In many places around Errarion, tales were told of an unknown land in the east, seemingly undiscovered, untalked and avoided. It was a common topic in conversations around Prope Portam; paladians there often discussed what could hide under that question mark no one could find an answer to.
It isn't that anyone hasn't attempted, though.
In 243 A.F.W., a group of fifteen paladians carefully steered through the waters, circling the eastern land without seeing any shores, only massive rocks that almost resembled some barricade. They returned, though set out again in Gorro, now equipped with special flares made out of the kanki rocks, which were minerals prone to explosions in flashy colours.
Their last light was sent went they reached the middle course of the Aria River, named the High Current, which could be seen over the Wall of Life and Death. However, they have never returned, and from unspoken words, no one ever does.
Since history was often brushed off as a topic for another day, it seemed that more younger people in Errarion have become completely unaware of its existence, or someone lied about it ever being there in the first place. Partially, Morio and Jyuzou would've been lumped together with the others if not for Jeffy's words.
There was a promise the white-hairedmorian made to himself that if it was no one else, then he'd mark the maps, despite potential dangers and the lack of knowledge, heading forth.
For the longest time, it didn't seem like anyone would dare to try and attempt something so futile again.
The waters were rather calm, sometimes turning into light currents which propelled them forward. Morio stared at the sun, making sure they were heading in the right direction, though sometimes it was obscured by a fog that extended into the pink and orange sky, plastered with sharp rocks which grew from below.
There weren't any stops along the way. No river was shallow enough for them to stretch their limbs, and as far as they were concerned, everything below spoke of an uneasy silence. Sometimes, the river would appear clearer, and Jyuzou would glance down, holding his book and sketching whichever fish swam by. Most of them were ones he'd already seen in the Shimori Lake, but a few were new, which caught his attention.
Meanwhile, Morio scoured through his backpack, snacking on the generous amount of food left in the deeper pockets. When it got warmer, he took off the Talia cloak, grabbed Jyuzou's spear and created a flag out of it. He planned to use it to tell the direction of the wind, before realising that they were already swimming down a current, kind of.
The headwater of the Aria River was located about halfway up the mountain, and there was no way to swim up. So, instead, Morio opted to clean his cloak by dipping it in and hanging it atop Jyuzou's spear again. After it dried, he started scraping off the stains, but his other clothes weren't in much of a salvageable state.
His vest was completely ruined, so he decided to stuff it below the deck. His undershirt was full of small and big holes, so Jyuzou promised him to make another one if they found any cotton on the other side.
...and going back to Jyuzou, he caught every fish that seemed a little different. Over the six hours, he managed to get his hands on six, all with different fins. Some were squishy, others hard, full of meat, or too tiny to be considered proper food. He wrote down every detail he could inspect, and soon enough, the sun had begun setting.
The two agreed, then. One slept for two hours, while the other stayed awake. Do such until the sun rises, then breakfast, and continue until they reach the shore, if the sun sets again. The night itself seemed uneventful, for better or worse. The thick fog passed, revealing a sky with nothing but the same formations, but in the distance, Mount Aria's peaks shone bright and clear.
The structure itself was majestic, at least in the eyes of many writers who described it, and that wasn't just because of its snowy tops and the ever-changing hues of the lower levels. It connected four big countries, and its insides were filled to the brim with nasty creatures, tight caves and unparalleled darkness, as well as, rumoured to be the home of the strongest demon.
For three hundred years, people rarely stepped inside Mount Aria, vowing to use any other means for travel, be it the Cirim undergrounds or the unsure seas around the Mainland. Even strong Demonears such as Bancho, Axel, and even Kashmir refused to trudge through.
Morio once thought that if there was no way into the different countries, they'd move through the middle, but Bancho swiftly knocked that idea out of his head. Jyuzou still considered it sometimes, mentioning that there could be an interesting animal to see. All in all, it wasn't something they entirely crossed out, though its size was one intimidating thing to note.
