His words still lingering in August's ears. August was caught off guard twice by this man.
August gulped, "Yes."
After a short while, he added, "Sir."
The man growled deep in his throat, "Hm"
After staring each other for a while, the man continued with his deep and calm voice, he asked, "What are you doing out here?"
August didn't prepare any answer for this question. In fact, he didn't know either. He just woke up in a pile of snow, naked, there's no way anyone would believe that.
After a long thoughtful process, a death silent came after. The man patiently waited for his answer while August couldn't think of any. The man stood like a statue. He stood with his arms crossed, looking serious. His fierce and tense gaze continued to tore August bit by bit.
Then, August came up with one word. It wraps up his situation in the most mysterious and enigmatic way possible, hoping that the man won't ask any further.
August answered, "Lost."
The man kept his calm and cold look. Out of nowhere, he asked, "You're not cold?"
August shook his head, "No."
The man sighed, "Not a chatty one, aren't you?"
After hearing this August immediately lampooned inwardly, That's you, old man...
The moment seems to pass slowly than ever. The tension still lingering in the air. August never relaxes his grip, and the knife still prepare its attack.
The man glanced at his knife slightly, he sighed again, "Lower your knife, kid. I mean no harm."
This just made August even more alert. How could he trust someone this suspicious. In the middle of nowhere, a man and his wolf, doesn't look normal.
"Look, kid."
The man took his first step and get a little closer to August. He talked while his face show no emotion, "Even if you try, you will ultimately lose. You know that. So, don't try."
That was a warning. August head hurts, it tried to calculate every possible outcome at once. Could he be a monster? A cannibal? There were too many bad outcomes to the point that stabbing his own throat would be better choice.
Another step forward, "Let's try again. I'm Rein. Northern Fang Rein. I'm sure you heard of me."
A question came up in his mind, What with the mood change, old man?
It was weird that a cold looking man with a cold manner suddenly change in just a few minutes. This even trouble August even more, could he be acting?
After hesitated for a moment, August decided to answer, "Not really."
Rein froze in place, he lifted his eyebrows in puzzlement, "Really? Hm... I might not be as famous as I thought."
Again, he acted different than August had thought. Is he genuinely a good, warm and kind-heart person, or is he just acting?
Rein got even closer to August, "Tell me, do you remember yourself?"
"Yes." August took a step backward.
Rein stopped his movement, "Where were you from?"
August didn't think for too long, the answer is easy, he remembered it well, "Mha'rea."
"From the east land? That Mha'rea?" Rein asked.
August nodded.
After this question, Rein sat down beside the swirling flame. He looked inside the fire, his grey iris was dyed with orange flame, "Then, what are you even doing here?"
August answered hesitantly, "As I said, I was lost."
Rein chuckled, "You can't fool me, kid. I know you were lost. But why did you come here?"
"I..."
Then, Rein showed his first smile. It was warm and genuine, it made August felt, somehow, safe. The wolf got up, walked slowly toward the man and lied down beside him, "Sit first, kid. We have a lot of talking to do."
August who was filled with concern and hesitation did as he said. He slowly walked to the opposite of Rein. Slowly sat down while the knife was grabbed sturdy in his hand.
Since he started wandered around in this ice-cold land, he has never met a single trace of human before, accept that abandon ruin of a human village that long perished. Worst, he has only once encountered a living being that's not a tree. Therefore, this cruel place has planted a seed of fear and paranoid in his head from the very start. He never relaxes at any moment in his journey, not now, not ever. He once thought another human being will help him calm down, but it was not. No matter how he looks at the man in front, all he sees was his own lifeless body.
Rein gently patted his wolf at its head, "This is Paley. He's a silver wolf."
August glanced at its fur. Perhaps silver wolf was an accurate name for its kind. A white thick fur that almost identical to a snow.
"Is that why he's white?"
Rein took a ridiculously low amount of time before answered, "He the whitest in his pack. Meant that he's the purest."
August can't hold it, and have to asked, "In what way?"
Rein answered instantly, "In spiritual way."
Before continued any further, August felt that he should introduce himself first, "I'm August."
Rein nodded lightly; he had acknowledged a name. Then, he asked the same question again, "What are you doing here, August?"
This time, August was already much relief. He starting to feel relax bit by bit. He thought for a brief moment and answered straightforwardly, "I woke up here."
Somehow, Rein made August felt relax. Felt like he was one of August's family.
"Hm...is that so?"
Rein didn't have a doubtful look at all. He truly believed August's words. All he did was continued patting Paley's head.
