Atomu's grip around Knrhum's Blade tightened as he stared at Lisbeth. Beneath the thick shadow covering her face, a smile could be seen—a devilish grin, as if she was expecting to win this predicament.
She was as ready as the day before to prove her point.
...and although fearful and trembling, the paladian promised himself not to give in to the stress, which made his blood boil. He put the sword behind him, pointing its sharp end at the ground, and shakily breathed out.
With one snap of her fingers, something behind the Demonears moved. Rowan glanced, and soon enough, the goblin king, dressed in a red jacket and bearing something resembling a crown, waddled upstairs, groaning, before almost collapsing at the few tables beneath.
"Three Demonears," Lisbeth muttered. "It's precisely what I promised, dear friend," she bowed, and the other nodded, with a devilish grin.
"You won't knock m-me down as easily this time," Atomu spoke through his teeth, trembling.
Lisbeth chuckled. "Figured I wouldn't, considering you jumped right into the lion's den," she whispered. "Leopold, Tabus, back up. I can do it by myself."
"Even though you wasted all of your blood on-" Tabus muttered, before she signalled him to pause, focusing on the commotion ahead.
In a flash, she snapped through the air, but right as she attempted to swipe at Atomu's face, an arrow pierced through her shoulder, sticking out on the other side.
"You'll kill the people of this bar!" Rowan raised their voice, sticking their hand out, and the arrow returned.
"You didn't seem to mind it last night, so what's with the sudden change?" Lisbeth asked. "Don't act like you care-"
Rowan shot again, but this time, it zoomed right past, almost striking Tabus' face.
"It's not about the past, Demonears!" Elton screamed. "Don't let her words get to you! We can still win!"
"As if I'd ever let a demon console my mind!" Rowan ran forward, jumping above her, with Atomu following suit.
Right as he was about to strike at the demoness, she disappeared, and the paladian landed on the ground.
"Still too slow," she whispered, with her cold hands sending shivers down Atomu's back.
"Hayah!"
Chyuuichi hit Lisbeth's side with his weapon, and blood splattered around the floor and onto their clothes.
Lisbeth turned, and then Atomu shot up, kicking her leg. The next move spoke of him using his sword, but the demon was faster. Her eyes turned to the mirillian, seemingly angered.
The goblin king clapped his hands in amusement, much to Chyuuichi's loud groans. The other underlings of his followed, and the other, smaller demons present all turned.
Rowan furrowed their brows as their eyes caught Tabus' glimpse, who started stepping back.
...and, out of the blue, something leapt in from the wall on his side.
It revealed itself to be the same massive creature, now angrily growling at all three. The goblin king inched forward, and Lisbeth glanced, clenching her fist.
Chyuuichi immediately grabbed the flute from his pocket, but with one swipe of those green hands, the instrument rolled a few meters away. He leapt, trying to catch it mid-roll, but just as his hands touched the other tip, it tumbled between the few broken, wooden floorboards.
"Oh, seriously?"
The goblin screeched, and just as Atomu was ready to step in, Lisbeth grabbed his leg and dragged him along the floor.
"Keep your wits, Klakunhoi!" Rowan announced and drew their bow towards the demoness, only to make a sudden turn, hitting Leopold's stomach, who in turn tripped, before immediately sprinting forward.
The tributal hopped on the table, kicking cutlery and dishes with their legs Leopold's way, slowing him by bit. They jumped onto Eryk's body and bounced off onto the chandelier, hanging onto its crystals, taking the arrow out of their mouth and pointing it at the demon, who glimpsed before launching upwards, grabbing onto the same object.
His hand pierced through the glass above, and Rowan managed to find footing at its side, letting go of their shot. It bounced off Leopold's mask, seemingly unaffected. Raising their brows, they leapt forward, out of reach.
Rowan turned to people around the bar, gathered against the wall or corners, trying to think up their next, safest move. However, before they could do much of the same, the chandelier came falling, crashing into pieces.
The tributal leapt, clearing the smoke with their hand and grabbing the arrow. Its end lit on fire, and they struck right through Leopold's chest, kicking him further away. Afterwards, they turned to Atomu and stopped his drift, grabbing his hand and pushing him away. Lisbeth kept staring at Rowan's face. Their cheek was bleeding, and Rowan rubbed off the blood, not breaking eye contact.
Tabus on the side went completely quiet. Back stuck against the wooden wall, and a rather fearful expression painted his face. Lisbeth glanced at both demons and straightened up, breathing in.
"Even at my weakest, I'm better than you two," she shook her head. "Dear hell, you really are useless."
As if those words came bashing at him, Atomu smashed the sword into the ground with a scream. A wave of dirt appeared, jumping right as Chyuuichi climbed onto the second floor.
The paladian breathed out, focusing on Lisbeth, who once again managed to flawlessly avoid his shot. The king could've been amused, and if it wasn't for the enemy, he'd head right for the grinning, evil green head.
The demon, however, seemed relentless. Once again, he struck, pushing dirt through, before a massive wall appeared, and the mirillian seemed ready to move in on the action, even though what they could potentially try seemed a little awkward.
However, in a flash of what Atomu attempted, Lisbeth disappeared. Her shadow manifested in the corner of his eye, and when he tried to turn and face her, another wall found itself transforming into a simple wave.
