11 The Sword of the Immortal V

The sun was starting to set as Amon left the isolated space. Following Lya's directions, he walked for a few minutes and reached the Red River again, returning to his upstream journey. A red light tinged the muddy waters, making it seem like a river of blood.

"So you were searching for remnant artifacts of the war…" Lya's voice echoed in his head. Amon had been giving her a brief explanation regarding the Abyss Sect, the Scavenging and what happened to him. She seemed to be pondering over something.

"Yes. It is a tradition in the Abyss Sect. It happens every five years." He said, not really minding the conversation. He was worried about Daniel. He still didn't know if he was dead or alive, and where he was.

"How old is this tradition?" She asked, curious.

"If I'm not wrong, it has been organized since the creation of the sect. The Founder himself organized the first Scavenging a few years after the War of Falling Leaves that broke this place apart." Amon answered, trying to remember the details.

"Such a strange thing to do… Who was that Founder you mentioned?"

"I think his name was Arthur… Arthur Royce." Amon said with a pensive look. The sect's history was never a worry for those in the Outer Sect. He only knew of such things because his mother had told him so long ago.

When Lya heard this, she stood in silence. All Amon could hear was the running water of the river and the chirps of birds as he walked through the forest. He had no way to understand what she was thinking, since she hadn't materialized and he couldn't see her face. For all intents and purposes, she was just a voice in his head.

"This Arthur… is he still around? Is he alive?" She finally asked after a long time.

"I don't think so. I think he died a few decades ago." He shook his head.

"I see." Was all Lya said, returning to her silence. Amon could feel some disappointment in her voice. Did she know Arthur? That wasn't entirely impossible. Amon thought for a while, but decided not to ask. Lya seemed to mostly avoid any subject related to the past.

The sun set and a full moon shone in the sky, shedding a silvery light over the pitch black forest. Amon didn't stop for a break and continued walking, using the moonlight and the sound of the river to keep on track. He still felt full of energy thanks to the pill Lya had given him earlier. He decided he would reach the Abyss Sect as fast as possible and ask for help.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked around, his face pale and full of fear.

"What happened?" Lya asked, concerned.

Amon didn't answer. His hair was standing on end and his body was heating up as his blood churned. He knew this feeling too well by now. He raised his head and looked to his right, in the direction of the trees.

"Amon?" Lya asked again, turning anxious. She then spread her divine sense outwards, focusing on the direction Amon was looking.

There was something hiding in the shadows, slowly approaching them. It was limping a bit and a long gash covered in blood could be seen in its right flank.

Coming in their direction, was a gigantic black wolf.

---

A black shadow hovered above the trees of the forest, blocking the moon. One had to have a sharp eyesight to be able to see it during the night.

The shadow had the form of a small black ship. It had sharp and defined edges, and the prowl was narrow and long, resembling a spear. If such a vessel smashed against an obstruction, it would certainly open a hole in it. It was a vessel used for combat, focused on speed and offense.

The vessel could accommodate at most ten passengers, but only three were seen in it. In the prow, a young man in his teens had his eyes closed. His fiery-red hair and his gray clothes fluttered with the wind as the vessel moved forward and a few beads of sweat fell from his youthful face.

Behind him, a girl with brown hair was leaning over the edge of the vessel, looking down. A frown showed in her pretty face as her dark eyes shone like lanterns with a strange light. She was carefully scrutinizing the trees bellow them, looking for something.

Further behind, a black haired youth with blue clothes was sitting with his legs crossed in a golden circle in the floor that glowed with a dim light. His eyes didn't waver and he barely blinked, carefully watching the movements of the one in the prowl.

The red haired youth slowly raised his right hand, and the black haired one nodded. The vessel slowly tilted right, making a slight turn. As the red haired youth dropped his hand again, the vessel stopped the turn and followed a straight path ahead.

"Jake, you can stop. We are close." The red haired youth said after some time, his face completely covered in sweat. There was a large stain in his back and his clothes clung to his body.

Jake, still sitting, nodded and the vessel slowly came to a halt.

"Eeew. Joshua, you are stinking." The pleasant voice of the girl echoed from the side. Joshua could only sigh and shake his head. Not satisfied with the reaction she got, the girl pouted.

"Come on Karen, leave him be. Maintaining the divine sense for hours while following a blood trail in the middle of the forest takes a toll on anyone. Joshua did a great job." Jake rebuked her. The girl pouted even further, and turned her head away, mad.

