It would be easier to count the number of people alive than dead. The biggest explosion in the center of the city, which usually is the trading center. But the explosion was just too big. The crater in the center seared away at least twenty meters of soil. Only the corners of the city survived, which are usually slums. There are many people buried under the broken buildings. There are a small number of citizens who are just walking around the city in total silence.

Doing what people usually do in this situation.

A hand is sticking out from under the rubble of a shop that looked to be quite expensive, based on the quality of the crumbled walls and the few items laying around. The hand is covered with gold rings and thick bracelets. A girl in her teens is trying to get them off but fails, as dead bodies are quite rigid, and unclenching a hand takes more strength than one would expect. As if tired of it, the girl takes a broken sword laying near another body off the ground and starts hacking the hand off, with more strength than her thin and malnourished body should have.

After a series of wild and random hacks she sees me in her peripheral vision. She stops and stares into my eyes, after a fraction of a second of hesitation she speeds up. The hand separates from the body with a wet, crunching sound. She picks up the hand and runs away with the hand clutched to her chest.

[Is there anything you want to say? No?]

Eslan, the party's leader, and his team finally catches up to me, while his teammates walk slowly in silent, petrified horror at the state of the city. Many heard about the destruction of cities and horrors of war but when you see it for the first time with you own eyes all the stories look ridiculous in comparison to the reality, a watered down fairy tale. A lot of pretty words could be said, but they're useless wastes of energy. Lip service, nothing more.

"We need to gather as much food as we can." I say as I turn to the party. "The scavengers will collect everything of value too soon. The city is dead, we need to continue travelling."

[This is the point where someone righteous would have started arguing about what is right and what is wrong, or that we should help people. But their own life is always more important.]

Most of the party nods in response.

"How can you say so?! We need to help those people!" Olana exclaims.

[Oh, here we go.]

Some ignore her, some look at her in confusion, few even look away evading direct eye contact. By the command of the party leader they go around preparing or gathering anything useful. The elf and ogre take their friend's body off the horse, and walk away in silence, most likely to bury their friend somewhere. The whole city is a graveyard, but even so, people will always try to bury the ones they care about somewhere nice. Is it for the dead's spirit? Or for themselves? Hard to answer.

Olana looks at the party going on with their tasks in disgust, after which she turns to me with a shocked look and with the usual expression as if she is expecting something of me. As soon as everyone is outside of hearing distance she growls, "Aren't you going to help the people in the city? There are people who need out help. What kind of Blood Brother are you?"

"Do not place your ideals on others, child."

Olana scowls at me and continues to stare in silence. Is this part of her character, or does she believe that staring at people will make them change their opinion? A child in an adults body huh. Sometimes kids must be taught a lesson.

"You know what? You're right. We should help everyone. There are thousands of people buried who may still be alive. We should dig them all out and bury the dead."

Her scowl morphs into a suspicious and uncertain look.

"There will also be plenty of people who need food, clothes, and security. So we should start hunting and helping people. But there's too much to do, so we need to start immediately. We might need to delay our travel but it won't be a problem."

With an expression of realisation she looks blankly in my direction.

"It may take weeks or even months, but that's okay, we never were in a hurry. But we must do even more, lets donate all our savings and help every single person in this city. No, that's not enough, we must help everyone and rebuild the city."

She breaks eye contact.

"What's wrong? Why are you just standing there? Shouldn't we help them? They need our help, look around they're all begging for it. Start digging, hunting, and help them."

"Stop."

"What are you standing around for? Lets go, lets help everyone. They need our help."

"Stop, I got it."

"NO, YOU DIDN'T FUCKING GET IT! LOOK AT ME! You NEVER wanted to help them, you only wanted to satisfy you fucking ego, 'Oh, I saved the people, I helped them, look how good I am.' That is not help."

She tries to shrink down, making her look small, like a child being punished.

"Your life is your own and you can do with it whatever you like, but..."

I stop, this is too much.