Chyuuichi leapt at that point, remaining airborne before the demoness struck right through the middle, with a bloody weapon that raised all of what was above the paladian, eventually forcing it all to come crashing down.
"Atam?!" The mirillian called, before landing atop the goblin creature's head and bouncing off.
It caught his leg, shaking him up and down, as a few silver coins dropped onto the floor, rolling into the same hole the flute did.
"Damn it!" Rowan uttered, grinding their teeth.
"Are you afraid yet?" Lisbeth uttered, pointing at the tributal.
"Afraid? I'm pissed off!" They let go of the arrow, and Lisbeth shifted, forcing its sharp end to start a fire, connecting to the wooden floor.
"No! Oh no, no!" Eryk raised his voice, trying to blow out the flames, and Rowan jumped towards him, kicking his body and extinguishing the fire with his weight. Lisbeth zoomed towards Atomu, and Rowan started running before being caught by Leopold's hand, which tightened around their ankle. The bow dropped to the ground, and their arrow was right out of reach. The only thing Rowan could do was stare and observe, without much of a chance.
"A weapon like this was only fit for a king," Lisbeth muttered, as her deformed body and open wounds started healing in small implosions. "Curious, how a paladian like you even dared to pick it up."
Elton ground his teeth, glancing at Ella.
"Get away from him!" Chyuuichi yelled out, trying to battle the air.
"From a corpse?"
"N-Nuh-uh! Nah ah!" Chyuuichi denied. "Nuh..." he started getting dizzy from all the blood flowing into his head.
The goblin king laughed, clapping his hands and closing his eyes.
She squinted, however, as if trying to look past all the things Chyuuichi seemed to present. Quickly, though, she shook that off, clenching her fist.
"You amuse me. Vowing to fight so potently, only to end up being outsmarted by the people you'd call the evil race." She smiled. "It's ironic, isn't it? Seems only sheer strength could've proven anything in the case of your blatant stupidity." Chyuuichi ground his teeth, and Lisbeth inched closer. "Who's the superior dwarf now?"
Chyuuichi swung his fist, but Lisbeth dodged, as expected. A shred of ice appeared with the afterimage as she put her hand near her heart, and made sure it didn't beat as fast.
Rowan crossed two fingers, breathing out. A dark fire climbed out from beneath their fingertip before footsteps rushed, and suddenly, Tabus pushed his boot into their palm.
"Gaah!"
"D-Damn well." Tabus grinned, and Leopold fixed his chains, waddling over. The demon turned to Lisbeth again, with a roll of sweat forming on his cheek.
"Ah, ah! Get away from me, goblins!" Eryk muttered as a few of the smaller creatures climbed atop to rid him of his riches. "Filthy creatures!"
Lisbeth crouched, taking Knrhum's Blade from beneath the lump of dirt.
"Atam..." Chyuuichi muttered, his eyes widening with fear.
"What a pity something like this tumbled into the hands of someone so insignificant. A rebel, if not much more." Her hands graced the edge, and she looked deeply into the bright and shining metal, tracing its lines. "We could've had much more than that, paladian. This was, after all, only the beginning of the show. How long before he'd come to see it?"
Rowan glanced at her with a clenched jaw. "Are you talking about...?"
"It's nothing for a human to be curious about. To say I have many acquintances willing to see what I can do just speaks volumes of the excuse of a power the Demonears have. Demon, human... silly labels. What a pity."
The goblin king dared to stand up. His face didn't seem as satisfied anymore, and after a lowly groan, Lisbeth turned.
"Of course," she bowed. "The lot in your hands means their greatest of weapons. Just something I've been pondering..."
The king nodded.
"Don't you think this one should belong to the people who did much more than you ever attempted?"
The king raised their hand as if arguing, and she inched closer, flipping the blade back and forth.
"L-Lisbeth? What are you doing?" Tabus asked.
"It'd be such a waste, wouldn't it?" She chuckled. "...and we've done most of the job without you, save for two goblins..."
She pointed the blade's sharp end at the king's chin. He moved back, taking a fearful step.
"You were only here for the goods, right? You can take them and scour. Demons don't need anyone else to prove their strength. We craved something much, much more satiable. A chance, in this forsaken world." She shook her head. "You're not demons. Someone like you would never understand."
Leopold eyed Lisbeth carefully. Tabus moved back, gulping, and Rowan's eyes focused on something that seemed to gleam right at the weapon's end, spawning sounds that even got the demoness curious.
She flipped it around, before an eye stared into the shadow cast by her hood. Its purple shine blinded her, and she dropped the weapon before tumbling herself.
The other turned, with the massive goblin sniffing something out of the air, and eventually letting go of Chyuuichi, causing him to land in the same ditch as the flute.
The weapon's grip was slowly swallowed by the dirt, which then revealed Atomu's hand, moving through the brown piles. His eyes were wide open, and the ground around sank beneath. He put the blade into his hands and stared right into the eye.
Lisbeth put her hands together, trembling. Atomu's eyes widened, and he stood up, feeling a strange surge deep below the fine alloy.
