It was already past 6 PM, it was getting really dark.
Leo walked towards the three slowly.
"What is it this time…" Leo wondered.
"Come on what's keeping you" Lana asked Leo.
"You aren't thinking of…" Ricia guessed Lana's actions within herself.
"I'm here" said Leo as he arrived.
"Do you like keeping this aunt of yours waiting?" Lana said.
Heimlich watched in solemn silence, waiting for whatever was going to unfold, until then his views would not be changed.
"I'm so-" Before Leo could apologise a cigar was shoved at his face.
He looked down at the cigar, then looked at the one holding it.
"Sorry?" Leo said not as an apology but as a question on what was going on.
"She wants you to light it" Ricia who had been passive in the conversation joined in.
"Exactly." Lana affirmed.
"What does lighting a cigar have to do with the unit being special…" Heimlich thought in denial.
Leo shook his head.
"With him here?" Leo asked for clarity.
Heimlich raised his brows, his expression had a subtle hint of both suprise and confusion.
Lana looked at Leo dead pan straight at his eye with no inkling of doubt.
"Light it." She ordered.
"Hmm" Leo nodded his head in acceptance of her decision.
With a flick of the index finger of his right hand he lit a fire of aether on it.
Heimlich's brows slowly rose whilst Leo gradually moved the flame to the cigarette;
The moment he put his finger under it, it engulfed in black flames.
Then with a turn of his fingers the flames returned to his fingers, as if being sucked in by a vacuum.
"You're always useful as a lighter." Lana said with a smile as she pat him on his back.
Heimlich's jaw dropped.
"Wha- wh- what is tha-" He stammered.
Then he stepped back a bit and attempted to blow the whistle.
Before he could scream a blade was put to his throat; it was Ricia's.
Leo seemed a bit jarred at Ricia's approach, but he could understand it.
"Don't make a pointless scene." Said Ricia with a domineering demeanour.
If she was pushed to turn that blade; she would and Heimlich could tell this.
He looked down at the blade, then shifted his gaze at the flame that had vanished then gulped.
Heimlich was fazed, he spread his arms out from his body though his eyes remained steady.
Albeit momentarily, he looked more scared of the unknown power Leo hea displayed than the sword.
He raised his hand and put it on the flat side of the sword, the fear from a while ago had vanished.
Ricia gradually receded her blade.
"You can go Leo" Lana dismissed.
"Do you now understand?
This is just the tip of the iceberg, they a above your currently above your comprehension." Lana said to Heimlich.
Heimlich gulped.
–
– An hour later –
They set off once more in the embrace of the night, there would be no moon as the clouds covered it.
The formation was the same, with the horse riders holding torches this time to guide the wagons and brighten up the path.
In the other wagon, four girls were seated inside, with two on eaxh side.
On the left were Zefroth and Herra, and to the right were Filna and Laura.
"I can feel something." Laura said with a faint voice.
"She speaks again, this is like the fourth time I'm hearing her speak.
The last time was at the ceremony, where she flared u-" Herra remarked as she got shushed by Fiona.
"Shhh, I need to hear her." Fiona said with her usual light firm tone.
Herra frowned a bit.
"What do you feel, how many are there." Fiona asked.
"It's just one, about fifty metres to the right.
I can tell it's not human, this is the first time I'm feeling something like this." Laura's voice shook.
"And we're supposed to believe you just like that?
You can't just ex-" Herra was interrupted once more.
"Can you be quiet for a moment, were you always this talkative?" Fiona stared at Herra.
"Tsk" Herra looked away.
"It's like an animal of sorts I can't really tell, it's really obscure.
It's running…huh…it's matching our pace." Laura added.
"Annnnd this is the fifth time she speaks." Herra said sarcastically.
"Really?
Don't you realise the situation we are in." Zefroth looked at Herra.
" 'Might' be in" Herra attempted to correct.
"Don't be ignorant, it might be her gift." Zefroth said to Herra.
Herra frowned as she averted her gaze to Saul's back.
"What is the size?" Fiona interrogated with urgency.
"About three to four metres tall, and about ten metres in length" Laura replied.
Herra's brow raised up in denial, so did Zefroth's though it was a bit less noticeable.
"We have to tell someone-" Herra said with a disturbed tone.
Laura's body trembled at the next words she uttered.
"..."
–
Over at the front of the formation, Heimer sped up his horse.
!
He no longer felt something in his lap.
"The journal in my pocket, where did it go!" Heimer was troubled as he tried finding it.
The armour got in his way.
The clangs of his armour caught the attention of Gustev to his right.
"Is there any problem?" He asked Heimer.
Heimer stopped scrambling and took a look at Gustev.
"No there is…" Heimer's brow raised up, due to his eyes he could see the night as clearly as day.
He locked eyes with it, oh how wicked its eyes were, metres away from them.
With a frame like that of a lizard yet much larger and much more terrifying – Its eyes were crimson and its scales were silver like metal.
Spikes protruded from its spines, and its tail thick and pointed, gliding with its body with each step it took, dark aether enshrouded it.
From its mouth, a green liquid poured, with a sac like throat that dragged down on the ground, each of its feet were split like talons.
But unlike talons its were split in two; with one having half having two dagger like like claws and the other having three.
Heimer immediately released his aether, with his halo manifesting and his eye turning gold.
By the time he summoned his axe.
!
It seemingly blended with the surroundings, gradually but soon it was like it was never there.
Gustev was taken back.
"Why do you bring that out now, is there an emergency" He asked Heimer.
He was already familiar with aether as Heimer had shown him before.
"Emergency…
Everything about this situation is an emergency.
This wasn't accounted for." Heimer's voice cracked.