ã€ŠA Saviour&#x27;s Endeavourã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Racing Dawn

    Racing Dawn

    The deafening roar of rotor blades moving at almost supersonic speeds overhead stole away the sound of thousands of rain drops falling heavily onto cement. A man dressed in full matte black military armour stood tall before them, looking little more than a shadow. Not even an insignia was visible to the naked eye, instead one was overlaid via the heads up display in every soldier¡¯s visor.

    Such a thing wasn¡¯t necessary, everything about the man was in a completely different league to the soldiers standing around him. All were trained in the same stance but where, to them, it was beaten in through months of hard training, to this man standing before them, it was the most natural stance in the world. They were mere pups before a wolf, even if their coats were the same colour.

    Alongside all of the other soldiers Matheson moved forwards, another cog in a well-oiled machine. His head low but unflinching to the air beating down on them with immense power, he felt his hands grip tighter to his rifle, trying to stifle the doubts in his heart and the rising anxiety gripping onto his stomach.

    Small droplets of rain ran down the outside of his mask flowing in small rivulets like the flowing tears of a dying child. For each drop of rain striking his armour he felt another blow to his heavy heart, but the peaceful darkness looming ahead offered him some brief reprieve.

    His feet towing the line forwards towards the gapping void that was the helicopter loading bay. The rain stopped falling upon him and the darkness became clear as his visor automatically adjusted to the dim interior. Inside he stood shoulder to shoulder with the 20 other soldiers present for this mission, their deep black armour difficult to see clearly even with his visors assistance.

    Their officer followed them in from the rear, his gear shimmering with moisture looking no different than any other soldier. Yet he was easy to pick out of the group, his confident stride and the powerful, predatorial gaze, apparent even through his visor. His long stride through the ranks of soldiers somehow manageable only for him in the shoulder to shoulder environment.

    1st Lieutenant Johnson, he¡¯d been with them since training and was the perfect leader. Following the rules and mission objectives without room for personal bias. He wouldn¡¯t hesitate for a moment to leave behind a man for the sake of the mission, nor should he.

    The Lieutenant stood at the forward section of the cabin astride the light assault vehicle that had been requisitioned for this mission. Intercom gave a slight buzz before his voice roared through, grinding away the anxiety in Matheson¡¯s heart. There was a visible ease in the formation as the soldiers found themselves regaining their confidence; in themselves and in their training.

    ¡°Today¡¯s task is a simple escort mission.¡± His words belying the countless complexities surrounding the conditions of their mission. Every soldier here already knew that they were treading into alien territory, a world where they didn¡¯t belong.

    A slight jolt assaulted them as the helicopter lifted off ground, causing one of the soldiers in the front to lose his footing stumbling slightly but regaining his posture with such agility that Matheson questioned if he¡¯d even seen it in the first place. An error unfamiliar to soldiers like them almost like a computer summing one plus one to equal three.

    The lieutenant coughed gently, it hadn¡¯t make it past his sharp eyes; nothing ever did. That incompetent man would be getting chewed out for the next week for that mistake, maybe even going back into training with the raw recruits. If it was determined that he was still capable of serving that was. Failing that he may even be discharged into another sector. Although it wasn¡¯t meant to be a punishment, with the pride every soldier had it would sting.

    Though as the Sergeant always put it, lose your footing here and it hurts your pride, lose your footing on the battlefield and it hurts the mission.

    Training was hell but the battle field is worse, you¡¯ll never hear a veteran soldier complaining about training being hard. Not after that same intense training saved their lives, team and objective more than once. At least that was what they¡¯d been told so many times.

    In fact most soldiers here have lost a brother by a small mistake like that in training alone,even at their ripe young age.

    ¡°Remember we want to avoid open hostilities as much as possible, the natives may be violent but they are smart enough to keep their weapons sheathed for the most part. Do not aggravate them. If any one of you upset the peace talks without justification you will be charged with treason.

    ¡°Expect some violent rioters in the street, you have full authority to use whatever force necessary at your discretion. If forced the protection of our people are more important than peace with these people and so long as you don¡¯t go killing the soldiers their leaders won¡¯t care. Though they may only be armed with the equivalent of sticks and stones the men you¡¯ll be escorting will only be lightly armoured.¡±

    The cabin buffeted slightly before letting loose a short burst of canon fire, most of which was dampened by the hull and his sound filtered helmet. Sweat started to film his hands as his heart pumped harder, it took most of his strength to just maintain his breathing at a steady rate.

    Matheson¡¯s heads up display flicked on at the Lieutenant¡¯s order filling most of his field of view with a bird¡¯s eye view of a semitranslucent city. His panicked mind rushed to focus on it, and the words still flowing from his earpieces.

    The fine details of the map were stripped away so as to focus on the forest rather than the trees, but his eyes still searched through those streets for the signs of life. A green light flicked on screen a short distance from the city walls in a section covered in trees marked as difficult terrain.

    ¡°This is our drop point, one of the men you¡¯ll be protecting will already be onsite on arrival.¡± A red light ignited in the centre of the city in a building which had to be a command centre of sorts. ¡°This is our destination, you are to ensure their safety on the way there and also return them safely after they are finished. We may have some greater number of men to protect after transiting the castle.

    ¡°Depending on how well this man does his job we may need to perform an extraction so be ready for the enemy to become hostile at any moment during negotiations. Lethal force is authorised at your discretion remember primary objective is to keep these men safe, even if you have to burn down the city to do it.¡± Yet it was also unpermitted to mess with the peace talks, making this a more complicated mission than they were trained for.

    On screen a number of important routes appeared, primary and secondary entrances as well as extraction routes in triplicate with indication of the vehicle doing the pickup. It seems the light assault vehicle the Lieutenant was standing astride of was going to be used for extraction purposes rather than initial transport or fire support.

    ¡°At the same time do not endanger their objective of peace unless forced to do so. This being such a delicate mission we have chosen the best of the best, I have faith in you men. Now try to make it home without wrecking the place.¡±

    The best of the best, not one man outside of the Lieutenant himself had seen real combat. For the four years since they left their childhood innocence behind they¡¯d trained for this, day and night, without rest. Even so, in this instance the best of the best was nothing more than highly trained and well equipped virgins of battle.

    He felt the forces on his body shift as the helicopter slowed, almost making him stumble in the tight environment. Lieutenant Johnson signalled for them to prep for drop, and following orders all of the men turned, rows on the right turning clockwise, rows on the left turning counter, so that every direction was covered. Not that it mattered here but it was a practice they were trained into.

    Standing near to the back he felt a little bile rise in the back of his throat and a few unwelcome thoughts spring to mind. Thoughts about a childhood friend, thoughts about being lost, bloodied and broken, the feeling of water bursting into his lungs. Training soon forced that excitement into retirement and his muscles to form up, even though he didn¡¯t desire it.

    Right now, as his training took hold it was as if this body were no longer his own, the rising anxiety now forcing his consciousness into submission. Imprisoned within his own suit of armour he held firm to the line.

    This was a mission just like any other, or so they¡¯d been trained but there was always a brief moment before the jump when the training hadn¡¯t yet kicked in fully. A brief moment when he was still himself. As the back of the chopper lowered that moment came to an end, every stray thought dying an early death and his body running on intensive training.

    The heavy thumping of air intensified as the ramp opened followed by a rush of purple mist flowing in and quickly overwhelming their numbers. The tendrils wrapping around their limbs and equipment as if it were some living being; which wasn¡¯t entirely out of question. Never did it exert physical power on them and it was only as thick as the average morning back where he grew up, but the alien colour made it feel more hostile, evil even. His grip on the rifle tightened unconsciously, his breathing was forced into a deep rhythm else he¡¯d lose control. Mindlessly he followed along as the others ran head first into the blind depths of the purple oblivion.

    Boots thumped on hard steel before they leapt from the rear of the aircraft. Not a moment¡¯s hesitation in any one of them as they fell three metres into knee deep mud surrounded by the calls of alien insects and the squelch of mud clinging to legs. Countless little creatures swarming around their feet clinging to the metal momentarily before moving onwards, for a moment all of these insects and reptiles were lit up by the heads up display before it recognised them as non-combatants.

    His body moved on its own struggling against the mud and environment keeping perfect pace with every other soldier around him. Upon landing into the swamp they were already in formation covering each other¡¯s blind spot; one being with one mind.

    Ahead of the group the Lieutenant had already rushed forwards and made contact with their person of interest. The man was wearing some flimsy material, only buttoned up to the breast with loose trousers soaking into the muddy earth. He had nothing but a sword for a weapon gently swaying on his hip in pace with his nervous twitching.

    The twenty man team was already forming around them rifles levelled, safety off, and each soldier with another watching his or her back. The techs had already launched a half a dozen drones into the air above them supporting the group with their targeting lasers, mosquito missiles equipped with nerve gas warheads, and neurotoxin darts. They were only lightly armoured but with predictive bullet tracking and rocket boosters for rapid manoeuvrability capabilities it would be easier to hit a ghost, which, for that matter would be easier to see.

    His heads up display was lit up with a blend of ultra-red, heat vision and other supports forming the most intuitive view of the scenery the on-board system was able to create. Turning up the audio he could make out the overwhelming sounds of nature around them, insects with insanely familiar chirps and clicks mixed together with the foreign sounds of creatures so completely alien that it almost hurt his ears to hear it.

    ¡°So then how many of the missing people have been found?¡± The Lieutenant¡¯s voice filled with a coldness only known to the most incapable of soldiers, growled over the sounds of the environment.

    ¡°We-w-well we have g-go-got a couple of them, b-b-but the king i-is demanding a-an audience with y-you-your leader.¡± Overhead a drone lit up a violent scene of nature. A large eagle seemed to have found its way here likely to its grave, since it was being harassed by a swarm of small flighted lizards. They seemed to have the advantage in the battle sending stray feathers falling from the sky, even as some of the reptiles fell wounded others took their place.

    Matheson gave it the order to ignore the fight and keep scanning for hostiles. So long as the reptiles kept away from them then it wouldn¡¯t be an issue, this forest was filled with thousands of possible threats on the other hand.

    Responding to signs of close motion of large mammals a drone flew out for a scan of the area, its small shadow quickly getting lost from view in the thickly coloured mist. The gentle flows of mist made even the sophisticated software of his HUD lose track of things inside its depths, perhaps it needed some environmental adjustments.

    ¡°Well good thing I came along then.¡± The Lieutenant grabbed the man by the shoulder and threw him forwards towards city. ¡°Off we go.¡±

    ¡°Y-y-y-yess sir.¡± Mouth moving at different pace to the sounds, apparently his helmet was filtering and translating automatically. The man moved without much haste at first but a few harsh words and he was moving at a slow jog alongside the rest of the team. Though compared to them he was still slow even with his ragged breathing coming out in bursts like that you¡¯d expect from a man in his late years.

    The intercom from Matheson¡¯s helmet burst forth, ¡°The recon drone has reported a large group of individuals likely part of a local raider gang to our rear and keeping track of us. Alpha team move in and scare them off. Try to kill their leader else they may keep following. You have two drones under your command for this.¡±

    Alpha consisted of around 5 of their 20 soldiers leaving them easily capable of defending their man until the city perimeter. As the 5 soldiers quickly ran across the rough terrain, barely even shadows even to his systems, the rest of the team formed a tighter circle moving with increased haste. The sun was likely to rise in the next hour and they didn¡¯t want to be here when it did.

    Distant pops of gunfire and screams permeated the humid air but filtered through his helmet. The gunfire was limited to controlled shots in single fire, the men they were facing likely wouldn¡¯t even manage a scratch on their hi-tech armour so automatic gunfire was out of the question.

    In no more than 60 seconds their lost members returned filling back into the encirclement. With scouting positions held by the drones flying above able to give them warning of any living being in 2 klicks of their position they were able to form a tight grouping with every soldier able to see every other in this misted marsh.

    In around half a klick the trees would give way to an open field which was apparently recovered marshland. A few shots from the other side of the encirclement warned him of possible enemy presence moments before a large creature was lit up in his HUD. Around as tall as a full grown man it clung to the trees with a series of grotesque arms, the creature bared its teeth and hissed. Without any defining feet it seemed as though it wouldn¡¯t be following them out of the cover of the trees.

    Unsure about the dangers posed by local wildlife Matheson fired a warning round a half metre from where it hung, the sound and shock of which sending it flying away. Grotesque arms catapulting it dozens of metres from tree to tree like some living projectile.

    His conscious mind reeled at the monstrosity but at the moment subconscious training left him unable to even consider it as anything more than a non-hostile. The tree line rushed up to them in a blur, the man they were protecting calling out to them not to shoot in an exhausted voice. Of course that had no bearing on them, he was to be protected but his opinion mattered none.

    The mist was left behind with the trees and before them opened up a vast city wall just a few hundred metres forwards. Even from this distance the many scars that marked those walls showed how formidable a fortress it was. Apparently it hadn¡¯t been taken by enemy soldiers since its inception over a millennia ago.

    Today they were going in whether they were wanted or not, nothing here had a chance of standing in their way. They were like a tank rolling through a playground full of bullies, any amount of struggle on their part could only succeed in getting themselves hurt.

    Empty camps on the edges of town revealed the remnants of their armies alongside the freshly planted camps of their allies. The simple truth was that those armies couldn¡¯t stand a chance even against their small team. There was never a war, but these people were on the suffering end of a mass slaughter at the hands of the same army Matheson served.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    On his sensors there was little to be seen awake and aware other than a few lax guards at the ends of the rows of tents. Hopefully they wouldn¡¯t notice the new arrivals; Matheson didn¡¯t need to be killing rattled soldiers right now.

    Of course they weren¡¯t so lucky as to be unseen by every group camped out here. Over a hundred metres away on their left stood a massive tent standing as tall as the city walls, emitting heat signatures far greater than if they had a bonfire in the middle of it. The drones were already focusing on it and highlighting the guards as possible threats.

    The closest figure was feminine with sword on hip and long, bladed staff in hand highlighted by threat detection software. She was steady, focused and very possibly dangerous should they get too close. Though as a whole she was considered a minor threat due to lack of any ranged weaponry.

    That wasn¡¯t the reason she was being highlighted though, not only was she aware of their presence which shouldn¡¯t be possible from this range and with their advanced camouflage but she was also lit up brightly on the heat sensors. Reading at approximately 45 Celsius on her exposed flesh. Her amour also made to look demonic with horns and inhuman additions that were frequent in medieval times.

    She didn¡¯t move from her post but kept close observance of them as they approached the main doors of the compound. Even the guards above didn¡¯t notice them until they were literally banging on the massive wooden doors.

    A nervous voice cried out from the centre of their group, ¡°It¡¯s the Kings ambassador let us in. Now!¡±

    ¡°The hell you going on ¡®bout?¡± A guard overhead leant over the edge of the rail with a lit torch, the light only really illuminating a metre of stone before falling far short and blinding the man to everyone down below, ¡°No one comes in till sun up. Kings orders.¡±

    The Lieutenant let out a low growling voice to the man with them, ¡°Get us in, or we¡¯ll make a way in.¡±

    ¡°This is an important envoy, let us in or the King will have your head.¡± His voice filled with confidence he¡¯d only just discovered.

    ¡°Not till morning; now leave the gate or we¡¯ll start shooting.¡± The torch drew a little back as a crossbow was lifted into place.

    ¡°Open the gates, we¡¯re a group of ambassadors from Earth.¡± The Lieutenant called out loudly, his synthesised voice almost perfectly clear.

    ¡°From where? You meaning them armies that killed my brother?¡± His voice suddenly more serious.

    They were ordered to line up on the wall in readiness for a breach as the Lieutenant dealt with the man.

    ¡°Probably.¡± Lieutenant Johnson didn¡¯t deny the fact, they were soldiers after all not liars. The explosives engineer was already preparing explosives for the front door.

    ¡°Open the gates.¡± The call came from above, stunning them all for a moment except for the engineer who rapidly started to disable the explosives with a deftness unfamiliar to that of most men.

    ¡°Yes open the gates god damn it, you want to die? You know who is out there?¡± The man seemed to be having troubles with the others but things were flowing more smoothly than they otherwise would have.

    Slowly the gates grinded open, wooden doors followed by metal portcullis, on the other side men stood intimidatingly yet their pulses and skin temperatures alongside many other details were measured by his suits software. The results came up that they were terrified, which can be almost as dangerous as anger.

    They were lined up with weapons in hand, ¡°We¡¯ll be watching you through the city.¡± Apparently their guards were unprepared for their arrival and so the gate guards were prepared to leave their positions, either that or they were extremely undermanned. The envoy rushed ahead to warn the King of their arrival, Lieutenant Johnson made his way to the leader of their guard and ignored the man running for his life.

    Perhaps this was an opening for an ambush, the non-combatant leaving the area left a bad taste in Matheson¡¯s mouth. Not like their crossbows could penetrate his armour but the Lieutenant couldn¡¯t allow such a disrespect when coming for a peace treaty. If they didn¡¯t make it clear that they are the stronger party in this arrangement then things would likely end badly for everyone.

    After a brief conversation the man led them into town along their prescribed route. The stealthed drones flew about in the city, with all of the alleys there was a slight chance of them being caught off guard by someone. Even with the overhead cover they never let themselves ease up, it¡¯s when you feel most safe that you are most vulnerable he¡¯d learnt for himself.

    Rifle gripped firmly but without the panic driven white knuckle grip he¡¯d experienced through most of training, still a slight tremble remained in his fingers. Breathing controlled, body working entirely on pre-programmed forms as he checked down each passing alley for hostiles. The rest of the team working alongside him with the HUD guiding his vision and aim so as to give complete coverage.

    An ambush warning indicated a number of possible hostiles appearing on screen up ahead. None were directly visible but the HUD combined with the targeting sensors of the UAV¡¯s lit them up brightly. Focusing their rifles on the targets they prepared to fire at the least bit of movement. The drones overhead were already using the tranquilizer darts to take out at least half of the combatants.

    The guards leading them forwards quickly grew very nervous as their rifles targeted the invisible ambushers. Apparently they were in on this plot, though there was no need to strike them yet already the men were forced into targeting them alongside other enemies.

    ¡°You better make sure they don¡¯t go lifting their heads, else there¡¯s going to be a lot of blood flowing down these streets.¡± Lieutenant Johnson called out to the man leading them, his voice intentionally loud enough for everyone to hear. ¡°I don¡¯t particularly want to waste the ammunition or time on this.¡±

    The guards quickly lifted their hands off of their weapons and those in cover either cowered down or ran for their lives. This was what it was like to be gods amongst men Matheson thought briefly. The respect shown to them out of fear, loathing and envy, but respect nonetheless.

    The drones quickly marked off the remaining combatants as non-hostile and went back to mapping the area. The darkness offered them some relief from the eyes of the few villagers wondering through the town this early on the morning but it wouldn¡¯t last for long. Those gazes were growing as the sun grew closer to the horizon.

    A brief flash of warning lit up his HUD as a target from the rear grew closer, rushing up towards them with the speed of the wind yet soundless to his sensors. The heat signature suggested that it was one of the strange warriors from outside of camp, she was in his section of fire and even those to his left and right were diverted to this arising threat.

    It was at the location of the ambush where it suddenly came to a halt, looking around at the various members still actively weeping behind cover. It wasn¡¯t long before the figure was beyond range of even the drones flying closely overhead. The heat signature getting lost in the humid morning air of this ancient city.

    The call to halt came shortly after losing her, holding pattern Delta outside of the castle walls. Arranged in a triangle pointing away from the wall firing patterns covering every direction, watching all of the various targets highlighted by the overhead drones.

    Head of their guard successfully called out to the man operating the doors but it was a few moments before they were willing to open the gates. Apparently they were expecting the ambush to work out better and for it to at least take them longer than this to get here. At least they weren¡¯t stupid enough to attack now.

    For now at least fear burned brighter than hatred. The doors creaked loudly and the metal grating lifted up accompanied by the heaving breathe of men, their muscles moving with mechanical precision and strength. Even though they were welcomed inside the Lieutenant kept them on guard. Every muzzle of every rifle trained on a man, fingers only a trigger weight away from ending a life. This situation was weighted as precariously as a boulder teetering at the edge of a cliff, ready to start an avalanche on the town below.

