ã€ŠThe Path of The Monster Kingã€‹


 ANNOUNCEMENT: REBOOT

    Hi All! Hope you have been enjoying the story.

    As stated before, after some thinking, Ramen and I have decide the story should be rebooted. Not to change the plot or anything like that. We are happy with the story we are writing, but we do believe the quality could use work. The first few chapters are not very readable and tone could use some work. I also feel like during tax season, the quality of the chapters also dropped. Due to this we will Reboot the story after next week''s chapter. We will add more content to the chapters and turn the Prologue into a few chapters capturing Kazius'' childhood and the story of the world. We will also try and proof read chapters the best we can. Stuff may slip by though, since English is not my first language. Overall we expect to have higher quality chapters.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    We will enter a hiatus until April 16. A new rebooted chapter 1 will be available then. We will leave the old chapters up, but if you are starting the story, we recommend starting from the new chapter 1.

 Prologue

    If you are reading this, you are looking at the old prologue before the story got reworked. Please read the improve version starting here: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/55685/the-path-of-the-monster-king/chapter/1182382/chapter-1-prologue-part-1</a>

    The story of the Kingdom of Ratier was one that was well known at this point. Long ago the continent was in chaos thanks to demons. Greed had taken hold of the Demon King, who had grown unhappy with the size of his domain in the mortal realm.

    Death and famine were everywhere, losing your loved ones was common during those dark times. That was until the 7 heroes came together with the goal to end it all and save the continent. The heroes were all of different races. A human as their leader, a dwarf, an elf, and 4 of monster kind. With the help from The Oracle, the 7 were able to gain the knowledge of how to seal the demons away. Things seemed on track to bring down the demons, they were few in numbers and even demon elites stood no chance against the group.

    Eventually, even The Demon King was sealed away. All that was left was to gather the last few remaining Demons. Then it happened, the 4 heroes from monster species grew corrupt and switched sides to the Demons. Trusting a Demon came with a price though, the traitors were they themselves betrayed. They were killed by those very demons they tried to help. The Human, Elven, and Dwarf heroes were thus the only true 3 heroes, while the other 4 were referred to as the 4 traitors.

    The human hero, Ratier Layton, became the first human king. The priest that had foreseen the betrayal of the monsters and warned the heroes was also rewarded by becoming the first Pope of the religion of The Oracle.

    The other two heroes created their own kingdoms, The Dwarven Kingdom of Thimdur and the Elven Kingdom of Zelphar.

    The 3 kingdoms created an alliance, their residents being the only people considered actual people. They lived in the West of the continent while the monsters were casted to live in the Wastelands of the East, also called the Savage Lands. Monsters could only live there, if they were discovered in the 3 kingdoms, they would be killed on sight by The Order of The Holy Knights.

    Today, modern day, the legacy of King Ratier was destroyed. The royal family had become corrupted and turned into heretics. Just 2 years ago they were all executed and tried for treason. It was what the human hero would have wanted, or so the church said.

    Of course, this meant that the church was now in charge of the Kingdom of Ratier, a change in power that seemed to not concern their allied kingdoms Thimdur nor Zelphar. The Order of The Holy Knights was expanded to become the police force. There was also an elite squad that was created, The Knights of Edict, that serve directly under The Pope turned king.

    Other than that, life remained the same, priests still guided people to obey the will of The Oracle as before.

    The Oracle was many things, a greater form of the beyond, a pathway to the future, the deciding factor in your fate. That is what many knew The Oracle orb to be, something to be worshipped as the official religion of Ratier, universally loved.

    Whispers still spread though¡­ In the wind, behind an inn, the dark and small places where the church did not have eyes and ears¡­ Some spoke of how they saw it as corrupt, something manipulated by the church.

    Still, many others saw it as the closest thing to God. Even Elves and Dwarves with their own Gods acknowledged it¡¯s power. All those who are close to the church, who have faith in the religion, or even those who seek to know their future, sought it¡¯s wisdom.

    The Oracle was an important part of life in Ratier. It was involved in the process of becoming an adult. At the coming of age, at 15, there is a ceremony that was performed. Where all those who come of age on that day, witness the miracle of the Oracle Orb. Only through their eyes can they know their future, see their personal vision.

    Only oneself knows what they see in The Oracle Orb; However, the church is very much in control. They force people to disclose what they saw right out of their heads. Some were even beaten until they disclosed it. The church did not want undesirables nor those with unfortunate fates to hide themselves. Of course this was not known to the public. Only those who knew of the corruption of the church knew just how fast things turned sour when someone did not immediately disclose what they saw.

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    This brings us to an orphan named Kazius, left upon the front steps of the church as a baby. A male with dark black hair and pale skin, his eyes a dull gray. He appeared human.

    The male, however, was not given a name by the church, but was rather instead called by the name carved upon a necklace that dangled around his infant neck. The obsidian-colored necklace is something he kept with himself, even as he grew.

    Kazius grew up a quiet child, but quickly became friendly with most, spending his time either studying the faith and history of the church, or practicing the way of the sword secretly with friends in a back alley. He admired the Holy Knights and such games allowed him to pretend to be one, they had been fun.

    He lived the life of a normal child. He got to cause mischief with the church orphanage, having to make up for it with cleaning the entirety of the building. He felt like he was living a happy life, despite not knowing who his parents were. He hoped to dedicate his life to the church that took him in, which was why he hoped that in his ceremony of coming of age he would get confirmation to be a Holy Knight¡­ Maybe even part of the elite Order of Edict.

    When the day came, he was brought to a great hall of marble, with pillars standing tall up to the high ceiling. The room of the Oracle was lavish and despite not a candle nor light orb in sight, the place was well lit. It was almost like walking into a room in heaven itself. A priest with many Holy Knights around would then begin to call the names of the birthday boys and girls in order, for them to step up and receive their vision.

    Soon Kazius¡¯ turn came.

    The first thing he saw was a startling sight by itself. Looking into the orb, he saw flames and fire, a barrage of Demons flying out of a dark black portal, swarming into an army of Holy Knights.

    This is where he thought he would see himself, see himself as a holy knight, yet instead...There was another army. One filled with monsters, Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and even Demons. All of which, he was leading, his eyes shining an ominous red, a confident smirk on his face.... Was that a Werewolf? A snake woman¡­ A Kitsune¡­ The faces of his comrades were fuzzy. There were even more figures he could not identify.

    That is where he heard a voice, a very sly and deep voice....

    "Kazius....you...will be the breaker of worlds...the ruler of the undead...the creature of the night...the bringer of destruction... The Monster King."

    After such words were spoken, the male would be pulled out of the trance, his body in cold sweat as he collapsed to the ground on his knees. He was immediately swarmed by not only Holy Knights but priests, demanding to be told what he saw.

    That is when Kazius heard the voice again, chuckling into his head before persuading him to lie....

    "Holy Knight...I am to be...A Holy Knight, the greatest of them all..." He replied.

    ¡°That is wonderful news¡­ Being spoken to by The Oracle must be overwhelming for such a devoted believer such as yourself¡± The priest would reply.

    Of course, such a lie would normally not work, the clergy of The Oracle could tell lies from the truth, yet it seemed when Kazius lied, it was never caught¡­ It was something he never gave much mind until now, but now he was thankful for.

    He would take his leave; it was uncertain what would be the next step. His lies were not caught for some reason¡­ But why was that the case? What if the ability suddenly vanished? If what The Oracle showed as his future was true¡­ was he a heretic? He still believed in The Oracle though¡­ Yet if the Oracle believed this would be the best path¡­ Who was he to say otherwise?

    Then again¡­ Two things were clear with his vision, he was not Human¡­ and¡­ that the Demons would return, and he would be there to oppose them.

    He felt lost, even frightened. The very thing he worshipped told him to become something the church hated. For now, he decided he would buy his time and observe¡­ Be trained properly in the sword¡­ Since the priests believed his words, he could attend the Holy Knight Academy, to become a Holy Knight.

    He admired them, but now he needed to understand them¡­ Whether it was if he really would become this figure in his vision, or for his own survival. Above all, he had some serious self-reflecting to do¡­

    Time flew by, Kazius became a proper Holy Knight with ease. Sure, it was what the church believed The Oracle wanted, but he had quite the talent for battle. Still, he had ways to go before he could hope to join the Edict.

    Kazius wore the garb of a Holy Knight, bright silver and blue armor. His weapons consisted of a hand crossbow, a rapier and a simple curved dagger, ones he was quite deadly with.

    He and his friend Alex would practice regularly together, becoming best friends since The Academy. The vision he got almost became like a dream even though it was only 3 years ago. Alex was like a brother, always having his back. Alex was a rather thick built human with a massive Warhammer who could simply beat almost any in a strength contest as well as eating, a blonde with green eyes that was known as a lady killer, which meant that Kazius often had to bail him out from situations with angry women.

    He didn¡¯t mind though, it felt like he was cleaning up after a younger brother. They were close, in fact, Alex and their squad were the only one to see him smile or even laugh. Such a friendship and bond with other Holy Knights could never be forfeited, right?

    Kazius had been incredibly wrong, for one day...

 Chapter 1: Everything Tumbles

    If you are reading this, you are looking at the old pre-reboot chapter 1 before the story got reworked. Please read the improve version starting here: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/55685/the-path-of-the-monster-king/chapter/1182382/chapter-1-prologue-part-1</a>

    Kazius had reached the position of a high-ranking lieutenant at only the age of 18...A far from easy feat. At this point, while he was still somewhat concerned, being a Holy Knight long-term was becoming less and less like a farfetched ideal¡­

    Of course, that would mean he would be going against the will of The Oracle, but he no longer saw it as a God. Not after the events of his coming-of-age ceremony, which he dwelled on. What sort of holy being would make you lie to his own church much less become The Monster King?

    No, he saw it for what it was, a powerful entity, sure, but one that foresaw the future and in doing so could also try to influence it. It was no God, not good nor evil. It also far from had a way to change your future if you did not want it.

    The future it saw could be wrong¡­ Besides, in the unlikely event The Demon King ever returned, he could address the issue as a Knight of Edict. Despite his approach to The Oracle though, he held on to his determination to be a Holy Knight.

    To him, being a Holy Knight had evolved to be about community and friendship between him and his fellow squad members. After all, he had admired The Holy Knights due to the tales of their strength. He was drawn to such strength and the church was still all he ever knew. Destroyer of worlds? Ruler of the dead? He didn¡¯t know who The Oracle thought he was, but it had nothing to do with him.

    Kazius snapped out of his thoughts, he was with Alex, Hank, Leo, and Mark, his squad members. They were planning to head out for a drink after patrolling.

    The sunset was so beautiful in the city of Marv, a trading hub of Ratier. A view he hoped to enjoy for much longer, but of course, it was not up to him where his squad was stationed at. As he walked, the knights were goofing around, speaking of women and the like, after all, it wasn¡¯t like they had to be celibate. The Pope even had a harem.

    ¡®They really are a bunch of knuckle heads¡¯

    Kazius would think with a small fond smile. They were each like brothers to him, especially his best friend Alex.

    ¡°Hey Kazius, you finally going to loosen up? Maybe after a drink all of us should find some-¡° Alex began only for the statement to be interrupted by a loud bang, followed by the sound of screams¡­

    ¡®What the hell was that?¡¯

    Kazius would take little time, raising his hand, this immediately stopping the men from their scrambling or any panic, regaining their composure. They admired the male very much and his leadership shined in emergencies like this the most. ¡°Come on!¡± He exclaimed as he rushed with the group.

    He saw knights from a different squad already attempting to evacuate the civilians, going up to one to get information.

    ¡°What is happening? Any orders?¡± Questioned Kazius, the male being easily recognized by the knight due to his feats.

    ¡°The city has been attacked by a band of Orcs! There are Trolls and Ogres too! This is crazy, they have never gotten so close to the city before. There are no orders. Not with the ceremony going on.¡± The knight stated. While the knight had thought fast to evacuate the civilians, it was clear that he was freaking out.

    Indeed, this was a horrific timing. Most of the force behind the Holy Knights were out, defending the Oracle Orb at the capital. Today was actually one of the biggest coming of age ceremonies ever done by the church, there were over 500 boys and girls who turned 15 on this day that wished to see their fate.

    This left a small company of Holy Knights at Marv, 30 in fact, including Kazius and his 4 squad members. Things were bad. They were massively outnumbered.

    ¡®Had the Orcs noticed how few knights there were in the city? Such an alliance by monster creatures attacking¡­ How was this possible?¡¯

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    The timing was just too strange. Still, thinking too long was not a luxury they had now.

    ¡°We will hold back the horde as long as we can, keep evacuating the citizens¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Kazius would then turn, looking at his squad who nodded and saluted. They understood the situation.

    Of course, dying was a real possibility. Many of them were promising¡­ But taking on a whole horde? They were not Edicts, not elite nor experienced enough for such a feat. Still, they would do their duty and the squad far from hesitated to follow his lead.

    While they knew what they were attempting was difficult, how hopeless the situation was did not truly sink in. Not until Mark was decapitated by the sheer force of a hit from an Orc General dressed in elaborate tribal garb. It seems that their leaders were not in the back, they were right at the front lines. Orcs were nomadic and loved fighting, but this was¡­

    ¡°NOOOO!¡± Alex exclaimed, horrified at the loss of their friend. Hank and Leo could only be horrified with their mouths left agape; their eyes wide. Their terror was obvious at the bloody sight. The atmosphere felt heavy with the helplessness of the situation. The group was surrounded by the burning city and blood curdling screams.

    Kazius would have little time to react, Hank was lost before they could blink, squashed by a Troll.

    He was certain only but a handful of Holy Knights were left, including Alex, Leo, and himself. Enraged and feeling hopeless, Alex charged, breaking formation. His best friend since the academy, his brother¡­ Alex was about to die.

    Kazius didn¡¯t understand what happened next¡­ Nor how he did it, something in him simply felt like it stirred, it woke up. He couldn¡¯t hear anything other than his own horrified screaming, thinking of the friends he lost and the friend he was about to lose. He was angry, scared, sad, his emotions were out of control as a massive form of shadow coated his body. He moved in but a blur, the Holy Knights only able to see but a dark shaded form with darkness spreading over before strings of it attacked in every direction. From the perspective of his friends, they did not see a savior. It was like an explosion of filth, something expected from only the worst creatures, a monster.

    As soon as it started, it ended, few of their enemies in the area remained, blood from their headless necks spilling as the bodies would collapse. The Orc General managed to dodge the attack, looking shocked at what he saw.

    He would then regain his composure only to laugh, as if he witnessed something hilarious. He chuckled, waving his subordinates away, ¡°Retreat! Grab the antique and head out! We are done here!¡± Kazius could make out despite the ringing in his ear, his mind fuzzy.

    It took less than a minute before Kazius returned to normal, if that was what you could call it. The males body was coated in shadow that was still slowly sinking into him, his eyes glowing a bright red, the males teeth¡­ Specifically four of them were enlarged into fangs...he looked pure evil to his comrades... Confirming that he was a monster.

    ¡°What the¡­ Antique¡­ Did you guys hear him? What antique? What just¡­¡± He began, everything moving so fast. He felt nauseous, like he was hung over, ¡°What are you talking about, Kazius?! You can understand that gibberish? You¡­ You tricked us! Monster! What the hell are you!?¡± Alex demanded, him and the remaining knights in the area drawing their swords¡­

    ¡®How ungrateful¡¯

    It hurt. His best friend, he was looking at him with such disgust¡­ Leo too¡­ He had hoped to live normal life, that perhaps his friends would understand him. That they would accept him regardless of what he was. Was their friendship fake? Did it mean nothing to them just because he wasn¡¯t human? What about the years they spent together?

    It was odd, but something that briefly began to come to his mind was the story of Ratier. The founding of this kingdom. It¡¯s mention of monsters. The story was beginning to sound a lot like bullshit.

    They all sneered, their looks of disgust and hatred¡­ They looked at him like he was filth¡­ He didn¡¯t understand what just happened, but he just saved their lives!

    ¡°Guys, please, look, I don¡¯t know what that was, but I saved your lives, I¡¯m your friend! Your comrade! Come on, Alex, Leo, you can¡¯t just-¡±

    Kazius would be cut off by holy magic being throw in his direction, a cold feeling rushing over him. It didn''t take long before he was attacked by his own friends, despite his plea... He was too nauseous to react. It seems like it didn¡¯t matter though. His powers were still bubbling out of his control, just like his emotions. Their attacks were futile, their weapons shattering against his form when they made contact with the shadow that clung to him still. The force from the event would push them back.

    ¡®They aimed to kill me¡¯

    He was enraged, sad, he felt betrayed.

    After that...he knew what he had to do...he had to run...he couldn''t hide... His life as a Holy Knight, his dream, that he tried so hard to cling to¡­ Was over. The Oracle was right, he did not belong here¡­ What that meant he still did not understand. What was he? How did he do that? Such questions were overshadowed by the anger he felt¡­ He thought his friends cared about him, yet they didn¡¯t even let him explain himself!

    The male would run, but with the chaos and reinforcements coming, it was hard. He knew he would be an outlaw overnight, hated by the same people who once claimed to admire him.

    ¡®How the hell will I get out of here? Fuck¡­ Alex, Leo¡­ I won¡¯t forgive you¡­¡¯

    He would run through the city, able to run faster than the Holy Knights that were there. He was a lieutenant for a reason. Still, they were not far behind¡­ They could eventually catch up.. It was then he would feel quite the hard yank into an alley, knights running could be heard... They were getting farther away¡­ Who would save him? A monster¡­ He would turn to look at his savior, a cloaked figure shushing him¡­ Just who were they?

 Chapter 2: Escape, The Elf Who Heard God

    "The city is still filled with Orcs, the knights should have higher priorities than to come after us. I know a way out without getting spotted." a feminine voice would be heard¡­ The hooded figure that stood before him wore a black traveler¡¯s cloak.  She stood at 5 ft 5in (1.65m), but not much else could be discerned due to her clothes. The force she mustered with her tug earlier was quite surprising for her stature.

    ¡°Follow me.¡± She stated before leaving, not bothering to look back to make sure he was following.

    ¡®Did this lady know what she was doing? Was she crazy?¡¯

    This woman had no reason to help him, he didn¡¯t trust her. He was just betrayed by his long-term comrades; he wasn¡¯t in the most trusting of moods. If anything, he felt quite bitter and resentful.

    Still, this was his best and safest bet. He didn¡¯t understand what was in it for her, but he would not look a gift horse in the mouth, not for now. Nor did he have the time for pleasantries. If she was really here to save him¡­ An ally when a whole kingdom was against you was not a bad thing.

    So, he simply followed, not even saying a word. He intended to hold off any questions, at least until they were at a safe distance. Where they wouldn''t be so easily found.

    Kazius would follow the woman, making it to the outskirts of the city. Most of the evacuees had gone West towards the capital of Layton, but the 2 of them were headed East. A dangerous thing since that was the direction the wastelands infested with monsters were, where the Orcs had come from.

    The City of Marv was close to Zelphar, which was to the North, but it was also close to the very edge of civilization¡­ Close enough for the Orc attack to occur.

    Parts of the outskirts in the area remained intact, the actual horde coming from further South¡­ It seems the woman understood the path of the attackers well¡­ Maybe too well¡­

    ¡®Had she seen them come in? Why did she not warn anyone?¡¯

    Then again, if she was helping him, she was likely an enemy of the church who ruled the kingdom¡­ She smelled human though¡­

    ¡®Why would she have such a grudge? Wait¡­ Smell? Oh this was getting weird.¡¯

    They were pretty far out and could likely let down their guard for now, but the woman staid on edge. ¡°We are close to somewhere safe¡­ I doubt that the church will send word that fast to towns near the outskirts, not when the city is in such a state¡­ Before we reach any area that would be considered savage lands, there are two towns on the way.¡± She stated, not once turning to look at him or even giving him a name.

    He stood still for a moment, taking in the surroundings after they have submerged from the underbelly of the city. A lot of greenery and very few roads "I will continue to follow you" He whispered in confirmation, staying in the greenery, hidden.

    It was then the two would hear quite the chaos. Turning, his eyes were met with a chapel he had been to a few times on patrol. It was a small place, yet he had never seen it so empty, evacuated, not to mention... He has never seen the Elf holy maiden that currently was causing quite the commotion. They tried to not get involved yet the elf seemed to spot them, looking straight at them¡­ But how?! Even the hooded woman was frozen, appearing confused as well.

    "Please, you have to help me" She pleaded, rushing over to Kazius¡­ Did she not see his eyes and odd appearance? He still wore his Holy Knight garb, did she think he was just a normal Holy Knight? Then again, he doubted word spread too much of his actions, or so he hoped¡­ Still, nothing could hide his face, even the shadows that clung to him appeared to be gone for now.

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    ¡°Those at the chapel, they think I''m a Demon worshipper... Please speak to them, sir knight" The blonde elven woman pleaded naively, holy staff in one hand while she ended up grasping it with both in a pleading hand gesture. Her baby blue eyes looking at them both like she was some stray animal looking for a home.

    The Elf was a little shorter than the hooded woman, standing at 5ft 2in (1.57m). Though her height was far from the most notable thing about her. The holy maiden wore the typical clergy clothes of a follower of The Oracle, but the clothes almost looked indecent on her. She was gifted when it came to her rear and to some extent to her breasts.

    "I-" She began only to hear knights rushing over. How were they already here? They must have gotten backup faster than expected from nearby posts.

    ¡®Shit.¡¯

    "There he is! The heretic holy maiden too! The Demon worshippers! Monsters! All of them! They are all running around together, get them!" Exclaimed one of the Holy Knights.

    "W-Wait, no!" the Elven woman exclaimed, attempting to explain herself only to be grabbed by the back of her robe and be dragged along by the hooded woman who seemed to realize at this point that this holy maiden was clearly going to get herself killed. The two had not intended to bring the Elf along, but it seems she was coming with them.

    At first the clumsy Elf was being dragged by the hooded woman, but at one point the Elf did realize that she was actually in danger, so she too was running.

    After some time, they were out of the city and in a forest, it would be hard to be spotted. The hooded woman panted a bit, sighing. Clearly something was bothering her, she seemed jittery, then again, the 3 were clearly being chased by the church as some sort of monsters. There was silence in the group, until the Elf broke it.

    "Thank you so much for saving me! You are so kind!" She exclaimed giddily in quite the carefree manner, "I think the church really is confused... They called us Demon worshippers... but I have the staff of God himself!" She chirped

    The hooded woman seemed to stare at her, as did Kazius.

    ¡®Oh, so she¡¯s crazy, great.¡¯

    It seems the hooded woman was thinking something among the same line if her gestures said anything.

    This only made the Elf woman frown and whine, pouting a little while looking like a sad puppy. Clearly, she was upset to not be believed.

    "Look, being an enemy of the church isn¡¯t easy... You don¡¯t have to answer questions you don''t want to... But I saved you both for a reason. I am no nanny. I need protection and traveling in a group is better than alone when the 3 kingdoms possibly want you dead. They all are related to the church somehow. I didn¡¯t save you because of kindness. I also don¡¯t intend to be buddies or anything of the sort" Hooded woman pointed out bluntly, at least she was being honest.

    "Still, I am not dumb enough to go to the wastelands alone¡­  I won¡¯t ask you anything, but I do hope you understand¡­ The only place people like us will be able to get away from the church is there. They may still chase us though¡­ The Knights of Edict are persistent¡± she added.

    ¡®The Knights of Edict? Why was someone like her being chased by them? Myself I understand, but this girl¡­ What did she do? Then there was the crazy Elf¡­¡¯

    ¡°Tag along, or don¡¯t, makeup your mind now. You are free to leave whenever you like. Of course¡­ 3 is better than 1. I don¡¯t know what to expect out there. I suppose I only wanted your help since you looked strong, but a healer could be useful too." She stated simply. Even if it was a crazy one.

    "Oh! That sounds like so much fun! Everything is always better with friends, my name is Eve!" Eve stated innocently despite having just met the two, oh the woman really was too trusting. She seemed giddy at the thought of friends. She was beaming, flowers practically blooming in her head, not acting like someone who was so close to capture or death but a minute ago. Would she survive out there?

    "¡­Alice..." The hooded woman stated hesitantly. She looked like she was already regretting saving the Holy Maiden, she clearly was a ditz¡­ Though if the two did not save her, she would likely be dead.

    " Kazius....is my name...¡±

    ¡°We should camp....it is getting dark...The Holy Knights won''t stray this far at night...they would of already made camp..." he added.

    The male knew how they operated well after all, the mess with the Orcs was still an issue for Marv after all and personnel were still few in numbers. So as determined as they may be, things were on their side.

    ¡°I think you are right¡­ There should be a river nearby, let¡¯s get food and water, we will need to make do until we find a town¡­ I doubt word would reach the outskirts about us, at least not while we have this head start.¡± Alice agreed.

    ¡°Oh! It is like a slumber party in the woods, how fun!¡± Eve added, seeming to be quite optimistic¡­

    Kazius wasn¡¯t sure if he could trust them, but it was certain that his time with the two would be an interesting one.

 Chapter 3: Staffs Should Stay On The Ground

    The 3 would return from their small trip to the river with some fish and water. Alice would roast the fish over the fire while Eve attempted to talk to the hooded woman.

    Kazius would approach the two after doing a minor inspection of the area.

    ¡°How goes the food?¡± He asked softly, sounding tired, walking back over to the two of them.

    ¡°Kazius! Oh, I was just telling Alice a story about the fun I had at the church¡± Eve beamed.

    ¡°She was telling me about how the other holy maidens would bully her because she wasn¡¯t very smart¡­¡± Alice corrected.

    ¡°I am sure they just were just joking.¡± Eve assured.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t what is sounds like to me. Not when you say things like they poured water on the floor whenever it was your turn to clean up¡­ Among other things, but okay.¡± Alice stated with a sigh¡­

    Oh was the Elf woman dense, not even realizing when people were being malicious. She was too innocent for her own good. Or perhaps enough to her own benefit. It did at times make those around her protective of her. It would be easier for the two to leave her behind, yet both Alice and Kazius seemed to not suggest such a thing. Why? It was something Kazius didn¡¯t understand himself.

    "Anyway, I am exhausted¡­ I am sure you two had quite the day as well¡­ You two can eat the fish without me.¡± Kazius admitted with a yawn.

    ¡°Aww, okay, good night!¡± Eve chirped.

    ¡°I will keep watch; I am not tired yet.¡± Alice admitted.

    With that the male decided to get some rest, Eve following not long after while Alice would stay up.

    She must have gone to sleep at some point in the night though, since she was asleep when he woke up.

    ¡°Good morning!¡± Eve chirped happily.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± Alice stated, seeming sluggish yet even now she would keep her hood on¡­

    ¡®What is she trying so hard to hide?¡¯

    ¡°Good morning¡­¡± Kazius stated with yawn. He was so tired. He normally woke up so early to train, yet he was exhausted now¡­ Was it because yesterday drained him that much? Or something else?

    Tired of not, the 3 would make one last round to the river to stock up on food and water. They were working with limited resources, so it was better to be safe.

    Alice would yet again volunteer to cook the fish.

    ¡®Does she like cooking or is she paranoid about being poisoned?¡¯

    ¡°Oh! I just remembered! I should go pray¡­ God doesn¡¯t like if I forget to talk to him first thing in the morning.¡± Eve stated, heading off to go pray in private in the woods before anyone could protest. Then again, she went the direction of the river¡­ Which was safe enough¡­ But¡­ Eve was¡­

    ¡®¡­Would she be alright?¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she should go by herself¡­¡± Kazius sighed out.

    ¡°Do you really think she can hear God? Even if it is, she has not even said which¡­ Not to mention, just from talking to her, I can tell she isn¡¯t the sharpest knife in the drawer¡­¡±

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Of course, not¡­ At least I doubt it.¡± Kazius responded, only to indeed remember the voice he heard on the day of his vision¡­

    ¡®Then again¡­ The Oracle did speak to me before¡­¡¯

    ¡°I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter¡­ She may be a bit out there, but as long as she can heal, it is fine. Anyway, I hope we can head out soon. As I said before, for now we should just get away. Once we are in the savage lands, we can figure out where to go. We still have to get supplies in town though." Alice sighed out. The fact she spoke to him showed she at least valued his opinion. She made sure he knew what her reasoning was for things.

    Her trust was limited though. Kazius still had no idea what she even looked like. They were strangers, so she wasn¡¯t about to open up to him anytime soon. Still, she did accept a bit more idle chatter until the fish was ready.

    ¡°You know, I am okay with you hiding your face, but if we are traveling together¡­ Mind if I ask you some questions?¡± Kazius decided to ask.

    ¡°I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Why do you seem to hate the church so much? You look human to me.¡± Kazius stated, deciding to leave out anything about her scent being human.

    ¡°They are hypocrites and liars¡­ They¡­ I can¡¯t stand them¡­ I am sure someone like you understands¡­ I was watching you¡­ Or rather¡­ The commotion you made got my attention.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Kazius grew quiet, indeed he did. His former friends¡­ He¡¯d be lying if he said he was above feeling bitter and resentful¡­ He understood now why The Oracle would want to lie to such a group. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he trusted The Oracle either. Those bastards worshipped it for a reason.

    He still felt so lost. He didn¡¯t really know what to think about many things, what to do next¡­ His fate¡­ Everything he knew was taken from him and now he was in the woods with what had to be the strangest women he ever met.

    ¡°I suppose I do¡­ Even though I was once one of them¡­ It is interesting¡­ How easily a human heart can change.¡± Kazius added, sounding solemn, finally admitting out loud he wasn¡¯t human, though being a monster was something that seemed to not bother the hooded woman.

    ¡®Enemy of the church or not, to decide to go to monster territory¡­ Even accept a monster as a companion¡­ There is definitely more to this.¡¯

    ¡°I¡­ That is something that I know too well myself as well¡­¡± Alice admitted, saying a bit more than what she would like to say, but perhaps she had felt better speaking on the matter to someone who also understood betrayal. Or so Kazius would guess.

    He would perk up, snapping out of his thoughts. The food smelled good and looked done. Though oddly enough, he didn¡¯t have as much of an appetite as he should.

    ¡°She isn¡¯t back yet¡­ The fish is ready¡­ What could be taking her so long?¡± Alice questioned, sounding a mix between concerned and annoyed.

    ¡®Right, Eve went off to pray earlier¡­¡¯

    ¡°And here I thought you weren¡¯t the nanny type¡­¡± Kazius mused. He wasn¡¯t so much the joking type, but his chat with Alice had been far from uncomfortable¡­ He only spoke like this with his friends¡­ Though now, he supposed he couldn¡¯t call them that anymore.

    He couldn¡¯t see her face thanks to her hood, but he could tell his words flustered Alice some. ¡°D-Don¡¯t say unnecessary things, okay? I just think having a healer around is useful.¡± She would state, the mysterious woman seeming to lose her composure, getting up. ¡°A-are you coming or what?¡±

    ¡°I suppose.¡± Kazius stated in amusement, ¡°Knowing how she is, she may just have gotten lost¡­ This is the last time we let her go off on her own. She can pray at camp.¡±

    As they walked, the two would begin to hear Eve¡­ She was talking to someone, or rather, to herself, so it seemed.

    "Yes, my lord!" Eve stated gleefully, ¡°Do you think my new friends will find me useful? They seem so smart¡­ They are kind and even saved me, I want to help them.¡± She stated, then there was silence.

    ¡°Of course, I am grateful to you. I met them because you told me where they were¡­¡± She assured, soon looking down.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want them to hate me.¡±

    While she was a ditz, but it seems her past treatment in the church made her indeed see herself as someone that was useless.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been good, you know? I¡¯ve collected all the pieces of the staff, just like you said¡­ The holy staff is done¡­ I got the last part yesterday. I was able to grab it when everyone was distracted by the Orcs, just like you said¡­ Are you sure it isn¡¯t stealing? I feel bad¡­¡± Eve stated, indeed sulking only to go wide-eyed, ¡°No! I trust you; I promise!¡± She assured.

    ¡®This¡­ This didn¡¯t sound good¡­ So that was how she saw them back there? Even though they were hidden? Something about this didn¡¯t feel right¡­ Was that really God?¡¯

    ¡°You will help? Really?!¡± Eve exclaimed eagerly, growing quite giddy. ¡°Huh? The staff? Sure!¡± She chirped, holding the staff out, kneeling and offering it up to the air.

    ¡°Eve, wait, don¡¯t!¡± Kazius exclaimed, feeling like something was off.

    He was too late though. Before they knew it, the staff would begin to levitate, as if grasped by something¡­

    ¡°Well shit¡­¡±

 Chapter 4: Would a Demon Ever Lie?

    As the staff was grasped, a wave of energy would be sent through the air. It felt ominous. Eve wasn¡¯t crazy! There was definitely someone there!

    ¡®That is definitely NOT God!¡¯

    "Yes! Perfect! Hahaha! "

    An unfamiliar sly and mischievous voice would cheer.

    ¡°Finally¡­¡±

    The voice stated with a menacing chuckle.

    ¡°Huh? Kazius? Alice? What are you two doing here? Did you come to pray too?¡± Eve asked, the ominous wind made her clothes sway rapidly. She was the closest to the staff, a force seemed to prevent them from getting closer. Did she not realize something was wrong!? Still, the pressure¡­ How was she fine?!

    ¡°Eve! Take back the staff!¡° Kazius exclaimed, not understanding the situation, but he figured that would help. Clearly, whatever it was, was happy to get the staff. It was too late though.

    The staff would spin as if twirled. Thrown up, only for it to be caught. The moment the staff would make contact with the invisible hands, a blinding flash would spread. The wind would grow stronger, almost blowing them away¡­ And then¡­

    It would just stop¡­

    Everything growing eerily quiet and still.

    When they looked, Eve would be seen staring in shock and confusion, a man standing right in front of her¡­ Not just any man though, a Demon.

    The demon stood at 5 ft 11 (1.8m). His hair was white, adorned by black horns sticking out at either end pointing up. His eyes were a light red, a wide mischievous grin plastered on his face. He dressed in an elaborate black garb, something you would expect from a noble. The staff had turned into a cane that matched said outfit.

    ¡°Eve, what in the actual fuck¡­¡± Kazius would state in exasperation and exhaustion. Could he not have one normal day? Just one? How the hell did the clumsy Elf woman summon a Demon?! He scraped by before, but a demon was just too much. He didn¡¯t have a power even close to that of Ratier or any of the heroes, not even close! He was terrified. If the vision he saw in his coming-of-age ceremony was even really what would happen, he had nowhere near the strength nor allies that it promised.

    ¡®I am really starting to hate the Oracle¡­ All these events could NOT be a coincidence.¡¯

    As he tried to assess the situation, Alice too looked weary and shocked.

    "What do you think you''re doing, Demon? Your kind is supposed to be sealed away! How are you here!?"

    Alice demanded; her shock turned surprisingly into anger. Fear, Kazius understood, but anger?

    It was then Eve finally realized she was tricked.

    "W-Wait?! Demon!? You tricked me! You told me you were God!" She told him in alarm and confusion, "That wasn¡¯t very nice of you" She stated in a pouty manner, waving a finger at him, despite how silly it was that she was scolding a demon on niceness.

    The demon had gone back to absentmindedly twirling around his cane. He very much seemed to be having fun just being free. It was then he would finally feel like responding to them. He''d toss his cane, catching it one last time before leaning on it with one arm, a very toothy grin upon his face.

    "My my.... Demon...I have a name, you know? Referring to me as Demon like that...You should know better...Alice..." He chuckled out, shaking his finger in a tsk. ¡°Azanor, not just a Demon¡­ I also won¡¯t be telling you how I am here¡­ I know very well your kind doesn¡¯t remember how to get rid of us and I intend to keep it that way. Telling you would basically tell you how to get rid of me and I like it here.¡± Azanor stated, then turning to look at Eve.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    "As for you¡­ Oooh my sweet Eve...I never did that...You just thought of me as God... In fact, I even tried to tell you otherwise, but you just swore up and down I was God... It was quite cute¡­ Anyway, I¡¯m a Demon....We don''t play fair.... But I actually have never once lied to you¡­ Lies are so boring¡­ The tools of a lazy trickster. I am an honest sort of Demon.¡±

    To be fair, Kazius had not known Eve for long, but as much as he shouldn¡¯t believe the words of a Demon¡­ That did sound exactly like something the Eve would do.

    ¡°If what you say is true¡­ You are free, you are aware we aren¡¯t a threat¡­ Why don¡¯t you just leave?¡± Kazius stated. Of course, the idea of a demon running around like he owned the continent was far from ideal, but what the hell was he supposed to do? Stop him? How? To stop demons, it would take some time before he had such power. As a former Holy Knight, such thinking was almost painful, but he didn¡¯t have the luxury to be an all-evil destroying hero. To some extent, he was an evil of sort himself¡­ At least according to the church.

    ¡°Not an option, Kazius.¡± The Demon would respond, indeed knowing all their names it seems.

    ¡°Eve over there made a deal with me¡­  What was her exact wording? Oh yes, ¡®make me good at magic so that the other holy maidens like me. If you do that, I will devote my soul to you.¡¯  which means¡­ Her soul is mine, and I am not leaving without it.¡± He explained, much to Kazius¡¯ shock.

    "I-I didn''t realize." Eve admitted, "I suppose that you never lied to me... I-I''m sorry for accusing you of being mean, let''s be friends." Eve stated gleefully with a smile despite the Demon announcing her soul was his.

    "Eve! You can''t be friends with a Demon! You''re a holy maiden! You even made a contract with him, so if you don''t kill him, he may take your soul." Alice scolded.

    Eve would then frown, looking down while fidgeting, "I-I can''t? I know Demons are supposed to be bad, but what if he is a nice one? Not to mention, he helped me lots while I was struggling with my work." She tried to defend.

    "In exchange for your SOUL, Eve." Alice sighed out, groaning a bit. "He isn''t your friend. He is a Demon, you can''t be friends with a Demon" She tried to explained to her.

    ¡°Why not?"

    ¡®This is getting us nowhere¡­¡¯

    ¡°Look, I am sure we can come into an understanding that doesn¡¯t involve fighting¡­  Or taking any souls¡­ Come with us.¡± Kazius would finally speak up. He had been quiet for most of this conversation for a reason, despite its importance¡­ He had been studying the Demon¡­ Trying to understand what he was after.

    After all, it wasn¡¯t like he had the power to vanquish him¡­ He also wasn¡¯t traveling with the two women due to complete trust, or anything silly like that. It was for convenience, though he would be lying if he said that the two weren¡¯t good company¡­ Even Eve, who had summoned the Demon, she was so inept he would feel guilty just leaving her in the woods.

    Not to mention, as scarred by the event with his former friends as he was¡­ He wasn¡¯t heartless, he used to be a Holy Knight¡­ And while he despised the church, the Holy Knights, and their teachings¡­ A sense of justice did not just disappear. Alice saved him and Eve would get herself killed without supervision; he wouldn¡¯t abandon them¡­ Of course, trying to make peace with a Demon showed such a justice was now skewed and unlike that of a Holy Knight.

    ¡°And why would I do that?¡± Azanor questioned in amusement with a raised brow.

    ¡°If you wanted Eve¡¯s soul, you didn¡¯t need to tell us anything¡­ You also could have taken it this whole time. Yet you entertained us instead¡­ I don¡¯t know what the Demon World is like¡­ But for you to be so desperate to get away means you were either very bored over there or it is terrible¡­ Judging from your personality¡­ Boredom is what probably drives you¡­ As you can see, things around us is far from boring¡­ Fact is, if you wanted to, I am sure you would have killed us all already.¡± Kazius explained.

    He was a good leader for his squad for a reason. He understood those around him well and made good judgements based on it¡­ Of course, it was still a gamble, he read people well¡­ Yet¡­ A Demon? Now that he wasn¡¯t sure¡­

    Azanor would stare at him and then shrug, ¡°I suppose I have time to kill¡­ I haven¡¯t been able to experience this world in 1,000 years¡­ You bunch also look like a group of fun enough fools. So¡­ I won¡¯t take Eve¡¯s soul and stay around a little.¡±

    ¡°Yay! Friends!¡± Eve cheered happily.

    ¡°I hate this.¡± Alice stated, clearly unhappy, ¡°But I suppose I will tolerate it¡­ I don¡¯t want Eve losing her soul.¡± She sighed out. ¡°At least this way we can keep an eye on him too, so he doesn¡¯t cause too much trouble.¡± She added.

    ¡°Keep an eye on him? Most would want a Demon as far away as possible¡­¡± Kazius admitted, surprised at Alice¡¯s words. Then again, the fact she was accompanying him meant she was surely an odd one.

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t dwell too much on it¡± Alice huffed out, ¡°Anyway, we wasted enough time¡­ We need supplies and we won¡¯t be able to get them once the church gets word out about us.¡±

    ¡°True, come on, we need to pack what we can and go¡­ I want to be there by sundown¡± Kazius agreed¡­ This definitely was not how he expected their morning would go¡­ But to town it was¡­

 Chapter 5: A Trip To Town

    The group had fallen a bit behind schedule thanks to the very long morning they experienced. At least there were no other insane events, not during their walk. The walk was quiet for the most part, the woods empty. There were almost no roads this close to the border of Ratier. Very few brave traders and knights ventured this way¡­ Who in their right mind would want to be near what was considered the edge of civilization?

    Whether you were from Zelphar, Ratier, or Thimdur¡­ You believed the same thing. Only monsters, death, and wastelands awaited those who left the safety of the 3 kingdoms. Even with his vision at the age of 15, if someone had told Kazius a week ago he would be willingly going to the wastelands with a hooded woman, a Demon, and a dense Elf woman, he would not believe it.

    Still, he no longer had a choice but to do something this extreme. None of the 4 of them could stay in the kingdoms. They would be hunted like dogs if they tried. Though the idea of Azanor causing mayhem to those who betrayed him did sound a little amusing.

    Indeed, the situation was dire, yet Kazius found himself feeling far from hopeless. He did feel just about done with craziness for some time, but he knew it was far from over. He wondered; would he one day see this chaos that had become his life as normal? If his vision was right¡­ It may very well be the case¡­

    ¡°I came back to the mortal realm and it is just trees, trees, and trees. I¡¯m booooored. Eve, we should play a game.¡± Azanor complained.

    ¡°Sorry you didn¡¯t get the mortal realm vacation of your dreams, have you tried going back where you came from?¡± Alice asked with a huff. The two got along like water and oil. Alice seemed agitated with the Demon while Azanor seemed to be enjoying when she got upset.

    ¡°Ooooh, ouch. How hurtful¡­ I see manners have been lost in your family after so many centuries. Yet here you are, same tastes in friends¡­ What are you, anyway, Kazius? A vampire? No¡­ You would be burnt to a Crisp by now¡­ I can¡¯t quite tell¡± Azanor would state with a laugh and shrug.

    Alice would freeze when the Demon spoke, stopping her walking.

    ¡°Shut your mouth.¡± Alice would threaten, appearing to be fuming.

    ¡®Her family might be a sore subject¡­ It seems Azanor knows something about her¡­ Crafty fucker¡­¡¯

    ¡°Or what? We both know you can¡¯t do anything even if you wanted to~¡± Azanor taunted.

    ¡°No! Fighting is bad! We¡¯re friends!¡± Eve exclaimed, getting very pouty and huffy, giving the two a determined look.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I am saying this, but Eve is right¡­ There are enough people trying to kill us, let¡¯s not add each other to that list, alright?¡± Kazius added.

    ¡°Fine fine, I will play nice¡­¡± Azanor dismissed with a wave.

    ¡°I¡­ Will do my best to tolerate.¡± Alice agreed with a sigh.

    Eve would grow pleased at that, beaming happily, ¡°Yay!¡± She cheered.

    ¡®At least someone is having fun.¡¯

    After that event, the walk would go back to being peaceful¡­ Though of course once they were actually near town, things changed¡­ It wasn¡¯t like the 4 of them could just stroll in. Azanor would cause a panic if anyone saw him, Kazius himself was no better either. He looked mostly human, but his eyes and teeth would be an issue. Eve did look the least suspicious out of the group, but¡­ She was Eve¡­ Who knows what she would do if she was sent into town alone¡­ Then there was Alice¡­

    Kazius would look at the hooded woman, ¡°I think you should go into town, take Eve with you¡­ She at least looks like a normal holy maiden¡­ If anyone asks, you¡¯re her escort¡­ That should be good enough to go in and get supplies¡­¡± He trailed off. ¡°Here¡± He added, ¡°I will trust you with this¡­ We won¡¯t have use for money in the wastelands¡­ Buy a magic bag or ring to store our tents and supplies in too¡­ Will it be enough?¡± He asked, unsure how much she had herself.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Alice would perk up at his words, ¡°I have¡­ More than enough, but I will take this too just in case.¡± She admitted, being honest it seems.

    ¡°Yay! Leave it to us!¡± Eve chirped, saluting in a clumsy manner.

    With that, the two would head out, leaving Azanor and Kazius alone¡­ Will they be okay? Then again, he was the one left alone with the Demon.

    ¡°Boo, how come those two get to have all the fun¡­ I want to go into town.¡± Azanor whined.

    ¡°Yeah and then what? Have the guards on us within seconds? Cause a mass panic?¡± Kazius questioned with a sigh.

    ¡°Yes! Exactly, it would be hilarious!¡±

    ¡®I am glad at least he is listening¡­ Who knows what he would do in town¡­ I definitely made the right call¡­ Still¡­ He knew that Azanor was stronger than them¡­ he was bored yet he was being suspiciously compliant despite his complaints. He was here to be entertained yet he whined about being bored often¡­¡¯

    ¡°For someone here for entertainment, you sure complain about not getting to have fun¡­ What are you after?¡± Kazius would finally ask. The Demon was odd. He was staying when he could have taken Eve¡¯s soul and just left¡­ Kazius¡¯ gamble worked¡­ Yet part of him felt like he was being played. It could be the trust issues he had after dealing with his former friends¡­ But trusting a Demon was also¡­Not something he was ready to do. Even if Azanor seemed to not be a liar nor causing trouble, how long would that be the case?

    ¡°Hmm~ You are quite smart¡­ I will be honest¡­ You all entertain me as you are¡­ But the show hasn¡¯t even begun.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Demons, we consume souls and gain more power from them¡­ We usually obtain them through deals¡­ That is the only way we are entitled to the soul of someone we kill¡­ So, I can see certain things in you¡­ Not all, but¡­ I know things about your soul you probably don¡¯t even know.¡± Azanor explained, pointing at his open eye as he winked.

    ¡°I just am curious¡­ What sort of being will you become¡­ Will you keep playing hero? Or will you learn to enjoy the pain of others, even if just a little¡­ You have the most interesting soul I have ever seen¡­ And¡­ Well, I am sure Alice will be a pain if I spill her business. She is an entertaining soul herself¡­ I dreaded meeting someone like her, but she seems more amusing than intimidating¡­ As for Eve¡­ Well.¡± Azanor would chuckle, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you everything, not for free anyway.¡±

    ¡®My soul, huh? Then there was Alice¡­ Why was she so secretive? Not like I can blame her¡­ I understand it, especially with my past... Still, this was all I will likely get out of him, better not try my luck and have him trick me into some sort of deal. I will ask about The Demon World some other time¡­ Even if I am curious. ¡¯

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong though, I still very much enjoy witnessing suffering¡­ So if you fail that would be interesting too¡­ I would enjoy that too.¡± Azanor cooed with a wide and wicked grin, ¡°Though I am not as tasteless as our king¡­ He just tortures mortals until they agree to a deal¡­ No¡­ His way is boring¡­ Other demons too¡­ They lie to get their way¡­ What fun is in that? I enjoy a challenge¡­ Then again¡­ Eve was¡­¡± Azanor would chuckle, smiling slightly, not in a twisted way surprisingly enough.

    ¡°Anyway, those two are taking too long. I will go get them.¡±

    ¡°What? NO! I told you, we would cause a panic.¡± Kazius scolded.

    ¡°Fine fine¡­ How about I teach you something neat for free?¡± Azanor suggested.

    ¡°Free? So I won¡¯t be signing away my soul, right? Or my first born?¡± Kazius questioned wearily, indeed not so convinced.

    ¡°Oh come on, you can trust your good old pal Azanor¡­ I told you, I don¡¯t lie¡­ And what would I want some baby for?¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡®Like I would believe that, all I have is your word.¡¯

    ¡°How hurtful¡­ And here I am being so kind.¡± Azanor stated in fake exaggerated distress. He would then chuckle, ¡°Alright alight¡­ Look, I will just tell you, how about that? Sense deep within you, I am sure you can feel something there¡­ A darkness¡­ Maybe a power you¡¯ve used¡­ Focus on it, spread it around you.¡± He would explain¡­ Demons would do deals for power¡­ And understanding the power of people was something they could do to some extent, at least the basics.

    Kazius was confused at first. No way such a vague explanation made sense! Surprised though, he would indeed find he could envelop himself in shadow, becoming one with the shadows.

    ¡°Of course, someone strong enough will know you¡¯re there so don¡¯t do anything stupid that gets you killed¡­ Unless I am there to watch of course.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Thanks¡­¡± Kazius admitted. He was annoying, but¡­ This would indeed be useful.

    ¡°Anyway¡­ I¡¯ll race you!¡± Azanor exclaimed, disappearing just like that.

    ¡®Did he teleport? Or did he just move too fast to even be seen. Where the hell did, he go?¡¯

    ¡°Wait what? No! Why you¡­¡± Kazius grumbled in frustration. The Demon really did just do what he wanted. He needed to find the girls and him before there was trouble¡­

 Chapter 6: Believe In Your Team

    The small town of Remus has quite the history. It had been the first settlement of Ratier and was it¡¯s former capital before it was moved to Layton. Due to this, the place was heavily fortified and had a good number of historical sites. Then again, to be a town so close to the wastelands, it had to be fortified for the people to even survive.

    Kazius had no time for sight seeing though. A heavily fortified place with guards stationed at the entrances surrounded by tall brick walls¡­ He was impressed at the ability of his new technique to get him into such a place.

    He would move from shadow to shadow, staying high up by the rooftops to try and get a good view. He felt so nimble, so free¡­ His powers were foreign yet so familiar¡­ He had lacked the time to notice before, but he found he could peer into even the darkest of places and see perfectly well¡­ This alone may help him in a fight¡­ But together¡­ He may very well be on his way to becoming a creature of the night... He would be experimenting further with his power, if it wasn¡¯t for his dilemma.

    His teammates were missing, including a Demon. Oh, if they got caught, a regular Holy Knight would be the least of their worries. He didn¡¯t want to increase the chances of the church sending Edicts after them. Then again that was already a likely possibility.

    Regardless, he would think of such things later¡­ No use worrying now.

    He would search town, but would freeze once he heard it¡­ A commotion¡­

    ¡®Shit¡­Did they find them already?¡¯

    He would rush at the direction of the noise, spotting Alice¡­ She was surrounded by Holy Knights, Eve there next to her. He was glad the duo had at least not been separated, even if it was terrible that they were found¡­ Still, while Alice was standing protectively in front of Eve, she was not defending herself. He didn¡¯t understand why she was hesitating¡­ He had seen she had a sword back at camp. Then again, maybe she wasn¡¯t very good with it? Looking at the scene though, there was no sign of Azanor.

    Dismissing his thoughts, he knew he had to act. Almost instinctively, he would jump down to their side. His landing was swift, shadows coming up from the ground ever so slightly, cushioning his fall¡­ He was beginning to get the basics of this down.

    ¡°You two alright?¡± Kazius would ask the hooded woman who would perk up at the sight of him. Eve as well seemed delighted.

    ¡°Kazius! Yay!¡±

    ¡°Eve has been healing me, but just keeping us both safe has been rough¡­ You came right on time¡­ There is too many of them¡­ There was no way I could have broken through and gotten us out. Though with you here, that is different.¡± Alice admitted, seeming to hesitate and think. ¡°You are¡­ quite reliable¡­ Thank you for coming for us.¡± She would complement softly. After all, he could have left without them.

    It was then a knight would interrupt their conversation by aiming an attack towards Alice. Alice would surprisingly enough block the attack, showing off that strength she had displayed when they met. Now was not the time to chat though¡­ Kazius and her were standing back-to-back with Eve between them. The 3 were surrounded now. ¡°Say that when we get out of here.¡± Kazius stated, drawing his rapier. He may be a former Holy Knight lieutenant, but 10 knights at once was crazy¡­ Even with the 3 of them. Still¡­ He would save his comrades¡­ He would kill his first Holy Knight, ¡°Eve, do your best to make as many barriers as you can, Alice, cover me.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± Alize confirmed

    ¡°Yes, sir! Hehe, I always wanted to say that.¡± Eve would giggle and clumsy salute.

    Eve seemed to have a good amount of mana, able to make multiple small barriers that would circle them in a spiral¡­ The magic itself was not of holy nature though, but that was far from an issue. Any holy magic or crossbow attacks sent their way would be stopped by them regardless. Kazius mentally took back all his thoughts about her being inept. Such a feat required enormous concentration. Then again, was it due to her contract with Azanor?

    His party was not done surprising him though, what Alice would do¡­ There was only one family that could use such a power. It was like it had happened in slow motion, the sword that Alice held flew out and impaled through the armor of the knight right in front of her. Blood would splatter as the sword would go fully through before returning to her hand¡­ That ability¡­ Sword Levitation¡­The ability to make a sword fly with your mind¡­ What Ratier Layton had used in his campaign against Demons. The ability of the royal family¡­ Of course, the knights were more shocked than he was. Oh he would definitely have a talk about it with Alice after this¡­

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    Kazius would find an exciting feeling rush through him¡­ They could do this¡­ A small smirk began to grace his features¡­ He wouldn¡¯t be outdone. Now that he had a sense for his own power source¡­ It was like a limb he never realized he had until now. He used a mixture of what he knew and his new powers. He would try and focus the energy on his blade, his sword turning into a large shadow sword that felt lighter than even the original sword. He would slam it down, the force and impact taking out 2 nights at once¡­

    The 3 would find themselves working quite well together despite having ways to go in understanding each other. For Kazius, the battle began to evolve into something more than just protecting his teammates¡­ After all, he had a bone to pick with the Holy Knights. It acted like an outlet for all the frustration, hopelessness, and fear he had felt. Not just from the past two days, but from all the way back to when he had gotten his fate. He had been running¡­ But¡­ He wouldn¡¯t run anymore. He would embrace this part of himself.

    From the perspective of the knights though, the 3 party members having fun and getting carried away¡­ They would look like quite the group of terrifying monsters, something from their deepest nightmares. A looming evil force.

    Once only 3 knights remained, they would scramble, attempting to run. Kazius would manage to bring 1 down, but he was not fast enough to get the other two. He would pant, sweating from the effort he put into battle. He was exhausted this morning and now he really felt drained.

    He would shake away such thoughts, relieved the two girls were okay, ¡°Will it be alright?¡± He asked while looking at Alice, pointing at the fleeing duo¡­ After all, he didn¡¯t quite understand her situation, but he was beginning to gather the pieces. Her using such abilities¡­ It would get reported for sure. It was clear she had been trying to stay hidden too.

    ¡°Yes, it is fine¡­ I am done hiding from those bastards.¡± Alice stated, taking hold of her hood and lowering it.

    It was then Kazius would spot the woman¡¯s face for the first time. She had pink hair and sparkling violet eyes. She was quite the beauty, she looked like a princess. Literally¡­ The princess that was supposed to have been executed with the entire royal family all those years ago.

    ¡°Besides, how are you supposed to trust a teammate that never shows her face? You are going to the wastelands with me, may as well know what I look like¡­ Besides, if I didn¡¯t fight by your side with all my power, I wouldn¡¯t be able to face you later.¡± Alice mused coyly.

    ¡°Wow, Alice, you have a face!¡± Eve stated, genuinely shocked.

    ¡°I appreciate you trusting us with that¡­ Though we should go¡­ being in a fortress like this is just asking for it¡­ We managed, but we can¡¯t take on an army¡­ Nor an Edict. Let¡¯s go.¡± Kazius stated, beginning to run¡­ of course¡­ he said this¡­ But question was¡­ Just how would they get the hell out? After all, this place was surrounded by fortress walls.

    It was then he would get an idea¡­ He couldn¡¯t have them with him while he went into the shadows, but he could bring them to the top of the walls with him. ¡°Actually, hold on.¡± Kazius stated, grabbing ahold of them both with each arm, using the shadows to push himself hard enough to jump up while supporting the 2 the best he could.

    Thankfully the launch was a success, they got on top the fortress wall. After that, it was a matter of jumping down and they were out. Of course, he was already tired, but he could manage this much¡­ He needed practice though. Using his powers took too much out of him¡­ And now they had to walk fast unless they wanted to get into a terrible situation.

    Just as he was about to speak, he would hear clapping. Azanor was right behind them. His claps were lazy. He stood in a slouched manner, leaning on his cane with his elbow. He really seemed to be fond of the thing. ¡°Bravo! That was a great show!¡± Azanor cheered in delight with a wide grin.

    Kazius frowned, ¡°You were there the whole time and you didn¡¯t help?¡± he questioned.

    ¡°Pft! As if I would do such a thing for free, who do you take me for? I already told you, I am okay with seeing you fail¡­ That would be pretty entertaining¡­ Besides, in a way, I helped you plenty. I nudged you a bit so you could feel your center of power, if anything I should be hearing ¡®Thank you, Azanor!~ You¡¯re the greatest!~¡¯ Oh I know, I know, I am incredible, you¡¯re welcome.¡± Azanor chuckled out.

    Alice scowled, she looked about ready to punch him. Her rivalry with the Demon made a lot more sense now. ¡°Why you¡­¡± She began, closing her hand into a tight fist.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Let him be¡­ He is right¡­ I did understand my powers a bit better thanks to him¡­ If I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to find you both nor been as much help.¡± Kazius admitted.

    Alice huffed, ¡°Fine¡­¡± She sighed out.

    ¡°It was fun, that is what matters.¡± Eve stated contently, quite giddy.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I suppose it was a bit¡­¡± Kazius admitted, having enjoyed the fight a bit himself, something he didn¡¯t contemplate on much just yet. ¡°Anyway¡­ We should head out¡­ Let¡¯s go straight to the wastelands¡­ I doubt the knights will follow us there. Then we can set up camp.¡± He added.

    His party seemed to agree. Eve cheered while Alice would nod, Azanor giving a lazy yet smug shrug¡­ So with that, off they would go¡­ into the wastelands.

 Chapter 7: Into the Savage Lands

    Under Kazius¡¯ direction, the group would travel into the Savage Lands with urgency. After all, once word got out of what occurred in Remus, Edicts would likely be sent their way. Edicts were something Kazius admired for the longest time, something he wanted to become. Now he feared them.

    His party was not a weak one, able to take on 10 Holy Knights¡­ But that was nothing compared to what a Knight of Edict could do. Edicts had a power that was the closest to that of the heroes in modern day. A difficult feat since human has gotten much weaker since those days. This meant they could take on multiple demons and massacre entire armies on their own.  They were ranked by strength; each assigned a number. There were 32 of them in total¡­ With 18 disciples constantly being trained to replace them.

    Before, Kazius believed there were too few Edicts. Now? He believed there were too many. Even if they made the smallest fraction of the forces of the church. The Ratier did not have as big a military to begin with. Then again, when you had such fiends in your ranks, you wouldn¡¯t need a large military. Not to mention, all jobs in Ratier were decided by the Oracle, so it wasn¡¯t like the church would accept anyone the Oracle did not say would become a Holy Knight.

    Thanks to such a selection process though, Kazius knew more about the Edicts than the average Holy Knight. His lies got past the detection abilities of the priests, so he had been treated as a future Edict from day 1. This combined with the fact that Alice was in their group meant that the church may very well be willing to send Edicts into the savage lands to get them.

    Kazius really hoped he was wrong though. Even if he could somehow get Azanor to help them, Azanor would be unable to beat an Edict. This fact in mind justified the sense of urgency he felt¡­ Any nervousness about entering a place that was the source of many horror stories in Ratier was far out weighted by fear of the Edicts.

    Kazius was not the type to let one victory get to his head, he knew his team¡¯s strength, but he knew their limits too. Still, when they did enter the savage lands it was almost impossible to tell anything changed. It would have been very underwhelming, were it not for the change in air.

    Kazius could feel it, it was like the air was heavier, denser, a new pressure was felt on the group. The mana in this side of the continent was extremely dense, making it unquestionable that they were in an unfamiliar place.

    Kazius, Eve, and Azanor were fine with the change. Yes, the air was heavier thanks to the concentration of mana, but that was it¡­ It didn¡¯t seem like that big of a deal to him¡­ But to a Human? Such a big change in concentration of mana was quite overwhelming.

    Alice would collapse, giving Kazius little time to react. He would rush over, catching the human princess. He supported her weight with ease, even if he felt fatigued from the events from before. She would pant heavily, struggling to catch her breath.

    ¡°It is okay. Breathe¡­ Slowly, match me.¡± Kazius assured softly, growing concerned. He would breathe slowly, coaxing her to calm down and follow.

    Alice would struggle, but would slowly try and breathe along with him.  After some time, she felt like she could breathe again. She was getting used to the heavy air.

    ¡°T-Thank you¡­ I think I am fine now. You can let go now.¡± Alice would state in embarrassment, clearly not used to relying on others. She would avert her gaze, she looked quite ashamed. After all, she had been the only one affected¡­ Then again, it was odd Eve wasn¡¯t¡­ Perhaps Elves faired better with such things. Kazius supposed that was a good thing though.

    Still, Alice looked like she wasn¡¯t in the state to walk at all, yet her pride did not allow her to ask for help.

    Kazius sighed, he was tired, but¡­

    ¡°Yeah right, no way. You can¡¯t even move your legs. It will be a while before you can properly adjust and that is okay¡­ But we must keep moving until we find a spot to camp so¡­¡±

    With that, he would crouch, motioning her to get on his back.

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    ¡°H-Hold on¡­ I-I don¡¯t need¡­¡± Alice began before she would look around, flustered.

    She would then spot Azanor. He was not helping at all, snickering at her. She would stare at Kazius for a bit, eventually making up her mind. She would get on, ending up being carried in a piggyback ride. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± She would whisper quietly once Kazius was moving again.

    ¡°I am glad you¡¯re okay! Let me know if you need me to heal you.¡± Eve assured.

    ¡°Oh, she looks more than okay~¡± Azanor taunted.

    It was then Alice would glare at the Demon, ¡°I will kill you in your sleep.¡± She would threaten.

    ¡°No, we need to be friends!¡± Eve exclaimed with a pout.

    ¡°Enough, don¡¯t tease her. I am sure you can tell that there is a lot of mana in the air here, Azanor¡­ I am not a magic user, but even I know that too much mana can kill¡­ I am surprised Eve is even okay. Still¡­ It is weird¡­ I don¡¯t understand why there is so much mana here¡­¡± Kazius stated while he looked around.

    ¡°I think I could make a guess¡­ But I wouldn¡¯t tell you for free.¡± Azanor chuckled out.

    ¡°What else is new. I am not curious enough to give a Demon my soul, no thanks.¡± Kazius stated with an eyeroll. He was getting used to his comrades, even Azanor.

    Still, indeed it was strange¡­ Just why was there so much of a difference? It was enough to make a Human a little sick¡­ maybe for a day or two¡­ Though not to kill them¡­ Then again, Alice was heartier than the average Human¡­ Which showed since she was only nauseous, but was rapidly adjusting¡­

    The greenery around the area was also bigger, thicker¡­ But other than that, it was no wasteland of death¡­ A normal human would be able to survive in such a place if they took a little time to adjust. They could perhaps even thrive. Another lie of the church¡­ Of course, they only saw some of the area¡­ The savage lands took up 90% of the continent. The continent was not a small one either¡­ It began to make Kazius wonder if there really were no settlements in such a place¡­ Such fertile soil¡­ The mana in the air would do better than any fertilizer that he knew of. Monsters did live here¡­ And the Orc he met before had to be from somewhere¡­ Though these facts also meant he would be on his guard.

    He would stop his thoughts once they found a good spot near the river to camp. This was the same river that flowed into Ratier, that they had camped by before. Though here, the fish in the river¡­ Not only could he tell the river was deeper, but he could see the fish were quadruple the size¡­ Some even looking a bit different.

    Since they could set up camp here, he would gently place Alice down.

    ¡°I can still help; I think I can stand now.¡± Alice stated stubbornly.

    ¡®Why won¡¯t she just rest a little?¡¯

    ¡°Alright, I believe you¡­ But please, take it easy¡­ We both used a lot of energy back in Remus.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡± Alice assured with a small smile.

    With that he would set up camp. He could tell Azanor was staring though, but he said nothing. Azanor would study the two. Kazius was busy setting up camp, while Alice started to get a fire going. Kazius wasn¡¯t sure why, but surprisingly enough, Azanor would go get fish. He helped by snatching some of the big fish from the river with his bare hands, Eve cheering him on while he did so. It was always a mixed bag with the Demon. Sometimes he felt like helping, sometimes he didn¡¯t. He was still curious¡­ His motivation was boredom¡­ But he felt like there was something else to it.

    That wasn¡¯t the only thing in his mind as they set up their tents. He had to figure out which way to go.  Perhaps South? They could head North or East, but if they were to be pursued¡­ It would be where most would check first¡­ And these lands likely already had their own threats. There was little he knew of the place, other than teachings about the war 1000 years ago¡­  His information was beyond outdated.

    By heading South, being close to the Thimdur border would also likely be beneficial¡­ There may be old mineshafts where they could gather abandoned equipment¡­ Maybe precious metals that could be traded for things too¡­ if given the opportunity, that is¡­ Above all, he hoped to find a map. Dwarves were also stubborn and cared more about their craft than anything¡­ They would be the least likely to send reinforcements to Ratier¡­ Not to mention¡­ He was curious¡­ Did the other kingdoms know that Alice was alive? This fact may cause the church to be more secretive¡­ All Kazius could do right now was speculate though¡­

    Making up his mind and the tents now fully set up¡­ He would join Alice, who was cooking the fish. Eve was talking to Azanor, telling him some story about the head holy maiden at the chapel¡­ How the woman would always light the church candles in a very specific order and how Eve would get in trouble if she didn¡¯t do the same. A boring tale in Kazius¡¯ opinion, yet Azanor seemed to listen so intently¡­ He didn¡¯t understand the Demon.

    Then there was Alice¡­ The princess showed a lot of trust by showing her face¡­ Of course, Azanor seemed to have known her identity from the start¡­ He spoke of her family losing manners¡­ Back when he had been summoned¡­ The Demon had been sealed away by her ancestor¡­ Yet he seemed to regard it as an inconvenience rather than have a grudge¡­ Though Azanor did speak of not being like a typical Demon¡­

    Kazius had many questions he wanted to ask his party¡­ He needed to understand them further, so that they could help one another properly. They were in the middle of nowhere, likely to be chased by Edicts. It was time to talk.

 Chapter 8: A Princess of Nothing

    Kazius had not realized it, but he had been staring at Alice. He just didn¡¯t know the sensitive way of asking how she wasn¡¯t dead¡­ He also knew she was recovering from the shock of the surge of mana in the air. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have to ask anything.

    ¡°I know you probably have questions.¡± Alice admitted with a sigh.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to intrude¡­ I know I said I was fine with not knowing, but I figured we should understand how to best help each other¡­ All of us¡­¡± Kazius admitted, giving a side glance to Eve and Azanor.

    ¡°Questions? Sure!¡± Eve chirped giddily. Then again, the woman was almost too eager to share just about anything. ¡°I would love to know more about my friends.¡±

    ¡°I am curious about what the so-called hero¡¯s bloodline has been up to¡­¡± Azanor admitted.

    ¡°He kicked your ass, so he is very much a hero.¡± Alice huffed out with a frown.

    ¡°Anyway¡­ It isn¡¯t so grand of a story¡­ Not really¡­ The execution of my family¡­ It is my fault.¡± Alice admitted with a solemn look. ¡°My family hasn¡¯t actually been in charge of the kingdom ever since Ratier died¡­ The church¡­ They¡­ They had been using my family as figureheads, puppets¡­ And kept us under threat to do as they wished¡­ They passed the laws, they enriched themselves by embezzling money meant for humanitarian aid. We couldn¡¯t do anything about it, we had a say in nothing¡­ I found out when my father taught me what I had to do as future queen¡­ Of course, I was shocked¡­ I never expected the church to be so vile and corrupt¡­ I refused to be some ornament¡­ An accessory to their crimes¡­ I thought their threats were empty¡­ That as the hero¡¯s descendant, the people of Ratier would side with my family¡­ The kingdom is called Ratier, for crying out loud! Instead, the church said my family had become heretics and everyone followed in line in believing them¡­ You have no idea how betrayed I felt¡­ My people¡­ I loathe those that cheered for their executions¡­ More so than the church itself.¡±

    ¡®That does explain why she was willing to help me and have a monster at her side¡­ But to hate everyone in Ratier¡­ Was that taking it too far? Then again, I hate the church as well¡­ And now that I know this, even more¡­ And the people are their enablers¡­¡¯

    ¡°That is terrible¡­ Then how did you escape?¡± Kazius questioned.

    ¡°My handmaid¡­ Ivy¡­ She was the only one that did not believe the lies. She grew up to be my lady in waiting. We were like sisters¡­ She was my best friend and acted like a guard.  She overheard knights talking and knew they were going to come to me. She told me to run¡­ She was skilled in magic, she used it to disguise herself to look like me¡­ And then made me look like her¡­ To fool the guards¡­ She¡­ Was the one that was executed in my place.¡± Alice admitted, her hands tightening into fists.

    ¡°I¡­ I see¡­ At least her sacrifice is appreciated by you¡­ You are a good friend to her, to remember her after so long.¡± Kazius stated, feeling guilty over making her share such a tale. He decided to try and lighten the mood, maybe ask Eve something.

    ¡°Eve, what about-¡±

    Kazius began only to freeze when he looked at Eve, who was a mess. She had tears streaming down her cheeks, snot coming down her nose. She was a really ugly crier.

    ¡°Alice¡­ *hic*¡­ *sob*¡­. It is okay¡­  I will be your friend¡­ *hic*¡­ *hic*¡­ FOREVEEEEEER.¡± Eve sobbed out, clinging to the human woman.

    ¡°Eve, I am okay, it is okay.¡± Alice assured, losing her tenseness. She attempted to try and stop the elf woman from smothering her.

    Eve would keep crying even once she was done attempting to comfort Alice¡­ Though honestly, Eve looked like she was the one that needed comforting. Surprisingly enough, Azanor would rub her on the back. ¡°She is fine, Eve. It is just some sob story.¡± Azanor dismissed, clearly unmoved by the tale. ¡°I suppose that is less from your family I have to worry about trying to lock me away.¡±

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    ¡°Can you not be an asshole for just 10 minutes?¡± Alice questioned with a frown.

    ¡°I am a Demon. You know this. Why are you so surprised when I¡¯m a dick?¡± Azanor would retort back with an eyeroll¡­ Of course, he said this, yet he was still rubbing the back of the sniffling Elf that was getting snot on his clothes. ¡°Anyway, are you certain there are not more of you? Distant relatives?¡± He questioned, clearly weary of her family. Not having a grudge against Alice and being careful around her were two different things after all. That is what Kazius figured was his reasoning at least.

    ¡°As if I would tell you that for free.¡± Alice mocked, using the Demon¡¯s most common response against him.

    ¡°Touch¨¦¡­¡± Azanor grumbled out.

    ¡°She got you there.¡± Kazius would chuckle out.

    ¡®Perhaps this was the best way to deal with him¡­ Use his own methods against him¡­¡¯

    ¡°Fine¡­ Let¡¯s trade¡­ I will answer a question of yours, within reason.¡±

    ¡°You go first then¡­  Who are you? You came here on your own¡­ I know you Demons only listen to power, yet you seem not be here because of your king. Or are you actually here for him?¡± Alice questioned.

    ¡°That is basically two questions, you know? I will pick the one I want to answer.¡± Azanor would respond, clearly a bit salty so he was being particularly nitpicky.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Alice stated, figuring one question was fair.

    ¡°I am not here because of our king¡­ I quite simply actually despise him¡­ I am acting on my own¡­ Though I will admit¡­ He quite hates your family¡­ If I were under his orders, I would have killed you the moment I recognized you. Though he is trying to get out¡­ And when he does¡­ I know for a fact his first act will be to track down all descendants of Ratier¡­ Meaning you. How long that takes him determines how long you have left to live. A fun little surprise for you to look forward to.¡± Azanor chuckled out, avoiding his own personal information.

    ¡°Oh, how fun¡­¡± Alice responded sarcastically with a scowl. ¡°Anyway, that does answer my question¡­ As for me¡­ I spent the past two years checking¡­ My entire family was rounded up in Ratier and killed¡­ Only I got lucky¡­ So, there is no one else that would come seal you, that I know of. Not like I know how¡­ As you already figured out.¡± She admitted.

    Kazius would perk up, he knew the Demon King would be free¡­ He saw it after all¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know how long we have¡­ But¡­ He will be free soon enough¡­ I saw it when I looked into the Oracle.¡± He decided to reveal.

    ¡°What!?¡± Alice exclaimed.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I saw him come back¡­ But¡­ I also saw myself fighting him¡­ It is how I first learned that I wasn¡¯t human.¡± He admitted.

    ¡°I see¡­ In that case¡­ I don¡¯t know what you plan to do¡­ But¡­ Consider me a friend¡­ No matter what you are. I will trust you.¡± Alice admitted.

    ¡°Me too! I will help!¡± Eve chirped. It seems she had calmed down by now.

    ¡°Are you sure, Eve? You were a holy maiden.¡± Kazius reminded her.

    ¡°I am, those people were not my friends¡­ They were not very nice to me. I will help you, even if it means I have to break their spirit.¡±

    ¡°Yeah- huh? What was that last part?¡± Kazius questioned. Eve said so many silly things, so sometimes her words did not register fully¡­ Yet that last part did not sound so innocent.

    ¡°I was just saying that hopefully we won¡¯t even have to fight. I will be so kind to them that they will lose their spirit to fight. Maybe they will want to be friends, but if not, won¡¯t let the hurt my actual friends.¡± Eve would giggle out.

    ¡°Ah¡± Kazius stated. Eve was silly, she likely just misspoke.

    ¡°In that case¡­ How did you even end up in the church anyway?¡± Kazius decided to ask.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Eve admitted in confusion. ¡°I woke up near the chapel with no memories one day and then they took me in¡­ It was supposed to be until I got my memories back. I was already dressed like a holy maiden before that. I don¡¯t remember anything else. None of the people at the church wanted to be friends though¡­¡± Eve admitted seeming very happy despite her own words.

    ¡°Does it not bother you?¡±

    ¡°No, I have friends now.¡± Eve responded, clearly not seeing he was addressing her memory loss, not her lack of friends. It seems her priorities were¡­ Well Eve was just Eve after all.

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    ¡°The fish is ready¡­ We should eat and then get some rest¡­ I am sure we are all tired¡­ We worked hard¡­ Unlike someone.¡± Alice stated, glaring at Azanor.

    ¡°I caught the fish you cooked.¡± Azanor pointed out with a grin.

    Alice would only give him a side glare

    ¡°Alright alright. Let¡¯s get along. We have to eat and sleep. We all need our rest.¡± Kazius stated. It really had been a long day¡­ But he felt like he understood his team better now¡­ Whether they all would get along though was another story¡­

 Chapter 9: The Not So Dark Forest

    In the morning, the group would pack up and head off once again. Kazius had explained the need to head South in hopes of finding abandoned settlements in the mines. How he hoped to find a map there. It was not surprising that as they headed more South, the area got more and more mountainous. After all, they would be East of Thimdur, which was entirely carved into valleys formed by chains of mountains. This of course meant it would be difficult for them to be followed if someone decided to. Kazius felt like he was being paranoid, but if he wasn¡¯t careful, he would deeply regret it.

    As they walked, their surroundings did also grow stranger. The foliage was in rough terrain, yet it only grew thicker. The forest at some point fully blocked out the sun. Yet the place was not dark. Flowers, mushrooms, and all the smaller foliage seemed to glow with mana. If Kazius knew anything about alchemy, he may find it beneficial to gather some plants here¡­ But none in his team seemed to be capable of such a thing.

    ¡°This forest has grown bigger.¡± Azanor would muse in interest.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been here before?¡± Kazius questioned curiously. He wondered if he could get any information from the Demon for free.

    ¡°Yes, though last time I was here, this place was infested with man eating gorgon snakes¡­ The really old ones would grow so big that they would match the size of Dragons. Leviathans is what they were called. Many actually moved into water after getting that big, but some did remain on land. There was a particular white Leviathan snake that was quite vicious¡­ Word is, no one that has seen it has survived.¡± Azanor chuckled out as if he just said some funny joke, amused with himself.

    ¡°Eek!¡± Eve squealed, shaking at the story. ¡°That sounds go scary! I don¡¯t want to be eaten by a snake! Are there really any here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t listen to him, Eve¡­ I bet he is just messing with us. That story is clearly some horror tale. No way the heroes would have let such a dangerous thing live. He is a liar.¡± Alice stated as she rolled her eyes.

    ¡°How hurtful~ Fine, believe me if you want or not. I tried to warn you.¡± Azanor taunted.

    Kazius could not tell if he was messing with them or not¡­

    ¡®Why did he have to be so difficult?¡¯

    ¡°Azanor, could you be anymore fucking cryptic? It wouldn¡¯t kill you to put earnest effort into helping others¡­ You were not worried when I brought up killing your king yesterday. You even told us you hate him. Why not join a just cause?¡± Kazius questioned in annoyance.

    ¡°I could, yes¡­¡± Azanor trailed off, having an expression that showed he was a little annoyed at the mighty and righteous talk from Kazius.

    Azanor did say he doesn¡¯t lie¡­ But then he would be believing the words of a Demon. Sure, he was helpful at times, but that didn¡¯t mean Azanor was on any team other than team Azanor.

    ¡°Tell you what¡­ Answer something and I will answer you back.¡± Azanor stated with a wide grin, toying with his cane as he did so.

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Kazius stated hesitantly.

    ¡°Just how much did you enjoy the pain of those knights back at Remus? Is your goal exterminating the entire church? If so, you may as well take full pleasure in it.¡± Azanor mused, his grin only growing wider and even a little twisted. His expression was creepy, disturbing even.

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    ¡°What the hell? What do you mean?!¡±

    ¡°Hm~¡± Azanor would hum to himself in thought, ¡°Well¡­ It was hilarious, really¡­ The descendant of the human hero and a former lap dog of the church¡­ I never thought people like that could make such wonderful expressions¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­ You weren¡¯t aware of them? I have been thinking of them this whole time, they were great, really. I am shocked you really had no idea what sort of expressions were on your faces¡­ How amusing... Anyone could have mistaken you both for my kind back there.¡±

    It was then Alice¡¯s sword would fly up, pointed at the Demon. ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean!?¡± Alice snapped.

    It was the Kazius began to think.

    ¡®What sort of expression did we have?¡¯

    Kazius wondered. It was true he resented and hated the church¡­ And they would be unable to live peacefully until the Church of the Oracle was gone¡­ But while they spoke of fighting against the Demon King the other day, they had only addressed defending themselves from the church. Then again, it was understandable why the two would avoid such a topic. Despite their new hatred of the church, the situation still felt odd.

    ¡°Ooh, calm down, princess¡­ I just don¡¯t think you two should be so halfhearted on the matter¡­ And recognize the kind of people you really are. I hate lies and facades. That righteous talk especially, it sickens me¡­ This of course means, I told you the truth earlier as well¡­ Make no mistake, I am no liar.¡± Azanor stated firmly, his twisted grin turning into a frown. It seems Kazius and Alice had hit a nerve.

    ¡®Was it because Alice called him a liar? Or is he angrier about my preaching? I never thought I would see him not grin¡­ He must be more upset than what he lets on. Why would a Demon despise lies so much? I never met another Demon, but it is clear Azanor is an odd one.¡¯

    ¡°I¡­ I see¡­ I apologize.¡± Kazius stated, realizing he had acted like an ass. To be fair, he was a Demon. Kazius had to be weary, yet Azanor had done nothing but tell them the truth¡­ And he had talked down to him, they both did. Azanor was a comrade he didn¡¯t fully trust, but a comrade. He would have not gained better control of his powers were it not for him. So, while Azanor did not help physically, he helped in another way¡­ Breakfast and dinner had been fished by him too¡­ He was cryptic, but he told them more free information than what any normal Demon would. Not to mention¡­ If his vision was true¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that mean some Demons would side with him? He felt a bit like a jerk. In his own way, Azanor was part of the party. They needed to stop treating him with hostility.

    Alice would hesitantly put down the sword, sheathing it. Both her and Kazius looked conflicted¡­ Thinking of what they had done back in Remus¡­ The terror in the knights¡­ Kazius accepted he was a monster, but¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too.¡± Alice sighed out, struggling with the apology considering her lineage.

    ¡°Stop with the serious looks. It feels like a funeral.¡± Azanor stated with a wave of his hand.

    ¡°We need to be friends; you have to forgive them.¡± Eve stated firmly.

    Azanor would look at Eve, shrugging. ¡°I wasn¡¯t angry to begin with. We are friends again and all that.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Eve chirped giddily.

    It seems indeed, he was no longer angry¡­ Even if Kazius had a lot on his mind now ,thanks to Azanor¡¯s words¡­ He wished he could go back and look at himself¡­ Looked like one of his kind? That was¡­ He didn¡¯t want to become someone twisted¡­ He was an evil of sorts¡­ A bringer of destruction, or so the Oracle had called him¡­ But that didn¡¯t mean he had to be someone who brought ruin to the world¡­ He felt like he didn¡¯t understand himself at all. Though that was okay, at least for now.

    The forest was quite the view, beautiful even. It was something all 4 of them began to admire in silence after such a conversation. He would look at his comrades¡­ The view made him almost feel melancholic. Trusting a Demon¡­ Running around with a princess and an Elf without her memories¡­ He felt more at home than how he had as a Holy Knight¡­ Indeed, his life was strange¡­ Kazius found himself chuckling to himself as he thought of this.

    ¡®I must have lost my damn mind.¡¯

    The group would keep walking, the sky now visible again, but instead, the sky looked like it was night¡­

    ¡®There is no way, we haven¡¯t been walking that long¡­¡¯

    Tiny flying creatures would dance around in the air¡­ Fireflies? No, Kazius would look closely¡­ They were faeries. Some were green, bronze, silver, gold¡­ Were they metallic colors? Kazius would follow them, his party not far behind¡­ Until they would reach the end of the forest that seemed to surround a plains area. It was then he saw it, at a distance in a clearing¡­ A city that lit up the night¡­

 Chapter 10: A City of Metal

    The city in the distance was unlike anything Kazius could have imagined. The buildings were taller than even the tallest building in Ratier. The tallest of which, were two rather notable ones. One looked like it was some sort of mansion while the other looked like a furnace of sorts. Instead of heat vents though, the large smelter had a metal sculpture of a snake that coiled around the building, its eyes glowing from the heat as it let out steam. All the building sparkled, not only because they were lit up using what appeared to be light magic, but also because the walls were decorated with precious metals. Silver, gold, bronze, platinum, and even mithril were used as mere wall decorations¡­ It was insane. Just one bar of mithril was enough to buy an entire house, a large, sizable and lavish one at that¡­

    ¡°Wow.¡± Alice would state in awe.

    ¡°I never thought there would even be settlements over here¡­¡± Kazius admitted in awe.

    ¡°Sparkly.¡± Eve stated in a giddy manner.

    ¡°It seems we may be able to find people to trade with us for a more recent map¡­ Though if these people decorate buildings with metal like that¡­ I wonder if we could even afford it.¡± Kazius stated in concern.

    Azanor would whistle in admiration, ¡°Well well well¡­ Look at that crazy thing¡­ That building¡­ I think I can guess who built this place¡­ I didn¡¯t personally know her, but she was a thorn on the side of Dragons and Greed Demons alike¡­ More so Dragons¡­ But this is quite something, even for her¡­¡±

    ¡®Of course, Azanor knew something¡­ Whether he felt like telling them though¡­ Was another thing¡­ He even spoke of Greed Demons¡­ What the hell was that?¡¯

    ¡°I see¡­ So this is how she does it¡± Azanor would state, walking ahead, eying up what looked to be just air, even poking it repeatedly. When they approached, it appeared to indeed normal air.

    ¡°Will you tell us who built this place? Is there something there?¡± Kazius finally asked.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know.¡± Azanor snickered out.

    ¡®Dammit, Azanor¡­ I bet he is still a little irked from earlier so I doubt he will tell us much for free.¡¯

    ¡°You say things to get us curious and then you never answer.¡± Alice grumbled out. ¡°It is on purpose.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps~ I do enjoy teasing you both.¡± Azanor admitted with a chuckle.

    ¡°Well that just isn¡¯t fair.¡± Kazius groaned out with a sigh.

    Alice would huff, ¡°Fine, keep your secrets. I didn¡¯t want to know anyway.¡± She would grumble out, quite pouty. The princess having a notable change to how she addressed the Demon. She was being grumpy rather than hostile. Perhaps she had a similar realization to what Kazius did¡­ Something that had likely been hard, with her hero lineage.

    Azanor would look at them both for a second, his expression a bit mixed. Kazius couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking. Azanor would then close his eyes for a second, in thought, before the red orbs would look back at the snake statue, ¡°Remember that story I told you? About the biggest Leviathan¡­ That snake that decorates the forge is a statue of her. I heard she would devour anyone foolish enough to cross her path and then would hoard their possessions. She had a treasure hoard that matched that of Dragons. She was always at odds with them¡­ I heard the complaints from a Dragon once¡­ One I knew. That is how I know about her.¡± Azanor would add. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go! I bet such a place will be fun, come on, Eve.¡± He stated, leading the Elf along. Eve looked just as giddy, the two walking ahead.

    Kazius would stare at the Demon. He confused him¡­ Why was he so obsessed about telling the truth? He even told them this much¡­ He was not a good person, he was a Demon¡­ He was twisted¡­ It was his nature, but Kazius began to wonder if he wasn¡¯t bad either¡­ There was also the fact¡­ With how he talked and acted¡­ He had a realization Azanor was likely hated by his own kind. After all, a Demon who didn¡¯t lie? Azanor¡¯s constant talk of being different? Indeed, it pointed in that direction, but Kazius would need to think further on that before making any conclusions.

    He would look over at Alice, who seemed to also be thinking about something. ¡°Come on.¡± Kazius stated, motioning her over. He led the way to go catch up with the two.

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    Thankfully, the place was at least not hostile.

    The city was filled with people. The inhabitants though all seemed to be the same race for the most part. They looked human, but had some scales peppered around their skin in a few places. It wasn¡¯t drastic, but notable... Their eyes ranged from blue, yellow, brown, and green. They wore clothes unlike anything he had ever seen, robes, togas, and the like.

    As they walked, they would see the people interact. Eventually, they would spot two residents arguing over something though. It seemed to only get worse, the two ending up just hissing at each other like angry snakes¡­ So, they really were snake people¡­

    ¡°I just realized¡­ But how will we even communicate with them?¡± Alice asked in confusion, ¡°They just do a whole bunch of hissing¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, they hiss, but they use words too.¡± Kazius pointed out.

    ¡°They just sound like snakes though.¡± Eve stated in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t know how we would ask them to be friends.¡±

    ¡°Well, they are snake people¡­ But they still talk normally for the most part.¡± Kazius stated in confusion, wondering why the group thought it was such a problem.

    ¡°Look. Excuse me, where would I find a place that sells a map? What currency do you guys use around here?¡± Kazius would ask someone that seemed to be selling food from a stand.

    ¡°Hello, traveler¡­ Welcome to Veleno. You are not the usual type we get around here¡­ Usually our guests are way, way shorter. What are they called again? Oh yeah, Dwarves¡­ Something like that¡­ They always come here to buy metal and smuggle it out to the west¡­ Usually people come here for metal or gambling, but not maps¡­ Though we do have them¡­ As for currency¡­ Well we usually barter with foreigners, but we use these.¡± The snake person would respond, holding up rectangle shaped solid gold coins. The coin had an elegant design featuring snakes. The purity on the bar was insane¡­ That alone was worth more than a bag of the gold coins back at Ratier.

    ¡°I see¡­ Do you think you guys would accept something like this?¡± Kazius asked, showing him a Ratier coin.

    The shop keeper would sneer, ¡°What is that?! I have never seen such ugly scrap metal before¡­ No way¡­ Maybe you could find someone that will buy scrap metal or something, but you won¡¯t get much¡­ If anything. You should throw those out.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°Though if you are a traveler and bring food from the west¡­ I would recommend you barter with that¡­ You will get a good amount of coin¡­ Especially chicken eggs, chicken, duck, oh those pheasants they have out west are especially tasty in my opinion.¡±

    ¡°I see, thank you. That was really helpful¡­ We do have food supplies¡­ We might part with enough to get a map and some extra coin.¡± Kazius stated. ¡°I do think we have some cured poultry¡­¡± He trailed off, rummaging his back. It was then the snake¡¯s eyes would go wide at the sight of cured duck. ¡°I will buy that, name your price.¡± The snake person would state, determined. Did they value food that much? Or was it because they couldn¡¯t get such poultry around here? He did see ducks a while back, but not near the forest...

    ¡°Huh? This?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Oh, this is why I love travelers, they always have something good. I will give you 5 gold coins. Please. That looks incredible.¡±

    ¡°Is that poultry?¡± Another passerby snake would ask.

    ¡°No, go away, this one is mine.¡± The shop keeper would hiss.

    Oh, this was quickly becoming a mess. He didn¡¯t want to be the source of a scene.

    ¡°Look, this guy helped me out so I will have to give it to him.¡±

    With that, it seemed passersby left it at that and Kazius would trade with the shop keep.

    If he ever got his hand on some live chickens¡­ It may be worth to bring them here¡­ The dwarves were likely trading such things with the snake people as well¡­ After all, how do you trade with someone who has everything? You must find something they value that they don¡¯t have in abundance¡­ Gold may as well be worthless here.

    He would return to his team with the 5 high purity gold coins. Each coin was worth a fortune.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you spoke snake.¡± Alice told him in confusion and shock.

    ¡°So much hissing!¡± Eve stated in awe.

    ¡°Huh? You didn¡¯t understand any of that?¡± Kazius asked only to remember the events back at Marv¡­ He understood the Orcs back then while the Holy Knights didn¡¯t¡­ It seems he could communicate with all sorts of beings¡­

    ¡°Tell me¡­ Do you understand me now?¡± Azanor would ask.

    ¡°Of course, I do.¡± Kazius would answer in confusion

    Alice would stare at the two, disturbed. Her eyes seemed wide. ¡°W-What are you doing?¡± She asked, seeming distressed.

    ¡°Ah, right¡­ Well Demon is a language that freaks out those who do not understand it¡­ Oh, you are quite the interesting and dangerous fellow, Kazius¡­¡± Azanor would chuckle out sinisterly with a wide grin.

    ¡°I¡­ I see.¡± Kazius would state as he looked at Alice apologetically.

    Eve seemed to not have minded the sound though¡­ Then again¡­ The woman didn¡¯t have a lot going upstairs so maybe she just always smiled?

    ¡°I will try and be careful when I talk and make sure you are understanding what I am saying or not¡­ Though to be honest, I don¡¯t know how I am doing that¡­ Anyway¡­ enough about that¡­ We should get a map and be on our way¡­ No way we could afford an inn here. We didn¡¯t bring anywhere close to enough extra food for that.¡± Kazius stated. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 11: Map Obtained

    Getting the map would be simple enough, or so Kazius figured. He could spot a general store at a distance, which should have one. As they walked, the group could spot some Dwarves loading up a cart with bars of metal, while also unloading crates that appeared to have dried poultry¡­ Indeed, it seems what the shop keeper said was true¡­ Dwarves really did come by here to smuggle metal to the East¡­ Dwarves were famous for their metal smelting skills and craftmanship¡­ They even made weapons that were considered priceless. In fact, Edicts got a weapon ordered from the top Dwarven craftsman once they were accepted¡­ Something he had been looking forward to¡­But now¡­ Kazius was beginning to see it as quite the sham.

    ¡®Is everyone out East allergic to the truth?¡¯

    Kazius felt annoyed. Smuggling metal from this place¡­ Why not just admit the metal was not your own? Then again¡­ To admit monsters could make such a metal¡­ Likely would get Dwarves targeted by Zelphar and Ratier¡­ Then again, their skill in crafting was still nothing to scoff at. Perhaps maybe when the time came, he could find some allies among the Dwarves¡­

    As they walked, Kazius ended up making eye contact with one of the Dwarves from the group, but he just ignored it. It seems the Dwarf did not want any trouble either¡­ Then again¡­ Kazius was still wearing Holy Knight garb¡­ He likely startled them thinking they were caught¡­ Though there was the fact he was traveling with a Demon¡­ They could probably tell that he was not with the church¡­ That brings to question though¡­ Why did the people here not freak out?

    ¡®What even is the true history of this continent? I feel like I don¡¯t understand anything anymore... The Demon King is evil¡­ I know that much; he will try to kill Alice¡­ And then set his eyes on the world¡­ I am to oppose him¡­ But then there is Azanor¡­ He is a strange one, for a Demon¡­ ¡¯

    ¡°Hey Azanor¡­ I just realized, but why are the people here not afraid of you?¡± Kazius asked, not really expecting an answer to some extent. After all, Azanor was a difficult person. He always gave them a hard time when it came to free information.

    Alice seemed to perk up, clearly curious too.

    ¡°Oh, that? It isn¡¯t like we are feared everywhere, you know? The Leviathan and Gorgon Snakes were not involved in the war. They have no reason to care about me being here, just like the Dwarves. The people here hate Dragons more than Demons if anything.¡±

    ¡°Dragons? You mentioned their bad blood before¡­¡± Alice stated curiously.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Kazius stated, it did make sense.

    As this whole conversation occurred, Eve seemed to be more interested in how shiny the buildings that they passed were. She did not seem to be paying attention at all.

    ¡°I heard the little story they¡¯ve been telling people in Ratier¡­ It is not true, for the most part¡­ But it does mention monsters joining the fight¡­ Some did, not all. Even with a threat like our STUPID king¡­ There are always those that feel like they should not get involved. Whether it is that they feel above it or that it is something too grand for them¡­ There was even a time when even though humans were weary, they still allowed some of some of us to walk around.¡± Azanor added. He was being surprisingly cooperative.

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    ¡°I suppose that makes sense¡­ Though that implies that in the past people knew that not all Demons would be hostile towards them¡­ I am still quite confused¡­ You say you are an odd demon¡­ But there must have been others that followed your lead¡­ Now that I think about it¡­ How do you know so much about the war and all these people? Demons are surely not omnipotent¡­¡± Kazius questioned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. I am not telling you much more for free.¡± Azanor stated firmly¡­

    ¡°Alright¡­¡±

    Kazius was beginning to realize¡­ But the Demon seemed to be more willing to answer questions that were not personal¡­ The moment you brought up personal things, or things that he deemed irrelevant to them¡­ He would just grow quiet¡­ It did make Kazius all the more curious, but he would respect the male¡¯s boundaries¡­ He was opening up more at least so maybe one day, he would tell them more.

    ¡®The vision showed more than one Demon following me¡­ Azanor did seem like he could be one of them¡­ But why would other Demons follow me? Then there is the fact there was a snake woman in my vision¡­ Could that person be here?¡¯

    Well, if that person was here, he doubted they would meet her now. This place was too expensive to stick around without getting some more poultry. They would have to come back some other time.

    With that, they would finally make it to the shop in question. It was a General Store. The map was one gold coin, which left Kazius with 4. A good amount considering the value of the material in the coins.

    With the map in hand, the group would leave the city, rolling it out once they were outside¡­ While the map was up to date ¡­ It was¡­ Surprisingly¡­ Incomplete. Kazius felt almost like he was ripped off.

    ¡°What the hell!? What even is their alphabet?¡± Alice exclaimed in shock, studying the map.

    ¡®Great, it is also written in snake.¡¯

    ¡°Whoever made this has explored maybe one third of the savage lands¡­ I can at least read the bit that is written.¡± Kazius sighed out.

    ¡°To be honest, I am not sure what I expected¡­ I guess it is better than no map¡­ But one gold coin for this¡­ Their gold coins are already valuable enough as it is¡­¡± Alice whined out.

    ¡°It is a nice picture though!¡± Eve chirped, seeming to enjoy the drawings on the map.

    ¡®At least someone is happy¡­¡¯

    Kazius would study the map¡­ It only had about 4 places on it¡­ There was a village named Blossom to the far Southeast. A town to the Northeast named Vargstam. A¡­ Was that just a cemetery? A big one? No name given¡­ Just said cemetery in a large, shaded area¡­ And then to the farther east there was a dotted line indicating Dragon territory. Likely why more of the continent was not explored.

    ¡°Most of the areas in between these settlements isn¡¯t even filled in¡­ I suppose it is better than nothing¡­ But with the lack of landmarks, we may get lost if we don¡¯t follow the sun¡¯s position carefully¡­ I will have to keep a good eye on the stars too¡­ No way we can afford a compass¡± Kazius stated with a sigh.

    ¡°In that case¡­ Where should we go?¡± Alice questioned curiously.

    The question was a tough one¡­ Kazius felt like he was running away from more than just Holy Knights¡­ His fate was also something he tried to avoid¡­ He did not want to be controlled by the Oracle¡­ But¡­ For how much longer could he run? Until he changes his fate by ending up dead? Wonder around, just fleeing without direction? Ready or not, his life had changed. Things around him kept happening¡­ The odds of meeting Alice, Eve, and Azanor¡­ It was not a mistake, clearly. Then again, he could do nothing against the church, as he was¡­ So perhaps in their travels, he could grasp his powers and identity better¡­ His party as well¡­

    ¡°We should head to Vargstam¡­ It is the closest¡­ I doubt the church knows about such a place either¡­ Hopefully the people in Vargstam are hospitable enough¡­ And things there are not as expensive as in Veleno¡­ You saw how much a map like this costed¡­ Who knows how much a day or two in an inn here would be? No way we could afford a place like this right now¡­ We need a place to set up and think on our situation¡­ Maybe rest¡­ We walk quite the distances every day. We need a place to sit down and plan properly.¡± Kazius stated. He needed to get his shit together for his team¡¯s sake.

 Chapter 12: A Visit From Old Friends

    As Kazius walked with the group, he had a bad feeling in his gut. Why was he so anxious? They had headed off very fast¡­ They have been traveling for a week by foot now. Yet he felt like something in his head was yelling at him. Why did he feel so certain that the church would send people so fast? The continent was not a small one after all, and they had trouble navigating with their very inadequate map. How would the church, that never set foot out, know how to find them? Then again¡­ They had the Oracle.

    ¡®I don¡¯t like this, not one bit¡­¡¯

    It had grown dark already¡­ But they should be close to Vargstam¡­ Maybe less than one day of travel? Due to this, Kazius decided they would keep walking rather than set up camp. Kazius wasn¡¯t sure what the area would look like once they got there, so it was hard to tell. Still, he felt like they had to keep going.

    As they walked, they found themselves in a valley with many rivers leading many directions. This of course made their travel even harder. He wasn¡¯t sure where the rivers would end either, they likely went all the way to the coast. That combined with the tall valley, he wasn¡¯t sure which way to go¡­ Vargstam had to be here somewhere, right?

    ¡°Azanor, do you feel something unusual nearby? A presence?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we rest, Kazius? We¡¯re exhausted. There is no one else here¡­¡± Alice stated with a frown, wondering why Kazius insisted on not setting up camp.

    ¡°Sleep and food are good.¡± Eve added in a pouty manner.

    ¡°Azanor.¡± Kazius stated firmly, not responding to the two.

    ¡°Alright alright¡­ Look, I can¡¯t sense anything. I don¡¯t understand what you are so on edge for¡­ You are acting crazy¡­ And that is coming from me.¡± Azanor admitted.

    Kazius sighed. Was he losing his mind? Why was he so worried out of nowhere? ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ We can rest, but I will keep watch. I haven¡¯t been needing as much sleep lately anyway.¡± He insisted. Which was true, as they traveled, he found himself sleeping less¡­ Now he only slept about 3 hours. Did it have something to do with his powers awakening? He didn¡¯t know.

    Of course, Azanor did not need sleep, so he could keep watch. Demons slept out of boredom, not necessity...But Kazius still wasn¡¯t ready to trust Azanor with that. Not to mention, he was the one that felt paranoid, he would do it himself. He couldn¡¯t sleep like this anyway.

    With that, the group would prepare camp and rest. Kazius remained awake. He would sit up, looking up at the moon and the stars framed by the tall valley walls. The night was very quiet, except for distant howling¡­ Wolves were not a concern to him though, there were far stronger things around than some random wild hounds. He could handle a wolf.

    Still, as he looked around, he could have sworn that he saw someone look at them from the top of the valley. Who was that? He would do a double take, but the person was gone.

    ¡®Did I imagine that?¡¯

    Just as he was beginning to doubt himself, he would spot someone drop down. The ground shaking upon impact, even cracking the ground. This woke up his companions.

    ¡°W-What the!?¡± Alice exclaimed

    ¡°The ground is angry!¡± Eve whined, startled.

    Azanor seemed to spring up. He may have not sensed the intruders, but he seemed to have been awake¡­ ¡°I stayed up because I figured you might not be crazy but¡­¡± He trailed off wearily, staring at the two Holy Knights¡­ Very familiar Holy Knights to Kazius.

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    It was Leo and Alex. Normally the two would not pose a threat¡­ But¡­ The energy they emitted¡­ The mana around them¡­ It was intimidating, it was strong¡­ Where did they get such a power in such a short amount of time?

    ¡°Long time no see, Traitor.¡± Leo stated, his eyes glowing an eerie light blue. His former black hair now a dull gray.

    ¡°No, Leo¡­ Traitor implies he was ever our comrade¡­ He was just a dirty monster impersonating a person¡­ He was tricking us¡­ Disgusting¡­ You have no idea¡­ The humiliation we felt by being associated with you¡­ But I should thank you¡­ Thanks to that event¡­ We were able to prove ourselves¡­ To become proper Edict candidates.¡± Alex stated, his own eyes glowing the same color. His formerly blonde hair was almost white, a twisted grin on his face.

    The color of their eyes¡­ It was creepy¡­ Unsettling¡­

    ¡°We have come to fix that though¡­ Now that we have been given the power to.¡± Leo added in disgust.

    ¡®How did they find us?! That power¡­ Given? What the hell did the church do to give them such a power?! Edicts¡­ There was something weird about them¡­ I am glad I left before they could do that to me¡­ Something about them feels wrong.¡¯

    Still, they were his former friends¡­ And they seemed to have no aversions to killing him. He was scared, but also furious¡­ Was this just what the church really was?

    ¡°I won¡¯t be killed by you today.¡± Kazius stated, bringing out his shadows.

    ¡°Vermin like you need to die¡­ You even have the heretic princess with you and a Demon¡­ Once we kill you all, we will be able to earn the right to become Edicts.¡± Alex stated with a chuckle, his grin wide. It creeped Kazius out, even more than Azanor¡¯s. Alex looked like he had lost his mind.

    It was then Leo decided to attack. Kazius attempted to block, but much to his horror, his shadows were sliced. He wasn¡¯t strong enough. The sheer force¡­ The two never had this crazy amount of mana. What they hell happened?

    Kazius winced, getting a cut to his side.

    ¡°Kazius!¡± Alice exclaimed in shock, levitating her sword before aiming it at the attacker. Only for it to be easily deflected by Alex. The sword would be pushed back, this leaving an opening. Alex did not miss such an opportunity, he would punch the princess in the gut.

    Alice¡¯s eyes went wide as she coughed up blood, collapsing. The strength they had¡­ It was overwhelming. At this rate¡­ The group would¡­

    ¡°My friends! No! Leave them alone, you bullies! Meanies! All of you! You are not nice people!¡± Eve exclaimed, attempting to heal them. She began to cry, clearly worried and distressed.

    Of course, this made her a target for the two knights.

    They would charge at her with an insane speed. Kazius attempted to help, but he couldn¡¯t move with the speed he wanted to. Not with his injury.

    Thankfully, Azanor made it in time. To say the Demon looked pissed, was an understatement. He looked absolutely livid.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking touch her.¡± Azanor hissed out, too angry to even speak the common tongue for a moment. He began to have demonic energy surround him, concentrating in his hands, before he moved at an inhuman speed to attack the two knights.

    Leo and Alex were fast, blocking the attacks with their swords. They were not even Edicts yet it seems they could already stop Azanor. Rather than be intimidated at hearing Demon tongue, they grew enraged. Something was definitely wrong with their minds.

    The two would attack with speed and fury that pushed Azanor back.

    Azanor panted, cursing. He normally behaved with so much class, yet now he cursed like a sailor.

    ¡°Kazius¡­ I will be honest¡­ I came here without permission from the king. There is a backlash¡­ I haven¡¯t had time to recover¡­ I don¡¯t have all my power. I don¡¯t think I can hold them off for long.¡± Azanor stated, his fury dying down due to, what seemed to be, concern¡­ Was it just for Eve? Or his friends? Or both?

    ¡°When I tell you go, ru-¡° Azanor began. He was unable to finish the sentence before he was attacked again.

    Azanor braced himself, he would do the best to block, but instead both Kazius and him would feel the ground shake again¡­ This time, more so, cracks spreading far and deep from the impact, dust in the air. Someone had jumped in between them.

    ¡°Buahaha! Someone is having a party here and I was not invited?¡± Exclaimed a loud and boisterous voice. In front of them stood quite the figure.

    In front of them was a male with white hair that went down all the way to his back. The thing looked mangled, almost like a mane. Scars littered his body, or at least his torso, since he wore no shirt. His face had a scar of what appeared to be 3 claw marks over his left eyes. He wore pants with fur and a large coat with fur along the neck. The coat was left open, the garment looking heavy. He was like a mountain of muscle. A real muscle head looking guy that stood at 7ft (2.13 meters).

    ¡®Just who the hell was this guy?¡¯

 Chapter 13: Welcome to Vargstam

    Kazius would stare at the male in shock. He wasn¡¯t sure what to make out of his sudden appearance, but the stranger seemed to be here to help. He looked awfully eager for a fight. He would grip what had to be the heaviest looking spear that Kazius had ever seen. His knuckles were almost turning white with how hard he was gripping the large weapon. A wide grin was visible on his face.

    ¡®I am a magnet for all sorts of people, aren¡¯t I? It really seems to be my fate to befriend strange people. I wonder if one day I will see this as normal? Even now I feel strangely relieved.¡¯

    ¡°Another pest, no matter¡­ That makes no difference to us.¡± Alex stated with a sneer before he and Leo would put their attention on the male. As this occurred, this gave Eve the opportunity to perform first aid. Azanor could still stand and was not injured, so he remained at the ready. Alice was very much out cold though. Kazius would go to her side, but did not take his eyes off the threat entirely.

    ¡°HAHAHA! Now that is the spirit! Come! Fight me!¡± exclaimed the male before pounding his chest with one hand. Did he actually come here to save them or was he just here looking for a fight?

    It was then that the duo would attack the stranger. The large male would move with surprising strength and speed, shoving his spear forward. The sheer strength he had was inhuman, his motions causing a strong pressured wind that would knock Alex and Leo off their feat. The two would appear shocked, clearly not expecting such strength. They would glare at the male, clearly angry.

    ¡°I knew it, another monster! Filth!¡± Exclaimed Alex.

    ¡°We will crush you! You will regret getting involved!¡± Leo would add.

    The stranger¡¯s wide grin would waver some at the words only to then have the grin grow goofier and wider. ¡°Call me whatever you want. But the Wind Werewolf Tribe aren¡¯t the kind to allow travelers and guests to be killed at our door. Vargstam does not take such insults lightly¡­ Now, fight me like true warriors!¡± Exclaimed the male before growing eager yet again.

    ¡®Did he just say Werewolf? Vargstam? Vargstam was filled with Werewolves? Were the tribe all as strong as this guy? They may not be Edicts¡­ But to handle the two so easily¡­ Perhaps this would indeed be a good place for us to stay a while and get our bearings.¡¯

    Indeed, the two would attempt to attack the Werewolf. They moved with quite the speed, their blue eyes glowing brighter. They were serious, with full intention of killing¡­ But with a sway of his spear, the Werewolf would push them back. Despite his size and strength, his spear movements were not pointless. They were precise, skillful, and full of power.

    The two knights were relentless, yet no matter how they moved, the Werewolf would block their attacks and push them back¡­ Though if anything¡­ It seemed the Werewolf was holding back his strength¡­Then again, he was here protecting them. With the kind of power he had, he could accidentally blow them away if he wasn¡¯t careful.

    As the fight occurred, the Werewolf would only grow more content, clearly enjoying battle. While the knights only grew more frustrated and enraged. Before long, the two would find themselves knocked back against the valley walls, losing air with the impact, even cracking the wall some.

    Staggered, the two would glare at them.

    ¡°You¡­ You will pay¡­ All of you¡­ We will kill you vermin soon.¡± Alex hissed, fleeing with Leo in defeat¡­ Of course, this meant that the church would know where they are¡­ but he supposed they would be safe if the people here were half as strong as their rescuer.

    ¡°Hahaha! That was fun! A good warm up fight!¡± The male exclaimed contently. ¡°You there, you alright? The name¡¯s Damon. You all look like an interesting lot! I would love to ask you for a spar, but it seems I was a bit late¡­ Those two seemed like quite the angry bunch¡­  They should lighten up. It was a fun fight¡­ Even if they lost! Buahaha!¡± He exclaimed before letting out a hearty laugh.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Damon¡­ You have no idea how bad of a situation we were in¡­ Thank you for saving us.¡± Kazius stated earnestly, shaking his hand. The gesture was returned, but instead of shaking hands, Kazius would be moved up and down entirely.

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    ¡°Oops, it is hard for me to control my strength. Sorry about that, friend!¡± Damon stated contently with a goofy grin.

    ¡°Friend? Yay!¡± Eve cheered contently. She was calm now that she got to treat Kazius and Alice. Even though she had calmed down, Azanor was still soothing he a bit.

    ¡°Anyway, how about I show you where town is?¡± Damon questioned, clearly content to talk to people. He seemed quite friendly for such a battle eager loon¡­ But he clearly meant well¡­ Even if he was a bit of a goofy loaf.

    It was then Azanor would perk up, ¡°So your kind speaks common?¡± He decided to ask. It seems even Azanor knew nothing about his people.

    ¡°Oh! No, not at all¡­ But I learned from my older brother. He is a very smart guy. He can read books good. Unlike me, I learned common from him, but books are too hard. They are better for throwing practice, I say! Hahaha!¡± Damon admitted contently. He seemed to also not have an indoor voice at all.  He was definitely a bit of a brute.

    ¡°Don¡¯t enjoy reading, huh?¡± Kazius questioned.

    ¡°Nope, I can¡¯t read at all!¡± Damon exclaimed, acting a bit too proud to admit such a thing. Then again, Kazius could tell he was just the loud and boastful type.

    It moving to pick up Alice bridal style. She was unconscious still and it worried Kazius so he hoped to be able to take her somewhere indoors so he could rest on an actual bed.

    ¡°Come along then!¡± Damon exclaimed contently, leading the way. He would take them to Vargstam.

    Once there, they would see quite the massive riverside town. The buildings were made of lumber and wood with straw roofs. The houses were big in size, with one larger than all the others. The larger one almost looked like a clan house for many families. It clearly seemed important.  The townspeople people were dressed in furs and armors. Most did not wear armor though or kept it to a minimum. Those that did wear armor often wore metal helmets shaped in a cone, some even having horns at either side as decoration. Some townsfolk seemed to actually be running around in their Werewolf form, standing on two legs, very much in control. They seemed to not have a lot of weapons¡­ Perhaps their Werewolf form was what most used? Then again, Damon was quite good with a weapon¡­

    It was the crack of dawn yet there were so many people up and looking at them. Rather than be welcoming though, the people would give weary eyes while whispering to each other. At first, Kazius thought they were suspicious of outsiders¡­ But¡­

    ¡°Great, he is back.¡±

    ¡°Shame¡­ I was hoping that he would die at the hand of outsiders just like his father.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t Caleb go ahead and become chief?¡±

    ¡°The idiot doesn¡¯t even want to be chief¡­ Now we even have outsiders killing people at our door!¡± ¡°Disgrace!¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t think Damon is very popular in his town¡­ Chief? So, there is a dispute of power? Is Caleb the brother he talked so fondly about earlier? Or someone else? They seem to hate Damon¡¯s father too¡­¡¯

    Still, despite the sneers and harsh words, Damon did not react. He acted like he did not hear a thing and instead kept smiling. His smile was goofy, but just like when Leo and Alex insulted him¡­ Something about his smile was¡­ Kazius had a feeling he was deciding to pretend the words did not affect him¡­ Kazius could read people well after all, and it was clear to him, Damon was quite saddened at the words.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand a word¡­ But even I know these are a rude bunch.¡± Azanor would tell Kazius as he eyed the crowd with a look that Kazius knew well. He was nice to them, but he was still a Demon.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± Kazius would scold, feeling like Azanor yearned to mess with them.

    ¡°How boring.¡± Azanor stated with a shrug and scoff.

    Damon yet again, pretended to not hear a thing. ¡°We are almost there.¡± He would call out.

    ¡®Damon seems like such an earnest guy¡­ Why is he so hated? Sure, he is loud¡­ but the way they talk about him¡­¡¯

    As they walked, they approached the largest building. Now that they were close, they could see it was decorated with round shields. Each one had a different crest. Indeed, seeming to be an important building.

    ¡°This is the chief¡¯s house. It has plenty of room. You are my guests so don¡¯t worry about an inn! You get to experience good old Damon hospitality!¡± Damon would boast, making up for any ill feelings by acting even happier and louder.

    ¡®This does explain why he was so excited to talk to outsiders¡­¡¯

    It was then the group would be greeted by a male with long blue hair. The hair was tied up in a ponytail. His ears were somewhat pointed. His eyes were yellow, just like Damon¡¯s. Unlike Damon though, his build was quite lean. He stood at 5ft 7in(1.70 meters).

    ¡°Hey Damon, I see your trip went well.¡± The blue haired male would state with a yawn.

    ¡°Hey Caleb, up all night reading again? You and your books, you should come spar with me! And yeah, they got roughed up badly. I figured it they could stay with us for a while¡­ As long and you and Luna are okay with it.¡± Damon stated sheepishly.

    ¡®So, Caleb is his brother after all.¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯re the chief, not me, Damon.¡± Caleb stated dismissively.

    At this, Damon would surprisingly frown, ¡°Caleb¡­ You know I-¡° He would then have his goofy smile again. It seems Damon did not want to bicker on the subject in front of guests. ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s get you to your rooms! I will go work on breakfast here in a while and let you know when it is ready! I hunted this really big boar the other day!¡± he would laugh out goofily.

    As they left, Caleb would look at the group, his eyes never once leaving his brother.

 Chapter 14: Finding Resolve

    The night had been a pleasant one, despite what had happened. The others would go get some proper sleep. Kazius too would get some rest, but he would be up before everyone else. He would watch Alice for a while, looking at her in concern. She seemed to be doing better, but Kazius was still worried¡­ His team¡­ They got off due to luck alone¡­ Even if Azanor gained his full power, Kazius needed to get strong enough to protect himself and his team¡­ Maybe the battle crazed Werewolf could help with that.

    They were safe here and Damon seemed eager enough to spar¡­ Even talk¡­ But that was likely due to how his own people treated him. Kazius was curious about it, but he knew it was not his place to ask such things when they¡¯ve just met.

    Kazius staid by Alice¡¯s side the whole morning, while Eve and Azanor slept.

    ¡®Is it just me or does Azanor tend to match Eve¡¯s sleep schedule despite not needing rest?¡¯

    Kazius would look at the two curiously, remembering how Azanor reacted when Leo and Alex attempted to attack Eve¡­ Azanor was stubborn, putting on airs¡­ But¡­ In the end, it was clear he cared about the elf woman¡­ Though Kazius figured it was better to not ask questions or tease the Demon over it. He had gotten angry enough back there.

    He would shake away such thoughts and then would look back at Alice. The woman had fought hard¡­ But she too had been overwhelmed so easily¡­ Then again, hero blood or not¡­ She was still a princess, she lacked experience in battle. She needed training too.

    ¡®I will protect them¡­ I can¡¯t just be scared anymore¡­ I will do what I must¡­ To protect my friends¡­ Monster King¡­ I may be a monster, but I will gain the power to make somewhere safe for them¡­ For those like me¡­ The church wants to destroy these beautiful places¡­ I won¡¯t let them¡­ I don¡¯t want to see them get hurt again¡­ Or be sad¡­ I will do everything within my power to make it happen¡­¡¯¡¯

    It was then a part of Kazius would stir even darker thoughts in the back of his mind, ¡®Even if I have to kill every single person in Ratier¡­¡¯

    He had to accumulate power. As much as possible, that much he knew¡­ Whatever a Monster King was would come later.

    As he was thinking, he gently stroked Alice¡¯s hair. Realizing what he was doing, he would freeze, removing his hand.

    ¡®What are you doing?¡¯

    He would scold himself mentally, removing his hand. He remained at the bedside. He would look back at the woman, the wooden bed at least would be comfortable enough for her¡­ They had gotten lucky¡­ To survive¡­ Even if seeing Alice in this state quite bothered him.

    Just as he got absorbed in his thoughts, the woman would wake up. She seemed groggy at first only for her eyes to shoot open, the violet irises darting around in concern only to calm down at the sight of Kazius. She would try and sit up.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re safe¡­ We were saved by¡­ I guess you could call him¡­. The acting chief of the town¡­ we are in Vargstam.¡± Kazius explained, coaxing her into laying back down.

    Alice seemed relieved, but then would frown, looking up at the male with saddened eyes. ¡°I am sorry¡­ I was the first one down, wasn¡¯t I? If only I was stronger¡­¡± She stated in dismay, clearly upset. ¡°First, I get sick at just entering the savage lands¡­ and now this¡­¡± she stated as she averted her gaze.

    Kazius frowned at her words, ¡°Don¡¯t say nonsense.¡± He scolded, gently cupping her face and having her look at him, ¡°I am sorry for not being able to protect you and the others¡­ If you want to get stronger, do so¡­ But I will come save you if you are ever in trouble. Next time- No¡­ There won¡¯t be a next time. I will protect you with all I have.¡± Kazius told her firmly, looking at her in a determined manner before letting go.

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    Alice was a bit flustered at his words, her cheeks getting a pink hue to them. ¡°O-Okay¡­I-I¡­¡± she stated shyly.

    ¡°You guys have become very important friends to me.¡± Kazius decided to admit, he trusted them. They were here with him in the worst of times. When he said this though, Alice looked a little sad, something Kazius did not understand why.

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡± Alice would agree, looking away again.

    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± he would ask.

    ¡°¡­Sure¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­ Just remember what I said¡­ I will be there for you¡­Anyway, you should relax. I think we can stay here for some time, as long our new friend allows it¡­ His name is Damon. He is the chief I spoke of when you woke up¡­ I will ask him about breakfast and if he needs help getting any more food¡­ I don¡¯t want to be a free loader¡­¡± Kazius admitted as he got up.

    As he left, he would notice Azanor had gotten up, ¡°I took you for quite the smart fellow, Kazius¡­ I never thought you were the dense type. That was painful to listen to.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kazius questioned.

    ¡°Shut up, Azanor.¡± Alice told him with a frown.

    ¡°Never mind¡­¡± Azanor stated with a shrug.

    ¡°¡­O¡­kay?¡± Kazius stated in confusion, dismissing what just happened. Azanor was just trying to mess with him, or so he was thinking.

    As he headed out of the room, he would go down the massive hall¡­ This place was definitely built for a big family at minimum¡­ Though from what he saw, there were maybe 3 living here at most¡­ Something that confused him¡­ Specially with how big the families in town looked.

    As he walked, he found what he figured was the kitchen, only to freeze when he heard a conversation.

    ¡°Who told you that you could have guests?¡± A snappy female voice could be heard.

    ¡°They were hurt¡­ And have no place to stay¡­ Besides, they seem like good people.¡± Damon could be heard.

    ¡°You are just happy that they don¡¯t know better and talk to someone like you.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t like I did anything wrong, Luna¡­ I just want to be your little brother¡­ Can¡¯t you treat me like that? Besides, I want some friends for once.¡± Damon stated, sounding saddened, like he was begging even. Very different from his usual cheery tone and proud demeanor. He seemed so desperate.

    ¡°Oh really? In my opinion, just you existing is wrong! If they are friends of yours, then I despise that they are here even more!¡±

    ¡°Luna-¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t stand being near you for a second longer, I will get my own food somewhere else¡­ Don¡¯t you dare even breathe in my direction.¡±

    Kazius only had a little time to move out of the way before the door was slammed open roughly. The door would loudly hit the wall, a viciously angry looking woman standing at the door. She looked a lot like Caleb, with blue hair and yellow eyes. Her hair was long and straight, reaching her butt. She was standing at 5ft 4 (1.63m). Her ears were also pointed like Caleb, unlike Damon.

    She would glare daggers at Kazius, sneering before storming off.

    ¡®What the hell did I just overhear? She treats him worse than the townsfolk do¡­¡¯

    It was then Damon would spot him, smiling goofily at him. ¡°Up early, huh? My sister woke up in a bad mood, don¡¯t mind her.¡± He would laugh out.

    ¡®Wait¡­ I just realized¡­ But¡­ He doesn¡¯t know I understood all that, does he? Should I tell him? No¡­ Then he will just feel worse¡­¡¯

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Bad mood alright¡­¡± Kazius would state. ¡°Anyway, my companion that got knocked out woke up, thankfully¡­ I figured I would ask about breakfast. I remember you said you hunted by yourself¡­ How about I join you? I don¡¯t want to be a freeloader and I figured hunting in packs is better¡­ For lack of a better word.¡± Kazius joked a bit, hoping to cheer up his new friend.

    Damon may not know he understood him, but Kazius would be friendly. He saved their lives after all. Kazius wasn¡¯t afraid of trusting others either, not anymore. He would make new friends, as he already had been doing. Besides, he wanted to get stronger¡­ And right now, Damon was the strongest person he knew.

    At talk of joining him in a hunt, Damon¡¯s expression seemed to visibly brighten. He was quite easy to read to say the least. He was practically beaming. ¡°Really?! Buahaha! That would be fun! I hope you can keep up!¡± He would laugh out.

    ¡°Breakfast first.¡± Kazius reminded the Werewolf, who seemed to almost forget about it.

    ¡°Oh! Right! Come on! We can take food to the others and eat at the room!¡± Damon stated eagerly, happy to have company it seems.

    With that, the 5 would have a good meal together.

 Chapter 15: Let the Training Begin

    Breakfast was lively for the group, but Alice and Damon both seemed still a bit off. The events from before did still affect them. Though they seemed to have mostly cheered up. Alice would smile beautifully and acted energetic, which relieved Kazius. He hoped she would take it easy for the day and fully recover.

    ¡°And then I carried the whole beast down the mountain to show Caleb! You should have seen his face! He didn¡¯t think someone that young could climb Mount Ulf! Buahaha!¡± Damon would finish with a laugh, telling all sorts of stories about great hunts he had done. Most amazing of all was the fact that he was self-taught. He really did love battle and hunts¡­ Going so far alone¡­ Though he seemed no more vicious than a pup in front of his sister Luna¡­

    ¡°That sounds so fun!¡± Eve chirped eagerly. ¡°I wonder if I could ever take down something like that¡­ I am very bad at magic, even with Azanor¡¯s help.¡±

    ¡°To be fair, it isn¡¯t like you have low magic aptitude. You actually have quite the extraordinary mana reserve¡­ It is just you insist on doing holy magic when you have zero aptitude for it¡­ I would even describe it as negative affinity for it. Which is why those hags were so harsh on you¡­ I would love to go back and snap their little necks¡­ If only you had been able to summon me earlier¡­¡± Azanor trailed off with gritted teeth.

    ¡°They did treat her quite badly.¡± Alice agreed, remembering Eve¡¯s stories.

    ¡°She does?¡± Kazius would question, surprised at such a fact. Maybe Eve could learn advanced magic¡­ If she could comprehend the spells¡­ Though there were all type of magic, she didn¡¯t have to imitate anyone.

    ¡°If you ask me, they were jealous.¡± Azanor scoffed out, acting quite prideful when he spoke of Eve.

    ¡°Of what? I am not very smart and can¡¯t do holy magic¡­¡± Eve trailed off in dismay.

    ¡°¡­¡± Azanor would look at Eve, his eyes momentarily trailing off to her well-endowed chest and rear. She had a good amount of both. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­ Anyway¡­ Something I will never understand is your obsession with holy magic¡­ You have no idea how difficult it even was to allow you to have the ability to heal¡­¡± He would state, skillfully changing the subject.

    ¡°But I am a Holy maiden.¡± Eve protested, getting quite pouty. She gave the Demon a grumpy look.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t¡­ Remember? You thought I was god.¡± Azanor reminded her.

    ¡°¡­So¡­So¡­. I¡­?¡±

    ¡°Can use any type of magic you like, yes¡­ You don¡¯t have to follow the laws of a church you are no longer part of.¡± Azanor explained. It seems Eve was shocked, clearly having been slow to catch on.

    ¡°Oh!¡± She exclaimed finally in realization, her face brightening. She was a little slow, but she did her best.

    ¡°But then¡­ Wait¡­ What kind of magic am I good at then?¡± Eve questioned eagerly, her expression brightening¡­ It seems Kazius and Alice were not the only ones to gain the resolve to get stronger.

    ¡°I will help you with it.¡± Azanor stated¡­

    ¡®So if it is for Eve, he doesn¡¯t ask about payment¡­¡¯

    ¡°Magic¡­ Why not ask Caleb about it? He is good at that stuff¡­ He has all sorts of things in his room. Books too.¡± Damon suggested.

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    ¡°How good are Werewolves at magic? I know you call yourselves Wind Werewolves¡­ What is that about?¡± Kazius decided to ask.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have magic. Werewolves don¡¯t have magic normally. We do have wind elemental abilities though. You saw me fight. We feel the air rather than use anything fancy¡­. It is hard to explain¡­ I just sort of¡­ Make the wind move because I want it to and then it listens, and it does. Sometimes it just does what it thinks you want and reacts to you.¡± Damon explained.

    ¡®So that was what all that wind was about¡­¡¯

    ¡°We don¡¯t use mana, Elves are good at it though¡­ Caleb is a Half-Elf, so he has the ability to use it though, so does Luna¡­¡± Damon stated, his goofy smile turning a little awkward when he said his sister¡¯s name.

    ¡°So, you are half siblings?¡± Alice asked curiously.

    ¡°¡­¡± Damon was quiet, something quite surprising. He would then get a bigger smile, ¡°Yeah, basically! Hahaha! Anyway¡­ How about we go hunt¡­ from how you talk¡­ It seems you all want to get stronger¡­ I could help! How about you and Alice join me in a hunt?¡±

    Indeed, he seemed touchy on the subject¡­ Half sibling or not¡­ The way Luna treated him¡­ Kazius didn¡¯t understand at all.

    ¡°I appreciate the offer¡­ But Alice still needs to reco-¡° Kazius began.

    ¡°I will go too¡± Alice stated in a determined manner.

    ¡°Huh? But Alice, you are still hurt. You should rest more.¡± Kazius stated in concern as he gazed at her.

    ¡°No! I will go!¡± Alice exclaimed, ¡°I¡­ I know you said you would protect me, but if you do that, who will protect you?¡± She questioned only to grow flustered, ¡°I-I mean¡­ We all have to protect each other, you know?¡±

    Kazius would stare at her only to smile a bit, indeed he had gotten lucky when he met them all¡­ Even if back then he had felt like he was the most unfortunate man in the world with all that had occurred. ¡°Alright, but if you feel faint¡­ Let me know. I will carry you.¡±

    ¡°I will¡± Alice responded with a small smile, looking conflicted about something. The two staring at each other for a second before looking back at Damon.

    ¡°Hahaha! So you two are all set? You better be ready then! I won¡¯t go easy on you! Come on!¡± Damon beamed, the jolly male leading the way for them both. They would wave at Eve an Azanor on their way out.

    Alice had not been awake when they had arrived, but on the way out she could hear the townsfolk say all sorts of things¡­ Though of course, it wasn¡¯t like she could understand them.

    ¡°What are they saying? Do they not like outsiders?¡± Alice would whisper in concern.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­ I will explain later.¡± Kazius would answer.

    Despite the whispers though, Damon seemed genuinely happy. It seems the happiness of going hunting and training with new friends far outweighed any sadness he felt. Kazius did worry about him.

    ¡®He is friendly and well meaning enough¡­ Even if he is the child of infidelity or anything like that, it wouldn¡¯t be his fault¡­ I suppose this sort of treatment is something Eve has in common with him. I wonder if it is cocky of me¡­ But I want to do something about it.¡¯

    As they walked, Kazius would look around, Damon¡¯s eagerness showing. The view in the mountains was quite something¡­ Though something did catch Kazius¡¯ attention¡­ While the fish were bigger when they left Ratier¡­ The ones in the water here¡­ They were¡­ Enormous! Not just them¡­ But a boar could be seen that was the size of an elephant! Off in the distance there were several mountains that were bigger than the rest.

    ¡°That one in the center, the biggest, is Mount Ulf.¡± Damon stated¡­ They couldn¡¯t even see the top thanks to the clouds¡­

    ¡®He climbed THAT as a child?!¡¯

    Alice was in awe too. She seemed to be looking at a flying Pegasus herd that could be seen flying around one of the mountains. ¡°Wow¡± She stated as she stared at the sight. The mountains were intimidating, but indeed the sight was beautiful¡­ Like something out of legend.

    ¡°I won¡¯t start you with Mount Ulf though. I will say it, you two are scrawny. Your legs will break before you reach the top. I don¡¯t want my new friends dying from exhaustion¡­ So¡­ I want you two to be able to run up that small mountain in an hour.¡± Damon stated, being surprisingly adept at teaching, though also blunt. He wasn¡¯t pulling punches.

    Kazius would look at the mountain Damon called small¡­ To say the least, the mountain was still massive even at the distance they were¡­ Just how tall was Mount Ulf?

    ¡®An hour!? We¡¯d be lucky to get up there in a day!¡¯

    ¡°You need to get good at dodging before we move to the next mountains... Your speed needs to be good too¡­. Or the rock throwing giants will squash you.¡± Damon stated with a laugh.

    ¡°The WHAT?¡± Alice asked in concern.

    This would be an interesting training it seems¡­

 Chapter 16: Mount Cyklon

    Taking on the trainings of Damon, was a daunting task. Despite the difficulties that he had promised, Damon seemed convinced Alice and Kazius could do it. He also seemed to very much enjoy having people to spend time with. He radiated loneliness, but also raw power. An odd combination. Regardless, he seemed to genuinely want to help them.

    Kazius felt intimidated by the training goal, but he would not give up. Alice and him would stare at the beginning path of the first mountain. It was Mount Cyklon, the smallest out of the 5 nearby mountains that helped form the vast valley¡­ Though it could still be far from called small. Kazius couldn¡¯t recall seeing a mountain this tall back in Ratier.

    They would approach, Damon watching from behind, supervising, as if waiting¡­ It worried Kazius¡­ Would something happen once they began to walk the mountain path? Tired of hesitating, Kazius would step up. The moment he set foot in the mountain path though, Kazius would struggle. A strong wind unlike anything he had ever experienced could be felt.

    The wind was violent yet the trees in the mountain were still, unaffected. As if frozen in time. He had no warning about such a wind until he was feeling it for himself. Kazius would shield his face with his arms, his clothes swaying rapidly along with his hair. If he lost his footing, he would be blown away.

    ¡®Shit¡­. Is the whole mountain like this?! Do this in an hour? Yeah right!¡¯

    ¡°Kazius! Are you alright!?¡± Alice exclaimed, noticing his strain. Confused, she attempted to rush over only to squeak, being immediately blown back at just a step, landing on her butt.

    ¡°BuaHaHaHa! You are doing a lot better than I thought! Good job not being blown away immediately, Kazius¡­ The only other person that I know to stand as soon as entering the mountain path is me! The second name for this mountain could be translated to Mount Wind¡­ It is the home of wind spirits!¡± Damon exclaimed with a hearty laugh. ¡°Now come on, what are you two waiting for?¡± He would question, crossing his muscled arms in a prideful manner, ¡°Get going. This is just like swimming. Go in first and just start walking! Once we are higher up, if you start being blown away, I will catch you both. Don¡¯t worry. Especially you, Alice. You can do it, come on.¡±

    Kazius would grow concerned, Alice was still recovering. He could not turn back to look at her, not if he didn¡¯t want to be blown away. Thanks to the wind, it was already hard just trying to hear Damon, even with his loud voice. Before he could try and protest and argue Alice should go rest, Alice would take another step and joined him.

    Her hair would sway rapidly, as well as her robe. She wore it even now, despite not using the hood.

    ¡°Good! Come on, keep going!¡± Damon would exclaim.

    Kazius would bite his lip, attempting to snap himself out of any fear. If Alice still wanted to go, how would he look it he turned around and ran? If he ever wanted to hope to try and beat Alex and Leo, he needed to grasp the moment.

    ¡®I can do this¡¯

    Kazius would take another step, struggling, but managing to go forward. Slowly, but surely, he would keep going. With each step, the wind felt only stronger¡­ Was it actually stronger or was he just being overwhelmed? He didn¡¯t know¡­ Still, he wasn¡¯t giving up¡­ And surprisingly enough, Alice was not far behind. She definitely was the descendant of Ratier himself, she wasn¡¯t weak.

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    Slowly, but surely, they would slowly move up. The path was rocky, but Kazius was thankful to even have a path at all. The two would keep shielding their faces as they walked, Damon walking not far behind them, watching them as they moved.

    The climb felt like forever, but that was just because it was so difficult. They would keep going though. With each step, Kazius felt surer and surer. He would do this. Of course, there were moments where he or Alice would almost lose their footing, but as promised¡­. Damon would catch them both. He was walking slowly yet patiently.

    At one point Alice would pass Kazius in their steps, but it seems she had gotten a bit overzealous. She would lose her footing, flying back, knocking Kazius over as well. Damon would end up picking both up, catching them. He held them as if they were each a sack of potatoes.

    He laughed, seeming to be enjoying himself. Then again, considering how lonely he was, even if just standing around and walking, he probably was happy to spend time with friends. ¡°You two did well for your first day! But I think it is about time we call it a night.¡±

    ¡°What? But we can keep going!¡± Alice whined, surprising Kazius. It seems she was just as determined as him.

    ¡°Perhaps, but it is already dark¡­ I would be a bad teacher if I let you both keep going! And a bad friend! Which is way worse!¡± Damon exclaimed with another laugh as he hopped off the mountain. Normally such a thing was dangerous, but considering how he hopped down to save them the other day¡­ Kazius did not react.

    Alice though would scream as they fell¡­ Her eyes wide the whole time.

    Once they landed, poor Alice looked disheveled, her hair a mess. She panted, sighing, ¡°Warn us first!¡± She huffed out, ¡°I thought we were going to die.¡± She whined out.

    ¡°Oh! I thought you knew it would be fine, sorry.¡± Damon apologized sheepishly as he carefully put the two down.

    ¡°I am just surprised you weren¡¯t shocked, Kazius.¡± Alice admitted with a sigh, ¡°But it okay.¡± She assured Damon, who looked like a kicked puppy. He could be a bit of a gentle giant.

    ¡°Well, when he saved us¡­ He jumped about 10 times that¡­ To be honest, I am a bit disappointed we didn¡¯t get farther. We were practically still at the base¡­ To climb the whole thing in a day¡­ Much less in an hour¡­ it will take a while, it seems.¡± Kazius admitted with a sigh of his own.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Alice stated, working on getting herself a bit fixed up, smiling a bit at the two. ¡°Well, I suppose we will just have to try harder.¡± She chirped contently, ¡°It was hard, and I am exhausted¡­ But¡­ It was fun. I will try harder tomorrow.¡± She added.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it!? I wish I could be going up the mountain for my first time too. It is just a normal walk for me at this point!¡± Damon exclaimed eagerly with a laugh.

    ¡°Still, thank you for taking the time to do this.¡± Kazius spoke up.

    Damon shook his head, ¡°You are doing me a favor too¡­ If I am being honest, not many like spending time with me¡­ What they were saying¡­ While we walked¡­ I should be honest with you¡­ The one they don¡¯t like is me, not you¡­¡± He spoke, looking a bit solemn before smiling again.

    Kazius was curious, but he would not pry, ¡°I could tell¡­ To be honest¡­ I don¡¯t know how¡­ But I understand any language I hear or see¡­ I can speak them too¡­¡±

    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Damon exclaimed in shock, ¡°That is amazing!¡± He exclaimed only to then settle down, seeming to realize something. ¡°So, the things my sister said¡­ You heard all that, huh?¡±  He sighed out, looking deflated, ¡°I hope you aren¡¯t mad¡­ That I lied¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I figured you had your reasons¡­¡± Kazius assured.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about¡­ I wasn¡¯t there¡­ But you look like something is bothering you¡­ We will hear you out. When you are ready.¡± Alice assured, knowing she had her own bad experiences in her past. When she opened up to Kazius, it had helped her a lot. Monster or not, Kazius helped those around him.

    ¡°I know what it is like to have people you care about think poorly of you¡­ At least that I cared about. I don¡¯t know your story¡­ But you saved us, are helping us train, and even welcomed us in your home. Whatever it is you want to tell, when you are ready to say it¡­ We won¡¯t judge¡­ You are a new friend of ours.¡± Kazius assured.

    Damon would look at both, seeming touched. He would give the two a wide grin, clearly happy to hear them so earnestly call him their new friend. ¡°I will¡­ Soon¡­ Thank you¡­¡± He stated, surprisingly soft spoken.

    ¡°Anyway, we should try and hunt dinner and then head back¡­ It is already quite late. Azanor and Eve might worry.¡± Damon told them.

    ¡°At least Eve would be.¡± Kazius stated with a yawn, indeed tired.

 Chapter 17: Friends

    The 3 would return with a very large boar that Damon hunted with their help. It was the size of an elephant, a massive aggressive beast. Indeed, the wildlife in this area of the continent was something¡­ Then again, Azanor had told the group of the giant Leviathans that inhabited what was now Veleno. So perhaps things in Ratier and the allied kingdoms were just rather tame compared to the rest of the continent.

    They would drop off the catch at the back. It needed butchering still before it could be stored. Something Caleb apparently did. After that, they would head to the guest room.

    ¡°You sure took your sweet time.¡± Azanor stated with yawn, looking awfully bored. A thick book on his lap. For someone who claimed to do everything for the sake of entertainment, he sure looked bored. Though at this point, Kazius recognized that Azanor was honest about that¡­ Or at least it was a small reason for what he did¡­ but when it came to Eve, he just bent to what she wanted. Of course, he was already entitled to her soul due to their deal¡­ So, there was no benefit to him doing what he did. There was a real main reason he must have.

    ¡°Kazius! Alice! Damon! Yay! I was worried!¡± Eve chirped goofily with a giddy expression. She seemed to be in a chipper mood. She too was holding a book, a black one with words that read ¡®The Dark Arts¡¯.

    ¡®Why is Eve looking at something like that?¡¯

    ¡°Buahaha! Sorry about keeping them so long. They were so determined, and it was so fun that I had a hard time stopping them.¡± Damon laughed out with a wide grin.

    ¡°I suppose as long as things were alright¡­¡± Azanor trailed off, acting dismissive.

    ¡°Azanor was suggesting we go look for you. He looked worried, but I told him you guys were just having fun! I was right!¡± Eve admitted innocently.

    It was then Azanor would go wide-eyed, ¡°Eve.¡± He would shush, clearly flustered to be exposed on caring about their wellbeing.

    ¡®Is it a pride thing? He is a weird one for a Demon, yet he still seems worried about being exposed on caring about others¡­ Then again, going against your nature was probably hard on him¡­¡¯

    Alice would smirk at him a little, ¡°Awwwwwwwwww.¡± She would tease playfully.

    ¡°Good to know you care so much about us.¡± Kazius decided to join.

    ¡°Shut up¡­¡± Azanor grumbled, losing his composure a bit. A grumpy scowl gracing his face. He was normally the one to tease the others in the group, so he was likely not used to being teased.

    Azanor would act huffy for a bit only to the smirk at the two. ¡°Fine, laugh it up. I care about you. Big deal. I hope you know if you thought I was insufferable before¡­ Now you¡¯ve both done it. I will get you back and taunt you right back.¡± He chuckled out.

    Kazius would laugh a bit, amused at the declaration.

    ¡®Definitely a pride thing.¡¯ He would confirm his prior thoughts.

    ¡°Bring it.¡± Alice mused back.

    As this unfolded, Kazius caught Damon smiling too. He seemed awkward though, almost like he was feeling out of place¡­ Then again, he may have been persistent about becoming their friend¡­ But getting used to being around others when being shunned was likely a hard thing. It was easy to feel excluded when others had conversations like this.

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    ¡°Well, you will have a hard time messing with us too much. With Damon around, he will sniff anything out if you try some sort of prank.¡± Kazius would state, purposefully wanting to make him feel part of the group. He was their new friend after all.

    ¡°I could pull one over him just like anyone else, no lies needed.¡± Azanor chuckled out, perhaps catching on, ¡°You say what you want¡­ But like I said, I am still recovering from the trip here¡­ So don¡¯t look down on me.¡±

    At this Damon would perk up, laughing quite a bit in a hearty manner, ¡°Hahaha! Is that so? I don¡¯t know about this tricking stuff, but I sure want to have a spar!¡± He exclaimed in excitement. He did indeed love battling.

    ¡°You know what? Once I regain my strength, sure. At some point.¡± Azanor confirmed smugly.

    ¡°Great! You too, Kazius! I want to spar once I am done training you.¡± Damon exclaimed, clenching his hand into a fist in excitement. He seemed to be in a great mood.

    ¡°Sure¡­ I intend to surpass you anyway.¡± Kazius admitted with a grin.

    ¡°But fighting friends is bad¡­¡± Eve stated in confusion to Alice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind them¡­ They are just goofing around.¡± Alice assured. She seemed to not be against friendly rivalries.

    ¡°Great! Well, there is no fighting on an empty stomach! I will make dinner.¡± Damon beamed, eager.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to make dinner for us all alone, we can help!¡± Eve chirped contently.

    Damon seemed surprised at this, smiling wider at this. His expression was almost softer. ¡°I would appreciate the help. We can get it done faster then.¡± He stated contently.

    With that, they would go make dinner at the kitchen. It seemed Caleb had already butchered the kill so all that was left was prepping. That went by fast, Caleb stopping by sluggishly to grab food before heading to his room. Luna had not stopped by once though. Perhaps it was for the best though, since there was no incident during dinner.

    It was time to rest¡­ There would be more training tomorrow.

    Kazius would lay down, thinking. He didn¡¯t need as much sleep as Eve and Alice.

    ¡°Kazius.¡± Azanor could be heard whispering.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Kazius would whisper back, confused, sitting up.

    He would look at the other nearby beds, Eve and Alice were sleeping soundly. It was dark, but the two could see just fine. So, it was easy for Kazius to spot Azanor getting up and motioning him out of the room. He didn¡¯t seem to want to disturb Alice and Eve.

    The two would go for an evening walk. Considering that the townsfolk are Werewolves, there were some people up and about, but none came to bother them.

    ¡°Something has been bothering me for some time now¡­ And our conversation earlier made me decide to talk about it.¡± Azanor finally spoke as they walked, the Demon toying with his cane per usual.

    ¡°Conversation?¡± Kazius questioned, confused. That was so vague¡­ None of the conversations from earlier seemed to come to mind on what he could be talking about.

    ¡°About me¡­ Seeing you as my friends¡­ My power coming back later¡­ and other things.¡± Azanor explained.

    ¡°Ah.¡± Kazius would acknowledge.

    ¡°That Werewolf friend of ours too¡­¡± Azanor trailed off, seeming uncharacteristically solemn.

    ¡°Azanor, you keep hopping around everywhere¡­ Where are you doing with this. Get it together.¡± Kazius stated, attempting to understand his point.

    ¡®I am so confused. What has him so worried? Why does he look like he is panicking? He looks almost pained¡­¡¯

    ¡°I can¡¯t have more people to care about, Kazius. I¡¯m a Demon! I thought I was done helping mortals for free¡­ Yet here I am again, finding myself caring about people. Last time I cared, I ended up locked up by my stupid brother for decades yet here I am again¡­ I¡­ ¡± Azanor finally would complain, groaning. He was normally such a sly talked yet he seemed to have trouble finding words.

    ¡°Wait, how is any of this my fault?¡± Kazius asked in confusion.

    ¡°Because! It is you! All you! I was fine just caring about Eve, but then you had to bring Alice¡­ A descendant of that idiotic hero¡­ And now we meet that goof with a big heart¡­ He is the kind that normally I would make a deal with and prey on¡­ He is so perfectly broken that he may as well be on a platter¡­ Yet he is a friend I met because of you. At this rate I won¡¯t ever beat my brother in strength. ¡±

    ¡°Your what?¡± Kazius asked in confusion, ¡°Azanor, please. You don¡¯t lie, but you sure are side stepping the point. Do you want to actually tell me?¡±

    ¡°I suppose¡­ Look, I am sorry¡­ Let me¡­ Let me start from the beginning.¡±

 Chapter 18: The Story of a Demon

    Azanor and Kazius would stop walking by the time they reached the outskirts of the town, sitting down at a cliff that oversaw the valleys and mountains. ¡°There are things I don¡¯t want to talk about, I don¡¯t think they matter¡­ Not those details¡­ But¡­ A fact¡­ Is¡­ I didn¡¯t help the Demons during the war¡­ For the longest time¡­ I¡¯ve been a bit different from the typical Demon¡­. Back then I lied like any other¡­ But I had a group of friends I would never lie to.¡± He admitted.

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe he wants to open up to me¡­ I thought I would be hearing a story from Damon today¡­ But I guess Azanor had things to get off his chest too¡­¡¯

    ¡°But¡­ Despite knowing I was different, that isn¡¯t always enough for people¡­ Eventually someone came along and told them something¡­ He said he believed me to be a liar¡­ Plotting against them¡­ The true liar was him¡­ But my friends¡­ They believed what he said.. That I was going to take their souls on a platter to the Demon King¡­ As if I would, I can¡¯t stand my brother¡­ Why would I do that?¡± Azanor stated bitterly. ¡°After that¡­ not long after¡­ I was sealed away along with the other Demons¡­ Who think I am a traitor¡­ But not like they could do anything to me. Not with my position, only my brother could punish me¡­ ¡±

    Kazius was shocked at what he was hearing. He heard that Demons of noble blood were especially formidable¡­ But Azanor was one? So, once he regained his strength¡­ He might have a chance against an Edict¡­ Being the brother of the Demon King¡­ Kazius understood why he didn¡¯t tell him about it until now¡­ Trusting him as a Demon was hard enough.

    ¡°When that happened, I swore I would never again allow myself to befriend mortals and care about them¡­  Nor lie¡­ I hate liars and being called a liar because of it¡­ Though I suppose the term mortal applies loosely to you, since I still have no idea what you are¡­. But¡­ You genuinely trust me¡­ And know I don¡¯t lie¡­ You are even lending hand to that goof¡­ Even though you¡¯re no saint¡­ I suppose¡­ I suppose¡­ I am happy¡­ To have friends that believe me¡­ Oh I hate this sappy stuff¡­ But¡­ What I am trying to say¡­Is that¡­ I intend to help you¡­ You and the others¡­ Whether it is against my brother¡­ The church¡­  I hope you keep trusting me¡­ I will follow you.¡±  Azanor admitted with a small grin.

    Kazius was shocked, he didn¡¯t think he would ever hear such words from him. ¡°Thank you, Azanor¡­ I appreciate it.¡± He admitted genuinely.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I will become some soppy push over though¡­ It was already embarrassing telling you this¡­ Alice would never let me live it down¡­¡± Azanor warned, ¡°I will still say no to you when I don¡¯t want to do something.  You are not Eve.¡±

    ¡°I believe you¡­ And I noticed that¡­ Speaking of¡­  You spoke of not caring about mortals¡­ But you seem to exclude Eve in that¡­ I know Elves are immortal unless killed, but I would think she would be included in that group?¡± Kazius questioned in confusion.

