The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

"Brother Oscar! That hurts!" Quinn rubbed his shoulder while lying on the floor. "Can't you go easier?"

"You're the one who was so insistent on having me train you. No complaining about that." Oscar said, stretching his tired body. He looked up at the stagnant molten orb with a sigh. It had been a week now. The overflows of lava should have subsided. He could only go around with Avril to travel, go to Tung Village to talk with the villagers, or train the little brat, Quinn.

Reaching his hand out, Oscar pulled Quinn to his feet and patted the dirt off him. Quinn quickly hurried to his spot and took up a stance. Even as the boy complained, he was passionate and driven to learn more. It was a shame that Quinn lacked an Exolsia with this dedication. Oscar only taught him how to fight with his body but avoided the Reis.

"Keep your hands up and mind your feet. A battle is about territory." Oscar said.

"Yes!" Quinn clenched his hands and prepared for his incoming attack.

"This is the first time I've seen my grandson so behaved. It's a miracle." Old Yule laughed, watching from the sidelines. Quinn was beaten back to the floor in mere moments, a heaving mess of dirt and sweat.

"Hey! It's almost time to leave, isn't it?" Avril arrived with Erden, who kept his mouth shut around Old Yule and Quinn.

"Yes. It is around time." Oscar smiled.

"Sister Avril! You have to help me! Brother Oscar keeps bullying me." Quinn patted off all of the dirt and ran toward her.

"Oi," Irked, Oscar grasped Quinn's head and pulled him back. A deep frown formed on his face as he squeezed slightly on Quinn's head. The little brat tried to take advantage of Avril and seek comfort from her. "You still have one more session. Let's finish that up."

"Help!" Quinn shouted.

Deaf to Quinn's pleas, Oscar dragged him back to spar once more. After another quick session, Oscar hopped on Erden with Avril in front. He waved goodbye to smiling Old Yule and the scowling Quinn and rode toward their next destination.

"Old Yule said to be careful in the larger towns. There isn't much order and stability, so stay close to me." Oscar said.

"Got it. She's excited to see a real town, unlike the village from earlier. Chief Suri was nice and told great stories about his past, but she desires to see the places!" Avril pumped her fists and knocked her head back, bumping into Oscar.

"Stop moving around so much. You'll ruin your braids." Oscar readjusted her head forward with a sigh, smiling helplessly at her antics. "Let me tighten your face cloth."

"O-ok," Avril went silent, her body curled as she swayed sheepishly. Oscar redid the face cloth, fixating his eyes on the back of her head. With a final knot, he pulled on it several times and nodded in satisfaction. Her face cloth should have no trouble for the day.

Oscar grasped just how far away Old Yule, Quinn, and Tung Village lived on the outskirts of the Burning Valley because this town was the farthest from the central cities, bordering the outskirts. He hoped to witness many great sights with Avril. But the Burning Valley had nothing to offer other than volcanoes, rivers of lava, deserts of ash and soot, and pits of boiling muddy water.

Despite all their speed, the journey to the closest town took a few days. Avril's sullen mood changed to her usual fanfare, exclaiming at the short black walls made from volcanic obsidian. Avril pleaded with Oscar for them to enter as soon as possible.

Coming closer to the entrance, Oscar unmounted Erden and eyed the area. The town was strange compared to others in his memory. No guards were posted around, not even a person to check their identity. "So this is Rockfell. Stay close, Avril."

"No problem. I have you and Erden with me." Avril hooked her arms around Erden's antlers and Oscar's left arm, bringing them close, a sweet gesture from her straightforward and innocent mind. She hummed and pulled the two along.

Oscar chuckled and hooked his arm tighter. He always allowed Avril to indulge in her acts. Still, Oscar kept his guard up, watching his surroundings like a hawk as they passed through the open entrance. When he entered, he stopped, his mouth agape at the brutal scene.

The view near the entrance appeared to be a marketplace of sorts. People had set up shoddy stalls out of a few long stones with a tarp nailed on top with their goods spread on the floor. There was rampant stealing and killing of either the thief or shopkeeper. Some shopkeepers remained untouched, quietly releasing their presence in some form of deterrence.

Stolen story; please report.

"Oscar…is this alright?" Avril tightened her hold on Oscar's arm, scared of what she saw.

"No. Old Yule mentioned most towns are as rough as this. Let's go through and see if we can't find a map or information." Oscar tugged her closer, and they browsed the market, ignoring the scuffles around them.

Some of the wares amazed Oscar. Some grade-three armaments, cores, and ores were scattered at the stalls with no violence around them. Their shopkeepers were all in the Knight Exalt realm. As Oscar wondered if he could set up a stall and sell for information, a loud commotion broke out as a group exited one of the large stone buildings.

"What a waste of time. Those bastards didn't have what I wanted." A man, clad in shell-like armor from head to toe, lifted his head and spat on the ground.