    Rough calls and cries surrounded them as they moved on through the group uncaringly, the guards caught up to their momentum rushing with them. The castle stood magnificently with the beauty of millions of drops of human sweat, blood and tears almost oozing from the mortar between the bricks. Within his helmet there were endless fires burning brightly along the many walls and towers yet he knew it would look endlessly more beautiful in the full light of day with eyes unaltered by his visual support systems.

    Somewhere up in those thousands of windows someone was looking down on them, probably not seeing the many enemy soldiers filing into their castle. The light movement of curtains and the shimmering of body heat indicating just that.

    The king would hopefully be waiting inside and this would be over with shortly.

    A grand set of doors stood proudly up ahead likely the magnum opus of the stone masons responsible for their creation. Intricate marble interlaced with silver reflecting the light of the torches beautifully. The men standing guard seemed to be little more than decorations themselves, dressed in fine clothes and highly decorated armour polished to perfection. They snapped to attention as Matheson¡¯s team approached Halberds held across the door with well-practiced precision. Rifles were trained at the men with lethal intent, the head guard approached the two toy soldiers.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to send these men on to you.¡± He turned and left with the rest of his men, choosing to leave behind the threat to their city before they get involved any deeper.

    ¡°Approach!¡± The two pieces of architecture called out loudly enough for all to hear.

    Lieutenant Johnson walked forwards under guard by squad Beta including Matheson. The two men didn¡¯t shift in their stances even under threat of death by a thousand bullets. ¡°We demand access to the King, return of our people and the signing of a peace treaty. Any who stand in our way will be taken as hostiles.¡±

    To make his point more clearly they finally stepped into the light from the torches. Perhaps the rifles meant nothing to them but there was still a flash of animalistic caution in those eyes. The look of an animal staring into the eyes of a foreign predator yet unsure of who is the superior.

    ¡°There is a personal escort waiting for you within, only five of you may enter.¡± His voice clear, and refined.

    The Lieutenant didn¡¯t bother with talking it out, with five men they could take they castle in less than an hour. Sending back one of their team he strode up to the men not even waiting for them to fully raise their halberds. Matt positioned himself to the lieutenants left, covering his side watching for a motion from the guardsman.

    The intermittent lights messed with his sensors, switching favoured vision for some time but no false walls or threats were apparent. In here they didn¡¯t have the luxury of a drone to cover them from above and had to take far more responsibility for themselves.

    The hallways were displayed beautifully with metalwork candle frames and mirrors to extend the light. Around them the various servants scattered quickly disappearing down through the back rooms hoping not to be noticed.

    It wasn¡¯t long at all before they reached what had to be the throne room, King sitting astride the most golden piece of furniture he¡¯d ever seen. The thing must¡¯ve hurt the eyes to look at with the naked eye. The King himself was covered in the sheen of sweat and a nervous twitch in his hand giving away his lack of confidence. Even the golden crown upon his head did nothing to create a royal appearance to the eye, though that was partly due to being woken up early, leaving him dishevelled and unprepared.

    Lieutenant Johnson didn¡¯t care for the propriety nor the reaction from the many beautifully attired guards suddenly standing on edge as he climbed the steps to the king. Rifle resting low to the ground and relying entirely on his team. One of the guards stepped forwards earning him a bullet to his knee.

    To the man¡¯s credit he only gave a short pained cry as he fell to the ground.

    The king gave out a short cry, ¡°Magic!¡±

    ¡°No, not magic, guns far more dangerous than your magic.¡± He levelled the gun at the kings head. ¡°Where is my negotiator he was meant to go on ahead of me? I guess it is of no matter since he isn¡¯t one of us. Where are my people?¡±

    The guards were spreading out threateningly but kept some distance from the bottom of the stairs, unwilling to turn this into a bloodbath just yet. Their formation and strength of will in the face of such dangerous enemies revealed their exceptional training. Under ordinary circumstances they might have proven to be powerful enemies.

    The sound of gunfire was drawing surprised guards in from all across the castle already the massive thrown room was becoming packed with their numbers.

    Their formation was flawless as one of the toy soldiers offered a shoulder to withdraw with the wounded man while others covered with their halberds. Matheson suspected that they might even be able to push him back if he tried charging them, though such a thing was ridiculous for a rifleman to do.

    The kings voice boomed throughout the well-constructed hall, ¡°Stand down, we¡¯ll cooperate with you.¡± The Lieutenant was willing to lower his rifle but didn¡¯t back away. ¡°we have the slav- your people gathering in the courtyard where your soldiers are waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°All of them?¡±

    ¡°Uh well there was a problem with that. Some of them are¡­ gone.¡±

    The Lieutenant levelled the rifle again. ¡°But! But we are willing to pay reparations to you for their deaths. A king¡¯s bounty each!¡±

    ¡°Double it.¡±

    ¡°Uh- excuse.¡±

    The Lieutenant pulled back the slide on his rifle, unnecessary but incredibly intimidating to the King who didn¡¯t know what this strange weapon was.

    ¡°Yes, yes of course. It will be down with your men by the time you return.¡± He waved at some of the guardsmen and quickly rushed out of the room dignity far from intact.

    The Lieutenant paused for a moment likely checking up with the drone¡¯s footage and the progress. He gave them the go ahead to retreat through the guards that were already dividing like a sea of human flesh. Even more had arrived while they were talking and now there were at least a hundred standing in formation around them. Eyes full of spite but none moved to stop them without the kings orders.

    In formation in formation they hastily moved back down the hallway they¡¯d taken earlier, their pace a fast walk. Even having already checked once Matheson was still keeping his eyes open for a trap, whether it be a false wall or something in the roof but his caution was needless.

    Soon they safely arrived back at the courtyard filled with an unpleasant tension. Dozens of men and women were gathered inside the impenetrable ring of black steel and rifles, their faces downcast. They were obviously from Earth but they were wearing nothing but rags and depressingly confused expressions. These were the men and women who were lost when the tear first opened.

    At first they were the brave curious few who walked towards the unknown, knowing not fear. It was that foolishness which led them here to a place where they did not belong. To a place where they were subjugated to the worst mankind had to offer to its brothers and sisters. The brave and the foolish were one and the same, standing broken and defeated.

    One of the fools, a woman, fell to the ground her legs failing her for long enough that she couldn¡¯t catch herself. She lay on the ground where she fell, mud staining her pale white skin as ink stains onto fresh paper. Training failed him then, watching the pitiful scene play out before him the rifle quickly fled from his hands into its holster on his back. He knelt down before that young woman, uncertain hands reaching out to offer help as he tried to get a look at her face.

    ¡°Karen?¡± The name slipping from his lips before he could even get a good look at the woman. Looking beneath the bruising on her face and the fresh bloody scar, her face was heartbreakingly familiar. A small emerald gem inset into a rusted old hair clip shone brightly even through the dark, reddish mud.

    Long eyelashes fluttered briefly as tears dripped down, floating over the mud, unable to clean the stains. Her legs were trembling so much it was a surprise she managed to stand not moments ago, while her arms were clutched up to her face as if to shield her from the world itself.

    Matheson opened his mouth but no words could find their way through, millions hovered waiting to be said but none were right. In the end he lifted her in his arms, her frightfully lacking weight no burden on him, especially not with the suit enhancing his strength.

    If she opened her eyes all she would see is her own broken reflection in his visor, where his skin touched hers all she would feel is the mechanical precision and cold touch of steel. For all its enhancements one thing his suit could never do is sooth the human heart. He regretted this as she wept alone in his arms.

    Lieutenant Johnson didn¡¯t even give him a glance, this was the end of soldiering for Matt. Assisting the people they were escorting wasn¡¯t an issue, in fact it was commendable but putting away a weapon in a volatile situation without any orders from a superior officer; that was a big mistake.

    Looking down amongst the many people suffering here, then to the woman in his arms, Matheson couldn¡¯t find it in himself to regret it. After all perhaps his heart was too soft for this. He¡¯d seen it happen to another soldier only once before. There was no yelling or great scene made about the occasion. It was simply recognised that it was a mistake to put the man into the position and amendments were made towards that mistake.

    The thought should have made his heart skip, but right now there was nothing that could move it from the darkness surrounding him. Evil lived here and it tainted them, made them suffer far greater than home ever could. Never before had he missed his childhood so badly before, wished for a time of peace and happiness without¡­ this.

    They waited for only a short time before the gold arrived but that was far too long for those who¡¯d already spent an eternity here. Others around him joined in on the weeping as his team checked to make sure all of the payments were right. Their searches swift but accurate.

    As the last box lid closed they were already marching out of the city along their escape route. If any ambush was attempted it would fail to recognise their change in path, or at least that was the intention. With the light assault vehicle ready to escort them to the pickup location as soon as they left the gates.

    Light was already dawning as they left the castle for the tight confines of the town. Life was starting to awaken in full strength but gave pause to their passing. The drones flying overhead finally getting some recognition from the people below.

    A warning lit up his display, an attempted ambush lying in wait ahead. The drones were already working on taking out as many of them as possible while the soldiers were readying themselves to fire at the remaining. They were going to move through it rather than go around, as they were running low on time and their weapons and armour made the ambush a failure from the start.

    At this moment, with every soldier but him focused on the ambush lying ahead when the survivors started to cough. Not a simple cough someone might have when they drink too quickly but the heavy sound of someone trying to heave up their own insides. His display soon heated up, with the woman in his arms clutching at him desperately as her skin grew hotter by the moment.

    The Lieutenant yelled something, but Matheson couldn¡¯t hear it even through his radio. Her pin fell from her hair falling as if in slow motion into a nearby puddle.

    Every sense he had was focused on the face of the woman in his arms as she cried, her tears lost amidst the flowing flesh of her face. Everything she touched left behind more of herself as her flesh gently flowed like lava down a mountainside.

    Her lips before falling free, mouthing words over and over again. ¡°Save them. Save them. Save them.¡± He heard her voice within his own mind, soft and gentle even as her body was wracked in unimaginably intense pain.

    Her temperature only grew in intensity, blindingly hot until it filled his entire vision with pure white light.

 Chapter 2 - The Warmth of a Foreign Sun

    The Warmth of a Foreign Sun

    The world in that moment became reduced to a few tingles from his chest, like the feel of a lover¡¯s hand gently passing through the air before his flesh without quite touching.

    Eyes numb to light.

    Ears numb to sound.

    Every inch of skin may well have been flayed and he would not know for the amount of pain reaching his dazed mind. Even thought was distant and almost as unobtainable as heaven from Earth. Ideas, images, words all flowing past like a thousand leaves drifting upon a gently flowing river slipping by his fingers each time he reached out to them.

    Blood, A rifle, Pain, Grass, Steel, each one nothing more than an idea of a memory. They moved before him with growing pace, peace, water, breathe, life¡­ the name of a woman finally sparked some vigour into his soul, reaching out to it, he could taste the name on the tip of his tongue and¡­

    Light speared at him with the anger of a foreign god, not the digital light from a display but the dawning light of a rising star. His eyes still accustomed to the artificial light, burned with a ferocity, whether from the blast which tore off his helmet or the light of an alien sun he couldn¡¯t tell.

    Every nerve in his body cried out in agony as soon as consciousness returned, his skin burning just as hotly as that huge ball of burning gas. Rancid air forced its way down his throat even as he forced it back up, still choking on the ash and debris filling his throat. Lungs desperate for air unwilling to wait for even a moment struggled to keep an even pace of breathe as it coughed up a battlefield worth of ash. Hyperventilation threatened to send him back into the realms of the dead, but with force of will he managed to tame his body into a roughly paced breathing pattern.

    Scents abruptly struck at him past the metallic smell and taste of his own blood, the appalling scent of burning flesh mixed with rotting trash. Such unfamiliar and distasteful scents forced his stomach into a revolt but there was nothing able to rise but bile.

    Even now in this state of shock, his body still not his own acted without consent; patting down his flesh to check for damage all the while his eyes were scanning the environment around him. Without the assistance of his heads up display his eyes were struggling to make sense of what was around him, he saw many images which didn¡¯t correspond to anything he understood.

    Small flames flickered from atop blackened wood, mud sizzled as it boils down from the heat of the expended cartridges lying in their depths. A seemingly large vehicle was rolling away, the sounds of its engines fading while its guns fired endlessly in a loud mechanical roar which rivalled that of an avalanche.

    Pain along the left side of his face brought his hand up instinctively, it came back bloody and shaking violently. Hyperventilating again like he¡¯d just run a marathon he scrubbed hard at the blood threatening to blind his left eye. Metal, hydrophobic fingers and palm were barely able to staunch the blood flow since any blood simply flowed past his fingers.

    Men screaming something strange drew his attention away from his personal struggles. There were only three of them that he could see, standing tall in the street between Matheson and the retreating vehicle. These men showed no fear as they walked amongst corpses into the line of fire of the machine guns godly power.

    Matheson watched as one of the men threw their hand forwards, flames creeping along glowing flesh towards the man¡¯s fingers. At the peak of their ¡®throw¡¯ the fire curled up in their hand, forming itself into a writhing ball flying forwards. Only a couple of these fireballs struck the rear of the retreating vehicle marking it with small black burn stains but without any significant damage.

    All the while it fired high calibre ammunition back tearing through air, wood and flesh without pause. One of the men exploded after a round struck him firmly in the chest, turning his bones into even more shrapnel scattering into the nearby buildings. The others didn¡¯t stop their cry for blood or even pause at the death of their comrade; marching forwards with no concern for their own well-being.

    Overhead a drone hovering above the carnage fired a mosquito missile into the distance where another group was apparently causing more pressing issues, but was forced to dodge a series of fireballs which came flying in its direction. With the playful ease of a small bird it out paced and out manoeuvred the many projectiles fired at it, from the arrows and bolts to the nonsensical fireballs. All the while it was firing darts and missiles with lethal accuracy quickly hitting all of the men remaining around Matheson with fast acting tranquilizer darts.

    His mind still spinning, he swept his hands through the mud; the image of the falling gem struck his mind of any other thoughts. Even as chunks of flesh and blood rained down upon him from the still firing machine guns, his focus never drifted. Metallic gloves gave him little sensation or feeling of what passed through them. Threatening to accidentally crush anything smaller than a little finger but fuelled by panic Matheson couldn¡¯t slow.

    Fingers clutching only mud, as he peered into the mud running out of hope but persistent in his determination. A brief flicker of emerald light caught his eye through the brown waters, instincts drew out his arm towards that light. Numb fingers reaching out in hope of finding the one thing in this world worth holding onto.

    When his fingers lifted the small relic into the air he could feel nothing of its texture, but it brought a sea of emotions surging forth inside.

    The remaining combatant still somehow standing was already turning heel back to Matheson. The others of his squad seemingly too far gone to help or hinder in this fight. Hands glowing with energy shining brightly and unevenly even though the dart should have made him pass out by now. The light emanating from him seemed to be far less stable than it had been just moments ago and from the look on his face he was moments away from falling unconscious.

    Holding tightly onto the hairpin was the only power he had remaining over his body as training stole away his self-control. The pistol on his hip seemed to flow into his hand as if it had a life of its own, and with less energy than put into flicking an ant off of his coat he fired once into the man¡¯s chest. The bullets path tore through flesh, and turned bone into even more projectiles shredding into the wall behind where he¡¯d been standing. The energy in his hand slowly losing its form and dissipating into the air.

    Where his heart had been was now a gaping hole so large that Matheson could see clean through to the other side through a waterfall of blood and shredded organs. An expression of shock painted the dead man¡¯s face as the lifeless body fell into the mud with a wet slap.

    The pistol barely made it into its holster before his shaking fingers slid free from the cold lifeless metal. With the panic rising and his training fleeing, Matheson looked down upon the hairpin resting gently in his fingers. A brief flash of light seemed to ignite within the gemstone, as he stared into its depths as if expecting to find salvation hidden within. A slight spark of passion flowing in from his hand as thoughts of its previous caretaker ran through his mind.

    ¡°Save them.¡± The words flowing from his lips as they ran through his mind. Her last words but who was he meant to save?

    Tearing himself from the clutches of the thick mud and to his feet sent shocks of pain spiking throughout his body strong enough that it felt as if he¡¯d been struck through with a blade. A thick loud slap sounded from behind as the back part of his armour fell free with his rifle still attached, sliding down under the surface of the mud by its own weight.

    Looking down at his own body he finally noticed the significance of the damage, the entire front armour of his suit was torn free and in places melted firmly onto his underclothes. A suit capable of walking through the fires of hell was torn apart and fused in places, the strength of the blast must have been comparable to standing within the sun for a few moments in order to provide that level of damage. The only reason he was able to survive was the quality of insulation provided by those same underclothes as well as the luck of the devil himself.

    Even though the blast had done significant damage to his armour the lower half was still functional enough to keep most of his gear together. The joints were partially misshapen by the heat of the blast but not enough to keep him from moving.

    His mind returned to her face in those last moments before death, her desperate words as she pushed him to the ground and threw herself the other direction. ¡°Save them¡± The words sending so many questions seething through his mind but also a small spark of determination. With no good place to put the hairpin he¡¯d found, Matheson carefully ran it through his own hair, only taking a brief moment to consider how ridiculous it must look. Somehow bringing a tear to his eye.

    Don¡¯t think. He rubbed away at the exposed part of his head as if it would wipe away the thoughts brewing behind. Now wasn¡¯t the time for emotional outbursts, in fact if he didn¡¯t move quickly death was assured even after his life had already been spared once today.

    Moving quickly to uncover the back panel of his armour, his partially numb fingers kept slipping causing his distress only to increase. Before long he flipped the plate around so that the rifle was visible above the surface of the mud firmly stuck in place by invisible forces.

    The magnetic lock which worked as a holster for the weapon was now stuck, the controls to release the lock were integrated into the suit which was now scattered into so many pieces.

    Taking a deep breath and standing both feet on the metal back plate he gripped onto the rifle and with all his strength pulled. For a moment it gave way lifting off of the metal holding it in place but slammed back down almost crushing Matheson¡¯s fingers in the process.

    He was short on time, but he couldn¡¯t leave behind such a weapon for them to find, so with an aching body he knelt down for another attempt. His fingers turning white from the tight grip, he kicked down at the plate as hard as he could and with a groan escaping from him the rifle finally came free.

    The sounds distant voices shocked him into attention, his rifle held at the ready. Using reinvigorated eyes to look upon the world he took responsibility upon himself to make it through this, and to hopefully make her wish come true this time.

    The alley he currently stood at the mouth of was tight, only enough room for three men standing shoulder to shoulder but the main road he was standing at the edge of was large enough for a large military tank to roll through with ease. From the tracks in the mud and the vague memories blurred by concussion it was apparent that the assault vehicle had made it through before tearing out of here like a bat out of hell.

    From the state of the dozen or so bodies lying around he was able to tell that he was the only soldier left here, alive or dead. Though it seemed as though all of the prisoners had died like the woman in his arms. His heart found some relief in knowing that at least the other soldiers were fine, but that still did nothing to dampen the pain of losing her, as well as the other civilians.

    Around him were dozens of what he could only call imitations of buildings, the walls were made of something delicate almost like dried mud. It was easily scorched and completely smashed apart in places by bullets and shrapnel. That wasn¡¯t to mention the haphazard design put into them, they looked as if they were just thrown up on top of each other with no care for structural integrity or spacing.

    Surprisingly there didn¡¯t seem to be any significant blast damage from what had ruined his armour. He¡¯d expected at least a few of these buildings to be completely levelled but the only indication of it happening was a small crater perhaps a foot deep.

    The colouration of the area was mostly in the browns of mud, as well as the red stains across the walls and spreading out from the corpses. Not to mention the many chunks of flesh, bone and entrails littering the scene like confetti at a birthday party. His deep black jumpsuit thankfully was hydrophobic enough that everything that had hit simply bounced off. Though that left him standing there in an impossibly matte black, which stood out painfully amidst the browns and reds which were starting to become clearer as the sun gradually pushed its way into the sky.