    Azanor sighed, ¡°I suppose I may as well tell you that part¡­ Simply put, Eve is not a mortal¡­ She isn¡¯t even an Elf.¡±

    Kazius would look at him confused, that made no sense. ¡°What do you mean? She is clearly an Elf.¡±

    ¡°You looked human until not long ago, right? Many creatures can shift to look human¡­ Some changes are just more drastic than others¡­ At will even¡­ She is just talented at it.¡± Azanor explained, looking rather gloomy despite talking about Eve. He usually brightened up when he spoke of her.

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    ¡°So she is a shapeshifting Demon?¡± Kazius asked in confusion, being more confused as to what she was.

    ¡°She is no demon either¡­.¡± Azanor explained as he shook his head. ¡°She is something else¡­ I¡­ I met her when¡­¡± At this, he would look surprisingly sad. What had gotten into him?

    ¡°Are you¡­ Okay?¡± Kazius would question, his brows furrowing in concern.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about what she is¡­ I¡­ I may never see that part of her again¡­ besides¡­ She always preferred the form of an Elf¡­ I¡­ I won¡¯t force her¡­ to¡­¡± Azanor spoke, seeming to be being eaten away on the inside by quite the grief.

    ¡°Azanor¡­¡± Kazius trailed off, putting a hand on his back.

    ¡°She is my wife!¡± Azanor exclaimed, forcing it out looking grimmer, ¡°Yet¡­ She doesn¡¯t remember me.¡±

    Kazius could tell Azanor adored Eve¡­ But¡­ That was¡­ He knew Eve lost her memories¡­ But he didn¡¯t think¡­

    ¡°Even when I was in the Demon World, I watched over her¡­ To the best I could¡­ I couldn¡¯t communicate with her¡­ Such a thing took me so many years to figure out¡­ I lost track of her for a while when my brother decided to properly punish me for what I did¡­ And when I finally looked again¡­ She was in the church. I managed to talk¡­ But then she thought I was god¡­ And ended up making a deal with me before I knew it¡­ So I went along with it¡­ Of course, I have no interest in her soul¡­ but¡­ I brought up the deal so you and Alice would let me tag along.¡± Azanor admitted, letting all his emotional exhaustion out.

    ¡°I suppose¡­ When you seemed to be there for the big goof¡­ I felt like I could talk to you about this¡­ I hate to admit it¡­ but¡­ Since you¡¯re my friend¡­¡± Azanor sighed out, ¡°Please don¡¯t pity me, that isn¡¯t what I want¡­ I don¡¯t like sob stories myself¡­ But¡­ I guess¡­ I just wanted to vent¡­ I don¡¯t intend to tell Eve a thing¡­ Anyway¡­ No more questions on the matter¡­ I just¡­ I suppose¡­ Thank you¡­ For listening to me.¡± He admitted, sounding exhausted.

    ¡®I think I understand him better¡­ By a lot¡­ He has his pride as a Demon¡­ Alice would likely have coddled him¡­ It was weird¡­ How many people were hurt by the creation of Ratier¡­ The church was created¡­ So humans were enslaved mentally by some cult built around the Oracle¡­ The royal family themselves met a tragic end¡­ The Demons too of course suffered¡­ How many were like Azanor? He says he is unique¡­ But the vision he had¡­ There must be others like him, that I may end up befriending too¡­ The Kingdom of Ratier¡­ It is a mistake I will fix¡­¡¯

    ¡°I think you should be proud¡­ You have more restraint and emotional strength than any I can think of¡­ And if you ask me¡­ I think Eve adores you¡­ I think she will love you again.¡± Kazius stated with a small smile.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to hear that from someone as dense as you¡­¡± Azanor stated in a matter-of-fact manner, his eyes narrowing in an accusatory manner.

    Kazius grew confused, ¡°Huh? Dense?¡±

    ¡°Anyway, we should head back¡­ You still need 3 hours, right? We¡¯ve been out here a while¡­¡±

    ¡°W-Wait! What do you mean dense? What did I do?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Azanor!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It seems the Demon wasn¡¯t slowing down though and instead would head back.

    Kazius groaned. How was he supposed to sleep after all that?

    ¡®He calls me smart and dense constantly, I don¡¯t get it¡¯

    Once back, Kazius would lay down. Since Azanor ran ahead of him, he was already laying down. Kazius gave the Demon a grumpy look. Kazius really wondered what the Demon meant. He would sigh though, getting into bed. He would struggle but would somehow fall asleep after a while.

    The next day, he would wake up around the same time as the others. They would get ready and have breakfast. There was no mention of what the spoke of with Azanor. Just training with an eager Werewolf instructor¡­ That would be his routine for a week¡­ Attempting to climb Mount Cyklon, getting blown out multiple times in the process¡­ Until¡­ One day¡­

 Chapter 19: The Peak of Mount Cyklon

    Kazius and Alice had been training under Damon quite rigorously, but progress was slow despite a week of work. Again and again, they would be blown out of the mountain. Still, each time they would get a little farther. Alice did not give up, princess or not, she was more diligent than even some knights Kazius knew. She appeared serious about what she had told Kazius. Something he did not understand, he could protect himself and his friends just fine. Whenever he did tell her this though, she seemed to either dismiss it or get upset.

    It appeared something about such conversations had lit a fire in the Human Princess. As they climbed up, the princess did not lose her footing even once after the second day. She would press on with a determined look. In fact, she passed Kazius in their climbs by the third day, being so far ahead that it was hard to see her. It was something that shocked Kazius¡­ It felt like each day she was getting farther and farther away.

    Despite difficulties though, the intense wind was becoming almost normal. The two could look around and move more freely, not even finding as much need to shield their faces. Something Damon seemed to be quite proud of, complementing the improvement. After all, he himself could stand in the mountain as if it was normal.

    Kazius would shake from his thoughts, focusing his energy on pressing forward. He did not want to get left behind¡­ Still¡­ How high did they get today? It was near sunset¡­ Damon would likely have them stop soon¡­ He supposed he would find out how far he got once they hopped down¡­ It was frustrating¡­

    Kazius was trying to focus, but the longer he tried, the more his thoughts swirled in his head. Every day they climbed the mountain, it felt like the top was calling for him. Like a voice singing a beautiful soft melody that was hidden in the violent wind. Yet it was so far away. Was the mountain taunting him or was he going crazy? Perhaps it was his desire to catch up to Alice¡­ Regardless, he felt helpless and weak.

    As Kazius walked, he found himself coming to a full stop.

    ¡°Kazius? Do you want to stop?¡± Damon would ask, looking concerned.

    Kazius would shake his head in response. Something felt off to him. He could hear it, his heart beating in his own ear louder and louder as he looked up at the out-of-sight peak. It seemed to almost taunt him. At this rate, it would take him a year to get up there.

    Before he could do anything, a particularly strong gust of wind would blow him off his feet. It happened so fast. Before Damon had a chance to grab him though, Kazius would just¡­ Stop, his expression in a daze.

    Upon close inspections, one could see quite the oddity¡­ Sure Kazius had shadow powers of some sort¡­ But¡­ That of course meant he controlled shadows as weapons¡­ Use them to hide¡­ But¡­ Nothing like this¡­ His shadow had come out of the ground and grabbed the dazed Kazius.

    It was an odd-looking thing. Despite being a shadow, it had an odd ominous purple glow around the edges. It had a wide smile that glowed the same purple, purple lights that squinted with glee as its eyes. The shadow would grab at him, getting a firm hold on him.

    ¡®Unacceptable¡­Just who is this wind¡­ Daring to stop you¡­ How insolent¡¯

    Kazius could have sworn he heard in his head. The voice was his own, yet also not. The language it spoke was a distorted mix of the Common tongue and something else. His heartbeat by now had grown into a drum-like rhythm. His expression remained blank, his red eyes glowing dimly. The chill from the wind faded into a nonexistent feeling to him. Neither his hair nor his clothes would move at the gusts anymore.

    Damon would call out to Kazius, concerned, but to Kazius it all sounded muffled. Like faint ringing. What sounded clearer now was the song that came from the top of the mountain. There really was a woman singing a beautiful song.

    With his feet brought to the ground again, his shadow would return to being a normal shadow. Alice too was alarmed, running over, but Kazius did not acknowledge either of them. Ignoring everything around him, he would begin to walk up the mountain as if nothing.

    Damon of course was doing just fine in the mountain and could follow him, but Alice was another story. She still struggled, and would still follow the male, getting quite behind due to Alice¡¯s struggle.

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    As Kazius went up the mountain, the peak would soon come into view. The scene was beautiful, the sunset visible from the top as well as the other mountains out in the distance. The rivers in the valley reflected all the orange hues. As Kazius would regain awareness, he would soon realize where he was. Shocked, he grew confused, attempting to register what just happened.

    ¡®But how¡­?¡¯

    ¡°To refuse ¡­ my song so openly¡­ You must be a stubborn one¡­ Or perhaps quite strong¡­.¡± Kazius could hear a feminine voice behind him. Confused, Kazius would turn around. It was the one that he had heard singing. He wasn¡¯t crazy¡­

    ¡°Who-¡±

    ¡°I suppose that is why I can¡¯t decide whether I should feel insulted or impressed by you, Dark One¡­ Though considering how I owe you, it is hard to be angry¡­ I have never seen my champion have so much fun.¡± A woman would state. She was quite the beauty. She had long green curly hair that would reach her rear, her hair swaying in the wind that seemed to come from her herself. Her eyes were a golden color, her clothes a white robe adorned with gold with green gems.

    She sat on a rock; her legs crossed as she seemed to be drinking some wine from a glass.

    ¡®Just who is this lady? Champion? Is she talking about Damon?¡¯

    ¡°I am Vind, the Queen of the Wind. This mountain is my home¡­ As you can see, I am where the wind comes from. It is my song. This is my domain¡­ I will admit, I am surprised you can see me¡­ Not even my champion has managed that. You even speak my tongue, how curious¡­ Though considering things, I suppose it is expected¡­ If I recall, he too would put his nose in everyone¡¯s business. ¡± She would state.

    Kazius perked up at this, surprised.

    ¡®The Queen of Wind? Maybe she knows what happened to me¡­¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I could have offended you¡­ I don¡¯t even know what I did. What I am doing¡­ What I am¡­ What do you even mean by Champion? Who is the nosy person you are talking about as well?¡± Kazius questioned, feeling lost.

    ¡°I see¡­ How curious¡­ You know nothing¡­ How fun.¡± Vind spoke, her words and whims being as unpredictable as the wind itself. She barely acknowledged what he said. Their conversation was very one-sided.

    ¡®She seems to be more aloof than Azanor¡­ Great¡­ Am I even going to get answers?¡¯

    ¡°My Champion used to come here crying¡­ Hiding here, despite my wind¡­ He was such a scrawny and miserable little thing back then¡­ Even my favor did not stop his weeping¡­ But now he seems happier¡­ I suppose I could tell you something good, as thanks¡­ Even if I am irked with you¡­ Your actions and blood are oh so insolent¡­ No one has dared reject my beautiful song before¡­ Dark One. Seek out the Temple in Mount Ulf¡­ The secret entrance should be hidden on a wall of stone behind some foliage¡­ Beware of the guardian¡­ The key is not needed if you have the shadows¡­ Now¡­ If you will excuse me¡­ I will return to enjoying my song and drink. Go, son of Seselis. I hope to never speak to you again. Take good care of my champion.¡± She would dismiss with a wave, blowing wind at his face.

    ¡°Seselis? Wai-¡°

    Before Kazius could protest or ask more questions, the wind would blow harder than ever for a second, blinding him temporarily, a gust purposefully hitting his eyes before he would find himself at the peak¡­ An odd stone statue standing where Vind once stood. The stone statue was worn with time, the vague features of a woman being visible, but too worn to be distinguishable. Honestly, the statue looked closer to a stone snowman. Lumps of rock with some detail.

    Kazius frowned, she definitely was vaguer than Azanor¡­ Her dismissiveness also greatly irritated him.

    ¡°Kazius!¡± He would then hear, Damon and Alice approaching.

    ¡°What the heck was that? Are you okay?¡± Alice asked, panting from effort. After all, going to the top had not been easy for her.

    ¡°I am fine¡­ I should be asking you that too¡­ You seem exhausted¡­ As for that¡­ I have no clue.¡± Kazius stated. He looked concerned, helping her support her weight.

    Damon sighed, looking relieved, ¡°That was crazy¡­ Your shadow had a face! And then it just grabbed you! You have no idea how worried I was¡­ Still, I am proud you made it up here, both of you¡­ I am just glad you didn¡¯t get hurt coming up here on your own¡­ Don¡¯t worry us like that.¡± He scolded, usually being quite carefree, but he did worry about his friends.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ To both of you.¡± Kazius stated sheepishly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to worry you both.¡± He admitted with a small smile.

    ¡°It is okay. I know it wasn¡¯t something in your control¡­ At least from what you said¡­ You aren¡¯t the rash type either.¡± Alice sighed out, catching her breath.

    She would then look at the statue, ¡°What is that anyway?¡±

    ¡°Oh! That! Buahaha! It is a statue of the legend of our town!¡± Damon exclaimed proudly, ¡°They say our tribe got our powers from the Queen of Wind Spirits herself, Vind. Others think she is a Goddess of Wind rather than a spirit. The first Chief made the statue of her long ago. Most in my tribe think it is an old bedtime story, but I always thought it is true.¡±

    ¡®Great¡­ First the Oracle and now a Wind Goddess¡­ Was it too late for me to become an atheist? Maybe that would get powerful beings to stop messing with me.¡¯ Kazius would joke to himself. Of course, it didn¡¯t work that way, but it was an amusing thought nonetheless.

    ¡®Still¡­ Son of Seselis? Is that what she called me?¡¯

 Chapter 20: A Werewolfâ€™s Undeserved Power

    Kazius sighed, ¡°I know of her. She talked to me¡­ Or rather at me, I wouldn¡¯t call that a conversation¡­¡± He admitted in irritation, looking at where the Wind Goddess sat. He supposed that she did tell him important information¡­ It was just annoying she had not let him get a single word in.

    ¡°She spoke to you!?¡± Damon exclaimed, shaking Kazius in excitement. ¡°Buahaha! That is incredible! I knew she was real! She really did talk to the first chief like the story said!¡± He exclaimed, beaming. ¡°What did she say!? What did she say!?¡± He exclaimed. If Damon already lacked an inside voice, even with the wind¡­ Kazius was almost certain people at the foot of the mountain could hear the Werewolf.

    ¡°Okay okay, calm down.¡± Kazius stated, feeling dizzy at the shaking.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Damon stated sheepishly.

    ¡°It is okay, you are her Champion and all of that¡­ I understand why you would be excited¡­ I didn¡¯t get words in, but she spoke about some stuff¡­ I think she knew my father? She also spoke about a hidden temple in Mount Ulf¡­¡± Kazius trailed off, trying to recall all the woman said. So much happened so fast.

    Damon was shocked at his words, ¡°I am her Champion? What do you mean?¡± He asked in surprise, seeming excited for a second only for his expression to grow mixed, ¡°No¡­ That can¡¯t be right¡­ No way she would choose someone like me¡­ I shouldn¡¯t be Chief, much less the Champion¡­¡± He trailed off.

    Damon always confused Kazius, he would grow from proud to insecure at the drop of a hat. Though something told him that he really was both¡­ Proud, yet seeming to have a lot of self-hatred. Then again¡­ Considering how his sister and the town treated him¡­ It did make sense¡­

    ¡®I remember she said something about him running off to cry in the mountain as a kid¡­¡¯

    ¡°That isn¡¯t a lie, that is what she said. She spoke of seeing you in her mountain at a young age¡­ Something about you hiding? And crying¡­¡± Kazius stated awkwardly, unsure of how to talk to another guy about such things. Even though Damon now had them as friends, Kazius could still tell such a topic was delicate.

    ¡°You know it is true, you hold an uncommon affinity for the wind. You have said it yourself. You should be proud.¡± Kazius stated.

    As they spoke, Alice seemed lost. ¡°What even is a Champion?¡±

    ¡°A Champion is a mortal a particular god or goddess favors¡­ You don¡¯t do anything for them or anything like that¡­ They usually pick people they like on rare occasions, people they feel are like them. Then they give them power, that is all¡­ It is hard to understand that stuff well, Caleb knows more than me about it¡­ He has been trying to earn her favor for so long, since he doesn¡¯t have any affinity for the wind powers of the tribe. He can shift¡­ But no wind control¡­ He always tells me he has no right even thinking about being Chief when he can¡¯t even make a tiny gust¡­ He isn¡¯t related to the previous Chief either but¡­¡± Damon would trail off, seeming to feel conflicted on what to say.

    ¡°I¡­ I wanted power... To protect my mother... But I don¡¯t deserve to be this strong. I have no right to be... I am the reason she is gone... So... I just want to enjoy my battles and not think.¡± Damon admitted, opening up some it seems. He never talked about his mother until now. Likely a sore subject. The joy he held earlier was now entirely gone despite what should have been good news.

    ¡°You wanted power and now you have it¡­ Then you used it to protect us, didn¡¯t you?¡± Kazius pointed out.

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t come when you did, I would likely be dead¡­ All of us would be¡­ You''re quite kind to do what you''ve done for us.¡± Alice pointed out.

    ¡°I did want it to protect people¡­ But I don¡¯t deserve it! Okay!? I have no business protecting anyone!¡± Damon exclaimed, being snappy for the first time since they¡¯d met. At this, he seemed to grow more tense and looked down. ¡°I¡­ I will meet you both back at the house.¡± He stated, hopping off the mountain, and running. He moved with such speed despite his size, considering he was the Champion of Wind, it made a lot of sense why such a big guy could move with such agility.

    Kazius watched him, frowning. ¡°Excuse me, Alice.¡± He stated. He refused to let Damon sulk, alone. He was their friend.

    With that, he would scoop Alice up, bridal style. Causing Alice to let out a surprised squeak. She looked so flustered.

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    ¡®Why is her face so red?¡¯

    The drop was tall as Kazius would look out towards where Damon was at a distance. The sun had set during their conversation, darkness enveloping most of the land.

    ¡®Perfect¡¯

    ¡°K-Kazius, hold on. Damon could jump this, but you have neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeVEAHHHHHHHH!¡± Alice would begin only to scream in horror once Kazius would indeed jump. She would cling to him for dear life, burying her face in his chest.

    Kazius would hold her securely, falling quite fast. Still, his little shock earlier had given him an idea. After all, his shadow had held him in the air¡­ And while he couldn¡¯t do something crazy like fly, he believed he could do something close to it.

    He would concentrate for a bit, his fall stopping as he landed on a shadow that stood in the air. He would grow satisfied, it succeeded. With that, he would hop and dash forward, materializing steppingstones of shadow in the air. By going by air, he would catch up to Damon quite quickly.

    Damon had already slowed down to a walk, likely thinking they would be unable to walk down the mountain fast enough. Though as Kazius approached, he would stare at the two in shock. ¡°BUT HOW?¡± he questioned in shock.

    ¡°You are my teacher, you should know by now; I am a fast learner¡­¡± Kazius would state smugly as he would land. ¡°Right, Alice?¡± He questioned, figuring she would say something about what happened back at Remus. When he looked at Alice though, the Princess had gone limp, looking like her soul was leaving her body.

    Kazius grew surprised. She had handled the drops with Damon easily enough now. He figured this would be easy too. ¡°Uh¡­ Sorry¡­¡± he stated sheepishly, putting her down, letting her stand and regain her breath and senses.

    After she regained her breath, the two men were in for quite the scolding. ¡°Stop jumping down tall places without warning people! Especially if you are holding someone! Both of you! Don¡¯t you start that habit, Kazius. You used to not do that.¡± Alice scolded, both sitting down and looking quite apologetic. Getting quite the earful.

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Both men would state in almost unison.

    Alice would huff at the response, looking quite pouty as she gazed at Kazius. Her face was a bit red again.

    ¡°What? I am sorry.¡± Kazius stated in confusion.

    This seemed to only make Alice grumpier, but she did calm down, despite her scowl. ¡°Okay¡­ I won¡¯t be mad anymore¡­ As for you¡­ Damon¡­ We¡¯re your friends¡­ Don¡¯t just run off on us like that. We will respect your boundaries if you don¡¯t want to tell us something¡­ But running away like that is entirely uncalled for.¡±

    Damon would look down apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ It isn¡¯t that I don¡¯t want to tell you, I just don¡¯t want you both to hate me.¡± He admitted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did, Damon¡­ But I doubt we would hate you.¡± Kazius admitted. The man was an overgrown puppy at worst after all. He wore his heart on his sleeve. At least that is how Kazius felt¡­ And it seemed Alice felt similarly.

    Damon looked quite touched at their words, gazing down, ashamed it seems. ¡°I¡­ I am sorry for not telling you sooner¡­ I¡­ I am sure you know some of it by now¡­ But¡­ My father was the previous Chief¡­ and I am the half-brother of my siblings¡­ because¡­ well¡­¡± He seemed to look almost nauseous as he spoke.

    ¡°The dad of my siblings, he was a traveler that settled here¡­ An elf mage that had nowhere to go, so he came here¡­ And he was lucky enough to marry the woman that was considered the most beautiful in the Tribe¡­ The town loved him, he helped change the town to have a stable food source and used magic to make everyone¡¯s lives better¡­ My father¡­ The Chief¡­ He was jealous¡­ Of the glory and admiration, he had¡­ And that he got the woman of his dreams¡­ So¡­ He killed the outsider¡­ And¡­ Well¡­¡± Damon began, seeming disgusted as he spoke.

    ¡°I was born¡­ Not long after¡­¡± Damon would finish, looking ashamed. Clearly not wanting to say the words, but it was clear what his father had done.

    Alice was horrified at what she heard. Of course, she knew people did such things, but still¡­ ¡°Damon¡­¡± She would begin. Kazius too could not hide his shock, his eyes wide.

    "I look just like him, you know? My name isn''t even Damon, that isn''t what my mother named me... She took one look at me and called me Demon... I... I was always called that by her until the day she... She...  Ended her life with a knife while making dinner." Damon would add, bitterly. This indeed explained his self hatred.

    "Damon, stop." Alice would speak up, firmly.

    At this Damon would look worried, clearly expecting the worse. ¡°None of that is you fault.¡± Alice stated, looking at him in concern, ¡°Were you taking that upon yourself this whole time? That isn¡¯t you¡­ That is how you came about, but that isn¡¯t you. You''re nothing like someone like that.¡± She assured, tearing up a bit.

    Kazius at this nodded, agreeing with her, ¡°Was your town blaming you for that the whole time? You aren¡¯t your father, Damon¡­ You can¡¯t blame kids for the crimes of the parents. Specially you¡­ You try so hard to be friends with people, you even helped us, strangers not that long ago¡­ Heck, you are even training us¡­ You aren¡¯t that¡­ Honestly¡­ I feel like I should have a word with your town¡­ They are allowed to not want you to be their Chief, but how they have been treating you... is unacceptable.¡±

    Before either could say more though, the two would be scooped up into quite the bear hug from the large male. Kazius and Alice both would be surprised at the sudden hug. It was clear that their words mean a lot to Damon. After all, his origin had clearly been tormenting him for a long time¡­ And his father¡­ If he was really like that¡­ Just what sort of abuse had the Werewolf suffered? At the hands of both his parents... Regardless, it was okay now. They were here for him. They were his friends.

 Chapter 21: Chat Before Bed

    ¡°And that is what I told the two¡­ I figured you two should know as well.¡± Damon ended, giving the same explanation he had to Alice and Kazius to now Eve and Azanor. Except, he was a lot calmer now.

    Of course, Eve being Eve was crying. ¡°So they have been mean to you because of that? They are meanies! They should be your friends! Not be mean!¡± Eve exclaimed, sobbing. Doing the same ugly crying she had back when Alice told her tale.

    ¡®Eve has her heart in the right place, but anytime she hears anything even a bit sad she ends up this way¡­ Regardless of level of sadness. I wonder if she was like this before, but it seems Azanor doesn¡¯t mind this side of her.¡¯

    ¡°So that is where your name comes from? Being called a Demon¡­ Sounds like a compliment to me.¡± Azanor mused while he comforted Eve, rubbing her back.

    ¡°Azanor. That is far from helpful.¡± Alice scolded with a huff.

    ¡°What? I am saying it is a good thing!¡± The Demon would state in his defense, being a bit tone death, but he was trying to be nice in his own way. Sure, he had his own things to deal with, but he was still a Demon. Empathy did not come easily to him. Something that he clearly needed practice with.

    ¡°It is okay.¡± Damon assured, seeming to be feeling a lot better. Hopefully he would keep being positive.

    ¡°Now that you know, we can leave it at that. We should sleep. Today has been a long day, we have to move on to the next mountain tomorrow!¡± Damon exclaimed, sounding excited about it.

    ¡°We get to move on to the next mountain? But we didn¡¯t go up in an hour.¡± Kazius pointed out, ¡°Does that mean we can go to Mount Ulf?¡±

    ¡°Buahaha! By the end of my training, you will be able to go up in an hour! You have to train more before you can do that! No way I am letting you up Mount Ulf though. I know what the Wind Goddess told you, but you two aren¡¯t ready to go to Mount Ulf. There is something very dangerous that lives there¡­ Even I avoid it in my trips up there, I can¡¯t win against it. You need to train more first¡­ But I don¡¯t want to go anywhere during the full moon¡­ So, we can train tomorrow, but the day after, we should rest.¡± Damon stated, seeming to make a face at the mention of the full moon.

    ¡°Now that I think about it¡­ Most of the townspeople run around and transform to do everyday things, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you change before¡­¡± Kazius pointed out while in thought.

    ¡°That is because I fucking hate it.¡± Damon admitted with a sigh. Which surprised Kazius, he could not recall the Werewolf using such strong language for anything before.

    ¡°Why?¡± Alice asked, confused.

    ¡°We get taller, stronger, and faster when we do, but also lose our self-control. My father was known as the strongest when he transformed¡­ We also get urges that we wouldn¡¯t think of normally. I feel better after talking about things with you¡­ But I still don¡¯t like it. I don¡¯t like being like him. I don¡¯t like not feeling in full control of myself. Besides, I enjoy using a spear and the wind. That is plenty. Going around biting people, no thanks!¡± Damon stated, seeming proud of his skill in the spear and wind. Especially now that he came to terms with the favor he earned from Vind.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, I rarely have seen the towns people holding weapons¡­ I guess they must be lacking in skill¡­If they practice it so little¡­¡¯

    ¡°Then why all the weapons?¡± Alice questioned. After all, the town was decorated with them.

    ¡°Tradition. From before the town was made by the first Chief, Vargstam. Once they got the blessing of the wind, they grew lazy. Barely anyone here knows how to hold a weapon. So, I taught myself.¡± Damon admitted with a wide grin. To be able to teach himself how to use one so well¡­ Even without Vind, it was clear Damon was a genius when it came to wielding a spear.

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    ¡°I see¡­ Well take any break you need. You are the one teaching us out of good will.¡± Kazius pointed out.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, maybe before¡­ But now I am teaching you so you can fight. We have some strong enemies.¡± Damon pointed out.

    ¡°We do?¡± Kazius asked in confusion

    ¡°Of course. Those two back, when we met¡­ You never explained, but they sure seem to hate you. Your enemies are mine too.¡± Damon pointed out.

    Kazius perked up, realizing he indeed never explained their situation, but Damon had still gone along with things. ¡°Thank you¡­ We will tell you everything the day of the full moon. That way you have something to look forward to¡­ Hopefully that day won¡¯t be all bad.¡±

    Damon would grin at that, ¡°Okay! I look forward to it! Anyway, it is late. We should rest. All of you have a good night!¡±

    The group would wave at the male as he left. They would all get ready to sleep.

    Alice seemed particularly exhausted, looking eager to fall asleep as she prepared. Then again, she went to the peak the normal way. She climbed up after him despite all the wind he himself was able to somehow ignore. Kazius also knew that fall after the jump he did¡­ Drained her quite badly. Something he felt quite guilty for. Without realizing it, he was staring at her a bit. Something Alice would notice, blushing and then quickly looking away.

    Azanor seemed to be studying the two as this occurred, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just smack him on the shoulder or something, Alice? You know, knock some sense into him.¡±

    Alice at this would grow flustered, ¡°S-Shut it! I am too tired to deal with you, Azanor. Don¡¯t you dare say a word.¡±

    ¡°But it is so painful to watch¡­¡± Azanor would complain, flopping down onto his bed.

    ¡°That is my problem, and I will do it when I am ready.¡± Alice huffed out.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t polite to talk about someone when they are right in front of you, you know?¡± Kazius would interrupt with a frown.

    ¡°Fine fine, it is nothing. Forget it.¡± Azanor would dismiss.

    Kazius sighed at this. They seemed to talk about him so often¡­ He didn¡¯t get it. He decided to drop it though, even though he was quite annoyed that he was called clueless by the demon. Sadly, for Alice, Kazius grew up in a military setting and while he knew of romance, it just wasn¡¯t something that sunk in easily for him. He was a smart man who could come up with strategy and understand people, but that ended where anything romantic began.

    ¡°Anyway, now that you are done teasing me¡­ How is training going?¡± Kazius decided to ask. Changing the subject to something he did understand.

    ¡°I am getting really good at magic!¡± Eve chirped, seeming to be proud beaming.

    ¡°I see.¡± Kazius stated, wondering if she was relearning things she used to know. After all, Azanor had told him little of what the woman¡¯s powers were, much less what she used to be like or what she was. She did have a talent for the Dark Arts¡­ But it made sense that someone Azanor would fall for would dabble in such things¡­

    ¡°My strength has returned for the most part¡­ If those idiots come back, I should be able to shove their heads into the floor.¡± Azanor trailed off, seeming bitter over what happened. Kazius wasn¡¯t sure if the Demon was more upset about the fact they made Eve cry or how they had hurt his friends. Maybe a bit of both.

    ¡°I will make them cry! They will beg for mercy.¡± Eve chirped giddily in agreement, with such an innocent look.

    ¡®She always had the habit of saying ominous things with that innocent look¡­ Now I am wondering if those really are not flukes or if that is her real personality originally.¡¯

    ¡°Oh! I should show you that one neat trick I learned! I just remembered!¡± Eve exclaimed eagerly.

    At this Azanor seemed to look worried, sweating a bit ¡°You shouldn¡¯t play with that, Eve. It isn¡¯t a toy. You need to be careful.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Eve trailed off in a pouty manner.

    ¡°Is it something that dangerous?¡± Kazius decided to ask.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Azanor stated simply¡­ And here Kazius thought they had gotten past that answer¡­ Then again, the Demon likely still help some secrets. Still, if Eve had powers strong enough to worry the Demon¡­ Whoever took her memories, if they were still around¡­ Were quite a menace.

    ¡°Alright¡­ Well¡­ I think we should all sleep some¡­ It is already late.¡± Kazius stated with a yawn. The two would also head to sleep, seeming in agreement¡­ Or at least Eve was tired too and Azanor was copying her.

    Kazius didn¡¯t need much sleep, but today had been very eventful. He was exhausted and had a lot to think about.

    His father¡­ Damon¡¯s relationship with the town and his own family¡­ The temple Vind spoke of¡­ Training¡­ His shadow¡­ And of course, his fate¡­ He found himself struggling to fall asleep despite how tired he was. Especially because something he was thinking about kept not adding up¡­ He managed to get some rest eventually.

 Chapter 22: A Terrible Start to The Day

    The next day the group would have breakfast. It was a cheerful and casual event, that was until a certain sister showed up. Luna would glare at them with a hateful and spiteful look, much like every interaction they¡¯ve had with her. Now that Kazius knew the source behind her contempt, he could not help but hold contempt for her. After all, he had heard Damon¡¯s begging to her that one day. How he wanted to just be her little brother.

    ¡°Seems your filthy friends are still here¡­ I¡¯m surprised they can still tolerate someone like you. Don¡¯t tell me you are clinging to their feet like the pathetic worm you are.¡± Luna would state with a sneer.

    Of course, despite their talk, Damon would simply look down in shame. It seems the male lacked courage when it came to standing up to himself. One conversation would not fix years of verbal abuse after all.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the pathetic one clinging to him? Isn¡¯t this his house? I heard that it belongs to the Chief. You are not family of the Chief, your words have made that clear. No one is stopping you from leaving yet you always come back to the house to insult him. Don¡¯t like him, fine. You don¡¯t have to, but you are out of your mind if you think I will allow you to talk to our friend that way.¡± Kazius stated, losing his patience with the woman. Sure, his words were a bit vile, but he was tired of hearing her talk shit without anyone saying anything. Of course, he was the only one in the group that understood her, other than Damon¡­

    Damon was shocked at Kazius¡¯ words, seeming to look conflicted. Likely happy to have someone stand up to him, but despite all the abuse, he always would crawl back to Luna in hopes of acceptance.

    Of course, Luna likely did not expect anyone in their group to speak their tongue, so when Kazius told her off¡­ Her eyes would go wide, her face red in embarrassment. Rage and hatred filling her gaze. She would cling her hands into fists, practically shaking from anger. ¡°How¡­ How dare you! You are just an outsider! You don¡¯t belong in our town! This isn¡¯t your business!¡±

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t she a piece of work¡­¡± Azanor would state, not understanding a word, but the vile woman practically frothing at the mouth in anger was far from a pretty sight.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the mean lady.¡± Eve would agree, not understanding what was even happening likely.

    ¡°In fact, the idea you are still here is an interesting one¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking about it, you know? I¡¯ve had a lot to think about as of late¡­ And something just doesn¡¯t add up¡­ You curse him yet you always come back to curse him some more despite your clear hatred for him¡­ Even though you disappear¡­ So you clearly have somewhere else to go¡­ Then there is the towns people¡­ From what I can understand, you all decide on Chief based on blood¡­ Strength and likability seem to be important too¡­¡± Kazius trailed off, gazing at the fuming woman.

    ¡°What of it?! That bastard isn¡¯t liked by anyone! The whole town understands just how disgusting he is!¡± Luna growled out in contempt.

    ¡°Precisely. Such an unnatural consensus¡­ Doesn¡¯t just happen¡­ When the situation is not his fault¡­ In a Tribe that values tradition enough to still have weapons laying around even if they don¡¯t use them anymore¡­ I wonder who has been putting the idea of Caleb becoming chief in their heads, hm? Specially since Caleb just stays locked in his room studying magic¡­ And talks about not wanting to be Chief to both the town and Damon¡­ Yet the town remains persistent on it¡­ As if they feel it will happen¡­ Sure, Damon has been avoiding being chief¡­ But¡­ Isn¡¯t all that so convenient for you? Where they get that persistence from¡­ It is almost like someone has been running around town while Damon is away to make sure that hatred stays¡­ I wonder who would do something like that?¡± Kazius would muse, his expression a bit sneering and cold, intimidating even. His demeanor was confusing his friends quite a bit. Only Damon understood what he was saying, but his mannerism was something unusual for the former Holy Knight. Usually he was kind and understanding, then again, Luna was quite cruel to Damon¡­ And Kazius was quite protective of his friends. His expression was quite the intimidating one, that much was certain. His composed glare back at the Werewolf woman being almost unsettling.

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    Luna seemed to grow wide-eyed at his accusation, not upset over it, but rather looking like someone who had been caught. ¡°How did you¡­¡±

    Damon at this looked horrified, ¡°Luna¡­ Please tell me that is not true¡­ Please¡­ Do you¡­ Do you hate me that much?¡± He questioned in dismay, sounding heartbroken.

    ¡°Of course I do! Ever since you were born! The moment I saw you, I wanted to suffocate you with a pillow. A death like that is too good for you though. So, I sat still¡­ And when mother took her life I swore I would make sure to take everything away from you. Your father, your title, everything. I will take it from you until you want to die.¡± Luna told him bitterly.

    ¡®Wait¡­ His father? This was deeper than what I realized¡­¡¯

    ¡°What do you mean father?¡± Damon questioned, a shocked expression on his face.

    ¡°Did you really think some random outsider was able to kill that sick fuck?¡± Luna snapped back, coming clean.

    ¡°Did you think¡­ I liked him? I hated him too. I¡­ Don¡¯t fault you for that¡­ Even though¡­ I began to train to protect you all from him! Specially mother! But instead, the stronger I got the worse you all treated me! The more mother feared me! When mom died, I just wanted to quietly not be in your way, to make up for everything¡­ To see you and Caleb happy¡­ I even rejected the little affection father finally showed me when I began to show strength. When I stopped him from beating us anymore¡­ What more¡­ What more could I have done!? Want to die¡­ I wanted to do that before you even did anything!¡± Damon exclaimed, the giant of a man breaking, crying.

    At his words though, Luna would look him straight in the eye before speaking. Hatred in her gaze, ¡°Good.¡± She would say firmly to him, not moved at all by his words.

    Damon at that would keep having tears fall. he wasn¡¯t sobbing. It was just a silent cry. Today was supposed to be a day to cheer him up over the upcoming full moon yet now he seemed to be more miserable than ever. ¡°Get¡­ Get out¡­ I¡­ I won¡¯t have you in my house anymore¡­¡± He would meekly tell the woman. Sounding almost defeated. He couldn¡¯t say more, heading out, storming out of the house himself.

    Kazius at this would lose his patience. He would give Damon a concerned look only to then look back at the woman, his expression cold. ¡°Come near him again and I will kill you. In fact, don¡¯t let me see you in town¡­ You will regret it if I have to see your face again.¡± He warned, heading after the distraught Werewolf. In his eyes, she was no better than the church and former friends. He intended to get rid of it all such problems.

    Of course, after what just happened, their group was every confused. All they had seen was them talk and then have the Werewolf break down crying.

    ¡°What just happened?¡± Alice questioned in concern.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like not knowing things.¡± Azanor admitted with a sigh, which was rich coming from him. He loved leaving them in the dark for the most part.

    ¡°I am always confused.¡± Eve decided to admitted as well, seeming more confused than the other two.

    They would follow after Kazius though. Clearly wanting to understand the situation. Thankfully, Kazius would explain things on the way.

 Chapter 23: There Is No Need To Be Alone

    It would be hard to find Damon. Sure he was a man of stature and hard to miss, but he was nimble. He got so far so fast, a gust remaining in the air where he had dashed.

    While they searched, Kazius successfully filled the group in on what had happened. Much to their horror. Especially Alice, who had been there during some of the conversations with Damon. He was already under so much mental distress¡­ And now this?  The full moon tomorrow had him upset enough as it is.

    The situation did bring hope to some extent though. If Luna was the culprit behind the worse of Damon¡¯s treatment, perhaps there was a way to change that with her gone. If Damon even wanted to still deal with the town after how they have treated him.

    Still, they would first have to find the Werewolf. The way he spoke, it worried Kazius heavily. What if they couldn¡¯t find him and then he did something reckless?

    ¡°Can¡¯t you sense for his soul or something, Azanor? Find him.¡± Kazius questioned, abit demanding, but the situation was dire.

    ¡°What do you think I am?! Some sort of sniffer dog? I can¡¯t sense him at this distance! I am not that type of Demon! I could only do something crazy like that with the soul of someone I have a contract with. That isn¡¯t my expertise. I am a Demon, not a genie!¡± Azanor exclaimed, sounding panicked.  Surprising for the Demon who was normally so calm.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t good¡­ We can¡¯t be running around without any direction¡­¡± Alice would add in concern.

    Kazius also felt that was the case. It was then he decided to try something¡­ He would look at his shadow, worried about using something he still didn¡¯t fully understand¡­ Still, he needed to find Damon. With that. He would stop the wondering, making the others freeze too.

    ¡°Kazius?¡± Alice asked in confusion.

    Kazius wasn¡¯t sure if this would work, but¡­ He would focus on the shadows around him. As if looking. It was hard since it was morning. The light made it a lot harder; he wasn¡¯t even sure what he was even looking for or if he really was doing anything. He would close his eyes, concentrating further. Unable to see the shadows in the area all shimmering the more he focused. It was then he heard that voice again¡­ The one he heard in the mountain when he nearly got blown away.

    ¡°By the river at the foot of Mount Cyklon.¡± Kazius would hear in his ear. Something that almost caught him off guard. It was the same voice that was his own yet not¡­ That he heard at the mountain, but he had no time to dwell on it.

    ¡°He is near Mount Cyklon, near a river¡­ So the side facing the valley, come on.¡± Kazius stated.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Azanor questioned.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡± Kazius would tease. After all, the Demon loved that phrase. That and ¡®don¡¯t worry about it¡¯.

    Azanor at this would make a face as if offended. ¡°Alright alright, you got me there¡­ Let¡¯s move before that idiot does something stupid.¡± The Demon sighed out, showing concern for the Werewolf.

    ¡°Let¡¯s cheer him up!¡± Eve exclaimed eagerly.

    With that, the group would head off. Indeed, Damon was by the river near Mount Cyklon¡­ Something that Reminded Kazius of the words of Vind¡­

    ¡®So, he really would come cry and sulk by the mountain¡­ Since he was a kid.¡¯

    Damon had yet to notice them, or if he did, he didn¡¯t react. He was hunched over, staring into his reflection in the water. He looked miserable. Despite no longer crying, his eyes were red, showing he had cried quite a bit for some time.

    ¡°Oh Damon¡­¡± Alice would state in dismay at the sight.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be sad. I think Damon is a good friend and really nice.¡± Eve would add.

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    Damon would let out a sigh, not responding, seeming to be deep in thought, still just looking at the river.

    ¡®Now that I think about it¡­ He did say he looks just like his father¡­ Is that why he is staring at his reflection? That can¡¯t be good for him¡­¡¯

    Kazius would approach, sitting next to the Werewolf. He didn¡¯t look at him, but instead at the river as well. Surprisingly enough, Azanor was the next to join, sitting at Damon¡¯s other side.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Azanor asked, the question confusing Kazius. Damon did not respond, but did seem to frown further at the question.

    ¡°I mean it, WHO are you? Because I know who I am¡­ I know who my friends are¡­ I know who those I care about are¡­ But I am also a Demon¡­ Yet I still feel things like love and the like¡­ Something not typical for my kind¡­ And despite things I¡¯ve gone through, I¡¯ve never lost myself to others¡­ I know who I am¡­ because I decide what I am. As do you.¡± Azanor would surprisingly speak up in a tone of understanding.

    Kazius would smile a bit, speaking up as well. ¡°Those people we fought back there¡­ When we first met¡­ They used to be my friends. They were like my brothers even; we grew up in the orphanage together and then became knights together¡­ But they found out I¡¯m not Human, something I can¡¯t control¡­ So then they decided they hate me and want to kill me¡­ But now I have real friends¡­ Including you¡­ And when you don¡¯t have a family, you can always make your own¡­ Sure blood is important¡­ But¡­ In the end, it is up to you what you do.¡± He decided to add.

    At this Damon would look all the more unsure, still looking at the water. It was so weird seeing someone so happy and loud be so quiet. It didn¡¯t suit him.

    ¡°I was chased out by the people of my own kingdom because they were turned against me by someone who I thought I could trust. They called me all sorts of things, they wanted me executed¡­ We¡­ we may not know exactly the pain you are going through¡­ But¡­ We know who you are, Damon. We know your pain¡­ We care about you¡­¡± Alice would speak up.

    ¡°You¡¯re our friend!¡± Eve chirped out giddily.

    ¡°Our mentor.¡± Alice would add.

    ¡°A kind person that saved some total strangers despite one of them being a Demon.¡± Azanor would add.

    ¡°You are not your father¡­ You¡¯re an incredible person. You¡¯re you¡­ And you get to decide what that is¡­ You can try to get others to see that¡­ But if they refuse to see that, well that is their loss. They don¡¯t deserve you.¡± Kazius would state.

    Kazius was about to say something else, but he froze when he saw the Werewolf trembling. He shook, silent tears streaming down his face. It was then they would all be pulled into quite the bear hug. All 4 of them. Something the large male could manage quite easily due to his stature.

    Many of them tensed at first, definitely not expecting a hug. Soon though they would return it. It was easy to tell, for the longest time, Damon just needed a hug. To hear such words, to have someone believe in him. Now he had 4 people that did believe in him and so much more.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Damon would finally let out, stopping his shaking. He seemed to calm down.

    ¡°What are friends for? You big goof¡­ Don¡¯t run off on us like that anymore, okay?¡± Alice stated with a warm smile.

    As they spoke, something happened. From Mount Cycklon a strong gust would come from the top of the mountain. Small leaves would fall in quite the spectacle. The group would admire the view, the wind carrying the foliage around in an elegant yet unnatural manner.

    ¡®Vind must be happy for him too, huh¡­ She did say she did always watch him when he was at her mountain and we are at the foot of it¡­¡¯

    Damon seemed to make a similar realization, or so Kazius thought. He would give the mountain almost a thankful look before looking back at the group.

    ¡°Thank you again¡­. I¡­ I hope you know, what you¡¯ve done¡­ It means the world to me.¡± Damon admitted. ¡°Alright! No more sulking! I will make the best of things! I am not alone¡­ so¡­ so¡­¡± He trailed  off, clearly trying to pep himself up. ¡°Okay¡­ I can do this!¡± Damon stated, looking determined. Only to then make an awkward face, ¡°I¡­ I will admit though¡­ I don¡¯t really want to go home yet.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to go home. We could camp out! Camping is fun!¡±  Eve would exclaim happily.

    ¡°Are you sure? I bet the house would me more comfortable¡­¡± Damon trailed off.

    ¡°We¡¯re your friends, we told you. We are here for you¡­ If we weren¡¯t willing to take a little inconvenience when you already have done so much for us¡­ What kind of friends would we be?¡± Kazius pointed out. ¡°We will camp out as long as you like. We were already doing so when we were traveling anyway¡­ If you want to be out here during the full moon even, we don¡¯t mind staying out here one more day.¡±  He would add.

    Damon at this seemed to smile more, genuine joy in his eyes. Kazius could tell how much their words meant. ¡°Great!¡± He exclaimed, being his joyful self again it seems. ¡°We should¡­ We should¡­ Can we go fishing?¡± He would ask in almost a pleading tone, the question being an odd one, a bit random even¡­

    ¡®Maybe it was something he had wanted to do with someone for some time? Vargstam has a of water around¡­ I do recall seeing families around here fishing together at times, since that was an activity even a child could do¡­ He probably grew up seeing families doing things like that together¡­ I suppose I understand, I remember seeing parents with their kids at the beginning of the coming-of-age ceremony¡­ I was jealous too¡­¡¯

    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go fishing.¡± Kazius assured.

 Chapter 24: Camping

    As promised, the group would fish by the river. An activity Damon seemed to very much enjoy. Of course, they didn¡¯t bring any rods. What they did was not really fishing. It was more like standing in the water and attempting to grab a fish.  Something that was not too hard. Sure, the fish were fast, but the fish were of quite the size. The fish away from Ratier only got bigger, likely due to mana differences in the environment. The fish they would catch were the size of a small pig.

    Of course, as they had fun. Damon didn¡¯t talk about what he discovered about his sister during the whole time, pushing it aside for a bit. Kazius would not pry about it either. The whole group understood the Werewolf was likely doing a lot of thinking.  Something that was fine with them.

    After fishing, they would set up a decent camp with what they could scavenge. They even played some games. It was very much like any regular camping experience.

    Soon night fell. Tomorrow night¡­ They all knew what would happen. Rather than fretting though, Damon would just lay down with the group, looking up at the stars. The sky was clear, and every little star could be seen. It was quite different from Ratier, which had light magic orbs lighting up the whole place even at night.

    ¡®It is so beautiful out here¡­ I really am glad I left.¡¯

    The group was almost oddly silent, just looking up at the sky without a word. It was as if everyone had a lot on their mind. The mountains, the stars, the trees, it all was oh so calming. After a draining day, it was refreshing to just take in the moment.

    Kazius kept thinking about things he had learned, what he could do¡­ It all came to him like a second nature¡­ But what was he? He supposed that all of them had a lot to do to understand themselves.  As he thought about such things, he would turn and look at his group. He would study them, pleased that despite the betrayal he had felt¡­ He still found a way to make genuine friends he could trust.

    He would gloss over their faces only to then look at Alice who was to his left. He wasn¡¯t sure if this would all be possible without her initial help¡­ He would end up staring at her a bit.

    ¡®She looks mesmerizing in this light¡­¡¯

    He would perk up, surprised at his own thoughts only to then notice she seemed to notice his staring. She would grow a bit flustered, quickly averting her gaze. She would keep giving him looks from the corner of her eye though, something he would notice. Kazius at this would study her for a bit longer, not understanding why she looked away. He, sadly for Alice, did not dwell on it long, his mind preoccupied with his other thoughts once again.

    ¡°Do you have any interesting stories, Damon? About your people.¡± Azanor finally spoke up, breaking the silence in the group. ¡°I don¡¯t have any memories of your people, I don¡¯t think I encountered them either¡­ I do remember this land vaguely¡­ You were not originally from here, were you?¡±

    Damon would look surprised, perking up at the question. ¡°I used to hear stories about it when I was a kid¡­ Legends¡­ I wasn¡¯t too sure myself if they were true¡­ But if Vind is real¡­ I think maybe the stories could be real too.¡± He admitted.

    ¡°Apparently, we were originally from the far North, a very cold place with mostly ice and little food. We struggled a lot to survive¡­ And our neighbors would often fight with us over the food that the area had. Our people were good at fighting, but we grew tired of the misery, so we left. Then we traveled South until we ended up here. Legend says that the first Chief was welcome to the valley by Vind herself¡­ There is a different version though. About how the first chief actually married the Goddess¡­ But I never wanted to believe that one. It is such a sad version.¡± Damon admitted as he kept staring up.

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    ¡®I can¡¯t decide which makes the most sense¡­ She does spend her time at the top of a mountain singing¡­ Is it for a long-dead lover? Or is she just enjoying herself? I don¡¯t know if it was because of sadness or not¡­ She was also so aloof I barely got a read on her personality.¡¯

    ¡°Is that so¡­ That does explain why I don¡¯t have memories of that¡­ I was sealed away for a 1000 years.¡± Azanor stated.

    ¡°What? So that story Caleb told me was true?¡± Damon questioned in shock.

    ¡°Story?¡± Kazius questioned in confusion.

    ¡°Well, Caleb would tell me stories when I was younger¡­ Caleb¡­ I know he may seem uninterested¡­ But in truth, he is a loner¡­ He never intervened with Luna¡­ But¡­ He did treat me like a brother. He would tell me stories his dad would tell him.¡± Damon admitted, seeming to smile at the memory.

    ¡°My people didn¡¯t know about Demons¡­ We don¡¯t fear them out here. We don¡¯t care too much¡­ Us¡­ What did he say¡­ Apparently, Humans, Elves, and Dwarves call us Monsters right? Buahaha! I remember those two back when we met, they must really not like us! Anyway¡­ Caleb¡¯s old man was different though¡­  He agreed that not all Demons were bad¡­ He didn¡¯t think Monsters were bad either¡­ Since he married one¡­ He seemed to not trust most Humans a lot though¡­ He spoke about only knowing one that he liked¡­ But he was dumber than a box of rocks¡­ His exact words, or so Caleb said... He also spoke about even having a Demon friend once¡­ A real sneaky one that was a total pushover to his wife¡­ He always sounded like such a funny guy and dad¡­¡± Damon would trail off while in thought.

    ¡°Pft, he sounds like a loser.¡± Azanor mocked with a smirk even though Kazius knew the Demon would do anything for Eve.

    ¡°What did he have against humans?¡± Alice asked in surprise, ¡°Then again¡­ I guess I am not crazy about my own kind¡­ So I guess I understand any criticism he may have¡­ he likely was chased out if he ended up out here¡­ I am guessing he criticized other Elves and Dwarves too, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Caleb said he would talk about them a lot, but he also had friend that was Dwarf.¡± Damon admitted.

    ¡°Wait¡­ You said he had a Demon friend¡­ I just realized¡­ But Demons have been sealed for a 1000 years so he must have been a very old Elf¡­¡±  Kazius stated.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right¡­ I never thought of that!¡± Damon exclaimed in awe at the realization.

    ¡°Buahaha! Now I really wished I had met Zelphar¡­ Or that he had been my dad too¡­¡± Damon laughed out goofily.

    ¡°Yeah I bet he was-¡± Alice would begin only to go wide-eyed and freeze. Kazius and Azanor too also grow shocked.

    ¡°WHAT!?¡± They whole group would exclaim in unison, the sound echoing through the fairly calm and quiet valley. Eve too would join in, likely not realizing anything¡­ But she wanted to not be left out in the fun yelling.

    ¡°What?¡± Damon questioned in confusion.

    ¡°That little shit¡­¡± Azanor would trail off, cursing which was something he didn¡¯t typically do. He had an offended expression, his face grumpy.

    ¡°What do you mean Zelphar?¡± Alice questioned Damon, springing up from her laying down position.

    ¡°What? It was his name? Oh! Is it rude to say the name of someone exiled or something?¡± Damon asked in confusion.

    ¡°No! I mean, we are basically exiled too¡­ But¡­ Uh¡­ Geez¡­ He was a friend of one of my ancestors is all¡­ And I guess it makes sense for him to have been alive¡­ Elves live forever unless someone kills them¡­ But I heard he had been murdered¡­ According to the History books.¡± Alice stated.

    ¡°Well¡­ To be fair¡­ Would Ratier have you written as dead?¡± Kazius pointed out.

    ¡°True¡­¡± Alice trailed off, looking to be thinking about it.

    ¡°Some ancestor of yours was friends with him? Buahaha! He really did know a lot of people!¡± Damon exclaimed contently. He seemed to have no clue how important of a figure the Elf was¡­ Then again, he likely didn¡¯t tell anyone about such a past¡­ But that did bring into question¡­ Did something like with Alice happen to Zelphar? Were all 3 Kingdoms corrupt?

    Alice would plop back down, ¡°I already had so much on my miiiiind and now this.¡± She would whine out with a sigh, sounding defeated.

    As this occurred, Azanor would grumble to himself about something.

    ¡°We can ask Caleb about him if you guys are that interested¡­ I don¡¯t know if he will talk though.¡± Damon stated. It seems despite the conversation steering in an odd way, the Werewolf was cheered up fully now, any hint of gloominess gone.

    ¡°We will try, but if he doesn¡¯t want to¡­ I won¡¯t force him.¡± Alice sighed out.

    ¡°Alright¡­ Well, I think that is enough running around for one day¡­ How about we all sleep? Tomorrow we can have some more fun.¡± Kazius suggested, knowing everyone was truly exhausted by now¡­ They had been staring at the sky for hours.

    With agreement from the group. They would all head to bed.

 Chapter 25: Brothers

    The next day the group would wake up, still in the woods. Kazius of course woke up before everyone else, so he decided to try his hand at making breakfast. As he cooked, he found himself lost in thought. He was happy Damon seemed to be doing better¡­ But Vargstam itself was problematic¡­ Would they turn around without Luna there? Something told him though that someone as malicious as her would not give up¡­ Just like Leo and Alex. People like that were not just toxic, but malicious, an enemy. The list of enemies they had only grew¡­ Though the list of friends did too¡­ Then there was the information he learned about Zelphar.

    ¡®There is definitely something fucked up about the 3 kingdoms¡­ If Zelphar and Ratier ended up like this¡­ It was likely Thimdur may not be any better¡­  The war that will come will be one against them all¡­ Maybe¡­ I should find a way to take care of them before the Demon King comes¡­ I wonder¡­ If I have the power to do it¡­¡¯

    He would look at his shadow, which looked like a normal shadow at the moment¡­ Yet to him, it was clear he heard it talk twice now¡­ As he dwelled on this, he was snapped out of his thoughts by Azanor.

    ¡°Good morning¡­ You sure look happy to be making breakfast¡­ If you are going to be making a face like that, you should have waited on Damon or Alice to wake up.¡± Azanor mused sarcastically.

    Kazius sighed, ¡°That isn¡¯t it¡­ It¡­ it¡¯s complicated.¡± He admitted, aware he did not tell his friends yet about the vision he got from The Oracle. It wasn¡¯t like he wanted to keep it a secret, but rather Kazius felt that it would be better to wait to explain to them such a thing¡­ Not to mention, he had no idea how to speak about such it without sounding like a lunatic.

    ¡°More complicated than your wife not remembering who you are or who she is? Or even who did that to her?¡± Azanor questioned with a raised brow. He had opened up to Kazius a lot after all.

    ¡°Yes and no, it is up there though.¡± Kazius sighed out, ¡°It is several things¡­  And I know for a fact that there are things you still haven¡¯t told me¡­ And it isn¡¯t like I want to keep it from you¡­ I will tell you all of it eventually, to all of you¡­ Promise¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­ That is fair¡­ Same for me¡­¡± Azanor stated with a sigh.

    ¡°I do have a question though.¡± Kazius admitted.

    ¡°Alright¡­ What is it?¡± Azanor questioned, seeming willing to answer without hesitation. This surprised Kazius.

    ¡°You said you can¡¯t tell what I am but¡­ You seemed to understand to some extent how my power worked though, back at Remus¡­ So you must have an idea of a race that has some of my powers¡­ Also¡­ Does the name Seselis sound familiar to you? I just¡­ I want to understand myself a bit before I go forward with something¡­¡± Kazius would finally speak up.

    Azanor was about to answer Kazius¡¯ question, but then he froze, making a horrified face. ¡°Seselis? How do you know a terrible name like that? Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Oh¡­¡± He seemed to have an understanding look.

    ¡°Vind said I am just like him¡­ I am guessing he might be my father¡­ Likely not a good one, if I ended up in a Human orphanage out of all things¡­ Your face seems to verify that¡­¡± Kazius stated with a concerned look.

    ¡°Well¡­ He is quite a terrible being¡­ You are right¡­ To be honest, you may have been better off in an orphanage than raised by him¡­ I wouldn¡¯t know how you ended up in such a place¡­  But whoever put you there, likely did so to protect you¡­¡± Azanor admitted with a grimace. ¡°Seselis is the Lord of Shadow¡­ The King of The Shadow Fiends. A race of beings of pure darkness. And this is coming from a Demon. What makes them so dangerous is that they are quite unhinged. Something happens where light can¡¯t reach, he may just get involved and use it for his purposes. Think of it this way¡­ My brother wants to conquer the world and enslave mortals to be his little soul cattle¡­ Seselis wants to bring darkness to the world, so there is only shadow.¡± Azanor explained.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that lovely¡­ I guess that answers that¡­ When you put it like that, no way I will try and find more on him¡­ No touching father son reunion for me¡­¡± Kazius joked with a slightly bitter laugh.

    ¡°We can¡¯t pick our fathers¡­ But we can be better men than them.¡± Damon would suddenly speak up, drawing the attention of the two.

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    ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡­ Woke up a while ago¡­ And didn¡¯t want to interrupt.¡± He stated sheepishly.

    ¡°It is okay, I don¡¯t mind. You¡¯re right, we don¡¯t.¡± Kazius admitted with a grin, not affected by it very much. After all, he had his friends. Not to mention, perhaps his mother had tried to protect him¡­ She could be out there somewhere¡­ She may be the one that gave him the necklace with his name¡­ Something he still wore. But he would deal with that eventually. At the moment, he needed to enjoy the camping and perhaps look into the hidden location in Mount Ulf that Vind told him about.

    ¡°Buahaha! Glad you see it that way too!¡± Damon beamed only to look at the sleeping Alice and Eve and quiet down again.

    ¡°Yes, we shouldn¡¯t live in the past nor dwell on what we can¡¯t control¡­¡± Kazius trailed off, looking at his clothes. This whole time, he still wore his old knight armor. It was time he got rid of such a thing.

    ¡°Speaking of¡­ Do you think in town I could find something new to wear? I want to get rid of this.¡± Kazius admitted.

    Damon would study the uniform, ¡°That is what those two were wearing when we met¡­ Those former friends of yours, right? I get it! Buahaha! Don¡¯t worry! My clothes would be too big, but I will find you something!¡± He would beam, giving a thumbs up.

    Being quiet was not Damon¡¯s strong suit, once again getting excited and being loud. This would wake up the two sleeping women. Alice would get up and stretch, ¡°What is all the noise about?¡± She mumbled sleepily.

    Eve too would also wake up, Azanor at this moving away from the fire and would go to tend to her.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Damon would laugh out apologetically.

    ¡°It is okay¡­ ¡± Alice would state sluggishly with a yawn.

    ¡°Good morning¡­ You woke up right in time¡­ Breakfast is ready.¡± Kazius admitted.

    With that, the group would eat breakfast.

    Alice was awake by now, eating quite energetically. Eve on the other hand had fallen asleep again with her head on Azanor¡¯s shoulder. They did stay up late¡­ Then again, the woman wasn¡¯t actually an Elf, who knows how much sleep she even needed, if any. She was convinced she was one though¡­ But at least Azanor looked genuinely content at having her close.

    Their meal would be interrupted though.

    ¡°Damon!¡±

    They would hear a familiar voice shout at a distance.

    Damon would freeze at this, turning to look at the direction where the voice came. He looked nervous and once the group spotted who it was¡­ It was understandable why. It was Caleb.

    Rather than angry though or his usually indifferent expression, he had a sad expression on his face. He looked worried, but relieved once he spotted Damon. He looked absolutely exhausted, dark circles in his eyes.

    ¡°Where were you?! I¡¯ve been looking for you all night!¡± Caleb exclaimed, hugging the surprised Damon. His words switching to common.

    ¡°C-Caleb? Did something happen?¡± Damon questioned in concern.

    ¡°What do you mean did something happen!? You never returned home! I was worried sick! I¡­ I am sorry¡­¡± Caleb admitted, his expression miserable.

    ¡°What are you talking about, Caleb? You didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Damon stated.

    ¡°Exactly! Luna¡­ She¡­ She told me about everything¡­ I¡­ I had no idea¡­ I swear¡­¡± Caleb admitted in shame, ¡°I am sorry¡­ I am such a terrible older brother¡­ I thought¡­ I never got involved because I understood what Luna felt, but I thought she would get over it one day¡­ I let her treat you that way¡­ I never did anything about it¡­ I figured if I just didn¡¯t get involved the townspeople would stop too¡­ But Luna¡­ She was the one¡­ You are my sibling as well, yet I never defended you¡­¡± Caleb stated, tearing up. He looked like he felt guilty. Despite his exhaustion, he refused to sit down or stop talking. He was struggling to stand.

    ¡°I told Luna off¡­ She¡­ She wanted me to leave the town with her¡­ I refused¡­ I failed both of you¡­ If I had corrected her¡­ Maybe¡­ Just maybe¡­ We would be an actual family¡­ But instead, I was scared and now look at what happened¡­ When you didn¡¯t come home¡­ I thought¡­ I-I thought¡­¡± Caleb trailed off, shaking. His violet eyes full of fear more than exhaustion.

    Damon was shocked at Caleb¡¯s words, but at this, he would return the hug. His expression genuinely relieved.

    ¡®I am happy for him¡­ I know he said he was okay¡­ But he spoke of Caleb quite well¡­ It is good he at least has a brother that cares for him.¡¯

    ¡°I am okay¡­ I promise¡­ I¡­ My friends, they helped me through this a lot¡­ To be honest¡­ Kazius here realized what Luna had been up to and called her out on it¡­ I don¡¯t blame you for everything¡­ I know¡­ Father scared you¡­ Just like he did me¡­ And Luna¡­ I endured because I saw Mother in her¡­ I wanted her happy¡­ To be accepted by her¡­ But¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t think we can help her.¡± Damon admitted, his gaze darkening a bit with sadness.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I wish¡­ I wish she didn¡¯t have that hatred in her heart¡­ But¡­ I know Mother was likely the one who put it in there¡­ But¡­ I promise you, Damon¡­ I will be a better brother to you¡­ I told the town already¡­ I told them off about that Chief nonsense¡­ I¡­¡± Caleb stated, exhaustion finally catching up to him. He would struggle to stay up. Running around all night would do that, especially now that the adrenaline wore off.

    Thankfully, Damon was able to help him lay down, ¡°Thank you, Caleb¡­ It means a lot to me, but you should sleep. The you need your rest, especially with the Full Moon coming up.¡± He pointed out. Thankfully Caleb did not have to be told twice, he was out like a light before they knew it.

 Chapter 26: Just How Crazy?

    After resting a while, Caleb would a little better. He was still out cold though. He really must have been looking for Damon all night.

    ¡°I know he is sorry and all that¡­ But are you just going to forgive him? The towns people too¡­ If I were you I would tell them to go kick rocks.¡± Azanor admitted with a scoff.

    ¡°I¡­ I forgive him¡­ I know what it was like, growing up afraid¡­ It was probably scarier for him than it was for me¡­ Losing your dad and then¡­ Having me come along¡­ I don¡¯t blame him for not knowing what to do¡­ We were both kids. And for what it is worth, he did treat me like a brother¡­ Even if he hid a lot.¡± Damon admitted, conflicted.

    ¡°He sounds like a coward¡­¡± Azanor muttered to himself, clearly not supportive. ¡°I suppose it is up to you though. I feel like the town is more guilty than anyone¡­ Antagonizing a child¡­ Mortals are so foolish at times¡± He sighed out.

    ¡®I feel like the whole brother thing hits a nerve with Azanor¡­ Though his relationship with his own brother is murky so I guess it makes sense¡­¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the town¡­ I know Luna manipulated them¡­ But¡­ I need to think¡­¡± Damon admitted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t feel forced to, regardless of what you pick, you are one of us now. We won¡¯t let you deal with this alone anymore.¡± Kazius assured.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t forgive them either¡­¡± Alice admitted, clearly some of her own personal feelings towards Ratier seeping into her words. For once her an Azanor were actually on the same page.

    ¡°But it is better to be friends when you can.¡± Eve would respond contently.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Damon stated, being awfully quiet, looking conflicted.

    As they spoke, Caleb would stir, waking up. ¡°Where¡­ Oh! Sorry¡­ About that¡­¡± He stated, the hybrid looking embarrassed. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to fall sleep on you¡­¡± He stated.

    ¡°It is okay, you ran around a lot¡­ And running has never been your strength.¡± Damon teased, seeming to be trying to be his usual self, despite what they were talking about just a bit ago.

    Caleb smiled at this, ¡°Thanks a lot¡­ Geez. You know I am a shut in.¡± He would chuckle out, looking relieved and content. He still had dark circles around his eyes, but a long nap wouldn¡¯t fix that, even if a long one¡­ Then again¡­ It was already almost evening and the sun would set soon.

    ¡°Should we head back to town?¡± Kazius asked, after all, they were here to cheer Damon up and now that Caleb was here, what Damon wanted to do may have changed.

    ¡°I think we should¡­ I¡­ I am worried, to be honest¡­ Luna¡­ She is unhinged¡­ I know I have no right to ask you to do this¡­ But¡­ I worry about the safety of the town¡­¡± Caleb admitted, ¡°Some of the stuff she said¡­ When I told her I wouldn¡¯t join her¡­ It worries me¡­¡±

    Damon at this would frown a bit, looking conflicted yet again. He would end up looking at Kazius, ¡°Should we help them?¡± he asked, acting like the situation didn¡¯t involve him.

    ¡®So even someone as big hearted as Damon could hold a grudge¡­ He didn¡¯t hesitate for a second to save us¡­ Then again¡­ Now that he has friends and doesn¡¯t feel desperate and lonely, he may act more freely towards what he wants.¡¯

    ¡°I am not sure¡­¡± Kazius admitted, contemplating the situation¡­ He did like Vargstam as a base¡­ And he was supposed to become The Monster King¡­ Maybe it was in his best interest to do so, even if he didn¡¯t like how they treated Damon¡­ He could do so and see what happens. He did lean towards helping people¡­ Even if he held a grudge on behalf of his friend.

    ¡°Just how much damage can she even do? She is a spell caster or something, right? One spell caster is something I can handle on my own. Werewolf or not.¡± Azanor pointed out with a scoff.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know, Luna¡­ She is crazy¡­¡± Caleb admitted in concern.

    ¡°She is crazy, but she is still just a spell caster. Aren¡¯t you better than her at magic?¡± Alice admitted, agreeing with Azanor again. The descendant of Ratier was buddies with a Demon¡­ Their group was a strange one.

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    ¡°I suppose¡­¡± Caleb trailed off, ¡°But you don¡¯t know her like how I do¡­ Damon¡­ You know what she is like when angry¡­¡±

    Kazius sighed, ¡°We will help them.¡± He agreed with a sigh.¡°Not sure what we would be helping them with anyway¡­ But we will¡­ What do you think she will do? Cause a scene in town? I did warn her¡­¡± He trailed off.  Kazius did not make empty threats after all, but he knew the situation was more complicated than that.

    Damon would simply smile weakly at Kazius, ¡°I trust you to make the right call¡­ I¡­ I know I am placing this burden on you¡­ When this is something, I should handle¡­¡± He sighed out.

    ¡®Is Luna that crazy?  I thought Damon would argue more¡­ She did seem unhinged¡­ But to agree I can finish her off if I want is¡­ Then again, I doubt Caleb and Damon could bring themselves to do that themselves¡­ Even if she is trying to hurt them¡­ Still¡­ Just what do they think she will do?¡¯

    ¡°Alright¡­ If you guys are that worried¡­ let¡¯s head back to town, we can cut through the valley and go towards a higher point near the mountains to get there faster.¡± Kazius suggested. From their expressions¡­ It was clear the only ones in the group who understood the concern with Luna were Damon and Caleb¡­ Then again¡­ She did conspire to murder the former Chief and turned the town against Damon¡­ To plan something like that out for so many years, even partially when she was young¡­ She had to be a certain level of insane¡­

    As they would travel back to town, they could see quite far out due to the higher elevation¡­ It was a shame Alice, Damon, and him couldn¡¯t go mountain climbing today¡­ It was the perfect weather. Such thoughts would quickly fade once they got close enough to town that they could see it within view. They could also see a bit farther away past the town¡­

    Kazius froze, going wide-eyed. Stopping dead in his tracks.

    Confused as to why he stopped walking, the group would look at him.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alice questioned in confusion.

    Kazius would simply point out into the distance.

    ¡°Is¡­ Is that¡­ An army?¡± Alice questioned in disbelief, squinting her eyes. She did not have the sort of vision the nonhumans in the group had.

    ¡°My brother would love her.¡± Azanor admitted in awe, ¡°What a crazy bitch¡­¡± The Demon did not usually curse, but Kazius understood his shock.

    ¡°Frost giants¡­¡± Damon stated in horror.

    ¡°I told you¡­¡± Caleb stated in concern and horror. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure what she would do¡­ I don¡¯t know how she even got them to do this¡­ The Frost Giants do hate us¡­ Ever since our people moved here¡­ We had a history with of war with them¡­ But they stopped attacking a long time ago¡­ When the first Chief drove them away¡­¡±

    ¡°That must be where she had been sneaking out to when she left the house¡­ Staying at their home¡­ Plotting this¡­¡± Kazius stated in shock. Was she trying to cause a massacre because she lost control of the town?

    ¡®Better off dead than following Damon, huh?¡¯

    Kazius would think to himself. It seems he may indeed have to finish off the woman for Damon¡¯s sake. She truly meant it when she said she would not stop until he wished for death.

    ¡°The town is in low ground in the valley¡­ They are sitting ducks¡­ They can¡¯t even see them approach¡­¡± Alice would state in terror, her expression full of shock and concern. It seems her grudge against the town was gone due to the dire situation.

    ¡°So many!¡± Eve exclaimed in awe, seeming excited rather than nervous, ¡°They¡¯re so big!¡± She chirped. ¡°¡­I wonder how loud it will be when their heads hit the floor.¡±

    At her words Alice would give the Elf woman a concerned look.

    ¡°When they fall over. We will trip them, right?¡± Eve questioned innocently again.

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Alice would respond, giving her a few side glances.

    ¡°Enough, we should move¡­ Caleb, Damon. You two will let the town know of the situation¡­ Maybe this will wake them up on who they have been siding with¡­ Once done, Damon you come meet up with us near the army at a high point, near where we first met. I have an idea¡­ We need to take care of a good amount before confronting them ourselves¡­ Caleb, do you know any defensive magic?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes, sir.¡± Caleb would stammer out, seeming taken aback by Kazius¡¯ commanding nature out of nowhere and ending up speaking formally to him without realizing it.

    Kazius would raise a brow at this but dismissed it. He knew Caleb was not a sociable person so was aware he likely caught him off guard. ¡°Good, your job will be keeping the townspeople safe. Damon, when you come, bring anyone willing to fight¡­¡±

    ¡°You got it!¡± Damon exclaimed eagerly. Seeming more excited for a fight than depressed about what his sister was doing. At least on the surface anyway. Kazius knew Damon had the habit of smiling and laughing when he was upset too.

    ¡°Oh! We¡¯re playing soldiers? What about me? Sir, yes sir!¡± Eve exclaimed eagerly.

    ¡°Eve, you have to be told what to do first before saying yes sir.¡± Kazius sighed out. ¡°Anyway, Azanor, Eve¡­ I will have you be at the rear. You are not to let a single person past you¡­ No one gets to Caleb¡¯s barrier¡­ It should be strong, but shields like that isn¡¯t impenetrable¡­ One person only has so much mana and he has to shield a whole town. Even if he wasn¡¯t exhausted, it would difficult. I don¡¯t care who it is, if they go near the town, kill them. Understood? Alice, you¡¯re with me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Siree!¡± Eve chirped oh too eagerly.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Azanor stated with a shrug, smiling a bit as he looked at the eager Elf woman.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Alice beamed, seeming happy that she would get to stay by his side.

    ¡°I hope people from a warrior tribe have their pride left¡­ Attacking Werewolves on the day of a full moon while the sun is setting¡­ I can¡¯t imagine a bigger insult, so they better be willing to defend themselves¡­¡± Kazius stated with a frown, looking over at the town.

    ¡®Alright¡­ Let¡¯s see how this goes¡­¡¯

 Chapter 27: Heard Around The World

    As the army approached, their steps began to echo, booming almost as they got closer and closer. Kazius we would briefly do some retconning through the shadows, able to establish the layout¡­ The army was about 1000 frost giants, it was no joke. He knew little about the species other than that they had Frost abilities and stood at 20 ft tall (6.1m). Their build also seemed tough¡­ No one in their group had fire abilities, Azanor perhaps may have some, but just like Eve, he specialized with dark forces.

    He would note how smug Luna looked, seeming to be speaking with a Frost Giant that war particularly well dressed¡­ The king? A prince? Kazius wasn¡¯t sure, but regardless¡­ It was clear Luna expected to come out victorious¡­ And intended to leave nothing behind of her own people¡­ Indeed it seems she meant her malicious words about wanting to leave Damon with nothing.

    ¡°When this is over, do not forget who made this all possible¡­ So hold up your end of the deal¡­ You want him to suffer too, don¡¯t you? The descendant of the only person to humiliate you¡­ I can assure you¡­ Being the only one left alive would bring him more suffering than death ever could.¡± Kazius would hear her coo to the Frost Giant, her tone almost seductive.

    ¡®How sickening¡­ I think I¡¯ve heard enough.¡¯

    With that, he would return where Alice was waiting. Damon would likely be back from town soon¡­

    ¡°Well?¡± Alice questioned in concern.

    ¡°They are quite bulky¡­ We are not capable of inflicting any fire damage so that is out of the question¡­ If they keep their order and march¡­ There is no way a small force like ours will be able to stop them from getting to town. We have to sow confusion and disorder¡­ Perhaps take care of a large number of them while doing so¡­ I have a plan¡­ For one attack¡­ That could work¡­¡± Kazius stated, looking determined, ¡°It isn¡¯t hopeless. We can do this.¡± He assured her.

    Alice at this would look at him with hope, nodding. ¡°Tell me what to do.¡± She told him, her eyes sparkling with intrigue and adoration.

    ¡°Kazius!¡± Damon exclaimed before Kazius could talk further. He was back with the volunteers, way more than what Kazius expected. After all, the town was small. Town or not, they were still a small tribe. So the 100 able bodied Werewolves that came were much more than expected. Damon seemed proud and even happy¡­ It seems they had finally listened to him.

    ¡°I am glad to see a tribe of warriors like you hasn¡¯t lost your pride¡­ Forget what your conflicts have been¡­ You better have the resolve to protect those you love¡­ To atone for what you have done¡­ If you can wield a weapon, hold it¡­ If you can transform and grow stronger do so¡­ Hesitation will kill your families¡­ This is no place for cowards! We will win but be prepared to stare down death itself!¡± Kazius exclaimed, treating the men how he had his former Knight Squad members. He knew the situation was intimidating, so they need to be inspired. So, he would give them a pep talk. Still, he didn¡¯t expect the enthusiastic cheers and howling. Just what on Earth had Damon and Caleb told them?

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! Place your thrust in us and we will win! Some of us may be outsiders before, but today our fates are one! The 3 of us will do an attack to disorient them¡­ But once that is done, I want you to charge and fight in a way that even your ancestors will be jealous of!¡± Kazius would finish, the cheers at this growing louder and more enthusiastic.

    ¡°Okay, Alice¡­ Damon¡­ We need to make an actual opening. I won¡¯t send these people to an impossible fight¡­ Let¡¯s even the ground.¡± Kazius stated, smirking a bit. He had quite the unreadable spark in his eye.

    ¡°You have an idea?¡± Damon asked, gripping his spear tighter. His knuckles turned white as he seemed to attempt to restrain himself. Kazius preferred his battle-eager side of him to his depressed side any day. He was also glad that despite the situation, he was likely trying to just see it as a battle rather than a confrontation with his sister.

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    Alice too seemed eager and curious about the plan he had.

    ¡°Our abilities together¡­ We will combine our strengths¡­ Into one decisive attack¡­ Then I will rush in and you will meet up with me. Prioritize providing cover for our men. You will see¡­ First¡­ Hand me your spear. I will make sure it comes back to you when we head out to fight.¡± Kazius explained.

    Damon at this would do so. The thing was extremely heavy in addition to big, it had to weigh more than a boulder¡­ It was a strange spear alright¡­ If Kazius had to guess, it was likely a gift from Vind since Kazius doubted any craftsman in the town was capable of making such a thing. Normally Kazius would be unable to hold such a thing, but he used the shadows to support it.

    ¡®Good¡­ This could work¡­ Shadow manipulation this detailed can work¡­ Come on¡­ I can do this¡­ I hope Vind doesn¡¯t get too mad¡­ It was already irritating dealing with her once¡­¡¯

    With that. Kazius would surround the spear in shadows. They would engulf the weapon, at first just turning it black thanks to the layers upon layers of condensed shadow. Eventually though, as Kazius focused, the layers of shadow would make the spear even bigger. In order for Damon to use such a spear it was already 8ft (2.44 meters), so it was growing massive. By the time Kazius could not put any more layers on, it stood at 30 ft (9.14 meters) in length. It was enormous, taller than even the very giants approaching.

    ¡°What is that going to do?¡± Alice asked in awe, indeed curious as to what he would do with the spear.

    Damon would stare at his spear in awe as well. It was almost unrecognizable. He looked like he was restraining himself from going and picking it up, or at least attempting to.

    ¡°We are high up and they don¡¯t know we¡¯re here¡­ You will see why that is a good thing¡­¡± Kazius assured. ¡°Alright then¡­. Let¡¯s get started¡­¡± He stated, moving the spear so that the shadow supports would aim it.

    ¡°This will sound crazy, Alice¡­ But trust me¡­ I want you to use your power and attempt to push the spear as much as you can, like you are trying to rip it from the restraints¡­ don¡¯t worry¡­ I got it¡­ As for you, Damon¡­ At the count of 3, I want you to make as strong a wind as you can¡­ I don¡¯t care how strong it is, focus it on the spear and aim it towards the army¡­ Got it?¡± Kazius stated.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Damon exclaimed, clearly eager to see what he was planning. The other werewolves watched on, not understanding a word of what they spoke. They looked even more curious than Alice and Damon.

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Kazius stated as Alice began to put on force on the spear. It was hard, but Kazius would keep the spear restrained. The two actions alone already creating a strong force around the spear. The ground beneath the restraints began to shake.

    ¡°1!¡± Kazius would exclaim slowly, raising his arm. The force grew stronger. Alice was putting her all, it seems. Towards pushing the spear.

    ¡°2!¡± Kazius would shout as he looked at the approaching army, they were getting too close to the town¡­ But too bad for them¡­ They were not going fast enough.

    ¡°3!¡± Kazius exclaimed, loudest still, lowering his arm. As this occurred, the fruits of their efforts began to show. With the insanely strong wind that Damon would release, timed with Kazius releasing the restraints¡­. All the force of Alice and Damon¡¯s power would send the spear flying high up into the sky.

    It almost looked like the spear had gone too far out, out of sight, reaching even past the very clouds, making a hole in them. This would stop the marching of the army¡­ Likely seeing the sudden parting of clouds in the sky.

    It was then they would see it, a flash in the sky. Before anyone in the group could blink or the army react¡­ There it was¡­

    Impact.

    The explosion that would occur was blinding, the strong wind that resulted nearly pushing them and their recruits off the mountain.

    Kazius was forced to shield his eyes, the wind almost reminding him of his first time on Mount Cyklon. Thankfully the recruits managed too¡­ They were Wind Werewolves for a reason.

    Able to finally open his eyes once the explosion subsided, Kazius would open them to a shocked group. Alice, Damon, the recruits¡­ All of them had their mouths left agape, their eyes wide. When Kazius looked on at where the army stood, it was soon clear that only 30% remained. A crater and charred black bodies of giants were left where the spear had struck. The spear in question glowing red from heat despite the shadows around it. Darkness swirling around the weapon.

    It was like an impact heard all around the world, the skies themselves remaining parted from what just had occurred. Kazius was beginning to leave his mark on the world.

    It seems the Frost Giant leader and Luna were still alive¡­ The woman was almost like a roach or a bad parasite that even medicine couldn¡¯t get rid of.

    Coming to his senses, Kazius would shake away his own shock. It was time

    ¡°CHARGE!¡± Kazius he declared.

 Chapter 28: The Battle for Vargstam

    As the sun set an orangey red, the sky could not look all the farther from normal.  The orange red sky with a hole in the very clouds¡­ Some would call the view an inspiration of legend, others could see it as a bad omen. It likely depended on whether you were on the side opposing the new force that was just shown or not.

    With more than half of their force destroyed, the Frost Giants appeared a mixture of panicked and angry. They were disoriented despite their leader¡¯s livid shouting. The clashes began, Kazius heading towards the root of the problem only to hear quite the conversation as he moved towards the two talking.

    ¡°Cowardly bastards! It is an ambush! They must have someone powerful helpings them¡­ You¡­ You set us up for a trap, you bitch. You whore! I should have never listened to you!¡± The Frost Giant Leader would tell Luna, enraged.

    Luna at this would give the angry Frost Giant a cold and menacing look. ¡°You idiotic worm¡­ Do not blame me for your incompetence¡­ I played along with your flirting because you were useful¡­ Do not flatter yourself. I want everyone in that town dead more than you could ever imagine¡­ I should have known you¡¯d be useless¡­ You were not even the favored Prince to become the King of the Frost Giants¡­ You would have not become King without my help¡­ You were able to kill the others of the royal family because of me¡­ I should have tried to manipulate one of your brothers instead though¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you I would kill you next time I saw you, didn¡¯t I? But instead, you dare pull something like this¡­ You are a bitter crazy bitch that gets off on destroying families¡­ ¡± Kazius would state, his expression holding quite the cold hatred as he came out of the shadows. He easily made it to them due to his powers, despite the battle ensuing. His way of emergence from the shadows and expression combined gave him quite the intimidating appearance.

    ¡°YOU! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! My plans! They all would have succeeded if it wasn¡¯t for you¡­ You even speak Giant¡­ You vermin¡­ Forget Damon¡­ I will take the most pleasure killing you! I will make sure I take everything you hold dear¡­ That Human¡­ The Elf¡­ The Demon¡­ That traitor Caleb¡­ And then finally Damon¡­ So he can lose everything only to leave you behind in your own misery after seeing him fall apart again.¡± Luna declared, insanity and malice in her voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t this so¡­ I don¡¯t think you will get to do any of that¡­ I will kill you and your puppet here and now¡­¡± Kazius told her coldly, his expression growing full of hatred as he sneered down at her.

    As he spoke though, the Frost Giant prince would attack, attempting to catch him off guard¡­ It seems some of his fighters noticed and were attacking as well soon after.

    Kazius would use his shadows to attack the Frost Giant prince as well as defend himself against the attack by using his shadow to produce spikes from the ground, impaling those that got close, but he was still getting surrounded. The sun had finally set, the more darkness advantageous, but Kazius used up a lot of energy while wrapping up Damon¡¯s spear and he was still inexperienced¡­ So, it would be hard if even more came at once, but he didn¡¯t want to lose track of Luna.

    It was then that Alice would show up.

    Alice was levitating her sword but was using it in an unconventional way.  She was riding the large great sword like a board to get to him¡­ It seems she got an idea for a new trick, after what they just pulled earlier with the spear.

    She would jump off the sword once low enough, using it to slice the heads off from 3 Frost Giants at once. ¡°Need a hand?¡± She asked coyly, her tone somewhat flirty

    Kazius would grin at her. ¡°Thanks, you do have the habit of always coming at the right time.¡± He admitted to her, after all, that is how they met.

    ¡°You did say stay close. I had to catch up to you somehow¡­ I was honestly surprised¡­ But compared to all that wind at Mount Cyklon¡­ The kind of wind I felt while riding that was nothing! I will have to thank Damon.¡± Alice admitted.

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    ¡°Speaking of¡­ He needs his spear back¡­ Can you get it to him?¡± Kazius stated, managing to talk as they pushed back and killed more of the Frost Giants. Kazius would attack with his shadows from the ground, using them like spikes. While Alice would make them lose their heads if they were foolish enough to go high.

    ¡°I know this will draw attention nor do I know if this will work but¡­¡± Alice would trail all, ¡°DAMON! CATCH!¡± she would shout. After doing so, she would extend out her hand while Kazius provided her cover. She seemed to get a feel of where the spear was at this distance¡­ And then pulled with all her might until it was flung.

    It was then the spear could be seen flying across the battlefield.

    Once the spear passed over one of the large crowds of Frost Giants, a white flash could be seen in the sky. It was then they could see it. A Werewolf with white fur of large build that stood at 8ft (2.44 meters) catching the spear with his mouth by jumping up in the sky. He moved quite nimbly despite his amount of muscle and stature. He seemed to notice the two looking at them, his yellow eyes shining as he gave them a thumbs up. It was Damon! And he seemed to be content despite his transformation.

    Tonight, was the full moon after all and the sun had set¡­ And while Damon hated transforming, it seems he was using it to his advantage. He would tear through the crows of Frost Giants with his wind, using both his claws and his spear. He would land on his two legs, seeming to be fighting his way over while acting as backup for the townspeople army that they had assembled, by now also transformed.

    ¡®I am proud of him¡­ I hope he is accepting himself¡­¡¯

    Sadly, even despite the backup¡­ Luna was hard to spot. When they did finally spy the woman¡­ She wasn¡¯t transformed¡­ It seems the Elf blood she had was stronger, so she was not forced to transform like the others¡­ She looked smug, seeming to have a magic circle forming beneath her¡­ Before Kazius could even wonder what she was casting¡­ She was gone¡­

    ¡®Fuck¡­ Teleportation magic¡­ That is a high tier spell¡­ So Caleb is not actually better than her at magic¡­ But she made everyone believe that¡­ Being able to use such advanced magic is supposed to be rare¡­ She really is related to Zelphar¡­ For just how long has she been planning to torment Vargstam? What a crazy bitch¡­ I won¡¯t let her lay a hand on anyone I care about¡­ Next time I see her¡­ Really will be the last¡­¡¯

    Despite the failure with Luna, by the time Damon made it to their side, the battle had long been decided¡­ The Frost Giants¡­ With Both their leaders gone and their numbers reduced to 50, they would flee in terror. From their perspective, Kazius, Alice, Damon¡­ Their small army that killed over 9 times their amount¡­ They could truly be called nothing other than Monsters.

    ¡°I suppose that is that.¡± Kazius stated, sounding satisfied. He was exhausted, having never used his power so much before, but he felt content¡­ Despite the bodies upon bodies that laid at their feet.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we did it.¡± Alice admitted in awe, looking around them at the destruction they have brought.

    ¡°For all that happened, that was quite an exciting battle! Luna actually did something good for me! Even though she was trying to kill me! Buahaha! This is the first full moon I haven¡¯t felt upset for!¡± Damon exclaimed contently once he dropped his spear from his mouth, able to talk just fine in this form. Then again, he did say he became rasher and more beastlike, but did not lose himself.

    Kazius was glad he could laugh despite talking about Luna. It was clear he was doing his best to be cheerful and enjoy the battle they just had.

    ¡°We should check on how Azanor and Eve did-¡± Kazius began only to be interrupted by the loud howling and cheering of the townspeople. It seems they too were proud of what they did in battle to defend their town.

    ¡°Good work.¡± Kazius would praise, content that they stood up for themselves and were willing to follow Alice, Damon, and himself into battle.

    What Kazius did not expect though was it was then the werewolves would bow before him, kneeling.

    ¡°Thank you, Chief!¡± They would shout, some howling still with joy.

    Damon at this was making them a sign to stop, as if to not do that yet.

    ¡°Damon¡­ What is the meaning of this?¡± Kazius questioned with a frown.

    ¡°A-About that¡­ Uh¡­ I was going to talk to you about it after this, I swear! But uh¡­ We kind of¡­ sort of¡­ Caleb and me¡­ Told them¡­ That well¡­ You were someone strong and reliable¡­ and that you helped even me¡­ So¡­ Uh¡­ Well¡­ I think you would make the better Chief.¡± Damon stated nervously, clearly ashamed for not asking about it first.

    At hearing this, Alice looked shocked. Her eyes growing just as wide.

    Kazius sighed. He wasn¡¯t expecting this at all¡­ But¡­ He was supposed to build a kingdom¡­ Right? He needed land, people, settlements¡­ To do such a thing¡­

    ¡®I suppose this is how it starts¡­ Isn¡¯t it? Well, bring it on!¡¯ Kazius would think, not afraid and instead determined to create a place for him and his friends. To destroy The Church, the Demon King, and anyone that got in the way of that.

    ¡°Alright, I will be the Chief¡­ Well¡­ Kinda¡­ But I will discuss this with you further later. You and our friends¡­ Caleb too¡­ I suppose there is something I must tell you about too¡­ Anyway Let¡¯s go¡­ We should see how Eve and Azanor did and then check on the town and Caleb.¡±

 Chapter 29: Chiefs Welcome

    As Kazius would walk back with Alice, Damon, and the townspeople¡­ They would approach where Azanor and Eve were providing defense.

    It was then they would witness quite the sight. There were piles upon piles of bodies, showing many Frost Giants made it this far. There was a pile of bodies stacked together where Eve sat on top. She would giddily kick her legs as if she was simply sitting on a balcony. What was odd about the bodies is that many were missing their heads, but there were no heads around to be found. Azanor sat next to Eve, looking at her with quite the infatuation.

    ¡°It seems you did very well.¡± Kazius admitted, shrugging it off.

    ¡°Eve took care of most of them.¡± Azanor admitted with a shrug. ¡°I sat on my ass most of it.¡±

    ¡°It was fun! I protected the town, just like you said!¡± Eve exclaimed giddily with a salute.

    ¡®I am really getting curious about what she did, but I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter. I will probably find out eventually¡­ I doubt Eve even understands what she did¡­ Still¡­ What is she?¡¯

    Eve and Azanor would both jump off the pile, joining them.

    ¡°We saw that blast you did¡­ That was quite something. In all my years, I haven¡¯t seen anyone pull anything that crazy.¡± Azanor laughed out, ¡°I am staying since I somehow ended up making new friends¡­ But you still aren¡¯t slacking off when it comes to keeping me entertained.¡± He mused, looking up at the sky. The clouds were struggling to return to normal after such an event, though it was hard to see since it was night.

    ¡°You know me¡­ Natural performer and all that.¡± Kazius joked back at the Demon. ¡°Anyway, come on¡­ Let¡¯s go to town. I want to discuss something with all of you.¡± He would add.

    With that, the group would head back, getting quite the hero¡¯s welcome. They were surrounded by cheers and howls from the towns people they had protected. They seemed to specially heap praises at Kazius¡­ It looked like Damon and Caleb had really talked up the whole Chief thing.

    Damon seemed quite content with the situation, after all, the male had gone from getting insults left and right to now getting praises. He seemed happy, but there was an something off about his goofy expression. He likely was still yet to forgive the town fully in his heart.

    The group would soon be welcomed by Caleb, who remained unchanged, like Luna had been. Was it a trait of half-bloods or was their elf heritage that strong? Regardless the poor mage looked exhausted. Then again, while he had gotten sleep, he had spent last night looking for Damon and then had to hold up a barrier for a whole town after a simple nap. He was holding out like a champ.

    Caleb had circles under his eyes, showing said exhaustion. ¡°I am glad you are all safe¡­ and not a single casualty. I am glad I listened to Damon about you.¡± He admitted.

    ¡°Yes, he told me everything¡­ Including how you two made me Chief behind my back.¡± Kazius stated, his expression serious as he raised a brow. The poor mage at this seeming to look like a fish out water.

    ¡°T-That was¡­ A-About that¡­¡± Caleb attempted to stammer out. Damon as well seemed particularly pale.

    ¡°I¡¯m just joking, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not angry. I accept, but you really should have discussed it with me¡­ Come on, I know you¡¯re exhausted, but we all must talk. I want you all to know what you are getting involved in.¡± Kazius stated, feeling guilty for teasing the tired man, but it was his way of getting even.

    Alice would stare at him in confusion, it seems she didn¡¯t think Kazius was keeping something from them. She looked a little hurt, but also relieved. Azanor seemed to have quite the expression though, likely realizing this was about what the two spoke of earlier. Damon and Eve looked about as equally confused, though Eve was more so lost than anything. Still, they all seemed ready to follow Kazius.

    As they walked to the Chief¡¯s home, the towns people would make way to the entrance, vowing in respect until the group went in. The situation was almost bizarre for Kazius, but it felt almost normal as well¡­

    Once inside, Kazius would go change into some new clothes. Leather armor with some metal guards. The clothes were simple, but he was eager and appreciative to be rid of his Holy Knight garb. Once change, he would meet the others in the dining room. They would all sit in the massive dining table with enough room for them all and more.

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    ¡°Alright¡­ First things first¡­ I must ask, what is with the towns people?  They seem so different and eager¡­ What did you tell them?¡± Kazius decided to ask.

    ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t what we told them necessarily¡­ With you figuring out Luna¡¯s plan¡­ I began to have my suspicions, but it seems in addition to manipulating them with words, they were under the influence of a mind affecting spell¡­ I don¡¯t know when she got the ability to cast such a spell¡­ But it is a type of suggestion-based hypnotism magic¡­ Very advanced and hard to detect. She used that to magnify hatred¡­ And that combined with her words¡­ The town was at the palm of her hand¡­¡± Caleb stated with gritted teeth, clearly upset he never noticed. ¡°I am a failure as a mage for not sensing something like that.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself¡­ I couldn¡¯t get to her because she used teleportation magic¡­ She is a high rank mage that can use high tier magic¡­ She had been hiding her abilities¡­ She is more malicious than I thought¡­ Who knows how long she has been having these vile thoughts for.¡± Kazius admitted with a sigh.

    ¡°T-Teleportation magic?¡± Caleb questioned in shock. His face looked pained. Then again, Caleb spent all his time studying magic and nothing else¡­ He likely thought he was the gifted one when it came to magic, a prodigy like his father¡­ And now he was not even the second-best mage in his family, it likely hurt his ego a lot. His miserable expression almost confirming Kazius¡¯ assessment.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it harshly¡­ You protected the town from any debris or force from our attack. You are a talented mage.¡± Kazius assured, Caleb at this still looking down though.

    ¡®I will give him time¡­ I don¡¯t think I can cheer him up.¡¯

    Seeming to notice how upset and tired Caleb was, Damon spoke up. ¡°After Caleb broke the spell, they were surprisingly reasonable¡­ They ended up crying and apologizing to me. I told them not to thank me, but you, the new Chief¡­ I¡­ I forgive them¡­ But¡­¡± He trailed off.

    ¡°I understand your lingering resentment, don¡¯t worry¡­ I¡­ Will treat them fairly and care for them¡­ To be honest¡­ This will likely not be the last place to want me in charge.¡± Kazius admitted with a sigh. He didn¡¯t know how to say such a thing without sounding egotistical.

    At this Azanor perked up, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Kazius began. ¡°I suppose I will start from the beginning¡­ For Damon and Caleb¡¯s sake¡­ Alice, Eve, and I are from a kingdom called Ratier. It was a kingdom once ruler by the king¡¯s lineage with aid of The Church. I am sure you likely heard a bit about the war that happened with Demons¡­ How heroes got together and established Zelphar, Ratier, and Thimdur after sealing away the Demons¡­ Alice here is the princess of Ratier, descendant of a friend of your father, Caleb. To be honest, I don¡¯t know how much of what I know is true anymore¡­ The church lied to overthrow Alice¡¯s family and take control of the kingdom¡­ The church are likely not the only liars, in Zelphar, your father¡¯s kingdom¡­ They say he is dead, that he was assassinated by an extremist¡­ Which is clearly not the case, he ran away and ended up in Vargstam¡­ The Church is the ones who sent out the two that tried to kill us¡­ Until Damon saved us. They are my former friends¡­. I was an orphan raised by The Church¡­ I would have been one of them, had I not found out I am not human¡­ In Zelphar, Ratier, and Thimdur¡­ They hate anyone that isn¡¯t an elf, human, or dwarf¡­ They are seen as vermin to be killed¡­ Since apparently in the war with Demons 1000 years ago¡­ ¡®Monster¡¯ species, as they call it, betrayed the heroes that founded the 3 kingdoms¡­ They are arguably seen as bad if not worse than Demons due to this¡­ But again¡­ These people conspired against Alice¡­ They are liars at best¡­ And our enemy¡­ So, who knows what really happened 1000 years ago¡­¡± He explained. He knew it was a lot of information, but it was the basics. He looked at Alice, making sure to look at her to make sure she was okay with him airing her side of things too.

    ¡°In Ratier, there is¡­ A ¡®god¡¯, or so they call him one¡­ The Oracle¡­ And his spirit is connected to an orb that the first High Priest found¡­ There is a custom in Ratier for those who are of age to look upon it and see their future¡­ And I had my ceremony before I had to flee¡­ It was actually how I found out I wasn¡¯t human.¡± Kazius continued. Alice would nod at his words while Azanor seemed to be deep in thought.

    ¡°In the vision The Oracle showed me¡­ I had an army and a kingdom. Made of people like us¡­ The people they call Monsters¡­ And we were fighting The Demon King¡­ Then I heard a voice talk to me¡­ Saying I would be The Monster King¡­ To be honest¡­ I was a Holy Knight¡­ And I supported the church without hesitation. They raised me, I thought the vision was bullshit¡­ I believed in The Church, not The Oracle. At one point as I got older, I even began to wonder if I remembered that day right. The Oracle doesn¡¯t directly talk to people, as far as I know¡­ I really heard a voice though.¡± Kazius admitted.

    At his mention of the Demon King, Azanor seemed to look concerned. He looked like he wanted to say something, but was holding his tongue¡­ The group did not even know it was his brother, it was a fact only Kazius knew¡­ He clearly had many secrets, but Kazius figured he had good reason to keep them. Of course, the information was a lot and likely overwhelming¡­ Kazius had also never talked to anyone about such a thing. He had lived his life in fear of his fate, ran away from it¡­ He had even sworn to not trust others after his squad¡¯s betrayal¡­ Yet here he was¡­ Sharing his most important secret with his friends¡­ Every second of silence was nerve wracking.

    ¡®How will they react?¡¯

 Chapter 30: The Beginning

    ¡°A King!¡± Damon exclaimed in awe, banging on the table as he stood up, probably all too eager and excited to support Kazius in such an endeavor. ¡°You are a good leader, I would expect nothing less from you, my friend! Buahaha!¡± He exclaimed loudly. Thankfully the table was built with Werewolves in mind so it didn¡¯t break considering he was still very much transformed until morning.

    ¡°I definitely want in¡­ I will help! What about you Caleb? You told me about The Demon King¡­ Stories from your father. I can¡¯t believe he was such a big shot! A whole kingdom! We can fight just how he did! Doesn¡¯t a battle like that sound exciting?¡± Damon exclaimed eagerly.

    Caleb seemed to still be down about the revelation that Luna was better than him at magic. He seemed pensive, gazing down, ¡°I do think¡­ It is about time I stop hiding behind my books¡­ I want to become a better mage. You also helped us win what I thought was an impossible fight¡­ I will believe in you as well¡­ Not to mention¡­ I could also learn more about my father this way too.¡± He admitted, the tired and timid man agreed. A determined glint appearing in his eyes despite his exhausted look.

    Kazius was shocked at the immediate agreement from the two brothers. Mostly from Caleb than anything. It relieved him, after all¡­ He had been afraid they too would turn on him like his old squad¡­ But he should have known better than to listen to doubt. They weren¡¯t like that.

    ¡°I told you before¡­ I would help you fight my brother. To be honest, I am not fond of helping kings or future kings¡­ But I suppose I would say I trust you¡­ Even if I may be a fool for it¡­¡± Azanor finally spoke up, fidgeting with his cane nervously. He seemed to be keeping something to himself. Kazius had not seen Azanor look so deflated since he spoke to him about Eve.

    Alice was the one that seemed the most lost. A Monster King? The Demon King? And now with Azanor¡¯s words¡­ She likely now pieced together that The Demon King was his brother. She had a lot to think about. She also seemed to have a blush on her face as she seemed to think about something. Still, she would look at Kazius in a determined manner. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll help. I hate the Oracle and anything related to it¡­ But we both had our ceremonies back when we lived in Ratier. I don¡¯t want to play into his hand¡­ But I do know I want to make a better future together with you. Human or not, I am one of you. I am your friend. Whether it is The Demon King or Ratier itself¡­ I will fight anything by your side.¡± She admitted, her face still a bit red despite her determined look.

    ¡®I am glad she wants to stay¡­ I don¡¯ want to be without her by my side, she was my first friend after this mess started¡­ I do believe that my life changed for the better when I took her hand on that day¡­Hood or not¡­ As sudden as things were¡­ When she came over to me when everything was falling apart¡­ It was almost like she was my own personal angel¡­¡¯

    Unknown to Kazius, he had a light pink dusting to his own cheeks as he smiled at her and nodded in appreciation and gratitude.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand a single thing you said, but of course I will help! You¡¯re all my friends!¡± Eve chirped giddily. Kazius appreciated Eve¡¯s eagerness, but he could note a bit more of a frown from Azanor when she said that they were all her friends. Likely upset to be referred to as a friend by his own wife.

    ¡®You sure have it rough, my friend¡­ I am sure we will figure out who did this to her one day¡­ ¡¯

    With everyone in agreement, Damon ended up howling contently. He would wave his spear up and down only for Kazius to notice¡­ It looked different.

    ¡°Damon¡­ Hold on¡­ Is it just me¡­ Or does your spear look different?¡± Kazius asked in confusion.

    ¡°Huh? Oh! Buahaha! You¡¯re right! Would you look at that! I was thinking it felt stronger and sharper!¡± Damon exclaimed as he placed it on the table.

    ¡°Vind¡¯s symbol isn¡¯t on it anymore¡­. The metal also turned black¡­¡± Caleb admitted in shock. He pointed at the blade of the spear, right at the center of it, ¡°Vind¡¯s symbol was there¡­ But¡­ It is just gone¡­ What even is this symbol? It was already shocking when Damon came home with a holy spear one day¡­ And now it looks like this.¡±

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    ¡°I found it in Mount Cyklon! Kazius met Vind there! I told you; he says she chose me as her champion¡­ Wait¡­ Did she change her mind? I still feel my wind is just as strong though¡­¡± Damon questioned in concern, his ears going flat on his head like a kicked puppy despite his stature.

    ¡°I doubt it¡­ You still reek of divine intervention¡­¡± Azanor stated with a sneer as if he was smelling something foul, accenting this by covering his nose, ¡°A goddess that deals with something like an element wouldn¡¯t be that fickle either. As far as I know, they have a very hands-off approach to things. You could go on a massacre, and she wouldn¡¯t care. The wind is a destructive force.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that!¡± Damon exclaimed, ¡°I would have to be in a battle! Battles are amazing but I would never hurt someone who isn¡¯t in a battle with me.¡±

    ¡°I am just saying you could.¡± Azanor stated with a shrug.

    ¡°What even is this symbol though?¡± Alice questioned.

    ¡°It looks oddly familiar¡­ I may have seen it in my vision¡­ It was so long ago and it happened so fast¡­ So, I am not too sure.¡± Kazius admitted, ¡°Looks like an eye and some lines? Triangles pointing left, right and down?¡±

    Azanor would stare at the symbol, ¡°Those are-¡° He began only to be cut off.

    ¡°Those are shadow tears, something you see in the banner of Seselis.¡± Eve would suddenly speak up as she pointed at the lines attached to the eye.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Kazius asked in confusion, shocked at her words.

    ¡°Huh? Did I say something?¡± Eve asked in confusion.

    Azanor looked like he had a glimmer or hope in his eyes, but it quickly faded when she once again acted confused. It likely wasn¡¯t the first time Eve has recalled a detail of something she knew. After all, Azanor was always with her while Kazius, Alice, and Damon were off training. She may have done this before considering Azanor¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­¡± Azanor stated in almost a defeated manner.

    ¡°Right¡­ Well¡­ Seselis seems to be my father¡­ So I suppose it makes sense¡­ Is this his banner?¡± Kazius asked, figuring it would be best to change the topic.

    ¡°No, his symbol looks nothing like this.¡± Azanor confirmed, seeming to appreciate moving on. ¡°His is a Solar Eclipse with shadow tears and claws¡­¡±

    ¡°You covered the spear in your shadow before we used it for our attack, right? I think¡­ Your shadows changed the spear somehow during all of that¡­ This is your symbol; I am sure of it. It must have overpowered Vind¡¯s.¡± Alice stated in awe as she looked at it.

    Kazius would think about it, ¡°I do think¡­ I saw it on a banner or armor or something of the sort¡­ During the vision¡­ You might be right¡­ My powers must have done something¡­ I couldn¡¯t tell you what though¡­ I have no idea.¡± He admitted with a sigh, wishing he understood what he was¡­ Or at least his powers. All he knew was who his father was.

    ¡®No way I can go back to Mount Cyklon¡­ Vind is probably livid¡­ I don¡¯t want to deal with her¡­ As long as she doesn¡¯t blame Damon, this is fine¡­¡¯

    ¡°So you improved my spear? Buahaha! I can¡¯t wait to use it more!¡± Damon exclaimed eagerly. ¡°I have a symbol of my friend and king!¡± He exclaimed contently.

    Alice pouted at this, ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± She stated, looking upset. ¡°I want something with that symbol too then.¡±

    ¡°Alice I would love to, but it isn¡¯t like I know what I even did¡­¡± Kazius stated sheepishly with a sigh.

    ¡°¡­¡± Alice would make a face at this, acting surprisingly childish and huffy. Then again, everyone but Kazius understood exactly why it mattered so much to the woman.

    ¡°I will see what I can do. We could always sew it onto your hood for now and then I could do something to your sword once I figure something out¡­¡± Kazius assured.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Alice stated, no longer pouty it seems.

    ¡°Then we should all engrave it. We do follow the same king.¡± Caleb pointed out.

    ¡°Yay! Team!¡± Eve cheered.

    ¡°Oh, okay?¡­¡± Kazius stated in confusion, not understanding why they wanted to do something like that.

    ¡®I feel like we are playing kingdom more than anything, but as long as they are enjoying it, I suppose¡­¡¯

    ¡°Alright¡­ Well now that it is settled. We should rest¡­ Specially you, Caleb¡­ As for you, Damon¡­ I intend to continue our training like before and then perhaps look at the state on the town¡­ We need to understand the situation it is in¡­ And increase security¡­ If I am to have a kingdom¡­ I need everyone¡¯s help¡­ A kingdom is more than just a king¡­ But remember, right now that is just a dream. I am happy to just take care of Vargstam.¡± Kazius pointed out. He didn¡¯t want to get ahead of himself¡­ It was foolish to believe the Oracle fully or that the future was written in stone¡­

    ¡°Alright.¡± Caleb stated sluggishly, needing Damon¡¯s help to get to bed with how tired he was, Damon taking him like he was a sack of potatoes.

    With that, they would all head to bed¡­ Today had been a long day.

 Chapter 31: Mount Klippa

    Some weeks would pass. Despite his acceptance of the turn of events, Kazius still felt not ready for his new position. He understood now that this was what he was likely meant to be, even if he did not like being the puppet of The Oracle¡­ Still, he did the best he could.

    With Leo and Alex running off, it was a matter of time before more of The Church showed up to the area. They did not know where the town was, which was a good thing¡­ But between them and Luna, it was clear security of the town needed to take a priority¡­ While Zelphar had done a lot of good for the infrastructure of the place, a lot of things were outdated.

    Of course, Kazius had no experience in construction or anything of the like¡­ And Caleb was of help, but he was a mage, not an architect. He lacked the centuries of knowledge of his father who founded a whole kingdom, so while he had ideas of ways to use magic to make life in town easier, the group was at a loss how to implement them.

    While Kazius loved Vargstam and it had quickly already felt as more of a home than Ratier ever did, he also knew with his fate¡­ He could not stay in one place forever. He needed people, strength, to understand the situation of Monster Kind. Staying in the town before they even had the power and structure to defend it, was also putting the place in danger.

    That is why he decided that when his training finished, he would go with the original group and set off. Of course, he was yet to finish his training, so that time was still a bit away. Though when the time would come, Caleb would be left temporarily in charge of the town. The only rejection he got on the matter was Damon insisting to come along, something to which Kazius agreed to.

    For now, though, Kazius wanted to focus on his training and management of the town. While they could not build a proper infrastructure or defense, illusion magic was a good idea for keeping the place safe for now. So, Caleb was tasked with creating totems to place around town imbued with magic. It wasn¡¯t invisibility magic. Such a thing would require more materials than what they had or hope to get anytime soon. Rather, it would make the town hard to notice. If one looked at it, unless familiar with it, one wouldn¡¯t give it more attention than a random pebble in the street. Yes, you could see it, but the magic on the totems would just suggest to passersby that they were not looking at anything noteworthy.

    While Caleb tirelessly worked on the totems, the group would continue their training. Mount Klippa was next. As promised, there really were rock throwing Stone Giants. Rather than be hostile like the Frost Giants though, the mountain was inhabited by what seemed to be Stone Giants playfully throwing rocks at each other, not caring about the collateral damage in their dodgeball game. At times, the boulders would actually hit their target rather than burst or roll down the mountain. At such times the giants would have an arm or limb crumble, as they too were made of stone. That seemed to not bother them though, their limbs reforming into solid stone within seconds with a glowing green light.

    ¡°He¡­he¡­. He.¡± The Stone Giants could be heard laughing with each boulder thrown. Due to such a game, the mountain had no track, but instead was mountainous with debris and enormous boulders scattered around the place.

    Kazius could not help but think the sight was an odd one.

    ¡®Do they feel pain from this? Are they that bored? I suppose at least they are having fun¡­¡¯

    ¡°They are always the happy bunch! I tried talking to them once, to figure out why they are playing this game¡­ I almost got a boulder to a face! Buahaha! That was a very bad idea! I should have realized we wouldn¡¯t speak the same language!¡± Damon boasted, being louder than normal considering every other word, a loud bang could be heard thanks to the flying boulders.

    ¡°Alright! I have confidence you two will be fine! Anyway, just remember to dodge. I will try and follow just in case.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Dodge¡­¡± Alice stated, clearly a bit worried, but she had a brave face on.

    ¡°Alice, if you don¡¯t want to go¡­¡± Kazius attempted to tell her, worried about the woman. At his words though, Alice gave him a look. She looked determined.

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    ¡°No way! I am going up this mountain too!¡± She exclaimed despite her nervous expression. Kazius of course believed she could do it, but he did worry about her since she looked so uneasy. Before another word could be uttered between the two, Alice would run up, doing quite the fast foot work and skipping, due to the nature of Mount Klippa.

    At first the action seemed reckless, causing Kazius to run after her without thinking. The two thankfully managed to dodge each approaching boulder and splattering debris. At one point, a particularly large boulder could be seen rolling down the mountain that would suddenly be seen falling. It happened so fast. Alice had little time to react, so rather than move out of the way, she would do quite the surprising jump. She would jump over the boulder with a spin in the air, landing on her feet, surprising even herself with how nimble she was getting.

    Kazius was quite in awe at the sight, not just at her ability, but her grace as well. The way her hair moved¡­ Her beautiful cheeky smile¡­ Kazius would shake away such thoughts. Alice would be looking at him, beaming at what she had just done. He was about to compliment the woman when another large boulder could be seen approaching. She was facing Kazius rather than the danger, so she wasn¡¯t as fast to react.

    Alice would turn, staring at the large boulder in horror. Kazius could almost feel his heart sink at the sight. Without thinking, he would rush, using his shadows to surround himself and her as well, sinking with her into the ground to avoid the projectile. This happened so fast that Damon had no time to react, having to quickly dodge himself.

    The two would pop up behind the boulder, Kazius holding Alice close. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He questioned. Alice at this would look quite flustered, ¡°Y-Yes.¡± She stated, being surprisingly meek. Kazius didn¡¯t understand why. Still, he didn¡¯t dwell on it considering he couldn¡¯t get distracted, it was clear being distracted in this mountain was a bad idea. He would gently put her down, ¡°Come on, I bet we can make it to the top today.¡± He assured her.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Alice trailed off with a sigh.

    ¡°Are you two okay!?¡± Damon exclaimed as he approached. ¡°To be honest, I haven¡¯t been to this mountain in a while! This is the first time I¡¯ve seen boulders this big! I wonder what is going on up there?¡± Damon admitted in confusion.

    ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± Kazius stated in a determined manner. With that, the 3 would resume their climb, focusing on what they had to do. This mountain could likely be climbed fasted than Mount Cyklon, but it didn¡¯t mean it was easier. This sort of mountain was like a battle, one misstep and you could end up dead.

    This place would test their reflexes¡­ It was crazy to think Damon climbed this place when he wasn¡¯t even an adult, but then again, he admitted back then it was a lot less dangerous. Why were the giants growing more active? Perhaps he could talk to them at some point, but he wouldn¡¯t try now, he didn¡¯t have a death wish.

    Thanks to their efforts, they were able to indeed make it to the top. Higher up, there were oddly bigger Stone Giants. It seems they were the culprits behind the bigger boulders¡­ But did they suddenly appear? Where would bigger stronger Stone Giants come from? Regardless, once they passed them, there would be nothing other than the occasional debris flying up.

    It was safe. As the 3 approached the very top, they could not help but notice there was a giant sculpture of a face on a massive stone. Upon the face there were all sorts of carvings in green paint.

    ¡°Is this some sort of enchantment?¡± Kazius asked, the words were readable to him, but something about them were odd. Magical runes and text never made sense to him, but these were different.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I thought they were just words. It all looks like nonsense to me.¡± Damon pointed out considering he could not read.

    ¡°Those don¡¯t look like runes to me¡­ At least none I¡¯ve ever seen¡­ I¡¯ve never been much for a mage, but I can at least recognize it.¡± Alice admitted in awe, touching the words. ¡°I wonder how old these are.¡±

    ¡°Here lies¡­. the king¡­ of stone¡­.. May he¡­. rest until¡­ if¡­. he is needed¡­ Bring¡­. Enemies¡­Here¡­. Stands¡­. For I am¡­ r? ¡± Kazius would read, much of the words blurred or missing. He would then repeat what he just said in the common tongue.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Alice stated curiously. ¡°Needed? So, there is a king Stone Giant buried under this? Weirdest grave I¡¯ve ever seen¡­ I wonder who wrote this?¡±

    ¡°Likely whoever created these Stone Giants¡­ They must be staying around their King¡¯s grave¡­ They aren¡¯t acting like they are guarding the place though¡­ I wonder¡­ If they are having fun or if they¡¯ve lost their minds and forgotten their tasks¡­. Though that doesn¡¯t explain the bigger ones being around lately¡­¡± Kazius trailed off, sighing. After making it up here, he was too exhausted to be playing investigator.

    ¡°I suppose it doesn¡¯t concern us¡­ We might want to come back here later though¡­¡± He added.

    ¡°Sounds good to me!¡± Damon exclaimed, ¡°Anyway, I am hungry. Let¡¯s stop staring at these weird letters. I rather be eating food Buahaha!¡± He beamed. He always had so much energy.

    ¡°I am pretty tired too.¡± Alice admitted, stretching.

    ¡°Alright¡­ Let¡¯s head home.¡± Kazius agreed¡­ This mountain was interesting¡­ They all were¡­ And soon enough¡­ he intended to climb Mount Ulf¡­ And investigate the secrets Vind told him of.

 Chapter 32: Mount Eld and Mount Sjunka

    The other 2 mountains were odd just like the previous. Mount Sjunka was like quicksand and tested the group¡¯s speed. The group had to climb to the top before they could be swallowed up by the odd mountain that was as if made by quicksand. Rather than avoid struggling though, you had to do the opposite. Always keep moving.

    The ground like a liquid yet not. Every step would be accompanied by a splashing sound yet there was no splash. Despite the nature of the ground though, just like Mount Cyklon and Mount Klippa, there would be something strange at the top. It wasn¡¯t a statue or a shrine, but instead¡­ It was a white duck that wore an elegant necklace with blue gems. There was an odd magical energy, something Kazius assumed was coming from the necklace.

    ¡°What¡­¡± Kazius trailed off, wondering how the duck was fine despite the sinking mountain.

    ¡®Why are these mountains so weird? One of them even having a goddess living in it¡­¡¯

    ¡°Has this duck always been here?¡± Alice would ask, entirely bewildered at the fact a duck could stand on such a mountain. The group would have little time to dwell on the matter considering they were constantly having to move and almost sunk into the mountain every second they stood still.

    ¡°Buahaha! Always! I always thought it was a weird thing! I wonder how old that duck is?¡± Damon would question only to actually get an angry quack from the duck as if offended at the question. Did it understand him or did the duck just not like being bothered?

    Regardless, it was an exhausting place, they had all been running around quickly without end. Kazius wanted to go home.

    ¡®Let¡¯s just grab the duck and go¡­ The necklace may be special.¡¯

    Kazius would at that try to do so, but rather than pick up the duck¡­ It was like trying to grab water. The 3 would try to no avail, the duck slipping away each time while angrily quacking.

    ¡°What the..¡± Kazius trailed off, confused and exhausted, he gave up. The group would jump off the mountain. A problem for another day.

    After recovering from such a climb, then there was Mount Eld. The last mountain to go before Mount Ulf. The burning mountain. The whole mountain was not exactly a mountain in Kazius¡¯ opinion, it was closer to a volcano like the ones he heard could be found to the far South of Thimdur. The mountain was porous, fire erupting at random intervals from said craters.

    Mount Cyklon had been difficult, but the climb up Mount Eld was just simply painful. The heat was unbearable. Everyone in the group would feel sweaty and uncomfortable.

    ¡°I hate this mountain.¡± Alice would groan was she would stagger forward.

    ¡°How did you climb this one, Damon? This place is insufferable.¡± Kazius admitted as he wiped sweat off his brow.

    ¡°Only once to be honest, I didn¡¯t come up here again. Vargstam is pretty cold year round¡­ This place is not what I am used to.¡± Damon admitted, even the cheery man sounded fatigued, not even laughing.

    By the time they reached the top, Kazius felt like he was a puddle.

    ¡®I am going nowhere near this mountain ever again if I can help it¡­¡¯ Kazius would swear to himself.

    Eventually though they would indeed make it to the top. Like the other mountains, Mount Elf would have something out of place at the top. Inside a pool of lava and fire in the center of the peak, there stood a charred black tree. The tree itself burning, yet it was not destroyed.

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    Too hot to even think about going near such a thing nor wanting to risk it, Kazius would jump off once again. He wasn¡¯t fire proof.

    ¡°It is finally over!¡± Alice exclaimed in relief, sticking her head into the river. It seems she was terrible in the heat. Damon and Kazius would go wash their faces, also relieved.

    ¡°I am glad too.¡± Kazius stated.

    ¡°Let¡¯s agree to not go to Mount Eld ever again¡­¡± Alice agreed, still dunking her head repeatedly into the water. She just could not seem to get cool enough.

    ¡°Buahaha! Don¡¯t get ahead of yourselves though. There is still Mount Ulf!"  Damon admitted, ¡°Mount Cyklon is still my favorite, but Mount Ulf is interesting¡­ Just make sure you stay clear of the guardian. We can¡¯t beat that thing¡­ It is weird¡­ It just¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. We just avoid it; it is very strong. I tried picking a fight with it and it nearly knocked me out with the push it gave me.¡± Damon would state with a sigh, seeming to be thinking of something.

    This piqued Kazius¡¯ interest, ¡°Hopefully we won¡¯t run into him¡­ You said before, if we try and avoid it, it should be okay.¡± He stated, eager.

    After all, he would finally get to see what Vind had told him of¡­ He was almost tempted to pay her a visit after this, he wanted to ask about Seselis, the things on top of the mountains, and maybe anything else that came to mind after climbing Mount Ulf¡­ But Kazius wasn¡¯t sure he would leave such an exchange unscathed. Not after what he did to Damon¡¯s spear¡­. She had been angry when Kazius simply ignored her wind, what would she do after he overwrote her sigil on her champion¡¯s spear. Damon did not mind, but that did not mean Vind didn¡¯t¡­ Specially with how adamant she had been to tell Kazius she did not like him. No, the only way he would go to her was if it was an emergency.

    Kazius would be snapped out of his thoughts by Alice springing her head out of the water, pulling herself up. Her hair would sway back, the sight being almost mesmerizing to Kazius.

    Alice would then grab her soaked hair, wringing it out, noticing him staring. At which, Kazius would quickly look away, this causing her expression to grow a bit pink.

    ¡°Sorry for staring¡­ I just¡­ I noticed your hair grew, is all, now that I think about it.¡± Kazius admitted.

    ¡°Oh! Well yes, I did keep it short so it would stay out of view when I had my hood on¡­ But I prefer it long¡­ You should have seen my hair before I cut it. It would go all the way down my back.¡± Alice admitted with a small smile, seeming to remember something.

    ¡°Is¡­ That so¡­¡± Kazius trailed off, embarrassed, ¡°It¡­ Suits you¡­¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Alice trailed off. An awkward silence then occurring.

    Damon at this would give them an expression that Kazius remembered seeing Azanor give him before. It was one of frustration.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Kazius asked in confusion.

    ¡°it¡¯s nothing.¡± Damon stated with a shake of his head at something as if in disapproval. The usually cheerful man furrowing his brows some.

    ¡®What? Did Azanor and him start spending time together or something?¡¯ Kazius would think in confusion.

    ¡°Okay¡­ Anyway, I do want to rest today, but I would actually like to go to Mount Ulf first thing tomorrow. I am worried¡­ We have been here for so long¡­ Who knows what the Church is doing¡­ I doubt they will give up in their pursuit¡­ And with The Oracle, they will know where we will go¡­ I want Vargstam to be a fortress before they even consider attacking it¡­ But I do worry¡­ I hope the spell Caleb is doing will be enough.¡± Kazius stated, changing the subject to something that has been on his mind.

    ¡®If only there was some sort of book explaining how to do this¡­ What if I make a mistake? No¡­ I can¡¯t be afraid¡­ But even then¡­ I can¡¯t help but worry¡­ I felt confident when I first got this position¡­ But the longer I spend as Chief, the longer I realize that I have the lives of so many in my hands and that number will only grow¡­¡¯

    Kazius laid down, trying to cool off. The heat and his thoughts beings a bad mixture.

    ¡°Buahaha! I am sure it will be fine!¡± Damon tried to reassure.

    ¡°I suppose so.¡± Kazius trailed off, trying to be positive it seems. It was then he would think further, ¡°Maybe we could go to Mount Ulf now¡­¡± He trailed off, indeed feeling impatient on the matter. He was just too uneasy even though he was tired from Mount Eld.

    ¡°Are you that excited to climb such a big mountain?¡± Damon would laugh, misunderstanding why Kazius always seemed to bring up Mount Ulf to the point he had suggested going straight there several times.

    ¡°Vind said to me there is a temple there with something for me see¡­ Though you sound like you didn¡¯t any temple¡­ I wonder how well hidden that place is¡­ Then again, maybe it is hidden by magic¡­ Well¡­ I suppose ¡®we will find it one way or another¡­¡± Kazius trailed off.

    ¡°I am sure of it¡­ So you should stop worrying and try and be patient¡­ You are trying to be a king; patience is a good quality for one to have.¡± Alice pointed out with a hint of teasing.

    ¡°I suppose¡­ Tomorrow then.¡± Kazius confirmed.

 Chapter 33: The Guardian

    After heeding the advice, Kazius would wait for the next day. Kazius had waited so long to come here¡­ Yet now that he was finally about to climb Mount Ulf, Kazius felt a looming uneasy feeling. There was something ¡®wrong¡¯ with every mountain so far, for lack of a better word. They were all death traps to normal people.

    Yet Mount Ulf, while the tallest of them all, it was like an ordinary mountain. Of course, that made looking around a lot easier, despite the foliage growing around it¡¯s path.

    The mountain even had some areas with a proper stone steps, yet Damon regarded this place with concern¡­ Why? He climbed this place as a kid, right?

    ¡°This is pretty peaceful¡­ I don¡¯t know where we should look for a temple though¡­¡± Alice stated, looking relaxed. Clearly welcoming the change of pace.

    Damon on the other hand was on edge. The cheery male would have his eyes dart about repeatedly, as if watching out for something. ¡°Don¡¯t trust the peacefulness¡­ The mountain Guardian is out there somewhere. It is a big guy, so at least he won¡¯t surprise us. I told you, I would love to fight it, but we don¡¯t stand chance. Honestly, the first few times I climbed this place I didn¡¯t even meet it¡­ Good thing too¡­¡± He admitted.

    ¡®He talked about the Guardian a lot¡­ What even is it? Maybe instead of Guarding the mountain¡­ It is actually protecting the temple¡­  I have never seen Damon so nervous about fighting anything before¡­ Unless including his sister¡­ This thing must really be something¡­ But if it didn¡¯t appear when Damon first climbed here as a kid¡­ Then where did it come from? Or did he really just get very lucky¡­¡¯

    ¡°Do you know anything that looks like a temple here? If you are that worried, we can try and hurry along.¡± Kazius suggested.

    ¡°I am not worried¡­ I love battles, but I¡¯ve tried to fight it, there is no way!¡±, Damon exclaimed. ¡°That isn¡¯t a battle at all.¡± He admitted, a hint of sourness over it in his tone. It was clear he would love to fight the guardian, but he didn¡¯t think it feasible.

    ¡°I suppose that makes sense¡­ Then what about the temple?¡± Kazius would remind him of his other question.

    ¡°Well, there is nothing like that here. I haven¡¯t seen a temple at all.¡± Damon admitted.

    Kazius sighed, of course it wouldn¡¯t be easy. He really wished Vind had told him more. Even The Oracle was less vague.

    The group would wonder aimlessly for what felt like hours, just following the path. At this point Alice looked bored with the scenery while Damon still was on edge. It was then they heard it.

    A jingle.

    The air seemed to grow heavy, suffocating even. Like the air had shifted.

    All the sounds of nature the group had enjoyed in their walk, suddenly faded¡­ It was so silent it was uncomfortable. A maddening ringing silence. Damon¡¯s eyes would go wide, fear hinting in his expression.

    Then there was another jingle. It sounded almost like a wind chime, but higher pitched. Something about the sound almost rung like a warning.

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    An overwhelming sense of dread filled Kazius.

    ¡®What the hell is that?!¡¯

    The jingle would suddenly grow closer yet again.

    ¡°Its¡­ It¡¯s the¡­ guardian.¡± Damon would finally manage out. Normally he was so talkative, but it was almost like talking was difficult. His words coming out in short continuous bursts followed by silence in between. His hesitation to fight such a thing was becoming very obvious.

    There was no wind, no sound. Kazius could have sworn he saw his shadow move on it¡¯s own again out of the corner of his eye. Like it was trying to tug on him, but he was too frozen.

    ¡®Is this all in my head? It is like an overwhelming presence¡­ Not even meeting Vind was anything like this¡­¡¯

    Another jingle.

    ¡®Run¡¯ Kazius would suddenly hear. It was that voice again¡­ Maybe he wasn¡¯t crazy, his shadow really did talk to him maybe? Still, he felt frozen, almost glued down.

    ¡®RUN!¡¯

    At this Kazius snapped out of his shock, tugging on the two to run off and do just that. Good thing too since out of the corner of his eye, Kazius would see something move closer. There would be one final jingle. The world suddenly growing bright. Then oh so suddenly, a ray of light would hit where they had been standing seconds ago, the spot getting charred black.

    ¡®WHAT¡¯

    ¡°What!?¡± Damon exclaimed, seeming to be thinking his the same. Being just as shocked as he was.

    Alice on the other hand would scream, the princess being more than horrified. ¡°What the fuuuuuuuck?!¡± She would exclaim, normally not cursing much, but that was just how shocked she was.

    They would run, very much running for their lives at this point.

    ¡°Did you know that thing could do that?!¡± Kazius exclaimed as they ran.

    ¡°No way! I thought it was just fast and strong! Maybe a heavy presence! It never did that before!¡± Damon exclaimed in horror.

    ¡®So first it appears, then it learns how to do this?!¡¯

    They keep running. The jingling didn¡¯t seem to get any farther away though. Just where was it?

    They couldn¡¯t keep running forever¡­ At this rate they would have to consider fleeing the mountain¡­ But would it follow? The group would run with the intention of getting off the edge of the path. Rather than just an edge though, there were pillars and stone steps leading up the ledge.

    ¡®Finally! Cover! Escape! Whichever!¡¯

    The group would rush forward between the pillars that resembled an arch, intending to take cover and see where the creature was.  Rather than finding themselves behind some pillars though, as they approached, the pillars would glow the same color as the light from the guardian. With no time to react, even though Kazius tried to stop, Damon failed to stop his momentum fully due to his stature. He would end up falling with them through the pillars. Rather than land on the dirt though, what welcomed them was less forgiving, hard marble.

    ¡°Sorry! I was just freaking out about the-¡° Damon would exclaim, his voice carrying an echo in the halls of the pure white marble hall. ¡°What the¡­¡±

    Alice groaned, getting up, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is that thing behind us?¡± She questioned only to grow shocked as the hall came into view.

    Kazius too would manage to get up, his expression growing confused and shocked. He would look behind them. There was a large marble gate with metal doors that shined with metal just as beautiful as the kind you could find at Veleno.

    He would then look at the front to take in the massive yet elegant hall. The place was lit up brightly, glowing a golden accented white like the attacks from the guardian. Odd stone and metal flowers could be seen at the forefront. The stone bases covered in eyes that would blink at the group. As if staring and watching their every move. Behind them there was a hallways full of many many mirrors at either side with an even bigger more elegant mirror at the very end, the mirror shining with the same glow the filled the place¡­

    While they were the only ones there, the deafening silence from before was now replaced by quiet whispers that seemed to come from the very walls of the place.

    ¡°No way¡­¡± Alice stated in awe.

    ¡°The temple¡­¡± Kazius confirmed in both confusion and concern, his brows furrowing.

 Chapter 34: Mirrors

    One second ago, Kazius had been worried they may not survive their trip to Mount Ulf, and now they were in the temple he had intended to go to¡­ Did things turn out this way by cheer luck? What were the odds of running towards the pillars?  Were the gods messing with his fate? Or maybe truly the future was set in stone. Kazius didn¡¯t understand.

    The place had an odd air to it, a similar presence to The Guardian, yet not suffocating¡­ Almost confirming the suspicions that Kazius has about The Guardian being the protector of the temple. However, if that is the case¡­ How did it end up out there instead of being locked in here?

    Alice would approach the strange ornamental flowers near the entrance, all the eyes in the bases would turn and stare straight at her, the whispers in the temple growing louder. She jumped back, grimacing, ¡°What IS that?¡± She questioned, shuddering.

    ¡°I am not sure¡­ But I think it may be in our best interest to not touch them.¡± Kazius stated, turning to look at Damon, the mountain of a man stopping midway of attempting to poke one of the living ornaments, his finger only an inch away from it. He gave a sheepish smile, clearly caught red handed, ¡°Buahaha, alright!¡± He agreed.

    ¡®God or not, who knows if this place is benevolent¡­ Everything here could be cursed¡­ After all, The Guardian likely has something to do with this place¡­ And it almost killed us¡­ Still, I doubt Vind would put her champion in danger for now reason¡­ There must be something here I am meant to see¡­¡¯

    Kazius would look around, the place was so bright¡­ Then there was the aura¡­ Was it truly divine? It almost felt familiar¡­

    He began to walk down to the long hallway where he could see dozens and dozens of mirrors. He motioned the others to follow, walking in between the strange ornaments.

    As the group walked through the hall, the mirrors would show all kinds of weird¡­ Alternative realities? The Past? Kazius would have not known how to describe it.

    In some mirrors it was as if they were showing their past selves. Kazius in the rags from his days raised at the Church Orphanage. Alice with long hair, tiara, and an elaborate gown worthy of a princess. Damon as a scrawny malnourished child with bruises and a black eye.

    At the sight of this, both Alice and Damon seemed to look unhappy. For different reasons. Damon¡¯s goofy smile becoming a frown, likely unhappy to be reminded of his trauma. Alice on the other hand would give the mirror almost a longing look as they walked past.

    Kazius of course wasn¡¯t too happy either. He resented The Church and didn¡¯t want to think of his former friends or The Church. His fists clenching a bit.

    They would move forward and keep walking, the mirrors showing even odder things.

    In one, Alice looked like him, having black hair and red eyes, while he looked like her. He was the one carrying her family sword and she was the one with the strange shadow. Damon in that one looked quite different. He was a kitsune with a calm expression, wearing a kimono with 4 tails sprouting from the back of it. His hair was blonde, his eyes greenish blue. There was a lotus drawn on his forehead, two red markings under his eyes.

    Damon was the most confused by what the mirror showed. It was like Alice and Kazius switched positions, roles¡­ So, who was he being swapped with?

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    ¡°This makes no sense. I would never wear that! And I am not a fox person!¡± Damon exclaimed in confusion.

    ¡°It definitely isn¡¯t the past or the future¡­¡± Alice agreed.

    ¡°It looks like an alternative to the present¡­ This is definitely different from The Oracle¡­ The Oracle couldn¡¯t do this¡­ At least I don¡¯t think¡­¡± Kazius trailed off in confusion.

    The group would shrug off the vision and keep walking. Damon would give one last look at the mirror, staring intently before he too would follow.

    The next mirror would show the 3 of them laughing and spending time with a lich.  They looked like they were having fun. Alice and Azanor were also there¡­ Alice looked to be particularly close to the lich, hugging the undead. It didn¡¯t look romantic, but rather, it was a friendly hug. The kind you would share with friends or family. Still, it was quite the loving hug.

    ¡°Do you know any undead?¡± Kazius asked in confusion, wondering why Alice seemed so familiar with the lich.

    ¡°Of course not! I don¡¯t know why I would ever hug a lich.¡± Alice stated with a grimace as she looked at the skeleton.

    ¡°Maybe it is an alternative to reality, just like the previous one.¡± Kazius suggested.

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Alice trailed off in confusion, studying the lich carefully. She would then shrug, the group continuing to move.

    Then there was the next mirror. In that one, it seems their genders were the opposite. Alice was a man, having a physique of a knight, hair shoulder length but in a ponytail. Kazius was a slim woman. He had long black hair and wore vibrant red lipstick. Damon had even longer hair still, his locks looking just as wild as they did now. His stature was the same as well, also still having a good amount of muscle.

    Damon laughed at sight, finding it amusing. ¡°Buahaha! That is so weird!¡± He exclaimed, indeed amused to see himself like that.

    ¡°I take after my father more than I realized.¡± Alice admitted in awe.

    Kazius shook his head, ¡°This place makes little sense.¡± He shrugged off, not having any particular thoughts about such a sight.

    Kazius would then keep pressing forward with the two. There were so many more mirrors. One where he was a demon and Alice seemed to have a blank expression, like how Eve did. Damon in that one seemed to have a wicked expression to him, his hair blue like Caleb and Luna.  Damon was startled by it. Likely seeing the resemblance to Luna¡¯s crazed and malicious expression from the last time they met.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like that one¡­¡± Damon admitted.

    ¡°That one isn¡¯t you at least¡­ So I wouldn¡¯t worry about it. You aren¡¯t the type of person that would enjoy the suffering of others or anything like that.¡± Kazius reassured.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Damon agreed.

    While the two spoke, Alice had actually gone ahead. She seemed to grow flustered at something, attempting to make herself as big as possible and obscure the view, her face quite red. ¡°P-Please don¡¯t look.¡± She pleaded in embarrassment once the other two caught up.

    Kazius was confused. What did she want to hide so badly?

    He attempted to peak a bit, able to make out a few of his own features and hers.

    ¡°Kazius¡­¡± Alice pleaded again in embarrassment; her face flushed.

    ¡°Alright, Alright, we won¡¯t look.¡± Kazius assured, not understanding why it was so important to her. Still, he didn¡¯t want to upset her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. I promise.¡± Kazius assured, noting her pouty expression. He did peak, so she likely wasn¡¯t happy about that.

    At the exchange, Damon seemed to chuckle to himself about something.

    ¡®Did he figure out what it was?¡¯

    ¡°Okay¡­ I will believe you.¡± Alice stated, moving away from the mirror once Kazius looked away. True to his word, he didn¡¯t look. As he walked though, he couldn¡¯t help but note a shy yet content smile on Alice¡¯s face.

    ¡®Just what had she seen?¡¯

    He was curious, but he had promised so he would just carry on, finally making it to the large main mirror at the end of the hall. The two following.

    Kazius was nervous, something told him this mirror held what he was likely here for. However, when Kazius did step up to the mirror, everything went blank, the world almost seeming to float away. Suddenly he was falling in darkness, mirrors floating up past him. Before he could react, he would make contact with a mirror at the bottom of this darkness. The darkness turned to pure white, everything suddenly glowing bright.

 Chapter 35: Whispers from Time

    Confused and disoriented, Kazius groaned as he got up from the floor, surprised to see himself laying on dirt. This temple sure loved messing with people.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± Kazius groaned, standing up only to grow confused.

    ¡®Where fuck am I?¡¯

    He would think to himself as he looked around. He seemed to be right in the middle of a castle¡¯s courtyard. The place was near a bridge that went over the river, connecting the castle to a city. The place was massive. The city was even bigger than Ratier and more luxurious than Veleno. But something about the place¡­ was familiar¡­ The nearby river¡­ He knew this river¡­ It looked a bit different¡­ But it was the river that he knew well¡­. The mountains¡­ The 5 mountains in the distance¡­ He had spent so much time in them, of course he recognized them anywhere. Things looked different¡­ But the location and position¡­ This was Vargstam.

    The place was extravagant¡­ To be honest¡­ The castle was just to his taste¡­

    ¡®Was this¡­ The future?¡¯

    As he stood still, thinking, he saw a maid with a mask on walk towards him¡­ And then through him¡­ As if he wasn¡¯t even there.

    ¡®Am I inside the mirror? This is definitely the future, but¡­ It must be showing me some sort of vision¡­¡¯

    Confused and unsure, Kazius decided to follow the maid. Maybe she was going towards someone he would recognize? He would stare at the maid, wondering why she would be wearing a faceless mask, the smooth surface having no holes or anything of the like. How could she even see? Why would he make his servants wear such a weird uniform?

    As he followed the maid, he would hear quite the commotion. Then a screech, as off in the distance he would see a red dragon take off, the creature massive enough to make the ground shake and even knock over a tree or two in the process of taking off.

    His eyes went wide, shocked at the sight.

    Quickly, he would go to the gardens where it seems the dragon had ascended from.

    When he got there though, he wasn¡¯t sure what to make out of what he saw. Or rather who he saw. It was him.

    Himself.

    Looking at himself was something he thought would be encouraging¡­ But instead¡­ He felt uneasy. He was standing, a scowl on his face. His skin was no longer white, but instead gray. His actual hands were black. His own presence was intimidating, his expression oh so cold, his eyes shining an eerie red and full of malice. Shadow whisps seemed to constantly be emitting from himself, specially from his hands. He wore a dark black armor and clock, the almost silver looking metal being one he had never seen before. The metal accents held the symbol that had appeared on Damon¡¯s spear¡­

    ¡®That really does become my symbol then¡­¡¯

    Next to him was Damon. The cheerful and goofy man was like a totally different person. He wore armor worthy of a general, the metal itself black. The armor was adorned with furs and part of a skull at his belt. A black quite torn cape was on his back. His hair was even more wilder and untamed, but his expression, it was a wide wicked grin. Quite the sadistic one, something he never expected to see.

    His future self looked awfully displeased about something. There was what looked to be a red dragonborn kneeling before them both, begging.

    ¡°P-Please, your majesty¡­ I-I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ It was an honest mistake¡­ I won¡¯t fail you again! I swear! I will round up every human next time! I-I didn¡¯t think the Elves would come to their aid¡­ We just didn¡¯t have the numbers. There were so few of us and the Elves have the magic to fight back! There were 10<sup>th</sup> tier Mages!¡± The terrified male exclaimed.

    Future Kazius would sneer at this, looking disgusted. His presence made that of The Guardian feel like nothing. ¡°You are right¡­ You won¡¯t disappoint me again¡­ In fact, you will never have the chance to do so¡­ Ever. Damon, deal with him.¡± He stated, sounding almost bored of the conversation. It was odd, but his shadow¡­ It was much more independent than Kazius knew his shadow to be, pulling out a chair from a nearby garden tea table. Future Kazius would sit, returning to what appeared to be his lunch. Acting as if he had not just sentence someone to death.

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    ¡°NO! PLEASE!¡± The dragonborn begged.

    ¡°With pleasure.¡± Damon chuckled out in delight, seeming excited at the idea of killing someone.

    ¡°Y-Your highness, s-sir¡­ Please¡­¡± The dragonborn pleaded in despair.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make this any harder on yourself. Unluckily for you, you pissed off my king¡­ So I will have to kill you¡­ But try to entertain me for a bit, won¡¯t you?¡± While his words sounded a bit apologetic at first, his expression was far from it.

    ¡°Feel free to run away, I love hunting down runaways¡­ It is always fun playing with them¡­ Especially when they think they got away only to then see me! Buahaha! I haven¡¯t done that in a while!¡± Damon would add. In his words and expression, there was not his love for battle, but instead genuinely delight in killing the helpless dragonborn. It wasn¡¯t about fighting.

    It was then he would grab the dragonborn by the neck, strangling the life right out of him with a sadistic delight.

    Kazius was shocked at this. He knew how important it was for Damon to not act like his father, to not be cruel¡­ Yet here he was¡­ Acting in such a way¡­ Enjoying battles was one thing¡­ But this was¡­ His future self was the one who gave such orders too¡­ What has he turned Damon into?

    ¡®Damon considers Alice and me his closest friends¡­ Azanor and Eve too¡­ Why would he go this far? Are all my friends like this in the future because of me? This isn¡¯t like¡­ The future I saw before¡­ I was heroic¡­ I was saving the world from The Demon King¡­ But this was¡­ This was a different future from what I saw. Did the future change?¡¯

    Soon the dragonborn finished struggling, going limb once his life had drained away.

    It was then Future Kazius would put down his teacup. He would look over his shoulder at the dead body, looking bored. ¡°He didn¡¯t last very long¡­ They never do¡­ Perhaps I should just go eradicate The 3 Kingdoms myself¡­ I want those kingdoms out of my sight¡­ I didn¡¯t want to go there again, but I will if it means they are gone¡­ Mortals¡­ They are so¡­¡± Future Kazius trailed off, his presence growing stronger still. The shadows he released only grew more abundant, almost enough to darken the sky in the area of the garden. His indifference turning into a cold rage.

    ¡°Let me go instead. I would love to go. In fact, if Eve and Azanor come, there may be nothing left of that side of the continent.¡± Damon chuckled out in delight. ¡°I rather you not have to bother yourself with such things, I will do the dirty work.¡±

    ¡°I am your King, Damon. I hope you are not trying to patronize me. I do not need protecting like some child. Don¡¯t look down on me.¡± Future Kazius snapped.

    ¡°Kazius¡­ You know I never would. I just know you still think of it as her kingdom¡­ Her area¡­ I know it would be upsetting to go¡­¡± Damon stated in concern, acting a bit like the Damon Kazius knew.

    ¡°I thought I made it clear you are never to speak of Alice again.¡± Future Kazius would respond coldly.

    Damon bowed at this at first, doing a full kneel to the floor after further thinking.

    ¡°You may be my king, but I am your friend first. I would do anything for you, you know that. That is why as your friend, I have to bring her up. I know what her death did to you. You shake in anger whenever you even think of Ratier. Let me destroy it, make them suffer. I will personally kill every human, child or adult, young or old, I won¡¯t let a single one escape.¡± Damon pleaded in a determined manner.

    ¡®Alice is dead?! How!?¡¯ Kazius would think to himself in horror, his heart aching in grief at the thought. Feeling frozen in his spot. Images of the smiling woman flooding his mind. He grabbed his head with his hands, attempting to not feel overwhelmed at the revelation. He was barely paying attention to the conversation now.

    Future Kazius would glare at him, turning away. ¡°You know, if you were anyone else. I would have killed you for bringing her up¡­¡± He stated coldly, his lips pursing into a straight line while in thought.

    ¡°Fine, go. I want that side of the continent off the map. You have a month.¡± Future Kazius would state before looking at the corpse. ¡°Make yourself useful, join the butlers and cover that ugly face.¡± He stated before making a rising motion with his hand.

    At this, the corpse would indeed reanimate, making a strange groan and gurgling sound in response before it would stumble away. It was now a mindless undead.

    Sighing, Future Kazius would then head off, Damon watching him in concern as he did so.

    Unsure, and with a lot on his mind, Kazius would follow his future self. Future Kazius had been so calm and cold¡­ But now with humans brought up, especially Alice¡­ He seemed so angry. Overwhelmed with anger, hatred, and grief.

    While he did go into the castle, going up the stairs to a tower. The place didn¡¯t look like someone lived there¡­ It was unclear as to where he was going until they were already there.

    At the top of the tower was a room with many windows, letting in a lot of light into the elegant room. There, on a luxurious bed, laid Alice. Her hair was even longer than how it was now, going down to her lower back. The pink locks sprawled out elegantly on the bed. Her body perfectly preserved yet it was obvious she was a cold, inanimate corpse.

    Kazius would stare in horror, the pain in his heart only growing stronger at seeing Alice in such a state. It was too much for him, he was frozen in the hallway.

    It was then Future Kazius would close the door behind him, the sound of the door slamming shut pulling him back into reality.

 Chapter 36: The Awkward Present

    When everything came into focus again, Kazius was once again at the temple. Slowly he could hear Alice¡¯s voice come into focus, the sound of her concerned words slowly making sense.

    ¡°Kazius! Damon! Please wake up! What¡¯s wrong?! Snap out of it!¡± Alice exclaimed in concern, her eyes beginning to water. They likely had been out of it for a while for her to be this panicked. Once she saw that Kazius was looking at her and moving, she quickly had relief wash over her face.

    Upon seeing her though, Kazius felt overwhelmed, unable to contain himself. He hugged her, pulling her close. Kazius shook a bit as he held her, grasping her as if she would slip away if he didn¡¯t hold her. Managing to calm himself down, he tried to gather his thoughts.

    ¡°K-Kazius?¡± Alice questioned in a confused manner, her face growing flushed at his sudden affection and closeness.

    Kazius would not respond to her though. Instead, he would just breathe deeply, feeling like the world was returning beneath him. She was here.

    ¡°G-Geez¡­ You know, I should be the one worried¡­ You both suddenly were out of it when you looked at the mirror, I was worried sick¡­ What happened? Are you okay? What has gotten into you?¡± Alice questioned, trying to move back so she could look into his face.

    Kazius would allow her to do so, pulling back as well, gently cupping her face before then gently holding a strand of her hair.