"Who are you fighting against, Knrhum?" She asked, stepping back, grabbing Leopold's hand. Rowan wiggled out of Tabus's grip, as the demon was rather surprised at the awe that gave them a few seconds to escape. They weren't courageous enough to yell back; however, they only heeded another gulp.
The eye stared back, and he froze, breathing out.
The paladian gulped, taking one unsure step, seeing as the others did the same. Chyuuichi waddled behind. Rowan looked out from beneath the counter, and so did Ella and Elton, now freed from their earlier constraints.
Atomu moved slowly, as if the power he held in his hand seemed overwhelming.
The goblin king waddled towards the other tables, taking the loose chain that was wrapped around the big goblin, and then fidgeting with a bone horn, with many shining elements attached to his pants. He blew as hard as he could, and its sound echoed through Magna before he dropped it on the ground.
Atomu swung his weapon as the eye left apparitions, waving towards the demons. One last step meant putting all that power in one hand, forcing the tip to move further.
He raised his voice, as if ready to strike, and ran forward.
Lisbeth gasped. "Damn you!"
The force blew back her hood, revealing her face, only momentarily, and she grabbed onto everyone's hands, floating up, disappearing in a dark smear.
Breathing in, Rowan shot out three times, as the arrows moved through the lamps at the back of the bar, lighting a new hope to follow.
The eye on Knrhum's Blade sealed shut, and Atomu stared at its creased edges, amidst the joy and claps of the freed. Sweat rolled down every ounce of his body, but he stared forward.
Surprised, to say the least.
"You..." a morian gulped. "You did it."
"You did it!"
"You saved Magna!"
"YOU SAVED US!"
The paladian stood in the middle, breathing heavily. Chyuuichi climbed to his side, and Rowan eventually made it too, almost losing their step but balancing on the broken table.
To say that the three couldn't believe anything that just happened was a massive understatement. They were even more surprised than anyone else. Chyuuichi raised his fist and sang out, while Rowan stared at the others, with a rather reassuring and rare smile.
Atomu's eyes were full of shock, but at the same time, relief.
Finally, the Nuil stood up (with the help of Lamon), taking his one free hand and shaking it violently, almost splitting it from his body.
"Ahh..." Atomu made a noise.
"Thank you, brave Demonears!" Tears rolled down the face of Eryk. For once, his expression felt genuine and quite earned. "You saved our town when no one else could!" he informed, and Kashmir rolled his eyes, now untied by Elton. "These, magnanians, are our heroes!" he turned to the others, and things quickly went silent. "N-Names?"
"Chyuuichi!" The mirillian replied. The people raised their voices in celebration, and he chuckled.
"Rowan," they said, fixing their ponytail, as the people screamed in joy.
"...and!" Eryk pointed to Atomu.
"A..." Atomu looked down, sucking in the air.
It was as if everyone was expecting him to lead through. They were waiting, in celebration, for the supposed leader to make the next step. He sulked for seconds before finally daring to look up.
The invasion's strongest retreated. There were still demons lumping outside, though with the yells and the power of humanity, scared to even inch closer. A good chunk begun running, as a few guards made their way out of the bar's vicinity and onto the streets, raising their hands, as well as the Tukman flag.
As if to place it on the map, and before the thought of the demons overcoming their power, yelling to the world that they had won.
The people began running outside, hugging each other in tears. Sealed doors were shut open, trapdoors were raised, hell, even some of the few hiding inside the waters yelled out before trembling on the edge.
Sick, wounded... but the whole lot survived.
The paladian turned to everyone else.
"A-Atomu," he spoke, before a small beam appeared.
Then came the loudest of yells, and Atomu mustered enough courage in his body to raise his weapon.
"Forth, Klakunhoi," he muttered, bumping Rowan's shoulder.
***
Over the next few hours, Magna began its slow recovery. Although the damage was severe, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. The people were prepared for the occasion, and as told from later tales, a good chunk of morians hid inside the very church Atomu tried to pry into, finding seats beneath the benches or the basement, and forcefully crashing down one wall when they thought danger arrived.
When the demons weren't strolling through parts of town, residents of the Homieo district successfully snuck out to help the survivors back into hiding before deciding to strike in piles at the weak demons appointed with guarding the whereabouts of the inns. Others, for example, found their way into the Nuil's castle via the basement, and despite Eryk's later yells, a good chunk of the town rested inside the golden, uninvaded halls.
There were more survivors than fatalities, and that was one thing to speak about. Of course, if this had lasted any longer, many of the strategies the magnanians were taught from a very young age wouldn't have worked as easily; it seemed the world found its way to convenience the inconvenient.
This, however, didn't mean that everyone was joyous. Some muttered that they'd be better dead than alive, having to go through everything connected to the aftermath. Houses were ruined, and their goods were stolen, but those wandering around, reporting the damage were quickly compensated, with hefty sums of money and offered a place to sleep. What Magna needed was unity, and despite how Eryk came to be, it seemed the fear struck some morals into him.
Therefore, lots of people stayed at the Midcity Bar. Its roof and walls were broken, but its insides were cleaned up, as Ella took out the food she kept hidden even from the most knowledgeable, and served as many portions as she could, seldom requesting Elton's help and learning that he might be fit for this job.
