The depths of Grimmora were one of the many names used to describe the underground lair of the demons.
Placed below Mount Aria and stretching towards the Empty Fields bordering Malikan and Lignoria, Grimmora was where hundreds, if not thousands, found themselves occupying what once was the land of the travelling erans or remnants of what mirillians could create.
Much of what remained from that was either changed to suit those smarter prawns in the masses or ruined just enough for those so-called brainless ones, as in, everything clashed in a very harsh mix of both style and comfort. Grimmora wasn't as big as Magna, but what it lacked in width, it had in its height.
Houses, if you could even call those strange structures used as mass storage (since the weaker of demons slept anywhere), grew much like mushrooms on the side of a tree. Boulders and such paved the way towards buildings climbing around a pillar or stacked atop one another, with yellow lights shining off a massive wall, stretching hundreds of meters to the ceiling.
Roads were illuminated by some of the lit-up muna rocks, or fireflies passing through, scouring towards other corridors to avoid the likes of these. Arches grew where artificial steps towards the middle point rested, and such was exactly the place of feasts and the like. Captured goblins, other species or even humans were treated much like animals for slaughter. Stepping through, one would hear the imps chasing someone around with a bat before blood splashed atop a wall where it had already dried beforehand.
Lisbeth's eyes focused on her objective instead. A tall tower, manned by the harsh, round staircase, and as she reached the top, the darkness covered each symbol drawn over mirillian history. She skimmed over it, as per usual, and vowed to sit down on what resembled a throne. The chandelier above shuffled, with a wind coming out from the gleaming holes, and footsteps sounded on the inside.
Lisbeth squinted, and all of a sudden, a green, turtle-like figure stepped through the doorway, bearing a rather unassuming grin.
"Seems things didn't go your way, Lisbeth."
"I've done enough," she added, putting one leg atop another. "I knew what I was getting myself into."
"Yet, you doubted the power of demons the second the idea of asking goblins for help appeared. They were the real reason all of this went to nothing, am I not wrong, khe?" he closed one eye, stepping in.
Lisbeth straightened up. "I never doubted anything."
"Mhm... It seemed that you were unsatisfied with Grimmora and wanted to expand your horizons. Or is it that you despised the fact that what we have now is still far, far away from the perfect human life?"
"I'd never want to be a human. They're weak."
"So are goblins. You're repeating his words, yet you watched the legacy of the Zimorron dynasty tumble into the darkness with each decision you have made. For what, Lisbeth?"
Lisbeth furrowed a brow, clenching her fist.
"Everyone knew the effort was in nought, but they still followed you, because they knew you were strong."
"Because I am."
"Precisely, khe," he chuckled. "So why put on an act? Why prove it to the humans?"
Lisbeth tapped the side of the throne, shaking her head. "It was just for myself. Do you expect me to constantly repeat myself?"
"You perfectly know that I know, Lisbeth."
Lisbeth held her word for a second.
"But alas, it might be nice to hold onto a few more dreams. He wouldn't agree, however."
The creature's grip on his own robes tightened.
"Have you seen him recently?" She asked.
"Lord Shi Hon didn't want to take part in Magna's raid, for his eyes were glued to something else entirely. Could you guess?"
"It's about the Demonears we spared," she answered.
"Spared is a kind word, but you're right, khe." he nodded. "When those ideas of flimsy humanity fade, you'd be right to discuss the rest of the road with me. There might be a few things left for you to still find that strength."
Lisbeth inched closer, ever so slightly.
"A job that doesn't involve a single murder," he moved closer to the doorway. "Would you be able to spare a life for his words, especially if it meant..." A smile formed. "It's a hunch my lord had, but you might guess."
The demoness moved back.
"I would," she answered, raising.
***
Jyuzou awoke to a strange sound. After turning with a groan, he spotted Daress in the corner, crouched, scribbling something on the ground with his sharp claw.
"Oh, you're awake!" The clowinger gazed at the morian before jumping over. "The rains have stopped! We can continue through, mhm!"
Jyuzou sat still for a second. His eyes landed on the book that he had read earlier, then back at Daress.
"Y-You haven't touched this book, right?"
"Huh? What?" The clowinger asked. "No, dorian, I can't read at all!" he laughed. "Fell asleep the second you guys did!"
"A page about clowingers is missing," Jyuzou muttered. "Can you explain that to me?"
"I never touched that, uuh, book, Jyuzou!" Daress raised his voice, pointing. "Besides, why would you search for all that stuff when you can ask dear old me?" he tapped his claws against the rocks.
