Aias breathed out, then in. Closing and opening his eyes to take in the view around him. The bloodied horrid bodies surrounding him made his heart tighten once again. His eyes subconsciously glanced towards the still bleeding bandit who he himself had taken the life of, he staggered. Aias heart began racing again, killing wasn’t something easy. In the moment, sure, he hadn’t felt any hesitation or fear. And now there weren’t any regret however he was left with a sense of disgust for himself. As if he had been dirtied.

However Aias didn’t want to be weak, not now, not anymore. He once again steeled his heart and soul, he wasn’t about to puke, cry, or faint from this. As he stood there calming himself the old man who had first given him the special pendant came walking towards him. “Boy, I’m glad to see you!” The old man reached out his arm and patted Aias shoulder.

Aias looked into the old man’s eyes again, the first time they met they had been a storm of madness but now no matter how deep Aias looked he could only see serenity and happiness. It reminded him of looking into his teacher's eyes, those large green knowing eyes that he had gotten so used to seeing every day. Now gone, he had to calm his heart again to make sure he didn’t begin crying.

“What are you doing here?” Aias had to say something as his heart wasn’t settling down. “Weren’t you hiding from Orion’s men?” He wasn’t sure what to ask and said something he thought would be a normal question, however the look he got from the onlooking orc told him his question was strange.

The old man also started looking somewhat uncomfortable “Ah, um yeah, ha ha.” He laughed uncomfortably before answering, “You see son, I work for Orion” Aias gave him an odd look back now, he had clearly been trying to keep the pendant from Orion's men the first time they met.

The old man understood the look he gave him and continued, “Well you see, there are enemies after Orion who use his name to try and get those who may know something about master’s whereabouts to spill their secrets. And there are others who will use his name to try and steal things using his impressive, well known name. As I knew they weren’t actual followers of Orion I knew not to give them the pendant.”

Aias began understanding the meaning behind Orion as an organisation and the amount of enemies it had. But he remained with questions, “So why did you give me the pendant?” Aias first and foremost wanted to know. The old man scratched his small scruffy beard and gave a short answer, “Well, you looked trustworthy, I didn’t think you would give it away, and you were a part of that orphanage. If someone tried to attack the orphanage to get to you they wouldn’t make it far.”

Aias could understand his reasoning, there was the headmaster, who could immobilise an entire army using heavenly crystal. Then his teacher who could use large scale formations to hold back the enemy. Also uncle Laue who was another war hero. And then there would also be the many caretakers who all have extensive experience as warriors, mercenaries, or adventurers. Who would want to attack a place like that. Even if they did succeed, the orphanage is sits right between Canastota where lord Meleth resides, and Svordie castle that Georgio guards.

However there was one other question that came up with him giving away the pendant, “Why did you give the pendant away in the first place? Orion wants it right, what if I didn’t want to give it to him, and I stayed in the orphanage so he would have to fight to get it?”

The old man looked deep into Aias eyes, then smiled, “Didn’t I just say that I thought you looked trustworthy, I believed you wouldn’t keep it for yourself if the rightful owner came to claim it. As for why I gave it away and didn’t continue protecting it myself.” He gave a small pause and sighed, “It’s simple, I was tired. I had for the last ten years been on the run, protecting that small pendant from those who would try to take it. My many treasures had been used up in fights against those who wish to harm my master. I needed time to contact him properly while they weren’t searching for me. You gave me that, it took almost four years but now my master has come for me, and the pendant.” He looked to the onlooking orc and gave him a large smile.

“W-Wait, that’s Orion?” Aias questioned in disbelief. The old man looked to Aias and affirmed that he was serious, then fell over laughing. The orc got a sour look on his face and turned away. After a moment of intense laughter, that Aias believed may have been the first the old man had had in over fourteen years, he finally stood up again and wiped away the tears left from laughing.

“Ah, that was quite something. No he is Braum, he was sent here by Orion to fetch me. Oh I don’t believe I have introduced myself, I am Lyopold Borderick, but you may call me Leo!” He then bowed deep to the point his head was at knee level.