Those in need were given more, and those holding up a bit better received less; nonetheless, the bar was in high swing, higher than before. There were at least two hundred morians, fifty paladians, some erans and lots of the tired tributals.
Most of them survived, as opposed to what Rowan saw in Swania. Some were locked in small prisons, and later, promptly rescued, volunteering to help. They scoured the town before nightfall, and the demons were either chased away into the waters, distant forests, ran away in fear, or rightfully slaughtered for the blood they bore, with the help of the Demonears.
Though going back to their earlier imprisonment, the basements of Eryk's palace stretched from the Midcity to Swania, allowing quicker means of travel. Coincidentally, they also connected to those little cells with the windows at ground level. The Nuil thought it would be quite amusing to see criminals sticking their heads out and begging for mercy.
However, with the guards often getting lost inside the winding basements, Lamon was forced to take the position of the jail guard. Although there weren't many prisoners, it was one more stone added to his already broken back.
Mentioning that, there were two classes of Eryk's guards, the first made up of paladians, erans and morians, and the second one, only of tributals. The first one was the shield and minions to Eryk, while the second was more or less about patrolling Magna and keeping its ports safe. Even the Nuil wouldn't be able to convince the tributals to work the same way the first class did.
...and Rowan, except for being of royalty, the second-class guards to Nuil, were also knowledgeable in medicine, dubbed a wizen. Finding their medicinal handbag among the piles of items the goblin king left behind, they were tasked with finding any injured people, nursing them to a better state.
Chyuuichi didn't do much afterwards. He remained at the bar, applying bandages or tending to the broken bones of the injured. Most of the time, however, he wandered around the inns, peeking through the open doors and eventually finding an empty one with a carpet made out of a pulu's wool and a comfy, big bed. He wrapped himself around the thick blanket and fell asleep. On the floor.
Opposite, Atomu was pulled around by many people, with barely a moment's rest. Firstly, came the Nuil, who begged for such a warrior to join his guard, offering him Lamon's position. The morian-eyed Atomu and the paladian swiftly rejected the proposition.
Ella kept asking questions or offering stories of similar happenings. She described the one time in Harabara when a place called Sohota Town kept being targeted by centura attacks because the nearby Kiki Forest was widely inhabited by such. Even Elton eventually joined in, and the paladian couldn't keep up.
He still didn't know if he deserved the attention. In all honesty, he longed for an hour in a separate room, but was too afraid to voice his concerns. When night came, Chyuuichi woke up, Rowan returned to the bar, and Atomu sat at the table, with a plate of food in front of him, left untouched.
All around, people danced to the combined melodies of the guitars, thaduks, burkas or flutes. Some joined in pairs, hopping around and clapping their hands, while the others ingested generous amounts of beer, eventually fainting.
They sang songs, some were made up on the spot, and the others were paladian classics, such as "The Willying Woe", "Twice the Fifth" or "The Dragon's Den."
"Aah," Chyuuichi stretched, yawning. "Good morning!"
"Night." Atomu corrected him.
"Right!" Chyuuichi sat down next to the paladian and tapped his fingers on the table, making a few noises that only he could hear. "Ya know, us mirillians never know when it's day or night."
"That explains why you fell asleep twice during our journey to Magna," he breathed out.
"I guess so!" Chyuuichi nodded. "Time and day's a surface concept we should reject," he took one bite of the pais vegetable present on Atomu's plate. "Are you going to eat that?"
"I-I'm not hungry." he shook his head.
"Then why'd ya order it?" Chyuuichi said, his mouth full of pais.
"Ella forced it down my throat. You can eat it," he slid the dish across the table.
"If it's free, then I'll take twelve!" Chyuuichi raised his voice, and at that moment, Atomu laid his head on the table, breathing rhythmically. Through the chomps of food, Chyuuichi kept trying to sing the songs he recognised, adding to the headache the paladian already bore.
If that wasn't enough, Rowan appeared, stepping around the table with two golden plates.
"Here. Treat it as thanks for your help." They sat down, sliding the one in front of Chyuuichi to the side and offering a new meal, which neither recognised. "Kamas bread wrapped in Malikan lotus leaves, with a side of mixed pama and some natural western tree sap. Dip it right here, and enjoy your delights," they smiled.
Atomu raised his head, turning to his meal, which almost gleamed, sitting still on the plate.
"Ooh!" Chyuuichi picked up a fork, eyes reflecting that spark.
Rowan slammed the fork out of his hand. "Eat with these," they handed him two, one-pronged silver cutlery, one sharper than the other. "They used to be made out of the same western wood, but I guess you'll live."
"You made this?" Atomu pointed.
"A-Ambrosia did." They scratched their head.
"T-That's great, then." Atomu nodded. "I wasn't sure if they had made it out like the others."
"They were in a good state, surprisingly. T-Treated all their wounds by themselves when we were busy. Clever bastard Chicho," they smiled. "The goblins didn't even bother to step into the basement where we keep all our food. They didn't seem interested in our delights." Atomu and Chyuuichi took their first bites. "I wonder why-"
The two suddenly spat it out.
"IS THIS HOW YOU THANK ME?!" Rowan yelled.
"I'm not hungry...!" Atomu uttered.
"It's awful! How do y'all eat this?" Chyuuichi pushed the meal back into Rowan's hands, and they furiously glared at the two.
