The campfire crackles, it's warmth envelops every one around it, giving them comfort and the feeling of ease.
Still, the atmosphere was chill as Germalid and Vox waiting for the answers from the very individual sitting across from them, Dante.
Dante takes a deep breath and begins.
Dante: I am Dante Redgrave... I unfortunately have no memory of where I come from or who my parents are. I just survived up until this point, using everything in my arsenal to move forward. Why am I here, you ask?
Well I thought, I could hitch a ride on your caravan to Greenwald. It's a big town with more opportunities. Honestly, I don't even know where am I going. I-I kind of lost.
Dante was putting on a show. How could he just reveal that, he just woken up two days ago in a child's body in completely different world, sent by God to kill his enemy.
As he was telling his fabrication of his life, he pulled his legs to his chest and looked down, crying a few tears in that moment. Seemingly being desperate and devastated.
Dante:(Oh, God. This is so humiliating. Please, please believe it, I got nothing else.)
The two was shocked, not because of his story.
They heard a lot of stories like that but what was unusual is the name.
"Redgrave"
The Redgrave family is one of the 3 most wealthiest and prestigious family in the Domain.
First:The royal bloodline, the most prestigious, wealthiest and powerful family: The Lucian.
Second: The Kings Knights, the second most prestigious and third wealthiest family but only second in power:
The Pendragon.
The third and last:
The Executioners, the third most prestigious and powerful family, there wealth only second to the Lucian family:
The Redgrave.
Four years ago there was an incident in the Redgrave family. The son of the Duke died dou to an accident when he was a baby but rumors say that the boy was kidnapped by an organization, named the Dark moon covenant.
Germalid was deep in thought even ignoring his apprentice constant mumbleing.
Germalid:( Redgrave!? His name is Dante Redgrave!? How can this be!? It must be a lie or a fluke, but considering the facts it's not far fetched. If he really is...)
Before Vox could even, question Dante on this ridiculous claim, Germalid intervenes.
Germalid: Kid, How old are you?
Dante looks up, a little bit surprised but he didn't show it. Not now! He just answered sobbingly, keeping the act going.
Dante: Four, I guess?
Vox:Master?
Germalid lifted his pipe once more to his mouth and took another deep puff.
Germalid:*hoooh* I see. Kid, thank you for sharing. How about you head in the back and sleep, the road is long and you will need every ounce of your strength.
Germalid reach out and caressed the top of Dante's head as he finished.
Germalid: Alright?
Dante felt confused. Nobody ever showed care for him in his life. This was a new sensation. Strange but not unwelcomed.
He stood up and left the two at the campfire.
As he entered the cart, Germalid have brought out a rune stone bracelet that musk's the bearer's voice for outsider's and wrapped it around his and Vox's hand so nobody could hear there conversation.
Vox:Master, are you truly believe what he said? That he is a Redgrave?
Germalid: Everything makes sense Vox. His age, his circumstances and most importantly.
You also saw it, didn't you. His eyes, I know only one person with such eyes and that is the Duke of the Red gate.
Vox: You mean to tell me, that this kid is actually, truly the child of that man. The head of the Redgrave family. Master, even coming from you, that is insane!
Germalid: I know but we can't leave him like that in Greenwald. If he is truly the son of Darius Redgrave and if they learn that we abandoned his son in a city, all alone right after we found him. We are going to be haunted until the end of our lives.
Vox looked conflicted but he spoke what was on his mind.
Vox: If we take him to the Redgate and it turns out he lied, than we are also dead.
They will think we mock the memory of there deceased son and hang us! You know the Redgraves, they don't hesitate to take drastic measures, especially if it's about one of there own.
Germalid and Vox sat there in silence for a while, than they have decided. They will venture to the Capital, Insornia. There, they can ask for the help of an old friend, so they
can make sure that the boy tells the truth or not.
Germalid: Until than, we have to make sure that the kid won't be in anymore life threatening danger. If he really is the Duke's son and this little journey of there's gets into there ear. That would be a disaster.
Also, his identity must remain a secret. Keep a close eye on him and make sure, that he doesn't do anything reckless.
