The night air hung heavy and still as over fifty elite knights were ready in waiting on their horseback with a well-adorned White Family carriage.
In the carriage, one man and one child sat facing each other on the cushioned couches as the white, translucent curtains fluttered slightly by the cool summer breeze.
Although the atmosphere was tranquil and calm, there was an underlined, invisible tension in the carriage that was either awkward or uncanny.
Alier gestured to the coachman to begin the journey by tapping on the carriage's side. The coachman nodded to himself as he jolted the reigns of the horses.
With the neighing of the two horses leading up front, the carriage began moving and the fifty knights followed behind solemnly on their horses, creating an impressive convoy that could make anyone palpate with trepidation.
"So where is the Ancestral Shrine?" Ethan asked in curiosity.
"Beyond the walls, a few miles of distance away from the city into the woods," Alier answered amiably with a smile.
Ethan nodded in understanding as he glanced outside the window. The city lights were passing by quickly creating a trail of colorful flares of lights as the carriage traveled at a fast pace unhindered by the bustle, as there was no bustle today.
Since many important guests were lodging in the city, a curfew was enforced to prohibit the citizens from wandering about in the city at night. And so the roads were empty for the most part. Only the Men of The City Watch could be seen here and there on the streets keeping guard.
Seeing Ethan gazing out the window with a satisfied face, a complicated emotion flickered in Alier's eyes. He did not want to disturb Ethan out of guilt and so a moment of silence ensued.
The carriage soon reached the city walls, the gate was opened and the carriage kept going on its path to the Ancestral Shrine.
More time passed in such serene silence. The scenery began changing from a plain landscape to green vegetation on the sides. The mysterious hazy mist could also be seen all around in less density. Ethan could feel the change in the unfamiliar terrain prickle his skin as the road became harsher.
As Ethan and Alier were making their way to the ancestral shrine, they could hear a chorus of crickets and the occasional rustle of small animals in the darkness.
The night was still and silent, the moonlight casting a soft glow on the forest around them. The carriage jostled and bumped along the road, and Ethan felt a sense of anticipation building inside him. They had been journeying for some time, and the destination was still a mystery to Ethan.
Though the darkness of the night cloaked their journey, the stars shone brightly above, guiding them onward to their destination.
"What's the secret behind this mist?" Ethan inquired in an amazed tone. He had always been curious about the mysterious fog that always seemed to blanket the city.
Alier's eyes shone proudly as he too gazed outside, looking at the fog. He momentarily forgot the enmity between himself and Ethan and fell into a reverie of thoughts.
"It's a barrier that has been around for generations and ever since the White Family exists," Alier muttered in his reverie as his eyes flashed with dignity. He reminisced about a particular tale that always made his blood stir with pride.
"How does this barrier work?" Ethan asked raising his eyebrows.
"That, only your Father and Grandfather know about. However, they only know how to use the barrier. No one knows how the barrier is fueled." Alier said, turning his head as he looked at Ethan.
"So mysterious!" Ethan exclaimed subconsciously.
"Hehe, Although no one knows the truth, there are myths and legends. Do you wish to know?" Alier spoke, flashing an enigmatic smile as he looked at Ethan.
"Sure!" Ethan exclaimed excitedly.
"Haha, when I was a child, your Grandmother used to tell me this tale. Even now it makes my chest swell up with pride." Alier said with a peal of hearty laughter, his eyes becoming murky for a second as he reminisced on the past.
"Oo! Don't keep me in such suspense! Tell me!" Ethan said childishly with a pouting look.
Alier looked at Ethan's childish behavior, his guard subconsciously subsiding down a notch.
"They say that the first patriarch of our White Family, The White Mystic, was as mighty as the sealed Gods. So much so that when a group of dragons had gone berserk unleashing calamities on the world, he along with other heroes defeated the berserk dragons one by one thusly saving the world." Said Alier with a proud smile on his face.