    ¡®She¡¯s here. She¡¯s okay, she is alive right now¡­ It is okay.¡¯

    Kazius would move back, staring into her violet eyes before letting her go. He still felt so overwhelmed, but he managed to fight back despair. He needed to access the situation, he needed to think. Perking up though, he would turn and look at Damon. Alice did mention he had been out of it too.

    ¡°Kazius?¡± Alice questioned, clearly thinking he was acting strange. She then would look at Damon again. ¡°He is still not out of it.¡± She would speak up again in concern.

    ¡°Damon¡­¡± Kazius trailed off, about to attempt to shake him when he then would begin to stir, seeming to snap out of it on his own.

    Damon would look around, confused, looking at them both once he seemed to gather himself. He had an unreadable expression on his face, but the sadness in his eyes when he looked at Alice¡­ Kazius knew, he may had not seen him inside the vision¡­ but Damon had likely also been there. He knew¡­

    ¡°Damon?¡± Alice questioned in confusion only to then have the werewolf give his goofy smile, the expression reminding Kazius of his forced smiles from back when he first met him¡­ ¡°Buahaha! I¡¯m okay!.¡± He reassured.

    Kazius didn¡¯t know where to even begin. He felt the urge to apologize for the orders he gave, or that he would give¡­ To assure him he isn¡¯t like his father, but he didn¡¯t want to talk about any of this in front of Alice. He hated the thought of her getting hurt, much less dying. He didn¡¯t want that fate for her, he refused. He wouldn¡¯t make her think about something like that happening to her. He wouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°What happened to the two of you?¡± Alice would question in concern.

    ¡®My Alice¡­ So beautiful and strong¡­ I don¡¯t want to worry her anymore. She will be okay¡­ I¡­ I will make sure she will be¡­ I will talk about this with Damon later¡­ But not with her¡­ I can¡¯t.¡¯ Kazius would think to himself, the vision helping him realize something.

    ¡°I saw a vision of myself as king.¡± Kazius admitted, ¡°Vargstam becomes quite the large city¡­ And apparently, I have a talent for necromancy.¡±

    ¡°So, you had a vision like with The Oracle? Maybe The Oracle really is a sham. This place is so much more advanced than The Orb of The Oracle. It even showed us the past¡­ What about you, Damon?¡± Alice questioned curiously.

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    ¡°I saw the same thing, Kazius as king¡­ I¡­ I was¡­ I looked strong. I was his general, his right hand.¡± Damon admitted, clearly struggling to find the right words. That certainly confirmed it though, he had been there. He seemed to be following Kazius¡¯ lead and not telling Alice about her fate.

    ¡°That sounds amazing! That must have been great!¡± Alice exclaimed eagerly, beaming at the thought of their success it seems. She did begin to grow a bit pouty after something seemed to occur to her. ¡°That is not fair though, I want to see too, but the mirror didn¡¯t show me anything¡­¡±  She trailed off, looking into it.

    The mirror currently was indistinguishable from any other mirror. It was no longer glowing, as if it had fulfilled it¡¯s purpose or was simply out of power¡­ Maybe it needed time in between uses? This was an abandoned temple with no new magic being supplied to it¡­ It was incredible it was even functional, lost technology most likely behind it.

    ¡°That is what I get for trailing behind and trying to cover up that mirror¡­ I probably looked at it too late.¡± Alice sighed out in dismay.

    Kazius was honestly relieved at her reasoning, it would make her not dwell on why she saw no future¡­ The reason behind it was obvious to Kazius. There was no future for her to see, as things were, she had none. The thought itself making Kazius¡¯ heart grow heavy. He found himself heavy with regrets for things that had not happened, that he hasn¡¯t even done. For the sakes of Alice, Damon, and his people.

    Kazius would find himself continue to stare at Alice, her hair and face alike, the image of her dead body burned into his mind. Fear, pain, and even a cool rage towards whoever would be responsible for such a thing. The latter being the source of a lot of fear, knowing now where such a rage could take him.

    It wasn¡¯t like he could run from his fate though. He would be The Monster King¡­ And be there to oppose The Demon King. Of course, there was always the option to do nothing, but if he did nothing¡­ Either The Church or The Demon King would likely destroy all he loved.

    He wouldn¡¯t surrender though; he would save Alice. That was easier said than done though, he had no idea what he was even going to save her from.

    He was deep in thought, staring deeply at the upset princess that seemed to be feeling left out. She seemed to be looking down, toying with her hair while she seemed to remain pouty when the two didn¡¯t respond to her words.

    ¡°Well¡­ Next time¡­ Maybe we will be able to come back and you will see something. I don¡¯t think we will see anymore right now though.¡± Kazius assured, patting her on her head.

    Alice seemed to stare at him, likely able to tell he was being more touchy, ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    ¡°Buahaha! Good, being sad like that suits you less than me, you know?¡± Damon admitted, seeming to be trying hard to keep it together in front of her too.

    Alice seemed to smile at this, hopefully this would keep her from dwelling on their behavior too much. ¡°Alright.¡± She agreed contently, cheering up some.

    ¡°Anyway, that thing is still outside¡­ I think we should step out and the moment we do, jump off the mountain. We should all be fine if we do, but we need to get off the mountain as fast as possible. I am sure The Guardian won¡¯t be happy we came in here¡­¡± Kazius stated, remembering their predicament. Getting out of here first took priority.

    ¡°Good plan. I will ready my sword. No way I want to try our luck climbing to the top.¡± Alice agreed, the group having nearly died were it not for the temple.

    Damon nodded, giving a thumbs up. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± He agreed, being surprisingly quiet, not shouting per usual.

    With that, the 3 would indeed make it out of the temple. Damon would open the large doors, the group making a run for it. Despite the scenery change, they indeed headed off straight off the mountain, jumping off. Good thing too since they were already hearing jingling. As the jumped off, an explosion could be heard, stones falling off the mountain.

    Thankfully between Damon¡¯s wind, Alice¡¯s sword riding, and Kazius¡¯ fall being broken by shadows, they were just fine.

    Sighing, Kazius was relieved to be away from Mount Ulf. ¡°Seems we made it¡­ We should probably take care of that thing at some point¡­ It will only get stronger...¡± He admitted.

    ¡°Agreed¡­ That place was scary.¡± Alice admitted, not knowing just how right she was.

    Kazius and Damon would exchange uneasy looks. Their upcoming conversation an uncomfortable one.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Kazius stated, walking off with the two only to look back at Mount Ulf. The Temple and The Guardian¡­ They were less terrifying than the future, in his opinion.  As he stared, he realized he saw somethings staring at them from the cliff they jumped off from. It was a white Kudu Bull. It¡¯s fur had silver accents, the horns seeming to have something resembling windchimes hanging off each horn, an orb floating right in the middle between the two horns. The orb resembling The Oracle Orb. It would seem to stare at Kazius, the two making eye contact. It¡¯s eyes glowing the same color as the temple, no irises, but instead just golden pure light. The two would exchange stares, The Guardian eventually slowly turning away, walking back further into the mountain.

 Chapter 37: A Meeting of Terrible Men Part One

    While Kazius and Damon had attempted to act normal despite what they had seen, their usual happy chatter while the trio walked was replaced by an awkward silence. Kazius and Damon both continuing to glance at Alice as they did so.

    Alice would look at them both confused, but despite this she would say nothing. Perhaps from awkwardness or perhaps because she could tell the two were acting weird ever since they looked into the mirror. Thankfully the walk into town was not too long.

    Once there though, Kazius would go up to her, staring at her quite a bit again. He would reach out, almost touching her face again, but he would refrain from doing so half-way. ¡°I¡­ I have to go tend to something in the town, Damon will help me. We will be back.¡± Kazius would lie, not liking lying to any of his friends, much less her. He felt he had to though.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Alice would question, looking puzzled at his words and actions. ¡°I could help too. We just came back from Mount Ulf, The Guardian must have exhausted you both too¡­ Can¡¯t it wait? I think you two should rest¡­ There shouldn¡¯t be an emergency¡­ I could at least help if you really do have to go.¡± She stated in concern, clearly worried about them.

    They had done decently well hiding things were wrong, but the longer time passed the more Kazius felt her would burst. He had little time to take in everything and the more he looked at Alice, the more he kept seeing the image of her dead. The more it just hurt. Kazius was normally a calm person, but¡­

    ¡°It is okay, you rest¡­ We will return soon.¡± Kazius assured, restraining himself from hugging her again. He would then force himself to smile, Damon would smile as well but his expression was not anymore convincing. He didn¡¯t know how they would hide this. He hoped talking to Damon would help.

    ¡°O¡­Okay¡­¡± Alice stated in confusion, looking at them both in confusion and concern.

    With that the two would leave, Alice watching, staring at the two as they left.

    Kazius knew there was little chance the two could have a private conversation in town, not with him being the Chief. So, after dropping Alice off, they would head to the outskirts by the river.

    Wherever he looked, he could not help but think of what the place would look like. Something that should be making him happy, but with every building, bridge, and architecture that came to mind, Alice would overtake the thought soon after.

    Looking around, the silence between the two men was deafening. He had actually been avoiding looking at Damon much, he didn¡¯t know how to face him. How could he? When Damon was depressed and alone¡­ He assured him he was a good person, that he was not cruel, it wasn¡¯t in his nature¡­ Yet he would be giving orders that would make him act cruel. Of course, he was better than his father in a very obvious sense, but he couldn¡¯t claim Damon was not cruel in the future. And it was his fault.

    Kazius could not find his words, there were just so many he wanted to say. He was heartbroken about Alice, but also about Damon. He didn¡¯t know whether to begin with ¡®Sorry¡¯ or with ¡®Did you see?¡¯, he was torn. He felt so much guilt. Guilt for letting Alice die, and guilt for what he would turn his friend into.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Kazius would finally manage out. He would then hear Damon sigh before then a thump when the tall werewolf sat down.

    ¡°You know, if you are apologizing to someone, you should look at them.¡± He would hear after, Damon¡¯s tone being more sad than snarky.

    Kazius at this would sit next to Damon on the ground, ending up looking over at his friend. He was shocked, despite his pained look, Damon was weakly smiling. The werewolf looked miserable, but his smile was genuine.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. It isn¡¯t your fault. Your orders, I would do any of them happily, that is my choice. You are not forcing me¡­ No matter how terrible they are.¡± Damon admitted with a sigh.

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    ¡°Why would you go that far? I¡­ I will be a terrible king¡­ And an even worse friend. You aren¡¯t like that. The vision is definitely real¡­ I don¡¯t doubt it, but... You wouldn¡¯t follow those types of orders, I don¡¯t understand.¡± Kazius stated with a pained look on his face.

    Damon would simply smile, shaking his head, a hint of sadness in his eyes, ¡°You have no idea of the hole you pulled me out of, do you? The dark place I was in, how alone I was. Azanor and Eve are my friends, good friends¡­ But the ones that did everything for me, were you and Alice. You have no idea what I would do for both of you¡­ No¡­ I¡­ I know for a fact that I would go that far for either of you. No matter how awful, even if that isn¡¯t what I want to be. I would make myself like it, if it was a request from either of you. That is exactly what I would do. I would follow you into the Abyss for all I care.¡± He admitted.

    Kazius looked at him in dismay, feeling only all the more guilty, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean I turn you to be like that? I killed that Dragonborn just because of hatred and one failed mission.¡±

    ¡°I killed the Dragonborn, not you.¡± Damon corrected firmly, ¡°And if you told me to do it in the future, I will do it again.¡± He would add, a determined expression on his face. He did not seem like he would fall into grief over what he is and wasn¡¯t anymore.

    ¡°Damon¡­¡± Kazius sighed out, unable to really argue with him. He was a goofy man, but he was surprisingly firm and straightforward when he got serious.

    ¡°I¡­ I suppose I better make sure we don¡¯t end up in a place like the Abyss then.¡± Kazius joked weakly.

    ¡°I believe in you.¡± Damon admitted with a small grin.

    ¡°I will try and do the same then¡­  I will also believe that we can save her.¡± Kazius added, finally bringing up the main issue.

    ¡°We have to save her¡­ Maybe we aren¡¯t the most perfect people out there, but we care about her¡­ And maybe saving her will have Vargstam and us be better.¡± Damon admitted.

    ¡°Yes, we may be two despicable men¡­ But we will be two despicable men that will save a princess¡­ You know¡­ I still, despite things¡­ Don¡¯t doubt we are good; you are a good person and friend. Just sometimes good men must do despicable things. Become terrible for the ones we love.¡± Kazius joked bitterly at first before growing serious again, cracking jokes out of nervousness. The future wasn¡¯t scary because of how it was shown he could act in such a way. Anyone is capable of being evil. The vision was scary because after seeing Alice dead like that¡­ It very much made sense to him. It was a thinking process and evil that was very understandable. That was the fact that was horrifying to him. How reasonable it seemed. If something truly happened to Alice, he could see himself making such choices again¡­ And it seems Damon felt the same.

    ¡°You know¡­ Seeing her like that¡­ It made me realize how much I¡¯ve been lying to myself about her¡­ I love her, don¡¯t I? I wanted to not see it¡­ But¡­ Even with that hood on¡­ The day I met her, she was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen¡­ And now that I know that¡­. The thought of her being in danger is destroying me.¡±

    Damon frowned, looking torn on the matter. ¡°I could tell¡­ To be honest¡­ I think everyone but you two know¡­ How she looks at you¡­ And even how you look at her¡­ You should tell her, you don¡¯t want to regret it¡­ I can¡¯t believe that she would be gone like that.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t have the heart to tell her until I know we stop this¡­ But that is easier said than done¡­ I don¡¯t even know what we will be protecting her from¡­ Or when it will even happen¡­¡± Kazius stated in dismay, not knowing tearing away at him, his heart feeling heavier in his chest.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t like we can hide here and try to run away from everything. That isn¡¯t safe either. As long as The Church of The Oracle exist and the Demon King plans to conquer the world, we will all be in danger¡­¡±

    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Damon stated with a sigh.

    Kazius would look down in dismay, indeed they were stuck.

    ¡®Did I put her in danger by making different decisions because I saw The Oracle¡¯s vision? But the more times I see the future, the more I want to look again¡­. No¡­ Looking was good, it warned me¡­ The future changed once, it can change again¡­ But I don¡¯t know anything about what actually kills her! What do I even do!? I don¡¯t want to let someone even touch a single hair on her! Wait¡­ Hair¡­ She was preserved when she died¡­ And she has been growing out her hair¡­¡¯

    ¡°While we don¡¯t have a way to know what happens¡­ I think I know how to tell when we are close to when it happens¡­¡± Kazius admitted, ¡°I saw her body, I preserved it. By the time she died, her hair is to her lower back in length¡­ It is a bit past her shoulders. I don¡¯t know how fast her hair grows¡­ But¡­ We have time.¡± He stated in realization.

    It wasn¡¯t much to go by, but it was a start¡­ Of course, the longer her hair got, the more anxious Kazius knew he would feel.

    Damon was shocked at his suggestion, ¡°You are right! Okay¡­ We can look at her hair, if any danger comes around the time her hair is long enough, we can do something!¡±

    Kazius smiled at this, the situation was starting to look a lot less hopeless.

 Chapter 38: A Meeting of Terrible Men Part Two

    ¡°A gathering of the best of the worst? I am almost offended I wasn¡¯t invited to this meeting of so-called terrible men. I am a Demon; I should get at least an honorary mention.¡± The two would suddenly hear right behind them.

    Damon almost fell into the water from the scare, jumping back some. ¡°Oh! Azanor!¡± The werewolf exclaimed.

    ¡°I am surprised we didn¡¯t see you approach¡­ What are you doing here?¡± Kazius questioned in concern.

    ¡°I am a high-ranking Demon and my powers have been returning, of course I am capable of this much. You still have a ways to go. As for what I am doing here, I am obviously eavesdropping.¡± Azanor mused with a proud smirk. He was honest, that much was certain, but he was too smug about admitting to eavesdropping.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be listening in on others, Azanor¡­ Especially when others wouldn¡¯t do the same to you.¡± Kazius responded with a frown.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have to if you two were better at keeping secrets. You really need to work on keeping a straight face. You would be terrible at playing cards. I was asked to keep an eye on you by Alice. She said that you two have been acting weird ever since you looked into some mirrors and is worried you two were possessed or something.¡± Azanor chuckled out, sitting beside them.

    ¡°I thought we were pretty calm. You have no idea how badly I wanted to beg Alice not to die when I left the vision from the mirror.¡± Damon admitted sheepishly.

    ¡°Normally I am calmer than this¡­ But realizing you love someone and that they will die is too much even for me.¡± Kazius stated with a sigh.

    ¡°Really? Finally! Took you long enough, I was pitying poor Alice. Always giving you looks but you always seemed to not realize it like some block head.¡± Azanor scoffed out.

    ¡°I suppose you knew. That does explain a lot of what you have said¡­¡± Kazius sighed out.

    ¡°Of course, I knew. Eve knew, Damon knew. You are a smart person, but you sure are quite clueless when it comes to romance.¡± Azanor huffed out with an eye roll.

    ¡°Even Eve knew? Geez¡­¡± Kazius sighed out in shame.

    ¡°I suppose I have to be grateful to have realized this before it was too late¡­ But¡­ The situation is still far from good¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose her¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose any of you, but specially her¡­¡± Kazius admitted in dismay.

    ¡°Well at least we have a vague idea of how to keep track of how close the event is¡­ That being said, as always¡­ I will help you.¡± Azanor admitted with a small grin.

    Kazius perked up, smiling a bit. Indeed, he was not alone, he had friends.

    ¡°Buahaha! Great! We can do this!¡± Damon exclaimed, clenching his fist and raising it up.

    ¡°I do agree that this should be a secret¡­ From Eve as well, because she will blurt it out to Alice in less than a day.¡± Azanor added.

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Kazius sighed out, already able to imagine the giddy elf doing that very thing.

    ¡°What about Caleb?¡± Damon questioned, after all, a magic user may be useful. An obvious thought.

    ¡°Tell me, Damon. How would your brother react if he finds out Kazius becomes some sort of cruel king? And how you apparently do some unsavory things under his orders? Would he still remain as loyal to Kazius as he is now?¡± Azanor would question.

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    Damon frowned at this in realization, ¡°That is true. I don¡¯t think we can tell him.¡±

    ¡°This stays between the 3 of us.¡± Kazius agreed.

    ¡°Anyway, what was I even doing in this future of yours? I wasn¡¯t there.¡± Azanor stated

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you, but Damon did mention you and Eve. He said that he would go with you two to turn the West of the continent into dust.¡± Kazius admitted.

    ¡°I did see you! I was following myself.¡± Damon admitted, this surprising Kazius.

    ¡°What was Eve like?¡± Azanor questioned. After all, he likely wanted to know if his wife had her memories back.

    ¡°Eve looked weird, now that I think about it. In the vision I was going over to you to give you the orders from Kazius¡­ I noticed Eve¡¯s hair was black¡­ I think her eyes were a different color too? I don¡¯t remember¡­ She was acting like normal¡­ I think? She did seem excited when I told her about our orders¡­¡± Damon explained, looking to be struggling to remember such details. After all, he wasn¡¯t likely focused on that.

    Azanor seemed deep in thought before sighing.

    ¡°You should honestly tell him, maybe he will be able to help more once you explain the situation. Sure now everyone knows you are the Demon King¡¯s brother, but only I know about Eve.¡± Kazius reminded him.

    ¡°Right¡­ I suppose¡­ You know how I am with my secrets is all¡­ But¡­ Since you brought it up¡­ I want to know the details of how she acted because she doesn¡¯t remember who she is¡­ So if you noticed anything, please tell me. Maybe in this vision of yours there was a clue¡­ On her remembering that she is my wife and what she is.¡± Azanor admitted in dismay.

    Damon seemed shocked at his words, ¡°That explains why you two are always so close!¡± He exclaimed in awe. ¡°But isn¡¯t she an elf?¡± he questioned, asking the same thing Kazius had.

    ¡°No.¡± Azanor stated, not elaborating on his answer yet again.

    Kazius sighed, ¡°Saying she isn¡¯t an elf is not very specific, you know?¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Azanor responded with a shrug. Kazius would never understand why he seemed to guard what Eve was so closely.

    ¡°Is she a shapeshifter?¡± Kazius questioned, still curious, ¡°You said she has always preferred the form of an Elf¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, she isn¡¯t a shapeshifter. I only know one shapeshifter and he is the most annoying person I¡¯ve ever met¡­ Second most annoying person I know¡­¡± Azanor scoffed out only to think further and then change his statement, ¡°Even my sister has nothing over him¡­¡± He stated with a repulsed expression.

    ¡°I¡­ I see. Wait, you and the Demon King have a sister?¡± Kazius questioned.

    ¡°Yes, but that isn¡¯t important. We were talking about the vision.¡± Azanor responded. It was clear that even once Kazius became king, Azanor would be as both honest and vague as ever.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could tell anything else that was different about her.¡± Damon admitted, still unable to think of much else.

    ¡°I suppose a change in her appearance is a good sign¡­¡± Azanor sighed out, ¡°That means she at least realizes she can change how she is seen some. Though if I am honest, if she never remembers, I will still love her all the same¡­ Well, enough about me and her¡­ anything else you two saw?¡±

    ¡°Well, aside me using necromancy¡­ The orders¡­ Not really? There was that Red Dragon¡­ I don¡¯t know who that was.¡± Kazius admitted.

    ¡°You even get one of those stubborn idiots to follow you? That is impressive. Red Dragons as a bunch of hot-headed block heads. The Chromatic Dragons, dragons with color rather than metallic¡­ They are lunatics. Metallic dragons with scales like gold and copper¡­ They are very pompous and annoying. Condescending and they think they¡¯re your mother.¡± Azanor would grumble, likely thinking of a very specific Metallic dragon. He seemed to know a lot of people of different races, but considering he was at least over 1000 years old, it made sense.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Kazius trailed off, wondering when he would get to meet a dragon, the idea sounding impossible, yet now he knew how possible it was.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see much else either. I did notice I had a sword in a hilt! If it wasn¡¯t for everything else, I would have been happy!¡± Damon admitted eagerly.

    ¡°You have a spear, would you ever even use a sword?¡± Kazius questioned in confusion, it didn¡¯t sound like something he would use.

    ¡°Do your wives not give you swords?¡± Damon asked in genuine confusion.

    ¡°Swords?¡± Kazius asked in confusion as well.

    ¡°No. Demons wear rings just like how humans do.¡± Azanor admitted, reaching into his pocket, showing off his. ¡°Eve had one, have no idea where that went either.¡± He admitted.

    ¡°In Vargstam, during the wedding, the woman gives the man a sword. I would never use one, but I would always carry it. The man gives the woman an arm band.¡± Damon explained, after all, that was likely the only reason someone like him would carry a sword. It made sense to Kazius.

    ¡°That is great, I hope we find out who she is soon¡­ And that by the end of this we can all be happy with the women we love.¡± Kazius trailed off. Sure, a lot of this conversation was all over the place, but he felt better, less alone¡­ And even a bit hopeful for a future with Alice and his friends. He would make it happen.

 Chapter 39: See You Later, Vargstam

    A day would pass. With the conversation over, Azanor had made sure to go to Alice and let her know Damon and Kazius were not possessed, just overwhelmed after seeing the future. Thankfully it seems she accepted the answer and stopped her weariness of the two. Of course, Kazius and Damon would have to do their parts in hiding their feelings about her unfortunate fate.

    Still, Kazius had a lot more to think on. Now that their training within the mountains was over, they did need to head out again. The town would be safe, or so he hoped thanks to the barrier, but there were still those after them. The fact The Church knew they had passed the valley yet there seemed to be no sign of them, was concerning. Something was wrong¡­

    Kazius would be deep in thought, finding himself looking over at Alice¡¯s hair as they walked, it is okay, they had time. The length was nowhere near where it had to be¡­

    Alice would turn to look at him with his staring, smiling at him warmly as they walked. Azanor, Eve, and Damon walking along with them.

    Kazius would smile at her softly back in return before looking around at the valley. He found that the valley felt like more of a home than Ratier ever did. He had felt nothing with leaving Ratier yet he genuinely felt like he was leaving a piece of himself behind at Vargstam¡­ But it was alright, they would return, all of them. He would make sure of that. Vargstam was in good hands with Caleb.

    While Eve was as giddy as ever, seeming to be excited to be on the road again, she could actually not match Damon¡¯s excitement. The werewolf appeared to be looking at everything with a certain wonder in his eyes. This was likely his first time leaving Vargstam. Perhaps Kazius and the others would have been this excited had they left Ratier on their own terms, rather than running for their lives.

    To be honest, Kazius was surprised by the lack of heartfelt goodbye from Caleb and Damon. He figured the two would hug or one would look sad, but there was none of that. It had been simple goodbyes like they were saying good night or something mundane. That did not seem to affect Damon at all though.

    ¡°So where exactly are we going?¡± Alice would speak up curiously.

    ¡°The map we have is useless¡­ But I have been curious about the cemetery on it¡­ It may be a good direction to go, if there is anyone that would follow us around¡­ They will likely not expect us to go through there either¡­ From there, I want to go to Sakura. It was one of the few settlements on the map. From there, we will see.¡± Kazius admitted.

    To be honest, the main reason he wanted to go to the cemetery was because he discovered his affinity for necromancy, and he wanted to explore it. Of course, some would have issue with disturbing the dead. Kazius perhaps at one point would have hesitated to lean into such a thing. While magic was used in the 3 kingdoms, necromancy was specifically banned by the will of The Oracle, since it involved raising beings that were Monsters, something to be despised.

    Kazius didn¡¯t feel like he had any issue with it, not anymore. Of course, he was a former knight, but he no longer followed a code. He needed all the power he could get to protect those he cared about. To make a world safe for them. Not to mention he had come to terms he won¡¯t be the perfect hero, if you could consider himself one. Sure, he didn¡¯t want to be an evil being, but he wouldn¡¯t follow the will of a Church that was his enemy. He would be The Monster King, Kazius, he would decide what that meant.

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    Alice would grimace, speaking up and snapping him out of his thoughts, ¡°I hope we don¡¯t spend the night there.¡± She admitted, clearly freaked out by the idea of being in such a place.

    Azanor would snicker at her statement, grinning, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the princess is still afraid of ghosts?¡± He taunted in amusement.

    Alice would huff at his teasing, giving him a grumpy glare, ¡°It isn¡¯t about ghosts! I bet that place is crawling with undead! How can I not be freaked out by the undead?  Especially sleeping in a place where they could come out of.¡±

    Kazius at this froze, well that would be an issue¡­ He wasn¡¯t too sure how to change Alice¡¯s mind on the matter¡­ Who knows how she would react once he started practicing.

    ¡°Buahaha! Come on, the undead aren¡¯t that frightening. They are pretty weak looking if you ask me. How can you fight without muscle?¡± Damon questioned proudly, ending up flexing a bit with one arm for emphasis.

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen them?! When?¡± Alice asked in horror, clearly freaked out by the very idea of them.

    At this Damon would freeze, looking subtly at Kazius for help.

    ¡®Damon, what did you have to bring that up for?¡¯ Kazius would groan mentally, realizing he had only seen the undead in the vision.

    ¡°Wait, if you haven¡¯t even seen them, what makes them so frightening?¡± Azanor would interject, coming to the rescue it seems. For someone who didn¡¯t lie and hated lying, he sure was good at keeping secrets.

    ¡°A friend is a friend, dead or alive.¡± Eve chirped giddily.

    ¡°You too, Eve?¡± Alice questioned with a grimace, looking at Kazius with a pleading look for backup.

    Kazius smiling a bit, chuckling a little, ¡°I do have to agree with Eve. I see no reason to fear the dead. What if it was someone you cared about? Besides, I don¡¯t know what the undead are like, but all we know about them is from The Church.¡± He reminded her. He felt guilty having to add lies to his words, but he did not want to tell her about her fate. Both to not make her live in fear, but also because if she knew, things may go too differently¡­ At least this way, he had a vague timeline. He couldn¡¯t risk losing that, not if he wanted to save her.

    Alice gave an exasperated look at the group before sighing, ¡°I am friends with a bunch of crazy people¡­ But I suppose you have a point, Kazius.¡± She grumbled out in defeat.

    Kazius smiled at her warmly, patting her on the back to reassure her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if any come by, I will deal with them if they threaten you. Though we both know you are quite strong yourself.¡± He reassured, understanding her fears, but he also knew she was quite capable in battle.

    Alice blushed a bit, nodding quietly, muttering a thank you before the group would continue.

    The road was a long one and Kazius had no idea what the place they were looking for even looked like¡­ But that was nothing new to them.

    The group would continue. After days two days they made it to a forest were the valley and mountains of Vargstam were nowhere near by. The forest was massive, thick with trees, but thankfully that meant there was plenty to forage. Unlike before, they were also equipped with proper camping equipment so things were a lot easier than their trip to Vargstam.

    While Damon was a stranger to the world beyond his home, he was good at hunting down food. The stags in the area were enormous¡­ And like before, Kazius could sense the concentration of mana in the air was still increasing. It was a real mystery why the mana levels in the East and West were so different.

    Kazius supposed that didn¡¯t matter though, what was important was that the group was in high spirits. Eve seems to treat the whole trip like it was a fun endeavor and if Eve was happy, Azanor usually was too. Alice seemed happy enough. Kazius enjoyed the mountains, but it was also nice walking without having to climb in a mountain that was trying to kill you. Perhaps she felt the same. Damon of course was excited, every new landscape was welcomed with enthusiasm.

    Things were going well, until they hit the edge of the forest days later. It was like the edge of the forest was covered in a wall of fog, thick with no visibility. Even seeing your own hands would be a shore in such dense fog. The fog had a heavy magical presence to it, clearly not a natural phenomenon. Just where did it come from?

 Chapter 40: Secrets In The Fog

    No matter what way the group tried to get around the fog, it seemed the way to the cemetery was indeed blocked by it.

    ¡°Do we really have to go into the foggy cemetery?¡± Alice questioned in concern, not thrilled by the idea at all. She was already freaked out by the idea of possible undead, so Kazius understood what had her so on edge.

    Still, Kazius felt it was necessary. He wanted to learn more about his talent in necromancy. Not to mention, the fact that a cemetery in the middle of nowhere was marked down as noteworthy in their already limited map was too much to ignore. He needed to learn more about what he was capable of, even is Alice would likely be against it.

    ¡°Yes, we need to go into the fog. We should all hold hands, do not let go of each other under any circumstances¡­ We cannot get split up, okay?¡± Kazius stated firmly before he would grab hold of Alice¡¯s hand, the others soon joining in.

    Alice of course did not seem to like the idea one bit, but appeared to be trying to put on a brave face, ¡°O-Okay¡­ Do you know anything about this fog, Azanor?¡± She questioned with hope in her voice.

    ¡°Nope.¡± Azanor chuckled out, ¡°Never seen anything like this before in my life. Definitely not natural though, likely magically created, the mana in it is pretty obvious.¡± He admitted sheepishly.

    Seeming to accept her fate in defeat, Alice would grow quiet as they walked into the fog.

    ¡°Ooh! Spooky! I can¡¯t even see my hands, Alice! Isn¡¯t it neat!?¡± Eve chirped out giddily, her voice audible yet no one in the group could see each other, not with such intense fog.

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ N-Neat¡­¡± Alice would respond, her voice turning into a distressed whine.

    Kazius felt guilty about making her go into this place. Were this before the vision, he may have likely not stepped here and turned around for her sake. Likely coming back later. Which was precisely why he had to come here. If he knew he would have turned around, all the more reason to press forward. He needed the power now, not later when it was too late.

    ¡°Buahaha! I would have loved climbing a mountain with this much fog! Another trial!¡± Damon laughed out, clearly enjoying himself.

    ¡°Trial? I suppose you could think of it that way. Can you imagine if there was some sort of creature at the end of this?¡± Azanor snickered out in amusement.

    Alice ended up letting out a disgruntled noise at the notion, clearly already freaked out enough by the fog.

    ¡°Not helping, Azanor.¡± Kazius scolded.

    Before the group could bicker further though, they could hear footsteps that were not in sync with their own. They were coming from deeper in the fog, growing closer.

    Kazius froze, everyone in the group stopping as well. The footsteps did not stop though, it was not their imagination.

    Alice ended up letting out a distressed noise, clearly more than unhappy about the situation. She was so brave while in a chaotic battle against Frost Giants, but it seems she drew the line on a foggy area around a cemetery.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Kazius demanded, growing weary and concerned. It would be hard to fight in this fog while unable to see, but he may manage to use his shadows in this place.

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    ¡°There is no need to be on edge, I mean you no harm.¡±  Could be heard. The voice deep, but sounded like it belonged to an elderly man.

    ¡°Buahaha! A friend out here, great!¡± Damon beamed, clearly not worried about the situation. Then again, he had met their group quite spontaneously yet showed no carefulness when it came to them.

    It also seemed the stranger spoke common, something concerning to Kazius since The Church was after them. The Common tongue was not so common out here after all.

    ¡°What brings you here?¡± Kazius questioned wearily.

    ¡°I could say the same to you. But first, I suppose we need to be able to see each other to have a proper face to face talk. This fog, it is actually of my making. A barrier, if you will. If you kept walking, you would be doing so forever without my help. Let¡¯s take care of that¡­¡±

    It was then suddenly, the fog would slowly thin out. The group could see each other, as well as the fact they were actually in the cemetery. A massive cemetery with nothing but graves as far as one could see.

    It was then Kazius froze, realizing the person in front of them was not a simple old man. It was a skeletal Lich. An intimidating figure that stood at 6 ft 2 (1.88 meters). He wore a hood and robe made out of fur and leather, his eyes glowing an eerie purple. His gaze was piercing, studying them closely. While this was plenty of reason to panic, Kazius recognized the Lich. It was the Lich from one of the mirrors. The one they seemed friendly with.

    It seems Alice and Damon would also recognize it, the two studying and staring at him, though Alice¡¯s expression was weary. Especially since the Lich seemed to stare at her in particular.

    ¡°Skeleton!¡± Eve exclaimed giddily in awe, pointing at him eagerly as if the others couldn¡¯t see him.

    ¡°Not a skeleton, Eve. Lich.¡± Azanor corrected, staring at the lich in concern, seeming to sweat a bit. Though his expression was not a fearful one¡­ There was something else there.

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ This appearance¡­ I suppose it may be startling to you. I apologize. My company as of late has only been the dead, I have forgotten how frightening I may look to the living.¡± The Lich responded politely. He would then have his skeletal hand glow purple, touching it to his face. Once he removed it, in an instant, instead of a skeleton, he appeared to look like an old man. His skin was pale, his hair as white as snow from head to his thick beard and mustache. What was most noteworthy though were his almost grey with age, but still very violet, eyes.

    His violet eyes would gaze at Alice¡¯s own, a gentle look on his expression. ¡°Better? This is what I looked like before I passed, should be easier for you.¡± He would add with a small smile, being reserved yet quite polite.

    ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you; my name is Remus.¡± Remus would state before looking over at Alice yet again. She was quite shocked. After all, violet eyes and pink hair were a prominent trait in the Ratier royal family, especially the violet eyes.

    Kazius recognized the name Remus¡­ It was the name of the former capital of Ratier before it was moved. The city they had passed before fleeing Ratier, back when they first set off on their journey.

    No one seemed to be more shocked and sadder than Azanor though. His expression that was usually sly and did not give much away now a mixture of grief and surprise.

    ¡°Hello Azanor, it has been quite some time¡­ It seems you have a knack for following my descendants around, don¡¯t you?¡± Remus would state to the demon.

    ¡°Azanor?¡± Alice questioned in confusion, Azanor looking like he wanted to hide.

    ¡°Remus¡­ What¡­ What happened to you? You went missing and-¡± Azanor began only to quiet down, looking at the others.

    ¡°Can someone please explain what is happening!?¡± Alice exclaimed, sounding distressed and confused. Being quite loud out of nowhere.

    Kazius also wanted answers, but he understood why Alice was so emotional on the matter. It related to the family that she had lost. The one she knew little truth of, thanks to the work of The Church.

    ¡°Yes, I suppose we should have a proper discussion, but where are my manners? Please, come. I will take you to my home. You must be tired from your journey. This is no place to talk. I may be dead, but old habits are hard to break. I have a small farm. Let¡¯s get you something to eat and drink while we talk. Come on now.¡± Remus stated, leading the way towards deeper in the cemetery.

    Due to both the vision from one of the mirrors and Azanor seeming to trust Remus¡­ The group would follow, even though the situation was still fishy under normal circumstances.

 Chapter 41: Stories of The Dead

    Silence rung in the air while the group sat around a table.

    They had been led to a small town right in the middle of the cemetery. Undead skeletons, zombies, and the like surrounded the area, but they were far from hostile. They went about their day like they lived in a normal town. Though the town was far from normal, while the fog was light now, there was still no sun getting into the place. Above was like a permanent night.

    Once in the town, they were led into a moderately size home that appeared to be built for a small family. The table was cramped for the group of 5 plus the Lich, but they managed to sit together. As promised, there really was food.

    Now here they were, sitting in awkward silence, the atmosphere tense until Alice spoke up. ¡°W-Who are you?¡± She managed out.

    ¡°You could consider me your grandfather I suppose¡­ I recognize those eyes and hair anywhere¡­ The same as me and him¡­ Ratier¡­ He was my son.¡± Remus explained, ¡°And that Demon friend of yours, was also his friend.¡±

    Kazius and Alice would both look at Azanor in an accusing manner. The Demon kept so many secrets, even now. Then again, Kazius was already developing secrets of his own, so he could not be angry.

    ¡°Is that true?¡± Kazius would question.

    Azanor sighed, ¡°Yes, it is. I was going to tell you eventually, I swear¡­ But¡­ It wasn¡¯t like you would have believed me when we first met anyway¡­ Not to mention I am still angry at Ratier for getting tricked¡­ I would even say I resent him for it¡­ I didn¡¯t want to bring him up¡­¡± He admitted in defeat. He ran a hand through his hair, attempting to calm himself down. Clearly the subject was a very sore one.

    ¡°I was friends with them all. Thimdur with his attention span of a squirrel, always stopping to examine every damn rock on the floor. Zelphar the smartass, he was so sarcastic and always had a comeback. Ratier the biggest i-¡° Azanor began only to stop when Remus gave him a look, clearly he would not allow his son to be insulted in front of him. ¡°Anyway, I was the one who taught them how to seal away Demons.¡± Azanor admitted with a slight bitterness to his voice. After all, he had been sealed away and lost track of Eve¡­ It was not hard to guess he was betrayed.

    Damon¡¯s eyes would go wide. It seems the Demon Caleb had been talking about, the one Zelphar mentioned that would bend over backwards for his wife, was indeed Azanor.

    ¡°So that is why you called Zelphar a little shit back then¡­¡± Kazius stated, understanding now. Alice looking lost on the matter. Eve and her still did not know about who Eve was to him.

    ¡°You heard about the Monsters that teamed up with those 3 ¡®heroes.¡¯ Well, that is wrong. There were not just 5 monsters. There were 5 monsters and me, a Demon¡­ My brother wanted to enslave mortals and reduce them to nothing but cattle to have their souls eaten. I am no saint, believe me¡­ But¡­ I couldn¡¯t stand for it. I was already friends with Ratier¡­ We were all friends, all 9 of us. I wouldn¡¯t allow my ¡®friends¡¯ to become cattle. We agreed together to stop my brother¡­ We would seal away him and his supporters¡­ Then I would become Demon King and prevent any such future plans.¡± Azanor trailed off only to frown.

    ¡°But then that bastard came along.¡± Remus would add, the polite Lich looking angry, shaking even. Angry at just the thought of said person, ¡°The founder of that damn cult. Lazne, him and his Church¡­ More than anything in this world, I regret not killing him the moment I saw him.¡± He growled out bitterly, his voice full of malice, acting like a real Lich for a second there. At least how Liches were expected to be.

    ¡®Lazne¡­ The First Pope of The Church of the Oracle¡­¡¯

    ¡°I see¡­ So Lazne was behind what happened to you as well¡­¡± Azanor sighed out.

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    ¡°What did he do?¡± Alice asked, confused.

    ¡°The Church, it was founded by Lazne. A skilled Wizard that claimed to become a Cleric after seeing the light of The Oracle... Garbage, every word of it¡­ He was a worse liar than a Demon. He claimed to Ratier, Thimdur, and Zelphar that The Oracle god supported them, that they were The Oracle¡¯s chosen¡­ They ate up every bit of it¡­ I was careful though; I know a liar when I see one¡­ That glowing orb of his looked like a simple magic artifact, nothing more. I tried to gather proof that he was a liar¡­ But all I found was that he hated Monsters and most other races¡­ Bad, yes, but tension was high back then, it wasn¡¯t necessarily incriminating. Still, I had a feeling that he was trying to edge Ratier into doing something idiotic, so I kept snooping¡­ But I wasn¡¯t careful enough. He must have caught me¡­ Because soon after he claimed to Ratier I was working for my brother¡­ That the Monsters were as well. He blamed us for your disappearance, Remus. I laughed in his face. I thought they would side with me, that they would know it was a lie¡­ But¡­¡± Azanor trailed off, his expression darkening.

    ¡°He reminded them¡­ How I was a Demon that did nothing but lie¡­ That I couldn¡¯t be trusted¡­ And those 3¡­ They believed him.¡± Azanor stated in dismay. ¡°Then they sealed me away, left me to be tormented by my brother for betraying him. Those that were loyal to me, who thought I should be king¡­ All of us were locked away and tormented for years. CENTURIES! And then-¡± Azanor seemed to get emotional, only to then look at Eve and then calm down. It was clear he still did not want her to know who she was to him. Kazius knew that being separated from her was what likely had hurt him most¡­

    ¡®So that is why he hates lies and being seen as a liar¡­ But¡­ If The Oracle is just a magical artifact, just like the mirror¡­ Like how we¡¯ve been suspecting¡­ Then¡­ Whose voice did I hear back then? In my first vision¡­¡¯

    ¡°Azanor¡­¡± Alice stated, her gaze holding pity. She would then look at Remus. ¡°The Church¡­ I know they are evil¡­ They¡­ They killed the rest of our family.¡± She admitted, seeming to recognize Remus as family now.

    ¡°I am not surprised¡­ I¡­ I should have done something¡­ But¡­ I am a Lich now¡­ You¡­ My grandchildren¡­ I believed my presence would only put you at risk¡­ They could hurt you if you learned the truth¡­ Not to mention¡­ Who would you trust? A Lich you just met¡­ Or The Church you believed to be righteous and just all your life? I couldn¡¯t just march there with an army of the dead to get you. In many ways, I saw you all as hostages¡­ I regret doing nothing though.¡± Remus admitted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you¡­ I know¡­ I would have not believed you¡­ Unlike now¡­ How¡­ How¡­ Did you die?¡± Alice questioned. After all, Liches were known to form in very rare occasions. Little was understood about the process since Necromancy was banned in Ratier¡­ But immense hatred and spite was known to be involved.

    ¡°I had my reservations about Lazne¡­ I knew little of him¡­ But I always had a good intuition when it came to people, thanks to my younger days as an Adventurer¡­ I knew a snake when I saw one¡­ It seems I suspected him before even you, Azanor¡­ I am almost a little proud¡­¡± Remus chuckled out bitterly.

    ¡°That day you all came to town with him, Azanor¡­ I knew little about magic, I was a swordsman after all. Still, I wanted to take a closer look at that orb of his. He must have caught on¡­ Little after you all left¡­ His little cult members came by in the middle of the night¡­ Rose¡­ Oh my poor Rose¡­ She never even held a weapon in all her life¡­¡± Remus trailed off in dismay, sadness in his eyes.

    ¡°With my levitation skills, I was great back in my day¡­ But I was old. Skilled, but old¡­ And there were many of them¡­ All magic users, I couldn¡¯t even get close¡­ They tied us up and buried us alive in our own yard. My poor Rose¡­ Even with the gag on, I could hear her screams. She shouldn¡¯t have died that way, she didn¡¯t deserve that. Those cries hurt me to my very soul¡­ But not as much as when her screams stopped. That is what truly broke my heart¡­. I expected I would lose consciousness too, suffocate with her¡­¡± Remus trailed off, his expression full of rage and sadness.

    ¡°But that moment never came. I waited and waited¡­. But it never came¡­ I wasn¡¯t dead. I couldn¡¯t move, I couldn¡¯t take off the gag¡­ But eventually, they decomposed¡­ Along with my flesh. I don¡¯t know how long that took, the rope was enchanted, not a normal one¡­ All I know¡­ Is¡­ Once that happened¡­ I had to claw my way out from the dirt with my hands¡­ Before I knew it¡­ I was out¡­ By then¡­ The town was deserted, a grave site for those that died during The War against The Demons¡­ My son was long dead along with my Rose¡­ And I had become a Lich.¡± Remus admitted grimly.

    As he finished, Remus would be surprised, getting a hug from none other than Alice. ¡°G-Grandpa¡­¡± She sobbed out, tearing up. She was clearly touched by the events, this pushing her to get over her fear over him being a Lich. She was likely now just relieved she had some family around.

    Indeed, Kazius too was touched¡­ He related a lot to him¡­ He would speak to him in secret, he wanted to learn from him¡­ Let him know how Alice needed to be protected¡­ Kazius also saw Azanor in a new light, understanding him a lot more.

 Chapter 42: A Demonâ€™s Hell

    Kazius and the others decided to give Alice and Remus some alone time. After all, they were the last remaining members of their family. Still, Kazius did feel a bit impatient.

    He wanted to warn Remus of what he had seen, but he knew he likely may not be too fond of looking into the future due to his history¡­ But it was necessary to bring it up, even if he may react negatively.

    He did feel happy for Alice though. He didn¡¯t know what it must have been like, to have to flee while your whole family got executed. Kazius never had a family, but even he knew that finding out she wasn¡¯t alone was likely quite relieving. From the few times Alice mentioned her family, it was clear she adored them.

    Losing everything you didn¡¯t even know you could even lose¡­ Kazius understood at least that much. In multiple ways. He had no family to lose, but he had friends that meant the world to him¡­ More than anything his fellow knights had been to him¡­ And a woman he now realized he had grown to adore.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he truly had no family. He knew of his birth father thanks to Vind, but he had no intention of meeting Seselis. Whoever he was, he meant nothing to Kazius. He would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t curious about his mother though.

    While he was deep in thought, he would notice Azanor had left. He looked shaken, miserable even. He said no words, but just walked away to be alone.

    Azanor clearly had gotten emotional over speaking of the past. Back when he admitted to Kazius that Eve was his wife, it had looked like it had been tough¡­ But now this¡­ Kazius understood this conversation had likely been very difficult for him.

    Kazius of course understood why he was feeling emotional. He had betrayed his people for the sake of friends that were ungrateful. Due to this he even lost what he valued most. Sure, Eve was still around, but she didn¡¯t remember him nor their love.

    For someone like Azanor, who was always known for his devotion to his wife to the point he got made fun of for it by Zelphar¡­ It was not hard to realize that there was no worse personal Hell for him.

    The fact he left to be alone showed this more than anything. Usually, he waited till Eve was asleep or with someone else. He never left her behind like this. Eve herself seemed to notice something was off, she was left looking quite confused at not having him by her side.

    She looked almost lost, ¡°Is he okay?¡± Eve would question Kazius and Damon. The giddy airheaded woman actually frowning, looking more than upset. Something Kazius couldn¡¯t remember her ever doing.

    ¡®Should I send her after him? The fact she doesn¡¯t remember him seems to hurt him so much¡­ So would sending her make him feel worse? Still, memories or not, it seems Eve had grown fond of Azanor to some extent¡­ At least enough to miss his presence and worry about him. Maybe this could bring them closer¡­¡¯

    ¡°You should go after him; he is quite sad¡­ You heard him, didn¡¯t you? He was hurt quite badly.¡± Kazius admitted to her.

    Eve at this would frown, ¡°Oh no! I will go cheer him up!¡± She would exclaim, looking quite determined as if cheering herself on mentally. ¡°and then I can figure out how to make whoever made him sad suffer¡­¡± She would mumble, having quite the dark expression on her face for a second she would look cheery again and run off after him.

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    ¡®I still can¡¯t make heads or tails on her mental state¡­ What was even done to her? If a Demon with as much power as Azanor couldn¡¯t fix it¡­ It really was uncertain if she would ever remember their past together¡­ Sometimes though she says things that¡­ Maybe those are glimpses at her original personality? I do trust the two. While the two do things that at times worry me, I think they mean well¡­ I think Azanor has suffered enough due to friends that don¡¯t trust him. No matter what, I will make sure I believe him. He has earned that much.¡¯

    He would look at Damon, the Werewolf also seeming to be deep in thought.

    ¡°You seem pretty calm about all the dead and everything happening. Does it not bother you?¡± Kazius questioned curiously.

    Damon would simply grin sheepishly, shrugging, ¡°Buahaha! After what we both have seen? Are you really asking me that?¡± he joked.

    ¡°True.¡± Kazius laughed out slightly, ¡°So what do you make out of all this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand a lot of it, to be honest. I understand enough though¡­  I am curious though. I almost wish Caleb had come¡­ Zelphar was friends with Azanor, right?¡± Damon would trail off, in thought. It was understandable why he seemed to dwell on that so much. After all¡­ Elves were effectively immortal unless killed¡­ Zelphar ran off from his kingdom after living there for so long¡­

    ¡°I do wonder too¡­ I feel like it is likely he found out the truth, that Azanor was not a traitor¡­ If he had that long to think about the events¡­ 3 Kingdoms and a Church built on lies¡­ Such a fa?ade can only last so long¡­ Took a few generations for the Layton Royal Family¡­ But with Zelphar, he had firsthand knowledge of what things should be like and what happened.¡± Kazius admitted, this cemetery too¡­ If one was heading to the ruins of this town¡­  Ending up in Vargstam accidentally made sense¡­ Had Zelphar come to look for Remus? Or maybe to find something here? It was impossible to tell.¡± Kazius sighed out.

    ¡°All I know is that I am ready to pummel anyone from The Church! No one hurts my friends!¡± Damon boasted.

    ¡°After The Battle of Vargstam, I do think we might be ready¡­ But we can¡¯t get overconfident.¡± Kazius warned, knowing the price of such a thing was not one he was willing to pay.

    With that, he began to walk with Damon. The undead did not seem to care or acknowledge their presence. Some seemed to be mindless, while others seemed to have higher functionality and seemed to be going about their day like people.

    The graves drew their attention. They were clearly very old, but well maintained. Despite their age, the names were readable. There was on grave area that did call his attention though. Rather than a stone, there was a glass dome with bones and a preserved Rose inside. There was no name anywhere. It was easy to guess whose bones they were though¡­ Ratier¡¯s mother, Remus¡¯ deceased wife, Rose.

    It was arguably strange to have her bones on display like this instead of in the ground, but Kazius had zero room to judge. After all, in the unfortunate future, he keeps Alice on a bed on display. Maybe Remus was strange, but that would be like the pot calling the kettle black.

    Kazius would reach out curiously, but before he could even touch it, a skeletal hand grabbed his, stopping his firmly with quite the force. He nearly jumped, having been caught off guard. Damon too seemed startled.

    It was Remus in his real form. He looked far from happy. The lights in his sockets growing dim.

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±

    Remus stated firmly, his tone almost frightening.

    ¡°S-Sorry.¡± Kazius managed out, actually stammering. He was caught quite off guard.

    Remus at this would calm down, clearly, he did not allow anyone but himself to touch the display.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Damon assured.

    ¡°It¡­ It is alright¡­ Just¡­ No one touches it, okay? I finished my chat with Alice. We caught up some, I showed her where she could put away her things¡­ Then I came looking for you to make sure no one in town was giving you trouble¡­ I am glad to see they are behaving though.¡± Remus trailed off, ¡°The mindless ones do take after me after all.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I see¡­¡± Kazius stated, struggling to find his words. ¡°I just¡­ The bones reminded me of something.¡± He admitted, ¡°Damon and I have been wanting to talk to you.¡± Kazius admitted.

    Remus seemed to study Kazius, staring at him intently before sighing despite his lack of lungs. ¡°I suppose I should hear out what you have to say.¡±

 Chapter 43: Necromancy For Dummies

    ¡°And that is what we saw in the mirror.¡± Kazius finished, explaining every bit of his vision.

    Remus had led the two to an area that was desolate so they could talk without being interrupted. The place was clearly where the Lich likely had tea, likely one of those habits he maintained despite being dead. They sat by an old wood table and two chairs with an elegant design. Roses were engraved on the wood, the set was clearly made with a lot of care. Due to the size of the chairs and the number, Damon had volunteered to stand beside Kazius. After all, he couldn¡¯t even fit in the delicately crafted chairs due to his stature.

    While talking, Remus patiently listened to his every word. It was hard to tell what the Lich was even thinking. While in his skeletal form, he didn¡¯t have the most expressive of faces. The lights in his eyes seemed to grow dim before then brightening again. As if done thinking.

    ¡°The future, I have hated those devices that look into it so much for so long¡­ If I were to make a guess¡­ I think Lazne may have found something like this temple¡­ And replicated the device in a smaller scale for the Oracle¡­ Because Lazne would not have abandoned a temple like that if he had it in his grasp¡­ So I believe the vision you saw from it is reliable¡­ Not crafted by that traitor.¡± Remus finally spoke up, clearly cynical about visions shown by The Oracle.

    ¡°I suppose at least these terrible magical devices can do at least a little good¡­ I refuse to allow any more of my family to die to those bastards¡­ Of course, I will help you, if it is for Alice¡¯s sake¡­ It does make me feel better to know she has such good friends¡­ And someone who cherishes her so much.¡± Remus admitted, clearly not disturbed by some of the worse aspects of the vision that Kazius had described. Perhaps he would have in his human days, but being a Lich had likely changed him some. Still, it did shock Kazius when he spoke of him cherishing Alice.

    Kazius would blush a bit, caught off guard. ¡°W-Wait. How did you know? I didn¡¯t tell you I liked her.¡± He questioned in embarrassment.

    Damon laughed, ¡°Buahaha! Come on, Kazius! You have it all over your face!¡± The Werewolf teased smugly.

    Remus nodded in confirmation, ¡°That and well, when I talked to my granddaughter¡­ Even though we were supposed to be catching up, you would be surprised how much emphasis she would put on you while speaking of her travels. Reminds me of my younger days, you two are quite adorable in my opinion¡­ Of course¡­ I would not have to tell you what I would do to you if you do not treat her well, correct?¡± He added, his expression while not expressive, intimidating none the least.

    Kazius shook his head, ¡°O-Of course not¡­¡± He would manage out with a gulp. Sure, Kazius was strong, but a Lich? Kazius knew better than to cross Remus, not like he intended to. It was clear he was just protective of the only family he had left, something Kazius could relate to.

    ¡°Good, I suppose I should expect as much from my apprentice.¡± Remus stated, sounding pleased.

    ¡°Apprentice?¡± Kazius questioned in confusion. Of course, he wanted to learn necromancy, but it wasn¡¯t like he had asked the Lich about that just yet.

    ¡°Yes¡­ Necromancy is an art¡­ One I wouldn¡¯t have had the stomach for while alive¡­ But an useful craft that I had grown fond of over the years¡­ A craft that you described knowing in the future¡­ So clearly you have the talent for it¡­ Of course, every piece of art is different. Most Liches use fancy little spells with their own flair, but I was not a spell caster. I actually quite despise Wizards and their strange rituals, over-complicating things. Sneaky veils¡­ Raising your hands and a command is more than enough in my opinion.¡± Remus began to explain.

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    ¡®Wait¡­ So that isn¡¯t how it is normally done?¡¯ Kazius would think to himself. Necromancy was banned in all 3 kingdoms. It wasn¡¯t like he would have knowledge of the different methods of raising the dead.

    ¡°Well, to learn the fate of my family, as you can guess, I set off for a bit when I first awoke¡­ As rare as we Liches are, I am not the only one out there. I met one other, I quite didn¡¯t like the fellow, but he was a good source of information. He knew two others of our kind¡­ Anyway¡­ The method you described using is clearly mine, quite the unique one, actually. You should have seen his reaction when we spoke of our methods¡­ I break a lot of norms when it comes to Liches¡­ Before me, they thought they were this little elite circle of skilled magic users and Necromancers. They aren¡¯t fond of me because I make them feel not so special. Some brutish former Adventurer sells sword.¡± Remus admitted. Indeed, he was quite different from a typical Lich, or at least from how Kazius pictured one to be.

    ¡°They spent their whole lives striving for immortality or Lichdom, while I never wanted any of this and stumbled upon it¡­ Considering this, you can see why we don¡¯t get along. They have the decency to leave me alone at least¡­ I did get a few tips when I met him though, but I taught myself thanks to the many years I had here¡­ I made myself some company while I was at it, as you can see¡­¡± Remus would finally finish.

    ¡°I see¡­ So the fact I knew that style of Necromancy means at some point you taught it to me¡­ But¡­ Clearly I wasn¡¯t that good¡­ All I could do was preserve Alice as she was.¡± Kazius stated with a saddened expression.

    ¡°Not necessarily¡­ Do you not wonder why I haven¡¯t brought back my Rose?¡± Remus would interject.

    ¡®Indeed, he has a point. Why hasn¡¯t he? He clearly misses her.¡¯

    ¡°Then why?¡± Kazius would question in confusion.

    ¡°Between my time buried in the ground and me actually learning Necromancy¡­ Can you imagine how long she was dead for? After too long, the body will lose their connection to their essence, their soul. If I brought her back, she would be a mindless skeleton or zombie at this point¡­ I love Rose too much to bring her back as a mindless undead¡­ If I could make her a high-ranked one like a Wight, I would not hesitate to have her here with me¡­ As selfish as such a thing may be¡­ My assumption is, while you managed to learn enough to stop decomposition¡­ By the time you came in contact with me, it was too late¡­¡± Remus admitted. In a way, in such a future, the fate of Kazius¡¯ love was quite similar to that of Remus.

    ¡°Regardless, an apprentice of mine can¡¯t be all that bad¡­ I will teach you. And I hope this knowledge I pass onto you can be used to protect my granddaughter¡­ I don¡¯t want you to need to make her an undead¡­ And she will need protecting even beyond just whatever event you got warned of¡­ Fighting The Demon King¡­ Oh, I wish you children didn¡¯t have to do such things¡­ And now there is The Church too¡­ No¡­ Teaching you won¡¯t be enough¡­ I will take you all under my wing. I know my way around weapons after all.¡± Remus stated firmly, the last bit more to himself than to Kazius.

    ¡°Really!?¡± Damon beamed, being quite excited it seems. He was arguably a prodigy when it came to self-teaching how to use a spear, but he never was taught proper fighting techniques.

    ¡°Thank you, Remus.¡± Kazius stated, feeling relieved even. This would indeed help him in many ways. Hopefully, it would be enough to protect his friends and kingdom¡­ And above all, Alice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet, I haven¡¯t taught you anything¡­ Oh, Alice surely needs straining out if she got taught that garbage swordsmanship Ratier threw around¡­ That boy never listened¡­ Then Azanor could use some discipline¡­ Yes¡­ What to do about Eve¡­¡± Remus would begin to grumble to himself, walking away without further explanation, likely to prepare. When he got like this, even in this form, it was hard to not see him as an old man.

    Kazius smile a bit to himself, he quite liked Remus. Sure, he did have his scary moments, but he felt like the old man meant well¡­ And he understood his protectiveness¡­ He hopes to become strong enough to make such a teacher proud, and perhaps earn his approval before attempting to start any sort of relationship with Alice.

 Chapter 44: A Warm Breakfast

    Tired from their journey, Kazius and Damon would return to Remus¡¯ home to unpack and settle in for the night. They were greeted by quite the giddy Alice, who seemed to be acting like it was her birthday or something of the like. She really did seem content to have met Remus. The fact they were surrounded by the undead did not even seem to appear to cross her mind.

    Kazius would stay awake for a while, thinking. Considering how little sleep he needed, he had a lot of time alone with his thoughts. He was also waiting for Azanor to return, wanting to talk to him. He would fall asleep before such a thing could happen though.

    The next day Alice and Kazius would wake up around the same time at the smell of breakfast. There were few beds considering the size of the house. So Alice got one while Eve was supposed to get the other. There were no signs of Eve or Azanor though. They could note Damon¡¯s bedroll seemed to have been left in disarray on the floor.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± Kazius would state sluggishly as he registered his surroundings, taking notice of the fact that Azanor and Eve had not come back to even unpack.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± Alice stated sleepily with a smile. She would then look at Damon¡¯s belongings. ¡°I hope grandpa doesn¡¯t mind Damon making breakfast.¡± She stated, clearly concluding that it was Damon making breakfast, per usual.

    ¡°I am sure he won¡¯t mind too much¡­ I do also wonder where those two went¡­¡± Kazius would add as he got up.

    ¡°I hope they¡¯re okay¡­ Azanor looked very upset after talking about what happened to him¡­ The way he looked¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for the horns, I would honestly forget he is supposed to be a Demon¡­¡± Alice admitted in dismay as she also got up.

    ¡°I think he just needs time¡­ I will go find him after breakfast.¡± Kazius reassured her, knowing she worried about their friend.

    Alice would smile at this, ¡°Hopefully that will help.¡± She stated as the two walked out to the kitchen area.

    They were greeted by quite a curious sight. Damon was slumped over the clay and metal stove, looking like he was focusing quite hard, nodding at every word from Remus. ¡°You would be surprised at how far a bit of salt goes in something sweet, just a little bit. It will make anything sweet you make taste better. My Rose would always go on and on about it. Just be careful to not overdo it, I made her a salty cake one time for her birthday and-¡± Remus would stop his explanation when he heard the two approaches. ¡°Good morning.¡± The Lich would state. He was in his true form, but his tone was gentle and grandfatherly all the same.

    ¡°Good morning! Buahaha! Kazius, Alice! Look! I am learning so much already!¡± Damon exclaimed eagerly, pointing at some pancakes he had made. His voice was booming and loud, clearly struggling to hide his excitement.

    ¡°Indoor voice, son.¡± Remus shushed gently yet sternly.

    Alice ended up giggling a bit, ¡°Good morning. I am glad to hear that.¡± She would state with a smile.

    ¡°Good morning. You do always usually make us breakfast¡­ Do you enjoy cooking that much?¡± Kazius asked curiously. He was happy to see his friend so full of energy.

    ¡°Yes! I never had anyone really teach me though.¡± Damon admitted, showing why he was so happy considering up until now he was self-taught. Considering Damon¡¯s childhood, it was easy to guess why he had to learn.

    ¡°He is more promising than me than when I was younger. When I retired from adventuring, I was quite hopeless in the kitchen.¡± Remus admitted sheepishly. ¡°I remember one time I was making Ratier breakfast¡­ I asked him what he wanted and he said ¡®not burnt toast¡¯¡­ Kids can be so honest sometimes.¡± The Lich sighed out.

    ¡°You seem to know a lot now though.¡± Alice reassured him.

    ¡°Perhaps, but took me so long to practice¡­ I¡¯d like to think I got better even after I died¡­ I can¡¯t really taste the difference. I lost my sense of taste.¡± Remus admitted. ¡°I enjoy drinking and eating though, makes me feel normal. Not to mention, it is partly out of habit. It has been a long time since I cooked with or for someone though.¡±

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    Alice smiled weakly at that, ¡°Well, you have a bit of a greedy granddaughter. I hope you and Damon can keep making us breakfast. I am sure it will be great.¡± She stated giddily.

    It was hard to see expressions on Remus when he was like this¡­ It was hard to explain, but Kazius could swear it felt like he was smiling. ¡°Of course.¡± Remus stated, much to the happiness of both Alice and Damon.

    With that, the group would sit down and eat. The scene felt almost warm, it was strange. Kazius who never had a family¡­ He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was like to have one. He wasn¡¯t sure. He would eat the sweet pancakes with that on his mind, smiling a bit along with the group.

    Once breakfast was done, Alice would help with clean up.

    ¡°I told Kazius and Damon before¡­ But today I will start training all of you¡­ It will be difficult to do it all at once¡­ So¡­ I will split you all up into two groups most likely¡­ But I noticed half of you are missing¡­¡± Remus pointed out.

    Alice perked up at this, looking curious. After all, the way handed down in her family was known to be how Ratier did things¡­ The Lich may have a new perspective on how to see their family talent. ¡°I would love to learn from you, Grandpa.¡± She admitted contently.

    ¡°Good¡­ Kazius, could you fetch those two and figure out where they went? Try and be back by time we are done with dishes.¡± Remus stated.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Kazius assured, ¡°I will be back. I was meaning to check on him anyway.¡± He added before taking his leave. He did want to talk to Azanor anyway.

    Of course, question was, where was he? Thankfully the fogged town was not too big, he had to be somewhere nearby. He doubted he would just up and leave.

    So, Kazius would search. Perhaps if he had better dominion of his powers, he could find then faster, but the process took well over an hour. He did find the Demon though. Though surprisingly, he was alone. There was no sign of Eve¡­ So where had she gone off to? It was clear their talk didn¡¯t go well.

    ¡°Azanor¡­¡± Kazius spoke up to get his attention. The Demon was sitting by a tree near a field area. The decayed remains of a wooden children¡¯s playground scattered around, worn, and rotted. Seems Remus neglected the maintenance of this place. Azanor was just staring at the place, not bothering to look at Kazius. He looked defeated, coming here had likely been harder to handle than what he may have expected.

    ¡°Where is Eve?¡± Kazius decided to ask, the question seeming to earn him a grimace from Azanor.

    ¡°I told her to go away.¡± Azanor would state in a cold manner.

    Kazius frowned at this. He felt bad for sending her after him. Now Eve was likely upset about the reaction she had gotten. He should have talked to Azanor himself.

    ¡°Azanor¡­ I know for a fact that is not what you want. I know how much you care about her. Why would you do that?¡± Kazius questioned in confusion and shock.

    ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t want her to leave! But do you know how hard this is for me?! You have a chance to change what will happen! I don¡¯t get any of that! I couldn¡¯t protect her¡­ I don¡¯t even know who fucked with her memories or even what they did to her!¡± Azanor snapped, a silent stray set of tears running down his cheek.

    ¡°I thought it would be fine¡­ But talking about what happened¡­ I have been avoiding thinking about it until now¡­ But¡­ All that happened, it is all my fault. The more I remember, the more I hate myself for trying to save mortals, for what I am, for my pride¡­ If I wasn¡¯t so greedy¡­ Maybe then I could hate Ratier and the others with all my heart¡­ Yet I can¡¯t¡­ I just can¡¯t. I can¡¯t hate those idiots, I resent them, but I don¡¯t hate them¡­ I keep thinking about when I met them¡­ How we played¡­ When I babysat them when they were just brats¡­ I am a shitty husband and an even worse Demon.¡± Azanor in dismay.

    ¡°I wish I was less human. Yet here I am with mortal friends again, just as Remus pointed out¡­ But now no Eve¡­ Not my Eve, not the one I know¡­ I cherish her even like this¡­ I really do¡­ But¡­ I want her back, Kazius¡­ I want to love her as she is, but I can¡¯t help but want her back. I feel like I had a false hope until now, that she would remember¡­ But no matter the time I spend with her¡­ At most, it is glimpses of what she was like¡­ But no memories, this place didn¡¯t even get a reaction from her¡­ Was I¡­ Was our love that forgettable? I feel so guilty for feeling this way¡­ But even when I am enjoying my time with her¡­ I feel so alone.¡± Azanor would admit, shaking. Before, he acted so certain about being fine about her never remembering him¡­ But perhaps that was a lie he had convinced himself of being true.

    He loved her so much he couldn¡¯t allow himself to give up on her, but also loved her so much that it broke his heart to not be remembered. Kazius should have realized how helpless he felt. He had let out his grief when Damon had¡­ He had wanted an excuse to vent back there, which showed Azanor struggled with opening up about his internal demons. Then again, he was an actual Demon¡­ Was he even allowed such weakness? Especially after the torment he suffered at his brother¡¯s hand? Kazius had been so preoccupied with his situation and Alice¡¯s¡­ He would now make up for ignoring Azanor¡¯s issue.

 Chapter 45: A Very Human Demon

    ¡°I think¡­ You have a lot you want to tell me about.¡± Kazius would finally speak up, ¡°You seem more jumbled in your thoughts than before¡­ But¡­ I told you, didn¡¯t I? I am your friend¡­ You keep my secrets¡­ And I will keep yours¡­ And I will promise you¡­ No matter how bad the situation is in the future¡­ Even if your brother is holding a knife to my neck or even has my soul in his hands¡­ I will believe you. I swear that as your friend and I swear that as the King I will become.¡± Kazius stated firmly, his gaze firm and unwavering.

    Some may think his promise to be extreme, but he truly did believe in his friends. He had no room to doubt them. He did not want to create a kingdom built on the suffering of those he cared about. He refused to be another Ratier.

    Azanor would look at him finally, their red eyes meeting. He would stare, but Kazius¡¯ firm expression did not waver. He clearly had zero doubts in his mind. Azanor looked a bit happy, but also sad. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t blindly trust a Demon like that¡­ You will get yourself killed.. Or roped into something terrible and hated for it.¡± He warned.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know about trusting Demons, but like I said. I trust my friends¡­ I am not Ratier, Azanor, or anyone of that bunch¡­ So won¡¯t you vent to me?¡± Kazius stated with a smile.

    Azanor was shocked at Kazius¡¯ words, his eyes growing wide for a second before he relaxed. He sighed, ¡°Fine¡­ I will tell you everything¡­ Truly everything¡­ And if you ever have a question¡­ I will answer, no matter what it is¡­ You are the 3<sup>rd</sup> person to ever believe in me this much¡­¡± He admitted.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Kazius stated with a smile, ¡°Maybe after that, we can figure out how to approach Eve¡­ And if anything happens, I will know what to watch out for.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ Well¡­ For starters¡­ I am not like most Demons¡­ Most Demons hate me for it¡­ But there were a few that did like that about me¡­ I doubt after what happened¡­ When we lost, that they are even alive though¡­ And those that are, likely to hate me now¡­ My brother is also not like most Demons¡­ But I will tell you about that later, this story is already long¡­ But he is loved for what makes him different¡­ You should know that much¡­ And¡­ That he doesn¡¯t need a contract to take a soul.¡± Azanor began to explain, clearly thinking of how to explain himself.

    ¡°Demons eat souls, you know that. But the way we consume and absorb their power is different depending on the type of Demon¡­ Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Envy, Lust, Pride, and Wrath. Demons, we embody the worst in living creatures¡­ And our methods are divided by those sins, they embody the kind of Demon we are. Some types are more common than others¡­¡± Azanor would add.

    Kazius had no idea about anything involving Demon Society and the Abyss, so this was all new to him. The idea The Demon King could just steal souls was a terrifying one though. This wasn¡¯t about Azanor¡¯s brother though, this was about Azanor so he would ask about it later.

    ¡°I am the only Gluttony Demon. When I eat a soul, I absorb more power than most Demons¡­ I eat a person¡¯s entire being¡­ And I absorb most of it¡­ Including memories¡­.¡± Azanor seemed to look uncomfortable at the mention of memories.

    ¡°The amount I absorb is random, really. Sometimes it is an hour, a minute¡­ A month¡­ A year¡­ A lifetime¡­ At first¡­ It wasn¡¯t bad¡­ I saw the knowledge I acquired as useful and nothing more¡­ I wanted power¡­ It didn¡¯t matter. I wanted to win the throne. So, I kept making deals¡­ And I kept eating souls¡­ Then one day I started to notice things¡­ How beautiful the sky was during a sunset¡­ How fun the festivals mortals held looked¡­ And then eventually¡­ I absorbed the soul of a man named Theo¡­ I saw all of it¡­ I felt what it was like to be held by his mother¡¯s hand¡­ The days playing with the kids in the village¡­ Growing up on his farm¡­ Falling in love and getting married¡­ Having 3 beautiful children¡­ Losing neighbors to local Raiders¡­ Being scared¡­ Losing his youngest daughter at the hands of said Raiders¡­ Making a deal with me out of desperation¡­ To save my family¡­ His family¡­ So that they too wouldn¡¯t be lost in an attack, his soul in exchange for his family¡¯s safety and to save his community.¡± Azanor would correct himself before continuing. It is clear there were times where even now it was hard to separate who he was from the memories he ate.

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    ¡°And finally dying at my hand¡­ Feeling scared yet happy knowing his wife and kids would be safe¡­ When I realized what happened, those memories broke me¡­ I¡­ I hated myself so much¡­ I couldn¡¯t even understand who I was¡­ I felt like I would lose my mind.¡± Azanor managed out in dismay, his expression pained.

    ¡°I felt so many things¡­ Things Demons did not typically feel¡­ Especially love¡­ We feel lust¡­ But not love¡­ Marriage is something of convenience for us¡­ Nothing more than for power.¡± Azanor stated with a grimace.

    ¡°And just when I thought I would lose myself to insanity¡­ I met her¡­ Eve¡­ She¡­ She saw me and had come to talk to me¡­ She talked about how she had never met anyone with such a chaotic mind¡­ So confused and insane. How she found me so interesting¡­ She wondered if I would simply die by looking at her just like everyone else¡­ Or if maybe my mind was just that far gone that looking at her didn¡¯t affect me¡­ And that is when I told her¡­ How beautiful she was¡­ She didn¡¯t expect that¡­ Not at all.¡± Azanor chuckled out lightly, his expression holding a sad fondness.

    ¡°She thought I was crazy. I probably am¡­ But after that, we kept talking¡­ And well¡­ Became friends¡­ Then lovers¡­ And then¡­ I realized¡­ She was my everything¡­ So¡­ We got married, and I asked her to settle down with me¡­ And we moved to this town¡­ I¡­ I felt whole¡­ Everything was perfect with her, the love of my life¡­ We were seen as suspicious at first¡­ But we were eventually accepted. I became friends with Remus, and ran around with him every now and then on his adventures¡­ Babysat his kid¡­ Became friends with his kid¡­ Headed out to save the world with him¡­ And well¡­ You know the rest¡­¡± Azanor sighed out.

    ¡°So, you were friends with Remus too¡­¡± Kazius sighed out, realizing how rough it must have felt¡­ He didn¡¯t realize he had known Ratier for that long¡­ And then he betrayed Azanor¡­ Sealing him away, separating him from whom he cared about most.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, Kazius¡­ I was able to bring myself together because of her¡­ I¡­ I just¡­¡± Azanor trailed off.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether should or shouldn¡¯t¡­ But¡­ If you truly do love Eve¡­ I know you may want her back¡­ And feel hope she will come back¡­ But I think that hope has been hurting you¡­ You are expecting something we don¡¯t know if possible¡­ I know I am a hypocrite¡­ If my vision tells me anything¡­ But¡­ You can¡¯t give up¡­ Get the resolve to love her as she is, if she is truly whom you want to be with¡­ and if she remembers she does¡­ But if she doesn¡¯t, she doesn¡¯t¡­ When you left¡­ You know¡­ Eve was very worried about you¡­ I don¡¯t know if I would use the word love¡­ For how she feels about you¡­ But there is no doubt you mean a lot to her¡­ I do think though, you need to stop being afraid to approach her romantically¡­ When I know I saved Alice, I will confess¡­ I think¡­ You need to start thinking about telling her how you feel about her, the current her.¡± Kazius suggested.

    ¡°I would start by saying sorry to her though¡­ Come on¡­ Let¡¯s go find her.¡±  Kazius would state, getting up, and offering him his hand.

    Azanor would look up at him, at this. He seemed to pull himself together, looking determined as he nodded. It seems speaking to Kazius indeed did help.

    The two with that would go search for Eve, Azanor finding her with ease considering their bond. Technically, she did make a contract with him.

    When the two found her, Eve was sulking, sitting down, hiding by a bush near the cemetery portion of the town. They could hear her hiccupping and sniffling. At the scene, seeing Eve like this¡­ It was clear Azanor felt terrible.

    ¡°Eve¡­ Oh Eve¡­ I¡¯m so so sorry¡­ About what I said¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to snap at you like that.¡± Azanor admitted to her only for her to turn around. She was crying quite a bit, ¡°Y-You hate me now¡­ You are mad at me¡­ I-I¡­ I must have done something¡­ I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ P-Please don¡¯t hate me forever. I-I don¡¯t like being far away from you.¡± She sobbed out, clearly having taken his words to heart. Of course, he had only told her to go away, but Eve clearly thought hearing that from Azanor was the end of the world.

    ¡°I could never hate you¡­ You did nothing wrong¡­ I was¡­ I remembered a lot of bad things¡­ And good things¡­ So, I wanted to be alone¡­ But what I did was wrong¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ You didn¡¯t do anything bad. I promise.¡± He assured, putting down his cane so he could get down and sit beside her. He was cupping her face gently, helping her clean up her face. ¡°So please don¡¯t cry¡­¡± He told her softly.

    At this Eve did calm down, realizing things were fine. Though it seemed like the woman wasn¡¯t even mad at the Demon. She was just scared of being hated by him. As silly as something like that may sound.

    ¡°O-Okay¡­¡± Eve stated, cheering up, looking a bit pouty, but that was about it.

    Azanor smiled weakly at this. There seemed to be a bit more joy in his eyes as he leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. This seemed to cause Eve to grow quite red.

    ¡®It seems my job here is done.¡¯

 Chapter 46: Training with Remus Begins

    Kazius would return to the others, letting Eve and Azanor be for now. It was decided Remus would look into training the two after he was done with Damon, Eve, and Kazius. At least they knew that the two were now okay. They intended to catch up to them soon to check in at least.

    With that, Remus would lead the group to a large flat dirt field. It looked like a simple training yard. The place was well maintained, likely a place that meant a lot to Remus and likely where he had trained Ratier long ago.

    ¡°Alright, I can only manage so much at once, but I will give you all my attention equally¡­ I suppose I may as well figure out what I am working with for today¡­ Even if I am dreading it.¡± Remus chuckled out, the Lich remaining in his true form. Keeping a human appearance was likely quite taxing for him, who wasn¡¯t even a Wizard or Mage.

    ¡°Alright, Alice. Show me the mess Ratier handed down to the family, I¡¯m ready.¡± Remus stated, deciding to start with her.

    Alice would perk up at this, levitating her sword in attacks to show the process, alternating between that and doing some swings by hand. She was doing her best, but Remus¡¯ jaw seemed to drop but not due to good reasons.

    ¡°Oh for the love of- No no no no! Stop! Oh, I knew it¡­ All those sloppy, flashy, yet terribly impractical moves¡­ This isn¡¯t your fault, dear¡­ No¡­ Oh if only I could just have a word with him¡­¡± Remus would grumble to himself, clearly upset at his son for yet another reason now.

    Alice would stand confused, clearly having no clue as to what The Lich spoke of. To think that he would disapprove so much¡­ Kazius was finding himself more and more glad to have come here. Maybe with proper technique, Alice would be safer. Of course, he intended to protect her above all, but the more she knew, the better. He hoped to one day have her as his Queen if she wanted it.

    ¡°What did I do wrong?¡± Alice asked in confusion, looking sad.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be sad. Well, you did great¡­ If you were trying to do an imitation of my son¡­ Which you don¡¯t want to do. Believe me. As I said, this isn¡¯t your fault¡­ Where to start¡­ For starters¡­ Why are you keeping the sword in that shape? It doesn¡¯t suit you¡­ I don¡¯t believe you enjoy using a Great Sword, especially the style he liked with such a wide blade. It is unnecessarily big and bulky¡­ And if he had been able to lift something heavier he would have made it bigger for sure¡­ You should pick a shape you like, don¡¯t imitate that fool.¡± Remus began.

    ¡°Shape?¡± Alice asked, looking more confused.

    At this The Lich seemed to get more and more progressively exasperated, ¡°Did he not tell you¡­ Please don¡¯t tell me he didn¡¯t even bother telling you that the sword is a Magical Blade¡­¡± He stated, sounding irritated. While his face wasn¡¯t expressive, it was clear he was furious,

    ¡°It¡­ It is?¡± Alice questioned in confusion. Clearly no one in her family had known that.

    ¡°¡± Remus began, sounding quite frightening for a moment. When he was mad like this, he really did seem like a Lich.  ¡°Calm down Remus¡­¡± He would mutter to himself, attempting to cool off.

    ¡°Why that little¡­ Yes, it isn¡¯t a sword. It can change shape to the imagination of the user¡­ I found it in some ruins during my adventurer days¡­ Combine that with our family¡¯s ability¡­¡± Remus trailed off, taking the sword with a motion of his finger. He was levitating it as it changed shape to a scimitar, then a dagger, an axe, a spear, and then finally a rapier.

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    Damon seemed to be in awe, clapping in amusement at the sight, ¡°Buahaha! That¡¯s incredible!¡±

    ¡°To think it could do that¡­¡± Kazius admitted. Indeed, Ratier¡¯s legacy seemed to have held back his family from developing their proper style.

    ¡°It was an incredibly lucky find that fits our family ability very well¡­ Exploring those dungeons was also quite difficult, but the crowning achievement of my adventurer days¡­ So, you can imagine how much the fact he didn¡¯t bother telling his kids that it is a Magical Blade upsets me¡­ Just ask Azanor, we nearly died¡­ And then Rowan was angry saying the Blade suited him more¡­  But I gave him the other-  Never mind¡­ Anyway¡­ As for Ratier¡­ Knowing him¡­. He probably thought his style was best and didn¡¯t want anyone changing it. Sadly, he was a proud boy. As a father, I failed him by not fixing that¡­¡± Remus sighed out in frustration, rubbing his head as if he had a headache despite not even having any organs at this point.

    Alice was in awe at this, seeming to grow eager at this new information. ¡°Thank you for telling me, grandpa! I will figure out what I want¡­¡± She agreed.

    ¡°Good, I will let you think about that¡­ Remember, you don¡¯t have to settle for a single shape.¡± Remus reminded her.

    Alice nodded eagerly at that, clearly excited to play around with the shape of her weapon. Kazius was glad she was having fun.

    ¡°Now¡­ let¡¯s look at your spear work. Now¡­ I may be a bit rusty¡­ But I think a spar may be in order. Since unlike with Ratier, I don¡¯t know your style.¡± Remus stated as he unsheathed his sword under his cloak. It was a simple long sword. One you could find on the most average soldier.

    Damon of course had his face brighten at the idea of a spar. He loved battle after all. ¡°Buahaha! Now we¡¯re talking! I will warn you though, my spear isn¡¯t normal.¡± He stated with a wide grin, gripping his spear eagerly as Alice and Kazius moved off to the side to give them some room.

    ¡°You got spirit, I will give you that¡­ Let¡¯s see if your spear work is as good as your words.¡± Remus mused. It seems like The Lich was rather excited as well. He was a swordsman, after all, he likely hasn¡¯t been able to use his sword in a long time. This would be interesting.

    There was no countdown or anything of the like, but instead, Damon was over-eager and would rush at Remus with rapid speed, the wind in the area changing direction. Surprisingly or not though, despite the sheer amount of muscle that Damon had and strength, Remus would block the attack with his sword, the poor blade threatening to snap considering the quality of Damon¡¯s spear¡­ Yet it just barely held on, almost as if Remus understood the blade¡¯s limitations and blocked at the proper angle so that it would hold.

    Remus chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t go holding back on me¡­ That won¡¯t work on me¡­ I may be rusty, but my age doesn¡¯t limit me anymore.¡± He mused, moving quite fast, spinning around on his heel in a counterattack. His moves were fast, simple, and purposeful. He was so fast that even Damon, with his gift from Vind, seemed to have a slow reaction compared to him.

    It was clear that back in his day, Remus had been quite the force as just a swordman¡­ And now he was much more than that, whether for better or for worse.

    The impact from Remus¡¯ sword would push back Damon with ease, the lich moving with very precise strikes and precision. He seemed to have a good amount of strength despite no muscles. Liches were not known to have physical strength or speed, but then again, Remus was a peculiar case.

    Damon would dig his feet into the ground, attempting to spin around, almost as if imitating Remus¡¯ own counterattack from before. While this failed and Remus would hit his spear, making him drop it, he did come close to timing it.

    Remus didn¡¯t say anything, his eyes dimming while in thought, sword pointed still at the weaponless Damon. Once done thinking, he would sheathe his sword, looking up at the Werewolf, ¡°You may be a prodigy when it comes to fighting instinct¡­¡± He admitted, his tone giving away how impressed he was.

    ¡°You learn quickly¡­ I will expect a lot from you.¡± Remus admitted, ¡°And you said you taught yourself how to use a spear, correct? Let¡¯s figure out how to improve your technique some¡­¡± Remus stated. It seems Damon had brought that up while Kazius had been with Azanor and Eve.

    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Damon admitted politely, a bit flustered. After all, he had expressed how much he had wanted the attention and affection from his parents. Their praise. While friends were nice, Kazius could tell he appreciated Remus¡¯ grandfatherly nature. Kazius couldn¡¯t blame him, after all, he didn¡¯t have a family at all¡­ He was slowly feeling like the future he could create with Remus and them to be a better one than anything a vision could comprehend¡­ And long as he could have Alice by his side.

 Chapter 47: Training with Remus Begins Part Two

    Kazius would find himself looking at Alice, who had been paying attention to the spar session, but also playing around with the Magic Blade. The Blade looked like a jumbled pile of metal, she was clearly struggling to think of what to make of it.

    ¡°Having a tough time?¡± Kazius questioned with a small smile, knowing she was safe for now brought a lot of comfort to him. He was hiding the situation of what her fate could be, but he couldn¡¯t hide the fondness in his eyes when he looked at her. Not after he knew it was there.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what would suit me¡­ I always thought of this as Ratier¡¯s sword¡­ I don¡¯t know if I want it to be a sword¡­ Or what I would even like to use¡­ I¡­ I never had that much choice in what I could do¡­ As a princess¡­ Or even while hiding¡­¡± Alice stated in dismay. It seems their journey had given her a lot to think about.

    She only spoke positively of her former life as a princess for the most part. Likely due to missing her family and feeling robbed of family¡­ But it appeared she also was appreciating her current situation.

    Alice seemed pensive, looking at her feet while talking, ¡°You know¡­ You keep saying I saved you¡­ Back when we met¡­ But the more that happens¡­ And the more we learn¡­ I feel like meeting you was when I finally got my freedom.¡± She admitted with a small smile, her violet eyes shining with their own fondness for him as she hesitantly looked into his eyes.

    ¡°I am glad you think so, perhaps we can say we saved each other¡­ And we learned the world was full of more lies than we probably know even know¡­ But we will fix that.¡± Kazius assured her, studying her face, but also her hair. Her long pink locks grew fast, it was barely at her upper back now¡­. They had time though¡­ And he felt like had made an important step earlier than what the vision showed¡­ He hoped this would be enough.

    ¡°Kazius?¡± Alice questioned; a bit red considering he was very much staring at her while in thought.

    ¡°S-Sorry.¡± Kazius apologized, a bit flushed himself. ¡°I was just thinking.¡± He would add in embarrassment.

    ¡°A-Alright.¡± Alice replied, not pushing on the matter further, but did fidget a bit with her hair, tucking it behind her ear while she would stare at the Magical Blade.

    ¡°A-anyway¡­ Knowing everything you do now¡­ It must be hard¡­ How do you feel about Ratier?¡± Kazius asked, both curious and trying to change subject.

    ¡°The Kingdom or Remus¡¯ son? I guess it doesn¡¯t matter¡­ My answer for both is the same¡­ I am disappointed if I am being honest¡­ I admired him¡­ I thought he was a great hero and because I was his descendant, I was great too¡­ But I am a princess of nothing now¡­ He created a Kingdom that brought nothing but suffering to his friends, the ones lucky enough to make it, got kingdoms of their own and either eventually got killed by similar mistakes or died in ignorance.¡± Alice stated, sounding surprisingly harsh. ¡°But I won¡¯t measure my value by being related to him, not anymore. I¡­ I will try and find myself¡­ And try and value who I am¡­ Sorry¡­ I am not trying to sound conceited¡­¡± Alice apologized.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t come off like that at all¡­ I am also trying to figure it out myself too¡­ But¡­ I am sure whoever decide to become¡­ I know you already have a good start as a wonderful woman.¡± Kazius admitted, only to freeze when he realized what an embarrassing thing he just blurted out. He was just relieved to have not called her an angel, such thoughts he needed to remember to keep to himself for now¡­ He was good at keeping secrets¡­ But now that he knew his feelings, things had gotten complicated. He did not want to keep things from her, but he felt he had to.

    ¡°H-Huh?¡± Alice questioned, her eyes growing wide at his words.

    ¡°Kazius¡­ Kazius! Are you two not paying attention?¡± Remus would sigh out, his words finally registering.

    Kazius felt relieved, a way out. He had not made sure she was safe yet, he had to wait, or at least he would remind himself, ¡°H-Huh? Y-Yeah, I¡¯m ready. Sorry¡­ Uh¡­ talk later.¡± He would basically rush off.

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    Remus would nod, seeming to let the matter go, but it was clear the fact he had been flirting with his granddaughter did not get past him. While his expression was not the easiest to read, he would keep looking between the two.

    ¡°Alright¡­ Necromancy. Of course, I shouldn¡¯t have to say this¡­ But for starters, if you haven¡¯t already summoned some undead, unless you are near some corpses, it won¡¯t be very useful to you. Plan accordingly.¡± Remus began. The statement was quite the obvious one, but perhaps after dealing with a son like Ratier, he found saying such things necessary.

    The mention of Necromancy, it seemed to catch Alice off guard. After all, Kazius and Damon had talked to Remus in private on the matter of training. She didn¡¯t even know he had the aptitude for it.

    ¡°Are you sure you can even do something like that?¡± Alice would speak up, clearly having mixed feelings on the matter. Then again, considering she seemed less against the undead after meeting Remus, at least it wasn¡¯t hostility that she was showing.

    ¡°I believe Kazius has the aptitude for it.¡± Remus confirmed. Of course, the situation was a strange one. After all, the dead here were people who Remus likely knew or gave their lives for the war. It appeared to not make any sort of difference to him though¡­ Then again, as a Lich, he was likely not caught up in such sentimentalities. Grandfatherly personality or not, Remus was still a Lich.

    ¡°I see¡­¡±Alice responded, looking concerned and uncertain, but she didn¡¯t argue on the matter. Kazius felt guilty, but he felt he had to do this. What he needed is power. He would be lying if he said that he cared about what it could cost it, as long as he could protect her and their friends¡­ He had no apprehensions.

    Remus would look at Alice, confirming there was no issue before he would then continue. ¡°That aside¡­ This will be difficult to teach. I am not like the other Liches¡­ I don¡¯t even have a Phylactery nor do I know how to make myself one to host my soul. I will do my best though.¡± He confirmed.

    ¡®No Phylactery? I heard of those once¡­ That if you want to kill a Lich, you have to destroy it first or they simply will just not die. I wish I knew more, maybe I could help Remus make one¡­ The Holy Knights did at least let me learn that much, I guess¡­ They were so secretive with even this¡­ Oh well¡­ Being the type of Lich Remus is¡­ Is stronger in a way, but I guess it has its problems... Maybe we will find a way later¡­ From what Remus said though, I doubt other Liches will be of any help. ¡¯

    ¡°I do know how mana works¡­ I can sense it in myself when I issue commands¡­ You need to sense for it, project that as your will on the ground, picture the corpse¡­ And order it to do what you want.¡± Remus would attempt to add.

    Indeed, the description was easier said than done. Kazius himself was not a magic user, so this would be tough, but then again¡­ Remus wasn¡¯t one either.

    Remus would stare at Kazius, clearly seeming to note the male¡¯s confusion, ¡°It will make sense once you do it. I think the best you can do is go to the cemetery and practice. Remember, the key is extending yourself in your command. If you can¡¯t raise a simple skeleton or zombie, I can¡¯t teach you the harder stuff.¡±

    Kazius sighed at this and nodded. It seems they needed practice on their own before they could do much else just yet. At least this was a start¡­ They had time.

    ¡°Now, where are those two? Skipping my lessons?¡± Remus questioned.

    ¡°Oh, like you have anything to teach me, how many times did I save your butt back in the day?¡± Azanor would speak up, it seems he had been around but just did not want to sit through the lectures of others.

    Azanor looked content, Eve herself seemed to be her usual self¡­ But Kazius did note that now Azanor was holding and arm around Eve. It seems Azanor took his advice about pressing forward¡­ And it seems Eve was into it.

    ¡°Perhaps, but I have gotten stronger since. Have you?¡± Remus mused with a chuckle.

    Azanor scoffed but said nothing. He didn¡¯t lie, so it was clear to Kazius he was choosing to remain silent so he wouldn¡¯t have to admit Remus was right¡­ Then again considering the toll of absorbing souls for him¡­ Kazius didn¡¯t blame him¡­ Could Demons even get stronger without eating souls?

    ¡°That is what I thought.¡± Remus responded simply, clearly having a bit of sass in him.

    Azanor would simply grumble to himself, clearly unhappy, but he held his tongue. It was clear now that catching up was done, the two were quite the close friends. ¡°What do you even think you can teach me?¡±

    ¡°For starters, how to put effort into growing yourself. It is easy to do anything as long as you can take powers from others, but I think it is about time you do some hard training. Alice here told me you two didn¡¯t train with Damon, Kazius, and her even once¡­ What am I to make of that?¡± Remus pointed out.

    Azanor at this would look at Alice in an accusing manner, Alice ending up shrugging, ¡°It is the truth, Eve has been learning dark magic. What have you been learning? This is for your own good.¡± Alice pointed out.

    ¡°What? I don¡¯t want to!¡± Azanor exclaimed, protesting only for Remus to then grab him, ¡°I can¡¯t have that, no¡­ You are not falling behind, not at all¡­ I made an exercise regime just for you. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°W-What?! No! Noooooooo!¡± Azanor would scream. He really did not seem to want to do exercise.

 Chapter 48: Stagnation

    Training had gone into full swing for the group, for both willing and unwilling participants.

    Alice had spent well over a few weeks trying to figured out what to make of her Blade, which was a struggle for her. It was something that worried Kazius since he wanted her to gain her own strength. He would protect her, but he wanted her to also be able to defend herself in an emergency.

    Her decision paralysis was understandable though considering how before she had none. Now her blade could become anything with a blade.

    Then there was his own struggles. He didn¡¯t think he could even get a mouse¡¯s skeleton to move. Remus insisted he was over thinking on what to do¡­ But he didn¡¯t even understand what he was overthinking.

    These developments worried Kazius, what if despite making potentially different choices, he couldn¡¯t change this part of the future? With the weeks passing, Alice¡¯s hair only grew longer. At this point every millimeter that it grew, the more anxious he got.

    It was understandable. Her hair was to her back at this point. Very close to the length she had in his vision.

    The only one that had made a bit of progress was Damon. He definitely was moving with more skill, but he could not beat Remus at a spar despite that. Something that only made him more determined. Though you could argue what improved most was his baking skills rather than fighting skills.

    As for Azanor, he was place in exercise routines that had him running around town. Eve had joined him, but unlike the Demon, she seemed to have fun while doing so.

    Kazius was currently training by the graves. It was already dark, but Kazius far from felt frightened. It he did, he wouldn¡¯t be so persistent on raising the dead. Sadly, attempting was the best word to describe his actions. Attempting to get any sort of reaction.

    ¡°Rise.¡± He stated with a motion, attempting to copy his future self. Nothing.

    ¡°Get up.¡± He would state in exasperation.

    ¡°Please?¡± He almost whined out with a wave of his hands only to let out an agitated grunt.

    Kazius sighed in defeat. He was trying even though training was supposed to be long over. He had to do this and do this now.

    Still, there was nothing. Kazius sweat from effort. While he was not getting a reaction, he was still using mana. He far from cared about his own personal exhaustion. Every time he felt tired, Alice¡¯s body would simply come to mind.

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    ¡°You are going to end up dead if you keep using mana like that.¡± Remus would state, as he was able to be heard approaching.

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Kazius admitted, panting a bit.

    He was about to try again when Remus placed his hand on his shoulder, ¡°I think you need a break, son. Enough.¡±

    ¡°Do you know how much I will lose if I don¡¯t do this?¡± Kazius asked with a frown, looking more than frustrated.

    ¡°I do¡­ But believe me, I don¡¯t want anything to happen to my only grandchild either. This will take time¡­ They cannot find us in here at least. It will be fine¡­ Now come on¡­ Come have dinner. Damon and I made pie.¡± Remus assured before leading the tired and defeated Kazius back home.

    ¡°Buahaha! There you are! Kazius! Look!¡± Damon exclaimed in excitement, practically shoving the pie towards Kazius¡¯ face from excitement.

    ¡°That looks like a very nice pie, Damon.¡± Kazius chuckled out in amusement at his overly eager friend.

    ¡°We were worried.¡± Alice admitted with a warm smile. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to start eating without you¡­ You are so determined with your training though; I couldn¡¯t find the heart to go stop you¡­ I know how frustrating it must be to not be able to do more.¡± She admitted.

    ¡°You all are a bunch of sadists¡­ Training more? You are crazy.¡± Azanor stated, sounding out of breath even though he stopped running much earlier than now. He was quite the dramatic for sure.

    ¡°I think it is fun!¡± Eve chirped giddily.

    ¡°Running isn¡¯t fun. Besides, running I can do just fine, but Remus had us running as fast as we could for hours! Hours!¡± Azanor complained, after all, he was a Demon. To grow exhausted wasn¡¯t easy, but Remus had made sure that Azanor put effort into his exercise, even if it meant he would have to be at it longer than most.

    ¡°Well I think it is fun, especially since it was with you.¡± Eve chirped out contently.

    Her words quite catching the Demon off guard, flustering him it seems. ¡°Well yeah, that is true¡­¡±

    Kazius smiled a bit, he had to admit, despite the lack of progress¡­ These meals together with everyone ever since they came to Remus¡¯¡­ It was hard to not enjoy.

    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s all eat.¡± Remus stated while they all sat down. In his spare time, he had made additional chairs. So now everyone had the ability to sit down together, especially once he brought in another table to push together against the one he already had.

    The meal was good, and everyone ate with energy. Moments like this soothed Kazius¡¯ anxiety.

    Unlike their previous dinners though, Remus would suddenly stand up, looking towards a wall, as if he was seeing something far away.

    ¡°Everything okay, grandpa?¡± Alice questioned in confusion.

    Remus was silent, not answering the question, but he did seem tense. He moved his hand to his face, touching it like how he had done when they first met. ¡°My fog is gone.¡± He suddenly stated.

    ¡°What?¡± Kazius questioned in shock. He had no idea how someone could get rid of such a thing. Even Azanor spoke of having no clue on how to get rid of it when they first came here.

    ¡°Gone?¡± Azanor questioned in shock, clearly unable to think of anyone that could do that.

    ¡°Yes, gone.¡± Remus stated in agitation and concern. ¡°I will go investigate. You all should stay here.¡±

    ¡°No way, we are coming with you.¡± Alice stated firmly.

    Remus would look at Kazius in concern and then back at Kazius. ¡°She¡¯s right. We are coming with you.¡± Kazius would agree.

    Of course, Kazius was worried about who could have done such a thing too. Staying here not knowing would do them no good¡­ And Remus may need backup. Still, Alice¡¯s hair length¡­ It worried him¡­ He decided that he would make sure she staid back.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go then¡­ We shouldn¡¯t waste time.¡± Remus stated firmly.

 Princess (Special Prequel Mini Chapter)

    As a Princess, Alice¡¯s day was busy from the moment she woke up, even if she was only 10. Breakfast with usually by herself, her father and mother were far too busy to have such meals together. She understood that Ratier relied on them, they had more important things to do¡­ Yeah¡­ More important things.

    Then there was etiquette lessons, history lessons, embroidery, fencing, and then finally evening prayer. She owed this to her people, they relied on her family and she needed to keep up the good work. Her lessons could be worse, after all, at least she her Ivy.

    Ivy grew up with her at the castle, born from a Count¡¯s family and selected to grow up along side her to learn how to best serve Alice as a handmaid. Though at the end of the day, the two were children. If you saw both girls together you could mistake them for sisters, at least that is how Alice treated Ivy. She wanted a friend, not a servant.

    After sitting with Alice through all the lessons, Ivy looked deflated, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you do it, Alice¡­ That was so boring! I thought we would maybe get to play some today¡­ Lunch was even part of etiquette. That¡¯s not fair.¡± Ivy stated in dismay, her red hair slumping  onto the table, her blue eyes almost dull from sheer boredom.

    ¡°Maybe we will get to play tomorrow. It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Alice assured.

    ¡°You sound just like the grownups¡­¡± Ivy grumbled in dismay at the response.

    ¡°I have a lot of responsibilities, Ivy. I can¡¯t be selfish. As Queen, I need to make everyone happy¡­¡± Alice assured, ¡°And serve The Oracle faithfully so that he blesses the kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Well, will you be happy too?¡± Ivy questioned, her expression showing she didn¡¯t think that would be the case.

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    ¡°Of course! I mean¡­ Everyone will be happy.¡± Alice pointed out.

    ¡°Yeah, but what about you?¡± Ivy would question again.

    Alice was silent at this, doubting herself a bit. She was happy now, right? Her parents and people adored her, she had to be happy. Of course, she was. ¡°I¡¯m happy now, I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±

    ¡°Uhuh.¡± Ivy responded, clearly not believing her, but would let go of the topic.

    ¡°Anyway, I should go, Ivy. I want to see if my parents can have dinner with me.¡± Alice beamed at the idea. She adored her parents and hoped to maybe get to spend some time with them.

    ¡°Okay, I will see you later then.¡± Ivy stated hesitantly with a wave, ¡°I will be having dinner. So if you can¡¯t, you can eat with me.¡±

    ¡°You know I am not supposed to do that, Ivy¡­ But thank you.¡± Alice stated with a wave, rushing off to her father¡¯s study, eagerly opening the door.

    ¡°Papa!¡± She exclaimed contently only to realize her father yet again had company.

    Her father looked unhappy, his greying pink hair having turned white early due to stress. He seemed tense, looking over at his guest. His guest was a Holy Knight that seemed to almost always be over¡­ Likely reporting to her father or something, she wasn¡¯t sure. He wore silver armor with fancy blue decorations, his hair white and eyes a blue that always made Alice feel uneasy. He was from The Church though, he had to be good, right?

    ¡°Well well well, if it isn¡¯t the Princess¡­ Seems the etiquette lessons have not been sinking in, barging into the office like that. I would expect better from you, your Highness. Does The Church need to send someone to personally train her?¡± The knight questioned.

    Her father looked nervous, sweating some even despite the fact he was the King. This always seemed weird to Alice, ¡°No, I apologize for the interruption, Elande¡­ That¡­ That won¡¯t be necessary¡­ She is just a child.¡±

    ¡°Papa¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt¡­ I¡­ I will go¡­ I love you¡­ I just wanted to know if we could have dinner. I will check with Mama then¡­¡± Alice stated in dismay.

    ¡°I love you too, Sweetheart.¡± Her father stated despite seeming to give weary glances towards the knight.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t bother your mother either, Princess. She is with the head Priest¡­ Doing her evening prayer for the kingdom, as she should be. Remember your role and manners, Princess¡­ It will make working with you so much easier.¡±

    ¡°O-Okay¡­¡± Alice stated timidly before leaving. Maybe tomorrow she could have a meal with her parents¡­

 Chapter 49: The Guest

    It was difficult to tell the difference considering Remus had made it so that the fog did not affect them while inside the town¡­ Still, the more they got to the edge, the more concerning the situation got.

    There truly was no fog at the edge of the town, as they walked, there was also no sign of the undead that Remus had risen. It was eerily quiet, not even the wind made a sound.

    ¡®Where did all the undead go?¡¯

    Soon the answer would appear in front of them, the sound of flesh being cut as well as grunts and the splatter or blood growing closer.

    There stood a man wiping clean his sword with a handkerchief, looking at the blood on it with a grimace, all the undead in the area laying motionless at his feet. The sight of this making the violet in Remus¡¯ sockets burn with quite the rage that was clear even with his skeletal form.

    Whether it was because the man didn¡¯t see them, or was ignoring them, he continued to clean his sword. There were quite the obvious traits he had that more than worried Kazius though. For one was the familiar blue glow to his eyes, then there was his pure white slicked-back hair despite looking only to be at most in his 30s or maybe early 40s. The greying hair and blue eyes of Alex and Leo coming back to Kazius, a sinking feeling overwhelming him.

    Azanor looked uneasy at the sight of the male, who even now is cleaning his sword. It was becoming clear he was ignoring them, looking down on them. He was more worried about being presentable and not tarnishing his shiny silver and blue armor.

    The one who looked the most disturbed was Alice though, ¡°N-No¡­¡± She would mutter in horror at the sight of him, the woman actually shaking despite usually being quite brave.

    At her words breaking the silence, the male finally acknowledged the group, a smirk gracing his face. ¡°Well well well, princess. I would say I am surprised to see you in this group of abominations, but can¡¯t say I am¡­ How long has it been? 1¡­ No, don¡¯t tell me¡­ 6 years since that little fun event¡­ Yet you so rudely skipped out on your invitation and had a maid be hung in your place¡­ Clever little vermin, aren¡¯t you? Getting an innocent maid killed for your sake... Her family thinks she went missing, you know? They¡¯re still looking for her.¡± The male chuckled out. Despite his guilt tripping, he looked only more delighted as he spoke of the family that was suffering.

    Alice gritted her teeth, hatred in her eyes, she trembled in rage and fear, ¡°Shut your filthy mouth! Ivy wanted to protect me from you! You are just angry we would not be your puppets anymore! You filthy piece of shit!¡± She hissed, using language the princess didn¡¯t typically use.

    ¡°Language¡­. Language¡­ Princess¡­ It seems you lost your manners while running around.¡± He tsked with a condescending shake of his finger. ¡°Unlike you, I haven¡¯t lost my manners though¡­ You filthy little thing¡­ My name is Elande. Captain of the Edict Knights¡­ Rank 1¡­ As I am sure you would know, you filthy infiltrator¡­ Kazius, correct? It is a shame, really¡­ If you were human, maybe you could have reached the same heights as me¡­¡±

    Kazius scowled, growing pale as he glared at the male. Of course, he knew what it meant¡­ Leo and Alex had been tough before their training, but Damon has taken care of them¡­ But they weren¡¯t even real Edict Knights¡­ They didn¡¯t have a rank¡­ This was serious¡­ They sent the captain here¡­ Kazius knew that going against an Edict Knight would be hard¡­ But the captain? This was bad. Really really bad.

    ¡°You and the Church are just a bunch of liars worshipping a magical artifact. Using it to manipulate people, don¡¯t you fucking dare even speak to Alice like you have some high ground.¡± Kazius hissed out, terrified yet angry. This was the person that had likely taken Alice from him, and he was close to possibly make that future real again. Still, he was willing to die protecting her.

    ¡°Well aren¡¯t you all just the rude lot? And here I am trying to have a civil conversation¡­ I suppose I can¡¯t expect more from filth-¡° Elande began only to be cut off by an attack from Remus. It was clear he was fuming, this was the man behind killing off his descendants¡­ And was related to the organization that brought his life to an end.

    ¡°How dare you¡­ You are just like him¡­ That disgusting manipulative liar, Lazne¡­¡± Remus hissed out, rage and venom hanging from every word that came out of his mouth, sounding very much like the angry Lich that he was and not at all his usual grandfatherly self.

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    Despite his power into his attack¡­ Remus would get pushed back and blocked with a swing of Elande¡¯s sword, ¡°Oh? Friends of my father, I see. I didn¡¯t know my father had such rude friends¡­ Not letting me even talk.¡± Elande chuckled out.

    ¡®Wait¡­ Lazne is his father? Just how old is he? That shouldn¡¯t be possible for a human.¡¯

    Remus would stumble at the force of being pushed back but would manage to still land on his feet.

    Seeing an opportunity, Damon would attack, not seeming to have sensed the danger. He did look angry though, having quite the shocking expression for the goofy male¡¯s usual self. It was clear he was beyond angry. ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt my friends!¡± He growled out in a wolf-like manner, rather than enjoying the attack or fight, he looked upset.

    ¡°Another one without manners, if you behave like a dog¡­ I will treat you like one.¡± Elande chuckled out in delight, seeming to be amused and delighted by the situation. He would dash forward towards Damon, Remus at this attacking as well in attempts to prevent it. Midway through the attack, faster than what anyone could see, he would change direction.

    Elande was heading in another direction, already in front of Alice before anyone realized what had occurred, lunging forward. Thankfully or not, instinctively and on edge, Kazius moved in time, taking the hit. His shadows attempting to shield him. Elande¡¯s sword would cut through his shadows like butter, a bright blue light coating his blade when he swung it, the light burning away at the shadows. A mixture of shadows and blood would leak through the wound. Kazius hearing a familiar ringing in his ear as he screamed. A cold yet warm pain overwhelming his senses as he would stagger, Alice¡¯s expression growing horrified and shocked.

    There was little time to react, before Elande could finish him off, Azanor would dash forward as fast as the Demon could, managing to push the knight back with a well placed kick, but he still barely moved. Azanor would grab the blade, despite the fact it seemed like it was really digging into his hand and even burning some. He grimaced, struggling as he cried out in pain, but would try and kick at Elande again only to be kicked right in the stomach with enough power to make him throw up blood.

    ¡®run¡¯ Kazius would hear a familiar voice ring in his ear. It was clear none of them, even if working together could deal with the knight. Even if he wanted to run though, how could they? There was no way he wouldn¡¯t catch up.

    Kazius struggled to stand, Damon rushing over while Alice attempted to grab him to support Kazius¡¯ weight. ¡°You coward! How dare you use such underhanded tricks!¡± he growled. After all, he had acted like he would fight him, but instead went to harm the unprepared. Sadly, for Damon, he was too fast and too strong.

    Damon attacked with his spear, but before he knew it, Elande had had blocked it, pushing the spear aside with his sword. While Damon¡¯s spear was tough and did not break, the situation left Damon open to a very powerful kick in the face that ending up sending the tall male flying. Something not even the winds of Mount Vind could do.

    Damon scream, ending up bleeding all over, including from the eye the kick had landed on, the impact having been too much for his left eye. The way he screamed and howled in agony was almost haunting.

    Eve was furious at this, attempting to join in the fight, ¡°Leave my friends alone!¡± She screamed in terror and anger. She was stopped by the barely standing Azanor. In just the blink of an eye, almost all of them were unable to even stand.

    ¡®Don¡¯t lose consciousness, don¡¯t lose consciousness.¡¯ Kazius would try and repeat to himself, but it was hard. The blood shadow mixture oozing out of him was close to causing him to pass out due to blood loss.

    Before they knew it though, Remus would jump in front of Elande. The Lich moved with some speed, enough to be able to conjure up several walls of bone beneath the 5, pushing the back. Remus seemed full of hatred and rage, but there was a hint of his grandfatherly love in his actions.

    The actions seemed to surprise Elande, after all, Remus worked differently from any Lich. This hesitation giving Remus enough time to do one thing. ¡°Rise.¡± He stated with a motion of his hand, the entire cemetery with hundred maybe upon thousands of graves coming to life, zombies, skeletons, and the like coming up. It was like a small army with a shining purple light.

    The undead would block the way between Elande and the group. It was clear the goal wasn¡¯t to defeat him, that wasn¡¯t possible even with the numbers¡­ No, the purpose was to buy them time.

    ¡°I hope you all know, I treasured the time I spent with you. Each and everyone of you, I see you as my grandchildren¡­ Thank you¡­ For keeping an old Lich like me company¡­ And I am sorry¡­ That I could not teach you.¡± Remus stated, not facing them, but instead Elande, ¡°Go!¡± He exclaimed to them.

    ¡°What!? No! Grandpa!¡± Alice exclaimed. ¡°Not again not again not again not again.¡± She stated, breathing heavily, seeming traumatized at losing yet another family member to Elande.

    ¡°¡­..Move!¡± Azanor exclaimed, yelling at the others. Kazius unable to register the first bit of his statement.

    ¡°¡­ heal¡­. Go!¡± Eve¡¯s voice would sound faintly, slowly growing in and out of focus.

    And then darkness came. Kazius could no longer maintain consciousness.

 Chapter 50: Rowan

    Kazius was genuinely surprised when he finally woke up. How long had it been? Did they really get away?

    As he began to look around, he would make eye contact with a relieved looking Alice. Her eyes were red, sunken from crying a lot it seems. Whether it was due to concern for him, broken heart due to what happened to Remus, or both, Kazius wasn¡¯t sure.

    ¡°He¡¯s awake!¡± Alice exclaimed, her voice a bit raspy, likely from all the crying.

    Kazius was so relieved she was okay. He prevented her death¡­ It was very clear to him that who likely killed her originally had been Elande¡­ But he acted in time¡­ But the whole situation¡­They dragged Remus into this¡­ And he lost his life for it. Death still claimed someone¡­ It broke his heart; he had indeed grown to see Remus as a grandfatherly figure despite their short meeting¡­ He was too weak to protect anyone¡­ Even himself.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡± The usually loud and excited Werewolf would state. Damon looked like he had it rough. Most notably, was the after math the insane impact from the kick from Elande¡­ His face was bandaged, a noticeably bloody spot visible where his left eye had been. It seems he really did lose his eye from impact.

    Kazius at this would look around. There was no Eve nor Azanor¡­ But the room they were in was a fairly nice one. Like an inn, but slightly fancier, drapes and some flamboyant decorations. The style of the place was very different from anything he had seen. The Oriental decorations being something quite new to him.

    ¡°Alice¡­ Damon¡­ You¡¯re alive¡­ I¡¯m glad¡­ Where¡­. Are Azanor and Eve? Where are we?¡± Kazius questioned, slowly regaining his voice, struggling some, but eventually managing.

    Alice nodded with a tender expression at first only to make a bit of a strange expression, ¡°We¡¯re in a brothel¡­.¡± She stated, not sounding too thrilled about it.

    ¡°A¡­ A what?¡± Kazius questioned, wondering if he had a concussion.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story¡­ A friend of Azanor and¡­ Grandpa runs it.¡± Alice explained, growing noticeably sadder at mention of Remus. ¡°When you got hurt¡­ Damon too¡­ Between that and Grandpa I was panicking¡­ But apparently at some point Grandpa caught up Azanor on what happened to their friend Rowan¡­ Well¡­ He ended up in Blossom¡­ That one place that was nearby on our map¡­ Azanor took us here, only place he could think of that could be safe¡­ Rowan is letting us stay here for free and the Lady of Blossom sent her personal handmaiden to treat you both.¡± Alice explained.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Kazius muttered in understanding. Now that he thought about it, he recalled Remus bringing up the name Rowan once before¡­ Still, it was hard to focus on such thoughts. Remus coming to mind only making her feel all the more depressed.

    ¡°Do¡­ Do you think Grandpa survived?¡± Alice asked Kazius, seeming almost hopeful. It was like Kazius had the answer to everything at times.

    Kazius frowned, shaking his head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alice¡­ There was¡­ There is just no way. I¡¯m sorry¡­ To you as well, Damon¡­ If only¡­ I wish I was stronger.¡± He admitted, hating how weak he felt.

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    ¡°It isn¡¯t your fault, Kazius.¡± Alice assured in dismay, ¡°I didn¡¯t even help the fight¡­ I can¡¯t make up my mind and couldn¡¯t use my weapon.¡± She stated in dismay.

    ¡°If I can¡¯t blame myself then you can¡¯t either¡­¡± Kazius stated firmly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you for the eye either¡­ I may have a tough time using a spear now though¡­ But I will manage.¡± Damon stated, sounding determined. Indeed, with one less eye, that would affect his depth perception. Rather than improving, his spear work may very well get worse. Something that was likely devastating to him. ¡°I will get stronger.¡± He stated firmly, a fire in his eye despite the situation. ¡°What kind of General can¡¯t protect his King and Queen.¡±

    Alice was a bit flustered at his words but seemed a little happy at the fact Kazius didn¡¯t object to it. ¡°I¡­ I want to not be a burden anymore¡­ I want to make choices¡­ Ones that will help everyone¡­ I¡­ I want to make Elande pay.¡± She admitted bitterly.

    ¡°We all do.¡± Kazius corrected. He would make him pay for everything he did to them and tenfold. After killing him, the Demon King would be next. They will all pay.

    Damon nodded, being surprisingly serious still, but he wouldn¡¯t be in a joking mood at the moment after such things.

    As they spoke, the door would be opened by a man with pink hair and violet eyes. He had quite a flamboyant appearance. His hair quite long and his clothes strong, resembling a robe that exposed a good amount of chest. This of course made Kazius look at Alice in confusion. She shook her head as if answering a silent question on whether he was related to her or not.

    ¡°Oh my, sweetie. I am so glad you are up. Azanor was so worried about you. Then there was this little sweetheart here, she didn¡¯t leave your side for a second, you know? Such a caring little thing, very different from that idiot Ratier¡­ Oh, stop looking so gloomy! Remus would not want you all sulking like this, you know?¡± The man stated with a hand on his hip.

    Kazius didn¡¯t know what to make out of the male. He really looked a lot like he could even be Alice¡¯s brother. Almost as if sensing the question, the male would laugh. ¡°Oh my, where are my manners? You must be confused. No, I am not a member of that family. My name is Rowan, sweetie. I¡¯m a shapeshifter. As much of a blockhead as he was, Ratier had a pretty face. I quite liked it you see. So I asked him if he minded me copying him a little. That egomaniac of course agreed, but I quite enjoy this sort of appearance. If you ask me, I wear it much better than he ever could.¡± Rowan mused in delight with a flip of his hair.

    ¡°So that is¡­ How Ratier looked?¡± Kazius asked with a raised brow.

    ¡°Yes, but not as good-looking, correct.¡± Rowan mused in delight, ¡°Anyway, welcome to my little establishment, make yourselves at home¡­ I bet you¡¯re starving, you poor dears. I will have someone bring you some food. I was just catching up with Azzy. ¡±

    ¡°And your establishment is¡­ A brothel?¡± Kazius asked to confirm.

    ¡°Correct. As I said, I am a shapeshifter. I can be anything anyone may ever desire.¡± Rowan explained with a wink. With that he actually became a she, his appearance remaining mostly the same except for now having feminine features, even his voice changed, ¡°This is simple stuff, I could become totally different¡­ Want to try?¡± Rowan stated in a flirty manner, earning her quite a glare from Alice.

    ¡°No thank you, I am okay.¡± Kazius stated awkwardly, not expecting such an offer. Still, he declined. After all, he liked Alice.

    Alice looked relieved, but the look she gave Rowan was quite something.

    Damon was looking at the exchange and laughing a bit, finding humor in Alice¡¯s reaction to the offer.

    ¡°Pity. Oh well, look at you 3 now. Seems you are getting your spirits up some then, good! No more of those gloomy faces, alright?¡± Rowan questioned, seeming like she had actually made the offer to get the group to stop looking so sad.

    ¡°Anyway, eat and then when you regain your energy, we will talk again. Rest up, darlings.¡± Rowan would add with a wink.

 Chapter 51: Breakfast With Rowan

    After that, the group would focus on eating and recovering, Kazius especially needing a bit more rest before he could hope to walk around. The next day, they would leave the room to join Rowan, Eve and Azanor at breakfast.

    It seemed Rowan¡¯s place was fairly split between it¡¯s business side and personal residence area. The building was large though with a good number of rooms. Then again, Rowan lived at least as long as Remus, maybe even Azanor. He likely had a lot of time to earn his wealth.

    ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re alright.¡± Azanor told the group in relief, the Demon looking like he had seen better days. He seemed down, likely still thinking about the loss of his friend.

    ¡°Alice! Kazius! Damon! You¡¯re okay!¡± Eve chirped giddily, running over to give them all hugs, clearly relieved that they were okay.

    ¡°We¡¯re alright¡­Have you two been, okay?¡± Alice asked the giddy elf woman.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been practicing lots!¡± Eve admitted giddily.

    ¡°Practicing?¡± Kazius questioned in confusion.

    ¡°Yes, I want to hurt the mean man next time we see him.¡± Eve admitted, saying quite the words despite her innocent demeanor.

    ¡°I hope we get to.¡± Kazius admitted, sighing a bit, looking over at Alice to see how she was doing at the mention of Elande. As expected, she was making quite the dismayed face. The man had taken a lot from her, so she was likely the one taking things the hardest.

    ¡°Me too¡­¡±Alice would mutter, her violet eyes looking almost dull due to her saddened expression. Kazius couldn¡¯t even begin to consider telling her the truth even though he had intended to¡­After all, if he did, it would imply Remus¡¯ death took the place of hers. Someone was fated to die that day, her, but she was saved¡­Now Remus was gone. He adored her, he didn¡¯t want that weight on her shoulders.

    ¡°This won¡¯t do.¡± Rowan stated, currently in his male default form. ¡°I understand how you feel, but I want you all eating and feeling better. No talking about enemies at the breakfast table, darling. Everyone here needs a good breakfast and just regain their energy.¡± He stated with his lips pursed in disapproval. It was clear he wanted the group feeling better emotionally as well as physically.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Eve stated with a sigh.

    Everyone sitting down to eat. It was clear the group was in quite the sensitive emotional state at the moment. They needed to heal, in multiple ways. It was hard to focus on that rather than their enemy. Sure The Demon King was the ultimate goal¡­ But they had enemies here now that already had done so much¡­ While The Demon King had done nothing to them yet¡­ Though if they couldn¡¯t handle the Church, what hope did they have against the Demon King?

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something else while we eat, okay? Blossom is quite the lovely place. Very beautiful, I think you should all get some fresh air and look at the Cherry Blossoms now that you have some energy. Clear your minds some. Oh! And do a little trip to the Palace. The Lady of Blossom should be thanked personally. She sent her on personal maid to come heal you, you know? She is a bit of a character, but she is a total darling at heart. She is Shio¡¯s kid¡­ I haven¡¯t mentioned that.¡± Rowan stated contently, directing the last bit at Azanor, turning to look at him while doing do.

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    ¡°Shio¡¯s?¡± Azanor questioned in shock, ¡°That maniac had a child? With who? So he established this place?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She was quite the sweet woman, died in childbirth though. Sakura is well, she pretends to not be hot headed like him.¡± Rowan admitted with an amused giggle, ¡°I love pressing her buttons.¡±

    ¡°You enjoy poking at people too much, Rowan¡­¡± Azanor sighed out with a shake of his head.

    ¡°And I do so with the best intentions.¡± Rowan would reply simply with a shrug.

    ¡°Shio?¡± Kazius decided to ask, wondering what the two were talking about.

    ¡°He is one of the other fools that got dragged into fighting Azanor¡¯s asshole brother, sweetie. One of those¡­ Oh what did they call us again, Azzy? Yes, traitor monsters or whatever. My beautiful self was one of them of course, Shio was another.¡± Rowan explained.

    ¡°A lot of monsters had nowhere to go after that, some followed Shio. He was an imposing one. I suppose it makes sense they would. He built quite the city, so I suppose they made a good decision. At lot of them are animal-based monsters¡­ You know, Kitsune, Nekos, Catfolk, and such types. I tagged along. I don¡¯t like being alone. I also was pretty close to Shio. He was phenomenal in bed.¡± Rowan stated bluntly, saying the last bit in a fake whisper of sorts even though everyone could hear it.

    ¡°I¡­ I see¡­¡±, Kazius stated in a flustered manner, it would take some getting used to how Rowan talked about such things without restraint.

    ¡°Of course that was before he got married and all of that. I¡¯m no homewrecker, you know? I don¡¯t accept married clients. Not that Shio ever paid me.¡± Rowan stated with a wink.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­About Ratier.¡± Alice admitted, looking a bit guilty about how ungrateful of am attitude Ratier had. It must seem like Ratier was awful to all his friends, something that was likely quite tough after idolizing such a person.

    ¡°You are not him, darling. Don¡¯t be. Just from how you were around Kazius here and even Damon, I can tell you are a caring little sweetheart. I¡¯ve heard a lot of good things from Azanor here. About all of you.¡± Rowan admitted with a teasing grin at the Demon.

    ¡°Shut it.¡± Azanor stated in embarrassment, clearly unhappy to be called out for cherishing the group.

    ¡°Which is why I will help you.¡± Rowan admitted, ¡°I might not look like it¡­ But I am quite adept at fighting. Of course, I am more of a lover than a fighter, but this kingdom you intend to build¡­ Sounds quite interesting¡­ Your enemies are the same as mine too. So I¡¯m in.¡± Rowan admitted with a grin.

    His words seemed to surprise even Azanor, clearly having not discussed this.

    ¡°Are you sure considering how that went last time?¡± Kazius questioned in shock, after all, it would be useful, but he did not want to take advantage of his kindness.

    ¡°Well you know, I¡¯m the type that learns nothing¡­ Besides¡­ Eve has a point¡­I¡¯ve lived too long without seeing all of those bastards suffer.¡± Rowan stated, his usually seductive and playful expression turning into a cold scowl. It was clear despite not showing it, Rowan¡¯s death had been a sort of tipping point for the Shapeshifter.

    ¡°With that in mind, you would do well to become friends with Lady Sakura. You will need her¡­ She also has some good people working under her that could help you improve¡­Approach her as an equal though. You¡¯ll lose if you don¡¯t. From what Azanor says, you already have a town under your name¡­ Act accordingly.¡± Rowan stated with his hands on his face, resting his elbows on the table.

    ¡°You seem to understand how to talk to people very well.¡± Kazius admitted in awe. Indeed, if what he said was true, he was giving good advice.

    ¡°Of course it is, darling. People is what I do.¡± Rowan stated with a coy smirk, the pun very much intentional it seems.

    ¡°Alright¡­ Thank you¡­ After breakfast we should go see her then.¡± Kazius agreed.

 Chapter 52: Lady Sakura

    Once done with breakfast, the group would head out. Just as Rowan promised, the city was quite the beautiful place. From the trees with pink flowers to the different and strange architecture. It was quite the relaxing place.

    It was a bit difficult to enjoy though, at least for Kazius, he still was recovering from a good amount of internal pain. In fact, even with resting, the group was still quite beat up. In their journey for strength, most of them had taken several steps back and had new emotional scars for it.

    Kazius above all. He was more determined, sure, but something had changed in his heart that had consumed his optimism. He was trying to look forward though, unlike Damon, he still had both his eyes. Though he would likely have a scar on his chest from his own wound.

    Life moved on though, Kazius refused to give up on their dream. Staying and sulking would only make Remus¡¯ death and their pain a waste. Though as he looked at the beautiful scenery, all the pinks greens and other colors simply blended into a gray in his mind.

    As they walked, they could see people go about their lives, many stopping to stare at them, likely curious about the unfamiliar people.

    There was a lot of buzz, the place being as busy as Veleno. Though unlike Veleno, it seems people in this place spoke both Common and another tongue. At least this should make things easier on the others in terms of communication.

    Despite his current mental state, Kazius was improving on something. He was beginning to pick up subtleties of when it was his ability translating a language or actually Common.

    It did make sense people here would speak Common though, at least with the founders of the place having had relations with the 3 heroes before they were casted out¡­ If you could even still call them heroes.

    These people were already crossed by so called heroes once before¡­ So Kazius would make sure to not portray themselves as such. Not like Kazius himself would label himself a hero. He didn¡¯t see himself as anything that noble, not since the vision from the hall of mirrors and he was okay with that.

    He knew next time he saw Elande he didn¡¯t want justice, he wanted vengeance. Anything short of that was unacceptable. He was certain the other likely felt the same. He would pay¡­ Still¡­ There were more current pressing issues at the moment.

    ¡®This city has everything¡­ Will these people ever follow me? It would be silly for me to think their Lady would just hand over leadership to me like how Damon did. At least not as easily¡­ But this place¡­ Is definitely one I will need¡­ I have to be greedy if I want to ever hope to win against The Church.¡¯

    As they walked, a particular conversation between a panther Catfolk and a dog Neko caught Kazius¡¯ attention. The two men wearing armor.

    ¡°Report.¡± The Panther Catfolk stated firmly.

    ¡°Yes, Sir! No sign of the Green Dragon. We will keep an eye out for him and interrogate him as soon as we find a way to detain him.¡±

    ¡°Good¡­ We can¡¯t tolerate him helping the enemy¡­ His instigation will end here ¡­ Continue the research¡­ Though make sure this does not take away from protecting the city. Who knows when those traitorous bastards will attack again. They will pay for going against our Lady.¡±

    After that, the two were too far away to hear anything, but it was definitely useful information¡­ This place wasn¡¯t as well off as he thought¡­ There may very well be a chance after all¡­

    There was little time to think after that, the group finally making it to the steps of the Blossom Palace¡­ The place reminded him a lot of a shrine almost more than a palace¡­ It was clear not only did this place have good builders, but they also greatly revered the Lady to build her a palace like this.

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    Since they were at the palace, questions about the battle he overheard about would have to wait.

    Once inside, they were led further in by a group of guards. Security was quite strict, only showing further to Kazius that there was indeed an issue. Outsiders or not, this security was excessive. As they were led inside, they were guided to what appeared to be a throne room. The place was impressive, though again for some reason, the place gave more of a feeling of a shrine than a palace.

    There, at the center of the room on the wood and red silk throne, sat a woman with quite the intimidating noble air to her. Her expression was a calm one, her blue eyes almost holding a boredom to them, but also air of pride. As if she looked down on everyone. She was stall, that much was clear despite her sitting down, standing at 6ft 4in (1.93 meters). Her blonde hair was long, adorned at the top by what appeared to be her fox ears. Behind her were 9 fox tails swaying to an unknown rhythm. She wore an elegant robe in the style of the area¡­ But a feature that was quite hard to miss was her very ample chest that was shown plenty by said robe.

    A timid looking woman, much shorter was next to her, standing at 5ft (1.52 meters). She had short black hair and dressed in much plainer clothes. She appeared to be a Cat Neko. She would whisper something to the taller woman before timidly looking down.

    ¡°I see¡­ So, you must be Rowan¡¯s friends¡­ The ones that showed up half dying¡­ Your arrival caused quite the commotion¡­ I am pleased to see you are alright. Yui here is quite the skilled healer, but the condition some of you were in¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if you had died.¡± The woman admitted.

    Kazius would look around, indeed when she began to speak, many of the guards bowed. She had such a presence it almost made sense to, but Rowan¡¯s words rung in his head. He had to remain standing, or he would forever be seen as beneath her. He hoped she would vow to him at some point, an ambitious goal, but he had to be ambitious. He would be The Monster King, not the King of Vargstam. Though as things were, that future felt uncertain.

    ¡°As you can see, Lady of Blossom, we are alright thanks to your generosity. I am in your debt for that, me and my people back at Vargstam will remember this. My name is Kazius, ruler of Vargstam.¡± Kazius stated politely. He used to be a knight after all, he was not proficient in noble etiquette, but he at least knew how to carry himself with dignity, but it would need some practice.

    ¡°It is expected, we in Blossom would never leave someone in need be. That is the type of place this is. You may call me Lady Sakura, Lord of Vargstam. I hope you may explain to me how you could have ended up in such a state¡­ It is quite the troubling situation to have seen someone in such a state¡­ You were not attacked by a Green Dragon, were you?¡±

    ¡®So what I heard earlier really must be a big issue.¡¯

    ¡°No, we have not encountered any Dragons, Lady Sakura. I would argue what we encountered is much worse. One of your father¡¯s friends was killed protecting us, the grandfather of my Alice here.¡± Kazius began to explain, Alice ending up blushing some at how he referred to her.

    ¡°I am sure you know of the story, considering how this place was founded. The people behind the labeling of all of us as traitors¡­ They are not happy with just casting Monsters out¡­ They are after us and while I don¡¯t know what they have planned¡­ I am sure they will eventually be after you as well.¡± Kazius admitted, to have the leader of the Edicts out here¡­ Alice being a runaway Princess or not¡­ The fact that they would not be left alone was pretty clear.

    ¡°I also have reason to believe that The Demon King is returning.¡± He explained as he gestured to Azanor, ¡°Azanor was also a friend of your father¡¯s before he was sealed away. I apologize if I bring far from good news, Lady Sakura¡­ I am aware of the¡­ Uprising you are facing¡­ Though I don¡¯t know the details. We will help you deal with it.¡± Kazius stated.

    When he mentioned the uprising, of course even his comrades were surprised even though they were aware of his ability. Lady Sakura as well seemed to be caught off guard.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Lady Sakura trailed off, looking over at Rowan who looked quite smug at her. ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t accept such help¡­ But if that troublemaking uncle of mine is with you, it really must be true that you are my father¡¯s friends¡­ I would normally reject such a suggestion¡­ But¡­ If you are really friends of my father¡­ I have little reason to decline¡­ I will have a meeting later today during the evening about the situation. I hope you will attend¡­ Then we will see if you can really be of help.¡± She stated, her calm expression subtly wavering a little. It seems since Shio had been close to Rowan, she saw him as an uncle. Though if they were that close, Kazius would make sure to get more information out of Rowan.

    ¡°See you then.¡± Kazius confirmed with a nod, pleased with how things went. Were if not for Rowan, things may not have gone so smoothly¡­ Though it was clear he kept information to himself on purpose.

 Chapter 53: The Tipping Point

    As they left Blossom¡¯s Palace, Kazius would notice the somewhat giddy and excited expression Damon seemed to have as the Werewolf spoke up.

    ¡°Did you see her? I couldn¡¯t stop looking at her. She was incredible!¡± Damon exclaimed.

    Of course, Kazius¡¯ first thoughts were that maybe Damon was talking about the Lady¡¯s ridiculous chest size. Before Kazius could respond though, Damon would speak up again.

    ¡°She was so tall!¡± Damon exclaimed giddily, practically beaming as he spoke of the woman¡¯s height.

    Kazius could not help but let out a small laugh at this, cheering up a little. His friend was a funny one, but it was good seeing him like this. He had been worried with how serious he had been since he lost his eye. Kazius was his friend¡¯s emotional support, yet he himself wasn¡¯t feeling happy so it was good seeing the others were okay.

    ¡°I hope you are able to get her attention then. Hopefully you can do that while we convince her to join us¡­ It will be hard though. If we want to stand a chance against The Church and The Demons, we will need her to bend the knee though.¡± Kazius responded with a small smile.

    ¡°We will avenge Grandpa.¡± Alice would speak up, sounding determined.

    ¡°Remus didn¡¯t deserve that at all¡­¡± Azanor admitted, ¡°I suppose he is at least with his wife now.¡± He added, all aware how much he missed his Rose.

    ¡°I just wish Ratier had been half the man he was.¡± Rowan admitted with a sigh, ¡°Well, darlings. I would love to stay and talk more, but I have work to do. Walk around and enjoy Blossom, won¡¯t you? Don¡¯t stray too far though.¡± Rowan stated with a wave and wink.

    ¡°See you later new friend!¡± Eve waved happily.

    Azanor sighed at Eve¡¯s words, likely being reminded of how much Eve didn¡¯t remember, but would also wave at Rowan half-heartedly. Holding onto Eve with his arm, at least their relationship improved.

    ¡°I can¡¯t sit here looking at flowers. I am going to find a place I can practice with my spear.¡± Damon stated in a determined manner despite not being fully recovered. ¡°I have too many reasons to not stay weak.¡± He admitted with a frown. ¡°I never had anyone in my life that acted like how Remus did.¡± He added, ¡°He may have been Alice¡¯s grandpa, but to me he gave me a glimpse to what a dad should be. I won¡¯t stay this way, so I can keep people I care about safe.¡± Being quite serious. He may still be his goofy self at times, but it was clear Remus¡¯ death had changed him. Honestly, Kazius knew it changed him himself as well¡­ Perhaps in not the best of ways.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Kazius agreed.

    ¡°Me too!¡± Alice exclaimed.

    ¡°Seriously? You two are the ones that got the most hurt, you know?¡± Azanor questioned in concern. His hand placed on his face in disapproval, ¡°Why are you enabling them, Alice?¡± He questioned only to get a serious expression from the 3. It was clear he was not changing their mind.

    Azanor sighed at this, looking almost defeated without them even saying a word, ¡°I¡¯m going too then. I need to get better stamina and actually put some effort in.¡± He stated, echoing Remus¡¯ suggestion considering Azanor did not intend to consume anymore souls.

    ¡®Azanor wants to exercise? I guess Remus really did change all of us.¡¯ Kazius would think to himself in shock.

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    ¡°I will do my best too!¡± Eve exclaimed

    With that, they will all go practice. They found a field near the city that seemed appropriate.

    Their training was¡­ A frustrating endeavor.

    Damon would attempt to strike a nearby tree with his spear, but indeed losing an eye had truly affected his depth perception. While before he wouldn¡¯t miss while wielding the spear with his hand, now he would struggle to even hit an unmoving tree.

    Alice couldn¡¯t make up her mind on what to change her sword into even now, likely only feeling more pressure. The metal lump that was once her sword would wiggle and swirl as if it was a liquid, but would then go back to being a metal ball whenever she seemed to struggle to think of what weapon she wanted.

    Speaking of Azanor, the poor Demon struggled with some of the most basic of exercises. Still, like the others, he wasn¡¯t giving up either.

    As for Eve, she surprisingly did sit up and all kinds of exercises with little effort, but honestly, the best way for her to learn to fight would be with realizing what she was. Whatever that was¡­ Kazius honestly still had no clue, but he was beginning to think it wasn¡¯t because Azanor did not want to tell him, but rather it may just be difficult to explain.

    Kazius on the other hand had no way of practicing necromancy. Friends with the Lady or not, he knew the people here would not be content with some newcomers digging up their loved ones and messing with their remains. That left Kazius with practicing his shadows, something that Elande had so easily cut through¡­ It frustrated him. He didn¡¯t know how to improve the strength of his shadow. He was basically just playing with them. Compared to a Dragon or Elande he may very well just be a child, or so he felt.

    Then there was communicating with his shadow, it was normally so cocky yet with Elande, it had told him to run. It didn¡¯t help him at all. The situation was so infuriating it even made him consider looking for his father for help, despite how nefarious Azanor warned him Seselis was. What else could he do if he wanted to protect his friends?

    Still, what was strange about his father¡­ Was¡­

    ¡®If he really is the King of The Shadow Fiends¡­ And shadows are his domain¡­With what I have been doing with shadows¡­ My father must have¡­¡¯ Kazius would think to himself, realizing something.

    After his realization, he would think further on his situation. While everyone was working hard, Kazius felt like he was doing worse of them all. He couldn¡¯t practice necromancy and his one power was useless against real danger. His shadows were not strong enough. If they really would face a Dragon, they were screwed with their current strength. As King, as their friend, Kazius felt like he was allowed less weakness. Who would bend the knee to someone like him? Especially someone like Sakura¡­ Or even that Red Dragon from the vision in the mirror hall¡­

    Bottom line was¡­ That Remus was dead because of him¡­ He didn¡¯t regret changing the future¡­ And perhaps Death could not be cheated without a price¡­ But still¡­ If he had been stronger¡­  This may not have happened. He dragged his friends into this vision¡­ And he couldn¡¯t even protect them¡­ He couldn¡¯t play with shadows forever, he needed to do more than just play. In the past, he told Azanor and Damon that he had the resolve to be the terrible men that they were¡­ Perhaps it was time to live up to that.

    ¡®So you finally realized it¡­ Though¡­ A part of you¡­ Must have already known¡­ You¡¯ve always known¡­ They will die if they keep this up¡­ Even if they get stronger¡­ You will become a burden¡­ Won¡¯t you be a proper King?¡¯

    ¡°Kazius?¡± Alice would speak up, snapping him out of his thoughts. ¡°Are you alright? You seem out of it¡­ You have just been staring at the floor¡­¡±

    Kazius smiled at her warmly, ¡°I am alright¡­ I will be right back, okay?¡± He assured.

    ¡°But where-¡± Alice began to call out to him only for Kazius to leave before she could question him further, his smile fading the moment that he was away from his friends. He knew what he was about to do was bad.

    Once he was out of sight, he would go into the forest alone.

    ¡°The shadows are your domain, aren¡¯t they¡­ Father? I¡¯ve been playing with them for so long¡­ You must have known this whole time, haven¡¯t you? I am quite mad at you, you know¡­ You¡¯ve watched me struggle quite a lot¡­ Why?¡± Kazius questioned with a scowl only to hear a dark deep chuckle coming from his own shadow.

    ¡®Your foolish mother thought she could hide your birth from me¡­ What an idiotic woman she is¡­ As if I would sink so low as to copulate without a purpose¡­ I don¡¯t have such desires like flesh beings do¡­ You have made me oh very proud¡­ My son¡­¡¯

 Chapter 54: One With The Shadows

    ¡®You were born because that is what I wanted. She tried to hide you, but I stole you all too easily¡­ Then I dropped you off with the Humans¡­ Because I knew it would be useful to hide you from her¡­ I spoke to you during your first vision because I did not want you to misunderstand what you saw. I want my darkness to cover the world in peaceful shadow¡­ But we Shadow Fiends have our limitations¡­ Even me¡­ We¡¯re not immortal like a lot of those of our strength. So why not have a stronger heir¡­ Look at you¡­ You got those proud dogs in the mountains to follow you¡­ You are already doing so much better than I had expected¡­ On your own, that is. But now you understand, you need me. What I have to give¡­¡¯

    His shadow stated in delight as it rose from the ground, changing from resembling Kazius to a much taller being. Tall, but in reality, he had no legs, like a phantom almost. He was a man made of shadow, slender yet with muscle and broad shoulders. He had no mouth¡­ But did have two red ominous looking red eyes, the same shade as Kazius¡¯¡­ Shadows emanated from him, the being truly a horrifying looking one¡­

    So, he really was there¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible father, you know that?¡± Kazius sighed out in disappointment. It seems that Azanor¡¯s theory about being rescued by a loving mother was too optimistic. It sounds like she tried, but was not the winner, ¡°I won¡¯t cover the world in Shadow¡­ You can give up on that. I will make Monsters follow me on my own terms¡­ But you don¡¯t care about that, don¡¯t you? Conquering is what you want me to do¡­ And Conquer I will¡­ I know that is good enough for you. So give me the power I need.¡±

    ¡®That it is, my child¡­ That it is¡­ As I said¡­ I am quite content with the path you are choosing. Taking a different form and seducing that wench was quite worth it, not that I¡¯ve ever made the wrong call¡­ I am sure your mother will find out who you are as you leave your fingerprint on the world, but by then it will be too late¡­ You¡¯ll be one with the shadows.¡±, Seselis chuckled out, ignoring his comment on his parenting. He clearly couldn¡¯t careless.

    ¡°One with the shadows?¡± Kazius questioned in concern, he was willing to pay any price¡­ So he could protect his friends¡­ But it was clear he didn¡¯t understand the full extent of the price of the power he asked for.

    ¡®That is what you want to be, isn¡¯t it? What we have wanted to be.¡¯ Seselis chuckled out sinisterly.

    ¡°We?¡± Kazius asked, only growing more confused. He could not help but have a sinking feeling at the word choice.

    ¡®You haven¡¯t realized? Pity, I suppose I expected too much from you. I bet the source of such inadequacies is the flesh in you¡­ Even with picking the most adequate flesh being to couple with¡­ It was obvious it would lead to such things¡­ But no matter¡­ I will explain¡­ Shadow Fiends do not have children, well¡­ Not until what I accomplished. For good reason, it is a disgusting endeavor and process, really.¡¯ Seselis began, his expression showing pure disgust at the memory. Even without a mouth, he had quite the expressive face.

    ¡®As I said before, I intended for you to be born. That is the only reason for me to do such a thing¡­ But for it to work like it did, I had to split myself in two. To split us in two. You are the half of me that was able to obtain what we need to accomplish our goal¡­ Increase our power and longevity¡­ That is why you are lacking. You¡¯re incomplete. Until you are¡­ You will have friend after friend die¡­ You will be a burden¡­ Until eventually you are alone, or the Demons conquer the world. Whichever comes first¡­ ¡¯

    At this information Kazius was horrified. Once he finished speaking, Seselis circled Kazius slowly, inspecting him with a cold calculating gaze, nodding to himself in confirmation about something.

    ¡®You understand, don¡¯t you? As I said before¡­ You need me¡­¡¯ Seselis would muse in delight, his red eyes shining ominously.

    ¡°¡­ Yes¡­ Yes¡­ I do¡­¡± Kazius agreed in defeat with a frown on his face. He had to do this, for their sake¡­ Whatever it was his father wanted to do, he would accept. He would pay any price. He had made up his mind on that when he entered the forest¡­ Even if it meant¡­

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    ¡®Now now¡­ Don¡¯t look glum like that¡­ This was your own choice, wasn¡¯t it? You knew what you wanted when you called for me¡­ It is better this way¡­ You were born from a part of me¡­ You are the part that will live on and carry on our dream¡­ We have been split in two far too long. You will feel better once you¡¯re whole.¡¯ Seselis explained. While he had no mouth, the area that where it would be seemed to twist as if smirking ominously.

    ¡°Do what you must.¡± Kazius responded in a detached manner, looking off into the distance. He closed his eyes for a second, opening them again, resolve in his gaze. He would protect them¡­ He would not allow what happened again... Never again¡­ Never again¡­. Regardless of what it meant.

    As he thought this to himself, Seselis¡¯ ¡®grin¡¯ would grow wider still. Without another word, he would float to Kazius, shadows engulfing him, swirling around as they slowly consumed his vision. Then there was just darkness for a second, like he was lost in an abyss of darkness. Then he would open his eyes, Seselis was gone. Kazius was still here, or maybe that was something he was assuring himself.

    He would look down at his hand, noticing they were black, emanating shadow just like they had been in the vision in the hall of mirrors. His skin was now grey¡­ As if stained by shadow. So, this was supposed to happen¡­ Yes¡­ It was supposed to¡­ Now¡­ Now he felt complete.

    At this Kazius could not help but laugh, breaking out in an amused chuckle to himself. Yes, he was still Kazius¡­ And this was meant to happen.

    ¡®I suppose that I¡¯ll have some explaining to do when I get back¡­¡¯ Kazius would think to himself as he studied his hands, moving his fingers as if testing them, making a grasping motion.

    With that, Kazius would walk back to the others in the field.

    Damon ended up dropping his spear the moment he looked at Kazius, his one eye growing quite wide. After all, he knew what that appearance was.

    Azanor looked just plain out horrified. While he had not seen the vision, he had been told of it by the two. ¡°Kazius¡­ What¡­¡±

    ¡°Kazius! What happened? Why do you look like that? Are you sick? Are you okay?¡± Alice questioned in concern. She clearly had a bad feeling when he was leaving¡­ And now he was back looking like this, so he understood her concern.

    Kazius smiled warmly at her, surprising her quite a bit by gently taking hold of her chin and kissing her, the kiss firm, but with quite the passion. As fast as it started, it ended, the Princess being left looking quite flustered once he pulled away.

    ¡°I am okay, don¡¯t worry. I made a breakthrough with my powers is all. Though while out there¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking about how it is about time I confess to you how I feel¡­ Damon and Azanor helped me realize it a while ago¡­ But I never found the time to tell you¡­ And well¡­ With us almost dying¡­ I don¡¯t want to go without saying it to you.¡± Kazius stated with a sheepish grin.

    ¡°Kazius¡­¡± Alice stated in a flustered manner, clearly feeling conflicted at the moment over the confession, but worried at his sudden change in appearance. ¡°I¡¯m so happy! I-I just¡­ Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± She questioned in concern, looking a mixture between excited and worried.

    Kazius would smirk, ¡°As long as I take that as a yes to allowing me to court you, then I am more than okay.¡± He assured.

    Alice blushed at this, growing flustered, nodding shyly, but with some hesitation, ¡°I will. Your powers just gave me such a surprise is all.¡± She admitted shyly.

    Kazius smiled warmly at her, ¡°I am sorry for surprising you too much today, but I am very happy¡­ I hope we can build a kingdom where we will all be safe¡­ I will keep getting stronger and protect you.¡± He assured.

    Alice seemed to at least not be asking more questions, but he knew that Damon and Azanor would not leave it at that.

    He would look, noticing Eve stopped her cheering for his confession and then seemed to just stare at him, her expression growing from happy to confused, like she was seeing something she did not understand.

    ¡°Finally¡­ Took you long enough, it was painful seeing you two flirt like that while never saying anything.¡± Azanor chuckled out, clearly deciding to ask on the matter later and would act normal.

    Damon seemed to stare at Azanor in confusion, but then would do his best to smile goofily, ¡°Buahaha! That is true.¡± He laughed out.

