Merlin stared at the screen.
[Mission: Protect Harvey and the crew.]
[Attempt quest to awaken.]
Merlin frowned.
"Awaken?"
The screen disappeared before he could think much about it.
He looked ahead.
The others were already moving.
Merlin quickly arranged the bag he was carrying and hung it over his back.
He quickened his pace to catch up.
The bag wasn't very heavy, yet it felt like he could carry it for several miles without getting tired.
It seems like my physical stats are way higher in this world, Merlin thought to himself.
He looked ahead.
Harvey walked just in front of him, carrying his share of the load. Kate and Luna walked side by side, not carrying anything.
What's up with that? Merlin thought to himself.
He looked farther ahead.
There was the captain, also carrying his share, and of course, Brody followed right behind him. He wasn't carrying anything because his load was now Merlin's.
But there was someone just behind Brody.
He was a bit short in comparison to the rest, though he was still taller than Merlin. He seemed like the youngest member of the group. He carried a small bag, and a dagger hung loosely at his waist.
"I can sense something approaching," Luna said.
Everyone stopped.
"From what direction?" Kate asked.
"From behind us," Luna answered.
Brody pulled out his spear.
The young boy following him drew the dagger from his side, but he didn't take a stance. In fact, he stood still and kept looking forward while the wind blew his scarf.
To Merlin, it looked like a painting he had seen before, though he was sure he hadn't.
Everyone else seemed tense.
Then suddenly, a fox came out of a bush.
It stared at the crew for several seconds, then ran back the way it came.
Brody lowered his spear in disappointment.
"That was very unnecessary," Brody said as he glared at Luna.
"You were the one who asked where it was," Luna said as she continued walking forward, ignoring Brody, who still glared at her.
Harvey laughed.
"She's only doing her job," he said.
Merlin stared at the young boy ahead of him. He had already continued walking.
Harvey noticed the way Merlin stared at him.
"That's Leon," Harvey said. "He doesn't talk much, but he can be quite poetic at times."
Merlin stared at Harvey, then back at Leon.
This feels a bit too real, he thought to himself.
"It's a long way to Lilith," Harvey said. "We can't afford distractions if we want to reach before nightfall," he added.
There was silence after, except for Kate and Luna, who kept talking to each other.
After what seemed like an hour of walking in silence, Merlin could finally see a small gathering of buildings.
Was that where they were headed? he asked himself.
He had already pictured Lilith as a large city in his head.
"That's Lilith. At least what's left of it," Harvey said, as if answering Merlin's question. "It's one of the few surviving cities."
As they got closer to the city, Merlin could see several abandoned buildings. Some had been destroyed down to their foundations, while others were only partially standing.
He looked at the city walls.
They were taller than he had initially thought, at least three times the height of a normal fence.
As they approached the gates, Merlin noticed something disturbing.
The walls closest to the entrance were covered in blood.
Large splashes stained the stone, spreading across the wall in uneven patterns. Some sections were damaged, as though something had been slammed against them with tremendous force.
The blood had reached an unnatural height.
It was far too much to have come from a human.
Whatever had bled here had been enormous.
Merlin stared at the stains.
As they approached the gates, the captain exchanged silent greetings with the gatekeepers before stepping in.
Everyone else followed, but just as Merlin was about to enter, a gatekeeper stopped him.
"Hold on. We can't let you in without some form of ID," he said, blocking Merlin's path.
Merlin had nothing but the robe he wore and the load he had been given to carry, so he could only stare at the gatekeeper.
"He's part of our crew," Harvey said.
Brody just scoffed and walked ahead.
Leon only turned to look at Harvey for two seconds before following.
The gatekeeper nodded and let Merlin pass.
Merlin felt something was wrong.
It was the first time Leon had shown a reaction.
"He isn't qualified to be part of our crew," Luna said.
Her tone was dry and emotionless, like she was only stating what she thought to be true.
Merlin looked back. They were no longer in range of the gatekeepers, so they didn't hear.
"Are you kidding?" Harvey asked. "He outran a Minarto. Of course he's qualified," he added.
"Are you talking about the same Minarto we killed without his assistance?" Brody interrupted.
"Well, everyone has their bad days," Harvey said with a smile.
But this time, Merlin felt annoyed by his smile.
He didn't appreciate Harvey defending him. Something about it just annoyed him.
"I mean, if you can put all that power of yours in the right direction, you'd be an unstoppable force," Harvey said as he put his hands on Merlin's shoulders.
Get your frickin' hands off my shoulders, weirdo! ...is what Merlin would've loved to say.
Instead, he submitted and gave him a smile.
"What do you think, Captain?" Harvey asked in a loud voice.
The captain looked at Merlin.
"Then train him. I only came to train three."
Harvey smiled.
This time, it was different.
Merlin couldn't explain why, but this smile looked genuine.
The buildings inside the walls were all just as tall, if not taller. That's probably why I could see them from far away, Merlin thought to himself.
They finally reached a large building. It was taller than most of the buildings around it, with a very simple but beautiful design.
A woman stood at the doors. The captain exchanged greetings with her before leading the crew inside.
The interior looked like that of a modern-day hotel, only much less crowded.
The captain led them to an open area at the back of the building.
The rooms were arranged in a circle, with an open space in the middle.
Everyone began settling into their respective rooms.
Brody collected the bag Merlin had been carrying.
The captain sat on the sand in the middle of the rooms. He wrapped his hands with beads and pressed his palms together.
Merlin sat on the platform and watched him.
He remained there for several minutes, completely unmoving.
Merlin watched the captain for about half an hour. It was late, and Harvey hadn't returned after leaving a while ago. Merlin had already begun to fall asleep when Kate walked up to him and sat next to him.
"How long have you been watching him?" Kate asked, also watching the captain now.
"I don't know, but it's been a while now," Merlin said in a low tone.
Silence passed.
"He's amazing," Kate murmured, loud enough for Merlin to hear.
"I don't see him doing anything."
"Of course not." Kate giggled. "You're not supposed to see it," she said in a lower tone.
Merlin looked at Kate, then back at the captain. He was too tired to ask questions.
"You said you're lost," Kate started. "Well, where are you from?"
Merlin looked at her.
He didn't know what to say. The thought crossed his mind that she wasn't really entitled to an answer.
"I see, you don't remember. It's strange how fast that becomes normal around here."
Kate got up.
She walked a few steps towards her door, then stopped.
"About Harvey, he's a good person. He's kind to everyone. I mean, look how kind he's been to you."
She paused at the door.
"But he's the last person I'd let my guard down around."
Kate closed the door behind her.
Merlin stared at the door for two seconds.
Harvey came in with a sleeping bag and handed it to Merlin.
"You'll need this," he said before entering his room.
Merlin could only sit and watch.
After some minutes, everyone was sound asleep, everyone but the captain.
Merlin walked around and found an opening between a room and the wall. It had more than enough space for his sleeping bag, and he wasn't too picky with where he slept.
He placed his sleeping bag there and slept for the night.