"I had to keep my Eyes of Clarity for hours and I don't see you praising me." She said, still refusing to look at him. Hearing this, Jake looked at Joshua, who just shook his shoulders.

"You know what she wants, this is not my problem." Joshua said, unconcerned. Hearing this, Jake sighed and approached the girl.

"You did a great job, Karen." He said. The girl turned around, a bright smile on her face.

"Really?" She asked, her eyes bright.

"Really." Jake nodded, making her smile turn wider.

Joshua closed his eyes for a moment and the air around him turned cold. His clothes dampened and slowly turned heavier as water seemingly coming out of nowhere drenched them. The water covered him from head to toe, making him look like he had fallen into a river. He then glanced at Jake and asked, "Help me out here."

Jake lightly tapped his shoulder, and a cloud of steam rose from Joshua. Soon enough, he was completely dry. Joshua gave him a slap in the back as thanks.

"We should prepare properly. Even if that Direwolf is hurt, it is still a class 4 spirit beast." Jake said, his tone serious. Joshua placed a hand in a Bottomless Pouch hanging from his waist and took out a silvery short spear. Karen retrieved a black whip from her pouch and tied it to her waist.

"Where is it, Joshua?" Jake asked, taking a red saber from his own pouch and tying it to his back.

"It should be at most a few hundred meters ahead of us, close to the river. I could faintly sense it from that direction." Joshua said, pointing straight ahead. "I have no idea why it would go there since his territory should be in the opposite direction."

"Well, it shouldn't be here in the first place. It is expected that it would be acting strange." Karen said, looking where Jake was pointing as her eyes began to shine again.

"It is four hundred meters ahead." She said, squinting her eyes. Then, a look of surprise appeared in her face. "Wait! There is someone there. The Direwolf is heading straight to him."

"Jake, we have to go now. It is just a boy." Karen said, worried.

"Then let's end this beast at once!" Jake said as he controlled the vessel again, sending it speeding in the direction Joshua had pointed.

---

Amon was paralyzed in fear, looking ahead at the growing figure appearing from the trees. His hands were trembling and he couldn't make his feet move.

"Calm down." Lya's voice echoed in his ears. "Don't make sudden movements, slowly raise your hand and try to unsheathe Brightmoon."

Her voice was slow and steady, helping to calm Amon down. He slowly managed to raise his right hand to Brightmoon's hilt, and a low clinging sound started to be produced as the sword trembled in his shaky hands.

"Wait. Are we going to fight it?" He asked, incredulous.

"Of course we will."

"Lya, I am not even able to manipulate Qi, you want me to defeat a grown Direwolf!?"

"Of course not, I just want you to face it."

"Why?"

"Because you are afraid." Her answer was simple, her tone indifferent. She was stating a fact.

Amon had no time to discuss with her. The Direwolf made its way out of the trees and faced him. Looking at the gash on its flank, Amon's heart clenched. He was sure it was the same Direwolf they had faced before and that Daniel had certainly caused that terrible wound. However, the Direwolf was alive and Daniel was nowhere to be seen.

Amon knew that Daniel would never have let that thing get away if he could stop it. That meant that he was either badly injured or…

His grip on the sword tightened. The shaking stopped. The Direwolf looked at him and lowered its enormous body, a low growling coming from its throat as the fur in its back stood erect.

Lya realized something was strange. She didn't quite believe Amon when he said he could feel the wolves coming, but something was off. This Direwolf was not hunting them. It was challenging them.

She suddenly remembered something. Wasn't his surname Skoller? His ashen hair and golden eyes… Could it really be true? The suspicion she had when he presented himself… If Arthur was the one that founded the Abyss Sect it was very possible that this was the case. She would have to speak about this with Amon later.

As she was thinking, she noticed that he had stopped trembling. His grip on the sword was so tight his fingers were turning white, and his breathing had turned rough. He looked at the Direwolf with a clear murderous air. It was as if his realization had made his fear melt away and substituted it by sheer rage.

"Lya." Amon called for her, his tone grave as he unsheathed Brightmoon.

"Yes?" She asked, uncertain.

"Can you help me kill it?" He didn't hide the anger in his voice. Lya shook her head. She couldn't blame him for the way he was acting, but it just confirmed her previous decision. Amon was indeed far too green.

