The Evernon Saga - The Journey Of Ascension, A Struggle For Godhood.

(Day 2 - afternoon)

Like the infinite air and the never-ending tides, regret plagued William like a life-threatening disease. The only difference was that it threatened his sanity.

Why didn't I ask what being a disciple entailed?!

He pulled his hair in frustrated agony as he ground his teeth.

"Truly, you're one of the oddest people that I've ever met!" laughed Aiden, "You seem to be intelligent, yet you make the stupidest mistakes!"

William grumbled under his breath in response.

"William, I have something to show you, but we will need to head back to my family's estate for a brief period," proposed Aiden.

"That's quite fine with me, shall we go for some lunch afterwards?"

"Sure! Follow me!"

Aiden was in high spirits from that moment on.

***

A few alleyways later...

William and Aiden were traversing isolated and quieter areas with very low human traffic, taking shortcuts on their way to Aiden's family's estate.

"We're almost there, just a few streets and a turn further," informed Aiden.

William nodded, before stopping.

Something was wrong. He could feel it.

"Aiden."

"Mhm, I know," concurred Aiden, "I may or may not have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way."

"What do you mean by, 'wrong turn'?"

As if in response to that, 7 youths appeared from a corner of the alleyway they were in.

"It seems that we've entered the territory of a rival group," sighed Aiden, "This is my fault, William."

William grinned as he flexed his muscles, "Don't worry, I was just thinking about how and when to train today, but it seems that today, my 'training' came to me!"

The largest of the youths, who was around their age but certainly not their height, stepped forward, towering over both of them by more than a head.

"You're in the territory of the Weeping Skull Platoon!" shouted the burly youth, "Pay us a fee of 7 silver if you wish to pass unharmed."

A fee?

William thought to the 10 silver in the pouch Roxanne had given him, fighting spirit burning up within him.

Aiden had taken the liberty of stealthily hiding behind William, fishing a black cloth from one of his hidden pockets. He wrapped it around his head and hair like a mask, concealing his appearance. Clearing his throat, Aiden's voice deepened as he spoke up.

It was still by no means a voice befitting a young man, but it was as close as Aiden had gotten so far.

"Ah, the esteemed Weeping Skulls!" exclaimed Aiden dramatically, "How honoured and fortunate am I, to have chanced upon the members of such a prestigious group!"

The burly youth spat on the floor in response, as the rest of his entourage snickered.

"Enough boot-l.i.c.k.i.n.g! Either you pay the fee, or we'll break some bones and take your screams as payment!"

The air around Aiden changed after that was said, as he turned cold, and much more serious. No longer was he the bubbly, shy, playful Aiden that William had gotten to know.

Taking a stance that William had not seen before, Aiden readied both of his arms relaxedly in front of him.

"I'd like to see you try."

The burly youth smirked, charging at William with 2 others.

William side-stepped, expecting to dodge the burly youth, before getting unexpectedly hit with a lariat, which he had never seen before. Seeing the sky during a fight, for the first time in a long time, William could only smile.

He had been itching for a fight.

As the burly youth barreled past, William thrust both of his hands upwards behind his head whilst falling to the floor. He pushed off while kicking out with both legs, catching one of the youths who had followed the burly youth, in the throat.

The youth let out a sickening gurgling noise as he staggered, falling to one knee, clutching his throat, wheezing as his panicked eyes grew as wide as saucers.

1 incapacitated, 2 left.

William landed in a crouched position, before instinctively throwing himself forward into a roll, as a heavy foot stomped down into the thin air where his back used to be. Turning around, William readied his fists, seeing the other youth running to the one whose throat he kicked. The look in both their eyes was one of terror.

"How dare you hurt my men!" roared the burly youth, throwing a punch towards William's face.

At that exact moment, an idea took shape in William's mind.

"Fa'ru," mouthed William silently.