When morning came, the sun was nowhere to be seen, partially covered by the peak. The rocks which sprang from below the waters were scarce before disappearing entirely with the subtle movement. With each row, the returning fog that covered the sea only grew denser, and the vibrant colours from earlier disappeared, fading into a sad grey.
Jyuzou took out a black pot from his backpack, struck two stones and lit a fire a top of firm material. He dumped the fish inside, mixing it up with a few different seeds, adding water, and crafting a stew for both of them to enjoy.
"Mmm." Morio made a few noises, chewing through the mix. "Mm!" his eyes shone, and he held the wooden spoon in his hand, in awe.
"You seem to be gobbling that up," Jyuzou asked, a bit proud.
Morio quickly nodded before digging in further, putting his face into the dish.
"Hey! L-Leave some for me!"
"Ph!" Morio backed out, rubbing his stomach, with a dazed expression. "Thank Shin for the meal...!"
Jyuzou sighed, slowly moving the pot, analysing each bit, as if he were one of those wannabe paladian food critics. "I hope there'll be enough food in the eastern land."
"I bet there are even more delicious opportunities waiting for us in the wild. I guess that counts as another goal, then. Eat everything edible, especially if you can't find it in Shimori," he raised a finger.
"Edible. Could be dangerous, though. I don't know anything about the flora or fauna there, not to mention not having a single clue where we're headed." Jyuzou looked out. "Some things could be poisonous."
"Don't you have that book?"
"When it comes to the places edible things appear, there's no mention of an eastern land. The closest thing to that is the label 'found everywhere', yet I still have to see the Kallunfikhuola flower." Jyuzou crossed his arms.
"The what?" The white-haired opened his mouth.
"Kallunfikhuola flower," he repeated.
Morio squinted. Jyuzou couldn't utter the word purple without stuttering thrice, but managed to spew out such an abysmal excuse of a name without much effort.
"Man," he sighed. "This wouldn't have been a problem if you had prepared for travel," he scratched his head.
Morio frowned.
"I know it was a sudden decision," he added. "But if you were already planning on changing something, I'd go back and think twice. Hell, when I left the Midcity Bar, I headed straight for Jeffy's house."
Jyuzou's eyes darted over, and Morio immediately looked away.
"How's Jeffy, by the way?"
Morio opened his mouth slightly, gulping.
"I'm hoping his house didn't get destroyed. It'd be a real pity for him and his parents, if... No, wait. They come back in Gorro, right? I'm sure that by then, something will be done with Magna. I can't imagine that town falling into-"
The morian didn't stop speaking, but his words seemed nothing but a muffled blur in Morio's mind.
The white-haired clenched one fist, breathing in.
"Morio?" Jyuzou raised his voice.
"He's okay!" he spouted.
Jyuzou raised his brows. "That's good."
"H-He told me he's gonna leg it for Mount Aria."
"I think there are a few houses in Lot Thúrum." Jyuzou put his hands together. "I hope he's safe."
"He's a Demonear, just like us."
After finishing their meal, the two were ready to advance forth, grabbing at the oars. However, something seemed to float in the distance.
"What's that?" Morio peeked out.
"Looks like a boat." Jyuzou proposed, and the morian grabbed the cloak from the spear and wrapped it around himself, standing on the bow. "C-Careful, Morio!"
"'Course..." he squinted.
The boat swam by another, which was mostly empty, save for a few different pieces of cloth scattered around.
Morio was ready to dismiss it, if not for a bloodstain present on a bigger one, covering a larger object.
His eyes shrank as he slowly sat back down.
"Was there anything on the inside?" Jyuzou asked, raising his voice, while the other slowly blinked. "Argh, Morio."
Eventually, Jyuzou looked out too.
"Clothes?" he asked. "...blood? What on Errarion?" he muttered, gulping.
He put both of his hands on the edge of the boat and looked into the water.
"What are you doing?" Morio asked, a bit panicked.