    ¡°We weren¡¯t that dense.¡± Alice stated in a flustered manner, pouting.

    Kazius would laugh, holding her hand, ¡°I was, you have to admit that much¡­ In my defense¡­ I spent a lot of my life training with other knights¡­ I had little idea how to even talk to girls in that sort of way.¡±

    ¡°That is true.¡± Alice admitted in a pouty manner, indeed remembering certain times that she would try and drop hints that he missed.

    Kazius would only laugh though, ¡°Well, at least I realized it eventually.¡± He admitted contently. Yes, he would protect her¡­ And all of them¡­ This was a fair price to pay.

 Chapter 55: Meeting With The Lady

    Soon time for the meeting came. Kazius would walk with the group into a meeting room, Damon and Azanor still exchanging some concerned looks as they would look at him.

    ¡°Lord of Vargstam¡­ You look different.¡± Lady Sakura stated, the tall woman standing now. She was by a table with a large detailed map of Blossom and the surrounding areas. There was a part the map had a bold line that read ¡®Red Dragon Territory¡¯ towards the east where the map cut off. To the North East, the map ended with a line that read ¡®Witches¡¯, which was not something referenced in the map Kazius bought in Veleno.

    Then again, the map was not well filled out and old. The fact that Blossom was labelled a village rather than a city made that much clear. Kazius could not help but wonder what other useful information and resources he could get once he brought Blossom under his rule. That would have to wait though¡­

    Kazius finished skimming the map with a quick glance, looking over at the tall woman and smiled. ¡°It is just an ability of mine, nothing to be worried about, I assure you. I did say I would be of use, right? You¡¯ll find that in this form I will be able to take care of more problems than you realize.¡± He stated with a slight grin.

    ¡°I suppose as long as that is the case, that is satisfactory.¡± Sakura stated calmly, seeming a bit surprised but his confidence though her face hardly showed it.

    ¡°Since we will be working together, I would like to introduce you to my friends.¡± Kazius stated as he gazed over at the group. Damon seemed to be struggling between giving Kazius a concerned look and giving Lady Sakura this somewhat lost puppy kind of expression. The Werewolf had it bad for the woman.

    ¡°This is my best friend, Damon, you could say he is in charge of militaristic operations in our small settlement.¡± Kazius introduced, purposefully making his position grander than what it really was at the moment. He wanted to help his friend, but it would be beneficial for him.

    At the sudden introduction, Damon would perk up, ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± He exclaimed with a bit of a salute, clearly feeling flustered and awkward. His cheeks were a light pink. It was a surprise he didn¡¯t stammer.

    Lady Sakura seemed a bit surprised at the sudden volume of the Werewolf¡¯s voice, a bit of confusion showing in her typically calm face. ¡°A pleasure.¡± She stated politely to the taller male.

    ¡°This is Azanor, another comrade of mine as well as Eve¡­ Consider them advisors of sorts¡­ Last, but not least, there is Alice. My future wife.¡±  Kazius stated quite bluntly, talking in a more direct manner than he once did¡­ Or perhaps it was just the formal setting?

    Alice at this would grow quite red, but she did not protest his introduction. Though they both knew it was too early in their relationship to speak that way, yet Kazius seemed to pay that little mind.

    ¡°I see¡­ Good to have you all¡­ I hope your abilities truly do prove of use¡­ It is a bit¡­ Unusual for me to receive help¡­ But I suppose drastic times call for drastic measures¡­¡± Lady Sakura responded with a sigh. She seemed very reserved, then again¡­ Rowan did say she pretends to be calm¡­ Perhaps she was putting on airs for the sake of being a good ruler.

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    ¡°As mentioned before¡­ A Green Dragon has been causing trouble for us¡­ At first it was Raiders being sent our way¡­ But then it escalated. Reports I¡¯ve received indicate that he instigated some of my own people to start uprising¡­ He built a mountain of lies to sow unhappiness¡­ And sadly, many listened and now seek for my death¡­ I hate to admit it, but as things are, perhaps 20% of Blossom despises me based on the lies he fed them¡­ I continue the ruling style of my father, as I always have¡­ But now my actions only draw criticism from this group¡­ They have already made several attempts on my life.¡± Lady Sakura explained.

    Kazius nodded in understanding, though if Kazius was, honest¡­ A lot did not make sense¡­ He information certainly had to be flawed. For one he knew that Green Dragons were sneaky and conniving¡­ And- Wait¡­ How did he know that? He never interacted with dragons before¡­ Well, he supposed it did not matter.

    Bottomline was¡­ For it to stir up trouble and allow so many roads to lead to him¡­ That was strange¡­ He didn¡¯t know Green Dragons to be so sloppy¡­ Something was definitely off¡­ People being manipulated in such a way¡­ That wasn¡¯t something Kazius was unfamiliar with¡­

    Kazius would look around at the security in the room¡­ He didn¡¯t trust Lady Sakura¡¯s people¡­ For the information about her to get this bad¡­ Someone close to her must have manipulated something¡­  But who?

    ¡°I think I have a good idea on how to get to the bottom of things¡­¡± Kazius admitted simply.

    ¡°I will help in your search for the Green Dragon¡­ What is it¡¯s name?¡± Kazius asked.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Lady Sakura admitted with a sigh.

    This indeed only confirmed to Kazius something was strange¡­ Dragons were proud of their titles¡­ The older they were, the longer their names were. Even if Green Dragons would normally be more sneaky with their actions¡­ You would at least know their name, they were too proud of their names to not have someone in the area they lived not hear it. Unlike involvement in nefarious actions, which they were eager to hide¡­ For a local ruler to not even hear the name of a dragon in the area¡­ Specially one as long lived as Lady Sakura¡­ It was very suspicious. He would find the Green Dragon¡­ And intended to talk to him.

    While he was fond of the idea of practicing necromancy on something on the grand scale of a dragon, he needed practice and the value of Green Dragons was in their minds, not their force¡­ So, he hoped to solve things amiably with him¡­ And make him submit.

    After all, with all the years he had of experience¡­ While he tended to keep to himself and the Shadow Fiends, unless for a purpose, he¡­

    ¡®I¡¯m 18¡­I¡­¡¯

    Kazius began to think to himself.

    ¡®No. It doesn¡¯t matter. Why am I focusing on such foolish things?¡¯

    With that, Kazius would nod to himself, ¡°I will solve this for you¡­ Lady Sakura¡­ I will personally look into this matter and contact you once we have further answers¡­ I do hope I can have a promise of your cooperation once I have the information¡­ It would be worthless without your willingness¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course¡­ If you find out something useful. I will Cooperate the best extent I can¡­¡± Lady Sakura agreed.

    She seemed so silly to him. She had quite the intimidating air to her¡­ To some at least, not to him¡­ But she was surprisingly trusting. Then again¡­ With the scale of her palace¡­ And how her people treated her except the revolutionaries¡­ It was clear that she was worshipped like a goddess almost¡­ And who would dare lie to a god? She likely had little experience with elaborate deception¡­ And if what Rowan said is true¡­ She wasn¡¯t as calm about the change in attitude as she let on¡­ She must be desperate.

    Kazius chuckled mentally to himself. How perfect.

    ¡°Until next meeting then, Lady Sakura¡­ I believe starting sooner the better.¡± Kazius stated, holding a hand to his chest in the slightest of vows. One similar to what royalty would do to each other in acknowledgement.

 Chapter 56: Best of The Worst Till The End

    The group did not see Rowan when they got back, the Shapeshifter likely busy. They had dinner together after the meeting¡­ Today certainly had been¡­ An eventful day.

    Kazius would eat his dinner with quite the manners, eating with similar etiquette to Alice. As Kazius ate, he would occasionally chat with Alice, smiling warmly at her.  As they talked, it was hard to ignore the stares from Azanor and Damon, it seems the meeting had failed to have even Damon forget about their questions. Troublesome, but not unexpected.

    As for Alice, she seemed to be aware Kazius was acting differently, but aware and having a problem with it were two different things. Then again¡­ She didn¡¯t know of the vision of her death and the future¡­ Something he intended on never telling her about. The last thing Kazius wanted was to have her blame herself for Remus¡¯ death. She didn¡¯t need that. He would keep that secret. It seems the two intended on doing the same. At least they did not bring it up in front of Eve and Alice.

    After dinner, the group headed to bed.

    ¡°Good night.¡± Kazius cooed to Alice with a tender kiss to her lips. This resulting in her looking quite flustered. Perhaps his confession had also distracted her enough from asking too many questions, that could be another reason for her silence on the matter¡­

    With that, Kazius would feign going to bed, pretending to be sound asleep for a while before slowly and quietly rising out of bed. He could easily sneak out using the shadows to disappear, but Kazius chose not to, knowing very well he was not the only one feigning sleep. Kazius would head out back silently, soon hearing footsteps right behind him. Once outside, he turned around, indeed things being as he had expected.

    He would come face to face with a concerned looking Azanor and Damon.

    ¡°Kazius¡­¡± Damon trailed off in concern, the man resembling a kicked puppy with his pained expression.

    ¡°What did you do, Kazius? I thought we would discuss things together from now on. We¡¯re all a team.¡± Azanor stated with a concerned frown on his face, his red eyes giving a stern expression.

    Kazius sighed and then smiled at them warmly. There was almost something wicked to his warm smile. ¡°I knew that if I told any of you what I planned to do, you would try and stop me.¡± He responded simply.

    Azanor frowned at this, ¡°If you knew we would have stopped you, how could you do it? What did you even do, actually?¡±

    ¡°I spoke to my father.¡± Kazius explained, much to Azanor¡¯s horror.

    ¡°Kazius, I told you how terrifying he is, why would you do that!?¡± Azanor exclaimed in shock. Damon frowned as well, but he did not say anything yet, allowing Kazius to talk.

    ¡°He was here the whole time, Azanor¡­ Even you didn¡¯t notice him, it would be foolish to have ignored him. I¡­ My mother didn¡¯t drop me off at Ratier¡­¡± Kazius continued, Azanor¡¯s expression growing horrified.

    ¡°He¡­ He was here the whole time?¡± Azanor questioned, clearly more than uneasy at the idea, his eyes beginning to dart around in concern.

    ¡°My whole life.¡± Kazius confirmed, placing his hands behind his back, holding his hands together, his back straight. ¡°He was in my shadow. You have been honest with me, both of you. I do consider you my friends¡­ My closest friends¡­ I wouldn¡¯t hide this from you. Tell me¡­ Damon¡­ Azanor¡­ As we were¡­ Do you really think we could beat Elande?¡± He questioned, looking at the two with a firm gaze.

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    The two seemed to look down, clearly aware of what likely would happen if they were to meet Elande again. They were quiet.

    ¡°I am supposed to be your King¡­ Yet I couldn¡¯t protect any of you.¡± Kazius stated with a scowl, ¡°Remus is dead because of me. We were lucky to not die when we went up Mount Ulf¡­ Yet that obvious warning was lost on me¡­ I almost got not only Alice, but all of us killed had Remus not been there. Tell me, is that what a King does? What a friend does?¡± Kazius¡¯ expression cold yet firm.

    The two were surprised at his words. Damon grimaced, ¡°None of what happened is your fault, Kazius.¡± He finally spoke up in dismay.

    ¡°It is. Your eye, his death¡­ Even the injury I had on my chest¡­ All of it is my fault¡­ Which is why¡­ I did what had to be done. We agreed, in our gathering of the worst¡­ That we would do whatever it takes¡­ I meant those words. Every bit of it.¡± Kazius stated firmly with a bitter expression on his face before he sighed. He let out a light chuckle, his warm expression returning.

    ¡°So, when I found out the truth, I embraced it.¡± Kazius stated simply, ¡°And now I am better for it¡­ I feel much better.¡±

    ¡°The truth? What truth? What did you do, Kazius? Your soul¡­ It¡­ It¡¯s black¡­ I have never¡­ I¡¯ve never seen one that color in person¡­¡± Azanor admitted in concern, a pained expression on his face.

    ¡°The truth that Seselis and I are the same person.¡± Kazius stated simply. As if to emphasize this, he would move a finger as if beaconing someone. There from the shadows around them would rise several Shadow Fiends. He would turn to look at them, motioning them towards Blossom with his eyes. ¡°Find that Green Dragon won¡¯t you? Keep an eye on the Lady for me as well, see who acts suspicious around her. ¡° He instructed, all of them heading out just as quickly as he gave the order.

    At his words and what followed, Azanor only looked all the more concerned.

    ¡°To be precise¡­ He had me to lengthen his life. My entire birth was a plot of his¡­ He split himself in two so I could be made¡­ Now we¡¯re one person again¡­ So, we¡¯re the same person... Yet not¡­ I am still Kazius. But¡­ I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t have memories that don¡¯t seem like they are mine¡­ And certain thoughts I have are so strongly opposing¡­ they confuse me at times¡­ Even now¡­ I can tell half of me isn¡¯t happy to tell you so much¡­ Yet the stronger part of me is happy I am¡­ Perhaps Seselis thought he would be the stronger half¡­ But I am quite stubborn¡­ You both know that.¡± Kazius stated, his eyes closing in thought as he spoke, contemplating things as he spoke. Once he opened his eyes again though, the warm smile returning to his face, but there was a pained look to his eyes.

    ¡°If you two are too frightened to be around me-¡° Kazius began only to be surprised by quite the bear hug from Damon. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything stupid.¡± He stated firmly, Azanor soon joining the bro hug. ¡°I told you I would follow you into the Abyss for all I care¡­ And I meant it¡­ I don¡¯t care who you are. You¡¯re my best friend¡­ And my King. I will get better¡­ And stronger¡­ So, rely on me, will you?¡± Damon questioned with a slight smile. It seems he accepted the situation for what it was, he didn¡¯t care. Then again, no matter how twisted Kazius would become, if the mirrors showed anything is that Damon indeed meant his words.

    As for Azanor, despite joining in the hug, he looked uneasy, ¡°I still can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve been running around with Seselis¡­ I¡¯ve heard of the horrors he has brought¡­ Even experienced some through some of the memories I¡¯ve obtained¡­ But¡­ If half of Seselis is you¡­ I suppose he is a horror I can accept. You¡¯ve helped me a lot and are my friend¡­ You¡¯ve accepted me for what I am¡­ And now I am closer to Eve despite how things are¡­ Eve herself has been treated with similar animosity¡­ So¡­ Despite what you choose, I will support you as well.¡± He admitted, opening up about why he was so afraid of Seselis.

    Kazius smiled at this, feeling relieved. He hugged the two back before eventually letting go. ¡°I am glad¡­ I feel a lot better about it now¡­¡± He admitted before looking off towards Blossom again. ¡°We need this place¡­ I will help them¡­ And eventually make them submit¡­ I could use the help of some terrible men.¡± He mused with a playful chuckle and smirk.

    ¡°Terrible men or the worst?¡± Azanor asked with a defeated sigh before grinning a little.

    ¡°The most terrible I can find.¡± Kazius responded in amusement.

    ¡°Buahaha! The best of the worst, right?¡± Damon questioned with a hearty laugh.

    ¡°The best of the worst.¡± Kazius repeated in acknowledgement.

    ¡°The best of the worst¡­ To show Ratier and our true enemies no mercy.¡± Azanor repeated.

    ¡°The best of the worst¡­ Until we are able to rule over the ashes.¡± Kazius stated with a nod, pleased to see their resolve.

    ¡°The best of the worst¡­ Until they are nothing but shreds.¡± Damon repeated, all of them in agreement.

    The Church was likely cocky now after what they did, but to Kazius it would only make their suffering all the sweeter.

 Chapter 57: Cant Run from Honesty

    After their chat, there was a change in Azanor and Damon. Training together in a field wasn¡¯t enough for them. Azanor would leave with Eve to go circulate the area, saying he was going to go train more seriously. As for Damon, he left with a similar goal, though his word choice was different. Damon argued that as long as he needed his eyes to wield a spear properly, he still lacked skill in the art.

    This left just Kazius, Alice, and Rowan.

    While Alice wanted to get stronger, her main issue was a mental one. Whatever block she had in terms of being unable to picture her family sword as anything other than Ratier¡¯s sword was something only she could overcome. Something that needed time. Not like Kazius minded, he found her to be the only flesh being that was lovely. He would defend her forever for all he cared, but he knew that Alice would likely not be happy with just that.

    ¡°Well, that sucks¡­ And here I closed shop for today and everyone is running around training. Even Azzy is gone.¡± Rowan stated with a pout, a hand on his hips.

    ¡°They are doing what they have to¡­ Speaking of¡­ You said you would help us¡­ But I believe during the meeting with Lady Sakura¡­ You gave me very little information¡­ You would think something as important as a rebellion would have crossed your mind to tell me about.¡± Kazius pointed out to him, his expression an unamused one.

    ¡°Well can you blame me? I am helping you, but anyone would want to know how capable a new leader of theirs is¡­ Especially after following one as inept as I once did.¡± Rowan explained with a playful shrug.

    ¡°Speaking of secrets ¡­ You asked a question, now it is my turn. What are you? I am the shapeshifter here¡­ Yet here you are¡­ Looking all different¡­ I thought most other species can¡¯t do that¡­ ¡° Rowan questioned with a raised brow.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Shadow Fiend.¡± Kazius answered with no hesitation, ¡°Does it matter?¡± He questioned back.

    Alice seemed to perk up at his answer, but otherwise said nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories about your kind, but I suppose not¡­ We are on the same side after all. Not like I can judge¡­ My kind can be quite frightening under the right motivation¡­ There is a lot we can copy¡­ Though I choose to use my powers for love. Though I do tend to make exceptions, since I did promise I would help¡­ So, tell me, darling. What can I do for you?¡± Rowan questioned with a coy smile.

    ¡°Well, you tested me... So don¡¯t blame me for doing the same now. I need information and you are the best to coax it out of people¡­ I am to believe that someone in Lady Sakura¡¯s palace is plotting against her¡­ I need you to go around and blend in with the people there and try and figure out who is spreading nefarious information about her¡­ This is not a simple rebellion though; I will tell you that. This niece of yours is lucky¡­ If you want her happy, if you truly do see her like a niece¡­ You would do well to be proactive with this. Once you find anything useful, come straight to me.¡± Kazius stated firmly.

    There were a lot of uses for someone like Rowan, but he decided this would be best. Shadow Fiends could spy on anyone¡­ But that is assuming they talk about the information you need¡­ At times, having someone in disguise to coax it out is more efficient. Of course, unlike his friends¡­ Kazius wasn¡¯t sure if he could trust Rowan¡­

    Sure, the Shapeshifter has helped them and promised to continue to do so even further¡­ But in the end, Kazius had little reason to believe him. He needed proof of loyalty, this would apply to Sakura as well once things were in order. He would protect his friends¡­ And Kazius didn¡¯t care who he had to kill to do so.

    ¡°I can do that. I will look into it¡­ If what you say is true¡­ It would make a lot of sense.¡± Rowan admitted, ¡°alright¡­ I think I know who to pretend to be¡­¡± He stated with a grin.

    With that Rowan would change appearance. She was now short, a girl with dog ears and the same outfit as the maids in the palace. ¡°This should be good. She works on the main floor. A cute little customer of mine. I know enough about her to copy her well.¡± She explained, her voice even changing entirely.

    ¡°I will leave you to it then.¡± Kazius stated, walking away, taking hold of Alice¡¯s hand as he did so. He hope Rowan would indeed succeed¡­ And that she was loyal¡­ She could indeed be useful.

    Once far away, a Shadow Fiend would rise from the ground, the appearance surprising Alice if her expression showed anything. Kazius could tell she wanted to talk to him about things, but was holding back.

    ¡°Ah, so you found the dragon. Good¡­ Have one of you trail the shapeshifter¡­ If she betrays us, kill her.¡± Kazius stated with zero hesitation before the Shadow Fiend would leave just like that. His order indeed getting another reaction from Alice.

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    Alice was silent still, looking down. Still, she would follow for a while, into the forest, finally speaking up after a bit.

    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, you know?¡± She told him with a frown.

    ¡°I know, you are a very smart and beautiful woman.¡± Kazius responded back with a warm smile.

    Alice looked conflicted at his words, a bit flustered, but it was clear she would not let compliments change the subject. ¡°Are you really Kazius?¡± She finally asked. ¡°The way you talk, your table manners, the way you walk, your expressions, even your posture. It isn¡¯t just your appearance that is different¡­ The other night I woke up and Azanor, Damon, and you were gone. I know you don¡¯t need a lot of sleep, but Damon does, what were you all doing out at that hour? Where were you? Do you¡­ How do you feel about me?¡± She questioned with a frown.

    Kazius¡¯ smile grew gentler, sighing a little. Perhaps it was time he showed her some more honesty¡­ It wasn¡¯t fair to her¡­ Even if there were some things, he rather her not know. He told Damon and Azanor that he didn¡¯t want to tell her the truth¡­ But perhaps it was inevitable¡­ The idea of her blaming herself for what happened to Remus left a bad sentiment in him though. He could always lie¡­ Lies were simple¡­ But now that she had actually confronted him on things¡­ He wasn¡¯t sure if he could bring himself to lie to her. Not when she looked so distressed¡­

    ¡°How I feel about you? Honesty? I love you more than how I know how to deal with.¡± Kazius admitted. While trying to save her, indeed he realized how much she meant to him. Even now, when his heart felt colder, she was there in it.

    Feelings such as pity and mercy seemed foreign now, but some clearly remained.

    His words did seem to fluster the woman a bit, but she kept listening as he continued.

    ¡°As for if I am Kazius or not¡­ That was something Azanor and Damon wanted to know too, which is why they followed me out while I was sending Shadow Fiends to look for the dragon. Though the answer to that question isn¡¯t so easy¡­ I told them I was, but in reality, I don¡¯t really know. I¡­ We¡­ We¡¯ve been keeping a lot from you¡­ And I¡¯m sorry.¡± Kazius admitted with a sigh. He wanted her to be his queen, but he wasn¡¯t sure how she would react to the truth.

    ¡°To be honest, I really wanted to not tell you¡­ I confessed when I did because of my genuine feelings¡­ But I also wanted to try and get you to not ask any questions¡­ As for what I¡¯ve been keeping from you¡­ I suppose I should start from the beginning¡­¡± Kazius trailed off, ¡°When we went to the mirror temple¡­ Remember when you couldn¡¯t see the future? Well¡­ Damon and I knew why¡­ I don¡¯t know exactly how you were killed¡­ But we saw a future where you were dead¡­ Likely killed by Elande¡­ And I was¡­ I was the same as I am now. I was spending this future trying to get you back. That is when I realized I loved you¡­ After seeing you like that¡­ After that¡­ Damon, Azanor, and I were trying to figure out how you die¡­ But really we only had how long your hair was as a time estimate¡­ Anyway¡­ I knew from the vision I had a talent for necromancy¡­ So that is why we went to the cemetery when we did¡­¡± he finally admitted.

    Alice looked horrified at his words. Her expression looked panicked and pained. It was clear she was realizing a lot of things. ¡°So¡­ Wait¡­ Did grandpa¡­ Was grandpa alive in the original future?¡± She questioned in dismay.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ But none of what happened was your fault¡­ I couldn¡¯t protect you¡­ That is how we ended up here¡­ In the end¡­ The only one to blame is me. I knew the future yet I was still useless.¡± Kazius admitted with a frown, ¡°That is why when I found out the that I was half of Seselis and the other half was hiding in my shadow¡­ I suppose you could call him my father. Having me be born was just one big scheme, a well-thought-out one that worked. To extend our life. With this¡­ I can protect all of you, no matter what¡­ I won¡¯t allow Elande to continue living.

    Alice seemed very saddened at his words, nodding a little to herself. ¡°So you were taking everything upon yourself¡­ Kazius¡­ You may be a King¡­ But¡­ You shouldn¡¯t have taken such a burden so personally¡­ We are in this together¡­ I¡­ This is my fault¡­ I should have known something was wrong¡­ I saw your face, but I didn¡¯t want to bother you¡­ I could tell you were not okay¡­ Yet I did nothing¡­ None of us¡­ Did¡­ You always made sure we were okay¡­ But no one ever made sure you were okay¡­ And now you went and did something hasty¡­ I never had control in my life¡­ I wasn¡¯t allowed to ask questions¡­ I got braver after meeting everyone, but when it mattered most¡­I said nothing¡­ I¡­¡± She stated in dismay, tears streaming down her face.

    ¡°What you accepted¡­ And did to yourself¡­ It should have¡­ I should have..¡± Alice trailed off, upset with herself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t regret anything, Alice¡­ This was what it was always meant to be¡­ I was an incomplete being¡­ And now you will be safe, Alice¡­ Of course¡­ Whether you accept me or not¡­ It is up to you. I care too much about you to turn you into a caged bird.¡± Kazius assured with a softened expression as he gently help her face. Indeed he loved her, what he had become¡­ What he will do¡­ It was all out of love¡­

    Alice only seemed to grow sadder while looking at him despite his words. It was clear she held a lot of regrets. She seemed to think for a bit, smiling weakly at him afterwards. ¡°I will get my hands just as dirty¡­ You wanted me safe¡­ But¡­ I hope you know I want you safe as well¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t care what you are¡­ Who you are¡­ All I know is¡­ You are my Kazius¡­ And I am your Alice¡­ So¡­ Whatever it is you do¡­ I will support you.¡± She told him with a determined gaze, she looked pained by her words, but also determined, perhaps even hopeful¡­ She would hold his face in return, despite the fact she was the one still crying.

    ¡°I love you¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ For failing you¡­¡± Alice stated in dismay, crying as if someone had died.

    ¡°You never failed me, Alice¡­ I love you too¡­¡± Kazius replied to her warmly.

    ¡°I know¡­¡± Alice trailed off, seeming to be contradicting herself, but unknown to Kazius, she wasn¡¯t.

    ¡­.

    ¡­.

    ¡­.

    Alice understood after meeting Elande, Remus was not the only one that died. The Kazius she knew and cherished. The kind hero¡­ He was dead.

 Chapter 58: Green Dragon

    The deeper they went into the forest, the more foliage there was. A mixture of bamboo and trees filled the place. It was definitely well camouflaged¡­ A spot picked with care. Though as they neared the location, the cave they found was far too small for a Dragon¡­ Perhaps it was a younger dragon? No, that wouldn¡¯t make sense¡­ This whole situation was strange.

    ¡°A Dragon can fit in such a small cave? Not only is this place hidden¡­ But it doesn¡¯t seem like a Dragon could live here¡­¡± Alice stated with a whisper, clearly weary.

    ¡°He is definitely in here¡­ The Shadows never lie, my dear Alice.¡± Kazius responded quietly back. He would do a strange motion as if opening a door.

    ¡°Stay behind me.¡± He stated as he stepped into the cave, Alice soon following. At first, it seemed like a normal cave on the inside, but Kazius knew better than that¡­ He knew an illusion when he saw one.

    ¡°Nice try.¡± Kazius stated simply before he raised a hand, the Shadows in the cave growing restless until the air itself shattered like a mirror, pieces falling and scattering. The illusion was gone, and the cave was shown for what it actually was.

    Rather the cave was actually no cave, but a large house.

    They were right in the middle of the main area¡­ If you could call it that, that is. It wasn¡¯t a living room, but closer to a library. Shelves upon shelves took up the place. The whole house was filled with nothing but books, an amount fit for a Dragon¡¯s hoard.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that something¡­ Here I am minding my own business yet I seemed to attract the attention of quite the unsavory person¡­ You¡¯re as rude as they say, Seselis. I don¡¯t recall inviting any guests.¡± stated what appeared to be a Green Dragonborn. He wore clothing similar to what people wore in Blossom. He had two long whiskers and white horns. His eyes were a golden yellow, but their gazes never met. He seemed to care more about the page of a book he was reading than his so-called ¡®guests¡¯.

    Kazius would frown ever so slightly, but his gaze remained cold. ¡°It¡¯s Kazius. Get that wrong again and you will see how ¡®unsavory¡¯ I can really be.¡±

    ¡°I can recognize someone like you even with that appearance¡­ I know who you are, but if you mean your words as in you go by a new name now¡­ Then I will happily accept this new piece of knowledge¡­ I will write it down somewhere¡­ When I get the chance¡­¡± the Dragon responded back, flipping through two pages as he spoke, seeming to be reading at quite the speed.

    Kazius sighed, Dragons were an annoying proud bunch, but he knew how to deal with them. ¡°Last time I checked, even Dragons know what manners are¡­ If that is what you are¡­ Do I need to start destroying some of these books to get your attention, perhaps?¡±

    The Dragon frowned, ¡°Of course, I am a Dragon, have you tried reading a book while being the size of a house? Someone of my talent and knowledge can manage to look like some silly lizardmen that enjoy pretending to be related to us¡­ You also speak of manners yet here you are threatening to destroy my possessions.¡± He stated as he closed the book he was reading and then studied him and then Alice.

    ¡°A descendant of that horrid Human¡­ Your family¡¯s appearance has always intrigued me¡­ Hard to not recognize you lot when you all look the same¡­ And here with S-¡­. Kazius.¡± The Dragon stated calmly, correcting himself, almost calling Kazius Seselis again, but Kazius let it slide.

    Alice did frown at his statement. She seemed to be developing a sore spot whenever people mention Ratier to her¡­ Then again, considering the grief that the kingdom¡¯s founding caused not only her family, but their friends¡­ It was understandable. Of course, Kazius intended to get rid of the eyesore of a kingdom.

    ¡°What a troublesome duo¡­ Anyway¡­ My name is Lazertavidir¡­ I¡¯ve also gone by Vidir The Learned One¡­ I am not so proud as to not allow my name to be shortened¡­ Even if it has been many many years since I¡¯ve gone by Vidir.¡± Vidir stated. With a name that long¡­ He was indeed a well lived Dragon¡­ Though with how he acted, it was starting to become clear why Lady Sakura has not heard of his name. He was a shut-in.

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    ¡°Well, Vidir. Are you aware someone has been framing you for harassing Blossom and inspiring a rebellion? The ruler there would very much love your head.¡± Kazius stated simply, indeed not believing the Green Dragon was to blame. Sure, Green Dragons were cunning, and sneaky, but Vidir had a lot to lose by starting something petty like this when there was no knowledge to gain. He also couldn¡¯t even be bothered to stop reading to have a conversation, much less to stir up trouble.

    ¡°That does explain why whenever I go out as of late there has been nothing but annoyances¡­ Mortals always pull troublesome things like this¡­ Though at least you have the sense to know I have nothing to do with such nonsense¡­ I have many books I rather read¡­ I did once enjoy messing with the occasional mortal. I even miss it, but I¡¯ve been too busy with my books to do anything like that.

    I¡¯ve been here long before that little settlement started¡­ I let them make their little den¡­ and then they trouble me anyway¡­ Maybe you and Rubrumreptiscarlu were onto something when you two tried to kill them all.¡± Vidir stated in annoyance, clearly displeased with the fact he attempted to leave mortals alone, yet they are bothering him anyway by dragging him into quite the mess.

    ¡°That has never been my goal. I want to conquer, though it is of little importance to me whether those I rule over are alive or dead...¡± Kazius corrected. Alice seemed to show no reaction to his words, and even nodded along to the conversation as if acknowledging it, ¡°Though there are a good amount of annoyances I intend on getting rid of¡­ That is a different matter though¡­ You have a few options in front of you¡­ Lucky for you¡­¡± He stated with a smirk, the whole room suddenly growing pitch dark, as if enveloped in shadow. The little light in the place were Kazius¡¯ glowing red eyes and the Dragon¡¯s own golden eyes staring right back.

    Despite the change and the sudden darkness, Alice did not seem startled. She seemed like she really meant her words from before about getting her hands dirty and changing to handle what was to come.

    ¡°One¡­¡± Kazius began as he paced around the darkness, ¡°You could serve me and use that mind of yours to help me¡­ Your books will be safe and you will get more¡­ I am quite generous, you know? Two¡­ You reject my offer¡­ So, I allow the Lady of this area to keep thinking that you are behind what has been happening¡­ And you become the first fresh corpse I play with. I¡¯ve never seen a Skeletal Dragon before¡­Lucky for you, we both know your real value is in your mind¡­ But we both are aware Ancient or not, you¡¯re a Green Dragon¡­ Physical strength is not your forte¡­ So, I do hope you make the best choice¡­¡±

    Vidir seemed to remain silent, remaining quite calm despite the position he was in¡­ But he was a Dragon, Kazius understood they were not easy to intimidate and even if they were, they were not likely to show it.

    ¡°For someone so generous¡­ You don¡¯t really seem to be giving me a lot of flexibility.¡± Vidir responded calmly, ¡°You really are as the rumors describe¡­ There aren¡¯t many people that would threaten an Ancient Dragon. Even someone like you should be at least a little intimidated¡­¡±

    ¡°I am a lot stronger than I once was¡­ You could go ahead and be the first to test it¡­ And whether it is me, The annoying rats hiding in Ratier¡­ Or The Demon King, you will find staying neutral from now on won¡¯t be an option, even for an Ancient Dragon like yourself or a beyond Ancient like Rubrumreptiscarlu. I offer you a friendship and all the books you could ever read¡­¡± Kazius stated.

    He used the word friendship, but he clearly did not mean it in the way that he did for his actual friends¡­ But with the changes in him¡­ Was he even capable of making new friends? Despite how dastardly he spoke, Alice continued to be calm. Kazius did wonder¡­ She seemed to have meant her words to him earlier¡­ Where would such resolve take her?

    Vidir would sigh, ¡°It would be quite idiotic for me to refuse such ¡®friendship¡¯ I know that much¡­ As you said¡­ My mind is my greatest asset¡­ I plan to use it¡­ Not to mention¡­ I quite love hoarding knowledge of all kinds¡­ It is clear to me I am about to witness quite the interesting events¡­ I will join you. Not like I have much of a choice.¡± The Dragon would finally agree.

    Kazius smirked at this, the room returning to normal as if nothing, ¡°You Green Dragons have always been quite reasonable from what I heard¡­ Seems they¡¯re true¡­ Do understand though, betray me and Death will be the last of your worries.¡± He warned, his smirk turning into a warm smile yet his eyes grew cold while he gave the warning.

    ¡°Understood¡­ So¡­ You seem to speak of the Humans in Ratier with such hostility¡­ What are your intentions with them? You spoke of conquest¡­ Is this all some sort of ploy to take back your little Princess¡¯ homeland? Protect the poor innocent mortals from secret plotters and The Demon King?¡± Vidir taunted, even in a situation like this, it seems he had quite the sarcastic attitude to him.

    Before Kazius could even respond, Alice spoke up. Her expression was stern, unwavering, ¡°Didn¡¯t Kazius just tell you? They¡¯re rats¡­ I don¡¯t know what you do with rats where you Dragons a from¡­¡± She trailed off, her tone cold, ¡°But is there anything to do other than exterminate them?¡± She stated with a slight sneer.

    Kazius could not help but have his grin widen at her words. His Alice truly did not stop making him proud.

 Chapter 59: Making Plans

    Vidir looked almost satisfied with Alice¡¯s answer, interest gleaming in his eyes. ¡°Is that so? Well, you have me, what will you have me do? March over and explain I am innocent to that fox?¡± the Dragon snickered out.

    Kazius rose a brow at the question, ¡°We both know that would only make me seem suspicious. I walk in, offer to help¡­ Then I just so happen to befriend you and explain you¡¯re innocent? The Lady of Blossom does come off as too trusting to me, but even she will raise a brow at that¡­ No¡­ That wouldn¡¯t help us expose who is behind everything either¡­ There is a much better way of going about this¡­ And that is by setting a trap.¡± He explained.

    Vidir would try and act like he wasn¡¯t interested by the proposal, but Kazius could tell he was more than inrigued. These were the sort of games Green Dragons enjoyed most. ¡°Oh? And how do you plan on doing that?¡±

    Kazius smirked a little, ¡°By helping the enemy of course. Behind the scenes¡­ We take the situation the Lady of Blossom is in¡­ And make it worse¡­ Only when chaos in Blossom is worse and it is burning down and going up in smoke¡­ Will she be desperate enough to hand us the keys to Blossom¡­ And she will do so with gratitude¡­ To the point she will do what we want without coercion and accept your innocense¡­ That is why your task¡­ Is to do exactly as what you are being accused of¡­ Use that devious brain of yours to stir up so much but not too much as to out yourself to the culprit¡­ Think you can do it?¡±

    Vidir rose a brow, ¡°When you showed up here and threatened me¡­¡± he began, unable to contain his face from finally revealing a grin, ¡°The last thing I expected was for you to propose something so fun¡­ If you lead by this, I would have agreed to help you. So, I need to bring chaos to the settlement¡­ And then when things are worse¡­ You swoop in and play the hero¡­ And I join you, therby clearing my name once the real perpetrator shows up to claim the prize we will rip away? I am not sure you need me, maliciousness isn¡¯t something you are lacking in.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you would have¡­ And I may have an abundance of it¡­ But I want capable people who are loyal to me¡­ And you have more knowledge than I myself do. We can have quite the cooperation that benefits you¡­  A friendship¡­ You can have a lot of fun with what I plan to do¡­ And more books than you can even count¡­ But the price of it is loyalty¡­ Remember that.¡± Kazius stated firmly.

    ¡°This is too interesting of an idea for me not to see it through¡­ But I will keep that in mind.¡± Vidir stated with a small laugh.

    ¡°I will get you some¡­ Let¡¯s call them tools¡­ I will send them your way when I finish making them¡­  Anyway, we are done here. Until next time¡­¡± Kazius stated with a warm smile as if he had not discussed quite the backstabbing plan.

    Perhaps in the past Kazius would have had apprehensions over such a plan. Actually, he knew in the back of his mind he would have. Kazius was originally raised to be a righteous knight. Even if the foundation of his beliefs were lies, he had adhered to his principles the best he could. Yet Kazius felt he was simply incapable of caring. His new friendships were nothing but alliances that he saw as useful. He had 3 friends and a lover that he actually cared about. Everyone else was nothing to him¡­ And this reflected in his plan. After all, he was aware Damon had a crush on the Lady. He would help him in that endeavor with this as well. Since were it not for that, he would have made quite the different simpler plan. To take over the rebellion and kill The Lady¡­ But that was off the table.

    ¡°What are those tools you want to make?¡± Alice asked once they walked away.

    ¡°I want to try my hand at Necromancy again. Low rank undead won¡¯t do it though. I need puppets capable of speech¡­ Ones that can continue their roles in Blossom seamlessly and be convincing enough as alive¡­ It will take a little experimentation¡­ But I believe I can do it¡­¡± Kazius explained to her as they walked.

    Alice nodded in understanding, ¡°But that means that you will need to capture people that you could do that with¡­ And kill them.¡± She stated, putting on a brave face, but her eyes gave away a hint of mixed emotions.

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    ¡°Already did.¡± Kazius admitted, ¡°They should be tied up and waiting. We aren¡¯t going back to town just yet¡­ But if you wish to go back, I won¡¯t hold it against you if you are not ready to do such things.¡± He admitted.

    ¡°When did you¡­¡± Alice began, looking shocked.

    ¡°I slept much less than all of you¡­ Sometimes I get up in the night without any of you noticing.¡± Kazius replied simply.

    ¡°So, you knew things would go this way¡­¡± Alice trailed off again, shaking her head, ¡°I will help¡­ I promised I would get my hands dirty too. I meant it¡­ Everyone is working hard¡­ I will too¡­¡± She confirmed yet again, sounding determined.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Kazius agreed with a warm smile, kissing her briefly in quite the tender manner. She returned the kiss, the manner she did so almost seeming a bit desperate. Kazius could tell she was trying to reassure herself despite the resolve she showed earlier¡­ Still, she was determined, and he was proud of her for it.

    Once the kiss stopped, the two would walk towards the captives Kazius had selected. The group were a total of 7. They ranged in different types of inhabitants that could be found in Blossom. They were tied up with role, a cloth over their mouths. Their eyes though were uncovered.

    ¡°They need to be killed in a clean way and then I can get started¡­ Hopefully I will succeed on my first try¡­ But there is room for failure¡­ 5 of them should be enough¡­ Vidir seems intelligent¡­ If he really is a an ancient Green Dragon, that number of toys should be plenty.¡± Kazius mused, ¡°of course¡­ This goes without saying, my love¡­ This plan of mine¡­ It will be our little secret, alright?¡± Kazius mused.

    Alice seemed to be deep in thought before her expression grew dark, The lump of metal she carried finally transforming into a knife. She would reach out and grip it tightly, nodding, ¡°Of course¡­¡± She stated, not faltering despite the making eye contact with the victims¡­ One by one, Alice dispatched them cleanly herself. She only stopped once she was done. Her expression was cold, but she did mutter something under her breath that sounded almost like an apology.

    ¡°Thank you, Alice.¡± Kazius told her tenderly. Indeed, it seemed she truly did mean her words about getting her hands dirty. She was now an accomplice too.

    Kazius understood the gesture.

    With that in his mind, he got to work. Of course, he struggled with necromancy before, but the reason was quite simple. Until recently, he wasn¡¯t aware of his mother¡¯s lineage. Now that he knew, he understood what part of himself to reach out to. So despite all his previous failures, it had not been Remus¡¯ teachings that had been a problem.

    ¡°Get up.¡± Kazius demanded, the shadows in his left hand intensifying as he rose it. His hand would release more, little whisps of shadow traveling down and caressing the bodies before going inside the mouths of the corpses. The corpses twitched a bit at first, but they remained laying down.

    ¡°I said get up.¡± Kazius growled out, his tone growing agitated.

    ¡°Do not test my patience any further.¡± He added with a sneer.

    Indeed, as if whether out of fear or sheer will alone, slowly the first corpse would get up, then another, then eventually all 7 stood up.

    Kazius let out a satisfied hum to himself, ¡°Good¡­ I had to expend a bit more mana than I would have liked¡­ But oh well¡­ They look pretty good¡­ They should be able to stay looking alive¡­ Something like this is pretty easy since they weren¡¯t flesh beings of much strength¡­ Remus was quite the good teacher.¡± He confirmed in a pleased manner.

    ¡°Once this is all over, what will you do with them?¡± Alice questioned, not disturbed by the undead due to her time with Remus it seemed.

    ¡°Well¡­ I can¡¯t really have anyone recognizing it¡­ Once everything is over¡­ But I had a vision that gave me a good idea¡­ On what to dress up an undead army as¡­ People won¡¯t ask many questions if I dress all my undead like that¡­¡± Kazius trailed off in thought.

    ¡°Like what?¡± Alice questioned in confusion, not understanding what he was referring to.

    ¡°I will put masks on them¡­ Faceless ones that don¡¯t show their features¡­ But that will be later¡­ Right now I need them to help Vidir¡­¡± Kazius stated before turning to look at the group, ¡°Go to Vidir. Make yourselves useful, won¡¯t you?¡± He stated dismissively.

    ¡°As¡­ You wish¡­¡± The group would reply in perfect unison before walking away. Indeed, they walked and spoke fairly well for Kazius¡¯ first attempt at making a slight higher rank undead. This was¡­ Promising.

    ¡°I suppose that settles that¡­ We had a productive day¡­ Now¡­ I suppose there is little to do but wait. What a pleasant day today has been.¡± Kazius mused in delight, offering her his hand.

    Alice seemed to study him, looking at him with love, but also a hint of sadness in her eyes. ¡°Yes¡­ let¡¯s go.¡± She stated. Taking his hand, the two heading back.

 Chapter 60: Blossom Burns

    As time passed, two things happened. One was how Damon, Alice, Eve, and Azanor continued to train. They appeared to be pushing themselves quite far. They were content with the progress they were making, this progress being mostly due to their extraordinary additional effort.

    Two was how much worse things got in Blossom. The prosperous city seemed to be falling apart at the seams. It didn¡¯t look as unified. Not only did people fight in the streets, but riots happened at the drop of a hat. The worse things got, the more the reverence that Lady Sakura got would diminish. Many citizens turned their backs on the Lady they once admired. Incompetent, unworthy of praise, and worse were some of the many words that were used to describe her by her people. This coming from her own people who once sung such high praises.

    Many people turned to alcohol among other things to forget their worries. Due to this Rowan was quite busy, but this also helped in the gathering of information. The perpetrator was getting cocky, sloppy¡­Customers and people Rowan interacted with while under cover seemed to know more than just rumors. Due to this, the Shapeshifter was able to find more clues behind who was the true perpetrator.

    All of this would happen while he was oblivious to Vidir¡¯s and Kazius¡¯ actions.

    Using the tips from Rowan, Kazius would send information to Vidir. In turn, Vidir would send the undead puppets accordingly. They would take up roles that would bring them closer to the master mind¡­

    It had been a few months since they had come to Blossom. There was thankfully no sign of Elande or his cronies, but Kazius knew that would not last¡­ No¡­ It was about time he put things into motion and consolidate his hold over Blossom.

    Today the undead puppets would set ablaze the rice fields right at the peak of harvest when the rice was being dried before storage. In other words Blossom would have no food¡­ What would be the final straw for the people would arrive¡­ And they would be there to save the day. After all, he had already sent a Shadow Fiend to Vargstam to get excess food in anticipation.

    Now that the Lady of Blossom was properly antagonized¡­ It was easy to rile people up into storming to the doors of her palace with the fear of starvation looming over them. They were out for blood and The Lady was cornered¡­ Most of her guards would abandon her and those that did stay were quite outnumbered. She was strong, but Kazius knew she was also weak of heart¡­ She may be a Nine Tailed Kitsune¡­ But would she raise her hand against her people? Would she be able to tell the angry and desperate citizens apart from the rebels?

    Kazius knew well what was happening thanks to the shadows, but even if he didn¡¯t have his eye on things, the city burning in the distance was hard to ignore. He watched the situation from a window in Rowan¡¯s brothel. It was a beautiful sight to see your handy work¡­ Like a work of art.

    ¡°Kazius! I know who is behind all this! She is leading the crowd from the back! Sakura¡­ She is just defending herself! She won¡¯t hold out at this rate! We have to do something!¡± Rowan exclaimed in panic. The shapeshifter was usually composed and playful, but he was quite the mess. He truly did see Sakura as his niece.

    Kazius would smile warmly at Rowan, ¡°It is okay, we will save her¡­ I promise.¡± He assured, his smile only widening. Though it was not to reassure him, to be honest, it was very difficult for him to contain his laughter.

    ¡°Come on, we need to stop this rebellion.¡± Kazius stated, ¡°Damon¡­ I want you to rush in as fast as your can, you need to go protect the Lady. We will subdue the ones attacking¡­ They are Blossom¡¯s citizens¡­ We can¡¯t simply kill them because they were misled.¡± He stated, putting on quite the play¡­ A play only Alice knew the truth of.

    Damon looked determined at the task, beaming at the idea of helping The Lady. ¡°You can count on me, Kazius.¡± He assured with a wide grin, rushing off ahead with quite the speed thanks to his blessing from Vind¡­ Though Kazius could swear he moved with much more speed and agility than before, even with his one eye.

    ¡°Come on, we need to catch up!¡± Kazius exclaimed for the others. They followed not far behind. Blossom really looked like it had fallen. Half the city was on fire, there was rubble everywhere. The windows in the palace were smashed by thrown pieces of said rubble, it was a war zone.

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    By the time they arrived, they could see Damon had indeed gotten to Sakura. The once posh woman with an air of respectability looked like she was a mess. Her eyes were red from tears, her clothes singed and covered in blood. It was clear even in this situation, she loved her people so much that she had not bothered to fight back. She looked quite relieved as Damon held her with one arm, his wind abilities able to push the rebels back.

    ¡°You¡¯re no goddess! You have brought nothing but misery to our people!¡± the angry civilians would shout. Common was spoken in Blossom, but it was interesting that out of all languages the rebels tended to speak it¡­ But considering who was behind this¡­ It was understandable.

    ¡°You witch! How dare you destroy your father¡¯s legacy! You ruined everything we all have worked for!¡±

    ¡°We know all about you being the one actually working with the dragon! We will slay you and your evil pawn! We will get you back for all the grief you caused!¡±

    ¡°I never claimed to be any of those things! It was all of you who insisted on worshipping me! I never would mean you any harm! I never wanted to be put on such a pedestal!¡± Lady Sakura exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. It was clear the woman was heartbroken. Going from being worshipped by your people to being deeply despised had to be quite the shock to her.

    ¡°You¡¯re not fit to rule a city¡­ Look at her clinging to a foreigner!¡± Exclaimed a golden eyes blue haired woman that was oh too familiar to most of the group¡­ First in Vargstam and now here in Blossom¡­ Luna truly did enjoy trying to usurp those in charge and sow chaos wherever she went.

    Damon looked shocked at the sight of her, ¡°Sister¡­ So it was you! You¡­ You are a foreigner yourself! You¡­ You have gone too far with this¡­ I won¡¯t show you any mercy this time. Enough is enough!¡± he growled, infuriated, but did look torn.

    Kazius would show up at this point, able to approach the area with the others.

    ¡°I am no sister of yours¡­ You are just plotting with the lady to make me look bad. I am a resident of this place¡­ And care about our people enough to bring a stop to this witch.¡± Luna would state. It seemed she had blended in with the locals somehow and was now pretending to be one of them.

    Of course, her statement was flawed, but angry people weren¡¯t the best thinkers. The mob would hear none of it. Instead, they would only keep attacking. Shouting angrily in agreement.

    There were too many people, and it was hard to get close to the source of the commotion. He would use shadows to surround Damon and Sakura to push the rebels back, ¡°Lady Sakura! Are you two okay!?¡± Kazius exclaimed, feigning concern and surprise. After all, he knew who the culprit was for some time now.

    ¡°Luna¡­ So it was you! She is the one who almost destroyed Vargstam, Lady Sakura¡­ Don¡¯t let any of her lies fool you! She almost brought down Vargstam and got the prince of the Frost Giants killed!¡± Kazius exclaimed, Luna looking at him in shock and anger. After all, Kazius was the reason her previous plans had failed.

    ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t listen to them! They¡¯re the reason why you won¡¯t have food! She is the one with The Dragon!¡± Luna exclaimed, keeping up her act. The angry citizens were still not listening to reason, so they would continue to try and get past the shadows, indeed, out to kill Lady Sakura.

    Lady Sakura was too confused and heartbroken to respond to the constant yelling. She looked like she would break down and instead would just cling to Damon, looking down in dismay at every curse and failed attack sent her way. It was clear she did not know what to think of anything at this point.

    No one would listen to anything at this rate¡­ That was until everyone but Alice and Kazius got quite the shock. Everyone would grow silent at the sound of quite the angry draconic roar. It was coming from the sky and fast approaching. Stopping what they were all doing, the citizens would stare in shock and horror as The Green Dragon would come.

    It was easy to understand why they were so intimidated. Vidir was an Ancient Dragon. While Green Dragons were smaller than most, an Ancient Dragon was an Ancient Dragon. Standing at 20 ft (6.10 meters) with a wingspan of 80 ft (24.38 meters). It looked like Vidir was having fun with the whole show, roaring and screeching fiercely in a matter that was frightening enough to likely get some of the rebels to soil themselves.

    Of course, this whole thing seemed to shock Luna. Using the Dragon was one thing, but she likely did not anticipate the Dragon to show up. Sure she sent some gullible people to it¡¯s lair to prove a point¡­ But at most she likely thought they¡¯d be killed and that would be the end of that. Unlucky for her, Kazius had already made a deal with him. ¡°Foolish mortals¡­ You come to my lair¡­ Accuse me of burning your food¡­ I think I should simply kill you all and not allow anymore insignificant creatures to establish a home near mine.¡±

    Too scared to fight and frozen, the people were forced to listen to the Dragon¡¯s words. Of course, this meant they would now know that Luna had lied to them. Instead of looking at Lady Sakura, many looks would turn to Luna. Damon¡¯s expression growing concerned over the Dragon¡¯s presence, but with how he glared at Luna¡­ It was clear the Werewolf was determined to be rid of her once and or all.

 Chapter 61: Results of Conspiracy

    It seemed even someone like Luna could look scared shitless. For all her manipulation and games, it amounted to nothing when faced by an angry Dragon. At least that was how the situation would look like to her. Perhaps before Kazius would have been helpless against her ploys until it was too late, but this time she was a puppet in his show from the beginning, not the other way around.

    ¡°Leave these people alone! These people are suffering and did not know what they were doing. There is one perpetrator that has caused trouble to people in many settlements¡­ And we will take care of her ourselves. Once she is gone, your troubles will be gone too.¡± Kazius exclaimed.

    ¡°Not good enough¡­ I tire of you vermin.¡± Vidir growled angrily, fire beginning to accumulate in his mouth as he let out a roar. The signal for Kazius to ¡®take him down¡¯.

    ¡°I refuse to let you hurt these people!¡± Kazius exclaimed with a determined look, his words firm. He would move fast with quite the flair. He would use the shadows to move in an instant, appearing right before Vidir through his own shadow. Then darkness would come from it, wrapping around the Dragon¡¯s snout, keeping his mouth closed to stop the fire.

    Soon Kazius would have the entire massive being restrained being a bit rough on purpose. After all, Vidir may be cooperating now, but he may get ideas in the future, may as well show him he very much could take him down if need be. That way the Ancient Dragon would never get any ideas.

    The show being as convincing as it was, caused the people to look at him in awe. He was ¡®protecting¡¯ them after all.

    As this all occurred, Luna only grew more unhappy and showed it. ¡°Don¡¯t just fall for-¡± She began, but the expressions she would get in return were quite the glares. After all, her lies were becoming obvious now that their anger had calmed down.

    ¡°Now that I think about it¡­ She really must be a foreigner....Just like he says... Does anyone remember seeing her until a few months ago?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard her speak our language even once. She only has spoken Common to us.¡±

    ¡°The Dragon clearly doesn¡¯t know what he was even being accused off¡­ We almost got killed because of her.¡±

    ¡°If the Dragon really set the harvest on fire, we would have seen him¡­ There is no way we would have missed something that big¡­¡±

    Slowly but surely, the citizens would whisper to each other¡­ And soon, the result of their discussions would show¡­ As their angry looks from before would slowly turn towards Luna. She was cornered.

    Lady Sakura seemed relieved at the situation. After all, her innocence was proven and her people were safe. Still, she looked quite disheartened¡­ She likely no longer felt fit to watch over Blossom¡­ As Kazius had intended. She was also comforted by Damon. That was until he let go of her.

    Damon would move quickly; the tall Werewolf soon was right in front of her before she could even think of fleeing. Sister or not, it seemed Damon truly had enough. He would not let her escape.

    Not this time.

    Next thing anyone knew, Damon had grabbed the blue haired woman by the head. His large hand was acting like it was firmly holding a ball. As he held her up by her head. She struggled in his hold, unable to cast anything much less do anything other than dangle helplessly.

    ¡°Damon¡­ You¡­ You don¡¯t have to be the one to do that.¡± Azanor would tell him with a frown, after all. Wicked or not, Luna was his sister. Damon did not need that weight on his conscience. Especially after recovering from his self-worth issues after so long.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything that will make you sad!¡± Eve exclaimed, even she was able to read the room it seems.

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    With Vidir properly ¡®restrained¡¯ Kazius approached as well, ¡°I¡¯ll do it so you don¡¯t have to¡­ You know what will happen if we let her go¡­¡± He stated, his expression showing genuine concern for Damon.

    After all, his emotions towards his friends and Alice were the little that remained in him. Even as he was, Kazius cared about Damon a lot. After all, he became what he was now out of love for them all.

    Damon frowned, his expression darkening. ¡°That is the problem, Kazius¡­ I refuse to let you dirty your hands by yourself. You have already sacrificed a lot to protect us¡­ I refuse to let you shoulder this alone. I won¡¯t be weak anymore.¡±

    Even while struggling to breathe in her current position, Luna could not help but speak up. ¡°You¡­ know¡­ Mom was¡­ right about you¡­¡± She would barely manage out with a smug laugh, likely knowing the sort of damage such a statement would do to him.

    ¡°Damon¡­¡± Alice stated in concern.

    But Damon did not listen. Not stopping despite the words from everyone. Instead he would increase the strength behind his grip, blood running down Luna¡¯s nose as her head was squeeze. With a terrible cracking sound could be heard, then her struggles stopped.

    Damon stared at her with his one eye, his expression almost unreadable as he dropped her, ¡°Perhaps she was.¡± He stated simply before walking away, refusing to look at her body again. A rather pained expression on his face, but it was clear he was holding most of his emotions in.

    Surprisingly, Lady Sakura would go to him. She would hold one of his hands with both of her own much smaller and delicate ones. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what just happened¡­ But I am sorry¡­ Because I was unable to do my duty¡­ You¡­ You said she was your¡­ Anyway, thank you¡­ For saving me¡­ All of you¡­¡± She stated, looking around at everyone with a frown on her face.

    ¡°Please¡­ Everyone¡­ We will take care of the food situation¡­ Please return to your homes¡­ I promise you¡­ I will fix things.¡± Lady Sakura stated with a bow towards the crowd.

    The once angry crowd seemed to be shocked to see the Lady they once respected so much, but then turned-on bow in such a way. With the perpetrator dead, they were deflated, hesitantly going home.

    Rowan seemed heartbroken to see Lady Sakura in such a state. He cared about the woman a lot and Damon and her definitely looked more than distressed.

    With that Sakura looked at Kazius, ¡°Would you please join me in the palace¡­ I have something I would like to talk to all of you about.¡± She stated, clearly doing her best to conduct herself well with what little pride she had left.

    ¡°I think today has been very eventful¡­For a lot of us¡­ I also need to have a word with the Dragon¡­ Perhaps we can clear up this misunderstanding¡­ We can meet again in an hour.¡± Kazius stated as he studied his surroundings¡­ Perhaps his plan had worked a little too well. He had also not intended for Damon to be the one to kill Luna. He failed Damon¡­ If only he had gotten his hands dirtier still, Damon wouldn¡¯t have had to dirty his. He had shown Luna too much mercy, that is at least what he believed.

    ¡°Perhaps that may be best¡­¡± Lady Sakura stated in agreement, ¡°I need to calm down as well.¡±

    The group seemed in agreement, but the cheery Damon was currently quite silent. He seemed to only nod in agreement, not in the mood to talk.

    ¡°Wait¡­ You¡­ You got to me first¡­ And you saved me¡­ How about you join me for a drink while we try and calm down¡­ It would help you as well.¡± Sakura told Damon, keeping her hold on him, looking up at him with a pleading look. Her blue eyes full of sadness.

    Damon would have been giddy at such an offer under any other circumstances, but while he did agree¡­ His response was really just a quiet hesitant nod.

    ¡°I will look around town and see how the people are doing then.¡± Rowan stated. He seemed to look at Sakura, perhaps he had intended to comfort her, but ended up deciding to let her and Damon talk alone.

    ¡°You and Eve help Rowan, it is too much for him to cover alone.¡± Kazius told Azanor, wanting to be alone with Vidir and Alice.

    ¡°I felt like I didn¡¯t really do anything so I we can make sure to do that.¡± Azanor agreed.

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± Eve chirped being as giddy as ever as she went off with Azanor.

    Once alone, Kazius released Vidir.

    ¡°That was more entertaining than anything I¡¯ve ever done¡­ Except for how you handled me. Did you really have to be so rough?¡± Vidir grumbled as he would transform into his smaller Dragonborn form.

    ¡°It was an accident¡­ Sometimes I don¡¯t know my own strength.¡± Kazius lied.

    ¡°I wish Damon has not done that¡­ Everything would have gone well were it not for that¡­ He really have too strong a sense of duty for his own good.¡± Alice stated in dismay.

    ¡°I do really wish he had not done that¡± Kazius agreed with a frown before glaring down coldly at the corpse of Luna.

    ¡°She spent so much of his life tormenting him¡­ And she will continue to do so even while dead¡­ She doesn¡¯t deserve to rest peacefully¡­¡± Kazius stated, his tone calm, but hatred dripping out of every word like venom. He would approach the corpse, crouching down

    ¡°She will regret not quietly dying¡­ I will find a fitting use for her¡­¡± He stated, his tone shifting to a sinister one, his frown turning into a wicked grin as he hand slowly reached out for her.

    ¡°She will help Damon one way or another¡­ Whether she likes it or not¡­¡±

 Special Chapter: Goddess

    Sakura had been denied a mother, her birth having taken her from this world. Despite this, her father did not once blame her. If anything, he had only treasured her more and expected the same from his people.

    There was nothing that was out of reach that she could want. She was put on a pedestal by her people and father alike, the next ruler of Blossom, the prosperous city. Their Princess.

    This caused Sakura to live in quite the bubble. A golden bird cage. She didn¡¯t get to play with other kids, not only were they too nervous around her, but her father was worried she could get hurt. Instead, she would remain in the palace that seemed to only get all the bigger and all the lonelier. Her one comfort was her father, who she knew was only trying to protect her.

    Still, while Kitsune were long lived beings, they were far from immortal. It was different from Kitsune to Kitsune. Some never even make it to 9 tails. It all depended on power. While Shio was known to be a strong Kitsune, making it past 3 tails was not something he was strong enough to do. When old age strikes a Kitsune, it is like a disease. Quickly wracking your body and taking all that is youthful. It can take from as little as a week to a month for it to fully take them¡­ But once it starts, it isn¡¯t something you can ever hope to halt. The Aging.

    That is why when her father went from able to take walks with her in the palace garden to unable to get up from his bed overnight¡­ Sakura has no idea what to do. She cried and cried, but no matter what she did, his age only caught up with him all the more. Despite things though, her father found the strength to talk to her. No matter how much worse he looked, when his teeth fell out or when his hands shriveled up too much to be able to even pick up a spoon¡­ He still would smile at his ¡°Little flower petal.¡±

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    Sadly, he couldn¡¯t keep it up forever. He put up a good fight, but within a month, her succumbed and passed away.

    Without her father there, Sakura only got all the lonelier. His protection left her incapable of able to know of how to even talk to her own people. Instead, she was quiet and tried to carry herself with dignity. She had a duty to do so, even if she was a child.

    The more time passed, the wider the distance between her and her people got. The more they put her on a pedestal that made her feel so far away¡­ Like a foreign high existence that was there, from generation to generation. Rumors would start about her, which would only throw this disparity further out of proportion¡­Before Sakura knew it¡­ Her people seemed to see her as some sort of immortal perfect Goddess¡­ And she found herself wanting to live up to such expectations.

    Were it not for Rowan poking fun at her every now and then, she may very well had drowned in trying to meet those expectations. Yet when the Shapeshifter came over, she found herself being reminded that in the end she was mortal. She too could get mad, be happy, be sad, just like everyone else.

    Still, that did not mean she was free from the shackles of her people¡¯s ever adoring gaze. She would do anything for them, the people of the Kingdom her father had built with so much care¡­

    Yet that had not been enough.

    One day, their intense admiration became a poison that turned into never ending hatred. The more things came undone the more she touched them. She felt like she was drowning, trying to keep the whole city together. Despite all her efforts things still only ended up in tatters.

    She felt helpless, at time even wishing for The Aging¡­ But it appeared despite her stress and grief, it was not her time.

 Chapter 62: The Hero of Blossom

    Before meeting with the others again, Kazius had¡­ bit of preparations he needed to take care of. While Alice helped him once again, it seems she wanted to be a part of every single one of his atrocities. Then again, it was clear that Alice meant her words to him. She intended to get her hands just as dirty as his. This connection they had and their love¡­ A part of Kazius was worried about what they would be capable of¡­ Yet another half welcomed such a development eagerly.

    What was surprising or perhaps maybe expected¡­ Vidir had insisted on watching their work, the Dragon more than intrigued by Kazius¡¯ abilities. After all, Kazius and Remus had an unique method of conducting their Necromancy. Of course, something like that was more than exciting to him¡­ Enough so that Vidir offered up his lair to do the procedure. It was becoming more and more certain to Kazius that the Dragon would serve him quite faithfully due to his own greed.

    Though Kazius was done with simple Necromancy¡­ No¡­ The eternal unrest that it would bring Luna was far from enough¡­ And too wasteful¡­ He would use every part of her. There was so much potential with the union of shadows and death, but he had people waiting for him, so he had little time¡­ Somethings would have to wait¡­

    The urgent matter was her soul. Souls did not linger for long, that was something he had learned the hard way in an alternative future. Thankfully, for this work¡­ To construct Luna¡¯s punishment¡­ An hour was plenty.

    Kazius felt at home playing with such dark forces. The darkness of the shadows and that of death itself¡­ He would create a masterpiece by uniting them. Feeling inspired and greedy, Kazius ended up using more than just Luna. Any consequential casualties from todays¡¯ events provided him with some ¡®donations¡¯ to fuel his new weapon. A weapon of darkness and hatred¡­ Something he could not wait to try out.

    Alice stared at the cage made of shadow in horror while Vidir looked all the more intrigued. The wails coming from it sounding hauntingly disturbing. The cage would violently shake as it sunk into Kazius¡¯ shadow, disappearing. It was clear whoever else ended up contributing to their creation¡­ Would not find peace in the afterlife.

    ¡°I suppose that is all we can do for now¡­ Time does always go by faster when you are having fun. We should al head back, that includes you as well, Vidir.¡± Kazius stated with a satisfied expression on his face.

    ¡°Alright¡­ You were so convincing and all¡­ That I even decided to help you¡­ Is that the story we are going with? I suppose it isn¡¯t really a lie¡­ But aren¡¯t a good amount of them your friends? Will you continue to lie to them?¡± Vidir questioned in amusement, his tone obviously indicating a taunt. Clearly he was not worried about the ethics of what was being done, but rather he just found the situation entertaining.

    ¡°They are¡­ And I would never do anything to hurt them¡­ It is everyone else I don¡¯t care about. I will get my hands dirty¡­ And sometimes I may even need their help¡­ But I will do everything in my power to keep them safe¡­ And to have the strength to crush anyone that goes against that goal¡­ Alice insisted she wanted to get her hands as dirty as mine¡­ And as the one I love, I am granting her that wish¡­ So I will not keep anything else from her¡­ But this must be kept a secret from the others¡­¡± Kazius admitted, his expression softening a little despite the Dragon¡¯s tone.

    As he spoke. Alice would stare at him with a torn expression, her gaze a mixture of longing and sadness.

    ¡°I won¡¯t force Azanor to lie¡­ It would also have been simpler to just take Luna¡¯s position as the leader of the rebellion and kill Sakura¡­ But Damon fancies her¡­ And now they are closer together¡­ Didn¡¯t you hear her ask him for tea? I do what I do because I care about them¡­¡± Kazius admitted, almost sounding like his old self, but just as fast as it occurred¡­ It ended, his expression growing twisted, a wide grin gracing his face as he gazed intensely at Vidir, ¡°So please do remember that¡­ If you ever get any ideas¡­ Ending up like that overly ambitious girl will be the last of your worries. Mercy and empathy things I no longer capable of.¡±

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    Vidir scoffed, ¡°After watching you make that thing¡­ Do you really think I would be foolish enough to get such ideas? Besides, there is so much to see and learn by following you¡­ You do not have to worry about me.¡± He assured dismissively. ¡°I do hope know that I am involved with your plans¡­ Rubrumreptiscarlu¡¯s troublesome offspring may get more uneasy if you intend to expand your influence near their border. Red Dragons have quite the short temper and are much more territorial than I am. Thankfully their father has been slumbering so sometime now¡­ ¡°

    ¡°I will get to it when I get to it¡­ I am aware they will be an obstacle though¡­ But there is a pest that we need to do something about first¡­ But we will take care of that once Blossom is ours. Now come on, enough stalling.¡± Kazius stated firmly. With that, he would head out with the group.

    Alice, Vidir, and Kazius were the last to arrive to the meeting. Unlike before, Sakura had less of an elegant set up. While any broken glass had been cleaned up, there was still windows in the room that now let in a draft.

    Everyone sat on red cushions on the floor next to a low yet big wooden rectangular table. Everyone was sitting on the same level, as equals. This was rather different from any political business that would be held at the throne room.

    On one end of the table sat Sakura, Damon sitting next to her. Next to Damon was Eve and Azanor. Across Damon sat Rowan. It seems they Sakura was shaking drinks with them as well since they arrived early. Sakura looked much more relaxed, Damon still drinking from what had to be the smallest drinking cup Kazius had ever seen. It was almost comical seeing the large Werewolf holding such a thing.

    Of course, the moment they entered the palace, the sight of Vidir would surprise and confuse everyone present.

    ¡°Did you bring a new friend?¡± Eve asked giddily, seeming to almost be bouncing in her seat while eagerly waving at Alice and Kazius. Maybe it was not good to give her alcohol¡­

    ¡°You calmed the Dragon down? I suppose I am not surprised¡­ I think you had enough alcohol, Eve.¡± Azanor chuckled out with a small smirk. It was likely hard to not hold Kazius in high esteem considering what the Demon knew he could do. Both in terms of making friends and strength.

    ¡°Long story short, we came to an understanding. He knows that the situation you were in was a peculiar one, Lady Sakura.¡± Kazius stated as they all sat down on the opposite end of Sakura, Ali.

    ¡°I do see I was acting quite¡­ In an unsightly manner.¡± Vidir confirmed, ¡°My name is Lazertavidir, you may call me Vidir.¡± Vidir introduced himself with a bit of a grin, ¡°I have also hard of Kazius¡¯ goal¡­ So I will be helping you all. The events today¡­ Made me realize I should do more than just be locked up in my den.¡±

    ¡°I see, thank you for listening to us¡­ I truly apologize for the trouble my people have caused you¡­ And Kazius¡­ This goes for all of you¡­ I¡­ Please do not call me Lady¡­ Sakura is just fine¡­ I¡­ The more I see how incredible of a leader you are¡­ The less I feel I am worthy of that name¡­¡± Sakura admitted in dismay. ¡°I was taking to Damon, he told me about how much you helped him¡­ And his people¡­¡± She trailed off. It seems she and Damon had quite the heart to heart while alone.

    ¡°That is why¡­ I believe you should take control over Blossom.¡± Sakura admitted, ¡°Please¡­ Help me people.¡± Sakura stated with, moving in her seat so she could bow towards Kazius.

    Kazius would hold back a grin and instead just smiled warmly at her, ¡°I accept¡­ But I intended on helping your people anyway¡­ I already sent word to Vargstam¡­ They had a plentiful harvest this year¡­ And have plenty of food that comes naturally from the area. We should have enough to avoid a crisis¡­ Your people will be fine.¡± He assured.

    At this, relief would wash over Sakura¡¯s face. So much so that a few tears would stream down her cheek, ¡°T-Thank you¡­¡± She stated, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the Demons and The Church from Azanor when he first got here¡­ I swear to you¡­ In the name of any honor, I have left¡­ I will help you¡­ I owe you all so much¡­ I will spend whatever is left of my life repaying that.¡± She stated with a determined expression on her face.

    Kazius would smile warmly at her, shaking his head, ¡°What are friends for? I hope we can form a new friendship with you and Vidir¡­ Welcome to the team.¡± He stated contently. His plan worked better than expected.

 Chapter 63: Unfinished Business

    During the next month, Kazius and his friends were busy. Training did not slow down, but now they also had repairs to supervise.

    Fixing Blossom was a surprisingly simple task, thankfully other than the fields, most of the structural damage was centered around the palace. The people of Blossom were skilled builders¡­ And considering the situation, they were more than eager to do the job once the food from Vargstam arrived.

    Their new hero, the one who save them and their former Lady from a fatal misunderstanding¡­ The one who had gotten the Ancient Dragon to submit to his will¡­ Kazius become a bigger Legend for both his people in Blossom and Vargstam alike. The pedestal that Sakura has once been placed on had naturally become his and so much more.

    Once the builders were done with repairs, two new tasks were created. One, unify the new territory with a road. From Vargstam to Blossom to the Cemetery, it all was theirs.

    Considering how Ratier, Thimdur, and Zelphar were stuck against the edge of the continent¡­ This new kingdom was actually bigger than the 3 combined. Their fairy tales and lies had stunted their growth and their technology, and that a mistake Kazius intended to make them regret to their very core.

    The second task was to build a proper palace. One that was his. This palace could only be in one place¡­ And that was Vargstam. A place that meant a lot to them.

    One big problem though was¡­ There was the threat of Elande¡­ But Kazius had a working theory on the issue of the Edict Knights and The Church. They had The Oracle¡­ The inferior magic artifact derived from the technology from ruins like The Hall of Mirrors in Mount Ulf. There was also the fact that a human like Lazne was still alive. He likely understood enough about such artifacts to show recent futures¡­ But they likely couldn¡¯t use The Oracle to look at the recent future with much accuracy¡­ The future can change so much the closer range it got¡­ The fact they were not already in Blossom proved that much¡­

    Kazius had also verified that Elande was no longer at the cemetery. It made sense¡­ The highest ranked Edict and son of the first Pope had more responsibilities than to monitor such a place. The fact they sent Elande after them showed for certain that they are seen as a threat. The extent of this was only verified with how through he was¡­ There was not a single undead left standing in The Cemetery.

    It stirred a deep hatred in Kazius. That all of him seemed to agree on.

    Still, he wouldn¡¯t allow Remus to not be put to rest properly. Even as Kazius was, there were emotions and affection he would not compromise on.

    Today the group had a meeting in the typical room they¡¯ve been having meetings in since Sakura had stepped down as Lady. Kazius had Sakura attend their meetings, Vidir has joined as promised¡­ And surprisingly, Rowan had stepped back from his brothel and started to take a more active role as well.

    ¡°We estimate it will take another month to finish al construction.¡± Alice stated as she looked over a report from the builders. She had a finger in just about everything and was a good accomplice to Kazius when it came to the deeper secrets of his actions. The woman was truly born to be a Queen and had the talent as well as education to do so.

    ¡°That leaves one important matter¡­ With Blossom and Vargstam being under one umbrella, I believe a proper name for our new Kingdom should be created.¡± Alice admitted, getting universal agreement from everyone in the room.

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    ¡°Oh! Oh! Friends Kingdom!¡± Eve exclaimed giddily.

    ¡°That is a lovey name, my love, but I do think the King should be the one to decide such a thing.¡± Azanor stated with a loving smile to the woman. The two were now in a proper relationship of sorts, but it was clear nothing had jogged any memories or sense from the Elf, but that no longer bothered Azanor.

    ¡°It is only right.¡± Damon would agree with an eager nod. The male had his usual energy¡­ But since Remus¡¯ death and the loss of his eye, the Werewolf was a lot more serious and quieter. Combine that with the events with Luna¡­ He did seem quite different.  He spoke with proper volume for the occasion and was a lot more solemn.

    Despite this, the time he spent with Sakura did increase every day. This time seemed to do him some good. His goofy grin was replaced with a more moderate one, but on rare occasions the Kitsune woman would make him smile all the more. The events with Luna, while it did cause Damon a lot of grief, it did bring them closer. The fact they fancied each other was obvious. Something that brought everyone in the group much joy, especially Rowan.

    After all, Sakura too had changed. The Kitsune woman looked much more relaxed and less suffocated. Though that did not mean the events with Luna had not left their own scar on her.

    These results left half of Kazius with unease, the other half with glee. At the core of his being, no matter what he would become, what mattered was his love for his friends¡­ And the desire to protect them¡­ By any means necessary. And to do that he needed power, power which he would also acquire by any means necessary. These feelings caused quite the conflict within Kazius, but since remorse was now a foreign emotion to him, such guilt did not get far.

    Love and hatred fueled thirst for power, it was who Kazius was. Who they were.

    ¡°I do understand the importance of the matter¡­ But there is something more important that we must take care of.¡± Kazius admitted, his words earning him curious gazes.

    ¡°I refuse to leave Remus where he died.¡± He finally admitted, ¡°We have to give him a proper burial¡­ So we will al take a short trip to The Cemetery¡­ And lay him to rest¡­ It is only right.¡± Kazius admitted with a solemn look, almost sounding like his old self while speaking in such a way.

    Alice seemed relieved and content at his words, but sadness washed over her face, ¡°I have been wanting to bring that up¡­ But I know there was a lot to do.¡± She admitted in dismay.

    ¡°You are my Queen, Alice¡­ At least that is what I hope you to be¡­ You can bring something of this importance without hesitation to me¡­ We are in this together after all.¡± Kazius stated warmly. His words were sweet, but Alice knew he meant more than just sweet things with them. Yes there was good with it, but during this month the two had done somethings¡­ Things that should stay in the dark.

    Just like the relationship of the others, theirs had grown, but in turn so had the darkness within her own heart.

    ¡°I will remember that.¡± Alice stated with her own sweet smile, her smile resembling those Kazius made. Perhaps she spent a bit too much time with him. ¡°I would love if we could lay Grandpa to rest.¡±

    ¡°I want to go.¡± Damon agreed, after all Remus had been quite kind to him. He showed him care that his own parents never did.

    ¡°Do you even have to ask? Of course, I¡¯ll go.¡± Azanor responded.

    ¡°Me too!¡± Eve added contently.

    Sakura nodded in understanding, ¡°I will join you then¡­ I had not realized you had such things to do¡­ I¡¯ve heard great things about Remus¡­ I too would want to pay my respect to a friend of my father¡­ But who will keep things going here if we all go? There is still so much to do.¡±

    Rowan frowned, sighing, ¡°I will stay¡­ I doubt people here will be happy to hear that their King and leaders are gone¡­ I can be all of you¡­ Need be¡­ If you leave with enough discretion.¡±

    Vidir shrugged, ¡°I will stay as well¡­ I have no business with some-¡± Vidir began only to stop his insult when everyone in the room gave him quite the look.

    ¡°Never mind¡­ Regardless, there is little interest in this¡­ I will keep things organized here as well¡­ I will do the thinking, I will allow the Shapeshifter to do the talking.¡± Vidir stated with a pleased grin.

    ¡°Then it is decided¡­ We will dwell on the name while we go on our trip¡­ Let¡¯s prepare things so they run smoothly before we go.¡± Kazius stated, before the group would resume their work.

 Chapter 64: It is War

    The Cemetery was not far from Blossom, so travel only took a day. During the whole trip most of the group was solemn¡­ Well except Eve and Sakura. Eve mainly because there was little that could bring the Elf woman down. Sakura on the other hand was more curious than anything else. After all, before meeting the group and the rebellion she rarely left the palace¡­ Now she was outside of Blossom.

    It was strange returning to the Cemetery, it was not long ago since they had been there with Remus¡­ Yet a lot changed since they last had been there. Many of them were very different people than how they were when they were with Remus, some more literally than others.

    The Cemetery was as silent as a grave. There was no fog anymore, so the setting orange sky was visible clearly, with barely any clouds in the sky. As for The Cemetery itself, it had been burned down. The ruins that Remus had taken care of that reminded him of his days with his wife and son¡­ The Village that Eve and Azanor once lived in¡­ it was nothing but Ash.

    There was nothing to gain for Elande to do this. Yet he had done so anyway¡­ At this scene¡­ Azanor could not hold it in. This place meant a lot to the Demon. Tears would fall silently down his face, his hands shaking. Eve would hold his hand to comfort him, but at the view even she looked upset.

    The others did not react any better. Damon looked more than just sad, the Werewolf looked livid. His one eye seemed to widen as he took in every part of the place. Sakura seemed to try and calm him down, but he did not say a word. He was a lot less talkative than before.

    ¡°Is this¡­ Why would they¡­ What is even the point?¡± Sakura questioned in dismay at the sight. The sheltered woman could not comprehend such actions.

    Surprisingly enough, despite adoring Remus, Alice did not shed a single tear. After all, even now, the woman did show that she blamed his death on herself. Yet she didn¡¯t cry at all. Instead she would run ahead. She would rush out of sight, eventually looking desperately through the ashes, digging around with her bare hands.

    ¡°Alice? What are you doing?¡± Kazius questioned in surprise, running after her. The two would find themselves where they had last seen Remus, the others not trailing far behind.

    ¡°Found it¡± Alice stated, raising up Remus¡¯ sword. It was made of Mithril, something like that would not burn from fire. It appeared to be enchanted, but as to the potential of the sword, it was hard to say.

    ¡°You found something for us to bury-¡± Kazius began to question. The sight of The Cemetery, it was a shock even to him. He had heard about the damage from the Shadow Fiends¡­ But even now, his heart had not been ready for such a sight. It brought on a grief too strong for his other half to suppress. Currently he was overwhelmed with more emotion than what he had felt in a long time at once. Not since being in this very place. Such weakness was something that infuriated the other part of him. What mattered was, Elande ha fully destroyed one of the few things he cared about.

    ¡°No. I am not burying Grandpa¡¯s sword¡­ Lazne¡­ Elande¡­ If Ratier had a brain neither of them would have done this to Grandpa¡­ They wouldn¡¯t have made me so miserable¡­. They wouldn¡¯t have killed Ivy¡­ They wouldn¡¯t have gotten to execute my parents¡­ You wouldn¡¯t have given into¡­¡± Alice trailed off, shaking her head.

    The normally passive woman that seemed like she would accept everything, seemed to have a passion burning in her eyes. Her gaze did not waiver even once, not even when the others seemed to finally catch up.

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    She would shove the sword¡¯s hilt to Kazius, wanting him to grab it. ¡°You said we are in this together¡­ And you know I love you¡­ And that I do mean it when I say I will get my hands dirty for you¡­ So, promise me¡­ We will kill Lazne and Elande with these swords¡­¡± Alice stated firmly. She wanted revenge and more.

    Kazius was surprised, he didn¡¯t expect her to so passionately beg for him to kill¡­ Even if it was Elande¡­ But he knew, revenge was something they all wanted¡­ In fact, Kazius wanted so much more than that¡­

    ¡°I promise.¡± Kazius confirmed, accepting the sword. A small smile gracing his features.

    ¡°Of course, I will help.¡± Damon added in a determined manner.

    ¡°Before we take care of my brother¡­ I think we should take care of The Church¡­ Enough is enough. We have the strength. Let¡¯s declare war.¡± Azanor stated in a determined manner. The Demon would then look at Eve. Considering the fact that Lazne was alive¡­ Perhaps Eve losing her memories and ending up in a church was not a coincidence. Along with anger, Azanor likely wanted answers for the state his wife was in. Even if she may never regain her memories.

    ¡°We risk being weakened by starting a war right before another¡­ But letting these people be is not a luxury we have¡­ I also believe we should go to war¡­¡± Sakura admitted in a calmer matter, but also seeming upset.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy, war with Ratier means war with Zelphar and Thimdur too¡­ But I refuse to let them keep their power¡­ They shouldn¡¯t have even gotten it to begin with.¡± Azanor added with a frown. His bitterness would radiate from every word.

    ¡°They are mean.¡± Eve seemed to agree with him quite eagerly.

    ¡°We¡¯ve fought a war before¡­ And Vargstam has been taking fighting more seriously since then¡­ They are not the same army they were when we fought the Frost Giants. We should attack on a full moon and I will prove it to you.¡± Damon stated firmly, clearly losing his hesitation to use the power in his blood¡­ Whether he was over his issues with his father¡­ Or simply he had changed along with Kazius, it was uncertain.

    ¡°Blossom now has food¡­ And control was not lost thanks to you, we¡¯ve found little need for an army, but the guard is the size of an army. My father was very strict on security. They would be happy to be of use to their new king.¡± Sakura would add.

    ¡°Yes¡­ That is good¡­ But that won¡¯t be enough¡­ We don¡¯t have cities like Ratier, none that big anyway¡­ They also have better weapons¡­ 31 Edicts other than Elande, who oversees that elite group. There are also 18 disciples close to that power¡­ I was almost one, so I know this. Our army could destroy their army easily, but Edicts and their disciples would be too much for them. If it is us, that is another question¡­ We ourselves need to be able to handle so much more¡­ I believe Alice and I have grown strong enough to kill Elande¡­ Do you have that confidence?¡±  Kazius questioned.

    ¡°I have not slacked off.¡± Damon responded firmly. ¡°I could lose an arm and I still wouldn¡¯t lose¡­¡±

    Azanor looked troubled at the question, seeming to have mixed thoughts, ¡°Perhaps not¡­ But¡­ Give me a week¡­ I will go to Rowan and scout Zelphar and Thimdur¡­ Then¡­ Then in a week¡¯s time I will have the power I need.¡± He finally would agree, looking solemn as he said this. It was not hard for Kazius to realize what he planned to do.

    The whole group had sacrificed a lot for power. Whether through loss or something else¡­ And it seemed Azanor intended to abandon one of his principles to do the same. A rule he had not broken since he met Eve, before she lost her memories. Rowan and Shadow Fiends was plenty to investigate the two countries¡­ But Azanor intended to go there as well¡­

    He intended to eat a soul.

    Kazius nodded at this. I he had that type of resolve; he would not stop him. He cared about Azanor, but Kazius was who he was for similar reasons. He would then look at Eve and Sakura.

    ¡°I am strong enough. You will see!¡± Eve stated eagerly, her first clenched to show her determination.

    ¡°I may not look it because I would not raise a hand against the people in blossom¡­ But I am quite strong¡­¡± Sakura would add firmly.

    ¡°Good¡­ then we will not have a war¡­ No¡­. take a good look around what is left of this place¡­¡± Kazius stated as he gestures at the ashes, ¡°When this is all over¡­ You won¡¯t be able tell the difference between this place and the Kingdoms. I can promise you that.¡±

    At this the others would cheer; a fire was light within them. Whether the fire would burn them along with their enemies¡­ That much wasn¡¯t clear.

    ¡°The Remus Empire will have it¡¯s revenge!¡± Kazius shouted. Yes¡­ Revenge¡­. The notion brought malicious glee into his heart.

 Special Chapter: Demon

    Azanor knew what it was like to feel hopeless, what it was like to feel at the top of the world, and what it was like to feel loved. He had not thought much of eating souls, it was means to gain power¡­ And he did not see mortals as his equal¡­ At least not at first.

    He knew he was different from other Demons his whole life, after all, he was someone related to the first Demon King, the very creator of the Abyss, the purest of pure Demon bloods. It made sense his brother Velron and him were special. Unlike with his sister, Rune, who was born from a simple concubine, Velron and Azanor were born from the same mother. The Queen with blood second in pureness only to their father.

    Despite the fact they were Demons and they were competing for the throne, Azanor and Velron were close. They looked for souls together, they tormented mortals together¡­ They were inseparable. Their rivalry seemed to only deepen their brotherly connection¡­ But¡­ As time passed, their differences only grew all the more clearer.

    Velron was the only Wrath Demon. To gain the strength that Azanor gained from 1 soul¡­ Velron needed to eat 100 sometimes even 1,000 souls. Unlike Azanor though, Velron would soon discover that he didn¡¯t need to make a deal with a mortal to eat their soul¡­ He could just take what he wanted¡­

    Of course, not wanting to be left in the dust¡­ And knowing the only way for a Demon to grow stronger was to eat souls¡­ Azanor in turn continued to make deal after deal¡­ Until one day¡­ Azanor could no longer recognize himself. He was drowning in the sea of memories that he consumed¡­ Was he even Azanor? Who is Azanor? Was he the friendly neighborhood baker that would do anything to lift his family from poverty? Or maybe the wondering Adventurer that wanted to master the sword at any cost?

    He honestly didn¡¯t know.

    Azanor was disgusted¡­ At the end of the day, he was Demon that thrived from stealing from others¡­ He didn¡¯t bring anyone permanent happiness, he only stole. As a Demon he could not do anything other than steal. He was a Monster¡­ One that scared even himself.

    Azanor found himself unable to cope with the situation. He was disgusted with himself, his brother who stole souls without even attempting to give anything in return¡­

    He gave up on ever becoming Demon King, he didn¡¯t want it. At first he was lost¡­ Until he met the love of his life¡­ With her he was able to feel like a person¡­ More than just a beast. She taught him many things¡­ After all, she was something with the potential to be so much more frightening than he could ever be¡­ Yet that did not define who she was¡­ And she made sure he understood that what he was did not define him¡­

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    He was in Heaven¡­ At least the closest thing to that a Demon could ever get, after all, he did not have a soul of his own. Something every other type of being had.

    The more he lived among mortals the more he realized he had to stop his brother from doing what he pleased¡­ And he paid a heavy price for it and was betrayed heavily by his friends in the process.

    Lies¡­ Eating Souls¡­ It wasn¡¯t who he wanted to be¡­

    Finally, Azanor had gotten friends that understood him, that he didn¡¯t have to use sarcasm to keep them at a distance¡­ Friends he wanted to protect¡­ Friends that promised to save the world from his brother¡­ But the appeal of darkness is an immense one¡­ And the power to protect came with a price¡­ First it was Kazius¡­ Their emotional support¡­  Then Damon and Alice¡­ They too lost part of themselves once Kazius changed.

    Then there was his wife¡­ Eve¡­ He loved her more than anything in their world, she was no longer the Eve he knew¡­ Yet he at least had her by his side¡­ Despite failing to protect her once before.

    Yet even now¡­ He was weak.

    He nearly lost her again¡­ And his friends as well¡­ In fact due to his weakness he could not protect his oldest friend.

    He spoke of becoming terrible along with his friends¡­ In order to gain the power to protect¡­ Yet weak he remained¡­ Azanor was not paying his fair share of the price¡­ And if this continued, it was only a matter of time before he lost truly everything.

    So, with permission of his new King¡­ And friend¡­ Azanor traveled to Zelphar with Eve and Rowan¡­ Reconnaissance was easy¡­ But what he actually came here to do was not.

    Rowan tried talking him out of it¡­ And even Eve could tell something was wrong¡­ But¡­ That wouldn¡¯t stop him¡­ Not now, not in a Kingdom that was made due to his own cowardice and mistakes¡­

    At the end of the day¡­ Azanor was a Demon¡­ And he could only gain power by stealing from others.

    And steal he would.

    ¡­.

    ¡­.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Azanor would mutter, the sound of blood dripping to the floor was audible as he impaled the elf¡¯s chest. A disgusting squelch could be heard as he removed his hand from the wound, the body collapsing loudly before he reached for it with his bloodied hand. ¡°I kept my promise¡­ Didn¡¯t I? The deal we made was fair¡­ I didn¡¯t trick you¡­ I only told the truth¡­ So please¡­ Please forgive me¡­¡± Azanor muttered more to himself than the soul, his crimson eyes glowing in the darkness along with the glowing blue soul in his hand. With that, he would place the orb in his mouth, swallowing it hole. He shook, his face contorting in agony as new memories flooded him.

    By the time it subsided Azanor was left with his shoulders quivering and shaking, tears silently streaming down his cheeks. ¡°No¡­ That¡­ That won¡¯t be enough¡­ I need¡­ More¡­¡±

 Chapter 65: The Council

    The newly founded Kingdom of Remus went through quite the few changes upon their new found thirst for war. The informal meetings between Kazius and his friends became a more formalized meeting labelled The Council. Their members were expanded to also include Caleb, who was more than shocked at the sight of Damon when he showed up due to Kazius sending him a letter directing for his appearance.

    Caleb¡¯s yellow eyes would widen once he spotted Damon. Who was sitting in the council table. He was looking over a paper, reading a report written by Azanor about Zelphar. Sakura has patiently sat down with the Werewolf and taught him.

    Caleb immediately dropped the new staff he held, likely something he had crafted himself while working on gaining more strength. It seemed he succeeded, the Half-Elf practically radiated magic. He was related to Zelphar, that much was certain.

    ¡°Damon! What happened to you!?¡± Caleb exclaimed in horror, ¡°Your eye¡­ And you can read!?¡± He trailed off, giving his brother a hug and then a concerned look over. He was more than shocked.

    Damon shook his head, ¡°I wasn¡¯t strong enough¡­ and I paid for it¡­ You shouldn¡¯t worry.¡± He stated simply, the seriousness in his demeanor throwing Caleb off quite a bit. It was like his brother was a different person. He slightly returned the hug, but it was clear his goofy cry baby younger brother had changed.

    Caleb would then look at Kazius, his king that was once the picture of friendliness now radiated quite the intimidating aura¡­ Looking at Kazius was almost like looking into a void, one that looked right back at you.

    The others too¡­ Alice¡¯s appearance¡­ Aside how her hair was now last her butt in length, her purple eyes that were so innocent before seemed to hold a cruelness to her gaze.

    Then there was Azanor¡­ The Demon was sly looking sure, but once you knew him, he was not that frightening¡­ Though now¡­ He gave off quite the frightening vibe. His horns were longer and sharper looking, his hair a bit longer, all of his teeth looked razor sharp and pointed, much like a shark¡¯s. He attempted to give Caleb a slight friendly smile in acknowledgement as well as wave with his clawed hands, but poor Caleb like he was ready to keel over.

    There was even an actual Dragon in the room¡­

    ¡°Sit down, Caleb. You are right on time¡­ We are just about to start¡­ I am pleased to see you have made progress¡­. Good¡­ We will need a skilled caster.¡± Kazius stated with a warm smile at the wizard, the smile only seeming to make Caleb shake.

    He truly was quite the timid person¡­ Something Kazius hoped would change.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡± Kazius added, getting the attention of everyone in the room. The meeting

    How does one go about starting a war in the most favorable matter? That is the question Kazius and his friends found themselves asking. Things were in quite a favorable situation, even though complicated. The moment war broke out, the 3 kingdoms would be in chaos. Kazius knew just how in the dark about the outside world the citizens in the kingdoms were kept. They believed death was the only thing that awaited them outside¡­ And to some extent, he supposed that such a thing was the case. Except for Veleno, the city of metal, the territory bordering Ratier, Thimdur, and Zelphar was his.

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    Of course, Kazius intended to make Veleno submit to him as well, but with Veleno in the way and the chance of a misunderstanding¡­ Kazius decided starting anything in Thimdur would be idiotic. If anything, if Thimdur panicked and attacked Veleno, that would be the most favorable thing¡­

    ¡°Since we will be doing this, we should profit as much as we can from it¡­ We should coax Thimdur into attacking Veleno. Plant seeds for the future to get them on our side.¡± Vidir suggested gleefully.

    Sakura frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t find that very ethical¡­ But I suppose considering who our enemies are¡­ If that is what our King wishes to do, I will not question it.¡± She stated simply. After all, Sakura regarded Kazius with a lot of loyalty and respect.

    ¡°Then that is what we will do.¡± Kazius confirmed.

    Then there was the issue of the Edict Knights¡­ Zelphar and Thimdur had nothing like them¡­ They could create quite the mess of things¡­ But if they had to travel¡­ And go protect Zelphar¡­ That in itself would work as a way to split their forces to keep them at bay¡­

    ¡°If a distraction is what we need, why not use the biggest one we have?¡± Azanor explained as he pointed to Vidir, grinning sightly at his own words. The idea of watching Zelphar burn seemed to delight him.

    Green Dragons were not known for their strength¡­ But that did not make them weak, specially an Ancient like Vidir¡­ In his true form, indeed Vidir could be quite distracting.

    ¡°I-If¡­ If you need distracting¡­ I know some spell that could help with that¡­¡± Caleb timidly spoke up, practically trying to sink into his chair. He was very intimidated by the group.

    Kazius studied him as if seeing his every weakness, pleased he at least worked up the nerve to speak up. ¡°You will ride on Vidir¡¯s back and make the biggest distraction you can. Azanor, once Edicts start actually showing up, I will have you and Eve deal with them.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Vidir questioned with a frown. Clearly not pleased with the idea of being ridden like some mount.

    ¡°W-What?¡± Caleb would question, looking like he very much regretted speaking up.

    ¡°Did I stutter?¡± Kazius questioned with a raised brow, his gaze firm and cold. ¡°You two will work together to create a decoy¡­ Azanor and Eve will make sure you don¡¯t die if things go South. I trust Azanor can kill any Edicts that show up, I doubt Elande himself will go deal with you¡­ Not with what Alice and I intend to do¡­ Each of you will have a shadow fiend in your shadow so that we can communicate¡­ Darkness is everywhere¡­¡± He stated, sounding pleased with himself. The goals of both Seselis and Kazius were starting to be fulfilled, that was something all of him could agree with.

    ¡°Once your distraction is in place, Alice will take care of the Ratier Army¡­ While I go to the Temple of the Oracle to kill Lazne. Damon and Sakura will set up an ambush for any Edicts that try and move between the Thimdur and Zelphar borders with Ratier. Rowan¡­ Your task is to start rumors in Thimdur that there will be an upcoming attack from a city of Monsters filled with snake creatures¡­ Do you think you can do it? You can become a Dwarf can¡¯t you?¡± Kazius would continue before looking at the Shapeshifter.

    ¡°Who do you think I am? Of course, I can.¡± Rowan stated with a coy grin as he changed into a short, bearded Dwarf. ¡°Underhanded perhaps, but I would never pass up the opportunity to make Thimdur pay¡­ Dead or not¡­ They all don¡¯t deserve their legacy.¡±

    ¡°Good¡­ In that case¡­ You all have your tasks¡­ We will bring them down in one day¡­¡± Kazius stated contently.

    And we won¡¯t stop there¡­

 Chapter 66: Massacre Part I

    Soon time to set the plan in motion had come. Twilight had barely set in Zelphar as Vidir and Caleb approached the Elves¡¯ very capital by air. They avoided detection due to a cloaking spell from Caleb combined with aid from shadow fiends Kazius had sent with them.

    Vidir felt rather humiliated to say the least, he was forced to carry the nervous wizard that only seemed more nervous at Vidir¡¯s blatant discontent. Caleb looked like he really would rather be doing anything else other than ride the Green Dragon.

    ¡°You better do some properly flashy spell and get this over quickly.¡± Vidir grumbled out.

    ¡°Y-Yes, Sir Dragon Sir¡­¡± Caleb managed out as he shook. The poor wizard was full of anxiety. He both did not want to disappoint his friends, but felt they had become such terrifying people that it was also worrying him at the idea of failing. He was sweating bullets as they approached the Elven Palace, likely the place his own father once called home.

    Did he have any relatives living there? What were they like? Such questions soon became pointless. Since while Caleb had been frozen and sweating bullets, Vidir decided to start on his own before people could react to his presence in the sky. Sure, Vidir was smaller than other Ancient Dragons¡­ But in the end Dragon Fire was Dragon Fire. With a mighty breath, the Palace soon began to become nothing but a black smoldering pile of rubble, the cloaking fading as he did this.

    For all their secrets and plots, the 3 Kingdoms would find themselves unprepared for what was to come.

    As the fire would soon spread while Vidir let out a loud roar to get the attention of any survivors. The chaos and screams that would follow could not distract him. As nervous and anxious as he was, it was time he corrected his father¡¯s mistake.

    Caleb would hold onto Vidir with one hand for dear life while the other held his staff. Something that got attention¡­ Flashy¡­ Distracting¡­ Despite his stage fright, Caleb would manage to focus. ¡°Ildvind¡± Caleb would state calmly with a circular motion with his staff.

    Nervous mess or not, Caleb had truly improved his magic. It was not a long incantation, but rather one word laced with power from Vargstam¡¯s own culture combined with the mana of a wizard. A true blend of his heritage, his own new magic. The results would speak for themselves. The fire that spread by Vidir would get sucked up in a circular motion, the wind created by the fire only growing stronger and faster. Before long not only was Zelphar on fire, but it only got worse every second as a giant fire pillar that penetrated the very skies would begin to move across the Earth, carving out a path that left not even ash. The once darkened sky now red and orange, bright as if it was still day out.

    Something like this¡­ Forget news spreading¡­ Something like that could likely be seen from Ratier.

    At the sight of the spell, even Vidir was impressed, ¡°Not bad, Wizard.¡± He complimented.

    Caleb laughed nervously at the praise, unable to believe what he had done even himself, ¡°Do you think that is distracting enough?¡±

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    As chaos ensued, indeed the pillar of fire was something visible from far away. Damon and Sakura were waiting uphill, hiding within sight of the forest between Ratier and Zelphar, the path Kazius theorized the most reinforcements would move from¡­ Including Edicts.

    Damon would nod to himself, a hint of a smile on his face at the sight of his brother¡¯s handy work. ¡°Seems like Caleb did a good job.¡± He mused with a light laugh. It somewhat resembled his typical laugh, but it was so quiet and far from as joyous.

    ¡°Your brother does seem like a good mage¡­ And like he cares about you¡­ He is worried about you, you know? I don¡¯t know what you were like before we met, but he believes you have changed¡­Despite everything you told me, he loves you.¡± Sakura would add with a delicate smile, she was still quite the calm person, but she felt more free since she met the group and spent more time with Damon.

    ¡°I know that¡­ But at the end of the day, I killed Luna¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter whether she deserved it or not¡­ My father killed his¡­ His mother died due to the sadness I brought her¡­ And now I killed his sister¡­ He has every reason to hate me, Sakura. It is best I keep my distance.¡± Damon stated simply as he kept looking off into the distance for any reinforcement that may come. After all, he had a job to do.

    ¡°Luna was going to kill him along with your people. I don¡¯t believe Caleb feels the same way.¡± Sakura stated with concern.

    Damon was silent at her words. Keeping a lookout, but he did look away for a bit to look at Sakura, ¡°Maybe¡­ But even then¡­ I can¡¯t face him, Sakura. I just can¡¯t.¡±

    Sakura smiled warmly at him, ¡°Maybe after this is over you should have a talk with him¡­ We can do this, alright? In the meantime¡­ How about I give you a good luck charm?¡± She suggested. Before he had time to react, Sakura leaned in and gave him a simple kiss by tugging him down. It was quick and only possible because the woman was also quite tall herself. Damon stared at her, flustered and dumfounded.

    ¡°I will go make sure I get any that try and run back to Ratier¡­¡± Sakura stated with a coy smile before she walked off.

    Damon would simply watch, not saying anything else. He had little time to focus on what just happened though, since he finally could see them¡­ People wearing similar armor to that of Elande¡­ And regular knights along with them.

    Damon frowned, hatred bubbling within him, but he remained calm in the exterior. He had trained for a reason¡­ And understood something about his powers and his spear¡­ The spear Kazius had changed.

    The blessing of the Vind was truly gone from the spear and replaced with Kazius¡¯ own mark¡­ Something Damon had been somewhat unsure of what that would change¡­ But now he knew the potential of such a thing¡­ As if to makeup for the power lost in the spear¡­ Damon¡¯s wind abilities had also increased¡­

    Damon intended on making good use of what he had learned. He would return them the grief the Edicts caused them tenfold¡­

    Taking a deep breath, Damon would grasp his spear. His eyes locking in on the moving group. From this distance they looked almost like simple ants. But this¡­ This distance was something Damon could manage.

    Tightening his grip, with a swift motion, too fast for most to see¡­ Damon would throw his spear with all his might. He was using what he learned from the war against the Frost Giants¡­ Except now this was something he could now do on his own. Damon would use his wind powers on the black spear. The spear would keep accelerating and accelerating¡­ Until finally the place where the Edicts were making their way¡­

    A loud thunder like roar could be heard, the wind intensifying due to the force, as a dust cloud began to rise where the spear had hit¡­

    If he didn''t understand what the blessing of the Shadows meant¡­ That would be the end of it¡­ But his spear was far from lost¡­

    Over at the impact zone, his spear would sink into it¡¯s own shadow, rising slowly out of Damon¡¯s own shadow¡­

    And then Damon did it again¡­ And again¡­ And again¡­

    Loud explosion after explosion could be heard as Damon unleashed his pent up rage on the unsuspecting knights.

    For a moment as he did this¡­ He could not help but crack a grin, a twisted smirk soon gracing his features¡­ This power¡­ It was not bad at all¡­

 Chapter 67: Massacre Part II

    Alice and Kazius were hidden in the shadows, standing on the roof of a building in Layton, the capital of  Ratier. The fiery light in the sky¡­ Indeed, Caleb had done his job. It was something of beauty, though also something that had the populace of Ratier frozen in fear. In their ignorance, many believed this was a sort of reckoning caused by angering the Oracle God.

    Panic showed in Ratier just as much as in Zelphar.

    So much so that Ratier was rallying their extensive army. Even Edicts were running around to provide reinforcements and direct the army. The commanding Edicts that were directing the soldiers looked to be of high rank.

    There were also clearly some Edicts that were going ahead to Zelphar without the army though. From the looks of it, they appeared to be mostly lower ranked Edicts and Apprentices¡­ But there were some among the ones leaving that looked strong¡­

    Yet there was no sign of Elande¡­

    Kazius waited, coldly studying the situation as Ratier continued to prepare to mobilize their army.

    Their reaction was so much faster than what had occurred when he was a Knight¡­ The incident with the Orcs that changed his life¡­ Almost like they wanted the Orcs to pillage the city back then. If Kazius remembered correctly¡­ They had been looking for something¡­ It was interesting¡­ It was beginning to look more and more like the Edicts allowed such an event to happen¡­ But why? Then again, that was not something he would bother dwelling on at the moment.

    Alice would watch the Knights, her expression souring as she looked on at the rallying army and the castle in the distance.

    ¡°Feeling nostalgic, my love?¡± Kazius questioned with a raised brow.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Alice stated with a sigh, sneering at the sight of the castle in the distance, her former home. ¡°I just want this eyesore gone.¡± She admitted, bitterness ringing in her voice.

    These people who once loved her yet cheered for her execution¡­ Elande¡­ The Church¡­ The Knights¡­  They stole everything from her. They stole her best friend¡­ Her parents¡­ Her grandpa¡­ And to some extent, even Kazius and her friends. Things would never be the same¡­ And she had accepted that¡­

    She would live a new life¡­

    One where she wasn¡¯t afraid to take¡­ And would be willing to commit every atrocity she could to get what she wanted. She refused to lose anything ever again.

    ¡°And we will. Don¡¯t worry¡­¡± Kazius assured, taking her hands in his and kissing the back of them. The very hands that have aided him in doing all sorts of things.

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    ¡°Then let¡¯s get started¡­ I believe we¡¯ve waited long enough¡­ You¡¯re going to go find Lazne, right? If you see Elande in the process¡­ Please try and not to kill him until I catch up¡­ Leave this army to me¡­ I think other than the first set of reinforcements¡­ This should be all of them. I won¡¯t let them go. They will get no mercy from me.¡± Alice stated bitterly.

    ¡°Of course, we will kill him together. I promise.¡± Kazius stated with a smirk, eagerness on his face. The two were indeed very different people than the ones that had left this kingdom.

    The righteous Knight and scared Princess were not here.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Alice stated with a warm smile, one not all too different from the one Kazius had at times. She had picked up a few of his nasty habits¡­ But she no longer cared¡­ After today, she would no longer look back.

    With that, Kazius would disappear into the shadows, leaving Alice to handle the situation.

    Ratier¡¯s army was far from small. Compared to the army of the Frost Giants, that had been only 1,000¡­ Ratier¡¯s army stood at an impressive 15,000¡­ And some of the numbers mixed in were Edicts¡­ Trained and disciplined¡­ This was an army that Alice had once been proud of¡­ But now it was her job to take care of them on her own unlike with the Frost Giants, which took all of her friends working together to defeat.

    Alice moved to a higher point, able to see the gathering of Knights that filled the streets and the front courtyard of her former home¡­ Her friends had gotten stronger¡­ And so had she. This was something she could manage¡­ She was no longer a some little Princess, she would be a Queen.

    Alice would extend out her hands, her violet eyes could see it¡­ Every bit of metal that all these knights were wearing¡­ Blades they were holdings¡­ She could sense it.

    She was more than a descendant of Ratier¡­ She would show what her family¡¯s ability could really do¡­ Her eyes would begin to glow, purple light filling her eyes fully as she focused¡­ And then suddenly the city of Lazne was being lit in purple. Every blade, every bit of metal with a point would begin to tremble, shaking violently, throwing the army into chaos.

    Before they could react though, their fate had been sealed. Alice would close her right hand into a fist and then moved it rapidly to the right¡­ When this occurred¡­ All the weapons of the army would fly out. All weapons in the city soon joining it. Anything with a point would join the pile.

    Soon¡­  A shimmering wave of metal could soon be seen in the sky, the flowing and flying weapons too numerous to even count. This wave that moved like water¡­ Would soon begin to rapidly flow through every street, moving around quickly and repeatedly. It did not matter that they had armor on, the result of Alice¡¯s Rain of Blades was not something you could run from.

    Before Alice knew it, she would stop¡­ She panted, a trail of blood coming down her nose. She quickly rubbed it off with the back of her hand, studying her handy work with a cold expression. Layton looked like it had gone through a shredder. The city painted red with her victims. She understood what Kazius meant now¡­ This would be a Massacre, not a war¡­

    Her thoughts would be quickly interrupted though¡­ Edicts making it onto the roof. It seems she had been noticed. These Edicts did not look like small fry¡­ In fact¡­ She recalled seeing them with Elande in the past.

    Alice could not help but gain a wide wicked grin as she turned to face the Knights. Her violet eyes shone a bit as she stared them down with a delight, she did not know was possible within her.

    ¡°Well¡­ Hello there¡­ About time you greet your Queen. You are all quite rude to keep me waiting, you know? I do hope you keep me entertained longer than your friends did.¡± She giggled out.

 Chapter 68: Thank You

    Kazius had managed to sneak into the Cathedral. They had all kinds of traps and the like, but it seems the Church as far from prepared for someone with his abilities. There were a lot of guard though, Edicts at that. It seemed a good chunk had staid to guard this place¡­ Lazne and Elande had to be here somewhere¡­

    There was also another fact that as strange.  While the area of the 3 kingdoms was low on Mana in the air¡­ Kazius could sense a rapid concentrated increase towards the lower floors¡­ It was too big of a change to not notice, to someone sensitive to it, it felt like a strange gust of wind.

    Below is where he would go¡­ But he didn¡¯t like the idea of leaving any Edict Knights breathing¡­ Specially since among those standing guard were his former friends, Leo and Alex. Wasting time with them would be satisfying, incredibly so. But then he would risk letting Elande and Lazne flee¡­ That was something he could not tolerate.

    That didn¡¯t mean he would allow them to live though, his new toy that Alice and Vidir had helped him create¡­ A new power that he had put all his abilities into creating¡­ It could take care of them and act as a blockade for any reinforcements.

    Making up his mind, Kazius would have the cage made of shadow rise from the darkness. A black essence would creep out the bars, the thick miasma like fog was too thick to see anything into other than hatred filled yellow eyes.

    Kazius would tsk mockingly, ¡°Poor poor Luna¡­ Unable to rest in peace¡­ Forever tormented and tortured in spirit¡­ You will never get any peace nor rest¡­ Seems your anger hasn¡¯t died any¡­ But at least you aren¡¯t screaming like before¡­ You finally realize¡­ Being obedient is the only choice you have. But don¡¯t worry¡­ You won¡¯t be alone in there for long¡­ You see all these Knights¡­ Why don¡¯t you drag them into hell with you? Why should you suffer alone? Put that hatred of yours towards something useful, won¡¯t you?¡± He stated before leaving.

    As he did so, the cage would shake violently, letting out a loud banshee like screech in quite the familiar voice. Of course, this drew the attention of the guards, including Leo and Alex.

    Unluckily for them, the last thing they should have done was approach this cage. The screaming got angrier, bitter, and resentful. Like a beast from Hell throwing a tantrum. The sound itself made the weaker Edicts like Leo and Alex begin to grow deaf.

    Before they could react, the cage would expand, the bars widening as two shadow hands would rapidly rush out and grab one of the knights and drag them in. Two hands became four, then 6¡­ And son on. The screaming and shrieking turned slowly into a chorus of misery and anger that only got louder and louder.

    Soon rather than fighting, the Knights would try to run, only to find darkness had already enveloped the place, doors, windows, it was all gone¡­ From the distance, it was hard to tell who was screaming. Was it the cage? Or was it the living, it was hard to tell for Kazius. One thing was certain, he could not help but smile at the sound.

    His good mood did not last though. After all, he was looking for Lazne and Elande¡­ And the two he found indeed, where he had expected.

    Below the Catheral was quite the structure. It almost reminded Kazius of the construction of the Temple of Mirrors. An old building, too well made to be the work of someone like the scammer Lazne. It was ruins, the walls full of tubes made of Mithril that glowed an odd blue just like all the walls in the room¡­ The Mana in this room was unlike anything Kazius had felt. Waking around was almost like being submerged in water and walking in the bottom of a lake.

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    Almost all the tubes of Mithril were plugged into the back of a man that stood in the center. His hair was a purer white shade than Elande, his eyes glowing a piercing blue. Speaking of Elande¡­ The Knight was there next to him¡­ The two looked a lot like each other¡­ So this was Lazne¡­

    Looking into this room¡­ and the structures¡­ Even though Seselis had never seen anything like this¡­ Someone as long lived as him could figure out what this place was for¡­ This is likely where all the mana in the air for the area went¡­ This place absorbed it¡­ And then pumped it into people like Lazne and Elande¡­ The Edicts¡­ The lower mana in the air meant that the people in Ratier, Zelphar, and Thimdur were born weaker and weaker with less mana for them to draw power from¡­ And were thus easier to control¡­ While the Edicts grew powerful and prolonged their lives.

    Had they not messed with Kazius, he would have found the scheme impressive.

    ¡°It seems I found two leaches down here¡­ How unsightly.¡± Kazius stated.

    ¡°Well well well¡­ You have a of nerve coming here¡­ So kind of you to save us the trouble of looking for you. This is the gnat I told you about, father. Look at him, grey skinned¡­ Pale¡­ Did I smack you around too much last time that you grew ill? Let me put you out of your misery.¡± Elande stated with a grin.

    Elande would move with a speed far too fast for the average person to catch. The Edict Knight, aiming a kick to Kazius¡¯ face¡­ But Kazius was not the average person. He caught Elande¡¯s foot with ease. Elande¡¯s grin would quickly turn into a frown. As this occurred, Kazius¡¯ own smile would only grow wider¡­ It was a warm expression, but the wicked delight behind was not hidden well at all.

    Elande attempted to take back his leg, but would find himself unable to move it. Kazius intended to put pressure on it and snap it, but would end up letting go and moving to the side to avoid an energy blast of pure mana.

    After all, Lazne was a magic user. One hooked up to what seemed to be a pure mana source¡­ His attacks were far from weak despite his actual competence. Even in his mediocrity, in the state he was in, he was far from weak.

    ¡°Well aren¡¯t you a rude one, Lazne¡­¡± Kazius stated.

    ¡°Be careful, Elande¡­ He almost broke your leg¡­ It also seems meddlesome Remus spoke too much before you got to kill him¡­ I expected less sloppy work from you.¡± Lazne warned.

    The two looked angry and irritated. It seems they had not expected to find Kazius at such a strength¡­ Of course, they had the Oracle¡­ But¡­ As Kazius learned in the Temple of Mirrors, if you had no future to see¡­.  Such an artifact was useless.

    ¡°There is only one of me, Father. That meddlesome old acquaintance of yours turned into a Lich out of all things. If anyone had been sloppy, it was you for not making sure he was dead.¡± Elande responded, the two were on edge and it showed¡­ They were nervous.

    Kazius could not help but chuckle, breaking out into laughter, wicked delight filled him at the realization of why they were so on edge. ¡°The Oracle doesn¡¯t work anymore for you, does it? All you see is darkness¡­ Isn¡¯t that the case? The artifact works just fine, you know?¡± He mocked contently.

    ¡°How did you¡­ There is no way Remus would know anything like that!¡± Lazne exclaimed, enraged. Indeed, Kazius¡¯ sudden strength combined with the Oracle not working¡­ It was something that unsettled them.

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you how I know¡­ You have no right to such information¡­ Not when you are so weak¡­  But I will tell you one thing¡­ If you have no future¡­ You won¡¯t see anything¡­ Even someone like you must have figured out something like that¡­ Right?¡± Kazius chuckled out. He wanted to toy with them, at least until Alice got here.

    ¡°Lies! I¡¯ve come too far! I won¡¯t be beaten by a disgusting Monster! You won¡¯t stop my plans!¡± Lazne exclaimed.

    ¡°Enough! There is no way he would have information like that¡­ There is no reason to listen to him.¡± Elande exclaimed. He was so different now¡­ That he was not the one in control¡­ And despite his brave front, Kazius could tell he had gotten into their heads.

    Kazius would chuckle again, ¡°You know¡­ I hate you both quite a lot¡­ Not as much as my beloved hates you, but oh I despise you. You won¡¯t find rest with me around¡­ No¡­ But I also feel like thanking you¡­ You know¡­ You two have a habit on strengthening your enemies¡­ And that includes me¡­ I lost a good number of things because of you. You even took Remus from us¡­ But thanks to you¡­ I am a different person¡­ Literally¡­¡± Kazius trailed off, he did not understand what the two had even been planning with all they did, but after tonight, it wouldn¡¯t matter.

    At these words, Lazne and Elande attacked again. He promised Alice he would wait to kill Elande¡­ But he promised nothing about Lazne¡­ It was time to have some fun.

 Chapter 69: Dirty Tricks

    Lazne and Elande were not the type of people to go down without a fight, but that far from mattered. The once smug and mighty Elande would get thrown around by shadows that emerged from the ground. This of course infuriating Lazne who was now having his son turned into a ragdoll. Thrown so hard against the wall that he coughed up blood.

    Due to his attacks, Lazne would attempt to strike him with pure mana, but would instead keep missing. A good thing too, since while Elande was weak compared to how Kazius was now, even Kazius would not go unscathed if hit by an attack from Lazne. Mana was good, but when thrown around and concentrated like that to charge up spells¡­ It was more corrosive than acid. Sadly, for Lazne though, Kazius was just too fast for him. Lazne could do very little other than watch his son be smacked around.

    ¡°That one if for Alice.¡± Kazius mused in delight. He felt only blood thirst towards the two. ¡°I did promise not to kill you before she got here¡­ But you don¡¯t need both eyes, do you? I bet you would love to match my friend, Damon¡­ I will help you with that.¡±

    His fun with Elande would be interrupted though.

    The whole building seemed to shake; a loud buzzing was audible as mana drained even faster into Lazne. Kazius¡¯ actions had truly pissed off the Wizard. The shaking was violent, to the point the ceiling threatened to cave in, but somehow it held.

    ¡°You have a lot of nerve coming in here and harassing my son, vermin!¡± Lazne roared with rage.

    ¡°That is rich, coming from you. How much did Remus¡¯ family suffer because of you? You will stand there and obediently wait for your turn to die.¡± Kazius responded mockingly at the rage with quite the sneer.

    Just when Kazius had been enjoying himself, toying with the two, Alice had arrived into the room. She rose from a Shadow in the room, allowed to do so with the Shadow Fiend Kazius had attached to her.

    The former Princess had a good amount of blood on her, a wide smile on her face. She looked like she had returned from a peaceful walk on a nice day out. Clearly todays events had lifted some sort of weight off her shoulders.

    ¡°Seems like I made it right in time.¡± Alice mused, having to dodge a sudden attack from Lazne. Thankfully Alice managed to dodge, but she lacked the speed that Kazius had, so it was just barely.

    ¡°Now even the Princess is here¡­¡± Elande mocked despite being in the worse condition out of the group. Despite the beating he had taken from Kazius, he was still standing.

    ¡°You look pathetic.¡± Alice snapped back. It was clear when dealing with Elande she was quite emotional. She changed due to the pain and experiences the group had faced¡­ Yet that did not mean her inner demons went away.

    ¡°Not as pathetic as your parents looked the day they were executed¡­ I think I remember your mother crying out for help¡­ And that Lich¡­ Remus¡­ Oh you should have seen his face-¡± Elande mocked, clearly trying to get a rise out of her.

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    Kazius was angry, but before he could say anything, Alice had rushed at him, her sword changing into several daggers, but even now Elande could fight back against her¡­ Except now it was on even ground. ¡°Leave him to me!¡± Alice exclaimed, determined to be the one that kills Elande.

    Kazius understood why she felt the way she did¡­ And it looked like something she could handle, so he would focus on Lazne. Still, something about this didn¡¯t sit right with him¡­ Then again, what she lacked in speed, she made up with in raw power when it came to her abilities. She would be fine.

    He would go to fight Lazne, going straight for him, intending on finally cutting off Lazne¡¯s source of energy¡­ Lazne seemed to only use this as a chance to charge up further while he could, getting an attack ready.

    Of course, Kazius expected the Wizard to attack him, since he was the one attacking him¡­ But instead, rather than at Kazius, the beam was aimed at Alice. Lazne had waited for her to be in a position where reacting to the attack would not be possible for her¡­ After piecing together her response time with his initial attack when she first got here.

    As realization hit Kazius, he felt a cold chill wash over him.

    Kazius had inherited a lot of traits from Seselis, so much so that it was surprisingly he still insisted on going by the name Kazius. There was still the main thing that made him Kazius though, not his personality or cruelty, but rather how much he cared about his friends¡­ And above all, Alice.

    So while his cold and wicked side yelled to not do it, before Kazius could know what he was doing, he was standing in the way between the blast and her. By then Alice had realized what was happening, turning to see the looming blue light and Kazius standing there in front of her. She could do nothing though, not with Elande attacking her.

    Kazius would face the strike head on, the corrosive light almost encasing him fully despite using Shadows to try and cushion himself. Most of his power was used to shield Alice though, so there was little he could do to defend himself.

    Smoke filled the room along with an odd smell. Almost like burning flesh.

    Lazne would grin at this, laughing maniacally as if he had lost his mind. ¡°So much for no future! Who has no future now! You monsters are nothing but filth! When we are done, you and the Demons will be serving-¡± he exclaimed only to soon freeze.

    The smoke cleared, revealing the silhouette of Kazius, he was still standing.

    Kazius did not have his typical composure. Livid did not begin to even describe how he looked. It was not just his facial expression that was unnerving though¡­

    Kazius stood with a slouch, staggered. Surprisingly enough, there was no blood. Rather than burn or corrode normally, his skin had cracked in some areas on his body. His face alone was having half of it crack and chip away like pottery. Beneath the skin was revealed to be another layer of skin made of shadow like that of a shadow fiend. Very few parts of his skin actually somewhat looked like they had burned, looking red. Where the cracks had formed, black shadow smoke would come out like a boiling kettle.

    Horrified that he was still standing, Lazne and Elande appeared to be taken aback.

    ¡°You knew¡­ I was going to protect her¡­ That was almost clever¡­ Almost¡­¡± Kazius would stated in Shadow Fiend, sounding surprisingly calm despite his rage accenting his words.

    Refusing to let what happened go.

    Kazius would have more darkness envelop him, turning into a Shadow Fiend not too unlike Seselis in appearance before distorting in appearance. He resembled something that truly did crawl out of the darkness.

    The agonizing screams from Lazne were worse than anything the Knights upstairs released. Alice was stunned at the sight, a cruel crunching sound being audible¡­ It was too dark to see what Kazius was doing thanks to the shadows¡­ And perhaps that was for the best.

    Alice seemed to have the situation sink back in for her, realizing she was in the middle of a fight¡­ But Sadly, the distraction had been enough¡­ It was clear after witnessing this¡­ Elande was gone.

 Chapter 70: Standing on Rubble

    ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± Alice told herself in horror and frustration. Elande, he couldn¡¯t get away. He COULDN¡¯T.

    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening.¡± She added. She had waited for revenge for so long¡­ And just like that he was gone without a trace. Where had he gone? She couldn¡¯t go look for him. Not with the state that Kazius was in. He got hurt because of her carelessness. She blamed herself for things going south, but part of her was also honestly surprised.

    Kazius had gotten seriously hurt protecting her. While she knew Kazius originally cared dearly for her¡­ With how much they had both changed, she wasn¡¯t sure if he would be willing to do such a thing for her. She loved Kazius, but she also understood the man he was now was far from who Kazius was¡­ She loved him anyway though. After all, he chose to become who he was for their sake. Understanding his resolve behind his actions, she herself changed to accommodate the kind of person he needed by his side.

    Who Kazius was now though, one could not blame her for thinking he changed so much that he perhaps saw her as a pawn, a piece to possibly sacrifice in the future¡­ But clearly no matter who he was now, Kazius or not¡­ That was far from the case. He truly did love her.

    Alice understood that not looking for Elande may mean finding him would be near impossible anytime soon, but she did not care. Kazius was clearly in pain and as horrifying as he looked, even if he wasn¡¯t Kazius anymore, she would not abandon him.

    She watched him, he continued to mutter things in shadow fiend, disgusting noises audible as he took out his anger on what remained of Lazne. The sound gave her cold chills, but there was also a notable hint of pain in his tone.

    She ran to him. As much as her instincts and body were telling her to go the opposite direction of such a being, she ran straight to him. She wasn¡¯t sure if he was solid or not, or where to even hug, but she managed to reach him and hold on.

    ¡°Kazius, it¡¯s over. Let¡¯s go.¡± She pleaded, wanting to calm him down. He needed to be treated. Getting hit by pure mana clearly did a number on him.

    Kazius paid her little head at first, but did slowly turn to look at her as she kept her hold on him.

    Alice looked quite scared, but she would not let go. ¡°Kazius¡­ Seselis¡­ I don¡¯t care who or what you are... It is okay, I am here. We won¡­ Please calm down and let yourself be treated. You saved me, I will be okay.¡±

    At those words, that seemed to do the trick. Kazius would soon shrink down to a Shadow Fiend appearance and then himself, the cracked skin that showed shadows still there. Alice wasn¡¯t sure any sort of healing magic could fix that.

    Kazius smiled at her warmly, usually as of late it was used to mask his malice, but this smile was different. It was genuine, holding a hint of sadness behind his expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Did I frighten you?¡±

    Alice smiled at that, shaking her head, ¡°Do I look like a frightened little princess to you?¡± She joked despite having been shaking just a bit ago.

    Kazius laughed weakly, ¡°No, never¡­ Frightened little Queen though, maybe.¡± He teased.

    Alice pouted a bit, looking flustered, ¡°At least I know you are okay if you can joke like that. Besides, the King here is you. Ratier won¡¯t exist anymore after today. Though if this is your way of proposing, don¡¯t you dare do so in a joke.¡± She scolded.

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    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± Kazius mused.

    It almost felt like the two had turned back the clock to how they used to be¡­ But there was no going back. The two had changed. And it showed. Alice supported him while passing through their shadows. They began to walk, the bodies and blood in the street was something far from easy to ignore, yet they gave them no mind and instead had quite the lighthearted conversation.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you to Yuki. I¡¯m sure the Shadow Fiends can bring her here to take a look at you.¡± Alice stated. She could still tell he was in a lot of pain that he was trying to mask.

    Thankfully the two did not have to walk long. Indeed the Shadow Fiends would bring Yuki to come take a look at Kazius. The small cat woman was horrified. After all, Kazius¡¯ appearance was far from anything normal. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your highness. I will do the best I can.¡± Yuki assured, getting to work.

    Of course, they were still in Ratier and normal citizens still lived, but the group gave them little mind. The others were meant to gather here¡­ And despite the mana machinery Lazne had been using now being out of commission, it would take time for mana levels in the area to return to normal¡­ That far from meant those that were already born and grew to be a lot weaker would get any stronger though.

    In a way, while Lazne and Elande ensured superior strength compared to their populace¡­ Their actions lead to Humans, Dwarves, and Elves to be able to do anything against their new conquerors.

    Yuki knew strong healing magic, her hands glowing a soothing green, but despite her work, the cracked skin did not heal.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I did my very best.¡± Yuki stated in concern.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Even I am surprised I survived that hit to begin with. I feel much better.¡± Kazius admitted while deep in thought.

    Alice looked relieved as well.

    As they spoke, they could hear people approaching. It was Damon, Sakura, and Rowan. The 3 had met up along the way.

    Rowan looked like he was beaming with impish mischief. Bringing down a kingdom through manipulation alone had likely been fun for the Shapeshifter.

    Damon, who was more serious of a person now, seemed to even be allowing himself a smile. He had taken quite the delight in what he had done.

    Sakura herself seemed content, but was the most reserved out of the two.

    ¡°I assume you bring good news?¡± Kazius questioned.

    ¡°Of course, was there any doubt?¡± Rowan questioned with a wink, but did seem to be studying Kazius.

    ¡°We were successful as well, I feel like I let out some steam.¡± Damon admitted contently before voicing the concern that Sakura and Rowan had hesitated to voice. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Kazius sighed, ¡°Elande got away¡­ His father and him were the ones behind the lack of mana in the air¡­ And they used a machine they had to hit me with it¡­ They almost go Alice. We will have to look through anything he may have left behind to see what they are planning¡­¡± He stated with a frown.

    Alice would frown as well, sighing, ¡°That rat¡­ He won¡¯t get away this time¡­ Though I will admit, it is a little refreshing knowing he is the one running and hiding in fear this time.¡±

    Damon frowned as well, ¡°We will make him pay.¡± He assured firmly, determination and hatred burning in his one eye.

    ¡°We will¡­ I¡¯m surprised Caleb, Vidir, Azanor, and Eve are not here already¡­ Their job was one of the easier ones.¡± Kazius would add, growing concerned. He saw the fire pillar¡­ So thing had clearly gone well with Caleb and supporting him¡­

    Just as the group would wonder on the matter, Vidir could be seen approaching quickly in the air, Caleb on his back¡­ Still no sign of Eve and Azanor though

    As they grew close, their concerned expressions became clearer.

    Descending quickly and landing on a building that was now rubble, Vidir would change form.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alice questioned in confusion.

    ¡°It¡¯s Azanor! He¡¯s having a panic attack and left! I couldn¡¯t stop him! Eve¡­ During the commotion she somehow went missing! She¡¯s gone!¡± Caleb exclaimed.

    ¡°We tried to stop him. That girl¡­ There are few that would be a threat to a being like her¡­ But her state on mind is concerning.¡± Vidir admitted, having realized what Eve was.

    The group paled at the news. Kazius and Damon both specially knew just how terrible and scary this must be for the Demon¡­ They needed to find him¡­ And hopefully Eve as well.

 Chapter 1: Prologue Part 1

    Kazius stirred in his bed, his black hair was a mess as he tossed and turned. When rest still evaded him, he pressed his hard pillow on his own face to try and muffle all the noise. He was barely getting any sleep these days.

    Many of the boys in the Orphanage were often up even an hour before the Priests came in for inspection at 9am. All 20 boys were also locked in the room until said inspection occurred. That together, all meant even if they were up early, any of the boys that woke up early had nothing to do other than disturb the sleep of others.

    That was the case normally, but with the Coming-of-Age Ceremony around the corner, that usual morning energy was more than double.

    ¡°Kazius¡­ Kazius¡­ KAZIUS! Wake up! Come on! I¡¯m bored.¡±

    Kazius groaned, realizing there was little point in trying to get any extra sleep at this point. When Alex was up, such a thing went down the drain. He removed the pillow in defeat, sitting up slowly, his tired wine-red eyes meeting energetic green ones.

    ¡°Finally! Geez, how are we both supposed to become Knights together if you keep sleeping in like that, Kazius? The Oracle can tell if you are too lazy, you know?¡± Alex scolded playfully. The blonde would immediately give him a noogie once he had sat up, messing up his hair even more than it already was.

    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s no fair!¡± Kazius exclaimed, struggling in the head lock.

    They would rough house until Kazius would manage to flip the position, overpowering Alex with some ease.

    ¡°Oh yeah? Last time I checked, even when you surprise me, I kick your butt! Who knows, maybe if you ask nicely, I will make you my squire!¡± Kazius retorted back playfully before letting go.

    ¡°Nuh uh, if anyone is going to be anyone¡¯s squire, it¡¯s you!¡± Alex laughed out, only to grin wider, ¡°Though to be honest, it doesn¡¯t matter. As long as we keep our promise. We just have to go to the Knight Academy together. We have to! Then we can be brothers forever!¡±

    ¡°We are already brothers, Alex. I am sure The Oracle will help us be the greatest Knights ever!¡± Kazius beamed, the two exchanging determined nods.

    The two would talk and get dressed, many of the boys already doing so. They would change from their old worn white pajamas to their slightly nicer white shirts and white dress pants. Once done with that, they would promptly make their beds look as neat as they could. Despite the worn and hole filled blankets, all the boys had gotten quite good at doing so over the years. So, they were surprisingly successful at the task.

    They had to be.

    Just as they spoke, the brown wooden doors in the plain white room were opened by a male Priest wearing a white robe with blue accents and gold lining. In the center was a symbol of a crystal orb on a pedestal. The robes were elegant, spotless, and of the highest quality. His long brown hair was neat, his brown eyes dull with boredom. His face was long and thin. It looked like it had never shown happiness in his entire life.

    The young Priest held a stoic look as he surveyed the room. He studied the boys, all of which were up by now. His eyes would go from child to child and then surveyed the cramped room, paying little mind to the cracks on the walls and windows.

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    The Priest kept inspecting everything with his eyes, not saying anything, but he didn¡¯t have to. All the boys would line up quickly, not wanting to be standing out of line by the time his inspection was done. Kazius and Alex didn¡¯t waste time especially. They both feared upsetting High Priest Jordan. He held a prestigious position when it came to maintaining the Orphanage in Layton, the heart of the Kingdom of Ratier. If they wanted to be Knights, they had to be on his good side.

    Finally, the Priest spoke. Not bothering to greet the children and instead talked about what he cared about, as usual.

    ¡°It seems you all settled down on your own, good. The Oracle despises disobedient children¡­ You all do understand the importance of the next few days. I will not tolerate the slightest mistake¡­ The slightest infraction is a direct insult to The Oracle, starting today¡­¡± The Priest trailed off, his eyes darting to one of the shorter boys.

    It was hard to hear, but Kazius could make out a faint whisper. It sounded like the shorter boy was trying to warn the one next to him about tucking in his shirt. Something High Priest Jordan was very particular about.

    ¡°You¡­ Derek and Gabe¡­ Is something that I said amusing to you?¡±

    ¡°N-No, S-Sir. I was j-just trying to tell Gabe about his shirt.¡± Derek muttered meekly in horror as he realized his mistake.

    ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t saying anything, Sir.¡± Gabe attempted to explain while frantically tucking in his shirt.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± High Priest Jordan began, growing silent for a bit, the silence was worse than any yelling.

    Kazius found himself fearing for the two boys but would not dare move. Instead, he looked at the events out of the corner of his eye.

    Finally High Priest Jordan spoke up again.

    ¡°You know¡­ Some of you children were left at our doorstep likely due to what an honor it is to be raised by the Church¡­ While some of you¡­Were abandoned, not wanted by even your own parents¡­ Seeing both of your behavior¡­ It is easy to tell which was the case for both of you.¡± The Priest stated dryly. His cold gaze never warmed.

    The two boys looked at the border of tears.

    ¡°You have some nerve acting up the day before The Oracle decides your fate¡­ The Coming-of-Age Ceremony is of the up most importance to The Church and the rest of your pathetic little lives¡­ How dare you spit on the kindness The Church and I have shown you¡­ Clearly, I¡¯ve been too lenient¡­ Go see Priestess Rosette for discipline.¡±

    Kazius shivered. A caning was considered lucky if you got sent to Priestess Rosette. It seemed excessive to him¡­ But Kazius would never dare question the will of The Oracle¡­ It was as High Priest Jordan said¡­ They were lucky and honored by being raised by The Church¡­ Kazius wanted to repay that kindness from The Church and The Kingdom of Ratier that funded it¡­ Both Alex and him wanted to, that is part of why they wanted to become Knights together.

    Still, it would be a lie if he said moments like this didn¡¯t make him sometimes question The Church¡­

    ¡®No Kazius, don¡¯t think like that. High Priest Jordan only does things for our own good.¡¯ He assured himself mentally.

    After all, he raised them all and kept them together. Thanks to that, despite having no parents, Kazius felt he still had a brother with Alex. That was good enough for him.

    With those thoughts in mind, Kazius kept reassuring himself. He watched as the crying boys hesitantly walked away. If they did not go willingly, things would only be worse for them.

    Once it was quiet again, High Priest Jordan looked pleased.

    ¡°Good, it seems you boys have some discipline¡­ The Oracle may choose a good future for you just yet¡­ Now¡­ Rejoice, today is a fun day.¡±

    Despite his words, any joy left in the children¡¯s faces was nowhere to be seen. While they were all likely excited for tomorrow, they would not dare show it in front of High Priest Jordan.

    ¡°I came here to make an announcement on today and the following days. The Princess of Ratier is also turning 15 with all of you. There will be a parade before she has her Coming-of-Age Ceremony today, to kick things off. Then tomorrow, you kids will be the follow up event. You all have a rare honor, your Ceremony is second only to the Princess¡¯, but before all the other children from across the kingdom. I trust you all will not embarrass me and be in your best behavior during the upcoming events.¡± High Priest Jordan stated, breaking his indifferent cold expression and allowed his eyes to narrow.

    ¡°That is all I wish to say. Follow Priestess Merilyn to breakfast. I will see you at the parade. I cannot waste any more time with you. I have other rooms to go to.¡± He informed them, walking away shortly after.

    The moment he was gone, all the children would let out sighs of relief.

    Kazius finally felt like he could breathe again.

 Chapter 2: Prologue Part 2

    The boys would follow Priestess Merilyn to the cafeteria. Despite the events earlier, most of them were in good spirits while getting food. After all, with the Coming-of Age Ceremony time here, that meant it was a time of feasting.

    Kazius ate breakfast eagerly. As part of the feast, for breakfast they got two pieces of bread instead of one. They even tasted fresher and not as stale as the typical bread they got.

    To double their breakfast like that was quite a luxury. Stuff like this reassured his doubts caused by High Priest Jordan. The Church of The Oracle was truly kind to them. They cared about their people. They had moments where their actions were not perfect, but they were good, so Kazius believed.

    ¡°Can you believe High Priest Jordan? Have you thought about what he said to Derek and Gabe?¡± Alex questioned Kazius in a whisper.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I do think he-¡° Kazius began only to be cut off by his eager friend.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he so cool? No wonder he is so high up in The Church. He was so merciful with Gabe and Derek¡­ Even though they behaved no better than Monsters.¡± Alex interrupted contently, his smile becoming slightly cruel as he added the last bit.

    Kazius frowned a bit. Cool was definitely NOT the word he would use. Of course, he knew it was better to not show he disproved of the actions of a Priest¡­ Such a thing was a sin after all.

    He was grateful to The Church, but he still felt that High Priest Jordan took things too far. An opinion that not only Kazius attempted to suppress, but also fight against. Despite the terror all the boys felt when High Priest Jordan was around, it seemed like Kazius was alone in such a sentiment.

    Not to mention, he didn¡¯t want to lose Alex as a friend by saying such things.

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Kazius hesitantly agreed as he played with his necklace nervously.

    Alex seemed to notice his actions. ¡°Everything he said has to be true. Think about what else High Priest Jordan said. I bet your parents left you here because they knew how much of an honor it is to be raised by The Church. If that wasn¡¯t the case, they wouldn¡¯t have left you that necklace!¡±

    Kazius perked up at his statement. He had his obsidian-colored necklace with his name carved on it since he was little. He had been dropped off with it when he was a baby. The necklace meant a lot to Kazius. It brought him comfort at times like this, when he felt out of place and isolated because of his thoughts.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to think that too.¡± Kazius admitted.

    ¡°As for me. I am sure my parents knew how devoted I would be. So, they left me here. We have to make them and everyone proud, Kazius. We were chosen to serve The Oracle, I know it!¡± Alex exclaimed contently.

    ¡°I am sure we will make great Knights.¡± Kazius agreed with a small smile, cheering up some, but that did not last long.

    Gabe and Derek would step into the cafeteria. The two boys looked tired and sad, but otherwise fine¡­ No physical bruises nor blood were anywhere to be seen, but appearances were deceiving. Kazius knew better than to go just by how they looked.

    Priestess Rosette was known to be skilled when using Healing Magic. She could put you through Hell and no one would be able to tell by the time she was done with you. She would just heal you right up, no scars left behind.

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    Kazius had been beaten by her once for asking a question during their lessons, when The Holy Tomes of The Oracle were read. That was something Kazius made sure to never do ever again. He did not like the idea of being beaten near unconsciousness again. Sadly, for Kazius, that took longer than for most. That event demonstrated he had an uniquely resilient body¡­ Due to that, his punishment had been considered a warning.

    Knowing this, he was far from sure what had been done to the boys. One thing was certain though, he pitied them.

    It seemed that pity was a sentiment he was alone in though.

    Snickering could be heard. All the kids, boys and girls that were from different rooms, could tell what had happened to them. There was only one reason to be late for mealtime after all.

    One of the bigger boys approached them. Kazius knew his name despite the fact he stayed in another room. Ron, he was known to be one of High Priest Jordan¡¯s favorites.

    ¡°Look what we have here. If it isn¡¯t the Monsters of the day.¡± Ron mocked.

    ¡°W-We¡¯re not Monsters! Don¡¯t call us that! We¡¯re Human just like you.¡± Derek responded, beginning to cry.

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not¡­ S-Stop it. It was all my fault anyway.¡± Gabe stated in dismay, sobbing too.

    ¡°Awww, look, the Monsters are crying. Waaa waa waaa, you should go cry to your Monster Moms¡­ Oh wait, they wouldn¡¯t want you either!¡± Ron exclaimed, laughing and pointing like he just said something hilarious. At times, he even spoke like High Priest Jordan.

    Kazius knew he should probably not upset Ron if he wanted to be on High Priest Jordan¡¯s good side¡­ But enough was enough. After tomorrow they would all be leaving the orphanage to start their lives anyway. At least Everyone in their age group. Whether it was for the Knight Academy, like Kazius hoped, or not.

    Kazius got up. As he approached, Ron was already getting ready to hit the two boys. High Priest Jordan never punished him, even if he hit others. Despite knowing this, Kazius walked in the way.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you drop it, Ron? They were already punished by Priestess Rosette. They have dealt with enough, stop calling them Monsters. We aren¡¯t even supposed to use that word so casually. Are you really going to start a fight during the Coming-of Age Ceremony?¡± Kazius questioned firmly, much to the shock of the other kids.

    Ron frowned, ¡°What are you doing, taking their side? Aren¡¯t you one of the two losers always talking about being a Holy Knight?¡± He questioned with a scoff.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Knights should protect the innocent.¡± Kazius responded firmly as he waved for Derek and Gabe to go. Breakfast was almost done and if they wasted any more time with Ron, the two wouldn¡¯t get any food until Lunch. They gratefully left.

    ¡°Are you implying Monsters to be innocent?¡± Ron questioned slyly, tracking the two boys with his eyes as they left.

    Kazius lost his composure at that, showing his anger, ¡°That¡¯s not what I said! Aren¡¯t you the one that wants to be a Priest? How will you be a good Priest if you keep lying like that? Priests of The Oracle guard the Truth. They are not liars like you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a liar, traitor. All I¡¯m saying is that someone like you would have betrayed Humanity during the War. I bet you would have gone as far as to defend Demons. You shouldn¡¯t defend Monsters. Heretic. The Oracle will never make someone like you a Knight. I will tell High Priest Jordan about this!¡±

    Kazius gritted his teeth, glaring down Ron, ¡°And someone like you should never be a Priest of The Oracle.¡°

    ¡°Guys¡­ Guys¡­ Calm down¡­ If you get caught, you will get in trouble. We are supposed to be in our best behavior during The Ceremony.¡± Alex stated, stepping up himself.

    Ron tsked, ¡°Whatever. I will not deal with you losers.¡± he stated, walking past them, hitting Kazius with his shoulder as he walked by.

    Kazius felt happy, Alex at least stuck by him.

    ¡®Yes¡­ Alex is my brother; in the end he is on my side.¡¯

    Alex sighed, relieved as Ron left. ¡°What were you thinking? Why would you defend them? Ron was right, you know?¡±

    Kazius frowned.

    ¡®Maybe not¡­¡¯

    ¡°I¡­I just think it isn¡¯t his place to hand out punishments¡­ They were already punished.¡± Kazius lied, realizing there was no point in explaining how he felt. As long as he could be friends with Alex, that would be fine. The Oracle surely would understand¡­ The Oracle guarded the Truth. Ron was nothing but a power-hungry liar.

    ¡°That is true¡­ It is bad to question if High Priest Jordan and Priestess Rosette went far enough.¡± Alex agreed, taking things in the other direction.

    It was then that Priestess Merilyn would walk in once again.

    ¡°It is time to go to the parade, children. Don¡¯t keep High Priest Jordan waiting.¡± Priestess Merilyn warned.

    It was good they stopped the fight when they did¡­ Or Kazius may have been sent to Priestess Rosette instead of being able to go to the parade¡­

    With that, the children would line up, heading out to the street.

 Chapter 3: Prologue Part 3

    The view the kids from the Orphanage had was one of the better views of the parade. The streets were full to the brim with people everywhere other than the brick roads where the parade would happen. Except for The Church, or members of particularly wealthy families who donated generously to The Church, you were not allowed to reserve a spot to see the parade.

    On the way to their spot, Kazius spotted people wearing shabby clothing and rags. Common people, or ¡®Peasants¡¯ as High Priest Jordan liked to call them. They stood so far towards the back to the point that Kazius wasn¡¯t sure those people would even be able to see anything. Then again, they did not have the luxury he did.

    By being in the Orphanage, the kids had the privileges associated with being affiliated with The Church. So, they were right at the front in one of the main streets.

    Once in their spot, where High Priest Jordan waited. Kazius could see other sorts of people. Even Elves and Dwarves. It amazed Kazius, he had never seen any before.

    The children¡¯s outings were rare and few between and even under normal circumstances seeing the two races was nearly impossible. Most of them did not live in Ratier, except for rare circumstances.

    The Kingdoms of Zelphar and Thimdur were allies with Ratier. Each country was founded by one of the 3 Great Heroes that stood up against the greedy Demons who wanted to enslave the world. They succeeded, despite the betrayal of Monster kind. Because The Oracle willed it. Which was why even though Zelphar and Thimdur had their own beliefs, they greatly respected The Oracle. Or so Kazius had been taught in his lessons from The Church.

    That respect, their relationship with Ratier, and the rarity of a Royal having a Coming-of-Age Ceremony meant their presence was far from unexpected despite their scarcity.

    Still, it was strange seeing them. They looked so much like Humans, but also were different. The pointed ears of the Elves and elegance¡­ The shortness and proportions of the Dwarves¡­ It was something Kazius found very interesting.

    It made him wonder about many things.

    ¡®What did the 4 Monster Traitors look like? They were supposed to be Heroes once, just like the 3 Great Heroes, but ended up switching to the side of The Demons. Were it not for their betrayal, would they also have people here, sent to watch the parade today? What do Monsters in general even look like?¡¯

    Of course, Kazius would never voice such questions in words. Asking things like that would likely be one of the Greatest sins he could commit. Something that would result in more than just being sent to Priestess Rosette.

    Kazius would attempt to shoo such thoughts away as High Priest Jordan would speak up.

    ¡°Pay attention, children. The parade is starting.¡± High Priest Jordan stated. It was clear that not paying attention to the parade would get you in trouble.

    The parade started with a group of Priests leading the way on foot. The one in the front holding a crystal ball on a cushion. It was meant to represent The Oracle God who took the form of an orb. Of course, the one in the parade was not the real one.

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    The Priest was followed by a slow-moving open carriage with solid gold ornaments and lining. On the carriage sat two Priestesses at either side of a woman wearing incredibly elegant garb, practically dripping with gems and jewelry. The two Priestesses were singing in the background while the woman in the center sang a song about how incredible The Pope was.

    This greatly confused Kazius.

    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t they be praising The Oracle and not The Pope?¡¯

    Kazius did his best to not show his confusion on his face. After all, yet again it seemed like he was the only one that had a problem with it, since everyone else seemed to cheer and clap.

    Of course, Kazius understood, the Importance of The Pope. Were it not for The First Pope, the betrayal of the Monster Heroes would have never been anticipated and the traitors would have succeeded. Every Pope was said to be a descendant of the very first one. Of course, Kazius had never seen the Pope himself in person. He never left The Cathedral.

    As the parade went on, the more it praised The Pope to the point Kazius could really not justify the strangeness of it. Not one song about The Oracle? Really? What about The Princess that this whole parade was supposed to be for? Did she get a song? Or at least one about Ratier, who she was a descendant of? There was definitely not a lack of famous songs about him.

    The parade had Priests in high positions pass by and not far behind them was usually a singer or two dressed from top to bottom in gold and gems throwing praises at The Pope and The Church.

    ¡®You would think The Pope was making his first appearance or something with how much they¡¯re sing about him¡­¡¯

    The parade went on and on to the point Kazius was starting to wish he was anywhere but here. Then finally, all the way in the back of the long line was a carriage. It was an elegant wooden open carriage, but there was not a drop of gold or gems on it.

    There, in the carriage sat a girl that looked to be Kazius¡¯ age. Her pink hair was incredibly long and arranged elegantly around her face. Her violet eyes seemed to shine quite beautifully. Both features were truly worthy of being the trademark features of those of the Royal family shared without exception.