Ducking underneath the punch and pushing the arm away, William stepped inside the burly youth's guard, simultaneously creating a Perfected Force Rune on his right fist. Punching diagonally upwards into the burly youth's stomach, William consciously used about half his strength.

Hitting the burly youth with a force worth 40 Strength.

The burly youth released an agonized grunt, as his body flew a metre backwards, his feet just barely leaving the floor. He landed off-balance, on his heels, and collapsed flat on his back. He writhed in pain, groaning and clutching his stomach as he sat up and tried to stand, before violently and uncontrollably vomiting his lunch all over the ground.

1 incapacitated, 1 vomiting, 1 left.

"Will you fight?" asked William, pointing a fist toward the third youth, who was currently supporting the youth who was kicked in the throat.

He shook his head frantically, helping his friend sit down with his back against a wall.

Turning to spectate Aiden's fight, William realized that they had not started yet, and that the 4 youths were staring at him in horror. Aiden made a small cheering gesture with an arm, pumping his right fist into the air.

William's fight had lasted less than 15 seconds, with him ending it in exactly two moves.

"Sub-Boss Danny..."

"He really beat Sub-Boss Danny..."

The 4 youths panicked, as their 'brave' young hearts lost their pillar of courage.

One of them refused to back down, gritting his teeth.

"Capture the other one!"

He rushed at Aiden, attempting to grab and restrain him.

The next thing he felt, was a gust of wind.

The next thing he saw, was the beautiful blue sky.

The last thing he felt, was his body slamming down onto the cold, hard, stone floor.

His vision blurring, the youth gasped, as he was thoroughly winded.

Aiden had twisted past the reaching hands, grabbed the youth, and thrown him over his shoulder, slamming him back-first onto the floor.

Seeing how quickly one of them was dispatched, the youths were afraid, but would not let their comrade's effort be completely in vain.

"Capture him, we'll bring him back to the Boss!"

"Yeah!"

Backpedalling, Aiden hopped backwards, evading their initial grabs. One of the youths charged, the other two following close behind him, circling around in an attempt to flank Aiden.

Aiden slapped the first youth's outstretched hand away, before grabbing his wrist and pulling himself forward, and the youth towards him. He elbowed the youth's nose, an audible 'crack' sounding out, before checking him explosively with his shoulder, sending him sprawling backwards.

Seeing the other two youths about to successfully flank him, Aiden leapt forwards into a front handspring, using the youth on the ground as 'floor', eliciting a pained grunt as the entirety of Aiden's weight suddenly landed on and pushed off of his stomach.

Aiden settled into another stance, with both hands open in front of him. Walking forwards, he approached the two youths who were now running towards him. Ducking underneath a kick, Aiden turned his body, and leaned forward, launching a palm strike with both hands onto the abdomen of the youth on his right, and donkey-kicking the other one behind him.

William observed Aiden's fighting style keenly.

Disruptive, explosive, yet elegant.

Aiden controlled and disabled his opponents, and was obviously an Agility-type fighter, rather than a pure Strength-type like Magnar. He used well-timed, explosive movements which incorporated his entire body to make up for the lack of raw power he had, and techniques to make up for his smaller physique.

William stroked his chin in thought, eagerness to spar with Aiden building up inside him, before vaguely realizing that he may have picked up or solidified that habit due to Joseph's influence.

Aiden turned around, facing the youth he donkey-kicked, launching a palm strike at his face, which stopped before making contact.

A feint.

Aiden had already prepared his leg by sliding it behind him, before swiftly and explosively kicking the youth's groin, powering the attack with his whole body.

A sound between a groan and a scream trickled out from the youth's gaping mouth, as he collapsed, both hands clutching his family jewels.

William and the other youth winced, their legs subconsciously closing, as they felt severe discomfort in their own groins.

The remaining youth threw a fake hook at Aiden, with the plan of running away, as an unbelievable spectacle unfolded in front of his eyes. Aiden's upper body leaned forwards, extremely far forwards, avoiding the hook whilst pivoting on his left leg. His right leg was nowhere to be seen.