Atomu glanced at Chyuuichi, and so did the mirillian. Rowan let out a loud sigh.
"Well, if you don't want this delicacy, at least accept my words." Rowan breathed in. "Thank you."
Chyuuichi squinted, and then Atomu's elbow landed somewhere around his stomach.
"It's a lot coming from a tributal!" Atomu whispered.
Rowan raised a brow. "Please." They moved their hand back. "If you were to see those other guys, you'd be running back to my generosity," they smirked. "Now, Demonears, what's your next move after all of this is over?"
"I-I'm not sure." Atomu scratched his head.
"You have some firsthand experience in combat," Rowan informed. "Even if some things could be worked on," they coughed. "You know the dangers and how to tame them by now."
"Not really, Rowan!" Chyuuichi uttered. "What in the Erra happened to Atomu's weapon earlier? That weird shining eye!"
Rowan fixed their glasses. "It wasn't a danger to Atomu, Chyuuichi. It was simply that his fear caused the demon slumbering inside his weapon to wake."
"Fear?" Atomu raised his eyebrows. "I mean, I was scared all the way through. Weird timing."
"You did stare into death's eyes at that very moment." Rowan breathed out. "It struck your weakest point and manifested. Demons feed off fear, so when they feel its presence, they try to find it and are there to protect the person who is their wielder."
"So it targets ya?" Chyuuichi asked. "Like... it pushes away the others to have ya for themself!"
"Best way to put it. When you get your Guardian Demon, you sign a pact with the creature hidden in its blade. It will do anything it can to escape, and when it first happens, you won't have much control over it. I learnt that fear attacks come effortlessly much later. They're the last resort to saving your life."
"It wasn't a pleasant feeling," Atomu mumbled.
"I'd assume being crushed beneath all that rubble was anything but that." Rowan crossed their arms. "Although fear didn't manifest in you as it did in others. It's usually something related to what you're scared of the most in life. I don't think eyes are anything alike, and as I can assume from the words those demons said, it was something that was part of your Guardian Demon."
Atomu gulped.
"Nonetheless, it saved Magna. It's not a standard weapon for sure, but hell, only demons would know the answer." Rowan stopped, staring at the paladian. "All are just a little different."
Atomu glanced at the weapon, now sitting on the side of the bench. It didn't itch or budge like earlier and only reflected his unsure expression.
"Mentioning that, there were barely any casualties, death-wise," Rowan informed, putting their hands up to their chin. "Among them was one Demonear."
Atomu's lip shook, and Chyuuichi budged closer, sticking his hand out.
"They identified his body, as well as his tool. Jeffy, of the travelling Luffia family."
"J-Jebby?!" Chyuuichi raised his voice. "Jebby's dead?!"
Atomu breathed out and shook his head.
Chyuuichi muttered, gasping. "Jebby?"
"I'd say that to satisfy One's endless needs, love requires sacrifices. But I'd name fifty better people who could easily take his place. I know his parents, and I don't want to know how they'd react." Rowan clenched their fist. "No others were found, however. I'm happy they weren't corpses, but the Demonears that stayed are right here. Me, Kashmir, you, and my Chicho. I think there was one more girl, but from what I saw, she spent most of her time helping others out in Kyrkogarde, instead of fighting."
Chyuuichi looked away, covering his face. He slid his hand down his face and then onto his lips, shaking. Atomu wasn't sure how to feel.
"T-The other Demonears." Atomu shook his head. "They're not dead. Well, at least Morio isn't, and Jyuzou too."
Chyuuichi slowly turned, recalling his words from earlier.
"I was just about to ask about your morian friends." Rowan continued.
"I saw Morio amongst the flames!" Chyuuichi added. "He fought against that big lug of a demon, but then... he ran away, and I'm not sure where."
"Bore Forest." Atomu continued. "Morio wanted to leave Shimori, as I said earlier, and it's safe to assume that Jyuzou followed right after."
"Bore Forest?" Rowan closed their eyes, thinking. "The Bore Forest?!" All of a sudden, they yelled out. "Oh, One... damn it!" they slammed at the table.
"I-Isn't Lignoria on the other side?" Atomu asked.
"Fools wouldn't know," they spoke through their teeth. "A child will never outsmart the waters to reach your paladian land!" Rowan grabbed Atomu by his coat, inching closer. "The only way he'll make it through the river is to the eastern land! And... oh, One!" Rowan ground their teeth, and a few heads were turned before others promptly returned to their drinking party, as their words grew quiet.
"What's on the other side?" Chyuuichi curiously asked, and Rowan let go, putting their hand next to their mouth, mumbling.
"You never heard anything?" The tributal glimpsed. "It's a dead land, Klakunhoi."
They looked left and right before inching closer.
"I've never been there myself, but many tributals who stepped in vowed to never make that mistake again," they whispered. "It's a fake-out at first, green lush and damp mountains and a forest which sets an illusion of prosperous land. Next, nature changes. Grey and silver rocks, steep lands, and something that fills you with dread. There is no food there, nowhere. No animals, nothing on the few remaining plants that are edible. It's the land of demons to some, red flowers which follow you around, eventually revealing a devilish creature from beneath. Not only demons, centuras, chimeras, traces of goblins, fairies, sirens..." Rowan squinted their eyes. "No one who sets out there comes back the same, even if they do, many can't even tell the tale. Some are silenced and imprisoned, so no one learns the truth of something that people are so afraid of."