"That's remarkable! But how does that correlate to the barrier?" Ethan asked with awe.
Alier nodded with satisfaction as he saw Ethan's expression which was full of awe and admiration typical of a child admiring the tales of heroes and dragons.
Alier was not someone who spent much time with Ethan usually and so did not realize that his behavior was very unusual to his personality.
pαпdα Йᴏνê1,сòМ "It is said that The White Mystic had captured one of the strayed berserk dragons who had caused a great distraction in the region and sealed it underground where now the Adenberd City stands."
"Waah, But is it true?" Ethan exclaimed with doubt.
"It's just a myth… they say that the misty fog that acts as the city's natural barrier is actually the cooled-off breath of the dragon who is sealed deep below the ground in hibernation. The said dragon was one of the most powerful in the Draconic Tribes. The myth says that the patriarch fought the dragon for two weeks day and night without rest. But in the end, he prevailed due to his superior comprehension and skills in martial arts."
Alier recalled enthusiastically but then suddenly the image of those two cold, frosty eyes staring inside his soul popped into his mind. Alier shivered momentarily as he was still suffering from the effects of the backlash from a consciousness soul assault that he hadn't yet completely recovered from.
Remembering the terrible experience, Alier discreetly observed Ethan with a doubtful, scrutinizing gaze.
However, he only saw Ethan's mouth open wide with amazement making a crescent shape as if he was thoroughly and completely perplexed. He truly looked nothing but a normal seven years old child.
At this moment, the carriage took a turn entering the forest on a well-maintained, dimly lit forest trail. The surroundings were beautiful as torches were mounted on the sides of the trail on fancy poles making the path illuminated by a mellow orangish-yellow hue mixed in with the silvery blue luminous glow of the moon.
"It's beautiful," Ethan muttered unknowingly as he saw the scene before him.
In reality, the scene before him wasn't very groundbreaking or unimaginable. It was simple and yet gave off an air of awe and sublimity.
"The Shrine is a bit up ahead. This is the Shrine dedicated to all those who have come before us. It is a sacred monument for us Whites'. You must be mindful when we reach there." Alier instructed in a silent tone. A hint of guilt unintentionally slipped into his voice.
"I understand, uncle."
Ethan turned his head away from Alier pretending not to have noticed. With a perplexed expression, he once again went over the mental image of Alier's personality that he had in mind.
Ethan could see that there were a lot of unanswered inconsistencies in Alier's character that did not match his values and behavior.
On the surface, Alier seemed like a calm and composed person. However, from what Ethan had observed, Alier was more of a mental patient. He was extremely chaotic and psychotic. He would one moment be a kind and caring uncle, an aristocrat with his own moral values, while at another moment he would suddenly become a ruthless venomous viper, a murderous fiend with concealed bloodlust.
Ethan could see that Alier was not a bad person to his core, he obviously felt guilt and shame but then he was also hell-bent on seeing him dead.
Ethan could not figure out what the reason for such oddity was and how it came to be. He wore a solemn expression and thought inwardly, 'Soon, I will have my answers, soon!'
As Ethan could instinctively feel the shrine getting closer and closer, the prelude of the reckoning too was nigh.
In the dead of night, the carriage traveled through the forest under the glowing moon and the starry skies. Surrounded by green, lush, and tall trees as well as the sounds of the wild animals, rustling of leaves, rolling of the carriage wheels, and the tapping of horses echoed in the sublime forest.
The torches danced in the wind creating plays of shadows on the trees. And Ethan could sense the air thickening as the carriage slowly approached the shrine.
Ethan peeked out of the carriage. An aura of sacredness and reverence permeated the air as the vague silhouette of the Ancestral Shrine became visible through a faint haze of mist.
Ethan could make out the faint outline of the entrance gate of the shrine premises that was made of tall carved bamboo in the distance.
The aspect of discovery and exploration excited Ethan greatly despite the hidden gloom in his heart.
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