Precisely, it was nowhere to be seen.

Somewhere, however, it was felt.

An extremely high back roundhouse kick struck the back of the youth's head, throwing it forward as he stumbled, his world flashing and shaking before his eyes. A final, explosive uppercut blasted the youth's jaw, as his head was thrown backwards, his body now standing straight, as his unconscious eyes stared blankly into the sky.

Lights out.

His body fell to the ground, akin to a felled tree.

All 7 youths were now either incapable of fighting, or were unwilling to continue.

Sub-Boss Danny had just recovered from his vomiting fit, was incredibly unsteady on his feet, and very nervous. That single punch from William sent his entire body into a cold sweat with how much force was behind it. It was so inconspicuous, yet so powerful.

He could not help but gulp.

William walked up to Aiden, and could not help but see him in a new light.

"Those were some nice moves, I'd like to spar with you one of these days," admitted William.

"Hehe, what do you have in mind?"

"I'd like to see, and maybe experience some of your hand techniques."

"That's...doable."

Aiden's imagination was currently beginning to wander away from fighting.

"That kick you did at the end was beautiful! I find the way you move your body to be extremely captivating, yet it amazes me how you maintain your elegance throughout!"

Aiden's mind and face were beginning to overheat.

"My b-body, m-move captivating?" stammered Aiden, his speech failing him.

"With your expertise in standing combat, I'm curious about how your combat skills are on the ground. It would be ideal if we could wrestle, and in case you're lacking in experience, I could give you tips if you have some free time tonight!"

"Wrestle?! Tonight?!"

Aiden swiftly covered himself with his arms, one over his c.h.e.s.t and one reaching down despite the fact that he was dressed, as he backed away slowly. His mask hid his furious blush, which would've been exposed otherwise.

"I-I don't think that's very...appropriate," mumbled Aiden, avoiding eye contact with William.

"Appropriate? What do you mean?" asked William, turning to those who were still conscious amongst the youths that attacked them, "I don't think I said anything too peculiar, right?"

As soon as those words left his mouth, they died in the silent air.

The conscious youths who had overheard their conversation looked at William strangely, awkward expressions on their faces.

What?

William failed to recognize anything unusual in the way he spoke, for although he was no longer a v.i.r.g.i.n, his mind was still pure and innocent. It was to the point where even when he knows that the act of s.e.x exists, he is not mentally capable of connecting the act itself to references of it in conversations.

The teenagers of the Capital, on the other hand, were a different story.

"P-putting that aside, let's be on our way to my family's estate, shall we?" suggested Aiden.

William nodded, his mind as still as an untouched pond on a day without wind.

Aiden, on the other hand, was suppressing the choppy waters in his mind, due to William's careless words.

Before truly leaving, Aiden turned around one last time.

"Listen up, you lot!" shouted Aiden, "The Weeping Skulls may be vast in number, but your meagre strength is nothing in comparison to the Silver Servants!"

The 7 youths shuddered involuntarily upon hearing that name.

The Silver Servants.

A band of worshippers so fervent about their Boss, that their vast influence and burning passion caused them to number over five hundred, after a mere week of coming into existence. The Silver Servants were founded 3 months ago, now over two thousand strong, making them the most powerful group, and the absolute overlords of their generation.

The Weeping Skull Platoon was a group that barely exceeded four hundred in number since its creation, and were the third-largest group amongst the youngsters of the Capital.

Aiden was completely correct in saying that their numbers and strength truly did pale in comparison to the Silver Servants.

"Are y-you from the Silver Servants?" asked the burly youth warily, fearful of the answer he did not want to receive.

Aiden used his thumb to do a slicing motion across his neck.

"The Boss will be hearing about this matter, so prepare yourselves," warned Aiden, "Unless you're willing to compensate me for my efforts, of course..."

The youths from the Weeping Skull Platoon could only smile awkwardly and half-heartedly.

