Unsealing Emptiness

At this moment, Ozul, together with Raven and Blaze, was traveling towards the Capital City. They had just left the Sester City and were still in the outskirts when the winds started.

Some kids were running while enjoying the fresh winds that brought the smell of water vapors mixed with the dirt.

Raindrops started hitting the ground, slowly getting absorbed by the earth. But in just a few seconds, the rain started pouring with all its might.

Blaze created an invisible dome around the trio, so when the raindrops fell, they would instantly freeze and change their course.

However, Ozul suddenly created his pointed black hat on his head and slowed his pace.

“Let it fall on me...”

.....

Blaze did not waste even a moment and removed the invisible dome above Ozul. The latter then continued to explain;

“It feels calming-the melody produced from the rhythmic, gentle taps by these raindrops.”

Raven and Blaze could not help but stare at the lonesome back that had sheltered them. Somehow, this solitary individual would know their every emotion, while to this day, they couldn’t understand what went through his mind.

They both knew that Ozul might have just told them about his birth, but there were some things that he never discussed.

‘Just how much of a burden do those broad shoulders carry?’

Raven and Blaze both had the same thought running through their minds. But all they could do was make guesses, so Blaze decided to start a conversation.

Even though all of his conversations with Ozul ends up confusing him even more, he decided to ask;

“You like rain, Master?”

“Like? I don’t know... But I do enjoy it. It isn’t so perfect, so I am not sure. Then again, nothing is really perfect.”

Ozul said the last part as whispers to himself. He had many conflicted thoughts inside that if he began to describe, only more questions would arise.

“Hm?... Nothing is perfect?”- No matter how low Ozul’s voice was, Blaze still heard it as he mumbled to himself.

“Well, there is something perfect. However, we all see it differently.”- Ozul just gave this much of a hint and did not say anything else.

Blaze too stopped asking questions and focused on comprehending the previous answers. He always felt lost whenever he talked with Ozul.

Raven, who was also listening to the conversation, did not bother to find any meanings from the words. She had been trying for years already, but with no fruit.

To others, Ozul’s words may only seem that of a fool’s ramblings, but she knew better. Raven believed that there was still something that she did not understand. And until then, she wouldn’t be able to understand what his words mean.

So she focused her attention on something else. The black cat had left a deep impression on her, so Raven tried to look for her. However, for some reason, that cat named Jinx was nowhere to be seen.

Again, without her saying anything, Ozul’s voice rang out;

“Don’t bother; she’s safe.”

Ozul said so because he had a special connection with Jinx. However, he did not bother to explain why she was nowhere to be seen.

‘What the hell do I care if that creepy cat is safe or not! Hmph!’- Raven thought so in her mind, but it felt more like she was trying to convince herself rather than stating a fact.

Ozul had sensed her emotions and knew that Raven was slightly turning anxious when she did not see the cat around.

No matter what others say or think, Raven truly valued all the people in her circle. And that circle revolved around Ozul himself. She may not admit it, but she already considered Blaze as her teammate.

Walking down the path, Ozul suddenly remembered that he had learned to fly just yesterday, but then he looked back at Raven and Blaze.

Raven did not have any specific Spell that could let her fly, so Ozul focused on Blaze.

“You can use Ice mostly using your thoughts, right?”

Blaze was caught off guard when Ozul suddenly turned around and started talking to him. Nonetheless, he was swift in his reply;

“It mostly requires my focus, but Mana is also required, Master.”

“Hmm. Let’s try flying anyways.”

Blaze had a confused expression on his face as Raven also watched with interest. Noticing their curiosity Ozul decided to explain;

“Try to stand on your ice and make it float in the air, see if you can do it?”

For a better understanding, Ozul created a surface using Ball of Purity and floated on top of it. When Blaze looked at it, he was eager to check if he could do the same or not.

He was about to ask Ozul if they were really going to do all this while the heavy shower was pouring down on them, but he was quite enthusiastic himself.

However, reality proved to be different again since no matter how much he tried, the most Blaze could lift himself to was half a feet above the ground.

It happened because, for some reason, Blaze needed external support for his body to be able to move the ice, so whenever he stood on his self-created ice, it took all his efforts to levitate it.

Ozul himself did not like this situation because it meant that he would also have to walk all the distance just because of these two.

*Sigh...*

Raven and Blaze again felt terrible for dragging Ozul down. But no matter how much they tried, advancing in Ranks was not such an easy task unless they had some rare treasures. Even Ozul understood this fact, so he wasn’t so strict with them.

Since they were traveling at a walking pace, it took them a while to leave the outskirts.

At that moment, Ozul suddenly saw a cart pulled by a bull pass by them in a hurry. When he looked at it, there was nothing unusual, but this made him realize how stupid he was.

“Hey, Blaze.”

Ozul suddenly said while still gazing at the disappearing cart in the distance.

“Hm? Any orders, Master?”

“First of all, stop calling me, Master. Just say Ozul.”- It wasn’t so enjoyable for Ozul to hear him say Master after ending all of his sentences; instead, it was getting annoying.

“As you wish, Mas- *cough* O-ozul”- Blaze corrected himself at the end, but still could not muster up his voice to say Ozul loudly. Only now Ozul asked his main question;

“More importantly, why did you not remind me that... we could just take a cart or some other transport when we were leaving?”

Ozul looked at Blaze with narrowed eyes which caused the latter to break out in cold sweat.

Even though it wasn’t really Blaze’s fault that they did not take any transport vehicle, he could not deny it when Ozul himself was putting all the blame on him.

Hence, Blaze had to run all the way back to the City just to come back with a transport vehicle while Ozul lazed around on tree branch. Fortunately, He had found a big tree near the road on which he could rest.

Raven too stayed with Ozul while watching the poor Blaze’s exhausted figure, bringing with him a cart and an ordinary merchant driving it.