    Her dress was a plain white and all her jewelry was silver. It was simple yet elegant, but also awkward. Like she was uncomfortable in such clothes. She sat in the carriage, smiling and waving to the people as she went by. Despite her smile, Kazius felt she was not happy. Her smile reminded him a lot of his own when he just played along with the things he did not agree with. When he felt alone¡­

    But then again¡­

    Why would someone in her position feel that way?

    This whole parade was for her. Maybe it was just his imagination.

    Then again¡­

    Rather than feel like this event was praising her¡­ It almost felt like a complicated and veiled public humiliation¡­ After all, her carriage was last and only praises to The Pope were uttered. Almost as if The Princess and The Royal family were not important. Purposefully placed last. Perhaps Kazius was over thinking things, but such anticks were ones he was sadly familiar with. They were not rare in The Orphanage¡­

    Such a thing left Kazius feeling quite conflicted. The Church was good and protected Truth¡­ Their power and wealth were earned¡­ Because it was all with pure intentions for the sake of The Oracle¡­ Kazius whole heartedly believed that. He owed a lot to them due to their kindness¡­ But it would be a lie if Kazius said this realization was not something that deeply troubled him.

    Soon the music was out of ear range¡­ And The Princess was out of sight. She would have to make her way through the main street and likely receive her Oracle¡­ A vision of her future¡­ But as someone from The Royal Family¡­ And the only child of The King¡­ There only was one future for her¡­ To be Queen.

    ¡°Come, Children.¡± Priestess Merilyn stated.

    ¡°Time to go, move it.¡± High Priest Jordan stated with a small smile on his face.

    It was something surprising. Kazius didn¡¯t even know he was even capable of smiling¡­ Had he enjoyed the parade that much? Something about his smile worried Kazius.

    He felt very uneasy.

 Chapter 4: Prologue Part 4

    After returning to The Orphanage, Kazius had a lot on his mind. From the way the parade was conducted to the Princess¡­ Of course, not once did he dare voice his thoughts. Instead, Alex and him packed their belongings while chatting, which was not many.

    It wasn¡¯t like the generous Church would kick them out¡­ But they very much were not allowed back into The Orphanage once their future was told. Instead, they would have to go wherever it made sense to, depending on The Oracle¡¯s wishes.

    Kazius¡¯ heart was very troubled though. What if The Oracle felt his doubts? What if he couldn¡¯t become a Knight? He wanted to be with his brother, his friend¡­ Sure they did not see eye to eye all the time, but he was all Kazius had.

    ¡®Alex cares about me¡­ And The Church may do questionable things¡­ But they are good. They guard the truth.¡¯

    That was a mantra Kazius repeated to himself repeatedly mentally.

    After packing and lunch, it was time for the 15-year-old children to clean The Orphanage from top to bottom on their own. It had to be spotless. It was how they could repay their debt for being treated so well.

    It was exhausting work, but they all managed to get it done before lights out and time to be locked in their rooms for the night¡­ It did come at a cost though. The mandatory cleaning of such a big building was not easy. The children found themselves having to skip dinner¡­ Which was a shame considering it was a feast day and they were supposed to get a whole baked potato.

    ¡®Oh well¡­¡¯

    Though Kazius could not help but notice he did not run into Ron once while cleaning¡­ They all were supposed to participate in it together¡­ But Kazius wasn¡¯t sure he saw him even cleaning one thing¡­ Which made the fact he saw him head into the cafeteria for dinner all the more noteworthy.

    Kazius paid no mind though. After all, stuff like this was not rare and none of the other children ever said anything about it. Besides, tomorrow was a big day¡­ And someone like Ron would never become a priest.

    Sleep would not come easy, but Kazius did manage to get some rest.

    The next day everyone seemed to get up pretty early, even himself. After all, not only were the boys in the room rowdier than ever, but he himself was more anxious and excited than ever. Not to mention, they were all starving from skipping dinner.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for breakfast¡­¡± Kazius sighed out.

    ¡°How can you think about food? We get to see The Oracle in person, and he will show us our future!¡± Alex exclaimed, seeming to be very energetic despite being just as hungry as Kazius.

    Just as Alex finished speaking, High Priest Jordan would walk in, making the room fully silent. This time Derek was perfectly still with his shirt tucked and Gabe did not even dare look at the priest in the eyes.

    ¡°Seems you all have finally learned¡­¡± High Priest Jordan sneered, yet again not uttering even a hello.

    ¡°Since you are now all officially 15, you are no longer The Church¡¯s responsibility. You will not receive breakfast today. It is your responsibility to feed yourselves from now on. Though do not worry. We are very generous, so wherever you get assigned, we will make sure you end up at an appropriate location depending on your future.¡± He stated dryly.

    Of course, The children knew better than to voice their displeasure at the news of no breakfast. Hungry or not, none of them wanted to be sent to Priestess Rosette.

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    ¡°Now go line up in the hallway with all the other children. I will take you to the Cathedral myself. Feel honored.¡± High Priest Jordan stated before leaving, not bothering to acknowledge the children any further now that he said what he wanted.

    Of course, the children did as told. Out in the hallway all the children from the other rooms looked to be struggling with their hunger just as much as them. All except Ron of course. Kazius did not bother saying anything on the matter though. He would get reprimanded by The Oracle for sure.

    Once High Priest Jordan had all the children lined up quietly in the hallway, he would stand at the front of the line.

    ¡°Stay in line and follow me¡­ If you get left behind or fall out of line¡­ You don¡¯t want to know what happens.¡± High Priest Jordan warned sternly, his glare as cold as ever.

    Of course, all of them knew better and did just that. Despite their hunger and exhaustion, they walked with almost military like discipline despite their age.

    The Cathedral was not hard to spot. It would have been easy to see even if they had been far, which they weren¡¯t. The Orphanage was quite close to The Cathedral and The Palace. Both of which were massive buildings that were more than imposing. While the palace had elegant architecture that radiated status, The Cathedral was a much bigger building with so much gold and jewels used as decoration that it made the parade yesterday seem almost like child¡¯s play.

    Kazius felt like if he did not know anything about Ratier, it would be almost easy to mistake The Cathedral for the real palace.

    Kazius did not think more on the matter for too much. He was honestly too hungry to think, at this point a part of him wanted The Ceremony over with. It seemed he was not alone in this. Even the kids that came from across The Kingdom of Ratier, already lined up after likely just arriving from the generous transportation provided by the Church¡­ All of them seemed anxious, tired, and hungry. The line went around and around¡­ Who knew how long they would be there for¡­

    With that, Kazius and the other Orphans would make their way inside the Cathedral. The marble and gold inside were just as luxurious. There were many priests inside, each dressed more finely than the next. From Arch Priests to High Priests, they were personally attending to the ceremony, motioning the children towards the heart of The Cathedral. The Chamber of The Oracle.

    The Chamber of The Oracle was a great hall of marble, with pillars standing tall up to the high ceiling. The room was lavish, but pure white. Despite the fact there was not a candle nor magic light orb in sight, the place was well lit. Illuminated by The Oracle Orb itself. A shining crystal ball that stood on a pedestal. It was almost like walking into a room in heaven itself.

    The Ceremony was supposed to be a joyous event, yet not a single one of the priests were smiling. In fact, their gazes were imposing, tense¡­ And full of suspicion.

    High Priest Jordan would finally speak again, turning towards the children with a cold glare. ¡°I will call your name and you will approach The Oracle and look into it. Then you will be able to see a vision of the future¡­ You must truthfully disclose what you see¡­ You cannot lie in the presence of The Oracle¡­ The Pope himself casted a spell so that you will only be able to tell the truth here. Understood? When you are done, a priest will escort you out.¡± He stated. Despite the question, the children understood High Priest Jordan did not actually want an answer.

    ¡°Now step up, Ron.¡± High Priest Jordan stated.

    ¡®So¡­ We are not going in alphabetical order?¡¯ Kazius wondered mentally, unsure why Ron got to go first.

    As Ron approached The Oracle, he would suddenly grow still as if in a daze, seeing something in the orb.

    ¡°Well?¡± High Priest Jordan questioned impatiently. At which Ron would simply grin smugly.

    ¡°Was there any doubt? Of course, I will be a Priest¡­ I even saw myself as a High Priest.¡± Ron stated proudly, much to Kazius¡¯ horror.

    Priest of The Oracle were supposed to guard the truth, be honorable and just¡­ Yet the biggest bully and liar in The Orphanage would become one? Kazius suppressed his anguish, many questions flooding his mind, but he just attempted to reassure himself with his usual mantra about The Church being good.

    High Priest Jordan would allow himself a satisfied smirk, ¡°I knew you had what it takes. You remind me a lot of a younger me.¡± He stated, pleased.

    With that Ron would look at Kazius with a wicked yet smug expression out of the corner of his eye, following another Priest out.

    Kazius could not help but frown, looking over at High Priest Jordan who seemed to turn back to the children, his gaze meeting Kazius briefly with a sneer. It seems Ron made good on his threat. He must have told High Priest Jordan about how he defended Gabe and Derek.

 Chapter 5: Prologue Part 5

    Kazius would begin to nervously play with his necklace as more kids began to be called one by one in alphabetical order. It really had been altered just so Ron could go first. Yet, still, no one else seemed to be bothered by this.

    As the children got their futures revealed, they got all sorts of random things. From baker to gardener¡­ Rather simple things¡­ Then came Alex¡¯s turn.

    Alex was excited, the blonde seeming to not think much of what had happened with Ron. He would approach the orb and after entering a daze, he would soon look more than excited.

    ¡°I really will become a Knight! A Holy Knight! I looked so cool! I saw myself in an Edict¡¯s Uniform even!¡± Alex exclaimed happily, looking at Kazius for approval briefly. Which earned him a happy half-smile from the still worried Kazius.

    Kazius wanted to be happy for his friend, but it was hard to be with his worries in his head. The Royal Family was allowed to have a few simple Knights, but the real military force of Ratier was with The Church, The Holy Knights.

    Among them there was an elite squad called The Order of Edict. There were only 32 of them in total. They also only took 18 squires at a time as well. They were rumored to be incredibly strong, but they were such a rare sight that Kazius had never seen one. The design of the uniform was part of the education in the teachings of The Church, just like those of Priests of different levels. This was all in order to be able to show adequate respect in the event of encountering those of high rank.

    More than their uniforms though, what was most famous about them was the fact their numbers had a significance in showing their strength, since they were ranked from 1 to 50. It was a great honor to become one.

    Excited, Alex would be escorted away after waving at Kazius, clearly expecting Kazius to be following along soon after¡­ Something Kazius was not so sure on anymore.

    More kids went¡­ One by one¡­ Until it was Derek¡¯s turn.

    Like the others, he entered a daze, but unlike the others that reacted happily, he looked horrified.

    ¡°Well?¡± High Priest Jordan questioned impatiently, his lips moving to a hint of a smile.

    Derek shook his head repeatedly. Not saying a word.

    High Priest Jordan scowled at this, ¡°Say what you saw.¡± He demanded, losing his patience.

    ¡°N-No!¡± Derek exclaimed in panic, ¡°Please, let me try again!¡± He exclaimed, his eyes tearing up.

    Rather than a response though, Derek would receive a heavy hit to the face. High Priest Jordan had another priest hand him a holy staff, using it to strike the poor boy. Of course¡­ Such staffs were supposed to be used for holy magic¡­ But it seemed the staff was strong enough to be used as a blunt weapon as well.

    The impact was hard. Derek¡¯s nose began to bleed as he began to sob more.

    ¡°Must I repeat myself again?¡± High Priest Jordan questioned.

    ¡°N-No¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡± Derek would cry further, collapsing to the ground from both the hit and the sadness, ¡°I-I was shoveling horse poop¡­. In a stable¡­¡±

    High Priest Jordan looked pleased at this, taking a napkin, and cleaning the staff from any blood that Derek¡¯s nose has gotten on it. Treating it as if he was simply cleaning some dirt. ¡°Hm¡­ What a fitting job for someone like you¡­ Shoveling shit¡­ No room for growth in such a position¡­ Just shoveling horseshit for the rest of your life¡­ The Oracle truly is just¡­ On your way then¡­ A priest will arrange you with a fitting stable that needs the help.¡±

    With that, Derek would limp away, defeated.

    ¡®This is wrong¡­ But The Church is good¡­ There must be a reason for this¡­¡¯ Kazius assured himself, he refused to see things as anything other than that. Not wanting to believe his own eyes and ears.

    Despite lying to himself, after seeing this, Kazius was more nervous¡­ And for once he wasn¡¯t alone¡­ Gabe¡­ The poor boy looked like he was about to have a heart attack or a panic attack. Maybe even both.

    With a whimper, Gabe would head over once his name was eventually called. Like the others, Gabe was dazed for a second after looking into The Oracle¡­ His expression of anguish afterwards showed his fears came true.

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    ¡°Well? Will you talk about what you saw, or do I have to beat it out of you like I did your friend?¡± High Priest Jordan questioned, gently tapping the staff against his hand in an unspoken threat.

    ¡°Rat catcher¡­¡± Gabe stated in dismay. In other words, he would spend his whole life catching pests or trying to find possible pest¡­

    ¡°Surrounded by fifth and rodents¡­ What a fitting position¡­ Once again, The Oracle truly is just¡­ You get to be among your kind, you little vermin¡­ Good for you¡­¡± High Priest Jordan stated, allowing himself yet another pleased smile.

    As Gabe left, Kazius was feeling terrified.

    ¡®This is bad¡­ It isn¡¯t like he has control over what The Oracle decides¡­ But it seems everyone High Priest Jordan dislikes is bound to have a bad future¡­ Did The Oracle grow displeased with those who insulted his priests? I don¡¯t understand¡­¡¯

    The fact you had to tell them what you saw meant that the priests couldn¡¯t decide or see your future¡­ Only you could see it when you looked into the Oracle. Lying was not possible though¡­The spell in the room made it so that those in it could only say the truth¡­ Likely a precaution set because the priests had no way of verifying what anyone saw otherwise.

    Distracted by his thoughts, Kazius was snapped out of it when he heard his name.

    Growing tense, Kazius felt his blood grow cold¡­ A chill running down his back as he internally panicked.

    ¡®The Oracle has to understand I am devoted right? He has to¡­ I¡­ I have to be a knight¡­ At least a Holy Knight¡­¡¯ Kazius thought to himself as he found himself grasping his necklace so hard his knuckles were turning white.

    Yes, things didn¡¯t make sense in Ratier¡­ But as long as he had Alex, his friend, his brother¡­ Kazius would be fine¡­ Or so he tried to assure himself as he approached The Oracle.

    It was then Kazius could feel himself enter a daze. The Oracle began to show him something on it¡¯s surface¡­ In fact¡­ He could even hear it as if it were there.

    The first thing he saw was not only unexpected, but a startling sight by itself.

    Flames and fire¡­ It was everywhere to the point that it was all he could see for a while¡­ Then came a barrage of Demons flying out of a dark black portal, swarming into an army of Holy Knights.

    This is where he thought he would see himself, see himself as a Holy Knight, yet instead...There was another army. One filled with Monsters as well as a few Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and even Demons.

    Then there at the helm¡­ He could see himself¡­ He was leading them, his eyes shining an ominous different darker shade of red, a confident smirk on his face.... Two fangs showing in his mouth as his smirk widened into a grin¡­ Was that a Werewolf? Is that what the horror stories called them? A woman with the features of a snake¡­ A fox woman¡­ The faces of his comrades were fuzzy and hard to interpret due to Kazius¡¯ limited knowledge of Monsters. There were so many figures he could not identify.

    That is where he heard a voice, a very sly and deep voice....

    "Kazius.... You... Will be the Breaker of Worlds... The Ruler of the Undead... A Creature of the Night... The Bringer of Destruction... Darkness itself¡­ The Monster King."

    After hearing such words, he would be pulled out of his trance. He was in a cold sweat as he collapsed to the ground, ending up on his knees. He was immediately swarmed by not only Priests, but also some Holy Knights standing guard. It seemed his strong reaction had earned him unwanted attention. They were all concerned, considering none of the other children had reacted the way Kazius did.

    ¡°What did you see?!¡± High Priest Jordan demanded, growing more impatient than usual.

    That is when Kazius heard the voice again, chuckling into his head.

    ¡°Lie.¡±

    ¡®The Oracle wants me to lie? Why? Won¡¯t that get me caught? Isn¡¯t doing that going against The Church?¡¯ Kazius thought to himself in horror. He felt like he was at the border of a break down¡­ If the vision is true¡­ He was not Human.

    Still, He had no choice but to trust The Oracle. The alternative would likely result in¡­

    "Holy Knight...I am to be...A Holy Knight, the greatest of them all... An Edict of a high rank." Kazius managed out, doing his best to hide his total terror.

    High Priest Jordan seemed shocked at his words, looking displeased, ¡°I see¡­¡± Was all he said, clearly expecting something along the lines of what Gabe and Derek got.

    ¡°That is wonderful news! Being shown such a future by The Oracle must be overwhelming for such a devoted believer such as yourself.¡± Another Priest commented in delight, being surprisingly friendly.

    Still, it was shocking¡­ To hear The Oracle himself¡­ And finding out he could freely lie¡­ The Priests of The Oracle were great when it came to magic that forced people to tell the truth¡­ It was their specialty¡­  They even used it on rare occasion in The Orphanage, Kazius had seen it in action against other children¡­ Part of the reason Kazius had never dared lie to a Priest until now¡­ Yet their magic did not work on him¡­ Why? Did it have something to do with the fact he was not Human?

    With that, Kazius would be led to where Alex was eagerly waiting, his friend happily greeting him with a big hug. ¡°I knew it! We were chosen by The Oracle!¡± He exclaimed happily.

    Kazius smiled at his friend hesitantly, there was no way he could tell anyone the truth¡­ But it would be okay¡­ Maybe with this lie¡­ He could live a normal life anyway. Yes¡­ Yes, he could¡­ He would manage to become a Holy Knight¡­ He would¡­

    He felt lost, even frightened. The very thing he worshipped told him to become something The Church hated. So Kazius had gone completely in denial to cope with it. Did this make him a heretic? He didn¡¯t know. It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t believe The Oracle¡­ But he was just refusing to accept things.

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t stupid ¡­ In the back of his mind, he knew to some extent he needed to learn as much as he could¡­ About Holy Knights¡­ Monsters¡­ And even Demons¡­ Because as things were¡­ His life was in danger.

    Two things were clear with his vision after all, he was not Human¡­ In other words¡­ If this fact got discovered¡­ He would be dead¡­ And the second thing was¡­ That the Demons would return¡­ And he would be there to oppose them.

 Chapter 6: Not News Worthy

    Time flew by since The Coming-of-Age Ceremony. The whole event had almost become like a bad dream to Kazius. Human or not, he wanted to be a Knight¡­ The Oracle must have simply been wrong or made a mistake¡­

    After all, he no longer saw The Oracle as a God. Not after the events of his Coming-of-Age Ceremony. Witnessing even more of The Church¡¯s rot up close did not help either.

    What sort of Holy being would make you lie to his own church, much less tell you to become The Monster King? Or even have Priests like Ron and High Priest Jordan?

    No, he saw it for what it was, a powerful entity, sure, but one that foresaw the future and in doing so could also try to influence it. It was no God, not good nor evil. It also far from had a way to change your future if you did not want it.

    Or so Kazius told himself.

    The future it saw could be wrong¡­ Besides, in the unlikely event The Demon King ever returned, he could address the issue as a Knight of Edict.

    To him, being a Holy Knight had evolved to be about community and friendship between him and his fellow squad members. After all, he had admired The Holy Knights due to the tales of their strength and his shared dream with Alex. He was drawn to such strength and The Church was still all he ever knew. Even with as much disdain it¡¯s actions and leadership brought. Destroyer of worlds? Ruler of the Undead? He didn¡¯t know who The Oracle thought he was, but it had nothing to do with him.

    He was very much in denial, but reality was not something Kazius could fully flee.

    Yes, Kazius had been able to graduate from The Holy Knight Academy within a year after finishing their training program¡­ And was now on track to become a Squire of The Edicts after becoming the youngest Lieutenant in Holy Knight¡¯s history.

    In fact, Alex could not be any prouder of his brother¡­

    Yet despite all Kazius told himself, he was not happy. While progressing in his dream of being a Knight, Kazius found the fact he was not Human slapped him more and more in the face.

    He found himself feeling almost a sort of kinship with shadows. Whether on the ground or in crevices, he found himself feeling more and more aware of them. One time he could even have sworn he made them move.

    He attempted to ignore such feelings, but shadows were everywhere¡­ And he was forever conscious of their presence. As if they were constantly breathing nearby.

    Thankfully his work as a Knight kept him busy enough to allow him to maintain his delusion of normalcy.

    It was morning in Marv, the trade hub of Ratier to the East of the capital of Layton, where he had lived at the orphanage.

    It was time to meet with the squad and conduct preparations for patrol. Before that though, the squad had to get their daily report of current events in Ratier. This step was crucial now more than ever. After all¡­ The Coming-of-Age Ceremony was happening in the capital at this very moment, which meant there were fewer Knights than usual in other parts of Ratier except for the capital.

    Alex beamed once he saw Kazius enter the lobby of the Holy Knight HQ of the city. He wore the same silver and blue elaborate armor as Kazius, minus the blue cape with the symbol of the Oracle that indicated Kazius as a higher rank.

    ¡°Good morning, Lieutenant!¡± Alex exclaimed with a salute, the blonde man as energetic as ever. He had grown tall, standing 6ft (1.82 m), an inch taller than Kazius who stood at 5ft 11in (1.80m).

    ¡°At ease.¡± Kazius stated, doing formal greetings first before he allowed himself a smile and Alex laughed.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°Today is so nostalgic, isn¡¯t it? Just 3 years ago we were in the capital getting our future told. I really lost that bet, didn¡¯t I? I always thought I would be the leader of whatever squad we were in. I sure was wrong. I am happy though; I can¡¯t think of anyone better to lead than you. I don¡¯t think anyone has ever beaten you in a spar. It is like you¡¯re built differently!¡± Alex laughed out lightheartedly.

    Kazius thought he would be happy, but the mention of The Coming-of-Age Ceremony only ever brought him nothing but anxiety. He was always in a terrible mood during this time of the year. Then there was Alex¡¯s innocent remark about him being different. It was a simple happy conversation, but it all left a vile taste to him.

    Kazius forced himself to smile, being almost relieved as Leo showed up and interrupted the conversation.

    ¡°Morning, Lieutenant.¡± Leo stated with a kind smile and salute. The black-haired man was someone Kazius had also grown to befriend. He was quiet yet a very kind and attentive friend. He was the shortest in the squad, standing at 5ft 8in (1.75 m).

    ¡°At ease.¡± Kazius stated.

    ¡°I hope I wasn¡¯t interrupting anything.¡± Leo stated, concern showing in his brown eyes.

    ¡°Oh, you stop it with that, you weren¡¯t interrupting anything! Right, Kazius?¡± Alex stated with a pat on Leo¡¯s back.

    ¡°Of course. We were just talking about the Holiday¡­ It is a shame that we aren¡¯t at the capital near it.¡± Kazius lied, very content to not be stationed anywhere near Layton.

    ¡°I know! We should celebrate after we do our rounds!¡± Alex exclaimed eagerly.

    ¡°A celebration you say?¡± Hank stated, the ginger approaching. His green eyes shining with curiosity at the idea of festivities. He stood at 6 ft 2in (1.88m), the tallest in the group.

    ¡°Count us in! Will there be women involved?¡± Mark questioned slyly. The brunette seemed to have such things usually always in mind. He rubbed his beard as he raised the question, his brown eyes looking over to the group as he raised the question. He stood at 5ft 10in (1.78 in).

    ¡°Of course!¡± Alex exclaimed with a grin.

    ¡°Maybe we can get our Lieutenant here to actually have some fun.¡± Mark teased.

    ¡°I am good. Someone must stay sober, so you all stay out of trouble.¡± Kazius stated with a sigh, dodging the suggestion. After all, someone in his position had no ability to think about dating and the like. The fact he was not Human concerned him too much, specially to keep up the fa?ade that he was one in front of a wife or a girlfriend with always her eyes on him. That was the last thing he wanted; it was already hard on him to keep his teammates from noticing anything.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re no fun.¡± Hank groaned.

    ¡°Fun can come after work. Speaking of, I don¡¯t recall you two saluting.¡± Kazius pointed out, wanting to change subjects.

    Hank and Mark both groaned a bit. They would salute Kazius in unison though.

    ¡°Good morning, Lieutenant!¡± The two exclaimed in unison.

    ¡°Better.¡± Kazius stated with a smile. They were friends, but they could get in trouble for not following the procedure. They were not alone in the lobby. So, snobbish as it sounded, Kazius made sure to follow The Church¡¯s rules. He did not want his teammates or himself punished in the odd chance any of the Priests that maintained The Holy Knight HQ to report them.

    As they spoke, their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a bell.

    ¡°It seems the daily report is ready¡­ The Ceremony always happens without a problem¡­ But we should check in. Just in case there is anything we need to do.¡± Kazius stated.

    He headed over to a Priest that stood by an overly elaborate hand carved desk. The marble wall and hardwood floor in the lobby were as over the top as anything else associated with The Church.

    ¡°The report, Lieutenant. Today there is some red texts, please make sure that only you read those sections.¡± The Priest stated.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Kazius replied, already looking things over.

    He went page by page. The red text today was as boring as ever, something to do with mundane procedures of security in case of an emergency. It was beyond Kazius¡¯ comprehension as to why they would even issue such a thing during The Holiday.

    While reading, Kazius was silent, but he did voice an audible noise of shock as he came to one page. The text was not in red or anything like that¡­ And the fact this was not even at the front was also concerning¡­ This was more important news than anything in the whole report.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Kazius?¡± Alex questioned with a raised brow.

    Swallowing his own spit, Kazius could not help but show his concern in his face, ¡°Today¡¯s Coming-of-Age Ceremony will be special. The Pope had been granted a vision by The Oracle himself. The vision revealed the fact that The Royal Family has betrayed The Oracle. They no longer guard that which is Holy. Princess Alice would have led to the fall of Ratier¡­ Thanks to The Pope and the warning from The Oracle, today¡¯s festivities were kicked off with the execution of the entirety of the traitorous family. The Knights under the Royal Family will now join The Holy Knights and The Pope will be granted The Crown¡­ As it is The Oracle¡¯s will. All hail The Pope King.¡± He read out loud in disbelief.

 Chapter 7: Bad Day Gets Worse

    Kazius kept staring at the paper in disbelief. After all, he knew very well what The Church was like. This all reeked of being a power grab by The Pope. The fact they seemed to be trying to downplay their actions and twist things as if justice has been achieved¡­ It didn¡¯t sit well with him at all.

    ¡®How the fuck did that happen? Why are they not making a big deal of this?!¡¯

    Kazius could not help but recall The Princess¡¯ face from the parade all those years ago. He did not know her personally, but this whole thing bothered him. Not to mention, this all was more than questionable. The fact that Kazius no longer saw The Oracle as a God meant that Kazius did not take any of this at face value. In denial or not, killing the entire family that descended from The Hero who created this country was not something that could ever sound right to him.

    ¡®It didn¡¯t even say it was something seen in The Oracle itself. The report says The Pope had a vision. You¡¯re telling me, The Pope had a bad dream and our King was killed because of it? What a joke.¡¯

    It was then that Alex spoke up. ¡°That is really upsetting.¡± He admitted with a frown.

    Kazius sighed, relieved that for once it seemed that Alex also saw things as wrong.

    ¡°I know! I wish I could have seen the execution in person.¡± Hank sighed out, sounding disappointed.

    ¡°Exactly! How dare they fool us for so long! I would have loved to see their heads roll!¡± Alex laughed out at the thought.

    Kazius frowned, his stomach turning at the way they talked. Disappointment washed over him. He really did always try and hope for once his friends would see things the way he did¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too disappointed, Kazius. We can still have fun today despite missing such a fun event.¡± Leo assured himself with a warm smile.

    ¡°Exactly! Let¡¯s do our rounds and then celebrate! I will buy you a drink, how about it? Food? So cheer up!¡± Mark laughed out, patting Kazius on the back.

    Kazius couldn¡¯t even bring himself to fake a smile for once¡­ This was all so wrong. But it would be okay¡­ It had to be¡­ Right?

    ¡°I¡­ I suppose you¡¯re right¡­ I will try and not be so disappointed.¡± Kazius stated, a half-truth. Indeed, he was disappointed, but not about what they believed he was disappointed about.

    ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go!¡± Alex exclaimed eagerly, leading the group out of the building so they could patrol Marv.

    Of course, even with the lack of guards, no one committed much crime in Ratier. Fear of an all-seeing Oracle was just too great¡­ As for those that did commit crime on the rarest of occasion¡­ Considering how The Church treated misbehaving children¡­ Kazius was grateful he had never had to set foot in the Prisons of Ratier.

    Memories of Priestess Rosette and High Priest Jordan came into Kazius¡¯ mind. It took all his physical restraint to not visibly shudder. He may be an adult now, but what they did to him and the other kids was not something he would ever forget.

    All this happened in Ratier¡­ Yet everyone else seemed to not think anything was wrong. Was he the last sane person left in this world? Or maybe he was crazy? Were Thimdur and Zelphar just as bad?

    His mind was practically doing backflips while he worked. He barely made conversation with the others, but thankfully that could also be interpreted on him just being that focused as they walked around Marv.

    ¡°Kazius, can¡¯t we call it quits? It is already so late.¡± Mark whined.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get how you can keep going. Aren¡¯t you starving?¡± Leo questioned, looking exhausted.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°You guys are such wimps; I am so glad The Orphanage toughened us out. Kazius is just that dedicated. He wants the streets extra safe since it is a Holiday.¡± Alex stated with a scoff.

    ¡°But it is 7pm! Our scheduled time was over 2 hours ago!¡± Hank exclaimed.

    Kazius snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the time.

    ¡®7pm?!¡¯

    He would look up at the sky, shocked that it was indeed dark out. He had been so deep in thought he had not noticed. He just paced in circles around the whole city while thinking and stressing¡­ And the group had just figured he wanted to be extra careful.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just wanting to be sure everything was clear¡­ I think we could call it a day¡­ I¡¯m surprised the squad that was meant to come relieve us hasn¡¯t ran into us though¡­ Maybe they are patrolling closer to the outskirts of The City¡­¡± Kazius stated, attempting to put his thoughts aside and focus on his job.

    Mark groaned, clearly unhappy with the idea of looking around more. He had definitely been excited to go out flirting and drinking. There was nothing he loved more than women. Holy Knight or not, it wasn¡¯t against the code to have such a mindset. After all, it was rumored some of the more beautiful women in the Kingdom tended to get assigned to a harem of The Pope¡­ Not like anyone had seen it to confirm it.

    ¡°Come on, once we check in with them, we can go celebrate at the pub.¡± Kazius sighed out. At this news, he got eager cheers from the group. Honestly Kazius wanted today just over with. The last thing he wanted now was to go out and celebrate. The report and his friends¡¯ reaction to it¡­  It all bothered him¡­ But he would put up with it for their sake.

    With that, the group would set off to go find where the other patrol was at¡­ There seemed to be almost no sign of other knights¡­ Which was not entirely unexpected considering the situation with The Ceremony¡­ But this was just downright ridiculous. They should have ran into another squad by now¡­

    It was then Kazius heard it. A loud bang, promptly followed by brief silence and then a choir of horrified screams.

    ¡®What the hell was that?¡¯

    It was then the ground began to shake as another loud bang rung.

    At this the squad began to panic and scramble. After all, with the little crime, something like this was not something the average Holy Knight was ready for.

    Kazius would take little time to react, raising his hand. It was a simple gesture, but this immediately stopped his friends from scrambling or any panicking. Kazius had worked hard to earn their respect and his leadership shined in emergencies the most.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s figure out what is going on. Be alert!¡± Kazius exclaimed.

    With that, the group would move on. As they approached, they would be able to see part of the city had been turned to rubble, the sounds of battle out in the distance.

    It was then Kazius finally spotted the members of the squad that was meant to relieve them, they were in the middle of motioning civilians away.

    ¡°What is happening? Any orders?¡± Questioned Kazius as he approached one of the Holy Knights, he was recognized quite quickly considering his rank.

    ¡°The city has been attacked by a band of Orcs! There are Trolls and Ogres too! This is crazy, they have never gotten so close to the city before. There are no orders, there is no one with the rank to give them! Not with the ceremony going on.¡± One of the Knights started in panic. While the other squad had been fast evacuating the civilians, it was clear that he was freaking out.

    Of course, with the training of a Holy Knight, that came with more detailed knowledge about Monsters that was otherwise forbidden. The information was usually rather incomplete and obscure though, so knowing what was attacking was far from helpful in this situation.

    That being said, according to proper rules in The Holy Knight order, they need to wait for someone of at least a rank of Commander to give orders. The problem was, there was no one of such rank here. Kazius had the highest rank in the area at the moment.

    This was horrible timing. There was only a small company of Holy Knights at Marv, 30 in fact, including Kazius and his 4 squad members. Things were bad. They were massively outnumbered. No Commander either¡­

    ¡®What are we supposed to do? Just sit on our hands and wait? Evacuate who we can, but not do anything that would breach the rules too badly? Fuck this rank garbage! I need to at least organize a proper defense! I won¡¯t allow the city to go undefended over something so stupid.¡¯

    ¡°One or two of you can keep evacuating the citizens. Another one of you needs to go find backup from any nearby town that you can. The rest come with me; we will defend Marv as long as we can.¡± Kazius commanded.

    Of course, at first there was some hesitation. He was not supposed to be doing this and they knew¡­ Then again¡­ The situation was very unique¡­ Alex surprised him, being the first to respond with a firm salute. Usually, he was stickler to the rules of The Church¡­ But it seems he too believed their duty was to defend the city.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    The group would finally respond, joining in the salute. With that, they would set off. Kazius had never seen other Monsters in person. It seems it was finally time for him to see what Monsters were like.

 Chapter 8: Friends

    As Kazius approached the source of the chaos and screams, his resolve did begin to waver. He was incredibly nervous. It was like his heart was beating in his ear. The academy and training were one thing, but he honestly felt entirely unprepared.

    As they rushed forward, more and more of the buildings looked decimated. What did not sit well with Kazius above all was how precise the attack seemed to be. The buildings that were torn apart tended to be some of the older homes of people that were of noteworthy wealth in Marv. Among the decimated places there were also antique shops and art collectors.

    A sense of dread began to fill Kazius. How could Monsters know of such places? Attack on the day with the least security? It was known Monsters lived in the Wastelands outside the border of the 3 kingdoms... A place where starvation and nothing but death waited. Since Monsters were sinners, they were doomed to suffer outside the 3 kingdoms¡­ How could they have time and ability to plan something like this out?

    But as Kazius laid his eyes on the Horde, at the border of starvation was the last phrase he would use to describe it.

    ¡®So that was a lie too, huh?¡¯ Kazius thought to himself in defeat. He lost the energy to be surprised by the lies at this point. At this rate, hearing The Church told the truth about something would me more surprising. He felt like he could not decide if he wanted to laugh or cry.

    Among the rubble and debris stood what had to be a Horde that was at least in the hundreds number. The Orcs packed more muscle than any person Kazius had ever seen. From the ones with swords to the ones with bows, they stood around a looming 7ft (2.1336 m). As for the Trolls, while they were shorter at 5ft (1.524 m), their long claws had to be longer than some of the swords some of the Knights had. The Ogres of course had no muscle, but what they lacked in muscle they made up with sheer size. Their hulking forms stood at what had to be 10ft (3.048 m).

    The green skinned group were Monsters like him¡­ A thought he did not dwell on since they all brought him a sense of terror that he had not felt since his days at The Orphanage.

    ¡®I¡¯m going to die today, aren¡¯t I?¡¯

    Kazius had been a coward his whole life. At least that is what he himself thought of himself. He was always not confronting anything of what The Church did. Instead, he ran. All he did was run. He ran from his fate, from what he was, everything. For once, he would not run. Not while his friends were already charging ahead without an ounce of fear. They truly believed The Oracle would protect them.

    How hopeless the situation was had not sunk in for the other Knights. Not until Mark was decapitated by the sheer force of a hit from an Orc General dressed in elaborate tribal garb. It seems that their leaders were not in the back, not like The Holy Knight¡¯s formations. They were right at the front lines.

    ¡°NOOOO!¡± Alex exclaimed, horrified at the loss of their friend. His eyes widened in terror and shock, the blood splattering on not just the ground, but on any nearby Holy Knights and Orcs alike.

    Hank and Leo were left speechless with their mouths agape, their eyes just as wide. Fear rushed into the group of all the knights at the bloody sight. The atmosphere felt heavy with the helplessness of the situation. The chill that ran down their backs was like they had all been splashed with ice cold water.

    They could all barely hear each other as a true massacre began. The Horde barely saw them as a threat, laughing while they began torching the remains of the buildings they destroyed after plundering what they could. Most ignored the Knights. Despite this, the small number of them that did attack them was overwhelming all the same.

    Kazius was unable to cry out to his friends while he did his best to fight back. Hank was lost before he could blink, turned to ribbons by a Troll.

    All Kazius could do was scream.

    It was only a few seconds into this battle, yet the sounds of fighting were already almost halted to a deafening silence. Only a handful of Holy Knights were left, including Alex, Leo, and himself.

    Enraged and feeling hopeless, Alex charged with a battle cry, breaking formation.

    ¡®Alex!¡¯ Kazius exclaimed mentally to himself in terror.

    His best friend for as long as he could remember, his brother¡­ Alex was about to die.

    Kazius tried to stop him, but he was just too far away.

    Kazius didn¡¯t understand what happened next¡­ Or even how he did it. In his terror and desperation¡­ Kazius began to hear them¡­ The Shadows that always seemed to call out to him... They got louder than ever¡­ As if trying to wake up a part of him with their yelling¡­

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Out of options, Kazius responded to them¡­

    And as if elated at the reply, they then responded in kind.

    Kazius couldn¡¯t hear anything other than his own horrified screaming, thinking of the friends he had lost and the friend he was about to lose. He was angry, scared, sad, his emotions were out of control as a massive form of shadow coated his body. He moved in but a blur, the Holy Knights only able to see but a dark shaded form with leaked darkness before strings of it attacked in every direction.

    Despite being oh so badly outnumbered before¡­ The numbers of the Horde were reduced by more than half before anyone could react.

    Both The remaining Holy Knights and Horde froze in shock.

    By the time Kazius managed to regain a sense of what he was doing after his rampage, he found himself at the center of the carnage. All eyes of The Horde and Knights were unwavering as they stared straight at him. Kazius could barely focus on this though, an odd ringing filling his ears. It was almost overwhelming.

    The Orc General had managed to dodge the chain of attacks. So, despite being close to Kazius, he still lived. He looked slightly angry, but also full of disbelief.

    Surprisingly enough, The Orc General quickly would then regain his composure only to laugh, as if he witnessed something hilarious. He chuckled, waving his subordinates away.

    ¡°Retreat! Grab the antique and head out! We are done here!¡±  Kazius could manage out despite the ringing in his ear, his mind fuzzy.

    It took less than a minute before Kazius returned to normal, if that was what you could call it. His body body was coated in shadows that were still slowly sinking into him. His red eyes were glowing faintly and had turned a darker wine red. Then there were his teeth¡­ Four of them had morphed into fangs...

    Kazius had saved them.  Sadly, from the perspective of his friends, they did not see a savior. He was like an explosion of filth and darkness that belonged only in nightmares. Something expected from only the worst of creatures, a Monster.

    He looked pure evil to his comrades... Their gazes turning to looks of disgust.

    ¡°What the¡­ Antique¡­ Did you guys hear him? What antique? What just¡­¡± Kazius stated, still trying to wrap his head around things. The ringing was beginning to die down, but he now felt incredibly nauseous. It was almost like he was hung over. He had not yet registered their expressions.

    ¡°What are you talking about, Kazius?! You can understand that gibberish? You¡­ You tricked us! You Monster! What the hell are you!?¡± Alex demanded.

    ¡°Guys, please, look, I don¡¯t know what that was, but I saved your lives, I¡¯m your friend! Your comrade! Come on, Alex, Leo, you can¡¯t just-¡± Kazius began, attempting to explain himself, but quickly stopped when he saw the pure hatred in Alex¡¯s face.

    His brother and lifelong friend now stood before him, looking at him as if he was no better than dirt. His expression would have made High Priest Jordan proud; it resembled his perfectly.

    The remaining Knights in the area drew their swords, clearly talking was not on the table.

    ¡®How ungrateful¡¯

    It hurt. His best friend, he was looking at him with such disgust¡­ Leo too¡­ He had hoped to live a normal life, that perhaps his friends would understand him. That they would accept him regardless of what he was. Was their friendship fake? Did it mean nothing to them just because he wasn¡¯t Human? What about the years they spent together?

    Kazius¡¯s heart sunk, a new form of dread and loneliness filling him.

    ¡®I really have been alone all this time, haven¡¯t I? I clung to them so hard¡­ I valued them so much¡­ But in the end¡­ I am nothing.¡¯

    Then again, it wasn¡¯t like their behavior came out of nowhere¡­ He should have known¡­ He should have just ran¡­ He should not have saved anyone. He had no idea what to do. His mind raced for a solution, but he was not any less lost as to what to do.

    It may seem out of nowhere, but something that briefly began to come to his mind was the story of Ratier. The founding of this kingdom. It¡¯s mention of Monsters and their betrayal. This whole kingdom, its people, The Church, it¡¯s history¡­ It all was a load of shit. Today had confirmed it to him.

    ¡®I saved their lives! But look at how they look at me! Those eyes¡­ There is nothing I hate more than those eyes¡­¡¯

    Kazius thought to himself, his sadness slowly losing out to rage.

    Kazius¡¯ thoughts would be cut off by Holy Magic being thrown in his direction, a cold feeling rushing over him. It didn''t take long before he was attacked by his own friends... He was too nauseous and overwhelmed to react. It didn¡¯t matter though. His powers were still bubbling out of his control, just like his emotions. Their attacks were futile, their weapons shattering against his form when they made contact with the shadows that clung to him. The force from said reaction would push them back.

    ¡®They aimed to kill me¡¯

    He felt so betrayed.

    His life as a Holy Knight, his dream, that he tried so hard to cling to¡­ This whole fa?ade¡­ It was over. The Oracle was right, he did not belong here¡­ What that meant, he still did not understand.

    What was he? How did he do that? Such questions were overshadowed by the anger he felt¡­ He thought his friends cared about him, yet they didn¡¯t even let him explain himself¡­

    Finally, Kazius managed to feel his legs. So, he ran¡­ But with the chaos and reinforcements coming, it was hard. He knew he would be an outlaw overnight, hated by the same people who once claimed to admire him.

    ¡®How the hell will I get out of here? Fuck¡­ Alex, Leo¡­¡¯

    As he ran through the city, he was able to run faster than the Holy Knights that were there. He was a Lieutenant for a reason and now he felt even lighter than ever before on his feet. Still, they were not far behind¡­ They could eventually catch up...

    He had made it to the part of Marv that was standing so he had cover¡­ But that was not something he could rely on for very long.

    Before Kazius could think further, he was literally yanked out of his thoughts.

    He had been grabbed and tugged by someone into an alley. Confused and scared, Kazius began to panic until the perpetrator would put their hands right over his mouth, letting out a quiet ¡°Shhh¡±

    Confused, Kazius decided to do as told. It wasn¡¯t like he had anything to lose. Soon he realized he had done the right thing; the sound of Knights could be heard approaching... Before they grew distant¡­ They were getting farther away¡­ They had passed them¡­

    Still¡­ Who would save him? A Monster? He would turn to look at his savior, it was a cloaked figure with the hood so low that he wasn¡¯t sure how they could even see¡­ Just who were they?

 Chapter 9: Out of Marv

    The hooded figure would turn towards the direction the footsteps had gone. After making sure the Knights weren¡¯t within hearing range, the figure began to speak.

    ¡°The city is still filled with Orcs, the Knights should have higher priorities than to come after us¡­ Then again, they are zealous beyond comprehension¡­ There is very little use in applying logic when it comes to Holy Knights. So, you can never be too careful¡­ Anyway, I know a way out without getting spotted. If you don¡¯t want to die, I recommend you follow me. Time is not a luxury we have." A feminine and soft voice stated.

    The hooded figure that stood before him wore a black traveler¡¯s cloak.  She stood at 5 ft 5in (1.65m), but not much else could be discerned due to her clothes. The force she mustered with her tug earlier was quite surprising for her stature.

    Kazius was feeling overwhelmed at everything that happened, taking a moment to register his savior and process her words. He wasn¡¯t given much time at all though. After explaining herself, the hooded woman looked around to make sure the coast was clear before leaving.

    Realizing that if he didn¡¯t move he would be left behind, Kazius would follow. The two managed to move through they alleys carefully, Kazius making sure to follow closely.

    ¡®Does this lady know what she is doing? Is she crazy? Why would she help a Monster like me? Then again¡­ She spoke poorly of Holy Knights¡­ And did seem to include herself in the group of people being persecuted¡­ She was also surprisingly prepared for this¡­ Just who was she?¡¯ Kazius began to wonder as they walked.

    She had no reason to help him. Honestly, he didn¡¯t want to trust her. He was just betrayed by his long-term friends; he wasn¡¯t in the most trusting of moods. If anything, he was feeling quite bitter and resentful even now. A part of him wanted nothing to do with Humans again.

    Still, she was his best and safest bet.  He had no choice but to trust her. Even if The Church was her enemy, he didn¡¯t understand what was in it for her by saving him. That being said¡­ If she was really here to save him¡­ An ally when a whole kingdom was against you was not a bad thing.

    So, he simply followed her, not saying a word. He intended to hold off on any questions, at least until they were at a safe distance. Where they wouldn''t be so easily found.

    After some time walking in silence, The two would soon make it to the outskirts of the city.

    Most of the evacuees had gone West towards Layton, but the two of them were headed East. There was no risk of running into them. The path was still a somewhat dangerous thing though. West was the direction the Wastelands infested with Monsters were, where the Orcs had come from.

    Then again, was there any place for a Monster like him other than The Wastelands? The Orcs were in good enough condition that it showed going to the Wastelands was not a death sentence like The Church had claimed it was.

    The City of Marv was close to the Elf Kingdom of Zelphar, which was to the North, but it was also close to the very edge of civilization¡­ The distance The Orcs had walked without being detected though was not any less strange. There were still several towns between Marv and The Wastelands.

    What was weirder was that outskirts remained intact, showing all the more that their target had been planned and specific. The more they walked though, the less signs there were of The Orcs¡­ They must have taken a path more to The Southeast¡­ Which was better for them¡­ But it did bring to question as to how the hooded woman knew what path they had taken.

    ¡®Had she seen the Orcs come in? Why did she not warn anyone?¡¯

    Then again, if she was helping him and from how she spoke, it was clear she was an enemy of The Church¡­ Something that confused Kazius¡­

    ¡®She smells like a Human¡­ Why would she have such a grudge against The Church? It feels like no matter how badly they treat people; no one ever questioned them¡­ Wait¡­ Smell? Oh, this is getting weird.¡¯

    They seemed to be far away enough from the city¡­ And Kazius¡¯ hesitation to trust her was being beaten out by pure curiosity. So, he decided to finally speak up. After all, there was mostly just greenery around, they had no people to worry about at the moment.

    ¡°Why are you helping me? You¡¯re a Human, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kazius finally spoke up wearily, unable to see any of the woman¡¯s features. Despite not being in the city, she kept her hood on, it seemed she did not trust him either. Not fully.

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    "Look, being an enemy of The Church isn¡¯t easy...  I am not doing this out of the kindness of my heart¡­ If that is what you think. I saved you for a reason. I need protection and traveling in a group is better than alone. Thimdur and Zelphar would gladly hand us over to Ratier¡­ So, all Three Kingdoms are our enemy¡­ That is why The Wastelands is the only option for criminals like us¡­  I don¡¯t intend to be buddies or anything of the sort." Hooded woman stated out bluntly as she crossed her arms, at least she was being honest. Her tone was quite resentful as she spoke of the kingdoms as well.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why you would help a Monster. Who even are you?¡± Kazius questioned in confusion.

    "I am not dumb enough to go to The Wastelands alone and I am in no position to be picky¡­ Yes, I am a Human¡­ But as far as I know¡­ Monsters have not done anything to me¡­ Not like Humans or The Church¡­ So, I don¡¯t really care what you are¡­ You looked strong enough out there¡­ I¡­ I saw you trying to save those Knights¡­ So, I also figured you cannot be all that bad¡­ I have no idea why a Monster would try and become a Holy Knight though¡­ And I won¡¯t ask¡­ Let¡¯s keep our private stuff to ourselves¡­ Just understand that the only place we will be able to get away from The Church is at The Wastelands. They may still chase us though¡­ The Knights of Edict are especially persistent¡± she added while fidgeting a little, clearly anxious about the situation herself. When she mentioned Edicts, it was as if she was saying a word that carried a lot of unease for her. She spoke with almost an authoritative firmness, but her tone revealed she had surprising amount of fear she was doing her best to hide.

    Kazius never anticipated the idea that Edicts may be sent after him. After all, he was a Monsters that understood the ways of The Holy Knights and The Church well¡­ He had even been on track to become an Edict himself. He was definitely a problem they would like to take care of¡­ And this hooded woman likely was a hazard to The Church herself.

    What bothered Kazius the most is that he did not recall getting any sort of report about anyone on the run¡­ Had she done something so drastic that even a Lieutenant like him was not trusted to know? The one thing she showed certainty about was that The Church was the enemy and that they would collude with the other kingdoms to get rid of them.

    He was curious about her, but it was clear she did not intend to tell him anything nor become friends¡­ Then again, he wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted friends either¡­ But¡­ He would be lying to himself if he said he did not feel desperate loneliness. A loneliness that had only grown stronger now, but he felt ever since he realized that he thought differently from others in Ratier¡­ And for once, it seemed there was someone else that hated The Church as much as him. A hatred he had been in denial about until today.

    ¡°I guess¡­ That makes sense¡­ In that case, I will go with you to The Wastelands¡­ I have no idea what is there, but we don¡¯t have much of a choice.¡± Kazius admitted with a sigh.

    ¡°Good¡­ Let¡¯s keep moving then, we have to hurry¡­ The cover of dark is our friend right now¡­ The ceremony is not forever either¡­ We need to leave before it is over¡­ It was kicked off today¡­ The spoiled idiots got to see their future today¡­ But there is still tomorrow and the day after for normal citizens¡­¡± The hooded woman stated, walking faster. It was surprising that she wasn¡¯t already exhausted¡­ Or if she was, she was doing a very good job at hiding it, but then again¡­ If stopping meant death, the two would have to push themselves.

    ¡°We need to stay as far away as possible from roads¡­ That won¡¯t make this easy¡­ Knights don¡¯t get reports about news in other areas until morning¡­ Normally¡­ But in emergencies Priests can use Holy artifacts to communicate. I remember sending someone to spread news about the Orcs¡­ There is no way a description of me hasn¡¯t already made it out¡­ We need to be careful¡­ Whatever few Knights are not in Lazne will be looking for me for sure.¡± Kazius admitted as he followed closely.

    ¡°If you¡¯re right, we should hurry even more. Come on, we can¡¯t waste any more time.¡± She responded, sounding all the more nervous.

    With that, they began to hurry to cover a bigger distance.

    Time passed. It was getting very late. As they walked, the Moon did little to light their path. They were walking between a lot of trees and foliage¡­ And with Marv growing distant, it was only getting darker. Something Kazius barely registered since he could see just fine.

    Kazius¡¯ new vision had not registered at all, not until the hooded woman ended up running into a branch. She seemed to let out an annoyed grunt, that sounded like it hurt¡­

    This was all strange¡­ From the shadows that had sunk into him¡­ To his new fangs that he could feel in his mouth¡­ And now the fact that he realized it was night just a bit ago, but ever since he had that fight with the Orcs¡­ Everything looked like it was almost daytime again with how well he could see. He truly was not Human. That was why the more Kazius watched her the more he realized it was clear she could barely see.

    At this rate she would run into another branch again. Sure, they were not friends, but they had to work together for now¡­ And despite his newfound resentment for Knights¡­ Kazius had wanted to become one with Alex to help people. Deep down he still wanted to help others¡­ Even if that sentiment was now muddled with the newfound anger he felt. Anger that he did not know what to do with¡­ But at the end of the day, whether out of the kindness or not¡­ This woman saved him¡­ So, he wanted to help her.

    ¡°Hold on¡­ There is a branch there too.¡± Kazius warned awkwardly, placing his hand in the way before she could run into it.

    ¡°Come on¡­ If it is East we¡¯re heading, I can lead the way¡­ Or I can at least clear the way ahead a little.¡± Kazius suggested feeling a bit uncertain about how his offer would be taken, but he may as well try. After all, she did say she wanted his help.

    Of course, he couldn¡¯t see the hooded woman¡¯s expression, but after a bit of silence she did seem to nod a bit under her hood.

    ¡°You¡­ You can lead the way.¡± She agreed hesitantly.

    If they going to work together, this level of trust was necessary at the very least.

 Chapter 10: Supplies

    Kazius led the way for a few more hours until the two decided to get a quick rest on the grass.

    He was tired and hungry, but he had survived on almost nothing at The Orphanage¡­ So, he figured he would be fine.

    Considering they were on the run; it was not wise to set up any sort of fire. They could probably not do so until they made it to The Wastelands. Thankfully it was Spring, and it was only getting warmer.

    Then again, Kazius himself was not sure if the cold could get to him as easily as it did a Human. Something in him had woken up¡­ If his changes and new ability were anything to go by¡­ But what that something was, and why it had been sealed¡­ Or even why he had been left to be raised by Humans¡­ He didn¡¯t know a single thing about who he was.

    Kazius would lay on the grass, taking out his necklace from his pocket. This necklace with his name brought him comfort when he needed it most¡­ But now it was also a source of uncertainty. Why bother giving him such a thing? Just who were his parents? What was he? He was a Monster¡­ But that contained so many types of beings¡­ After all, he had nothing in common with the Orcs he saw¡­ Did he even have anything in common with Humans? He resembled one¡­ he supposed¡­

    It was silent as he continued to look at the necklace. The Hooded woman and him did not talk too much to each other¡­ Yet he knew he had more in common with her than with his former friends¡­ Despite how little he knew about her¡­ He felt pathetic once his former friends came to mind.

    ¡®Why did I cling to them? Despite them showing me again and again who they really were¡­ I knew they wouldn¡¯t accept me¡­ I knew The Church lied¡­ I knew there was something wrong with Ratier¡­ But I was never honest with myself about it until it was too late¡­¡¯

    He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

    Kazius rolled over, confused only to come face to face with a sandwich being shoved in his face. He hesitantly accepted it, looking over to The Hooded Woman in confusion.

    She had a small sack she had been hiding under her hood. It didn¡¯t look like it had much in it though. Maybe one more sandwich or two and some water.

    The two of them had clearly not gotten adequately prepared for such a journey¡­ She had probably left in a hurry, just like him¡­ But she had been able to have barely enough time to grab at least this.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Kazius stated in genuine surprise.

    It was strange. The Hooded Woman refused to tell him her name or even show her face to him¡­ She even swore up and down she was not kind, but she shared half of the little amount of food she had.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me¡­ I just¡­ You¡­ You need your energy to protect me¡­ And I figured if I¡¯m hungry, you probably are too¡­¡± The Hooded Woman responded. She seemed to hesitate a bit.

    ¡°But you¡¯re welcome¡­ I guess¡­¡± She stated before laying back down on the ground, facing away from him as she ate.

    ¡®She really is an odd one¡­ The Church swears they are righteous and good, but they only lie and threaten people¡­ Then this girl swears she is not kind, but she showed more care about whether I am going hungry or not than The Priests at The Orphanage ever did¡­¡¯

    Kazius would think to himself as he ate the sandwich. It was a simple sandwich with meat and cheese, but the quality of the ingredients surprised him. They tasted like a luxury even a prestigious Knight like him did not have. It was very good, which made Kazius wonder where she had gotten it from. Still, what mattered most was what they would eat once these sandwiches ran out.

    He didn¡¯t think it was a great idea¡­ But they would have to risk it and try and go by a village for supplies¡­ At the very least Kazius had money on him¡­ And while Priests and Knights may be filled in about him being an outlaw¡­ Kazius doubted the story about a Monster that managed to hide within The Holy Knights would ever get told to civilians¡­ The Church would never allow such a thing to become public. It was risky¡­ But it was possible to get what they needed for their trip.

    Kazius, with those thoughts in mind, would fall asleep after eating.

    The next day the two would wake up.

    They got maybe 4 hours of sleep, but for Kazius, that felt like a full days¡¯ sleep ¡­ The Hooded Woman on the other hand, she was definitely more than tired.

    As they walked and he explained the plan he had come up with last night¡­ He could tell she was absolutely exhausted. Thankfully, she was hanging in there.

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    ¡°There should be an old village of a decent size up ahead¡­ I can go buy the supplies and meet with you by the outskirts. As long as members of The Church or Knights don¡¯t spot me, it should be fine.¡± Kazius suggested. As a Knight, he had been taught about many settlements near any areas he may be stationed at. So, he knew a good amount about the sort of places they may pass. As for the reason he suggested for her to stay outside¡­ It was due to how suspicious she looked in her hood combined with his concern for her fatigue.

    The Hooded Woman seemed to fidget at the suggestion, not happy with the idea, but she probably understood why it was necessary. ¡°I guess we should do that¡­ It is very risky though¡­¡± She agreed hesitantly.

    With the plan in mind, they would keep going.

    It wasn¡¯t long before they approached the village he had mentioned¡­ The Village of Roses¡­ A very elegant name for such a small settlement. It did have many Rose bushes planted around. The place probably had it¡¯s history though, the more East you went in Ratier, the older the settlements were¡­ As the story goes, Ratier was founded with its first capital of Remus and then expanded West. If they were to reach The Wastelands, they would have to make it past The Fort Town of Remus. The original capital of Ratier, before it had been moved to Layton with a wall that was meant to keep out Monsters.

    But that was an issue for later¡­

    First, they needed supplies.

    Kazius scouted the area with his companion. The place was indeed a small village. There was a lot of foliage, Rose bushes around as well as many trees.

    The mandatory Church every settlement had was even at the edge of the village¡­ Something that would be considered undignified by any Priest from a city.

    This was good though, it meant there was little to worry about.

    ¡°The Church is small¡­ I will keep an eye on it¡­ If I see any Priests or Knights heading out, I will go find you before they can get to you.¡± The Hooded Woman stated.

    Kazius nodded, smiling slightly. ¡°Thank you¡­ I will try and be fast¡­¡± He assured, heading out quickly.

    He would eventually find a store with what he needed. The place did not have a lot of places to shop at, so there weren¡¯t that many places to look.

    The store he entered was a dainty looking place built with wood and stone¡­ It was really almost incredible¡­ Places like this had to pay tribute to The Church who basked in wealth¡­ Yet buildings where normal citizens lived were almost like an entirely different world compared to the wealth The Church had.

    An old woman took care of the store. She looked up there in years, the kind of person that should be resting and enjoying her older years, not working.

    Kazius carefully closed the door behind him as he entered, the wooden door feeling quite frail in his hand.

    ¡°Good morning, welcome, dear.¡± The Old Woman stated.

    ¡°Hello¡­¡± Kazius stated politely, ¡°My squad is being sent to provide support to Marv, but because of commotion, we are lacking supplies. I¡¯m here to buy dried food and water skins¡­ As well as a bag to hold it¡­ Some camping supplies too since the trip is longer than a day.¡± He stated.

    Since he was raised by The Church¡­ As much as he didn¡¯t like it, lying like this was something he knew how to do well¡­

    ¡°Oh! I heard about that¡­ Those disgusting Monsters¡­ Stay right there!¡± The Old Woman stated, making Kazius quite nervous as she disappeared. Had she recognized him? His heart raced, maybe his lie wasn¡¯t that convincing¡­

    Every second that passed was like an eternity¡­ Kazius was weighing running for it, only for The Old Woman to return with two large bags. She struggled to drag them in.

    ¡°Here, don¡¯t worry about the price. I cannot thank you enough for the work you Knights do.¡± The Old Woman stated with a warm smile. Despite her smile, Kazius felt almost nauseous at hearing her words.

    ¡°Of course¡­ But I cannot accept that, I was ordered to pay for these supplies¡­ and I will do so¡­¡± Kazius stated, grabbing both bags with ease before dropping a bag of coins on the table. It was actually all the money he had¡­ But he wouldn¡¯t need it after all.

    ¡°Thank you! Please come again if you need anymore supplies, dear.¡± The Old Woman stated, looking surprised at the generous amount he gave.

    Kazius nodded with a fake smile on his face, waving as her left. He felt conflicted. He was disgusted to be seen as a Knight now¡­ And he had mixed feelings about Humans and Ratier¡­ He knew if The Old Woman knew the truth¡­ She would behave just like Alex and Leo and every zealous lunatic he knew¡­ With the same disgusted eyes¡­ She only was kind because she believed he was out exterminating others like himself¡­ But Humans were not all terrible¡­ At least The Hooded Woman that was traveling with him seemed alright, at least he believed her to be from her actions so far.

    Actions showed who people were, not words.

    Still, this whole situation brought forward one thing and that was his desire to get rid of his armor. It felt disgusting to wear it¡­ But that would come later¡­ Buying new clothes right now was too risky and could be seen as suspicious.

    With that in mind, he would go find his companion. The Hooded Woman was actually exactly where he had last seen her, but she seemed to be hiding and watching quite the commotion.

    As carefully as he could, with the two bags on his back, he would approach.

    The Hooded Woman would turn towards him, making a shushing motion before pointing towards The Church.

    Upon a second look, it was a small place for sure. Especially compared to The Churches he had seen. The door was left wide open, revealing quite the scene.

    There was a Priest pointing at a Priestess accusingly. The Priestess was crying, but what was the most shocking of all was the fact the Priestess was a blonde Elf Woman¡­ Kazius had heard on very rare occasions Elves and Dwarves joined The Church¡­ But he had never seen it for himself.

    ¡°You filth! First, I get a report about a traitor Knight, out of all things¡­ And now I learn one of my own Priestesses is a Demon worshipper! I can¡¯t believe such garbage was among us!¡± The Priest exclaimed, shaking with pure rage. With the expression he gave, he looked like someone that could become quite the good friends with someone like High Priest Jordan.

    Kazius would turn to look at the Hooded Woman, his response being a shrug. It seemed she was just as confused as he was as to what was going on.

 Chapter 11: The Elf Who Heard God

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not! I really did hear it¡­¡± The blonde Elf stated in dismay as more tears gathered in her sky-blue eyes. She looked incredibly distressed. She was holding a Holy Staff. It was different from many of the ones Kazius had seen. It was a gold and white color with patterns he had seen in plenty of Holy Staffs, but the gold and ornaments along it seemed to show it was special. It was very flashy, even by the standard of The Church.

    ¡°I heard God! He spoke to me!¡± She would emphasize, again, looking very certain of what she was saying.

    ¡°The Oracle only speaks to the Pope and that is through visions! The Oracle does not talk! What you say is heresy! HERESY! You¡­ You even stole a valuable and rare staff¡­ One that has been around since the founding of Ratier! You are just trying to justify your theft since you were caught! You vile thing¡­ Guards! Guards! Why are you not here yet!?¡± The Priest snapped angrily at her before calling for the Knights. Considering where the Priest was looking, they were likely within The Church.

    This was bad. Kazius was tempted to help her, but the last thing they needed was to be spotted.

    The Hooded Woman seemed to be thinking something similar, since she was already slowly moving to leave.

    The Elf Woman looked at the staff, appearing to not be listening to The Priest, who was still yelling at her. Instead she was just nodding along. ¡°Right!¡±  She would suddenly exclaim, looking quite determined, clenching her fists together.

    ¡®Is she talking to herself? Is she crazy? I guess we really should leave¡­¡¯

    Before Kazius could move, along with the Hooded Woman, The Elf Priestess would look in their precise direction. Horrified, Kazius would freeze. The Hooded Woman also did not move a muscle. There was no way she could see them!

    Yet¡­ She was looking straight at them¡­ But how?!

    "Please, you have to help me!" The Elf pleaded, making a run for it in their direction. She rushed over to the shocked duo before they could even process anything.

    ¡®What!? No! Don¡¯t come this way! At this rate¡­¡¯

    As she did this, the Knights inside The Church finally came out.

    ¡°She is making a run for it! Get her already!¡± The Priest exclaimed impatiently.

    By the time Kazius and The Hooded Woman were running, The Elf had already caught up to them and was running along with them.

    ¡°Look! It¡¯s someone in Lieutenant armor! That must be The Monster that was in the report! She really is a Demon worshipper!¡± One of The Knights exclaimed as they began to chase the trio.

    ¡®No¡­. Why!? How!?¡¯

    Kazius was panicking, he wasn¡¯t sure how they could outrun the Knights. Not with their luggage on his back and the two with him. Still, hiding had worked once before¡­ And there were many trees around¡­ So, using that to his advantage, he would pull the two women to hide behind a bush, breaking their pursuers¡¯ line of sight.

    ¡°Shit¡­ Where did they go!? Come on!¡± Could be heard, the Knights moving away.

    Once they were out of ear range, Kazius sighed, relieved. He wasn¡¯t sure that would keep working, but she supposed he would just be grateful it did¡­

    I was then he heard The Hooded woman muttering to herself.

    ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± She began, clearly upset.  They almost got caught after all. The last thing the two expected was for the Elf to run to them. Kazius thought she was about to get angry¡­ But just as soon as her anger started, it vanished. She sighed, deflated.

    ¡°Come on¡­ We can all talk and you can tell us who the Hell you are once we get out of here.¡± Kazius stated, figuring it would be best to wait before talking.

    Saving the Elf was not in their plan, but The Hooded Woman had helped him in a similar fashion¡­ So, it did not feel right leaving her either. Even if she did almost get them caught.

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    ¡°Thank you.¡± The Elf Woman stated contently, her smile more than on the goofy side. She was surprisingly giddy for someone bawling her eyes out a second ago.

    With that, the group would manage to sneak away farther from the village, using the foliage as cover. For the first time in his life, he was beginning to be thankful The Church was littered with incompetence. Except for Edicts, it felt like Knights were picked on zeal and obedience rather than skill. Even if The Oracle was behind the selection of Knights.

    Of course, once Edicts were sent after them¡­ Things may get quite frightening. A fear that Kazius and The Hooded Woman seemed to have.

    Another frightening possibility was The Church using The Oracle to find out where they were¡­ Then again¡­ Kazius doubted The Oracle worked that way¡­ Kazius also did not know if The Oracle was ever used outside The Coming-of-Age Ceremony¡­ If there was such information, it had definitely been above his rank in terms of clearance¡­

    If the Oracle worked that conveniently, The Church would have had a better idea of where they were¡­ Maybe even found where they were sleeping. After all, The entire Church knew about him at this point¡­If they could have found his location in such a way, they would have likely already done so.

    They were safe, for now¡­

    The group had made it far away enough.

    ¡°So, care to explain who you are?¡± The Hooded Woman demanded before Kazius could even speak.

    Kazius looked over at the confused Elf Woman. The Elf was a little shorter than the Hooded Woman, standing at 5ft 2in (1.57m). Though her height was far from the most notable thing about her. The Holy Maiden wore the typical Priestess clothes of a follower of The Oracle, but the clothes almost looked indecent on her. She was gifted when it came to her rear and to some extent to her breasts.

    "Thank you so much for saving me! You are so kind!" Elf Woman exclaimed giddily in quite the carefree manner. It seemed she had not registered the fact she did not give them much of a choice when it came to saving her.

    "I think The Church is confused... They called me a Demon worshipper... But I have the staff of God himself!" She chirped contently, holding up the holy staff in her hands happily. She even looked a little proud.

    The Hooded Woman seemed to stare at her, as did Kazius.

    ¡®Oh, so she¡¯s crazy, great. There is no way something that important would be out here in the middle of nowhere¡­  The staff does look impressive, but there is just no way.¡¯

    It seemed the Hooded Woman was thinking something among the same line if her gestures said anything. She crossed her arms, looking unimpressed.

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me either¡­¡± This only made the Elf Woman frown and whine, pouting a little. She  looked almost like a kicked puppy. So much so that even her long pointed ears almost looked like they were drooping.

    ¡°Whether we believe you or not is not an issue. Look, at this moment, you are also an enemy of The Church. You need to be ready for that or you will get killed¡­ Do you understand that? We are going to The Wastelands; you can join us if you want. More people will be better when it comes to surviving¡­¡± The Hooded Woman offered.

    ¡°Having a healer around would not be a bad idea¡­ Who knows what is out there.¡± Kazius decided to add, feeling very unsure and uneasy. Kazius had also only gotten supplies for two people¡­ But they should have enough to eat for at least four days, which was more than what they needed¡­ If they could find food in The Wastelands.

    "Oh! That sounds like so much fun! Everything is always better with friends; my name is Eve! What about you two?" Eve stated innocently despite having just met the two. The Elf really was too trusting. She seemed giddy at the thought of friends. She was beaming, flowers practically blooming in her head, not acting like someone who was so close to capture or death but a minute ago. Would she survive out there?

    Kazius wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to such energy, it was very different from the awkward silence when it was just The Hooded Woman and him. Kazius was also not sure how he felt about someone calling him a friend again¡­ But he supposed he could not seclude himself due to fear¡­ Not to mention, he did not have the heart to tell Eve that she was not his friend.

    ¡°I¡¯m Kazius.¡± He stated. His response to his introduction was quite the giddy smile in return from Eve.

    The Hooded Woman was hesitant. She looked like she was already regretting saving the Holy Maiden, she clearly was a ditz¡­ Though if the two did not save her, she would likely be dead.

    ¡°I¡­ My name¡­ My name is Alice.¡± The Hooded Woman stated hesitantly.

    It surprised Kazius, he had not expected Alice to actually respond. Then again, with how innocent Eve acted, it was hard to not cave to her demand. Then there was her name. It was actually a common one that was made very popular after the birth of The Princess¡­

    In fact, Kazius was almost tempted to suspect that was who Alice was¡­ But then that made the report of the execution even more confusing¡­ It was a common name¡­ But it would also explain a lot.

    Kazius was tempted to ask Alice about her identity, but he decided not to. Whether she was The Princess or not, it was definitely a touchy subject for her.

    Eve only seemed to smile further, bouncing on her feet a little, ¡°It is great to meet you! I¡¯m so happy I made new friends! Nice ones too!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Kazius stated awkwardly, it would take time for Alice and him to get used to Eve¡¯s energy for sure.

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s keep walking. Then we can set up camp once we¡¯ve made enough progress¡­ I think Alice and you will have to share a tent. I only got two.¡± Kazius added.

    ¡°Oh! It is like a slumber party in the woods, how fun!¡± Eve added, at least one of them was optimistic.

    Kazius wasn¡¯t sure what to make of his new¡­ Friends¡­ But it was certain that his time with the two would be interesting.

 Chapter 12: Slumber Party In The Woods

    Their journey from that point on had been very different. The awkwardness that existed before was almost gone. There was almost no silence. Eve treated both Kazius and Alice like they had been friends for a long time.

    It may have been very overly familiar for Eve to do so, but she was so innocent that it was hard to get angry at her over it. She fully broke the ice for the group.

    ¡®How did someone like her survive in The Church?¡¯ Kazius thought to himself in confusion.

    As they walked, it was already afternoon. The group had been walking for some time so they may have to set up camp soon.

    ¡°And that is why I was very good at the being locked in the cellar game¡­ But for some reason I was the only one that always got picked for being locked up. They seemed happy though. I am happy as long as they had fun! I don¡¯t really understand how the game worked, but I think I was very good at it. The other Priestesses sometimes left me there for a whole day.¡± Eve explained giddily.

    Alice turned to look at Eve, Kazius could not see her face fully, but he could somewhat make out a frown.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they were playing a game with you, Eve.¡± Alice stated, sounding concerned.

    ¡°You were being bullied¡­ But we don¡¯t intend to do anything like that. That is not what friends do.¡± Kazius tried to explain, unsure of what to make out of the story they were just told. Eve had been talking about what she did at The Church for a while now and so far, her experience did not sound much better than what Kazius had experienced. Still, it was shocking to meet someone that did not hesitate to say everything and anything about herself in such a way.

    Eve seemed to not care about the clarification though, simply having a wide smile on her face.

    ¡°I think they were just playing. I do know you would not do anything bad to me though. God told me so. You two are good people.¡± She explained contently.

    ¡®There she goes again about that God stuff¡­ The Oracle can¡¯t be talking to her, it just didn¡¯t make sense. Why would The Pope not keep such an important staff for himself?¡¯

    ¡°Eve, The Oracle isn¡¯t talking to you.¡± Alice sighed out.

    ¡°He really did talk to me! He even told me where you were hiding so I could run to you when I was in trouble!¡± Eve responded with a very determined expression on her face.

    Kazius was confused at that statement though. After all, there was no way she could have spotted them¡­ Yet indeed she had ran right towards them¡­ Still, it was all just so unlikely¡­ But now he felt even more uncertain.

    ¡°Okay, maybe you are hearing a voice¡­ But I really don¡¯t think that it is The Oracle, Eve.¡± Kazius stated with a sigh, scratching his head while in thought.

    Eve pouted a little, hugging the staff. ¡°I will find a way to prove it.¡± She stated.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Alice responded, clearly not knowing what to think about what Eve said.

    ¡°Anyway, I will set up camp¡­ It is getting late.¡± Kazius stated.

    ¡°I will take out our food and figure out what we can have to eat today then while you do that.¡± Alice suggested, seeming to fidget some. She was probably feeling a little embarrassed about being more verbal.

    ¡°I¡­ I want to help, but is it okay if I walk away for a bit to pray on my own?¡± Eve questioned with a pleading look.

    ¡°I suppose¡­ But don¡¯t wonder off too far, it isn¡¯t safe.¡± Kazius stated while in thought. He was concerned about her getting lost, but he supposed it would be fine.

    It was strange for Kazius though¡­ Alice and him were working together more, or at least it felt like that was the case¡­ And now he even found himself caring about the two.

    Kazius had considered hiding away and not befriending anyone after what he had gone through¡­ But¡­ He knew he had always felt lonely. Maybe he himself was eager to make real friends just as much as Eve was, he just had not been very honest with himself about it¡­ Maybe even Alice was too, despite her tough act.

    With that in his mind, they all went off to do what they said they would.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Setting up two tents was simple enough for Kazius. Such things were part of the basic training for Knights. He set up both tents efficiently, but that did not make the bitterness over the source of his knowledge go away.

    ¡®I hope I can get new clothes soon¡­¡¯ Kazius thought to himself as he approached Alice.

    ¡°Here is your portion¡­ I think we have more than enough food¡­ But I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t worried¡­¡± Alice admitted with a sigh, eating some of the dried meat she had placed apart for herself.

    ¡°Do you think The Church told the truth about The Wastelands?¡± Kazius wondered, sitting beside her.

    ¡°The Church¡­ Say the truth? No, we have better odds of befriending a Demon than The Church say the truth for once¡­ No¡­ That isn¡¯t what I¡¯m worried about¡­ You saw The Orcs for yourself¡­ I don¡¯t know how safe we will be out there.¡± Alice stated, her tone shifting from bitter and sarcastic to dismayed.

    ¡°That is true¡­ But I am not sure if Monsters would attack us for no reason¡­¡± Kazius admitted, ¡°The Orcs¡­ They¡­ I think they were looking for something¡­¡± Kazius admitted.

    Alice turned to look at Kazius, her hood still very much in the way, but he could make out a sort of shocked expression on her mouth that came to view briefly.

    ¡°You think so? What makes you say that?¡± Alice questioned, sounding very curious, but also concerned.

    ¡°I understood The Orcs for some reason¡­ Maybe it has to do with what I am¡­ I honestly have no clue what that even is¡­ Anyway, they mentioned finding an antique¡­ I also noticed they only attacked places where art and antiques are¡­ Not to mention¡­ For such a Horde to get so far into the Kingdom without being spotted¡­ I think they were directed by someone¡­ What they found and what for, I have no clue though.¡± Kazius admitted. This was the most he had spoken to Alice casually¡­ He surprised himself with how honest he was being as well.

    Alice was silent for a bit, thinking.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t like the sound of that at all¡­ I doubt that is good¡­ I wish we knew more¡­ But I guess if we run away from Ratier¡­ I don¡¯t care if the kingdom collapses. It isn¡¯t my problem anymore.¡± Alice admitted, not sounding so certain as she said this though.

    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right¡­¡± Kazius agreed with a sigh. It wasn¡¯t like they knew anything about The Orcs¡­ And as things were, they were in no position to do anything about it.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Look¡­ Kazius¡­ I¡¯m sorry for how I- Wait¡­ I just realized¡­ But why is Eve not back yet?¡± Alice questioned in concern, changing the subject before she could finish her apology. Though Kazius had no clue what she could even be sorry for.

    ¡°She does seem like the type to get lost¡­ Letting Eve go pray may have been a mistake¡­ She should have been back by now.¡± Kazius stated, realizing indeed it has been sometime, but she was still not back.

    ¡°Come on¡­ Let¡¯s go find her¡­ I hope she didn¡¯t get caught¡­ I¡¯ll scold her once we see her.¡± Alice stated, sounding concerned. She had spoken so coldly when they met, but it seemed she was no longer trying to act like she was not the caring type. Then again, she likely knew The Church as much as he did¡­ Caring people must hide such a side if they wanted to survive.

    ¡°And here I thought you wanted us around because you wanted a healer and a bodyguard.¡± Kazius teased. He wasn¡¯t so much the joking type after what happened, but his chat with Alice had been far from uncomfortable¡­ He only spoke like this with his friends¡­ Though now, he supposed he now might actually get new friends.

    He couldn¡¯t see her face thanks to her hood, but he could tell his words flustered Alice some. ¡°D-Don¡¯t say unnecessary things, okay?! I just think having Eve around is useful.¡± she stated, sounding flustered. It seemed she refused to be too honest about her feelings.

    ¡°A-are you coming or what?¡± Alice grumbled.

    ¡°I suppose.¡± Kazius said in amusement, leading the way in the direction Eve had gone. After all, it was dark now. He was the only one out of the two of them that could see properly. Calling out Eve¡¯s name was not a good idea either. Not when they were on the run.

    Thankfully, Eve actually had not gone too far.

    It wasn¡¯t very long before they heard her voice. It did not seem like she was alone either, at least not at first.

    She was talking to someone. The closer they got though, the clearer it became that there was no one there with her. She was talking to herself, so it seemed.

    ¡®Oh no¡­ She is out of her mind¡­.¡¯

    "Yes, my lord!" Eve stated gleefully followed by silence. She was kneeling on one knee while holding the staff she stole. After her statement, her words were followed by silence.

    ¡°That would be great! Do you think my new friends will find me useful? They seem so smart¡­ They are kind and even saved me, just like you said they would. I want to help them, so they will like me.¡± She started, then there was silence yet again.

    ¡°Of course, I am grateful to you. I met them because of you¡­¡± She assured, soon looking down.

    ¡°I¡­ Just¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t want them to hate me.¡±

    While she was a ditz, but her past treatment in The Church made her indeed see herself as someone that was useless.

    ¡°I¡¯ve tried my hardest, you know? I collected all the pieces of the staff buried in the woods, just like you said¡­ The Holy Staff is done¡­ I got the last part yesterday. But¡­ Are you sure it isn¡¯t stealing? I feel bad¡­¡± Eve stated, indeed sulking. She would then be silent before she would go wide-eyed.

    ¡°No! I trust you; I promise!¡± She assured.

    ¡®This¡­ This didn¡¯t sound good¡­ Something about this didn¡¯t feel right¡­ Was that really God? The Oracle? Some sort of other God? Elves had their own separate Gods or something, right? This conversation¡­ The more I hear it the more real it feels.¡¯

    ¡°You will help? Really?!¡± Eve exclaimed eagerly, growing quite giddy.

    ¡®I am getting a bad feeling about this¡­¡¯

    ¡°Huh? The staff? You want it?¡± Eve questioned in confusion.

    ¡®I need to intervene!¡¯ Kazius exclaimed mentally.

    ¡°Sure!¡± Eve chirped, holding the staff out, offering it up to the air.

    ¡°Eve, wait, don¡¯t!¡± Kazius exclaimed, running towards her.

    He was too late though. Before they knew it, the staff would begin to levitate, as if grasped by something¡­

    ¡°Well shit¡­¡±

 Chapter 13: Staffs Should Stay on The Ground

    Once the staff was grabbed, a wave of energy would be sent through the air. It felt ominous. Eve wasn¡¯t crazy! There was definitely someone there!

    As the energy spread and the wind seemed to pick up, the source of it was clearly the staff.  While this occurred, Eve seemed to finally notice Kazius and Alice.

    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re here! See! I told you! It is God!¡± Eve exclaimed giddily, pointing at the staff in excitement repeatedly with both hands.

    ¡®That is definitely NOT God!¡¯  Kazius would think to himself in alarm.

    ¡°We left her alone for only a few minutes¡­¡± Kazius could hear Alice state softly to herself in total disbelief.

    "Yes! Perfect! Hahaha! "

    An unfamiliar sly and mischievous voice could be heard cheer.

    ¡°Finally¡­¡±

    The voice stated with a menacing chuckle.

    ¡°So, did you come to pray too?¡± Eve asked innocently to the duo as if what they were witnessing was perfectly normal. As she stood by the staff, the ominous wind made her clothes sway rapidly, it was honestly shocking she was not blown away. Kazius tried to get closer to at least move Eve away from the threat, but it seemed a force was preventing them from getting closer.

    ¡®How does she not realize something is wrong!? And the pressure¡­ How is she fine?!¡¯

    ¡°Eve! Take back the staff!¡± Kazius exclaimed, hoping maybe she could undo what she had just done. He wasn¡¯t sure what entity they were dealing with¡­ But¡­ Clearly, whatever it was, was happy to get the staff.

    It was too late though.

    The staff would spin, as if twirled. Thrown up, only for it to be caught. The moment the staff would make contact with the invisible hands, a blinding flash would spread. The wind would grow stronger, almost blowing them away¡­ And then¡­

    It would just stop¡­

    Everything was eerily quiet and still.

    Kazius had been forced to shield his eyes while Alice had been holding onto her hood even tighter. When things stopped, it was almost as if the two were afraid to look. Slowly the two would gaze at where the staff had been.

    Eve was surprisingly still there, unscathed. The ditzy Elf could be seen staring in shock and confusion at man standing right in front of her¡­ Not just any man though, a Demon.

    The Demon stood at 5 ft 11 (1.8m). His hair was white, adorned by black horns sticking out at either end pointing up. His eyes were a bright red, a wide mischievous grin plastered on his face. He dressed in an elaborate black garb, something you would expect from a noble. In his hands was no longer a staff, but instead¡­ An old looking wooden cane that looked out of place with his elegant robes.

    ¡°Eve, what in the actual fuck¡­¡± Kazius would state in exasperation and exhaustion. Could he not have one normal day? Just one? It was like ever since The Orc attack he could never have a calm day.

    How the Hell did the clumsy Elf woman summon a Demon?! He scraped by plenty of times before, but a Demon was just too much. He didn¡¯t have a power even close to that of Ratier or any of the heroes, not even close! He was terrified. If the vision he saw in his Coming-of-Age Ceremony was even really what would happen, he had nowhere near the strength nor allies that it promised.

    ¡®I am really starting to hate the Oracle¡­ All these events are NOT a coincidence.¡¯

    As he tried to assess the situation, Alice too looked weary and shocked¡­ Or at least that is what Kazius could guess from the little of her face that he could see.

    "What do you think you''re doing, Demon? Your kind is supposed to be sealed away! How are you here!?" Alice demanded; her shock turned surprisingly into anger. Fear, Kazius understood, but anger? She had no issue with Kazius being a Monster, but Demons was not something she seemed to be too eager to accept.

    Almost as if you could see the gears spinning inside Eve¡¯s head, Kazius could notice the realization she was tricked dawn on her face.

    "W-Wait?! Demon!? You tricked me! You told me you were God!¡± Eve stated, changing from shocked to pouty.

    "That wasn¡¯t very nice of you." She added, waving a finger at him. Clearly, how silly it was that she was scolding a Demon on niceness did not once cross her mind.

    The Demon had gone back to absentmindedly twirling around his cane. He very much seemed to be having fun just being free. Though Kazius could swear he was watching Eve out of the corner of his eye the whole time. Maybe he too thought she was being quite silly¡­ Or was thinking about making the one who summoned him into his first victim. Other than that, it seemed like he was ignoring them, thinking about something.

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    After a while, he would finally feel like responding to them. He''d toss his cane, catching it one last time before leaning on it with one arm, a very toothy grin upon his face.

    "My my.... Demon... How rude¡­ I have a name, you know? Referring to me as Demon like that...You should know better... Alice..." He chuckled out, shaking his finger in a tsk.

    ¡°I¡¯m Azanor, not ¡®Demon¡¯¡­ How would you like it if I just called you ¡®Human¡¯, hm?¡± Azanor stated with a slight scoff, his expression quite smug.

    ¡°I also won¡¯t be telling you how I am here¡­ I know very well your kind doesn¡¯t remember how to get rid of us and I intend to keep it that way. Telling you would basically tell you how to get rid of me and I like it here.¡± Azanor stated, then turning to look at Eve.

    "As for you¡­ Oooh my sweet Eve...I never did that...You just thought of me as God... In fact, I even tried to tell you otherwise, multiple times. But no matter what I said, you just swore up and down I was God... It was actually quite cute¡­ Anyway, I¡¯m a Demon....We don''t play fair.... But I actually have never once lied to you¡­ Lies are so boring¡­ The tools of a lazy trickster. I am an honest sort of Demon.¡±

    To be fair, Kazius had not known Eve for long, but as much as he shouldn¡¯t believe the words of a Demon¡­ That did sound exactly like something Eve would do.

    ¡°If what you say is true¡­ You are free, you are aware we aren¡¯t a threat¡­ Why don¡¯t you just leave?¡± Kazius stated. Of course, the idea of a Demon running around like he owned the continent was far from ideal, but what the Hell was he supposed to do? Stop him? How? To stop Demons, it would take some time before he had such power. As a former Holy Knight, such thinking was almost painful, but he didn¡¯t have the luxury to be an all-evil destroying hero. To some extent, he was an evil of sort himself¡­ At least according to The Church.

    ¡°Not an option, Kazius.¡± The Demon would respond, indeed knowing all their names it seemed.

    ¡°Eve over there made a deal with me¡­  What was her exact wording? Oh yes, ¡®make me good at magic so that the other Priestesses will like me. If you do that, I will devote my soul to you.¡¯  which means¡­ Her soul is mine, and I am not leaving without what is mine.¡± He explained, much to Kazius¡¯ shock.

    "I-I didn''t realize." Eve admitted, clearly struggling to process everything.

    "You really never lied to me... I-I''m sorry for accusing you of being mean, let''s be friends." Eve stated gleefully with a smile despite The Demon announcing her soul was his.

    "Eve, You can''t be friends with a Demon! You''re a Priestess! You even made a contract with him, so if you don''t kill him, he will take your soul." Alice scolded.

    Eve would then frown, looking down while fidgeting. She was making that kicked puppy expression she always made,

    "I-I can''t? I know Demons are supposed to be bad, but what if he is a nice one? He even helped me lots while I was struggling with my work." She tried to defend.

    "In exchange for your SOUL, Eve." Alice sighed out, groaning a bit.

    "He isn''t your friend. He is a Demon; you can''t be friends with a Demon" She tried to explained to her.

    ¡°Why not?"

    ¡®This is getting us nowhere¡­¡¯

    ¡°Look, I am sure we can come into an understanding that doesn¡¯t involve fighting¡­  Or taking any souls¡­ Come with us.¡± Kazius would finally speak up. He had been quiet for most of the bickering for a reason. He was studying the Demon¡­ Trying to understand what he was after.

    After all, it wasn¡¯t like he had the power to vanquish him¡­ And the Demon knew that¡­ Yet he wasn¡¯t just outright taking Eve¡¯s soul and leaving. He must be after something else¡­ But what? It was a long shot but inviting him along was the best Kazius could come up with. At least not       without just offering Eve up to him.

    As scarred by the event with his former friends as he was¡­ Kazius already found himself caring about Eve and Alice. Not to mention, he wasn¡¯t heartless, he used to be a Holy Knight¡­ And while he despised The Church, the Holy Knights, and their teachings¡­ The sense of justice that guided his original dream did not just disappear.

    Alice saved him and Eve would get herself killed without supervision; he couldn¡¯t abandon them¡­

    Of course, by trying to make peace with a Demon... He also showed such a sense of justice was now skewed and unlike that of a Holy Knight. Then again, he never did see eye to eye with them¡­ So maybe it had never changed. Maybe he always was like this.

    ¡°And why would I do that?¡± Azanor questioned in amusement with a raised brow.

    ¡°If you wanted Eve¡¯s soul, you didn¡¯t need to tell us anything¡­ You also could have taken it this whole time. Yet you entertained us with answers instead¡­ I don¡¯t know what the Demon World is like¡­ But for you to be so desperate to get away means you were either very bored over there or it is terrible¡­ Judging from your personality¡­ Boredom is what probably drives you¡­ As you can see, things around us are far from boring¡­ I also know if you wanted to, you would have killed us all already. You clearly want something else.¡± Kazius explained his reasoning, not sounding so certain of his answer towards the end.

    He was a good leader for his squad for a reason. He understood those around him well and made good judgements based on it¡­ Even if at times he refused to see the writing on the wall when it came to his past friends. Of course, it was still a gamble, he read people well¡­ Yet¡­ A Demon? Now that he wasn¡¯t so sure¡­

    Azanor would stare at him, studying him closely before he would shrug, ¡°Hm¡­ 25 points¡­ Most of that was wrong, but I suppose I will tag along¡­ I haven¡¯t been able to experience this world in 1,000 years¡­ You bunch also look like a group of fun enough fools. So¡­ I won¡¯t take Eve¡¯s soul and stay around a little.¡±

    ¡°Yay! Friends!¡± Eve cheered happily.

    ¡°I hate this.¡± Alice stated, clearly unhappy.

    ¡°But I suppose I will tolerate it¡­ I don¡¯t want Eve losing her soul. At least this way we can also keep an eye on him too, so he doesn¡¯t cause too much trouble¡­¡± Alice sighed out.

    ¡°Keep an eye on him? Most would want a Demon as far away as possible¡­¡± Kazius admitted, surprised at Alice¡¯s words. Then again, the fact she was accompanying him meant she was surely an odd one. He very much thought she would be against his idea though.

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t dwell too much on it¡± Alice huffed out.

    ¡°Anyway, we wasted enough time¡­ It is late¡­ I¡¯m tired¡­ And now one of us has to stay up to keep an eye on our uninvited guest.¡± Alice stated with a sigh.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to camp. I can do first watch¡­ I don''t need much sleep¡­ As for you, Eve¡­ You¡¯re not allowed to leave our sight either.¡± Kazius warned.

    ¡°Yay! Bigger Slumber Party!¡± Eve cheered. At least someone was happy.

 Chapter 14: Would a Demon Ever Lie?

    Sleep did not come easy that night. Too much had happened and now the group had a Demon sleeping near them. It was a nerve-wracking experience considering the history of their world. Yes, The Church lied a lot, but to what extent? Demons ate souls and had wanted to turn Monsters and People alike into cattle for such purposes¡­ Kazius was not sure there was any wiggle room in that fact.

    Surprisingly enough, Azanor didn¡¯t try anything while they slept. Even Alice, who was the most on edge about the situation had nothing to complain about to Kazius once he woke up from his turn sleeping.

    ¡°Good morning!¡± Eve exclaimed once Kazius woke up.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± Alice stated with a sigh to Kazius, she seemed drained.

    As for Azanor, he was sitting right next to Eve. The carefree Elf was far from bothered by it though. It really was like she had not a single care in the world.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± Kazius stated in return. He stretched a bit, studying Azanor carefully out of the corner of his eye. As discreet as Kazius tried to be though, Azanor noticed quite quickly. Rather than get upset, Kazius¡¯ stare was returned with a sly grin and a shameless wave from the Demon. Kazius really could not make heads or tails out of him.

    Kazius averted his gaze, deciding to not say anything about it. He did not want to make a misstep and end up without a soul.

    ¡°I will hurry and pack up the tents, we should get moving. After today¡­ The Church will be able to send more Knights after us¡­ And I don¡¯t want to be within Ratier when that happens.¡± Kazius admitted. The Church was a problem and now they were traveling with a Demon that was a concern of his own. The possibility of Edicts instead of regular Knights being sent their way did not help either. There were so many things weighing on them. It was hard to not be anxious despite just waking up.

    ¡°I think so too¡­ We should be near the border town of Remus¡­ It should only be a little while longer. I¡¯ll help, we should hurry¡± Alice agreed, getting up and joining him.

    ¡°Oh! Me too! I will help too!¡± Eve exclaimed contently.

    As this occurred, Azanor would simply watch them pack. Thankfully it was easy enough to do so with almost everyone working together. Then again, even if he had offered help, Kazius was not willing to take any chances¡­ So, it wasn¡¯t like they would have accepted his help.

    Once they were all packed up, they would all head out.

    There were almost no roads this close to the border of Ratier. Very few brave traders and Knights ventured this way¡­ So, there was little risk of running into anyone.

    After all, who in their right mind would want to be near what was considered the edge of civilization? At least if you believed The Church and its associates. Other than the Knights stationed at Remus itself, there was nothing to worry about.

    Whether you were from Zelphar, Ratier, or Thimdur¡­ You believed the same thing. Only Monsters, death, and Wastelands awaited those who left the safety of the three kingdoms.

    To sum it up, the fact they were doing this was crazy.

    It was strange how life could change so fast. Even with his vision at the age of 15, if someone had told Kazius a week ago he would be willingly going to the Wastelands with a hooded woman, a Demon, and a dense Elf woman, he would not have believed it.

    Still, he no longer had a choice but to do something this extreme. None of them could stay in the kingdoms. They would be hunted like dogs if they tried. Though the idea of Azanor causing mayhem to those who betrayed him did sound a little amusing¡­

    Realizing what he was thinking, Kazius quickly scolded himself mentally. Such thoughts were not good.

    ¡®Who knows what could happen to bystanders¡­¡¯

    Then again¡­

    Should he care about the fate of Humans?

    Such questions were things that Kazius did not have the answer to. He would have to figure out what he believed in. He understood he was no longer some sort of Holy Knight¡­ The Holy Knights weren¡¯t even good people to begin with, but did that mean he could just give in to such thoughts?

    Finding out so much he believed was a lie¡­ And finally accepting it¡­ To Kazius it felt like his entire moral foundation was pulled out under him. He no longer had rigid structures that attempted to control his thoughts.

    Despite the situation though, Kazius found himself feeling far from hopeless. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he had two new friends¡­ Friends that came with a lot of crazy things around them¡­ But for once he did not feel alone.

    Who knows. Maybe one day will see this chaos that had become his life as normal? If his vision was right¡­ It may very well be the case¡­

    His thoughts were soon interrupted though by a loud sigh from The Demon who ruined their previous night.

    ¡°I finally came back to the mortal realm, and it is just trees, trees, and trees. I¡¯m booooored. Eve, we should play a game.¡± Azanor groaned looking drained before perking up at the idea of playing with Eve almost immediately. He was surprisingly eager. His personality and motivations confused Kazius so much.

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    Eve seemed to brighten at the idea of a game for the road, but before she could agree, she was interrupted by Alice.

    ¡°Sorry you didn¡¯t get the mortal realm vacation of your dreams, have you tried going back where you came from?¡± Alice asked with a huff. The two got along like water and oil. Alice seemed agitated with the Demon while Azanor seemed to be enjoying it when she got upset.

    ¡°Ooooh, ouch. How hurtful¡­ I see manners have been lost in your family after so many centuries. Yet here you are, same tastes in friends¡­ I wonder if it is genetic. What are you, anyway, Kazius? A Vampire? No¡­ You would¡¯ve been burnt to a crisp by now¡­ I can¡¯t quite tell¡­ Your soul is¡­ Hmm...¡± Azanor laugh out before looking at Kazius closely.

    Too closely.

    Kazius did not like how deeply he was looking at him at all.

    Before Kazius could ask Azanor to knock it off, Alice would freeze, stopping right on her tracks.

    ¡°Shut your mouth.¡± Alice would threaten, appearing to be fuming. Kazius couldn¡¯t see her face, but she sounded quite angry.

    ¡®Her family might be a sore subject¡­ It seems Azanor knows something about her¡­¡¯

    ¡°Or what? We both know you can¡¯t do anything even if you wanted to~¡± Azanor taunted.

    ¡°No! Fighting is bad! We¡¯re friends!¡± Eve exclaimed, getting very pouty and huffy, giving the two a determined yet firm look.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I am saying this, but Eve is right¡­ There are enough people trying to kill us, let¡¯s not add each other to that list, alright?¡± Kazius sighed out.

    ¡°Fine fine, I will play nice¡­¡± Azanor dismissed with a wave.

    ¡°I¡­ I will do my best to tolerate.¡± Alice hissed out, gritting her teeth.

    Eve would grow pleased at that, beaming happily.

    ¡°Yay! We all have to be friends.¡± She cheered.

    ¡®At least someone is having fun.¡¯

    After that event, the walk would go back to being peaceful¡­ Though of course once they were actually near town, things changed¡­ As they approached, they could spot the heavily guarded gate of Remus.

    It wasn¡¯t like the four of them could just stroll in, but Remus was more than just a town. It was the former capital of Ratier during the early days, a fort¡­ and the last bastion of civilization before The Wastelands¡­ And it also was the only gate in Ratier that led to The Wastelands¡­ Everywhere else there was a wall.

    Of course¡­ That was also why The Orcs¡¯ arrival still felt off to Kazius¡­ Still, that was not his problem anymore.

    Due to the place being a fort, it was incredibly well guarded even with most Knights at Layton for the ceremony.

    Azanor would cause a panic if anyone saw him, Kazius himself was no better either. If anyone associated with The Church spotted him, there would be trouble. Eve did look the least suspicious out of the group, but¡­ She was Eve¡­ Who knows what she would do if she was sent into town alone¡­ There was also the chance word about her being a Demon worshipper already spread. Then there was Alice¡­ She was hiding her face for a reason¡­ And Kazius wasn¡¯t sure she would be allowed past the gates with her hood on.

    Azanor might know a way through¡­ But that was risky¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can go into town¡­ There is just no way¡­¡± Kazius admitted.

    ¡°Boo, I want to go into town.¡± Azanor whined.

    ¡°Yeah, and then what? Have the guards on us within seconds? Cause a mass panic?¡± Kazius questioned with a sigh.

    ¡°Yes! Exactly, it would be hilarious! They¡¯ll freak out even if I don¡¯t do anything to them. I could buy you some time while at it.¡± Azanor snickered out.

    Alice frowned at his words but seemed to be holding her tongue. They were close to the entrance of Remus, so yelling was not wise.

    ¡°Fine fine¡­ Stop giving me that look. I¡¯ll behave¡­ I was just trying to help.¡± Azanor stated with a huff.

    Kazius did not even realize it, but he had been also glaring at Azanor good amount.

    ¡®I am glad at least he is listening¡­ Who knows what he would do in town¡­ Still¡­ I know that Azanor is probably stronger than us¡­ He is so compliant despite his complaints. He was here to be entertained yet he whined about being bored often¡­ If he really was that bored then why not take Eve¡¯s soul and leave? I still don¡¯t get what he is after¡­¡¯

    ¡°For someone here for entertainment, you sure complain about not getting to have fun¡­ What are you after?¡± Kazius would finally ask. Eve still had her soul¡­ Yet part of him felt like he was being played. It could be the trust issues he had after dealing with his former friends¡­ But trusting a Demon was also¡­Not something he was ready to do. Even if Azanor seemed to not be a liar nor be causing trouble, how long would that be the case?

    ¡°Hmm~ You are quite smart¡­ I will be honest¡­ You all entertain me as you are¡­ But the show hasn¡¯t even begun.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kazius responded wearily.

    ¡°Well¡­ Demons, we consume souls and gain more power from them¡­ We usually obtain them through deals¡­ That is the only way most Demons are entitled to the soul of someone we kill¡­ So, considering we deal with souls¡­ I can see certain things in you¡­ Not all, but¡­ I know things about your soul you probably don¡¯t even know.¡± Azanor explained, pointing at his open eye as he winked.

    ¡°So¡­ I suppose I have three reasons for staying¡­ One¡­ I am just curious¡­ What sort of being will you become¡­ Will you keep playing hero? Or will you learn to enjoy the pain of others, even if just a little¡­ Become a bit like me¡­ You really do have the most interesting soul I have ever seen¡­ Second¡­ Well, I am sure Alice will be a pain if I spill her business. She is an entertaining soul herself¡­ As for Eve and my third and main reason¡­ Well¡­¡± Azanor would chuckle, his gaze meeting Eve¡¯s for a second before he would look away. The way he looked at Eve, it confused Kazius. There was almost a hint of sadness in his eyes¡­ But that had to be his imagination.

    As Azanor spoke, the group could feel the glare from Alice even with her hood in the way. It didn¡¯t seem like Azanor cared though. He spoke of her as if she wasn¡¯t there.

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you everything, not for free anyway.¡± Azanor would finish, his expression growing sly once again.

    ¡®My soul, huh? I don¡¯t like him peaking at it¡­ But I can¡¯t say I am not curious about what he sees¡­ Then there is Alice¡­ Why is she so secretive? Not like I can blame her¡­ I understand it, especially with my past... Still, this is all I will likely get out of him, better not try my luck and have him trick me into some sort of deal. I will ask about more some other time¡­ Even if I am curious. ¡¯

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong though, I still very much enjoy witnessing suffering¡­ It is just my nature. So, if you fail at whatever it is you want to do¡­ That would be interesting too¡­ I would enjoy that just as much, especially if it is Alice.¡± Azanor cooed with a wide and wicked grin.

    ¡°How do we know you won¡¯t lie and just sabotage us?¡± Alice questioned with a frown.

    ¡°He is our friend, he is nice. He wouldn¡¯t lie or do anything like that.¡± Eve responded innocently but was ignored.

    ¡°I am not as tasteless as my-¡­ Our ¡®King¡¯. He is boring¡­ Other Demons too¡­ They lie to get their way¡­ What fun is that? I would worry about other mortals more than me. It isn¡¯t like Demons have a monopoly on lies¡­ I am sure you all are aware of that. I won¡¯t lie to you, not once. I don¡¯t like lies.¡± Azanor admitted, sounding offended at the accusation. He was being surprisingly serious as he spoke of not liking lies too¡­ It was hard to not believe him¡­ But¡­ A Demon that did not lie¡­ Was there really such a thing?

 Chapter 15: The Wall

    ¡°Anyway, I talked more than I would like. Let¡¯s go through the town already.¡± Azanor stated, interrupting Kazius¡¯ thoughts with the statement.

    ¡°What? NO! I just told you, we would cause a panic if we did that!¡± Kazius scolded, his tone growing frustrated.

    ¡°Fine fine¡­ How about I teach you something neat for free instead then?¡± Azanor suggested, his grin widening.

    ¡°Free? Define ¡®free¡¯. I won¡¯t be signing away my soul, right? Or my first born?¡± Kazius questioned wearily, indeed not so convinced.

    ¡°Oh, come on, you can trust your good old pal Azanor¡­ I told you, I don¡¯t lie¡­ And what would I want some baby for?¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    As if in agreement, Alice seemed to let out a scoff at the notion of trusting the Demon.

    ¡®Like I would believe that, all I have is your word.¡¯

    ¡°How hurtful¡­ And here I am being so kind.¡± Azanor stated in fake exaggerated distress.  He would play it up some more before he would immediately just grin and chuckle.

    ¡°Alright alight¡­ Look, I will just tell you, how about that? Since clearly you don¡¯t want my help getting through town¡­ You can get us across instead. I think I have pieced together what you are¡­ Or part of it anyway. I think you have a tool that should work perfectly fine. You just have to sense deep within you. I am sure you can feel something there¡­ A darkness¡­ Maybe a power you¡¯ve used¡­ Focus on it, spread it around you. Think of it as clay, there for your manipulation.¡± Azanor would explain.

    It seemed since Demons would do deals for power¡­ Understanding the powers of people was something they could do to some extent, by looking at the person¡¯s soul. At least the basics of said powers.

    Kazius was beginning to understand why Demons were such frightening opponents. Starting a fight with one would already cause a disadvantage in information from the very beginning.

    Still, Azanor¡¯s instructions were confusing. No way such a vague explanation would be enough!

    ¡°What is that even supposed to mean?¡± Alice questioned with a frown.

    ¡°No way that is enough information, Azanor.¡± Kazius stated with a frown.

    ¡°You should at least try it! He is trying to help!¡± Eve exclaimed eagerly, her expression beaming with excitement.

    Kazius was unsure, but he did figure he had nothing to lose by doing as instructed. Surprisingly enough though¡­

    ¡°Oh shit, it worked!¡± Kazius admitted in shock. He really succeeded.

    Kazius would pull at the shadows around them. It was almost as if the shadows of the trees and foliage around them were being sucked into his own. This happened until the shadow grew big enough to surround the group. Despite the darkness around them, Kazius could see beyond it perfectly fine.

    ¡°What did I tell you? You should really not doubt me, you know? Still, you did even better than I expected¡­ You have a very high affinity for this sort of thing¡­¡± Azanor stated proudly, his tone shifting to curiosity quickly though.

    It was shocking to say the least. The more he used this power, the more her felt like he was himself¡­ Like he had been shunning a part of himself, the part that was now finally free.

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    ¡°Ooh, spooky! It is so dark! It is like putting on sunglasses!¡± Eve could be heard giggling out.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see a thing¡­¡± Alice could be heard, sounding a bit uneasy.

    ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t, no mortal can see anything in darkness this concentrated. It might be disorienting, but you will find this to be quite useful for hiding or even travel¡­ If you get accustomed to it.¡± Azanor could be heard explaining nonchalantly.

    Alice was silent for a bit before speaking up.

    ¡°I suppose¡­ I will admit¡­ I don¡¯t like it¡­ But it sounds useful¡­ I just don¡¯t like how I can¡¯t see anything but glowing eyes looking right at me¡­ Like some sort abyss¡­¡± Alice explained, sounding a bit shaken. It was almost unexpected for her considering she put on such a tough exterior.

    ¡°Those are just our eyes; you will be fine.¡± Azanor explained plainly with a shrug.

    Still, if that is what this looked like to Alice¡­ Kazius understood why she would be scared.

    Feeling concerned, before Kazius knew what he was doing, he found himself reaching out for her hand. The moment he did this, she jumped a little.

    ¡°It is okay¡­ I will try to hurry¡­¡± Kazius tried to reassure. Alice did seem to be shaking a bit less after that.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Alice stated hesitantly in a surprisingly soft tone. It was likely tough being the only Human in such a¡­ Strange friend group.

    ¡°Alright, since you have the hang of this¡­ Let¡¯s keep moving¡­ Next¡­ You should try and visualize sinking into the ground and appearing as part of the surrounding shadows¡­ This should allow you to go through the wall or through town¡­ Of course, someone strong enough will know you¡¯re there so don¡¯t do anything stupid that gets you killed¡­ Unless I am there to watch of course.¡± Azanor explained before snickering at the last part. Despite his snide comment at the end¡­ There was little to complain about when it came to Azanor.

    ¡°¡­ Thanks¡­¡± Kazius admitted. He was annoying, but¡­ This would indeed be useful. He was giving them useful knowledge for free surprisingly easily. Something Kazius wasn¡¯t sure whether that was a good thing or not.

    ¡°Anyway¡­ I¡¯ll race you!¡± Azanor exclaimed, disappearing just like that.

    ¡®Did he teleport? Or did he just move too fast to even be seen? Where the hell did, he go? How did he even get out of the shadow?¡¯

    ¡°Wait what? No! Why you¡­¡± Kazius grumbled in frustration. The Demon really did just do what he wanted. He didn¡¯t like him being out of sight¡­ But at the same time with how he acted, it was becoming harder to justify being hostile towards him. Then again, what if this was all just a ruse to get them to think in such a way? Kazius had no clue.

    Still, he had no time to dwell on things. He wanted to get his friends over the wall.  Though he would have to be careful. Remus was fortified to the brim and the walls themselves were also heavily guarded by Knights on top.

    Kazius would move them from shadow to shadow, staying high up to try and get a good view of any possible threats. He felt so nimble, so free¡­ His powers were foreign yet so familiar¡­ He had lacked the time to notice before, but he found he could peer into even the darkest of places and see perfectly well¡­ This could help him in a fight¡­ But together with the other uses for his power¡­ He may very well be on his way to becoming a creature of the night...

    There was no sign of Azanor once they were on top of the wall. There were many knights around, but not even one of them seemed to realize they were hiding in the shadows.

    Kazius was about to move off the wall¡­ When it hit him. While it was not visible, along the wall had appeared to be some sort of invisible barrier¡­ One that shocked him the moment he attempted to leave Ratier for good.

    The shock was agonizingly painful, feeling like someone was trying to burn off his skin. Were it not for his shadow protecting the group, such a shock would have killed them. Thanks to the shadows though, while the group looked roughened up, the strike did not leave a mark¡­ The pain was there, but the damage was limited.

    Still¡­ The magic behind this barrier¡­ It was strong¡­ And protection or not, the pain had come as quite the surprise. For the barrier to shock people trying to leave Ratier¡­ It clearly was not just to keep Monsters out¡­ But also keep people in.

    Letting out a pained cry, Kazius ended up losing focus.

    Before the group knew what was happening, they were no longer in the shadows on the ground¡­ But standing right on top of the wall.

    It took but a second for the Knights on the wall to spot them.

    ¡°Intruders!¡± exclaimed one of the Knights on the wall.

    Before they could even blink, a bell could be heard, the entirety of Remus was now alerted of their presence.

    ¡°Shit¡­¡± Kazius stated, beginning to panic on the inside. His heart raced, but he managed to remain calm on the exterior. They would have to clear off the Knights on the wall and get out of there fast¡­ But how would they get past this barrier? Were they screwed?

 Chapter 16: Real Friends

    Alice was panting, struggling to recover from the shock the barrier gave them. Kazius had bared the brunt of it, but it seemed that did not spare her from the impact. Surprisingly enough, Eve looked fine. Then again¡­ The barrier was likely put up by the Church¡­ Maybe she had such a high Holy Magic affinity that it did not affect her? Kazius had no clue nor any time to think about it.

    ¡°You two alright?¡± Kazius would ask.

    ¡°Somehow¡­ I have no clue what we should do now though.¡± Alice stated, sounding strained.

    ¡°That was fun! Everything was sparkly!¡± Eve exclaimed giddily.

    ¡°Well for starters, we need to get rid of them¡­ Then we can figure out where to go.¡± Kazius stated, determined.

    They were so close to freedom¡­

    The situation was hopeless¡­ But he refused to give up now.

    It was then a Knight would interrupt their conversation by aiming an attack towards Alice. Alice would, surprisingly enough, react in time to dodge the blade. An even more impressive feat considering how drained she sounded after their shock. Confirming she at least had some combat training.

    As this occurred, more Holy Knights made their way up the wall. As many as the space they were in could fit. There was a total of 10 blocking their way each direction¡­ Below the wall there were even more¡­ Then came the barrier on the other side¡­ They were trapped.

    Kazius may have been a former Holy Knight Lieutenant, but 10 Knights at once was crazy¡­ So, 20 with the 3 of them was a tall order. Still¡­ He would save his friends¡­

    Kazius refused to give up.

    He would kill his first Holy Knight if he had to.

    ¡°Eve, do your best to make as many barriers as you can, Alice, cover me.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± Alize exclaimed, sounding determined. It seemed she was not giving up either.

    ¡°Yes, sir! Hehe¡­ I always wanted to say that.¡± Eve would giggle with a clumsy salute.

    Eve seemed to have a good amount of mana, able to make multiple small barriers that would circle them in a spiral¡­ The magic itself was not of Holy Nature though, but that was far from an issue. Any Holy Magic or crossbow attacks sent their way would be stopped by them regardless.

    Kazius was shocked at the fact she could manage something like that. He mentally took back all his thoughts about her being inept. Such a feat required enormous concentration.

    Then again, was this possible for her because of her contract with Azanor?

    His comrades were not done surprising him though.

    What Alice would do next¡­

    There was only one family that could use such a power. This fact confirmed Kazius¡¯ suspicions from before.

    It was like it had happened in slow motion. Alice¡¯s hood would be sliced open, revealing a large broad sword that was much wider than any of such type of sword.

    It was not just any broad sword. It was The Sword of Legend tied to the history of Ratier. The Hero¡¯s Promise, the sword handed down along the Royal Family for generations to the next in line. From the golden engravings and the red hilt¡­ It was exactly as depicted in the stories.

    The sword would fly out from her back and impaled through the armor of the Knight right in front of Kazius. The impact was hard, causing blood to splatter as the sword would go fully through the Knight before landing on her hand¡­

    That ability¡­ It really was Sword Levitation¡­The ability to make a sword fly with your mind¡­ What Ratier Layton had used in his campaign against Demons. The ability of the Royal Family¡­

    Of course, the Knights were more shocked than he was at what they just saw.

    ¡®It really is her¡­¡¯

    As if to dispel any last doubts¡­ With her hood shredded¡­ The return of the sword created a wind that knocked what was left of it down¡­

    Due to this, Kazius would spot the woman¡¯s face for the first time¡­ Or rather¡­ The first time in a long time.

    There it was¡­ Her dazzling pink hair, that was now cut short¡­ And sparkling violet eyes. She was as beautiful as he remembered. The Princess. She really was alive¡­ And unlike last time he saw her¡­ Her previously sad and defeated looking eyes now held a fire like no other.

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    ¡°Wow, Alice, you have a face!¡± Eve exclaimed, genuinely shocked.

    Her words would snap Kazius out of his shock. Now was no time for sightseeing.

    Kazius¡¯ blood rushed through him¡­ Not out of fear though¡­ But excitement¡­

    ¡®We can do this¡­ Together¡­¡¯

    At this thought, a small smirk began to grace his features¡­

    He once considered the idea of the Princess being alive to be impossible¡­ To be proven wrong like this¡­ It lit the hope within him that had been extinguished before.

    They would win. He now believed that with all his heart.

    He also wouldn¡¯t be outdone.

    Now that he had a sense for his own power source¡­ It was like a limb he never realized he had until now. He was going to use what he learned from his battle with the Orcs and from Azanor. He would try and focus the energy on his hand. He encased it in shadow, creating a shape that was like a large spike that could extend and even curve about.

    The trio would find themselves working quite well together.

    For Kazius, the battle began to evolve into something more than just protecting his teammates¡­ After all, he had a bone to pick with the Holy Knights. It acted like an outlet for all the frustration, hopelessness, and fear he had felt before. Not just from the past two days, but from all the way back to his days at The Orphanage. He was letting it all out, because he refused to let it stay within him anymore.

    He had been running for so long¡­ From the truth and from his fate¡­ But¡­ He wouldn¡¯t run anymore. He would embrace this part of himself¡­ And it paid off¡­ Because they were running through the Knights like a meat grinder.

    Eve¡¯s protection, his shadow weapon¡¯s slicing, Alice¡¯s flying sword¡­

    To Kazius it was like a show of the harmony between him and his new friends¡­ He was grinning¡­ And out of the corner of his eye¡­ He could tell his friends were too.

    He killed his first, second, third, and even fourth Holy Knights¡­ And the number was only increasing. It was fun, the heaviness of the action simply evaporating¡­

    But¡­

    From the perspective of the Knights though, the 3 party members having fun and getting carried away¡­ They would look like quite the group of terrifying Monsters, something from their deepest nightmares. A looming evil force.

    A maniacal giggling mad Elf woman.

    A traitorous Princess that had come back from Hell.

    And a malicious Shadow Monster that had been hiding among their own ranks to study his prey.

    Before they knew it, only 2 Knights remained on the wall. The others below too stunned to join them¡­ Or perhaps too afraid¡­ They would scramble, attempting to run. Kazius managed to bring 1 down, but he was not fast enough to get the remaining one.

    He would pant, sweating from the effort he put into battle. He was still exhausted thanks to the zap they had gotten¡­

    He would shake away such thoughts, happy with the outcome of the fight at least.

    ¡°Will it be alright?¡± Kazius asked while looking at Alice, pointing at the fleeing Knight¡­ After all, he didn¡¯t quite understand her situation, how she had survived or if it was fine for others to know she was alive.

    ¡°Yes, it is fine¡­ I am done hiding from those bastards.¡± Alice stated with a content grin, looking quite proud before looking a bit bashful.

    ¡°I am sorry¡­ For Hiding who I am.¡± Alice would add in shame.

    ¡°You clearly have your reasons for doing that.¡± Kazius admitted with a small smile of understanding.

    ¡°Anyway, I would love to talk about this more, but we should try and get out of here and figure out-¡± Kazius began to add only to be cut off by clapping.

    Surprised, the group would turn towards the source¡­ It was Azanor. Surprisingly enough, he had not made a run for it.

    The Demon was grinning widely, his expression twisted into a malicious satisfied look.

    ¡°Bravo! Bravo! 100 points! Oh, that was beautiful¡­ I quite love watching those liars die.  Almost brought a tear to my eye. You shattered them like glass¡­ Except glass in useful.¡± Azanor mused in delight, floating midair while in a lazy sitting position. He played with his old cane a bit once he finished clapping, his grin turning into a genuinely happy smile.

    ¡°Azanor!¡± Alice exclaimed in surprise with a frown.

    ¡°What? Did you miss me? I didn¡¯t know I had already become your best friend. Sorry to disappoint, but Eve is closer to my best friend if anything.¡± Azanor teased.

    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Eve exclaimed happily, looking quite proud and even smug. She really did never learn¡­ It was clear they could not stop her from being friends with The Demon.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t leave and go burn down a village or something.¡± Kazius admitted with a sigh.

    Azanor scoffed at this.

    ¡°Give me some credit. I told you I would meet you on the other side¡­ How many times do I have to say it? I don¡¯t lie.¡± Azanor would remind them.

    ¡°Besides, is that anyway to thank me?¡± Azanor added, making a smug and snobbish expression as he looked up. He crossed his arms after saying this as well. His expression practically shouted, ¡®go ahead, praise me¡¯.

    ¡°I do suppose I should thank you properly for helping me with my powers¡­ Thank you.¡± Kazius admitted awkwardly, but his words were genuine¡­ It was just strange¡­ To be thanking a Demon out of all things.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, at least you realize I helped you¡­  But you actually already thanked me for that. I also wasn¡¯t talking about that.¡± Azanor stated, his smile turning into a satisfied grin as he motioned around him.

    Confused, Kazius stared at him¡­ Then it hit him. The area Azanor was hovering above¡­ It was where the barrier had been¡­

    ¡°You¡­ You got rid of it?¡± Kazius questioned in shock.

    ¡°Why?¡± Alice questioned, just as surprised at his help.

    ¡°Yay! Thank you!¡± Eve exclaimed happily, not even questioning it.

    ¡°Why?¡± Azanor mocked, his expression twisting into a smug smirk.

    Kazius and Alice both looked at him expectantly, wanting an answer.

    ¡°Of course, it is because¡­¡± Azanor began, making sure he had their attention.

    ¡°It is too bad, I won¡¯t tell you that for free.¡± Azanor teased playfully, laughing once he noticed the disappointment in their faces at his answer.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t make that face, come on already. Let¡¯s leave, I am more than tired of this kingdom.¡± Azanor stated, still snickering a little as he landed on the wall with them.

    Kazius sighed. He really did not understand him at all¡­ Still, he would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t grateful. Azanor so far had truly not lied once and had been nothing but helpful.

    ¡®I really am doomed to have weirdos as friends, aren¡¯t I?¡¯ Kazius would wonder to himself mentally in defeat. Honestly warming up to Azanor some. It was hard not to. After all, he was quite strange himself.

    ¡°Alright¡­ Well¡­ Thank you, Azanor.¡± Kazius admitted, using his shadows to get them to the other side of the wall¡­

    As this occurred, Alice was silent. Clearly, she had some mixed feelings about this¡­ Especially due to her lineage.

    ¡°Yay! Let¡¯s go!¡± Eve exclaimed happily, literally jumping with joy.

    What was beyond the wall¡­ They were about to finally find out.

 Chapter 17: Into The Unknown

    As the group headed off into the unknown, what they saw in the distance was nothing but grasslands.  It was afternoon by now, the sun almost blinding. The wind seemed to almost caress the tall grass. The view was relieving to look at. It was almost as if the wind swaying the grass carried away the overbearing shadow of the oppression of Ratier¡­ But the looming threat of The Church could not be removed even now. As if it had left a burn on those who experienced it.

    They were now somewhere few people had gone in a long time.

    Kazius did not believe they were the first to leave the Three Kingdoms, as unlikely as it seemed. The existence of the barrier confirmed something Kazius had been concerned about, erasing any remaining doubts on the subject.

    The Orc Tribe had been allowed into Ratier on purpose. Not just by anyone, but someone high up enough in The Church to the point they even knew how to get past it¡­ And then that person had told The Orcs about some sort of antique they were meant to find.

    To work with Monsters like that¡­ The hypocrisy and lies never ceased to amaze Kazius.

    Still, this brought to question whether the Orcs were a special¡­ Or if there were more Monsters that secretly worked with The Three Kingdoms.

    There was no guarantee that anyone would be friendly¡­ Monsters could still be hostile towards them¡­ And if there were any that hated Humans, that would also pose an issue since Alice was one.

    Above all, the biggest concern for Kazius was the realization that despite gaining a new freedom¡­ Now that they brought down the barrier and left like this¡­ Combined with the fact The Princess was travelling with them and the Church knew it¡­ There was no doubt that Edicts would really come after them.

    From what Kazius knew from his days as a Holy Knight¡­  It was clear that if they ran into Edicts, they would be screwed.

    His party was not a weak one, able to take on 20 Holy Knights¡­ But that was nothing compared to what a Knight of Edict could do.

    Edicts had a power that was the closest to that of the heroes in modern day. A difficult feat since Humans had gotten much weaker since those days. According to The Church¡­ It was due to the lengthy time of peace¡­

    Whatever the reason was did not matter though.

    At the end of the day what mattered was the fact this meant Edicts had the strength to take on multiple Demons and massacre entire armies on their own.

    So even if somehow Azanor helped them¡­

    Kazius shook away such thoughts, they had to focus on walking enough to get out of the open. He had no time to worry about such things right now.

    It was almost funny. Before, Kazius believed there were too few Edicts. Now? He believed there were too many.

    ¡°You sure are making quite the grim face for someone who just got his freedom.¡± Azanor would speak up, raising a brow in confusion.

    The others had been silent until now. Alice had looked almost lost in thought while they walked, just staring at the grass¡­ As for Eve¡­ Well¡­ She was looking at everything and anything, looking genuinely lost.

    ¡°I just have a feeling we will never truly be free¡­ They will come after us¡­ And I am sure who they will send will be truly awful. I¡¯ve never met an Edict in person¡­ But¡­ The worse you are, the higher you climb in The Church¡­ And someone so strong and so terrible¡­ They cold toy with us and we would not be able to do anything.¡± Kazius admitted, grimacing. His red eyes looked almost tired as he made such an expression.

    Alice sighed but nodded. At the mention of Edicts though, she grew pale¡­ Almost flinching as well. She shook, clearly remembering something unpleasant.

    ¡°I understand how you feel¡­ They always kept an eye on me¡­ It was like I could not breathe without constantly being suffocated. They won¡¯t let me or you go¡­ There is no way they will. They¡­ They are worse than anything you can imagine.¡± Alice admitted, fear slightly showing on her face as she did her best to not shake. Her violet eyes too looked tired.

    Kazius felt like Alice understood him well. She likely knew the worse end of how The Church acted, which was a crazy thought considering sometimes Kazius still had nightmares about his days at The Orphanage. Due to the mark that experience left on them¡­ Kazius wondered if they would ever even feel safe.

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    They should be happy now¡­ Yet nothing but dread filled them.

    ¡°They won¡¯t win. We will be happy; I am sure of it. There is no need to fall into despair.¡± Suddenly Eve stated, sounding surprisingly serious, her gaze unwavering. It was shocking to hear her speak properly for once.

    While she got so serious, it seemed to really catch Azanor¡¯s attention¡­ But just as quickly as it started, it ended. Her expression growing into a warm goofy smile, a hint of disappointment appearing in Azanor¡¯s eyes.

    Alice smiled a bit at Eve¡¯s encouraging words, taking in a big breath.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re right.¡± Alice admitted while in thought.

    ¡°I will be honest; it is against all odds¡­ That we are even all somehow alive¡­¡± Alice added.

    Kazius nodded in agreement. To be honest, he felt like he owed Alice his life. Perhaps he would have gotten away anyway¡­ But when he felt at his lowest and most heartbroken¡­ She had appeared and helped him hide like some miracle. Then soon after, he met Eve and then even Azanor¡­ And now, the loneliness that had plagued him for his whole life evaporated.

    Due to this, Kazius felt like despite everything that happened in Ratier, he could not bring himself to hate Humans. He felt too much gratitude towards Alice to do so.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re right as well.¡± Kazius finally agreed, unable to help but smile a bit. Unlike all those times with Alex and in the past though, it was a genuine one. A smile that was not hiding anything.

    ¡°You all are just lucky I am a charitable Demon.¡± Azanor stated proudly.

    ¡°The way you speak and act all the time¡­ I will be honest ¡­ You make Demons seem trustworthy in comparison to some of the people I¡¯ve met.¡± Kazius admitted, remembering Azanor¡¯s words on them needing to worry more about Mortals than him.

    Surprisingly enough, Azanor frowned at his words. He let out one of his usual scoffs.

    ¡°Don¡¯t trust Demons, that would be idiotic.¡± Azanor warned with a stern look.

    ¡°But you always talk about how you don¡¯t lie.¡± Kazius questioned, feeling very confused.

    ¡°Yes, me. I don¡¯t lie. Me, Azanor. Don¡¯t believe a single word out of any other damned Demon¡¯s mouth in the future. Unless I say otherwise.¡± Azanor stated firmly, pointing at himself repeatedly. He was surprisingly serious.

    Then again, perhaps the reason he was making sure to say this was because he doesn¡¯t lie.

    Alice yet again said nothing, but her expression as this exchange occurred did show her internal struggle.

    ¡°It¡¯s true, he is a good person. All of you are.¡± Eve admitted contently.

    ¡°Alright, alright. I will keep that in mind, I swear¡­¡± Kazius assured before growing curious. Honestly, he was curious about a lot of things, like how Alice was alive. Of course, he would not bring it up, there was just no way to ask that without sounding extremely rude. ¡®Why are you alive?¡¯ was not a good question to ask someone.

    ¡°If all Demons lie, why are you different?¡± Kazius decided to finally ask.

    Azanor was quiet at the question, it really was odd seeing him so serious. He would look at Eve out of the corner of his eye, but quickly looked away.

    ¡°Maybe I will tell you one day. Not now though, not for free.¡± Azanor would answer, his words turning into a slight mumble towards the end.

    ¡°Anyway, enough about that!¡± Azanor exclaimed, grinning again. It seemed like a forced expression, but Kazius decided to not bring it up.

    ¡°You need to be careful up ahead¡­ And if I were you, I would head South and figure things out from there¡­ There might still be a settlement there still¡­ My knowledge of everything is outdated¡­ I¡¯ve had limited ability to peak into the Mortal World while sealed away.¡± Azanor stated, a lot of irritation came out in his voice as he mentioned being sealed. He was grinning, but it was clearly a sore subject for him.

    ¡°South? Near the Thimdur border?¡± Kazius questioned pensively. There was a lot of mountains in Thimdur, even if Thimdur helped Ratier in the search for them¡­ There likely would be no one looking for them near there. It was a good idea for sure.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll trust you.¡± Kazius finally admitted before looking at Alice for confirmation. After all, Eve seemed to never question Azanor¡­ So, there was little reason to ask her.

    Alice looked confused and tense, seeming to hurry up ahead to avoid talking about it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She stated simply, turning her direction more towards South as her answer.

    Kazius would watch her, confused, but would go after her. She would definitely need sometime. Yes, The Church were liars¡­ But even he knew the story of her family and everything they stood for¡­ To save ¡®People¡¯ from being turned into cattle for their souls¡­ Yet she was now traveling with a Demon. She probably felt like she was disappointing every member of her family. It was not hard to guess that much.

    What Kazius would not expect was what would happen before the group would catch up to him or before he could even catch up to Alice to talk to her.

    Out in the distance, Kazius spotted a tree line that Alice was heading for. It was welcomed cover for them, to get out of plain sight¡­ But before Alice could enter the tree line¡­ Kazius could feel it¡­ In the air¡­ Something was wrong.

    ¡°Alice, hold on!¡± Kazius exclaimed.

    It was like the air was heavier, denser, a new pressure. Kazius knew a limited amount of information on Mana, the fuel of magical abilities and spells. This included Holy Magic. He only recently started using his powers, but he had sensed a vague presence in the air since he started to do so¡­ But it did not fully sink into his head that what he was sensing was Mana. Until now it was almost not there¡­ But out here in The Wastelands¡­ The unfamiliar place after this point was full to the brim with it.

    The pressure change hit like suddenly heading out in the Summer and leaving the luxury of temperature-controlled rooms that The Church had. That is what it felt like for Kazius at least. In fact, Eve, Azanor, and him all seemed to react and perk up¡­ But they were fine. Yes, the air was heavier thanks to the concentration of Mana, but that was it¡­ It didn¡¯t seem like that big of a deal to him¡­ But to a Human? Such a big change in concentration of Mana¡­ Was overwhelming.

    Alice collapsed on her knees before she could even process Kazius¡¯ warning.

    ¡°Alice!¡± Kazius exclaimed in shock, his eyes growing wide in horror.

 Chapter 18: Drowning in Mana

    Even while running at top speed, Kazius could not stop Alice from hitting the floor. She was panting, eyes beginning to well up with hot tears. Her face was red, almost like someone with a terrible fever. She coughed hard, gasping desperately for breath. By the time Kazius reached her, she was struggling to support her weight with one hand while the other held her neck. It was almost as if she was drowning. The sensation causing her to desperately scratch at her throat.

    ¡°Alice!¡± Kazius exclaimed in concern, attempting to support her. Still, she did not seem to get any better.

    ¡°That is definitely strange¡­ I was wondering what happened to the Mana in the air¡­ But it is only in Ratier that it is weird¡­ Mortals have truly gotten fragile. I can¡¯t believe she would get like this just because Mana levels are normal here.¡± Azanor commented with a bit of a smirk only to study the desperation in their faces. He frowned, looking torn about something.

    ¡°How do we help her?!¡± Kazius exclaimed, feeling panic set in. He had just felt content to not be alone¡­ Was he already going to lose a friend? That fast? He felt incredibly helpless, the feeling leaving a cold chill deep within him.

    Azanor frowned, sighing. He was silent for a bit, thinking. He let out a final displeased tsk.

    ¡°You are lucky I am the generous type¡­ Mortals are so fragile¡­ Help her regulate her breathing and slow it down or she will die. The rest is all on her. If she is too weak, she won¡¯t make it anyway.¡± Azanor grumbled out begrudgingly. Sometimes he was so eager to help, while now it seemed he was hesitant to.

    Then again, considering Alice¡¯s lineage¡­ Maybe he was particularly reluctant to help her¡­ But he did so anyway¡­ Only solidifying Kazius¡¯ thoughts on perhaps Azanor really was genuine about his honesty.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Kazius stated, trying to calm down. He did not freak out in battle, so he couldn¡¯t do so now.

    Alice seemed to struggle to even hear Azanor¡¯s words considering the state she was in.

    Kazius would hold her, supporting her as he tried to get her to look at him.

    ¡°Look at me¡­ It will be okay, breathe. Slow down. It is still air; you just need to breathe it in slowly.¡± He tried to explain, taking deep and slow breaths. He felt helpless and nervous, but did his best to show her how to slow down her breathing. It was all he could do. If she was too far gone to even hear him, he wasn¡¯t sure he could help her.

    Thankfully, it seemed Alice did hear him. She tried to slow her breathing to match his, her breaths coming out jagged, but slowly they were improving.

    ¡°That¡¯s it¡­ Breathe, slowly.¡± Kazius assured.

    ¡°Don¡¯t die. Dying is bad.¡± Eve encouraged, in her own way.

    ¡°Keep it slow. You need to get your body to incorporate the Mana slowly. You will drown if you try to breathe quickly. Once your body matches the Mana level in the air¡­ You should be fine¡­ If there is any Human that can survive this, it is someone from your troublesome family.¡± Azanor spoke up begrudgingly with a sigh. He seemed so upset at the fact he was helping her, yet he did so anyway. He clearly met Ratier or someone associated with him before he got sealed away¡­ So, his grudge was understandable¡­ Due to it, it was even surprising he was helping her at all.

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    Thanks to their coaching, Alice after a few minutes managed to begin breathing normally, color returning to her face. Between the shock from the barrier and this though¡­ She looked exhausted.

    As awareness of her surroundings seemed to return to her, her expression held more and more shame. It was almost as if she was embarrassed at the fact she had ran off ahead and ended up in this state while everyone else was fine.

    ¡°You did great¡­Can you get up?¡± Kazius questioned. After all, they stopped, but they really did need to hurry. Who knew when someone would come for them.

    ¡°No.¡± Alice admitted, looking pained to admit such a thing.

    Of course, Kazius did not blame her for any of this. She had taken a risk to save him in the past. Just like how he couldn¡¯t help the fact he was not Human, she could not help the fact she was one.

    This did confuse him a bit though.

    Azanor spoke of this being an issue for Mortals. Yet Eve was fine¡­ Maybe Elves had such a high magic aptitude that it was fine? Or maybe it was due to her contract¡­ He had no clue.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ Come on¡­ I will help you.¡± Kazius offered as he crouched down. He got into a position to grab her in a piggyback ride. It was a bit embarrassing, but they had to keep moving, so there was no choice. It was a bit pushy for him to offer like this, but at the same time Alice seemed like the type that would not ask for help even if she needed it¡­ Not like Kazius could judge her for it, he was the same way.

    Perhaps it was a habit that developed from being only able to rely on yourself in an environment like Ratier.

    ¡°H-Hold on¡­ I-I don¡¯t need¡­¡± Alice began before she would look around, flustered.

    She would then spot Azanor. He was not helping at all, snickering at her. His expression being quite the mocking one. This would earn him quite the glare before she would stare at Kazius for a bit, eventually making up her mind. She would get on, ending up accepting being carried in a piggyback ride.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± She would whisper quietly once Kazius was moving again.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Kazius assured sheepishly.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s keep moving.¡± He would add.

    ¡°I am glad you survived.¡± Eve stated happily before she would join in, walking into the tree line.

    Alice smiled slightly at Eve only to frown a little. She looked deep in thought, her face full of confusion about something.

    ¡°I¡­ Thank you, Azanor¡­ I know you wouldn¡¯t want to save someone from my family¡­ So thank you¡­ I¡­ I think¡­ Maybe¡­ I guess¡­ I don¡¯t think you are a bad person¡­ So, I am sorry for always being hostile towards you¡­ I will try and change that a little.¡± Alice admitted in shame. She clearly wasn¡¯t sure what to make out of the fact Azanor had saved them multiple times now.

    Azanor seemed to look genuinely surprised at her words. Once the shock faded, his expression grew into a teasing smirk.

    ¡°Oh? You know how to show gratitude?¡± Azanor began in a mocking tone before smiling a little in a more genuine way.

    ¡°Well, I suppose you are one of the few people in your family with manners¡­ You remind me of someone else I knew¡­¡± Azanor admitted with a sigh before looking a bit uncertain.

    ¡°Ratier?¡± Alice decided to ask, able to guess he must have known him.

    Azanor seemed to almost look like someone had punched him in the stomach when she mentioned him.

    ¡°No¡­ I hope not. Someone else. Maybe if you¡¯re good I will tell you some day, but not today.¡± Azanor responded, his tone a little bitter.

    ¡°Not for free?¡± Alice would finish the sentence for him.

    Azanor smirked at that.

    ¡°You know me well.¡±

 Chapter 19: Fireside Chat

    Despite Alice nearly dying from the events before, she seemed to be much more relaxed.

    Whether for better or for worst, Kazius believed in his new friends¡­ And it seemed the sentiment was shared among the group¡­ Or so Kazius would guess.

    Azanor and Alice both looked noticeably less on guard. Not relaxed as Eve, but there was a significant difference.

    Of course, they could not fully take it easy.

    Knights could show up¡­ Kazius was well aware of that, as were the others.

    It unnerved him. A part of him hoped any Knights that came after them would choke on Mana and die¡­ But he doubted anyone sent after them would be weak enough to not survive¡­ Knight were also not their only concern, none of them fully knew what was out there in the Wastelands.

    Speaking of the Wastelands¡­ Even small things caught Kazius off guard.

    The greenery around the area was also bigger, thicker¡­ The trees were imposingly tall, as if they had been there for centuries. It was no Wasteland of death¡­ If anything, the land out here seemed so much more fertile than anything Kazius had seen in Ratier. Another lie of the Church¡­

    A normal human would be able to survive in such a place and prosper¡­ Were it not for the Mana difference¡­ Which only confused Kazius all there more about why Mana was the way it was in Ratier¡­ Azanor made it clear the amount out here was what was normal, not the other way around.

    The savage lands took up 90% of the continent and now he knew how good the land was¡­ It began to make Kazius wonder if there really were no settlements in such a place¡­ The Mana in the air would do better than any fertilizer that he knew of. There was no way there were no settlements or cities.

    Monsters did live here¡­ Perhaps they found their own way after the war¡­ Perhaps some could even be better off than The Three Kingdoms.

    One way or another, after this¡­ Kazius no longer believed anything about the founding of Ratier¡­ Part of him wondered if Alice was feeling the same¡­ Such a thing was likely quite the painful situation for her, considering her family¡­

    But maybe the fact she accepted Azanor meant that she was coming to terms with that.

    He would stop his thoughts once they found a good spot near a river to camp.

    Something Kazius would quickly notice though¡­ Was the fish in the river¡­ Not only could he tell the river was deeper than any he had ever seen, but he could see the fish were quadruple the size¡­ Some even looking a bit different.

    ¡®Look at those things¡­ Maybe we could hold onto our supplies and try and get one for dinner instead¡­ Are they like that because of Mana?¡¯ Kazius would wonder to himself.

    ¡°I think we can rest here¡­ Are the fish here edible, Azanor?¡± He told the others before looking at The Demon. The question earning Kazius a concerned look as if he had grown a second head.

    ¡°Of course we can, it is a normal fish. Probably better for you than any of the garbage in Ratier¡­ You will understand how weird that Kingdom is the more you see what the real world is like. This is what fish should look like.¡± Azanor informed, looking almost shocked at the question, as if he had asked something obvious.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know my question was that strange¡­¡± Kazius admitted, wondering how warped his sense of reality was¡­ As he did this, he would gently place Alice down.

    ¡°I wish I had known¡­ Maybe¡­ If I noticed how much was wrong with Ratier sooner¡­¡± Alice began, looking quite concerned at Azanor¡¯s words. Ratier was terribly messed up and she felt responsible for it.

    ¡°¡­Anyway, I will help set up camp; I think I can stand now.¡± Alice assured, seeming to want to keep herself busy to not think about it. She still looked exhausted, but she was stubborn.

    ¡®Why won¡¯t she just rest a little?¡¯

    ¡°Alright, I believe you¡­ But please, take it easy¡­ We both used a lot of energy back in Remus.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡± Alice assured with a small smile.

    ¡°I will go catch one of the fishies!¡± Eve exclaimed, running off towards the water. They had no fishing pole of anything¡­ And Eve was¡­

    As if noting Kazius¡¯ concern or even out of his own concern, Azanor would go after her.

    ¡°I will help her¡­ And make sure she doesn¡¯t fall in.¡± Azanor stated with a sigh.

    ¡®Now that I think about it¡­ Azanor seems to stick close to and worry about Eve¡­ Is it because of their contract?¡¯

    Kazius would watch them from a distance while in thought. Eve was mostly poking at the water with a stick she found and Azanor was simply watching her. Kazius would look back at Alice and their supplies. He decided not to worry about it for now and would set up camp while Alice started to get a fire going.

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    Things were a bit awkward for a bit, Alice and him both being rather quiet while they worked. Perhaps she was still a little flustered about being carried by him? Or maybe she had a lot on her mind. Finally, after a bit of silence though, Alice would speak up.

    ¡°So¡­ Aren¡¯t you going to ask?¡± Alice questioned in dismay.

    ¡°Ask what?¡± Kazius asked, looking as confused as he felt at the sudden question.

    ¡°You must be wondering how I am alive. I am sure you were told of my execution.¡± Alice admitted with a sigh.

    ¡°I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t curious¡­ I figured bringing it up would upset you though.¡± Kazius admitted hesitantly.

    ¡°You saved my life¡­ And¡­ We¡­ We are friends now¡­ And will be traveling together¡­ I may as well tell you¡­ Long story short, Everything that happened was my fault. The execution happened because I got careless. My family died because of me.¡± Alice stated in shame.

    ¡°How do you know they are dead if you made it?¡± Kazius questioned in confusion.

    ¡°Because my handmaiden, Ivy, saw them get apprehended¡­ I will start from the beginning¡­ During my Coming-of-Age Ceremony¡­ It sank in that The Church had long overgrown the size it was supposed to be and was abusing their power. The Royal family¡­ We never passed any laws, we haven¡¯t for a long time. They just make us pray and act the part¡­ Call us heroes¡­ But they have never shown me or my parents anything other than contempt. For me, The Ceremony was the last straw. I don¡¯t know how much you know about politics¡­ But there are many ways to remind someone that they are worthless or beneath you, without using words. The dress I picked that day was taken away. I was forced to wear the most modest clothes they could justify¡­ Forced me to wear silver, knowing it is tradition to wear gold for the parade. Maybe it sounds like the ramblings from a rich spoiled Princess to you¡­ But that day I realized how much time The Church spent trying to make even my father, the King feel worthless.¡± Alice began, sounding bitter.

    ¡®So, I really wasn¡¯t imagining it¡­ She did look sad.¡¯ Kazius thought to himself, remembering that day well.

    Alice took a deep breath to calm herself.

    ¡°After that day, I started reading about The Ceremony, traditions¡­ And also, the sort of laws passed in the past¡­ I read all I could about what The Church and their relationship with The Royal Family over the years¡­ I did that in secret for the sake of when I would become Queen¡­ And you know what I found? That over time, The Church went from having no power to slowly eliminating The Royal Family¡¯s power. So¡­ Last week¡­ I decided to try and find any writing left behind by Ratier¡­ But there are many books that were missing from The Royal Library¡­ I think The Church must have been slowly removing books¡­ That tell whatever really happened 1,000 years ago. While searching for any firsthand accounts from 1,000 years ago¡­ I ran into¡­ The Edict that personally guards The Royal Family¡­ The one that has made sure I was nothing but miserable my whole life¡­ He beat me and locked me in my room when he realized what part of the library, I was in.¡± Alice continued, reflexively touching her cheek, as if making sure it wasn¡¯t bruised. As she spoke, the fire in her eyes seemed to almost dull.

    Kazius was shocked at what he heard. Despite having much more luxury than him¡­ It seemed The Church gave the same treatment they did to those at The Orphanage to the Royal Family¡­ To humble them¡­ To control them¡­

    ¡°The day we met¡­ Was the day my handmaiden and friend¡­ Ivy¡­ She¡­ She knew everything. I had been sharing with her what I found¡­ She may have been my maid¡­ But she was like a sister¡­ I spent more time with her than with my own parents to be honest¡­ She came to me early morning¡­ And managed to sneak into my room¡­ She brought me my dad¡¯s sword and a bag of supplies¡­ And told me to¡­ run¡­¡± Alice managed out, her voice quaking towards the end.

    ¡°She caught my parents arguing with some Edicts¡­ About what I did¡­ And my punishment¡­ And execution was brought up¡­. My parents freaked out and got apprehended¡­ They were called heretics¡­ So¡­ Ivy came straight to me to warn me¡­ She¡­ She made me swap clothes with her¡­ I tried to tell her that wasn¡¯t necessary¡­ But¡­ She wouldn¡¯t listen¡­ She said she would get into my bed and pretend I was asleep to buy me time.¡± Alice finished, she looked like she wanted to cry, but she was fighting it quite hard.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t hard to guess who they executed in my place¡­ Were it not for her¡­ I would be dead¡­¡± Alice finished in dismay.

    Kazius could not help but reach out for her. He gave her a half hug with one arm around her.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t your fault¡­ None of this stuff is your fault¡­ You said it yourself¡­ They acted like they planned to get rid of your family for some time¡­ They were going to find an excuse one way or another. That is just how The Church is¡­ I know how they are. I am sorry to hear about Ivy¡­ I wish she were here too, with you¡­ But¡­ You are not alone¡­ We are alive¡­ And hopefully one day¡­ We can make them pay.¡± Kazius assured.

    Alice was shocked by the embrace but did return it with a full hug. She clung to him, shaking a bit. She remained like that for a bit before she would take a deep breath, recovering from her moment of weakness.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ For everything¡­ I¡­ I owe you my life as well¡­.¡± Alice admitted, smiling weakly.

    ¡°Of course¡­ I owe you my life as well, you know?¡± Kazius responded with a small grin. It seemed like his reassuring helped her some¡­ Which made him happy¡­ But he did feel like quite the hypocrite¡­ Because deep down, he felt like the one with the most bottled-up despair was him¡­ But he would push it down. He felt better knowing he was not alone¡­ He had friends now, people that he wanted to protect¡­ People that he could count on¡­ As long as he was secure in that fact, he would be okay.

    As they spoke, they heard Azanor clearing his throat.

    They both perked up, surprised at the fact the two were back.

    Azanor was looking at them, having a brow raised. Next to him was Eve, who was holding an enormous fish the size of a pig. She was hugging the fish to her chest, eyes watering.

    ¡®Did she actually manage to catch the thing or was it Azanor?¡¯

    ¡°Flirting while we were gone?¡± Azanor questioned with a smug look.

    ¡°How long were you standing there?¡± Alice questioned with a frown.

    ¡°Not that long, not like it mattered. We heard all of it. We already weren¡¯t far, but have we great hearing.¡± Azanor pointed out with a roll of his eyes.

    ¡°Your story was so sad! They were so mean to you!¡± Eve exclaimed, hugging the fish tighter like a teddy bear before Azanor would take it from her.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like I was going to keep that from you, so it is fine if you know¡­¡± Alice sighed out.

    ¡°I think we should all try to be more transparent¡­ Anyway, how about I cook the fish?¡± Kazius suggested, figuring it would be best to not talk about it more for Alice¡¯s sake.

    Still, their conversation did make Kazius acknowledge something. He felt the need to protect Alice. He felt a kinship with her.

    ¡­Or perhaps it was the crush from his teen years making a comeback talking.

 Chapter 20: Not So Dark Forest

    After their chat, Kazius cooked the fish before the group ate.

    Eve was still crying despite Alice having long since finished telling her story. The ditzy Elf definitely had a sensitive heart, or so Kazius would figure. She honestly confused him with how out there she was.

    ¡° I will be¡­. *hic* Your friend¡­ *hic* *hic* FOREVEEEER¡­.¡± Eve would manage out while eating.

    ¡°I am fine, Eve. Really¡­¡± Alice tried to assure.

    ¡°You heard her, she will be fine.¡± Azanor assured, as he said this, he was rubbing the back of the sniffling Elf.

    It really was strange witnessing Azanor be so caring. He was surprisingly willing to help them, but a lot of times he did act like a Demon¡­ But he also had quite a gentle touch when it came to Eve. There was zero hesitation when it came to her. It stirred Kazius¡¯ curiosity¡­ But he figured Azanor would open up about it when he was ready¡­ Not to mention¡­ Kazius hesitated in demanding others act open with him when he himself wasn¡¯t telling his own story just yet¡­ And if he did, maybe only the parts they needed to know.