Gulping, Jyuzou skipped through the pages, trying to locate the one he mentioned, but to his surprise, he noticed even more folds, creases and marks from ripped-out papers that he hadn't spotted beforehand.
"Maybe it was like that in the first place?" Daress proposed, inching closer.
"I always double-check," Jyuzou mumbled. "I w-wouldn't have made that mistake."
"I don't know, Jyuzou! I can't help you with this!"
Jyuzou pushed himself against an adjacent wall, looking to the side.
Morio groaned, opening his somewhat greyish eyes. He rubbed around his eyelids, squinting, as if he was trying to make out something from the depths of the mist.
"Morio! Are you ready for the day?" Daress beamed, stepping closer, while Morio glanced at the other morian for a second. "We've got a whole lot to tread through, uuh, after all...!"
"What is that?" Morio pointed forward, unsurely.
"The Yuman Swamps!" Daress replied. "We've already left the Harm Lands!"
Morio blinked twice. "This," he waved his hand around.
"T-There's nothing there, Morio. Only the same places we were in yesterday." Jyuzou added.
"Don't you see it?" Morio tugged on Jyuzou's shoulder. "A marble tower, and a castle. A town... people walking around. They're looking at us. Why don't we leave this cave and-"
His eyes widened.
"M-Morio?" Jyuzou broke the silence, and the other morian slowly looked at him.
"There's nothing there," he said, surprised, rubbing around his eyes.
Jyuzou gulped, putting the book in both hands.
The white-haired glanced down. "Sorry. I barely woke up."
"Come on, dorians!" Daress crawled out of the opening into one of the many pools of the swamps. The sky was a heavy grey, and the mist wasn't as dense, yet it felt a bit damp.
Morio stood up, putting his hand on his forehead, feeling a pulsing pain.
"...are you sure?" Jyuzou asked.
"About what?" Morio asked.
"I could say e-everything." Jyuzou put his hands on his sides. "Do you think following him is our only way to go? We know the road by now."
"I don't want to have this argument," he muttered, stepping, and Jyuzou quickly grabbed onto his shoulder. The morian shrugged it off, annoyed.
"Are you sure that everything you're seeing still stems from a lack of sleep?" Jyuzou gulped. "C-Come on, you can tell me."
"Who cares, Jyuzou?" Morio backed out. "Maybe this is the change we both longed for? Have you forgotten? Do you still want to remain a coward?" he uttered, his voice echoing across nothing.
"It's not about being cowards anymore." Jyuzou stood his ground.
"What better proof is there than everything that's happening?" he breathed out. "Maybe you won't like the other me. That's fine. Don't expect everything in life to be just as simple as in Mistwick," he clenched his fist, breathing in. "Your very own words."
Jyuzou seemed hopeless, furrowing a brow, but Morio didn't utter another word. With one last glimpse, he spun on his heel and trod the path that Daress made.
"Quick, dorians!"
The longer the three travelled on the empty plains, the longer their fear lingered, and the less they felt as if something was still at stake. It was once again, strangely quiet.
The waters formed roads through thick, leafless forests, forcing them to put their shoes into strange, sticky liquids, while Daress trod the edge that the morians had no way of striding. Sometimes, the water reached up to their stomachs, slowing them down; it took the three two hours to pass through the deeper paths, which spanned only half a kilometre.
Afterwards came empty lands, with large lakes and trees with branches going up into the sky and shaking without a wind. The fog grew denser, turning thick white, forcing Daress to analyse their surroundings.
On one occasion, he counted on his fingers, looking at the small stones on the ground. He told the morians that apparently, some clowingers left different rocks to mark the way back home, which depended on the weather from earlier. This part of the swamps was well-known for its lack of visibility, but he mentioned that he never had as much trouble beforehand. Nonetheless, when the whiteness ended, they stepped out onto plains that to some would've been the key definition of empty marshes.
Small, grey and thin trees, tufts of grass and pools of dark water, among a sea of the same liquid. There were small islands connected either via sunken logs or dry, massive leaves that floated above the surface, lightweight yet able to carry the three. Some of the turf was yellowish, much to Morio's dismay. Jyuzou was keenly aware of Morio's taste, but was more curious as to why Daress was dodging those islands as if they were knives.
"Yellow grass?" The clowinger asked. "Something hides right below. Small caves that can only be accessed by the tiniest of centuras!"
"Centuras?" Morio tilted his head. "Aren't those the spider animals?"
"Yes!" Daress raised his voice. "How did you know?"
"W-We have those in Shimori. Century Valley?" Jyuzou added.