"Maybe they drowned?" Jyuzou continued.
"W-Why would you be looking for their bodies?!" Morio grabbed his hand.
"What if they're alive?"
"What if you were to fall?!" he pulled harder, as Jyuzou glanced back, with ground teeth.
"What's with you...?!"
Morio breathed out, his eyes drifting back and forth. Jyuzou seemed shocked before his expression shifted, in combined curiosity.
A strange sound echoed into their ears. It resembled the crickets of Gorro, only lower in tone, scarce and, oddly, unsettling. They didn't know whether it came from, as they didn't dare to move a muscle. Through their cries, a loud-pitched scream could be heard, as if someone was calling out to them.
Then, it stopped, as abruptly as it appeared. The boat was picked up by a small current, speeding up.
Morio breathed out. "I-I... just..."
"D-Demons?" Jyuzou asked, after a while.
"I don't think these waters are safe, Jyuzou. Whatever's hiding below, it doesn't seem as if we're welcome." He continued gulping. "Whether it's the eastern land or just the Aria River. Hell, as far as I know, we still could be only halfway-"
The boat scraped against something. The mist cleared, revealing an empty, rocky shore, which had carved paths between the rocks, going up into a dark green forest, growing over the view calmly, as opposed to their racing heartbeats.
The two looked at each other, then stared forward.
Jyuzou stepped out of the boat. His boots sank into the small stones and felt damp. He reached his hand out towards Morio, helping him off. The two glanced around before one broke the silence.
"There it is," he muttered, taking out a piece of paper with the map of Shimori and a blank space above the river.
He smiled lightly.
"Then, we've made it," he beamed a bit as well. "The eastern land, as one w-would call it. Or..."
He looked towards the signs etched deep into a rock.
"Old Manjuno." Jyuzou shook his head, and Morio stepped forward, pointing to the little letters below.
"Morta." He read aloud, before turning to Jyuzou.
"Alright. Whatever that means." Jyuzou put his hands on his shoulder straps, and Morio glanced towards the only visible path. "I think our best course of action is to look around for someone first. Maybe like in the Bore Forest, there'll be some boats here."
Morio peered left and right and then started walking.
"Excuse me?" Jyuzou seemed offended.
"There's nothing on this beach!"
"Th-there could be some hidden flowers!"
"Gah!" Morio's voice echoed before the morian followed suit.
***
Even though the Aria River and much of the first impression of Morta were rather foggy, the section that followed was much like most places of the Mainland.
About three-fourths of the Mainland was made up of forests, extending on hills and valleys or on top of the colourful mountains. If one stood atop Mount Aria, the first thing that would catch their attention would be precisely that. Some woods grew dense, yet most had these paths stepped out of people treading in the most logical way possible.
When the seas were much calmer back in the years of the dragons, people visiting from Outer Errarion would be surprised at just how clean the air was. Especially in Herbes, it seemed like you could smell the flowers even if they were kilometres away, carried by light and clear breezes of wind.
So, opposing the atmosphere, the Uno Mountains were dark green, with thick bushes splattered behind some of the bigger trees that bent towards the surrounding rivers. The crowns, like in some forests of Shimori, created a roof, though this time, the sun generously shone, illuminating the pink plants growing near boulders.
Mentioning rocks, they were covered in moss and often created what seemed to be staircases, leading up to bigger tilts, next to thin barks and branches that sometimes obstructed the path. Therefore, Morio grabbed a big stick with a sharpened end and cut through, later carrying it around, using it as a stepping stone. Jyuzou didn't speak much about that, but deep inside, he grew a little jealous and eventually found a twig of his own.
As for the name of this place, Uno in old Manjuno meant wet, or damp, and it perfectly described the first part of this hilly environment. A green substance covered most of the bark, replacing the thick brown. It wasn't sticky, but Jyuzou complained about the weird feeling he was met with upon touching the bedding, trying to grab the Kasukasu flower that sprang next to a small puddle. It wasn't that the substance felt wet, the air and the atmosphere were oddly heavy as if it was raining, and the drops were stopped by the big and heavy leaves closer to the crowns.