We have to pay you for thrashing us?!

***

In the end, Aiden extorted 5 silver, a very hefty amount for people their age, from each of the 7 youths. Adding that silver to the allowance that William had received, he now had a total of 45 silver. Aiden also demanded the burly youth's coin sack, which was considerably bigger than the small pouch that Roxanne had given to William.

William felt the weight of the stuffed sack in his hands, feeling somewhat guilty about having earned money this way. However, he could not deny that it felt good to earn so much at one go with such little difficulty.

William paused mid-stride.

Is this why it is said that people change after a long time of being in the Capital and other big cities?

"What's wrong, William?" inquired Aiden with concern.

"It's nothing, are we close?"

"Yes, in fact, we'll enter the street we need to be on if we keep heading straight."

William looked ahead, towards the end of the last alleyway, one of the many that they used as shortcuts. The bright daylight at the end of the path consumed and illuminated him, as they entered a street very unlike the one they were on before, where the inn 'Crust Pans and Beds' was.

The stone of the street itself was made up of something more lavish, smooth, and visually pleasing. It was an elegant shade of ivory, and gave off an air of opulence.

William observed their surroundings with a look of wonder, the architecture stunning him into silence.

Each and every building was significantly taller, more colourful and complex than the previous street.

The people who walked here were no exception, as every single one of them was dressed well, and expensively. Many new, different styles and pieces of clothing were seen by William, who struggled to comprehend that clothing could exist in these forms.

Ladies in fancy dresses, donning dainty scarves and elegantly feathered hats.

Men wearing vests of various colours, with padding of resplendent metal on their shoulders, and imposing, greatcoats of luxurious furs or majestic, flowing capes.

Looks of disdain, contempt, and pity were cast his way, as the passersby walked past nonchalantly, living their wealthier lives.

Looking down at his simple linen shirt, shorts, and crude leather shoes, he felt mildly ashamed to be seen.

So this is what rich people look like, huh?

"William."

A small, slender finger poked William's right cheek, dragging him out of his self-deprecating thoughts.

"Come, let's purchase some clothes for you before we go to my family's estate," suggested Aiden eagerly, who had already grabbed William's right arm.

Hugging William's arm tightly to eliminate his chances of escape, Aiden dragged him to a certain store that he had in mind.

'Opulent Outfitters' stood on the large sign above the wide, two-storey establishment.

As soon as William was pulled through the doorway, a colourful world capable of putting rainbows to shame, enveloped him. Pieces of clothing of all kinds were hung or folded all across the room. From hats, to tops, to bottoms and shoes, as well as every form of object and accessory that could be worn, could be bought here. Furthermore, every section that contained a type of clothing, was sorted by colour as well.

The store was so well-organized and designed, that even with the stark, obvious separation between the different colours in each section, and each individual section, an indescribable harmony was created.

"Good day!" called Aiden cheerily as he removed his mask, "Try to guess who has returned!"

The shopkeeper, a young woman with a formidable layer of makeup upon her face, turned around with a joyful expression.

"Ah, if it isn't the Young Mistress!" she squealed, running forward to greet Aiden, "As usual, it's a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to have you!"

Aiden chuckled.

"Lilly, despite what you've hoped for years to be true, I will have to remind you that I am indeed, a man."

"Oh please, oh please, with how wonderful you look in dre-" began Lilly the shopkeeper, as Aiden moved forward to hold a finger to her lips, silencing them.

"Now, now, Lilly," warned Aiden subtly, "These lips of yours seem to be as energetic as ever, but, I am here today to arrange for an outfit for a friend of mine."

Upon saying this, Aiden shot Lilly a glare that William was unaware of, making her reconsider her choice of words.

"I meant that you look wonderful when dressed formally, Young Mistress!"

Aiden facepalmed.

Sometimes, there was no getting through to this woman.

Lilly turned to face William, her cheerful expression transforming as she did so. Having glanced at his pathetic attire of low quality, her gaze turned into that of someone looking at dirt, or trash along the road.