[Was that speech addressed to her, or yourself?]

...

Many people from the outside of the city started coming inside, trying to loot whatever was left of the city, but we were already traveling away from the city. The first night after a disaster is unforgettable, the shock fades and the cold realisation sets in, like a drug wearing off. That feeling of sudden clarity is hard to describe, but many have felt it before. Since no one would be able to rest, so we decided to travel as far as we could from the city, and make camp.

Thankfully, the days got longer and even during the evening hours there was enough sunlight to see the path. We actually found a road, as we travelled dried vegetation started appearing around the road, telling us that we were walking in the right direction.

There was less than an hour of sunlight left when we finally stopped and made camp. As the terrain was no longer just sand and rock, the Earth held the warmth from the day and it wasn't as cold as the last few nights. No one wanted to talk, as the subject would return to the events in the city, and therefore the evening was spent in silence, which helped a lot, as there were many predators around. Hunger and desperation can drive animals to attack groups, even as big as ours.

All big cities have a special barrier that keep the animals and monsters away. It's usually located in the center of the city, not because it was placed there, but rather that the city grows around its circular dome of protection. And as soon as it falls, all the predators will rush into the city, as if hypnotized. Samolesh will have a bad night, the barrier is down and whatever guards were left alive wouldn't be able to protect the city, if they even would. And the smell of blood will make things worse.

Samolesh is no more. There are cities around, but they're in the opposite direction of where we are going. Therefore we decided to travel directly to Mozzarel.

Rest is for the dead.

...

The terrain changed to mountainous region, with higher hills, and much bigger slopes. Finally, trees appeared, not the big and pretty ones, but seeing even these bald things is quite a relief. The Dead Desert is called "Dead" for a reason, and seeing life had quite an uplifting effect on our morale.

There were a few attacks from local bandits and predators, but their choices and decisions were quickly proven wrong. Thankfully, they had a bit of food and water, dead don't need them, so we took it upon ourselves to carry that "heavy" burden. At some point, Eslan started asking my opinion on his decisions and plans. I'm not sure what contributed to that, the suddenly quiet behaviour of Olana or my actions during the attacks. Another sword broke during the fight, and as always I had to use whatever I had left, my hands. A sword is clean and fast, with bare hands you get more gore and blood. My body has regained a bit of strength, not as much as it had before, but still much better than my dried-out state in the north. I took a new sword from a dead bandit, but it wouldn't survive for long.

Still, maybe the ogre and elf told Eslan something, but judging by their behaviour it's not likely. They didn't get better after having an "official" funeral for their friend. They themselves look half dead.

Scars don't disappear, they just hurt less with time.

And when enough scars pile up upon your body, you change. Some would say in a good way, some wouldn't.

...

The party stands in horror and awe looking at one of the well-known places of the continent, but with the continent in this state it doesn’t hold much value.

Two skeletons, charred black were stuck in a block of ice, each holding onto a giant sword that was plunged into each other. According to the legends, both belonged to the same race and the same clan, but fought for different sides. A reminder of how pitiful we are in comparison to the Ancients of the Divine Era. It could just be a harsh reminder of the past if the skeletons weren’t about three hundred meters in height. The block of ice has been here for about a thousand years, standing still, affecting the weather of the whole region. Thankfully, this place is surrounded by mountains and the influence of the ancient spell is contained.

It’s a reminder of who fought in the Divine World War, and what kind of spells creatures of the Divine Era used. We’re nothing but ants, and if a continental war broke out, would we be able to stand together like the Ancients did against the horrors from the other continents?

Seeing it for the first time changes people, you suddenly don’t seem as important, as mighty, or as powerful as before.

But we must continue walking.

…

Mozzarel is big, not just a “big city”, but actually BIG. The city was one of the few cities created by the ancients, and represents the scale of construction the Ancients could create. By legends it should have a massive two kilometer tall citadel, which consisted of three-thousand castles, with four tall towers and a central gold castle for the Emperor.

