Siderius opened his eyes after a session of meditation. He looked at his status window.
[USER: Siderius ’Snow’ Satterblade]
[WITCH HUNTER RANK: OCULUS EXTIMA I]
[ALCHEMIST RANK: SILVER I]
[MERCURY EXTRACT: 8/150]
[PSYCHOSIS LEVEL: 29/125]
[TOXICITY LEVEL: 0/100]
Siderius counted using the ridges of his fingers.
"Eight hours for a psychosis point..." Siderius pondered. The psychosis caused by Fluff’s mutation required a lot of hours to be reduced. It was much more difficult than a normal psychosis.
Originally, Siderius predicted he would lower the psychosis entirely in a month or two. But the plan had changed. It would be a miracle for him to absorb this mutation within three months.
It might take even more time if the psychosis became harder to dissolve. Siderius wondered what the cause of this was.
Siderius stood up from the bed, geared up and left the room.
He had no more business staying in this abandoned monastery anymore. It was time to get back on the road.
This time, he wouldn’t need to walk with his feet any more.
Siderius stood in the courtyard and whistled. The screeching noise pierced through the air.
Red replied with a loud neigh. Its hooves blew up dust on the ground.
The horse stopped right in front of Siderius, waiting for him.
"Good boy!" Siderius petted the horse gently then jumped on its back. "Let’s ride!"
With Red, Siderius’ traveling speed greatly improved. The horse also had a good stamina which allowed them to stay on the road for a longer time.
The sunlight that day was rather harsh and Siderius’ eyes were stinging even with the shade provided by the obsidian glasses.
They didn’t stop for a break when noon came and kept on going. Siderius thought the entire day was going to be hot but the wind started howling.
Black clouds covered the sky and thunder roared above. The source of this content ɪs novel•fire.net
"Rain is coming." Siderius mumbled.
Red might not hate the rain. It was a creature of nature after all. But being soaking wet would ruin Siderius. The materials in his satchel would be destroyed by the rain.
"I should buy a rain coat or ask Ashe to make one..." Siderius wrote a mental note in his head for what he might need.
He rode for a little bit more, trying to find a thick foliage to stay under and hid himself from the rain.
Siderius was able to pick a good spot before rain started to fall. He collected dry woods from the surroundings to make a small campfire.
Keeping warm on the road was very important. Rain and temperature could be a detrimental threat to any traveler, although it might seem inconsequential at first.
It took Siderius only a few minutes to set up the fire and lit it up.
Siderius let Red stand near the campfire, right next to where he was. It knew Siderius well so there wasn’t a need to tie it up anymore.
Then he found a few big rocks and set them around the campfire to use as sitting platforms.
It might not be much. But it was more comfortable than sitting on the dirt.
Rain started falling and the cold wind blew over the hunter and the horse. It was cold but the fire kept them warm.
Siderius had also dug a small pit to put the fire in and a few rocks acting as wind barriers. So even in this weather, the fire stayed strong.
"You did good today. Here’s your lunch." Siderius fed the remaining hay to Red by hand. He couldn’t put them on the ground because the wind might blow them away.
This was also the last of his hay reserve as well. Siderius would need to feed Red the grass on the road or find an establishment and let them feed Red. Either way, their journey to Scalize should come to an end soon. According to the map, it should take no more than another day to the town.
After feeding Red, Siderius sat next to the campfire and had a meal himself.
He was minding his own business and watching the rain when he spotted another traveler coming his way.
A man riding a horse with a brown overcoat on his body. The coat had a hood, shrouding the man’s face in the shadow.
The man rode to the same tree as Siderius and jumped down.
The hunter stayed seated and continued eating his lunch. He did not, however, put his gaze away from the stranger.
"May I join you, fellow traveler?" The man spoke. He had a soft but hoarse voice, like a fine charcoal with little imperfection.
Siderius pointed to the rock in front of him, another one he set up as a seat.
"You’re expecting someone else?" The man sat down and pulled his hood down.
His hair was minimal, a stubble buzzcut. It was strange for people to have this kind of hair. The only people Siderius saw having it were the monks as they shaved their heads regularly.
The man wore a bandana covering the lower half of his face.
The stranger wasn’t afraid of revealing his identity and pulled his bandana down.
"I’m not expecting anyone." Siderius shook his head.
"Then why did you set up these seats?"
"In case I met a traveler like you, stranger."
"Good day to you. I am Eli." The stranger shared a smile and reached out his hand.
"Good day to you, Eli. I am Siderius." The hunter shook it.
"Are you a Reverend for the Outsider, Master Siderius?"
"Why do you think that?"
"I can feel his touch on you, Master Siderius. A very positive and favored touch."
Eli showed Siderius the back of his right hand. On it was a tattoo with the symbol of the Outsider. A rhombus with two tails and an arrow with two tips inside.
"I have never met someone that is as favored as you. Not even some Reverends or followers that dedicated their entire life toward him. You must be very special, Master Siderius."
"Want some bread?" Siderius said.
"Oh, yes. I still have some coins here."
"No need for coins. It’s my treat." Siderius threw the hard bread at Eli, which he caught clumsily. "And for the record, I am not a follower of the Outsider."
Siderius’ words made Eli stun gently.