As Morio and Jyuzou didn't know the name used by the few people who dared to step in, they nicknamed it the Wet Woods, and if it were paladians trying to be inventors, they'd follow a similar train of thought.
With each step they took, their boots sank into the bedding, as they reached a part that passed a massive waterfall, letting them admire its presence for a good few seconds. It was believed, in Shin's words, that such were the beginnings of life, either standing as the headwaters or passing through, it signalled some change in perspective, and one that led the first morians into Shimori.
Though here, it damped nearby grasses, though further away from their destination. Such was replaced by dry dirt covered in small parts of the brown tree bark. Again, the stones created a small staircase, which led under a mossy tree and up to the lime leaves, changing into a rather subtle, yellowish colour, yet Morio didn't mind it.
If it was natural, not too yellow, then it wasn't bad. Except for a few cases. He disliked the look of the Riveria flowers in Gorro, for example.
His reasoning for his particular taste was even stranger. There was no story about Shin hating the hue, though it was something he misremembered from a similar tale about flowers paladians avoided. Morio was, after all, still quite young, though strongly opinionated, and Jyuzou smiled at the change of pace, marking it in a journal.
Eventually, the grass grew taller, trees started becoming sparse, and a river followed them from the waterfall. It was only now that they'd noticed how warm it was, in comparison to Shimori.
Morians were used to very low temperatures and felt comfortable treading around the snow. The clothes they made were double-layered, meaning they didn't feel the cold anywhere but their hands or fingers. A sudden wave of heat, brought by the first days of Herbes, which in Morta seemed to come way faster than it did elsewhere, reminded them of just how badly they handle warmer climates.
Jyuzou put a book over his head, trying to think of a possibility to counter this abysmal climate (it was still pretty cold), before Morio pointed to a cluster of white material growing out of the bark of every tree. In turn, the boy got to work, peeling off the layers of cotton and placing it down on the grass.
He quickly rolled each piece so that it would be rather thin and stringy, put it in the shape of two undershirts and started adding small bits of water from the nearby river, causing the pieces to stick together. He grabbed some of the grass, pressing its remains against the damp cotton, before letting it dry out.
He quickly bore his creation, but noticed that Morio was staring him down, pointing to the wreck that was his shirt. The two sat by a tree, closer to the river, and Jyuzou calmly crafted his garment.
"Herbes comes a bit faster here, doesn't it?" He asked, flipping the cotton around.
"Tell me about it!" Morio replied, lying in the grass. "It's never that hot in Shimori. I don't want to imagine this place in Gorro."
Jyuzou sighed. "I wish I could see Shimori becoming p-p-purple in a different place than Mistwick. By now, I would've been watching both forests changing hues from Mr Bancho's balcony."
"Maybe this place is nothing but a small island, and we decide to go back to Shimori sooner than we'd expect." Morio proposed, taking some grass and sticking it into his mouth, much like Ella would smoke her cigar. "This journey could last seasons, but it can also take us only a few days!"
"I don't know," Jyuzou uttered. "It's a nice change of pace, I suppose."
"It's white for two seasons. I get tired of the snow after a few days," he shook his head. "Well. You never know about the East. It could be the complete opposite and a massive piece to see! Thank Shin, you have all the places in your journal for me to scribble it down!" he grinned, deviously.
"Quick priorities, I see." Jyuzou shook his head, closing one eye and finishing up a part of the new garment.
"Of course!" he chuckled. "If it's uncharted territory, then I'll become the light that disperses the shadows. That's what the maps are all about," he nodded, before turning to Jyuzou. The other morian noticed, before quickly turning around. "That doesn't resemble an undershirt."
Jyuzou looked around. "It doesn't take that long to make, so I thought I'd try s-something new, you know?"