Aias was surprised at how agile the old man was for his age, however he quickly snapped out of his surprise to introduce himself, “My name is Aias Geno, you may call me as you’d please!” As he couldn’t bow deeply like Leo he instead placed a hand above his heart and nodded once with his head. This was a sign he had heard nobles used towards those they placed as equals. Aias had a hard time seeing himself as an equal to Leo or Braum however didn’t know any other appropriate gesture he could use with his current body.

Leo smiled at the gesture, he then began to study Aias intently. After a short minute he resumed speaking, “I sense part of a very powerful formation placed on you, was that your teachers defence towards the bandits?” Leo asked rhetorically. “Let us go to the full formation, let me take a look at it.”

As they walked towards the original cart Aias had laid in he spotted a familiar face, Leif’s body, smashed underneath a crushed shield. Aias emotions had gotten numb from before and he couldn’t feel to sad, he had enjoyed that old man’s banter but he couldn’t mourn him. He was a bandit.

Leo got to the cart first as Aias was still limping forward to walk. As he placed his hand on the cart he quickly withdrew it again. “To think he had this kind of ability.” Leo gasped. It peaked Aias interest, he most likely understood something, “Do you know what it does?” Aias asked with high expectations.

Leo looked to Aias with large eyes in an almost crazy stare, “Your teacher created a soul connection to you with this formation!” But Aias had no idea what that was. Braum however seemed to as he screamed from behind Aias, “WHAT?! How can someone who can create soul connections exist out here?” Immediately Leo responded by describing what he knew of O’jghar to Braum. Aias obviously listened in, he learned of even more battles that his teacher had been through with uncle Laue.

Finally when the story of O’jghar was complete could Aias ask what a soul connection is and why it’s so important. The two men didn’t look surprised that he didn’t know and so Leo began explaining, “A soul connection is quite literally a connection with the soul, this lets the formation or whatever it is connected to use a person's soul as energy to power up. I don’t think you know this but the soul is literally the most powerful source of energy in any, and I mean ANY body. I don’t entirely know what this formation does however with the amount of energy it has supplying it, who knows, maybe it could make you into a god, even if for just a second!” Leo put a lot of emphasis on the power of the formation and of what the soul could do.

Leo then paused and looked at the formation again before speaking, “There are many risks in soul formations, I don’t know if this formation is fully functioning. If it isn’t properly made we don’t know what could happen once i sever you from it, or if I deactivate it in the wrong way. We will have to bring you along to Orion, there Shaisha will take care of this, she is far better with formations than almost any other.” Leo gave Aias a reassuring smile to make the possible danger seem less likely to happen.

……..

After a while of looking around Braum and Leo had gotten a few things together that seemed of worth, and so they were off. They continued traveling on the same cart Aias had been on the whole trip. This time he had two new interesting companions, after less than an hour of traveling Braum began to speak up to join Aias and Leo’s conversations.

Through the trip the two men seemed to have a contest over who could tell the most extravagant story, to Aias the epic adventures they told was everything he had ever dreamed of doing himself. Sadly they were all poorly told, the men were clearly no bards.

In the end the most intriguing story was from Braum: “This was almost forty years ago, back when I was a young lad. I had just gotten a new axe from my father, so I went to test it out in a cave by our village. I cut through probably sixty or so wolves that resided through the long cave system.

But then the strangest thing happened, I had just been pounced on by one of the larger wolves. My back was pushed to the wall of the cave but instead of stopping there, the wall crumbled. I fell through the broken wall into a wide deep chasm. At the time I believed I would die, but then when I hit the ground there was a far too soft feeling. After lighting a torch I discovered I had landed on probably a hundred mushrooms growing on top of eachother. I was truly lucky, if I had landed only about a meter or so to my right my head would be cracked like an egg.