Vox:As you wish Master. Now you should get some rest. I'll be the first one on watch.
Germalid removed the bracelet and head to sleep but before that, he spoke to Vox.
Germalid: Alright and also make sure that you don't fall asleep just like last time. Hahaha.
Vox: Master! That was just a one time thing!
...
In a vast dessert adorned with broken buildings and skyscrapers, half buried in the sand of the desert.
Dante was standing at the foot of the biggest one. He looked around and saw nothing but a desert and the jungle of the broken and abandoned buildings, partial buried in the sand.
As he walked along the main street, the sun cast an enormous shadow that enveloped the entire main street and half of the city.
He looked in the direction of the one who or what, casted the shadow. A figure was standing atop of the highest skyscraper, looking down at the city like a king who owned everything below his feet.
The figure's eyes fell on Dante, and Dante's eyes also met the stranger's. The two were far apart but somehow they shared a deep connection.
Before anything could have happen or being said between the two, a giant sand storm came in and ravaged the city. The storm was so strong, that Dante could barely stand and before long, the storm blown him away. As he was falling faster and faster, Dante saw that he was about to crash land so he braced himself for impact. Only to wake up in his bed.
Back in the cart, he is feeling refreshed but utterly defeated. He was in there, in his inner world but he got forced out. Why? Why did Zangetsu forced him out?
Dante(Why? I was there, and he threw me out. From my own world. This is insane! )
Dante took a deep breath and got up. He peeked outside, they were moving ever so slowly. The sun wasn't so high in the sky, it was still before noon. He sat back down and started to think.
Dante:(Well, he doesn't answer me and possibly avoids me. Why? I don't know. I have to figure it out later. If I can't train my Soul Reaper powers, than I start at the other route.)
...
Germalid: You want WHAT!?
Dante now fully awake, started working on his Quincy powers but without a quincy cross, he can't do anything. So he looked through the cart and found an ore that can be used as an emitter and can constantly absorb energy from the surrounding.
Dante: Please! I only need just this one.
Germalid annoyed by Dante's antics continued.
Germalid: Kid. That is an awe stone. One of the most rarest and most expensive ores in the whole world! You can't expect me to just lend you a piece like that.
Dante trying to use his privileges as a kid, put up the best puppy dog eyes he could and pursueded the Dwarf again.
Dante: Pleeaasee. Uncle Germalid.
Germalid just massaged his forehead already regretting his decision that he is about to make. He exhaled deep and told him.
Germalid: huuuuuuh...Fine. BUT! Only the one. Understand?
Dante: Yes! I understand. Thanks Unc.
With that Dante jumped down and with lightning speed he retreated back into the cart. In the cart Dante immediately started to use Transmute to make his cross.
About an hour of grueling process. Dante was holding a six-pointed cross hanging on a chain, made entirely of awe stone.
Dante: Finally done. Let's try it.
Dante closed his eye and focused, first nothing happened but after a few minutes.
A faint blue hue started fill the cart, the cross started to absorb the spirit energy from the surrounding. The energy than transformed into a bow.
Dante was astonished, he made a breakthrough. He awakened his Quincy powers, now the question what can he do?
Dante has decided to refine his mana till noon, afternoon came the endurance training. His Fullbring's limit and power purely depends on his physical capabilities, especially on his stamina. So, as long he could. He would jog along the caravan to build his endurance.
If he got tired, he took a seat on one of the carts and began to meditate to refine his mana. He did not waste a single minute of the day. If his mind got tired, he ran. If he was getting exhausted physically, he meditated.
This cycle continued until the evening. A sun begun to set, the group stopped and made camp. Dante eager to try out his Heilige Bogen, he volunteered to hunt this time.
The other two were doubtful but they gave him a chance. If he can fight a whole bandit camp, he can hunt down a simple animal.
Dante disappeared into the woods. Unknowingly Dante also head a silent observer. A sphere was floating in the air, on closer inspection it was like an eye.
Back in the camp Germalid had his two fingers over his left eye. Around his eye were glowing runes in a circle.
Vox:How is things, Master?