"Crafty, aren't we?" Morio uttered, beaming. "What are you making?"
Jyuzou pulled back the Talia cloak that lay next to him. "A cloak."
Morio looked at his white garment, then back at Jyuzou, slowly furrowing his brows. "Are you copying me?!"
"I thought it looked cool!" Jyuzou straightened up, squeezing a few purple flowers in his palm. "I'll have a small p-purple cloak of my own!"
Morio ground his teeth. "You can spout about plans for hours, you can force me to look at the stupid yellow flowers in Gorro... but!" he raised one finger. "You may never copy my style!" he leapt at Jyuzou, who started running away.
The two chased each other around a few trees, jumping over the lower branches and into the taller grasses or bushes. Morio acted as if he had become nothing but a demon. He kept yelling out: "Get back here!" or "Stop running away! I'll tear that cloak and you apart!"
Morio's mind rushed.
"No, this can't be true! I'm only allowed to wear such a cool cloak! It was a gift, something that is once in a lifetime!" he thought. "But, at the same time, we'd look like a great duo. Two morians in two cloaks!" he contemplated. "Then again, Jyuzou already stands out because of his stupid glasses!"
Jyuzou wasn't going to give up. "I want a cool cloak too," he thought, the first time he was the other morian, wrapping himself up. "Cotton doesn't grow in Shimori until late Dear." he clenched his fist. "Maybe I'll ask Mr Bancho? No, I have to find another way."
...and so he did. Although Talia's material was a mystery, Jyuzou was content making clothes of the same fabric as his coat, sweater, or undershirt and wasn't willing to give up, quickly trading a fake punch with the other morian.
Though out of the blue, Morio tumbled on a small rock, weakened. Jyuzou stopped, before the other could breathe out, seemingly in pain.
He blinked a few times, and the white-haired immediately put his hand on the wound from earlier, pressing it and waddling over to a tree.
***
"Did the bleeding stop?" Jyuzou muttered.
"Yeah," Morio answered, slowly moving his hand and rubbing the blood into the grass. "It's nothing."
"I noticed it earlier. The blood went through to your vest. We should probably find a bandage or some big leaf to wrap around your body."
"Come on, it's just a little wound." Morio shook his head. "Nothing to be scared of."
"Same here." Jyuzou looked at the small bandage wrapped around his finger. "But it still seldom bleeds for no reason."
Morio looked away, trying to hold back a giggle.
"Don't make fun of serious matters!" Jyuzou shook his body, and Morio laughed, snorting.
"How did that happen?" Morio asked. "You were eating soup and got a splinter from the wooden spoon?"
"I-I should be the one asking this question!"
"Okay... I fell, and my new sword kinda got stuck inside me." he scratched the back of his head, sticking his tongue out.
"What?"
"I don't know, it hurt for a while, but I'm fine now." Morio waved his hand. "It just bleeds sometimes."
Jyuzou slowly covered his mouth.
"Jeez, Jyuzou. It's nothing to get worked about."
"You heard that story, right?" the other morian uttered. "When a Demonear gets stabbed with their own Guardian Demon, the spirit inside will never trust its w-wielder. That's how Machow Kris, son of the Duke of Osmania, died."
Morio gulped. "Mr Bancho called it a witchtale for a reason, though."
"Stabbing yourself is e-equivalent to forever betraying your Guardian Demon. It won't show through the weapon's blade, and won't answer your calls for help. You're the only one who can control its course."
Morio looked to the side. "Don't scare me like that."
"I mean, everyone in the Kris family lived rather short lives," Jyuzou uttered, sighing. "Still."
"I'll prove otherwise, then," Morio said, rising to stand up. "I plan to be at least two hundred years old when I die, got it?" he inched closer. "A little wound isn't going to kill me, nor a demon!"
"You said you saw a witch."
"Huh?"
"You said it was a witchtale, yet-" he covered his giggle.