    Whether Kazius liked it or not, his time in The Orphanage and The Church still left a mark on him. He never had anyone to open up to. Due to this it felt happy to provide his new friends someone to vent to and open up to¡­ Even if he himself wasn¡¯t sure if he would do the same. It was just so natural to bottle everything up¡­ And it wasn¡¯t like it mattered.

    He felt perfectly fine¡­

    Totally fine.

    That far from meant he did not appreciate companionship though. In fact, the loneliness he had felt before and grown accustomed to now terrified him.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Eve managed out, managing to stop sobbing.

    ¡°Good.¡± Azanor stated contently, looking genuinely pleased that she seemed better.

    ¡°Anyway, we ate¡­ We should get some rest, tomorrow we need to try to cover more ground¡­¡± Kazius stated, tired and he was sure the others were just as exhausted too.

    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± Alice agreed, she probably needed rest more than anyone else in the group.

    In agreement, with that the group would go to sleep.

    It took some time for Kazius to fall asleep though, a good amount on his mind. Between worries and the new information¡­ He wasn¡¯t sure what to do¡­ He wondered what caused Ratier to rot so much to the core¡­ He struggled a lot and so did Alice¡­ Even Eve had felt so isolated to the point she was more than eager to listen to Azanor¡­

    He felt resentment and concern. Resentment towards Ratier and Humans, but concern for his friends¡­ Hiding out in The Wastelands forever was not a long-term solution and he knew that¡­ Edicts could show up¡­But there was also the secret he had not informed his friends about¡­

    What Kazius had really seen in his coming-of-age ceremony, was that The Demon King would return. Kazius was certain that even Azanor did not know it would happen¡­ But he did not want to worry them¡­Specially with everything that they were dealing with¡­ So, he chose to keep this knowledge to himself for now.

    It happened some time ago, so it was fuzzy¡­ But he did remember one thing, and that was that he saw Demons and Monsters were on his side¡­ It was one of the main reasons he was so open to trust Azanor and perhaps other Demons he may vouch for.

    Still, Kazius doubted they could handle Edicts as they were, much less Demons¡­ He had to focus on the now¡­

    With that in mind, he fell asleep.

    In the morning, the group would pack up and head off once again.

    They were doing a decent job navigating so far¡­ But if they could find a map, that would be best. Still, where would they even get such a thing, Kazius was not sure.

    As they headed South, they found the trees only grew bigger still. Despite it being bright out, the sun was slowly growing out of sight the deeper in they went. It was a good place to hide¡­But perhaps they were going towards danger rather than safety. They had no choice but to keep going thought.

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    Kazius felt like he was being paranoid, but if they weren¡¯t careful, he was certain they would deeply regret it.

    They kept going, but their surroundings only grew stranger. The foliage was in rough terrain, yet it only sprouted more proudly. Finally, the forest fully blocked out the sun.

    Instead of being welcomed by darkness though¡­ The place was far from dark. The sun was gone, but flowers, mushrooms, and all the smaller foliage took on the role of lighting the way.

    They all glowed with Mana, the colors being unlike anything any of them had ever seen. An assortment of mysterious ranges of shades that pulsated. Like beating hearts.

    If Kazius knew anything about Alchemy, he may have found it beneficial to gather some plants here¡­ But none of his friends seemed to be capable of such a thing.

    ¡°This forest has grown bigger.¡± Azanor would muse with interest.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been here before? This place is not dangerous¡­ Is it?¡± Kazius questioned curiously. He wondered if he could get any information from the Demon. The glowing plants were incredible beautiful even¡­ But it did worry him if they were safe to be around.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been here before¡­ This place is¡­ Safe-ish¡­Last time I was here, this place was infested with man eating gorgon snakes¡­ The really old ones would grow so big that they would match the size of Dragons. Leviathans is what they were called. Many moved into water after getting that big, but some did remain on land. There was a particular white Leviathan snake that was quite vicious¡­ Word is, no one that has seen it has survived. ¡± Azanor chuckled out as if he just said some funny joke.

    ¡°Eek!¡± Eve squealed, shaking at the story.

    ¡°That sounds so scary! I don¡¯t want to be eaten by a snake! Are there really any here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t listen to him, Eve¡­ I bet he is just messing with us. That story is clearly some horror tale¡­ He is lying¡­ R-Right?¡± Alice started, trying her best to sound confident, but her nervousness did show towards the end.

    ¡°Believe me if you want or not. You know I don¡¯t lie, I tried to warn you. Don¡¯t worry about anything like that though, Eve. You will be safe.¡± Azanor taunted before reassuring Eve.

    Kazius could not tell if he was messing with them or not¡­

    ¡®Why does he have to be so difficult? Then again, nice or not, I can¡¯t forget he is a Demon.¡¯

    ¡°Azanor, come on. Don¡¯t freak us out like that. You could be nicer. We all know you have it in you.¡± Kazius warned with a frown.

    ¡°I could, yes¡­¡± Azanor trailed off, having an expression that showed he was a little annoyed. As to why he was annoyed, Kazius was not sure.

    ¡°Tell you what¡­ Answer something and I will answer you back.¡± Azanor stated with a wide grin, toying with his cane as he did so.

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Kazius stated hesitantly.

    ¡°Just how much did you enjoy the pain of those Knights back at Remus? Is your goal exterminating the entire Church? If so, you may as well take full pleasure in it.¡± Azanor mused, his grin only growing wider and even a little twisted. His expression was unsettling.

    ¡°What the hell? What do you mean?!¡± Kazius exclaimed, shocked by the sudden callousness he was showing.

    ¡°Hm~¡± Azanor would hum to himself in thought.

    ¡°Well¡­ It was hilarious, really¡­ You all had wonderful expressions¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­ You weren¡¯t aware of them? I have been thinking of them this whole time, they were great, really. I am shocked you really had no idea what sort of expressions were on your faces¡­ How funny... Anyone could have mistaken you both for my kind back there.¡±

    It was then Alice would start looking upset.

    ¡°I am not like that.¡± She stated defensively.

    It was then Kazius began to think.

    ¡®What sort of expression did we have?¡¯

    Kazius wondered. It was true he resented and hated The Church¡­ And they would be unable to live peacefully until the Church of the Oracle was gone¡­ They spoke of payback so light heartedly¡­ But that meant they would have to kill many members from The Church. There was no way to sugar coat it.

    ¡°Ooh, calm down, Princess¡­ I just don¡¯t think you two should be so halfhearted on the matter¡­ And recognize the kind of people you really are. I hate lies and facades. Righteous talk without recognizing what it means, it sickens me¡­ But¡­ Not as much as people going back on their word¡­ Like a certain Princess saying she would believe in me¡­ Because¡­ Make no mistake, I am no liar.¡± Azanor stated firmly, his twisted grin turning into a frown. It was then his actions made sense. Azanor was angry over Alice calling him a liar. Maybe it was a big reaction over such a small thing¡­But Azanor had made it very clear how much he hated liars¡­ And then Alice turned around and called him one anyway.

    ¡®Was this all just because Alice called him a liar?¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Alice sighed out, realization sinking in.

    ¡°Stop with the serious look. I am fine¡­ But please¡­ Never call me that again¡­¡± Azanor stated with a wave of his hand.

    ¡°We need to be friends; you have to forgive.¡± Eve stated firmly at Azanor.

    ¡°I do I do¡­ I¡­ I overreacted. I acted in a way I try to avoid¡­¡± Azanor admitted in shame

    ¡°Good!¡± Eve chirped giddily.

    ¡°Did¡­ Did we really make such faces back there?¡± Kazius questioned hesitantly.

    Azanor was quiet at the question, looking a bit guilty for bringing the matter up.

    ¡°I was angry, I shouldn¡¯t have said that¡­But yes¡­ You did¡­ But that is just the nature of war and conflict¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Azanor stated with a shrug.

    From how he responded, it seemed indeed he was no longer angry¡­ Even if Kazius had a lot on his mind now, thanks to Azanor¡¯s words¡­ He wished he could go back and look at himself¡­ Looked like one of his kind? That was¡­ He didn¡¯t want to become someone twisted¡­ He was an evil of sorts¡­ A bringer of destruction, or so the Oracle had called him¡­ But that didn¡¯t mean he had to be someone who brought ruin to the world¡­ He felt like he didn¡¯t understand himself at all.

 Chapter 21: Light In The Night

    Despite their argument earlier, the group seemed to recover quickly. Perhaps it was the looming dread of having The Church after them¡­ Or maybe desperation for companionship¡­ But regardless, there seemed to truly be no lingering resentment among them.

    But that did not mean their conversation continued.

    They were quiet as they kept walking. The forest was quite a beautiful view, despite its strangeness. It was something all four of them admired in silence.

    Azanor¡¯s words still had a strong grip on Kazius¡¯ mind.

    He was in a reflective mood.

    Trusting a Demon¡­ Running around with a Princess and a Crazy Elf¡­ He felt more at home than how he had as a Holy Knight¡­ Indeed, his life was strange¡­ Yet he found comfort at not being alone¡­ Despite this comfort, he had never felt more confused of who he was.

    ¡®I must have lost my damn mind.¡¯

    Kazius thought to himself.

    As they kept walking, all of the forest was beginning to look the same.

    How long had they been walking for?

    Azanor had not said anything about them possibly being lost¡­ But Kazius was beginning to worry. Then again, he could be getting into his own head¡­ With all he had to stress about.

    His thoughts were interrupted though.

    ¡°Through here.¡± Azanor suddenly spoke up, pointing at a cluster of trees that looked very uncomfortable to pass between.

    It was the only place that looked different though, so they would have to try¡­

    It was a tight squeeze, but they took turns going through and followed Azanor.

    Once they made it through the group of trees, it was almost as if the forest ended abruptly into a massive plain. The sky in view finally once again.

    It was night, showing they had indeed been walking for quite some time. Despite this, it was far from dark. It was unlike anything Kazius had seen before.

    A city that lit up the night¡­

    The buildings were taller than even the tallest building in Ratier. The stars of the city were the tallest two buildings of them all and the most notable. One looked like it was some sort of mansion, while the other looked like a furnace of sorts. The furnace being the tallest of the two.

    ¡®Is that a furnace? It has to be¡­¡¯

    The tower shaped furnace looked to have a large smelter. Instead of vents, it had a metal sculpture of a snake that coiled around the building, its eyes glowing from the heat as it let out steam. Each individual scale glowed, likely also letting out heat through them as well. It was a project that looked built with zealousness that put The Church¡¯s Cathedral to shame.

    Above all¡­ The most notable thing was the materials the buildings were made of.

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    All the building sparkled, not only because they were lit up using what appeared to be Light Magic, but also because the walls were decorated with precious metals. Silver, Gold, Bronze, Platinum, and even Mithril were used as mere wall decorations¡­ It was insane. Just one bar of Mithril was enough to buy an entire house, a large, sizable, and lavish one at that¡­

    The only way anyone could get Mithril was by importing it from Thimdur and only their royal family had the skill and ability to produce it¡­ And the amount was extremely limited. At least that was what Kazius had been told.

    ¡°Wow.¡± Alice stated in awe as she took in the sparkling lights and lavish city.

    ¡°I never thought there would even a settlement over here¡­¡± Azanor admitted in awe.

    ¡°Sparkly.¡± Eve stated in a giddy manner, a wide smile on her face.

    ¡°This place did not exist last time you were here?¡± Kazius asked in awe. To him, even a thousand years was not enough time to build such a place.

    ¡°I told you¡­ This place was full of Gorgon Snakes, the size of Dragons. Leviathans. I guided you here because there were not signs of any nearby¡­ Those things are very hard to miss, you know? I am shocked anyone would be insane enough to build a city in this area¡­ Even with them gone¡­ Then again¡­¡± Azanor trailed off, looking in the direction of the city.

    ¡°Is it even safe to go into that city?¡± Alice asked in horror.

    ¡°I can sense the presence of one in that city¡­ A soul like that has too much of a presence to not feel it even from here¡­ That was why I was secretly concerned when I first met you, Kazius¡­ But you mean well enough, and I know that now¡­But the first time I felt your soul¡¯s presence it gave me a chill. The place seems safe enough though. There should be a good amount of kind souls in there¡­ And I don¡¯t feel any particular hostility from The Leviathan either¡­ As to where such a massive creature is hiding¡­ Your guess is as good as mine. We are too far for me to tell.¡± Azanor added with a surprisingly casual tone.

    His words seemed to take Alice by surprise, just like it did Kazius.

    ¡®Now that I think about it¡­ Back at Remus¡­ Didn¡¯t Azanor tell me he figured out what I am? I never asked¡­ I really don¡¯t like the idea of being something that unsettles a Demon though¡­ Do I even want to know?¡¯

    ¡°I wish you had said something about that sooner¡­ Could you tell me?¡± Kazius asked, not afraid to ask Azanor questions, unlike a few days ago.

    Azanor looked away from the city, staring back at Kazius. His expression was surprisingly serious, even a little weary. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t that Azanor forgot to tell Kazius what he was¡­ But rather he would have preferred not to say.

    As if to prove this, Azanor¡¯s eyes darted about a bit, looking at almost every shadow in concern, as if looking for something. When he couldn¡¯t find anything, he finally looked back at Kazius. He truly did seem more uneasy talking about this than a Leviathan.

    ¡°To be honest, I know very little about your kind¡­ They are very secretive, and it doesn¡¯t help that there are few accounts from those that that survived encounters with them. I have never met one of you in person¡­ But you don¡¯t look the part¡­ Not from the descriptions I¡¯ve heard. From what I can tell, you¡¯re a mixture of Shadow Fiend and something else. What that other thing is, is hard to tell. The blood from that side is so weak compared to the rest¡­ It is almost negligible¡­ But¡­ If I were you, I would keep that knowledge to myself¡­ And not say the name if you can help it¡­ The Shadows have ears¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t even know those damned things could have kids¡­ I¡­ I¡­ Sorry. Just¡­ Just trust me¡­ The less you know about them the better¡± Azanor stated, sounding very uncomfortable at the topic before growing apologetic.

    Those words¡­ They were more than heartbreaking.

    ¡®Great, even a Demon thinks I am something damned.¡¯

    Kazius thought in dismay, the words coming in like a cold chill. The amazing view was forgotten by him, Azanor¡¯s words coming quite heavy.

    He felt terrible.

    He was beginning to worry. Perhaps when it was convenient, even Azanor would flee from him.

    ¡°For what it is worth¡­ I think The Church is scary¡­ Not you.¡± Alice suddenly spoke up, taking hold of his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I probably should have phrased it better¡­ It isn¡¯t you that concerns me... Far from it. Believe me¡­ I am far from easily scared. You promised to look past what I am, I will return the same courtesy.¡± Azanor admitted sheepishly.

    ¡°Why are you sad? I¡¯m still your friend.¡± Eve added contently.

    At this Kazius relaxed. Perhaps what he was truly did not matter¡­ He just had to focus on the now¡­

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Kazius stated, relief showing on his face.

    With that, he would look back at the city. It was about the time they would go in. He could worry about such things later.

 Chapter 22: Veleno

    The group would approach the city together. It was strange. Kazius spent most of his life believing only ¡®people¡¯ had cities¡­ Yet Monsters were capable of building a city more impressive than anything he had seen before.

    As they neared the city, Azanor would freeze for a moment, as if staring at something. He would keep walking, but not without looking back at the spot over his shoulder.

    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Kazius questioned in confusion.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing important.¡± Azanor assured.

    Kazius was curious of course as to what had gotten Azanor¡¯s attention, but decided to just take his word for it and instead kept walking.

    The Demon could be quite elusive at times, but he did still provide great information about their location¡­ Even if it was limited.

    All knowledge they had on The Wastelands¡­ If you could even still call the place that¡­ Was either lies or outdated information mostly. Azanor was a very useful source of information, but he was sealed away for a 1000 years. That was a large gap in terms of knowledge¡­ Which was why Kazius really hoped that they could find a map in the city¡­

    Still, as interested as he was in the city, he had no intention of staying long.

    The reason was because they had several issues.

    One was that they did not have any of the currency of this place¡­ Whatever it may be¡­.

    And Two¡­ Kazius wasn¡¯t sure they could even afford anything there. People who even used Mithril as decoration¡­ Perhaps selling some of their supplies could help, but he was not optimistic about the experience they would have.

    Kazius supposed he should just be happy the place was not hostile¡­

    But he could not help but think about the fact that not every place they would find would be so welcoming. Considering the past, there may even be need to hide the fact that Alice is Human¡­ Even more about her lineage¡­ Then there was Eve though¡­ It would be hard hiding that she is an Elf¡­ But that would be an issue when it came up. Not now.

    Kazius put his thoughts aside as they entered the city. Unlike Ratier, there was no huge wall surrounding the place¡­ Then again, who would be idiotic enough to attack the territory of a Leviathan?

    The city, as expected, was filled with people. The inhabitants all seemed to be the same race, at least for the most part.

    They looked human, but had some scales peppered around their skin. It wasn¡¯t drastic, but notable... Their hair matched the color of the scales on their skin. Their eyes, most notably of all, had irises that resembled those of a snake.

    They wore clothes unlike anything he had ever seen, robes, togas, and the like. Wearing white seemed especially popular. They were also not hesitant to use a lot of jewelry.

    As they walked, they would see the people interact. A few glanced their way, but they were surprisingly unphased by visitors.

    This had Kazius scratching his head in confusion. Were visitors common here? Then again, a city like this would surely attract visitors¡­ Still¡­ None of them even seemed to even care that they had a Demon walking with them either.

    ¡°Do Monsters not hate Humans? What about Elves? Why are they okay with you?¡± Kazius asked in confusion.

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    Azanor seemed to think about the question.

    ¡°For starters, the term Monster is too broad. Before the War, Demons were in that group too. Go further back¡­ And I heard even Elves were once part of that group too. The term honestly refers to those that are not Human¡­.¡± Azanor began, playing with his cane while in thought.

    ¡°Really?¡± Alice asked in shock, it really was strange hearing something like that after Ratier¡¯s brainwashing.

    ¡°Yes, that is why out here you won¡¯t find a lot of people that will care about what you are unless their Race has some sort of specific grudge. In all honesty, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if from the perspective of some Monsters, they think Human, Elves, and Dwarves lost their minds and went to go hide somewhere. At least that is what the ones that were not involved in The War would think. The 8 heroes were nothing but idiots in the eyes of many¡­ The plans of the Demon King were not well known to begin with. Combine that with the fact Monsters are not an organized group that have a City, Tribes, Towns, or sometimes even just a Village to call home¡­  And tend to just mind their own business¡­ I doubt the people here even know about The War. This Race did not even exist back then¡­ They definitely have something to do with Leviathans¡­ But that is as much as I can tell for now.¡± Azanor explained.

    Alice frowned. It was likely discouraging to hear about such an important event to her family and arguably the world itself was ignored by so many who did not even know it happened.

    ¡°But wait, weren¡¯t there only 7 heroes? Four Monsters and the 3 heroes?¡± Kazius questioned in confusion.

    Azanor perked up at this, frowning now, looking almost offended, but above all shocked.

    ¡°Is that what you were taught?¡± He questioned.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Kazius responded, beginning to doubt himself at how shocked and upset Azanor looked.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­.I guess there were only 7.¡± Azanor responded back, still looking unhappy as he looked away.

    Alice looked like she was dying to ask about his reaction, but she restrained herself. It was clear Azanor did not want to talk about the subject anymore.

    There was some silence at first, but thankfully, Eve changed their focus.

    ¡°Look! They are hissing!¡± Eve pointed out curiously.

    As they turned, they would spot two residents arguing over something. It seemed to only get worse, the two ending up just hissing at each other like angry snakes.

    ¡®So, they really are snake people¡­ That could explain why there is a Leviathan here¡­.¡¯

    ¡°I just realized¡­ But how will we even communicate with them? Or anyone? If everyone is so spread out¡­ Do they even speak the same language?¡± Alice asked in confusion.

    ¡°They just hiss. They aren¡¯t talking." Eve stated in confusion.

    ¡°Well, they hiss, but they use words too.¡± Kazius pointed out.

    ¡°They just sound like snakes though?¡± Alice stated in confusion.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how we would ask them to be friends.¡± Eve added in concern.

    ¡°Well, they are snake people¡­ But they still talk normally, for the most part.¡± Kazius stated in confusion, wondering why the group thought it was such a problem. They were even looking at him like he had a second head or something.

    Deciding to prove his point, Kazius searched the area with his eyes until they landed on what appeared to be a vendor of different food items.

    ¡°Look, let me show you.¡± Kazius began.

    "Excuse me, sir. We are new to the city. Could you tell us where to find a place that sells a map? What currency do you guys use around here?¡± Kazius would ask the snake man.

    At Kazius¡¯ words, the snake man seemed surprised.

    ¡°You¡¯re new here? But you speak like a local! That is incredible! Welcome to Veleno. You are not the usual type we get around here¡­ Usually our guests are way, way shorter. What are they called again? Oh yeah, Dwarves¡­ Something like that¡­ They always come here to buy metal and smuggle it out to the West¡­ Something about some weird laws, I never cared to pay attention to such details though. First time I¡¯ve heard about someone looking for a map instead of metal¡­ We do have them though¡­ The bookstore down the street should have them¡­ As for currency¡­ Well we usually barter with foreigners, but we use these.¡± The snake person would respond, holding up rectangle shaped solid gold coins. The coin had an elegant design featuring snakes. The purity on the bar was insane¡­ That alone was worth more than a bag of gold coins back at Ratier.

    Kazius nodded, content with the friendliness. It was strange to be welcomed so openly. Refreshing, even.

    He was happy, but considering how he was used to hiding the fact he was not Human¡­ It would get some getting used to.

    At that, Kazius would look at his friends expectantly only to realize how confused they looked.

    ¡°You hissed too!¡± Eve asked in awe.

    ¡°How do you know the language?¡± Alice asked in confusion.

    ¡°Huh? You didn¡¯t understand any of that?¡± Kazius asked only to remember the events back at Marv¡­ He understood the Orcs back then while the Holy Knights didn¡¯t¡­

    ¡®Can I¡­ Speak any language?¡¯ Kazius wondered in shock.

 Chapter 23: Handy Ability

    The claim was crazy, but there were no other probable explanations. Still, the ability was a confusing one¡­How did it work? Why did he have it? Most confusing of all, Kazius could genuinely not hear or tell when he was speaking a different language. It was as if his mouth followed his intent, but that was it.

    ¡°Uh¡­Excuse me a second.¡± Kazius told the Merchant before turning back to talk to his friends. He intended originally to finish his conversation first, but Azanor was motioning him over.

    Azanor seemed to be curious, staring at Kazius. He was deep in thought before speaking up.

    ¡°Tell me¡­ Do you understand me now?¡± Azanor would ask in a whisper.

    ¡°Of course, I do¡­ Why are we whispering?¡± Kazius would answer in confusion.

    ¡°Well Demon is a language that freaks out those who do not understand it¡­ And I rather not bring any distress to Eve¡­ And I guess Alice too¡­ Anyway. I just I wanted to test if you could understand it¡­ You are quite the interesting and dangerous fellow, Kazius¡­ Some Races have similar abilities¡­ But not to such an extent¡­ We Demons can communicate with mortals by looking into their souls, so we can resonate with them and make a deal¡­ But it has its limits¡­ You shouldn¡¯t have been able to understand a language that only Demons know. You could so frightening things with a power like that¡­ For you¡­Though I suppose if you act like an idealistic fool you could use it for a good cause and all that garbage. A waste of your time though, in my opinion¡­. No one will thank you.¡± Azanor would chuckle out no longer whispering. Despite his chuckle, there was a hint of bitterness at his advice.

    Alice narrowed her gaze at Azanor.

    ¡°So, if Eve was not around you would have spoken it out loud.¡± Alice questioned accusingly.

    ¡°I won¡¯t answer that.¡± Azanor responded hesitantly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, Azanor is a good person.¡± Eve assured Alice.

    ¡°Okay okay, don¡¯t argue¡­ I should finish talking to that vendor. Then we can go get the map¡­ He told me where to buy one, but I want to see if I can trade some supplies with him for enough money to do that. ¡° Kazius intervened. It seemed the two were on better terms, but they still would bicker.

    ¡°Fine¡­¡± Alice stated with a sigh.

    ¡°Sorry about that, thank you for waiting¡­ So, you mentioned bartering¡­ What sort of things have decent value around here?¡± Kazius questioned.

    ¡°Since you are a traveler¡­¡± The vendor perked up, seeming eager about something.

    ¡°Do you by any chance have food from the West? I would recommend you barter with that¡­ You will get a good amount of coin¡­ Especially chicken eggs, chicken, duck, oh those pheasants they have out West are especially tasty in my opinion¡­ Just don¡¯t try to use metal here¡­ No offense¡­ But travelers use the ugliest scrap metal I have ever seen as coin¡­¡± The vendor seemed to almost fantasize about the food.

    ¡®Poutry? Really?¡¯

    Kazius wondered in shock only to realize something¡­ Upon entering the dark forest¡­ He did not recall seeing any birds¡­ He didn¡¯t think any of it back then¡­ Especially considering it could be dismissed as the trees being too thick to allow any to fly around¡­ Did the people here hunt them into extinction? Then again¡­ Perhaps due to the place being full of Leviathans in the past, birds may have just avoided the area all together.

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    ¡°I see, thank you. That is really helpful¡­ We do have food supplies¡­ We might part with enough to get a map and some extra coin.¡± Kazius stated, relieved they had something of value here.

    ¡°I do think we have some cured poultry¡­¡± He trailed off, rummaging in his bag.

    It was then the snake¡¯s eyes would go wide at the sight of cured duck. His slitted pupils practically dilated at the sight of it.

    ¡°I will buy that, name your price.¡± The Vender would state, determined. Did they value food that much? Or was it because they couldn¡¯t get such Poultry around here?

    ¡°Huh? This?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I will give you 4¡­ No! 5 gold coins. Please! That looks incredible!¡± The Vendor exclaimed with excitement that was almost concerning Kazius. He was starting to fear getting bit with how excited the guy seemed.

    ¡°Is that poultry!?¡± Another passerby snake man would ask.

    ¡°No, go away, this one is mine!¡± The shopkeeper would hiss.

    Oh, this was quickly becoming a mess. He didn¡¯t want to be the source of a scene.

    ¡°Look, this guy helped me out so I will have to give it to him and only him.¡±

    With that, it seemed passersby left it at that, but very begrudgingly. Kazius would trade with the shop keep after that.

    ¡°Please do come back!¡± The vendor exclaimed.

    ¡°Maybe some time.¡± Kazius stated, still weirded out by the exchange.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± Alice asked in confusion.

    ¡°People here get way too excited about poultry¡­¡± Kazius admitted.

    ¡°Really? Well, birds have always avoided this area like the plague¡­ And even if they tried farming them¡­ I am not sure they would be able to last long¡­ Part of me wants to let some chickens loose here and see what happens.¡± Azanor mused with a slight wickedness to his smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± Alice scolded.

    ¡°Teasing people is bad.¡± Eve reminded him.

    ¡°I won¡¯t, but you can¡¯t blame me for wondering¡­ I¡¯m still a Demon, just a very well behaved one¡­¡± Azanor chuckled out before he shook his head as if trying to chase away the urge to do something that would probably cause a riot if everyone in Veleno shared such an enthusiasm when it came to poultry.

    Alice sighed before looking at Kazius.

    ¡°So what do their coins look like?¡± She asked curiously.

    Kazius perked up, realizing he accepted the coins without even looking at them. He would take them out only for his jaw to almost hit the floor.

    Even though the coins were simple currency¡­ The purity and shine they had was almost unbelievable. Kazius was not sure even Dwarven royalty has such easy access to such pure and beautiful looking gold¡­ The coin itself had intricate designs. Each one had a one carved as well as some sort of snake on it¡­ The snake itself did not look like a normal snake though¡­ It seemed to have weird fins on its head. While the rest of the coin was gold, the carving of the snake was done in a beautiful platinum that made the snake look white.

    ¡°It is like a work of art¡­ Is that just their normal currency? Look at that snake¡­ It looks so pretty.¡± Alice asked in awe.

    ¡°That is not a snake¡­ It is a Leviathan¡­. You can tell by those fins¡­ She managed something amazing¡­¡± Azanor admitted, genuinely impressed.

    ¡°She?¡± Kazius questioned.

    ¡°There is only one white Leviathan¡­ At least as far as I know¡­ Serpente¡­ She is a terrifying one¡­ Never saw her for myself¡­ but I¡¯ve heard of her¡­ She must be the Leviathan here... The fact they have her on their currency¡­ Makes me think she founded the place¡­¡± Azanor explained.

    ¡°I wonder how she did it¡­ Maybe she invested a new way to purify metal.¡± Alice stated curiously.

    ¡°No clue¡­ Anyway, that should be more than enough for one map¡­ Let¡¯s go.¡± Azanor stated, likely wanting to be on their way.

    Veleno was an interesting place¡­ Kazius knew they had to keep moving, but one day he hoped to return and make the best out of a visit here.

    They went to bookstore, indeed getting a map and it only took one coin.

    One their way out though, they all froze¡­ It became clear why the people here were so used to visitors¡­ Out in the distance, Kazius spotted them¡­ A whole group of them¡­ Dwarves. This place bordered Thimdur¡­ And it seemed Dwarves were not even near as secluded as Ratier¡­. They had not spotted them¡­ But Kazius knew it would not be a good thing to be seen.

 Chapter 24: The Misery of Lies

    ¡°Quick, hide.¡± Kazius warned the others, peaking over at the Dwarves, hiding behind a building.

    ¡°What on earth could Dwarves want here¡­¡± Alice whispered.

    ¡°Wow, they are so short!¡± Eve exclaimed only to be shushed by Azanor.

    ¡°They are Dwarves, Eve. All of them are that height.¡± Azanor explained.

    ¡°Ooooh¡± Eve stated in awe as if she never heard about them before despite living in Ratier. As a Priestess she should know that much, but at the same time¡­ She was a bit out there.

    ¡°Wait¡­ I¡¯ve seen them before.¡± Alice admitted.

    ¡°You have?¡± Kazius questioned in surprise.

    ¡°Well¡­ Not all of them¡­ But¡­ One of them¡­ He works for the King of Thimdur¡­ I am sure of it. I remember meeting him sometime ago at a ball. He is one of the designers for mithril armor and weapons that works with the royal family¡­¡± Alice stated in confusion.

    It was then they saw the Dwarves talk to a local. They were speaking the Common tongue¡­

    ¡°Do you have the usual?¡±

    ¡°Yes, do you?¡±

    Could be heard in the exchange.

    ¡®So, some of the locals here speak Common because of business with Dwarves¡­¡¯

    Kazius froze, seeing the Dwarves hand over some crates with food¡­ Likely with poultry products¡­ And in exchange¡­ They received Mithril.

    ¡°Seems like Dwarves don¡¯t actually make their own Mithril¡­¡± Kazius stated in realization, his eyes widening slightly in surprise.

    ¡®So even that much isn¡¯t true?¡¯

    Alice frowned, looking extremely frustrated and upset.

    ¡°Is there anyone who ever told the truth in those damned kingdoms?¡± Alice stated her tone more than upset. Kazius could understand her frustration. He himself struggled with knowing what to think anymore¡­ There was also the fact that so many Monsters didn¡¯t even know about the war. It seemed everything they had learned as of late just destroyed the image Alice had of her family¡¯s legacy. Likely what she, as a princess, built her whole identity around. All the truths were beginning to pile on.

    She looked angry, almost ready to cry, but instead just scowled.

    ¡°I want to go. Let¡¯s just leave. This does not involve us.¡± Alice pleaded.

    Kazius frowned, not liking to see her like that, but there was nothing he could do.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Kazius stated, leaving the city through a different direction.

    He had wanted to get himself new clothes, so he wouldn¡¯t have to wear his Knight armor anymore. It genuinely disgusted him to have it on, but he decided it could wait. Not to mention, he did not want to risk being spotted while shopping nor did he know if he could afford anything decent.

    ¡®Is everyone out West allergic to the truth?¡¯ He wondered mentally, understanding her frustration.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Honestly, Kazius himself was also annoyed. Smuggling metal from this place¡­ Why not just admit the metal was not your own? Then again¡­ To admit Monsters could make such a metal¡­ Likely would get Dwarves targeted by Zelphar and Ratier¡­ If the rumors were true, Dwarves were great craftsmen¡­ With a lot of pride¡­ How could they pass up working with a metal like Mithril? Such a mentality probably explained why they were willing to do business with Monsters¡­ Perhaps that fact meant there was hope for Dwarves¡­ But¡­ Kazius refused to be optimistic. He himself felt Humans were hopeless¡­ And now that he knew more about ¡®The Wastelands¡¯¡­ He felt like Dwarves and Elves were no better considering the lies were the same.

    Still, more than anything, Kazius wanted to know what actually happened¡­ All those centuries ago. Perhaps knowing would also bring Alice some closure¡­ Azanor seemed to know a lot about those events¡­ But whenever it came up he did not seem to want to talk about the heroes¡­ But he did mention there were 8¡­ Not 7¡­

    One way or another¡­ Whatever the truth was¡­ He needed it to sate his curiosity and to plan for the return of The Demon King¡­ Something he still did not want to bring up to the others¡­ They had enough things on their mind as it was. Especially Alice.

    Once out of the city, Kazius turned to look at Alice.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Kazius asked in concern.

    ¡°I will be¡­ I just¡­¡± Alice stated, sounding lost and exasperated.

    ¡°Do you not like seeing short people?¡± Eve asked in confusion, very lost about what upset Alice.

    ¡°No¡­ That isn¡¯t it¡­ I just¡­ I wish I just knew what a lie is and what isn¡¯t¡­ Who even am I? What did my family die for?¡± Alice questioned, tears streaming down.

    ¡°I know, Alice¡­ But you are not alone. I don¡¯t know who I am either, not anymore¡­ But we can find out the truth and who we are¡­ We will figure it out together.¡± Kazius assured her as he gently cleaned off her face.

    Azanor looked conflicted but stayed silent. He seemed like he had something he knew but wasn¡¯t sure whether to open up about it or not.

    Eve frowned at the two.

    ¡°Well, I know who you are! You¡¯re both my friends.¡± Eve stated with a warm smile. The Elf really was always so giddy.

    ¡°How can you stay so happy, Eve? Don¡¯t you feel betrayed too?¡± Alice questioned.

    Eve looked confused at the question, thinking a bit.

    ¡°I am just happy to have friends, I can¡¯t be upset. I try not to worry about stuff like that. I don¡¯t really know what is going on most of the time anyway!¡± Eve exclaimed happily.

    ¡°What about being lied to since you were a child?! You must be originally from Zelphar before you became a Priestess¡­ You are a Holy Maiden to a Religion founded on a lie! Whatever made you leave Zelphar is a lie! The Priests who mistreated you lie! Everyone is a liar!¡± Alice exclaimed, clearly not understanding why Eve was not as upset as her.

    While Alice seemed ready to have a meltdown, Eve seemed to only look even more confused.

    As she spoke, Azanor was watching her like a hawk. He did not miss a single word Eve said.

    ¡°But¡­ I only remember being a Priestess for a few months. It wasn¡¯t for that long, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Eve admitted.

    Kazius was lost, she must have gotten an Oracle or something to become a Priestess. How could she be one as an adult for such little time?

    ¡°What did you do before that?¡± Kazius finally asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t remember.¡± Eve admitted with the most lighthearted shrug possible despite what she was saying. She truly was not alarmed by her lack of memories.

    ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t remember anything?¡± Azanor asked in confusion and concern.

    ¡°Nope! I am just happy I am not alone and have friends! So why do all those lies even matter? I met my friends because of them. Who cares!¡± Eve stated giddily.

    Alice seemed to calm down by now after hearing this. Perhaps she felt like she had it less worse off in comparison to the Elf who clearly was not all there. At first Kazius was not worried about Eve, thinking she just had a peculiar personality, but it genuinely seemed like something had messed with her head.

    ¡°That is so sad, Eve¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I ended up yelling at you¡­ But none of this is your fault¡­ And you have your own problems.¡± Alice stated in shame.

    ¡°Why? I have friends, I have no problems. You were just sad, I¡¯m okay. Maybe I will remember, maybe I won¡¯t. I¡¯m okay either way.¡± Eve insisted contently.

    ¡°If you say so¡­¡± Alice trailed off with a sigh, taking a deep breath to try and keep it together.

    ¡°Okay¡­ I will be alright.¡± Alice followed up.

    All the lies had truly hurt everyone of them one way or another¡­ Even Azanor. Something must have happened to have a Demon hate lies so much.

    ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­¡± Kazius trailed off.

    ¡°If you truly think you are alright, how about we take a look at that map? Find some place away from here¡­ Somewhere safe to hide and clear our heads.¡± Kazius questioned as he opened up the map they had just purchased.

 Chapter 25: Off To Vargstam?

    The map was¡­ Surprisingly¡­ Incomplete. There was more blank space than actual entries on it. Kazius felt almost like he was ripped off. Then again, it did only cost a gold coin¡­ But Veleno¡¯s coins were so incredible that it still felt like a scam. Still¡­ It was better than nothing.

    ¡°What the hell!? What even is their alphabet?¡± Alice exclaimed in shock, studying the map. It seemed the map took her mind off her worries¡­ Even if her internal struggle was far from solved.

    ¡°They¡¯re squiggles! I like them!¡± Eve exclaimed in awe.

    ¡°Whoever made this has explored maybe one third of the Continent¡­ And the letters look like snakes¡­ I Have no clue what it says though. This may have been a waste of money.¡± Azanor stated in annoyance. It seemed his ability to understand other tongues truly was limited. Written text was excluded¡­ But Kazius could actually read the map just fine.

    ¡°I can read it. So it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Kazius assured. It was strange. To him, the letters just looked normal. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could tell if he was reading a different language or not unless he was told. Just like with speech.

    ¡°Really? Not even m¡­ Never mind¡­  That is quite the useful ability though¡­¡± Azanor asked in shock before nodding, impressed, but did look a bit concerned.

    Knowing the fear Azanor held for Shadow Fiends¡­ a bit of concern was understandable. Could all of his kind read any language like this?

    ¡°I guess it isn¡¯t so worthless then. It is up to date, unlike anything I know¡­ And¡­ It doesn¡¯t help that Monsters tend to not care about what others are doing¡­  This map might be the best we can hope for.¡±Azanor stated in annoyance. Considering his amount of knowledge from so long ago, not knowing so much of how things were presently was likely far from comfortable.

    ¡°To be honest, I am not sure what I expected¡­ I guess it is better than no map¡­ But one gold coin for this¡­ Their gold coins are already so valuable too¡­¡± Alice whined out, seeming to feel the same way as Kazius.

    ¡°It is a nice picture though!¡± Eve chirped, seeming to enjoy the drawings on the map.

    ¡®At least someone is happy¡­¡¯

    ¡°Well, what does it say?¡± Azanor questioned.

    Kazius would study the map before beginning to describe it¡­ It only had about 4 places on it¡­ There was a village named Sakura to the far Southeast. As well as a town fairly close by, to the Northeast, named Vargstam. Lastly there was a¡­ Was that just a cemetery? A big one? No name given¡­ Just said cemetery in a large, shaded area¡­ And then to the farther East there was a dotted line indicating Dragon territory.

    ¡°Dragon territory, huh¡­¡± Azanor stated in amusement.

    ¡°Dragons? I think I heard of those Monsters¡­ I heard Ratier fought one and gained it¡¯s respect and then it joined him as one of the heroes¡­ Before it turned traitor¡­ Or at least that is how that lie goes.¡± Alice stated curiously before grumbling.

    ¡°Lie?¡± Kazius questioned.

    ¡°Well, at this point I will just assume things I was told are a lie.¡± Alice admitted with a frown. She truly had a broken spirit from this all.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far¡­ But I suppose caution doesn¡¯t hurt at this point.¡± Kazius stated in concern.

    Azanor looked like he was biting his tongue again about something he knew, but he did say something after a while. Maybe not all he had in mind, but at least he was being open.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°It makes sense there is nothing marked on the line past that¡­ Leviathans and Dragons had a rivalry for a long time¡­ No one from the city would go past that line. There was actually a barrier against Dragons that we passed¡­ On our way inside.¡± Azanor explained.

    ¡°Really? When?¡± Kazius questioned in shock.

    ¡°I have always had an eye for barriers and large amounts of Mana, so it was easy for me to sense¡­ Remember when I kept staring back at something while we were approaching the city? That is because I saw it and I found it funny they still can¡¯t stand each other even after so long.¡± Azanor explained.

    Kazius was surprised to hear this, but it did make sense why Azanor didn¡¯t bother telling them about it, After all, it wasn¡¯t relevant to anything.

    ¡°I had no idea.¡± Alice admitted curiously.

    ¡°Maybe one day they will be friends.¡± Eve stated with a smile.

    ¡°I really doubt that, Eve¡­ They hated each from even before I was born¡­¡± Azanor stated hesitantly. It was then he noticed Eve pouting a bit at his answer.

    ¡°Then again you never know. Crazier things have happened.¡± Azanor would add, the addition cheering up the Elf. He truly had a soft spot for her.

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess it is fine the map doesn¡¯t have that much detail from that area¡­. We have no reason to go all the way to Dragon territory¡­ Looks like it would be a journey of a month anyway¡­ We need to go somewhere safe that is closer, where we can hide. Unless you think we would be safer farther away?¡± Alice would change topic back to focus.

    ¡°No¡­ We shouldn¡¯t try and go for a long journey. We don¡¯t even have the supplies for that. I am also worried about how most of the areas in between these settlements aren¡¯t even filled in¡­ I suppose it is better than nothing¡­ But with the lack of landmarks, we may get lost if we don¡¯t follow the sun¡¯s position carefully¡­ I will have to keep a good eye on the stars too¡­ We don¡¯t have a compass.¡± Kazius stated with a sigh.

    ¡°In that case¡­ Where should we go?¡± Alice questioned curiously.

    The question was a tough one¡­ Kazius felt like he was running away from more than just Holy Knights¡­ His fate was also something looming over him¡­ He did not want to be controlled by the Oracle¡­ But¡­ For how much longer could he run? Avoid the subject of The Demon King¡¯s return with his own mental excuses¡­ Wonder around, just fleeing without direction? It wasn¡¯t like he had the strength to stand against the entirety of The Church or an Edict¡­ He currently had no chance against The Demon King¡­  But perhaps in their travels, he could grasp his powers and identity better¡­ His friends as well¡­ He did not have the luxury to suggest fleeing to the end of the continent. It was not a good idea¡­

    And whether he liked it or not¡­ He did not believe a two front conflict would be good¡­ Sooner or later¡­ Before The Demon King came¡­ They would have to confront The Church.

    ¡°We should head to Vargstam¡­ It is the closest¡­ I doubt The Church knows about such a place¡­ It seems to be surrounded by mountains¡­ They probably hide the place well enough¡­ Hopefully the people in Vargstam are hospitable¡­ And things there are not as expensive as in Veleno¡­ It could be a good place to sit down and plan properly.¡± Kazius stated. He needed to get his shit together for his friends¡¯ sakes¡­.

    ¡°That sounds like the best idea, I agree.¡± Alice stated, sounding a little hopeful, but a hint of hesitation remained in her tone.

    ¡°Vargstam¡­ That place is new to me¡­ Definitely established recently. I think it would be a good idea¡­¡± Azanor agreed while in thought.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled¡­ Let¡¯s go¡­ Maybe if we¡¯re lucky we can get there before sundown¡­ I doubt we would find such a place in the mountains that easily though¡­ But at least the map shows a river valley that can get us through without climbing them¡­¡± Kazius stated before beginning to walk.

    The others followed; their walk fairly uneventful.

    Hours passed.

    The Mountains coming into view as they traveled away from the dark forest surrounding Veleno into a lush and vibrant one. The sun was bright, reflecting beautifully in the river valley as it began to set. The sky was orange and red. A beautiful view.

    Kazius though had too much of a preoccupied mind to enjoy it though.

    Despite their fear of persecution, they had yet to be confronted by anyone associated with The Church, much less an Edict¡­

    It was a good thing, that was for sure¡­

    But¡­

    He had a bad feeling in his gut.

    Why was he so anxious?

    They had headed off very fast¡­ They had been traveling for many days¡­ Yet he felt like something in his head was yelling at him. Why did he feel so certain that The Church would send people so fast?

    Perhaps it was just the scared child that grew up tormented by The Church that made him think that way¡­

    How would the church, that never set foot out, know how to find them? Then again¡­ They had the Oracle. Just because they had not used it yet, did not guarantee it was not ever going to be used¡­

    Still¡­ Why¡­

    ¡®I don¡¯t like this, not one bit¡­¡¯

    Kazius thought to himself. It was almost like he could hear something yelling at him in his mind¡­ Warning him¡­

    ¡®I must be losing my mind¡­¡¯

 Chapter 26: Old Friends

    Kazius grew more and more concerned. The shadows around them seemed almost restless. Their usual breathing he had grown accustomed to since Remus was now practically hyperventilation.

    It was then he heard it.

    ¡®¡­Approaching¡­¡¯

    Was whispered every so quietly into his ear. It was not a single voice, but instead like a quiet creepy murmur of a choir.

    ¡°Approaching?¡± Kazius questioned in confusion and even a bit of terror.

    ¡°Approaching?¡± Alice asked I confusion at his sudden question.

    ¡°Did you¡­ Not hear that?¡± Kazius questioned in confusion and concern.

    ¡°Kazius, it is just us here and none of us said anything.¡± Azanor stated in confusion with a raised brow.

    ¡°I did¡¯t hear anything either!¡± Eve chirped.

    ¡®Did I really imagine that?¡¯

    Kazius knew he may not be in the best mental state after everything he had dealt with, but hearing voices was not within what he was expecting.

    ¡°I think maybe we should camp¡­ You look tired. We can search for Vargstam in the morning... You must be worn out.¡± Alice assured as she looked at Kazius with obvious concern in her violet eyes.

    ¡°How about you sit¡­ I feel generous today. I will set up camp, you can praise me later.¡± Azanor volunteered proudly, looking quite smug despite the fact Kazius had been the one setting up camp without being asked the past few days.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Kazius stated, indeed wondering if he was truly just exhausted.

    With that, the group would prepare camp and rest.

    Kazius remained awake. The feeling of being yelled at would not stop¡­ He found himself needing less sleep since he began to use his powers¡­ But he still needed rest¡­. At this rate though, he would not get any.

    He groaned before he would sit up, looking up at the moon and the stars framed by the tall mountains. The beautiful sight of the moon reflecting on the river valley waters brought far from any comfort.

    The night was very quiet, except for distant howling¡­ Wolves were not a concern to him though, there were far stronger things around than some random wild hounds for him to worry about. He could handle a wolf.

    Still, as he looked around, he could have sworn that he saw someone look at them from the top of the valley. Who was that? He would do a double take, but the person was gone.

    ¡®Did I imagine that? Am I seeing things now too?¡¯

    Just as he was beginning to doubt himself and his own sanity, he would spot someone drop down. The ground shaking upon impact, even cracking the ground. This woke up his companions.

    ¡°W-What the!?¡± Alice exclaimed, startled awake as she began to reach out so her sword would fly into her hand.

    ¡°The ground is angry!¡± Eve whined, startled.

    Azanor seemed to spring up. He may have not sensed the intruders, seemed he had not slept, he had just been pretending. Did Demons even sleep? Now was not the time for such a question.

    ¡°You really weren¡¯t crazy.¡± Azanor stated in concern as he sprung up with a scowl.

    The group would gather their bearings to look at the intruders. The very familiar intruders to Kazius.

    Leo and Alex. His former friends, the ones he saved with his power yet rejected everything he was¡­ To the point that rather than thank him, when it was revealed he wasn¡¯t human¡­ They tried to kill him.

    Last time he saw them, Kazius had to run away so fast that he had little time to fully process the betrayal he felt¡­ He had felt grief and frustration¡­ Kazius believed had had gotten over things¡­ But the moment he laid eyes on Alex, his heart sank.

    Unlike Leo, he had known Alex his whole life. Deep down he had known he would not be accepted for what he was, but despite that he felt resentment and grief towards the friendship he never actually received.

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    Above all, what destroyed him the most and gave him the most anguish was how wrong they looked¡­ Yes¡­ There was something very off about the two. While Kazius would definitely recognize his friend that had woken him up almost every day at the orphanage¡­ He had changed a lot since he last saw him about a week ago. They both had.

    Alex and Leo had greying hair despite being young, almost white. Their eyes had both changed into a strange glowing eerie light blue. A creepy wicked grin on both of their faces.

    The color of their eyes¡­ It was creepy¡­ Unsettling¡­

    There was something oh so terribly wrong with them¡­ They radiated pure mana, almost unnaturally so. This was dangerous¡­ And it seemed he was not the only one who thought so, Alice and Azanor looked horrified.

    Kazius was frozen in place, feeling too many emotions at once. He thought he would be okay once he saw them again¡­ Ready to fight them¡­ He wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Long time no see, Traitor.¡± Alex chuckled out mockingly.

    As Alex said this, Kazius could not help but remember how happily Alex would wake him up. Kazius had truly wanted to be his friend¡­ He had hoped for it¡­ Yet it was clear that to Alex¡­. There was truly no friendship there.

    ¡°Traitor? No, that implies that he was one of us¡­ He is a Monster, filth. He is vermin that tricked The Church, nothing more.¡± Leo remarked back.

    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right¡­ He is just a dirty Monster impersonating a person¡­ He was tricking us¡­ Disgusting¡­ You have no idea¡­ The humiliation we felt by being associated with you¡­ Especially me¡­ Repulsive to think I spent so much time with you¡­ But I should thank you¡­ Thanks to you¡­ We were able to prove ourselves¡­ To become proper Edict apprentices¡­ So, you can die knowing you at least did something decent despite what you are.¡± Alex chuckled out maliciously before he and Leo drew their swords.

    Kazius gritted his teeth. He already knew that was how they felt, but that did not mean their words did not sting.

    Then there was the dangerous way Mana crackled around them¡­ Did becoming Edict Apprentices somehow cause their change in appearance and power? How was such a thing possible within a week?

    Before Kazius could process what was happening, the two had taken out their swords and moved faster than Kazius even thought was possible. Part of him just wanted to stand there, his heart feeling incredibly heavy.

    The hit never came though. Azanor would block it with his cane, moving in front of Kazius in the blink of an eye. The action surprised Kazius. He had not bothered to intervene back in Remus¡­ Yet he was now?

    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there you idiot! I won¡¯t let you get yourself killed. MOVE.¡± Azanor snapped at him, looking quite upset. He had never looked so protective of anyone other than Eve, so it truly was shocking. It was almost like he took Alex and Leo¡¯s words personally.

    ¡°Why¡­¡± Kazius trailed off. This all had taken a heavy mental toll on him.

    ¡°Do I really need a reason? NOW MOVE IT!¡± Azanor snapped.

    Kazius snapped out of it thanks to that. He was not a lonely child anymore¡­ He had actual friends now¡­ Ones that knew what he was yet were still with him. He did not have the luxury of wallowing in self-pity. He had to protect his friends.

    ¡°You have¡­ A Demon with you? Of course, you would¡­ You truly are evil that must be eradicated.¡± Alex sneered out.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be killed by you today.¡± Kazius responded back, bringing out his shadows.

    ¡°Vermin like you need to die¡­ You even have the heretic princess with you¡­ The Demon worshipping Priestess¡­ Trash love sticking together¡­ Once we kill you all, we will be able to earn the right to become Edicts¡­ And improve the world while at it.¡± Alex stated with a chuckle, his grin wide. It creeped Kazius out, even more than Azanor¡¯s when he got angry. Alex looked like he had lost his mind.

    It was then Leo decided to attack. His sword flashing like a light with how fast he moved.

    Kazius attempted to block the hit by coating his hand in shadows, but much to his horror, his shadows were sliced.

    He wasn¡¯t strong enough. He finally had the will to fight¡­ But¡­ Was that enough?

    The sheer force they created¡­ Were they really still Human? The two never had this crazy amount of Mana or strength. What the hell happened to them?

    Kazius winced, getting a cut on his side.

    ¡°Kazius!¡± Alice exclaimed in shock, levitating her sword before aiming it at Leo. Only for it to be easily deflected by Alex who moved in.

    Her sword was pushed back, leaving an opening in her defense.

    Alex refused to miss such an opportunity.

    He punched the princess in the gut in a quick follow up attack.

    Alice¡¯s eyes went wide, coughing up blood, collapsing. The sight earning an amused and sinister laugh from Alex.

    The strength they had¡­ It was overwhelming.

    At this rate¡­ They would¡­

    ¡°My friends! No! Leave them alone, you bullies! Meanies! All of you! You are not nice people!¡± Eve exclaimed, attempting to heal them. She began to cry, worried and distressed.

    Of course, this made her a target for the two Knights.

    They would charge at her at an insane speed. Kazius wanted to help, but he couldn¡¯t move with the speed he wanted to. Not with his injury.

    Thankfully, Azanor made it in time. To say the Demon looked pissed, was an understatement. He looked absolutely livid. He looked upset for Kazius, but for Eve? There was just no comparison.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking touch her.¡± Azanor hissed out, too angry to even speak the common tongue for a moment. He began to have Demonic energy surround him, concentrating in his hands, before he moved at an inhuman speed to attack the two knights.

    Leo and Alex were even faster though, blocking the attacks with their swords. They were not even Edicts yet it seemed they could already stop Azanor.

    Normally mortals would be intimidated at hearing Demon tongue. Instead though, they grew enraged. As if going berserk. Something was definitely wrong with their minds.

    The two would attack with new intense speed and fury that pushed Azanor back.

    Azanor panted, cursing. He normally behaved with so much class, yet now he cursed like a sailor.

    ¡°Kazius¡­ I will be honest¡­ I came here without permission from my King¡­ There is backlash when you pull what I did¡­ I haven¡¯t had time to recover¡­ I don¡¯t have all my power. I don¡¯t think I can hold them off for long.¡± Azanor stated as he did his best to fight off the duo, his fury dying down due to the severity of the situation.

    At this rate, they would die.

 Chapter 27: Saved by The Stranger

    The situation looked far from good.

    Kazius was injured, Alice was too¡­ Eve was doing her best with healing and protection, but it was far from enough.

    Now Azanor was holding the line¡­ But, it didn¡¯t seem like he could do so for long.

    Azanor seemed to understand the severity of the situation.

    ¡°When I tell you to go, run away with-¡° Azanor began. He was unable to finish the sentence before he was attacked again.

    Azanor braced himself, intending on doing his best to block the rapid attack.

    But the attack never landed.

    Instead, both Kazius and him would feel the ground shake again¡­ This time, cracks spreading far and deep from the impact, dust in the air. Someone had jumped in between them.

    ¡°Buahaha! Someone is having a party here and I was not invited?¡± exclaimed a loud and boisterous voice. In front of them stood quite the figure.

    Once the dust cleared, they could finally see who was the culprit of the interruption.

    In front of them was a man with long white hair that went down all the way to his back. The thing looked mangled, almost like a mane. Scars littered his body, or at least his torso, since he wore no shirt. His face had a scar of what appeared to be 3 claw marks over his left eyes. He wore pants with fur and a large coat with fur along the neck. The coat was left open, the garment looking heavy. He was like a mountain of muscle. A real muscle head looking guy that stood at 7ft (2.13 meters).

    ¡®Just who the hell was this guy? He even speaks Common... Or at least I think he is.¡¯

    Kazius would stare at the stranger in shock. He wasn¡¯t sure what to make out of his sudden appearance, but the stranger seemed to be here to help. He looked awfully eager for a fight.

    The guy was gripping what had to be the heaviest looking spear that Kazius had ever seen. Stranger yet, along the blade was an odd glowing green symbol¡­ Was he associated with some group?

    ¡°I have no idea what is going on, but I saw enough to know who the ones up to no good are.¡± The guy would add, his grin widening all the more. His knuckles were almost turning white with how hard he began gripping his spear.

    ¡®I am a magnet for all sorts of people, aren¡¯t I? It really seems to be my fate to befriend strange people. I wonder if one day I will see this as normal? Even now I feel strangely relieved... Definitely seems like he is here to help at least.¡¯

    ¡°Another pest, no matter¡­ That makes no difference to us. You can die with them.¡± Alex stated with a sneer before he and Leo would turn their attention on the stranger.

    As this occurred, this gave Eve the opportunity to perform first aid. She reacted to the turn of events shockingly fast. Likely out of concern for her friends.

    ¡°You will be okay, hold on. Please don¡¯t die. Dying is bad.¡± Eve stated urgently.

    Azanor could still stand and was not injured, so he remained at the ready in case the duo returned their attention to them.

    Alice was very much out cold though. The pain had been too much and the impact too hard.

    Kazius would stagger to her side, needing healing badly, but did not take his eyes off the threat entirely.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°HAHAHA! That¡¯s the spirit! Come! Fight me!¡± exclaimed the man before pounding his chest with one hand. Did he actually come here to save them or was he just here looking for a fight? He was an odd one. He laughed a lot, very loudly.

    It was then that the duo would attack the stranger. The mountain of a man moved with surprising speed, shoving his spear forward. The sheer strength he had was inhuman, his motions causing a strong pressured wind that would knock Alex and Leo off their feat. The two would appear shocked, clearly not expecting such strength.

    They would glare, clearly pissed.

    ¡°Filth!¡± exclaimed Alex.

    ¡°We will exterminate you all! You will regret getting involved!¡± Leo would add with a snap.

    The stranger¡¯s wide grin would waver some at the words only to then have the grin grow goofier and wider.

    ¡°Call me whatever you want. But the Wind Werewolf Tribe aren¡¯t the kind to allow travelers and guests to be killed at our door. Vargstam is better than that¡­ Now, fight me!¡± Exclaimed the male before growing eager yet again.

    ¡®Did he just say Werewolf? Vargstam? Vargstam was filled with Werewolves? I remember hearing about a Monster like that¡­ Were the tribe all as strong as this guy? They may not be Edicts¡­ But to handle the two so easily¡­ Perhaps this would indeed be a good place for us to stay a while and get our bearings.¡¯

    Indeed, the two would attempt to attack the Werewolf. They moved with quite the speed, their blue eyes glowing brighter. They were serious, with full intention of killing¡­ But with a sway of his spear, the Werewolf would push them back. Despite his size and strength, his spear movements were not pointless. They were precise, skillful, and full of power.

    The two knights were relentless, yet no matter how they moved, the Werewolf would block their attacks and push them back¡­ Though if anything¡­ It seemed the Werewolf was holding back his strength¡­Then again, he was here protecting them. With the kind of power he had, he could accidentally blow them away if he wasn¡¯t careful.

    As the fight occurred, the Werewolf would only grow more content, clearly enjoying battle. While the knights only grew more frustrated and enraged. Before long, the two would find themselves knocked back into stone, losing air with the impact, even cracking the wall some.

    Staggered, the two would glare at them.

    ¡°You¡­ You will pay¡­ All of you¡­ We will kill you vermin soon.¡± Alex hissed, fleeing with Leo in defeat¡­ Of course, this meant that the church would know where they are¡­ but he supposed they would be safe if the people here were half as strong as their rescuer.

    ¡°Hahaha! That was fun! A good warm up fight!¡± The male exclaimed contently.

    "You there, you alright? The name¡¯s Damon. You all look like an interesting lot! I would love to ask you for a spar, but it seems I was a bit late¡­ Those two seemed like quite the angry bunch¡­ They should lighten up. It was a fun fight¡­ Even if they lost! Buahaha!¡± He exclaimed before letting out a hearty laugh.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Damon¡­ You have no idea how bad of a situation we were in¡­ Thank you for saving us.¡± Kazius stated earnestly, shaking his hand. The gesture was returned, but instead of shaking hands, Kazius would be moved up and down entirely.

    ¡°Oops, it is hard for me to control my strength. Sorry about that, friend!¡± Damon stated contently with a goofy grin.

    ¡°Friend? Yay!¡± Eve cheered contently. She was calm now that she got to treat Kazius and Alice. Even though she had calmed down though, Azanor was still soothing he a bit.

    ¡°Anyway, how about I show you where town is?¡± Damon questioned, clearly content to talk to people. He seemed quite friendly for such a battle eager loon¡­ But he clearly meant well¡­ Even if he was a bit of a goofy loaf.

    It was then Azanor would perk up.

    ¡°So your kind speaks common?¡± Azanor decided to ask. It seemed even Azanor knew nothing about his people. Then again, he did mention he never heard of Vargstam.

    ¡°Oh! No, not at all¡­ But I learned from my older brother. He is a very smart guy. He can read books good. Unlike me, I learned common from him, but books are too hard. They are better for throwing practice, I say! Hahaha!¡± Damon admitted contently. He seemed to also not have an indoor voice at all. He was definitely a bit of a brute.

    ¡°Don¡¯t enjoy reading, huh?¡± Kazius questioned.

    Kazius¡¯s first hint to a response was another loud laugh.

    ¡°Nope, I can¡¯t read at all!¡± Damon exclaimed, acting a bit too proud to admit such a thing.

    Then again, Kazius wondered if being literate was even something that was common at all.

    Not like it mattered, they had bigger issues at hand. They had to get somewhere safe¡­ And despite treatment Alice didn¡¯t wake up at all. She was unconscious still and it worried Kazius, so he hoped to be able to take her somewhere indoors. It would be good if at least she could rest on an actual bed.

    With that in mind, Kazius decided the best option would be to carry her.

    ¡°Okay, we can go.¡± Kazius agreed, motioning Eve and Azanor to follow.

    ¡°Come along then!¡± Damon exclaimed contently, leading the way.

 Chapter 28: Welcome to Vargstam

    As the group followed their new acquaintance, they would be led along the river valley and mountains. The moon shined on the river, illuminating the way, but that was far from their only source of light.

    The mountains that surrounded the valley were strange looking. Each was bigger than the last, the particularly biggest mountain was the most imposing out of them all. Most eye catching yet, it seemed like one of the smaller mountains was on fire¡­

    ¡®Is¡­ Is that normal? Damon doesn¡¯t seem to pay it any mind¡­¡¯

    ¡°Is that mountain on fire?¡± Kazius asked in concern.

    ¡°Buahaha! That¡¯s Mount Eld. It has always been on fire! Want a closer look?¡± Damon questioned.

    ¡°That is probably not a good idea since Alice is hurt¡­ And we are all pretty beat up¡­ Maybe some other time.¡± Kazius responded politely, taking a look at the knocked out injured Princess in his arms. He was unsure if he would actually ever take him up on the offer or not though. Even when Alice was better.

    ¡°But why is it on fire?¡± Azanor would follow up, clearly knowing little about this area. He even had no clue as to why the mountain was like that.

    ¡°No clue! My brother told me it was like that even before our people came.¡± Damon admitted.

    ¡°And how long ago was that?¡± Azanor followed up, clearly trying to mentally establish some sort of timeline.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Werewolves are¡­ What was that word my brother used¡­ It was a real fancy book word¡­ Ah! Yeah! No-ma-deck. Yeah, something like that¡­ But then something happened¡­ And then we weren¡¯t anymore. There was trouble. We were starving to death, but we were saved by Vind. She blessed our Tribe and guided us here.¡± Damon explained the best he could.

    ¡°Vind?¡± Kazius asked in confusion.

    ¡°Yeah, The Goddess of The Wind.¡± Damon explained with a wide grin.

    Kazius was genuinely shocked to hear such a thing. He had heard little about other Gods. He knew Elves and Dwarves worshipped some other Gods that were deemed acceptable for their culture in addition to The Oracle. He was naturally weary of people speaking on such subjects though, considering the kind of things Ratier did in the name of The Oracle¡­ But Damon seemed far from hostile to outsiders¡­ He also either did not realize or did not care about the fact Azanor was a Demon¡­

    Before they could ask further questions on the subject, the town finally came into view.

    As they approached, the sound of a flute and stomping could be heard along with a chorus of howls. There also seemed to be some clapping and cheering sprinkled in. It seemed like there was some sort of party going on. Before they could even ask, Damon spoke up.

    ¡°Buahaha! Fishing and hunting seem to have gone well. That¡¯s good. They tend to party whenever that happens.¡± Damon explained.

    ¡°Seems like they are having fun, will you join them?¡± Kazius asked.

    Damon seemed to freeze a bit, his grin wavering a little.

    ¡°No, I will just let them have fun. It is better that way.¡± Damon assured.

    It was then that they were finally entering Vargstam and see quite the massive riverside town. Right by the entrance there were many long row boats by a dock.

    Inside the actual town there were many buildings made of lumber and wood with straw roofs. Some of the nicer homes even had some stone as part of their building material and wooden roofs. Many of the houses were big in size, as if to accommodate massive families.

    Along the homes were racks full of shields and weapons. None of them with the glow of Damon¡¯s spear though. Still, the symbol on Damon¡¯s spear was visible in one place¡­ And that was on a crude, yet well-made stone statue of a beautiful woman gracefully extending her hands out towards the sky.

    As they walked further, there were more homes. One of the homes though was larger than all the others. The larger one almost looked like a clan house for many families. It clearly seemed important.

    The townspeople people were dressed in furs and armors. Couples could be seen celebrating with as many as 7 or even more children, confirming Kazius¡¯ suspicions that families in the town tended to be big. Some were even in Werewolf form, standing on two legs while dancing and howling.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    The towns people looked like they were having a lot of fun¡­ That was until they spotted the group. Some stopping their drinking, eating, and dancing outright.

    The townspeople would give weary looks while whispering to each other. At first, Kazius thought they were suspicious of outsiders¡­ Which was not a new concept to him¡­ But¡­ What he heard, was the last thing he expected.

    ¡°Great, HE is back.¡±

    ¡°Shame¡­ When I heard, he was going to investigate whether the people approaching the town were friendly or not¡­ I was hoping that he would die at the hand of outsiders¡­ Just like his father.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t Caleb go ahead and become Chief?¡±

    ¡°The idiot doesn¡¯t even want to be Chief¡­¡±

    ¡°Disgrace!¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t he take a hint?¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t think Damon is very popular with his Tribe¡­ What is this stuff about the Chief? So, there is a dispute of power? Who is Caleb? They seem to hate Damon¡¯s father too¡­ But wouldn¡¯t that mean Damon¡¯s father was the previous Chief¡­ Why be so happy he is dead?¡¯

    Still, despite the sneers and harsh words, Damon did not react. He acted like he did not hear a thing and instead kept smiling. His smile was goofy, but just like when Leo and Alex insulted him¡­ Something about his smile was¡­ Fake¡­

    Kazius had a feeling he was deciding to pretend the words did not affect him¡­ Which was why it was clear Damon was actually quite saddened at the words.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand a word¡­ But it is obvious these are a rude bunch... Even without wasting the energy to try to actually understand them.¡± Azanor would tell Kazius as he eyed the crowd with a look that Kazius knew well. It was the same malicious look he had given Alice when she called Azanor a liar.

    Azanor was nice to them, but he was still a Demon.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare. We are guests here, we have to behave.¡± Kazius would scold with a stern look, feeling like Azanor yearned to mess with the townspeople.

    ¡°How boring.¡± Azanor stated with a scoff and eyeroll.

    ¡°They seem mean¡­ Do they not like us?¡± Eve asked in concern.

    Damon yet again, pretended not to hear a thing.

    ¡°We are almost there.¡± Damon would call out, not acknowledging their conversation either.

    ¡®Damon seems like such an earnest guy¡­ Why is he so hated? Sure, he is loud¡­ But the way they talk about him¡­¡¯

    As they walked, they approached the largest home that they saw from a distance.

    Now that they were close, they could see it was decorated elaborately. The wood was carved into an intricate design. The exterior of the home was also adorned with round shields. Each shield having a different crest. This definitely was an important building.

    ¡°This is the Chief¡¯s house. It has plenty of room. You are my guests so don¡¯t worry about food or anything! You get to experience good old Damon hospitality! I just need to check with my brother first, but I am sure he will be okay with it!¡± Damon would boast, making up for any ill feelings by acting even happier and louder. After saying that, he headed to the door of the large home.

    ¡®He was so eager to help and now he is even inviting us into his house¡­ I can¡¯t blame him for being so excited to talk to outsiders¡­ The way he is treated is not unfamiliar though¡­¡¯

    ¡°Thank you, we really appreciate your kindness¡­ Does that mean you are the Chief?¡± Kazius asked, wanting to make sure he understood the situation.

    Damon paused, hesitating a bit, his hand still on the door.

    ¡°Kind off.¡± Damon responded; his tone surprisingly quiet. He genuinely had sounded prouder talking about his lack of ability to read than being Chief.

    ¡®I don¡¯t understand¡­ Is it bad to be Chief? Then again¡­ It sounds like they want that Caleb guy to be Chief¡­ So that can¡¯t be it¡­ I am too drained and exhausted to even begin wrapping my head around this¡­¡¯

    As Damon allowed them inside, the group would be greeted by another man.

    The new stranger had midnight blue hair that was tied up in a ponytail. His ears were somewhat pointed, like an Elf¡¯s but not as big. His eyes were yellow, just like Damon¡¯s. Unlike Damon though, his build was quite lean. He stood at 5ft 7in(1.70 meters). He held a book open, reading quite intently. He wore glasses and a robe made of cloth, a different style from what others wore in Vargstam. Kazius had seen people with glasses occasionally in Ratier, but few had the skill to make them. So, it was surprising to see them used in such a small town. The man looked like a total outsider, just like them.

    While Kazius was focused on how much the man resembled an Elf and his attire¡­ It took a bit for Kazius to notice Azanor¡¯s expression.

    The Demon was rather pale normally, but¡­ He looked like a Ghost¡­ Or like he had seen one. On his pale face was the most mixed expression Kazius had ever seen. Azanor looked genuinely confused, as if unsure of whether to feel anger, grief, or shock.

    He looked so unwell that Eve was concerned, but before she could do anything or say something, the stranger finally noticed them. He finally looked up from his book. The stranger¡¯s own expression looked fairly shocked at the sight of guests.

    The stranger seemed like a particularly timid person in general¡­ But his fearful expression when he spotted Azanor was unmistakable¡­ He knew what Azanor was.

    Not reading the room, or perhaps not understanding what was going on, Damon was still grinning.

    ¡°Hey! This is-¡± Damon began contently, intending to introduce them and the stranger.

    As this occurred, Azanor seemed to finally decide on the emotion he was feeling¡­ And that emotion was rage. The Demon gripped his cane with a death-like grip with one hand while his free hand closed into a fist. Kazius was shocked that Azanor even had the energy to show that much anger after what they dealt with today. He looked just as enraged as when Eve was attacked.

    Before Kazius could say or do anything, Azanor spoke up while giving the stranger quite the nasty glare.

    ¡°Zelphar¡­¡± Azanor hissed out with pure venom in his tone.

 Chapter 29: Written Regrets

    Kazius was not only shocked, but unsure of what to even think about the name that came out of Azanor¡¯s mouth. It did confirm one thing though¡­ Azanor definitely knew more than what he was willing to tell about the founding of the Three Kingdoms.

    Now that Kazius thought about it, the stranger did resemble the description of Zelphar that he had heard¡­ But it made no sense for Zelphar to be here¡­

    Then again¡­ Elves are a long lived race¡­ Kazius had also heard rumors Zelphar had gone missing 30 years ago¡­ But it was said to just be a lie¡­ But perhaps it may have been the truth.

    ¡°D-Demon! D-Damon, w-why did you bring one here?!¡± The stranger exclaimed in panic, dropping his book and falling over from shock and fear.

    ¡°Demon? He is one of those? Are you sure? He was protecting the others, Caleb¡­ I don¡¯t think he is a bad person.¡± Damon stated in concern, seeming unsure. He looked sad, rather than afraid at the word Demon.

    ¡®Caleb? So, this is Caleb? The one the people want to be Chief?¡¯

    Azanor seemed to study Caleb, calming down some, but did look wearily at him.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not him¡­ The eyes are the wrong color.¡± Azanor tsked out. He seemed upset at the mistake.

    ¡°N-Not a bad person? N-No way! He looked like he was going to kill me! My father warned me all about them! He even knows my father¡¯s name. He must have attacked him in the past.¡± Caleb stated in fear, his tone still trembling.

    ¡°Ah so that explains it¡­ Why¡­ You look exactly like that piece of shit, Zelphar... So¡­ Where is he?¡± Azanor hissed out, looking around.

    At the question Damon grimaced while Caleb trembled even more.

    ¡°H-he¡¯s dead.¡± Caleb admitted in fear.

    At this, Azanor fully calmed down.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Azanor stated bitterly with a sneer. He looked frustrated now that he had no one to direct his anger to.

    ¡°Good! Glad there is no hard feelings¡­ I think we should all rest. I am sure there is a way to be friends¡­ Demon or not you are not bad. At least I don¡¯t think. You are a guest¡­ As long as you don¡¯t attack my brother.¡± Damon reassured with a grin, surprisingly not against having Azanor in his home.

    Despite his grin though his warning sounded quite serious.

    ¡®Brother? But they don¡¯t look anything alike! Maybe Damon is adopted? Or maybe they are half brothers? It sounds like Zelphar isn¡¯t Damon¡¯s father though¡­ And Damon doesn¡¯t look like a Half-Elf at all¡­¡¯

    ¡°Fine¡­ It isn¡¯t like he is Zelphar¡­ My grudge is with him¡­ I am not petty enough to take out my anger on someone¡¯s child¡­ And for the record, I never once wronged your father¡­ But he sure wronged me. He is part of why I lost everything I have ever cared about¡­ Tell me one thing at least¡­ Did he ever mention my name? Does the name Azanor mean anything to you?¡± Azanor questioned, sounding deflated.

    Caleb froze, looking surprised at the name. The fear in his expression even faded.

    ¡°N-Not to me¡­ He died when I was young¡­ But¡­ I have his books and journals¡­ In one¡­ He mentioned you¡­ He¡­ He wrote¡­ That he regretted not listening to you¡­ And that you were right about everything¡­. And that he hoped to apologize one day.¡± Caleb admitted in concern, seeming surprised that the one Zelphar would write all that about was a Demon.

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    Azanor frowned at the words. You would think he would be happy, but he looked just downright miserable at the words.

    ¡°Dammit¡­¡± Azanor hissed out with gritted teeth.

    ¡®Just what is his history with Zelphar? I doubt he would answer my questions¡­ And today has been tough¡­ The last thing he needs is for me to bother him.¡¯

    ¡°Fuck! That asshole¡­ How dare he¡­ How dare he write something like that¡­ How dare he die and leave a message like that!¡± Azanor snapped out, looking quite torn. Like he wanted to cry.

    ¡°Please¡­ Watch Eve for me¡­ Please¡­ I¡­ I need to be alone.¡± Azanor begged Kazius before storming out of the building.

    Kazius watched him leave, growing concerned.

    ¡°I¡­ I have no words¡­ I genuinely don¡¯t know what their history is¡­ But I am sorry about my friend¡­ He is a good guy¡­ I promise¡­ But I know we haven¡¯t been behaving like the best guests so far¡­¡± Kazius admitted as he studied Alice. Despite the yelling she was still out cold. It worried him.

    ¡°He looked so sad¡­¡± Eve added in dismay, looking confused. She also seemed a bit upset that Azanor left her behind.

    ¡°It is okay! I am just glad things are fine! Can they stay, Caleb?¡± Damon asked Caleb.

    Caleb had calmed down by now, picking up his book and fixing his glasses. He frowned at the question.

    ¡°You¡¯re the Chief, not me, Damon. You don¡¯t need my permission. This is your house. It does seem like Azanor is not someone to worry about, even though he is a Demon¡­ At least my father thought he was good¡­ So, I have nothing I can complain about¡­¡± Caleb reminded Damon.

    At this, Damon would surprisingly frown.

    ¡°Caleb¡­ You know I-¡± Damon began before he would have his goofy smile again, dropping the protest he had. It seemed Damon did not want to bicker on the subject in front of guests. Especially after the drama that had already occurred.

    ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s get you to your rooms! I will call you in the morning for breakfast. I hunted this really big boar the other day!¡± Damon would laugh out goofily. He seemed to bounce right out of tense situations. Almost unnaturally fast. Then again¡­ With how the people in town treated him¡­ Perhaps he was just used to doing so.

    With that, they would be led into a room with multiple beds. This place definitely was prepared for a massive clan¡­ Yet there did not seem to be a lot of people in the house.

    ¡°Thanks again for letting us stay, Damon. Really, thank you¡­ I¡¯m sorry about earlier again as well. We will see you in the morning then. I will fill Alice in when she wakes up and introduce you¡­ Hopefully Azanor will be back by then too.¡± Kazius stated.

    ¡°Buahaha! Sounds good to me! See you then!¡± Damon exclaimed with a wave before leaving.

    ¡°Bye bye new friend!¡± Eve would exclaim as he left, her words seeming to catch Damon off guard. His smile turned to a more genuine one after hearing them. The man seemed truly desperate for people to befriend and talk to. To some extent, it reminded Kazius of himself back at The Orphanage,

    The whole situation piqued Kazius¡¯ interest. He was very curious about the situation with Damon and Caleb¡­ And how Zelphar died. The townspeople talked about Damon¡¯s father dying too¡­ But it didn¡¯t seem like they were the same person. Damon¡¯s father must have been someone else¡­ Damon certainly did not look like someone who was half Elf¡­ The very concept of a Half-Elf was shocking to Kazius in general¡­ The Three Kingdoms had a good relationship, but mixing blood was just not something that was allowed.

    Kazius himself was also a mix according to Azanor, but Monsters had no stigma about such a thing¡­ Not to mention Kazius was a mix of Monsters¡­ Caleb seemed like he was Half-Elf and Monster¡­ It is shocking Zelphar would even have a child with a Monster¡­ Then again¡­ It sounded like Zelphar died with a lot of regrets¡­ Saying something about Azanor even being right about something¡­

    This all did confirm on thing for Kazius though¡­ And that was that Azanor spoke of there being 8 heroes¡­ Not 7¡­ And for him to know someone like Zelphar¡­ And the way he had spoken about Ratier to Alice¡­ Meant Azanor indeed must have been an 8<sup>th</sup> unspoken hero¡­ As to why he was left out of history¡­ It was obvious.

    Alice was certainly in for a shock when she would find out about all this once she woke up¡­

    Kazius stared at her as he tucked her in, finally putting her down.

    He had a lot of things he was curious about, but dread was also filling his head¡­ After all, were it not for Damon¡­ They would be dead. They were alive by pure luck¡­ And that worried Kazius¡­ He had to get stronger¡­

    Damon was very strong, that much had been clear from his performance against Alex and Leo¡­ And he was starved for friends¡­ Perhaps there was an opportunity there. A way to make everyone happy. To find out more information, get stronger, and even be a friend to Damon. Tomorrow Kazius intended on asking Damon about how he got so strong.

 Chapter 30: Friendship and Family

    When morning broke, there was still no sign of Azanor.

    Alice did finally wake up though. To say she was confused was an understatement. She looked more than lost as she studied the solid and nice beds in the room. She would scan the wooden decorations with growing confusion by the second.

    After all, she had been out of it before Damon had arrived.

    ¡°Where¡­¡± Alice began to mumble, groaning as she held her head, only to spring up in alarm as she recalled the last thing she had been doing. Before she could fully sit up though, she was stopped by Kazius.

    ¡°Not so fast. We are safe, don¡¯t get up like that.¡± Kazius assured, helping her sit up more slowly.

    ¡°Yay! You¡¯re okay. I was worried.¡± Eve exclaimed happily. She was very giddy for someone who was worried, but honestly Kazius thought nothing of it due to how she was. Not to mention, now that he knew about her lack of memories¡­ Her erratic behavior certainly matched her scrambled mind.

    ¡°How are you feeling? Are you okay?¡± Kazius asked. Eve had used healing magic, but he wasn¡¯t sure how effective it had been.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I feel alright, extremely sore though.¡± Alice admitted.

    ¡°¡­ Where is Azanor?¡± She questioned in confusion.

    Eve looked sad at the question, clearly, she didn¡¯t like that he was away.

    ¡°He got told his friend was dead and he got sad.¡± Eve summarized quite poorly.

    ¡°That is not what happened at all¡­ I¡­ Well maybe¡­. Where do I even start¡­¡± Kazius began, unsure of how to even begin.

    ¡°We got saved by the Chief of Vargstam, Damon¡­ We are at his house¡­ Well¡­ He is kind of the Chief¡­ I think there is some sort of power struggle going on between him and his ¡®brother¡¯, Caleb. He seems like a good guy, but for some reason it seems everyone in The Tribe hates his guts. Anyway, he told us we can stay at his place.¡± Kazius began.

    Alice sighed, relieved.

    ¡°I see¡­ I am glad¡­ I guess we will be safe in Vargstam¡­ At least for a while¡­ I do hope this power struggle doesn¡¯t boil over¡­ That is the last thing we need¡­ So, is his brother a jerk or something?¡± Alice asked, trying to take things in.

    ¡°Actually, no. Surprisingly it seems like he has nothing against Damon and he even seemed like he wants Damon to be the Chief¡­ That isn¡¯t what is important about his brother though. For starters, Vargstam is full of Werewolves¡­ Which relates to why it seems like Caleb and Damon have different fathers. Damon is probably just a Werewolf¡­ Though I haven¡¯t seen him transform or anything¡­ But Caleb is actually a Half-Elf that-¡± Kazius began.

    ¡°A Half-Elf?! Really?! So, a Werewolf and an Elf had a kid? I wish I could see the face of some of those snobs from Ratier react to such a thing.¡± Alice admitted in shock, interrupting.

    ¡°Yes, but his dad isn¡¯t just any Elf. His father is Zelphar, Alice.¡± Kazius explained.

    ¡°W-What?! He is out here?! I have to meet him then! I can¡¯t believe it¡­ I heard the rumors¡­ But he really did go missing¡­ I heard from my dad that he suddenly stopped attending events¡­ But I can¡¯t believe it¡­ It really was true!¡± Alice exclaimed in shock and awe.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be possible Alice¡­ Apparently something happened to him, and he is now dead. Thing is, Caleb looks just like him and when we first got here¡­ I genuinely thought Azanor was going to kill him¡­ He mistook him for Zelphar at first¡­ I¡¯ve never seen him that angry, Alice. Do you remember that stuff he said about an 8<sup>th</sup> hero? I think he helped Ratier, Zelphar, and Thimdur¡­ He must have. Apparently Zelphar wanted to apologize to him¡­ When he heard that, he got even more upset and left.¡± Kazius finally finished.

    ¡°That is just¡­ I guess it explains a lot¡­ He did sound like he knew Ratier¡­ I wish he told us everything himself¡­ I want to know¡­ But if he ended up sealed away¡­ Just like other Demons¡­ I think¡­ I think Ratier, Zelphar, and Thimdur stabbed him in the back somehow¡­¡± Alice admitted with a frown. She seemed to only grow more and more disillusioned with her ancestor.

    As this conversation occurred, Eve was silent. She looked sad, but she was surprisingly quiet. She likely worried about Azanor. The Demon was always with her, coddling her and now he was not around.

    ¡°I was thinking the same thing¡­ But if he really got backstabbed like that¡­ I think I understand why he won¡¯t trust us with information like that¡­ Last time he trusted people, it got him sealed away¡­ We shouldn¡¯t push him when he comes back. He will tell us when he feels he can.¡± Kazius admitted.

    ¡°Anyway, can you stand? I am sure you will start feeling better after we eat.¡± Kazius followed up. He had a lot on his mind, but his priority now was making sure Alice recovered before he would even consider trying to figure out where Azanor had gone or what he was thinking.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°I think I can¡­ Speaking of¡­ How did you even get me here?¡± Alice questioned as she slowly stood up.

    ¡°I carried you.¡± Kazius responded bluntly.

    At the response, Alice blushed a bit smiling a little.

    ¡°I-I¡­ I see. Thank you.¡± Alice stated contently.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Kazius assured, clearing his throat nervously. This segway was leaving him a bit flustered and was unassured why.

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go¡­ We can all have breakfast with our new friend, okay?¡± Kazius stated to Eve since she was so quiet.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Eve agreed, looking a bit less down, but clearly still missing her ¡®best friend¡¯, or so Azanor had called himself.

    With that the group headed down the hall, soon just eventually following the smell of food¡­

    But as they got closer¡­ They were following the sound of a feminine voice yelling. Her voice had so much hatred, vile, and venom to the point it would have made High Priest Jordan blush. Hearing such a tone brought Kazius back to his childhood and not in a pleasant manner¡­

    As they grew closer and he could finally hear what was being said properly. Hearing what was actually being said only reminded him of his childhood more so.

    ¡°Who told you that you could have guests?! It is bad enough that I have to breathe the same air as you, but now you even bring others around that waste even more space than you already do! Don¡¯t you have any shame? Taking up so much space? Existing?¡± The feminine voice snapped.

    ¡°T-They were hurt¡­ They need a place to stay¡­ They are good people¡­¡± Damon could be heard whimpering. The happy oath sounded almost downright pathetic in front of whoever this was¡­

    ¡°You are just happy that they don¡¯t know any better and talk to someone like you. I even heard from Caleb that one of them is even a Demon¡­ Then again, such lowly and filthy company suits someone like you. Two beings that are better off locked up or dead¡­¡± The feminine voice added, a malicious glee in her tone. Considering how miserable Damon sounded, she likely was feeling satisfaction at seeing him in whatever state he was.

    ¡°B-But¡­ A-Azanor was friends with your dad-¡±

    SMACK

    ¡°KEEP HIM OUT OF YOUR FILTHY MOUTH OR I WILL INCENERATE IT UNTIL IT MELTS SHUT! It is quite tempting, you know? I wouldn¡¯t have to hear your annoying voice ever again.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I-I¡­ It isn¡¯t like I did anything wrong, Luna¡­ I just¡­ I just want to be your little brother¡­ Can¡¯t you treat me like that? Please¡­ I am just so alone¡­ I want some friends for once.¡± Damon stated, sounding saddened, like he was begging even. Very different from his usual cheery tone and proud demeanor. He seemed so desperate. His voice was shaking.

    ¡°Oh really? In my opinion, just you existing is wrong! If they are going to be friends of yours, then I despise that they are here even more!¡±

    ¡°Luna-¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t stand being near you for a second longer, I will get my own food somewhere else¡­ Don¡¯t you dare even breathe in my direction.¡±

    It was at this moment that the group finally arrived at the kitchen area.

    The source of the commotion, Luna¡­ Or So Damon had called her. Was glaring daggers at the Werewolf, blocking him off into a corner. She looked a lot like Caleb, with blue hair and yellow eyes. Her hair was long and straight, reaching her butt. She was standing at 5ft 4 (1.63m). Her ears were also pointed like Caleb. She was an objectively beautiful woman, but in her eyes, there was only hate.

    Damon was cowering, his head knelt down as the tall muscle mountain of a man simply shook. He had been so brave against Leo and Alex¡­ He was strong. In fact, he was probably stronger than the woman that just hit him, but he did not raise a finger to so much as even protect himself. Considering how much taller he was¡­ And his red cheek, he had probably knelt down and allowed himself to be slapped.

    Of course, Damon being of the strength he was, such a slap likely didn¡¯t hurt much¡­ But from Priestess Rosette Kazius knew very well that physical pain did not equal the actual pain someone could feel.

    Noticing them, Luna would sneer and storm out¡­ But not before she made sure to glare daggers at them. The expression she gave them and Damon was one Kazius remembered well¡­ She definitely wanted them dead.

    ¡®What a vile person¡­ What the hell did I just overhear? She treats him worse than the townsfolk do¡­ I don¡¯t understand at all¡­ Why does he just take that abuse? Caleb didn¡¯t treat him like this¡­ Why do Luna and the Tribe hate him?¡¯

    It was then Damon would spot them, smiling goofily at him despite what they saw.

    ¡°Up early, huh? My sister woke up in a bad mood, don¡¯t mind her.¡± Damon would laugh out.

    ¡®Wait¡­ I just realized¡­ But¡­ He doesn¡¯t know I understood all that, does he? Should I tell him? No¡­ Then he will just feel worse¡­¡¯

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Bad mood alright¡­¡± Kazius would state awkwardly. It seemed Alice and Eve were left entirely speechless, but then again they did not understand what had been said so they didn¡¯t know just how bad it was.

    ¡°uh¡­¡±

    ¡®This is so awkward¡­ How can I not make a big deal about this? He clearly doesn¡¯t want to talk about it¡­ The best I can do is change subjects¡­ And try to be his friend¡­ He seems even more desperate than I was for friends.¡¯

    ¡°This is¡­ Uh¡­ Alice¡­ She was the one that got knocked out. She woke up, thankfully¡­ I figured we would ask about breakfast. I remember you said you hunted by yourself¡­ How about I join you next time? I don¡¯t want to be a freeloader and I figured hunting in packs is better¡­ For lack of a better word.¡± Kazius joked a bit, hoping to cheer him up.

    Alice smiled awkwardly, unsure of how to even bounce back from what she had seen.

    ¡°Kazius told me how you saved us¡­ Thanks.¡± Alice managed out to try and help guide the situation away from¡­ Whatever that was¡­

    Damon saved their lives after all. Alice and him had no reason to not trust him or to not be friendly with him.

    ¡°But he looks so sa-¡± Eve began in confusion, not understanding what the two were trying to do.

    ¡°Ready for breakfast! Yes, he looks ready for breakfast!¡± Alice beamed, covering Eve¡¯s mouth and cutting her off.

    At talk of joining him in a hunt, Damon¡¯s expression seemed to visibly brighten. He was quite easy to read to say the least. He was practically beaming.

    ¡°Really?! Buahaha! That would be fun! I hope you can keep up! And you¡¯re welcome¡± Damon would laugh out.

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat¡­ Food smells great..¡± Kazius would add.

    ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s eat!¡± Damon stated eagerly, happy to have company it seems.

    With that, the 4 would have a good meal together.

 Chapter 31: Breakfast With Friends

    As the group would begin to have breakfast together. It was overall pleasant and a lively experience, but Kazius could not help but notice that despite their smiles, his companions looked like they were all thinking about something. Even Eve.

    Kazius could not help but notice Caleb wasn¡¯t having breakfast with them¡­ But that is probably normal, so that can¡¯t be it for Damon¡­ It did bring into question as to why Caleb didn¡¯t say or do anything about how Damon was treated. He did not treat him poorly, but from what it seemed¡­ It did not appear like he was doing anything to stand up for Damon¡­ Hence his loneliness.

    Then there was Alice¡­ She said she felt better, so Kazius was unsure why she would be upset¡­ Then again, the stuff about Zelphar probably weighed heavy on her mind¡­ But Kazius felt like there was more to it than that.

    As for Eve, the lack of Azanor was definitely why she would randomly look at an empty chair on the table next to her and frown.

    ¡°And then I carried the whole beast down the Mountain to show Caleb! You should have seen his face! He didn¡¯t think someone that young could climb Mount Ulf! Buahaha! He wasn¡¯t sure whether to scold me or praise me for going up there alone. Jokes on him though! I am pretty sure all that climbing is how I got strong!¡± Damon would finish his story with a laugh. During their meal he was telling all sorts of stories about great hunts he had done. Most amazing of all was the fact that all fighting he knew was self-taught. He really did love battle and hunts¡­ Kazius had wanted to ask him how he got so strong, so to think he did that alone was incredible¡­ He could not help but wonder what drove him.

    If it was to defend himself that would be one thing¡­ But that had clearly been far from the case. He seemed no more vicious than a pup in front of his sister, Luna¡­ In fact, he did not mention her once in any of his stories¡­ And the subject of parents and his home life and how they reacted to his accomplishments were entirely left out as well¡­

    To someone that did not know his situation, it would almost sound like he had spent the whole breakfast story bragging. Kazius knew better though. He was lonely and had no one to share such tales with¡­ Kazius also suspected that the Werewolf was trying to impress them with his stories.

    ¡°You are so strong! When you saved us, you were all like BAM! WOOSH! It was amazing! I¡­ I can¡¯t do that though¡­ My¡­ My friends almost died¡­ But I actually can¡¯t do anything¡­¡± Eve admitted in dismay with surprising clarity.

    Alice perked up, shocked to hear the cheerful Elf talk like that.

    ¡°No way! You healed us! We would have been in trouble without you, Eve.¡± Alice assured.

    ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t. I am very bad at Magic, even with Azanor¡¯s help¡­ I can¡¯t even help make you guys happy¡­ He is my best friend and he still left all sad¡­¡± Eve stated with a frown. Seeing her frown like that was not something Kazius expected to ever see.

    ¡°Eve¡­¡± Kazius trailed off, unsure of what to even say. It seemed like she was blaming herself for everything.

    ¡°You don¡¯t suck at Magic, Eve. You just don¡¯t have aptitude for Healing Magic¡­ And it isn¡¯t your fault... I was sad¡­ I am sorry¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have left like that¡­¡± The group suddenly heard from the doorway. It was Azanor. He was back, his head hanging quite low in shame. He looked quite worn out, his cane in one hand and an old-looking journal in the other. He then looked at Damon.

    ¡°I am sorry for how I acted yesterday¡­ I¡­ I might be a Demon, but that is no excuse for me to let myself go like that¡­ I already apologized to Caleb¡­ Just a bit ago actually. Still, you are The Chief and not only saved us, but also took us in. I like thinking that I am better than that¡­ So I am sorry to you as well.¡± Azanor stated with surprising seriousness.

    Kazius felt like he was being too harsh on himself, but he knew Azanor well enough by now to know that despite being a Demon¡­ He prided himself in acting unlike one. His lack of lies above all. There were many times where he would make excuses for himself for when he acted like a Demon¡­ It was clear certain things were in his nature and he constantly made sure to remind them of that¡­ But he also wanted to be better than that.

    Eve¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of him. It was like she could not get up from her seat fast enough, rushing to hug him.

    Even Azanor was shocked at the sudden show of affection. His gaze held a mix of happiness and sadness to it, gently stroking her hair to calm her.

    ¡°I missed you too¡­¡± Azanor stated softly, hearing the phrase without Eve having to even say it. As he held her, he looked like he was using great restraint to not do something. As to what, Kazius was not sure if he was imagining things.

    Damon was frowning a bit when mention of him being chief was brought up, but he did seem to cheer up and grin at Azanor¡¯s apology.

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    ¡°Buahaha! I already forgot all about that! Don¡¯t worry! Glad you and Caleb made up!¡± Damon beamed.

    Azanor looked relieved that his apology was accepted. He seemed awkward, like he was not used to apologizing to others. It was then he noticed quite the pouty expression on Eve, the Elf still not letting him go.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright, I promise. And that is the truth, you know I don¡¯t lie¡­ But¡­ I am sorry¡­ Again¡­ For leaving you behind like that. I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Azanor assured with quite an amount of warmth.

    He wasn¡¯t so obvious about it until now, but it was clear that Azanor thought of Eve as more than just a ¡®best friend¡¯¡­But there was something more there¡­

    ¡°Okay.¡± Eve started with a little huff, looking relieved.

    ¡°Now come join us! Eat!¡± Damon exclaimed, motioning Azanor over.

    With that, Eve sat back down and Azanor joined her.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you woke up.¡± Azanor told Alice once he sat down.

    ¡°Thanks¡­ I am feeling a lot better after eating¡­¡± Alice admitted contently. Indeed, color had returned to her face after a filling meal. Damon was a pretty decent cook, surprisingly enough, despite his appearance making most think he only enjoyed fighting.

    ¡°So, what is that book you have there?¡± Kazius decided to finally ask.

    ¡°This is Zelphar¡¯s journal¡­ Caleb told me I could borrow it¡­ I already read some of it, I rather not talk about what it says.¡± Azanor admitted only to then grin a little.

    ¡°Unless you are curious enough to let me have your soul.¡± Azanor mused with a sly smirk. At least he was back to his regular self it seemed. Though now that Kazius knew him better, he realized Azanor did not actually want him to ever take up the offer.

    ¡°Yeah no.¡± Kazius chuckled out with a bit of a scoff at the end.

    It was then Kazius remembered what Azanor had said when he showed up.

    ¡°Can you at least finish what you said when you came in? What do you mean Eve does not have aptitude for Healing Magic?¡± Kazius questioned.

    ¡°It means exactly what I said. Eve has no aptitude for Healing Magic. I would even say she has a negative affinity for it. To be fair, it isn¡¯t like she has low Magic aptitude. She actually has quite the extraordinary Mana reserve¡­ It is just she insists on doing Holy Magic when she had zero aptitude for it¡­ Which is why those hags at The Church were so harsh on her¡­ I would love to go back and snap their little necks¡­ If only she had been able to summon me earlier¡­¡± Azanor trailed off, his words turning into a grumble.

    ¡°They did treat her quite badly.¡± Alice agreed, remembering what Eve had described.

    At this Damon perked up a little, he probably could relate to a lot of what they had all gone through¡­ Once they got the chance talk about it.

    ¡°She does?¡± Kazius would question, surprised at such a fact. Maybe Eve could learn advanced Magic¡­ If she could comprehend the spells¡­ Though there were all kinds of Magic out there... So Kazius could not even begin to know anything about what she could do.

    ¡°If you ask me, they were jealous.¡± Azanor scoffed out, acting quite prideful when he spoke of Eve.

    ¡°Of what? I am not very smart and can¡¯t do Holy Magic¡­¡± Eve trailed off in dismay.

    ¡°¡­¡± Azanor would look at Eve and say nothing, his eyes momentarily trailing off to her well-endowed chest and rear. At his wandering gaze, he seemed to catch himself, his face turning a bit pink for only a second. He then awkwardly cleared his throat.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­ Anyway¡­ Something I will never understand is your obsession with Holy Magic¡­ You have no idea how difficult it even was to allow you to have the ability to heal¡­ Granting Holy Magic is normally more simple.¡± He would state, skillfully changing the subject.

    ¡°But I am a Priestess.¡± Eve protested, getting quite pouty. She gave the Demon a grumpy look.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t¡­ Remember? You thought I was God¡­ And you only remember your time at The Church, but you had a life before then.¡± Azanor reminded her. He truly did sound like he knew exactly who she had been before her time at The Church.

    ¡°¡­So¡­So¡­. I¡­?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t have to follow the laws of a Church you are no longer part of and can use whatever Magic fits you better¡­ I would honestly prefer if you one day burned that uniform.¡± Azanor explained. It seems Eve was shocked, clearly having been slow to catch on.

    ¡°Oh!¡± She exclaimed finally in realization, her face brightening. She was a little slow, but she did her best.

    ¡°But then¡­ Wait¡­ What kind of Magic am I good at then?¡± Eve questioned eagerly, her expression brightening¡­.

    ¡°I will help you with it.¡± Azanor stated¡­

    It was then Kazius would examine himself. He too wanted to get rid of his armor and uniform¡­ And to get stronger.

    ¡°I want to get rid of this stupid armor too.¡± Kazius admitted with a sigh.

    ¡°I also rather burn these¡­¡± Alice admitted in dismay.

    ¡°If it is new clothes you need, I can help. I can find you something here for sure! There is a lot of clothes that aren¡¯t being used here.¡± Damon admitted.

    ¡°Thank you, Damon.¡± Kazius admitted, though he was confused. This massive home was almost empty except for Damon, Luna, and Caleb¡­ Just what happened here?

    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Alice admitted, feeling relieved.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Eve chirped out.

    ¡°I just remembered¡­ You mentioned you got strong because of the Mountains¡­ Are you really sure about that?¡± Kazius decided to ask.

    ¡°Buahaha! Yes I am! I did promise I would show you the mountains, want to come along?¡± Damon questioned excitedly.

    ¡°I have been wanting to do some training, so I would appreciate your help with that¡­ If you don¡¯t mind.¡± Kazius suggested.

    ¡°Really?!¡± Damon exclaimed, clearly excited at the idea of some company for one of his favorite activities.

    ¡°I¡­ I want to go with you guys.¡± Alice spoke up suddenly.

    ¡°The more the merrier!¡± Damon beamed, clearly happy.

    ¡°But if you really want it to be like training, I won¡¯t let you slack off, that goes to both of you. The mountains here are pretty dangerous¡­ But you will be fine if you come with me. I will make sure of it.¡± Damon assured contently.

    ¡°Then we will be in your care.¡± Kazius agreed. Of course Kazius had two concerns with the situation, but he decided it would be fine. The situation with Damon¡¯s house was strange, but he did trust their new friend. Perhaps after spending more time with him, he would explain what was happening in the town. Then there was Alice... She was recovering, but her gaze and words had been so determined that he did not have the heart to argue against her wanting to join. He decided to trust her judgement... And his own.

 Chapter 32: Tour

    As promised, Damon brought them clothes to change into. The clothing¡¯s designs matched more what Damon and the people in town wore.

    Kazius ended up changing into a dark purple outfit that was so dark that it could be easily mistaken for black. The clothing was adorned with even darker black fur around the shoulders and had leather accents. Damon had even been kind enough to notice Kazius had been wearing armor so he brought him with leather gauntlets and chain mail. The outfit was meant for the cold¡­ Which made sense considering that while now the air was simply cool, it likely would get colder as Winter neared. Not to mention, they were going to climb mountains here soon.

    When he met up with the others, he ran into Alice in the hallway. The moment their eyes met, he simply could not help but stare at her.

    She wore a brown leather short dress with brown leather armor over it. To replace her torn up cloak, instead she wore a dark brown one with cream colored fur on her shoulders. Despite wearing armor and her pink hair now just barely touching her shoulders, she did always manage to look incredibly elegant even without her fancy dresses and long hair from all those years ago.

    ¡°You look beautiful¡­¡± Kazius admitted, his words seeming to catch her off guard, her cheeks turning a light pink.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ You look quite handsome yourself¡­These clothes¡­ I honestly feel like we got a fresh start¡­ Speaking of¡­ To move forward¡­ I would be lying if I said I did not miss when my hair was longer¡­ Maybe I will grow it out again. I don¡¯t like the idea that I cut it just to hide¡­ I¡­ I hope to not have to hide anymore one day¡­ To be strong enough to not ever have to¡­ And to be there to protect you, rather than just be knocked out¡­ T-To protect everyone I mean.¡± Alice admitted with a smile, looking a bit flustered at her slip.

    ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t able to do anything to save any of you¡­ So I hope so¡­. No¡­ I believe we will¡­ I have hope¡­ And if that is what you want¡­ You can do so. Even if we are worried of Edicts showing up again¡­ This is the freest we both have ever been¡­ We can breathe now¡­ We should enjoy it.¡± Kazius admitted, feeling like a weight had been lifted from him.

    ¡°Speaking of the new clothes¡­ I am surprised Damon had such nice clothes just laying around¡­ They look like they would belong to important people¡­¡± Alice admitted in confusion.

    ¡°I was thinking the same thing.¡± Kazius agreed. Curiosity was honestly killing him¡­ But Damon was doing his best to help them. It would be rude to push him on the matter rather than thank him¡­ But considering he was The Chief and this was The Chief¡¯s home¡­ Kazius could guess they belonged to former family of his¡­ Which was odd in it of itself¡­ But perhaps he had not been close to the people the clothing belonged to.

    Down the hallway, Azanor and Eve would approach and join them. Azanor kept his clothes considering he did not request new ones. As for Eve, she wore a simple long blue dress with a leather and metal belt tied around her waist. If she had been given a coat, she must have chosen not to wear it from what it looked like. Then again, she wasn¡¯t joining them in the mountains, so Kazius supposed she would be alright until Winter came.

    ¡°An improvement.¡± Azanor admitted with a nod to the two.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a Priestess anymore!¡± Eve exclaimed happily, clearly content with the idea. Of course, it was not the clothes that made her a Priestess, but it was better to not argue over that.

    ¡°Buahaha! I am glad they fit!¡± Damon beamed as he approached from down the hall not long after.

    ¡°Thanks again for the clothes. We really appreciate it.¡± Kazius repeated.

    ¡°You can count on me! Now you should be ready for most of the mountains too!¡± Damon admitted with a grin.

    ¡°I am sure it will help¡­ I do think we should wait to train until tomorrow¡­ Not sure what we can do for today.¡± Kazius trailed off in thought. He wanted to give Alice more time to rest.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to look around town¡­ I have no idea what it even looks like, since I was out cold when you brought me here.¡± Alice admitted.

    ¡°I can definitely show you around! Come on!¡± Damon exclaimed contently. With that, the jolly man led the way.

    Vargstam did not look all that different to Kazius from when they first arrived. Though now there was no partying. People from the Tribe just went about their lives¡­ But just like when they arrived, there were similar reactions¡­ Nasty whispers and glares directed at Damon¡­ But now some were directed at them as well.

    ¡°There he is again¡­¡±

    ¡°The vermin even made some friends¡­ Disgusting¡­ They must be as foul as he is¡­¡±

    Alice frowned, looking at Kazius in confusion.

    ¡°Do they not like outsiders?¡± Alice whispered to Kazius.

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    ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s not it¡­ Remember what I told you? I¡¯ll translate later¡­¡± Kazius whispered back, earning him a nod from Alice.

    As they walked, Azanor would look at the people for a second. Rather than seem annoyed like last time though, he seemed to grow confused as his attention shifted to the air. He began looking around, as if trying to figure out something. He looked downright puzzled. It wasn¡¯t the first time Azanor seemed to be staring at something that only he could see¡­ Or at least that is what Kazius figured he was doing. He knew better by now than to think Azanor just liked staring off blankly.

    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Kazius asked.

    ¡°There was residue in the air¡­ It looks like a really sophisticated Spell was used recently¡­ The thing is¡­ Normally I can tell what Spell was used and even who did it from the Mana I see¡­But I have no clue who casted the Spell or what the Spell even is¡­ Like someone purposefully took steps to prevent anyone like me or with knowledge of Magic to know what they did¡­ It is so subtle that even I could have missed it¡­ Whoever covered up the Spell was meticulous about it¡­ Whatever trace there was¡­ Is already gone after I started talking¡­ And nothing seems out of place¡­ Maybe I imagined it¡­ It is just so strange¡­ I don¡¯t make mistakes about something like that normally¡­ But even Zelphar at his prime could not do something like that¡­ Oh well¡­ I will let you know if I figure anything out.¡± Azanor admitted with a frown, clearly confused.

    Kazius wondered if Caleb or Luna could have casted the Spell¡­ But then again¡­ Anyone in town could have done it¡­ For now, clearly they would get no answers, but he intended to keep an eye out for anything strange¡­ And he was sure Azanor would tell him if he noticed something like that again.

    ¡°Hey Damon, how good are Werewolves at Magic? Or your Tribe in general? You mentioned that you are called Wind Werewolves¡­ Did you use Magic back there to do all that stuff with the wind?¡± Kazius decided to ask.

    Once again, Damon was pretending he did not hear the Tribesmen as they walked, but did perk up at Kazius¡¯ question.

    ¡°Oh! Caleb says our Tribes people have almost no Mana. I can¡¯t use Magic at all! I can¡¯t even read a regular book, no way I could read a magic book. I was just using The Blessing our people have.¡± Damon explained only to perk up motioning them over somewhere. He led them to the statue Kazius had seen before, when they first arrived. The beautiful statue of a woman with her hands stretched up towards the sky¡­.

    It was like she was either calling the sky to come to her¡­ Or maybe she was sending something out towards it. Now that Kazius could see the statue closely, he could also distinguish that her mouth was actually open¡­ Was she saying something? It was a statue made with a lot of care and love for sure.

    ¡°Buahaha! This is perfect! See? This is our Goddess, Vind. Remember? I told you about her! She saved our people and led us to our home here. This statue was made by the first Chief. Story goes that he saw her in a dream, and she told him how to come here. This was back when our Tribe was starving and ran out of food during a really bad Winter. We came here thanks to her, where we have plenty of food and water. So, when the Tribe got here, the First Chief started on a statue of her and refused to sleep until he finished making it.¡± Damon explained, surprisingly happy to speak of the First Chief¡­ Or perhaps he was happy to talk about Vind?

    ¡®So, being Chief is not a bad thing? This means that was Damon¡¯s ancestor that did all this, right? This is so confusing¡­¡¯

    ¡°Why here? There is a lot of land out there. All the mountains must limit how much food can be grown¡­¡± Alice questioned in confusion. She was likely already thinking of how far you could scale Vargstam¡­ If it ever grew to be massive enough to house as many people as Ratier did. She truly had the mind and education of a ruler.

    ¡°Buahaha! That is because she lives here!¡± Damon beamed.

    ¡°She lives¡­ Here?¡± Kazius asked in confusion.

    ¡°In Mount Cyklon. She definitely lives there.¡± Damon stated with quite an amount of certainty.

    ¡°Have you seen her?¡± Azanor would follow up, clearly curious.

    ¡°No, but there is just no way she doesn¡¯t live there.¡± Damon insisted.

    ¡°How are you so sure?¡± Kazius asked.

    ¡°Buahaha! You will know once you go there with me.¡± Damon chuckled out with a wide goofy grin.

    ¡°Now I am definitely curious¡­ Tell me what that mountain is like when you go.¡± Azanor told Kazius.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just come with us?¡± Kazius decided to ask.

    ¡°Me? Go up a mountain? No way.¡± Azanor stated with a scoff, waving his cane at him in disapproval. He almost resembled an old man with the gesture.

    ¡°Demons can¡¯t get stronger with training or any of that garbage. Why bother? Besides, I will stay back and show Eve how to use her Magic while you three go play in the mountains.¡± Azanor added, clearly having zero interest in the effort such a thing would require.

    ¡°Then how do Demons get stronger?¡± Kazius asked with a raised brow in confusion.

    At the question, Azanor simply smirked.

    ¡°Give me your soul and I¡¯ll show you.¡± Azanor teased.

    ¡°No way.¡± Kazius responded with an eyeroll. Honestly while Azanor and Damon were open about a lot of things, it was feeling like the two were having a contest in who could be the most evasive at this point. Though he could guess from Azanor¡¯s response that eating souls was involved in the process¡­ But something told him it wasn¡¯t so simple. It did make Kazius wonder about something though.

    ¡®How many souls has Azanor eaten in his lifetime? The Demon King is the strongest Demon¡­ At least I would think¡­ How many souls did someone like that eat?¡¯

    Above all, Kazius had a brief, but startling thought¡­ The idea of Azanor eating souls in the past or in the future did not bother him.

    Shaking away such thoughts when he realized he was getting distrated, Kazius returned his gaze to look at the statue. He admired it for a bit before it was then that he noticed the strange symbol on the statue. It was like a triangle with two legs shaped like an x with two dots at either side.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Kazius asked as he pointed at it before looking at Damon. Damon still carried his spear that he had used to save them, the symbol on it was the same. It didn¡¯t seem like it was a word or a letter¡­ If it was, Kazius would have been able to read it.

    Damon seemed to grow sheepish at this.

    ¡°It is Vind¡¯s symbol. I actually found this spear a long time ago¡­ When I was climbing Mount Cyklon. It¡­ I think it was a sign from her¡­ It¡­ Stopped me from making a mistake.¡± Damon admitted, not going far into detail, clearly uncomfortable at the subject.

    ¡®So he has a spear that he found in the Mountain that their Goddess lives in¡­ That had her SYMBOL on it¡­ He is also a descendant of the person that saved his people¡­ But the Tribe hates him? That makes no sense!¡¯ Kazius exclaimed mentally to himself.

    With his mind preoccupied, Kazius could not manage to focus on the rest of the tour. Vargstam was a confusing place and he hoped to get some answers soon.

 Chapter 33: Svinfant Hunt

    The rest of the tour was a blur to Kazius. He had been so preoccupied that he didn¡¯t pay much attention to the more mundane parts of the tour.

    Damon had mentioned something about how The Tribe enjoyed hunting due to their roots as travelers and hunters.

    He remembered they stopped by the docks at some point and Damon had shown them quite the long sail boats they used for fishing. Considering their Wind Abilities, it was likely quite convenient to travel the river that passed through the mountain valley in such a way.

    Lastly, they passed some farming that was done along the side of one of the smaller mountains that formed quite the impressive terraces. That was around the point he started to pay attention again.

    It was afternoon now, close to sun set. Kazius was hungry, but while on the road they did not have the time to eat that much so it wasn¡¯t a big deal for him or the group.

    ¡°How about we go on a hunt together and bring some food back? I¡¯m sure everyone will be starving soon.¡± Kazius suggested.

    At this Damon beamed. Kazius wondered if he ever had gotten to hunt with others before. Considering his situation with The Tribe though¡­ He could only imagine how hard that must be, after all, during the tour Damon had mentioned a lot, but in the end it all could be summarized as one thing.

    Group activities.

    Hunting? Done in a group. Farming? Same. Fishing on the long boats? Clearly, they were made to hold many people. It didn¡¯t come as a surprise at all, even with the limited knowledge Kazius had on Werewolves or even just normal Wolves, it was beginning to become more and more clear why Damon was so willing to do anything to make friends.

    Kazius, Eve, and Alice all knew loneliness from their own experiences¡­ But the need of friends was not as ingrained in them as it was for Damon.

    Alice smiled and nodded, clearly catching on.

    ¡°I would like to join too. It would be a good warm up before tomorrow.¡± She added.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to hunt¡­ And Eve isn¡¯t ready for something like that¡­ But we will help anyway¡­ I am very good at finding things¡­ Do you want to forage with me, Eve?¡± Azanor decided to ask.

    Eve beamed at this, clearly happy that Azanor was not leaving her behind.

    ¡°We will find lots of good things!¡± Eve exclaimed happily, clearly having no problems with the suggestion.

    At this, Damon genuinely could not look any happier. Almost as if someone had given him an incredible gift.

    ¡°Buahaha! I would love to! I will make a dinner so amazing that you won¡¯t be able to believe!¡± Damon beamed.

    With that, the group would split up.

    Damon would then lead Alice and Kazius to a forest area that was close to the biggest mountain out of all of them. It was enormous, Kazius genuinely had no clue there were mountains that big in this world. He wondered just how far they would be able to see from the top. Would he be able to see Ratier even from so far away?

    ¡°What mountain is that one?¡± Kazius decided to ask.

    ¡°Buahaha! That¡¯s Mount Ulf. The forest near it always has the biggest game!¡± Damon exclaimed happily.

    It was then Kazius remembered Damon¡¯s words.

    ¡®THAT was the mountain he climbed as a child?! No wonder Caleb wasn¡¯t sure whether to be angry or impressed! What was a child even doing there all on his own?! Did his parents not watch him?¡¯

    ¡°THAT¡¯S MOUNT ULF?!¡± Kazius exclaimed in shock, voicing his thoughts.

    Alice too seemed shocked.

    ¡°What were you even doing up there?¡± Alice asked in horror, clearly picturing a child doing such a thing.

    Their only response was just a booming laugh.

    ¡°Buahaha! I always enjoyed to adventure too far for my own good!¡± Damon admitted.

    ¡®That seems more like a lack of self-preservation than seeking adventure to me¡­¡¯

    ¡°Anyway, we should catch dinner! If all the noise we¡¯re making is any sign¡­ It should be here soon.¡± Damon admitted with a wide grin. Of course, ¡®we¡¯ was a lot of people, considering the one laughing and speaking loudly was him.

    ¡°What do you mean by that-¡° Kazius questioned curiously only to hear a loud thud and crash¡­ Followed by another¡­ Then another¡­ This continued until the ground began to shake and stomping could be heard getting closer and closer. Followed by what sounded like a cross between a trumpet and a pig squealing.

    ¡®Getting closer¡­¡¯ Kazius could swear he heard a choir of murmurs warn him in his ear. He could sense the shadows grow tense. Their breathing was jagged, but nothing close to what it had been when Leo and Alex were close. For the longest time, Kazius was unsure if they were in his head, but it was becoming clear that was not the case.

    Azanor¡¯s words when he had explained to Kazius what he was came back to him. The nervous warning he had given about not discussing it too much.

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    ¡®The Shadows have ears¡­ But does that mean they have mouths too? What about eyes? Or arms or legs? I have a feeling the trick to getting stronger is to listen¡­ To talk to them¡­ To try to be them¡­ But something about that realization makes me think Azanor might not think that is a good idea¡­ But what other choice do I have? I am what I am¡­ I have to use the abilities I have to protect. I doubt something like this would cause a problem¡­¡¯

    Kazius had no time to dwell on his epiphany though. He could see whatever was approaching, was knocking over tree after tree in it¡¯s mad dash towards them. Something strong was coming, that much was clear.

    ¡°WHAT IS THAT!?¡± Alice exclaimed in shock. Things in the Wastelands were strange, but it was clear that the sheltered princess was starting to be exposed to things that were outside her comfort zone.

    ¡°Buahaha! Dinner! We got lucky! Seems like a big one! Svinfant get really angry at loud noises and this one must have been close by!¡± Damon exclaimed contently with a laugh, clearly excited to take down this ¡®Svinfant¡¯ with them.

    Kazius grew curious, eager to see this beast up close.

    He did not have to wait long at all.

    It sprinted into the open as it knocked over two more trees, heading straight at them. What came out what appeared to be a massive boar. Or at least something that resembled one. Not only did it have a much longer snout than a boar or a pig, but it¡¯s tusks were incredibly long, curving up and looking incredible sharp. It stood at 12 ft tall (3.66 m)and 24 ft(7.32m) long. It was covered in thick long fur that looked tougher than metal armor. Its hooves were long and pointed, almost like claws.

    It was shocking to see such a creature, so similar to the boar and pigs Kazius knew of, yet so different. It was almost like the farther from Ratier they got, the stranger the creatures got.

    It looked dangerous, but Kazius was certain they could take it down¡­ But he supposed this would be a good start to their training as well. They had no room to cower. They had to get stronger¡­ If this was what hunting was like around these parts, then they needed to be able to at least manage this much.

    Still, the charging of the creature was dangerous, and he did not want to risk it reaching them, much less to have Alice get hurt again. So, he would test out his theory. Rather than just try to blindly manipulate shadows, he would treat them like they were a part of him, distant body parts. They were not clay to manipulate, they were a part of him.

    The creature seemed tough, charging ahead like some unstoppable force¡­ But seeing the shadow casted by the Svinfant itself¡­ Kazius reached out to the shadow it casted. The shadow was constantly beneath the creature, never able to out run it.

    ¡®Think¡­ Think¡­ That shadow is like my hand¡­. I just need to use it¡­ To grab it¡­¡¯ Kazius would tell himself.

    Worried at first if he was doing things right, Kazius saw Damon use his wind to try and slow down the creature¡­ But before Damon could get far¡­ Dozens of small and thin arms would spring up and tie around the creature suddenly, halting its movement as it was pinned down.

    Kazius had been unsure if it would work, but he actually managed to stop the momentum of the creature. It struggled frantically, threatening to break free as it let out a fierce cry that almost resembled the sound of a trumpet combined with a squeal.

    Damon was shocked by the sight of Kazius¡¯ shadows, but more than anything, he seemed impressed. He did not seem to care about the nature of Kazius¡¯ powers at all.

    ¡°That¡¯s perfect! Now we just need to pierce it! Be careful! Svinfants only stop when their heads are cut off! We need to keep aiming for the neck!¡± Damon exclaimed, practically jumping with joy despite the morbid warning he gave. He truly could not be happier than on a hunt with friends. It was a dream come true, it seemed.

    To think the creature would keep moving even once they somehow managed to stab it¡­ It was definitely a tough hunt, but a fulfilling one.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the left!¡± Alice called out.

    With that, Damon and Alice would move to opposite sides.

    Damon would grip his spear tight, giving himself a faster sprint with the help of his Wind, aiming at the Svinfant¡¯s neck on the right.

    As this occurred, Alice would control her sword quickly. The massive blade moved fast, managing to slice at the Svinfant¡¯s neck from the left.

    Together, with Kazius restraining the creature¡­ They would take it down. The head would finally fall off when Kazius would form a spike that launched up, stabbing right through the middle with a loud crack.

    Damon seemed shocked, but happy, in total disbelief.

    ¡°Buahaha! I can¡¯t believe we did it! I¡¯ve never hunted a Svinfant this big! And it got taken down so quickly!¡± Damon exclaimed happily with a wide grin.

    Alice seemed happy. She seemed proud of herself, likely feeling better considering she expressed her desire to become more capable. Kazius was proud of her too¡­ And himself¡­

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we took something that big down.¡± Alice stated in awe.

    ¡°Me too.¡± Kazius agreed, content with his realization, but also their teamwork.

    ¡°Now¡­ How to get this to town¡­¡± Kazius would add while in thought. If there were more of them, they could cut it up and carry it¡­

    Damon would grin, looking smug for once. He would move, grappling the dead beast for a bit before with a loud grunt, he managed to lift the thing! Kazius knew Damon had ridiculous strength from back when he saved them, but this was insane. He was an absolute Monster, but Kazius knew better than to just settle on the term. At the end of the day, he knew Damon meant well.

    Considering how his own Tribe treated him, it was honestly astonishing how he did not use such a strength to defend himself, much less to teach someone a lesson.

    Then again, Kazius was a Monster too¡­

    What else could he do if he listened to The Shadows more?

    He had a long way to go to catch up to Damon¡­ And¡­ What mattered was how he used the power. To be strong did not make someone terrible, much less a villain.

    Alice was left with her mouth agape, clearly shocked at what she had just seen.

    ¡°How are you carrying that thing?¡± Alice managed to ask.

    ¡°Buahaha! I am very good with my Wind! There are many ways to use it! I would stay away from touching the Svinfant while I carry it. To carry very heavy things I use the Wind to make it lighter.¡± Damon admitted contently.

    ¡®Now that makes more sense.¡¯

    He has strength, sure, but that explained a lot. Damon seemed to treat himself like he was not the smartest, since he could not read, but Kazius believed he had to give himself more credit.

    After all, it was not everyone that could understand how to use their powers so efficiently¡­ Kazius felt he had a lot of catching up to do with his new friend. He would be perfect to train them, or so Kazius believed¡­ But a part of him worried that this was all just part of some plot by The Oracle¡­ Whatever it was¡­ God or not¡­ He did vaguely recall seeing a Werewolf at his side¡­ The details were fuzzy since it was so long ago¡­ But¡­ Despite how odd the situation with Damon was, the fact he saved them combined with his vision from that day¡­ Was enough for Kazius to be certain about him being a friend.

    With that in mind, Kazius approached the head of the Svinfant. Curious, he attempted to picked up the severed head of the Svinfant. It was heavy, far too heavy for a normal Human to pick up¡­ But¡­ With Damon¡¯s idea in mind¡­ He tried something. His new strength after he came to understand what he was¡­ combined with the support of the shadows casted on himself by his own clothes¡­ He managed to pick it up. It was difficult for him despite being nowhere near as heavy the body¡­ But it was a clear sign he was going the right direction.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t forget this, it is quite the trophy.¡± Kazius admitted.

 Chapter 34: Standing Up For Your Friends

    As the trio made their way back to Vargstam, the sun was just barely over the horizon. There was little time with sunlight left, especially thanks to the mountains that surrounded the town.

    It was not a surprise that the townspeople were glaring in their direction as they entered Vargstam. What was surprising though, was how now the glares were also directed towards them. It seemed their friendship with Damon was far from appreciated by them.

    Kazius would have been willing to humor the Tribes people enough to listen to their grievances if they had the decency to at least strike up a conversation. With how they acted though, Kazius honestly felt nothing but contempt towards them. It almost reminded him of his days in Ratier, especially The Orphanage.

    With how kind Damon had been to them, Kazius was willing to pick sides, even if he did not know the full story.

    As things were, Kazius already considered him a member of their odd little group.

    Due to this, when he received the nastiest glare and sneer, he had ever gotten in his life¡­ Kazius could not help but let out a small laugh. The source of the glare, Luna, was far from amused at his reaction. She was standing there in the town square, next to the Vind statue. His laughter earned him only a worse look from the Half-Elf, something he did not even think possible. She looked livid.

    Any sense of happiness Damon had shown from earlier was gone the moment he saw his sister, his grin quickly melting into a frown. His gaze resembled that of a cornered animal as he looked down, trying to avoid eye contact. He began to struggle to keep his hold on the Svinfant, his hands wobbling a little.

    ¡°You should pick your friends better. You should not be spending time with him. You will still be welcomed into the town if you abandon him, you know? I can help you¡­ So can the rest of the Tribe.¡± Luna stated with a scowl.

    ¡®She is so unhinged¡­ Earlier she was nasty with us, but now that she sees Damon happy¡­ She wants to be friendly with us? Just so we will leave Damon alone and miserable again¡­ What is wrong with her? She is crazy.¡¯

    Before Kazius could respond, Alice would speak up.

    ¡°Who we are friends with is none of your business. Honestly, what are you even doing here? Were you just standing here next to the statue of the Goddess you worship¡­ Waiting for your brother to pass by just so you can harass him? For someone who can¡¯t stand Damon, you sure are acting like some creepy little stalker obsessed with him. Honestly, it is a little sad.¡± Alice told her with a scoff, clearly fed up. It was surprising how personally she took Luna¡¯s actions.

    At her words, Damon seemed shocked, but said nothing.

    Damon was their new friend, but Kazius had a suspicion this was about more than just him. Kazius grew up dealing with The Church¡­ And Alice had done so as well, especially with Edicts¡­ She probably had a lot of people she had wanted to stand up against, but never got the chance to out of fear. Kazius himself never got the chance to ever stand up against High Priest Jordan and he regretted it.

    At Alice¡¯s words, Luna¡¯s face would grow red with rage and perhaps also embarrassment at being mocked. She began to approach, getting in Alice¡¯s face, clearly trying to intimidate her. Still, Alice did not waver, her violet eyes narrowed, not once looking away from the intense yellow gaze in front of her.

    ¡°You¡­ You will regret this¡­ He is scum¡­ He shouldn¡¯t be alive¡­ But I guess it seems like you are no different¡­ All equally as disgusting¡­ You all really do suit each other¡­  I will remember this. I have a good memory for grudges.¡± Luna warned, her threat sounding far from empty. Still, Kazius was not afraid of her, and neither was Alice.

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    They were done bending over for people that thought they could control everyone¡­ And Kazius was not about to allow her to act nasty with Alice like she had done with Damon.

    ¡°And if you touch Damon again, you will regret it. We have good memories too. I don¡¯t know why you don¡¯t like him and honestly, I don¡¯t care. All I know is that you are insufferable, and he is kind to even strangers like us. You overestimate how much your friendship is worth. This Svinfant was more agreeable than you could ever be.¡± Kazius responded coldly, standing firm as he dropped the heavy head for emphasis, blood splattering slightly due to the impact of the heavy head hitting the floor. It was very much a threat that Kazius tried to leave as unspoken as possible for Damon¡¯s sake. After all, she was still his sister.

    Damon seemed surprised when Kazius also seemed to defend him but did not say anything about the threat like he had for Caleb when Azanor had threatened him.

    Luna seemed to hesitate a bit, clearly aware that she was very much being threatened right back with the gesture. She was practically shaking with rage. Kazius expected her to say something, but instead she left, but not before narrowing her eyes at them in a firm yet calculating glare¡­ Kazius was not sure what she would do¡­ But he knew they should keep an eye on her from now on¡­ In case she tried anything.

    Scared or not of her¡­ She was Zelphar¡¯s child¡­ She was likely capable of frightening Magic¡­ Even if she didn¡¯t seem to study as much as Caleb, who spent all day locked in his room reading.

    Once she was gone, Kazius and Alice would finally allow themselves to look away from her fleeing form.

    ¡°You¡­ Defended me¡­¡± Damon managed out in disbelief with an unreadable expression on his usually goofy face.

    ¡°Of course, we did. You are our friend¡­ And an outcast just like all of us. I¡¯d say you fit in quite well with misfits like us. It might come to you as a surprise¡­ We all probably understand what it is like to feel alone¡­ And to be hated.¡± Kazius told him with a laugh and smile, trying to cheer him up.

    ¡°You¡­ Do?¡± Damon questioned in surprise. After all he had no idea why the group was even there to begin with. He knew very little about them. Sure, he knew about as much as they did about Azanor, but he didn¡¯t know who Alice and him were. Then again, other than the fact he was related to Caleb and Luna¡­ And that he was The Chief¡­ They didn¡¯t know much about him either.

    It was odd hearing Damon be so quiet, especially for so long, but he would soon speak up again.

    ¡°I¡­ I am sorry you are getting in trouble because of me¡­ You know¡­ The townspeople¡­ The one they don¡¯t like is me¡­ I¡¯m sorry for not telling you sooner¡­¡± Damon finally admitted.

    Kazius chuckled a bit, even Alice laughed lightly.

    ¡°We know.¡± Alice admitted.

    ¡°I have no clue how¡­ But I can understand and speak every language¡­ I overheard the towns people our first day here¡­ I told the others what they said, when we first got here.¡± Kazius decided to clarify.

    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Damon exclaimed in shock.

    ¡°That is amazing!¡± He exclaimed only to then settle down, seeming to realize something.

    ¡°So, the things my sister said¡­ You heard all that, huh?¡±  He sighed out, looking deflated.  He clearly felt guilty.

    ¡°I hope you aren¡¯t mad¡­ That I lied¡­ I just¡­ Didn¡¯t want you to hate me¡­ Like how everyone does¡­¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t mad. I figured you had your reasons¡­¡± Kazius assured with a shrug.

    ¡°Did you¡­ So¡­ You are my friends despite¡­ Knowing¡­ Everyone dislikes me?¡± Damon decided to ask. After all, as outsiders, it would have been more beneficial to take up Luna¡¯s offer.

    ¡°Of course, we do. I know there is clearly something is bothering you¡­ We will hear you out. When you are ready. We won¡¯t force you. Azanor is super secretive, but he is still a friend.¡± Alice assured, knowing she had her own bad experiences in her past. When she opened up to Kazius, it had likely not been easy.

    ¡°I know what it is like to have people you care about think poorly of you¡­ At least that I cared about. I don¡¯t know your story¡­ But you saved us, are going to help us train, and even welcomed us in your home. Whatever it is you want to tell us when you are ready to say it¡­ We won¡¯t judge¡­ You are our friend now.¡± Kazius assured only to then smirk a little.

    ¡°You will soon learn that I have some dangerous secrets myself.¡± Kazius admitted with a grin. Of course, he could not be angry at Damon keeping secrets¡­ Considering how he had some big ones himself¡­ What he saw at The Oracle being the biggest of them all.

    Damon would look at both, seeming touched. He would give them a wide grin, clearly happy to hear them so earnestly call him a friend.

    ¡°I will¡­ I will explain soon¡­ Thank you¡­¡± Damon stated, surprisingly softly.

    ¡°Good, take your time¡­ Meanwhile¡­ How about we catch you up on what we have been up to? You should know who your new friends are¡­ Come on¡­ We can tell you during dinner, but first we need to actually cook it.¡± Kazius suggested. Azanor and Eve were probably already waiting for them.

    ¡°Buahaha! That sounds great to me!¡± Damon laughed out, seeming back to his usual self, excited to learn more about them.

 Chapter 35: Game Plan

    That night, during dinner Kazius, Alice, and even Eve told Damon all about themselves. Of course, Eve had a lot less to tell than the other two¡­ While Azanor simply talked, but refused to elaborate on anything, especially his past relation to Zelphar.

    It had been a lively and fun dinner. The Svinfant surprisingly reminded him of really good quality steak, surprisingly enough. Then again, perhaps Damon was simply a good cook. Still, Despite the quality, after the long day, Kazius appreciated the large portions more than anything.

    Despite how great dinner was, there was one person missing. Caleb did not join in for yet another meal. He rarely came out of his room. It seemed that when he did, he would simply pick up food and go back to his room after a quick hello. It did not seem like he had anything against Damon, but that did not change how distant he was.

    Kazius was very curious about how Caleb felt about how Damon was treated by Luna and The Tribe¡­ He could have defended him at least once, yet he never seemed to be around during such conflicts¡­ Other than stress his disinterest in becoming Chief and reaffirming Damon¡¯s position, he did nothing else.

    Then again, at least he did not act like Luna¡­ And Kazius had not seen him interact with Luna¡­ So perhaps he required the benefit of doubt¡­ So, Kazius refrained from asking any questions on the matter.

    Once dinner finished, they headed to bed.

    When the next day came, Kazius simply laid on his bed, thinking for some time.

    Kazius was curious as to how Damon intended to train them with the mountains. His thoughts were going all over the place.

    ¡®One of the mountains is even on fire¡­ Are they special? Damon says Vind lives in Mount Cyklon¡­ Is climbing them just that much of a challenge that it makes you stronger? Or are they just special so climbing them makes you stronger? Then again¡­ Judging by the kind of wildlife around here¡­ Perhaps the environment really has a way of challenging you.¡¯

    Kazius kept thinking to himself. After all he tended to just lay there for a bunch of hours now that there was no need to keep watch. Ever since his powers awoke, he only needed about 4 hours of sleep¡­ So now he had nothing to do other than be alone with his thoughts. The others were not up so he needed a way to pass time.

    Alice needed her sleep¡­ Eve was an Elf so it was not far fetched that she needed about as much sleep as Alice¡­ Then there was Azanor¡­

    If Azanor needed less sleep as well, he did not show it even once during their entire journey. He had his eyes closed the entire time.

    Did that mean Demons needed about as much sleep as Humans? Did other Monsters need less sleep? What about no sleep at all? Did Shadow Fiends need sleep? He was a mix after all¡­ The fact that only he needed so little sleep left Kazius not only just bored when he woke up, but it also felt a bit isolating.

    ¡®Even a Demon needs almost as much sleep as the others¡­¡¯ Kazius thought to himself, unsure of why it bothered him.

    ¡®He is pretending to sleep.¡¯

    At this, Kazius¡¯ eyes would widen, fully awake now thanks to the actual response he got to his internal thoughts. His face wrinkled in worry. Unlike the choir of murmurs that Kazius was growing familiar with by now¡­ This voice was a single one¡­ And it sounded closer, WAY closer. While the murmurs were distant, this whisper was almost as if it had been spoken directly into his own ear.

    Most disturbing of all, the voice sounded like his own but with a chilling deepness to it.

    ¡®¡­Hello?¡¯ Kazius decided to ask in his head, his thoughts racing with anxiousness.

    Thankfully¡­ There was no response¡­ Or perhaps it was worse that there was no response?

    ¡®I must be imagining things¡­ I guess there is an easy way to check though¡­ I could always just ask Azanor if he has been pretending to sleep this whole time¡­ And now that I say that to myself¡­ I can already hear how creepy that question sounds¡­ So, no¡­ Maybe I won¡¯t ask that¡­¡¯ Kazius thought to himself as he finally sat up.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Still shaken from his experience, Kazius reached for the necklace in his pocket¡­ The one with his name carved into it¡­ He had not reached for it in some time¡­ Then again, since he had his friends, he had felt less of a need to seek comfort from an inanimate object¡­ But it was still almost like a grounding force¡­ Even if his origin did bring some questions about why and who left it with him.

    ¡°Kazius? Everything alright?¡± Alice asked, her hand reaching for the one that was not in his pocket, startling him. He was so deep in thought he had not realized she had woken up.

    Had he been thinking to himself for that long? It didn¡¯t feel like 3 or 4 hours passed¡­ But the sun was out, peaking through the curtains in the room¡­ So it seemed like indeed he had been thinking to himself for a while.

    ¡°H-Huh?! Oh, sorry, Alice¡­ My mind was somewhere else¡­¡± Kazius admitted as he studied her.

    ¡°Good¡­ Morning¡­ How are you feeling?¡± He followed up.

    Alice stared at him in concern getting up and heading over to him, leaning in a little to study him.

    ¡°I am much better; I am more worried about you than me¡­ Are you sure you¡¯re, okay? You looked a bit pale there for a second¡­¡± Alice questioned in concern both on her face and tone as she leaned in closer.

    Kazius could not help but have his face get a bit pink, her closeness making him forget about his worries for now, his heart racing for a much different reason now.

    ¡®How can her lashes be so long¡­¡¯

    Snapping out of it, Kazius cleared his throat.

    ¡°I-I am fine¡­ I promise¡­ I think we should go ahead and go eat¡­ Eve and Azanor don¡¯t plan to tag along anyway¡­ And it smells like Damon is about done cooking.¡± Kazius stated, changing the subject while trying to regain his composure.

    ¡°If you say so¡­¡± Alice trailed off with a raised brow, seeming to decide he was telling the truth or maybe just to drop it.

    With that, the two would split to go change before meeting back up in the dining room. They wore the new clothes they had gotten the previous day.

    When they arrived, it seemed like Damon had indeed finished making breakfast. Kazius realized he really must have been out of it to not have even noticed when he started cooking.

    ¡°Buahaha! Good morning! I hope you two got a lot of rest! Believe me, you will need it!¡± Damon laughed out in delight. He seemed to be in an incredibly good mood. Likely due to the events from the previous day combined with the fact he would get to enjoy more time with friends in one of his favorite activities.

    ¡°Good morning, I slept pretty decently.¡± Kazius admitted.

    Perhaps too well¡­ Maybe he should try and walk around at night for some time before bed¡­ If he did that, maybe he wouldn¡¯t be tempted to just lay alone with his thoughts again. He hoped to also not hear that voice again¡­ Something about it had felt intrusive. Like hearing it had taken something from him.

    ¡°I slept good too. I feel as good as new.¡± Alice assured, seeming to have indeed recovered fully.

    ¡°Good! Now eat! We won¡¯t hunt or be back until much later. So, make sure you eat your fill!¡± Damon followed up, plopping down two very massive servings of eggs and bacon.

    Kazaius¡¯ eyes widened at the sheer amount of food. After all, growing up with the portion sizes from The Orphanage¡­ And now seeing this was quite something. Even as a Holy Knight, while food had been nicer by a lot and better quality, he was not used to having such big consecutive meals. This meal was even bigger than their dinner. It may seem simple, but it was at small moments like this when Kazius had realizations like this that his new freedom felt truly real. He really wasn¡¯t in Ratier anymore.

    ¡°It looks great, thanks.¡± Kazius admitted, digging in. Rather than tasting bacon though, the bacon tasted closer to Svinfant than any pig bacom, likely what Damon had used to make it.

    ¡°How did you learn to cook so well?¡± Alice decided to ask curiously.

    At the question, Damon did seem a bit hesitant to answer, continuing to eat with them.

    ¡°No one cooked for me, so I had to learn.¡± Damon decided to admit, his grin decreasing in size.

    ¡°No one?¡± Kazius questioned curiously.

    ¡°Not after I was big enough to walk on my own¡­ I¡­ I decided I will tell you two everything tonight. I promise. Let¡¯s not talk about that right now though.¡± Damon pleaded.

    Looking a bit guilty, Alice nodded. Then again, how could she have known that the answer to her question would be such an upsetting one?

    Both Kazius and Alice nodded quietly at the plead.

    Deciding to help change subjects, Kazius guided things towards what their training was.

    ¡°So, are we climbing Mount Ulf?¡± Kazius decided to ask, curious how their training would work.

    At the question, Damon seemed to cheer up again, he even laughed.

    ¡°Buahaha! No Way! I will say it¡­ I don¡¯t mean to sound bad¡­ But you two are scrawny. Your legs will break before you even reach the top. I don¡¯t want my new friends dying from exhaustion¡­ So¡­ I want you two to be able to run up Mount Cyklon within an hour first. It is a small mountain. Mount Ulf is the biggest mountain and can be dangerous. It will be the last one we do.¡± Damon stated, being surprisingly adept at teaching, though also blunt. He wasn¡¯t pulling punches. It was probably for the best though, since he was trying to avoid getting them killed at least.

    Kazius would try and remember the mountain Damon called small. To say the least, the mountain was still massive even at a distance¡­  Mount Ulf was only bigger still¡­ Just how tall would it be up close?

    ¡®An hour!? We¡¯d be lucky to get up there in a day!¡¯

    ¡°You need to get good at dodging before we move to the next mountain¡­ You need speed, trust me¡­. Or the rock throwing giants in Mount Klippa will squash you.¡± Damon stated with a laugh.

    ¡°The WHAT?!¡± Alice exclaimed in concern.

    ¡°Buahaha! I did warn you this would not be easy¡­ Believe me, it is a lot harder than you think! But you don¡¯t have to worry! You can count on me!¡± Damon admitted with a laugh.

    This would be an interesting training, it seems¡­

 Chapter 36: Mount Cyklon

    Eve and Azanor were up around the time the trio were departing.

    ¡°Buahaha! You¡¯re finally up! We were just about to leave though, but I left you some breakfast covered.¡± Damon assured.

    ¡°Boo, you¡¯re leaving already? Okay¡­ Have fun!¡± Eve chirped contently with a very exaggerated wave with both her hands.

    ¡°Good morning¡­ We will be here then¡­ I will start teaching Eve outback. Doubt anything too entertaining will happen while you¡¯re away.¡± Azanor admitted with a shrug.

    Azanor¡¯s wording did worry Kazius a little. He was honest, but something did concern him that Azanor could run into Luna or one of the ruder Tribe members¡­ After all, when they first arrived he was eager to mess with those that had been whispering nastily to each other¡­ Still, Kazius decided he would trust him on his own.

    ¡°You guys have fun too¡­ But not too much fun. Try to look the other way if anyone is rude.¡± Kazius stated.

    ¡°I promise I will try.¡± Azanor stated begrudgingly with a sigh.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Kazius stated. That was all he could really ask of him¡­ He just hoped that he wouldn¡¯t run into Luna¡­ Or if he did, that Luna would not say or do anything to Eve¡­ Since Kazius was pretty sure that if she did that, Azanor would not behave at all.

    ¡°Okay, we will see you two later then.¡± Alice stated, eager to go training.

    With that, they would head off to Mount Cyklon.

    As they walked, Kazius wondered about what sort of abilities Eve had. Azanor seemed so certain that he knew how to teach her properly. Kazius was of course curious about it. Still, he had to get stronger himself, so he did not have the luxury to just wonder about others.

    His own training would not be easy.

    Taking on the trainings of Damon, was a daunting task. Every mountain they saw along their way was almost like a visual list of future challenges yet to come.

    Now that the mountains meant more than just passing scenery, Kazius ended up wondering how many there were.

    He already knew which was Mount Eld and which was Mount Ulf due to one being on fire and the other being absolutely massive even from a distance¡­ As for Mount Cyklon, Kazius figured it was the one they were headed right towards¡­

    ¡°Hey Damon, how many mountains are there?¡± Kazius decided to ask.

    ¡°Oh! There are five in total. I probably should have told you sooner.¡± Damon admitted.

    Kazius looked around to see if he could spot all five. Only Mount Ulf, Mount Eld, and Mount Cyklon were visible from where they were.

    It seemed like Mount Klippa was one of the mountains that was farthest away since Kazius could not see anything like a Rock Giant nearby¡­ Whatever such a creature even looked like. Were the Giants made of stone or did they just throw them? How big is a Giant? Kazius was definitely curious about all the mountains.

    As for the last mountain, Damon had yet to mention it in any conversation, but it was probably also far away to the point it wasn¡¯t visible either.

    Kazius¡¯ focus soon shifted to the mountain that they were heading towards.

    To be honest, there seemed to almost not be anything special about it compared to the others, at least from a distance¡­ There was vegetation growing on that ranged from trees to even flowers. It was almost like it was more garden than mountain¡­ Is that what Damon had meant? No¡­ It could not be it¡­ There had to be more to it than that. Sure, a garden of a mountain was unique and Mount Cyklon alone was bigger than any mountain he knew of in Ratier, but compared to a mountain that was on fire all the time? It wasn¡¯t special at all¡­ Yet Damon claimed a Goddess lived there.

    Not to mention, a garden mountain did not sound like the sort of challenge that Damon promised¡­ But then why did it look so ordinary? Then again, he supposed he would learn the truth soon enough.

    Despite how underwhelming Mount Cyklon looked on the surface, Kazius felt intimidated by their training goal. That would not mean he would give up though.

    With that in his mind, they would finally reach the track at the base of the mountain. The entrance was adorned with rocks with Vind¡¯s symbol stacked upon each other, seeming to almost balance perfectly despite the ones higher up being the biggest.

    Alice and him would stare at the path while Damon had this giddy look about him¡­ But also this knowing mischievous glint to his expression.

    ¡°Buahaha! Well, here we are. Come on, try and go up.¡± Damon motioned eagerly, waving them in.

    Alice and him both exchanged looks, curious as to why he seemed so eager.

    They would approach, Damon watching from behind, supervising, waiting¡­ It confused Kazius¡­ Would something happen once they began to walk the mountain path?

    ¡°I suppose up we go¡­¡± Alice stated, indeed as confused as he was.

    ¡°No point in stalling.¡± Kazius agreed.

    Tired of hesitating, Kazius would step up first. The moment he set foot in the mountain path though, it was like a smack to the face.

    A strong wind unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life could be felt the moment he crossed the threshold of the stones.

    Kazius had no idea wind could be so overwhelming or even sting that much. It was not an intense pain, but a dull ache. That combined with the sheer force it put on him, he felt like he could be blown away sky high at any moment.

    The wind was incredibly violent, yet the trees and flowers on the mountain were still unaffected. As if frozen in time or like there was no wind at all.

    Now he understood why Damon left it as a surprise. Even if warned, there really was no understanding how intense such a wind was until he was feeling it for himself. Kazius would shield his face with his arms, his clothes swaying rapidly along with his hair.

    He felt disoriented, it was taking all his concentration just to stand. He did not dare take even a step.

    ¡®Shit¡­. Is the whole mountain like this? Do this in an hour? HOW?!¡¯

    Despite her words, Alice had hesitated a little¡­ Long enough to see what the mountain was doing to him.

    ¡°Kazius! Are you alright!?¡± Alice exclaimed. She attempted to rush over only to squeak, being immediately blown back the moment she crossed the threshold. She was thrown back like a ragdoll.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Before she could land on her face, as Damon had promised them both, he caught her. Similar to how someone would catch a ball with both hands before plopping her down.

    ¡°BuaHaHaHa! There you go! I told you both I would make sure you would not get hurt.¡± Damon stated with a wide grin and a thumbs up.

    ¡°Go on, give it another shot.¡± Damon assured Alice before looking at Kazius.

    ¡°I am not sure if you can hear me! But you are doing a lot better than I thought! Good job not being blown away immediately! The only other person that I know that was able to stand as soon as entering Mount Cyklon is me!¡± Damon exclaimed happily, genuinely proud of him. He was a Werewolf, but the man genuinely had the personality closer to a house dog than a wolf. Then again, that could be attributed to his intense sense of loneliness.

    ¡°I¡­. Can¡­ Hear you¡­¡± Kazius admitted, shocked that he even could with the howling wind right in his ear.

    Then again, he wasn¡¯t Human¡­

    This realization made him wonder about his kind¡­ To what extent did Shadow Fiends¡¯ abilities go?

    ¡°Okay! Good! The second name for this mountain could be translated to Mount Wind. You two now probably understand how we know Vind lives here!¡± Damon exclaimed with a hearty laugh.

    ¡°Now come on, what are you two waiting for?¡± Damon would follow up with a question, crossing his muscled arms in a prideful manner.

    ¡°Get going. This is just like swimming. Go in first and just start walking! Don¡¯t worry about falling, I got the two of you! Don¡¯t worry! Oh! And before I forget! I gotta warn you! The higher up you go, the worse the wind gets. So don¡¯t lower your guard!¡± Damon warned.

    ¡®In what way is this even similar to swimming?!¡¯ Kazius thought to himself in exasperation. Still, if they could even manage to climb this mountain, they would surely be stronger for it.

    Kazius would grow concerned¡­ He wished he could help Alice. He could not turn back to look at her, not if he didn¡¯t want to be blown away. Still, he knew just how determined she could be. Human or not, he believed in her.

    As if to prove him right, Alice would take another attempt and step forward, joining him.

    Her hair would sway rapidly, as well as her clothing. Her new cloak was particularly going crazy. She was shielding her face with her forearm, but there was no missing her determined expression on her face. It was like her violet eyes had an intense fire that never yielded.

    A part of him could not help but think about how he hoped to keep that fire burning forever. They needed to get stronger¡­ Especially him¡­ He did not want to see her face in anguish again¡­ Next time he saw Leo and Alex, he would make sure it would be the last.

    ¡°Good job! Come on, keep going!¡± Damon would exclaim.

    Kazius would bite his lip, attempting to snap himself out of any hesitation and focus. His own red eyes narrowed in his own determination. Alice was here with him; he would not dare back down. He needed to grasp the moment.

    ¡®I can do this¡¯

    Kazius would take another step, struggling, but managing to go forward.

    Slowly, but surely, he would keep going. With each step, the wind felt only stronger¡­ Still, he wasn¡¯t giving up¡­ And surprisingly enough, Alice was not far behind. She was the descendant of Ratier himself, she wasn¡¯t weak¡­ But she was also much more than that.