Atomu gulped, trembling. Chyuuichi was silent, with a dreadful expression.
"Before the Second War, it used to be called Asno." Rowan put their hands together, moving back. "The Golden Shore, with pink and yellow flowers, fertile lands, two towns and opportunities for prosperity in the future. However, that dream was led to rot by Shi Hon himself."
"Seriously?" Atomu asked.
"Could something as awful as this really be part of the Mainland?" Chyuuichi tilted his head.
"Used to be, but now it stands under a question mark. I don't know what the demon could've done back then for such rapid change, but no one touches that place, and for good reason, too. We could argue for hours if humans should make a move to reclaim what was once taken from them, but who are we to decide what comes next? We're not of Saphrith Royalty, and one tributal means nothing." Rowan fixed their glasses, eyeing the two, as they sat still, not even budging.
Chyuuichi tapped his fingers on the table, and Atomu played with his hair.
"Do you get what I'm trying to tell you, idiots?" Rowan put their hands on both of their coats, pulling them closer. "Tomorrow morning, the first thing you do is check the Bore Forest and pray to whatever deity you believe in that the morians are still there. If not, you'll need to find a way to the eastern land yourself."
"W-What?!" Atomu's eyes shrank.
"I don't care how you get there; you will do so, unless you're willing to risk more lives. They were strong enough to become Demonears, amongst a world where such become nothing but hiding cowards. If there is any other reason to step into the danger and rescue them, I'd pick that."
"Don't even say that, Rowan!" Chyuuichi pointed. "Morin and Jyuso are the best morians I've known!"
"W-Will you help us?" Atomu muttered.
"I have no say in what Eryk would want me to do. As part of his guard, I'm to follow orders, and there's only so much to do in Magna. My hands are tied, and it's mostly your mistakes."
Atomu looked stressed. "I-It's not my fault. Morio wanted to leave. There's nothing I'd say that would stop him."
"A thing about you, paladian, is that you're so heavily reluctant to admit your wrongdoings. You seem like a good guy at first, but your flaws only reveal themselves with each passing minute. This is exactly what I'm talking about." They furrowed their brows. "Make up for it!"
***
The next few hours passed like clockwork; people danced into the night while the three sat still between the crowd and didn't speak much, afraid to add even more weight to the already heavy atmosphere.
The people went on a streak of songs that seemed never-ending. They got into a line and started walking around the bar in rhythm to the people strumming on their guitars or playing the other instruments, with one song on the lead, "The Dragon's Den". Eventually, Atomu was lifted from his seat by the drunken and forced into dance, without his permission. Rowan and Chyuuichi stayed silent for a bit more before Chyuuichi broke whatever chains tied his mouth.
"Do dragons exist?"
"Excuse me?" Rowan shook their head as if awoken from some slumber.
"Are dragons really a thing?" Chyuuichi moved closer.
Rowan coughed, covering their mouth. "I'd say I'm pretty good at keeping notes of things that others might be wondering about. Hell, I wrote a book about all of those. Do you read? You should. Just this once. I think it's pretty good."
"Ya'd get along well with Jyuso." Chyuuichi scratched the back of his head. "Answer me..."
"Most assume it's just rumours. I've never seen one myself, only were there stories passed on with songs such as these that tell of flying ancient creatures." They turned. "I don't think something the paladians created would be made up. They're not exactly the most creative of people," they smirked. "What about you, mirillians?"
"Well, they all think that the dragons are deep underground! Part of the reason why they go on adventures or spend their life digging to unearth what's hiding below! Hell, the further we go, the closer we could be to something only told by myths, then!"
"Flying creatures sleeping deep underground. Right." Rowan glanced to the side.
"Where else, the skies?" he sighed.
"Presumably, though, as some say..." Rowan looked up. "According to One's word, they rest above there. The same goes for Shin."
Chyuuichi huffed out, covering his face. "Ya think Jeffy's found a dragon up there?"
Rowan's expression shifted. "Likely so."
The party eventually ended without much of a flash. When Ella wasn't there to sell alcohol, people lost interest and started going back into the inns or sleeping there on the floor. The place that Chyuuichi and Atomu stayed at was completely wrecked, so Elton let them sleep at his hut, which remained unharmed, much like most of Kyrkogarde.
In the morning, the two, instructed by Elton's words to get a meal before setting out, went to the Midcity Bar, much to Ella's surprising disappointment. They ate a quick snack and headed to the Bore Forest, right as they were told to.
At first, they got lost in its simple paths, sometimes heading back to the Birching Trees, quickly realising just how useless they were without the morians. Sooner or later, though, they made it to the shore, seeing the waters hitting against the rocky coast.
"Oh, my." Atomu breathed out, looking to the horizon, his eyes widened.
"Look." Chyuuichi pointed to the shape edged out on the shore that resembled a boat. "There's no snow here either!"
"Well, I guess that there was a boat, then." Atomu played with some of his hair, grinding his teeth.