"Jyuzou. We're not doing this now! She was as real as-"
All of a sudden, something moved through the bushes and down into a small valley between the trees. The sun shone down on the morians, who quickly glanced at each other before hopping into the nearby tall grass.
Morio crawled forward, much to Jyuzou's silent objections and looked out from up the hill.
A four-legged demon sniffed something before picking up Jyuzou's sweater with his sharp teeth. Morio moved back as the demon glanced around with his dark eyes and ran off into the distance, making strange noises.
"Damn it." Jyuzou punched the groundwhispering. "My favourite sweater!"
Morio sat up, as if trying to spot something extraordinary.
"You know why I'm so good at making all these clothes? Because Victoria taught me by crafting the sweater that this v-vile creature just stole!"
"Jyuzou," Morio muttered.
"Better check if your cool cloak is still there," he rolled his eyes.
"Jyuzou." Morio raised his voice. "Haven't you noticed?"
"What?" Jyuzou tilted his head.
"There are no animals here," he added. "Only us two..." he glanced forwards. "...and that demon."
The two stood up, staring forward, greeted by an eerie silence that was broken by the humming wind. Morio tried his best to make out at least a birdsong, but was met with nothing in particular.
It was uneasy, much like the first steps of the land entailed. The morians gathered everything they had; Jyuzou finished his crafts, Morio proudly wore his new garment, and then, they continued moving through the Uno Mountains, still hoping to hear something out of the hush.
They stepped into a small gorge, marking the river's ending point and continued from there, passing by trees that seemed to get smaller from now on, with no fresh Herbes sap. Grass eventually grew shorter, turning into damp dirt. Later on, it was swapped with dry brownstone, before eventually disappearing altogether.
The gorge ended, and what was now left before their eyes were empty plains with nature desperately trying to carve its way around the harsh environment. Moss climbed up onto big dark boulders that climbed around like massive shadows, or at least, resembling whatever could've been there beforehand.
It was eerie, to say the least. They hadn't noticed the obvious signs, but now, they couldn't shake off that feeling whatsoever. It was quiet, and that didn't concern them stepping on branches or the leaves carried by the wind.
It was a dead silence.
Nothing would respond to their calls except for their voices. For a moment, they even wished that demons appeared and spoke through to them, showing some signs of life.
But, no.
Even the wild nature that painted the entire Uno Mountains disappeared with each minute that passed. A headache grew in both their heads. It was a pulsing one, not that it hurt, but it only added to this strange uneasiness. The sun above was bleak, and mist started forming around the cliffs.
What once were brown and green barks turned into boulders, some stretching into the sky or erecting roads between the big rocks. Morio and Jyuzou climbed up the steep formation, looking out for anything different in the faraway landscape, but nothing could be made out amongst the dense fog. Soon, even the traces of the light above were covered by silver clouds, and the two were left to aimlessly wander, possibly forward, but they weren't even sure where they were supposed to go.
The paths kept splitting and had no real rules. At first, they headed up, but the roads only looped back to the same location where they started. The name of this place, the Horhor Basin, essentially meant 'the winding basin' in Old Manjuno, and as time went on, one could say such was accurate.
Passing by the same rocks, for a moment, they thought of climbing up and walking over what only seemed to be a maze with no exit. The shining mist covered its sides, turning it into a moist surface. The ground didn't resemble the small stones, nor was it dirt, but a weird mix of all, with a subtle brown and cracks connecting from one formation to the other.
Plants? There were none, and there's not much to mention about the liveliness of this place.
Deep inside, they dreaded that they'd find nothing but disappointment and that this strange feeling would grow bigger the further they went.
Morio's mind raced. At the same time, he was afraid, yet strangely curious about the things he hadn't yet experienced, marking them down. Jyuzou became worried with time, seldom panicking but quickly calming down, figuring that's not the way to go.
For one moment, they unknowingly split, following different paths. Jyuzou trod forward, squinting and trying to see something from the mist, only to be greeted by the dark silhouettes of the boulders left and right, with their higher tops extending above the fog.
