Incubus I (UNDER EDITING)!!!

Chapter 40 : An Old Friend

                         Kelvin strolled down, through the woods,  till he stumbled into the another part of the village. Receding deeper into his thoughts,  ignoring the burning heat of the sun. He walked down into the settlement,  passing by all kinds of people, catching a second glance from every one he passed by, both old and young,  male and female. They didn't really have strangers those days,  so staring at new face really was allowed on their part,  but he hardly noticed them.  Fighting bitterly to deny a truth that was glaring.

He knew he would be lying if he said hadn't noticed some signs, pointing to toward what he had just heard. Especially how he got stab wounds after the ogre had only knocked him out,  but they could have easily walked over and stabbed him. What was more disturbing was that the cuts had vanished when he got up,  but that could very well be Ava's magic too.
But if the others were telling the truth which was likely the case, he had to keep his distance from them. He was vulnerable to killing them as a human,  how much more a werewolf.

He exhaled as he reached the solitary spot around the lumber Mills, atop a hill,  then took a break. He exhaled deeply. And looked back to the village,  like he was overseeing the affairs of everything that moved.
It reminded him of growing up, he grabbed the chain on his neck,  and pondered if he had been with the curse since he was a kid. Or it was something he might have gotten during the journey of his life, before entering the castle in Strolgar. He relaxed his mind, trying to come to the next step to take. The problem could quite easily be solved,  all he had to do was transform,  and see for himself,  but he had absolutely no idea how to go about that.

"Kelvin "  a voice sounded from his side.  He turned around sharply at the tone of the familiar voice.
" goodness me,  its you " an old large bellied, heavily bearded man said as their eyes connected.
" Randall?... What are you doing here"  Kelvin whispered, walking quietly over to him.
The old large white bearded man had a leather apron on, under which he had a dirty yellow shirt on brow pants. "i could ask you the same thing " he said dropping his large hammer by a tree.
"you're fighting for a king now" he asked looking down at the sigil on  his chest.
"not exactly " Kelvin responded...  Looking down at the sigil on his shirt.
"I'm on a quest to find something for one, and you?...  I thought you said you'll never leave Eldor" he replied

The old man looked around to see if anyone was watching them before speaking
"Eldor is nothing but ruins Kelvin "   Randall started"  Duncan the third wiped out all the Lord's and everything that has to do with the Avidius"
"what?... How did this happen "   Kelvin exclaimed,  never once thinking anyone could ever suppress the threat the Avidius posed to the realm.
" meet me the at my shop east of the village by nightfall,  I'll tell you everything...  I trust you'll find it"  he said walking off.
"oh and kelvin... "  Randall called  from a few feet away... Kelvin tilted his head in the old man's direction
" get a hood,  you're going to need one during your time here"     he advised , before continuing on his way.

Kelvin began pondering on all Randall had told him, Duncan the third, a familiar client of the black flag, wipe out the entire organization,  it wasn't practically possible. There was no way all the mercenaries could be at the castle together, at the same time. At least five or six of their four man squads must have been out on an assignment when this happened. He wanted to know if there were any survivors,  especially his former colleagues.
He had known Randall,  the old blacksmith, and procurer of weapons for the mercs and assassins, to be many things,  but a liar wasn't one of them.
His mind quickly ran through to his team,  consisting of himself, Aureathria; an elven Archer, from across the seas, Natasha Silvergraft, and Drake Blackwell. Three of who witnessed many of his valiant acts,  and decided to stick to his side.

He remembered the expression on their faces the day he told them he was quitting during a mission, they hadn't believed him at first, but when it became clear that he was actually being serious, it escalated into a heated argument, but there was nothing they could do to stop him,  he had just about enough of the bloodshed of the innocent and pain caused already. All he wanted was to get stronger,  and the Avidius had helped him a great deal. Many people thought the Avidius were actually just a band of free born blades - mercenaries, at their conception, only their clients knew exactly what they were. After a couple of years, and a couple of high profile kills across the realm,  word spread... Then castle Eldor and its inhabitants had been Ghosts ever since.

"Kelvin " Edda called from his side,  reaching for his shoulder as she got closer.
He turned to see her, narrowing her lids,  due to the sun's bright light.
" you alright? " she asked 
" yea I'm fine" he replied
"you don't look like it" she replied,  examining his face from his side.
" just tired that's all" he whispered.
The silence passed between them for a while, neither one of them knowing what to say to the other. Then Edda recalled her purpose for finding him.
"i understand how you feel,  not knowing something or someone was a part of you up till now"  she spoke up
Kelvin tilted his head down at her in inquiring
"yes i do,  it just happened to me literally " she argued
" i never contested that fact " he chuckled, which earned him a smack on the shoulder.

" anyways, what I'm saying is, like it or not,  it is a part of you, and it always will be,  no amount of worrying and thinking is going to change that, you need to accept it the way it is, and workout a peaceful relationship with it...  You never can actually tell how beneficial it could be to your survival "  she said
Kelvin couldn't believe his ears,  he was actually getting advice about living peaceably with yourself and others from EDDA. He took a glance at her to be sure she was the actual person at his side. He noticed her  smile softly ,  as when their eyes jammed.  He suddenly began to feel like the sun was shining within him,  lighting up all his dark thoughts, "thank you "   he returned a quick smile too,  then returned his gaze to the village in front of him.

They both stood bent over a fence on the hill, each brushing their shoulders against the other, discussing and laughing about whatever they saw, that appeared out of the ordinary, like a heard of goats that relentlessly came back to eat more of what was left of a farmer's cabbages, despite being chased a dozen times over. There just had to be something special about the taste of the cabbages, since they seemed so worth dying for.
Levi was watching them from a few hundred meters  away. The rage and bad blood swelling in him.

Edda's stomach was hurting from too much laughter on their return that evening. she was barely able to walk, so Kevin assisted by placing one of her arms around his shoulder,  to enable her walk better, but she made it even harder for him as she increased her tempo,  and lost her footing a few times, one could have easily mistaken her for a drunk.
When they climbed into the veranda of the town hall,  Kelvin set her down on a chair, and sat by her side,  since no one was around,  till she slept off at least. He then went up to grab his sword and a  hood,  then left to find Randall's place.