"Then they're gone," Chyuuichi announced, before a small smile lit up.
"Y-You sure seem happy about it." Atomu's voice broke down a bit as he put his face into his palms.
"At least they're not dead." Chyuuichi signalled with his hands.
"They might as well be, hearing what Rowan described." Atomu clenched his fist.
"Oi, leader! Not with all this again." Chyuuichi jumped on his back, and Atomu sighed. "Call yourself whatever, own up to this mistake."
"It was... he wanted to go," he huffed in.
"Ya shouldn't have let him do that." he shook his head. "Look at what happened to the other Demonear."
"You mean-" Atomu stopped for a second, shocked by the expression Chyuuichi bore. Spotting it, however, the mirillian turned away. "-Jeffy?"
The mirillian clenched his fist. "I've never had a friend of mine just disappear in a snap, or at least... I can't recall much. We fought alongside, ya know, and he was damn good!"
The paladian's gaze shot down.
"The best thing we can do now is tell them that whatever he managed to accomplish wasn't for naught."
"What do you mean?"
"I just have this feeling, Atam. He probably chased after one of the morians," he nodded. "...and this is what he got for saving their lives. We're next in line!"
"Oh, my" Atomu uttered, closing his eyes. "I can't say no, but I'm not sure if we can reach the eastern land all by ourselves."
"Elton?" Chyuuichi tilted his head.
"He's not a Demonear." Atomu shook his head. "Many thoughts came to mind, and raced, but... one f-followed us right here."
Chyuuichi glanced around before spotting a silhouette which stared back at the two.
Atomu turned, and a shadow passed, revealing the tall figure, wearing bandages in place of a scarf, which seemed to be a little inconvenient, minding the temperatures. It was the second day of Herbes, and not much was subject to change, although the only thoughts that collected in Chyuuichi's head were questions about how she found them, and one answer, that she was still alive and unharmed.
"Zuimu," Atomu said. "Will you assist us?"
She slowly stepped down, finding herself in front of the two, looking into Atomu's eyes, then Chyuuichi's. Although much of her face was covered and no word was uttered, many stories were told simply by looking into her gaze. Cold, but searching.
Zuimu eventually nodded, folding her arms, and Atomu breathed out.
"Huh? Huh?" Chyuuichi pointed to her, then to him. "It was that easy?! Is she stupid or something?"
Her eyes narrowed, turning to the mirillian.
"Something fishy's going on, and I'm scared!" he continued.
"She won't even say a thing," Atomu continued, turning to her. "It's the same thing as it was during the Demonear exam."
"I was knocked out cold the entire time! Unless that happens again, I don't see this, Atomu, I don't." he shook his head.
Zuimu crouched, trying to find something between the stones.
***
"Advice?" Rowan asked as the three gathered in front of the house where they spent their night at. "I thought I told you to figure this out on your own. Not those exact words. Or was that a dream? Ugh." The tributal slowly closed the door.
"Please! We won't ask for anything else!" Chyuuichi jumped between the doorframe, and Rowan slammed the door against his body. They did it two more times before eventually giving up.
They tied their hair into a ponytail and stepped out, wearing the same outfit as yesterday, though now it seemed less rugged than before.
"Quick on with it. I decided to spend this day on the lookout for all the jewellery they stole. They must've left it hidden somewhere. I refuse to think that they actually took it."
"That reminds me," Chyuuichi added. "Where's my damn rope?!"
Rowan rolled their eyes before meeting Zuimu's glance.
"Who's this?" they pointed.
"Mmh. Hmm-mmh." Zuimu made a few noises, signalling some things with her hands.
"No clue what you're trying to say," Rowan uttered.
"W-We came here since it seems you know much more than the average morian," Atomu informed.
"I'd be a liar if I denied that." They put one hand on their side. "Take what you took with you when travelling to Magna. Prioritise food and drinks, sharpen your senses. Prepare yourself for combat."
"What about a boat? How do we make it to the other side?" Chyuuichi raised his voice.
"Boat? Good luck dragging those frail little wooden things all the way from Magna to the Bore Forest. At this point, you might as well get eaten by white tigers if you want to trust that solution."
Atomu sighed. "There are no more boats there."
Rowan thought about something, scratching their chin.
"You could always try going through Mount Aria."
"What?" Atomu shook his head. "No way, I'm-" Atomu stopped, looking deep into Rowan's judging eyes. "H-How do we go through Mount Aria?"
"Lot Thúrum, although the safest entrance I can think of is high above. You're not morians, so getting up there might be impossible. Unless..."
Zuimu inched closer, raising a brow.
"...you take the elshuims from the Nuil's palace. Many of his guards used these to get to Shimori. I'm sure there's plenty for you... three... to take."
"Will the Nuil give them to us?" Chyuuichi asked.
"Of course not. He's quite the collector; anything that he touches, he won't let go of. You'd have to steal them." Rowan said.
"Oh, my." Atomu covered his mouth. "No, we're not doing that. N-No one steps into Mount Aria for a reason."
"Anything that speaks of danger spreads like wildfire. Think of what the morians are going through."
Atomu furrowed his brows.
"Besides, not like I'm going to say anything." Rowan looked at their nails.
"Huh?" Atomu turned.