"They're not that scary." Morio shook his head.
"They're harmless, uuh?" Daress squinted his eyes, staring at the golden barley in question. "No, no, they're deadly!"
The morians glanced at each other.
"They hide a poisonous juice inside the lump of their bellies, and if they sting you, you're dead by the next hour...!" Daress muttered. "They never leave their premises, uuh, but it may be the case that if there's no other way, we'll have to step through their paths."
"N-No," Morio muttered. "If it's that dangerous, then we'd better avoid it at all costs."
"Is this about the colour?" Jyuzou whispered.
"N-No!" Morio responded. "Kinda."
"Morio's right. We can't fight them if they're so small!" Daress turned around. "We'll have to go through the waters."
"Not this again." Jyuzou looked down at his dirty clothes.
"I'm sorry, dorians." Daress looked around. "The rain from yesterday made it impossible for us to use the shortcut to the plateau!"
"Plateau?" The white-haired raised a brow, blinking in confusion.
He copied the maps Daress scribbled earlier, yet it seemed they veered off the simple road. At first, the image in his mind suggested that the plateau they were heading towards was much further away than a general shortcut towards Mount Aria.
He pulled the paper out of his vest pocket, scanning the words, and there it was, with a few marks made by his coal-stained fingers.
"Is there no safer way?" Morio mumbled.
"I'm helping you avoid the dangers! Sometimes, though, you'll have to face the challenge yourself." Daress gulped. "Look it dead in the eyes, and say, I'm not afraid! You can't hurt me!" he smiled a bit. "I believe in that, dorians."
"I've seen more demons in Shimori than here," Jyuzou fixed his glasses. "I thought that when exploring this world I'd be set with what weapon I have, but it turns out it won't even be of any use."
"There are bigger dangers in this world than demons, Jyuzou." Daress stepped into the water. "Sometimes there's no way around them. Push right through, and hope you can make it out to the safer dangers," he flew up a bit, signalling with his hands for the morians to push on through the thick liquids.
"Y-You're right, Jyuzou," Morio admitted.
"Hm?"
"I think I'd be more thankful if it were just the demons that we had to worry about," Morio informed. "Centuras are the very first animal he mentioned."
"Nothing here seems to make any sense. Why would rain bring stones from the sky for easier pathing?" Jyuzou shook his head.
"We don't know much about clowingers."
"E-Except for the obvious, ever-present confusion, is there anything else to be scared of?"
Morio scratched the back of his head, shaking it, with one eye blinking.
The answer was silence.
Jyuzou stared forward, with such only being broken by Daress hopping back and forth between the specks of dirt. Eventually, he hesitantly stepped into the swamp, breathing out.
Their movements were noticeably slower now, and they often struggled to reach the nearby island, which was not as far as it appeared. Daress' words were slowly getting on their nerves as if he couldn't understand the struggles they were facing. Each time they reached the ground, they had to take a ten-minute break before their next venture, breathing in the air that seemed so far out of reach.
It wasn't as tragic as the roads they went through beforehand, but seeing how easy it was for Daress to cross, stress grew in their minds. Morio was frustrated, his eyes were rather blurry, and he was confused, amidst everything else. He wanted to beg Daress to find a different route, but knew that his pleas would meet no answer. He wanted to stand above the waters as he did during the snowstorm in Shimori and run towards a safe place, but couldn't. The waters were deep, reaching their stomachs, elbows and then shoulders, with only their heads sticking out from beneath the mossy liquid.
Jyuzou was more annoyed than angry. He couldn't fix his glasses, carrying his backpack above his head, and it only seemed that the more hours passed, the longer it took them to get from one side to the other. At one point, Morio seemingly stopped, reaching his hand out from beneath the liquid, signalling for Jyuzou to halt.
"What are you doing?"
"S-S..." Morio couldn't say anything. "Something's in the water."
"Huh?" Daress flew above them. "There are no living creatures here other than those centuras!"
Jyuzou ground his teeth, glancing at the clowinger, then back at the morian.
"I'm sure of it!" Morio continued.
"No, dorians. Come, quickly!" Daress added. "Make haste!"
"Maybe it's that thing again, Morio." Jyuzou proposed.
"Stop it already." Morio spouted, closing his eyes and clenching one fist.
"Stop trying to tell you that you're hallucinating things out of thin air?" He shook his head. "I'm only trying to help you."
"You're doing the exact opposite." The other blinked, panicking, stepping back.
"I'm trying to understand," he added in a monotone voice. "It's the same thing that happened back in the Tukman Woods."
