The Journey Begins

“Yes! Today is the day!” Kelvin told himself with utmost confidence. Today is the day that Kelvin will travel to the Gord Ruins to hone his skills. He was fuelled with so much anticipation and nervousness. He was humming a song all the time while he was getting his equipment ready to start his journey. He took no food with him just some knifes and a large cloth to make a tent. Kelvin ram all the stuff into his bag pack made of wolf skin. His clothes draped him perfectly, the nicely woven robes given to him by Raphael still is in good condition.

As he made his way to the door, he carried the not so weighty bag on his back, some incense on his left hand, and the scythe on his right. He walked slowly towards Raphael’s grave not far from his small but comfy cottage home while feeling nostalgic about the times he and Raphael were together. So many memories, now kept only with one person, sometimes Kelvin want to cry but he cannot, he had made a promise before Raphael’s death bed that he will not cry before him and something so minor as his death.

A grave stone could be seen for a distance, written on it “Father, Teacher & Friend”, below it was the resting place of Kelvin’s father figure and respected teacher. Kelvin stoped midway and used his scythe to make a slash on the ground, while doing that somehow, the incense caught fire and started to burn. Kelvin then put the incense down and prayed for forgiveness, he was deeply sorry for abandoning Raphael and still could not forgive himself even after some time have passed. “May your soul rest peacefully..” Kelvin said calmly while standing up. “Time to go Raph.. I’ll return.. I promise..” Kelvin added. After that he turned and walked towards the forest. This is the time where his journey will finally begin.

It took some time to get through the thick vegetation the covered the lush green forest at the base of the mountain. The forest was abundant flora and fauna at every corner. Each had their individual colour, shape, size and texture which inevitably made it unique as some of it only grew at the base of Gentle Gust. Kelvin took sometime off under a tree before embarking to the mountain trail towards Gentle Gust, as he knew that it will be a long road ahead.

While passing though the forest he found some berries which were just ripe enough to eat, it could be just a coincidence or just the same old divine providence, so Kelvin took some and kept it inside his wolf skin bag for some nourishment. He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the forest, he missed his life where he taught he was blind, at least during that time there were happiness and someone to talk to. Now, Kelvin’s just all alone with no one to depend on, how he wished that he had someone to love. Those were one of the thoughts in his mind. He was confused on where to go next uncertain of his place in the world but only one thing was clear, he is to defeat an elemental and become one of them. It was his teacher’s final wish and Kelvin is determined to fulfil it no matter what the cost.

After some rest, Kelvin stood up again with his trusty scythe, he started to hike up the mountain trail and from what Raphael taught him, there will be a lot of monsters and bandits around the area of the mountain trail. “Be aware at all times during this mountain path, many people have died from either being reckless or careless. Take good care on what’s above you.. That’s my advice..” That was what Raphael said and Kelvin shall follow it to the letter, nothing is certain here as one cannot differentiate friend from foe.

After hours of non-stop hiking up the torturous path of the Winding Peak, Kelvin decided that he should take a well deserved break. He sat down on a small stone on the side road while eating some of the berries he took from the forest and it was actually quite delicious, sweet yet with a mile texture of bitterness, just ripe enough for Kelvin. He was really fortunate to have found such scrumptious meal.

As he sat down, he recalled all the weird people that he meet during his journey up the path. An old traveler who wanted to blackmail him over a rusted old chainmail armor, a young lady who turned out to be a mage who wanted to steal his money and the third was the worst, a bandit trying to dress like a little red riding hood to get money! "Oh My God! What has happened to this world?!” Kelvin screamed in his mind in confusion.

Once his R & R was done, he started his journey again upwards but this time it was smooth sailing. No interruptions, nothing but pure winding steps upwards. Kelvin was pleased as he already made it to the cross road. There was a sign pointing towards the Gord Ruins from there and Kelvin pressed onwards without fail to train himself there.

[Continued in the Gord Ruins]