The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

"I'm surprised you have grade-three spells. Though, the rest of your spells were grade two." Oscar said. Taren lay before his feet, weakened and injured. His gasps and pained grunts didn't evoke a single bout of pity from Oscar. What sort of pity did this person deserve?

The battle interested Oscar. He glanced at Taren and the earth user, recalling the tiniest of details, including the flow of their Ein. He knew for certain they used Ein Awaken. His master mentioned Exalts touch upon it in the Knight Exalt realm, and now he had seen it in action. Though, their usage paled in comparison to his.

"Who…are you?" Taren choked through his words.

"Boss!" The other Lower Knight Exalts shouted. None could move because of the constant vines and roots entangling them. The moment one burst into flames, more sprouted to replace it, an infinite cycle of entrapment until Avril would have no more Ein.

"Nicely done!" Avril unfurled a section of her scroll anima and recovered her Ein from the boost. With that and her preliminary Ein Awaken, she had no problems keeping up her spells. "What should we do with them?"

"Who knows?" Oscar turned to Chief Suri and Old Yule, who came out after the battle. "Hello. I am not a marauder or bandit. How do you want to deal with them? You can decide since they came to your home."

Chief Suri looked to have grown more wrinkles. He limped to Oscar and Taren, who was lifted to lean on the wall. His frown deepened, and his eyes dropped from the exhaustion of his thoughts. He sat down with a heavy sigh. "Will you take responsibility if you kill them? Our small village cannot survive on its own. We need a protector, a watcher to ensure our prosperity."

"No. I joined in to stop them from taking your people. I will not be your Guardian. I have someplace to be." Oscar replied. The weakened chief slumped his shoulders from hearing Oscar's response.

"Then don't kill them. Taren, there is nothing I can offer you. This one man defeated you and Ras without much trouble. How can you talk of war when you lose like this? At least you owe me this favor for not killing you. If war is coming, you can do nothing to protect us."

"Bastard Suri. Will you lie down and die when the enemy comes to your village?" Taren supported himself from falling. His ragged breath betrayed the imposing demeanor he tried to display. After a glance at Oscar and Chief Suri, he gritted his teeth. "Fine. Let's see how long you survive without my protection."

Taren called to his subordinates, freed from Avril's bindings. They hurried over with their other unconscious members, helped Taren and Ras, the earth user, to the beast, and hastily rode out of Tung Village. All of this happened under Oscar's watchful eye.

"Now then, can we talk?" Oscar asked Chief Suri.

"Brother Oscar!" A wild and enthusiastic shout came from Quinn. He interrupted the chief before he could speak and ran toward Oscar. He behaved like a clingy cat. "That was amazing! You're so strong. How did you get so strong? Can you teach me?

"I'm brother now?" Oscar sighed. In the end, power was what earned respect and admiration. Quinn's attitude toward him went down several levels. Before Oscar could answer, a large smack came from Old Yule. A loud slap echoed, followed by Quinn's yelp of pain.

"If you have questions, wait your turn until they're finished," Old Yule scolded Quinn. She looked at Oscar with eyes slightly widened, "You're quite strong for a recently advanced Middle Knight Exalt. This old one wonders how our encounter would have turned out if we fought."

"Who knows?" Oscar shrugged. "I wonder why Old Yule didn't wish to act against the marauders? Your power should have been enough."

"Old Yule is strong, but she has neither the time nor need to help us that way. She moves around everywhere while Taren and his group stay in this small corner of the Burning Valley. So they are faster in responding to issues." Chief Suri grunted and grumbled about Old Yule's methods. "So why is the whimsical old hag here?"

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"Showing people around, you wrinkled bag of bones," Old Yule turned to Oscar. "The other reason is that one fight leads to another. Eventually, I would have attracted the attention of one of the Four Lords. It's better to live idly by, much like how Suri serves others to survive."

"Hah….I wonder if this man's interference will be a good thing or not. If rumors spread, someone will come looking." Chief Suri rubbed his wrinkled brow.

"Excuse me," Avril pulled some medicine from her hidden space pocket. "You're bleeding from your knees. Here's some medicine. I guarantee its usefulness." She pushed it onto Chief Suri.

"Can we go inside and talk now?" Old Yule stared around. "We're drawing a crowd."