But the Ancient War and time changed a lot, only two towers are still standing, with one barely holding together. The whole city is quite asymmetrical, which by legends was caused by a huge gravitational spell. People have been trying to rebuild the city for a long time, but the methods of constructing structures so solid and tall gave been lost to time. Even now, many buildings are falling apart, and the only thing people can do is hide the damage done to the structure with simple decorations and fluff, nothing more.

But even in this damaged state the citadel parts the sky, with its tips invisible over the clouds. The size humongous not only by height but also by scale, and with its radius of twenty-five kilometers it looks like a city of the gods. Still, this mega city is only able to exist because of the infrastructure that was left behind by the Ancients, a huge water and canalisation system, constant streams of goods and products from all directions, and underground gardens. If even one of the chains is broken, the city will fall, and people are trying their best to ensure that doesn’t happen.

As we get closer to the city, the two-hundred meter tall wall makes sure that no one forgets their insignificance before it. There wall weren’t built, but created. There are no bricks, the earth was moved and compressed after which it was enchanted, or at least I think so, other alternatives are just too unrealistic. Sadly, the most “unrealistic” case is usually the truth.

We’re about half a kilometer from the city wall and main gates, but even from here you can see the huge number of people and caravans gathered before the gate. There was a time long ago when people could simply walk into each of the cities on the continent, with no need to have documents with them, or having to go through security checks. It was a kind of a badge of pride that the security was on such a level that people could feel safe whenever they go.

But times change.

My thoughts are interrupted by a sudden flash of light coming from behind. Turning around I find Olana casting a strange channeling spell into the air that travels over the walls, the spell morphs into several geometric figures while shining in all colours of the rainbow. I bring my horse to a stop, while I look at her. That was a signal, but for what? Is this a trap? No, she’s still near us, she’s not the type to risk her life to…

[Didn’t she nearly die trying to find you? Is that not risking her life?]

She looks at me in total confusion, as if the thing she did was the most natural thing in the world. Within a few seconds a similar spell appears from within the city, and a few seconds after that I can see at least fifty wind Wizards coming in our direction.

“What did you do?” Eslan said with a pale face while his hand reached for the sword on his hip.

Confusion and fear colours the faces of the party.

“Said that I arrived.” She replies, totally innocent as if that’s the most logical thing to do. If this is a trap, even if I try to do something now, I won’t be able to outrun them, and hiding in the city isn’t possible, it’s still too far, so my only option is to wait.

[Wait for what?]

As soon as the Wizards arrive and hover in the air, I curse my luck. Every single one of them has an enchanted crossbow, and they surrounded us on a distance at which I will be dead a second after I move. Without missing a single second a person with extremely rare enchantments on his green clothes and long black hair steps forward and lands in front of Olana.

“Welcome back Princess. We have been anxious over your sudden departure.” He says with a slight bow. Looking through everyone inside the circle he continues, “I fail to see your personal bodyguards, your highness.” She looks away in silence.

Princess,.. God damn it.

[Oh. It’s starting to make sense now. Doesn’t it?]

Suspicion flashes through his face for a fraction of a second. “You will meet your parents immediately. Your friends will be taken care of.” He quickly states.

“Yes Captain!” The wind Wizards instantly replied, preparing to take action.

The next instant Eslan steps forward and takes out a scroll with a red insignia on it. “Heir of the Tusan royal family requests…um, begs for an audience with His Royal Highness King Yenovaus.” He announces with a loud, strained voice. Looking at the party leader, the Captain replied with a smile, “Of course.”

He turned and made a strange swirling gesture with two fingers. As if on cue, a strong wind started howling around us, and we were slowly lifted and taken all together with the horses in the direction of the city. The four-legged warm-blooded creatures greatly disliked the method of travel, but their whinnies were ignored, they’re not the only ones dissatisfied with the current state of things. It felt as if we were prisoners being taken to the executioner.