"No." Amon was flatly denied by her again. "Do you still want to try to kill him?"

"I wouldn't be able to. I would only kill myself." His tone was harsh, but it was in self-loathing. This answer satisfied Lya.

"Don't worry, you won't have to. There is someone coming." Her voice slowly drifted away and she stopped talking. Amon was confused, but he suddenly heard a loud screech coming from somewhere above the trees. The Direwolf too sensed something, as his flaming eyes looked away from Amon and into the sky.

A gust of wind came out of nowhere and almost blew Amon away as a black ship broke through the trees, sending splinters and leaves everywhere and slamming at the Direwolf at an incredible speed. Amon could see three passengers on the ship for the split second he had a good look on it amidst the chaos.

The Direwolf managed to jump back, barely dodging the attack. The black ship struck the ground, sinking straight into it and opening a huge hole. The ground quaked, making the trees rustle and Amon almost lose his balance. The three passengers jumped off as soon as the surprise attack failed, avoiding the crashing of the ship.

Amon was surprised when he saw it. A spirit vessel made for combat like that was worth a fortune. The three youths that jumped from it were certainly not ordinary people.

The black-haired youth seemed to be the leader, as he gave orders as soon as they landed on the ground. "Karen, stay at the back and cover me. Joshua, you go to the left. Hide in the trees and wait for the opening I will give you."

The red-haired youth nodded and sped up to the forest, never giving his back to the Direwolf that was looking at then carefully. Its chest expanded abruptly and it let out a howl.

"AWOOOOOOO"

When Amon saw that the howl was coming, he covered his ears and braced himself. However, it was unnecessary. The girl, Karen, hastily waved her hands and the air seemed to freeze. Thanks to the dust and dirt that the ship had thrown in the air as it fell, Amon could actually see what was happening.

The air around them turned completely still, almost as if a bubble was formed. The air blown away in the howl seemingly brushed past this bubble and no sound was heard at all. There was also no impact. It was almost as if the Direwolf had not howled at all.

"Wind cultivator!" Amon exclaimed as he looked at the back of the girl. One would only be able to gain control over the elements when they reached the Elemental Purification realm. This girl certainly had affinity with wind.

The Direwolf was still howling, but seemed to be almost finished.

"Jake, now!" The girl exclaimed. The black haired youth jumped ahead, unsheathing the saber at his back in a fluid motion.

Bright red flames covered his saber and his body as he shot forward like a fireball. The Direwolf couldn't react in time and Jake smashed into it, sinking his saber in its flesh. A terrible smell of smoke and burnt flesh invaded Amon's nostrils as Jake retreated, still holding his saber.

The Direwolf's fur on his left flank was charred and the saber had left a deep wound in it. It wouldn't be able to properly move now that both his flanks were injured. Its movements would certainly turn even clumsier and his reactions would be slower. The Direwolf growled in anger, fury making his red eyes burn even more as he faced Jake. This moment was enough.

Joshua appeared like a ghost from the trees, his short spear in hand as he accurately pierced the Direwolf's already injured right flank. The spear sank all the way into the body of the beast and Joshua couldn't rip it away as the Direwolf bit at him. Joshua let go of the spear and kicked its exposed handle, making it sink even further and propelling him away from the Direwolf's attack.

The moment Joshua had struck the Direwolf, Jake moved again, making use of the opening created as soon as the beast turned to bite Joshua. This time, he went for the kill. His flaming saber pierced the Direwolf's exposed neck. Jake was actually surprised as he couldn't manage a clean cut. The saber was stuck in the Direwolf's neck and Jake's legs were dangling in the air as he didn't let go of it.

The Direwolf leaned its body, preparing to smash into the ground and crush Jake with its weight. A loud crackle was heard and the beast howled as its left eye started to bleed, taking a step back. In front of Amon, Karen was holding a whip firmly in her hands, prepared to strike again.

Jake let out a breath of relief as he saw he had been saved on the nick of time. He used all his strength to raise his legs and support them in the Direwolf's neck. Then, he pushed out with them, almost as if he was jumping.

The saber worked as a lever, and the blade stuck inside the wolf finally managed to cut down, opening a huge gash in its neck. Jake was covered in an ocean of blood as he turned in the air and lost his balance when the saber cut its way out of the Direwolf's flesh and he lost his support. When he was about to land painfully on his back, a gust of wind blew bellow him, greatly reducing the impact as he fell.