    On top of everything else any hostiles in the area would be rushing here with a death wish and the bloodlust of a crazed animal. A dull ache spread out from his left hip as he leapt forwards down the alley, leaving behind the remains of his armour like a lizard dropping its tail. Time and speed were far more valuable now than hi tech scrap metal.

    He had on his person a knife and a sidearm alongside around a 118 rounds of spare rifle ammunition and 47 rounds of pistol ammunition. The knife was sharp to the point of cutting through steel without dulling, while the pistols calibre was great enough to punch through any basic ballistics armour.

    His basic medical pack also contained a plethora of equipment and first aid items that could save his life, from fake skin to burn treatments and bone adhesives.

    Ordinarily his chances of survival would be dead low, separated from his team and in the middle of enemy territory. But his enemy was surprisingly weak only managing as much damage as they had through a surprise tactic that couldn¡¯t work a second time. Racing past a few frightened elderly women spouting nonsense in angry words, he put his chances of survival as high as 90% failing the intervention of any more strange variables.

    As bizarrely calm as his mind was right now, the trembling refused to stop, threatening to trip him at any moment. The alien calls of men were already crying out from the scene of the battle, the words unfamiliar but the intent plain. Find any survivors. Kill them.

    It wouldn¡¯t be long before they found out he wasn¡¯t dead and very little time after that before the men at the walls were warned of the fact. He had to escape the city as soon as possible to avoid further contact with the enemy. Every turned eye his direction, every word spilt from human lips, sent spikes of terror racing through his empty heart. As high as his chances of survival were statistically he couldn¡¯t help feel the terror flowing through every fibre of his being.

    The city was coming to life with the quieting of battle and the rising of dawn. Men, women and children were already starting to fill streets around him even as he kept himself to the quiet alleys soon more people would see him. Soon he would be forced into fighting them again, the thought of the fire rising from their hands sending shivers down to his toes.

    Racing head first around the corner of an alley, a solid thump ran through his body as he slammed into a woman who¡¯d come running around the corner ahead of him. The impact taking the breath from him far more than he¡¯d have expected as, for the second time today, he was sent sprawling into the mud because of a woman.

    The sky, filled with black dots, turned from violet into a light shade of blue before his eyes. While he struggled to remember why that was important, he found himself staring into his own bloody palms. Coughing raged his beaten body as he struggled to find what he¡¯d lost in the fall.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Mud squelched beneath his hands as he struggled to rise up from his back. His rifle was hanging from his loose grip, undamaged but leaving a bruise where it had pushed into his flesh.

    The woman standing before him held a strong unfaltering stance, apparently she hadn¡¯t fallen in the collision. Words spewed from her mouth, they were sweet to the ear but unable to be unravelled by his tenuously strung mind.

    Her hand hung low to a sword at her hip, its design sharp, colour dark. A sensation overcame him staring into those shapes formed at the hilt, and he knew that it would bring him only death should he await for it. A brief thought of firing at the woman was quickly washed away as he glanced into her eyes.

    Her head was adorned with demonic horns like that of a being from ancient holy texts, but her face was that of a young woman. The look brought a spark of recognition into his heart and even as the rifle levelled at her chest he found his finger slipping free from the trigger unable to go even so far.

    Hesitance overcame him for only a brief moment before he clutched his rifle tight and ran. Fighting against an unknown variable would be dangerous, it was safer to run rather than fight right this instant. At least that was the excuse his mind struggled with.

    Pain overcome his hips from the earlier blast but he didn¡¯t pause, vaulting himself over a wall and onto the first story rooftop of a nearby building. The lightweight materials were threatening to crumble beneath his feet, cracking open like thin ice.

    Legs moving with a will of their own he kept racing towards the city gates praying that they would be open when he arrived. Now wasn¡¯t the time to wondering that though, as he looked back over his heaving shoulder a figure was already racing after him. Her figure flowing over the buildings with the unnatural grace of a feline.

    The glance backwards stealing away his balance as his knee locked up from his warped armour. The end of the rooftop rushed towards him too quickly to halt his unsteady fall. If it wasn¡¯t for his training he¡¯d have fallen head over heels, but instead managed a controlled drop and roll down into the muddy street, barely scraping by a mother cradling her baby. The many calls screams and looks his direction felt like daggers to his exposed flesh, no longer protected by the darkness nor the cover of numbers.

    Mud gripped at his feet every moment of his mad dash threatening to tear him down but with careful balance he was able to keep on his feet at a fast pace. Another glance over his shoulder earned him nothing as she was right on his tail even in a full suit of armour. The sight igniting his movements into a further despaired pace.

    Ahead the streets were thickening with people, still sparse enough to run through but he might still luck out and lose her here. Dipping around the corner without losing pace, he wove between people all of whom were giving him strange looks. If they knew what a gun was they¡¯d likely be running and screaming, but that worked in his advantage for now.

    Blood worked its way into his mouth and threatened to blind his left eye. Hips aching more ferociously than before, Mattheson knew he had to end this chase soon. Else he might just end up dead by that demonic sword of hers.

    Another corner ahead offered him a chance at losing his tail, slipping around and quickly diving behind a nearby market stall he let out a breath, took one deep breath in and held it. Apparently no one noticed his quickly found hiding place immediately, as he heard no one calling out to him, and there was thankfully no one using this stall for now.

    His pursuer¡¯s footsteps came crashing around the corner and kept on going for a few paces. Feeling the pressure of her searching gaze he started to move as quickly as he could while crouched and silent. Moving along to the next stall, he glimpsed her figure staring out across the market, searching faces.

    The house behind this stall had its door hanging invitingly open and emitting no sound that he could hear. Chancing being cornered over the open streets and another foot race he couldn¡¯t win Matt swiftly dove through the door and into the shelter as a familiar voice and unfamiliar tongue spoke loudly behind him.

    The chase and bare survival of the blast earlier left his body in a ravaged state close to complete exhaustion. Breathing as deeply as possible he focused on his surroundings. The inside of the house was slightly more alien than he¡¯d expected, the only thing he could immediately recognise was the wooden table in the centre and the cushioned chair sitting along one wall.

    A large curved metal box seemed to be built into the wall, and beside it all sorts of small metal and wooden tools hung from hooks. Countless draws and a large ornate cupboard filled with glassware sat alongside the little metal box.

    He felt slightly light headed as he reached for where his medical pack was supposed to be hanging, but of course it was lost somewhere after his encounter with the strange woman. The likes of which was surely missed right at this moment.

    For now the best thing to do would be patch up any open injuries while checking for an alternative exit. If he didn¡¯t stop the bleeding in his scalp soon he might just start to lose consciousness before this chase came to its end. His shaking developed further as he pushed into the building, every limb now quaking visibly as his very insides felt like they were spinning in a centrifuge.

    Limping slightly from the pain in his hips and legs Matheson made his way through to an adjoining room, the door to which was lined with stylised metal. Inside the room he found a rather simple bed, the wooden frame of a light colour so pale it was almost white, a small table with inset draws, and some kind of old fashioned lamp sitting atop it, likely run on oil.

    Though it was the massive wardrobe with really took his attention for now, made from the same wood as the bed frame, it stood magnificently tall all the way up to the ceiling just out of reach if he¡¯d tried to touch it.

    Wiping away blood from his face again earned him a slight reprieve from the incessant flow into his eye. With the same unbloodied hand he reached out opening the wardrobe door.

    Inside were sets of clothing of similar design to those he saw on the people walking outside, angular and flimsy. Made from some kind of plant he had to assume, it was so smooth he felt almost criminal in ripping it. Though it probably was criminal.

    The shirt he¡¯d chosen was stained white in colour and about as long as the length of his arm. Which when torn into a single lengthy strip was long enoughto wrap around his head tightly and staunch the blood flow. The rest of his injuries weren¡¯t going to be so easily treated.

    Bruising of the hip, a few scattered burns and cuts, a massive bruise developing on his chest which might develop into more concerning internal bleeding. Most of these injuries could only be fully treated in a clinic or god forbid over an expanse of time.

    His mind fogged over for a moment, the feeling like a breeze flowing between his ears almost developing into a headache. For some reason he felt self-conscious like having a girl look too long at him in the showers.

    A few hesitant footsteps coming from the first room gave him a moments warning before he was intruded upon. Readying the rifle he tightened his grip and his stance. Training overcoming timid nature as his finger gently brushed against trigger.

    The footsteps grew louder as a middle aged man poked his head out into the room. His balding skull reflected the light from the window as his face expressed anger, he stepped into the room yelling something loudly in that same foreign tongue.

    Matheson didn¡¯t need translation software to get the gist of what he was saying but did suddenly regret how alien his gun looked to the man. Instead of turning and running the man came at him, some form of club swinging ferociously.

    118 rifle rounds left meant wasting them on an old man with a club wasn¡¯t something he was willing to do. Swiftly swapping out to his knife and blocking the swing with the sharp edge of its blade he stepped forwards into the man. A slight resistance was all that Matheson felt from the knife as the club fell to the ground in two. All the while their bodies collided, the older man taking the brunt of the damage from the tackle.

    The man finally recognising his complete incapability to win this fight took the chance to turn and run through the door he¡¯d come through only moments ago; leaving the room with a limp in his step. All the while yelling out loudly enough so that the gods themselves were likely able to hear. Though it was the more mundane pursuer which came to mind.

    With little other choice remaining Matheson dove out of the window smashing through the glass and cutting himself on in the landing. Pain and exhaustion now no longer able to overcome the adrenalin raging in his blood, he threw himself atop another rooftop. This time a little smoother and more stable than the last.

    It seemed this part of town was built with better quality materials than the place where the battle had raged. Now coloured with a lighter shade and a smoother surface, his boots sounded out a firm drum beat.

    Familiar cries come from behind, likely from the same woman who¡¯d given him chase this whole time. All the while his mind felt that same breeze waft through again. The strange sensation threatening to make him fall from his precarious run as his attention drifted.

    Knowing full well how capable the woman was, he didn¡¯t waste time looking backwards and just assumed she was still firmly on his tail.

    The path forwards came to a sudden halt as the roofs gave way to thick thoroughfare in the highway below. Pausing only long enough to find a gap in traffic in which to land, Matheson fell from above frightening countless non-combatants enough that he was given a wide berth.

    The many different people called out in strange words or stay silent staring at this stranger who fell from the sky, their eyes like daggers. Some expressed fear but didn¡¯t seem so frightened as to start a panic in the crowd for which he was thankful. He hoped to use these people to lose that devilish woman. Keeping the rifle low he walked amongst them pushing his way through the crowd as quickly as he could.

    Behind, the calls from his pursuer started to catch on to the crowd. The sudden feeling of being surrounded forced him to move quicker and push harder. This battle wasn¡¯t going to be easy, he thought, as the crowds turned further against him rallied by the calls of a young woman warrior.

    For the first time in this chase he seriously gave thought to the idea of turning and shooting the woman. These crowds would quickly turn on him though if he did so now. A loud thump from behind signalled that he was far from losing the woman and from his estimation should they continue this chase on open ground she was likely to outpace him. Her sprint a faster pace and her constitution as of yet unfaltering, the thought of being so outpaced even with the enhancements of his lower armour sent tremors through his body.

    A man grabbed his arm muttering something in a calm voice, Matheson didn¡¯t pause to give the man his ear. If he stopped he would be caught very, very quickly. Ahead there was a break in the crowd and a small alley heading deeper into the warrens of this alien town.

    Without any other choice and losing his lead he sprinted for the dark alley, pushing men and women aside without care for class or gender. Air still seething in his lungs and granting him only a fraction of the nourishment he asked of it, he half fell half leapt through that dark aperture into the less populated alley. It was so tight that Matt could touch both sides at once if he held his arms out straight and a number of dirty humans were crawled up into the edges of the alley without mind for any traffic wishing to pass them by.

    Treading as hastefully as possible without tripping over the living obstacles he held tight to the rifle which might just be his ticket to winning this chase. A golden ticket he had no intention of using, but he may just be forced into doing so. The men and women lying around at his feet didn¡¯t say much even when he accidentally stepped on them they just moaned a little and curled up tighter as if they were little more than plant life.

    The absurdity of humans living in such conditions would have struck him as strange had he not been moving too quickly to think about such matters. Racing around the corner and into another thickly travelled road he weaved through the waves of people as best as he could without making a scene. His pursuer on the other hand called out loudly with a voice as beautiful as an angel taking the ears off all who stood near as they opened a path for her.

    Looking at the horizon he saw that the wall was only about half a klick away, with the gates wide open. They mightn¡¯t stay that way if any of the guards hear that he is in the area, the thought spurring him onwards. Pushing past the endless streams of flesh and noise he finally managed to get himself past the thickest of the groups of people and into a lull in the traffic.

    Running at full pace now the gates open right before his eyes, just a short hundred metre stretch to go before he was out of the city, free of these eyes tracing his every motion. Free of the men who summon fire from air. Free from strange woman warriors and treacherous ambushes.

    Just as he was sighing in relief his escape plan fell about as quickly as massive steel portcullis. Guards were already lining up in front of the now closed escape route, spears pointed his direction as they stood in flawless formation. Heart now losing faith in his abilities the same adrenaline that was giving him strength, now drained away leaving him feeling as a worthless husk.

    He could get past them and possibly raise the gates if he used his rifle but doing so would leave him exposed to the woman still giving chase and any other combatants who decide to attack while his back is turned. On top of that was the fact that this city seemed filled to the brim with unexpected dangers, if he paused to allow them to catch up something more might surprise him.

    With little other choice he ran into one of the nearby dwellings, losing sight of his enemies for a brief moment while he stumbled upon the loose items strewn throughout the house. Another window on an adjoining wall acted as his escape, tucking and rolling back out into the dawning light. His aching muscles only stressed further by the impact with the earth, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he lost consciousness at this rate.

    His hearing was already drowned by the many voices calling out, whether to him or each other he had no clue. Everything seemed to be escalating beyond his control, bearing down on him until he was too weary to fight back. Even the most powerful could be taken down by time and numbers.

    Mud slapped against his back and glass tore at open his skin, pushing his limits he sprinted with all his remaining strength to leave the area before they were in sight. The sprint lasted only until the next corner where his strength finally failed him, legs quaking and faltering beneath him. He stumbled along like a man struck to the head too many times in a row.

    The slick mud sliding underneath him and slapping hard against his side as he fell down. The bandaging on his head had already slipped free, and blood was again freely flowing down his face. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t so bad to just lie there, surely whatever they could do to him wouldn¡¯t compare to the pain now tearing through his flesh.

    Tears worked their way down his cheeks but he didn¡¯t quite understand why. Voices both real and imaginary swirling around him, losing focus as his mind ran from the pain and exhaustion.

    In an attempt to find peace his mind stumbled across words which instead ignited his heart in guilt and despair. Words which he¡¯d heard long ago, and words he¡¯d heard every day since.

    ¡°Save them.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t some great passion which pushed his consciousness to rise above the darkness. Not some great heroic emotion like out of some folktale of heroes and villains. It wasn¡¯t love, kindness, or even hatred which forced him up. It was guilt pressed against him, drawing on the last of his strength to stand up. The voices of the dead haunted him, refusing him access to the world beyond death.

    Vision blurred he pushed himself up to look upon the escape route he¡¯d made for himself. The air in his lungs burned, as if even it wanted him dead, the heavy rifle now hanging loosely in his hands beat against his bruised chest in pace with his staggering steps .

    He stood in yet another alley, though this one wasn¡¯t quite as favourable to him as the others had been. A large solid wall, without even small hand holds to grant him escape stood at the end and along the sides.

    Already the slapping of feet in wet mud was getting louder behind him, denying any retreat. With enough time and strength he could cut through one of the clay walls but it didn¡¯t seem he had that much spare time right now.

    Hoping that these walls were as delicate as the others he¡¯d seen, he rallied what little strength remained while staring down that wall at the end of the short path ahead. The last of his energy bursting forth from his muscles with a strength and desire for self-destruction like a candle burning brighter at the edge of burning out.

    One deep breath preluded his mad sprint at the wall struggling to find enough purchase in the loose mud, he pushed harder and harder. The large brown wall loomed upon him intimidatingly, each step that much more difficult to make as his subconscious screamed at him to stop.

    Someone was already behind him, calling out clearly enough that he knew that he wouldn¡¯t get a second chance. For a moment time seemed to slow as that clay wall stood within arm¡¯s reach. His body leaning over to strike it with his shoulder, while preparing for the pain. Terror loomed in his heart, natural instinct trying to force him to a halt even though it was already far too late.

    He found himself thinking about how stupid this was just as his shoulder pushed into and through the clay. Pain flaring intensely as the world tumbled around him.

    The next thing he knew his mind was whirling and his heavy body lying down amidst the debris left behind from the collapse. His shoulder throbbed intensely, the bruising likely enough to inhibit his accuracy, and any attempt to get clear of this mess.

    A voice called out pulling him out from his muddled mind. His immediate instinct to the alien voice was to crawl away towards the heavy set door in the room, the one part of this room he was able to recognise with the successive concussions he was suffering from.

    The voice called louder, as he reached the door trying what passed for a handle only to find it wouldn¡¯t move. A third time that voice called out and this time he turned to face the speaker, rifle in hand shaking with more intensity than the wounds alone would be responsible for.

    She stood in the opening he¡¯d left behind of the wall silhouetted by the rising sun at her back. Her short stature no less intimidating to him as she readied her demonic blade and pointed it at his heart.

 Chapter 3 - The Standoff

    The Standoff

    A moment passed without any hint of movement outside of the uncontrolled trembling of his rifle. The only source of light into this room came from behind her frozen silhouette standing in the gaping hole in the wall. Her hair gently lifted into the air by a small gust of wind, for a moment hiding the horns that gave her such a frightful appearance.

    He felt no enmity from her, yet he felt no sympathy either.

    Her stance was low and agile. The moment he fired she would be somewhere else, though with his trembling even if she stood still he was likely to miss. Training having long since fled his ailing body.

    As his eyes adjusted to the light he could see the room around him more clearly. Looking for an advantage over the woman, he glanced around the room without looking away from her.

    Various weapons were lined up neatly along wall mounts except for those so unceremoniously strewn across the ground from his destructive entrance. Amongst the weapons were mostly various pole arms and swords with a few axes and hammers thrown in for good measure. Falling in through the walls of an armoury was hardly a fitting escape but then again he hadn¡¯t been in a position to choose.

    Due to their precious contents the walls were built thickly, made from wooden boards coated with a slightly different clay to that used in the shanty houses he¡¯d come across earlier. Which explained why the pain in his shoulder was so intense, it was a surprise he¡¯d even broken through, but perhaps his lower body armour was to thank for that.

    Though that same armour had seen its last days, no longer giving him any boosted strength. Its metal plates melted down beyond repair, weighed almost as much as Matheson himself.

    Having discovered nothing of use he finally looked upon the woman standing amidst the debris of the caved in wall. Her figure appeared short and frail but she stood with an intensity to rival the most fearsome of mythical gods, the horns rising from her very skull seemed as natural on her as the fur upon a wolf¡¯s back.

    The armour plating seemed as part of her skin it was so well fitted, coloured with a black that was a far cry from the armour he¡¯d worn. It wasn¡¯t nearly so completely dark as his own, still reflecting what little light was shining into the room but in a way that twisted the light strangely, unsettling to his eyes.

    Where her pale skin was exposed to the light, dark lines stirred as if filled with life, shifting and flowing across her body like gentle waves in a pool of water. It threatened to enchant him in its seductive motion if it weren¡¯t for her eyes demanding his attention.

    The red light in her eyes was filled with alien power, stealing his attention and locking him in place. There was no anger to her expression or buried in those frightening eyes, in fact he could see nothing at all in her demonic eyes. A terrifying lack of emotion that made him want to run away and never look back.

    But that plan had already failed.

    Finally his eyes broke away and looked down at the sword pointed at his chest. The sight drying his mouth. The design lacked a handguard and the shape itself was hard to see clearly, since every time his eyes looked down at it they dragged themselves away.

