panted out.
Aurelia spoke up before Alex could, "Calm yourself, but the baptism won't be happening, not this year."
Alex watched Luka's life essentially leave his eyes. The brightness they always showed began to dim, His hands that were resting against his legs fell to the ground, the only reason they were still attached to his body was the bony connection. Otherwise, Alex thought they might have actually come off.
Aurelia walked over to the edge of a platform and the crowd looked to her expectantly.
Alex took the opportunity to grab hold of Luka and sit him on the ground. He hoped the shock would wear off soon.
"Citizens of Iliasville, adventurers, and heroes," Aurelia began with a booming voice that gathered the attention of everyone in the crowd, "Our Goddess has matters of significant importance to attend to and will not be here for the baptism."
The crowd erupted into a fury of exclamations. Several individuals began yelling, others started crying. While some simply stared at her with widened eyes unable to physically react. The crowd quickly dissolved all sense of organization and structure in favor of a mob-like mentality.
"Silence!" Aurelia yelled with a force and tone that Alex had never heard from her before, "Devolving into madness in front of her holy temple will bring nothing but anger from Goddess Ilias. Have faith in her and understand she does this for the betterment of humanity, not to spite you."
One voice stood out from the rest in the crowd, "How can you be so sure! Illias has abandoned us!"
Alex let go of Luka and ran in front of the crowd, "If you have to say that then you were never worthy of her baptism to begin with! Ilias will only reward the faithful. So we must have faith!"
Several mumbles were heard from the crowd before some people in the back began to leave. Others began to comfort those who were crying while several of the more violent individuals were apprehended by the temple guards. Before long the whole crowd had dispersed into the rest of the village.
Alex had walked over to Luka and pulled him onto his feet. He still looked lost inside his own head but Alex was determined to break him from that, it pained him dearly to see his friend like this.
"Luka," Alex said softly, "You don't need the baptism to accomplish what you want. To accomplish something."
Luka looked up to Alex before he dropped his head to the ground, "You at least have Aurelia with you, Ilias was supposed to be with me during my journey like she is with all heroes."
"Oh Luka she will always be with you in your journey," Alex said, "If you pray to her she will respond in time."
Alex gripped Luka's shoulders and lightly rubbed them, "In my past life I protected my nation and my family without Ilias' blessing. Everything good that happened in my life happened because I made it happen. You can do the same. If you want coexistence to happen you have to fight for it despite the impossibility."
Luka looked back up toward him, his eyes still were dimmed but there was a faint spark that Alex had seen before. His friend was not yet lost.
"You're strong enough to defeat most monsters that would harm you," Alex said, "So don't let them or other humans stop you. Don't let your journey end before it even begins."
Luka wiped his face and spoke softly, "Thank you, Alex. I think I better get started then. I have to show everyone that my dream is possible, that it's more than just a simple dream."
Alex patted Luka on the back before he began to walk toward his house to retrieve his travel gear. "No problem Luka, you brought me up a lot when you were younger, It's only fair I do the same. Even if we disagree on the how we both still fight for humanity."
He watched Luka smile before he turned his back and walked toward home for the last time. Aurelia was quick to follow him. Alex knew that Luka would not stop here, he would meet him again in either Iliasburg, Iliasport, or somewhere in Sentora. This was not the last he'd seen of Luka.
Before long Alex and Aurelia arrived at his home, their belongings had been packed hours before and it was only necessary for them to grab them and leave. They may have less time to travel in the day but that did not matter. Regardless of when they left the two would be forced to camp in the forest at some point.
"You are less distraught than I expected you to be," Aurelia spoke.
Alex sighed, "The baptism was more of a timer for me than anything else. Ilias' blessing would be a powerful aid on the journey but it wasn't something that was fully needed."
"You speak as if you doubt the power of the baptism," Aurelia said.
"I don't doubt it," Alex said quickly, "I simply have faith in my abilities and a strong faith in Ilias. I don't need proof of my faith to feel confident in carrying out her will."
"And what will would that be?"
The voice came from behind Alex and before he could turn around he saw a blinding light flash in front of him. Upon looking behind him he saw something he never thought he would see again.
Ilias, right before his eyes.
She sat in a wooden chair at his table, her body faced the table but her head was turned toward him and Aurelia. Her perfect golden hair rested on her shoulders while some strands fell over her chest while her bright blue eyes stared into his soul. It was not as well put together as Alex remembered.
