Welnar steps out into the starry night from the small abode of Kali and her parents. This time he just can’t sleep… Which is pretty strange, considering the events he’d just gone through. You’d think after fighting for your life like that, he’d be out like a light in seconds.

  {“Well, since you’re awake… Let’s have a history lesson, shall we?”} Monarch says. Welnar recalls her saying she’d tell him about this continent to the east later… {“Alright, let’s hear it.”} He responds.

  {“Long ago, before even the ages of magic, there was only one massive continent. It was the only landmass on the planet, but it was plenty big… Until a cataclysm struck. A cataclysm that Requis, the God of War and Combat had manufactured to split the world. He hoped to bring more war and bloodshed by fragmenting humanity into four continents… And for a while, it was successful.”}

  {“Traditions and cultures formed on each of the four continents, and soon they tried to spread across the waters… Inevitably causing war amongst them all. For decades, each continent tried to spread their influence to the others, to no avail. A decade long, all out war that ended with no victor. By my time, they had stopped warring with each other and now… We simply war amongst ourselves.”} Welnar slowly nods. This is stuff he’d probably have learned in some school, had he been born a Sorcerer…

  {“But… Why would Requis do that? Just for the sake of it?”} Welnar asks. He gets that he’s a god of war but… Intentionally meddling in the lives of humans just for war?

  {“Because ultimately, the gods are as fallible and selfish as humans. The only difference is the power they hold.”} Monarch says, contempt seemingly dripping through her words.

  {“Uh… Could you maybe remind me of the gods too, actually?”} Welnar says, having now gone outside the town and sat in the field he had beaten the Phoenix in. He looks up at the stars…

  {“Really Welnar? With all your reading on Sorcerer’s I thought you’d at least know them. They’re technically Sorcerer’s in their own right.”} Monarch says. Welnar just shrugs.

  {“Okay… Well, there’s Requis as I’ve said, Aceus, God of Order and Chaos who you’ve met…”}

  {“Then the others. Alistrea, Goddess of Life and The God of Death, only known as… Well, Death. These two are considered the most widely known gods, and also end up being called the strongest. They both control their own realms where souls are taken after death. Souls that have lived a good life are taken to the Spiritual Realm, owned by Alistrea while souls that have lived a life of evil are taken to the Demonic Realm.”}

  {“Dracolis, God of Primordials and Beasts. He holds dominion over all beasts, and even primordials, like say… A Phoenix.”}

  {“And finally, there is Gala the God of Time, and Ekatra the Goddess of Space. It is said those two work closely together.”} Welnar nods, taking all the information in… It is quite a lot, but he’s managing.

  {“So, continent to the east… What’s up with it? You talked about it as if you’ve been there.”} Welnar says.

  {“Because I…”} Monarch falls silent. {“Monarch?”} Welnar says.

  {“I don’t know how I know a lot of this stuff. I just do.”} She says. {“I guess your creators just… Gave you that knowledge?”} Welnar responds.

  {“I guess so. Well, anyway… The continent to the east is an interesting place. It’s not something I could exactly put into words, but… It’s vastly different from where we are now, the western continent. They have different ways of forging weapons, different tools, different attire and traditions… The list goes on.”} Monarch explains. {“Like that curved blade you saw the Phoenix wielding, the odachi. That’s their version of a greatsword. A longsword looks just like that, but shorter and called a katana.”}

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  {“So then, the Phoenix must have been to the eastern continent at some point I guess.”} Welnar concludes, ever the detective.

  {“Most likely. It’s possible he even lived there and traveled here instead.”} Monarch adds.

  Welnar notices Kali approaching, the moon seemingly shining down on her, illuminating her body. It’s strange… Welnar would almost call it…

  {“Someone’s mind is racing, hm?”} Monarch says teasingly. {“Shut up!”} Welnar responds.

  “Couldn’t sleep?” Kali says, sitting down next to him. “Not really. Was just thinking about some stuff.” He responds. Seconds pass like minutes to Welnar as silence takes hold of them both. Yet he doesn’t particularly mind it.

  “So… What’re you gonna do now?” Kali asks. “You got the Phoenix’s Heart… And that weapon.” She gestures to the scarlet spear that now floats beside Welnar.

  “Well, I’ve still got four more to go. So I’m going to keep collecting them… Once I have them all, I’ll be able to really be a hero.”