Jake had to hand it to Karen, she had saved him twice today. A huge thud echoed as the Direwolf finally fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. It was still alive, even if in its last breaths.

Jake slowly walked to it, saber in hand, prepared to deal the final blow.

"Wait!" A juvenile voice made him stop. He turned back and saw the boy they had saved running towards him, holding a sword in his tiny hands. His ashen hair had a silver glow under the moonlight and his eyes looked like molten gold.

"Let me do it." The boy asked.

"Why would I? We defeated it." Jake answer was direct, and he was annoyed. The boy didn't even thanked them for saving his life and was even making demands instead!

"It… it probably killed a friend of mine. This is personal." Amon said, downcast.

"Who was this friend of yours?" Jake couldn't help but ask. His brother was still alive. If the Direwolf had indeed killed someone else, Jake wouldn't mind letting the boy finish him off.

"Daniel. Daniel Meyer." Amon answered with no hesitation.

To his surprise, Jake was taken aback by his answer.

"You know Daniel?" Amon asked, uncertain.

"Of course I do." Jake let out a sigh. "That fool is my older brother."

"Daniel has a brother? Wait, why are you here? Do you know what happened to him?" Amon was the one surprised this time.

"Daniel is gravely injured, but he has a good chance of making it. An Elder was close when Daniel fought with the Direwolves and managed to bring him back to the sect in time. A hunting mission was issued to take the Direwolf down." Jake explained. "As his brother, I naturally accepted it."

Amon was relieved when he heard that. His legs gave in and he fell to the ground as all the tension in his body disappeared.

"That is great." He managed to say with shaky voice. Jake patted him on the back, an awkward look on his face. Karen was holding back her laughter as she saw his expression.

"Well, I already took that thing down, I don't mind if you finish it." Jake was really feeling strange. He was Daniel's brother, but he ended up having to comfort this kid he just met a few minutes ago.

"Sorry about that." Amon said as he recovered. He held Brightmoon tightly as he walked to the Direwolf.

Its black fur was either covered in fresh blood or charred. A strong burnt smell exuded from it and its breaths were shallow and irregular. Amon stopped close to its head, looking straight at its eyes. The red eyes were already dimming, like a flame going out.

Amon said nothing, simply raising Brightmoon. It's edge hovered above the Direwolf's neck and reflected the silver light of the moon, seeming to glow. A sharp, cold glow. The sword was trembling slightly as Amon's hands started shaking.

"Why hesitate now? You already made your choice." Lya's words echoed in his ears. AMon took a deep breath and steeled himself.

The sword came down, and Amon put all of his weight into it. Surprisingly, it cut at the Direwolf's neck like hot butter. The sword sank in the beast's flesh, leaving only the hilt exposed.

The Direwolf shivered once. Amon looked intently at the huge red eye that was close to him. It was a clear, limpid eye. Amon could faintly see his reflection on it as the its light faded and the Direwolf stopped moving.

Amon didn't move too, still staring at the lifeless eyes. Staring at himself. His ashen hair was a mess, and his golden eyes showed hesitation.His face was pale and he looked frightened. Amon could only see a small and scared boy reflected in those lifeless eyes of the Direwolf.

"No more." He said to himself.

He let out a long breath and recovered Brightmoon from the Direwolf's neck. He cleaned its blade in the Direwolf's fur before sheathing it again.

Jake nodded seeing this. He then sent a glance to Joshua, that took a shiny knife out of his Bottomless Pouch and approached the Direwolf.

Amon slowly returned to his side.

"Thank you." He said.

Jake nodded. He found strange that the boy could pierce the Direwolf's neck so easily, but he didn't inquire further. He walked over to the spirit vessel that was impaled on the ground and jumped on it, making his way to the golden circle that was still exposed.

As he touched it, the vessel shook and started floating again, freeing itself from the hole it had buried. Surprisingly, it was completely undamaged, as if he had never crashed on the ground.

The spirit vessel slowly approached them. Karen offered a hand to Amon. He accepted it and she held him in her arms as she jumped on the vessel. Joshua followed suit, his hands covered in blood, holding his short spear in one hand and a black crystal the size of a grown man's fist in the other.

"Let's go home." Jake said as soon as he saw that everyone was onboard.

The spirit vessel rose above the trees and made a sharp turn before speeding off to the distance.