Azimuth: The Elden Throne

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/Step… Step…/

/Thud/

"..."

With a few steps, Dale jumped out of the Wyvern's back, standing now face to face with the wounded Wuril and the tense Fir.

Both of their expressions were serious, one fiercer than the other…

/Clench.../

Wuril held his blade, knowing full well that everything he fought for was right behind him, while Fir stood up not only for herself but for the man in front of her also.

She tried to step forward to put herself between Wuril and Dale, but the latter did something unusual.

He raised his left palm, turning it to the sky.

/Cling…/

And at that moment, when everyone wondered what he was about to do, a glistering purplish potion appeared in his hand.

It may look like poison or something one would definitely be unwilling to drink, but that was a Healing potion, the reason it was purple was because it was one made through alchemy and not one bought or gained through the use of the System.

What usually happened was that potions made through alchemy would end up with darker colors due to the mixing of the ingredients within while System potions would be shiny and clear, which didn't make much sense given how many impurities formed in the liquid during its confection.

Dale understood that for a potion to be clear and uniform, a near-perfect control of its processes would have to be achieved, and as Yumi pointed out, that was nearly impossible to achieve.

Yumi did make a few red potions before, but that was due to the nature of the ingredients, and even then, it wasn't as clear as the ones Dale first acquired in the Tutorial.

"Here, take it… Before it's too late." Dale said as he handed over the potion to Wuril

'Given his injuries... If he doesn't start healing himself soon, even if he survives, that shoulder wound will leave him in the same state as Misgurd.'

"Wh… I…"

/Clench!/

/Pop!/

/Gulp…/

"Fir?!"

Before Wuril even had the time to react, Fir took a step forward and grabbed the potion, opening it with a loud pop before taking a quick sip of its contents to ascertain the truth.

/Spit!/

After drinking a portion of it and sipping the rest, she spat the rest on the side while also raising her head to look at Dale, this time, her gaze was much gentler and relaxed.

"Wuril… Drink it, and apply the rest on your wound."

"I'll take with him in the meantime." She said as she turned to Dale, not giving the middle-aged man the chance to speak

"..."

'This auntie…' Dale thought as he looked at Fir

'She's quite... Strong-minded...'

'Daring might be a good word, not the housewife type that's for sure.' He thought to himself in amusement

"I apologize for our rudeness, despite you saving us right now, we... Aren't exactly in the best of circumstances." She said with a small nod toward Dale

"That is understandable, it's not every time a Knight falls from the skies." He replied with a smile, albeit they couldn't see it due to his helmet

"May I ask… What is the name of our savior?"

"..."

When she asked that question, Dale saw how the other survivors slowly approached them, curious about him.

Far away, he could see what seemed to be younger children gazing at him from afar, although they were quickly snatched away by whatever lurked in the dark.

Though by the sounds of it, Dale only heard the worried cries of their parents as they scolded them for disobeying them.

"It's Dale… Dale Houston."

"What about you? With whom do I speak?" Dale said as he tried to be formal and cool…

"Me?... I'm uh… Firia Merela…" She replied as she thought about what to say next

But before she could speak any further, Dale raised his hand, interrupting her.

"Although I'm aware everyone is extremely tired and wary of me, I must proceed with what I came here to do." He said as he looked at the lady

"Lady, would it be possible for you to connect me with your leader? There is something I…"

"... Me… Urg… Shit…" The man said as he got up on his own, trying to look at Dale only to recoil in pain

He needed to stand proud not for his pride, but for the people.

Who knew the intentions of this newcomer? If they showed themselves as too weak, he might press them for things they did not desire to do.

"Just… Haa… Tell me what… You want…" He said amidst gasps

Firia helped him stand, it was everything she could do right now.

"It's simple." Dale replied deeply as he looked at him

'So he was the leader... I expected that but still...'

'For the leader to be outside fighting... He seems to have a good head on his shoulders at the very least.'

"I came here to confirm a few things."

"Confirm?...!"

'It can't be…'

"I imagine you already thought of it." Dale said as he raised his voice a little bit so the others could hear him

'No matter how I speak, they'll likely hold me with skepticism… Unless they're fools.'

'So for now, until I can show them who I actually am and my intentions… I'll have to try and attune with the masses.'

'It's a scummy move, but if that can make them listen to me, then that's fine, I can deal with the repercussions of that later.'

'Specially since they look so… Vulnerable.'

'Thin cheeks, baggy and dark eyes, wounded, dirty, their clothes are patched and relatively ragged…'

'They were certainly not living stable lives, the houses around me are very well built, but they're on fucking fire…'

'I'm certain things aren't going well for them.'

'After all… Only one warrior has appeared in front of me, which is worrying…'

'Does the survivors have only one protector? I see no bodies around…'

'Is everyone else trapped as the Quest tells me?'

"You all should've already noticed the changes that the forest has undergone in the past few days and the chaos that slowly spread within in the past few decades."

"... I came here with the goal of slaying a beast that is disrupting the forest's balance."

"With that in mind, midway through my mission, I came to learn of the possibility of Survivors from the Southern Corps existing within the Old Trunk."

"So… I split with my group and made my way here… And right on time, it seems."

"... From beyond the forest… Did you come from… Resko?"

/Nod/

/Gasp/

Dale nodded without hesitation, making many gasp.

They weren't unaware of where they were, and as they grew older, learning their surroundings was a key part of their education.

Like Geography in school, albeit useful for their life apart from general knowledge to have.

Every member of their settlement knew of the characteristics of the forest and the Wall further South, together with some milestones such as the Last Fortification, the Karkavan, and the world beyond it all… The North.

Resko, the Southern city.

However, to most, those were mere myths and legends, and who can blame them? In a sense, not even their grandparents might've seen the city.

100 years is a lot of time, more than enough to bury everything…

"Resko huh…"

For a moment, hope flared within him, but then… Despair.

'If only... They had arrived before they all left... Then mayhaps...'

'Things would've been different.'

"It doesn't matter… It's too late now." He said as he shook his head

He turned around, looking at the people and the small crowd that was forming behind him.

"Can you see? There's no point in hiding it."

"I'm the last warrior of this settlement, everyone else… Already left, and they'll likely won't be coming back…" He said in a low tone as he closed his eyes

"We barely have any food left, there are many wounded we can't heal properly, and... Sigh."

"It would be best for you to turn around and forget about us."

'If the others are still alive, they'll eventually meet that's for sure.'

'Let them carry our legacy...'

Wuril was one step from falling into the abyss.

He didn't believe there was a chance for them to survive and that came mostly from his stress.

Originally, he was meant to resist for at least two weeks, and not even three had passed since the Expedition group left in search of their salvation.

However, looking at his state, there's little he can do any further...

And it would be too much to ask of this newcomer to stay and protect them also, especially when he had a greater goal to abide by.

He was similar to him in a sense, a man holding onto his promises.

/Hustle.../

"It's too soon to give up." Said a voice from within the woods

And they all turned their heads to look at the newcomer.

…

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Notes

A bit overly dramatic but I think it was somewhat needed.

Either way, peace!

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