    They continued on as they would slowly move up. The path was rocky, but Kazius was thankful to even have a path at all. The two would keep shielding their faces as they walked.

    Damon walked not far behind them, watching them as they moved. The wind made his own hair and clothes sway, but it was to an entirely different rhythm. It was almost like the wind was being a bit gentler with him. It was so subtle it was barely noticeable though¡­But it was far from shocking considering the symbol on the spear he carried with him. One way or another, it seemed Vind favored him.

    Still, that did not make the fact Damon was standing on the mountain without flinching or swaying even a little any less impressive. Kazius did not expect to gain any sort of favors from Vind¡­ In fact, due to the Oracle, he was still had some distrust towards Gods¡­ Still, he hoped to one day be able to stand on Mount Cyklon without flinching as well.

    With that in mind he would keep going, as would Alice.

    The climb felt like forever, but that was just because it was so difficult. They would keep going though. With each step, Kazius felt surer and surer. He could do this. THEY could do this.

    Of course, there were moments where he or Alice would almost lose their footing, but as promised¡­. Damon would catch them both.

    It seemed Damon was really a supportive teacher as well as friend. He was walking slowly, yet patiently behind them. The farther they went, the prouder he looked. He even seemed to be having fun.

    As they kept going, at one point Alice actually passed Kazius in their steps, but it seems she had gotten a bit overzealous.

    She would lose her footing, flying back.

    ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡± Alice screeched in alarm, flying almost like she was as arrow.

    She was heading straight for Kazius. Just walking was hard, so he could not even hope to dodge or catch her. She slammed right into him, making him also lose his footing.

    Thankfully, Damon would end up picking both up, catching them. He held them as if they were each a sack of potatoes.

    Damon laughed, seeming to be enjoying himself. Then again, considering how lonely he was, even if just standing around and walking, he probably was happy to spend time with his new friends.

    ¡°You two did well for your first day! But I think it is about time we call it a night.¡± Damon admitted.

    ¡°What? But we can keep going!¡± Alice whined, surprising Kazius. It seems she was just as determined as him.

    ¡°I have energy too.¡± Kazius assured.

    ¡°Yes, but it is already dark¡­ I would be a bad teacher if I let you both keep going! And a bad friend! Which is way worse!¡± Damon exclaimed with another laugh.

    With that, without any warning, he simply hopped off the edge of the mountain. Normally such a thing was dangerous, but considering how he hopped down to save them when they first met¡­

    Kazius did not react much, but he did smile a little. He genuinely found the drop a bit fun.

    They had made decent progress, so the fall was quite something¡­ Though they had not even been a quarter of the way there.

    Alice though, would scream as they fell¡­ Her eyes wide the whole time, looking like she expected to die. After all, she had not been there to see how Damon showed up to save them.

    The ground kept getting closer and closer.

    Right before they landed though, it was almost like the wind blew from the ground for a second, cushioning Damon¡¯s fall a bit. When he hit the floor though, the impact made a crack, like before.

    Once they landed, poor Alice looked disheveled, her hair a mess. She panted, hyperventilating a little. She then managed to calm down, sighing almost in defeat. Being the only Human in a group of Monsters was stressful it seemed.

    ¡°Warn us first! I thought we were going to die!¡± Alice whined out, looking like her soul had left her body for a second there.

    ¡°Oh! My bad! I thought you knew it would be fine, sorry.¡± Damon apologized sheepishly as he carefully put the two down.

    ¡°I am surprised you weren¡¯t shocked too, Kazius¡­¡± Alice admitted with a sigh.

    ¡°But it¡¯s okay.¡± She assured Damon, feeling a bit bad for snapping it seemed. Damon looked a bit like a kicked puppy. It was strange how someone could show so much power yet still be such a gentle giant.

    ¡°Well, when he saved us¡­ He jumped about 5 times that¡­ To be honest, I am a bit disappointed we didn¡¯t get farther up. We were practically still at the base¡­ To climb the whole thing in a day¡­ Much less in an hour¡­ It will take a while to get there.¡± Kazius admitted with a sigh of his own.

    ¡°Oh ¡­¡± Alice stated, working on getting herself a bit fixed up. She would let out a big sigh before smiling a bit at the two. She did not seem to hold a grudge. It was almost like she was reminding herself her friends were not Human and to not be mad.

    It was probably disorienting for her. Not only was she used to a restrained life as a Princess, but now she was mountain climbing with Kazius and Damon. Damon was basically a wild mountain man that, from the sound of it, practically raised himself¡­ And then there was Kazius, who grew up in The Church, but was also not human. He had an entire difference in tolerance for different things, including danger.

    ¡°I will live¡­ I will try to get used to it¡­ Hopefully tomorrow we will get farther¡­ But that also means the drop will be worse¡­ I will try harder tomorrow¡­ And mentally prepare myself for the fall¡­ It is faster a faster way down... And safer in some ways¡­ It was just difficult, and I am exhausted¡­ But¡­ It was a little fun.¡± Alice added with a smile and a bit of a laugh. She seemed to find a sort of humor in the situation. There was also a hint of determination in her voice. She had told them about how she did not want to be weak anymore. It seemed she took her own words and determination very seriously.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it!? I wish I could be going up the mountain for my first time too. It is just a normal walk for me at this point!¡± Damon exclaimed eagerly with a laugh.

    ¡°Speaking of¡­ Thank you for taking the time to do this.¡± Kazius spoke up.

    Damon shook his head.

    ¡°You are doing me a favor too¡­  I am not alone because of you¡­ You¡­ You both stood up for me. This is the least I would do for friends¡­¡± Damon admitted a bit bashfully.

    ¡°Anyway, how about we hunt? Don¡¯t worry, I will do most of the work! I know you two are drained.¡± Damon followed up, changing subjects a bit. He was likely not used to being thanked. Still, today they had made progress thanks to him.

    That was something to be grateful for.

    Still, though it had gotten late, the day was far from over.

 Chapter 37: Comforts Before Discomfort

    On the way back into town, Damon caught a particularly large boar. It seemed there were still somewhat normal animals around in the forest¡­ At least when you were not so close to any of the Mountains¡­ It was definitely strange, but considering how odd all the mountains around here were¡­ Perhaps it was not surprising that they influenced the wildlife¡­

    It did bring into question though¡­ What was it that made these mountains so strange to attract such oddities? Why did Vind choose to live in Mount Cyklon? Damon mentioned Mount Eld was on fire before his people came to the area, so he doubted he could ever get an answer to such a question.

    With that in his mind, the walk back went by surprisingly fast.

    Per usual, once in town, they got several glares from any passersby, but Kazius was numb to it by now. Perhaps the first day he had bothered to look at the Tribe people¡­ Yet by now they all seemed to just merge in his mind as unimportant.

    Alice too seemed like she could not care any less, acting like the people weren¡¯t even there.

    Damon, surprisingly enough, seemed to look less uneasy at the glares. Perhaps not being alone anymore made him feel a bit better about the hatred his own people held towards him.

    Once inside the large home the trio would be greeted by Azanor and Eve who were sitting down, reading. Honestly, a part of Kazius was surprised Eve could read considering the state her mind was in.

    ¡°Took you long enough.¡± Azanor welcomed with a scoff, flipping through Zelphar¡¯s journal, looking like he was close to done with it. His cane was resting on his side by his chair, he truly was never without it.

    ¡°Kazius! Alice! Damon! Yay! I was worried!¡± Eve chirped goofily with a giddy expression. She seemed to be in a giddy mood. She was holding a book, a black one with words that read ¡®The Dark Arts and It¡¯s More Chaotic Expressions¡¯.

    The book was likely from Caleb¡¯s collection that he inherited from his father. It was surprising to imagine Zelphar having such books though¡­ Then again, he had known Azanor so perhaps it wasn¡¯t that surprising even with the influence of The Church. After all, the fact that Zelphar had ran off to Vargstam showed he had more than a few disagreements with how things were ran in The Three Kingdoms.

    The book itself brought up other problems though.

    ¡®I¡­ I feel like I should be concerned about that¡­ Why is Eve even looking at something like that?¡¯

    A part of Kazius felt like the title was pretty ominous. Even if it had something to do with Eve¡¯s Magic affinity¡­ It felt almost like handing a toddler a Fire Magic Scroll. Still, he decided to trust Azanor¡¯s judgement on that¡­

    It was also just surprising to learn that someone as innocent and giddy as Eve had an affinity for such Magic. It wasn¡¯t like Kazius had any sort of apprehensions about Dark Magic himself¡­ Especially with keeping in mind what he was and his own powers¡­ That perhaps he might was a bit too eager and carefree with using. He was just concerned with Eve getting careless with such powers, but he supposed it would be fine. He had no moral high ground when it came to this, so he did not bother.

    ¡°Buahaha! Sorry about keeping them so long! They were so determined, and it was so fun that I had a hard time stopping them.¡± Damon laughed out with a wide grin.

    ¡°I suppose as long as things were alright¡­¡± Azanor trailed off, acting dismissive.

    ¡°Azanor was suggesting we go look for you. He looked worried, but I told him you guys were just having fun! I was right!¡± Eve admitted innocently.

    It was then Azanor would go wide-eyed, his pale face even turning a little pink.

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    ¡°Eve.¡± Azanor shushed, clearly flustered to be exposed on caring about their wellbeing so much.

    ¡®Is it a pride thing? He seems proud to be different from other Demons, but he still seems worried about being exposed on caring about others¡­ Then again, trusting new friends was probably hard on him¡­ Or at least I can guess from how he speaks about his past friendship with Ratier, Thimdur, and Zelphar¡­ And getting stabbed in the back¡­¡¯

    Alice would smirk at him a little.

    ¡°Awwwwwwwwww.¡± Alice stated with quite the exaggerated and teasing tone.

    ¡°Good to know you care so much about us.¡± Kazius mused, a slight grin as well.

    ¡°Shut up¡­¡± Azanor grumbled, losing his composure a bit. A grumpy scowl was on his face. He was normally the one to mess with them, so he was not used to being teased.

    At this Alice laughed a bit, the situation earning a laugh from Kazius as well.

    ¡°Fine, laugh it up. I care about you because you three are my friends now. Big deal. I hope you know if you thought I was insufferable before¡­ Now you¡¯ve both done it. I will get you back and taunt you right back. Being nice is way harder for me than messing with others. I hope you know that.¡± Azanor responded back as his frown turned into a teasing smirk.

    Kazius would laugh even more, amused at the declaration.

    Damon himself seemed very happy to be included, laughing a bit as well.

    ¡®Definitely a pride thing.¡¯

    ¡°Bring it on.¡± Alice mused back with a smug look.

    ¡°Well, you will have a hard time messing with us too much. You should have seen Damon during the hunt and on that mountain. I bet he can sniff out if you are trying to pull a prank.¡± Kazius would state. He wasn¡¯t sure if Damon would be able to do such a thing, but he was purposefully wanting to make him feel part of the group. He was their friend now, but he knew that Damon would still feel hesitant to join any sort of conversation.

    ¡°Buahaha! Whether it is a spar or a challenge, I won¡¯t back down!¡± Damon exclaimed happily with a wide grin, happy to be included.

    ¡°We will see about that. I am not even at my full strength, so you just wait. I¡¯ll wipe the floor with all three of you once I can manage to recover.¡± Azanor warned. After all, as he stated before, due to being sealed away, he was not at full strength.

    At this, Damon grinned.

    ¡°I look forward to it!¡± Damon beamed.

    ¡°Anyway, I should go make us all dinner.¡± Damon followed up.

    ¡°Wait, why are you doing that all on your own? We¡¯re friends, I bet we can help!¡± Eve chirped.

    Damon seemed surprised at the offer, smiling wider at this. His expression was almost softer.

    ¡°That would be great! We can get it done faster then.¡± Damon stated contently.

    ¡°Do you know how to cook?¡± Alice decided to ask Eve. After all, Alice herself probably had little clue how considering her life as a princess.

    At the question, Eve seemed confused.

    ¡°I¡­ I think I do?¡± Eve admitted, clearly unsure.

    ¡°You think?¡± Alice asked in confusion, wondering if she really remembered or not.

    ¡°Yes, I think so!¡±  Eve repeated, sounding a bit more confident.

    At Eve¡¯s words, Azanor had a strange expression on his face. Kazius really wished he knew what he was thinking.

    ¡°In that case, can you two show me? I want to help too!¡± Alice admitted, seeming to want to learn.

    ¡°Buahaha! Sure!¡± Damon beamed before getting to work.

    True to her claim, Eve actually seemed to be doing pretty well. It was almost like she was remembering a skill that she had long ago. Like someone skilled at cooking attempting it again for the first time in years. She likely did not remember specifics, but there was clearly a muscle memory there.

    Kazius knew Azanor was aware of what sort of powers Eve had¡­ Did trying to relearn them jog her memory about minor things? She still seemed as lost as ever though¡­ And the more Azanor looked at Eve, the easier it was to notice the hint of disappointment on his face. Perhaps he hoped she would remember something specific¡­

    ¡°You should put so many¡­ And then that many¡­ And then about this.¡± Eve seemed to tell herself and Alice, not really giving clear directions.

    Thankfully, Damon was there to explain certain things in more detail on how to go about certain things.

    Alice seemed quite lost, but she at least looked like she was having fun. She seemed to do much better when it came to helping cut things though. She was particularly skilled at mincing and chopping with a knife. Realizing this, she focused mostly on helping with that.

    Deciding to help too, Kazius would head over. He wasn¡¯t particularly skilled, but he did use to cook for himself at times.

    Sighing, Azanor would soon join in. Surprisingly enough, he actually seemed like the most skilled out of all of them. It was definitely shocking since Kazius always thought that Azanor was some sort of pampered high-ranking Demon or something¡­ At least due to his clothes¡­

    If Kazius had known he was that good, he would have likely asked him to make the meals during their travels¡­ Then again, it didn¡¯t look like Azanor enjoyed cooking unlike Damon¡­ But if that was the case¡­ Then why did he have a reason to get so good at it?

    Regardless, with all of them working at it together, the preparation did not take long. It was a bit crowded with everyone cooking, but it ended up making things much easier.

 Chapter 38: An Uncomfortable Conversation

    Soon, the group had fun talking and eating¡­ But once dinner was over, Damon looked rather grim. There was a bit of an awkward silence.

    Azanor and Eve remained silent. They had found out about Damon opening up, so they were there to listen to their new friend too. After some time in silence though, it was uncertain whether he was going to actually tell them anything or not.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell us if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Kazius stated. After all, he had so many secrets of his own. Azanor probably had even more than him. Keeping secrets did not make him less trustworthy, in his opinion.

    Damon looked down apologetically, his expression showing a great amount of internal anguish and conflict.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ It isn¡¯t that I don¡¯t want to tell you, I just don¡¯t want you to hate me.¡± Damon admitted in dismay.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did, Damon¡­ But I doubt we would hate you.¡± Alice said with a shake of her head. Honestly, she probably found the very idea of hating someone like him to be ridiculous. The man was an overgrown puppy at his worst. A very lonely one at that. He also practically wore his heart on his sleeve.

    It was probably a sentiment the whole group shared.

    ¡°I can¡¯t hate a friend.¡± Eve confirmed happily.

    Azanor seemed to be deep in thought, not saying anything at first before shrugging.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Demon. I bet I have done worse¡­ What did you do? Steal candy?¡± Azanor joked with a slightly mocking grin. It probably sounded rather insensitive for him to joke like that, but in his own way, he was trying to reassure Damon as well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. The fact he is mocking you like that means he cares. It just shows he doesn¡¯t think you actually did anything bad.¡± Kazius assured Damon as Azanor huffed a bit. Perhaps Azanor wasn¡¯t entirely thrilled about being understood by them.

    Damon looked quite touched at their words, gazing down, ashamed it seemed.

    ¡°Well¡­ It is about me¡­But it isn¡¯t something I did¡­I¡­ I am sorry for not telling you sooner¡­ I¡­ My father was the previous Chief¡­ But you already know that¡­ He¡­ He was not a good person¡­ He was one of many pups my grandpa had¡­ He wasn¡¯t even the oldest¡­ But he was the strongest¡­ With the worst attitude out of all of them¡­¡± Damon began grimly, his expression showing how miserable he was at the subject, but he still continued. Seeing such an expression on him felt wrong.

    Still, it wasn¡¯t the first time Kazius saw that Damon was hiding a lot of pain and grief.

    ¡°He had been upset because my mother, the woman he wanted as his wife, ended up marrying an outsider¡­ He didn¡¯t think outsiders belonged here¡­ He hated them and he thought our people should only marry our own people¡­ He refused to accept that she was actually married¡­ But my grandpa did not agree. My mother even gave Zelphar a sword¡­ We don¡¯t use rings like other places¡­ Wind Werewolves impress our wives with our strength and then if they want the man, they give him a sword¡­ And he has to accept it¡­ That is how proposing works for us¡­ And it is how a man shows he is married, he will always carry that sword¡­ Men in our Tribe are not allowed to touch a sword until they are married, we use spears and our Werewolf forms in fights anyway¡­ And Zelphar had followed that rule¡­ But that was not good enough for my father¡­¡± Damon continued.

    As he continued, Alice grimaced, clearly not liking where his tale was going.

    ¡°Years passed¡­ And he continued arguing with my grandpa¡­ But¡­ One day¡­ He realized that my mother never received a rock from Mount Cyklon¡­ Instead, she had a ring¡­ To show a woman is married in our Tribe¡­ The men are supposed to grab a pebble from the highest place they can get to in Mount Cyklon¡­¡± Damon continued.

    It seemed Damon making it to the top was indeed a big deal¡­ He spoke so casually of his climbs¡­But perhaps they were even more impressive than what he led on. Clearly, making it to the top was not an expectation at all¡­

    Then again, Kazius had experience Mount Cyklon¡­ He knew how tough it could be.

    ¡°When he found that out, he lost it¡­ He said it was proof their marriage was fake¡­ Sometimes men wait until they can make it higher up¡­ To show their love¡­But it had been years¡­ And Zelphar never did the climb. So¡­ Even though Zelphar and my mother had two kids, he¡­ Demanded my grandpa¡¯s support¡­. It ended up making my grandpa very angry with him¡­ He told my father he was crazy¡­ Unstable¡­ That he was supposed to become Chief¡­ But even though he was the strongest out of his pups¡­ He was also the most hateful¡­ And angry¡­ So, when my father refused to drop it, my grandpa told him that he would never become Chief¡­ That his attitude was too awful to become the leader of the Tribe¡­ ¡± Damon continued on, his face showing quite the amount of anguish.

    ¡°That only made my father decide to take what he wanted¡­ So¡­ He decided to start killing everyone in his way¡­ My grandpa, his siblings, his family¡­¡± Damon carried on.

    The emptiness of the massive home they were in was growing jarring. It was like a looming presence now¡­ As were the clothes they wore.

    A total massacre had occurred in this house¡­.

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    Still, as awful as this was, Damon had not said a single thing he had done himself¡­ This was all his father¡¯s actions, not his.

    ¡°He had a strength no one had ever seen in our Tribe¡­ And he was the last descendant of The First Chief¡­ No one could argue against him becoming Chief¡­ And then once he took the position¡­ He¡­ He killed Caleb¡¯s dad¡­ And¡­ Well¡­¡± Damon seemed disgusted as he spoke.

    ¡°I was born¡­ Not long after¡­ My¡­ Mother named me Demon¡­ She knew about them from the stories Zelphar told her¡­ My father liked the name¡­ Thought it sounded strong. Caleb was the one that gave me the nickname Damon¡­ I prefer Damon a lot more¡­ No offense, Azanor¡­ But¡­ I don¡¯t blame her for naming me that¡­ I know she didn¡¯t want to have me¡­¡± Damon would finish, looking ashamed. Clearly not wanting to say the words, but it was clear what his father had done.

    Alice was horrified at what she heard. Of course, she knew people did such things, but still¡­

    ¡°Damon¡­¡± Alice would begin. She seemed to hesitate to say his name, likely having mixed feelings over the nasty origin of it.

    Kazius too could not hide his shock, his eyes slightly wide. It was clear that the circumstances around his birth were downright awful¡­ But just because his father had done something so terrible¡­ Did not mean that Damon needed to think of those actions as him¡­ Yet he seemed to equate them with his own existence¡­ This also explained Damon¡¯s mixed emotions when he found out what Azanor was.

    Damon equated his origin to who he was and it seemed Luna did so as well¡­ But that did not mean the way she treated Damon was right at all. One thing was to not want anything to do with him¡­ But another was treating him the way she did, trying to make him regret being born when that wasn¡¯t even something he could control¡­

    This was Damon¡¯s answer as to why everyone hated him, but that also did not make sense to Kazius¡­ Perhaps Zelphar could have been very loved¡­ But how could not a single person not give him the benefit of doubt? The way The Tribe hated him in perfect lockstep and agreed with Luna was almost unnatural.

    After all, it was clear Caleb was perhaps awkward with Damon, but there was no resentment there. If his brother didn¡¯t hate him, then at least a few villagers could not hate him¡­ yet that did not seem like the case at all.

    Damon looked worried, clearly expecting the worst due to their lack of words.

    ¡°None of that is you fault.¡± Alice stated, looking at him in concern.

    ¡°Were you taking that upon yourself this whole time? That isn¡¯t you¡­ That is how you came about, but that isn¡¯t you.¡± Alice followed up, tearing up a bit.

    Kazius at this nodded.

    ¡°Was your town blaming you for that the whole time? You aren¡¯t your father, Damon¡­ You can¡¯t blame kids for the crimes of the parents. Especially you¡­ You try so hard to be friends with people, you even helped us¡­ Even though we were strangers not that long ago¡­ Heck, you are even training us¡­ You aren¡¯t that¡­ Honestly¡­ I feel like I should have a word with your Tribe¡­ They are allowed to not want you to be their Chief, but how they have been treating you is unacceptable.¡± Kazius admitted. He sympathized a bit with Luna, but at the same time¡­ The Tribe and her were acting absolutely unhinged.

    Eve of course was crying quite a bit.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t really understand a lot of that story¡­ But you didn¡¯t do anything bad¡­ T-THAT IIIISSSS SOOOOO SAAAAAD! I-I promise I will be your FRIIIIIEND!¡± Eve sniffed out, even getting snot on her nose. She was definitely an ugly crier, likely partially due to how sensitive she could be.

    Azanor seemed to think for a bit as he comforted the Elf, but then shook his head.

    ¡°I take no offense¡­. You know¡­ Stories like that are not new to Mortals¡­ Zelphar was no saint¡­ I promise you that¡­ There are a lot of nasty people that do terrible things regardless of what they are¡­ But there are also good people that do terrible things¡­ And nasty people that do good things. I personally find forcing yourself on someone like that is particularly distasteful, but it wasn¡¯t you who did that. If you want to hold up such a standard¡­ Then by that rule I have more than enough reason to kill Caleb and Luna for what Zelphar did to me¡­ But the thought never even crossed my mind. I probably fall on the nastier and terrible end of people, but such a thing is beneath even me.¡± Azanor stated with a scoff at the idea, clearly hoping Damon understood how ridiculous it was to hold himself responsible for such a thing.

    The story did look like it had caught Azanor a bit off guard though. After all, Zelphar was a Wizard of legend¡­ Damon¡¯s father had to truly be strong. Then again, considering how strong Damon naturally was, it was no surprise. Though this brought to question¡­ What happened to Damon¡¯s father? Kazius decided to not pry further unless he spoke of it himself. This conversation was already very hard enough on him.

    At their words Damon was silent for a while.

    Before any of them could say more though, they were scooped up into quite the bear hug. Considering Damon¡¯s stature, it was surprisingly easy for him to hug all of them. Kazius and Alice both would be surprised at the sudden hug. Eve was very happy with the hug¡­ As for Azanor, he clearly was not used to close contact with anyone that was not Eve. Despite looking uncomfortable, he accepted the hug.

    It was clear that their words meant a lot to Damon.

    After all, his origin had clearly been tormenting him for a long time¡­ And his father¡­ If he had such an awful character¡­ Kazius realized Damon, Alice, and himself probably did not lack in similarities in their upbringing. Kazius had just been lucky he had not been at the worst end of High Priest Jordan¡¯s verbal abuse. Seeing as how Luna and the Tribe treated him¡­ Kazius could not help but wonder about what sort of abuse had the Werewolf suffered¡­

    He also seemed to try and mention his mother as little as possible. He had not mentioned her until today¡­ Then again, it sounded like he felt like all the hatred his mother felt towards him was justified. During the whole story, he never directed any sort of displeasure towards her except at his name.

    Regardless of what he dealt with, it was okay now.

    They were here for him. They were his friends. Kazius was not alone anymore¡­ Neither was Alice¡­ So, Damon would not be alone either.

    ¡°It is okay if you cry.¡± Alice assured as she looked at Damon¡¯s expression. Still, the Werewolf refused to cry during this all¡­ But the grief and relief on his face could still not be any more obvious.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ You won¡¯t be alone anymore¡­ We told you the sort of burdens we carry too¡­ We can all carry it together. Even if we leave Vargstam in the future, you are coming with us. I hope you know that.¡± Kazius assured.

    ¡°When I say friends forever, I mean it!¡± Eve chirped happily.

    Azanor was too embarrassed to say anything, the Demon for once quite speechless. He did nod though. He was still trying to get over the hug.

    Damon finally released them after that, looking at all of them.

    It was then that he smiled. It was a wide and goofy smile that was such a genuine grin that it exposed how forced the ones he had done before were.

    There was no doubt about it.

    They had truly made their new friend happy.

 Chapter 39: Early Morning Walk

    After their heartfelt conversation, everyone was tired.

    The training combined with emotional fatigue caused Kazius to give up on staying up tonight. Instead, he went to sleep along with everyone else. That, of course, ended up with him waking up before everyone else, again.

    Deciding not to just lay around, he got up.

    He did his best to quietly leave the room before he then got dressed.

    It was strange being up and about while everyone slept. It was dark out; the sun had not even risen yet. Still, there was an odd familiarity and soothing quality to being up and about in the dark.

    Normally, due to Vargstam being filled with Werewolves, there was at least some distant howling every now and then¡­ But it seemed everyone in town was asleep.

    Kazius would walk along the river. The moon was reflecting on the water, being almost full but not quite. It provided plenty of light, even though he did not need it.

    His mind raced from all sorts of things¡­ From Alice¡­ To the voices he heard¡­ To Damon¡­ And so on¡­

    The silence of his walk was then suddenly interrupted by the choir that he was growing familiar with.

    ¡°Demon¡­ Approaching¡­¡±

    ¡®Last few times it was just the word approaching¡­ Now they tell me what as well¡­ I wonder why¡­ It would be better if they spoke proper sentences... But I guess that other voice spoke properly¡­¡¯

    ¡°Hi, Azanor.¡± Kazius stated before even turning around. The Demon was quite sneaky. He had not even made a sound. Were it not for The Shadows, he would not have known he was there.

    It was surprising to see him up, but then again not entirely unexpected. When Kazius actually turned around and spotted him though, he could not help but notice he looked a little worn for some reason. He didn¡¯t do any training himself¡­ And he didn¡¯t sleep¡­ So why did he look so drained?

    ¡°And here I thought I was being perfectly quiet¡­ You¡¯re up early.¡± Azanor mused, looking quite surprised. He put no effort into hiding the curiosity in his face.

    ¡°You were sneaky¡­. And... I could say the same to you, but you don¡¯t sleep.¡± Kazius mused back at Azanor. Kazius was just too curious¡­ He had to find out if that voice had spoken the truth.

    At Kazius¡¯ words, Azanor looked more than shocked. He even looked more unnerved than tired.

    ¡°And how would you know that?¡±, Azanor asked wearily.

    As Kazius had assumed, he looked like he had been creeped out. Still, he needed answers about that other voice¡­ And this showed indeed it had spoken the truth¡­ Something Kazius wasn¡¯t so sure on how to feel about.

    He had only heard it once¡­ The whispers came when they wanted, but way more often¡­ Regardless, both seemed to only have useful things to say¡­. So perhaps he should try and purposefully listen for them?

    Maybe Leo and Alex had hit his head too hard¡­ Or maybe it wasn¡¯t recent at all. Maybe Priestess Rosette was the one that knocked the sense out of him all those years ago¡­ But he supposed his worries were silly. After all, if what they said was the truth, then he clearly had not lost it.

    He was physically fine, there was no reason for him to worry like that¡­ But that did not make the voices any easier to explain.

    It wasn¡¯t like he could tell his friends that he heard such things. He didn¡¯t even know 100% what they were. He figured the choir of whispers was just The Shadows speaking, but he could always be wrong¡­ But then why had he heard one specific voice out of nowhere? Was that one something else?

    Nope, he could not tell anyone about them at all.

    Kazius did not want to alarm Azanor¡­ And while Kazius did not want to lie to his friends, he still kept plenty of secrets from them¡­ As hypocritical as that was¡­

    So, he decided to tell him half of the truth.

    ¡°It might have to do with me being a Shadow Fiend, but I could tell you were pretending.¡± Kazius admitted with a shrug. He was trying his best to play it off as no big deal.

    Azanor made a face at his answer. After all, he had explained to Kazius that Shadow Fiends unnerved him. He had warned against saying the name out loud, likely out of fear that they could listen in from the shadows.

    Still, as the voices had shown him¡­ There was really no point in any sort of roundabout way of avoiding saying the name of his kind. The Shadows had ears, that much he knew for sure. They were not listening for any sort of specific set of words¡­ They were always listening.

    So, if any of his kind were around, they would be able to listen in. The fact that none had shown up showed that either they did not care or that none of them were nearby. After all, they probably had better things to do than listening in on them¡­

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    Then again there was the small probably that they were always listening and/or were nearby but in hiding¡­ But not only did they have no reason to do that, but it was just unlikely. It did not make sense to Kazius.

    Still, the last thing Azanor probably needed to hear was any of this.

    ¡°Please try and avoid speaking about that so openly.¡± Azanor pleaded as he looked around, his face showing just how unnerved the Demon was. Something about his demeanor seemed more tired than normal as he did this. Kaizus did not understand why he looked so uncomfortable.

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Kazius apologized, playing along.

    ¡°So¡­ Why do you pretend to sleep then? Though, I guess I understand it a little¡­ Until now, I¡¯ve been laying in bed since everyone else was too¡­But that is pretty boring¡­ So, I decided from now on I will go for a walk while I wait for everyone to wake up.¡± Kazius admitted, deciding to keep the conversation on track.

    ¡°Ah, so that is why you are walking around¡­  I guess I will join you then from now on. It is hard to just lay there¡­ I have been bored with it too, but I don¡¯t really like being far away from Eve ¡­ This place seems safe enough though¡­ And Alice is there too¡­ So, I guess it will be okay¡­¡± Azanor admitted with a sigh.

    ¡°You really care about Eve, don¡¯t you?¡± Kazius decided to ask, indeed curious about why. After all, Alice and him had accepted a long time ago that Azanor did not treat Eve like how a Demon treated someone they made a contract with¡­ He did not only dote on her, but he also seemed the most interested in her regaining her memories¡­ The way he spoke of her was almost like he had even known her before she lost her memories¡­ Considering Azanor knew Zelphar¡­ It wasn¡¯t that far of a stretch.

    Kazius never bothered asking about it since he figured he would not answer anyway¡­

    Azanor sighed at the question, frowning. The answer he gave being surprisingly honest.

    ¡°I care about her more than anything¡­ But¡­ I care about all of you¡­ Even about that new blockhead that just poured his heart out to us¡­ Thanks to that conversation with Damon, I haven¡¯t been able to deal with my thoughts. It has been annoying¡­ So when I saw you get up, I was actually pretty relieved¡­  I am annoyed with you though.¡± Azanor admitted as he gave Kazius a half-hearted glare. It seemed this was the source of his tired expression and the main thing on his mind.

    Kazius stared at him, puzzled.

    ¡°What fuck did I do?¡± Kazius questioned, confusion all over his face.

    ¡°Not be an asshole¡­¡± Azanor grumbled out in dismay, as if it really was a problem.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Sorry?¡± Kazius responded with even more confusion on his face while blinking at him in bewilderment, raising his brow.

    Azanor sighed in defeat.

    ¡°You should be¡­ Things would have been a lot easier if you were like Ratier, Thimdur, or Zelphar¡­ I expected to be on my own with Eve by now¡­ Instead, I am here¡­ But I am actually happy about it¡­ I hate it¡­ I can¡¯t have more people to care about, Kazius. I¡¯m a Demon. This stuff is against my nature, just like being a creepy fuck is in yours.¡± Azanor admitted his tone was beyond irritated. It was almost like he was both ranting at and scolding Kazius. It was also surprising to hear the Demon curse as well, he was not as lenient with it as he was¡­.

    Kazius was actually also not offended by his words at all. For one Kazius could tell he didn¡¯t mean anything bad by it¡­ And he was also well aware that what he told Azanor was creepy.

    ¡°Not in the mood to be nice, huh?¡± Kazius joked at him, showing him that he indeed was not offended.

    ¡°Being nice for me is like constantly trying to pull out my teeth! I am too drained right now to give a shit to be nice. I am too annoyed at my own stupidity¡­ I thought I was done helping Mortals¡­ Or dealing with them all together. Yet here I am, helping you for free! FOR FREE! Last time I did anything for free, I ended up sealed away and then locked up! Yet here I am again¡­ Practically asking to get backstabbed again¡­ ¡± Azanor would complain, groaning. He was normally so secretive¡­ But it seemed Azanor¡¯s walls were coming down bit by bit.

    His wording was odd though. He seemed to purposefully separate being sealed away and being locked up for some reason. Then there was the fact he seemed to exclude Eve when he spoke about Mortals.

    ¡°Wait, how is any of this my fault?¡± Kazius asked in confusion.

    ¡°Because! It is you! All you! I was fine just caring about Eve¡­ But you had to show up with Alice¡­ A descendant of that idiot that fucked me over¡­ And now we met that goof with a big heart¡­ He is the kind that normally I would make a deal with and prey on¡­ He is so perfectly broken that he may as well be on a platter¡­ I swore off eating souls¡­ But even I was tempted when I saw him¡­ I genuinely think I even drooled a little when I first sensed his soul¡­ It was disgusting¡­ But now he is a friend I met because of you.¡± Azanor admitted his expression showing a good amount of bitterness and annoyance. This had to be the most he had ever spoken about himself.

    ¡°You what?¡± Kazius asked in confusion. Kazius had always suspected Azanor did not want their souls, but it was surprising to hear that he had sworn them off. Why? Was it due to moral reasons or something else?

    Then there was hearing Azanor admit he had been tempted to eat Damon¡¯s soul¡­ Again, Kazius was surprised at his lack of disgust at the notion. The only reason it bothered him was because Damon was now their friend¡­ But if Azanor had said this about someone else, he genuinely could not have cared any less.

    Thing was¡­ Had this conversation occurred a month ago, it would have bothered him. He did not understand why he had this change¡­ Did it have to do with leaving Ratier? Not being human? Then again, he supposed such a concern was unimportant.

    ¡°I suppose¡­ Look, I am sorry¡­ I will be honest with you... The way you and Alice have treated Damon with everything he has dealt with¡­ How you have made sure to make him feel included¡­ And even hearing about Damon¡¯s family¡­ I guess¡­. It has reminded me about a lot of things¡­ But it also showed me¡­ You and Alice¡­ And even Damon¡­ You¡­  I don¡¯t like it¡­ But I will just have to accept I have friends again¡­ I will trust you¡­ So don¡¯t make me regret it.¡± Azanor warned with a frown. His discomfort at the hug he got earlier coming to mind thanks to his current expression.

    ¡°I won¡¯t I promise.¡± Kazius assured with a small grin. Honestly, part of him was rather happy to see Azanor being to open up some. It had been clear he had been embarrassed when he got exposed for caring about them earlier¡­ But he now seemed willing to be more open about it.

    ¡®Had he not mentioned his hunger for souls, perhaps I would have forgotten that he was a Demon during this conversation. ¡®

    ¡°Good¡­ Anyway¡­ This conversation has been too sappy for my liking¡­ Lets talk about something more entertaining¡­ What do friends talk about again? I honestly have forgotten¡­ Got a list of people you want dead?¡± Azanor tapped the floor with his cane before he perked up at the conversation starter.

    ¡®Or maybe not¡­ But he is trying .¡¯

 Chapter 40: One Less Problem

    The rest of Kazius¡¯ conversation with Azanor was pleasant. During it, it seemed Azanor recovered from his mental fatigue.

    It felt good not having to just lay in bed despite being wide awake and instead just talk to someone. He felt like he was being truer to himself instead of trying to cling to his habits from when he lived a more Human life.

    The Sun soon rose, much to Kazius¡¯ annoyance. He was excited for his training with Alice and Damon, but he found the newfound light of the rising sun beautiful yet incredibly irritating. It was almost like the Sun was a loud song breaking peaceful silence. It was a strange irritation he had not felt before.

    Kazius¡¯ red eyes squinted. With the mountains surrounding them, the worse of the light coming up was quite sudden once the Sun peaked over. It took Kazius sometime to adjust, his face showing a slight frown of disgust.

    Azanor did not seem to react as bad as Kazius, but he did show some irritation as well.

    ¡°A shame, let¡¯s continue our conversation tomorrow then¡­ Damon is an earlier riser¡­ He might already be working on breakfast.¡± Kazius suggested.

    ¡°True, I think I heard him clanking around in the kitchen pretty early usually¡­ We should wait for him there¡­ I won¡¯t help with the cooking this time; I don¡¯t really like it.¡± Azanor agreed as they walked into the massive home.

    ¡°If you hate cooking so much, how did you even get good at it? It must have practiced a decent amount.¡± Kazius questioned curiously.

    ¡°I rarely cooked. I don¡¯t need food, but it is enjoyable. It is just a skill I got involuntarily.¡± Azanor admitted with a sigh.

    Kazius was very confused at that.

    ¡®How do you even involuntarily get good at something without practice?¡¯

    Still, from Azanor¡¯s face at the question, Kazius could tell that he would not elaborate on it even if asked.

    Not like he would have gotten the chance to anyway¡­ Considering the fact that when they went inside to the kitchen, Luna, Caleb, and Damon looked to be in the middle of yet another fight.

    Something was very different from normal though. Damon was not crouching and trying to make himself look smaller. There was no cowering from him. Instead he stood proud at his full height, a solemn yet determined expression on his face.

    ¡°You worthless piece of shit¡­ You have a lot of nerve to look me in the eye much less talk to me that way.¡±Luna sneered out, glaring daggers at both of them.

    Surprisingly enough despite shaking where he stood, Caleb was standing beside Damon.

    ¡°You heard me. I¡­ I... think you should leave my house. You would be happier staying at Mother¡¯s old home. This is what is best for everyone.¡± Damon said with a slight shake in his voice, sadness behind his words yet they were nothing but firm. There was a lot of sadness in his eyes as he looked at her. He was clearly doing his best to muster the courage to do this, but he still struggled.

    ¡°H-He talked with me about it a-already and I-I think he is r-right¡­¡± Caleb somehow managed out, stammering the whole time and growing progressively more and more quiet under Luna¡¯s intense glare. The poor guy looked ready to keel over.

    Kazius and Azanor exchanged looks as this occurred, the two watched from around the corner, unsure if they should help or not. They wanted to help Damon¡­ But he was finally standing up for himself... They should allow him to do so¡­ Especially since this was a family issue.

    Luna glared at Caleb with unyielding fury. She gritted her teeth, shaking with rage.

    ¡°You¡­ Is this how you thank me, you fucking traitor!?¡± Luna practically hissed out.

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    Caleb shook, biting his lip. He looked away.

    ¡°The way you talk to Damon¡­ It isn¡¯t right¡­ And¡­ I¡­ I have nothing to thank you for. He is our brother, Luna¡­ You¡­ You have taken things in a scary direction¡­ So much that I haven¡¯t been able to leave my room without fear¡­ I can¡¯t live like this anymore¡­ And neither can Damon. Enough is enough.¡± Caleb added, managing to speak much clearer by avoiding looking at Luna in the eye.

    At this Luna gave Caleb a disgusted look, similar to how she looked at Damon. She looked angry¡­ But then¡­ Suddenly¡­ She smirked. It was a twisted smirk, her eyes shining with hatred.

    ¡°You are going to regret this¡­ I¡¯m the only reason the Tribe wants someone as pathetic as you as Chief. You act like you are such a studious Mage¡­ But you can¡¯t even sense a spell to save your life. You have no talent. If you did, you would have been able to notice the Charm Spell I casted to bring the whole Tribe to hate the garbage you are siding with¡­ Because I love you, as my brother... Then I even updated it so they hate the vermin that started staying here recently, the ones I know are eavesdropping. But... You are filth now... You are no brother to me anymore... You made a powerful enemy with me.¡± Luna hissed out.

    Kazius and Damon were shocked by her proud admission¡­ The time that Azanor noticed the skillfully hidden spell coming to mind¡­ That must have been it.

    So, Luna was the reason behind the treatment Damon got¡­

    Since their presence was acknowledged, Kazius and Azanor approached.

    This whole situation infuriated Kazius and Azanor did not seem any happier.

    ¡°I despise your father, but he somehow managed to spawn something worse than himself.¡± Azanor stated in disgust.

    At the revelation, Caleb looked shocked while Damon looked wide-eyed. He was shaking.

    ¡°Do you hate me that much?¡± Damon questioned in dismay, sounding heartbroken. It seemed maybe a part of Damon had hoped that if she lived separately she would calm down on her own¡­ Or at least that she didn¡¯t purely hate him and was just taking out her frustration on him¡­ But no¡­ She genuinely despised him. She could not possibly make that any clearer.

    ¡°Of course I do! Ever since you were born! The moment I saw you, I wanted to suffocate you with a pillow¡­ But a death like that is too good for you. So, I sat still and waited¡­ But when mother took her life, I swore I would make sure to take everything away from you. Your father, your people, your title, everything. I will continue to take from you until you want to die.¡± Luna told him bitterly.

    ¡®Wait¡­ His father? I had been wondering where he was but¡­ ¡¯

    ¡°What do you mean father?¡± Damon questioned, a shocked expression on his face.

    ¡°Did you think someone like that sick fuck would just leave his power behind and go wander somewhere? I took care of him myself. I just wanted you to feel abandoned by him as well.¡± Luna snapped back, coming clean.

    ¡°Did you think¡­ I liked him? I hated him too! I¡­ I began to train and got stronger to protect you all from him! Especially mother! But instead, the stronger I got the worse you all treated me! The more mother feared me! When mom died, I just wanted to quietly not be in your way, to make up for everything¡­ To see you and Caleb happy¡­ I even rejected the little affection father finally showed me when I began to show strength. When I stopped him from beating us anymore¡­ What more¡­ What more could I have done!? Want to die¡­ I wanted to do that before you even did anything!¡± Damon exclaimed, the giant of a man breaking, crying.

    As this occurred, Kazius could not help but notice Azanor had a slight disgusted look as he aggressively wiped his mouth with the back of his hand for a second. After that, Azanor seemed even more upset about the situation.

    At his words though, Luna would look him straight in the eye before speaking. Hatred in her gaze.

    ¡°Good.¡± She said firmly to him, not moved at all by his words. Her expression was just as cold as her words.

    Damon at that would keep having tears fall. He wasn¡¯t sobbing. It was just a silent cry. He had no words.

    Caleb and Damon were silent at her words. The two were too horrified and distraught. It seemed Caleb never realized how unhinged his sister was¡­. The look of sadness and fear that he had said it all.

    Having had enough, Kazius decided to finally speak up. She was a menace. She could not be allowed in this house much less inside Vargstam.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what sort of laws Vargstam has¡­ But you have admitted to murder¡­ Removing the free will of the people in Vargstam¡­ And have now threatened the life of multiple people¡­ I might be stepping out of bounds¡­ But I am doing this as a friend¡­ For Damon¡­ I will warn you only this once.¡± Kazius began, his own tone surprising himself. He spoke with surprising calmness despite his anger, but in his eyes, there was something that he did not realize existed within himself.

    ¡°Get your things and leave Vargstam by tonight. If the sunbreaks and I see you here¡­ I will kill you. If you come back to Vargstam¡­ I will kill you. If you say another word to Damon, I will kill you¡­ I do not make threats like this lightly¡­ I can promise you that much. You can think you are safe and hiding¡­ But if you are in Vargstam¡­ I will know¡­ Not a single piece of shade will be safe for you¡­ Now get out of our sight.¡± Kazius stated, his expression as calm as his tone the entire time¡­ But there was something dark there. His own words surprised Kazius¡­ Yet he meant them.

    Furious, Luna glared at them one last time¡­ but surprisingly enough, she left.

 Chapter 41: Just Another Day

    As Kazius¡¯ anger began to cool with Luna gone, a part of him expected to be told off any minute now. After all, he had threatened Damon¡¯s sister¡­ And despite having zero authority, he practically banished her¡­

    What he had done was not even a long-term solution. Whatever shred of right Luna had to be upset about what happened to her mother and father vanished the moment she acted so unhinged¡­ And someone that unhinged would likely not leave Damon alone¡­ And now Caleb as well, not with the betrayal she felt due to his actions.

    Kazius had not known Luna for that long, but even he knew better than to think that someone with her level of obsessiveness would just disappear quietly forever.

    Despite that, Kazius felt it was a necessary action for his friend. They could not have someone like Luna running around Vargstam. She was a menace, especially to Damon¡¯s mental wellbeing.

    Rather than scorn or anything of the like, he got a grateful look from both brothers. It seemed Kazius did them a service by doing something necessary that the brother did not have the resolve to do.

    Tears continued to silently fall from Damon for a bit before he managed to get himself together. Caleb and him remained quiet for a while before they managed to gather their thoughts.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I am such a coward, Damon¡­ I¡­ I never should have allowed things to get this bad¡­ I am a terrible older brother¡­¡± Caleb admitted in dismay before looking at Kazius.

    ¡°I am sorry to you as well¡­ I feel like you were forced to fix my mistakes and do my job for me¡­ Maybe if I had acted like a proper older brother¡­ Maybe things would never have come to this¡­¡± Caleb added in shame.

    Kazius shook his head at this.

    ¡°I overstepped my boundaries¡­ But as Damon¡¯s friend I couldn¡¯t stay still¡­¡± Kazius assured, relieved his actions were not seen in a negative light.

    It was almost like he had acted unlike himself¡­  Yet, concerning enough, Kazius had not felt more like himself than at his moment of rage. The thought itself was more than worrying¡­ But Kazius decided to attribute that feeling due to the fact he had been defending a friend and nothing else.

    ¡°Thank you, Kazius¡­ I¡­¡± Damon began, unsure of where to even begin. He had gone through a lot, to say the least.  Still, he was surviving. It seemed like Damon was finally allowing himself to feel more at peace with himself. Luna had tried desperately to drag him back down with her words. In the end, while she did manage to make him crack and cry, she failed. He was still standing.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let her win¡­ I am not alone like how she wants¡­ I¡­ I will be happy¡­ I¡­ I won¡¯t even let her ruin today for me.  I won¡¯t let her ruin another day for me ever again.¡± Damon assured, a more determined look forming on his face. He seemed to realize that since Luna wanted him miserable¡­ He would get back at her by being happy.

    Azanor had looked a bit out of it until now¡­ Then again, he had admitted to Kazius about how Damon¡¯s grief reflected on his soul¡­ And the temptations that came with it, as horrible as that sounded. Still, he was trying to be better. He was likely just trying to keep himself calm this whole time. It even somewhat showed on his face. He looked like he had eaten a lemon. Slowly, his expression was relaxing though, along with Damon¡¯s mood.

    ¡°I¡­ I think that is the best you can do.¡± Azanor admitted with a sigh finally, now that his head was clear. After all, considering how he spoke of Zelphar, Ratier, and Thimdur¡­ Those that he might have wanted revenge against were long gone. That was probably how Azanor was getting his own revenge as well¡­

    Kazius wanted to agree with Azanor, but he honestly was not sure if he had the right to. He could not take the high road like that. Sure, Luna was Damon¡¯s sister, so his situation was a little different¡­ But Alex was the closest thing he had to a brother growing up¡­

    Kazius had been full of grief when he saw him again¡­ But now all that remained was resentment. He wanted to protect his friends more than anything, but he had every intention to kill him and Leo.  Of course, they were forcing his hand due to their persecution¡­ Thankfully, they even met Damon due to them doing that¡­ But they had hurt him¡­ They had hurt Alice¡­  Kazius knew that even if they suddenly stopped searching for him¡­ Once he was strong enough, he would search for them himself.

    Kazius¡¯ thoughts were interrupted by Damon taking a loud deep breath. It was then followed up by an even louder sounding smack to his own face. He shook his head after that, as if shaking something off.

    ¡°Buahaha! Okay, I am good! Now how about breakfast? I don¡¯t know about you, but I am starving! We will need the energy for some mountain climbing!¡± Damon beamed with a wide grin. It was a bit forced, but he genuinely was doing his best to have a good attitude. He seemed determined to have a good day as normal¡­

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    Kazius wanted to tell him to relax, but he refused to spit on his resolve like that.

    ¡°Breakfast sounds good to me.¡± Kazius agreed contently, just happy he was alright.

    On another hand, there was an issue that was pressing and obvious that they had yet to resolve¡­ And that was the fact that now they knew the entire population of Vargstam was essentially zombified to think how Luna wished. Kazius knew better than to assume Luna would be kind enough to undo her spell before she left¡­ But that was an issue for later¡­ And something Caleb could do with the help of Azanor or perhaps just Azanor could even manage on his own.

    Still, there was no rush. They had been in this state for years, an extra day or two was not a big deal in his opinion. A part of him wondered if Damon would also be able to find it within himself to forgive them¡­ It had been against their will, but they had still treated him very harshly. Then again, he supposed he would find out in time.

    With that, Kazius helped Damon work on breakfast.

    As this occurred, Azanor had gone back to their shared bedroom so he could be there when Eve woke up.

    Caleb on the other hand, staid, looking awkward as he watched them cook. He seemed quite upset about everything still.

    Damon had more practice brushing things off¡­ This was all newer to Caleb¡­ And Caleb had a lot to process about himself, more than about Luna. Caleb for starters had voiced his displeasure with his own cowardice.

    Perhaps he was staying out and about so he could prove to himself that he could do more than just lock himself in his room¡­

    Then again, maybe he was not even in the mood to study.

    Caleb spent all his time studying magic¡­ Yet Luna, who didn¡¯t do anything like that, was so much more skilled than him¡­ To the point that she could control the whole town and hide the spell behind it. She was so skilled that even Azanor couldn¡¯t tell that she had casted the spell or what the spell even was. Such a thing had to be very demoralizing.

    Kazius decided to just let him be and think while he watched them.

    Soon enough, Eve and Alice were up, Azanor returning with them.

    From Alice¡¯s expression, Kazius could tell that Azanor had filled her in on what happened. She gave Damon a pitiful look, clearly upset, but did relax when she saw how cheery he looked.

    As for Eve, well, she always had her usual giddy expression, so it was hard to tell what she was thinking¡­ If she was thinking at all¡­  Azanor may have not even filled her in on things.

    ¡°Good morning!¡± Damon beamed cheerfully.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± Kazius told Eve and Alice as well.

    ¡°¡­Uh¡­ Hi.¡± Caleb managed to say, waving awkwardly considering he truly did not see any of them very often.

    ¡°Hello!!!¡± Eve exclaimed happily, not realizing at all how unusual it was for Caleb to be there.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± Alice responded, smiling a little awkwardly considering what she had just been told. She looked over at Kazius with confusion. At this Kazius simply subtly nodded.

    After all, Damon¡¯s way of dealing with things was nothing new to them. It was something they had seen from day one. Kazius and her wanted him happy, so they would just act like this morning did not happen unless he brought it up.

    Realizing it was best to not bring it up, Alice decided to bring up something Damon enjoyed.

    ¡°Are we going back to Mount Cyklon today?¡± Alice decided to ask.

    ¡°Of course we are!¡± Damon beamed.

    As he spoke, he began motioning them to follow him to the table before serving the food. It was clear that Damon truly intended to carry on as if everything was normal.

    Then again, he had expressed his intention to not allow Luna to ruin his day, much less his life¡­ But was this the healthiest way to deal with it?

    Not like Kazius had any room to judge, he was well versed in the art of ignoring reality himself and he knew that.

    ¡°I am sure we will make it farther up this time. Who knows, maybe we will make it to the top today.¡± Kazius mused, despite being aware that he was by no means close to pulling off such a feat.

    ¡°Buahaha! That¡¯s the spirit! Now let¡¯s eat!¡± Damon exclaimed with a heartier laugh that was so exaggerated that it was as if he was trying to convince himself he was in a good mood.

    After his invitation to eat, they did so. Despite the awkwardness¡­ They managed to have a pleasant meal¡­ And Caleb was even able to take part in it, even if he himself wasn¡¯t sure how to fit in¡­ And whether Azanor intended to or not, there was some clear discomfort in him.

    The table they sat at was a massive one. It was mostly empty, clearly made with the massive family that used to live here in mind¡­ Considering the size of the table, they all usually sat towards one corner so they could be in proximity. They treated the table like just an ordinary table, but in order to stay in close proximity to one another, Kazius tended to just sit at the Head of the table. Then Alice sat to his left, Damon to his right.  Then, beside Alice was Eve and across her was Azanor.

    Perhaps it was because he wanted to be near his brother¡­ But since there was no spot to sit next to Damon, Caleb instead sat beside Azanor. While Azanor clearly did not blame Caleb for what Zelphar did¡­ Sitting next to someone that looked exactly like Zelphar likely was stirring up some emotions that he would have likely rather have left alone.

    After breakfast, the group said their goodbyes¡­ Rather than have Azanor leave alone with Eve though, Caleb ran after him.

    ¡®I wonder what they are going to talk about..¡¯ Kazius wondered, curiosity killing him.

    Still, despite his curiosity, he did leave with Alice and Damon.

    Despite his happy front, Damon was not as talkative as normal¡­ But that was honestly expected. He probably had a lot he had to get out of his chest¡­ Luna had dumped a lot on him¡­ But he refused to talk¡­ Again, Kazius had no room to judge there.

    Kazius knew after all¡­ He already kept many secrets, one of them even concerning an issue that affected fate of the world¡­ Yet he could not bring himself to spill half of it... He did not want to worry his friends¡­ Or scare them away¡­ He would shelter them from things as long as he could¡­ He would deal with everything himself¡­ They had plenty of time¡­ And his friends had enough worries of their own¡­

    But¡­

    He knew he couldn¡¯t keep quiet forever.

 Chapter 42: Selection

    Their training with Mount Cyklon went better than last time, but they genuinely did not make that much progress. The higher they went, the worse the wind had gotten¡­ Though Damon had warned them of this, it was not any easier to bear even when Alice and Kazius had been expecting it. It would likely be weeks before they could hope to reach the top.

    The more they trained, the easier it was to see how Damon had gotten as strong as he was. Mount Cyklon itself challenged their balance, their perception, endurance, and so much more.

    Two facts did reassure them though. One, the fact that they had made it farther, even if only a little. Secondly, their training once again took hours, but Kazius felt less drained than he had the previous day. A small part of that could be attributed though to the fact they finished a bit earlier, the sun just beginning to set as they headed back into town.

    Their walk was very quiet.

    Despite his initial giddiness, Damon did seem like his mind was elsewhere during their entire training. It seemed to only get worse now that their training was over for the day.

    Alice kept giving Kazius a concerned look, clearly worried. Her violet eyes seemed to always be so expressive and revealed a lot about what she was thinking. She kept looking at Kazius and then staring at Damon for a bit. She had not been there during the morning, so clearly, she wanted Kazius to talk to Damon about what was on his mind.

    Kazius in response simply shook his head. He truly believed that Damon needed time to think on his own. If he wanted to talk, he would. He had done so multiple times in the past.

    At his response though, Alice pressed her lips into a line, frustrated. She let out a tiny huff, her expression a bit pouty. If she was this frustrated about Damon not talking about his thoughts¡­ If she knew what Kazius was hiding, she would likely have an aneurism.

    Kazius could not help but smile a little at the thought, this definitely not making Alice¡¯s expression any less grumpy. She even gave him a tiny glare that Kazius could not help but find cute.

    Their silent exchange was soon interrupted though. As they walked into Vargstam, Damon instantly froze.

    It seemed Caleb and Azanor had acted fast on their own.

    At the entrance of Vargstam was what had to be the entire town. Instead of the usual hateful expressions on their faces, there seemed to be nothing but remorse. There had to be around 500 people, including the children. In fact, most of the population seemed to be children, something that was easier to spot with everyone together. They outnumbered adults 7 to 3. The original size of Damon¡¯s family was beginning to make a lot more sense.  Were it not for the famine that Damon had told them about, Kazius would have wondered how their population was not already in the thousands.

    At the front of the large group of people stood Azanor. He seemed to have a very frustrated expression on his face. Perhaps he was frustrated about helping more people for free¡­

    Or maybe it was from spending a whole day with Zelphar¡¯s lookalike. On one hand, he didn¡¯t seem to have this hostility towards Alice¡­ Then again, at first, he did treat her with disdain due to her heritage¡­ But now it was different¡­ Not to mention, she may have the pink hair and violet eyes of her family, but she was no carbon copy of Ratier¡­ While Caleb had been mistaken for Zelphar by him when they first met.

    Regardless of the why, it seemed like the only thing keeping his irritation at bay was the fact Eve was holding his hand.

    Upon seeing Damon, the Tribe vowed. Rather than be happy at the reaction though, Damon seemed absolutely horrified. It was no secret to anyone that knew him that he did not want anything to do with the position of Chief.

    It was then one of the Tribes people approached. He was a man of stature, but still nowhere near as tall as Damon. He stood at 6 ft 4 (1.93m) and wore furs almost as nice as the ones that Damon had given them. His clothes consisted of leather brown armor and brown fur adornments. He looked middle aged, with a long bear and mustache, the beard tied at the bottom¡­ A style that seemed common among those with long beards at the tribe. His hair was long and blonde. His eyes were almost an olive color.

    ¡°Chief, you are back. I¡¯m glad¡­ I wanted to be the first to apologize to you¡­ The way we treated you until now is unacceptable¡­ Even if we were under the influence of that wretched traitor¡­ I would not be surprised if the Goddess came down from Mount Cyklon and blew us all away herself. We¡­ We acted shamefully. We disrespected the Goddess¡¯ will.¡± The man stated through gritted teeth, clearly upset.

    Damon only looked more uncomfortable by the second.

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    ¡°I am not Chief, Egil.¡± Damon stated in dismay at being called Chief. He seemed to only be more uncomfortable by the second. At his words, the Tribe looked horrified.

    ¡°Please, Damon. If you are angry at the Tribe, please only blame me for not noticing things sooner. Don¡¯t abandon the Tribe for something they could not control. You represent the will of The Goddess¡­ If you abandon the Tribe, it is the same as her abandoning us all. Please, I cannot fail your grandfather any more than I already have.¡± Egil pleaded.

    Damon was speechless at that, his expression solemn.

    ¡®I am just relieved he called him Damon instead of Demon¡­ If they had enough sense about them to start families¡­ It seems that they likely remember everything from their days being controlled.¡¯

    ¡°Forgiveness and becoming your Chief are two entirely separate matters.¡± Kazius warned, deciding to speak up for Damon.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You can¡¯t force him to be your Chief. You are lucky enough he even wants to talk to you¡­ I understand you were not in your right mind¡­ But think about what he went through before you throw the job of leading Vargstam at him!¡± Alice snapped, clearly upset that the first thing the Tribe was doing felt like coercion more than an apology.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, you are outsiders¡­ As the last of the Chief¡¯s bloodline¡­ There is no one else that can lead us.  We cannot upset The Goddess any more than we already have. She has even bestowed her spear to him¡­ You are her will, Damon.¡± Egil stated in concern. It seemed whoever he was, he had some sort of position in the Tribe¡­ And also, was a strong believer in Vind.

    Azanor scoffed at the notion.

    ¡°If I knew you would be this annoying, I wouldn¡¯t have caved at the begging and kept you as decorations just standing there rather than undoing the stupid spell. Tell me, if you need The Chief¡¯s bloodline to act out the will of your Goddess, then does that mean the previous Chief acted as her will?¡± Azanor mocked with a bit of a smug look.

    ¡°That¡¯s a mean thing to say.¡± Eve told Azanor in dismay.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s true. They should just pick someone else who is willing. He doesn¡¯t want the position; they should just drop it. Even in monarchies they usually just pick the next in line rather than be this insistent about it¡­ They are just upsetting him.¡± Azanor stated, even more irritation in his voice. He seemed upset on Damon¡¯s behalf, but he seemed to take this conversation personally for some reason. It seemed succession rights may be a touchy issue for him.

    ¡°That¡¯s bad¡­¡± Eve trailed off in agreement, clearly unsure on what to think. On one hand it was mean to force someone to do something¡­ On the other, it was bad to say mean things¡­ To be fair, she probably only understood the last sentence Azanor had said.

    ¡°Just be Chief, Caleb.¡± Damon begged, a desperate look in his eyes.

    ¡°No way, Damon¡­ I have no right to a position like that, I am not related by blood to any of the previous Chiefs. Not to mention, even if you exclude blood¡­ A coward like me has no business leading anyone¡­ I¡­ I have a lot to change about myself before I even consider myself a good brother, much less any sort of leader.¡± Caleb admitted in dismay, shaking his head at the notion.

    At his words, Damon seemed more than disappointed, but that meant he was really stuck.

    Kazius frowned, they had tried so hard to just allow Damon to forget things today... Yet this had to happen. It seemed he had avoided the subject for nothing. Still, Kazius grew up under The Church of Ratier¡­ He knew how to address this sort of thing.

    ¡°I understand how you feel, Egil¡­ But if you really are that worried about upsetting your Goddess or anything like that, doesn¡¯t that mean you should listen to Damon? If he is her will, then do as he says¡­. If anything, by ignoring how he feels, you are going against what she wants more than anything.¡± Kazius pointed out with a raised brow.

    At his words, Damon did seem to brighten up.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Damon exclaimed, looking more than relieved as Egil seemed to consider Kazius¡¯ words.

    Egil began rubbing his beard in thought, looking over at The Tribe he was currently representing to talk to Damon.

    ¡°That makes sense¡­ I suppose then if Damon himself chose a replacement, then that would also be the Goddess¡¯ will¡­¡± Egil agreed while in thought.

    The more he spoke, the more curious Kazius was as to what sort of position Egil had.

    Still, this seemed like the best course of action for Damon to feel at peace and finally resolve this power struggle full of unwilling participants.

    ¡°Tell me then, Damon. Who do you think would make a good leader for the Tribe?¡±  Egil followed up.

    At this, Damon seemed unsure. Then again, who could blame him? The Tribe had not interacted normally with him for years¡­ And now they wanted him to lead them or choose them as a leader. Other than Egil, did Damon even know any of them by name? Heck, he probably knew their group better than his own Tribe, despite the fact they had known each other for a few days.

    It wasn¡¯t like they were malicious in their treatment of Damon¡­ But in truth, they were more strangers to him than his people. Damon could also not bring himself to lead them due to what he had gone through¡­

    When Egil fell victim to Luna¡¯s spell¡­ It had likely come off as a huge betrayal for Damon¡­ Could Damon forgive him or the Tribe? Even if he had no control over his actions, the distress they had inflicted on Damon was real.

    That being said, Egil he was the only real option for the position. Who else other than Egil could Damon even consider as a capable enough leader? Especially since Caleb did not want the job either.

    Even with Luna gone, the mess she made would continue to ripple through Vargstam¡­ Even affecting the selection of the next Chief to this extent now. This had to be a difficult decision for Damon¡­

    Though a sudden change in attitude in Damon threw off Kazius¡¯ perception of things. Maybe he had found a solution that made sense and that he was happy with?

    Confused, Kazius watched Damon as he perked up, as if he had an epiphany. It was like Damon had figured out something obvious, showing his thinking process as he punched his open palm with one hand to the other in realization. Everything about his face practically screamed ¡®Aha!¡¯.

    Turning around, Damon suddenly looked straight at Kazius.

    ¡°You should be Chief, Kazius!¡± Damon beamed, seeming to cheer up at the notion.

    Nodding in agreement, Kazius did not fully process Damon¡¯s words at first. He simply kept nodding only for his red eyes to widen in shock and confusion.

    ¡°Wait¡­ WHAT?!¡±

 Chapter 43: Moonlight Celebration

    Kazius had been far from the only one that had been shocked at Damon¡¯s suggestion.

    The Tribe looked even more confused and shocked.

    Alice herself seemed totally unsure of what to even think. Azanor was looking at Damon and then at Kazius like they had both grown a second head. Caleb looked more concerned than anything¡­ As for Eve¡­ Well her blank smile never really changed.

    Egil was staring at Kazius after the suggestion, as if studying him and genuinely considering the idea.

    ¡°May I ask why him? He doesn¡¯t even have a drop of Werewolf blood in him.¡± Egil decided to ask before pointing out the very obvious concern everyone in the Tribe likely had.

    Damon nodded; his expression surprisingly serious. There was no goofy grin, instead his expression seemed surprisingly certain.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take this in a bad way¡­ But I don¡¯t really know any of you. I forgive you¡­ But I still am upset about what happened¡­ I am willing to change that¡­ But that does not change that I don¡¯t know you¡­  Even you Egil¡­ You have no idea¡­ What all those years were like for me¡­ They may be outsiders, but they are my friends¡­ They could have done as Luna asked, but instead they gave me a hand when no one else would. I¡­ I am in a much better place mentally thanks to them¡­ I stopped feeling alone.¡± Damon began, giving a bit of a summary from his perspective of things.

    ¡°Thanks to them I feel better about who I am¡­ That it is okay to be me¡­ I even found out the truth about what was happening to you all thanks to them. But out of all of them, the ones I know best are Kazius and Alice. I have spent most of the past few days with them, more than anyone else. The two stood up the most for me. I have not known you that long, I know that¡­ But I know enough. You all are my friends, but Kazius and Alice are my best friends.¡± Damon continued, his words flustering the group a little.

    Kazius had gone out of his way to be kind to Damon, to make him feel included, but he did not realize just how much their actions had truly done for him. What they had done for Damon had seemed simple, but it meant the world to him. They had been light that had finally reached the bleak world he was stuck in.

    ¡°As for why I picked Kazius¡­ He did what a Chief should have done a long time ago. Exiling Luna is the best thing for Vargstam¡­ And when he did that, it is what got her to admit what she had done¡­ It was to hurt me¡­ But that is why you all even have the ability to think again¡­ You owe him more than what you think.¡± Damon finally finished, his serious expression widening into a goofy yet genuine grin.

    ¡°Buahaha! Anyway, that is about it! I have been wanting to thank you all properly¡­ And it is embarrassing to say this in a situation like this¡­ But I don¡¯t care who knows, they should all know! Caleb could have probably said things better than me, but I hope you know I meant every word. Kazius, Alice, Azanor, and you Eve¡­ Thank you, really¡­¡± Damon stated warmly.

    ¡°Yay! I am happy to be your friend too!¡± Eve beamed happily.

    Azanor meanwhile looked downright flustered. It was probably very embarrassing for him to be thanked like this.

    ¡°That was so¡­ Too mushy for my liking¡­ But¡­ You¡¯re welcome¡­¡± Azanor admitted, clearly at a loss for words.

    Alice was almost as flustered, even having her eyes water a bit.

    ¡°Of course, Damon. Anytime. I am glad we helped.¡± Alice admitted with a warm smile.

    Kazius could not help but smile at the situation. His heart swelled with joy at seeing all his friends like this.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I told you; you are not alone anymore¡­ But this is definitely something I did not think you would offer¡­ But if this is how you feel, then I will accept.¡± Kazius agreed with a smile.

    Of course, this did not mean Kazius would forget what he had to do¡­ He had to travel and gather allies¡­ And The Church was still after them¡­ But Vargstam was small, in the future he was certain that he would be able to still travel despite his position¡­

    Not to mention¡­ As unlikely as these events were¡­ And as much as Kazius was suspicious of The Oracle¡­

    Kazius could not forget his fate to become a King.

    How could he become a King if he turned down something like this? What would happen to the world if he didn¡¯t become someone capable to stand against The Demon King?

    More than anything, he was accepting due to Damon¡¯s words¡­ But¡­ The fact that this was a step towards the future that he had seen kept crossing Kazius¡¯ mind. The thought was both comforting and terrifying at the same time¡­ Was his whole life truly planned out? Regardless of what the answer to that was, it was hard to miss the way fate seemed to turn.

    Kazius was expecting there to be some argument from the Tribe or Egil¡­ But after hearing Damon¡¯s words¡­ They seemed to look at Kazius and the others as if they were amazing people. Then again, the praise Damon had given them was nothing other than high.

    ¡°If that is the final decision then I am certain the Wind of The Goddess herself must have guided you so you would end up here.¡± Egil stated before bowing once again, this time towards Kazius, the people of Vargstam in turn doing the same gesture.

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    ¡°On behalf of us and as Head Hunter, thank you for all you have done for our people¡­And¡­ Now this is me talking to you as a person¡­ But¡­ Thank you for what you have done for Blaeser¡¯s grandson¡­ I am forever in your debt¡­ I expect great things from you, Chief.¡± Egil stated curtly. He was definitely a duty bound person.

    His position was also something interesting. Kazius guessed that it was a title that remained from before the Wind Werewolf Tribe stopped being nomadic. After all, they were not hunting for every meal like before thanks to them settling down in Vargstam. It was likely a position of honor, but now days acted more as an assistant to the Chief.

    With that, they would stop bowing.

    ¡°I will do what I can, thank you, Egil.¡± Kazius assured, it seemed his days may be a bit busier now¡­ But he supposed this would give him more to do at night while everyone slept. After all, he did not intend to stop training at all, if anything, he was more motivated to do so now.

    ¡°Buahaha! Today was a good day after all! We should celebrate, don¡¯t you think?!¡± Damon beamed, more than happy for many reasons, he probably felt elated to finally not have to worry about becoming Chief. He had forgotten all about Luna¡¯s harsh words.

    ¡°While not done in the usual way¡­ Today was the equivalent of a Chief selection ceremony¡­ On a day with an expectant full moon, no less. If that is not a sign, then I don¡¯t know what is.¡± Egil agreed, indeed showing how superstitious he was.

    Then again, even if Kazius still knew little about Monsters in general, even he had been aware of the significance of the full moon to them. Then again, when he had learned about it, it had been in a warning in the heavily censored lessons about Monsters from The Church. They were more antagonizing than anything else.

    ¡°I think we should celebrate then.¡± Kazius agreed, glad he was not exhausted from training today to get to enjoy a party.

    And a party was indeed organized.

    It was amazing really. Before the sun had even finished coming down, the Tribe had managed to put together a feast in the town square by the Vind statue. This was accompanied by ale and music. The musical instruments that were played ranged from flutes, massive drums, lyres, and harps.

    The music that began to play was even livelier than what had been played at whatever celebration they had when they first arrived at Vargstam.

    A massive bonfire was created, sparks flying off towards the sky that seemed to dance to the rhythm of the music thanks to the wind.

    All this was assembled so fast that it was more than impressive. That¡¯s something Kazius supposed they never taught him in Ratier about Werewolves. That they had the ability to organize a massive party at the drop of a hat. Or maybe that was just something special to The Wind Werewolf Tribe? Kazius would not know since he didn¡¯t even know if there were other tribes.

    The party began quite quickly, but it did not truly start until the sun had finally set.

    Watching the whole Tribe transform at once was quite something. Of course, from the previous party Kazius had seen, Kazius knew that they could transform willingly, but it was only at the full moon that it was forced.

    Of course, this also meant that the group got to see Damon transform for the first time.  Damon was already a bulky and enormous guy, but his Werewolf form was something else. It was just downright intimidating. He went from being 7ft(2.13m) to 9ft tall (2.74 m) with white fur on the fluffier side that only made him look bulkier. Each of his claws were like daggers in this form. It was honestly shocking Damon preferred to fight with a spear, he clearly did not need one.

    Egil meanwhile also transformed. He was on the taller side compared to the other Werewolves, but he was not too different in height compared to the others, standing at 7ft 5 in (2.26m). His fur was mostly brown with some sandy blonde undertones.

    Caleb on the other hand remained the same. It seemed he definitely inherited more from Zelphar than his mother.

    ¡°Oooooh! Everyone got taller!!¡± Eve exclaimed in awe, seeming to almost ignore the main part of their change.

    ¡°Yes, they have.¡± Azanor agreed with a little bit of a sigh, not correcting her on the matter.

    Despite looking a bit awkward in his new form, Damon still seemed happy at the party. He clearly was more overjoyed to be included in a celebration more than showing any sort of apprehension about his change.

    ¡°Buahaha! Well come on! You should all join in the fun!¡± Damon insisted, motioning to the food and dancing.

    You would think the music would have gotten worse after those playing transformed, but that was far from the case.

    It happened so fast, but Kazius could not help but feel happy to see Vargstam in such a state. He hoped to have more reasons to celebrate in the future like this.

    ¡°OOooh! They are having so much fun! I want to dance too! Let¡¯s dance, it will be great!¡± Eve exclaimed giddily as she tugged Azanor. She was looking at some couples that were dancing together and it seemed that was why she wanted to dance with Azanor too.

    Kazius watched as Eve tugged Azanor along to where the dancing was occurring. It seemed to catch Azanor off guard as she motioned him to come with her. She was motioning for him to dance with her as she began to perform¡­ What had to be the strangest dance Kazius had ever seen. Not only did her dancing have an abnormal amount of jumping, but she seemed to not tire at all from it. Still, it wasn¡¯t awful, it did actually somewhat follow the music, but it was clear Azanor had no clue what to make of it.

    Azanor seemed to gain this hopeful look about him at her offer to dance at least, looking into her eyes. Despite their dancing being awkward and mismatched at best, it seemed that he was enjoying himself too. His dancing was strange to some extent, but it seemed to follow the style that Kazius knew was common about nobility, knights, and royalty.

    As a member of The Church and Holy Knight, Kazius had been taught such things as posh manners and dancing¡­ From what Kazius was witnessing, two things were clear though.

    One, Azanor was definitely a Demon of status. Two, what he felt for Eve was definitely not some deep friendship. With the way he looked at Eve at this moment, there was undeniable love in his gaze¡­ Clouded by a good amount of sadness buried deep within.

    With that in mind, Kazius would soon also spot Damon going off to dance too, clearly planning to enjoy the celebration to the fullest.

    Looking away, Kazius could not help but notice how Alice seemed to just stare at the dancing with a bit of a longing look. She was probably feeling a bit awkward though, unsure about how to join in. She was likely used to balls, something with more structure.

    Kazius could not help but stare at her, rather mesmerized. The way the bonfire seemed to reflect from her hair and eyes was almost hypnotic to Kazius.

    The image of her at the parade all those years ago came to mind. She had been practically in a different world back then.

    A small grin graced his face, an idea coming to mind.

    He walked up to her, all his knowledge from etiquette training returning to him. He bowed slightly, an arm to his side while the other extended towards her.

    ¡°May I have this dance?¡± Kazius asked in the most polite tone he could muster.

    Alice looked surprised as she gazed at Kazius¡¯ extended hand, clearly not expecting something like this. She stared at his hand and then at Kazius¡¯ face. She smiled back at him, her face gaining a dusting of pink. She accepted his hand, placing hers on his.

    ¡°With pleasure.¡±

 Chapter 43.5: Vargstamâ€™s Politics

    The celebration went on late into the night. It was a wilder and less uptight celebration compared to what Kazius and Alice were used to¡­ But that only made everything about the night all the more memorable.

    A month had passed since the celebration. Even now, when Kazius closed his eyes, he could picture it quite vividly. From the way Alice¡¯s eyes seemed to shine and almost look like a sunset when the light of the bonfire reflected on them¡­ To the joyous howling they ended the celebration with.

    A lot changed that night, but also a lot stayed the same.

    The group still started the morning with breakfast together. This was followed by Kazius spending time with Alice and Damon, to try to climb to the peak of Mount Cyklon. Each day they seemed to get farther and farther up.

    After training, Kazius would hunt with The Tribe, instead of doing so with just Alice, Damon, and him. It was a good bonding activity that while not 100% necessary for food, it was a good source of establishing a bond between him and his new people. Sometimes instead of hunting, they would go fishing in their long boats. It was an activity Damon was very happy to participate in.

    All of this was something found to be necessary since Kazius did not share blood with the Tribe. It had actually been a suggestion from Alice. While such a thing was not possible for a country like Ratier, such a thing was doable for a town that was on a much smaller scale like Vargstam.

    ¡®It is important that the people you lead feel a connection towards you.¡¯ Or so she had claimed in her reasoning.

    Still, despite the issues of blood connection¡­ If this was the start of his path to becoming a King, Kazius could not have asked for a better starting point.

    For starters, most of the population of Vargstam was bilingual. They spoke Common with a large variety of mastery levels. The only ones that were fully fluent in Common were Damon, Caleb, and Egil, but The Tribe themselves understood a good amount of it. This made communication a lot easier when it came to Alice and Azanor. They each acted as aids to Kazius, using their own past experiences to give the best advice they could. For this, Kazius was quite grateful to Zelphar, the culprit behind this.

    Another big source of help was Egil. Kazius was able to fill in some of the gaps in what Damon had told him about Zelphar and Vargstam itself thanks to him.

    For starters, Kazius discovered that Damon¡¯s father had hated Zelphar before he even got involved with Damon and Caleb¡¯s mother. When Zelphar had first arrived to the Tribe, he worked closely with Damon¡¯s grandfather, Blaeser, to make life even more convenient for Vargstam. As former nomads, they had much simpler technology. Before Zelphar arrived, Vargstam used to use bonfires to cook, not even proper stoves.

    Along with teaching the Common tongue, Zelphar had taught the people of Vargstam how to make light crystals to light their homes, even with the almost nonexistent amount of Mana that they had. There were a lot of things that were convenient and provided a better standard of living that were introduced by him. Overall, Vargstam had gone through a massive technological update thanks to Zelphar.

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    Kazius supposed this explained why despite Vargstam being so different, he found Damon¡¯s home to be very familiar to what he was used to. Then again, if places like Veleno could be so much more advanced in terms of forging and metal processing, it made sense that with how widespread and nonunified Monsters were, that they would have large gaps in the kind of living situations they were in.

    This information aided Kazius a lot in understanding his new people.

    Returning to Kazius¡¯ new routine, after hunting or fishing, Kazius would eat with his friends before he would spend time with Alice, Damon, Azanor, Eve, and Egil in a council meeting. During this time, the people of Vargstam were free to approach The Chief¡¯s House and voice any concerns.

    Overall, Vargstam did not have a lot of problems, but that did not mean there was no work to do. Kazius would spend a lot of time giving Egil orders for him to spread around, but at times Damon or Alice would organize things for him.

    Kazius intended to increase the scale of the farming that was done in Vargstam as well as other things to plan for the future. After all, at the rate the people in Vargstam had kids¡­ The population of Vargstam would explode¡­ Excluding the fact that Kazius intended to hopefully have more Monsters that would look at him for leadership in the future¡­ Kazius needed resources¡­ A lot of them¡­ Things that would give him leverage in the future.

    During this whole process, despite not understanding the full reason for Kazius¡¯ urgency¡­ There was no one that was more helpful than Alice. Unlike Kazius, she had studied a lot when it came to things that a ruler should know. From politics to possible obstacles that Kazius could face¡­ Alice was there every step of the way advising him.

    At such moments, the amount of studying she had done for the sake of Ratier truly shined¡­ Which only made the situation she ended up in even more upsetting to Kazius.

    Another matter that Kazius intended to work on, without explaining too much, was security and military force¡­ Or at least what he could manage right now¡­ The biggest obstacle in this was Vargstam¡¯s minimal manufacturing abilities. Thankfully, Vargstam¡¯s surrounding mountains provided natural fortification. This meant that if an army were to ever approach Vargstam, there wereery few places that they could come from.

    It was a shame to be so limited, but what Kazius could do for now was to have a patrol always checking the valley¡­ Even if the Oracle could only be used once a year, Kazius wanted to be extra careful. Leo and Alex had seen them not too far away, if they came back and stumbled into Vargstam, they had to be ready.

    Thankfully, the Monsters that were closest to Vargstam were not hostile. Apparently, to the far North, where there were more mountains, there were Frost Giants. The mountains they lived in were tall and normal mountains that were cold towards the top¡­ Unlike the ones near Vargstam.

    In fact, according to Egil, who knew of one of the few meetings between The Frost Giants and Vargstam, The Frost Giants were deeply unnerved by how strange the mountains near Vargstam were so they stayed away. Due to this, they barely made contact with Vargstam, not even to trade. Something Kazius had zero complaints about.

    To the far East, Vargstam had neighbors that were¡­ Concerning¡­ But not unfamiliar.

    In the map they had gotten from Veleno, there was an area named Cemetery¡­ And according to Egil, in that direction, there was an area where the sun did not reach. A place full of fog and the undead. Thankfully, the undead were not particularly eager to go mountain climbing nor smart enough to find the way around the mountains, so they never wandered into the valley.

    Overall, things in Vargstam only grew more prosperous¡­ Due to this¡­ The seemingly almost paranoid preparations that Kazius wanted done were accepted without any sort of backlash.

 Chapter 44: Beginnings of The Pinnacle

    When Kazius woke up, he was feeling quite energetic. It was early, as usual, with the sun not even up yet.

    He looked around his new room for a bit, especially at the stack of books and papers on his desk. Paper was not as easily accessible in Vargstam compared to Ratier, so most of the books were considerably rare.  Mosty of them were books that had belonged to Blaeser or Zelphar in the past, gifts from Damon and Caleb. With the help of some books and Alice, he finally felt at least somewhat competent as Chief.

    Aside from the massive pile of books, his room contained quite a large bed with meticulously crafted wood and high-quality bedding. Originally Damon had given them a big room to share that was meant for siblings¡­ A temporary measure, since originally Kazius and his friends were not expected to stay long¡­ But now, Kazius was Chief. So, Damon found it fitting to have everyone pick individual rooms of their own.

    The only ones that had not been happy about such a change had been Azanor and Eve. The two spent one night in separate rooms before Eve began crying about feeling lonely without him. Azanor himself had looked even tired after that night. The Demon did not sleep, but being away from Eve left him looking exhausted and unhappy as well¡­ So now, the two shared a ¡®best friends¡¯ room, as Eve had dubbed it. The two had their own separate beds though, were it not for that, Kazius would have assumed Eve finally understood the sort of feelings Azanor had for her¡­ Sadly for Azanor, that was not the case.

    As for Kazius himself, after some insistence from Damon, he finally agreed to take The Chief¡¯s bedroom. It was the master room of the massive home. It felt like he was taking something important, but after a while, he got used to the new big bedroom¡­ But he would be lying to himself if he said he did not miss waking up to the others nearby.

    With that in mind, Kazius got dressed and stepped out of his room, Azanor already waiting for him by the door.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± Kazius stated with a small smile. He enjoyed lurking around in the dark with Azanor. Just enjoying the peace of the town when no one was up. The darkness that blanketed Vargstam was almost soothing.

    With how eager Azanor seemed to be, it was clear that their walks also brought Azanor some level of peace as well. It was almost like in their walks, they could take off their masks and stop pretending to be creatures of the day, which they were not.

    ¡°Good morning¡­¡± Azanor stated with a small smile.

    With that, the two just silently began to walk out of the house. It was so lively in the evening when Kazius worked as Chief and held council meetings, but currently it was dead quiet.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t had much work lately, I hope that means that I have been doing a decent job¡­¡± Kazius commented as they passed the conference room that they designated for work.

    ¡°There was not much that had to be fixed to begin with¡­ And now things are running more smoothly than they could ever have imagined, you probably are trying harder than you should. Honestly, with some of the things you¡¯ve done, you would think you were getting ready to feed an army¡­ Given Vargstam¡¯s current capabilities¡­ If I were in your position and I was going to war, I would have done everything you are doing now¡­ There is not a single thing I would do differently¡­ Could you finally tell me why? This feels like this is about more than just The Church.¡± Azanor questioned with a raised brow. He was probably the only one in the group that found his preparations questionable. The others just thought Kazius wanted to be overly prepared.

    Azanor was the only one that realized that there had to be more to it. Then again, out of the group, he had been the one to have seen war. At least that much was clear with the little Azanor had told them and his relationship with Zelphar, Ratier, and Thimdur.

    ¡°Will you finally tell me more about that 8<sup>th</sup> hero stuff?¡± Kazius questioned back with his own raised brow. The two had a bit of a pot calling the kettle black situation between them. They both knew the other was hiding a lot of important information.

    Azanor tsked at this, frowning, but he did drop the matter. Not like this would stop him from trying to get the information out of him later.

    By now, as they walked, they were outside, going their usual route by the river.

    ¡°I will tell you when I am ready, it is better you don¡¯t know though. We have enough to deal with now¡­ Besides, you think the same way I do. You will tell us things when you are ready too.¡± Kazius pointed out.

    Azanor sighed at this. He knew the two were quite similar. This meant that they got along well, but also butting heads was unavoidable.

    ¡°You are a terrible hypocrite, you know that?¡± Azanor grumbled out.

    ¡°I know, so are you.¡± Kazius chuckled out with a bit of a smirk.

    Azanor simply rolled his eyes at that, but he did not disagree.

    ¡°So, changing subjects¡­ How is that ¡®best friend¡¯ room of yours treating you?¡± Kazius teased.

    Azanor scoffed at this, looking a little flustered.

    ¡°Good¡­ But it is hard.¡± Azanor admitted with a sigh.

    ¡°You really do love her, don¡¯t you?¡± Kazius questioned, his expression softening a little, no longer in a teasing mood.

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    ¡°I already told you I do¡­ Or at least that she is the most important thing to me in this world¡­¡± Azanor agreed in dismay.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just tell her that already? I understand hiding things about the war, but why not just confess to her? I didn¡¯t take you for the shy type.¡± Kazius questioned in confusion.

    ¡°If it is so easy, then why don¡¯t you talk to Alice then? Ask her on a date or something?¡± Azanor grumbled back.

    It was Kazius¡¯ turn to grow flustered. While Kazius liked Alice, he was in denial about his feelings about her, refusing to confront them. Another thing was that Kazius felt like he had a lot to do, so he did not have time to confront such feelings¡­ So, he simply did not acknowledge them.

    ¡°T-That is actually totally different!¡± Kazius huffed out in embarrassment, losing his typical more stoic composure.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it is¡­¡± Azanor responded with an eyeroll, clearly not buying it at all.

    ¡°Shut up¡­ We are talking about you, here. Not me.¡± Kazius grumbled out, regaining his composure.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think your excuse is very good, but I will drop it. You are also right about one thing; I am not the shy type. If you must know¡­ Since at this point, I may as well tell you¡­ She is my wife. Or at least was¡­ Before she forgot about me¡­But¡­ I won¡¯t impose anything on her, even if every part of me wants to tie her to me so she never leaves my side ever again.¡± Azanor admitted with a scowl before following up further.

    ¡°So, there is no point in confessing, I already did this dance before.¡±

    Kazius was surprised to hear this. He had expected that he knew Eve, loved her for a long time¡­ But to be forgotten by your wife like that¡­ Kazius could not help but remember Eve¡¯s words when she admitted to her mental state and how she was not bothered by it. The fact she said she did not care whether she remembered anything or not must have hurt.

    ¡®That explains a lot¡­ But now I can¡¯t help but pity him¡­ I have no idea what I would even do in his position¡­¡¯

    ¡°So¡­ You two are married?¡± Kazius questioned in shock.

    ¡°We are¡­ We were¡­ I am not sure if I can say we are anymore. Hard to claim she is my wife when she doesn¡¯t even remember any of it¡­¡± Azanor admitted in dismay.

    ¡°How did she even lose her memories?¡± Kazius decided to ask, surprised Azanor was telling him all this out of nowhere.

    ¡°That is what I wish I knew. I don¡¯t sense any sort of spell. It isn¡¯t a curse, or something I can undo¡­ Her name isn¡¯t even Eve¡­Though I guess it is close to her actual name¡­ Her personality is also just so different too¡­ She is a different person¡­ But I know that soul anywhere¡­ If¡­ If only I had not been sealed away¡­ I would at least have seen what happened, or prevented it¡­ But you know about as much as I do about what the fuck happened.¡± Azanor admitted, his hands tightening into a fist, gritting his teeth at the thought before letting out a sigh. He looked deflated, entirely defeated and worn out.

    He had likely been struggling with this on his own for sometime now.

    Azanor¡¯s disdain for Ratier, Zelphar, and Thimdur seemed to only make more sense now. Azanor had been their friend, then they sealed him away¡­ And due to that he was separated from his wife¡­ And now that he is back, she doesn¡¯t even remember him¡­

    ¡°Have you tried bringing up her actual name to her?¡± Kazius decided to ask, curious as to what it even was.

    ¡°Of course I have, I¡¯ve done it when we were alone. I¡¯ve done it multiple times. The name Evesorane means nothing to her¡­¡± Azanor admitted.

    ¡®Evesorane? Why does that name sound familiar? I definitely have never heard that name before¡­ But¡­¡¯ Kazius began to think to himself in confusion. Most unnerving of all, he could swear the shadows were laughing.

    It was a quiet mocking laugh. Whether it was at the state Eve was in or Azanor¡¯s grief, Kazius was not sure¡­ But he had never heard them laugh before.

    ¡®Stop that, it isn¡¯t funny.¡¯ Kazius scolded.

    ¡°If a way I can help ever comes, I will¡­ I can¡¯t even imagine what it is like to deal with that Azanor¡­ Thank you for telling me¡­¡± Kazius admitted.

    ¡°I trust you¡­ But that fact means that I also want you to not mention a word of this to anyone else¡­ Not even to Alice¡­ The less who know the better. I don¡¯t want Eve finding out about it¡­ I won¡¯t force her to be my wife¡­ I will just¡­ Well¡­ I honestly don¡¯t have a plan¡­ I will just sit and wait¡­ There is no contract of amount of souls that could give me the strength to change the state she is in¡­ But then¡­ If Evesorane is gone¡­¡± Azanor stated firmly before growing deflated again, looking troubled as he entertained the idea he was most afraid of.

    ¡°I am of the belief that you are just as much your soul but also your memories as well¡­ That defines who you are¡­ And Eve is Eve because she does not remember me¡­ At first when I met her¡­ I wanted to manipulate her into summoning me so I could be there in person¡­ And undo whatever spell put an imposter in place of my wife¡­ But it wasn¡¯t a spell¡­ And all the time I have spent with Eve¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t dislike her¡­ But I also don¡¯t like seeing my wife in that condition¡­ I¡­ I just¡­ Ugh¡­ Lets not talk about it anymore.¡± Azanor stated with a sigh.

    It was not a situation with easy answers¡­ There was also the fact that if their personality was so different¡­ And memories too¡­ Like Azanor said¡­ Wasn¡¯t it like Eve was an entirely different person? If she ever got her memories back would Eve be gone and only Evesorane remain? By that logic was Evesorane basically dead already? Then there was Azanor¡¯s emotions and relationship¡­ It was definitely a pitiful and messy thing.

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Kazius agreed, having a lot of questions, but decided to drop things.

    ¡®The tall one is approaching.¡¯

    Kazius heard the whisper in his ear warn him. The voice was that newer distinct deep voice.

    ¡®Alright, thank you.¡¯ Kazius responded, even though he knew he would not get a response. As of late, he attempted to communicate more, to no luck. He never could hold a conversation with the whispers or the voice¡­ For better or for worse.

    The sun was almost up, so when the two saw Damon approach eagerly, it was not surprising. He was probably the first one up after Kazius.

    ¡°Buahaha! Good morning! Are you ready? I bet you are! I have a feeling today that you will make it to the top! You were so close yesterday! I was too excited and couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± Damon admitted giddily.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± Azanor stated, relieved that Damon was here it seems. He likely wanted to think about something else.

    ¡°Good morning¡­ I am, I think you¡¯re right¡­ I would have tried to keep going yesterday, but I wanted to make sure I had time to check on things in Vargstam¡­ Today for sure though¡­ Alice sounded confident yesterday too.¡± Kazius agreed.

    ¡°You two are that confident? I might actually go see for myself then. I¡¯m sure Eve will enjoy watching you go up¡­ Don¡¯t think you are roping me into climbing though, I absolutely refuse. I plan to watch from the bottom.¡± Azanor would add.

    ¡°Buahaha! You are really missing out, you know! But up to you! Come on then! Let¡¯s have breakfast!¡± Damon beamed, probably more excited than they were about the accomplishment. Then again, getting high up in Mount Cyklon was a big deal¡­ And now that the tribe was not zombified, they actually were inspired by Kazius, Alice, and Damon to attempt the climb more regularly. For more than just proposing marriage.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Kazius agreed contently, curious as to what was waiting for them at the top.

 Chapter 45: The Insult

    With that, Kazius helped Damon get breakfast ready. The closer they were to going to Mount Cyklon, the more excited he was. He wasn¡¯t jumping with joy or anything, but Kazius could not stop thinking about it.

    Soon, Alice was up, surprised to see that breakfast was already ready and the sun was just barely up.

    ¡°Good morning¡­ Did you guys even go to bed?¡± Alice asked in shock.

    ¡°Buahaha! Good morning! I barely slept to be honest! I am so excited for today!¡± Damon admitted giddily.

    ¡°Good morning, Azanor and I were already up, so we decided to help Damon with breakfast a little.¡± Kazius admitted.

    Alice laughed at this, smiling a little.

    ¡°Well, I am glad that everyone is in such a good mood over it. I honestly feel like I could do anything today!¡± Alice beamed, feeling stronger than she was before.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t help it. I am so proud of you both! This is something to celebrate!¡± Damon admitted, filling with pride as a teacher in a way.

    ¡°Yay!¡± The group suddenly heard as Eve entered the room.

    ¡°What are we celebrating?¡± Eve followed up giddily.

    ¡°Good morning, Eve¡­ Well, Kazius and Alice are close to making it to the top of Mount Cyklon. I was thinking we could go watch.¡± Azanor stated, his eyes softening the moment they landed on Eve¡­ But those conflicting emotions he felt were also there in his eyes.

    ¡°Ooh! That sounds fun! I want to cheer you on!¡± Eve exclaimed to Alice and Kazius. It was so early, but she acted like she was more energetic than ever. Then again, she usually was like that. She had a ridiculous amount of energy.

    Kazius never met Zelphar personally, but he sounded like quite the eccentric person¡­ Eve was out there, but Kazius was beginning to wonder if she just as out there when she was Evesorane. He just could not wrap his head around what went on in the head of Elves. Though Kazius decided to put such thoughts aside.

    The group would soon eat quickly.

    They were so eager that as soon as they were done eating, they all left their home before Caleb even woke up. They left him breakfast though and knew he and the other people of The Tribe would soon join them to watch. Those that attempted to climb the mountain further as of late had likely already spread the news of the upcoming achievement.

    The trip towards the foot of Mount Cyklon was livelier than it had ever been. Eve was bouncing the whole time, clearly excited to see them go up.

    ¡°So the Mountain goes WOOOOSH and pushes you real hard? That sounds so fun!¡± Eve exclaimed happily as they walked.

    ¡°Basically.¡± Kazius agreed, unable to help but study the dynamic between Azanor and Eve.

    The two were inseparable even now. Of course, Azanor liked staying close to Eve, but if that was all there was to it¡­ She wouldn¡¯t just let him go along with her¡­ Perhaps she understood in a hidden part of her mind what sort of relationship they had? Or maybe their souls were just that compatible? Kazius did not know for sure.

    Still, he tried to not focus too much on them, He didn¡¯t want to give away a secret he had promised to keep.

    ¡°Do you want to race to the top?¡± Alice mused to Kazius, drawing his attention to herself with a bit of a mischievous look on her face. They had made it to the foot of the mountain  as she brought this up.

    Kazius could not help but study the way her violet eyes twinkled, bringing out the impish look she had. Out of the corner of his eye, Kazius could not help but note a bit of a smug knowing look on Azanor¡¯s face. He focused on Alice, but he really wanted to tell Azanor off.

    ¡°Sure, but you will lose.¡± Kazius informed her with a smug yet content grin.

    ¡°Buahaha! That¡¯s the spirit! Alright then, off you go! I will be right behind you!¡± Damon beamed with pride.

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    With that, Kazius and Alice would head up the trail they had walked up many times before during the past month. The first quarter of the mountain was easy. They could go up it in 10 minutes now¡­ The wind only got stronger after that though. By the halfway point, the wind was strong enough to tear a normal person to shreds¡­ Or over launch them so fast out the mountain that they would fly out for quite some time before crashing down into a gory and unfortunate death. Making it there still took an hour.

    After that though, was the biggest challenge yet. The last quarter of the mountain had a wind unlike any other. No natural disaster or amount of Wind Magic could compare to such a thing. This was one thing and one thing alone; it was the power of a Goddess challenging whether or not any mortal was worthy enough to reach the peak of her home.

    At this point in the mountain, each step was a labor. Just breathing was almost impossible, as if the mountain itself claimed even the air from their lungs as its own.

    Despite difficulties though, the intense wind was becoming almost normal to the two who were used to suffering its sting. The two could look around without even finding a need to shield their faces. This was something Damon had been quite proud of, complimenting the improvement when it had first occurred. After all, he could stand on the mountain as if it was normal. Then again, there was no doubt Vind herself must favor Damon.

    Despite the tediousness of their climb, Kazius did not allow his mind to wonder too much. He did not want to get left behind¡­ Alice was not far away. He did want to win their bet.

    It was hard to not let his mind wonder too much though. The higher they got, the more his mind swarmed. Every day they climbed the mountain, it felt like the top was calling for him. This was the case since the halfway point. One minute he was hearing the vicious wind¡­ Another it almost sounded like a voice singing a beautiful soft melody¡­ But whenever Kazius tried to focus on the song, it would return to being just violent wind.

    Kazius soon came back from his wondering mind and realized Alice had passed him.

    It was then when disaster struck, a combination of the shock of the realization and a particularly strong gust of wind at the same time would blow him off his feet.

    It happened oh too fast.

    Not even Damon would be able to save him from such a thing¡­ And the speed that he would be flung off the mountain would surely mean his death.

    But¡­ That never happened¡­ Before Damon had a chance to even register what happened or even try to save Kazius¡­ Or for Alice to even turn around to check on him¡­

    Kazius would realize he had just¡­ Stopped midair.

    Dazed, Kazius managed to look around after recovering from the shock and disorientation.

    Upon close inspections, he saw quite the oddity¡­

    Sure, Kazius had some control over the shadows and could even hear them speak at times¡­

    But¡­

    Nothing like this had happened before¡­

    His own shadow had come out of the ground and grabbed the dazed Kazius¡¯s hand. His shadow had come out of the ground and was now just staring into his eyes. Red glowing dots meeting his own red eyes. The shadow¡¯s expression was blank, there was no mouth of facial details, but Kazius could swear it was smirking as it began to pull him back to the ground.

    The glowing red eyes were not the only strange thing about it¡­ It was an odd-looking thing. Despite being a shadow, it had an odd ominous red glow around the edges.

    Kazius had no time to truly just study it¡­ Or for Alice and Damon to even get a good look at it before it would then just disappear, just like that. Just as fast as it had appeared.

    ¡®Unacceptable¡­Just who is this wind¡­ Daring to stop you¡­ How insolent¡¯ Kazius heard the one distinct voice say¡­

    The shadows were angry at the danger he had been in¡­ He could tell¡­ Every shadow on the mountain practically bubbling with rage¡­ The choir of the shadows were demanding retribution. Thankfully, they seemed to calm down, murmuring about an alternative¡­ Just ignoring the wind¡­

    ¡®Ignore it¡­¡¯

    ¡®Beneath you¡­¡¯

    The choir would chant among itself in agreement. They were louder than ever, screaming in his ear to the point it was overwhelming¡­ They grew louder and louder still¡­ But then¡­ They would suddenly grow quiet¡­ And with the disappearance of their chant, so would the sensation of the wind disappear.

    The chill from the wind faded into a nonexistent feeling to him. Neither his hair nor his clothes would move at the gusts anymore. Kazius could not wrap his head around the situation¡­ How could he just ignore it? Could the shadows literally just say ¡®no¡¯ to the wind on his behalf? How?

    Damon would call out to Kazius, concerned, but to Kazius it all sounded muffled. Alice had come to him, worried as well, but her words were just as quiet.

    Like faint ringing.

    What sounded clearer now though was the song that came from the top of the mountain.

    There really was a woman singing a beautiful song¡­ He had not just imagined it.

    ¡°I am fine, I will be back.¡± Kazius assured them even though he had no clue what they said.

    With that, he would run up towards the source, as if something was compelling him to do so. He wanted to learn who was singing in such a place. Something that was very easy now without the wind stopping him.

    Damon of course was doing just fine in the mountain and could follow Kazius, but Alice was another story. She still struggled, Damon would stay behind to make sure the two could safely catch up to Kazius.

    As Kazius went up the mountain, the peak would quickly come into view. The scene was beautiful, the sunset visible from the top as well as the other mountains out in the distance. The rivers in the valley reflected all the orange hues vividly.

    ¡®The song¡­ Where¡­¡¯

    ¡°To refuse ¡­ my song so openly¡­ You must be a stubborn one¡­ Or perhaps quite strong¡­¡± Kazius suddenly heard the feminine voice that had been singing, from right behind him.

    ¡°Or maybe you are too stupid to understand the insult you have just committed.¡±

 Chapter 46: The Peak of Mount Cyklon

    Kazius tensed up, wondering how the strange woman could have gotten behind him. Slowly turning around, he was went on his guard.

    ¡°Who-¡± Kazius began, wondering who she was and what she even meant by refusing her song.

    ¡°I suppose that is why I can¡¯t decide whether I should be angry at or impressed by you, Dark One¡­ Though considering how I owe you, it is hard to be angry¡­ I have never seen my Champion have so much fun¡­ Or even smile in such a way, even after granting him my power.¡± The strange woman would say.

    Now that Kazius had turned to see her, he realized this woman was actually no stranger. He had actually seen her multiple times before¡­ After all, there was a statue of her near his new home. Considering this was the peak of Mount Cyklon¡­ And her appearance, there was just no one else she could be.

    It was Vind, in the flesh. She really did live in this mountain.

    She was quite the beauty and her statue did not do her justice. Then again, she was a Goddess and the statue had been made by The First Chief, not some craftsman or artist.

    She had long green curly hair that would reach her rear, it constantly swayed in the wind that seemed to come from her herself. As for her eyes, they were a golden color that shined. Her clothes were a white robe adorned with gold and emeralds. Her face was adorned with nothing but irritation and it was directed at him.

    She sat on a rock; her legs crossed as she seemed to be drinking some wine from a glass. Where she even got such a thing while on a mountain¡­ Kazius had no clue.

    ¡®Vind? Is it really her? Champion? Is she talking about Damon?¡¯

    ¡°I am Vind, The Queen of the Winds. This mountain is my home¡­ As you can see, the wind in Mount Cyklon is my doing¡­ It is my song¡­ This is my domain¡­ Which you are intruding on, may I add. I will admit, I am surprised you manage to come into my realm¡­ Not even my Champion has managed that¡­ Even though I much rather speak with him than with you¡­ Yet you are the one here instead¡­ You even speak my tongue, how curious¡­ Though considering things, I suppose it is expected¡­ If I recall, your kind always does what they want¡­ All so insolent.¡± She would state, her words just came right after the other. It was like she never took a breath. Her words were like wind to the face that never stopped.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I could have offended you¡­ I don¡¯t even know what I did to stop the wind from affecting me, but I am sorry about that. It is nothing personal against your song. I also don¡¯t know what sort of experience you have with my kind, but I have never met anyone else like me¡­ So if you could tell me more about them, then I would be grateful¡­¡±Kazius questioned, feeling lost and a bit concerned that he already was disliked by the Goddess of his own people without even speaking to her much. Due to this, he tried to be as polite as he could, but that did not help the situation.

    ¡°I see¡­ How curious¡­ You know nothing.¡± Vind spoke to herself more than him. She barely acknowledged what he said, especially his apology. Their conversation was beginning to feel very one sided.

    ¡®She seems to be more aloof than Azanor when he is being evasive¡­ Great¡­ Am I even going to get answers from her? I will probably just keep the fact Vind doesn¡¯t seem to like me very much to myself¡­¡¯

    ¡°My Champion used to come here crying¡­ Hiding here, despite my wind¡­ He was such a scrawny and miserable little thing back then¡­ Even my favor did not stop his weeping¡­ But now he seems happier¡­ He considers you a friend, from what I have witnessed¡­ I suppose I could tell you something good, as thanks¡­ Even though I really don¡¯t want to help you¡­ And I wished my Champion picked better company¡­ Your actions and blood are enough reason for me to blow you off this mountain¡­ And you are oh so insolent¡­ No one has dared reject my beautiful song before¡­ Until you, Dark One¡­. You might be worse than your father¡­ I didn¡¯t even know Seselis had a son¡­ Yet there is no way you are anyone else¡¯s son other than that abhorrent umbra¡­ I had no clue anyone could be even more insolent than him¡­ Anyway¡­ Here is the one and only gift I will ever give you¡­ Seek out the Temple in Mount Ulf¡­ The secret entrance should be hidden in an archway of stones that seem to lead to nowhere¡­ Beware of the guardian¡­ The key is not needed if you have the shadows¡­ Now¡­ If you will excuse me¡­ I will return to enjoying my song and drink. Now go, Dark One¡­ And don¡¯t you dare show me your horrid face again. Take good care of my Champion.¡± She would dismiss with a wave like he was a fly, blowing wind at his face.

    ¡°Seselis? Wai-¡° Kazius began, but she barely let him get a word in.

    Before Kazius could protest or ask more questions, the wind would blow harder than ever for a second, blinding him temporarily, a gust purposefully hitting his eyes before he would find himself at the peak¡­ Alone¡­ An odd shrine now where Vind once stood, Vind¡¯s symbol right in the center of the stone shrine.

    Kazius frowned. Her dismissiveness greatly annoyed him and her attitude genuinely made him angry.

    ¡®First The Oracle screws with my life and now Vind treats me with disgust without me even doing anything¡­ I am really getting tired of all these so-called gods just messing with me¡­ If I don¡¯t believe in them, will they leave me the fuck alone? Though I guess they have been a bit helpful¡­ Even if they are annoying¡­¡¯

    ¡°Kazius!¡± He would then suddenly hear, snapping him out of his thoughts, Damon and Alice approaching.

    ¡°Are you okay? You never told us why you ran ahead¡­ The bet wasn¡¯t that serious, you know? I was worried when you almost slipped like that¡­¡± Alice stated in concern, panting from effort. After all, going to the top was not easy and at the moment, the wind was affecting her more intensely than ever. It was a miracle she could even breathe considering she was only Human.

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    ¡°I am fine¡­ I should be asking you that too¡­ You seem exhausted¡­ I¡¯m sorry for going off ahead¡­ I just wanted to check something.¡± Kazius responded, irritation fading from his face when he saw Alice. He looked concerned, his expression softening before he began helping her support her weight. She looked about ready to fall over.

    Damon sighed, looking relieved.

    ¡°That was crazy¡­ Your shadow just came out of nowhere! I had a mini heart attack when I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to grab you in time! You have no idea how worried I was! I had no idea you could do that! No point in worrying though¡­ I should be praising you! I am proud you made it up here, both of you! Just no running up ahead next time.¡± Damon scolded lightly. He was usually quite carefree, but he did worry about his friends.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ To both of you.¡± Kazius stated sheepishly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to worry you both.¡± He added with a small smile.

    ¡°It is okay.¡± Alice sighed out, catching her breath while leaning on him.

    ¡°I am happy though, other than The First Chief, we are the only ones to have seen the main shrine of Vind! Today is a day for celebration for sure! How about we go down and have a feast?¡¯ Damon questioned, forgetting about his concern and growing happy again.

    At the mention of Vind, it took a lot for Kazius to not make a face. He would not tell Damon something as bad as ¡®your Goddess is a bitch¡¯ or anything of the sort. So, he simply nodded, deciding to keep the secret of his meeting with her¡­ And when they got to Mount Ulf, he would have to naturally bring up the idea of going into the temple there¡­

    ¡®Still¡­ She said something else that was helpful¡­ Didn¡¯t she say I was the son of someone named Seselis?¡¯

    Kazius thought to himself. He supposed that would be a question for Azanor¡­ He might know who Seselis is¡­

    ¡®I just hope he actually answers when I ask him about Seselis¡­ I know Azanor acts paranoid whenever I bring up my kind¡­¡¯

    ¡°I think a celebration is a great idea¡­¡± Kazius agreed, going into thought. Normally Damon grabbed them and jumped down whenever they got tired¡­ Instead of walking all the way back down. Perhaps it was a bad idea, but Kazius was beginning to feel confident enough in getting down on his own. His own shadow catching him was giving him confidence in the attempt. Not to mention, he wanted to understand his power better and get stronger.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get down the mountain. I think I can get down on my own today.¡± Kazius added.

    Damon and Alice both looked surprised at the suggestion.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Alice asked in concern, clearly worried about what could go wrong.

    ¡°It is no trouble to help you down, that is what friends are for.¡± Damon assured in confusion.

    ¡°I know, but, I am sure. I have an idea. I am confident it will be fine. You should also know by now, I can manage something like this, I got us up that wall back at Remus and down from it too. If you want to try anything, I could probably catch you too.¡± Kazius reassured with a small grin, starting to feel more confident in himself and his abilities.

    ¡°I think I want to try too then¡­ All this wind from the mountain gave me a bit of an idea.¡± Alice stated eagerly.

    ¡°Buahaha! Look at you two! And here I thought you couldn¡¯t make me prouder! Alright then, how about a race down? This time I can participate too!¡± Damon beamed eagerly with a wide grin.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going down!¡± Alice beamed, excited at yet another race. After all, she wanted to redeem herself since she lost the race up Mount Cyklon.

    ¡°Well, I would hope so. I am going down, before you do.¡± Kazius teased playfully.

    ¡°You know what I meant.¡± Alice stated with an eyeroll and grin.

    The trio would approach the edge of the mountain, able to spot quite the crow had formed even from this distance. A lot of people were waiting for them.

    ¡°On 3?¡± Alice questioned.

    ¡°That will make it fairer.¡± Kazius agreed.

    ¡°Alright¡­ 3¡­ 2¡­ 1!¡± Kazius decided to count before they would all get a head start over the edge.

    Damon went down a lot faster than usual without having to carry them, he used the wind to go down faster, while also bracing himself to cushion his fall.

    Kazius had been curious about what Alice intended to do. After all, he couldn¡¯t think of a power she had that could help her, but she had sounded so confident that he didn¡¯t argue. What she did surprised him for sure, as well as her speed.

    After taking the leap off the mountain, Alice would quickly draw her massive heirloom sword, crouching in the air as she held onto the hilt. Her violet eyes seemed to almost shine for a second before she started to fly down quickly on it , controlling the metal of her blade to go down even faster than even Damon. The friction from such a thing was of course intense, but it was probably nothing compared to the wind of Mount Cyklon.

    As for Kazius, he fell down the mountain with incredible speed, not doing anything for a while at first, which was how he had time to study Alice and Damon. It was then when he saw the shadows in the distance of the foot of the mountain where everyone was waiting. Last time he had to climb the wall at Remus, he moves along flat surfaces from shadow to shadow¡­ But Kazius realized¡­ If the shadows had arms, mouths, ears, and could even become him¡­ He realized that he could become them¡­ Why wouldn¡¯t he be able to? Just like how they could become him to save him, the reverse should be true.

    With that logic in mind, despite Alice being in the lead in their race, Kazius simply took the place of the shadow he saw in the distance. Deciding to appear next to Azanor to mess with him.

    ¡°So, what are we looking at?¡± Kazius joked, looking up at the others as they landed, blending with the crowd since they were too busy looking up to notice him.

    At his sudden appearance, not only was Azanor a bit surprised, but as Alice began to land triumphantly, her sword stopping midair when she noticed him.

    ¡°What?! Oh, come on!¡± Alice whined, clearly wanting to win this time.

    Damon was the last to land, ¡°Buhaha! I can¡¯t believe you both beat me down! Looks like I have some training to do!¡± He beamed.

    Azanor had been surprised, but considering he could fully actually teleport himself; likely a normal ability for Demons, he was not too surprised to see Kazius could manage something similar.

    ¡°Congratulations.¡± Azanor stated at all of them.

    ¡°You were so high up! Good job!¡± Eve exclaimed happily, clapping.

    ¡°Chief! I did not see you go down! To think we have 3 people able to make it to the top of Mount Cyklon! Vind surely is smiling upon us with blessings! It must be a sign of great things to come during your leadership! I insist on a feast. In fact, one should already be waiting for us.¡± Egil stated in awe, admiration in every word he said and on his face.

    Kazius struggled to not grimace. He was excited for the feast, but at the mention of Vind¡­ Well, he supposed what his people didn¡¯t know wouldn¡¯t hurt them. After all, if they discovered Vind hated him, that would cause a rebellion for sure¡­ Thankfully, considering Vind had been unable to talk to even Damon¡­ Her telling such things to anyone else was unlikely.

 Chapter 47: Celebrations and Worries

    Alice and Damon were in an incredible mood thanks to their achievement. All of Vargstam was overjoyed, but Kazius could not find it within him to act carefree in the celebration.

    Kazius had began to finally feel like an adequate ruler¡­ And now here he was, feeling like a total imposter. He knew no one knew of his conversation with Vind, yet paranoia began to swell within him.

    The Tribe finally seemed happy to have him as a ruler. After his achievement today, he could see the admiration in their gaze. They looked at him not like an outsider, but a Chief blessed by Vind herself¡­ How easy would it be for Vind to change that with just one conversation with anyone. Egil for example was very dedicated when it came to Vind¡­ If he ever caught word of her disdain for Kazius¡­

    Thankfully she was not capable of something like that now, but she spoke to the first Chief somehow¡­

    It took a lot for Kazius to not scowl at the thought. Banning going to Mount Cyklon was not possible and would seem too odd¡­ But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that sometime in the future he may have to do something about Vind.

    The person she would be most likely to talk to though was Damon¡­ Which did bring to question¡­ What would he do if Vind told him how much she despised Kazius and wished he spent time with someone else? Would he stop being Kazius¡¯ friend if Vind told him to? Would he turn against him?

    Kazius sighed, the whole situation giving him a headache.

    ¡°Kazius, are you alright? Everyone is celebrating, but you have been staring at the food and sighing for 10 minutes straight. Are you tired of fish, there is Svinfant in the other table you know?¡± Alice asked curiously.

    ¡°Huh? Oh, sorry, Alice. I¡¯ve just been thinking a lot is all.¡± Kazius admitted as he ran a hand through his hair, trying to just clear his head.

    ¡°Well, I am not sure what is worrying you, but just know I think you¡¯re amazing¡­ I still can¡¯t believe you beat us down. I really thought I won. You should be proud.  Leading people is never easy, but if you let only problems in, you will never be able to just relax¡­ You should allow yourself to feel proud and happy. Everyone matters, but so do you. Remember that.¡± Alice told him with a warm smile, reaching to hold his hand for a second.

    ¡°I liked dancing with you last time, want to dance with me again?¡± Alice would follow up.

    Her words surprised Kazius quite a bit, leaving him rather flustered and speechless. She had no idea what was on his mind, but she was quite supportive all the same. Even with such a big issue on his mind, her words made his problems feel just a little lighter.

    ¡°Thank you for that¡­ And I would love to.¡± Kazius admitted with a smile, accepting the hand that she had reached out with, holding it up and kissing the back of it.

    Despite this, even now Kazius was in denial about how he felt about Alice. Though at his actions, he could not help but notice he got quite the amused look from Damon while Azanor simply raised an eyebrow at him. Eve herself gave them quite a curious expression, stopping her dancing with Azanor to stare a little.

    At the kiss and stares, there was an obvious pink on Alice¡¯s cheeks. He almost wanted to tease her and say that if she got anymore pink, she would match her hair¡­ But he decided to spare her from that.

    With that, Kazius began to dance with her once again. Despite how different the music was, the two still danced in a way closely resembling how dancing was done in Ratier¡¯s high society. It contrasted with the wilder music that was played but did not look bad. They were dancing to the same hidden tune that was familiar to them both.

    Kazius was not sure how long the two danced together, but by the time their dance finished, Kazius felt a lot better, and the party was beginning to tone down.

    It was late, the sun was already gone and replaced by the moon.

    ¡°Thank you for the dance¡­ Looks like we got carried away.¡± Kazius admitted, a bit embarrassed.

    ¡°No, thank you¡­ And I think we did, but I don¡¯t mind¡­ Though after all that¡­ I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t tired. I think we should head back.¡± Alice admitted sheepishly.

    ¡°I think so too, let¡¯s go. I will walk with you to your room.¡± Kazius stated, looking around as he noticed Azanor and Eve were not around. Perhaps they had gone ahead. Damon and Caleb looked like they had no intention of heading back yet though. The two were helping clean up after the party with Egil.

    As Kazius walked Alice to their home and headed to her room, the two were quite silent and awkward.

    Once they got to the actual door, it did not get any better.

    Alice seemed to stare at Kazius. She stared at him for a good while, as if considering something, but was hesitating. Kazius could have sworn she seemed to reach out up for him a little, but then quickly stopped herself. She averted her gaze when she noticed Kazius staring back at her.

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    ¡°U-Uh¡­ Good night.¡± Alice stated in embarrassment, practically fleeing the scene.

    ¡°Good night¡­¡± Kazius managed to say just barely before she shut the door. He did not understand why she seemed so embarrassed or felt the need to run off like that, didn¡¯t they have a good time today?

    He shrugged the event off, deciding to go look for Azanor. After all, after his talk with Vind, he needed answers, and he was the only one that could give them. Not to mention, even though Azanor was just as secretive as him, for some reason the two seemed to confide in each other more than anyone else.

    It was almost funny to think about the fact that the friend that he trusted with most of his secrets was a Demon. He wondered what he would have thought if someone a year ago had told him such a thing would happen.

    With that, he would head over to Azanor and Eve¡¯s room. He did not want to disturb Eve, but he needed to get Azanor to come out. There was no way he could sleep with everything he had on his mind.

    Kazius did feel bad for disturbing Azanor, but he had no other choice. He would try and visualize Azanor¡¯s shadow in the other room to get it to motion Azanor to the door. After all, Azanor did not sleep¡­ So Kazius hoped this would work. If he knocked then Eve would be woken up too and that was not ideal.

    Thankfully, the door opening and revealing a confused looking Azanor showed that it worked. Azanor quietly shut the door behind him.

    ¡°Did you need something? Don¡¯t we normally talk in the morning, why did you come now? You still need some sleep, don¡¯t you?¡± Azanor asked in confusion.

    ¡°I do need sleep, but I would not be able to. I need to talk to you about something important.¡± Kazius admitted, unable to hide the concern on his face.

    Azanor seemed surprised and confused by Kazius¡¯ statement but nodded in understanding.

    ¡°Got it, alright, come on. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want anyone listening in, let¡¯s head to the valley¡­ Everyone should be still at the party or heading to bed.¡± Azanor agreed, heading off somewhere secluded to be careful.

    The two would slip away without anyone seeing them, going to the valley that led to the mountains. The two made sure not to speak until they got there.

    ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡± Azanor finally asked.

    ¡°For starters, Vind really does live in Mount Cyklon, Azanor. I saw her. She spoke to me¡­ And to put it lightly, she hates me and everything about my kind.¡± Kazius admitted with a frown, gritting his teeth at the thought of what would happen if anyone heard such a thing.

    At his words, Azanor perked up, but did not seem surprised.

    ¡°I could tell she lives up there, that is why I did not want to go up Mount Cyklon¡­ Well that and there is no point¡­ But I had a feeling there was a strong presence there¡­ Normally talking to beings like that isn¡¯t easy though¡­ How did you even manage something like that?¡± Azanor questioned, seeming to understand his concern.

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated¡­ For starters I should explain something. I have not been fully transparent with you about my powers¡­ I have been hearing The Shadows talk for some time¡­ They can¡¯t hold conversations with me, but they¡­ Tell me things, they warn me¡­ They speak at me, but they don¡¯t ever respond to me when I try and start a conversation, not really. ¡± Kazius began, deciding to come clean about that.

    ¡°They TALK to you and you have tried to TALK back to them? Are you out of your mind?! Kazius, you are messing with things you shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Azanor questioned in alarm, slapping his hand on his face in exasperation at his friend¡¯s actions.

    Kazius frowned, he knew Azanor would freak out at this, but he knew Azanor was not entirely wrong to want him to not mess with such power.

    ¡°I am a Shadow Fiend, Azanor. Messing with such things is what I am supposed to do! You might not eat souls anymore, but you use your power. Power you probably gained by eating souls, but you need it to be able to defend yourself and Eve. I am no different than you in that! You are teaching Eve Dark Magic! What is even the difference!?¡± Kazius snapped, his frustration, paranoia, and anger making him act out and take out his anger on Azanor.

    ¡°No! It is different! I taught you how to feel for your powers, to use your own ability, but you are actively talking to the shadows! And now you are shouting that name that I told you to keep quiet with! Are you mental!? What if they hear you!? I am trying to spare your soul from corruption you fucking idiot! Dark Magic is just a broad term that mortals use, they are different, do you understand me?! Demon magic is Dark Magic, Necromancy is Dark Magic, Magic that is focused on harming bodies from within is Dark Magic¡­ All of them are harmless compared to the powers you are messing with! Use your own power, but don¡¯t try to speak to The Shadows, why is that so hard to understand!? You will not like what happens when they finally hear you!¡± Azanor snapped back at him, their conversation devolving into an angry shouting match. It was good they were in the woods alone.

    ¡°They can always hear us, whispering doesn¡¯t do shit! There is no point! They are always listening! They just choose to ignore us!¡±

    ¡°HOW THE FUCK DO YOU THINK SAYING THAT MAKES THIS BETTER?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY ARE ALWAYS LISTENING!?¡±

    At Kazius¡¯ words, Azanor looked absolutely terrified. His friend¡¯s horrified expression was enough to make Kazius decide to calm down and be more understanding. He was frustrated and upset about Azanor¡¯s evasiveness and the implications of Vind¡¯s disdain for him, but he should not take out his anger on Azanor.

    ¡°Azanor, please. I need answers. This situation is bad and at the very least I want to understand myself and the situation I am in. I need to know who I am and everything at my disposal. Believe me, it is important.¡± Kazius pleaded.

    Azanor frowned, clearly not liking the situation one bit. He did not like Kazius playing with The Shadows to the extent he was, that much was for sure. He was also worried about Kazius¡¯ soul, but Kazius believed that he was being paranoid. Even after all he had attempted, he had only grown stronger¡­ His soul was perfectly fine. He was himself and still cared about his friends¡­ And was determined to stop the possible disaster The Demon King would bring. To Kazius, nothing had changed, or so he believed.

    Azanor stared at Kazius in silence. There was almost a look of contempt on Azanor¡¯s face. After all, Kazius still even now was not telling Azanor why it was so important. Still, Azanor had a lot of important secrets himself. If anyone understood where Kazius was coming from, it was him.

    Azanor sighed, taking a deep breath in defeat. He looked incredibly frustrated with Kazius.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I make a normal friend? One that doesn¡¯t hate me, but isn¡¯t trying to get us killed? I REALLY, REALLY rather you pick a better Hobby¡­ Like Necromancy or something¡­ Glue corpses together for all I care.¡± Azanor grumbled half-jokingly before his expression returned to serious. He looked almost limp, like he had given up.

    ¡°Fine, tell me everything that happened and I will answer anything you ask. I am already involved in this anyway. Screw it all.¡±

 Chapter 48: Seselis

    ¡°Thank you¡­ Anyway, cheer up. You enjoy suffering. This can¡¯t be that bad.¡± Kazius mused sheepishly.

    ¡°Of others, not my own. You are the second friend I have that I am close to and isn¡¯t an asshole but has a death wish.¡± Azanor admitted in irritation.

    At his words, Kazius grew curious. His words implied that he once had other friends, but he wasn¡¯t that close to them. It also implied there was one that he had been close to that was as¡­ Reckless as himself.

    In terms of past friends, Azanor usually only ever brought up Zelphar, Ratier, and Thimdur¡­ And his bad experience with the trio¡­ Hard to blame him though, considering they ruined his life and even his marriage with their actions. Still, he had likely known many other people before he was sealed away. For starters, considering there were 4 Monsters involved in the war with Demons, he might have some friends out there that were still alive¡­ Though they had never come up in conversation before.

    ¡°Second?¡± Kazius questioned.

    ¡°We are not talking about that now, let¡¯s focus on this.¡± Azanor responded with a huff, not happy about the conversation, but he at least was cooperating.

    ¡°Fine¡­ Look, the reason I am coming clean about my powers and The Shadows talking is simple. When we were going up Mount Cyklon, I almost got blown off that fucking mountain. Then suddenly my Shadow came out of the ground and saved me. By the time it helped me on my feet, The Shadows were angry. Next thing I know, they are talking to themselves, something they have not done before. I thought they were going to bring down the mountain with how upset they sounded¡­ But instead, the wind stopped affecting me. They said it was beneath me or something like that¡­ I didn¡¯t even know they could affect me like that¡­¡± Kazius summarized at first, his words earning him a raised brow from Azanor.

    On one hand, it seemed like Azanor was not aware Shadow Fiends could do something like that¡­ But the look he gave was more of someone who found out new information, not that someone that was surprised at a ridiculous ability.

    ¡°Anyway, that pissed Vind off¡­ So not only does she hate my kind, but she hates me personally. I think if Damon was not my friend, she may have not let me go so easily¡­ She gave me advice for Damon¡¯s sake too, but that is as far as her benevolence goes towards me. I¡­ I can¡¯t risk her talking to the Tribe. Who knows what they would do if they knew how Vind felt about me. That is half of what I need help with.¡± Kazius summarized, the thought of Vind talking to Egil or Damon stressed him out.

    ¡°Half?¡± Azanor questioned, wanting to know the rest.

    ¡°The other half isn¡¯t really a problem I need help with, but rather I need a clarification of something Vind said¡­ It seemed like it might even be the main reason she despises me so much.¡± Kazius admitted, unsure of how Azanor would even react to the name she gave him.

    After all, Azanor made it very clear that anything involving Shadow Fiends terrified him¡­ Even if he had not once really explained why with proper reasoning. It all sounded like silly superstition to Kazius¡­ Simply fear of the unknown.

    ¡°Well? Out with it.¡± Azanor responded in annoyance at his stalling.

    ¡°She kept calling me Dark One and said something about how I am as insolent as my father and do whatever I want¡­ It seems like she knows him¡­ Does the name Seselis mean anything to you?¡± Kazius finally asked.

    As Kazius spoke, it was almost like at each word Azanor only grew more and more horrified. The already pale Demon looked as white as his hair when Kazius finally spoke the name.

    When Kazius said the name though¡­ Azanor was not the only one that acted strange. The Shadows started whispering to each other, a choir growing louder and louder in the dark woods. There was no wind, but the trees seemed to sway as if there was.

    After a while, they finally quieted down, but after that The Shadows were acting strange. Kazius had a feeling they were talking among themselves, but he could not hear them¡­ Something they had not done before¡­ It unnerved him. He did not like being excluded by them.

    ¡®Did I upset The Shadows by saying that name? Or are they excited? I can¡¯t tell¡­¡¯

    Still, Kazius decided not worry. The Shadows protected him, he believed them to only watch out for his best interest. They had given him no reason to believe otherwise.

    Azanor was quiet for a bit, before suddenly beginning to shake¡­ A sound he made snapped Kazius out of his thoughts.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ HAHAHAHA¡­¡± Azanor was laughing. The laugh was not a happy laugh, but more of a panicked and defeated one of someone cornered in an awful situation with nothing left to do other than laugh. It was an absolutely unhinged laugh.

    ¡°Hahahaha! Of course you are his son, that is just¡­ Of course this is the situation I am in¡­ It is just one fucking thing after the other¡­¡± Azanor stated in exasperation. Kazius could not help but feel guilty. Kazius knew Azanor had not had it easy since a thousand years ago¡­ And now apparently his father was¡­ Well, someone not good¡­ To the extent it was stressing out the poor Demon.

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    ¡°I¡¯m guessing he is not a good person? I mean¡­ I ended up in a Human orphanage out of all things¡­¡± Kazius questioned sheepishly, trying to lighten the mood a little. He was starting to worry about his friend¡¯s mental state from everything¡­ Not like his own was any better, but still.

    ¡°Yeah, ¡®Not a good person¡¯ doesn¡¯t even begin to cover it, Kazius. I would not even call him a person.¡± Azanor stated in panic, struggling to keep himself together to talk.

    ¡°First¡­ Please¡­ If you can do me any favor¡­ Any favor at all Mr. ¡®They are always listening to us anyway¡­¡¯ Don¡¯t say that name ever again, thanks.¡± Azanor began, grabbing at his hair like he wanted to pull it out from stress.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    ¡°Second¡­ I want to talk about him as little as possible¡­ But if I die mid conversation, this is on you. If I have a soul, I will haunt you. I promise¡­¡± Azanor began, not delving further on why he emphasized the ¡®if¡¯ on whether or not he had a soul.

    ¡°For starters, he is the whole reason I tell you to not talk to the voices you hear¡­ When it comes to Shadow Fiends¡­ As terrifying as they are¡­ he is the one you should fear more than anything else¡­ To be honest, you were safer in an orphanage than raised by him¡­ I wouldn¡¯t know how you ended up in such a place¡­ But whoever put you there, likely did so to protect you¡­ That is probably the least your mother could do after laying with such a being out of all things¡­ She may have placed you there to hide you from him.¡± Azanor began, sweating as he spoke.

    ¡°Like I said before, we know very little about your kind¡­ But speak to anyone who is old enough and they will know that name. Before The Demon King was even born¡­ Before me¡­ Before even the most Beyond Ancient Dragon now was even a thought¡­ A long time ago, the world was almost lost from a different threat entirely. Eternal darkness threatened to consume all light and life along with it. The continent was a giant nightmare, even by Demon standards¡­ The culprit behind it all was¡­¡± Azanor took a deep breath as if bracing himself, pure fear in his eyes.

    ¡°Seselis¡­ The Eternal Lord of Shadow¡­ The King of The Shadow Fiends. The Abyss¡­ He was so powerful that The Gods got involved to bring him down¡­ Everyone believed him to be dead until around The Demon War.¡± Azanor admitted nervously. When Azanor spoke of The Demon King, there was usually only disrespect in his tone, but as Azanor spoke of Seselis¡­ It was almost like he was making sure to pay respect in his tone¡­ At least as much as he could while also expressing the danger.

    Kazius was honestly horrified to hear such a thing about his lineage. He had a cold chill at the thought of meeting such an incomprehensible horror.

    ¡°So, they did not manage to kill him? How did you even manage to find out about something that happened so long ago? You can¡¯t be that old, right?¡± Kazius asked in awe, but also concern.

    Azanor frowned at Kazius¡¯ words, his fear mixing with an offended expression.

    ¡°Do I look that old to you? Demons are immortal, yes, but no. I am not. This is something I heard from my grandfather¡­ I will have you know that I am only 1,243 years old. A perfectly YOUNG Demon.¡± Azanor responded in irritation, apparently a sore spot for him. Then again, he spent most of his life locked up¡­ So, it was rather understandable.

    ¡°But aren¡¯t ancient dragons like 1,000-¡± Kazius began only to earn him a glare, so he quieted down. After all, Azanor was doing him a favor and putting his life on the line by speaking of such a being, even repeating his name for Kazius¡¯ sake¡­

    ¡°Like I was saying¡­ No, I am not. My grandfather told me about it. The war against your father is the reason behind why The Gods are not in this realm anymore. He did not meet your father personally, but he was around during that time. Like I said, few have met Shadow Fiends in general and survived to tell about it¡­ Anyway¡­ Removing your father¡¯s influence and power forced them to move to a different realm that just barely touches ours¡­ But because of that, who they can influence and where they anchor themselves is rather limited. Had they not done that though, they would have disappeared altogether.¡± Azanor continued with the history lesson.

    ¡°Vind hating me is starting to seem less unreasonable.¡± Kazius admitted, dejected. He was not a fan of how Vind treated him, but at the same time¡­ It did make sense¡­ Still, he was not his father. Should he not at least get the benefit of doubt?

    ¡°I saw first-hand the evidence that he was still alive¡­ During the Demon War¡­ Demons never guessed I betrayed them¡­ I was an outsider due to how I behaved, sure¡­ But they never suspected someone like me¡­ It was not until towards the very end that I fought Demons myself¡­ Information matters, and what I did is the only reason those idiotic heroes even stood a chance¡­ But¡­ Once Demons saw they were losing¡­ I saw firsthand the consequences of messing with The Shadows¡­ It is your father¡¯s domain¡­ Your kind¡¯s domain¡­ And not respecting that¡­ Was a mistake¡­¡± Azanor admitted, looking almost as if he was staring past Kazius and at a horrific memory.

    ¡°The Dark Arts often have overlap¡­ If you have a talent for one, sometimes you can find you have talent for another¡­ So, they figured¡­. Eat enough souls¡­ Without your father to enforce his claim over his domain¡­ Some Demons brought up the idea of attempting to tap into The Shadows to increase their power. A way to gain the strength to force mortals to accept their fate as cattle¡­ The Shadow Demon Project they called it¡­ What was left of the Demons that attempted that¡­¡± Azanor began to shake in fear.

    ¡°If you want to live, you will respect The Abyss¡­ The only reason you can use your power is because you have your blood¡­ The permission to¡­ But do not try to do more than you should¡­ Please¡­ Be careful, Kazius. I wish I could tell you more¡­ But thankfully, I never met your kind and I hope you are the only one of them that I will ever meet¡­ And above all¡­ Do not do anything that will make him notice you¡­ Whoever sent you to Ratier was trying to save you¡­ Don¡¯t make it all be for nothing. For everyone¡¯s sakes. Your powers are safe to use as long as they are your own, otherwise I would not have taught you how to tap into it¡­ The Shadows you use now are your own power and strength¡­ But if you get greedy¡­ Who knows what will happen.¡± Azanor pleaded.

    Before Kazius could answer his friends¡¯ plea¡­. Kazius finally noticed something¡­ Damon was standing not too far, hiding, eavesdropping¡­ His Shadows had not warned him¡­ They had been acting strange since Kazius said Seselis¡¯ name¡­ But to think that it affected them so much to the point that they did not warn him¡­ It was clear that he should avoid saying it in the future¡­ It was almost like¡­ Kazius shook his thought away. That did not matter¡­ Not at the moment.

    What mattered was¡­ How much of their conversation did Damon hear?

 Chapter 49: Plans

    Azanor and Kazius were both frozen as they stared at Damon in horror.

    A cold chill ran through Kazius, fear overcoming him. After all¡­ If the people from Vargstam heard even just half of what the two were discussing, a revolt would be inevitable¡­ And all of Kazius¡¯ preparation would have been for nothing.

    It was then that Kazius got a frightening thought.

    ¡®Perhaps I should just kill him¡­¡¯

    Kazius was spooked by his own thoughts, quickly dismissing them. It didn¡¯t sound like him¡­ No¡­ He couldn¡¯t do that. Damon was his friend¡­ A real friend unlike Leo and Alex¡­ But he also could not afford to have Damon turning on him¡­ The situation was just a terrible one all around.

    There was no attempt to explain anything that Damon had heard. After all, they were not the only ones that looked horrified¡­ Damon looked just as horrified as them, but at what he heard. His eyes were wide, but he did manage to compose himself.

    It was then he finally spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for listening in¡­ I¡­ I had a question for you, but then your room was empty¡­ So, then I went to go and find you¡­ I¡¯m a pretty good tracker¡­¡± Damon began, speaking in quite the quiet manner that was almost unnerving to hear from him. It was always so strange when Damon was so serious.

    His expression showed shame at being caught eavesdropping¡­ But there was a hint of uneasiness. This fact combined with his tone meant that that it was safe to assume that Damon had heard everything.

    Kazius mentally scolded himself, if he had been patient and just waited for tomorrow then this would not have happened¡­ He should have just spoken to Azanor in the morning like he normally did.

    Damon took a deep breath before smiling at Kazius apologetically, ¡°Look, Kazius¡­ We can¡¯t pick our fathers¡­ I know that more than anyone¡­ I understand how you feel. I don¡¯t care what you are¡­ I know you are a good person¡­ I don¡¯t know if you understand it¡­ But you all saved me¡­ Especially Alice and you¡­¡± Damon continued, his expression turning into a slightly somber grin.

    ¡°You guys saved me¡­ All Vind ever did for me was give me a power and a spear I did not ask for¡­ She blessed me¡­ She blessed my father¡­ She blessed my grandfather¡­ And maybe she did bless me more than she did them¡­ But I never wanted any of it. All I wanted was to not be alone¡­ Not power¡­ If anything¡­ The power she gave me only made me more alone¡­¡± Damon admitted with a frown. After all, he did speak about how the stronger he got, the more afraid of him his mother had become back when he was a child.

    It was then that Damon looked surprisingly angry.

    ¡°So, don¡¯t look at me like you did¡­ Ever again. Don¡¯t you dare¡­ After all we have gone through¡­ Don¡¯t you dare act like I would tell anyone¡­ Even if you were the worst person in the world, Kazius¡­ I would follow you until the end. To Hell and back.¡± Damon said with surprising firmness and seriousness. There seemed to be zero doubt in his eyes as he said this. He meant every word and Kazius knew it. Damon felt an immense debt towards his friends for saving him from his isolation. The loyalty Damon felt was unawavering.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ Damon¡­ Really¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I just¡­ All of this has me on edge.¡± Kazius admitted, his tenseness fading into pure relief to the point he almost felt like he would shed tears¡­ But he managed to keep it together.

    Azanor smiled at this. He seemed satisfied, perhaps also thinking about how different his current friends were from his former ones.

    ¡°I hope you know you are in deep shit with us now¡­ Now that you know all of this¡­ It is dangerous knowledge. The name you heard, I would not repeat it even when talking to each other¡­ For your own sake.¡± Azanor stated as he crossed his arms, holding his cane to his chest.

    ¡°I got it. I understood that much.¡± Damon stated with a nod.

    ¡°I hope from now own you won¡¯t keep stuff like this from me, Kazius¡­ I thought we were best friends.¡± Damon scolded with a more relaxed and goofier grin.

    ¡°No more secrets between the three of us¡­¡± Kazius agreed with a sigh.

    ¡°Though when it comes to stuff like this¡­ Azanor and I usually chat about it early in the morning before anyone else gets up¡­ Tonight was just¡­ Well¡­ Urgent.¡± Kazius admitted sheepishly.

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    ¡°Early? I get up early usually¡­ I will join you then.¡± Damon beamed, cheering up despite the seriousness of the situation.

    ¡°That is fine with me.¡± Azanor agreed, seeming more open to sharing something with Damon too¡­ Then again, Damon had been an open book with them all.

    ¡°Nothing we speak of leaves this place though¡­ Not even Alice can know.¡± Kazius stated firmly. He wanted to tell Alice the truth of things¡­ But¡­ He was actually afraid, perhaps she would react how Damon did¡­ But¡­ Whether Kazius wanted to admit it or not¡­ He liked her¡­ And he was afraid of rejection in a different sense¡­ Perhaps he would let her in on things later¡­ Though he was certain she would be angry at him when he finally told her things.

    ¡°Not even Alice¡­ I feel bad, but I understand.¡± Damon agreed after hesitation.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Kazius stated, feeling like some weight was lifted off of him.

    ¡°As for Egil¡­ I think if Vind tries talking to anyone it would be me¡­ I think it will be safe¡­ He will never find out. She has only ever showed interest in my family.¡± Damon assured.

    ¡°But what if she does? Aren¡¯t you afraid of her taking away your power or something?¡± Kazius questioned, wondering if Vind could even do such a thing¡­ Then again, the Tribe seemed to be born with these powers at this point¡­

    ¡®I guess we will find out whether she can do that or not¡­¡¯

    Still, if Vind hated Kazius before¡­ She would surely despise him even more now. Damon was his friend, but Kazius doubted that she expected Damon to choose Kazius over her. Even Kazius wasn¡¯t expecting such a thing.

    ¡°Buahaha! I don¡¯t care if she does. I was strong enough on my own before she intervened, I don¡¯t need her power. I have my own strength.¡± Damon laughed out with a shrug, meaning every word he said.

    ¡°Hm¡­ Well¡­ Like I said, Gods have limited influence now because of what happened¡­ For her to speak to your ancestor like she did¡­ It is very rare considering the amount of power and effort it takes¡­ Her blessing you also likely took a lot of effort. I don¡¯t think she will be able to speak to anyone other than you for a while¡­ And even then¡­¡± Azanor could not help but allow a slightly twisted expression to appear on his face. It was no secret what suffering did to a Demon¡­ And whether Azanor liked it or not, imagining Vind¡¯s expression at learning her chosen had turned away from her was likely quite the enjoyable image.

    ¡°Losing the loyalty of one¡¯s chosen is quite the blow to a God¡­ It would take a century for her to recover from such a thing. So as long as none of us say anything about it, no one will know.¡± Azanor concluded while in thought.

    ¡°Which gives us plenty of time to try and guide the loyalty of Vargstam away from her.¡± Kazius agreed, relieved and content¡­ Perhaps everything would not be lost after all¡­

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Azanor responded with a smirk.

    Of course, the statement did make Kazius think¡­ A century¡­ Most Humans did not even make it to such an age¡­ Kazius was half Shadow Fiend and half some sort of humanoid being¡­ He was a Monster¡­ And he was beginning to realize he was thinking in a time frame that was unattainable to most. Azanor spoke of a century as if it were nothing and it took Kazius a bit to even realize how alarming such a time frame would be to someone like Alice¡­ Something Kazius did not want to think about though.

    ¡°How long does your kind usually live, Damon?¡±  Kazius decided to ask.

    ¡°My grandpa was killed at 120 something¡­ So that is a good question¡­ I am¡­ I think I¡¯m 30¡­ Caleb probably knows my age. I think making it to 150 is normal though.¡± Damon admitted with a shrug, not seeming to care about his own birthday, from the sound of it he probably didn¡¯t even know what day it was.

    ¡°Not too different from Humans then¡­ It will be a whole generation before Vind can do anything¡­¡± Azanor stated with a nod to himself.

    The whole situation gave Kazius mixed feelings. Their plotting right now was nefarious¡­ But it was for a good cause¡­ He needed to unite more Monsters for the future¡­ He was grateful for his friends¡¯ help¡­ But he also did not want to lead them down a bad path¡­

    ¡®I need to get stronger and get more power so things like this don¡¯t become necessary.¡¯ Kazius thought to himself.

    ¡°Then going forward that is what we will do¡­ We need to put resources towards a school.¡± Kazius decided.

    ¡°A school?¡± Damon questioned, not sure what that was exactly.

    ¡°A place for learning for children¡­ They will learn to read and write¡­ But¡­ it is also an opportunity. The Church in Ratier did their best to manipulate us to think how they wanted during it. It was almost nonstop for someone like me who lived at one of their Orphanages¡­ And it works¡­ I learned to read and write, but for a while I was following what they said without any doubt.¡± Kazius agreed, feeling a bit upset with himself for resulting to such a tactic.

    ¡°And here I thought Demons were devious.¡± Azanor responded with a raised brow, admiration in his stone.

    Whether he was referring to Kazius or The Church, Kazius was not sure.

    ¡°We should get Caleb to teach. He is smart.¡± Damon agreed, seeming to either not realize or not care about how morally questionable their plan was.

    ¡°I will just need to tweak the studying materials¡­ It will be subtle.¡± Kazius assured while in thought, a bit horrified with himself. High Priest Jordan would be proud at such an idea¡­ Well, if he did not hate Monsters that is.

    Still, The Demon King would come¡­ The idea it would take a century was idealistic¡­ The preparations was good for long term¡­ But Kazius knew that time was not on their side. If Azanor was able to find a way to free himself¡­ The Demon King was likely not too far behind. At best they had a few years¡­ Due to this, deep down Kazius felt like there was more to his own planning than just some virtuous drive to protect the world. Yet here he was¡­ Plotting something to keep him in power for over a century¡­

    Whether he wanted to admit it or not...

    He craved power.

 Chapter 50: For The Future of Vargstam

    Seeing as they were all in agreement, the group decided to head back. After all, it was late¡­ And tomorrow Kazius had something to take care of now.

    Still, any feeling of uneasiness did not fade at all. After all, while the main concerns he had were now addressed¡­ Now he had a new concern. The fact that Damon was able spy on them without his shadows saying a word was still something that worried him. Would they no longer warn him in the future? Did saying Seselis¡¯ name do something he can¡¯t reverse?

    The Shadows looked out for him, seemed to want what was best for him¡­ But¡­ With how they behaved¡­ Kazius realized that perhaps they were more loyal to his father rather than him. It was perhaps a fact he would have to make peace with.

    ¡®As long as I follow Azanor¡¯s advice¡­ Things should be fine¡­ I am nowhere near desperate enough to try to use power that is not mine¡­ I guess I just need to just use my powers like I have been¡­ But make sure I keep the distinction between me¡­ And them¡­¡¯

    It was almost like he could hear a hiss of disapproval at the thought from The Shadows. They seemed to almost know what he was thinking.

    ¡®You can try to deny it, but you are us and we are you.¡¯ Kazius heard the distinct voice say.

    Kazius frowned at this. He did not want to admit it, but he knew it was right. Still, Azanor could have not spelled out what was at stake any clearer. Kazius needed to be careful¡­ He decided to avoid the temptation of responding to the voice.

    Kazius would continue to think to himself as he waited for Azanor and Damon to go ahead. He did not want them to all go back together¡­ If anyone spotted them meeting in a group like this after coming from such a secluded place¡­ They would surely have questions.

    Once enough time passed, he would also head back, staring at his own shadow while deep in thought.

    Once he returned, he almost passed out. He was exhausted from the day. There had been too much happening¡­ But had things in his life ever been calm since he stopped being a Holy Knight?

    The next day came. Damon had gotten a lot less sleep due to their discussion, so he looked noticeably tired during breakfast.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± Kazius said as he went to join the table. Eve was up with Azanor, seeming as cheery as ever.

    ¡°Morning!¡± Eve chirped giddily. The Elf woman truly looked like she did not have a single care in the world.

    ¡°Good morning.¡± Azanor stated per usual, not changing his behavior or showing any sign of last night.

    Other than Damon¡¯s fatigue, there was really no sign of their chat.

    ¡°Good morning¡­¡± Damon stated with a yawn while serving breakfast.

    As he yawned, Alice came in.

    ¡°Good morning. Looks like someone partied too hard yesterday.¡± Alice stated only to add her concern.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I stayed up late.¡± Damon admitted in a slightly sheepish manner. Kazius knew he probably felt guilty about keeping Alice out of the loop, but he was grateful that Damon kept their secret.

    ¡°I think today we can just relax and focus on just things for Vargstam¡­ I had a realization last night, but Vargstam doesn¡¯t have a proper school. I want to change that.¡± Kazius admitted.

    At his statement though, Alice practically beamed. Kazius felt guilty, the expression of joy and admiration at the idea showed she thought his intentions were pure.

    ¡°That would be incredible! I was actually thinking something similar! It would be great for the children here to get a proper education! Vargstam will be a much better place for it!¡± Alice exclaimed, actually showing more excitement than Eve for once.

    She had dedicated so long to try and improve herself to be a good ruler¡­ Thinking about how to make the lives of the people of Ratier better¡­ So, projects like this likely reminded her of her former goal. She was a smart and caring soul who sadly never got to put any of what she learned to the benefit of the country she wanted.

    Still, Kazius was glad he met her¡­ She was unreplaceable when it came to bringing ideas into reality. Things between them had changed a lot from when they met. At first, she did not even show him her face, but now she gave him the most amazing of smiles. Since she was growing out her hair, the longer it grew, the more her appearance reminded him of when he saw her back at the parade¡­ Except much more comfortable and confident.

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    Kazius was so deep in denial about his feelings for Alice that he failed to put together why all such things came into his head while he lied to her¡­ But he understood one thing, his heart ached.

