Sirius Chapter 9: Chapter 8: The Horn of Sleipnir

Read chapter 9 of Sirius by Dealer on NovelPedia.

"What was that?" The thunderous roar seemed to make even the cave walls vibrate. Meanwhile, the man laughed at Li's ignorance. "That was a troll. I imagine you don't know what that is either." Mocking him, he continued. "Well, stupidity is a blessing, believe me. I wouldn't want to recognize a sound like that." Furrowing his brow, he spoke to the woman in the same strange language as before. "Let him go." "Father, are you sure?" "We can't do this with him tied up." After a brief exchange, the young woman stood up and walked over to Jihan, despite the reluctance written all over her face. Seeing her up close, she was extraordinarily beautiful, probably the most beautiful woman Li had ever seen in his life. The beauty drew a knife from her waist and cut the ropes from his hands and legs while the man stepped forward, extending his hand. "We haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Itzal, a dark elf. This is my daughter Akemi. She's... well... she's herself." Noticing the obvious physical difference between the two, he figured it was better to leave the questions aside. "An elf... so that's where the ears come from." "Pleasure, I'm Li Jihan, but you can just call me Li." Greeting them, he continued. "So, can you explain the plan to me? Better yet, can you explain where I am?" Itzal, baffled by the boy's lack of knowledge, felt compelled to help him. "We don't have much time, so I'll be very brief. We're on the island of Eritia. This is where the Gods' Trial is held. Basically, all you have to do is survive for three days to pass. And honestly... I'm surprised... that you made it to the second day alive... but that's beside the point!" His face showed a certain disappointment, though it seemed directed more at himself than at the young man. "Either way, we're not here just to survive. We want merit, and for that, we need a feat." "A feat?" Li felt a chill run up his spine. "And how does that connect to the roar we just heard?" Even though he already suspected the answer, confirming it didn't seem like a bad idea. "Everything! Because it's our objective!" The man gestured as if his statement were something grand; but seeing no reaction from Jihan, he corrected his posture, a little embarrassed. "It's not for nothing that you don't know about it. That troll has something others don't. The Horn of Sleipnir!" Again, no reaction. "What's so great about a horn?" Li scratched his head. "It's not just "any" horn! It's a special item. With it, you can forge an artifact that lets you use Sleipnir's abilities for a short period. Do you understand now? You can run faster than the wind, across the waves, and even glide through the air!" "Incredible!" Jihan celebrated internally. He was trying to extract as much information as possible. Honestly, when he first saw him, he thought Itzal was a bad person; but with a little more trust, the old man had quite an eccentric personality. "Got it! It must be a one-of-a-kind item!" With a smile on his face, he showed more enthusiasm so as not to make the elf uncomfortable. "Exactly! And that's why we're going to steal it!" "Steal it? And how do you plan to do that?" Li questioned him. "Me? You mean how "we" plan to do it." Opening a grin from ear to ear, the elf continued. "Listen, Li, from what I can tell, you've done nothing for the past few days. Surviving is enough to pass the trial, but if you want to be somebody, you need to stand out. Otherwise, you'll just be one more among the ones who hid." Li remembered what Michael said in the early morning. "See the bright side." So that's what that idiot was talking about. Not skipping the first phase could bring problems, but it could also bring opportunities. Jihan's mind started working. "Well, if you're scared, I don't mind going without you." "No. I'm in. You're right; if I hide, I'll just be a nobody among many others." Extending his hand toward Itzal, the young man added. "I hope you can help me, then." "Good decision, boy." The elf shook the outstretch