"My only wish now is for you to keep quiet and help me get out of these waters fast enough!" he shook his head. "So just-"
Out of the blue, his body sank below the waters.
Jyuzou quickly looked around. "Morio?!" he called out. "Morio!" he repeated, waving his hands around, trying to find something underwater, though, within the next second and a scream, he tumbled in as well.
"DORIANS!" Daress raised his voice, reaching his hand out.
Morio struggled, putting his hands on his neck, touching whatever material it was that choked him. He barely saw the grey clouds from beneath the surface. His vision got blurry, and the more time passed, the further he sank below.
He shook around, kicking his legs, before something appeared in front of his eyes.
The emblem danced above as if it were evading Morio's grasp. He reached out, grabbed it, and clenched his fist.
Out of the blue, the two morians were lifted out of the water and dragged onto the shore by the clowinger.
Daress breathed heavily, lying down in defeat, while the two coughed out anything and everything that had gotten into their mouths.
Jyuzou's voice was one of disgust, seeing the state of his entire body.
"My, you're a lot heavier than you look!" Daress stated. "Especially Morio."
"Why didn't you do that earlier?!" Jyuzou raised his voice.
"My wings aren't that strong!" Daress nodded. "Remember! Y-You pierced them with your weapon!"
Morio sighed, putting the necklace around his neck and below his vest. "S-Something's in the water!"
"I'm telling you, dorians!" Daress climbed around the tree. "There's nothing except for those centuras! You two must have fallen into a hole, uuh!"
"Morio's right, I felt flesh with my hand." Jyuzou continued, before gulping. "A d-demon?"
"E-Everything's strange in the Yuman Swamps, dorians!" he grabbed Morio's hand, propelling him upwards. "Come on, quickly! We can't waste time before the-"
Something in the water suddenly made a loud, bubbling sound, and thick, grimy fluids oozed out from beneath the surface in little spurs.
The three stared in confusion, stepping back, before something resembling a hood revealed itself from below.
Daress took a heavy breath in, with his white pupils widening.
One bony hand climbed up on the surface before sticking its thick claws into the dirt. The Serpigo made a loud growl, before crawling on eight limbs and stretching into a massive, black and lumpy, slouched fleshy shape.
The three bellowed, running to the next island, taking a massive leap above the water. They split around the eventually connecting landmass, feeling the Serpigo's shadow grow larger. Its unearthly screams, hideous appearance, and presence itself were enough to warn them of something inhuman, something so terrifying that all positive memories would be thrown out of this world simply with one touch of its bony fingers.
Whenever one would dare to look back, they'd notice its hood extending for meters to the sides, and its shadow only moving further towards the three. Even though it was far, it felt near.
Morio could see its eye; he felt its gaze land right on his face.
Jyuzou assumed that the fearless clowinger wouldn't say a thing in the face of a creature like this, yet he heard groans and cries coming from none other than him, as he zoomed away, without as much as a thought of helping out.
In turn, the glassy-eyed morian tried to find the others, constantly searching around the growing fog, his heart beating faster than ever, and his mind racing.
Morio didn't say anything and only whimpered from the pain of the obstacles, but furrowed his brows and looked forward, desperately trying to make it as far as he could. This time, what were they making haste for? No one knew the answer, but Morio's legs, much like the last time he encountered the Serpigo, were moving on their own.
It clearly wanted something.
Daress' cries echoed, combined with a weird sob. Jyuzou took a wrong step, tripping onto the damp dirt and landing on his hands, without enough time to stand up. He pushed his legs forward, launching himself towards the thin tree separating the Serpigo's sight from the others.
Morio didn't look back, but Daress did, eyes in awe at the morian's resolve. Jyuzou grabbed onto his weapon, grinding his teeth and breathing heavily. The creature let out a high-pitched, ear-piercing scream, which only grew in volume the closer it was.
He felt its presence, saw its impossible shadow extending above the tree, and the black mist that surrounded its dark flesh growing nearer, standing to his left and right.
Was this the end?
Jyuzou held onto the Great Kowitzer tighter than ever, almost ripping through his palm.
With one last growl, the creature passed above the tree, completely shrouding the morian in darkness, with a massive wind blowing through the open bark, bending it in half.
The glassy-eyed closed his eyes, and before he knew it, the world revealed itself once more. He blinked, dropping his weapon to the ground, feeling the dirt with his hands, and then turning forward.
Daress seemed even more shocked, before screeching out, in the tides of the sights.
"Shin," Jyuzou muttered, standing up. "Shin!" he trod, limping from the fall earlier, eventually speeding up. "MORIO!"