He gulped, turning around.
"Morio?" he asked, and then the morian appeared from behind, breathing in and out.
"Shin, I lost you for a moment there!" Morio raised his voice, and Jyuzou sighed.
"We b-better stick together. I feel like this fog only grows thicker the longer we are in this damn place." Jyuzou looked up at the sky, greeted by, unfortunately, nothing new. "I can't even tell when nighttime arrives..." he shook his head, noticing that his voice echoed in the hollowness.
Morio put his hand on his neck, grinding his teeth, before blinking twice. He folded his hands, with Jyuzou following. They eventually made it to a small dent in the ground, and Morio looked up, holding charcoal and a piece of paper, angered.
"It's the same place for the seventh time!" Morio's grasp tightened as he almost chucked the map out of frustration. "Every route leads back right here!"
"Th-there has to be some way out of this place," Jyuzou muttered.
"I know, and I'm not planning to rest until we see something new," Morio stated.
"This could as well take another day." Jyuzou put his hand on the side.
He turned, with a gasp. "Do you expect me to fall asleep in these inhumane environments? I wouldn't even sit down on something like this! Bet it's dirty!"
Jyuzou chuckled. "You slept on the boat just fine back then."
"Wood is comfortable!" Morio laughed too, easing the atmosphere.
"We need to get our w-wits together if that's the case."
Jyuzou put a book over his head, trying to muster something, yet no idea appeared. He breathed out, slowly putting it back in his backpack, while Morio strutted away.
The white-haired morian followed a notion of a few strange sounds as if something shuffled among the stones. He immediately turned, with a cold sweat rolling down his face.
"Man." Jyuzou came by. "There's nothing here-"
Morio shushed him, sticking his finger out. He slowly gazed up before seeing something strange.
A hollow figure's eyes blinked before it quickly climbed down a rock.
"Was that a demon?"
Morio scratched his cheek, opening his eyes.
"Morio?"
"No," Morio uttered. "I think I can feel a demon's presence. It was something else."
"What?" Jyuzou squinted, while Morio waddled around.
"I don't know. I just noticed that whenever I get this strange headache, a demon is hurling towards me the next minute." Morio shook his head. "It warned me of the Tilted Hill-" he counted on his fingers. "-the Tukman Woods, then when the army of demons was coming. It works, sometimes."
Jyuzou eyed him before he focused his gaze on the emblem falling out of Morio's vest. The morian quickly put it back in, sighing.
"Back when..." Jyuzou spoke up. "N-No, never mind."
Stepping back, he heard another strange sound.
"Ah!"
Jyuzou gasped out, spotting a creature crawling towards him. He leapt back, putting his hand on his weapon, as the creature flew up with a pair of wings.
"A demon!" he cried out, panicked.
Morio stepped forth and put his hand on Gloria's sheath, grinding his teeth.
Jyuzou closed his eyes as the creature observed from above, quickly climbing down. It started speeding towards Morio, who subconsciously raised his weapon, as a flash of small lightning stormed off, clearing the mist.
The morian struck at the ground, missing the creature, before it hopped onto his body, sticking its sharp claw-like hands into his sides and growling.
Morio screamed, and Jyuzou haphazardly threw his spear, as it went through the creature's wing. It screeched, falling to the ground, and Morio tripped, dropping the weapon. The other morian looked back and forth before putting a knee down on its broken wing.
It raised its voice before he pointed his weapon right at its shadowy face, trembling.
"L-Leave us be, you demon!" Jyuzou stated. "We'll kill you!"
"Ahh, ahhh..." the creature breathed out, as its eyes rolled towards Jyuzou's face. "Demon? Not a demon!"
"What?" Morio raised a brow, waddling over.
"Uuh." It put its hand around Jyuzou's spear. "I'm not a demon!" it shook its head, revealing its rather average-looking mouth, a cap covering its eyes and hands which were connected to wings. "Dorians, you're good dorians! Please, I don't want to die. I don't want to die!"