  “And where is this next heart?” Kali asks. Welnar closes his eyes, focusing as the heartbeats fade into his ears. After a few seconds, he opens his eyes again. “Further east…” {“You think the closest Heart is on the eastern continent?”} Welnar asks to Monarch.

  {“It’s very possible. We may have to take a boat trip.”}

  Kali chuckles. “It’s not much further before you reach the sea. What else is out there?”

  “Another land. That’s where I think the heart is.” Welnar responds. Kali slowly nods… Seems like she doesn’t exactly know her geography either. The two go silent once more for a bit, Welnar laying down in the grass. Kali soon follows. Her hand gently touches his, surprising him… But he doesn’t pull away. Her hand wraps around his.

  He keeps his eyes practically glued to the sky, his mind really racing now, a heartbeat filling his ears. His own heartbeat.

  “Hey, Welnar…” Kali says.

  “Y-yeah?”

  “What if I told you I want to come with you?”

  “I… I don’t know. The Hearts are all strong… It’d be dangerous.”

  “What isn’t dangerous for Normals nowadays? At least I’d be helping someone do something good.” Kali responds.

  “Well what about your family? Shouldn’t you stay with them?” Welnar asks.

  “I told you I’d be getting them out of there… Even with the Phoenix dead, that was still the plan. I’m giving them everything I can, so they can move to Ekstrall and hopefully find a job… I talked with some food store owners a while back, so hopefully they’ll take them.” She says, putting Welnar’s worries down.

  He sighs, finally turning his head to face her. Kali looks to him… And slowly, she leans toward him. Welnar freezes like a deer, unsure of what to do for a few moments before eventually embracing Kali, as the two share a kiss. To them, a moment of bliss turns into countless eternities… Welnar eventually pulls away, his face beet red. He looks back to the stars.

  “Okay… If you really want, you can come with I guess.” Welnar finally says.

  {“Wooow, swayed by just a little kiss? Someone folds easily.”} Monarch teases.

  {“Shut up! It’s not just that!”} Welnar mentally yells.

  {“But it totally was a contributor.”} Monarch argues, Welnar having no rebuttal.

  “Thanks, Welnar.” Kali says, giggling slightly.

  “One last warning though, I’m not going to be wasting time. We get moving tomorrow, so… Should probably head home and get some sleep.” Welnar says, standing up. Kali holds up her hand and Welnar helps her up, their hands remaining clasped as they walk back to the village…

  …

  A massive transport boat stops at the docks of a port city in a foreign land. Many different types of people begin to step off it, Sorcerer and Normal alike… Although there is one man that stands out from the crowd. He practically towers over everyone, and he’s been in a suit of full plate armor for the entire trip… But even more than that, he’s recognized for his legacy. A bounty hunter of incredible renown, known as The Collector. One may think this name stems from his incredible efficiency in collecting bounties, and while that’s not entirely wrong there is another reason.

  The Collector steps off the boat, moving out of the way as he seems to claw at the air beside him… Tearing open a hole in reality itself big enough for him to enter. Walking inside, the realm appears to be composed entirely of crimson strands that go an incalculable distance. The sky, the ground, even the air itself seems to be made of it yet at the same time it has no effect on The Collector. He moves a single step, yet it seems as if he travels much further as in an instant, he is in front of a weapon rack. Of course, it is constructed of crimson strands like everything else. On it, dozens of weapons sit of various shapes and sizes… A greatsword, a pair of shortswords, a warhammer, and even more. One slot in the weapon rack is empty though, instead having a paper stabbed into it. A drawing of a sheathed katana, with “Flooding Rain” written underneath.

  This… Is the other reason The Collector was given his name. Within his magically granted pocket dimension, he stores a multitude of weapon artifacts that he uses on his bounties. Which, with the money he gains, he uses to buy even more artifact weapons at incredibly expensive prices… And occasionally, information to acquire an artifact by his own hand.

  And that is the reason The Collector has come here, to the Eastern Continent. He’s come searching for a unique artifact known as the Flooding Rain, capable of bringing about torrential rain storms just by unsheathing the blade. Long ago, it was wielded by a legendary swordswoman and has since been left untouched in a shrine to her… But The Collector believes it’d be more honourable for the blade to be put to use. He’s determined to get it by any means necessary, just like any other bounty or tool… So much so, that within The Collector…

  A Determined Heart beats.