"Young Mistress, my apologies in advance for being rude, but it seems that you have made the wrong type of friend," began Lilly with disdain, "It appears to me that he wishes to use you for your pure heart, and being the kind, generous maiden that you are, he hopes to have you pay for him."

Aiden was speechless.

Did she really just say that to someone who will become a Tier 4 Titan's disciple?

"William, show her," commanded Aiden simply.

William's left hand, moved from behind his back to reveal the bulging sack of silver it held.

Lilly was stupefied.

"Big...that's really big for someone who looks like you..." breathed Lilly in anticipation, eager to earn a profit.

Aiden felt his face heating up, turning red once again upon remembering what he ended up seeing in Amelia's study earlier that day, subconsciously nodding in agreement.

Seeing Aiden blush, Lilly began to put together a few pieces of the puzzle in her mind.

It seems there is a spark of sorts between the two that I must foster!

Lilly cleared her throat, "Ahem, please excuse my fault in attitude...William, was it?"

"Yes, Miss Lilly."

"Very good, I only entertain customers who can afford to pay for what they ogle at."

William nodded, realizing that it made sense.

If a merchant wished to sell, it was only logical that they would do so amongst a crowd with the money to pay for their wares.

Lilly stepped aside and gestured with an arm, "Now, this way please, I'm sure that the Young Mistress has many things in mind for you to try on."

Aiden pulled William along, as they browsed the wares of Lilly's store.

***

An hour later...

The two had been at it for almost an hour, before finally settling on an ensemble that Aiden was pleased with, as William was pushed behind some curtains to change into the outfit.

After plenty of struggling and eventually some help from Aiden and Lilly, William emerged from the curtains a new man.

William shifted uncomfortably in his outfit, as he had never really worn this many clothes in warm weather before.

Wait...warm weather? Wasn't it supposed to be winter right now?

Confusion bubbled up wildly in William's mind as he realized the disparity between the weather in the Capital and the time of the year, before pushing those thoughts back down.

How the weather could be warm and sunny in the Capital during winter, was too confounding a concept for him to even consider.

William looked into a body-length mirror, shocked into silence from what he saw.

A young man, who was even more handsome than usual, stood in his place.

He wore a sleek coat made of an unidentifiable fabric, instead of leather. The coat was coloured a very dark shade of grey, almost to the point of being black. It had iron buttons and a small, thin chain that ran from his right shoulder to his left b.r.e.a.s.t pocket. He knew not what its purpose could or would be, but it did look aesthetic.

He wore pants of a more mainstream shade of dark grey, woven out of another sleek material which he could not identify. It was exceedingly comfortable and even managed to fit his legs and their muscles perfectly. With a pair of high, sturdy, brown leather boots, his ensemble was complete.

He wore no headwear, for his hair was made sufficiently majestic to pass as a substitute. Lilly had taken a few drops of a clear, viscous liquid from a potion bottle, and personally rubbed it into William's hair, scalp, and face, moisturizing and nourishing them for the first time in his seaside life. The liquid also possessed effects for the hair, reducing its messiness and gathering it, making it easier for her to comb. Instead of a head of blonde hay, William now had a head crowned by golden, shining waves.

In just an hour, he had gone from the appearance of a peasant, to that of an esteemed Young Master of a noble family.

William failed to recognize himself for a full minute, staring in shock until he touched his face, seeing his reflection doing the same, and felt his own touch.

However, Aiden was perturbed by something, frowning slightly.

Lilly, on the other hand, felt her heart skipping a few beats.

She had witnessed this young man walk into her store, little more than a bathed mess, and in an hour and a tad bit of effort, his looks caused her to reconsider staying with her current boyfriend.

"This... is me?..." breathed William in disbelief.

Aiden leaned over to the near-drooling Lilly.

"I have an idea..."

Whispering rapidly, Aiden's words caused Lilly's lips to spread into a smile.