As we were flying with great speed towards the center of the city, everything under us moves quite fast. Houses and buildings, markets and fields, and a lot of people. But still, the citadel in the distance didn’t look as if it was getting any closer. With each minute the number of people and the size of buildings grew in magnitude, it only took several minutes before we were so deep into the city that the walls lost their grandeur, just a thick line on the horizon.

After a few more minutes we crossed a second wall with the same height as the original, and landed near a fort behind it. It was obviously a military complex with a large number of soldiers and horses training and learning military maneuvers. The moment our horse’s feet touch the ground many of them try to throw their riders, after several unsuccessful attempts the creatures still didn’t want to calm down, after which we decided to get off of them as quickly as possible.

As we walk away from the horses, the Captain’s voice reminded us that we have far more pressing problems.

“From here on I would kindly ask you to leave your horses, belongings, and weapons with my subordinates.”

In the center of a military fort it doesn’t really feel like a request at all.

We’re thoroughly checked and searched, the unlucky guy whose task it was to search through my belongings made a disgusted face throughout the whole process. He even refused to look through my satchel and just held it between his thumb and index finger like a piece of trash. In the end all of the collected stuff was gathered and put onto a separate cart.

We started walking through the fort as more and more guards appeared and joined our procession. As we traveled through the fort we finally came to some kind of fortified mansion. A new person in grey robes listened to Eslan, and with a smile invited everyone to follow him.

"He's with me." Olana interjected when the guards wanted to "escort" me together with the party leaving the room.

"He will be washed and dressed first, then he will rejoin you later." The Captain said while looking at me with suspicion.

"No. He will come with me to father." As their gazes drilled into each other, just like how she looked at me during the trip, looks like it's a local "thing".

If she's a princess, her father is most likely, the king. Which is a really bad thing for me, meeting with a ruler is never a good experience. And I'm not sure how I can evade it. Does my opinion even matter right now? The best thing would be to run, but the guards here are professionals, standing at the perfect distance to retaliate to whatever can come from me.

[Isn't this what you wanted? Competency. Pity that the real professionals are always against you.]

"He will not enter the throne room with his...appearance."

I still look like a hobo, some rags in place of clothing, long unkempt hair, bristle that should've been shaved a long time ago. There's no point in painting a house that'll be demolished.

"I believe this is the place where we part.... Princess."

Turning to me with a fierce glare she growls "You promised me. And you will fulfill that promise." Turning back to the Captain she declares in a cold and commanding voice "He will come with me." After a few seconds of staring which she usually used on me, the Captain bends. "As you wish, Princess."

Shit.

We move through many corridors, with each door we pass more and more guards appear, as the corridors become wider and higher each time. Many of them tried to hide it, but the confusion on their faces about the presence of the walking rag was hard to hide. It's not everyday that you see a hobo walk to the throne room.

We finally reached a set if doors which were at least seventy meters high and fifteen wide. Like everything else in this place, structures tend to be colossal, the thematic goal of this place is obvious.

After about a dozen seconds of waiting, the doors open and a person announces "Her Royal Highness Princess Olana Se Madoro and her companion."

As we enter, the only thing that comes to mind is "Colossal". The room is at least a kilometer wide, and four hundred meters high, with hundreds of columns around ten meters in diameter reaching the ceiling.

Colossal.

We start walking forward when I feel a sudden change in the air, something I've felt many times.

Anti-magical area.

They appear in different forms, sometimes it's a magical orb with a limited range of application, sometimes an enchanted room. In most cases the anti-magical area were used as a meeting place for ambassadors or important people.

Anti-magical areas don't suck out the ambient mana or a person's internal mana, but rather constantly emit random amounts of different mana around. This causes an area of chaotic movement of mana, in which casting a spell is near impossible. People describe it as "trying to stand on water." This is one of the ancient technologies which people still try to replicate, but fail in all possible cases, and the existing ones are the ones that survived from the Ancient Era. But the presence of one in a throne room..... This is extremely rare.