Then as I walked further into the depth of the abyss I was in, there was a large structure. Living in a village I had never seen such structures before. Large fine marble decorated with gold everywhere, I could sense the enchantments running through the place. I was terrified of what going into the structure would do, however I didn’t know any way out of the chasm other than climbing, and I didn’t even know where the hole I had fell from was.

I opened the door and immediately traps began springing. First fireballs hurtling towards my face, then ice, lightning, metal, and all kinds of weird energies I had never felt before. I had to use all my strength just to take a single step through that hell. Finally after about a hundred steps of constant fighting I fell through another door. This time I was in an open room with a single jar in the middle. I was left speechless, the energy I felt from that jar was unlike any I believed possible. It was clearly demonic, however greater than any demon I had ever felt before, or even any I could have imagined.

I walked to the small altar it had been placed on to feel the energy closer. And I tell you what, I have never been as afraid as I was that day! When I felt the energy up close I also noticed that there was nothing holding it inside the jar, it simply decided to remain in the jar of its own accord. I was about to leave when whatever was in the jar spoke up. It asked me if I was planning to leave empty handed. I had never been so confused before, the very thought that there could be something to gain from that place didn’t cross my mind after seeing the jar.

I turned back around to look at the jar, it looked the same as before, I sensed its energy again, it was as terrifying as before. I knew this could be an opportunity so I risked it and walked back to the altar and asked what it meant.

It explained to me that it needed a body, not my own body but a diamond body from one of the Crystalline race. If I or any other could bring it such a body then it would give them a treasure worth more than any country could provide. I didn’t know what the Crystalline race was at the time but was in no position to raise my voice. Just the pressure from standing by the altar and gazing upon the jar was enough to paralyze me in fear. I agreed to find what it wanted. The moment I had made the agreement I began feeling dazed, quickly my body began to give way to a powerful slumber. When I finally woke up again I was in the outskirts of my village. To this day I still haven’t found a Crystalline body, not to mention one of diamond.”

Aias had wanted to ask about several points of the story but had been cut of by Leo beginning to tell one of his own tails. And at the end of that story he had already forgotten what he was planning to ask Braum.

After they had traveled for another two days did they come upon a large mountain. According to Braum the castle was hidden at the top of the mountain. Aias expected that they would need to climb to the high peak however then Braum pulled out a small brass bell. Though he looked to be ringing the bell there was no sound, Aias expected it to be magic and waited.

After about ten minutes of waiting a bird came flying down from the peak. The bird appeared normal when far away however as it got closer its size became more apparent. It was a raven, it began landing in front of the cart, the horses carrying it became scared and was about to escape, so Braum cut them loose. The wind of the raven’s wings caused the tree’s to shake and the dust on the ground to fly away.

It landed in front of the cart, Aias eyes widened. It stood so tall, looking down on them. It was easily the size of a large house, and it’s wingspan four times that. It reached its large beak down to Braum, who pet it. “Aias, this is Noz she is lord Orion’s personal pet. Would you like to pet her?” Braum smiled and asked.

Aias reached his hand forward and placed his palm on the large beak, easily the size of himself. The large beast’s eyes looked deep into his own. They stayed like that for a minute then the raven lifted its wings, grasped the cart in one claw and began flying up to the peak.

The ride was quick to the top, the raven’s speed was above any animal he had ever seen before. However once over the clouds and above the mountain there was nothing at the top, only the tip of a mountain. The raven slowly descended down towards the small plateau that made up the mountain's top, and as Aias got closer and closer he felt something was strange. Finally he began feeling it, there was a barrier placed around the mountain's top, and they were about to hit it. Aias braced himself for impact but when he opened his eyes what he saw in front of himself was a gigantic castle. It’s size was similar to the inner castle of Svordie. However this was far grander, walls that looked to be made out of marble, however were far too clean in color to be so. Gold that outlined any crevice between walls or corners. Large statues that looked as grand as the statutes described to be in holy places.

Aias felt as if he was going to faint from the glamorous, glorious, palace he had suddenly walked into, however he held on. He wanted to see everything that was there to be seen.