Yet none of that would distract him from his main concern. Her face had a growing bruise on her cheek and a long laceration ran down her arm. It was not bleeding but that did not distract from the fact of the matter. His Goddess was wounded.
Instantly upon seeing Ilias, he bent down on one knee while bowing his head. Aurelia did the same, clearly surprised by Ilias' appearance.
"What would my will be Alex?" Ilias asked again.
There was a harshness in her voice that Alex could not believe. He had never expected her to sound like this but did her injuries make her that mad? Alex understood the anger from taking injuries. However, Illias was fuming to a degree that was unprecedented.
"To stop the monsters, to stop the heresy from spreading." Alex said, "To save the world from the problems the monsters cause."
"And what was it you told me oh so long ago?" Ilias said with a neutral expression.
Alex paused before speaking, having to think back to what he may have said, "If even one person believes monsters don't threaten the world then they will continue to survive, and if they do then they'll destroy us and everything we've worked to create."
"Then why do you reinforce Luka's foolish ideals," Ilias said clearly.
"If I've learned anything about Luka it's that he will never let that dream die," Alex said "He will feel down for a moment but it will always come back. I've learned to constantly tell him about helping humanity and doing the best for us all. So that he never loses sight of why he should be fighting."
"I fear the Monster Lord may corrupt him," Ilias said, "He has a great strength in him, and at times I sincerely doubt his intentions."
"With all due respect Goddess Illias," Aurelia said, "The boy has the same naive innocence he had since Lucifina died, I doubt that will ever change from him."
"If you really want the idea dead then we'd have to kill Luka," Alex said firmly his hand clenching tightly, "And I don't believe I have the strength to do that."
"I'm not asking you to kill him," Ilias said, "I'm telling you to stop reinforcing this false ideal of his. If he truly has not changed from his naive innocence then subtly planting ideas will never work."
Ilias rested her head against her hand, "I will speak to him in his dreams while his adventure begins." She looked up and stared Alex in the eyes, "But if Luka turns against me in the future then it will be your burden to deal with him."
Alex and Aurelia bowed their heads and spoke, "I understand Goddess Ilias."
There was a long pause while Ilias stood up from the chair and walked over to the kneeling two. She placed a hand on each of their chins and gently pulled up. Alex and Aurelia stood up in coordination with Ilias' action.
Alex watched as Ilias attempted to smile before it reverted back to a frown. The gesture was appreciated but still, Alex thought it was unbecoming of a Goddess to look down on her faithful servants with such anger and hate.
"I trust in your ability, Alex and I know you will continue to fight for what is right," Ilias said, "Aurelia has guided you well and I do not see that changing in the future."
Aurelia forcefully placed a fist on her chest while straightening her posture, "It will not change Goddess Ilias."
"Good," Ilias said, "The Monster Lord is likely still on this continent as we speak. This one is formidable but with enough followers, you should be able to kill her before her Heavenly Knights arrive."
Alex nodded his head in full understanding, "We have our mission then, search the Ilias continent for the Monster Lord and kill her when the opportunity arises."
"There are plenty of adventurers and young soldiers here who would love the chance to fight for Ilias," Aurelia said, "We could easily gather them and search the continent in full."
Alex thought for a second before responding, "That could work, they might be searching for a sense of purpose considering they weren't baptized."
"Do what you need to do," Ilias said, "However, before I leave there is a gift I have for you."
Alex flinched, completely taken aback by the idea that Illias would give him a gift after criticizing how he conversed with Luka. He already felt lucky that Ilias did not directly punish him, either physically or otherwise. Let alone receiving something akin to a reward from the same Goddess that was glaring at him spitefully only moments ago.
"Despite your recent actions with Luka, you have been a key factor in maintaining the faithfulness of this village and the travelers that come by. Not only this but it would feel wrong for me to send you off to fight the Monster Lord without the gift given to all heroes," Ilias said.
Ilias hovered her hand over Alex's head and a white glow began to shine around her hand. The light surrounding her hand rapidly expanded downward until it completely covered Alex's vision.
He was blinded by the light. Alex could see nothing but the holy light coming from Ilias' hand. A holistic warmth enveloped his body, it felt like he was being wrapped in blankets upon blankets each more comfortable than the last.
Alex had never felt anything like this sensation. All sense of urgency and fear left his body and was replaced by a sense of belonging. He felt his muscles relax in a way they never had before, all the strain put on his body seemed to wash away like the tides.