    From what he could tell, it looked like it was made from the same metal as her armour, but slightly different; as if it were more pure. The light reflected from it at impossible angles in fiery reds and oranges, as if it were somehow reflecting the fires of hell.

    A cursed blade carried by a woman with the appearance of a demon. Locking eyes with the woman again, he knew that she was prepared to kill him. The thought ofherdoing it somehow more frightening than death itself.

    His finger rested on the trigger twitching lightly, unsure as to whether or not to fire. Cornered and threatened with sword, all signs screamed for him to fire away but his finger was stopped short. Her face still looked like that of a woman; a young woman barely out of her teens. There was a certain innocence to that face which struck him.

    Something deep inside struggled against his training, even at threat to his own life. Cornered, exhausted, and on the brink of death, his true nature slipped through as his finger slid from the trigger. Rifle still trained on her but now only an empty threat.

    That strange breeze that passed through his mind seemed to strike again, ceasing all thought of fight or flight. His body locking up, as if paralysed. Thoughts froze halfway through his mind, as movement stirred ahead.

    The rifle in his hands trembling even greater now that he lost control; it was still aimed towards target but without any reliability. Worse still his trigger finger refused to move, tears formed in his eyes but he couldn¡¯t blink them away. Slowly he was losing balance about to fall on his side, but still his body refused to obey his flustered commands.

    Her demonic figure strode forwards sword gently lowering with the confidence of a predator before her half dead prey. Tears streamed gently down his eyes, not out of grief but pure terror. Her eyes were shining red with something purely out of this world, or perhaps it was truly part of this world and he was merely ignorant of the fact.

    She drew nearer, hand outstretched as if to tear away the rifle from his hands and make him truly defenceless. As her fingers gently caressed the barrel, words once again flowed into his mind, separate to the wind that made his mind ache. These words were his persistent companions flooding him with crippling guilt. The powerful emotions, forcing motion into his cold and broken body.

    The sound of the rifle firing drowned out his hearing as it echoed in the hollow room. The bullets path flying past the young woman¡¯s face leaving a bloody mark along her upper cheek before tearing a hole through the ceiling. She did not flinch, not at the pain nor the sound, nor the closeness of her death.

    The shine in her eyes was still bright, though now her face was filled with a strange sense of curiosity as she backed away a pace. Her hand releasing his rifle which in turn fell to the ground while his own hands released the weapon in a panic.

    As blood ran down her neck he felt the guilt inside growing brighter, the burn in his soul causing acid to rise to his throat. He couldn¡¯t recall whether or not he chose to pull the trigger. Was it just a knee jerk reaction or did he actually, for a moment, want her dead?

    Why was it so bad if he wanted her dead anyway? It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d killed today. The image of the man from earlier stained itself into his mind as he thought of the fact. Though he overlooked it in his panic and training at the time, now the images seemed grotesque and horrifying. He looked down at his mud covered hands expecting to see blood.

    Meanwhile his legs kicked wildly at the ground throwing him backwards until his body was firmly pushed against the wall. The quaking of his body so intense as to drive him to near convulsions while the woman stood tall over his rifle, unfazed by the sight of her own blood.

    The offending item lying between them as if a barrier forged from blood and steel. His fallen composure recovered slightly due to her stillness and her now sheathed sword, more importantly though was the lack of red in her eyes.

    The red sheen that had stilled his heart earlier was now completely gone replaced by a deep violet. Perhaps she wasn¡¯t going to do him harm, the thought flowed into his mind so naturally and yet it didn¡¯t feel like his own.

    The strange sensation flowing through his mind was fading into the background of his senses but didn¡¯t falter. Perhaps he was going mad, something in the air, or the pollen of some plant, causing him to hallucinate the sensation. Or perhaps it was something more sinister. Hands still shaking even though his heart had regained a calm pace he started to crawl forwards, reaching for the rifle lying between them.

    The drumbeat sound of boots in water sent a chill down his spine, while gruff sounding men called out to one another just beyond the woman standing over him. Although her eyes didn¡¯t break from his own there was now a sense of distance to her, as she stepped more directly between him and the ¡®door¡¯ where the sounds were coming from.

    The sounds of armour shuffling and swords being drawn resonated around the room as a group of guards filled the break in the wall armed with half a dozen crossbows and swords, ready to strike. Fear glistened in their eyes alongside hatred, the same dangerous combination that made a man unpredictable.

    Matheson¡¯s eyes were focused on the strange woman as he felt a wave of calmness wash over his mind; if anyone here was messing with his head it would be her. The strange presence he felt in his mind was soothing but painful, he wanted to throw down all of his guns and cradle his head at the same time. Instead he forced his arm out towards the fallen rifle.

    Her eyes showed no hint of fear, nor even anger but he sensed something more¡­ simple. Disapproval, the way she looked down upon him made him feel like a child brought before an elder for breaking the rules.

    The guards were chatting, loudly, probably telling the woman to move aside, but she didn¡¯t respond. There was an uneasiness about the group, their weapons were levelled but they weren¡¯t nearly so well trained as his unit had been. Constantly shifting their feet and looking at one another as if waiting for someone else to make the first move, while their officer was yelling at the strange woman.

    She gave Matheson a brief sneer for a moment as her eyes flashed red, forcing him to freeze in place before she closed her demonic eyes. The lines along her body shifted and moved, their colours changing into a dark green as they gathered tightly at her arms while only sparse across the rest of her body. When she opened her eyes again he was still in the same position, reaching out for the rifle but unmoving.

    As his eyes traced back to hers, he heard a snap from where the guards stood, immediately he guessed that it was a crossbow. He¡¯d been trained to recognise the sound before leaving on this mission.

    Surprisingly there was no new pain springing forth from his body. His eyes were still locked in a mental battle with the demon woman, and he dare not look away. The red shine had returned to her eyes but this time, it didn¡¯t feel like it was meant for him.

    Losing heart he glanced away, looking towards where her hand was outstretched holding onto a thick wooden bolt in a firm grip. The feathers lining the back still quivering from the sudden forces of being fired and then caught mid-air. From the trajectory he could guess that it was on path to hit him should she have been absent from the room.

    The thought sent a shock through his nervous system and for a brief moment he couldn¡¯t feel his legs.

    The green lines gathered at the hand holding the bolt seemed to glow, releasing a faint green mist into the air as she let out a low growl. The bolt shattered in her fist, but she still didn¡¯t turn her eyes from him just yet. He could feel that wind in his mind again, flowing faster and harsher than earlier, as she stared at him for a while longer. She grunted in satisfaction when he leaned back away from the rifle, before turning to face the guards at the door.

    Now with a brief respite, and without her intense glare, he finally had the opportunity to see what she was more clearly. As she turned towards the men, her motions were slow and definite, like she had been earlier towards him. Now though, he was able to reason why, if she moved any quicker with her appearance, they¡¯d undoubtedly attack in a panic but with the way she moved he was betting they could hardly even breathe right now.

    He looked up towards the first strange thing he¡¯d noticed about the woman; the strange bone like growths out of her skull. The horns on her head were indeed the real thing, whatever that was exactly, but without her wearing a helmet he had to assume that they were a part of her body. Grotesque as they are, they only seemed to be around the length of a little finger, still long enough to poke free from her dark silver hair.

    Her hair was dark by most standards but was reflective in such a way that it earned the name silver in his mind, reaching down to her mid back flowing freely. Her hair rather than being perfectly straight curled slightly bouncing with her movements and waving gently as tugged by a breeze. He¡¯d never before seen hair grown so long; as a child occasionally some of the others would wear their hair down to their shoulders but never any longer than that. After that the military enforced a short cut for everyone.

    The patterns adorning her skin were not the same as he¡¯d thought he¡¯d seen just moments ago, they stood out sharply in a deep black and were spread out across her body in a static print, as was natural. The gentle swirls scattered seeming randomly across her exposed skin before ending sharply and unexpectedly in harsh cuts and peaks. There was a pattern to it that seemed to escape the eye whenever he was close to understanding it. The visage both beautiful and obscene to the eye.

    Her armour remaining silent even with her exaggerated motion. The metal plates were not small, in some places it seemed to be up to an inch deep but strangely she didn¡¯t seem to be affected by its weight.

    It was soon apparent that although it was beautifully smithed it was still only armour and he found himself thankful for that. Considering her other qualities he didn¡¯t think it completely impossible that the plates were directly joined to her flesh. The thought sending shivers through his mind, such a creature born with steel plates attached, would not be friendly.

    Though he could make out various straps holding the armour in place, strangely he couldn¡¯t see any actual underclothes. Though it was hardly indecent by any measure, it did leave openings for her strange skin condition to be visible.

    Compared to her the guards were pathetic, armed with slightly rusted steel swords and crossbows made from badly weathered wood was only the beginning of their deplorable state. Their armour was mismatched, made of a variety of metals and leathers, all in completely different designs, half-heartedly painted with the same insignia and colours.

    As the strange woman spoke with the guards Matheson shuffled back into a more comfortable position trying to take count of his injuries. The blood flowing from his head had apparently been stifled momentarily but that cut was replaced by another on his forehead, which he¡¯d earned from diving through the window earlier.

    That was nothing though compared to the multiple knocks he¡¯d taken to the head today. If he ever gets back to his squad and back home to his world, the doctors there are probably going to take brain scans just to make sure he didn¡¯t manage to do any real damage. At the moment he was having trouble telling illusion from reality when it came to what was going on inside his skull, perhaps some of the strange things going on in his head was from the concussions.

    Taking a peak beneath his jumpsuit Matheson received a look at the massive purple and yellow blend that was the front of his chest, his shoulder wasn¡¯t any better either. The pain in his hip presently indicated that they weren¡¯t the only bruises he¡¯d suffered today. He was just hoping that the internal bleeding wouldn¡¯t develop into anything life threatening just yet.

    Trying to take his attention away from his injuries he allowed his dazed mind to follow the conversation flowing in the sweet sound of an alien tongue. The words which she spoke were foreign but he was already starting to get some feel for the sounds. It was sharp and clipped, though perhaps he thought, it may have to do with what she was saying in particular rather than a reflection of the language as a whole.

    Although it made no sense at all to him he filled the words in with replacements of his own imagining.

    ¡°Perhaps you would do better withyour cross should it not be fired with me standing before you.¡± For some reason her voice in his mind was filled with attitude, perhaps it was something to do with her stance or the terror in the soldiers eyes.

    ¡°Well maybe you shouldn¡¯t be protecting that monster! He killed half our army and we finally see his face and you stand there protecting him!?¡± The man, obviously their leader, pointed his crossbow in Matheson¡¯s direction only to have it split in the blink of an eye. He didn¡¯t even see the blade drawn or sheathed, the only sign that it was her came from the hand moving from her sword; both hand and sword lit up in an unnatural green light.

    Her skin shifted again turning a deep purple with sharp lines, mostly focused along her arm, as it rested on the man¡¯s shoulder. Her face leaned in close to him whispering a few words in his ear as the confidence fell from his face. Matheson noticed a stain growing from the groin of the man¡¯s pants.

    Taking a step back she looked over the men, her stance asking them to try something.

    ¡°He had his weapon pointed at us, he was going to kill us like he did the others.¡± The man¡¯s hands gestured enthusiastically towards where Matheson now cowered. ¡°The man needs to die before he decides to kill us all!¡±

    ¡°I am the one who decides the people who are to live and die, you will stay silent like the filthy wretch you are.¡± Even with the many men standing before her, the words leaving her mouth seemed confrontational as they clutched at their weapons with white knuckle grips. Not a hint of worry resonated from her, and even Matheson could tell that she could handle them all with only a moment and a short blade.

    ¡°Turn and leave, you no longer have any business here Demon. This man has committed murder and will be tried by the magistrates of this city. Should he resist us though, he mightn¡¯t make it so far.¡± The lethality in the man¡¯s eyes were not as make believe as the words written in Matheson¡¯s mind. Though the front of bravery was easily overwhelmed by the stain in his pants and quivering of his freshly drawn sword.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°You are wrong there, worm. This man has committed personal crime against me and mine and will be seen to proper punishment at my hands and not your own.¡± She rested her hand on the hilt of her sword again, releasing gentle green light as the men took a step back.

    ¡°The king will not stand for this.¡± The man in charge of their small troop took stand, sheathing his sword and staring into her eyes for a few moments before and striding away.

    The woman spat words quietly to herself briefly as their turned backs disappeared, the colour of her skin returning to a contrasting black on white. Irritation still evident in her motions, she turned back to Matheson sending a spike of terror through his heart.

    The intensity fading from her eyes as they looked over him. She wasn¡¯t nearly as on edge as she was before but neither was she completely friendly; it was more like she didn¡¯t think of him as a threat anymore.

    Even so the air chilled around him, as her eyes chased his. As unthreatening as she was right now her eyes were still burning brightly with a passion, threatening to shatter the remains of his composure. A film of sweat formed as her feet started moving forward, his hands clawing for something, anything, which would protect him from that gaze.

    Fumbling with fingers that fought against paralysation they quickly encompassed the sidearm hidden at its holster on his right leg. Drawing the gun after multiple failed attempts, he pointed it at the young woman finger resting gently against the trigger.

    She didn¡¯t stop moving, her intense stare only growing more heated, offended even as he continued to point the gun at her.

    The pressure within his head grew more painful until he found it hard to even think. A rushing wind quickly grown into a tempest washing away his thoughts as he tried to compose them.

    Her intimidating presence growing closer had him trying to push himself through the wall, but was yet to draw her sword. Although she strode with purpose he couldn¡¯t assume it was to have him dead just yet. Regardless the thought of her sword splitting the crossbow in two sent shivers down his spine.

    Her hands held by her side didn¡¯t make a move for her weapon and even though she was advancing, her motions were slow and careful, definite and unstoppable. She paused standing over him, not with a look of fear, as would be a natural respect for his weapon. Not with a look of disgust as was appropriate considering his current appearance.

    Her face may have looked deadpan to him but for a brief moment he seemed to notice concern flashing into her eyes. Perhaps the look one might give to a pitiful creature trying its best to survive. It was only for a moment before they regained their heat.

    His pistol still unsteadily aimed at her, she knelt down to the fallen rifle, hand gently touching the barrel. Terror ran through him as he imagined her armed with a rifle; combined with her strange abilities she might just be more powerful than a fully kitted soldier. The thought terrified him.

    Inspired into action, he reached out to the weapon trying to pull it out of her reach with as much speed as he could muster while his pistol was still pointed her direction to stop her from intervening.

    As he pounced for the dropped rifle so did she, her hand reaching out and snatching his wrist an inch short of the weapon. Her tight grip restraining him even with the amount of strength he¡¯d put into the motion. Pulling his hand back instinctively a deep panic took over his body, yanking repeatedly against her strength but she refused to allow him to move.

    Her hand tightened in place around his wrist forcing him to notice the heat burning his skin, not quite enough to cause him pain but so much that it was uncomfortable. He looked up from the weapon on the ground to find her eyes digging into his own, eyes filled with a power that reached into him.

    The howling winds in his mind stilled, calmed as he was forced to give himself over to them. Like giving up the fight against a waters current and letting it take control.

    The pistol still gripped firmly in his other hand was pointed straight for her head but as his finger set upon the trigger he lost control of his own body and mind. Images and sounds formed together but not quite flowing as smoothly as they should.

    He watched as his finger drew back on the trigger and the hammer snapped down. Still he watched without feeling anything but warmth on his wrist as the bullet flew through the air, the recoil kicking his hand back only slightly before firing again.

    Both bullets traced a path straight for flesh. His guts trembled and heart ached as he saw flesh part for metal bullets, showering the room in gore. Blood splashing onto him as her body fell into his arms. Her face a mosaic of pain and suffering, lips moving to form words he¡¯d never recognise as her life faded away.

    The scene playing in his mind ended sharply, returning him to his senses in what he guessed was reality. His hesitation gave her a moment, she reached out for his remaining pistol as time seemed to slow. He pulled it back, not willing to let her take his last piece of protection away. She was fast, unnaturally fast as her skin started changing and yet too slow to stop him.

    She fell on top of him while reaching for the gun crushing his leg with the weight of her armour, her face only a foot away from his when the pistol rose into place; targeting not her but his own temple as his finger went for the trigger. Her calm collected expression broke then, infused with shock as the hammer started to fall.

    ¡°Save them¡±

    He felt regret for a moment, as he considered his failures. He wouldn¡¯t be able to save anyone, especially since he couldn¡¯t even save himself. Picturing her face, he finally felt calm; finally felt at peace.

    His wrist twisted away painfully as the sound of gunfire deafened his ear. Fresh blood poured from the second wound to his scalp, the bullet meant to end his life having only grazed his flesh. Though strangely, his wrist was now broken, leaking blood from where bone parted the skin.

    Looking down at himself the world slowed to a pause.

    The air stilled in his lungs.

    The blood stopped flowing from the wounds scattering his body, and all sensation across his skin become static, his next heart beat seemed fated never to arrive as the image of her eyes become printed within his own.

    Memories ran through his mind without his consent, rising from the dark depths where he¡¯d long since buried them. It was an experience he¡¯d never known before, it wasn¡¯t like when a tired mind wondered. This was different; as if every part of him were being sifted through at the will of another.

    ****

    ¡°What happened to Harry?¡±

    The eyes of elder Nana fell upon him as his loose lips released the stray thought.

    ¡°He became an adult. Now he¡¯s serving his part in the workforce, keeping society running, and everyone fed.¡±

    ¡°Will we ever see him again?¡±

    ¡°Oh dear boy, this world is bigger than you can imagine with more people living here than you could ever count. There is a chance you¡¯ll see him again when you join the workforce yourself but it¡¯s not likely.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t he just come back here?¡± Emotions welled up inside as he made childish demands.

    ¡°Ah child, of course not. This is a place for children it¡¯ll be the same when you grow up and say goodbye to everyone.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to grow up!¡±

    The old woman let out a small giggle, ¡°That¡¯s what everyone says at your age, when you grow up and make new friends you¡¯ll understand.¡±

    ****

    He didn¡¯t understand. He didn¡¯t make new friends. An alien world was spinning around in his watering eyes; nothing made any sense, except for the fact that all of his friends were gone forever.

    ****

    ¡°The first thing you will learn here is that life is not easy! Pain, Suffering, and Grief may come new to you but it is something for which you will become accustomed.¡±

    Matt stood in line listening to the yelling of their lieutenant, everyone else in line was twitching and quivering. It was the first time most of them had been yelled at, and they were all frightened as hell.

    Not Matt though, his eyes still staring into the distance. At the time he thought that he¡¯d already survived worse, he thought that this would come easy.

    ¡°We serve to protect our people from those that would have them hurt by the hands of chaos. We serve to protect humanity itself from the hands of those who would see it come to an end.¡±

    The Lieutenant stopped pacing in in front of Matt, turning to face the one man who foolishly stood with some confidence.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name recruit?¡±

    ¡°Matheson, sir. Roderick Matheson.¡± His reply was clear but his tone of voice was relaxed, as his mind drifted elsewhere.

    ¡°Do you think this is going to be easy?¡±

    ¡°No, sir.¡±

    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you quivering with the rest of these men?! Anyone who really understands what you¡¯re going to go through would be pissing themselves right now!¡±

    ¡°Since when did fear make anything easier¡­¡­ Sir.¡±

    ¡°Fear would keep you alive better than 15 inches of hardened steel soldier. You better learn how to be afraid or you are going to die and bringsomeonedown with you.¡±

    Matt¡¯s eye twitched but he stayed silent.

    ****

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I have just stayed like that?¡± He spoke words that made no sense to anyone but him. Inside he felt something rising to the surface, memories he¡¯d buried so deep that he couldn¡¯t even remember why. He pressed his free hand tightly to his heart as a cold chill ran through his blood.

    ****

    Water dripped from cold lifeless lips as words echoed in his mind, ¡°Save them. Save them. Save them.¡± He let warm tears fall onto her cold flesh, as water gently numbed his pain away.

    Clutching at the body of a girl, an emerald hair pin still neatly holding back her hair but no longer sparkling as it once had. They drifted listlessly down the mountain river surrounded by uprooted trees and drowning animals.