"Fine. Fine. Come into my home. I can offer you some water as thanks for your medicine and help." Chief Suri led them inside one of the stone dwellings. They sat on lumpy pillows around a small frostfire.

"First, please have this gift. It's freshwater I'm sure you've never had before." Oscar gave Chief Suri a bottle of water. Suri's lips quivered as he held the bottle with a small bow. Chief Suri took a small sip, and his eyes nearly popped from their sockets, glaring at the bottle with a fiery gaze.

"So, you're outsiders. Here on a trip? Or lost?" Chief Suri put away the bottle of water.

"We're lost. Old Yule mentioned the best way was to ask the locals and find clues around the Burning Valley. Do you know a way out of the Burning Valley and Shattirma?" Oscar clenched his hands slowly. Feeling a sudden movement on his back, Oscar turned to Avril, who patted him with a comforting smile. At times like this, she was surprisingly perceptive and behaved unlike herself.

"Old Yule, who never puts herself into the service of others and barely talks to anyone, will not have the answer. Not surprising." Chief Suri chuckled, turning away from Old Yule, who had a fearsome scowl on her face. "It's not a tale you hear often. When I was young and wondered how the Four Lords maintained control and where they drew their large amounts of resources, I heard the truth, a whisper from a dying man."

"A dying man?" Oscar asked.

"A former Lord who was deposed and dying. I found him, and he spoke as if wanting someone to speak to in his last moments, telling of their great rise. They contact other lands outside in the great rifts, trade with them, and build in power." Chief Suri coughed. "I never told anyone this and decided to live quietly out here. The Four Lords would never allow the knowledge to live on. Do what you will with what I told you, but do not involve me or my village."

"Thank you. That is enough. I won't let anyone know about you." Oscar finally had a lead. A smile crept up from his lips. The Four Lords of the Burning Valley ruled over the largest cities and the wealthiest regions. Fearsome people who had power for many years stood in his way. He considered leaving the Burning Valley for a moment, but there was no knowing if he'd find a definite clue like this.

"Thank you for your gift of water. The others will enjoy this gift. Be wary of the Four Lords." Chief Suri bowed.

Oscar and the others bade the village farewell, a gathering of weary men, women, and children. They returned to Old Yule's stone hut and rested for what was considered nighttime.

"Oscar. What are you thinking of?" Avril asked while brushing Erden's frazzled fur.

"Am I that obvious?" Oscar chuckled, glancing at the sleeping Old Yule and Quinn.

"Well, you always have wrinkles on your forehead and stretch your lips when you think too much. What is it?" Avril asked. She undid her braids and let her hair rest down her shoulders.

"It's been sixteen years. I want to go home. Every time I thought I was getting a step closer to home, it never went the way I wanted. Even if we get the knowledge from one of the Lords, what if it ends up nowhere?" Oscar sighed. He tried to keep his spirits up, but after sixteen years, he had slowly gotten tired of it. Even Gol-4's persistent words in his mind lacked their usual punch.

Suddenly, a pair of hands blocked his eyes and forced his head back. He landed on something soft. From the pulse he heard underneath, he realized he was lying on Avril's lap.

"She feels sorry for Oscar. Sixteen years away from his friends and family, she tells him a surefire way to cheer up. First, lie down and think only about tomorrow. Tell me, Oscar. What will we do tomorrow?" Avril's voice echoed in his ears.

"Tomorrow? I don't know. Old Yule said the paths to the large town are closed off due to the lava overflow. We'll be staying here for a week." Oscar groaned.

"Then, tomorrow, we'll be looking around the area, a brand new journey on the outskirts of Burning Valley. Now repeat that." Avril said.

"Looking around the area…." Oscar sighed. Then her hands left his eyes. He saw Avril staring straight down with a bright smile.

"Now, repeat that in your mind a thousand times. Over and over until it keeps going." Avril cupped his ears. Strange feedback happened, invisible waves flowing around in his ear as if he was diving into the ocean.

Playing along, Oscar repeated Avril's plan for tomorrow in his mind. The words started to blur, and his head felt light. The lightheadedness of his mind, his ears blocked, and the softness under his head came together, bringing him peace. He could only think about what he'll do tomorrow with Avril and fell asleep comfortably for the first time in a while.

Avril hummed and placed a finger on Oscar's sleeping face. With a stern voice, she said, "Demon, don't come out now. Let him rest truly."

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