Morio's breath was uneven and out of rhythm; he didn't know where he was going. Daress's silhouette shone through the thick clouds of mist, set against a backdrop of sharp rocks that were different from those in the Yuman Swamps.
This site didn't calm Morio's heart; instead, it raced furiously. How come the clowinger, which promised them safety, was unaware of this danger? How come the only person leading them through these dead lands is afraid?
How could Daress be afraid?
"Morio! Morio...!" Daress repeated, flying up, with a rough voice. "Grab my hand!"
The morian stopped in front of a large pool separating him and the rocky shore.
"Come on! I can carry you through the water! Morio!" Daress screamed out. "It's only you! Only you!"
Daress' words seemed to resemble nothing but a thick blur that bounced right off his ears and landed elsewhere, not reaching his mind or any living thing in Morta.
"Come on, Morio!" He yelled once more, landing right next to him, shaking his frozen body. "Only you, only-"
Daress suddenly stopped, seeing the Serpigo approaching from behind, extending its long and sharp bony claws towards the two. With an open, terrified mouth, the clowinger shook his head and grabbed onto Morio's shoulders, flapping his tired wings as fast as he possibly could, hoping to be fast enough to move out of the creature's reach.
Suddenly, though, something pierced through the thin atmosphere.
The morian made a strange noise as if he was gasping for air, and revolting, simultaneously. He stopped midair, with the Serpigo on the other side, with its various limbs climbing into his heart.
"MORIO!" Daress screamed, trying to fly away, holding onto Morio, yet was trapped. He wouldn't let go either.
The Serpigo growled, shaking and trembling. Its hand extended from its ribs, which were revealed with the thick shadow moving past. He closed his eyes, hoping for all of this to end.
...and out of nowhere, the creature let go, and a shining object flashed in front of Morio's eyes.
The creature turned to it, bellowing, right as it flashed into nothing. The waters were raised, resembling a reversed fountain or waterfall, climbing up to separate and absorb whatever remained. The morian was propelled to the other shore, falling head-first to the ground before rolling, right as everything snapped in a flash of white.
The serpigo's screams lingered with a distant wind, as Morio's hand landed next to the ripped-out part of his undergarment.
He lay unconscious, and Daress was stunned. He slowly raised himself, seeing as the Serpigo's massive body grew smaller with each second, retracting back into a smaller, hooded form, with one shining eye visible. It stepped into the waters and then disappeared.
Daress breathed heavily before moving towards Morio. At the same time, Jyuzou found himself on the rocky shore, with a bloody mess near his mouth, and a look in his eyes that could only be described in all the synonyms for terror. He was crying, but no tears came out of his eyes, and he stared, as Morio didn't budge.
"Morio." Jyuzou spouted, before dropping down and feeling his cold skin.
"I-I..." Daress mumbled. "I'm sorry, Jyuzou! I tried everything I could. I really, really, really tried to save him," he cried. "I tried pulling the hardest I could! Uuh!"
Jyuzou lifted his hand and placed it near the hole in Morio's clothes, where a bloody mark resembling the Serpigo's hand could be seen.
Otherwise, everything seemed okay, and he felt a pulse. His eyes shone, and eventually, one of Morio's eyelids lifted, then came the other, and soon, he looked directly at the grey sky, with his black pupils that didn't seem to gleam as much as they did in Shimori.
"Shin." Jyuzou sighed, closing his heavy eyes and pursing his dry lips. Morio looked towards the two, reaching his hand out. It landed on Daress's claw, helping him sit up.
He looked frail for a few seconds, uttering no words. He bore a frown, weary and tired. His face twitched, and he involuntarily closed one eye for a moment.
"Is it gone?" Morio muttered.
"It disappeared," Jyuzou replied.
"Did I kill it?" Morio asked, with a strange hope in his voice.
Jyuzou wanted to say something, but had no courage to muster up a response.
He had denied it for so long, but at that moment, he just wanted to go back home and never step outside again. Maybe he wasn't ready. Maybe he still was a coward. He didn't want any of this to continue.
"You didn't kill it."
Morio stood up, looking back and forth.
Daress turned towards the Yuman Swamps, watching as the sky grew red in the distance, with the fog seemingly consuming what was once written. He furrowed his brows, seemingly in anger, before shaking his head and grinning through.
"It went underwater!" The clowinger reassured, looking up at Morio. "It felt... how strong you were!"
"Really? It d-does that?"