    ****

    His eyes opened though he hadn¡¯t noticed them close. His heart was no longer stricken with fear but now embraced by something colder, like he¡¯d been flushed through with ice cold waters.

    She no longer looked into his eyes as she turned away, her body language showing disinterest in him as the pistol he¡¯d been holding fell alongside his rifle.

    Her footsteps faded but he didn¡¯t look up, eyes staring beyond the weapons lying on the floor into the distant past that he was trying to rebury. When he finally did lookup she was long gone, leaving him completely alone in the darkening room.

    This was the first time in many years that he¡¯d truly been alone, sincethenalways there¡¯d been someone nearby. The feeling even more oppressive than that of her alien demeanour or her forcefulness. Even the presence of the soldiers that wanted him dead would suffice to bring life back to the room.

    Cold rain was wetting the soil outside and beating down upon the roof, the sunlight that had been dawning now masked in the shadows of clouds. Chill moisture was already flooding the room, and flavouring the air. Hands shaking but not from the cold, he reached for the pistol with his left hand.

    Nothing stopped him, no one yelled or even slapped his hand away as he gripped it too tightly. The grip was designed for right handed use and felt uncomfortable to hold, and even more so when he tried to put it back into the holster on his right leg.

    Even with the weapon back in its place he felt no safer. It was a false safety born from the strength of a weapon that he was apparently incapable of using properly. He couldn¡¯t kill her because of a weak heart and he couldn¡¯t even manage to kill himself to escape from her grasp.

    He was dead already if she had wanted it, his very survival was because of her leniency. Or perhaps it was her confidence, as he was yet to leave this place and she may still be nearby waiting for him to get up and try to leave.

    Looking down at his broken wrist he wondered whether it was her doing also. Strange things were happening in this world and right now he couldn¡¯t even guess as to why his suicide attempt had failed. With an audible sigh of resignation he lowered his wrist unable to do anything about it right now.

    The multiple pains covering his body hadn¡¯t lessened and his mind was still drifting closer to passing out with every moment he stood around, but he wasn¡¯t getting any healthier. Considering making another run for the gates, or stumble as would be the case, he leans down to pick up the rifle; again with his left hand. After a few moments of messing with holds he was finally satisfied with holding the pistol grip with his left hand and resting the barrel of the rifle on his right arm.

    Accuracy would be horrible if he had to fire but setting it to automatic should help scare off any idiots prepared to take him on.

    Having done what little he could to prepare for what was ahead, he paused briefly, trying to forget the overwhelming loneliness of being stuck here. No one in this world could understand a word of his language and he couldn¡¯t understand theirs.

    He was alone. Truly alone.

    Not just the only one in the room but he couldn¡¯t even hear the sounds of another human being. The sound of breathing, the subtle sounds of heartbeats, the soft warmth of another life nearby. All of it was missing.

    Only the cold beating of rain on the roof and the sensation of a cool wet breeze washing over his sweat covered body. The sound of his own rapid breathing getting louder the longer he stood there hesitating. He¡¯d give anything just for a working radio right now so that he could at least hear someone else¡¯s voice.

    His breathing became more rapid as he lost control, his mind unable to cope with everything and nothing. Losing his composure he stepped forwards about to run out into the beating rain in search of someone, anyone. He was halted from further breakdown by wet footsteps coming his direction, soothing his ailing heart while bringing back a different kind of anxiety.

    The young woman walked back into the room followed by another. The second woman was of a kind with the first, horns rising from beneath pale hair and a sword just as wicked in shape. She stood taller by a few inches and her natural skin colour was a few shades darker, but was still covered in a similar strange pattern.

    They spoke words at him, but the language was unfit for his hearing. Her eyes were soothing to look into at first glance but a sudden attack to his mind sent all thoughts of calmness out the window.

    The pain in his head that had faded when the firstgirl left was now back more powerful than ever before, the language only serving to aggravate his mind as it writhed in pain. Focusing all his strength on just keeping on two feet, the rifle slipped from his hands.

    He was almost begging for the pain to stop now, but couldn¡¯t even speak the words in a language that they¡¯d understand. When he met the eyes of the first young woman, she looked away.

    ¡°Please¡±The sound soft and gentle resonating through his mind.

    The word spoken aloud made no sense at all but the idea of the word seemed to flow through to him. A deep breathe only served to steady his mind for a moment as he struggled to understand what he was hearing. Focussing for all he was worth, he noticed two distinct patterns of pain flowing through his mind.

    One agonizingly aggressive with which he wasn¡¯t familiar and then the one he¡¯d been experiencing all morning. Feeling as if he¡¯d come to some great discovery he looked up from the dirty floorboards, only to see the second woman was standing right on top of him.

    Her eyes filled with¡­ a calm aura. The shapes on her arm turning purple and gathering at her fingertips, the intensity of its colour growing into a small torch just before she reached out to him. With one finger she tapped his forehead lightly, blinding him with that deep purple light which drowned out his vision before spreading through his other senses.

    He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

 Chapter 4 - Trails of Purple Mist

    Trails of Purple Mist

    Shades of purple churned before his closed eyes as he awoke from a dark and dreamless sleep. The colour bringing forth a distasteful emotion from deep within as his mind as he reached out through the clearing mists towards the soft warm light of day. His consciousness rising from the darkness where it had stolen away for the evening.

    Eyes drifting open slowly still begging for more rest, while his mouth was forming a yawn to welcome a new day. With the presence of mind reminiscent the dead he held up his arms to stave off the bright light that burned at his freshly opened eyes. Still barely half-awake his body moved before his mind, rolling to side and reaching for the edge of the bed.

    He¡¯d slept on the same bed for months, ever since his training began, only recently had he gotten used to the feeling of springs along his back and a pillow as hard as rock. Strangely he couldn¡¯t hear the creaking of beds or the grumbling of soldiers still asking the gods for the mercy of more sleep. The mattress beneath him felt strangely firm, without the usual wobble and squeak of springs.

    His hand continued reaching towards the edge of a mattress which he couldn¡¯t find. Instead of a sharp drop off he found only the strange texture of wood resting at bed height, hand slapping around for a moment longer before a spark of panic rose in his chest.

    The feel of waking up somewhere he couldn¡¯t remember sent his beating heart into overdrive. His arms slammed into the ground as he threw itself into a seated position, head spinning around in a wild panic for a brief moment before pain wracked his body. The sudden shock enough to force him into a foetal position while trying his best not to cry out in pain.

    Breathing in barely controlled bursts he clutched at his right wrist, as if trying to hold back the pain bursting forth from his own flesh. In his rushed awakening he¡¯d unconsciously slammed it into the ground with enough force to awaken whatever demons had possessed it. Gritting his teeth he forced back the desire to blackout from the pain.

    As the seconds passed by like hours he gradually came back to his senses enough to reopen his eyes. The wrist he was clutching at was wrapped up in cloth bandaging which had not yet been dyed red. Though when he tenderly tried to form a fist, his grip was weaker than that of a child and his wrist ached ferociously.

    Following that first wave of pain, a sense of nausea overwhelmed him as the rest of his wounds sparked to life. Horrible sensations from his

    torso feeling like he¡¯d taken a series of blows from a heavyweight, a numbness from his hips where it wasn¡¯t aching, a burning sensation from his face and eyes. That wasn¡¯t to mention his broken arm or residual headache. The bruising had already set in across most of his body, discolouring most of his skin in hideous purples and yellows, and swelling up painfully.

    The second wave of pain washed through his body as he sat frozen, too afraid to move else he spark further discomfort. Steadily the pain was subdued into a manageable body wide ache. Though he wasn¡¯t forgetting his broken arm again any time soon.

    Memories of the previous day came crashing down on his still hazy awareness, forcing all thought of pain to the back of his mind.

    ¡°Save them.¡±

    His left hand tore through his matted hair tearing free swaths of his own black hair before the emerald hairpin shone brightly in his grip. The smile crawling up his lips a lie, holding back the flow of tears welling in his eyes. Swallowing back the despair collecting at the back of his throat as her last words echoed in his mind.

    ¡°Save them.¡±

    The words echoing back to him from a time when he was a youth, alongside the more recent tragedy, both memories he¡¯d sooner forget but which would never leave him.

    ¡°Save them.¡±

    Sensibilities still scattered his breathing slowly formed into a gentle pace, he knew what he had to do now. The smile on his face deepened as he turned to face the reality that he¡¯d been left with.

    Eyes leisurely taking in the state of his body he searched for what possessions he was left with. His weapons and ammunition were unsurprisingly absent, though he was startled to discover he¡¯d been stripped of his clothes. The only thing of his own that hadn¡¯t been stolen was the hairpin which had likely been hidden deep under his bloodied hair.

    Although his clothes had been taken from him he was pleased to be left with some kind of loincloth, nakedness didn¡¯t concern him overly much but he¡¯d rather avoid the violating touch of a cold morning breeze.

    The firm bandaging on his wrist was still holding well but now showed signs of bleeding as it tinged red where his wound was buried beneath. It was unlikely to heal on its own over the next few days but he had

    no idea how long it might take to recover if he didn¡¯t get properly treated soon.

    A slight ache along his forehead inspired his hand to feel for injury. Other than being slightly sticky he could feel the strange sensation of thread, as if someone had tried stitching him together like an old shirt. Obsessing over the fact his hand felt for the thread and knots rising above his skin, the sensation of his body being so vandalised forcing his gut into somersaults. Vaguely he remembered stories of such a treatment existing centuries ago but that brought him little comfort.

    Trying to forget about the stitching on his face he checked over the bruises that marred the rest of his battered body. The discolouration and swelling was already quite impressive, but strangely coating the worst of his bruises was a slightly sticky residue.

    Running his finger along it and sniffing at it he could smell a slightly sweet scent to it before taking a quick taste test. The flavour was astoundingly sweet at first but quickly turned bitter with a similar texture to toothpaste.

    Probably another half thought out ancient medicine he concluded, praying it wasn¡¯t poisonous.

    Breathing in deeply of the cool morning air he let out a short laugh releasing the tension that was building up from his self-assessment thus far.

    He was left lying under the fur blankets of a flimsy imitation of a bed. The bottom of which wasn¡¯t soft enough to take away the stiffness of the floorboards underneath, though was still more comfortable than the mattresses in the barracks where the springs dug into his flesh. The fur blankets were amazingly soft given that they were discoloured and covered in bald patches, without them his near naked body would¡¯ve frozen solid while he slept.

    Sunlight was filtered into the room through the thick white canvas walls brightly enough that he supposed it had to be around midday. What he deduced to be the door to the room was nothing more than a flap of the same fabric that made up the walls with small weights sewn into the bottom.

    Sitting beside the ¡®door¡¯ was an attractive young woman with the same demonic attributes as the two he¡¯d met before passing out. If she didn¡¯t possess so many strange qualities about her, he¡¯d think she was of an age with himself. She was sitting motionless, her knees together with her legs folded under her. Cold eyes pointed apathetically his direction.

    She wore the same black armour as the others and wore the same sword at her hip, but her presence didn¡¯t exude quite the same force as the other two had. Her skin was tanned between the swirling black patterns covering her exposed flesh.

    The wind that had ravaged his mind before he fell unconscious was absent, so either it wasn¡¯t connected to these women or this one in particular wasn¡¯t trying to make his head explode.

    Thinking back to that moment with the two women, he wasn¡¯t quite certain whether or not he¡¯d been put to sleep, or just finally succumbed to his injuries. He was definitely close to passing out at the time, but that strange woman exuding purple mist from her hands was very suspect. Though in the end it probably didn¡¯t make a difference whether or not he was drugged, he was a prisoner now regardless.

    For the moment he wasn¡¯t ready to pass on to whatever afterlife awaited. However long it had been since he¡¯d fallen unconscious obviously he¡¯d recovered considerably even though someone had decided to turn him into a pin cushion.

    He sat up, holding the warm blanket tight to keep the cold at bay as he closed his eyes and focused on what he could hear. The solid and rapid clacking of wood striking wood, the sound of loud footsteps on firm ground and the unmistakably comforting sound of voices grunting with effort. Beyond it all he could just barely make out the sounds of human breathing.

    Deep and slow breathes, almost meditative even, the woman to the side of the room was comparatively very alert, sharp eyes leering his direction with little of the apathy they¡¯d held before. Returning her gaze with a faltering smile he didn¡¯t notice any of the dangerous red sheen in her hazel eyes, which was a little comforting.

    ¡°Soooooo, nice horns you¡¯ve got there.¡± She didn¡¯t reply, staring blankly back at him as if he¡¯d said nothing at all. Forcing the smile back to his lips he continued, ¡°Do you¡­. Maybe have anything to drink? Water? Milk? An aging bottle of vintage liquor? ¡± her reply that same deadpan stare.

    ¡°Guess that didn¡¯t work.¡± Looking down at his hands he thought of home. The cold barracks where he trained alongside 40 other men and women doing only what he was ordered, thinking only when and what he was ordered. Nothing to wear but the same uniform day in day out, nothing

    to eat but the same rations breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nothing to feel but the aching in his body; at least that part hadn¡¯t changed.

    He wasn¡¯t dead.

    He could hardly guess what they wanted him for, but whatever it was he had a chance to escape. He had too many promises to keep to die now.

    Until he managed to escape he wanted to try to get along with these people, if they gave him their attempts at medical care and kept him from freezing then they had a reason to keep him around. He couldn¡¯t survive out here on his own and he preferred the thought of making a few allies if that was even possible.

    As much as he thought of himself as having few actual friends Matt liked people. Talking with people and getting to know them, figuring out what makes them smile and trying to get on the good side of even the grumpiest of people.

    But it wasn¡¯t going to be easy.

    Licking his dry lips he breathed in deep and stood up throwing aside his blankets and embracing the cold morning air. The behaviour earning him a strange look from his guard who finally revealed some emotion. His near complete nakedness wasn¡¯t usually concerning but it was darn cold this morning shocking him right awake. Breathing deep he tried rolling his stiff joints slowly working out yesterday¡¯s damage and seeing how much movement was left in him.

    Thinking back to yesterday he was suddenly reminded of the fire wielding maniacs who attacked his squad. Their movements were rather simple and easy enough to mimic, leading him to thinking that maybe he could do the same thing if he tried. He was in another universe after all. At least he had nothing else to do while held prisoner by a woman who, at his measure, could cut him into a dozen pieces before he even felt the first cut.

    Taking a basic hand to hand stance with his right foot back holding most of his weight, he suddenly drew the attention of his guard, who stood from her seated pose. He was facing one of the empty walls of his cell with her standing intimidatingly at his right, but tried his best to pay her no mind while he focused on breathing.

    Breathing in, he drew back his arm at a backwards angle, twisting his waist to build up power in his straightened arm. Another deep breath and he felt something building up inside a powerful inhuman force.

    Moving his arm forwards gently, the pressure built up and he could feel a slight burning sensation. The woman was getting ready to draw her sword, as her expression changed to take him seriously.

    The burning pressure built up to a peak until he couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore. As his arm was flung forwards reaching out towards the sun shining through the white canvas¡­ he released. Loudly.

    Noxious gas filled the room, the sound vibrating through him as it continued on¡­ and on¡­ until echoing away into a final silence. By then the smell was overwhelming, if he had a shirt he¡¯d have covered his nose with it. Eyes watering he lowered his arm and looked over to the other occupant of the room.

    His guard stood frozen. Not moving an inch, her eyes sparkling beautifully in the rich light of his prison cell, before finally she burst out with laughter. Her sword which she¡¯d drawn at some point was nearly slipping from her hands as she curled up a little trying to catch her breathe. Her previous dignity seemed to pass as she snorted with laughter no different from an ordinary soldier. She was somehow unaffected by the poisonous odour refusing to fade from the room.

    Matt pausing for a moment to muse at the absurdity of the moment, how such a crude form of humour was able to spark such a reaction from her even when they came from such different worlds. He also realized that at some point she¡¯d drawn her sword on him, one wrong move and he¡¯d be dead rather than standing here laughing.

    His voice had already joined her deep laughter without an ounce of pretence. He lost himself in the absurd laughter, laughing mostly at how close he¡¯d been to death. It was a few minutes before they¡¯d returned to themselves but her expressions was considerably more relaxed as she sat by the door.

    The smell still stinging his eyes lightly, he looked over to the woman, although her laughter had faded a lively smile was still left to remember it by. She was young, at least she looked around his own age though it was difficult to be sure considering her strange appendages.

    Wiping the tears from his eyes he thought of trying something that he should have done at the start, but was far too tense to think of.

    He held his broken hand up to his chest, ¡°Matt¡± he used his childhood nickname, since she¡¯d have difficulty with pronouncing his full name.

    Looking at him a little confused she held her hand up to her breast plate, ¡°Matt?¡± Her accent sounded sweet but she was completely misunderstanding.

    ¡°Ah¡­ no, no.¡± He thought for a moment trying to think of a better way to explain himself but without coming up with any good ideas he resorted to the ridiculous. He pointed at his foot, ¡°Matt¡±, he pointed at his arm, ¡°Matt¡±, he pointed at his chest, his hand, his pointing finger, his groin, left nipple, a strand of hair, his right eye. ¡°Matt¡± he kept on repeating.

    She let out a brief snort, holding back any further laughter, ¡°li,li, Matt.¡± She said pointing at him.

    Revealing some understanding of his intentions she puts her hand to her chest, ¡°Myra¡± She said with a slightly crooked smile.

    ¡°Mirror¡± He tried the name out, ¡°Mila.¡±

    ¡°Myra.¡± She repronounced it again patiently teaching him how to say it properly.

    Focusing with all he had, ¡°Mi-la, Myra.¡± The sound of the r rolling across his tongue into almost an l sound, and y pronounced fully like mi from miso.

    ¡°Li, Myra.¡± She still had the crooked smile on her face.

    Having finally managed a short back and forth communication Matt lost direction unsure about how to continue from here. The fact that she was willing to smile and laugh with him combined with his ¡®medical treatment¡¯ he was confident that they weren¡¯t intending on execution this side of sunset.

    ¡°Water,¡± Licking his dry lips he tries mimicking drinking from a cup to spur Myra¡¯s imagination towards understanding. Still smiling she looks at him questioningly raising an eyebrow.

    Maybe they don¡¯t use cups, he concluded and tried imitating drinking soup from a bowl. Her lack of reaction spurred on the frustration building in his breast, his game of interlingual, cross-cultural charades wasn¡¯t quite working out as he¡¯d hoped.

    Her smile deepened as his attempts grew more intense and absurd, he tried mimicking everything from the ocean to rivers, rain to puddles.

    Never even hazarding a guess in her foreign language Myra sat silently watching over him, judging him with her sparkling hazel eyes.

    Matt was doing his best impression of a rain cloud so that his mimic of rain would make some sense when his cell was intruded upon by another demonic woman. She was dressed in the same armour, with skin covered in similar lines, her expression was at once both surprised and disgusted as she looked over him standing on one leg, both arms in the air while dressed in nothing but a loincloth.

    His limbs slowly fell back into place while silently judged by the newcomer. A beautifully constructed crystal decanter filled with clear liquid accompanied by a matching glass, were gently lowered to the ground beside Myra. Quiet words were shared between the two, filling Matt with the anxiety that came being talked about while he was still in the room. With a single revolted glance back at him the woman left the room leaving him alone with Myra, still standing mostly naked on top of his bedroll.

    Looking down at the water sitting beside the silently smiling Myra he came to realize how thoroughly he¡¯d just been played by this woman. She probably knew right from the very beginning what he was trying to say, the one part of it all that he didn¡¯t understand is when she called out for this woman¡¯s help.

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    Dry laughter left his lips soon joined by a few stray giggles from the young woman who was still somehow acting as his prison guard. Carefully he approached her looking for permission to reach out for the water. With a slight wave of her hands he gratefully accepted taking both glass and decanter while sitting only a little away from the woman.

    Praying that this wasn¡¯t just another trick, he poured a glass of water from the beautiful decanter into an equally fine-looking glass. Sniffing at the liquid he couldn¡¯t tell if anything was strange about it, his carefulness earning him a short glare from Myra. Apparently doubting her hospitality wasn¡¯t a good way to earn her respect, making this a good moment to abandon caution.

