Book 8: Chapter 57: Amnian Guard
The midday breeze, rustling leaves from trees lining the road, left everyone in the caravan feeling drowsy. It had been three days since departing Lake Esmel without any trouble, leaving Qin Lun, accustomed to constant harassment in the wild, rather unaccustomed to the calm.
Yet, this necessary relaxation was what they all needed. Not everyone could stay on high alert indefinitely. The change was most evident in Milleras. The once unshaven, weary-looking Elf Prince had shed his disheveled appearance, regaining his former energetic and confident self.
However, the cost of this transformation wasn’t what Qin Lun wished to see. One morning, Milleras had noticed the sharpness of the Dagger of Sin and borrowed it. When the Elf Prince returned it, Qin Lun spotted stubble caught in the blade’s blood groove.
If Milleras hadn’t fled fast enough, Qin Lun doubted he could’ve held back Joey’s fury. The Dissector nearly gutted the Elf Prince on the spot, demonstrating that even Angels could be made through… modification.
Though the worst outcome was averted, Joey later wanted to discard the Dagger of Sin entirely. The Serial Killer felt the Life-Taking Relic had been defiled by Milleras, rendering it unworthy as a tool of artistry.
Just as the caravan drifted in lazy tranquility, faint tremors suddenly vibrated through the ground. Stirred to alertness, the Apostles straightened in their saddles.
“Cavalry. Moving fast!” Stark swung down from his horse, pressing an ear to the dirt for a moment before his expression tightened. He whipped his head towards Qin Lun at the back and shouted, “Firal! Has Iristin spotted anything?”
Qin Lun shielded his eyes against the sun, gazing up at the giant eagle form of Iristin. After a moment, he shook his head. “Iristin signals us to clear the road. They aren’t targeting us!”
Guided by the Apostles, the caravan drivers and helpers steered the wagons off to the roadside, waiting for the approaching riders to pass.