    ¡°I thought you would like the idea, we can even have Caleb do the teaching. I think he is the most qualified¡­ But I can discuss the details during the meeting later. You need to eat.¡± Kazius reminded her, motioning to the food. He did not want her to get too excited and forget to eat.

    He did his best to push down his guilt and go forward. He would tell her everything¡­ Eventually¡­ Or so he told himself.

    Alice pouted a little.

    ¡°You can¡¯t blame me¡­ You know I am always happy to help make our home better.¡± Alice admitted with a slightly flustered expression, seeing Vargstam as their home.

    Then again, it very much was. Even when they headed out in the future, whether sooner or later to gather more allies¡­ This would be their home. Where Kazius intended to make the capital of his future kingdom¡­ But he was getting ahead of himself with such thoughts.

    ¡°I know. I am excited too. Now come on, we should eat.¡± Kazius assured.

    With that, the group would enjoy breakfast together before heading over to the conference room where Egil was already waiting.

    ¡°Good morning, Chief. May Vind¡¯s Wind carry us through yet another great day¡­ I still cannot get over how Vargstam has been blessed with 3 people who have made it to the peak of Mount Cyklon.¡± Egil greeted with a satisfied smile.

    Kazius had to hold back a grimace at the greeting. He knew Egil meant well, but it only reminded Kazius about how dangerous Egil was to his plans if he ever learned the truth. He did not hesitate to show his approval of Kazius, but it was clear it was only because he believed Kazius to be approved by her.

    ¡°Yes¡­ The future of Vargstam is bright. At least I hope I can do that¡­ I actually told everyone about a plan I have to help with that. The people of the Tribe tend to lean towards having plenty of children¡­ I think we should think about their future.¡± Kazius admitted with a smile, putting on quite the kind smile to hide any bit of nervousness or hint of his true intentions. It honestly unnerved Kazius how naturally doing such a thing came to him.

    ¡°Their future?¡± Egil asked curiously, his expression brightening with interest.

    ¡°He wants to open a school. That way the children can learn to read, write, do math, and other things. Like when Zelphar thought you all¡­ Except in a more organized way.¡± Alice explained eagerly.

    ¡°There has to be games!¡± Eve chirped eagerly. She usually did not contribute too much to meetings, but it seemed she was interested in the idea too.

    ¡°Those too. I think learning should be fun¡­ Not forced and overly strict.¡± Alice admitted, after all, learning in Ratier had been quite miserable.

    Honestly, that was something Kazius agreed with. He intended to make the school better than Ratier¡¯s in that way¡­ Sure there would be propaganda sneaked in¡­ But he did genuinely want the kids to learn in a proper way that did not make them miserable¡­ So, he wasn¡¯t as bad as High Priest Jordan¡­ Or so he told himself.

    ¡°I also want The Common Language taught in the schools as well. Because of that, I believe Caleb is the best person for the job.¡± Kazius admitted.

    ¡°Buahaha! I think so too! Caleb would make a great teacher! If I spent more time learning from him, I probably could read and write too! I don¡¯t want others to have the same problem as me.¡± Damon admitted. He knew of the plan, but his words about his struggles with becoming literate were genuine.

    ¡°I think that is a good idea.¡± Azanor agreed simply. He kept his words short¡­ Likely not wanting to lie, but also wanted to show his approval for the plan.

    Egil perked up, seeming happy with the idea as well.

    ¡°I think that is a great idea¡­ If everyone is already in agreement, I will do my best to organize some carpenters and craftsmen to make a building for this¡­ School, as you called it. I will help you the best I can, Chief.¡± Egil agreed, beaming with pride at the idea of a future for Vargstam with such a place.

    ¡°In that case, we just have to wait till Caleb wakes up and fill him in.¡± Kazius stated contently.

    Caleb was sometimes not present at the council meetings. He did help, but Caleb was not a morning person. He tended to sleep in¡­ And while he was making an effort to not be a shut-in, he was still a work in progress. Becoming a teacher would also help the shy brother put himself out there¡­ But Kazius was certain he would surely protest at the idea at first.

    Honestly, Kazius was pretty satisfied with the whole situation. Things were going smoothly¡­ And after resting today, they could go back to mountain climbing with Damon¡­ And now that he knew what he was and where he came from, for the most part¡­ There should be no more surprises.

    Kazius resisted the urge to let out a sigh of relief, but before he could even so much as relax his shoulders, he began to hear it¡­

    ¡®Danger¡­ Approaching¡­¡¯

    Kazius had tried to not talk to his shadows, but the fact they said that out of nowhere was worrying.

    The choir of voices had never used the word danger either before.

    ¡®Danger? What is approaching?¡¯ Kazius thought to himself, unable to help but try and ask them.

    ¡®Danger¡­ Too many¡­¡¯

    ¡®Too many? Too many what!?¡¯ Kazius questioned back in alarm, currently wishing he could speak more properly with The Shadows. Sure, Kazius was just warned about such things, but this was concerning¡­ And he figured maybe if he just used his own power, it was fine to talk to them a little¡­

    Besides, he was always talking to them and they never answered anyway.

    ¡®Frost Giants¡­ An army of them are coming¡­¡¯ The distinct voice added.

    Kazius froze, remembering what he had been told about the Frost Giants that lived nearby¡­ They had been too creeped out by the mountains in the area¡­ So, they stayed away¡­ What changed? Were they really coming here? But the shadows never lied¡­

    ¡®FROST GIANTS!? WHAT- WHY!?¡¯ At this, Kazius could no longer hide the concern on his face.

    ¡®Familiar¡­ Someone familiar¡­¡¯ The choir of voices added.

    ¡®Familiar? What do you mean?!¡¯

    ¡°Kazius¡­ Are you alright? You suddenly look really worried¡­¡± Alice decided to ask, her voice returning him to reality. He realized everyone was staring at him.

    It was then he heard the distinct voice speak up again.

    ¡®The sister has returned.¡¯

    ¡®The sister? What¡­ ¡¯ Kazius thought to himself only to then freeze in realization. He could not hide the murderous look on his face. His expression alarmed Alice and just about everyone else in the room.

    ¡°Luna¡­¡±

 Chapter 51: Approaching Army

    The situation threw Kazius into a mixture of panic and rage. He had no time to think, really. Because of this, he didn''t even question or ponder the idea of whether or not The Shadows had actually responded to him this time around. For once, they had actually answered his questions, if he had given it any thought.

    If that was truly the case... Well, that was certainly not a good sign¡­ But at the moment there was a much more imminent danger. So the thought never crossed his mind.

    Kazius had begun defensive preparations with the expectations of not needing such things until much much later. Egil had explained how afraid of the strange mountains in the area the Frost Giants nearby were¡­ So he had not expected an issue with them, especially not so soon¡­ For things to change the way they did... What had Luna done?

    Then again, if she was capable of controlling the entire population of Vargstam¡­ Something like this was not entirely unexpected. She was good at controlling people with Magic¡­ And considering how she was never suspected of any wrongdoing, it showed if she chose diplomacy¡­ She was just as capable of manipulation through words too.

    ¡®Just how unhinged is she? She hates Damon that much? I thought she would not come back¡­ I let her go and this is how she thanks us? I didn¡¯t want to kill her since she is still Damon¡¯s sister¡­ But she is really not leaving me any choice¡­¡¯

    ¡°Kazius!¡± Alice exclaimed in concern, demanding a response from him.

    Kazius scowled, his brows furrowing. There was a dangerous glint in his red eyes for a second before he calmed down. He had to think of something¡­ But first, he needed to see the situation for himself.

    ¡°There is an army currently making its way along the valley, they''re heading straight here. Luna seems to be leading them here. The scouts I have patrolling that area are likely on their way to report it¡­ Egil, you said you have seen Frost Giants before¡­ How big of a threat do you deem them to be? How many Tribes people would it take to take down one?¡± Kazius questioned, not bothering with cushioning the blow of such a serious situation.

    At his words, everyone in the room looked horrified. He was moving on after saying such a thing so quickly. It left everyone stunned.

    Damon looked not only saddened but also genuinely scared. He still had such deep turmoil due to his sister. Confronting her was never easy for him. He had managed before, but this type of confrontation... The idea of him actually fighting her likely brought up a lot of bad memories of his father among other things.

    ¡°I should have known she would not give up¡­ Luna... Luna never lets anything go...But... I never thought¡­ For her to do something like this¡­ She really wants us all dead. Even Caleb.¡± Damon stated in dismay.

    ¡°What a crazy bitch¡­¡± Azanor stated in shock, clearly not expecting Luna to do such a thing either. He seemed to mumble something to himself. Kazius did not hear most of it, but it was something about how she was worse than his brother¡­ However, Kazius had little time to focus on asking about Azanor¡¯s family when he had such a disaster on his hands.

    ¡°Frost Giants¡­ How do you know? I apologize for asking such a thing, Chief, but if that is true¡­ Then even Vind¡¯s Mercy can¡¯t save us.¡± Egil stated in absolute terror, his eyes growing wide. He looked like he truly hoped Kazius was mistaken. Normally the middle-aged man seemed to carry himself with confidence, but it seemed that at Kazius'' words, all hope had been sucked out of him.

    ¡°It is a power I have. I can¡¯t tell how many exactly, but I know they are coming. I don¡¯t make mistakes when it comes to things like this¡­ Now tell me, how bad is it. What are we dealing with?¡± Kazius told a half-truth before his tone grew demanding. He did not have the luxury to panic. Not if they wanted a chance to survive this¡­

    ¡°Frost Giants are as big as their name implies. You would have to probably stack 3 of Damon to reach around the height of one¡­¡± Egil muttered with a grimace.

    Alice looked absolutely devastated to hear such a thing, her eyes growing wide at the hopelessness in Egil¡¯s voice.

    Damon was by no means a short man. Kazius was not sure if he would ever meet anyone taller than him who was not a giant. He was about 7ft (2.13 meters) after all! If what Egil said was true, that put a Frost Giant at around 20 to 21ft tall(6 to 6.4m). Maybe more than that.

    They were not even dealing with one of them, but a whole army. This was bad¡­ Really bad.

    ¡®Do you see now? This is what mercy gets you¡­¡¯ Kazius heard the distinct voice snicker at him. It had never made such a snide comment before, and it was definitely not helping.

    ¡®SHUT UP!¡¯ Kazius snapped back, not wanting to deal with The Shadows acting strange, not now. First, they didn¡¯t warn him about Damon nearby and now they seemed to be much more talkative¡­ Their conversation about Seselis had changed something, that much was certain, but Kazius could not care less about that right now. If there had been a new voice, he would have been more alarmed, but there was no such thing, thankfully.

    Kazius was trying very hard to wrack his brain for a plan. After all, he would lose all of his efforts if Vargstam got destroyed¡­ This was their new home, and he did not want to run either.

    A fair one-on-one fight between the people of Vargstam and The Frost Giants was out of the question since there was nothing fair about such a battle. He needed a way to get rid of most of The Frost Giants to even stand a chance¡­ But how could they even manage such a thing?

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    ¡°Egil, I want you to gather anyone of fighting age. Have any mothers stay back with the children and move them somewhere safe. Go wake up Caleb and tell him to stay with them¡­ If worst comes to worst, he should be able to keep them safe with Defense Magic.¡± Kazius commanded.

    Of course, he could instruct Caleb to help fight, but where he was at skill wise¡­ Kazius did not believe that he could be of much help, especially against an army. The kind of range and scale of an attack he would have to perform was just not possible for him yet.

    ¡°I will do what I can¡­¡± Egil stated, seeming to do his best to gather himself despite his lack of hope. He headed out immediately after.

    ¡°Scary people are coming?¡± Eve decided to ask, finally realizing the danger.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Azanor admitted with a sigh of dismay. Clearly, he was fed up with things always threatening their safety. Now he had to worry about keeping Eve safe during all of this.

    ¡°Maybe you should stay back¡­ You know¡­ With the-¡± Azanor began only to get a frown and glare.

    ¡°No! I am helping! I won¡¯t let my best friend get hurt! Or any of my friends! You taught me Magic! I am strong!¡± Eve exclaimed with a determined look.

    Azanor always looked so torn when Eve addressed him as her ¡®best friend¡¯¡­ Then again, considering his situation, it was likely the best he could currently hope for.

    ¡°Alright¡­ but don¡¯t leave my side.¡± Azanor pleaded.

    ¡°I won¡¯t! I promise!¡± Eve assured with a big and giddy smile despite the situation.

    ¡°What about us then?¡± Alice asked Kazius in concern, looking anxious, but clearly wanting to help.

    Damon meanwhile was rather quiet. He looked ready to act, but the fact that Luna would go this far¡­ She had hurt him deeply when she revealed what she had done¡­ But to want to destroy Vargstam and kill everyone in the town along with him¡­ That was a level of hatred that was unhinged and honestly terrifying¡­ And it was coming from his own sister...

    He had no choice but to fight her.

    They let her go last time, but clearly, that was no longer an option.

    Still, Kazius had no intention of making Damon kill his own sister. He would do so himself. He would get his hands as dirty as they had to get so that they would be safe.

    ¡°While Egil gathers everyone, I will take us to where they are coming from. I want to meet up with the scouts.¡± Kazius stated.

    He actually had an idea about how to get there faster than on foot.

    The way he had used shadows to engulf them back in Remus has allowed for some pretty swift movement. He hoped he could use that to travel around¡­ If they could ambush the Frost Giants, then the element of surprise would at least be on their side.

    The group seemed to be confused about how he would manage such a thing, but as shadows engulfed them, it began to make sense. Damon was a bit startled considering he had never seen Kazius do this before. At least not on himself and others without it being an attack.

    As the shadows rose up and covered them in darkness, Kazius could hear the whispers of The Shadows calling for him from where the danger was. Following that sound, it was almost instant¡­ A walk of several hours towards the mouth of the mountain valley¡­ Done in an instant¡­ The fact he had done it so fast surprised even Kazius¡­ If he could do more things like this¡­ Perhaps he would one day be able to use it more instinctually and use it more regularly¡­ But for now, it was not only disorienting but also a tiring feat.

    Kazius was panting from effort. Guiding others to travel through darkness was difficult... The last time he had done this, it was just 3, including himself, since Azanor had gone off on his own... And now it was 5. This time around it was almost like he had to assert dominance over The Shadows to keep them from taking the others... A Startling thought that he decided to think about later.

    They were at the top of an elevated area full of foliage, thankfully providing them cover and a good view of the incoming army.

    As the army approached, their steps echoed, booming as they got closer and closer. Despite Egil¡¯s grim words¡­ He had not done justice to how formidable the Frost Giants were¡­ And there were many of them¡­. The army was about 1000 strong.

    It was easy to say that if they did not try something, they were screwed. If they made it anywhere near the town, it was as good as gone. He knew little about the species other than their name, which implied they had Frost-related abilities and stood at 20 ft tall (6.1m).  Their build also seemed tough, and their armor also certainly of good quality steel¡­ The design featured a mix of Svinfant fur combined with metal. Their skin was a sickly-looking light blue as if they were dying from frostbite¡­ But the last thing these soldiers looked was sickly. Their hair was as white as snow and it seemed like not a single one of them was without facial hair.

    At the head of the army were two individuals of note. One was what had to be the tallest Frost Giant in the group¡­ And he was talking to Luna. Even from this distance, he could clearly see how smug Luna looked. Her expression showed all the wicked delight and malice she felt¡­ And the Frost Giant that she spoke to seemed almost as content. He was not only taller than the rest but also was better dressed¡­

    ¡®Just who is that? The king? A prince?¡¯

    Kazius wasn¡¯t sure, but regardless¡­ It was clear Luna looked like she believed she already won. Kazius hoped that this would give them an opportunity¡­  There was no sign of the scouts¡­ Which meant they were likely dead¡­ As tragic of a loss that was¡­ That meant they did not know that they knew they were there.

    A surprise attack would be effective and disorienting¡­ But the amount of firepower they would need¡­ Such an attack was beyond his strength¡­ He wasn¡¯t sure even a fortress with crossbows and other artillery could do anything against them. This challenge just seemed like the stuff they would need the power of a God for. If only Vind wasn¡¯t so obnoxious and didn¡¯t hate his guts¡­

    Kazius studied his friends. All of them looked fearful ¡­ Their faces showed terror at the upcoming threat¡­ He could not help but look them over.

    He noticed how Alice clenched her fists, her expression also showing a hint of anger¡­ While Damon just mostly looked saddened at the whole thing¡­ Meanwhile, Azanor refused to look away from the upcoming army, his brows furrowed. Clearly, he also did not believe himself to have the power needed to do this. As for Eve, well¡­ Eve was just being Eve and honestly just looked more confused, but was happy to be there with them.

    ¡®Think¡­ Kazius¡­ Think¡­¡¯

    The Shadows offered up no aid and honestly, it was probably for the best they didn¡¯t¡­ Kazius was not desperate enough to compromise himself. At least he hoped that was the case, but as the panic set in, he was growing not so sure of that¡­

    That was until he looked at Damon¡¯s spear¡­ Then at Azanor¡­ Then at Alice¡­ Then at Eve¡­ The grin of someone who was bordering on insanity appeared on his face. His expression would make any mad alchemist or artificer proud. He clenched his hands into a fist, growing determined.

    ¡®Yes¡­ The power of a God¡­ That could work¡­¡¯

    His friends looked at him, concerned, worried he had lost it due to their imminent death. Honestly, maybe he did¡­ But that was not the point¡­ His plan had only a small chance of working¡­ But if it worked¡­

    Kazius¡¯ grin widened, satisfied.

    ¡®No, this will work¡¯ He assured himself.

    ¡°I have an idea.¡±

 Chapter 52: The Power of Friendship

    Kazius intended to execute his plan before any reinforcements came. They would only get in the way and get caught in the crossfire. If his plan worked at all that is.

    ¡°An idea? Not to be only negative¡­ But what could we possibly even do? I will tell you right now, at most, I can take down 100 of those damn things even with time to prepare, at least as I am right now.¡± Azanor admitted in dismay. After all, he had made it clear his power was not in the state it should be due to getting Eve to summon him while skirting around the Demon King. Even with a month of recovery, it seemed even now he was not at full power. Then again, he had not eaten a single soul in a very long time, so that likely had something to do with it.

    ¡°Just making you fight them isn¡¯t much of an idea, now is it?¡± Kazius questioned with a laugh.

    ¡°I promise, I have a good one¡­ Though I will tell you right now, it will get Vind very angry.¡± Kazius admitted, holding back a wicked smile that wanted to make its way onto his face at the thought of angering Vind to such an extent.

    ¡°Is it really okay to do something like that then?¡± Alice questioned in concern considering she was not aware of how much Vind already could not stand Kazius.

    ¡°It is if you want to survive this.¡± Kazius responded simply before looking at Damon.

    ¡°Can I have that spear?¡± Kazius questioned, expecting Damon to at least hesitate a little, but there was barely a second from when Kazius asked for the spear before his friend handed over the weapon.

    ¡°Sure!¡± Damon beamed, handing it over.

    The moment Kazius touched it, it stung, the pain was intense¡­ Like every nerve on his hand touching it was being burned.

    He let out a pained grunt. Still, Kazius held on, coating his hand with shadows instinctually until he could hold it. He could almost hear Vind¡¯s voice cursing at him in the gentle breeze in the area. He squeezed the spear with both hands after that, almost as if he was strangling a neck. As he did this, he studied the spear, trying to figure out the best size and way to go about what he wanted. The whole time he did such things, his friends were staring at him in pure confusion while occasionally glancing back at the approaching army.

    The spear felt like it was practically thrashing in his grip, yet if you looked at it, it was a perfectly immobile spear.

    Nodding to himself, he began to shape the shadows the best he could. Soon, he was no longer holding the spear in his hand, but instead, it was mounted and gripped by a massive crossbow as if it were an arrow. The fact the spear was shaking became more obvious when this happened, clearly, it did not want to be held by shadows.

    ¡®I almost feel bad¡­ Almost.¡¯

    The tension of the shadow string on the crossbow was already strong¡­ Especially with the spear actively resisting what he was doing to it. Still, he needed more. He needed more power¡­ This definitely was looking like it would work.

    ¡°Dark Magic tends to be compatible¡­ You told me that once, right, Azanor?¡± Kazius questioned.

    ¡°Yeah¡­?¡± Azanor responded back, a hint of concern in his voice as he studied the spear and the violent subjugation that was currently taking place.

    ¡°You and Eve use Dark Magic, right? Of different kinds¡­ But it is still Dark Magic, right? Can you lend me some? I¡¯ve heard of healers lending Mana to those who have used too much to the point of getting sick¡­ That should work, right?¡± Kazius questioned. Of course, this was done usually with Holy Magic, intended to heal¡­ Still, Kazius felt like this would work.

    ¡°In theory¡­ It sounds about right¡­.¡± Azanor admitted, he never thought about using such a thing offensively, it seemed. Then again, Demons were not the giving type and if they granted you power, it was usually at the price of your soul.

    ¡°I can help?! Yay!¡± Eve chirped happily. She seemed eager to try out such a thing.

    With that, both placed a hand on his shoulders. Kazius almost felt it instantly, their power fueling his own. It was 3 different types of Dark Magic merging¡­ Forming something stronger, something that could only be described as frightening¡­

    Perhaps they could do this¡­

    ¡°Alice, I need you to start using your power to apply force to the spear, don¡¯t hold back, try and pry it out and send it flying toward the Frost Giants¡­ Damon, when I give the signal, I want you to use all the wind that you can to direct the spear in that direction in that direction too.¡± Kazius instructed as he began to focus, using his newfound power to keep hold of the spear and then even begin coating it in shadows.

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    ¡°Got it!¡± Alice exclaimed, sounding determined, trusting his judgment as she began to do just that. As she did this, the spear seemed to shake all the more with the force¡­ Any normal spear placed under this much tension and pressure would have probably collapsed on itself¡­ Or even exploded into pieces¡­ But this spear contained the power of a Goddess¡­ It stubbornly held on defiantly, pushing its potential to new heights¡­

    Whether Vind liked it or not, he would use her power.

    ¡°Just let me know when!¡± Damon exclaimed; sounding determined too. There was a lot at stake with this attack. He refused to fail. He took a wide stance, distancing his feet apart while clenching his fists, bracing himself to put his all into it when the time came.

    As this occurred, by now the spear was entirely black as Kazius piled layer upon layer of tightly bound and compressed shadows on both the spear and the crossbow. Were it not for the trees, as the contraption grew, it would definitely have given their position away¡­ Any sound made by the spear was drowned out by the thundering steps of the Frost Giants as they grew closer and closer.

    ¡®Focus¡­¡¯

    The crossbow and spear grew bigger, the wind around them turning from a gentle breeze to something that would give Mount Cyklon a run for its money¡­ Alice was used to it¡­ But Eve and Azanor hung on with surprising ease, not moving from their spot, and continued to hold onto his shoulders.

    Their clothes began to violently shake. Alice and Eve¡¯s hair was basically slapping their own faces due to the strength of the wind. Even now the wind remained gentle with Damon despite his obvious betrayal of Vind. Whether it was because she didn¡¯t want to or couldn¡¯t, she was not taking back her power it seemed.

    As for himself, his hair and clothes were the only ones that did not move at all. It seemed The Shadows were still protecting him.

    ¡®Focus!¡¯ Kazius demanded of himself mentally, putting all effort he could into what he was doing. Suddenly, the size of the spear and the crossbow seemed to double thanks to the shadows. The force from such a thing sent all nearby trees flying, roots and all.

    A particularly large tree was flung so far and hard that it took the peak off of a nearby smaller mountain.

    The wind grew worse as it circled them.

    The Frost Giants could be heard stopping their march. The silence of their steps was almost frightening. They had spotted them and knew something was wrong¡­ But it was too late anyway.

    Soon the contraption doubled in size again. The spear now with the shadows had reached 57.4 ft(17.5m) and the wingspan of the crossbow was as long as 42 ft (12.8m).

    By now the wind was worse than Mount Cyklon yet they all were fine.

    It was ready, they had to do this now.

    ¡°NOW!¡± Kazius exclaimed, looking at their targets that had stopped in their tracks.

    Just as he gave the signal, he released the shadows that kept the string and the spear in place. Just as he did this¡­ As instructed¡­ Damon put his all in the strongest wind he could muster.

    The force of the spear releasing flung away the few trees that were left around them¡­ Even the grass itself was uprooted without mercy.

    Dirt, dust, and debris clouded their vision as the spear was flung up. It almost looked like the spear had gone too far out, out of sight, reaching even past the very clouds, making a hole in them. The ring of clouds around the entirely clear circle in the sky began to worry Kazius¡­ Had they aimed too far up? Were they screwed?

    It was then there was a shine as the spear began to come down, fire surrounding the projectile they had launched.

    Before anyone in the group could blink or the army react¡­ It happened¡­

    Impact.

    As the tip of the spear touched the ground¡­ Dust began to be forced out like a sand storm¡­ An explosion followed seconds later. The explosion was blinding, the strong wind that came from it was likely something that only Vind would be capable of at full strength.

    Kazius was forced to shield his eyes, The Shadows were only protecting him so much. Thankfully, the others stood their ground too, but eventually, all of them were forced to shut their eyes.

    Everything about the impact was disorienting, especially once the sound of the impact made its way to them, threatening to burst their ears.

    Still, just as fast as it happened, it ended¡­ And aside from the ringing in their ears¡­ It was quiet¡­

    Able to finally open his eyes once the explosion subsided, Kazius would open them to a shocked group. All of his friends had their mouths left agape, their eyes wide. When Kazius looked on at where the army stood, it was soon clear that only 30% remained¡­ If that much. A massive crater and charred black bodies of giants were left where the spear had struck. The spear in question glowed red from the heat, despite the shadows around it. Darkness swirled around the weapon ominously in a way that made Kazius begin to wonder if he had done something wrong¡­

    Their actions were like an impact heard all around the world, the skies themselves remaining parted from what just had occurred¡­

    Whether The Oracle was 100% right or not¡­One thing was clear¡­

    Kazius would leave his mark on the world¡­ Whether for better or worse.

    The destruction they had caused seemed to shock even Azanor. It seemed even someone as knowledgeable and long-lived as Azanor had not seen anyone pull off such a thing the way they did.

    Kazius himself was not sure whether to celebrate what they had done or not. They were all just silent, admiring their handy work.

    What was lacking in their own cheering though was supplemented by The Shadows. The chorus he heard for once was nothing but clapping and cheering¡­ As if they were giving him a standing ovation.

    While their attack sadly missed the Frost Giant leader and Luna¡­ The fact that the odds were now in their favor was undeniable. That was excluding the terror they had likely just instilled into the Frost Giants and what that would do to their morale¡­ No amount of weaseling from Luna could change that¡­ Nor change the destruction they had caused.

    While his friends and him were silent, staring in awe¡­ Their expressions remained frozen in time, unable to process what they had done¡­ Slowly but surely¡­ Without Kazius realizing it, the expression of a mad grin made its way onto his face.

 Chapter 53: Gone Like The Wind

    Kazius enjoyed the scene a little longer. To say they demoralized the Frost Giants was the understatement of the century. Some of the Frost Giants that ¡®survived¡¯ were partially charred or missing limbs altogether. Even from where they were, Kazius could hear their cries of agony and terror.

    Some of the ones that survived in one piece did not seem to survive with their minds intact. One of them was just screaming, his eyes wide as he stared at the carnage, unable to stop until his voice grew hoarse.

    What seemed to be their leader was struggling to process the situation. He was staring at his army, or probably the lack thereof, in pure horror. He seemed to have not yet thought of confronting Luna, who led them here. To some extent, The Frost Giants were collateral damage. They were led here to die in a similar fashion to how Luna manipulated Vargstam.

    Still, they would have killed all of Vargstam, mercy was not a luxury that Kazius had to give.

    Of course, that did not mean they were not in a pitiful situation¡­ Kazius understood that perfectly well¡­ And yet he felt nothing. In fact, he was proud of himself. He kept Vargstam safe, that was all he cared about. He didn¡¯t care about the method¡­ No matter how enjoyable it was. He even got to undermine Vind with his method, there was not anything about it he did not love.

    Kazius¡¯ grin would widen maliciously at the thought.

    With that in his mind, he would manage to look away only to catch a quick glimpse of Azanor out of the corner of his eye. It was a sight most would find disturbing. Azanor¡¯s jaw had unhinged partially, revealing jagged and sharp teeth. His tongue had grown long as Azanor was unable to hold himself back from licking his lips at the scene he was witnessing.

    His tongue dripped quite the amount of drool, which seemed to make him realize what he was doing. So just as quickly as it happened, Azanor seemed to quickly return to his usual appearance. He seemed to shake his head, frustrated with himself.

    It was clear Azanor was gripping onto his self-control like his life depended on it. As to why he found the need to do such a thing, he had yet to say. It was clear he wanted to be more than just a Demon, but it was not easy for him. He doesn¡¯t lie, he doesn¡¯t eat souls¡­ He was even faithful and stayed by the side of a wife who no longer remembered him. It was honestly something admirable.

    Azanor did not want to be seen as a Demon. Thankfully for Azanor¡¯s own sake, it seemed the others were too occupied with their handiwork to notice his brief loss of self-control.

    After seeing Azanor¡¯s show of self-restraint, Kazius managed to snap out of his own darker thoughts, his twisted grin fading. He was beginning to realize how Azanor felt¡­ How easy and natural it felt to give into their nature.

    The power they just released, the strength of their attack¡­ The cowering of these proud and pathetic Giants that were now on their knees¡­ It was more intoxicating than any drink.

    The Shadows did not help either¡­

    ¡®Make them beg¡­. Make them regret ever daring to pick a fight with us¡­¡¯ Kazius could hear the distinct voice say.

    Thankfully, Kazius managed to ignore it.

    ¡®No, I am better than that¡­¡¯ He assured himself.

    ¡°We have to be careful.¡± Kazius said, his words directed at Azanor regarding their¡­ Slip. His response from the Demon was a nod, but it was misunderstood by the others who also seemed to nod in agreement. They probably thought he was talking about the remaining Frost Giants.

    ¡°We can¡¯t afford for them to reach Vargstam¡­ As terrible as this is.¡± Alice agreed, seeming conflicted at what they had done. She did not enjoy the suffering of the Frost Giants. She clearly pitied them but managed to harden and steady her heart. Their actions were necessary to protect their home.

    ¡°The poor fools.¡± Eve stated with surprising lucidity in her words. Her tone was something Kazius was entirely unfamiliar with for the Elf¡­ Even her expression was serious for a moment before the blankness in her goofy stare seemed to return¡­ Perhaps Azanor¡¯s situation was not entirely hopeless?

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    ¡°They were going to be mean to us though.¡± Eve added with a determined look as Azanor studied her for a second before returning to the task at hand.

    ¡°I will handle Luna.¡± Damon stated with surprising determination.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to, Damon¡­¡± Alice followed up in concern.

    ¡°I could take care of it myself. It was my intention from the beginning when I found out about this¡­¡± Kazius followed up, agreeing with Alice.

    ¡°No¡­ I¡­ I have to do this myself.¡± Damon insisted, sounding a mix between determined and frightened.

    ¡°Well, regardless, we are coming with you. Let¡¯s go before they try to run.¡± Kazius stated. Then again, if they spared one of them¡­ He would go back and warn the other Frost Giants not to come¡­ Which would help buy them time.

    After all, anyone who heard of what happened today would think twice before messing with them¡­ But at the same time, that no longer mattered. The Frost Giants today proved to him that they could not be left alone. They were a loose end Kazius intended to take care of at some point.

    As they approached, the Frost Giant leader could be seen realizing that there was someone to blame for the situation they were in. Aside from the nicer armor and the added height, their leader had eyes that were an ice blue just like the other Frost Giants. Something that was more visible the closer they got. Unlike the others though, the leader had not only a longer white beard but also a helmet adorned with horns, a set of 4 at that, two pointed up, two down. It seemed to be a show of status considering most of the Giants had no horns on theirs and one other Giant had a set of 2 horns.

    The closer they got, the more the remaining Frost Giants seemed to cower. Perhaps there would not be a fight after all¡­ Then again, nothing changed the fact that they were out for blood. Kazius planned to leave with Luna¡¯s head, preferably with it not attached to her shoulders.

    Eventually, they were close enough to hear him.

    ¡°YOU! This is not what you promised, Witch! You said it would be easy¡­ That winning against them would truly rid the lands of their curse¡­ You are working with them, aren¡¯t you? I should have known, this was an ambush!¡± He practically roared with rage.

    ¡°That sounds very similar to our language.¡± Damon rather quietly, after all, he was not eager about confronting his sister¡­ But they were not rushing to get over, there was not much reason to.

    Damon¡¯s words did confirm to Kazius though that they were speaking a different tongue, something that he still struggled with telling the difference with considering it all sounded about the same to him.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize your kind would be so incompetent¡­ I would apologize, but I don¡¯t feel sorry for you. I feel worse for your people¡­ You are their next King yet you are here crying like some child¡­ How pathetic¡­ You should feel terrible¡­ How will you explain these deaths to their loved ones? How sad for you¡­ Your whole army is gone¡­ How will you tell your father? He will disown you for sure¡­ Yes, I underestimated them a little¡­ But you are the one that loudly marched to their door without a plan¡­ This was all you, not me, Isolf. You can die knowing you are scum that was used, nothing more.¡± Luna questioned mockingly. Honestly, she directed her venom even towards someone several times her size.

    ¡°You¡­. YOU MANIPULATIVE-¡± The Frost Giant, apparently named Isolf, began to try and grab Luna¡­ But just as quickly as he did, she had a protective spell up. No matter the amount of hitting and pounding Isolf did, there was not a single dent on the shield.

    ¡°You¡­ You surprised me, you know? You are a bug that just refuses to die¡­ If you had any shame you would not continue living, yet here you are¡­ You piece of shit¡­ I will win next time.¡± Luna informed Damon, her expression revealing her pure unhinged hatred for him.

    ¡°There¡­ There won¡¯t be a next time, Luna. I-I¡­ I can¡¯t let you go.¡± Damon stated, looking determined, but there was so much pain in his eyes. His voice shook as he spoke, he was struggling.

    Kazius wanted to say something, but decided not to¡­ He would only be in the way¡­. But if Damon hesitated, he would step in.

    ¡°There will be¡­ You can do all the flashy tricks you like¡­ But even now¡­ You are scum¡­ Nothing but scum¡­ You will never be anything more than shit I stepped on¡­ None of you can hope to even touch me¡­ You are weak.¡± Luna giggled out smugly, Damon beginning to shake at her words. He truly could not handle her.

    By now Isolf stopped trying to hit Luna¡­ He had sat down, gripping his head. Hopelessness seemed to fill him. It seemed Luna¡¯s words and his inability to hurt her combined with the state of his soldiers had him feeling entirely defeated. Then again he was¡­ And struggling would not do him any good.

    At her words, Damon would surprise her, an impact and wind on his fist landed on her protection spell shield¡­ And it cracked.

    Luna froze, horrified at first only to glare at him in rage.

    ¡°You refuse to know your place!¡± Luna snapped only for Damon to say nothing, his expression darkening as he went and hit the shield again.

    The crack got bigger. Kazius knew Damon packed an absurd amount of strength, but he was honestly shocked to see he could manage this with his bare fist without even transforming.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Luna hissed out, growing even more angry.

    It was then Kazius heard The Shadows warn him.

    ¡®Leaving¡­ Escape¡­¡¯

    At this Kazius froze.

    ¡°Fuck¡­ Grab her!¡± Kazius began, attempting to use Luna¡¯s Shadow to get past the shield to get her. While it was a good idea, his connection to The Shadows was too weak to have them act fast enough. Before he could manage anything¡­ A magic circle appeared above her and she was gone. That was the last thing Kazius thought she was capable of.

    ¡°A transportation spell?! That is high-tier magic that even Zelphar couldn¡¯t pull off!¡± Azanor admitted in shock.

    It seemed as badly as they wanted to get her, they would not manage it. At least not today.

 Chapter 54: No Honorable Deaths

    Kazius scowled, staring at the spot where Luna once stood. He was quite upset, to say the least. He practically felt the nuisance slip past his fingers. He had reached out to The Shadows, yet he could tell he was not close enough to them to get them to act fast enough¡­ But if he got any closer to The Shadows, that would be ignoring Azanor¡¯s warning.

    To some extent, the stunt he pulled today didn¡¯t help either. He was proud of their handy work¡­ Especially knowing he probably infuriated Vind with it¡­ But it almost felt like he crossed a line that he could not quite understand. Though he supposed all he could do was try and keep some distance between him and The Shadows. He already knew the risk, today he had felt it more than ever.

    The issues didn¡¯t end with him either. There was also the matter of Damon, he looked distraught. Luna was too dangerous to be left alive but at the same time¡­ Having to try and kill his own sister like that¡­ It was not something good for Damon¡¯s mental state. It was why Kazius had wanted to take care of it himself, but it was too late now.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ She got away because of me¡­ I-I¡­ She wouldn¡¯t have even done any of this if it were not for me.¡± Damon began.

    ¡°It is okay, Damon. No one here blames you¡­ She is just crazy, none of this is your fault¡­ Honestly, for her to speak Frost Giant¡­ Even if it is similar to your language¡­ She likely had been planning to do this for quite some time¡­ You can¡¯t blame yourself for the actions of a maniac. She has a problem¡­ I am sure this won¡¯t be the last time we see her.¡± Kazius sighed out, patting him on the back.

    ¡°Kazius is right, you are more than anything leading up to your birth. If she can¡¯t see past that, then that is on her. Caleb sees you as a brother and we see you as a friend¡­ You won¡¯t be alone.¡± Alice assured with a smile.

    ¡°Unlike her. She has no friends and family because of her own actions¡­ She will find herself alone on the path she chose. She is a grown woman, yet she treats everyone like toys and kills like it is all some game. There will be consequences for that¡­ But the last thing you should do is waste your time thinking about someone like her.¡± Kazius added, feeling a bit relieved when Damon seemed to cheer up.

    ¡°It is just hard¡­ She just looks so much like my mother, even the way she looks at me is the same¡­ I worry about proving my mother right by¡­ hurting Luna¡­ But¡­ I can¡¯t keep risking everyone¡¯s safety¡­ I have to get over it. I can¡¯t change that we won¡¯t be a family.¡± Damon agreed with a sigh, running a hand through his hair to try and get it together. Today went poorly for him, but there were no tears and he looked determined¡­ So perhaps they went about as well as they could have.

    ¡°I doubt she had a backup plan¡­ I think the massive army of giants is about as much of a trump card as she probably thought she needed¡­ Even if she goes around the undead, she will have to travel for quite some time before she finds any more people to manipulate, if at all. Her magic is strong, but on her own against us, she is nothing.¡± Azanor admitted with a shrug. He seemed to try and act nonchalant, but Kazius could not help but notice how Azanor kept looking at Isolf while swallowing dryly.

    ¡°I will take responsibility when she comes back. I will make sure I am ready.¡± Damon assured, seeming to try and toughen out. Of course, his goal was not¡­ It was partially noble in the sense that his sister was a menace, but it was also not entirely righteous.

    Still, if he hesitated even for a second, Kazius intended on taking care of this himself next time. Wasting even a moment with Luna meant she would be capable of getting away, Kazius understood that much now.

    ¡°Our friendship is stronger than anything! If she comes back, we will win again! Yay, friendship power!¡± Eve chirped happily, seeming her usual self. For better or for worse.

    Kazius could not help but look at the charred ground and bodies that were barely recognizable as people¡­ A lot of their bodies were missing, but the parts that were still intact had somehow gotten petrified as if they were random charcoal-colored statue pieces lying about. Then there was the spear lodged in the crater that still seemed to radiate darkness in quite the ominous matter¡­

    ¡®The power of our friendship, huh?¡¯ Kazius chuckled out to himself mentally before he shook away his darker thoughts once again.

    He had a lot of cleaning up to do. He needed to focus on things at hand now¡­ For starters¡­ What to do with the curled-up giants that now had lost all will to fight after such a terrifying attack from them.

    As Kazius studied the remains up close and watched the surviving giants, Eve had crouched down and was attempting to pick up one of the few intact heads.

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    ¡°Eve, don¡¯t touch that. It isn¡¯t safe.¡± Azanor scolded, after all, who knew what messing around with the body parts would do, especially since they were torched by darkness.

    ¡°Aww¡­ Okay¡­¡± Eve whined with a slight pout.

    At this, Isolf seemed to grimace, gripping his head more. It seemed he realized he could not even bring back the bodies.

    Honestly, all desire to kill Isolf was disappearing after seeing him in such a state¡­ But at the same time, Kazius did not want any loose ends. Due to this, he supposed he only had one real choice¡­ One that avoided needless bloodshed but also helped things for the future.

    Kazius sighed, looking at the Frost Giant with pity.

    ¡°Isolf, was it?¡± Kazius asked.

    At the sound of his voice, The Frost Giant practically jumped.

    ¡°Y-You¡­ You were the one controlling¡­ That thing¡­ Please¡­ W-We surrender. Y-You can continue cursing the lands¡­ I-I won¡¯t interfere¡­ P-Please¡­ J-Just spare us¡­ You already proved your strength¡­ I can¡¯t oppose you¡­ If I do that, I can¡¯t claim to have any honor left¡­ S-So, please¡­ At least show my remaining warriors mercy¡­¡± Isolf begged in panic, scrambling to his feet and bowing. Despite being several times Kazius¡¯ size, the way he looked at him was as if he was staring at a truly terrifying Monster that could eat him in one bite. Now that Kazius had pushed away his darker thoughts, all that he felt towards Isolf while he was in such a pathetic state was only pity.

    ¡°Hey, hey, calm down¡­ None of that is needed, okay¡­ Look¡­ I am sure you realized by now that you were tricked by Luna¡­ The¡­ Witch you talked to earlier¡­ For starters, she isn¡¯t a Witch¡­ She is a Wizard¡­ One we exiled from our town because of her tendency to¡­ Well¡­ Do things like what she did to you. I am the current Chief of Vargstam¡­ And I can promise you, none of these mountains are strange because of anything we did. We haven¡¯t cursed lands or any nonsense she might have told you.¡± Kazius began, much to the dismay of Isolf. After all, every word out of Kazius¡¯ mouth only proved that Isolf was an idiot to pull the stunt he did.

    ¡°B-But the Witch¡­¡± Isolf trailed off in confusion. It seemed Kazius¡¯ words about Luna not being a Witch went in one ear and out the other.

    While Wizards used magic deemed acceptable by The Church, Witches did not. Witches were a type of Monster that got their magic from other sources as well as themselves. They also tended to use more taboo dark spells¡­ But now that Kazius thought about it, from the perspective of most people not from Ratier or not familiar with too many specifics on Magic, it all seemed the same to them.

    ¡°Yes, the Witch lied to you. The mountains around here were like that before any of my people got here. We have no idea why the lands here are so strange¡­ Well¡­ There is a Mountain here that we know why it is like that, but that is the only one we know anything about. I can assure that to you as their leader.¡± Kazius admitted, giving up on explaining the difference between a Witch and a Wizard. That didn¡¯t matter right now anyway.

    At the news that he was indeed played for a fool, Isolf began to shake in both anger and sadness. After all, he lost a lot of men due to something very stupid.

    ¡°I thought¡­ I believed her¡­ I thought if I killed you, the lands here would be free¡­ I got my warriors killed in a battle of shame¡­ A battle of lies¡­ They won¡¯t be able to reach the Eternal Mountain¡­ And it is all my fault¡­ I can¡¯t face my father like this¡­ I have brought so much shame to our people¡­¡± Isolf trailed off, horrified at what he had done. It seemed he threw no blame at them despite their slaughter.

    ¡°What is he saying?¡± Alice asked in confusion.

    ¡°Basically, Luna tricked him into thinking we were the source of the mountains around here being strange. She convinced him by killing us, he would lift a curse from these lands¡­ And then he rambled on about death through a shameful battle and some forever mountain.¡± Kazius explained the best he could, looking away from Isolf.

    As Kazius looked away, the group nodded in understanding. That was before Kazius would see the alarmed faces of his friends. Isolf had drawn his blade.

    But¡­ Instead of aiming it at Kazius, the group realized that he was intending to spill out his own insides. Thankfully, before he could do such a thing, Alice had reacted quickly. She used her power to pull the blade from his hand with all her might, sending it flying to the side.

    At this, Isolf began to shed a few tears, punching the ground in frustration.

    ¡°Do not take my death away from me! This is the only way I can make up for what I have done! This is the only honorable thing for me to do as a warrior! LET ME DIE! My people will never be able to outlive our shame!¡± Isolf snapped out, crumbling under the distress he felt.

    ¡®Having an honorable death must really be important to them¡­ He seems more upset about that than the fact they died¡­ So the fact they died for a lie must make it worse¡­¡¯

    Azanor had managed to pull himself together earlier¡­ But now he was practically shaking at this point, the state Isolf was in was just too much for him. Perhaps the proximity to Isolf didn¡¯t help either¡­ Then again, the other Frost Giants were not done grieving¡­ And it seemed hearing Kazius talk to their leader about the truth was not helping. Their agony was worse than before.

    Azanor was trying so hard to not show that form that Kazius had briefly seen earlier. It was clear he was quite ashamed of it.

    ¡°I¡­ I have to go¡­ I have to go¡­ Dammit¡­ FUCK!¡± Azanor stated, his voice incredibly shaky. He sounded very angry with himself as he ran off¡­ Much to everyone¡¯s shock.

    It seemed seeing Azanor in that state got to Eve. She looked concerned as ran off after him. After all, Azanor barely left her side.

    ¡°Heeey! Wait for meeeeeeee!¡± Eve exclaimed as she ran. Of course, she was nowhere near as fast as Azanor.

    ¡®I will have to talk to him later¡­¡¯ Kazius sighed to himself.

    Who knew things would get so messy¡­ Of course, it was bad to have 2 people leave like that, but it wasn¡¯t like this was a fight anymore.

    He supposed he just had to take care of things one step at the time¡­ And at the top of this list now was to stop Isolf from doing anything rash¡­

 Chapter 55: Negotiate While Remaining Yourself

    Kazius sighed, unsure of where to even start with Isolf.

    ¡°Dying won¡¯t solve anything, you know? I don¡¯t know the details of what you believe in¡­ But your men died over a lie, something terrible in your people¡¯s eyes, right? Well, tell me, do you want to die here and leave those at home without any answers to what happened?¡± Kazius questioned, testing the waters somewhat.

    It seemed things were making sense to Isolf, he was listening at least. At his question, Isolf responded with a sad shake of his head.

    ¡°Tell me, was this your whole army?¡± Kazius questioned. Anyone who was not na?ve would not answer that question. Kazius had told himself he would be good, but whether he wanted to admit it or not, the question did not deep down slip out with pure intentions.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Isolf admitted in dismay, feeling ashamed to have led to the death of most of his people¡¯s warriors.

    At Isolf¡¯s words, were it not for Kazius¡¯ self-control, quite the wide and twisted grin would have made its way to his face. It took more willpower than Kazius would have liked, but he got himself under control. It became a bit harder when he heard the distinct voice speak.

    ¡®So, they are now defenseless¡­¡¯ Kazius could practically hear the delight in The Shadows at the revelation.

    ¡®As defenseless as Giants can be- Wait, No! I am not like that! What he needs now is a friend, I will help him!¡¯ Kazius snapped to himself mentally. If Azanor could hold out so many centuries without eating souls, he could control himself from¡­ Whatever it was that he had the urge to do.

    Kazius had a sort of kinship with Azanor over the two existing as beings of darkness, but it seemed the two also shared the burden of their natures betraying their personalities. Then again, it wasn¡¯t like Kazius had not been warned about what would happen if he kept searching in The Shadows for his answers¡­ The fact that the distinct voice was more talkative and even tried to tempt him was his own fault. Perhaps after making sure Azanor was okay, he could ask him for advice on how to maintain self-control.

    ¡°So you have no army¡­ And The people that were left behind still believe the lie you used to believe, right? What do you think any father who loves his son would do in that situation? He would send anyone of fighting age to take care of the threat, us, and avenge his dead son.¡± Kazius explained.

    To be honest, Kazius was making a lot of educated assumptions. He had always idolized the idea of a family, he wished he had one. Though considering his lineage, it was for the best he grew up without a father¡­ Still, he was not ignorant of what a family should be.

    Isolf seemed to look ashamed at Kazius¡¯ words. So, it seemed Kazius¡¯ assumptions were correct. With this, perhaps they will avoid spilling more blood.

    ¡°Now¡­ Tell me, Isolf¡­ And this isn¡¯t a threat¡­ Since I rather it not come to this¡­ But we did this to your actual army¡­And this is what is left of them¡­ We did not attack first, remember that¡­ But tell me¡­ If your father provokes us¡­ What do you think we will do to him? Or anyone else he brings along? We won¡¯t have any choice but to defend ourselves. That would end badly. To keep your people alive, you have to live¡­ I know it is not easy living with your choices sometimes¡­ But you have to.¡± Kazius finished with a sigh, his expression softening a little as he saw the Frost Giant nod in understanding.

    Of course, part of what Kazius said was a bluff. He was not sure if they could pull something like that attack again¡­ At least not in the same way considering the state the spear was in¡­ And then there was the fact that Kazius had tried to not rely too much on The Shadows, but what he had done had still been pushing it. He understood their influence over his mind, and he did not want to risk it getting any worse¡­

    Isolf grimaced at the thought of his father and any others dying in such a horrifying way. It was honestly surprising that Isolf did not hold any resentment towards Kazius and the others for their terrifying actions¡­ But from his perspective, was there even any point in holding a grudge? He saw them as a power beyond his comprehension and understood that he was the aggressor in this situation. Na?ve or not, once Luna revealed she had tricked Isolf, it took away any reason for him to fight them,

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    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ But then¡­ What¡­ What should I do?¡± Isolf asked in concern and dismay.

    Kazius sighed, that was not an easy question. Defenseless or not, Frost Giants were still formidable¡­ How many widows could end up trying to take their frustrations out on them? Following Isolf home was not a good idea, especially with Azanor and Eve gone.

    Kazius had discounted The Undead over the mountains as a threat along with The Frost Giants¡­ But The Frost Giants were intelligent beings with wills of their own¡­ And they were too close for comfort. Kazius had made up his mind that they could not be left alone¡­ He would connect the two places under his rule. Thankfully, thanks to Luna¡­ The situation was very much in his favor.

    ¡°Return home and then bring your father with you¡­ He is the current King, right? We will negotiate in person at a middle point between our homes. Bring anyone you want, but don¡¯t try anything¡­ If you don¡¯t return within 3 days, we will go to you and I promise you that you won¡¯t like it. I need to keep my people safe¡­ So, I hope you will understand. Don¡¯t bother sending a messenger or anything, I will know when you¡¯re nearby. I want to be on friendly terms, even be your friend¡­ But more than anything¡­ I won¡¯t tolerate anyone putting my people in danger¡­ Remember that.¡± Kazius stated firmly, his expression friendly, but when he gave his threats, there was an ominous glow to his eyes.

    What he was doing with letting Isolf return home was risky, but it was the best choice. He wanted to befriend and help the poor Giant who almost took his own life a second ago, but Kazius could not afford to put Vargstam in danger. Vargstam was his home¡­ And despite being the way he was and with the plots he was starting to weave to make sure he kept his power, he truly cared about the people in Vargstam. Above all, his friends also called Vargstam home, all the more reason to make sure that they were safe.

    ¡°I swear on my honor that I will return.¡± Isolf assured before looking at his men in dismay. Having heard the whole conversation, the remaining survivors began to get ready to leave.

    ¡°They¡¯re leaving?¡± Alice asked in confusion, after all, only Kazius understood them.

    ¡°They will come back, then I plan to hold some proper negotiations¡­ I figured it would be best we don''t follow them¡­ I don¡¯t want their anger turned towards us when the number of deaths is revealed. Their army is apparently gone now, but their entire population is probably a similar height. A Giant is still a Giant.¡± Kazius admitted with a sigh.

    ¡°It is a shame they had to have so many losses, but I doubt they would have stopped their march if we tried to talk to them. We had no choice.¡± Alice stared in dismay as she looked at the charred bodies. Now that the threat was gone and hearing how the Frost Giants were tricked, she pitied them heavily. It was almost like she was trying to assure herself they did the right thing. It showed on her face, a dismayed expression appearing on it.

    ¡°It was either them or us¡­ They started a war, but we ended it. It is that simple. If they had killed us all while still being tricked, they would not be mourning us, I know that much. These deaths are on their own hands, not ours.¡± Kazius assured her with a confident yet warm smile. The smile was genuine, but the warmth in it did not reach his eyes.

    Deep down while Kazius pitied Isolf and the living, he felt absolutely no guilt for the dead.  Even with him resisting The Shadow¡¯s influence that he had allowed upon himself, Kazius was beginning to realize the ramifications of allowing their influence so far. He found himself incapable of caring about the casualties or how many more he needed.

    It was not even about self-defense, he had goals and he just wanted to achieve them. He did not care how many strangers he had to sacrifice to achieve it. He cared about his friends, the people of Vargstam even¡­ But if Isolf returned with his father and was unwilling to submit to his will, he could not stop himself from thinking about how simple and easy killing them would make things.

    Kazius was horrified to think about that, after all¡­ The reason he wanted to be a Holy Knight way back was because he wanted to protect strangers, defend the weak, and save people. Kazius still intended to confront The Demon King and even Ratier, but it was for their own sakes, not others. Combined with the dark desires he felt lately¡­ And even the malicious joy he felt lately¡­ He was worried. He was beginning to realize he tried to resist the influence of The Shadows, but that was not good enough. He had changed. He needed to put in effort to stop himself from giving in any further.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re right. We did what we had to.¡± Damon agreed, snapping Kazius out of his thoughts with a grin.

    ¡°Yes¡­ That¡¯s right¡­¡± Kazius agreed with a sigh, reaching into his pocket to feel his necklace again, something he had not done in a while. He felt the letters that he was familiar with, feeling out his name. It was almost as if he was trying to assure himself that he was still himself.

    ¡®I am fine¡­ I am still me. All people change¡­ I¡­ I will be fine¡­ I will do better¡­ Once this fiasco is over, I will go back to the challenges in the mountains¡­ And gain my own strength¡­ And then I won¡¯t have to rely on The Shadows as much¡­ If the future The Oracle showed me is real¡­ I will be fine¡­¡¯  Kazius assured himself mentally, much to the disapproval of The Shadows.

    Kazius could hear every bit of disapproval from them along with disagreement. Their whispers were so intense that it almost sounded like hissing.

    ¡®You can¡¯t help what you are¡­ Just accept it¡­ You¡¯re one of us¡­ You will learn that soon enough...¡¯

    ¡®No¡­ You¡¯re wrong¡­ At least I hope you are¡­¡¯

 Chapter 56: Heading Back

    ¡°I suppose all we can do now is wait¡­ We should go to tell everyone at home that everything is alright¡­ We will probably run into anyone that started heading here on the way back¡­ Had I known we would manage, I would not have bothered with asking for reinforcements.¡± Kazius stated, trying to focus on what was in front of him instead of his internal struggle.

    Despite his best attempts though, his expression had a distant look to it, something Alice picked up on as she stared at him.

    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Kazius asked her in confusion, realizing she was looking at him quite intently.

    Alice perked up, growing a bit flustered.

    ¡°No, sorry¡­ I just¡­ I just feel like this is weighing heavily on you. I was just worrying about you¡­     I know leading people isn¡¯t easy¡­ My father¡¯s authority was mostly fake, but he was still very stressed¡­ I just feel like lately there has been a different look in your eyes¡­ Even when we climbed Mount Cyklon you didn¡¯t look very happy at the party¡­ And it has only gotten worse with this¡­ Just¡­ How about I handle catching everyone on what happened?¡± Alice questioned.

    Kazius perked up at her words. He supposed she was more perceptive than he had realized. He was hiding a lot from her. The talk with Vind, his origin, and even his internal struggles¡­ But he just could not bring himself to tell her any of it¡­ He did not want her to change how he looked at him. The idea terrified him. Yet despite this, he still did not connect the dots as to why¡­ But honestly, he was simply just refusing to allow himself to.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ I suppose I am rather exhausted.¡± Kazius agreed, holding onto her hands briefly with his own.

    Kazius was quite stressed due to his own internal struggles more than anything external, but that did not change the fact that her show of care was very much appreciated by him. It helped him greatly, even if he did not say it. It was really almost like Alice was always there for him in his worst moments, which was another reason why he wanted to spare her from all of this.

    ¡°I think you and Azanor could probably use a break¡­ You two have seemed close lately. Maybe you both could talk and relax or something¡­ I don¡¯t get why he ran off like that¡­¡± Alice added, showing she had perceived that much as well. She didn¡¯t know about their chats, but she could tell this much.

    ¡°I¡­ I will try that¡­ Thank you, Alice¡­ ¡± Kazius agreed, feeling a bit nervous. After all, she was pointing out things Kazius had hoped she would not notice.

    ¡°Good, I think you should also relax some, Damon. I know dealing with Luna has never been easy on you.¡± Alice added it seemed like she intended to take care of everything on her own.

    ¡°I am doing fine, really! I told you, I just need to get over it. I will help. I think we should go ahead and go. Let me grab my spear and let¡¯s head back.¡± Damon assured with a grin and thumbs up as if to show he was alright.

    ¡°Is it even safe to touch it?¡± Alice asked in concern, her brows furrowing as she looked at what was left of the Frost Giants near the impact zone.

    ¡°That aura is a little concerning¡­ But my Shadows have never really hurt anyone I have not wanted them to¡­ But I can grab it first to make sure it is alright.¡± Kazius admitted. Sure, the Shadows had questionable motives¡­ But they did not seem like they meant physical harm towards him and his friends.

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    ¡°I¡¯m sure it is fine! It is my spear after all.¡± Damon protested.

    ¡°I insist.¡± Kazius stated, heading to it first. He did not want to risk any of them getting hurt.

    With that, as he approached, he could see more of the petrified remains. He could not help but reach and touch an arm that was in his path. The charred remains did not only look like stone, but they felt like stone as well.

    It all felt quite solid, he doubted these would go anywhere. Perhaps leaving them would suffice as enough of a warning to anyone that attempted to attack Vargstam¡­

    Still, he kept going, reaching the spear that was now pitch black and radiating shadows in the strangest way. Kazius slowly reached for the spear, flinching as the shadows seemed to immediately go towards him. Just as quickly as that happened though, they disappeared into him.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Kazius trailed off, confused.

    ¡°What was that?! Are you okay!?¡± Alice exclaimed in concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine! You two stay back there!¡± Kazius called back, glad that he had done this instead of Damon.

    ¡®I have the permission¡­¡¯ Kazius thought to himself, remembering Azanor¡¯s words about his birthright when it came to The Shadows.

    Kazius used those words to reassure himself that he was fine and that is why no harm came to him physically. With that, he went ahead and grabbed the spear, pulling it out. It was then the spear began to change. It was almost like the black coating around it was burning away.

    What was left behind was a similar-looking spear except the metal looked sharper¡­ The metal almost had a black and red shine around it¡­ It was almost as if it was made of a different metal entirely, one Kazius had never seen before. Even with The Shadows gone, the hilt was now black, but what was most noticeable of all was the symbol on it.

    It had changed.

    The spear no longer contained Vind¡¯s symbol¡­

    In its place was an open eye looking down. Kazius could almost feel an air of contempt from the eye. It was almost as if it was looking down on everything and everyone. With 4 triangle-shaped tears. One triangle pointed down with another right below it, one pointed to the right, and one to the left.

    It was strange, but he felt a connection to the symbol.

    There was no trace of Vind¡¯s symbol. It was like it was never there. It was just this new one¡­ Kazius would ask Azanor about it at some point.

    ¡°Here.¡± Kazius stated, walking back to the duo before handing Damon the spear.

    Damon studied the spear as he grabbed it, his expression showing his confusion. After all, he always carried his spear around, but now it was so foreign to him.

    ¡°It looks so different!¡± Damon exclaimed in awe.

    ¡°At least it seems like it is safe¡­¡± Alice stated with a sigh, relieved. She seemed a bit concerned about the change in appearance, but it seemed she did not seem to think much of it. Perhaps though maybe she just didn¡¯t know what to even think.

    ¡°Buahaha! It looks fine! I can¡¯t wait to try it out!¡± Damon beamed, seeming eager to practice with it.

    ¡°That will have to wait till later though. I¡¯m sure everyone in Vargstam is still panicking.¡± Kazius admitted with a sigh. He did not know where to even begin. Alice said she could handle it, but he did not want her to sort out such a mess alone¡­

    Still, he supposed all they could do was see what would happen.

    ¡°Alright, enough of that. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Kazius stated with a sigh.

    With that, Kazius would head back to town by foot considering he did not have the energy to go through The Shadows¡­ Not to mention, he had this uneasy feeling deep down that he could not understand. He felt it would be best to keep their distance.

    As they made their way back, indeed they ran into their reinforcements. Egil was together with other fighting-age men of Vargstam. They all looked quite alarmed, but somewhat relieved to see them back safely.

    ¡°What happened, Chief!? I thought there were Giants!¡± Egil exclaimed, looking quite tense.

    ¡°About that¡­ The fight is already over, we actually won¡­ Some Frost Giants should be coming back to negotiate peace.¡± Kazius admitted.

    His words seemed to stun the group, unable to believe they took care of a whole army on their own.

    ¡°But how?¡± Egil asked, unable to believe what he heard.

    ¡°It is quite the story¡­ Come on, I will tell you on the way back.¡±

 Chapter 57: Oops

    As the group headed back, Kazius filled them in on everything that had occurred.

    Kazius purposefully left the details of how they managed to gather the strength for their attack purposefully rather vague. He basically summed it up as the power of teamwork and friendship, nothing more.

    The rest of the facts though, were the truth. This included the likely fate of the scouts, who were currently missing. Though Kazius dubbed them missing, he still believed they were dead¡­ But it would not hurt to send out a search party. At least if the bodies could be found.

    Once they returned to town though, they were greeted by an alarmed-looking Caleb. He seemed relieved to see them, especially Damon.

    ¡°Thank Vind you¡¯re safe,¡± Caleb stated, looking quite shaken.

    ¡°Buahaha! Of course, I am, brother! Why would I not be?¡± Damon questioned in confusion.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be keeping a barrier up?¡± Kazius questioned with a frown, after all, if things had gotten worse, the barrier may have become a matter of life and death.

    ¡°I am¡­ I just¡­ I stepped out because I was worried. The mana in the air¡­ It changed¡­ The sky looked weird, and I could have sworn I heard something¡­ And then the statue of Vind just exploded¡­ I had no clue what to think. I thought you were¡­¡± Caleb trailed off, a helplessness in his expression. After all, he feared he had lost his brother and there was nothing he could do about it.

    At his words though, Kazius began to sweat.

    ¡®The statue of Vind exploded? Shit¡­ That is definitely our doing¡­¡¯ Kazius thought to himself in alarm and concern. He did not like Vind and he had been happy to piss her off by using her power as he wished¡­ But Kazius began to fear that he had done more than that. After all, he had turned her champion against her and then used a weapon she had put her power into and used it in such a way¡­ Partially out of desperation and partially out of malice, but that did not matter.

    Whether he intended to or not, he had taken things too far.

    Having a bad feeling, Kazius slowly turned his eye to look at Egil. As expected, Kazius could see his expression grow from horrified to enraged.

    Egil grabbed the shaken Half-Elf by the collar and began to shake him.

    ¡°WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT THE VIND STATUE EXPLODED?!¡± Egil snapped, sounding the angriest he had ever been.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know why! That is why I said that I was worried!¡± Caleb exclaimed defensively.

    ¡°Let him go! He has been stressed out enough. He has not done anything wrong.¡± Damon demanded, grabbing Egil¡¯s hand and making him let go.

    Egil looked upset but allowed to have his hand removed. He looked around, almost like a corned animal. He was the one most upset about the news.

    It was then Egil seemed to stare at Damon¡¯s spear. The longer he stared at it, the more his expression darkened.

    He noticed.

    ¡°You¡­What did you do!?¡± Egil snapped, enraged, practically baring his fangs at Damon.

    As this happened, Alice began to look nervous. It seemed she realized what they had done. Of course, she did not know about the disdain Vind and Kazius had for each other or that what Kazius had done was partially on purpose.

    Kazius was exhausted due to what happened combined with their walk back¡­ But it seemed there would be no relaxing. He would not have Alice deal with Egil, he had to take care of this himself.

    To be honest, the simplest solution was just to kill Egil. Despite anything Kazius may think though or that The Shadows insisted made the most sense, Kazius refused to do so. After all, not only was Egil useful, but he had a family. Kazius strived to be better than anything his darker urges told him to do. He cared about the people of Vargstam as their leader and this included Egil.

    If he just treated everyone around him like a broken toy whenever they did not do or act how he wanted¡­ Just what kind of person would he become? Then again, perhaps learning to lie as easily as it was to breathe was not a good thing.

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    ¡°Damon did not do anything wrong, Egil. We defeated the Frost Giants and Damon helped us in that effort. I am sure Vind lent us her strength¡­ She cares about Vargstam so deeply, you know that. I think she may have sacrificed more strength than she could afford though.¡± Kazius stated, spinning the tale in a way that made him nauseous. He did not want to give Vind credit for anything¡­ But at the same time, this situation was bad¡­ But also, an opportunity.

    Thankfully, it seemed Egil believed Kazius.

    ¡°No¡­ Vind¡­ Did she¡­ Did she sacrifice herself to save Vargstam without us knowing?¡± Egil stated in horror.

    ¡°Who knows¡­ But that is what I suspect¡­ As for that symbol, I have no idea why it appeared on the spear.¡± Kazius stated with a sigh, feigning sadness. To punctuate his words, he found himself speaking with his hands much more.

    He did not like how easily this amount of manipulation came to him, he found it disturbing.

    Above all, what felt most disgusting about the situation was the fact that as he lied, he recognized his new mannerisms. Kazius was not one to emphasize his words with his hands, but it was a habit that High Priest Jordan had. Now that he was lying and trying to manipulate someone so blatantly¡­ He found himself copying the most manipulative and nasty person he knew.

    Still, he wanted to get out of this situation, and to do so he could do nothing other than lie.

    Damon of course said nothing during all of this, he knew the truth of how Kazius had used the spear. A part of Kazius wondered if he had even felt anything from Vind¡¯s end as they stole her power¡­ But if he did, he had chosen to say nothing about it.

    As for Alice, she knew they were not telling the truth. Sure, she did not know the extent of things, but Kazius could tell she knew he was lying. Kazius¡¯ tactics were not too different from what The Church at Ratier had done¡­ Despite this, she did not once point it out. Perhaps she understood why Kazius had to say what he did¡­ or perhaps she thought what happened to Vind was accidental and Kazius was just trying to protect Damon.

    ¡°This¡­ But I still feel her blessing¡­ How can we still have her blessing if she is gone?¡± Egil questioned in dismay, his expression showing just how heartbroken he was.

    ¡°Vind has always loved your people¡­ Especially Damon¡¯s family. Perhaps she wanted to make sure you would have the strength to fight, even with her gone¡­ We have to keep going¡­ If she really did make this sacrifice, we owe it to her to prosper and go forward.¡± Kazius stated firmly.

    Caleb looked greatly saddened.

    ¡°We must send out a search party for the scouts¡­ And then if they are found dead, we must celebrate our victory in their honor and Vind¡¯s¡­ It is what she would have wanted. Then after our sendoff, we can bury the pieces of the statue that we can find. We will give her a proper rest.¡± Kazus assured, that part was not a lie.

    After all, Vind was important to his people¡­ And while he had only intended to spite her¡­ He had not meant to take things this far¡­ She was an obstacle and an annoyance that was now gone¡­ So, he was happy about that, but he knew he had done something he shouldn¡¯t¡­ Though it was too late now¡­

    That did not mean Kazius was not worried about Vind anymore though.

    Considering what Azanor said a while back¡­ Vind and the other Gods were incapable of being in this realm directly. Perhaps Vind had anchored herself to Mount Cyklon somehow, but there was a good chance she was just back in the realm of the Gods and was not actually dead.

    Kazius was not sure which reality scared him more. The idea of Vind seething with rage in another realm¡­ Or to have in a way continued his father¡¯s work and now be responsible for the death of a Goddess.

    ¡°I will go help with the search myself¡­ I owe that much for not being fast enough¡­¡± Egil stated, clearly blaming himself to some extent. It seemed he believed that had he arrived on time, Vind wouldn¡¯t have needed to ¡®sacrifice herself¡¯.

    ¡°That would be a good idea. I will handle the cleanup over here¡­ We all did a lot to protect Vargstam, some of us sacrificed more than others¡­ I hope you know this took a lot out of us all¡­ Kazius used a lot of power to get us there as fast as he could. He needs rest.¡± Alice spoke up to help him.

    To be honest her behavior surprised Kazius. Alice was usually so caring and despised the lies in Ratier¡­ Yet she was helping him without hesitation despite his questionable explanation. It made Kazius feel guilty. He was hiding so much from her, yet here she was helping him¡­ Perhaps because she just believed in him that much¡­ Even if Kazius himself found his own motivations to be concerning.

    ¡°Thank you, Alice¡­ Yes¡­ I need to rest¡­ But first I want to make sure Azanor and Eve are okay¡­ We did get separated from them. We¡­ We can talk later. Don¡¯t overdo it.¡± Kazius stated, his expression softening quite a bit as he studied her face, hoping to understand what was going through her mind.

    Alice smiled at him, her expression was a genuine one, with an almost hopeful look in her violet eyes.

    ¡°I won¡¯t, I promise. You should take Damon with you, I¡¯m sure if the two of you work together then you will find them faster.¡± Alice stated warmly. Seeing her expression only ate away at Kazius¡¯ conscience even more.

    Kazius was just so confused. She should have at least some hesitation¡­

    Damon perked up, grinning.

    ¡°Buahaha! We will find them in no time!¡± Damon assured.

    ¡°Wait, before you go, Damon¡­ I¡­ I need to at least apologize for accusing you the way I did.¡± Egil stated, seeming to truly believe he was in the wrong.

    At this, Damon perked up, almost as if he was unsure of how to respond. After all, the accusation was correct in the end. At the apology he simply smiled, patting Egil on the back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! I know everyone is tense right now, I don¡¯t blame you.¡± Damon assured.

    ¡°If you say so¡­¡± Egil trailed off, clearly like he had once again failed Damon¡¯s grandfather by yet again turning against his grandson over the slightest suspicion.

    Kazius only grew more concerned about this. Damon was normally so honest and wore his heart on his sleeve¡­ Yet here he was, collaborating his lie¡­

    He was beginning to realize he was not being a good influence on his friends at all¡­  He had to do better¡­

 Chapter 58: The Disgraced Prince

    As they walked away, once they were a good distance away, Damon spoke up.

    ¡°Buahaha! That went well, thankfully he believed us.¡± Damon stated with a content grin once they were alone.

    They were following the whispers of The Shadows that were guiding them towards where Eve and Azanor could have gone. In all truth, Kazius did not need Damon¡¯s help to find the missing ¡®couple¡¯, but he brought his friend along anyway. Alice was so adamant about being able to handle things in Vargstam, that he did not have the heart to do anything other than agree to what she wanted.

    Not to mention, while Alice was involved in their conspiracy against Vind; Damon, Azanor, and himself were guilty of hiding so much worse together. Kazius felt like it would help Azanor to have two people there who understood what he was dealing with.

    Despite how well things were going though, Kazius¡¯ face was solemn.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I am glad that went well¡­ I¡­ I am sorry you had to lie on my behalf¡­ I¡­ I led you down a bad path, didn¡¯t I? Because of me, you were yelled at.¡± Kazius admitted in dismay, he was absolutely filled with guilt.

    His friends were good people yet he felt like if he kept going down the path that he was going, he would lead them down a bad path¡­ He had to try harder.

    Damon¡¯s expression softened a bit at Kazius¡¯ words. He let out a good-natured laugh.

    ¡°Buahaha! Are you really worried about that? I could not care less, Kazius. I told you many times, you could become the worst person in the world, and I would still be on your side. I mean it. I am okay with lying if it helps you¡­ I do feel bad for hiding things from Alice¡­ But I understand why we have to.¡± Damon stated, waving his hand as if dismissing Kazius¡¯ concern as silly.

    ¡°What about Vind? When I asked for your spear¡­ I didn¡¯t even tell you what I was going to do¡­ As things are¡­ If Vargstam found out half of what we did¡­ Everyone in town would become our enemy.¡± Kazius admitted with a frown.

    ¡°And? I told you, but maybe I just didn¡¯t explain it well¡­ I don¡¯t feel like I owe Vind anything. She gave the same power to my father and everyone else in my family. When things got bad, what did she do for me? Everyone in Vargstam has been my enemy for a long time, Kazius¡­ The only reason it is different now¡­ Is because of you, my friends. If they go back to being my enemies because I am staying by your side, that won¡¯t change my mind. I forgive them¡­ I will be their friend as long as they let me¡­ But, I don¡¯t owe them anything either.¡± Damon admitted with a shrug.

    Kazius was not sure whether to be happy or concerned at Damon¡¯s words. It seems he means a lot to Damon, they all do¡­ But he held more resentment for the people of Vargstam than he realized.

    ¡°I appreciate it, Damon¡­¡± Kazius stated, but his tone revealed his concern.

    As they finished this conversation, they walked into a situation that Kazius did not expect at all.

    Eve was crying, her expression was her usual ugly cry. Snot was coming out of her nose as she cried her eyes out. She looked absolutely heartbroken.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eve¡­ Just go back¡­ Please¡­ I want to be alone right now¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t think I can be around you right now.¡± Azanor stated, his expression was pained as he said this. He looked incredibly guilty and sad to have caused her so much grief.

    Eve did not want to be sent away, but Azanor clearly was not budging.

    ¡°But¡­. But you are my best friend.¡± Eve whimpered out, devastated.

    Azanor frowned, the Demon looked at his wits end. He was under too much stress¡­ And hearing his wife address him as a friend¡­ It was too much for him right now. He could not look at her.

    ¡°Yes¡­ You are¡­ But¡­ Please¡­ Just go. I can¡¯t look at you¡­¡± Azanor stated in dismay.

    Eve stared at him, searching his face in desperation, but seemed to not find what she wanted considering not long after¡­ She ran off in tears. She was not used to Azanor acting distant with her.

    Then again, Kazius did not blame her, even he was shocked at the fact he was telling her to leave. He knew Azanor was probably feeling quite terrible at his slipping control, but he did not understand why he would distance himself from Eve like that.

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    ¡°Is¡­. Is everything alright?¡± Kazius questioned in concern.

    ¡°Of course it fucking isn¡¯t. You saw me, earlier, didn¡¯t you?¡± Azanor questioned with a frown.

    Damon and Kazius were a bit taken aback by his attitude, but Kazius knew that it was in Azanor¡¯s nature to have more bite to his words. He had likely given up on keeping up his filter now that Eve had left. So Kazius did not take it personally.

    ¡°Earlier?¡± Damon asked, considering he had not seen Azanor.

    ¡°Yes, earlier. You know¡­ When we stole that pathetic Goddess¡¯ power? I could feel her anger and agony from where we were¡­ Then there was the suffering of those The Frost Giants¡­ Some of them survived and their terror¡­ it was¡­¡± Azanor shuddered as he spoke, he seemed to gulp dryly.

    ¡°I felt so hungry¡­ I am so, so, so hungry¡­ I¡­ I am struggling with trusting myself¡­ But¡­ I can¡¯t afford to eat another fucking soul. I won¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡± Azanor stated in distress.

    Kazius could understand Azanor¡¯s internal struggle, but the way he spoke¡­ It was starting to sound more like he did not eat souls due to more than just moral reasons.

    ¡°Is it even safe for you to go around and not eat? I know my kind acted very¡­ Feral back when the famine was happening¡­¡± Damon questioned in confusion.

    ¡°It is safe¡­ At least I would like to think it is¡­ I don¡¯t know 100%, honestly. It isn¡¯t like any other Demon has been dumb enough to do this¡­ I don¡¯t know of any other Demon that would voluntarily not eat¡­ Not like I had a choice while I was sealed away¡­. But still¡­ The way I see it though¡­ I feel like it is just necessary for us to get stronger, not to live¡­ That doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t get hungry though¡­ Normal food helps, but we don¡¯t need it¡­ Might as well eat garbage, it makes no difference to us¡­ But¡­ My control has been slipping¡­ You saw a bit of my true form, Kazius¡­ I am a Monster¡­ A real and true Monster.¡± Azanor stated in dismay, his expression darkening.

    It surprised Kazius to think that Azanor¡¯s real form was so beastly¡­ But to him, it did not matter¡­ He was still his friend¡­ But hearing from Azanor speak about how hard self-control came to him¡­ It did concern Kazius¡­

    He was not worried about Azanor, but rather thinking about the day Demons would be free again¡­ A day he knew was coming¡­ And how they would all be very VERY hungry¡­ Including their King¡­ And that they would not have Azanor¡¯s saint-like self-control. Such a thought was enough to lose sleep over.

    ¡°Azanor, enough about this Monster nonsense. I know you hung out with Ratier and those other idiots, but I don¡¯t see you that way¡­ If you want to talk about terrifying things, I would fit that description too. You don¡¯t see me that way, do you?¡± Kazius questioned with a frown.

    ¡°No¡­ But¡­ I don¡¯t want to hurt any of you¡­ Especially Eve¡­ It¡­ It scares me¡­ I already have a contract with her¡­ I¡­ I would not forgive myself¡­ I am entitled to take her soul, the only reason I haven¡¯t is because I refuse to. I am scared of what I could do if I ever lose control¡­¡± Azanor admitted in shame.

    ¡°Azanor, we all know you don¡¯t have it in you to do that¡­ Who are you kidding? Not even in your wildest dreams. You love her too much. Not a lot of people would stick around a spouse that doesn¡¯t even remember them, especially not so patiently.¡± Kazius stated with a scoff.

    ¡°I think Kazius has a point. You two are practically attached all day.¡± Damon assured with a grin.

    Azanor frowned at this, he looked like he truly did not trust himself right now.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know me as well as you think. I love Eve with everything I am¡­ But I am also awful, I am a terrible person. I thrive off suffering, I literally eat souls. How much worse could I fucking be for you to see that you should stay away?¡± Azanor snapped.

    ¡°What, you think you enjoyed that view all alone? I loved every bit of it... I¡­ I am starting to realize that I am not as great of a person as I like to think I am. I am not immune to my own nature¡­ I didn¡¯t know how far we were taking things, but I wasn¡¯t entirely clueless about what we were doing to Vind. I might as well be continuing where my father left off, you know, the one you don¡¯t even want to say the name of. If anything, seeing you have such good self-control helped me out a lot. You need to have faith in yourself, Azanor.¡± Kazius assured, his expression softening greatly.

    ¡°You are not bad people because of where you come from¡­ You guys taught me that¡­ That is why you also need to think better of yourself, Azanor. I think you don¡¯t give yourself enough credit. I heard the stories about how Demons can¡¯t help but lie¡­ To never trust a word from them¡­ But you are one of the people I trust the most. You never lie.¡± Damon assured, showing how much faith he had in them.

    ¡°Stop praising me, I don¡¯t deserve it. There is no afterlife or anything for souls I eat, you know? I am just some hungry soulless fiend that steals from others what I cannot have.¡± Azanor admitted bitterly. He had hinted at it in the past, but it seemed Azanor truly did not have a soul, at least not one he could see¡­ And that fact greatly bothered him.

    ¡°And I am Seselis¡¯ son, who has Shadows around me constantly encouraging me to do bad things. Join the club. We try to be better than we are. That is enough. Yes, you haven¡¯t told us everything about yourself, but neither have I.¡± Kazius assured.

    Azanor frowned, looking nervous and panicked. It seemed like he had something weighing on him greatly. He seemed to grip his cane to himself, almost as if he was seeking comfort from it.

    ¡°So just stop-¡± Kazius began only to be cut off by Azanor having an outburst.

    ¡°I AM THE ELDEST SON OF THE PREVIOUS DEMON KING!¡± Azanor snapped out in panic, looking scared as he finally admitted this piece of information.

    ¡°You¡­ What?¡± Kazius asked in shock, his eyes widening.

    ¡°That is the reason I know so much about your father, is because my family is the oldest family of Demons there is. My grandfather was the Demon King during the time¡­ I am the disgraced Prince of Demons, The current Demon King¡¯s older brother. You are looking at the biggest disappointment in Demon history¡­ And one of the main causes of The Demon War. I would be safe to say that it is all my fault, really.¡± Azanor continued, his expression showing his exhaustion from all that he was carrying. It seemed like he intended to fully come clean.

 Chapter 59: A Human Demon

    Kazius and Damon were both surprised to hear the details of Azanor¡¯s family. The distrust from Zelphar, Ratier, and Thimdur would almost seem less outrageous due to it¡­ But at the same time, they knew Azanor well¡­ On paper, this fact was terrible, but it did not change how Azanor had betrayed his people for the sake of mortals.

    ¡°I suppose I should talk about things in order¡­ For starters, I was almost Demon King¡­ Not because I was the oldest, but because I was winning the competition. Anyone with even a drop of royal blood is allowed to participate¡­ You are even allowed to kill each other if you wish. Anything goes¡­ But my brother, Valos, and I wanted to compete fairly with each other. It was about getting strength¡­ Through any means necessary¡­ And enjoying every bit of it by trying to outdo each other with our cruelty. Due to that, we got along more than siblings in our position typically do.¡± Azanor began, looking as if with every word, the load on him got lighter¡­ But at the same time, his face only looked more and more miserable.

    It was strange hearing someone speak so casually about The Demon King¡­ Usually, his name was followed by curses or disdain, not regret.

    ¡°The fact that we are both unique also helped¡­ The way every Demon devours souls and gains strength depends on the type of Demon¡­ Their nature¡­ Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Envy, Lust, Pride, and Wrath. We Demons embody the worst in living creatures¡­ We exist as the reflection of their worst attributes¡­ And so, our methods are divided by those sins, they embody the kind of Demon we are. Take Succubi and Incubi for example¡­ What Mortals call Lust Demons, their method of acquiring souls¡­ Is¡­ Self-explanatory. I say all of that to explain what makes my brother and me so unique. Valos is the only Wrath Demon and I am the only Gluttony Demon¡­ No other Demons like us have existed.¡± Azanor continued.

    ¡°Most Demons have to acquire the RIGHT to take a soul. Contracts are an easy and the most common way to do that¡­ But what makes Valos so terrifying is that he doesn¡¯t need any of that. He can just take as many souls as he wishes¡­ Due to that though, the amount of power he absorbs from a soul is very little¡­ As for me on the other hand, I am a Gluttony Demon¡­ When I eat a soul, I absorb every bit of energy that I can¡­ But that comes with a side effect¡­ I end up absorbing the memories of the souls of the people I eat¡­ The amount is random¡­ Sometimes it is only a second¡­ Sometimes it is a minute¡­ And even rarer¡­ One time I ended up absorbing an entire lifetime.¡± Azanor admitted with a grimace, gripping his cane for dear life, as if he were an old man who truly needed it to walk.

    Kazius was beginning to understand why Azanor acted so much like a normal person¡­ He always warned them about how they should not trust any Demon except him¡­ But now it was clear that he truly was different from them¡­ And why. Worse yet, Kazius was also starting to realize why Azanor did not want to eat any more souls. He found it to be wrong¡­ But also it slowly changed him¡­ Kazius could imagine how disorienting it would be to suddenly have the memories of someone else¡¯s entire life.

    ¡°At first¡­ I started to grow curious about mortals¡­ I didn¡¯t understand why they ever bothered to do anything¡­ With such short and pathetic lives¡­ I only saw them like cattle, food to eventually eat. All Demons think that way¡­ We are normally incapable of feeling a lot of emotions that Mortals feel¡­ Yes, we have feelings¡­ But things like empathy¡­ And even love, as in actual unconditional love¡­ They can¡¯t understand it. Back then, I did not understand it¡­ I was crueler than my brother and enjoyed torturing Humans the most¡­ Back then¡­ Valos admired me¡­ He wanted to eat as many souls as possible to get as strong as me¡­ And I edged him on to try to catch up to me.¡± Azanor continued, sounding disgusted and even guilty. It was clear he blamed himself for how Valos had turned out¡­ And what he had done as Demon King.

    ¡°Then one day I got bored and decided to just do some Human watching. That was when I noticed me- a simple old man named Victor.¡± Azanor began, it seemed that sometimes he confused himself with him, but then made sure to correct himself.

    ¡°I saw him walk from his home to the woods every day and chop wood to keep his home warm. Sometimes he had help, sometimes he did not¡­ But even though he could not walk on his own¡­ He did it without fail¡­ I didn¡¯t understand him¡­ Why he tried so hard¡­ He was old¡­ His wife was just as old¡­ They were about to die¡­ Why bother? Why¡­ Pick flowers on his way back¡­ When he could barely carry the wood on his own¡­ Why give them to his wife? She was already his wife and she wasn¡¯t even beautiful, she was old¡­ She was bedridden and unable to even go outside¡­ It¡­ It made zero sense to me back then¡­ What bothered me most was how I was so strong, yet this miserable creature looked so satisfied with his life¡­ When I was not¡­ I was jealous and angry¡­ but also¡­ Curious¡­ So, I decided to offer him a deal.¡± Azanor admitted, even now it seemed he remembered his frustration quite clearly.

    ¡°I wanted to know what someone like him would wish for¡­ At my full power back then I could manage a decent amount, nothing crazy, but I figured he would ask for wealth, something short-sighted that he wouldn¡¯t get to enjoy since I would be taking his soul¡­. But instead, he asked me for the most beautiful flowers in the world¡­ So, he could give his wife the most beautiful bouquet she had ever seen¡­¡± Azanor continued, showing his pure disbelief from back then in his tone.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.¡°That man had one of the candidates of Demon King in front of him¡­ Back when I was at my full strength¡­ And he wished for some fucking flowers for his wife, at the cost of his soul. He knew she did not have long¡­ And he wanted to make her happy¡­ It¡­ It pissed me off more than you could ever imagine. I granted his wish¡­ And then I gave Elanor- Then he gave his wife the flowers.¡± Azanor explained, showing just how confusing those memories were for him, forced to correct himself¡­ And even emphasized that he was not Victor, likely more for his own sake than theirs.

    ¡°Once he got to see her happy face, he came back out and accepted his fate without any disagreement¡­ No kicking and screaming¡­ No begging¡­ None of any of that¡­ It made me angrier¡­ And I took it out on him¡­ I¡­ changed to my true form and ate him as slowly as I could¡­ I wanted him to beg for his life¡­ But I never got what I wanted¡­ Instead, he begged me for a swifter death¡­ But I-I¡­ I acted petty¡­ And refused to even give him that.¡± Azanor¡¯s voice began to tremble as he spoke, showing fear and disgust at his actions.

    ¡°That was when it happened¡­ I-I¡­ I saw everything that made Victor¡­ Victor¡­ I ¡­ I got to see how loving my mother was¡­ How¡­ How much I loved being picked up by my father¡­ How he taught me to hold a sword¡­ How I helped at the family farm¡­ How sad I was when I left home to become my own man¡­ How shy I felt when I first met Elanor¡­ How beautiful she was¡­ How much she meant to me¡­ I-I¡­¡± Azanor shook, gripping his cane tighter. He was shedding a few tears, showing just how moved he was by the memories. As if they were his own.

    Damon was shocked to see Azanor cry in such a way, but both Kazius and him understood the number of emotions that he was dealing with right now. Damon began to pat him on the back to try and reassure him.

    ¡°It is alright, we are not judging you.¡± Damon assured.

    Kazius nodded, after all, sure what Azanor described was terrible, but Kazius decided a long time ago that he did not have a moral high ground on anything. Not to mention, Azanor was his friend. The fact that he was telling Kazius all of this¡­ Meant a lot, Kazius knew that Azanor was worried about being distrusted¡­ And that is why he kept his origin a secret.

    ¡°You are our friend¡­ You know I am not so innocent either¡­ It is okay¡­¡± Kazius assured, waiting for Azanor to calm down.

    Eventually, Azanor did, before he loosened his grip on his cane a little.

    When this happened, Kazius studied the cane closely, realizing something he had not noticed before. The old cane was certainly well taken care of¡­ For it to last so long¡­ There likely had to be magic involved¡­ The source of the cane was obvious now, considering that right where Azanor removed his hand, Kazius realized the name ¡®Victor¡¯ was carved into the cane.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ I¡­ I can finish¡­ It is alright¡­ I¡­ The last thing I saw¡­ Was how sick Elanor had gotten¡­ How Victor made sure to keep the house warm for her so she would not suffer¡­ And then¡­ I saw myself¡­ And I experienced every bit of what I did to Victor¡­ All of it¡­ I was able to see¡­ What a Monster I was¡­ How horrifying I looked in my true form¡­ I¡­ The first thing I did when I came back to my senses was throw up¡­ And then I cried¡­ I was so confused¡­ About who I am¡­ I was so scared¡­ Alone¡­ I¡­ I did not want to be a Demon anymore¡­ I hated everything about the existence I had¡­ I didn¡¯t want to steal souls anymore¡­ But I also felt the urge to. I loved suffering, but I hated causing it at the same time¡­ I felt like my mind was broken.¡± Azanor finished.

    ¡°Before leaving, I checked on Elanor¡­ And realized she had passed¡­ Just like Victor suspected she would¡­ I buried her and put the flowers Victor wished for on her grave¡­ And then I went home¡­ But¡­ I wasn¡¯t the same¡­ I¡­ I surrendered my right to the throne¡­ I wanted nothing to do with a competition about eating souls¡­ Valos was so angry with me¡­ He called me every name in the book¡­ He cursed at me¡­. Everyone called me a disappointment¡­ I told them I would leave¡­ And then come by every now and then¡­ My brother only got angrier¡­ He swore he would become King¡­ And that he would prove to me how foolish I am¡­ Once he got all the power he wanted.¡± Azanor sighed, guilt returning to his voice. Now Kazius was understanding why Azanor seemed to blame himself for the war¡­ It seemed like Azanor leaving was some sort of catalyst for Valos to become who he was now.

    ¡°I wanted to be away from everything¡­ But the longer that passed, the less I could accept myself¡­ I gave up on life¡­ One day¡­ I just broke down while I was in the woods¡­ I felt like there was no place for someone like me in this world¡­ But I also feared death¡­ I¡­ I curled up and just refused to move. I could not act like a proper Demon¡­ But I was not a Mortal that could be accepted by them¡­ This was before the war¡­ But even then Demons had a dubious reputation at best. I had no idea what to do¡­ But then¡­ Evesorane found me¡­ ¡± Azanor sounded sad at first, but then his tone shifted to one of so much love.

 Chapter 60: Evesorane

    ??????????????? 1100 Years Ago ???????????????

    ¡®How long have I been in this forest? A week? A month? A year? Does it even matter?¡¯ Azanor thought to himself as he laid on the grass. His red eyes were dull, resembling the appearance of a dead fish. He held no passion, no ambition, no will to do anything.

    He thought he would feel better after leaving home, he could no longer stomach the way of life of a Demon. He had seen life through the eyes of a mortal¡­ A full life, full of love and dedication¡­ And he could not unsee it.

    To some extent, he wondered if he was even Prince Azanor anymore¡­ Was he Victor now?

    No¡­ Victor was not a scumbag like him¡­ It would be an insult to think that¡­ At least that is how Azanor felt.

    ¡®I ate his soul, nothing more¡­ I could never dream of becoming someone like him¡­ No matter what I do, no Demon has a soul. If we did, we could see it¡­ We¡­ We¡­¡¯ Azanor trembled, gripping Victor¡¯s cane tighter. His existential crisis had not gotten better, if anything, it had progressed to more and more severe.

    There were many times he contemplated ending it all¡­ But he had no soul, there was no afterlife for him¡­ And that fact terrified him.

    It was ironic considering that people who felt like how he did now... Were the ones that were always the most tempting to prey on¡­ The most satisfying¡­

    Yet now he understood them.

    He had held so much contempt for mortals¡­ And now¡­ He envied them¡­ He wanted nothing more than to live like one¡­ But that was impossible. Who would be crazy enough to befriend a Demon?

    Not to mention, even Azanor himself believed he did not deserve a chance to prove himself. Not after all he had done. He was a cruel beast. Nothing more¡­

    To some extent, he even doubted what he was feeling was genuine. Perhaps after seeing Victor¡¯s memories, he understood proper emotions well¡­ But did he even actually feel them? Or was he just fooling himself that he had them? He had no idea.

    Azanor was so preoccupied with his thoughts, just watching the light leaking through the waving branches and leaves of the trees that surrounded him¡­ He did not hear anyone approach.

    The bright rays of light that seeped down were suddenly obstructed by a face. A blonde Elf woman was leaning over him.

    The way the light hit her hair almost made parts of it look golden. Her long pointed ears were elegant, perked up as if to show her attentiveness. Her eyes were as blue as the sky and were narrowed slyly. Almost as if to emphasize this woman was bad news, her soul shined with equal curiosity and mischief unlike any he had seen. Then there was her coy little grin¡­

    She was definitely bad news¡­

    ¡°Oh my, a Demon. Well, aren¡¯t you an uncommon sight? You look at the border of tears too¡­ What are you doing here?¡± The woman asked curiously.

    Azanor frowned, glaring at the Elf that had so rudely interrupted his self-loathing.

    ¡°It is none of your fucking business¡­ And if you are here to ask me for a deal then you may as well go. I don¡¯t make those anymore. So, scram.¡± Azanor sneered out, attempting to muster as much anger as he could, but he could barely even manage that. He just lacked the will to do anything.

    His words practically went in one in and out the other, it seemed. Rather than leave, the Elf only looked more curious.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make deals anymore? If I didn¡¯t know any better¡­ I would almost think it is a new tactic to get my soul¡­ Reverse psychology is quite the effective method of manipulation, or so I¡¯ve read¡­ But even if a Demon tried their best, I don¡¯t think your kind could fake such a miserable look. What the Hell happened to make a Demon look like you do? I¡¯m not looking to sell my soul; I am just curious.¡± The Elf questioned, taking a seat as she spoke.

    Azanor frowned, glaring at her a little.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to go?¡± Azanor snapped, his voice cracking a little. He was in no condition to deal with this.

    ¡°If you want me gone so bad, make me. I just think it would be interesting to talk to you. It isn¡¯t every day you meet your kind¡­ And even rarer to see a high-ranking Demon¡­ Much less in your current condition¡­ And I am a sucker for knowledge¡­ And that includes knowledge of all kinds¡­ Even if it can sometimes get me in trouble.¡± The Elf stated without fear, a bit of a smirk forming on her face as she shrugged.

    Azanor perked up, eyeing the woman with disdain and suspicion. He studied her more closely, wondering how she could guess his rank so easily. He found himself paying more attention to her. The Elf woman was clearly a High Elf¡­ The type he knew to be haughtier than the rest. They liked dressing in bright colors¡­ Yet the wizard robe she wore was elegant yet pitch black.

    Azanor had also never heard of an Elf with piercings, they were too proud of their ridiculous ears¡­ Yet she had earrings on. It looked like she had fashioned the skulls of two small creatures into earrings. Strong makeup was also unheard of for her kind, yet she wore black lipstick and dark eyeshadow.

    ¡®Great, she is one of those magic weirdos¡­ One that looks even stranger than normal... Just my luck.¡¯

    He could not muster the energy to make her leave¡­ And it seemed she expected as much.

    ¡°I already told you that I don¡¯t want to make a deal. I don¡¯t want to know anything about you. Just go. You won¡¯t change my mind by talking to me.¡± Azanor snapped in annoyance.

    The Elf woman laughed, clearly not taking him seriously.

    ¡°And I told you, I don¡¯t want a deal. I promise. Lying is exhausting, I wouldn¡¯t lie. Especially not to a Demon, I¡¯d be outclassed. No, I just want to talk to you. You look like you could use someone to talk to¡­ Not to mention, as I said¡­ I¡¯m curious.¡± The Elf woman responded with a grin.

    Azanor glared at her. He would be lying if he said he was not lonely after being alone for so long¡­ Not to mention¡­ This is the first time a Mortal has ever spoken to him like this¡­ She seemed so relaxed, like she was in no danger at all¡­ Then again¡­ Even in his current state, he could sense her Mana¡­ It was almost oppressive. He was not entirely confident he could beat someone like her¡­ She was strange¡­ In many ways.

    So, despite the fact she was a total stranger¡­ He spilled everything that just happened. He refused to look at her as he spoke and instead, he just ranted. During the whole thing, she just listened to him. She did not interrupt him once.

    Once Azanor finished, he looked at her, realizing how attentive she was being.

    ¡°Well, that is everything¡­ I¡­ I guess¡­ I do feel a bit better¡­ After that¡­ I haven¡¯t talked to someone else in a long time¡­¡± Azanor muttered more to himself than her.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ I guess¡­ I know you are just treating me like a test subject¡­ But¡­ It was nice to be heard¡­ I couldn¡¯t be honest even with my own family about what was going on¡­ They would never understand¡­ I suppose you got what you wanted, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯m sure your wizard friends will be thrilled to learn about how much of a mess I am. I am sure you will tell them.¡± Azanor sighed with a follow-up, looking at her skeptically.

    At this, the Elf woman laughed, her laugh was coy and full of amusement.

    ¡°You think someone that would be willing to talk to a random Demon in the woods has friends? Really? No¡­ I don¡¯t, not to mention I wouldn¡¯t share this with someone. Me knowing is enough¡­ To be honest, you are weird for a Demon. Though¡­ Considering what happened, that makes sense. A Demon who wants to live like a mortal¡­ That is so¡­ so¡­ Interesting. Do you want help with that?¡± The Elf woman questioned with a small grin.

    At her offer, Azanor was shocked. He had never been offered help like this¡­ By¡­ Well¡­ Anyone¡­ There had to be a catch¡­ After all, why would she care about his problems?

    ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± Azanor questioned with a scowl.

    ¡°Hm? Do you think I¡¯m a Demon or something? There is no catch. I don¡¯t need anything¡­ I just think it would be good for you to have someone show you how to live. Clearly, you have no clue how to do that¡­ Unless... Don¡¯t tell me you intend on just laying here for the rest of your life? That is a very long time, you know?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I know! But what are you even suggesting?¡± Azanor questioned, feeling frustrated with her.

    ¡°Come with me.¡±

    At the preposterous suggestion, Azanor finally found the energy to sit up and directly glare at her.

    ¡°Are you crazy!? I am a Demon! That whole story could have been a lie¡­ You¡­ You would travel with a Demon?¡± Azanor asked in shock. His eyebrows narrowed. He was not sure what to make of her words.

    The Elf woman laughed.

    ¡°Are you worrying about me? That¡¯s cute. I will have you know, you are in more danger here than me¡­ I am quite good at Dark Magic¡­ To be honest, I would have been better off born as a Dark Elf, but what can you do? I am traveling with my brother to find Tomes or any other Magical Texts. I ditched him earlier, but I¡¯m sure we can find him. As a fellow strange person, I want to help you.¡± She responded simply.

    Azanor frowned, unsure of what to think. She was indeed strange¡­ For all he knew, she may be planning on imprisoning him and then just studying him¡­ But¡­ It wasn¡¯t like he had any other purpose in his life¡­ He had nothing else to do¡­ No other lifeline¡­ So¡­ As bad of an idea as it may be, he decided it was his best option.

    ¡°I suppose¡­ I will come¡­ I¡¯m¡­ Azanor¡­¡± Azanor responded unenthusiastically as he stood up slowly. It was a bit of a struggle considering how long he had been lying there.

    ¡°You can call me Evesorane. Come on¡­¡± Evesorane stated with a grin, a playful look in her eyes.

    Evesorane seemed to look quite mischievous.

    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait until he sees you. Zelphar is going to flip!¡±

 Chapter 61: In The Hands of The Terrible

    Kazius and Damon both listened intently as Azanor finished telling the story of how he met Eve¡­ Or rather, Evesorane back at that time. Of course, what was the most shocking about his story though was the fact that Zelphar was Eve¡¯s brother. Azanor¡¯s unfiltered rage when he met Caleb made more sense. More than Ratier and Thimdur, Zelphar¡¯s betrayal likely hurt the most¡­

    And it also brought even more understanding for Zelphar regretting his actions¡­

    ¡°After that, it is hard to know 100% what happened¡­ I read Zelphar¡¯s journal, hoping he would know why Eve ended up how she is now¡­ Apparently, when Evesorane found out that Zelphar had sealed me away, she tracked him down. Evesorane was not like Eve, she rarely cried, much less sob¡­ But apparently, she had been a mess. She slapped him and said that he was dead to her. She demanded he undid the spell¡­ But¡­ It isn¡¯t that simple.¡± Azanor continued, frowning at the thought of Evesorane in such a state.

    ¡°There are two things you can use to seal a Demon¡­ However, for a Demon from the royal family, you need both. One is¡­ You need the Demon¡¯s true name¡­ That is enough for most Demons¡­ But for the royal family, you need a prized possession as well. You bind their presence to the item, split it into pieces¡­ And that is enough to limit our presence in the Mortal Realm even if we manage a connection¡­ Once the seal is made, it can¡¯t even be attempted to be broken for 1,000 years¡­ That is the main reason it took me so long to return¡­¡± Azanor sighed out.

    It honestly surprised Kazius that Azanor was telling them this¡­ Though he supposed that meant he truly trusted them¡­ Something he had struggled with after being betrayed back then.

    ¡°The royal family keeps a list of all Demon¡¯s true names¡­ It is insurance¡­ Against any challenge to our rule. I¡­ Stole that list¡­ And something my family members valued¡­ And taught Zelphar the spell he needed. Perhaps I deserved to be betrayed, I betrayed my own family too¡­ But¡­ I would not allow Mortals to be turned into cattle¡­ I wanted to protect them¡­ Protect my new life with Evesorane¡­ Though I supposed in the end it did not matter, I lost everything anyway.¡± Azanor sighed out. Clearly, he was at a loss, it was almost like no matter what he had done¡­ He was meant to suffer.

    ¡°Maybe that is just the price for going against your nature though¡­ I¡­ I just wish I could bring back Eve¡¯s memories at least¡­ I wish she remembered me¡­ I have no idea why she is the way she is now¡­ Zelphar never met up with her, but he did try. Apparently, she sent him a letter 30 years ago. It is the reason why Zelphar finally opened his eyes to The Church¡¯s nonsense apparently¡­ And regretted what he did to us¡­ I have no clue how she got a letter to him¡­ But she was an incredible wizard¡­ So, it is not too surprising.¡± Azanor admitted, love and admiration filled his voice.

    Kazius was beginning to piece a lot together¡­ For starters¡­ It seemed the rumors about Zelphar going missing 30 years ago were spot on¡­ And it was because of the letter that Eve sent to him¡­

    ¡°It is very likely that Zelphar burned the letter¡­ Or hid it, but he never wrote specifically what it said¡­ I think it has a clue about what happened to Eve¡­ I helped Caleb search all of his belongings¡­ But we found nothing¡­¡± Azanor sighed out in defeat, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

    ¡°If Eve was all the way in Ratier¡­ It makes me think she was also looking for Zelphar¡­ They may have agreed to meet or something¡­ Or maybe someone dropped her off there¡­Vargstam is a very unique place due to its mountains¡­ I think in terms of landmarks where someone like Zelphar could hide¡­ It is the best place for them to have agreed to meet. I wish we could speak with the dead¡­ Zelphar would know more¡­¡± Kazius trailed off. He was wishing he knew Necromancy¡­ But there was no way for him to learn such a skill¡­ But Azanor said there was overlap in Dark Magic¡­ So, he surely must have some aptitude for it.

    ¡°As useful as it would be, I can¡¯t teach skills like that without making a contract and I really don¡¯t need that kind of temptation.¡± Azanor responded with a frown.

    ¡°That is true¡­¡± Kazius trailed off.

    ¡°I am sure we will learn what happened! It will be fine!¡± Damon beamed in a reassuring manner.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ Both¡­ I will try and be positive¡­ I guess¡­ I am happy I have friends I can trust like this¡­ Even if I am quite a terrible person¡­ We are all quite awful, really. We are over here chatting, and we left Eve and Alice behind¡­¡± Azanor admitted.

    Kazius felt guilty, he knew that the amount of secrets they were keeping from the two was only increasing¡­ But Kazius was terrified to tell Alice about the sort of creature he was¡­ But he supposed¡­

    ¡®If Evesorane could accept Azanor¡­ Maybe¡­¡¯

    Kazius shook away such thoughts. There was so much he would have to tell her¡­ What if she got angry at him for keeping so many secrets? He would tell her¡­ Eventually¡­ At the right time.

    ¡°We are awful.¡± Kazius agreed, frustrated with his own cowardliness.

    ¡°At least terrible people can do some good though¡­ Vargstam is safe thanks to us all¡­ And we don¡¯t have to worry about Demons too much¡­ It might be another thousand years before they figure out how to free themselves. My brother is no idiot¡­ But normal Demons can''t get out without him¡­ Even I lost a lot of my power for forcing myself to be summoned without his permission¡­ I don¡¯t know why my cane was left in one piece¡­ But I told Zelphar to break my brother¡¯s sword and scatter the pieces so no one dumb enough could summon him¡­¡± Azanor admitted.

    Kazius perked up and grimaced. He was regretting not telling Azanor about his future¡­ But¡­ How was he supposed to tell him now that all his suffering may be for nothing? That his brother would be free much sooner than he would think¡­

    ¡°About that¡­ In my coming-of-age ceremony with The Oracle¡­ I saw myself as a King of Monsters¡­ And I was fighting your brother¡­ I think he will be back sooner than you think.¡± Kazius admitted with a grimace.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.Azanor¡¯s expression fell, his eyes widening.

    ¡°WHAT!? And you decided to tell me that now!?¡± Azanor snapped, grabbing Kazius by the collar.

    ¡°Hey! Let go! I didn¡¯t do it to fuck with you or anything! I just figured we had enough problems to deal with now! But that is the whole reason why I have been so paranoid about security and promoting as much growth for Vargstam as I can.¡± Kazius admitted, making Azanor let go.

    Azanor sighed, calming down.

    ¡°Thank you for at least telling me now¡­ I swear¡­ What did those idiots even do with the pieces of his sword¡­ My cane was even disguised as some sort of Holy Staff¡­¡± Azanor grumbled under his breath, frustrated.

    ¡°Demons? So¡­ That is why¡­¡± Damon trailed off in awe, making sense of what Kazius had been doing with Vargstam.

    Kazius kept running all the new information through his head though. The Church of The Oracle was corrupt¡­ And if the Holy Staff in the Church Eve was at ended up being Azanor¡¯s cane¡­ It was safe to say¡­ It was likely that most, if not all, Holy Artifacts The Church had were of Demon origin¡­ Did that not mean that the one with the ability to summon Demons again was none other than The Church themselves?

    Perhaps that was just insurance they were keeping in order to remain in power if their authority was very challenged¡­ But then¡­. In that case, they had no reason to summon any Demons¡­ Unless someone from The Church with knowledge of the artifacts was acting independently.

    Suddenly, Kazius grew pale. That day the Orcs attacked¡­ And his life changed¡­ When he met Alice¡­. The Orcs had mostly decimated places with antiques¡­ It was known on rare occasions some noble families had Holy artifacts that they had collected over the years from Churches that were forced to close due to lack of funding¡­

    If the Church were to lose control of those Demon Relics¡­ Wouldn¡¯t they want them back? But declaring nobles to be heretics and taking them by force can only work so much¡­ There is a point where it would cause total chaos¡­ So instead¡­ What if they gave information to The Orcs and hired them to ransack until they found what they needed?

    It would involve working with Monsters¡­ But Kazius knew their hypocrisy¡­ After all, as far as Kazius saw it¡­ The Church truly did not do anything other than manipulate Ratier, Zelphar, and Thimdur¡­ And just took credit for a lot of what Azanor did¡­ He would not put this past them¡­

    But then¡­ If all of that was true¡­ What was The Oracle? And the voice he heard¡­ The Oracle spoke to him¡­ If it was just some fancy magical artifact¡­ He would not hear a voice, right? None of it made sense¡­ Kazius felt like he was trying to understand too much at once¡­ His assumptions could also be wrong¡­ But still¡­ He had a very bad feeling about what happened back then.

    ¡°The Oracle¡­ That fancy trinket that drove Ratier, Zelphar, and Thimdur crazy¡­ I have a lot of reasons to distrust anything it would show you¡­ But¡­ If it is true¡­ That means there is hope¡­ I want you to know, Kazius¡­ Once a prized possession is used to seal a Demon once¡­ It won''t work again¡­ Not to mention, the others know I am a traitor¡­ I still don¡¯t understand why my brother did not execute me¡­ But I won¡¯t be able to do anything even close to what I did before¡­¡± Azanor warned.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t counting on it¡­ Don¡¯t worry¡­ I refuse to make the sacrifices you made be for nothing¡­. We¡­ We are not good people¡­ I know that very well now¡­ I understand that¡­ We are slaves to our urges¡­ Awful and terrible ones due to what we are¡­ We may even do awful things¡­ Especially me¡­ Who knows how many charred bodies will be left in the same state as those Frost Giants... But¡­ Even so¡­ I believe we can save the world¡­¡± Kazius stated firmly, his eyes unwavering as the red in them seemed to almost gleam.

    As defeated as Azanor looked, especially after he heard that all his suffering may have been for nothing¡­ There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes. He trusted his new friends with information he had not told anyone other than Evesorane¡­ Kazius had seen his true form, yet he was not afraid¡­ Damon heard of it¡­ Yet he didn¡¯t care either.

    ¡°We will have to do even more terrible things¡­ And likely even keep more secrets from Eve and Alice in the process to protect them¡­ That is why¡­ If you don¡¯t want to be a part of this, Damon¡­ I would not blame you¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t want to make you take part in something you would regret¡­ Azanor and I are already a lost cause¡­We will try and be better but¡­¡± Kazius trailed off only to be silenced by Damon¡¯s booming laugh.

    ¡°Buahaha! What part of ¡®I would follow you to Hell¡¯ do you still not understand, Kazius? Just tell me what I have to do.¡± Damon laughed out before suddenly losing his giddiness and growing surprisingly serious. His grin remained, but there was something about his fanged grin that could be seen as unsettling.

    ¡°Other than eat a soul¡­ I will also do whatever needs to be done.¡± Azanor added as well.

    Kazius smiled, relaxing some.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ In advance¡­ And for the stupid question¡­ You are right¡­ Well¡­ In that case¡­ We are all in this together¡­ You can¡¯t back out, even if you beg. We won¡¯t have the force we need overnight¡­ This is a very long-term plan¡­ We need to get stronger¡­ That part hasn¡¯t changed. But, the first thing we need once Isolf returns with his father¡­ We need to bring The Frost Giants under our control¡­ And any other settlements we stumble upon¡­ At any cost¡­¡±  Kazius stated firmly.

    Kazius would love to ideally befriend all Monster settlements he came across¡­ But Kazius was meant to be the Monster King, not The Friend of Monsters¡­ He would not give into The Shadows¡­ he intended to resist them¡­ But at the same time¡­ He could not afford to be kind to everyone¡­

 Chapter 62: Future Plans

    ¡°I need time to develop a proper plan in case things don¡¯t turn out well with the negotiations. I don¡¯t intend on accepting no as an answer to our takeover¡­ It won¡¯t be easy, but we have time. I doubt Isolf will come back that quickly¡­ But considering how easily Luna had her dancing to her little tune, he will likely be the most helpful in this situation.¡± Kazius stated as he began walking back to Vargstam with Damon and Azanor.

    ¡°That is true, I was not around for long, but it was obvious he seemed easy to manipulate. I am willing to help with that, but I hope you know¡­ I still won¡¯t lie.¡± Azanor insisted.

    It seemed that he found the need to emphasize that to separate himself from other Demons for his own sake¡­

    Even if he did not eat souls, he was determined to not lie. It was another way to assure himself that he was different, even if the standard he held himself up to was not one even most mortals could pass.

    Of course, Kazius could not judge him for it. Even now, Kazius kept assuring himself¡­ He would be a hero in the future¡­ He would save the world from the second rising of The Demon King¡­ And even take down the corrupt Church of The Oracle¡­ So even if his methods were questionable, it would be alright. If he resisted the temptations from The Shadows, he would not become something terrible. He just had to use his own strength¡­ His own Shadow, nothing more. If he did that, he would not change any further.

    So¡­ It was okay if he used some questionable methods¡­ As long as it was with good intentions. Then he wouldn¡¯t be cruel for the sake of cruelty.

    ¡®It is The Shadow¡¯s fault for how I have been feeling lately. I will become a hero despite their influence, through my own methods.¡¯

    Kazius assured himself¡­

    ¡®You¡¯re really going to tie a hand behind your back, like that? There is no reason to give yourself such a foolish handicap. You are one of us¡­ But keep blaming us if that makes you feel better. You will see the truth soon enough.¡¯ The distinct voice snickered out, mocking him in a bitter and amused tone.

    Kazius ignored the voice, refusing to acknowledge it. He promised himself he would stop trying to respond to The Shadows¡­.

    But deep down, Kazius wondered if the voice had a point. He was unsure whether his methods truly were any more of a better influence than The Shadows themselves. All he could really do though was assure himself that he was correct.

    Kazius was snapped out of his thoughts by a question from Damon before he could think on the matter for too long.

    ¡°Can you really do that without lying?¡± Damon questioned in confusion, furrowing his eyebrows at the idea.

    ¡°Of course you can. You don¡¯t have to lie to manipulate someone, Damon. You should be aware of that. You can always handpick what you say so that it is to your benefit¡­ Or you can purposefully omit certain information, so the other person makes their own assumptions that also benefit you¡­ Not to mention, Damon. You forget one fact.¡± Azanor explained, a devilish and wide grin spreading on his face at the thought.

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    Were he speaking in front of anyone else in such a way, he would be in trouble. Of course, Kazius trusted Azanor and knew him well. They all acknowledge the terrible nature of who they were and or their ideals¡­ So, among themselves, there was no pretext anymore.

    ¡°And what is that?¡± Damon asked in confusion.

    ¡°I am a Demon, whether I like it or not.¡± Azanor stated simply.

    Damon¡¯s expression was full of curiosity, clearly, he was interested in seeing what Azanor had in mind.

    Of course, Azanor had just expressed how much he disliked being a Demon¡­ But emotions and instinct were different. While Azanor did not like what he was¡­ There was quite the grin on his face in anticipation at the idea of pulling off something devilish.

    Kazius supposed that since they had made their agreement, it would be his job to reign Azanor in if he got too carried away. They agreed to be terrible and do good while being so, but they all had lines they did not want to cross.

    Soon, they had returned to Vargstam. The town seemed to have settled down despite the explosion from the Vind statue. Some workers were moving about, carrying wood and the like¡­ Likely preparing for the funeral of the scouts who had been unfortunate enough to die before they could reach the town.

    Heading inside their home, they headed in the direction of the conference room. As expected, Alice was there. She seemed a bit tired while Eve sat next to her, looking rather saddened.

    Kazius could not help but feel guilty for leaving Alice to deal with everything¡­ And even more now for not telling her the truth. She covered for his lies to Egil without so much as batting an eye, it confused him¡­ Alice was an honest person, so much so that her desire for the truth had ended in her family¡¯s execution¡­ So why lie now?

    ¡°Welcome back.¡± Alice told them with a small smile.

    Upon seeing Azanor, Eve perked up, practically running up to him. She looked at him hesitantly with this puppy-eyed look.

    ¡°Are you feeling better? I am sorry I was not able to cheer you up even though I am your best friend.¡± Eve stated in dismay, seeming to blame herself for his sadness.

    It was weird to think about how different Eve¡¯s personality was from Evesorane''s. Then there was the fact she was Caleb¡¯s aunt considering she was Zelphar¡¯s strange Dark Magic-obsessed sister. Not to mention, if she was able to relearn her Dark Magic¡­ Memories or not, she could become quite frightening.

    ¡°Yes, I feel a lot better. Thank you, Eve.¡± Azanor stated softly. He stared at her, his expression softening as sadness seemed to return to his eyes. Forgetting himself for a minute, he greeted her with a kiss on the forehead. Talking about Evesorane so much had mixed him up some, making him forget about the boundaries he had set for himself for her sake.

    Eve was quite surprised at the action, her face becoming red all the way to even the tip of her ears.

    Azanor was a bit flustered when he caught himself clearing his throat. His own face was a bit pink. From how Azanor described Evesorane¡­ It was likely Azanor had been the one to get flustered before, not the other way around.

    ¡°S-Sorry about that.¡± Azanor stated simply before looking at all the eyes that were on them.

    Eve smiled at this, her face brightening quite a bit.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry!¡± Eve exclaimed, hugging Azanor contently. It seemed she was just content that Azanor was feeling better.

    Focusing back on Alice, Kazius smiled a her apologetically.

    ¡°Thank you for taking care of things, Alice¡­ I¡¯m sorry for dumping everything on you¡­ Can you tell me everything that you were able to do?¡± Kazius questioned.

 Chapter 63: Her Eyes

    Alice shook her head and smiled weakly.

    ¡°I offered to help; it is no trouble. I am glad you were able to figure things out.¡± Alice assured with a slightly knowing look. It seemed she suspected that they were hiding something¡­ But even now¡­ She did not ask anything, not even as to why Azanor ran off.

    This ate away at Kazius. He felt even more guilty. It was also suspicious. After all, Alice was no idiot¡­ But then why not confront him?

    ¡°Still¡­ I appreciate it.¡± Kazius insisted.

    ¡°No problem¡­ It isn¡¯t like you missed much, anyway. As we suspected¡­ The scouts are dead. Their remains show that they were crushed¡­ It isn¡¯t pretty¡­ I am having the town prepare for their funeral¡­ According to their customs. They are making the rafts for it¡­ The plan is to hold the funeral first thing tomorrow.¡± Alice explained, her expression growing a bit grim.

    ¡°Raft?¡± Kazius questioned in confusion. It wasn¡¯t like in the time he had been Chief there was any need to plan for any funerals. This was his first time hearing about such customs.

    ¡°We use rafts to send out bodies into the river after setting it on fire. The stronger the wind, the more Vind protects their spirit to take them into the afterlife.¡± Damon explained, sounding almost indifferent when he described the custom. Then again, considering what they had done to Vind, it was not surprising. Damon had made it pretty clear how he felt about her.

    ¡°I see¡­ I will make sure to attend and express to their families that they will be provided for and get the appropriate support¡­ Thanks again, Alice¡­ I suppose all that is left to talk about is¡­ What about Egil?¡± Kazius questioned, remembering his outburst at the news about Vind¡¯s statue.

    Alice frowned a bit, looking somewhat unsure and worried.

    ¡°He apologized for his outburst¡­ And has been running around taking care of work¡­ Maybe to make up for his actions¡­ or even to keep his mind off things¡­ But as far as subordinates go¡­ His lashing out like that is unacceptable¡­ But at the same time¡­ He wasn¡¯t necessarily wrong in his assumptions¡­ If he knew the truth, he would¡­¡± Alice trailed off, concerned. It was clear she felt guilty over the information that they were hiding.

    Kazius of course was not surprised by the fact that she was bothered by this, he had suspected as much¡­ But he had still kept quiet about it.

    Alice¡¯s lips pressed into a hard line, her face turning into a grimace.

    ¡°Can I say something to you, Kazius?¡± Alice suddenly asked, looking at him straight in the eyes.

    Kazius was caught off guard by her request. Before he could even respond though, Alice would speak again.

    ¡°Alone.¡± Alice added, looking over at Azanor, Damon, and Eve. Her tone almost made it sound like Kazius was in trouble.

    They looked surprised but did not put up any sort of objections.

    ¡°I¡­ Will give you two some privacy. You can call if you need me.¡± Damon agreed, but not without some hesitation.

    Azanor seemed to stare at Alice, his expression showing just how puzzled he looked. He seemed to be looking at Kazius and at her for a second. Not at their faces, but almost as if looking past them. If Kazius was not nervous about what Alice had to say, perhaps he would have wondered what it was like to see Souls like how he could.

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    Seeming to see something, Azanor would subtly nod to himself before he would leave with Eve not far behind.

    ¡°Have fun!¡± Eve chirped with a wave, clearly not reading the room at all. Still, considering her condition, it was not unexpected.

    Alice watched their friends leave, following them with her eyes the whole time, but not saying anything until they were gone. Once alone, she sighed.

    ¡°I suppose I have two things to say¡­ To start¡­ I hope you know that I am glad you and Damon were able to help Azanor feel better¡­But I also hope you all can tell me what is going on soon through. I¡¯d like to be involved. That is what I wanted to say first.¡± Alice admitted with a frown.

    Kazius was not sure if he should be surprised or not by her words. She did encourage them to talk alone while she took care of things¡­ But still, he could not help but wonder how long she had realized they were suspicious¡­ They had been careful about being seen meeting alone until now.

    ¡®I want to tell her the truth about everything¡­ But¡­ as selfish as it is¡­ I can¡¯t bring myself to do it.''

    Kazius thought to himself in dismay, the thought of Alice¡¯s reaction to what he was¡­ Such a thing was too much for him¡­ Not to mention, Azanor had warned him about how he should use his father¡¯s name sparingly¡­ Or even not at all¡­

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ If you knew, why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± Kazius questioned, feeling rather ashamed of himself now that he was being confronted by Alice.

    ¡°Because last time I butted in on something without understanding the ramifications it¡­ It got everyone I cared about killed, remember?¡± Alice questioned with a frown. It seemed she blamed herself or everything that had happened to her family¡­ She had not shown it on the surface as much, but deep down, she was carrying a lot too.

    ¡°Alice¡­ It¡­ Knowing the Church, they likely would have done that anyway¡­ You must understand that much. They were just looking for an excuse. You were the only thing in their way of getting total complete power.¡± Kazius assured.

    Alice sighed, shaking her head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I know that?¡± Alice asked with a frown, gripping her clothes and looking down.

    ¡°If that was really the case from the beginning; when I looked into The Oracle, I would not have seen myself at the throne of Ratier¡­ Whatever they had planned, I caused them to act sooner¡­ So¡­ No, my actions cause it. If I had been more careful, even, perhaps my family would have been here with us¡­ They would have escaped into Vargstam¡­ And lived, just like me¡­ And even my handmaid Ivy would have lived¡­ But wondering about what-ifs helps no one. I do not regret meeting any of you¡­ Especially you, Kazius¡­ I¡­ I refuse to lose anyone else I care about due to my carelessness. I won¡¯t lose anyone ever again. That is why I train with you and Damon to begin with. I won¡¯t be a bystander in my own life when danger comes again. I won¡¯t feel helpless as others take everything away from me.¡± Alice stated firmly as she looked into his eyes with a pained look, placing her hand over her chest as if she was swearing an oath.

    She looked like she wanted to cry, but not a single tear was allowed to fall.

    ¡°Alice¡­¡± Kazius trailed off, his expression showing remorse.

    ¡°Never again!¡± Alice responded firmly with a snap and glare, almost as if expecting Kazius to say something again about it not being her fault.

    ¡°So, I don¡¯t care if you hide things from me. I know you care¡­ You have your reasons for it, I trust you.¡± Alice continued.

    ¡°That is why I was happy to help. I want to protect you all too¡­¡± Alice admitted with a frown.

    ¡°Thank you, Alice¡­¡± Kazius responded, realizing it must be tough for her to air out her heart in such a way. She had not talked as much about what happened to her family as much as he would expect¡­ And it showed that she had a lot bottled up.

    ¡°Of course¡­ I would do anything to protect you all¡­ You¡­ You all are all I have¡­¡± Alice trailed off, relaxing a little at his response. She seemed satisfied.

    ¡°Which brings me to the second thing I wanted to talk to you about.¡± Alice admitted.

    Kazius nodded, wondering what she had to say.

    What he did not expect though was a sudden change in Alice¡¯s face. As if it was gripped with determination to say what she had to say next. Her expression became serious. Her round and bright eyes seemed to almost narrow¡­ A dark look appeared on her face. It was as if The Shadows claimed all the light in them. The light from her violet eyes that usually sparkled so brightly was gone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is about time we kill Egil?¡±

 Chapter 64: Death Sentence

    Kazius would be lying if he said he had not thought about getting rid of Egil. Still, he had stopped such thoughts on principle. Doing such things would put him as no better than The Church¡­ But perhaps he had crossed that line a long time ago. He had come to terms with the fact he was terrible for the things he did and would do¡­ But he would do such things with the intention of what was best for the world as a future hero.

    Still, to think Alice would say such things, Kazius felt responsible. He had wanted to protect her to stop her from facing such things¡­ And he still wanted to protect her. He did not want to change Alice and influence her for the worse¡­ But at the same time, he felt like her current state was not his doing. This had been something boiling over for some time now.

    To some extent, he had failed her. He was there for Damon and Azanor because their problems were things Kazius was not a stranger to. Other than knowing what The Church was like¡­ Kazius could not understand what it was like to lose your family¡­ He had been betrayed by his former friends¡­ But it wasn¡¯t because of something he did. He had no parents or anything of the sort either.

    Alice smiled and acted like she had moved on, but he should have realized it was not that simple.

    Kazius looked at Alice with guilt, her words were as if they had been ripped out of his darker subconscious and presented to him wrapped up with a bow.

    ¡®She has such a lovely expression on her face¡­ Isn¡¯t it about time you listen to reason and stop delaying what is inevitable? You should listen to her.¡¯ The distinct voice chuckled out in delight.

    Kazius was not sure about how he felt about Alice being complimented by The Shadows. It made him uneasy. Alice was very caring towards him and the others¡­ But it seemed there was an obsessiveness to her care and affection due to what she had gone through.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think if we did that it would be a bit¡­ Rash? Egil has been useful¡­ And if we start getting rid of people like that¡­ I think he deserves another chance.¡± Kazius began, not prepared to discuss this out in the open in such a matter. The Shadows pressuring him to kill Egil was one thing¡­ But now Alice too?

    Alice¡¯s expression only darkened further, her frown growing even larger.

    ¡°Another chance? His other chance was when we freed him from Luna¡¯s control. Then the moment we returned when he heard about the Vind statue¡­ His first instinct was to confront us and blame Damon. He is not a work dog, he is a wild mutt that will bite us at the first chance he gets, Kazius!¡± Alice insisted firmly, her hands forming fists as she shook with anger.

    ¡°He grabbed Damon by the collar! If he¡­ The moment something goes wrong, he will hurt you¡­ He never suspects our enemies, he suspects us. We shouldn¡¯t give him a chance to do that again. You have to see that much.¡± Alice continued. To think she was this angry and had hidden it so well until now¡­ Then again, considering the politics of royalty and nobility¡­ And the kind of place Ratier was, such a skill was necessary for survival.

    Kazius frowned, realizing that she did have a point. With his words, Egil seemed like he wanted to make things up to Damon for how things had unfolded¡­ But whether it was from distrust caused by the fact Damon had appointed an outsider as Chief¡­ Or good instincts about what was going on¡­ Through his actions, Egil acted like someone who was loyal as long as things went well¡­

    On the surface, he was a loyal and pious man¡­ But did he have loyalty to anyone other than Vind? Or if his instincts were good¡­ While that could come in handy¡­ It was a liability to them.

    Kazius had a pensive look on his face, truly considering Alice¡¯s words. She was not wrong, neither were The Shadows¡­ He just did not want to admit it.

    ¡°He might have good instincts¡­ So, it is almost a pity¡­¡± Kazius began with a sigh before looking Alice in the eyes, his own gaze reflecting his sadness at seeing Alice like this.

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    ¡°But you are right.¡± Kazius continued as he went to hold Alice¡¯s hands gently.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t want to take any chances, Kazius. If you are worried, I could-¡± Alice began, light returning to her eyes as her gaze softened.

    ¡°No, no. It won¡¯t come to that. I will handle it, Alice. Don¡¯t worry. I have an idea. I will get my hands dirty, please don¡¯t dirty yours.¡± Kazius pleaded, gently squeezing her hands a little.

    ¡°Am¡­ Am I that unreliable?¡± Alice asked in dismay, taking things the wrong way. Then again, considering what happened with her family, it was likely her own insecurities spilling out.

    ¡°No! I mean, of course not, Alice. You are the most reliable person I know¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be able to run Vargstam without your help. I hope you know that¡­ You¡­ You are¡­¡± Kazius began, practically swallowing back his words towards the end. He did not acknowledge how he felt out of fear. This included to himself¡­ Much less to tell her such a thing out loud. He also did not want to speak about such things under such circumstances.

    ¡®No, not like this.¡¯ Kazius told himself.

    ¡°You are incredible¡­ And I do not wish for you to dirty your hands with such tasks. I can handle it¡­ I promise. The moment I feel like I can¡¯t, I will tell you¡­ But¡­¡± Kazius trailed off, taking her hands into his, leaning down and gently kissing them.

    Seeing Alice saddened like that¡­ It broke his heart. It almost reminded him of the look she had in the parade when he first laid eyes on her. Unlike at that time though, this time he could comfort her.

    Alice¡¯s cheeks gained a light dusting of pink before she seemed to shake her head a little, taking a deep breath. It was as if she was snapping herself out of something¡­ Or pushing something away.

    ¡°Alright¡­ I¡­ I will let you handle it.¡± Alice agreed, though it was clear she was not necessarily overjoyed either.

    ¡°Thank you, Alice¡­ I promise I will handle it¡­ I know you don¡¯t like lies¡­ So, I will have it so you won¡¯t have to lie¡­ And I promise that even if I have my secrets¡­ I will never lie to you.¡± Kazius promised as he gazed into her eyes directly. It was as if he was worried that look would return to them again.

    ¡°I will hold you to that. If I see you are struggling, I will help you. Whether you want me to or not.¡± Alice stated firmly before smiling at him. Her smile was warm with no sign of the face she made before.

    ¡°Then I will hold you to that too.¡± Kazius responded with his own smile, letting go of her hands.

    His happiness was short lived though.

    As he spoke, he could hear them. The Shadows were laughing¡­

    They sounded pleased¡­

    Was he really doing the right thing?

    With things sorted out, all that was left for the rest of the day was to attend the funeral of the scouts. By the time the event started, it had grown dark. No one seemed to wear any particular attire, but everyone was wearing one of their nicer outfits.

    The funeral itself was an emotional event for Vargstam. Some of the scouts had kids and wives. Now they were left behind.

    Kazius did somewhat regret sending the scouts out¡­ They were rather unnecessary when The Shadows were around¡­ But at the same time, he had told himself he would use them sparingly¡­ But some people would still be alive if he had just relied on The Shadows from the beginning¡­

    He only felt more guilty about it when Egil came out along with some other townspeople who came out with the bodies of the scouts. They were wrapped up in cloth, likely it was Alice¡¯s idea. It seemed it was meant to hide the gruesome sight of what happened to the scouts considering they were crushed to death.

    As the bodies were brought out and placed onto the rafts, Kazius could hear even more crying from the families and loved ones of the scouts.

    It was strange seeing Egil place the bodies on the raft. He was a useful man, so it was a shame¡­ He supposed Damon would have to be the one to load him on when his time would come. He would get treated with respect, he was owed that much¡­ Though it felt odd to look at a man who was still breathing while planning his funeral in your head¡­

    Shaking away such thoughts, Kazius realized the rafts had been set on fire before being pushed out into the water.

    At first, the smoke went straight up; the rafts slowly being moved away by the wind.

    But before long, the wind picked up, carrying the bodies further out. It was then that the smoke began to behave strangely.

    Nothing about the wind was normal...

    ''It is almost like-''

    ¡®Looks like a certain goddess is still around¡­ All it would take is a little sign from her... A message that shows her displeasure... And you¡¯ll lose control of Vargstam within seconds¡­ If only we would help you¡­ If only¡­¡¯ The distinct voice snickered out mockingly.

    ¡®So Vind isn¡¯t dead after all¡­¡¯ Kazius thought to himself in concern, realizing that The Shadows were angry at his attempt to keep a distance. He had only been ignoring them for less than a day and yet he already needed them¡­

    They wanted him to respond¡­

    Or they might not help him¡­

 Chapter 65: Under Your Terms

    Kazius felt so confused as to what to do. He wanted to become the hero he was meant to become¡­ But to do that he needed power¡­ he needed an army among other things¡­ Losing Vargstam would be bad for many reasons¡­ Not to mention the blowback could end up with his friends getting hurt.

    Yet The Shadows had encouraged him to do some awful things¡­ Kazius blamed them for a lot of the questionable things he had done and that he would have to do¡­

    Still, Kazius could not afford to take the risk¡­ And now that he had Vind as an enemy¡­ He could not afford to face such a threat half-heartedly.

    Every thought that raced through his head was a second wasted.

    What was worse, was the light breeze he felt around him¡­ It was like a cold chill¡­ Vind might as well be taunting him.

    Making up his mind, Kazius surrendered his pride and fought back any hesitation.

    ¡®I was wrong¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡­ Promise to never ignore you again¡­ So, please¡­ Stop that wind¡­¡¯ Kazius begged. A feeling of helplessness washed over him, he hated it.

    He could hear The Shadows whisper in vague words of approval.

    As they murmured¡­ It was not just the weird shaping of the smoke that stopped¡­ But the wind altogether¡­ It was gone.

    At least for now.

    ¡®What a shameless and pathetic Goddess¡­ To try such a thing at night¡­ During <u>OUR</u> time¡­ She should remember her place¡­¡¯ The distinct voice snickered out mockingly.

    With the wind gone, the rafts moved due to their momentum alone. They were slowly coming to a stop far in the distance.

    The belief and superstition from the ceremony came to mind for Kazius as he heard louder sobbing from the families of the victims.

    In between sobs, Kazius could hear sad whispers among those attending the event. One phrase was repeated multiple times among the different guests. A horrifying realization.

    ¡°Vind has abandoned Vargstam.¡±

    Of course, that was not the case, instead, it was the other way around¡­ They had abandoned Vind¡­ Or rather, Kazius was forcing them to¡­ Still, this development was the most beneficial one for him.

    At such accusations being thrown at Vind, Egil looked like he was trembling with rage¡­ But he said nothing.

    Under normal circumstances, the townspeople would see this as a sign from Vind, a sign that Kazius had made them lose favor with their Goddess¡­ But the fact was, the people knew they had saved Vargstam. Were it not for them¡­ They would have ended up like the scouts¡­ There was no proof of Vind helping during this disaster¡­ So instead, it reflected poorly on Vind rather than Kazius.

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    Kazius and his friends had saved them... Their Goddess had not.

    Any possible crisis the wind could have caused had been not just avoided¡­

    Instead¡­

    It was a victory¡­

    ¡®Do you see now the power you continue to dismiss? We are you and you are us¡­ And one day you will realize that¡­ Do not ignore us again¡­¡¯ The distinct voice stated with a sneer in his voice.

    Something about the voice¡¯s tone told him that he was not giving Kazius advice¡­ But rather warning him. To some extent, it could even be considered a threat¡­

    The idea of it being a threat worried Kazius¡­ The Shadows had always been so eager to help him¡­ But it seemed they could also hold a grudge¡­ After all, they had been nothing but helpful and were loyal to him¡­

    Was he perhaps misunderstanding them because of what his father had done? If he had been nothing but loyal to someone, he would be annoyed too if they suddenly acted like he wasn¡¯t there¡­

    But¡­

    If they were still angry, why help him now?

    This all brought anxiousness that Kazius did not need right now¡­

    ¡®What would I do if the shadows one day ignored me?¡¯ Kazius thought to himself in concern.

    Even if The Shadows were inherently evil¡­ He was realizing that the path he was taking made him need them¡­ Because he had too much to lose¡­ If there was a way to entirely ignore The Shadows until they did not tempt him¡­ He could no longer do so¡­

    Perhaps it was out of denial or naivety that he thought otherwise.

    He had crossed the line far too long ago¡­

    But he would make the best of it. He would not give up on using his powers for good as a hero. After all, Shadows or not, he knew his future. He knew what he had to do to save the world.

    He just hoped the world would be safe from himself¡­

    ¡°Is something wrong, Kazius?¡± Alice whispered to him, having grown concerned by his blank stare at the rafts.

    ¡°Yes, a lot¡­ But more than anything¡­ I am tired¡­ I think I will go ahead. I have a lot to do.¡± Kazius assured back, his words causing more concern than making Alice feel better.

    With that, Kazius would go up to the families that were mourning and give his best wishes before leaving the event.

    ¡°Enjoy your rest, we all are pretty tired and will probably head to bed soon. Or at least I plan to.¡± Damon commented, overhearing their discussion.

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving? I think I will too then. I want to walk around with Eve a little. At least until she calms down.¡± Azanor admitted, standing off to the side while holding Eve¡¯s hand.

    Eve was crying despite having not really known the scouts. She really could not handle seeing other people cry. Then again, considering her mental state, it did not make it any easier to be in such an emotion-heavy environment.

    He waved at his friends as he left, looking back at Egil.

    Egil looked like he was at his wit''s end and thinking about a lot. The last thing Kazis needed was for Egil to mess something up.

    ¡®I know you are mad at me for ignoring you¡­ But could you keep an eye on him for me?¡¯ Kazius asked as he walked away. It was more of a question than a command, but a command nonetheless.

    As he walked, he could hear the pleased whispers of The Shadows. They were delighted at his command. Their eagerness was so strong that Kazius could feel the shadows in the area move, squirming with glee¡­ Happy to serve.

    ¡®Nothing he does will go unseen¡­ The Shadows are your birthright¡­ You are me¡­ And I am you¡­ Do not hesitate¡­ Because you were born to command what is yours¡­¡¯

    Kazius sighed as he walked home, looking off at every shadow in the distance.

    He could feel them, there, watching¡­ Waiting¡­

    ¡®Yes¡­ Perhaps you are right¡­¡¯ Kazius thought to himself in dismay.

    Perhaps with a father like Seselis¡­ He was never meant to outrun them¡­ But¡­ He would rule over them on his own terms. He would not become his father.

    He was Kazius¡­

    The friend.

    The hero.

    The guardian of the future¡­ No matter how dirty his hands got.

 Chapter 66: Peace Talks

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 Chapter 67: Blood Covered Hands

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 Chapter 68: Necessary

    ¡°Of course, I will handle it, Isolf. Don¡¯t worry. I will unify our people¡­ And we will have prosperity and unity, unlike anything you can imagine. I will go with you to your home¡­ And work out the details with your people¡­ But first¡­ I think we should take care of the criminal that has caused this mess¡­ We will give your father a proper funeral. I promise.¡± Kazius assured with a small comforting smile. It was a genuine one, a bit of pity filling his eyes.

    Isolf was na?ve¡­ Kazius wished he did not have to do this¡­ But he supposed what was done was done. He would make things up to him through his actions.

    ¡®There are no good guys in this situation¡­ What I did was necessary¡­¡¯ Kazius assured himself. He had already confirmed his resolve with his friends¡­ They would become awful men to do good things. There was no other choice.

    ¡®Don¡¯t you find all this justification exhausting? It felt good¡­ Watching your little plot work out, didn¡¯t it?¡¯ The distinct voice questioned in amusement. This was followed by snickers from The Shadows.

    ¡®You¡¯re wrong. I take no pleasure in this.¡¯ Kazius insisted.

    ¡®Lying to yourself, is that what we are doing now?¡¯ The distinct voice mocked. It was almost like he could hear the voice roll its eyes at him. If a voice could even have eyes.

    It felt like The Shadows and the distinct voice only got more and more vocal as of late¡­ But ignoring them was not an option¡­ So Kazius felt at a loss.

    It also felt like the distinct voice used to be less snarky with him, but as of late¡­ It was more willing to outright mock him. All Kazius could do was focus on what was in front of him

    Kazius frowned, looking briefly at Isolf. The Frost Giant looked heartbroken, holding his father¡¯s hand despite the Frost Giant King being long dead.

    Isolf''s father paid for his actions, that much he knew. All Isolf did was nod quietly, relieved at Kazius¡¯ response.

    Alice and Damon would come over, coming with others to come and help with taking care of Reimdir¡¯s body to prepare a proper funeral for him. Then there was the matter of transporting Egil, who was now a prisoner until his death sentence was carried out.

    ¡°Isolf, Damon is the strongest person we have here physically. He will help you get your father somewhere more appropriate. I will make sure our traitor is properly restrained and then we can discuss how to go about unifying our people¡­ Our council building is¡­ Rather inadequate for what we need¡­ So, we will have to figure out something else.¡± Kazius assured.

    Once again, Kazius simply got another nod.

    ¡°Alright, Damon. Help him get him somewhere to get the body cleaned up. He can¡¯t be sent off properly in such a state¡­ Also, have someone build a raft big enough for him. There is no way to get him home... At least not in a dignified way... So he will have to be sent off here.¡± Kazius stated. He had not made any plans for anything considering how suspicious it would look if they had been prepared for a Frost Giant funeral.

    Egil¡¯s action had to look as out of nowhere and unprovoked as possible. Sure, due to the death of the scouts, the people of Vargstam were not fond of Frost Giants¡­ But Reimdir¡¯s blood would wash away any of that sentiment¡­ And Egil¡¯s blood would help clean up things once they headed back to Isolf¡¯s home...

    So as bad as their actions were, Kazius still believed they were necessary and without waste. What he told himself and reality though were two different things.

    Before Damon and Isolf could head out, Azanor approached Isolf. His expression was one meant to comfort¡­ But something darker lurked underneath.

    ¡°I know it is hard, Isolf, but you are doing the correct thing in your situation.¡± Azanor admitted, that much was not a lie. His words were something Kazius also believed.

    Isolf simply nodded again in response, his expression saying it all. He seemed almost limp. He was just going through the motions. It was almost like talking to a golem.

    Azanor frowned a little, swallowing a bit before taking a deep breath. There was a shakiness to him, like someone had a leash on him that prevented him from going forward¡­ Though with every second that leash was ripping. His expression turned from pity to a glint of hunger. As this occurred, there was a change in his eyes.

    For someone who did not know Azanor, it was not noticeable¡­ But for Kazius, he could tell that the gaze in Azanor¡¯s eyes was the gaze of Azanor The Demon, not Azanor The Loving Husband. He was reaching his limit, temptation was becoming too much for him.

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    ¡°Azanor, why don¡¯t you go check on Eve?¡± Kazius suggested, placing his hand on his shoulder to snap him out of the trance. At the mention of Eve, the predatory glint in Azanor¡¯s eyes seemed to shift to a more Humane light in them.

    Azanor took another deep breath, returning to reality.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Azanor trailed off, looking at his cane. He gripped it more firmly, the object combined with the thought of Eve was enough to ground him.

    ¡°I think I should go.¡± Azanor agreed, realizing it was probably best he kept his distance for a while.

    After all, this plan was his handiwork. It all added wood to the fire that was his darker inclinations. He may be willing to connive, but the most important promise that he had made to himself would not be broken¡­

    He refused to eat even one more soul. That was a line he would not cross¡­ No matter how many more terrible things he would do.

    Still, it was hard.

    By Demon standards¡­ All that had happened today was the equivalent of preparing a dish¡­ And now it was right in front of him¡­ But he had to restrain himself from eating it, despite starving himself for so long.

    Kazius made a note to not let Azanor think of too many things like this anytime soon¡­

    For one he hoped he would not have to, but it was also not good for his friend.

    ¡°It will be okay, Isolf. Go. I will join you in a second once I figure out how to go about dealing with this prisoner.¡± Kazius stated once he made sure Azanor had gone far enough ahead. After all, it would do little good to have him bump into Isolf on the way back.

    ¡°As for you, I have an important task for you, Caleb. You know what happened here... I¡¯d like you to assemble everyone in town. I am sure they will want answers for what is going to happen.¡± Kazius stated to the shaken Half-Elf.

    Caleb was a good Wizard and had done well taking charge during the Frost Giant attack¡­ But he still needed to get better at handling his nerves during tough situations. This was not easy, but it could have been much worse.

    ¡°Y-Yes¡­ I will go do that.¡± Caleb stated hesitantly. He looked uncomfortable, but that was why Kazius wanted him to be the one to do this. Still, he did as told, leaving as well.

    With everyone else gone, Kazius looked at Alice and then at Egil. Kazius sighed, looking at Egil coldly.

    ¡°Egil¡­ Egil¡­ Egil¡­ I am very disappointed in you.¡± Kazius finally admitted with a sigh.

    ¡°I told you, Kazius. He is a lose end. He proved it. He could have shown restraint¡­¡± Alice stated firmly with a scowl. She looked at Egil with pure disdain.

    ¡°First, he allows Luna to run the show until things get so bad that she is able to control everyone in town¡­ Then the moment he comes to his senses he apologizes, but the minute things go South¡­ He throws his apology that he did not mean to the wind¡­ And attacks Damon.¡± Alice continued, indignation in her voice.

    ¡°And today, he acted like he was The Chief¡­ And killed the leader of another place without my agreement.¡± Kazius continued, his red eyes were full of disappointment and disdain. Of course, half of what they were saying was gaslighting, but there was a bit of truth there. A small part of Kazius had hoped that he would prove himself to be trustworthy.

    After Kazius was done speaking, he removed any coverings of Egil¡¯s mouth, but The Shadows held him firmly.

    ¡°You¡­ You dare accuse me of being a traitor when Vind was killed by them!? I defended her honor!¡± Egil snapped out with a growl.

    ¡°Exactly, you defended HER, you do not give a shit about The people of Vargstam.¡± Kazius snapped back.

    ¡°It is always Vind this, Vind that¡­ And now you killed someone that leads a whole Kingdom of GIANTS that are capable enough of killing due to their size alone. Yet you demanded to have someone translate for you as if you were The Chief and then acted on your own without any sort of agreement from me¡­ And for this reason, you are going to die, Egil.¡± Kazius admitted, a hint of remorse in his voice.

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry¡­ We intend to start peace with The Frost Giants¡­ Vargstam will know prosperity unlike anywhere else. I promise you that much¡­ And for your service, I am telling you this much.¡± Kazius continued.

    ¡°But¡­ They admitted to killing Vind! They don¡¯t want peace!¡± Egil exclaimed, outraged.

    ¡°Oh¡­ About that¡­ I will be honest, that was a lie¡­ We wanted to test you and your willingness to show restraint¡­ To not let words blind you into doing something without making sure it is for the best of Vargstam and to see whether you respected me as Chief¡­ It was Alice¡¯s idea to do this test¡­ And then Azanor decided how we should go about this¡­ Considering how you have behaved. I am sorry to say you failed.¡± Kazius simply.

    ¡°It is a shame¡­ I was hoping to be proven wrong. It doesn¡¯t matter anymore though. Your death will be a good thing¡­ You either would have proved yourself loyal¡­ Or done what you did now, which is to our benefit. It was a win-win anyway.¡± Alice admitted with a sigh.

    ¡°On that note¡­ Since you are going to die¡­ I want you to know the truth¡­ Vind is not dead and she did not abandon Vargstam¡­ Maybe you will go into her arms when you die? Who knows? But I did strangle her power out of her¡­ In a way, anyway¡­ But that doesn¡¯t change what we did. It was the way we protected Vargstam. I don¡¯t regret it. During the funeral, she tried to tell everyone, but I chased her away¡­ I don¡¯t regret that either.¡± Kazius stated, feeling a little relieved to speak about something like that so openly. It made him feel better since even if he did not regret it, it didn¡¯t make what he did any nicer¡­ But it was necessary.

    ¡°You¡­ You awful manipulative Fiends! You are¡­ You are¡­¡± Egil managed out, trembling in rage, but unable to do anything. The Shadows seemed to laugh in delight at his despair, the noise closer to a shrill shriek that would normally hurt someone¡¯s ears¡­ If they could hear it.

    Egil searched for the right word, but he seemed to be unable to find it. He did seem to settle on several.

    ¡°Monsters... Both of you¡­ All of you¡­ Terrible traitorous Monsters¡­¡± Egil snarled out, baring his canines. There was only rage in his olive eyes.

    ¡°Monsters? Is that really what you are calling us? According to many, we all are. This includes you. We are not people¡­ But it doesn¡¯t matter¡­ Just know Vargstam will be safe¡­ Rest in peace knowing that¡­ Next time I see you¡­ It will be in your execution¡­ In the meantime, I think I know how to transport you¡­¡± Kazius stated with a small smile.

    How could he not be happy? Vargstam was safe¡­ And now he could make sure he would have better means to save the world.

    With that, Kazius flicked his finger, The Shadows grabbed Egil¡­ They made him sink deeper and deeper¡­ Until he was surrounded by darkness.