"It's alright, boss. We can just skip to the next town. Everything here is worthless." One of the members said. Presumably, this was another gang of marauders like Taren's.

The armored man grunted and glanced around, and his eyes stopped on Oscar and Avril. He licked his lips and smiled, "Looks like not everything here is worthless. Hey! You!"

Oscar and Avril glanced at each other in confusion and turned back to see if someone was behind them.

"I'm talking to you two. I haven't found a good woman in a long while. Hand her over." The man spouted nonsense.

Oscar felt a pressure bearing down on him, increasing in intensity. The man was a Middle Knight Exalt and stronger than Taren by a mile. Oscar glared coldly at the rude stranger whose hand extended toward Avril, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

Oscar was about to act when a fast slap came from Avril onto the man's face, shocking him, the man, and the rest of their gang. Oscar came to his sense. Something was wrong with Avril; her face was deathly pale and breaking out in a sweat, and her heart was beating thrice as fast as before, felt from her arm. Oscar wanted to fight, but Avril's condition made him wary.

'You're lucky.' Oscar carried Avril in his arms and ran away with Erden, leaving the man stunned. He heard a scream of anger as they gave chase. But Oscar escaped through the many alleyways of the town. The town might be small, but it had a wide network of alleyways.

"Are you alright?" Oscar let Avril stand on her own. She clutched her chest and leaned on the dirty alley.

"I'm…fine. I think." Avril breathed out in gasps and looked around. Out of nowhere, she screamed and ran faster into the alley.

"Avril?" Oscar glanced back and only saw some decrepit old men, skinny and dying, rats gathered around bones which he hoped weren't what he thought they were, scantily clad women, sad and barely conscious, and children, starving and in broken chains. He didn't know what set her off, but he had to give chase. "Where are you going?"

Avril vomited in the corner of the alleyway and tripped on an uneven stone, slamming her back into the wall. She saw shadows moving around her, chilling shadows that crept up, grasping her heart. She screamed, huddled near the other corner, and covered her ears.

"N-no!" She shouted.

A shadow stepped closer; each step sounded clear and distinct, like the hands on a clock. Tick tock. Tick tock. The time was dwindling for Avril as she faced the shadow. It held a large scythe, and the alleyway started to freeze, encased in a layer of ice. The ice spread and froze her legs.

No way out, no way to move; she was stuck. Her face paled, and she couldn't stop the tears. How could they have found her here? Was everything in vain? Avril shouted again, "I'm sorry! I won't do it again. I won't escape."

The shadow didn't respond as usual. The ice spread all over Avril, leaving her head intact. It was cold, so cold her heart stopped beating. But she truly felt a chill when the cold scythe approached her face. Avril screamed louder, pleading and begging. However, the scythe arrived and slowly stabbed into her.

"Avril…." Oscar reached out his hand toward her. She flinched and convulsed on the floor, shouting out incoherent sounds like she was being tortured. Her hands remained fixed on her ears, her nail dug into her head even as blood flowed out, and her bright golden eye dulled with no spark within.

"I-I-I…sorry….I-I'm sorry…." Avril cried. Tears overflowed, and the cloth over the right side of her face was soaked, stuck to her face. Again as Oscar tried to move toward her, she screamed and backed away, banging her head on the alleyway wall. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Please…."

"Oscar. This is…." Erden lost his words.

"Avril. What is it?" Oscar maintained his distance from Avril. Any closer, and she would react harshly. Her cries and pleas cut deep, shaking his thoughts. One look in her eyes, and he knew she wasn't seeing him but someone else, the main culprit behind Avril's torment. In a desperate attempt, he tried to speak again, "Avril. I'm here. It's Oscar."

"Ahhhhh! Ahhhhhh!" Avril lowered herself to the floor, banging her head on the stone. "Please…kill me. Kill me."

"...." His shock turned to speechlessness. No word or thought could describe what he felt seeing her in this state. The pain he heard in those last words struck him. The lively and bright Avril, who never failed to make him smile, lay broken and in misery. The faint hints of her previous depressed states were minor compared to now.

Oscar wanted to do something for her, but how could he help? He wanted to avoid hurting her, but perhaps the only choice was to knock her unconscious. Right when Oscar stepped forward, a loud clamor rose behind him. The laughs and jeers grew closer.

"Hey, you bastard. I finally found you. You dare embarrass me in front of my men and walk away." The voice of the lecherous Exalt laughed. "Is that the woman over there? Hah, perfect. She'll be the perfect pastime for me and my men."

"Hey…." Oscar snarled and stood up. Every word that spilled from the bastard's mouth disgusted him, infuriated him. Avril needed help, and this scum stepped in his way and insulted her. Oscar's blood ran hotter than the magma of this cursed land. He turned to face them, and his eyes glared, bloodshot and wild.

Hatred and frustration boiled. Oscar clenched his fists and stood between them and Avril. He spoke a single word, a chilling voice, "Die."

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