The venom the spew from Valeo's teeth made All three of the other occupants shiver, his four pupils had an overwhelming fury to them.
"DUDE, THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?"
Anastasia summoned the mushroom creature to hold Valeo back when Kim got his arm off the man's neck letting him breathe.
"VALEO WHATS GOT INTO YOU?"
"HE'S FRO' THE A'EX!"
As the shouting match continued the man caught his breath and reached in his pocket, he pulled out a letter the words 'To reach Valeo' embroidered on its surface.
"Sir V-valeo *cough cough* this was handed to me, I was told to *cough* give it to you."
The man slowly stepped forward with each step made Valeo more restless, Kim saw this and was about to grab the letter before the man pulled it from his grasp.
"Apologies, but this is for him."
When the man reached the raging dual human as he held the letter to Valeo who calmed down a bit, when the mushroom creature disappeared Valeo was very tempted to just remove the man's head from his body but the words on the letter stopped him from carrying it out.
Snatching the letter Valeo opened it.
'Boyo it's me
I know ya must be wondering where little ol' me went, that doesn't matter right now, there's events on the horizon that'll shake these very lands to its core, all of them your involved.
Just remember these words boyo
Cleanse the poison.
Free her.
Winds of change will blow.'
Those words, how could Himrick know what the chime told him, Valeo gripped the letter leaving everyone confused.
"You good?"
Anastasia asked ready to hold him back if needed, Valeo nodded and turned his attention to the man who wiping the black goo off his armor.
"Where'd you get this, tell us now."
The man held his hands up in a surrendering gesture.
"It-it was from a fellow named Himrick, I was told to hand this to you if per chance stumble into you, although I don't know how he'd knew I would."
Valeo grinded his teeth, the man finally got a good look at Valeo, the black goo was blocking twenty percent of his helmets visor.
"B-b-by the chime, it's...you..."
The man began to shake, this somewhat made Valeo feel a little condescending as he slowly approached the shaking man.
"Yes...the fear...the sheer terror that racks his body...it's...delicious."
Valeo's mind began to unravel into malicious way the can torture the man, as he got closer and closer his grip tightened on his gunbai.
"I finally found you, thank the chime."
The man fell to his knees, this snapped Valeo out of his trance and stare in confusion along with Kim and Anastasia.
"What?"
The man took off his helmet, his long black with grey strips damp with sweat covered his face, when he looked up his beard was unkept and ragged, freckles across his nose was the first thing Valeo noticed, he didn't see the man when his father sold him but the voice was all too rememberable.
"I finally found you, after all this time... Valeo... I'm so so sorry."
The man began to cry which made Valeo mad, Valeo gripped the collar of his chain mail.
"You don't get to cry...not after what you and the rest of that wretched 'lace has done."
The man didn't protest, he didn't say a singular word, he only stared at Valeo with an expression that Valeo only saw on Laylana on a hand full of accusations.
Regret.
Valeo shoved the man to the ground and began to walk away, Kim and Anastasia looking at each other before doing the same.
"My dear Shadow, I'm so sorry, I won't be able to look you in the eyes, I don't deserve it."
The trio stopped dead in their tracks as the area got even more quiet, all three slowly turned around to the man as he was sobbing in his hands.
"Did you just say shadow?"
The man stopped and looked at Kim gaining the same expression as the inventor.
"Y-yes, why, ARE YOU AFTER HER?!"
The man drew his sword making Valeo ready his gunbai and Anastasia to place her fingers on the strings of her lute.
"We knew we should've killed hi' "
Kim held his hands between the knight and the duo before anything could happen.
"WAIT! wait wait."
Kim turned to the man.
"We're looking for her, not after."
The knight looked Kim up and down before a spark of recognition shimmered in his brown eyes.
"You're Kim?"
Kim had put up his guard, the last few people that knew him were not the nicest ones.
"Shadow talked so much about you, why didn't you say she was your aunt?"
"Because of privacy?"
The knight awkwardly Chuckled.
"Oh right, ahem, let me introduce myself, I'm Luke von bok a mid guard of the Apex."
Luke bowed which no one returned, they were not thrilled to be in a presence of a guard from the Apex.
"May I ask why you are looking for her?"
"Again, privacy."
Luke looked a little disappointed but got up and stretched.
"Well, I hope you have better luck finding her than me, she's a sneaky one."
The tone at the end was new to Valeo but he didn't pay any attention to it, the only thought that he had about like were not for the faint of heart.
"Well we have an estimate idea where she could b-"
"PLEASE TAKE ME WITH YOU!"
Luke held Kim's leg with a vice grip.
"GET THE FUCK OFF OF HIM!"
Anastasia tried to pull Luke off but she couldn't even budge him, Valeo watched from a distance not trusting himself to even lay a finger on Luke.
"ALRIGHT FINE JUST LET GO!"
Valeo glared at Kim who looked apologetic at him, Valeo clicked his tounge and stood next to Anastasia the farthest distance from Luke, the former guard looked sad at this but it washed away as the smell of the black goo finally registered in their brains again.
Kim held his palm out and the map showed up.
"Looks like the nearest lake is about three hour walk, maybe two at the least."
Anastasia groaned and they began to walk in the direction of the nearest river, the tense silence making the journey feel longer.
* * *
The rushing water reached their ears as the group let out a sigh in relief and quicken the pace, the rushing river was a sight for sore eyes, it lead into a open lake.
"Wait."
Kim said while he pressed something on his gauntlet, a small energy wave spread until it reached the end of the lake.
"And that was?"
Anastasia quirked an eyebrow.
"To see if there was any lake worms."
Everyone nodded in acceptance except Valeo who looked puzzled.
"A lake worm?"
Anastasia pushed Kim who was about to take his clothes and enter the lake.
"Uh uh, no."
Kim looked confused, Anastasia did a shoo gesture with her hands.
"Ladies first."
She pointed at the forest, Kim was about to protest but the glare Anastasia gave him was very convincing.
* * *
The three men sat far apart from each other, Valeo deciding to practice to summon his essence.
"Uh what is he doing?"
Kim stopped messing with his mechanical arm to look up at Luke then at Valeo before going back to what he was doing.
"Trying to summon his essence."
Luke looked puzzled for a couple seconds than started to laugh which got a harsh glare from Valeo.
"Forgive me but um, that's not how you do it, it's different for everyone."
Kim stopped, now that luke got his full attention.
"Really?"
Luke nodded before clearing his throat.
"From the training I did, essence is your very existence in reality it what makes you, you."
Luke continued.
"It's your existence given physical form, it was one of the two gifts of the chime."
Kim had bitter smile at that statement, his eyes became shallow.
"You have to accept yourself and your goal."
"Our...goal?"
Luke nodded finally catching Valeo's attention.
"What drives you to keep continuing."
Valeo looked down at his open palm.
"But our goal is to be a hero... it's what Laylana said to be."
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
All three jolted and dashed to Anastasia.
When they entered the clearing they saw Anastasia surrounded by blue crab-like humanoids with three glowing yellow eyes, one had her lute.
Anastasia had cover herself with a large spare shirt.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!"
Kim bolted to the one nearest to Anastasia, his mechanical arm pumped full of sun's blood.
He punched the creature sending crashing into a tree from across the lake, it exploded in a blue gore.
Kim picked up Anastasia bridal style and jumped back from one of the creature's clawed swing.
Valeo appeared in front of the creature and slashed with his gunbai, carving it in half, Luke rushed in and behead another one.
"Mind-walkers..."