After what felt like an eternity the light slowly began to vanish. Alex's mind and body began to crave the light again, wishing that it was enveloping him once more. The euphoric feeling reminded him of an aphrodisiac with how intoxicating it was.
"I bestow the blessing of Heroes on you Alex," Ilias said, "I know you will use its powers to the fullest, and know I will watch you on your travels."
Alex clenched his fist and felt a newfound strength in his body. Each limb felt lighter and a sense of protection and safety flowed over his skin. It was only noticeable when he focused on it but it was there protecting him like a full suit of plate armor and chain mail.
"Thank you, Goddess Ilias," Alex said slowly, still trying to comprehend what the blessing had done to his body, "I will be your sword in this plane and kill the Monster Lord."
A smile flashed on Ilias' face before it quickly reverted to a neutral expression, "I know you will Alex."
In an instant she vanished, leaving behind a single white feather that had likely come off her wing. It was the only tangible thing that could prove Ilias had shown herself in front of Alex and Aurelia.
He picked up the feather and held it in his hand before turning to Aurelia, "I believe we have work to do."
She smiled brightly before grabbing her sword and walking to the door, "I believe we do Alex."
Luka had set out immediately after Ilias never showed up for his baptism. He was heartbroken and he knew the sentiments were shared by everyone else who showed up to become heroes.
He wanted to feel sad about it but Alex knew how to get him back on his feet. Ilias had not abandoned them like others thought. Luka knew that much from the beginning. She would never abandon her people.
Yet despite knowing that Luka could not get over the fact that she was not there. Something in his mind told him that there was a problem, something was wrong. He kept thinking as to what it could be and nothing came to mind. Who was powerful enough to draw Ilias' attention like that?
The only person that came to mind was the Monster Lord but even then, she could not be that powerful. Ilias was a Goddess, she had to be the strongest being in the world, it would not make sense otherwise.
The dirt road ahead was long and some of the tree branches leaned into the road but did not block it. There was a small canopy above him but it was nothing that would obscure the sunlight from the forest as a whole.
Some sections of the forest were fairly dense with trees while others were almost barren. Leaving holes in the canopy for sunlight to fall through and more importantly, for smoke from a fire to escape.
Luka looked at what little sky he could see and saw the sun was setting. Deciding to stop his traveling for the night. He walked over to a section of sparse forest and began to set up a small camp.
He lit a fire and set up a tent while unpacking some of his traveling gear. Before long the fire was roaring and he felt it would be hot enough to cook from. There was not a nearby river for water so Luka had to eat more of his dry provisions rather than something like a stew.
Luka stared at the dry meat he had packed and sighed to himself. This would be a long journey, but it was something he had to push through by himself. Alex had his personal quest and Luka did not trust the other adventurers to not steal his belongings the second they could.
"Unbaptized and alone, you sure are asking for a monster to attack you."
Luka jumped and turned around, dropping his jerky to the ground before reaching for his sword.
It was the snake lady from before. She stared right behind him with her hands crossing her chest and her tail slightly wrapped around a nearby tree.
"What ar- What are you doing here?" Luka stammered.
The monster put a hand up to her chin, "Well I considered sneaking into your village but I would rather not deal with the angel living there. So I decided to wait for you to leave instead."
She slithered up to Luka and grabbed the piece of jerky he had dropped on the ground before taking a bite.
"Needs more salt," She said after swallowing.
Luka could only stare at the monster in disbelief. She did not care about him standing there with a sword in hand. He was not even a meter from her and she was casually eating the food he dropped on the ground.
"You were waiting for me!?" Luka asked quickly before getting into his fighting stance.
She glanced at Luka before taking another bite of the jerky, "I'm curious about you. A little boy from Illiasville who dreams about coexistence. Everything around you points to you hating monsters, yet you don't."
Luka refused to move and continued to glare at her, "What's so wrong with co-existence, what's so wrong with fighting for what's right?"
The monster waved her hand dismissively, "Aside from it being impossible and impractical, I just want to see how you try to make it happen."
Luka paused and his eyebrows raised slightly, "You just want to see me try?"
The monster nodded her head, "I'm exploring the world and you'd be simple entertainment along the way, it's not like I would interfere in your little quest. You could just consider me a simple bystander."
"So you're just going to follow me around the whole time."
"It's not like you could stop me either way," she said.
Luka groaned before speaking, "Can you at least help me with the ingredients for food?"
"That's part of the entertainment and I'd hate to ruin the fun," She extended her hand, "Alipheese Fateburn, but you can call me Alice."