"That's quite the joke, Young Mistress. Did you really think that something of 'that' calibre would pose any trouble for me?"

Walking forward till she stood behind William, Lilly pulled out a needle and a ring of silver string from a pouch that hung at her waist.

"Hold still William, do not move even a bit, otherwise I can't guarantee that you won't lose some blood."

A chill racing up his spine, William complied, standing tall and rigid.

Lilly's hands transformed into a silver-coloured blur as the thread made from pure silver, was embroidered into the coat that William wore, while he was wearing it.

Aiden whistled.

It was always impressive to watch, no matter how many times he saw it.

William only felt gusts of wind blowing furiously throughout the store, seeing nothing of the process taking place. Behind his back, however, and before Aiden's eyes, a magnificent image was being born through Lilly's skilful embroidering.

The image Lilly was embroidering was complex, and quite large. It would have taken a skilled mortal tailor weeks of effort to complete.

However, for Lilly, a Tier 2 Lord, she had completed half of it in just under 2 minutes.

The silver threads were woven accurately into the fabric of the coat at a breakneck pace, as Lilly changed her stance while she weaved. Moving from William's back, to his left shoulder, and down his left upper c.h.e.s.t, Lilly finished there with a flourish.

On the left half of William's coat, was a woven image depicting a silver dragon. Its tail ended in the middle of the left side of his back, with its body and head travelling up his back, over his shoulders, and resting its head on his c.h.e.s.t.

The glittering silver threads were eye-capturing, and mesmerizing, with the pattern in which it reflected light changing with every movement William made.

Seeing this extravagant design being woven into the coat, William was shocked yet again.

Truly, the Royal Capital was a place filled with surprises.

"Turn sideways, I shall do the other side as well, free of charge."

***

4 minutes later...

William had undergone a complete metamorphosis, from a youth in ragged clothes, to a young man in elegant, enviable attire.

Nevertheless, William still kept his clothes with him, as he would never throw away anything that was made with his mother's effort.

"Um, Miss Lilly-"

"Just Lilly is fine," purred Lilly, d.e.s.i.r.e glinting in her eyes.

"Lilly, how much will this cost?" asked William tentatively, dreading the answer that was soon to come.

Lilly chuckled.

"This entire ensemble, disregarding the thread of silver and the few drops of the potion, costs around 1 gold."

William almost choked on the same air that kept him alive.

He did not even have half that amount!

"However, on the account of you being the Young Mistress's future fiancé and the fact that you look ravishing, I'll lower the price to 40 silver."

"Oh! How very kind of you! I can't believe-, wait, what?" asked William in confusion.

Aiden was almost red enough to produce steam, as he glared at Lilly, his cheeks puffed up.

"It was merely a joke, William. Pay it no mind," reassured Lilly.

Lilly turned to Aiden.

"Right, Young Mistress?"

Aiden nodded silently, using one of the collars of his coat to hide his flushed self.

"All right then, here's 40 silver."

"Thank you for your patronage, feel free to come back soon!" waved Lilly, "Very soon..."

Lilly had uttered those last two words with a wink aimed at William, who had noticed it, but failed to decipher any and all meaning behind it. Aiden, on the other hand, had not failed to decipher Lilly's intentions.

Grumbling, Aiden pulled William out of the store, as the latter carefully placed his hand-knitted clothes into the now much emptier sack for sake keeping.

Aiden and William now stood as two well-dressed young men on a wealthy street, now with looks of admiration and respect being aimed at William and his appearance, instead of derision.

He looked good, and felt even better. A truly satisfying combination for any teenager.

Aiden turned to William.

"Now that you're properly dressed for this area of the Capital, shall we head over to my family's estate?" proposed Aiden, "We will have to sneak our way around it, though, lest I get captured and brought back by force."

"No problem, just lead the way and I'll follow," agreed William.

A noble family's estate, huh?

I wonder what it's going to be like!