    He briefly glanced at the glass before lifting the decanter straight to his lips and pouring down his gullet. The cold temperature at first shocked him but practice at the barracks kept him from choking up, swallowing the water as fast as it flowed delighting in the cool refreshing flavour. Finishing it

    in seconds he lowered the overly beautiful decanter before licking the remaining water from his lips.

    The chill of the water reached deep into his stomach, sending a slight shiver through his reinvigorated body. The flavour was slightly different from what he¡¯d been used to but it was unlikely to be as pure as he¡¯d drunk back at home.

    Looking back over to the slightly shocked Myra he was glad to see that her brief glare was long passed. While she was still a little shocked at his sudden recklessness he put on the largest grin he could muster and formed a thumbs up with his intact hand eliciting a comfortable smile from the woman. Careful not to use his broken hand, Matt stood up and carried the crystal drinking set back over to Myra.

    When he knelt to put down the water decanter and glass Myra suddenly reached out and snatched his arm in a soft grip just above where it had broken. The smile on his face twitched for a moment as he felt the urge to run away. The urge was quickly buried as his smile was repaired.

    Her grip was light enough that he could easily shake himself free, but that being the case there was no point in doing so. Realizing she didn¡¯t mean any harm, he entrusted himself to her hands. She directed him around to a seated position in front of her.

    His arm was still hurting where blood was seeping through the cloth wrapping, the combination of aching bones and stinging flesh leaving him irate at her touch. The pain was bearable but unpleasant.

    Practiced hands unwrapped the bandaging that had been hiding his injury with professional speed and care. Her eyes focused on the task in front of her seemed distant, as if she were in a different world altogether as she worked.

    Her eyes were prying into his wrist with enthusiasm while her hands worked, her dedication and focus equal to that of any doctor he¡¯d ever met. So much so that he already felt like nothing more than a slab of meat laid out on a platter before her.

    Noticing her distance he entertained the idea of reaching for her weapon, but quickly disposed of the idea. As he saw it there was no point in aggravating the closest thing he had to a friend for the sake of a doomed escape plan. Removing his eyes from the sword he was forced instead to face the reality of his own injury.

    Underneath the bandaging he noticed a bloody mark in his skin where the bone had struck through, the stains of dried blood now moistened as the wound reopened. Along the opening, stitches like those on his head, were mangled and torn. More than likely something he¡¯d managed to do when he woke in this strange place.

    Her grip disappeared in an instant, she made no move to bandage his arm again, instead turning her back to him and shuffling through a basket he hadn¡¯t noticed earlier. She acted with purpose moving items around with care only to return them to their place after retrieving her goal, a short curved needled alongside a length of thread.

    Seeing what was coming Matt hesitated, unwanting to participate in this archaic medicine but also unwilling to undo all of his work getting friendly with the woman. There was so much he wanted to say, so much about this procedure that he knew in his gut was wrong but in the end he smiled anyway. ¡°Thanks,¡± was all he could say, but even that garnered no reaction as she tied a knot in her thread and started working.

    She quickly struck his flesh through, drawing the thread through his torn skin forcing a slight grimace to take the place of his smile. For the first time since she¡¯d entered her focused state she paused, looking up at his face while he hid his displeasure as best as he could. Without saying a word she returned to work but this time with a measurably more gentle a touch.

    Her hands dexterous and gentle but with a firmness to them that he knew she had the same kind of inhuman strength as he¡¯d already seen from the other demonic woman. A power that was frightening to behold, especially when combined with such demonic appearance, yet already she was transforming before his eyes into a kind hearted young woman. She liked to laugh and was willing to help even a man like him heal from his injuries, such a woman he didn¡¯t want to have to consider an enemy.

    Trying to focus on something other than the needlework Matt¡¯s eyes strayed to the lines covering her skin, they were a simple black in colour and showed no signs of the strange mist he¡¯d seen from the other two. Another difference he noticed was that the pattern was different on this girl, many more swirls shifting around and spinning in place with a lot less sharp points evident. They moved so lazily across her skin it was he was almost convinced that it was an illusion of his eyes.

    Unconsciously he reached out with his left hand towards her upper arm, touching of the swirls that were spinning in place and eliciting a brief cry from Myra who still had a thread in her mouth. With a guilty smile on his face he apologised to her, though she wouldn¡¯t understand. She gave him another strange glance but didn¡¯t seem hostile about it, if anything she was more surprised than upset. Already she¡¯d returned to working on his wrist.

    Suddenly inspired with playfulness he gently poked at her skin again in the same place. He felt no texture to the black lines but they did stir at his touch shifting towards his finger as if following it for around half an inch before slowing to a pause. The other lengths of the pattern seemed to react filling in the gap left behind so that it kept a rather balanced spacing.

    Myra let out a sigh as she worked, shaking her head slightly as she worked, he also noticed a small smile rising to her lips. For the moment at least it seemed she didn¡¯t mind his meddling though thinking about his own behaviour threatened to make him self-conscious about it.

    Curious he tried again, again it followed his finger for around half an inch before stopping in its new position, the rest of the pattern flowing and filling the emptiness left behind. Myra who was now wrapping up his arm having finished the stitches, looked at him kindly as she spoke, ¡°Okiri Vira,¡± before petting his head.

    He didn¡¯t quite understand what she was saying but stopped poking her arm, the enchanting strange lines still tempting him.

    Movement to the side caught his attention while he was returned his now bandaged arm. The ¡®door¡¯ was lifted up revealing another of the demonic women, the air itself seemed to change with the aura she carried into the room.

    Myra stood up beside him inspiring him to follow her lead, but even at full height he was still a small measure shorter than the woman standing in front of him.

    She was the one who he¡¯d seen moments before passing out, the one with the purple hand, which was no longer purple, he noted. Her face was stern, like his lieutenant on a bad day, almost making him salute out of reflex. Myra on the other hand was relaxed and almost completely unconcerned about the powerful aura radiating from the woman.

    Speaking in a relaxed tone as if between two friends Myra started conversation with the taller woman. The other woman¡¯s voice was as stern as

    her appearance when she returned comment; the two of them forming a strange conversation even without him being able to understand a word of it.

    After only a few lines the older woman cut the conversation to an end, turning to Matt. The smile on his lips fought against her oppressive expression, ¡°Ah, hi.¡± Gulping back the tension he continued, ¡°Are you looking to schedule a meeting? I¡¯m awfully busy today¡­¡± She continued to stare at him, not revealing any emotion, ¡°ah but I¡¯m sure I can make some time¡­ Please don¡¯t hurt me¡­¡±

    Her eyes were focused on his head, as she confidently reached out towards his hair. He was shocked into stillness for a breath as her hand grew closer to the hairpin still stuck through his hair.

    Crying out noisily, he realized what she was reaching for, leaping backwards from her reach and snatching the hairpin out of his hair. The woman continued to stare at him with empty eyes before lowering her arm. Myra turned to face him with a sudden shock as if suddenly seeing him in a new light.

    His breathing was ragged as he clutched the pin, hand sticky with blood from gripping too tightly. Before he realized it, he was in the furthest corner of the room away from the woman, crouching low to the ground.

    For some time matters stayed frozen as such.

    The woman waved him forwards before turning from the room not portraying any doubts that he would follow. Matt looked over to Myra who smiled hesitantly towards him, still crouched in the corner. Forcing deep slow breaths Matt stood up, strengthening his heart for whatever was coming next.

    ¡°I guess I over reacted a little, didn¡¯t I?¡± He spoke to no one in particular, as he returned her smile. She didn¡¯t reply with words, but instead waved him through the door, insisting on him going ahead.

    He paused at the ¡®door¡¯, thinking back on the days behind him, and on the emerald gem still in his possession. ¡°What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡± He whispered, laughing quietly as he stepped forwards Myra following behind.

    After passing through what served for a door to what passed for his cell, he followed obediently after the strict woman. All around him were the same while walls as he¡¯d been surrounded with in his cell but a here the air was pleasantly warm. The woman¡¯s pace was faster than anticipated and he

    was soon lagging behind, finding himself unwilling to close the gap ahead of him.

    Myra had already caught up with his slow pace, turning and smiling at him exuberantly. He felt a growing sense of confidence as she snatched his hand out of nowhere gripping his clenched fist tightly in her own before dragging him ahead.

    Half walking, half dragged through roughly a hundred metres of tent he found himself in a large, round chamber filled with dozens of demonic women. They were sitting in circles around circles, forming a four layered ring around a central point, though there were still two holes in the formation.

    Matt found it strange how they were all women, not a single man amongst them horned or otherwise and the only woman in the room without any horns or demonic traits kept to the side of the room quietly observing.

    All of women, apart from the observer, were dressed in the same armour with the same style of sword he¡¯d seen the others armed with, though the patterns on their skin varied from woman to woman. His eyes fell upon a familiar pattern on the outside ring, but it seemed she was focused on meditating, her hands resting on crossed legs.

    Myra letting go of him just as suddenly as she¡¯d grabbed him pushed him forwards to the centre of the formation, still smiling like a maniac. He looked down at the hand she¡¯d been holding onto him with, covered with his blood. His tightly formed fist continued dripping blood around the pin struck through his fist.

    Myra found her place in the third rind, turning to him and giving him a small wave before sitting in place and assuming the same meditative pose as many of the others. Only around half of the women present were in pose, the others seemed as interesting in staring at him, as he was in staring back.

    The tall woman who¡¯d been leading him up until this point nudged him into place, dead centre of the strange formation. She didn¡¯t need words to tell him not to move, her eyes piercing him before she turned to fill the last gap in the in the innermost circle.

    That seemed to act as a queue, with everyone abruptly taking up the pose without a word between them. Silence reigned in the room, he could barely even hear their movements. Awkwardly standing in the centre he wandered if any of their statuesque figures would even notice if he walked out of here.

    Softening his tense expression he glanced towards the observer, the one human in this room apart from himself. She had dark hair cut short and haphazardly, with ragged clothes that were close to falling apart but was surprisingly clean. From her height he guessed that she was only around 13 years of age, but she had a dangerous spark to her eye, and when their eyes met he was the first to look away.

    Before he had the chance to consider his position, he noticed a slight headache forming in the back of his mind and cursed his own stupidity. The patterns on every last woman in the encirclement were gradually shading themselves purple. The shade, one with which he was quite painfully familiar.

    ¡°This won¡¯t hurt a bit.¡± He spat sarcastically as he fell to his knees. In an instant his mind became fragmented, torn apart by a half dozen gusts of wind.

    The pain should have been enough to make him pass out, but strangely as distant as the world became he could still feel the painful sensation tearing through him. It was nonsensical, and unreasonable. His fingers bit into the wooden floorboards to keep from digging out his own eyes.

    Slamming his head into the ground he pleaded for the pain to stop, but even if he spoke the right words, he doubted that they¡¯d listen. What was this, some kind of torture method? A strange and horrible execution? Or perhaps it was something else entirely, some strange ritual for a purpose he couldn¡¯t understand?

    To keep from going insane as time stretched out, he focused on breathing. In, and out. In, and out.

    The pain plateaued in intensity for what seemed like minutes but was probably more like seconds. Forcing himself to control his breathing he opened his eyes to the world around him, hoping to find some salvation from the pain in the faces around him.

    The inner circle was completely lost in some meditative state an intense purple mist rising from their bodies. The rows behind them were all a little less focused, he couldn¡¯t make out any familiar faces but even many of the strangers showed signs of uncertainty that they hadn¡¯t had before. The observer was wide eyed, her face pale as she stared at him with fright.

    The second circle abruptly brightened to the same colour as the inner circle, but Matt didn¡¯t have time to think about the cause. A dry scream

    reached his ears but he could no longer recognise it as his own. Tears formed and he clenched his teeth, no longer able to breathe through the pain.

    He felt his mind slipping. If it continued much longer¡­

    Forcing his body into action he looked down at his own hands, and forced his lungs into action. The sight of bright purple lines flowing along his arms made his stomach twist inside. The lines winding and whirling, released a weak mist into the air.

    Willing his body to move, his legs kicked at the ground weakly, sliding his body slowly away from his position in formation. Helplessly he cried out in pain, but his strength fled as soon as the third ring resonated with power.

    Again the pain spiked, again his mind fled deeper into its scattered self. The dispersed parts of his consciousness barely able to come together and form thought.

    For a moment he thought he felt something familiar in his mind. A playful presence, like that of a cat he used to care for as kid, but as he focused on it his mind constricted in greater pain. The pain was plateaued, a fine balance, with his consciousness slipping. His opened eyes able to see purple lines swimming across his skin, like growing vines tightening around him. An emerald light shinned through the purple mists at his hands giving him some little strength.

    ¡°Just¡­. Stop¡­¡± His muscles grew loose, and eyes distant, but the pain was still there.

    One more time it struck him.

    His mind slipped into the dark void sensing nothing, no thought or sensation passed through his awareness. An experience that could only be considered death.

    Still sensation returned to him, pain washing over his senses in an intensity far greater than his body should be capable of surviving.

    ¡°Please just stop¡­ I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± Somewhere in the overpopulated cacophony that was his mind, he felt something familiar. No longer able to think and acting on instinct alone, he reached out for it. Hoping for reprieve from the torture.

    ¡°Please, please, please.¡± His mind lost apart from that one word.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± The thoughts, although in his mind, were not his own, sparking hope and a last reserve of strength.

    ¡°Stop the pain! Can you please stop the pain?!¡± Despair rose in his chest as he waited for a reply from that strange voice.

    ¡°¡­Why did it have to be me?¡± The tired thought filling in his mind but it didn¡¯t seem as though it was meant for him.

    A voice rose in his ringing ears, calling out in the dead silence signalling the end to his suffering.

 Chapter 5 - The Treads Which Bind

    The Threads Which Bind

    Blood spilt from his numb lips and rolled down his chin to drip listlessly at his bloodied hands, his eyes vacantly followed their path without hint of concern. The fallen blood traced a line along the back of his hand crossing over multiple purple threads that coloured his skin, each as thin as a hair. These threads, scattered across his entire body, waved gently as if caught by a breeze while slowly receding along his hands leaving at his bleeding fingertips.

    At least half of his fingernails were buried in the same wood where his blood was now soaking, blood from wounds both new and old. The bandages that bound his broken arm were also once again coated in fresh stains but his faded senses, once overflowing with pain, were now dead.

    The emerald hairpin he¡¯d been clutching had slipped from his fingers and currently lay on the ground before him, the bright spark at its core shining through the layer of blood coating it. ¡°Save them,¡± the voice sharp as it cut free from the past and into the present, merging with his own voice as he gripped onto the shard of light, drowning it in his own blood.

    Around him dozens of dazed young women, still radiating a fading purple aura, returned to their senses. Swaying slightly, they appeared exhausted, some even slouching down in such a way that was unbecoming of their warrior like image. A voice called out firmly from the outermost ring, the foreign words drawing him back from the edge of passing out.

    His hand mindlessly cleared away the blood running down his lips, twitching slightly as sensation returned to him. Careful of his injuries, his body sought for balance and his feet for firm purchase as he forced strength into his weakened body. Grunting from both the pain and the effort as he stood up on two legs; his returning senses offering only more pain threatening to unbalance him.

    As time passed slowly before his dazed eyes and dizziness overwhelmed his senses, his mind grasped onto slipping consciousness but he was unable to find purchase. A mirage of a thousand colours blinding him to the point that he could not even see the ground rushing up to him; the precarious balance having slipped from his laboured body.

    Time passed beyond his capacity to measure with the only sensation left to him a vague tingling, like pins and needles across his entire body. If it weren¡¯t for that sensation he would be completely in the dark, his own mind barely functioning any longer.

    That sensation grew more intense as the pins and needles turned into knives and daggers and his mind gradually returned to him, the darkness retreated by a fraction as his eyes flew open. A face painted in concern and pain looked down over him from right above his own, her warmth radiating into his cold flesh. Her trembling hands holding his head propped up on her lap, reminding him of the elders who¡¯d cared for him as a child, though she was probably a fraction of their age. Even the concern in her eyes was almost a perfect imitation of what he¡¯d seen in those elder¡¯s eyes so long ago.

    Almost immediately as he awoke his burning lungs heaved into a lively coughing fit, red spots painted his hands, as well as a few stray droplets that had escaped him now staining the kindly face watching over him.

    Myra wiped clean her face with little concern for the blood still streaked across her whirling skin. The lines shifting in a current as tumultuous as the emotions in her eyes, the strength held within those pained eyes frightening him as a purple thread twirled in its depths. A chill ran down his spine, reminding him that this place was not his home.

    His head was gently settled down onto a soft fur resting on her lap, he forced himself to relax heaving a long slow sigh as he fell back into the comforting warmth offered to him. The moment he released the tension in his body exhaustion started to overcome him. He needed rest.

    ¡°Uuugh.¡± The sound escaping his lungs a cry from his body as he forced it further than its limits. He refused to let his fate be decided while he lay down waiting. Bones creaking and muscles screaming, a few stray tears wet his eyes as he denied his body the rest it so demanded.

    From his back and onto his knees as trembling limbs fought against the forces of nature, dizziness briefly washing over his teetering mind before passing away with a cold breeze.

    He placed one foot firmly on the ground, but pushing is body and mind to their limits would not grant him the balance required to stand on his own. As he was about to fall to the ground, a hand reached out to him, holding him firmly by the shoulder and giving him strength in the form of stability.

    Silently he thanked Myra for her aid as he looked over the room with half-dead eyes, searching for some meaning in his suffering. And perhaps more importantly some escape from further suffering that might be forced upon his failing body.

    The scene around him was specked with imaginary black spots, the bright white tent cloth still shining brightly revealing the insides of the tent. It held little of the ominous vibe that had formed in the purple mists some time ago, now it was cheerful if anything.

    First he noticed the missing figure out of the many, the one person who, like him, had no horns or demonic features was missing. She probably ran from the scene sometime around when he passed out.

    Instead he saw a grouping of dozens of the women that were gathered around, some still emitting a faint purple haze as they rowdily called out. The discord did not mesh well with his impression of them, he had thought that Myra¡¯s behaviour had been an exception but they really weren¡¯t all that well-mannered.

    They called out with voices filled with enthusiasm for what purpose or reason he could only guess. Was it for his blood? The thought only slightly uncomforting in this moment, having already faced death today.

    He rested more weight on Myra than he¡¯d like to admit but she didn¡¯t seem hesitant in her assistance. A glance at her face revealed to him some curiosity in her eyes as well, as she looked into the crowd that was formed by her comrades. She was the only one standing apart.

    A few stray eyes looked over his direction reappraising him, but none approached or spoke his direction, instead their overwhelming attention was focused to the centre of their group.

    The last of their skin was now fading to their natural tones with the moving black lines running along their skin in a lively dance.

    A cool wind rushing through the tent sending shivers down his spine reminded him of the presence that had so briefly taken a hold of his mind. Of the thoughts that he could not consider his own rising to take his attention. He¡¯d felt a similar sensation of wind in his mind when those thoughts crossed him but now that he was recovered the feeling was mostly gone, with only a light breeze at the edge of his awareness.

    Cold and broken, he felt little patience for the women and with few other options for him at the moment he reached out for the sensation flowing between his ears. Trying to focus on it in his mind while also focusing on the words as he spoke them.

    ¡°Can you hear me? Strange person in my head, are you still there?¡±

    Almost instantly a voice called out from the centre of the group from the one who was being bombarded with words from the many others. Her raised voice bringing silence to the noisy crowds. Emerging from within the group he noticed the first demon woman he¡¯d seen close up, the one who¡¯d chased him through town after he¡¯d been separated from his team. The same one who he¡¯d shot earlier, still with a stitched wound on her cheek from the bullet he¡¯d fired.

    As words left her lips, thoughts streamed into his own mind, ¡°Focus on the meaning of the words, when you focus entirely on the sound like that you make about as much sense as a mentally challenged bird.¡± Strangely the meaning of the words she spoke reached his mind just as they had when he was passing out.

    Taking a deep breath and trying to ignore the many stares that were directed his way he followed her advice. ¡°Who are you?¡± The words inspiring another coughing fit from his frail body.