Daress quickly nodded, much to Jyuzou's visible dismay. Though before he could add anything, the clowinger launched himself towards the road, flanked by two rocky formations. "Quick, dorians! We're almost to Encea!"
Morio was confused. He recalled Daress' expression, but everything drastically changed, as if nothing had ever happened.
Either way, he took one limp step forward, following his words.
Jyuzou stayed for a while, unsure. There was no way back home, not one that he knew of, and Morio wouldn't help. He had to rely on Daress' words to take them somewhere safe, someplace with food, water and a bed they could sleep in.
Hesitating, he eventually trod forth, and the grey mist lifted itself from above the swamps, following them through the Encea Pass.
"Quick, dorians!" announced Daress, running off a little.
...and much like he said, Encea, or rather its ruins, weren't far from the passage. The road was full of little ups and downs, created by dark, rocky hills, with no nature trying to interfere. They mostly trod alongside the lower areas, hugging walls through tight squeezes or looking up at the clouds of fog which drifted above the rocks, with some distant mountains sticking out.
When darkness reigned over, Daress led the two through an underground corridor, which turned into a large hall leading to something resembling a building.
With excitement, Daress jumped up, grabbing a long chain that hung from above. Two steel, corroding gates moved, slowly revealing an empty plain with highlands in the back, and a few, dark, marbled buildings splattered all around.
Morio tilted his head, before turning his eyes, staring at the debris lying freely, broken walls, uneven masonry and pillars which barely held round, delicate and empty roofs.
Daress stepped out, smiling.
"We're here! Encea! The prospering town of Encea!"
"Prospering," Jyuzou repeated. "It's just... ruins."
Morio looked back at the map he had sketched a while back. "We're stepping through since there's no other way to the plateau, as Daress said."
Jyuzou fixed his backpack and walked forward.
"Not only that, there's a little surprise waiting for you, morians!" Daress announced, raising a finger and running to what looked like a charred building, crawling through the broken window and hiding in the shadows.
Jyuzou furrowed his brows while Morio stood still, twitching as he had been doing before. Although he seemed to be improving by the hour, the involuntary movements hadn't faded. He kept looking around as if he kept seeing something, but was too afraid to speak up.
The two were quite surprised by their lack of reaction. In front of them stood ruins of what once was humanity, living in small palaces, at the edge of rocky hills. From what could be made out, and strangely enough, there was no fog to accompany Encea, there was debris of various structures. What Jyuzou immediately recognised was a big library, with stone stairs leading up to big arches and words written in Old Manjuno, much like the one found in Saphrith.
There were many roads, with masonry on either side and strange patterns drawn in the ground, which led to either wrecked buildings, with only a few memories remaining or otherwise, pretty good shape. Those seemed to resemble houses, with big round roofs and open windows, small or massive ones. The glass, however, was shattered, and patterns could be made out of its tints.
There lay remnants of small towers barely extending above the highlands, with round stairs that were suddenly cut off, next to corridors made out of marble pillars, with roofs crashing into each other without much of a rhythm. A big building towered in the distance, with only two of its walls remaining, coloured by different arches, and about those, there were a few, made out of stone, that led to both exits of the city, one that stretched towards the Yuman Swamps, and the other, back around and into the cave they came out of.
On the highlands, there were seven different, flat rocks placed around, with an untouched pedestal in the middle.
Morio assumed that this must've been some kind of place connected with the beliefs of people once inhabiting Encea, but was rather puzzled as to what happened to them. Jyuzou sighed, breaking the silence caused by their unified analysis of Encea.
"So, uh..." he scratched the back of his head. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," Morio replied, without much emotion in his voice.
"I've been thinking." Jyuzou sat down on a small rock. "Do you think that the people who lived here led the same lives as we did in Mistwick?"
Morio raised a brow. "I'm not sure," he sat down next to him. "One thing I noticed is that pedestal over there. We had something similar for Shin."
"Really?"
"Burning of the jile-wood." Morio smiled a bit. "We also had a way to honour our deity, and when I look over there-" he pointed to the stones. "It seems to me like something Bancho once described in his stories. A place where, precisely at noon, the stones would cast a light onto the pedestal and create a beam piercing through the clouds and reaching the sun. They didn't have songs or dances... but there was a... what did they call it?" Morio turned. "I don't remember much of his story."
"An angel. Or Shinnia, some call it." Jyuzou huffed.
"Maybe it was about this place all along?" he continued.
"It seems like hundreds of years have passed since anyone has stepped in." Jyuzou put his hands together. "...and Mr Bancho surely didn't live back then, nor did morians."
Morio chuckled, and a light smile appeared on Jyuzou's troubled face.
