Chapter 251 Courage Is Not The Absence Of Fear [Part 1]
Thanks to Helena's pathfinding abilities, they didn't need to pass through the dark cave.
The darkness in that cave still made Northern uncomfortable to this day.
However, they had to climb a small cliff. This was when Northern's rock climbing abilities came into play.
It was déjà vu.
How could he be so good at climbing? He was sure the others would have wondered.
It made him grin smugly.
But this was just a skill he had been forced to develop from hanging out with Night Terror.
And even this cliff they had to climb was nothing compared to the mountain he and Night Terror had scaled.
Instead of going through the tunnel, it seemed Helena took them over it.
Even she hated the darkness as much as everyone else, which was why she chose this route.
They soon reached the other side of the stronghold. And throughout the climbing up and down, Northern couldn't stop thinking about the things they had discussed.
Things were much more complicated than he thought.
And his suspicion was... the Chaos Prince was probably a Tyrant.
But were Tyrants powerful enough to blot out the sun?
And also, the man that came out from the sun and summoned the maidens, could that have been an Origin or just another Tyrant?
Koll's master, as he claimed, was an Origin...What was he addressed as again?
If there was anything Northern could at the very least boast of, it was his detailed memory.
'The Origin of Blood... no...' his eyes slowly widened as the correct words aligned in his head. 'The Blood Tyrant, Hunter of Souls, Father of Chaos, Origin of Courage, Honor, Strength, Hate and Blood.'
At that time, he had thought Koll, the castle lord, was just showering praises on the one he served.
But what if every word and title Koll uttered actually had a deeper meaning?
Would that mean Koll served a Tyrant? But he also referred to him as the greatest Origin to ever exist.
'What is going on here?'
Northern felt like he just confused himself more.
Was it really possible for one to be a Tyrant and Origin at the same time?
No, Origins were supposed to be some sort of personified beings... not actual humans.
Tyrants, on the other hand, were humans.
Was it possible to become an Origin without being born as one?
There were a lot of questions running around his mind as he climbed down the cliff.
The morning weather was still pleasant on them, at least for now the daylight was not harsh.
As their legs touched the ground, Northern hesitated for a moment, then said:
"I have some things to say, some things to ask too."
Helena, Raven and Terence all focused on him with curiosity etched on their faces.
The intensity of their gazes on him almost made him shiver; he couldn't help but feel a little intimidated.
Especially towards Helena, who was probably closer to him in true age. Her gaze was mature and insightful, although her lithe and tender body could mislead anyone.
"First, I will say this, and I don't want you guys to ask me weird questions."
Helena narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. Then she said, coincidentally with Raven and Terence:
"Okay."
Northern looked at all three of them before continuing.
"The rift guardian I fought with was an imprisoned servant of a certain Origin... an Origin named Khorn."
Raven looked at Helena, who looked back. Both turned their heads to Northern with a slight show of amusement, more noticeable on Helena's face than Raven's.
Terence, on the other hand, just chuckled shyly.
"You...you have heard the name of an Origin."
Northern turned to her, "Haven't you? Isn't that what all this is about?"
Helena threw her head back and laughed with shuddering shoulders.
"The farthest I've ever been able to discover is knowing what Origins are and what Tyrants are... and that much was from this particular Tome and the way it spoke about them in past tense..."
Northern looked at them for a few seconds.
Helena also shook her head, "It's just as you heard, flower boy. We've never heard of it before... in murals, all I can study are pictorial representations, and I happened to come by the term Origin from a certain item I have... same thing with Tyrant. I've got about three items with a description that featured Tyrants. But never did it mention a particular name."
As compared to how Northern could hear an item's description, Drifters could also see it by listening to the voice of Ul'Varu.
That was their way of knowing the item rank and other details.
So it wasn't surprising that Helena knew a thing or two about descriptions relating to rift events.
Northern thought silently for a while before Helena interrupted.
"So, want to tell us more?" She allowed a delighted smile.
Northern looked at her and nodded.
"The Blood Tyrant, Hunter of Souls, Father of Chaos, Origin of Courage, Honor, Strength, Hate and Blood. He called him the greatest Origin to ever exist, and the one he served."
Helena caressed her chin.
"Wait... something is wrong with that."
Raven added, "I've studied the Tome thoroughly, and I can confidently say that servants of Origins were not once mentioned. And not much was said about Tyrants except the Tyrant of A Thousand Waters."
Northern looked at her, "Have you heard anything about a certain Chaos Prince?"
Raven shook her head.
"No, is that another Origin?"
"No, it's nothing."
Terence looked at him and retorted immediately.
"You're lying. But it's fine if you don't want to talk about it."
Northern was immediately startled as he remembered he was journeying with a walking, talking lie detector.
'Crap.'
Helena looked at his pale face and said:
"It's nothing out of the ordinary. All of us have secrets. Just make sure it's not getting in the way or putting our lives in danger."
Northern nodded with a stern gaze and responded:
"It's not."
"Fine then, flower boy." Helena tapped his shoulder and added,
"I'm not sure about this Blood Tyrant being referred to again as an Origin, so far it contradicts all the knowledge I've gathered about Origins, but it's great that you decided to share it with us. I think we should expect revelations from the Sleeping Mountain."
She looked ahead.
"For now, we travel."
But she paused and looked at Raven,
"Wait... before I forget. If I'm not mistaken, you mentioned a flying ship, right?"