If everyone is affected by it how can they defend themselves? The answer is found quickly, all the Enforcers and Mages are standing a specific distance from the main path to the throne behind the columns. Area of effect? No. I notice that the floor I'm standing on has a slightly different tone. They tried their best to hide it, to keep it in the same style, colour, and tone, but it's hard to replicate the effect of time.

Enchanted floor? Well, this is something new...

As we continue to walk I finally look at the throne that's elevated at least fifty meters from the ground, with a long staircase leading to it. And if someone wants to look at the person on the throne he will have to bend his neck to see them.

[Looking up at the gods? Or looking down at the ants?]

Both.

There are several people standing on each side of the throne. We come to a stop at a specific distance from the throne, right in the center of the room, most likely the area of maximum effect. One wrong move and hundreds of enchanted arrows and spells will pierce us in a fraction of a second.

Not us. Me.

I think in this moment we should bow, hitting our temples on the marble floor to show "respect".

"Father I found-"

Before Olana could finish, a quick series of footsteps came from the right as a woman, in a beautiful long green dress with encrusted gems, came and clutched Olana in a hug. About a meter away from the woman stood several extremely dangerous guards in green platemail, the metal was unknown to me, and the number of enchantments on each of them was staggering. Just one piece of their equipment would be enough to support a mid-sized city for a year. A few seconds of silence are followed by wet and muffled sobs echoing throughout the room.

"I'm sorry mom, but I had to.." whispers Olana.

After about a dozen seconds of sobbing Olana continues "Mom, now we can find him. I-"

All the guards are looking at the pair, except one, who I finally notice. His concentrated gaze and furrowed brows visible through the open-faced helmet remind me of someone, but I just can place them. Red hair isn't that rare, but...

His image ripples as I feel something titanically heavy, burning hot and at the same time freezing cold crash into my left shoulder and stop when it reaches the bottom of my left lung. His image ripples again, and for a fraction of a second I saw a person with a great sword burrowed deep into my torso, which after another ripple instantly returned to the same image of a guard standing, but with an impassive stone face. Before I can register or understand what happened, I see an image of hundreds of enchanted arrows being fired in my direction and the sound of something crashing into the area around me. Meter long arrows are all around me, most of them embedded into the stone floor, some went through me before that. My body is shredded and I feel as if I entered the world of pain.

Darkness clouded my eyesight, and some kind of buzzing in my ears is all I can sense except pain. I send internal mana around my body to evaluate the state I'm in. The damage is big, just too damn big. There is nearly no organ left undamaged. I'm not even sure how the arrows missed my head, or my heart and didn't kill me instantly.

[Enough whining. Start moving. Don't you dare die right now. Don't even dream of resting yet!]

I can't die now, not yet, not like this. I send all the mana available not to heal, but rather to make my body move as fast as I can. I'm still in battle. Shit always happens in the worst possible situation, why wouldn't it happen when I'm surrounded by the most skilled enemies possible.

With force I open my eyes, but the image is still blurred, ears are no better, shouts and screams tell me that the situation is still critical. I'm not even sure how I can still hear and see. As my hearing slowly restores I hear a familiar voice.

"NO!!!" Olana screams behind the guards with raised shields with her mother next to her.

"He's already dead, step aside Princess." Replies a new, rather deep voice.

"No! He's a Blood Brother, I brought him to-" shouted Olana.

I somehow turn my neck, with the perforations from the arrows, towards the direction of the new voice and see a three meter tall giant with grey skin wearing blueish platemail with a helmet with horns in his hand.

"It doesn't matter, he-" the new voice stops as soon as he sees me looking in his direction. Horror instantly visible on his face as he unsheathes his giant sword and points it at me. Several guards reload their crossbows and point them at me too.

After a few attempts of getting up, I realise that I'm nailed to the floor. I need to take action but my muscles won't move. Just mana isn't enough, I need oxygen, and with a destroyed lung it's quite a hard task. WHAT THE FUCK did my left lung do to deserve being constantly crushed? To gather air I need time, and that is something I am always low on. I hear fast footsteps as more guards arrive, their metal boots clanging against the marble floor.