    Without sign of empathy for his condition she continued. ¡°Well done, you graduated from bird to hound.¡± Her words flowing smoothly, her eyes looking down at him unlike how she treated him in the ruined armoury. ¡°Who am I? Am I supposed to answer with a name? A short explanation of my hobbies? A full life story?¡±

    A sense of anxiety pressed on his mind as she pressed him, ¡°All of the above would probably do.¡± With some effort he stood taller, trying to seem less pathetic to her judging eyes. Already he could feel the difficulty rising sharply when it came to making friends here.

    She took a moment before replying, touching at the stitches along her cheek where he¡¯d shot her, the motion filling his heart with guilt for a brief moment. ¡°Lilith.¡± She said, her thoughts reinforcing the sounds as her name.

    ¡°Lilith.¡± He repeated, ¡°I¡¯m called Roderick Matheson but everyone just calls me Matt.¡±

    ¡°Then why bother telling me the rest of it?¡± She spoke with more than a hint of venom to her voice.

    Already he was wishing that he could speak with Myra like this instead of this angry young woman who he¡¯d already tried to kill once.

    A sudden spike of irritation jabbed at his mind, ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re the only one who wants that. I¡¯m sure that girl hanging off your arm would prefer it too.¡± This time her thoughts arrived without spoken words, strangely just as clearly.

    It was a little disturbing to have the thoughts stolen from the back of his mind, let alone the sensation of what he supposed was her emotions bleeding through, but he tried not to focus on it else he manage to upset her any further. ¡°So what¡¯s going to happen to me?¡± A few pessimistic thoughts flowed through his mind, most involving torture or execution.

    ¡°Nothing so disturbing, so long as you manage to survive your wounds you¡¯re to be protected as a witness.¡± She casually remarked on his health as if it were of no concern, but at least he was glad to hear that they weren¡¯t going to kill him or worse.

    ¡°A witness to what?¡± Husky voice barely even audible yet she took no notice, the women were starting to disperse from around them as they were shepherded aside by the taller woman who¡¯d escorted him here. Though the scattered warriors still looked his direction with occasional glances of interest.

    ¡°Crimes against nature. You did witness the use of magic by persons likely to be under command of the King did you not?¡± He lost track of the sounds made by her clipped tongue yet the thoughts in his mind remained clear. The only Demon women still standing watch were Myra, Lilith and the tall, cold eyed woman who led him from his room earlier.

    ¡°Magic?¡± The thought he sensed from her mind most easily translated into the word magic but the sense of dread, of disgust that hung over the thought was far more intense than he felt towards the word.

    ¡±Men throwing fire, people exploding in massive bursts of magical energy? Sound familiar?¡± Her words shocking him into silence for a moment as his mind was filled with the disturbing scene from before.

    The face staring up at him, threatening to steal away his strength as his heart paused. Breathe fled and his face lost all of its tenseness, vomit worked its way to the back of his throat and a hollow sensation filled his soul, words echoed through the hollow vessel of his body.

    ¡°Save them.¡±

    The moment passed, and he returned to the conversation with barely even a pause in time. ¡°Yes.¡± The only word he could manage in the face of such overwhelming emotions.

    Lilith herself paused the conversation, as she stared into his eyes. She seemed to be on the verge of tears, but they disappeared in an instant. Almost convincing him that it hadn¡¯t even occurred in the first place.

    ¡°We intend to track down the men and women participating in such arts as well as judge the guilt of those who are using them for self-interest.¡± The taller woman was looking over them both with judging eyes.

    ¡°So you need me to act as witness for the King? I didn¡¯t see anything useful.¡± He was a little concerned about whether or not they¡¯d consider his own guilt in some form.

    ¡°That¡¯s for us to decide,¡± she took a deep breath, ¡°We also have yet to determine whether your weapons involve the use of magic but I personally doubt it. I didn¡¯t sense magic when you shot me, and I am not so useless as to miss such a thing.¡±

    A little concern washed over him at the thought of his weapons being in their hands but he drowned out the thought as much as he could.

    Lilith turned to the tall woman, speaking foreign words again, her expression intense. He felt distant as he was left out of the conversation again, and not willing to let the time pass without purpose he instead focused his attention on the presence in his mind.

    What he had sensed as a breeze before, now felt a little more intense but no less gentle. Less like a breeze and more like waves gently lapping at the edge of a lake. When he focused on those waves he could hear their whispers, the sounds they made as they touched against the sand at his feet.

    ¡°Does he have to be naked?¡± the words filled with distress.

    The taller woman spoke slowly and deliberately before his eyes, she seemed to be lecturing Lilith but the waves didn¡¯t reflect her words as they did for Lilith¡¯s. She didn¡¯t seem to be as bothered by his state as Lilith, in fact her calm demeanour was masked only with a little concern towards the woman in front of her.

    ¡°No¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m not a woman anymore! but¡­. He¡¯s still a man!¡± For some reason, her conversation seemed to involve their genders but that made little sense to him. Though her no longer relating to being a woman confused him further, if she was no longer a woman then what was she? Did she somehow change into a man?

    She turned a sharp eye at him, but it was the intense frustration that emanated from her that made his mind freeze, ¡°I¡¯m a warrior and that¡¯s all you need to think about Krilm!¡± The thought so intense he felt it echo around his skull a number of times as she returned to her conversation.

    The taller woman looked on with concern at their wordless interaction before pushing the conversation forwards.

    Whatever Lilith heard brought the blood flowing to her face. ¡°I¡¯m not curious, but¡­ shouldn¡¯t he at least be wearing clothes. And what am I supposed to do if he tries anything?¡± He couldn¡¯t understand her thoughts, he was wearing underclothes. Besides he was the only one who should care about how chillingly underdressed he was and he couldn¡¯t imagine it was out of concern for his wellbeing.

    ¡±What do you mean? Look at him, he is not a child. If anything he looks older than me and I¡¯ve seen kids half his age doing unspeakable things.¡± She was getting worked up, her face flushed and he sensed a strange emotion from her unlike anything he¡¯d felt before. Like a small fire in his stomach, but it was in her stomach instead of his. The very concept of peaking in on her emotions was confusing enough but being confronted with this strange new emotion only made it worse.

    ¡°Can¡¯t someone else do this?¡± She blushed again but he couldn¡¯t get a clear understanding of her mixed emotions her eyes looked away from him.

    Whatever she earned as a reply was not kindly spoken.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°Fine,¡± she muttered clearly dissatisfied, ¡°What do you need me to do then?¡±

    The taller woman replied with a sharp note to her words as she began to lecture Lilith. She couldn¡¯t manage to get a word in edgeways, her mouth opening only to close again as she was forced into silence by the taller woman¡¯s tone of voice and presence.

    Unable to make any sense of the conversation any longer Matt turned to Myra, whose hand was still supporting him. He opened his mouth but instantly realized he had nothing to say; or at least nothing she¡¯d be able to understand. The most he could manage with her was a childish conversation through charades, so any deeper conversation like this was pointless even to bring up.

    Noticing his hesitation Myra spoke up in a soft voice meant only for him, knowing her words were alien it was her soothing tone of voice that held meaning. She understood what he was going through, enough to comfort him at least. Her hand was still resting on his shoulder helping to stabilise him, although he didn¡¯t focus too much on it he was still unable to stand on his own power without quickly falling back to the ground.

    The conversation between Lilith and the woman he presumed to be her elder continued on before him, Lilith gradually becoming more irate the longer the conversation lasted. Feeling some desperate need to accomplish something while that conversation about him pushed forwards without his input, he instead focused his attention inwards to the part of his mind that was no longer completely his.

    After a moment he found where the waves lapped at the shore of his own mind, in the movement of those waves he felt something that could only be considered life. They drew away from him, retreating away only the slightest as it built up strength before pushing forwards to reach out to his toes. They moved with a gentle consistency like the breath of the mind, or the beating heart of a person¡¯s soul.

    Shallow thoughts were reaching him as the water touched his feet, ¡°How long will I have to play babysitter?¡± The water retreated for a breath before returning again. ¡°Just shut up already.¡± Another breath. ¡°I wonder what this boy soldier really is?¡±

    The thoughts sometimes overlapping with many others that he simply couldn¡¯t understand, even when they produced powerful emotions within him. ¡°Why did #$%&#&%*#$##*$ and this $#%@%@$.¡± Anger, a seething rage and the feeling of loneliness assaulting him with the thought. The missing pieces making him feel as if he¡¯d forgotten something important.

    He opened his mind to the thoughts washing by him listening to the thoughts and emotions and trying to fill in the blanks, he had the feeling that what he was missing lay deeper at sea. Forgetting his purpose for coming here, enchanted by the feeling of anxiety that came with the half thoughts at his feet, he stepped forwards sinking deeper into the water.

    ¡°@%@@#!@#%#@$##%$@Matt$(&#@?@#!¡±

    Still he did not find any answers only more thoughts jumbled even further beyond his recognition. His feet shifted as the sand slipped beneath them, shifting under his weight and raising clouds of dust that were caught by the current.

    ¡°What was that?¡± The thought faint barely even recognisable from its weak signature, a drifting recognition of his presence causing a swell in those oceans. A faint anxiety rose at the thought of being noticed, of being caught here but faded as the presence and swell within the oceans disappeared to depths unseen.

    ¡°#%*@&^#$%((*@#%)&#%*&$^¡±

    The anxiety of confusion pushed him forwards again, as he sunk to his knees, here even the sand beneath his feet felt barely able to sustain his weight. He hesitated, these were not his thoughts, not his emotions driving him forwards. These were the emotions buried with her memories and her thoughts, dragging him deeper.

    He shouldn¡¯t be here, he shouldn¡¯t be hearing these thoughts or feeling these emotions. That was why they confused him. Overcome by a pressing need to leave, he turned his back to the ocean.

    As his foot lifted something snapped into place around his leg nearly tripping him even in this ephemeral place. A feeling of dread overcame him, as a towering presence rose at his back. Immense power flowed over him leaking in through every pore in his skin and chilling his heart.

    The limb that was gripping his leg was soon joined by others, reaching around his body and his neck. ¡°What a pleasure to meet someone new here, I implore you to stay a while longer¡­¡± The voice was jarring, the tones shifted without warning while the sounds were so mispronounced it sounded as if the voice came from a mouth never meant to speak human language. Though in this place perhaps it is more accurate to say a mind not meant to think human thoughts.

    The limbs that clutched him were something like tentacles but not from any creature he¡¯d ever read about. Covered in a thick slime they held him tightly but not so much that they strangled him, if that was even possible here. ¡°Tell me, are you the human referred to by the sound Matt? You may refer to me as Grikith.¡±

    His throat was blocked but not by the slimy muscle holding his neck in place, still he reached for the tentacle holding his neck. But before his fingers touched the limb, the ephemeral world faded.

    Before him Lilith was closing her conversation with the other demon woman and turning his way. His heart still beat out of pace as she faced him, the feeling of the monsters limbs clutching so tightly onto him still gripping his body.

    ¡°Matt. I¡¯m¡­ Matt but¡­¡±

    He was a little worried that when she spoke it would be the twisted voice that would come out but he needn¡¯t have concerned himself over it.

    ¡°Yes we are past that. Sit, Krilm.¡± The voice in his head returns with some irritation evident, alongside her own voice audibly spoken. This was the second time he¡¯d heard that word but this time he understood a little of the intention behind it. The word was filled with disgust but not the same as magic, rather than hate filled it was belittling.

    He stood frozen for a moment, letting his uneasiness pass but one word slipped his lips as he recollected his perception of reality. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m the only one who can talk with you and because I said so.¡± She looked rather unimpressed and even a little stressed but thankfully she was replying in her normal voice. The waves at the back of his mind were more distant now, but he could no longer sense the presence that had assaulted him there, instead he could sense a feeling of anxiety and frustration emanating from the waves.

    Not willing to anger her any further and still confused about what he¡¯d just experienced, he carefully sat on the ground, falling at the last minute and catching himself with bloody hands. He noticed a number of fingernails missing with some kind of white poultice coating them. Perhaps he¡¯d been out for longer than he¡¯d assumed earlier. The bandaging on his arm was also surprisingly clean again.

    He quietly thanked Myra for keeping him together, relaxing with his legs under him. It was certainly less painful than standing. As soon as he sat down somewhat comfortably Lilith speaks again.

    ¡°Now stand up.¡±

    Stifling his annoyance he followed her commands, Myra helping him return to his feet with only a minor stumble on the way up.

    ¡°Turn in a circle clockwise.¡±

    Again he obeyed.

    ¡°Put you hand to your nose.¡±

    This game was starting to drag out for too long but for now he continued playing along.

    ¡°Do a backflip.¡±

    ¡°You first.¡± He spat without thinking, ¡°The last time I tried that I was put in hospital for a week.¡±

    She turns to the older woman and earns a short nod in return. Apparently they were done with having him act as their doll.

    ¡°What next? Get him to use his weapons?¡±

    ¡°Weapons?¡± he said stunned at the thought of using his weapons at their commands. He didn¡¯t get any reply as she continued in her conversation.

    ¡°Do we really need to go so far for him. Surely we can commit the King to trial without this Krilm¡± The word felt empty, as she spoke without thought to its meaning. Apparently that was just his name to her now, the thought a little distressing.

    She silently listened as the other woman replied.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take him there now.¡± Her words accompanied with no small measure of annoyance as she snatched at his arm and hastily dragged him away. Struggling with Lilith¡¯s titanic grip he was barely even able to see the direction he was being taken, which was towards the bright unfiltered sunlight apparently.

    His sense of balance still twisted after his ordeal, he was nearly falling to the ground the entire time. Myra, although looking his way with concern, made no move to follow, instead speaking with the taller women now that they had left earshot.

    ¡°Slow down!¡± Matt called out instinctively, knees buckling under him as he lost strength in them momentarily.

    She didn¡¯t reply or even act as if she heard him, dragging him out into the bright light of day. Sunlight bore down on his tired eyes but he had little time to cope with the sudden change or to take in his surroundings, as he continued to be dragged without pause. By the time his eyes had properly adjusted to the light he was forced to kneel before a long bench covered in an odd collection of plant life and what he could only assume was animal carcass.

    He wasn¡¯t so ignorant to be unaware that this was food but it was the first time he¡¯d seen a meal prepared like this outside of the pages of a textbook. Most of the food he¡¯d eaten from childhood to adulthood was heavily processed and usually based off of genetically modified plants and meat grown in vats.

    At first the images were disturbing to his eyes but his grumbling stomach combined with the delicious scent and the succulent sounds of food being consumed all around him quickly turned him in favour of this meal. He had heard it said that hunger was the best spice and now he was hungry enough that even this display of an improperly processed meal was enough to get his mouth watering.

    His hand was reaching out the moment he sat at the table, instinctively reaching for the soup that was most familiar to the meals he usually ate. He stopped it short of snatching at the meal like a starved animal placed before a feast such as this.

    For the first time he noticed the eyes on him bearing down with an intense curiosity. Some even carried hints of concern that were quickly hidden away again. Across the table from him sat the young woman who¡¯d been observing his earlier struggles. Her expression was uniquely terrified unlike the Demon women at the same table.

    Without means to speak with the girl the best he could manage to keep her from succumbing to fright was a nervous smile, the many eyes watching him making him feel patently uncomfortable. He turned to Lilith without speaking, knowing she wouldn¡¯t give him proper answers anyway.

    She was sitting in place beside him but with significant, uncomfortable distance between them compared to the others at the same table. He took note of how she sat on her legs with a regal appearance but he made no move to copy, as even trying to do so would cause nothing but more pain. Watching with careful eyes he observed how she was eating from the table serving herself one item on an empty plate before cutting into it with the utensils provided.

    She finished the first serving before taking another helping from the table, hands moving with a delicacy not familiar to him. He moved with care to replicate her motions, but the utensils felt unnatural in his hands causing him to slip again and again.

    He noticed that most of the other women around him tended to take a sampling of many different items before consuming them, unlike Lilith, though Matt needed all the plate space he could get to try and carve up his meal without spilling food all over the table. She seemed to notice him copying her but didn¡¯t speak up, nevertheless he could feel an unpleasant aura from her direction.

    The young girl who¡¯d been watching as his mind was broken into earlier still sat frightened over the other side of the table but was considerably calmer now than she had been. Perhaps it was from watching him struggle uselessly to try and mimic the motions of everyone else at the table. Her own hands slipped as she tried to make use of the tools in her hands, she quickly dipped her hand down to snatch the food to her mouth when she thought no one was looking.

    Even the small exercise of eating at a table was wearing down on his tired body, the effort straining him as the knife in his hand slipped free for the fourth time. A sudden motion close to his side grabbed his attention as the girl¡¯s expression on the other side of the table suddenly grew more cheerful.

    Hands still frozen in the act of cutting a tough fruit on his plate a large hunk of meat suddenly appeared in his face, forced into his jaws as he opened his mouth to call out in surprise. With a sudden storm of words Myra threw herself onto the cushion beside him, casually throwing a wave to the girl on the other side of the table and letting loose a greeting.

    Still shocked at her appearance he forces down the first mouthful of juicy flesh, but before he can let out even a brief cry the leg is forced back into his mouth. Watching him struggle the girl started letting loose laughter at his expense.

    Matt with some effort struggled to take the leg into his own grip, and away from Myra so that he could at least take a breath. Myra, who had appeared all so suddenly was already throwing herself into the meal with far less dignified motions than any of the others. She snatched food right off the table with her bare hands and tore at it with grunts that would do a soldier proud.

    At her queue the young girl followed suit surrendering the useless utensils and snatching at the food with complete abandon. Apparently she¡¯d been holding herself back as half the food at the table disappeared in a moment between Myra and herself.

    Matt followed their lead finding their uncouth actions to be far more comfortable than the formality he¡¯d been attempting before. The air at the table seemed to become much more relaxed afterwards, the others now speaking up loudly and talking to each other more amiably. He hadn¡¯t even realized how cold the table had been until it had warmed up.

    The young girl on the other side of the table was sharing words with Myra between mouthfuls, her words alien but her glances at Matt indicating topic clearly enough.

    Myra spoke up as she swallowed back a large hunk of fruit, ¡°Matt¡± she spoke casually indicating at him with a greasy leg of meat before waving the same leg at the girl, ¡°Opi.¡±

    Another strange name amongst many for him to memorize but if he lived long enough to memorize it then that was a kind of blessing of its own. ¡°Opi, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± He lowered his head slightly to the young girl earning an amazed look from her.

    He hoped it wasn¡¯t the wrong thing to do but soon she replied, ¡°Matt.¡± She muttered the name, slightly mispronounced but still recognisable. It seemed her fear of him was quickly dissipating, she quickly followed up with more words that he couldn¡¯t understand. Myra slapped his back and replied to the girl, spraying scraps of food from her mouth as she spoke.

    Meanwhile Lilith was again bombarded with questions from all of the other women who were now far livelier since Myra¡¯s appearance. ¡°You¡¯re all speaking over one another like a bunch of starving hounds snapping over a sliver of meat. Have at least a little self-respect and finish this meal first.¡± Her reply tinged with more than a little spite in their direction. Matt was starting to get the feeling that this girl didn¡¯t get along with anyone very well.

    At hearing her words the others quieted down for a moment, turning to each other and speaking quiet words. Even without understanding the meaning he could recognise their displeasure at Lilith¡¯s words, who wouldn¡¯t be angered at being compared to dogs?

    Myra and Opi weren¡¯t paying any mind to these events going on around them instead playfully waving food around as they spoke, occasionally trying to drag Matt into the conversation. Their cheerful nature infectious enough to force a smile to his lips as he was tutored the names of the foodstuffs he was eating.

    ¡°Kokri¡± Myra pointed at the purple fruit that was sitting half eaten on his plate. ¡°Kokri.¡± She continued urging him to say it after her, making him feel a little like a child being taught how to speak for the first time.

    ¡°Kokri.¡± He repeated after her before eating a mouthful of the sour fruit, coated in a sweetly flavoured sauce. It was unlike anything he was used to eating, he could feel the fibres in the flesh of the fruit and it didn¡¯t break apart in his mouth like he was used to from his processed fruit flavoured snacks.