"I'd love to collect some of those jile twigs and light that fire up again. Then, we'd listen to Mr Bancho's stories... and afterwards, eat some of the best food there is. Mistwick's different than anything else, eh, Jyuzou?" he beamed, his face now resembling the Morio that Jyuzou knew for all the years they'd spent together.
The other morian breathed out. "This place... everything we've encountered will never be as interesting or rich in culture as Mistwick," he fixed his glasses, smirking. "Maybe that book was right. We really are haughty."
"Maybe, but you can't judge ruins for being ruins!"
"Dorians!" Daress jumped out from the window, carrying something in his hands. "Food!" he threw something at the two.
Morio caught it in his hands, and it hit Jyuzou's head, causing him to fall.
"R-Rocks?" Morio raised his brows, a bit disgusted. Jyuzou stood up, looking at the object in question.
"Edible rocks!" Daress raised a finger, stepping towards them. "Try it!"
"I'm not that hungry," Jyuzou muttered.
"They do leave a little dry feeling in your mouth, uuh, but otherwise, tasty!" Daress proposed.
"I think that's what we're p-precisely trying to avoid." Jyuzou fixed his glasses. "Don't eat it, Morio."
Morio put the rock in his mouth, and Jyuzou seemed flabbergasted.
The morian bit through, and to his surprise, it easily melted in his mouth, before making crunchy sounds with each bite. It turned into a little, salty gush, and as he swallowed, he made a strange expression.
Daress smiled.
"Awful. Give me more," Morio uttered, and Jyuzou sighed.
"They, uuh, appear only when water has coated the... uuh!" he pointed over. "Special epki stones! Isn't it lucky it rained?" Daress ran forward, and Morio followed, while Jyuzou stayed behind, gleaning about.
His eyes locked onto something he found while eyeing the mountain they stepped out of: a ghostly apparition, standing atop the rocks, bound by chains, with half a crown on its head.
He gasped, with his eyes widening, and one clenched fist. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared, and Jyuzou breathed out, shaky.
It didn't seem strange in hindsight, in comparison to everything else in this land.
He swore he had seen something like that earlier, but left bits and pieces to his imagination. Maybe he was tired as well.
Nevertheless, within the next few hours, Morio ate more rocks, mentioning how he desperately needed something to drink. Jyuzou offered him the rainwater he collected during the night at the Yuman Swamps, and Daress finally told them a little more about Encea.
Back when it was still lively, the town was inhabited by erans and served as the opposite of Palan. Encea was made out of dark marble, and Palan, dark brick, both only found in the caves of Morta. He described the story of two royal families, which fought for the longest time over who would rule Encea.
The Drosslasses and Filhemons, a surname the two recognised, constantly tried one-upping each other in creating laws or trying to talk the people in their favour. All in all, that led to spurs and finally, they organised votes in the town square, with the results being somewhat equal for both families. The same things continued for years, and when Encea became what it is now, the argument still wasn't settled.
Palan was, supposedly, already ruled by the latter, though the leading word on the Drosslasses' side was that they technically ruled over the various villages spread across the country by ensuring their commercial trade and later on even introducing Silver business to already poorly economically placed people. That was even more surprising, because they hadn't spotted anything that resembled such, but alas.
Morio was even more curious about how Encea came to be, and what caused its fall, but Daress didn't know the answer. Not that he would listen, halfway through the story of the two royalties, he fell asleep on the only comfortable sheet in the building. The two didn't feel like searching for the other one, so Jyuzou fell asleep on the floor, and Daress crawled into a small hole.
After a few more hours, the glassy morian awoke to the sounds of Morio's snores, as well as to some small shuffling through the rocks. He raised his head, looking out of the window and seeing Daress sitting on some masonry, under a dead tree.
He played around with something in his hands before throwing it into a small pool of water in the front.
"Oh!" Daress spotted him, signalling him to take a seat, clearing some of the debris from the masonry. Jyuzou reluctantly agreed, waddling over.
"Can't sleep, uuh?"
"Morio's snores woke me up. What about you?"
"Clowingers can't really sleep."
"Seriously?"
"We don't need to, but sometimes we pretend not to weird anyone out!" he uttered. "Well, I kinda want to sleep," he added. "It looks fun! Like, a few hours of your day can just be skipped over. It works especially if you're waiting for something! Just close your eyes, and nothing concerns you anymore."
"It doesn't work that way." Jyuzou scratched his neck awkwardly. "Okay, a little. Still, I imagined it was only demons who didn't have to sleep or eat. The former I've only heard was a rumour, but you seemed hesitant with those rocks."