Morio clenched his fist.
"I don't want to die!" It yelled out again.
"Jyuzou!" Morio pushed him to the side and picked up his weapon, stepping over towards the creature.
"Morio?!" Jyuzou was confused.
"If you're not a demon, then what are you?!" Morio uttered.
"Clowinger!" it muttered. "I'm a clowinger, that's right, uuuh!"
"Morio, don't trust its words!" Jyuzou clenched his fist. "It tried to kill you!"
"No, no! This is a big misunderstanding!" It waved its hands around, sitting up and simultaneously pleading. "I was protecting myself! I was protecting my people! I thought you were my enemies, I thought you were demons! You're friends, dorians!"
"Dorians? Y-Your people?" Morio asked.
It nodded. "You're Demonears! Amazing! Oh, you'd be such a blessing to our people, yes, our people, ghh!" It hugged Morio's leg. "Please...!"
Morio tried to step away, feeling its warm touch. He glanced at Jyuzou, who shook his head.
"Spare me, spare me..." it mumbled. "Spare me, ghh!"
"Your people? So there's civilisation here in Morta?"
"Morta?" It looked to the side, gulping. "Yes, Morta! Yes, there is!"
"How far is your homeland?"
"Morio?!" Jyuzou protested.
"Ooh, far from here," it continued.
"I-Is there shelter there? Food, information? Is it safe?" Morio continued.
"Of course!" it kept nodding. "Ghh! Clowingers don't mean any harm! I, Daress, will keep you safe!"
"Daress. D-Do you know your way around this land?" Morio gulped.
"I know everything!" it said. "Every single place, and the safest way home!" it begged. "I can take you there! I can prove I'm harmless, dorians!"
Jyuzou was deeply unsure, standing in one place.
"Then, you decide for yourself," he breathed out, deeply unsure. "We'll spare your life, on condition that you'll lead us to your home!" Morio announced.
Jyuzou felt his heart drop.
It opened its mouth, filled with a new hope.
"Yes!", It bowed. "Thank you! Gah!" It stood up, and the wound on its wing seemingly disappeared, much to Jyuzou's surprise.
It started dancing around, flying up and smiling.
"Morio!" Jyuzou whispered, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him to the side. "What on Errarion are you doing?!"
"Do you see any other way out of this place?" Morio whispered. "We have to trust it, w-whether we like it or not."
"Why did you hesitate to kill it?" Jyuzou continued.
"It's not a demon," Morio explained, clenching his fist. "I told you!" his eye twitched.
"What the hell is a clowinger, huh?!" Jyuzou muttered.
"Shouldn't that be in that book of yours?"
"Come on, dorians! Quickly, quick! We can't waste much time!" It started pulling on Morio's hand and moving forward. "Night will soon come; we need to make it out of here! Far from the harm! Uuh!" It waved, standing atop a rock. "Up here! You can climb, it's dry!"
Jyuzou held onto his backpack as the two looked at each other, a bit unsure.
"Quick, quick! Out towards the Harm Lands!"
Jyuzou seemed concerned. "The Harm Lands?"
Daress avoided his question.
Morio started climbing, and Jyuzou kept eyeing its peculiar dance.
He sighed, seeing as the two were quickly heading off.
It couldn't have been that Morio made a wrong decision. His demeanour seemed... different, at least in Jyuzou's mind. Either way, he had no other option than following suit, after a thick gulp.
"I'll lead you, dorians. Daress will keep you safe!" he nodded, putting his hand near his heart, sniffing and looking around. "Come on, we tread without stopping!"
The boulders grew bigger, and some holes were filled with small stones splattered around the big edges of the Horhor Basin.
Jyuzou turned, spotting a red flower growing out of the ground where he had stood earlier. He squinted his eyes, but then spun on his heel, sighing.
It soon disappeared, with small pebbles left in its place.