Vox asked as he horded the firewood and prepared the kindling for the fire.
Germalid: So far so good. No danger in sight and he has been tracking a long Horn. It's an interesting choice and a hard challenge, maybe if he is lucky...
Dante have arrived at his destination. His sharingan locked on the very target on the other side of his hiding spot, about 30-40 meters.
Dante: Alright, Let's see.
He held his cross and activated it. The process was now far faster than before.
But unfortunately the light and the sound startled the animal and ran away at high speed.
Dante: Damn it! No you won't!
Dante activated bringer's light and chased after the animal. The moment he was in range he drew his bow, his sharingan spinning franticly.
-Ksshh, thung-
He shot and missed. His shot was way off and he accidentally shot off a bigger tree branch which smacked him in the face.
He fell to the ground, defeated.
Rubbing his face, he got up and he couldn't see anything. The dinner is gone.
He spent more than an hour searching for anything but luck was not on his side, the commotion, that the chase caused made all the animals in the vicinity to escape.
Utterly defeated, he decided to head back to camp. The deer like creature not just managed to escape but left Dante without any other alternatives for food.
As he approached the camp, the sweet aroma of roasted meet caught his nose. As he quickened his pace, he reached the camp and what he saw baffled him. They there were, sitting around the campfire and eating roasted meet without a care in the world.
As he approached, mouth watering at the site, Vox was the first to speak.
Vox: Well look at that! The great hunter graces us with his presence.
Dante ignoring Vox's mockery, he speedily ran and try to grab a piece of meat but Vox slapped his hands away.
Vox: Now,now! Only the ones working hard disserve a hearty meal. What did you contribute to the evening?
A bulge appeared on Dante's forehead and in a split second, he drawn his revolver at put it at Vox's head.
Dante: Contribute? How about human meat? I think it would taste like chicken if you ask me.
Beads of sweat started to roll down his forehead, when Vox stared into Dante's blood red eyes. A single tomoe spinning lazily, not even considering Vox a danger.
Germalid: Boys that's enough. Who can expect, that Dante at his first try succeeds.
Come on kid, sit down and eat.
Dante holsterd his gun and eagerly started to eat. Eating everything in sight. As they were eating Germalid asked.
Germalid: Can you show me the item, that you made? After all, I was the one who lent you the material.
Dante hesitated but gave his cross to Germalid for examination. As Germalid was examining the item, his eyes bulged.
Germalid: What an exceptional craftsmanship. The cross can emitt and absorb spiritual energy. And than the user if skilled enough can form an energy weapon.
How did you get the idea?
As Dante was eating he casually replied.
Dante: The Ace of Spades requires physical ammo to fire. If it rans out in mid fight, it technically becomes useless. So I thought of a weapon, that can not run out and I came up with this.
Vox was speechless, he him self can't craft an item such as this, but the kid can.
What a monsteres talent, he thought.
Germalid: hmm, but you are not very skilled with a bow. I would have combined it with your "revolver" as you call it to have maximum precision and as you say infinite ammo.
Dante paused in mid bite, he never thought of combining the two but thinking about it, it doesn't seem so far fetched idea.
Dante: Thanks for the tip, Old man.
After Dinner, Germalid took the first watch and everyone else gone to sleep, well almost everyone.
Dante wasn't able to sleep. The idea of combining his Quincy cross and his revolver was not leaving his mind.
In the night Dante decided to give it a try. He remembered, that upon his failure of a hunt, he came across a lake. He decided to head there to test his hypothesis. As he was leaving Germalid spotted him.
Germalid: Where are you going kid?
Dante: Uhm... nature calls.
Germalid:hmm, I see. Be back as soon as possible.
Dante: Sure.
As he ran off, Germalid used his fake eye to keep an eye on him. Just in case.
As Dante reached the lake, he pulled out both his cross and revolver. He had a picture in his mind, he just needed to make it so. Dante placed his cross onto his gun and began.
Dante: Please, just work!
Dante took his position and maintained the picture in his head, imagining the process how the cross becomes part or the gun.
With everything in place , he took a deep breath and begin.
Dante: TRANSMUTE!
To be continued....