Shit.

"Wow, a zombie." One of the youths in a full grey hakama standing near the next batch of guards says. What the fuck is a young Qing sword student doing here? I thought-

[Forget it! Survive first.]

I return to healing and thinking about the possible ways to get out of the current situation. A person in a blue kimono with a white flowers painted on it walks slowly to the front of the group and bows in the direction of the throne while holding his right hand to his heart.

"Sensei, is it true that if you rip out a zombies heart, it will continue to move?" the first youths says while looking at his teacher.

The person in the blue kimono narrows his gaze for a few seconds and then his eyes shoot open. He puts his left palm over his right fist and slightly bows in my direction. In the same instant all of his students fall silent.

"It has been quite a while my friend." says the man "I never expected to meet you here."

"Wh-" starts the giant, but is interrupted by another voice.

"Do you know this thing Narotetsu?" the cold and commanding voice coming from the direction of the throne in full volume.

"Yes, Your Highness. He's... an old friend." replied the man. After a few seconds of silence the king continued.

"And why did your friend attack my wife's guard? And even more, in my throne room." The man looks at something on the floor in front of me. When I turn my neck and look in the same direction I find the rippling guard laying in a pool of his own blood, with his skull cracked open like an egg. He continues to look at the body with narrowed eyes for a few seconds.

"Nakai."

"Yes, Sensei!"

"Bring me the guard's arm-guard."

"Yes, Sensei!"

One of the youths walks to the body, stealing glances at me as he walks. After a few unsuccessful tries the youth finally takes off the arm-guard, but as soon as he does several stones fall out of it. The youth picks them up and brings them to the man. The giant's eyes open wide as soon as he sees the stones. The man takes the arm-guard in his right hand and looks at it for several seconds, while he plays with the stones in hes left hand in total silence.

"I am waiting Narotetsu." says the voice with apparent dissatisfaction.

"This, your highness, is quite a rare illusionist tool, a rather sophisticated one to boot."

"What does it being an illusionist tool have to do with it?" a voice from the left side of the throne, someone in a red coat interjects. "And you didn't answer His Highness's question."

"As I wanted to say, before you interrupted me counselor, this tool is really rare, I would even go as far to say that there are only a few on the continent. And only a few people know how to use it. And judging by the quality of the item and the skill required to use it, the only person who could, would be the personal attendant of Her Royal Highness, a Lanas." finished the man in a kimono while looking at the counselor.

"We have a peace treaty with the Sarshi Caliphate. And I see no reason that we can't hire someone from the Lanas family. But you still haven't answered the question, swordsman, and our patience is running low." growled the man in the red coat.

"Well you see, my friend has quite a history with Lanas family. To be frank, that's an understatement. They have such a deep.... discontent with each other, to such a level that they nearly erased each other from the face of the Earth. And I assume, that was Keroni Lanas, the youngest of this generation. And by the sword still plunged into my friend's chest, I assume the young Lanas tried to get revenge using one of his illusions in the middle of the throne room. He tried, but as you see, he failed."

After a few seconds of silence the counselor continued. "Does your friend have a name, or should we just refer to him as 'your friend'."

"I'm not sure if it would be right of me to say it here, but we can continue the discussion in private after you help him. It doesn't look like he has much left."

"Speak." the voice from the throne growled angrily.

"As you wish, Your Highness. He has several, and not the best ones. But I believe the one he is mostly known as is 'Inquisitor'."

An utter silence fell upon the throne room. One of the guards with a crossbow directly in front of me started to shake visibly, and after a fraction of a second the crossbow in his hand fired, but my hand had already moved by instinct, and with my palm I swatted the arrow away like a fly. It crashed into one of the columns behind me with a loud clang.

Now I remember, he was one of the Blade Masters that took part in the Qing purge, the talkative one with the blue mask.