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TDE Book 6 Chapter 0 - Prologue
🕑 Added 2024-01-23 19:39:57 +0000 UTCOn a quiet and uneventful night, a gentle cool breeze swept over a motionless lake in the center, creating soft waves on the surface of the water.
The bizarre thing was that no creatures were anywhere to be found near the lake. No midnight critters, owls or predators came close to the lake. It was as if all the creatures in the vicinity knew that they should avoid this lake at all costs.
From the side, the sound of footsteps on grass could be heard, approaching the still lake.
It was a lithe figure dressed in indigo robes. The figure’s hood was covered, preventing one from seeing their facial features. A shoddy spear could be seen latched onto the person’s back.
The figure gradually stepped closer to the lake, their movements deliberately slow as if they were unsure of their actions. Inch by inch, their fingers neared the water.
*tap*
A wave of ripple spread from the surface of the lake to all its corners. The hooded figure stood back up and stared at the lake, awaiting something… or someone.
It didn’t take long. Soon, the water at the edge crawled back to reveal a narrow opening. It was a staircase hidden underneath the lake and towards the deeper recessions of the earth.
And yet, the figure didn’t move. The person gazed warily at the stairs.
“Why are you here?”
A voice came out from the darkness of the stairs.
“I-I finished my coming-of-age mission. Can I return to the clan?”
The figure stumbled with his words, but got them out eventually.
“You made five kills on the battlefield?”
The voice seemed surprised.
“Yes, I’ve proven that my path is not a failure for the clan. I can still be an assassin!”
A surge of confidence swelled within the figure. In the midst of their animated response, their hood fell back, revealing a head of short blond hair and amber eyes.
“Kirren…”
A sigh echoed from the staircase as a shadow shot across and arrived right in front of the boy. It was a young woman, sharing features akin to the boy, with a darker shade of long blond hair and light lavender eyes.
“Can I come back? It’s been so long since I last saw mother. Please, I miss her.”
Kirren saw the tall young woman appear, and immediately burst forth to plead his case.
“Clan leader made it clear that you can only return if either you achieve the 4th circle with your Dao or give it up and take the family’s Dao instead. Sorry, little one, the clan leader’s words are final.”
The young woman’s face softened up when she saw the rips and tears in Kirren’s robes. The biggest difference was in the boy’s irises. They were traces of hardening, like a warrior. It was a stark contrast to when Kirren had been kicked out of the clan by his father.
“I can pay father. I have loads of dao stones with me.”
Kirren patted the ring on his finger. He forgot all about Calron’s warning to not share about his treasure trove of dao stones.
“You want to bribe your own father?”
The young woman cocked her eyebrows with amusement. The clan leader of the Assassin Clan was infamous for being a blackmailer. He often used secret information to get bribes from people he disliked in the council. It was simply ironic that the son was now resorting to bribing his own father.
“Hmm, I can give you two dao stones as well.”
Kirren answered with hesitation as if he was loathed to part with them.
“What am I going to do with two dao stones, boy? Buy a few loaves of bread for the week?”
The young woman let out an exasperated sigh. Even in bribes, the father and son duo were stingy with money.
“Look, Kirren, I can’t let you in. You know how the clan leader would react if I broke one of his orders. I can offer to see your mother and let her know you’re well.”
The young woman patted Kirren on the head and turned around to head back into the lake.
“Can you at least tell mother to meet me outside?”
Kirren reached for the young woman’s hem to stop her from leaving.
She tilted her head back to glance at the desperation on the boy’s face. Clicking her tongue, she faced Kirren once again.
“You want your father to break his order, then there’s only one way. Give him something he wants.”
“I cannot give up my Dao, and who knows how long it’ll take me to reach the 4th circle.”
Kirren started, but was quickly interrupted by the young woman.
“Let me finish, boy. That’s something specific your father wants from you. I’m talking about something else your father has recently been occupied with.”
The woman lowered her voice, looking back to see that no one else was near the staircase.
Kirren inched a bit closer.
“There have been some rumors passed down the spy networks that a member of the Blood clan had been spotted on the battlefield. The intel is not confirmed as it came from the cultivators side. Some of them claim they witnessed a demonic man with crimson eyes massacre a team of peak Saint stage experts.”
The young woman continued in a whisper.
Hearing the familiar description, Kirren’s heart froze. Were there other cultivators alive when Calron fought on the Rendel Island? That meant that soon everyone will be looking for Calron. The significance of a Blood Walker would not be lost for the Council members.
“Hey, are you hearing me, boy?”
The woman nudged Kirren, seeing he was staring into blank space.
“Ah sorry, I was just shocked that a Blood Walker was still alive. I thought they went all extinct with the Blood clan.”
Kirren awkwardly scratched his head.
“The intel is from the cultivators’ side, but it’s most likely true. If it wasn’t, your father wouldn’t have been notified.”
The woman pushed back a lock of displaced hair behind her ear.
“Wait, if father got notified, then that means someone put a ‘Kill Order’ on the Blood Walker?”
Kirren’s hand quivered slightly as the realization sank in. His father was one of the best assassins on the continent. There was only one job others paid him to do.
To assassinate.
“So, if you’re able to get any clues from the outside on the Blood Walker’s whereabouts, relay it to your father, and I’m certain he will rescind your exile.”
The woman finished and with one final pat on the boy’s head, and she returned back to the staircase which promptly closed behind her. The lake was once again back to its original appearance.
However, if the young woman had stayed for a bit longer, she’d have noticed the strangeness about the boy from her clan.
Kirren stood there silently, his thoughts a blur.
Someone was out there to kill Calron.
It was his own father.
Kirren unlatched the spear from his back and ran his hand through the metal. It was the same spear Calron had given to him on the island.
“Mister…”
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A/N: Hello everyone, Book 6 of The Divine Elements is starting today. Enjoy the prologue!
Comments
Alric
Can't wait to see what kirren will do
