Chapter 26: The Wrong & Righteous (3)

Thadius clutched the status card tightly. Even at a third of his strength, Corban had been formidable.

There was also a small chain next to where he found the card. Thadius wasted no time as he pulled the chain through the card to hang it around his neck. It would serve him as a small momento.

"Yuna...it's time to go." he said as he walked over to pat her on the head.

The young girl looked up at him. Her eyes were red, but she had stopped crying. After standing up and brushing herself off, she silently followed Thadius back to the compound where a woman waited for them at the entrance.

The woman had auburn hair that simmered gold in the sunlight as it fell just above her shoulders. Silver eyes, the signature color of Gods, looked down on them as a small smile spread on her lips. Her every feature complimented another, forming a natural balance that could only be called perfection.

"Goddess..."

"Hello Thadius, I've come to give you my condolences, as well as to give you this..." Tegaia lifted the book she was holding. The cover was plain leather, yet the pages glowed with a holy light. Thadius took book, opening it to a random page.

Yuna jumped back in surprise and shielded her eyes."Why is it so bright!?"

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"Only those who have gained high faith from praying to me can look upon it."Tegaia answered. Then she turned to Thadius. "Does this fit your specifications?"

Thadius skimmed a bit. The glowing pages highlighted the scarlet letters, and the content seemed to fit the bill. Yet, something else bothered him.

"Is this your blood, Goddess?"

"It is indeed. It seemed an appropriate medium for what you hoped to accomplish with it. The blood of a God is quite powerful. Speaking of which..." She turned back to Yuna, who was still recovering from the binding light. "Yuna, I'm sorry for what happened. Had I known what Thena planned to do, I wouldn't have asked you to remain silent."

"It's okay...Thadius saved me after all." She replied with blushing cheeks.

"It's not okay. You've been wronged Yuna, and I will do all that I can to set it right." Tegaia's words were underlined with fury. Thadius was shocked. It was his first glimpse at Tegaia, Goddess of War. "But enough about that," she continued,"I'm sure you two are anxious to be on your way."

"Goddess, about Corban..." Thadius was hesitant to ask, but he needed to know.

"He has been guided to the Plains of Peace. Though I don't know where. The plains hold individual instances for every spirit that arrives. Once there, they are subjected to their own happy endings, and any spirit that knows them can be a part of it. I wouldn't be too concerned Thadius. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I take my time to find him."

Tegaia smiled knowingly. She knew precisely who had come for the sword master. "Now I must be going. There is much to do."

Thadius and Yuna agreed. They still had to sort through what they could take with them before they departed. After saying their goodbyes, Tegaia disappeared while the two explored the compound.

Although that was the plan, neither Thadius nor Yuna had many possessions. They collected the books and materials from Corban's office, as well as the ingredients from the kitchen. They'd perish eventually in Thadius' inventory, but it was better than leaving them to rot on the mountain.

They searched the supply room last. After all their years on the mountain, it was the one room they'd never entered. Corban had made a point of being the only one to go in. It was time to find out why.

Thadius opened the door wide before they stepped in. The inside was neat and orderly. Piles of training gear were stacked neatly near the front. Further in the back were more crafting materials, which Thadius tucked into his bag. All in all, it was an ordinary storage room, except for the mysterious door in the back.

As Thadius approached, he a also noticed a small wooden chest in the corner. He opened it first, but he didn't know what he was looking at when he opened it. There were small pieces of paper, organized neatly into two rows of four. On the front was some form of writing and a large red stamp. Thadius had a guess as to what it could be, so he shoved it in into his inventory and watched.

Down at the bottom of his inventory screen was the amount of money he had. 'G' stood for gold, 'S' was for silver, and 'C' was for copper. He still only had two copper from when he bought flowers. Or so he thought. Beside his gold amount, a 'N' had appeared. Whatever it stood for, he had over 5000 of them.

"Yuna...do you know what this is?" Thadius asked in a shaky voice. It was like they had won the lottery, and all they needed was someone to confirm the numbers.

"Paper...I guess. I don't know. Is it important?"