"I see that you feel a little more comfortable, no?"
Without realized, August had already loosened his grip on his knife. But he had no feeling to tighten it up again.
"That's my ascended power."
August was left in shock, 'What!?'
Rein explained, "I can calm someone mind."
"W-Why did you tell me this?"
Rein smiled, "To show you that I meant no harm."
Although, outside, Rein was a terrifying looking man in his old age but deep down he is warm and kind? That's what August managed to grasp from their conversation. Even with his thick beard, August could always sense a genuine smile from him. Behind that mean and scary look and all those scars on his body, is a kind-heart man.
After hearing such a word, August already trusted this man in front of him. Maybe he's too innocent or too careless but deep down he knew that this man, Rein, was the key to both his survival and his demise. And what it is depends on his action.
Rein asked, "You said you woke up here? Any idea how?"
August shook his head, "Not a clue."
"This is truly strange. Mha'rea was far away from this place. If I'm right, Mha'rea should be in the other side of this land we currently sitting now."
August already figured this out long ago, on his very first day of arrival. This is near the White wall, northern part. While Mha'rea located near the center part of the eastern side.
Rein came up with the most reasonable explanation possible, "The only explanation is that you have conducted an ascended ritual, somehow."
August was puzzled; he never heard such a term. He has many questions in his head but had to ask the most important one first, "What's the ascended ritual?"
Rein kept his calm expression, "That's even more strange for an ascender who never heard of an ascended ritual."
Rein stopped patting Paley's head, instead, he looked at August with intense gaze. His voice got more serious as he explained, "Most of the ascender must experience ascended ritual. It was how they borrow their powers from that deity."
"Borrow?"
Rein nodded, "Yes. Borrow. No power was truly ours. Not mine, not yours."
Gods and Deities were real, he knew that well. That's why he never eats meat before, due to his faith for Earth Mother. He also has a strict rule to never, ever provoke any of her or other deity's rage. Even that they rarely interact with mortal, it just a smart thing to do. Now that he knew the fact that ascender was never gifted but rather borrowed, it changed his perspective for these gods and deities. Maybe, these gods affect their life much more than he thought.
He left a room for silent for a moment, just for August to process his thoughts. The sound of a harsh wind strikes his ears, clearly affect his thinking process, so, it takes him even more time.
After a while, Rein continued, "The core elements of the ritual are a relic and a corresponding ritual. A relic is an item that contain some part of that deity power. While the ritual is how one can grasp the attention of that deity."
"So, there's a chance of failing?"
Rein nodded lightly, "Yes. But rarely. The ritual itself is usually a test of that deity once pass; they already have a certain acceptation of that deity already."
"I see..."
August thought for a moment, trying to figure out what his relic and ritual might be. His head was swinging and rotating, he was lost in his own thought.
Suddenly, he thought of something. A neckless he got from his colleague. Her name was Rochel Greenfield. It has a striking look as it was built purely in gold with the shape of the sun. She gave him as a congratulation gift, for becoming a history professor.
Rein looked at August with a smirk, "Seems like you thought of something."
August attention immediately pulled back to Rein, he nodded, "Yes, a golden neckless."
Then, Rein continued, "That might be a relic. Now the ritual, had you done anything that you normally don't?"
Again, August lost in his own thought. That day, before he woke up, he done everything the same from the start to the end of the day. He ate a usual food, teach a usual lesson, nothing more. But then, he recalled an event. An event he was so sure he never did before, he died.
"I... died"
Rein was speechless. He stayed silent longer than usual. But he still made a rather interesting statement, "That might be your ritual. You have to died."
I have to died...
Rein cleared his throat, "But again, I never heard such a ritual before. Even the path that directly relate to death was never have such a thing."
Then, he continued, "But that's not important anymore, what you need to figure out as soon as possible is your nature."
Seeing August was about to open his mouth, Rein immediately spoke up, "Nature is something you receive after become an ascender, you might not realize it, but it is there. Slowly adapt your life into something else. Sometimes it might take a crucial part in your life sometimes it just made it slightly harder. It can be dangerous if you don't know it."
August slightly shook his head, "I have no idea."
Rein sighed, "It would be easier if we know your pathway, but I assumed you don't?"
August froze; his thought ran faster than ever. He connects everything together, sun-like neckless was a clear clue, a heat ray, an ability to warm up his own body. He knew his pathway already.
"Sun. It is the Sun." August answered firm and confident. There's almost zero chance for it to be a false statement.
Rein was rather confused, "I never heard of Sun pathway. Are you certain?"
"Yes."