"I bet they'll report it!" Chyuuichi whispered. "Cunning tributal!"
"I wouldn't be purposefully putting logs under someone who can do something which would benefit both parties. It's like eating flowers instead of smelling them. I don't care what the Nuil thinks. He's worthless, and I have no say in who I follow."
"So?" Atomu said.
"So, forth Klakunhoi, minus me plus this girl," they pointed.
The palace spanned about a fourth of Midcity, stretching from the overhang wrecked by Isak's attack, looping near the church and then having its main selling point in the big open square, with its beige walls and floor tiles. The gates were made out of steel, each time opened by two stronger men, while their insides were both quartz-like or golden.
There were many corridors, connecting to basic rooms such as the guards' chambers, the royal kitchen, the washroom for the guards, and a personal one for the Nuil. All the other rooms were either used for storage or empty, but not vacant.
Eryk's 'Nuil chamber' didn't seem to match the rest of the interior, however. In the middle of the corridors stood rivers, covered with glass, dropping into the lake, and a platform leading to his throne, extending to a massive bed, with a tinted glass window behind.
When the sun shone on one of the biggest clocks in Errarion, hanging above the entrance, the Nuil stepped out on a small balcony, and horns sounded, played by ten different guards, required to learn the song, as well as teach themselves how to use the instrument.
Amid this and Nuil's smiles, the three snuck in, hiding below tall masonry and running across the wall, down a small staircase near an outpost and into the castle.
"It's okay, Loopy." A guard patted another guard's back. "Don't cry."
"I can't do it! No matter how much I practice, the last note always goes wrong!" he sobbed, putting his instrument down. "What will the Nuil think?"
"There, there." The other guard hugged him, and then another one appeared, passing by, with stiff movements. Atomu coughed, stopping for a moment near the two, who didn't seem to mind, and continued.
"Good day to you!" A guard announced, tipping the feather attached to his helmet.
"Mmh." Zuimu waved, speeding up.
The guard stopped, turning to the other. "Dude, when did that girl join our ranks?"
"She's wearing armour, how can you tell?" the other one asked.
"Hi, Lamon!" someone waved, and Chyuuichi intensely nodded.
"Nice day today, Lamon!" the other one added. "C-Care for some beer after work?"
"Oh!" Chyuuichi stopped, giving him a thumbs-up. "I LOVE BEER! See ya!" he ran forward.
Suddenly, a noise came from behind.
"YES!" his voice echoed. "I won the bet, he finally agreed!"
"Damn it, how much silver again?"
Chyuuichi glanced back, sighing, before meeting up with Atomu and Zuimu, with the paladian taking off his helmet.
"Dude!" Chyuuichi raised his muffled voice. "Put that back on!"
"I can't breathe," Atomu said. "I'm about to boil inside!"
"Didn't ya say that you wore armour once when you were younger?! What's the trouble now?" Chyuuichi took off his.
"It's nothing like paladian armour! It's stiff as a board, and if I went out patrolling Prope Portam, I'd be dead in minutes!"
"Pfft." Chyuuichi turned.
"You're not one to speak if you wore a chest plate for the longest time. You're used to it! ...and what's with the stupid feathers on the helmets? Whose sick idea was this?"
"Eryk Nuil-Tukman," Chyuuichi replied.
"Mm, ammumy mime mme hemheahs," Zuimu said, her voice less muffled than before.
Atomu sighed. "Let's just get this over with already," he put his helmet back on, and so did Chyuuichi, and the three split again.
The mirillian wandered around the corridors, following the rivers below.
"Oi, Lamon!" A voice was raised, and Chyuuichi stopped, turning like a wooden cutout. He waved, not saying anything. The guard came up to him. "So, I did it. Shot my shot," he giggled, and eventually the two started walking. "I was stressing my ass out, tell you what. I had to drink a few for confidence, and when I sobered up, I finally told her."
Chyuuichi turned to him. "Really?"
"That I want to break up!" he raised his voice.
Chyuuichi stopped, deeply analysing his words and counting something on his fingers.
"I'm glad," Chyuuichi replied.
"Well, I am too! I'm never getting into a relationship again, my Shin was that a pain in the ass!" he looked up. "I have so much on my mind, and there she comes, demanding more things from me even after I tell her that: no, today's not the day!" he wagged his finger. "She should've known what she was getting into, it's not like I joined the guard after I married her." he looked at Chyuuichi. "Oh, sorry! Only talked about myself. What about your family, Lamon? How are things holding up over there?"
"You're a bad person!" Chyuuichi quickly replied, and the guard slowed down, clearly surprised. "...and my family's swell!"
"O-Okay. Um. About that word. You don't sound too swell. Voice is a little raspy, ya know?"
Chyuuichi fixed the helmet.
"Maybe you should take the day off?" he scratched his neck. "Seems sickness affects your behaviour, and, y'know, if Eryk catches you, then you won't leave this place until the next morning."
"I'm fine!" Chyuuichi patted his back aggressively before treading forward, unknowingly passing by the entrance of Eryk's chamber.
"Lamon!" Eryk raised his voice, trying to stand up.
The mirillian slowly turned to the door, gulping.
"Come here, don't waste any more of my time!"
"Shit," he muttered under his breath.