If 1G was equal to 100S , then 1N must be 100G. It was enough to make him jump for joy. What kept him sane, was the fact that he didn't know the market value of the world's currency. He didn't know whether 1G could buy him 100 loaves of bread or 1000. It bothered him not knowing their wealth, but at least he knew they wouldn't go hungry.

"Here, Yuna. I think it might be money. Master would want us to split it."

"Aren't we gonna explore together?" she asked with a confused face.

"Of course..."

"Then you keep it. I don't want to lose it."

"Fair enough."

After putting away the money, he examined the door. With nothing appearing out of the ordinary, he opened it to find a plain wooden wall behind it. He searched for some kind of mechanism or hidden switch, but it was simply a wall.

"Why would there be a door if it doesn't go anywhere?" Yuna asked as she walked up to exam it.

It was a good question. But if Corban hadn't mentioned it, then it wasn't worth mentioning.

They took one last look around before heading out. Then Thadius stood at the entrance, taking one last breath of the thin mountain air.

"Well, let's go. I'm ready to see what I've been missing." Thadius said as he took the first step of his epic journey.

Yuna moved to block his path. She had her hands clasped together with a begging look in her eyes.

Thadius knew what the deal was. "No."

Her eyes grew wider as they started to water.

"Fine." Thadius sighed in defeat,"But if you get caught, it's the end. Deal?"

"Yes!" In an amazing display of acrobatics, Yuna leaped into his shoulders.

Thadius just shook his head as he ran down the mountain at full speed.

Had they stayed for a few more seconds, they would have heard a voice coming from the storage room. Unfortunately, the tale of the mysterious door would be a story for another day.

Snow fell as Thadius rounded the ledge where they held the funeral. Then he leaped clear of the stairs he'd carved without so much as a pause.

"Weeeee!" Yuna cried as she lifted her hands up. She was having just as much fun as Thadius, who couldn't help but smile as he tested his top speed.

He ran at a breakneck pace for hours before he came to a familiar area. They had finally reached the trail the hunters used to climb the mountain, which meant that Yune wasn't far behind.Thadius continued his pace for a few more hours, and soon enough, they came within sight of a small hut on the outskirts of town.

Thadius couldn't contain his smile when he saw it, and slowed down as he neared the door. What he saw stopped him in his tracks.

Old Man Tony's hut was deserted. The side table, where he first met the old man, was flipped over, and the door was wide open. Thadius couldn't sense a single presence inside.

"Who lives here?" Yuna asked. She had vanished as soon as they arrived at the trail, but he could feel the shift in weight as she bent over to look at his face.

"A friend lives here. He's...gone now." Afraid of what he'd find within, he closed the door and walked away.

Tony had been as old as his master. It wouldn't be a surprise if he had passed in the last four years. Thadius was saddened, but he was determined to remain positive. There were other people he wanted to visit.

He strode into town with high spirits, which turned out to be a mistake. Everyone nearby moved away in fear from his Ambient Pressure.

"Thadius! The pressure!" Yuna whispered in response to his dumbfounded expression.

"Oops...." Thadius suppressed his pressure as much as he could without completely erasing his presence. The people around him breathed easier, but they were still wary. Unbeknownst to him, the entire city had been gripped by a sudden uneasiness from his pressure before he suppressed it.

They continued down the city streets with the citizens giving them a wide berth. Yuna looked around in awe. She'd never left the mountain, so every little thing had her thrilled. She had to catch herself from shouting out in excitement when something interesting caught her attention. She didn't want to lose her riding privileges on accident.

Before long, they stood in front of the Needle and Thread, the local tailoring shop. It had been a while, and Thadius had a lot to discuss with the master tailor and his daughter. Thadius opened the door to the shop and ducked inside to make it easier on Yuna.

Marshall was sitting at the front counter. His blonde hair had more streaks of silver than when Thadius had first met him. He looked up at Thadius with a tired expression.

"Welcome to the Needle and Thread what can-" Marshall stopped mid sentence as a confused look crept on his face."Thadius?"

"It's been a long time sir."