"Over there, at home, we have a much better thing to snack on!" he grinned. "...and well, at least it makes you, dorians, a bit younger, I suppose." he threw another rock into a water puddle.
"What do you mean?"
"You live long lives; you have all the time in the world to see everything it offers." He looked up, seeing thousands of small stars illuminating the sky, which this time was completely silent and dark, as opposed to the usual reddish colour.
A few suddenly moved, zipping through at high speeds. Jyuzou wondered if maybe, somewhere out there in space, lived a civilisation, following their adventure and writing it down in books, much like those he read in Shimori.
Daress smiled. "I've only seen this once in my life before, and I've already lived for many, many years, uuh!"
"Huh." Jyuzou opened his mouth a bit.
"You're lucky that you get a gander, considering that you've never been to Asno before! Doesn't it make you feel any grateful, Jyuzou?"
"I guess so," he scratched his head.
"Guess so," Daress repeated, sighing. "I know you don't like me, Jyuzou."
"C-Come on."
"I like you, though, dorian. You're smart and brainy, and a good friend to Morio. I'm grateful for living a life where I could meet the two of you. Guess that's what I'm trying to say, uuh, is... I'm glad that I'm still here!"
Jyuzou looked down.
"Clowingers don't live for too long," Daress said, before gulping. "...and to think that I got to spend this time with you and even see the stars... Doesn't that make me lucky? Aren't we all lucky, Jyuzou? To have a feel of Errarion, to each day wake up knowing that we're still here?"
"I'm... glad." Jyuzou finally spoke.
"Me too!"
Daress smiled, throwing one last pebble he carried into the water. Jyuzou stared at its reflection as the stars eventually faded.
***
In the morning, the three didn't waste much of their time, following a different route than imagined.
Instead of leaving through one of the exits, Daress informed that the plateau they tried to reach was closer to the highlands, and the way they'd tread would be long but lead directly to his people.
"The plateau," Daress muttered. "Plateaus of the Flying Demon, as once called."
"What?" Morio asked. "Flying demon?"
"It's dead by now, but everything leading towards my land is equally dangerous! We have to watch out every step of the way."
"Mountains aren't a problem for us, eh, Jyuzou?" Morio shoulder-bumped him.
"Plateaus aren't mountains, but I have no say in what you call things around here," he said, scratching his head.
Daress looked a bit confused. "Until the springs, they won't be an issue. Afterwards, it will be very steep, but when we reach the top, we'll finally be there."
"A shortcut to Mount Aria." Morio raised both brows as Jyuzou fixed his glasses. "Your people, what's it called?" He asked, turning to Daress, who stopped for a few seconds.
"Amaru Toni," Daress replied, grinning. "It didn't exist when people other than clowingers lived here, uuh. We used what we had and made the best of it."
The three followed through a path that led towards a broken balcony, looking out to the highlands, which seemed less strange the further they extended. They saw spots of grass, eventually growing bigger, and bending trees with massive, hanging leaves.
"Down here!" Daress waved, jumping from the balcony and sliding down the dirt. "Come on, dorians!"
"N-No way!" Jyuzou raised his voice. "It's way too high!"
"Slide down!" Daress yelled out.
"C-Come on, Morio." Jyuzou turned around. "We'll find a safer way down."
Morio took a step forward, stepping off the edge and instantly panicking.
"MORIO!" Jyuzou raised his voice before Morio grabbed his hand, and the two rolled chaotically, landing below.
Daress turned, chuckling.
"This isn't funny! I could've broken a bone, or my glasses!"
"Glasses would've been a bigger deal." Morio spouted, climbing out from below and sitting down, putting his hands on the ground.
"Hope to Shin that this Amaru Toni place has people who are compatible enough to fix these," Jyuzou pointed, standing up and brushing off the dirt. "With their claws? Oh, no..."
"I bet clowingers don't have to wear glasses! It's only you that's strange!" Morio proposed.
"You and I perfectly know this is a foolish n-notion!"
"I'm sure there's a way to fix that eyesight. Even the smallest of ants can make it up-" Morio's eyes shrank, as any and every word that he was about to spew out was cut short.
He moved his hand around his chest, feeling nothing.
Jyuzou looked at him. "Up what? Mistigo Mountain? How did that saying go again?"
Morio made a noise as if he was short of breath. He dug around his pockets, and then back to his vest.
"It's gone!" he screamed out before suddenly standing up.
Daress turned, his eyes widening.
"MY EMBLEM IS GONE!"