    ¡°Kokrili!¡± Opi called out, shoving a whole portion in her mouth at once so that her cheeks were stuffed. He could understand why she was so fond of the fruit but was still a little discomforted by its strange texture. Giving up on his utensils he picked up the remnants on his plate and ate like he used to as a child.

    Noticing the emptiness of his plate Myra slipped another piece of food onto it so quickly he didn¡¯t even see when she did it, almost as if his plate was filling itself. He stared down at the new challenge, on his plate sat what looked mostly like a whole fish, but where he expected to see fins instead were thin tentacle like limbs.

    The sight reminding him of the vision he¡¯d had of that place in his mind, the creature that¡¯d held him in vice grip and even made his mind unable to move in the slightest.

    Remembering that he hesitated at the sight of the ¡®fish¡¯ in front of him. ¡°Ikit.¡± Myra said, giving name to the fish like being. His stomach churned at the thought of placing any part of it in his mouth, the creature that had been alive not all too long ago. A creature which reminded him of the monster in his vision.

    ¡°Ikit.¡± The word left his mouth but he made no move to try and eat the thing. Elsewhere at the table he could hear conversation rising again, apparently Lilith¡¯s cold nature wasn¡¯t enough to keep them from trying to ease a little out of her. If anything it seemed as if they were even more determined than they were earlier to Lilith¡¯s rather obvious disdain.

    ¡°What¡¯s the bond like? You have all been through this more often than I have. If anything I don¡¯t want to speak of it because it¡¯s annoying, he¡¯s annoying and most importantly you are all very annoying.¡±

    Even this didn¡¯t end their intensive line of questioning it seemed as her irritation only grew larger and their voices more persistent. Their conversation drew his attention away from Myra and the girl for a little too long and with only a brief ¡°Ah¡± from Myra as warning a fork wrapped in slimy noodle like substance was forced into his mouth.

    On the verge of spitting it up, he spun towards Myra who, alongside Opi were laughing at his reaction. ¡°Ikit¡± Opi called out loudly.

    The noodles had an interesting flavour to them, slightly spicy and tougher than he was used to. Finishing it off quickly he threw a look at Myra which only worked to fuel her laughter.

    Lilith¡¯s words interrupted his exchange yet again, ¡°Ha! Intelligent? This Krilm starts speaking the same words as a 4 year old and your instant thought is that he¡¯s intelligent? What low standards you must have.¡±

    That particular statement managed to inspire some ire from the crowd of women slowly forming around them. Not wanting to drag Myra into the conversation but still not willing to let such a jibe go without reply Matt closed his eyes and thought as loudly as he could, ¡°At least I¡¯m smart enough to be able to figure out a person¡¯s name when I¡¯m told it.¡±

    Without opening his mouth or looking her direction he still felt a wave of enmity wash over him from her direction. Myra, noticing Opi was starting to hear the unpleasant words being brandied around her, was putting more effort into her childish behaviour. Forcing food on the girl the same way she did with him moments ago; the girl distracted as she was didn¡¯t see Myra coming and turned at just the wrong moment ending up with a serving of Kokri slapped against her cheek.

    Her expression of shock and surprise brought a smile to Matt¡¯s lips as he watched her suffer through a similar experience as he had at the hands of Myra. Feeling a little stronger after the meal, he was tempted to try his hand at revenge. Wrapping up a Kokri around his fork while Myra was still focused on the complaining Opi, he moved to quickly and quietly force the food on her the same way she had him.

    Somehow in the moments that followed his attack was countered right back at him, ending up with him being the victim of Myra¡¯s childish games again. Chewing down the last morsels while the other two continued laughed at his expense, he finally stared down at the ¡®fish¡¯ called Ikit, on his plate noticing the tentacles missing.

    He decided it was probably best not to follow that line of investigation instead picking at the rest of the fish with his fork trying not to let its shape bother him.

    The voices rowdily grew louder again, as the taller woman from earlier walked towards them carrying a large bundle wrapped in white cloth. He couldn¡¯t make sense of their words but even Myra and Opi stopped playing around to watch as she approached.

    It was then that Lilith spoke loudly to the group, ¡°It is about time that we judge the guilt of this¡­ Matt¡­ being, for use of weapons suspected of being magical in nature.¡± Her voice sounded relaxed but he could feel a slight sense of fright accompanied by her thoughts.

 Chapter 6 - Guns

    Guns

    Food turned to ash in his mouth as he was reminded of his tenuous position. If guilty he was likely to be executed, he could see that in the serious expression of everyone around as they stared at the white bundle as if it was the baby devil himself swaddled within. Even Myra looked upon the hidden guns with a serious expression that was rather unlike her, while Opi stared down at her plate, poking at the food as if trying to ignore the suddenly heavy atmosphere.

    Body still aching Matt stood up on unsteady legs, finding within himself renewed strength to face the challenges in front of him. Lilith gave him only a brief glance before turning her back to him and following the taller woman to the edge of the encampment, her sudden actions left all eyes staring at him as he nervously followed after.

    Myra busied herself with calming Opi, leaving Matt to move forwards on his own, suffocating in the apprehensive atmosphere that followed after him, gaining intensity with every step. The tents that they weaved around were like smaller imitations of the larger tent he¡¯d awoken in earlier. They were set up with complete disregard for order. Scattered out in such a way that they had to zig zag through them before they were finally to reach their destination at the edge of the camp.

    Forcing his dry mouth to swallow back the bile in his throat he looked over the open region, pieces of old armour and bales of yellowing plants were distributed randomly around the open area, most of which were littered with massive black arrows piercing through them. Seeing what looked like bullet holes in some of the closer pieces of metal plate, he felt a rising horror at the thought that they may already have some kind of gun. His attention quickly returned to the bundle containing his weapons.

    The bundle of white cloth was gently lowered to the ground, accompanied by the muffled sounds of metal shifting against metal. The package was roughly the length of his rifle at half a metre long but was large enough that he supposed that it should contain the majority of his belongings short of the fallen armour that he¡¯d left behind in the city.

    The tall woman who¡¯d carried the package over was carefully unwrapping it, her hands slow and motions delicate, she was treating the contents a little like one might treat a dangerous explosive. When he looked at the white cloth more intensely he noticed black vines weaving around it, similar to those painting the skin of all the women here.

    ¡°These are all the items that were found on you at your collapse, including your weapons.¡± Lilith stood on one side of him speaking in a low voice, tactfully avoiding the reason for his collapse. Myra, with Opi by her side, stood on his other side moving around excitedly trying to peak past the woman¡¯s shoulders down at the bundle as it was unwrapped. Lilith watched with a little more composure than her more energetic colleague.

    ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± He imaged the taller woman in his mind as he spoke the word ¡®her¡¯.

    ¡°Why do you care?¡± Lilith turned only to give him a filthy stare before returning her eyes to the weapons being carefully uncovered.

    ¡°I thought it might be good to get on the good side of your officer.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not my Okiniu.¡± She replied with her thoughts, her mind seemingly translating the word strangely.

    ¡°Really, you don¡¯t exactly seem like equals and I have trouble believing that you¡¯re the one with authority over her.¡± She seemed irritated at the sound of his voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t, and why does a Krilm like you think that I am not equal with anyone else here! What makes you think that I¡¯m any different from any of them?!¡± He could already tell that it wasn¡¯t a question meant to be answered, but he wasn¡¯t willing to let her tirade end here not after she named him Krilm again.

    ¡°That would have to be because you aren¡¯t anything like them. You¡¯ve been treating everyone with contempt other than her,¡± he indicated the taller woman who was kneeling in front of them. ¡°You seem to listen to her even when you don¡¯t want to, as if she¡¯s your officer or something.¡±

    She hesitated, looking over him again. Although she looked upset she didn¡¯t reply immediately. After a few seconds she looked away muttering under her breathe, ¡°She isn¡¯t my Okiniu.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ who¡¯s the one in charge?¡±

    ¡°No one.¡±

    ¡°No one? Impossible someone has to be in charge.¡± He spoke with confidence, as it was an obvious and constant truth. As children it was the elders, as a grown-up it was your officers, as an officer it was the System itself. The only reason society could even work was because everyone followed their orders, without an officer there aren¡¯t orders and there is no such thing as a society, he couldn¡¯t understand how she could so casually deny such an obvious reality.

    He considered his history lessons as a child, remembering some of what he was taught of the ¡®free¡¯ nations from before the System. Most of them had considered freedom as a great necessity, yet all of them still functioned with officers and orders of some name or title. Their freedom had been nothing but a farce so it was only logical to think that it was the same with these demon women here.

    ¡°Idiot. Do you really know nothing at all about us?¡±

    ¡°Well it is difficult to learn when you refuse to answer my questions.¡±

    Releasing a sigh Lilith spoke briefly, ¡°Cassielle¡±

    The taller woman briefly glanced back at them at the sound of her name, looking at Lilith questioningly. She replied with a small wave of her hand in Matts direction, earning him an even more earnest stare.

    ¡°U-um, Cassielle, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± He bowed his head deeply in her direction but didn¡¯t earn any kind of reply before she turned back to her work. He could feel the pressure in his chest die down as her eyes released him from their hold.

    Looking over Cassielle¡¯s shoulder he could see the rifles shape imprinted on the cloth beneath the tumultuous motions of the vines. He wondered what was taking her so long to unwrap his gear but as he watched her he soon discovered that what she was doing was not so simple. Her hands weaved back and forth along the surface of the cloth, along the black lines, absorbing the lines as she moved. It likely would have taken her no time at all to complete if she wasn¡¯t treating it so carefully.

    He hesitated to ask what she was doing to his gear, afraid that he mightn¡¯t like the answer, that¡¯s if Lilith was even willing to give him one. Nervously he raised his voice to just above a whisper.

    ¡°What¡­ What is she doing?¡±

    ¡°Unsealing it.¡±

    ¡°Unsealing?¡±

    ¡°Unsealing.¡±

    ¡°Magically unsealing it?¡± hesitantly he used the word to describe what was happening.

    ¡°Krilm.¡± Lilith turned to him with a fire in her eyes hand outstretched as if to grab him by the neck but paused a few inches short. Matt stood frozen unable to even step backwards. ¡°Don¡¯t ever compare our Curses to magic or I might not hold back next time.¡±

    ¡°Curses? Okay, not magic.¡± Shaken by her sudden intensity he returned his eyes to the cursed display performed by Cassielle. He decided it would be safer to avoid that topic from now. ¡°So why was it sealed in the first place?¡± he tried framing the question in a way that might avoid getting her anger up.

    ¡°Are you joking or seriously an idiot?¡± She continued talking without her voice, ¡°If they are magically imbued weapons they can¡¯t be allowed to sit without being sealed away, and even if they aren¡¯t. If they start killing people on their own like those little Klrikers did someone might actually get hurt. Namely; you.¡± Alongside the word Klrikers he was delivered an image of small winged reptiles, similar to those he¡¯d seen fighting the eagle only this morning.

    He swallowed back his fear, realizing that she really didn¡¯t mind that ending.

    A wave of air washed over him as the last of the black vines released their hold on his equipment, the cloth slackening and unravelling on its own. Inside he could peak a glimpse of the rifle that was the apparent cause of his current imprisonment. Cassielle removed the cloth laying it out like a picnic cloth, revealing the weapons that had been confiscated from him alongside the many other pieces of gear that they¡¯d seized, including his collection of ammunition and half wrecked helmet.

    ¡°It would be for the best if you didn¡¯t shoot anyone else here. You wouldn¡¯t survive if you did.¡± Through the venom in her words he realized something.

    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t I dead yet, I did shoot you.¡±

    ¡°It would be in your best interest not to speak of that incident.¡± She spoke without words.

    The simplicity of her answer eliciting him to take on a pale complexion as an acidic taste assaulted the back of his tongue.

    A strange sensation washed over the crowd at the sight of the weapons, the seriousness that had been building up earlier was washed away replaced with an intense curiosity. They occasionally glanced at him, making him wonder what they thought of him right now. It was strange enough that they weren¡¯t considering him an enemy but now even the seriousness they¡¯d expressed was gone. He felt a little like a child again as they looked upon him without even a hint of fear. Even the way they looked at his weapons was less fearful than would be natural, Cassielle seemed to be the only one treating them with hesitation and care.

    Carefully he reached out for the rifle, concerned that they might just strike him down for picking it up but even still they didn¡¯t treat him as a threat. They didn¡¯t move for their weapons which was a good sign but it made him feel unsure about them, as if he truly was weak as a child compared to them, even armed with his rifle.

    Firmly pushing his hand out to the rifle he felt a film of ice melting on the metal where his body heat warmed it. Looking over the rifle and the rest of his gear he noticed that they all had that same slight chill to them as if they were just removed from a deep freeze. He tried his best to ignore the strangeness of it as he lifted the rifle into his bruised and bleeding hands.

    Working around his broken arm he rested the rifle in the growing bruise on his knee as he checked over the weapon. Pulling back the charging handle a fraction sent a spike of pain through his fingers where his nails had been torn free. Ignoring the pain, he confirmed that there was still a round loaded into the breach and the magazine was still mostly full as it had been when he dropped it. He snapped the magazine back into place with a firm slap.

    He was thankful that they hadn¡¯t accidentally fired the thing when they were carrying it around but even if they had he had no idea how it would have reacted to the seal placed on it. ¡°So you want me to fire it? And that¡¯s enough to prove me innocent?¡±

    ¡°Fire it without killing anyone and yes, you will be considered innocent in regards to use of magic.¡±

    ¡°In regards to use of magic? So is there anything else I did that you might kill me over?¡±

    ¡°Personally, yes. Unfortunately you haven¡¯t broken any other laws from our order so I¡¯m going to have to let you live.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately¡­ is that the target then?¡± He gestured to the large metal plates down the other end of the range and she gestured her hand out at them as if to hurry him along. The targets looked as if they were simply thick metal chest plates that had been abandoned, now they were so covered in holes that there was little chance they could stop even a thrown stone from hitting flesh. Some of the chest plates still bristled with thick black arrow shafts piercing most of the way through them.

    He aimed the rifle down range using his right arm to rest the length of the barrel while griping it with his left. He felt only slightly awkward using it left handed, he hadn¡¯t enjoyed the ambidextrous shooting training but he had passed. The holographic sight appeared instantly as a laser fired into his left eye highlighting the bullet path with a faint red line ending with a bright red cross atop where the bullet would strike. He selected single fire careful of his open wounds on his finger, ¡°Get everyone to cover their ears, normally you¡¯d wear earplugs or some form of sound filtering but¡­¡±

    ¡°Just get on with it already,¡± Lilith expressed her impatience as she started toying with the pistol that was still sitting on the bundle.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch that!¡± He felt a rising panic as she held it in her hand, lowering his rifle and turning towards her.

    ¡°It works like this right?¡± She pointed it at the closest target and fired it once. Her hand jumping from the recoil. ¡°Strange, I didn¡¯t expect it to jump back like that. I suppose it really is different from a crossbow.¡± The metal chest piece that she¡¯d fired at was splinted into half a dozen metal shards scattered around the area.

    Matt¡¯s heart was pounding from the loud crack that split the air, through the ringing in his ears he could make out the women around him chattering to themselves excitedly. The only one who seemed to be effected by the noise other than Matt himself was Opi, rubbing at her ears and shaking her head while shaking slightly. She¡¯d be lucky if she didn¡¯t suffer from some partial deafness after this.

    ¡°Hurry up and fire yours, or do you need me to do it for you?¡± With a sigh he rested the rifle against his leg for a moment and waved to the young girl still shaking her head around. When she noticed him he covered his ears with his hands, but she didn¡¯t seem to understand. Thankfully Myra who was now standing behind the girl understood his meaning, covering the girl¡¯s ears with her own hands.

    With that taken care of Matt quickly braced the rifle against his shoulder and aimed it awkwardly downrange at the furthest target, not wanting to risk shrapnel flying back as it did for Lilith¡¯s shot. His grip felt strange as he tried his best to avoid his broken arm but he had little choice, if he wanted to hit the distant targets he had to handle it with his normal hands. Using his left arm to firmly brace the weapon against his shoulder, his broken arm to finger the trigger without holding onto the pistol grip.

    The recoil slammed into his shoulder, but wasn¡¯t as bad as he¡¯d expected. The round had already slammed into the most distant target, turning it into shrapnel which in turn managed to knock down a number of small trees which were standing behind the target.

    This being the second time seeing a gun fire the demonic women around him didn¡¯t express quite as powerful a reaction, but their interest was definitely peaked. Some were looking over the left over metal from where Lilith had shot the pistol while talking among themselves.

    Matt quickly removed the magazine and cycled out the live round, catching it from the air before it hit the dirt. Reloaded the round into the magazine and replaced the magazine back into the rifle. This way it wouldn¡¯t accidentally go off but he could fire it in a moment¡¯s notice by pulling back on the charging handle on the side of the rifle.

    Gently placing the rifle back on top of the white cloth he held out his hand to Lilith who was still toying with the pistol. She glanced at him before pulling the slide back, ejecting a live round which she caught with the utmost grace.

    ¡°Hey that thing is dangerous if you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°So long as I don¡¯t pull this part here it won¡¯t fire, will it?¡± She tapped the side of the trigger with her finger.

    ¡°Well, no but¡­¡± He stepped towards her again while she inspected the round in her hand.

    ¡°This thing is different to the one that came out earlier.¡± She held out an empty casing between two fingers comparing it to the live round in between her next two fingers. ¡°So this must be the part that flies out.¡± He felt some tension at how quickly she was understanding the weapon in her hands.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to keep that are you?¡± Matt spoke hoping that she¡¯d just give up the weapon already before she reverse engineered the thing.

    ¡°Of course, but I¡¯m just checking thoroughly for magical residue first.¡± Her reply was only moderately relieving as she continued to toy with the round in her hand. Dangling the pistol with the bottom of her hand she pinched the projectile in the round tearing it out manually before looking into the newly formed vacancy.

    While she was slightly distracted he tried to pry the pistol out of her hand gently, he had the feeling she wouldn¡¯t kill him for it and he couldn¡¯t handle it being in her hands for any longer. Just as he was about to steal it away she quickly and almost thoughtlessly spun around avoiding his attack completely.

    ¡°Strange smell, is this by any chance¡­?¡± She poured some of the gunpowder onto her finger before it sparked into a quickly expiring life. ¡°So this must be the fuel. Interesting.¡±

    Finally, she gave up the pistol, also pouring into his hands the now worthless casing and projectile. ¡°Thanks.¡± He muttered sarcastically. Taking the pistol off of Lilith he did the same safety process to the pistol before placing it back amongst his few possessions.

    Many of the women were already harassing Lilith with questions again, likely trying to find out what she¡¯d discovered about the weapon. Many of the women were staring at the pistol lying in the bundle of things, thankfully, unlike Lilith, none of them were curious enough to take it out and mess with it themselves.

    Lilith turned her head to their questions, ¡°If you are so desperate to find out then take a look for yourselves.¡±

    Apparently they were satisfied with him passing the test since he was still alive and they hadn¡¯t yet destroyed his guns. Lilith in particular wouldn¡¯t have been willing to mess around with ¡®magic¡¯ as much as she did with his pistol, not with the way she seemed to despise magic so much.

    Myra, kneeling down, was playing with the casing that flew free from the rifle when he fired. It would still be hot but he doubted that would do much damage to her. He picked up the casing from where she was poking at it, it wasn¡¯t quite hot enough to burn his fingers. He offered it to her trying to indicate that it was safe. She seemed confused by it. Probably wondering how it worked as well.

    She expressed a few questions his direction but he couldn¡¯t understand what she was saying. She was the same as she¡¯d been since this morning, not afraid of him or his rifles and thankfully not seeming to petition for his death. Taking in a deep breath he decided to trust her. He needed some friends here, some people that he could rely upon even if just a little.

    These people weren¡¯t his enemies, at least that¡¯s how they thought about it, but that didn¡¯t make them allies either. He wasn¡¯t trained for a situation like this, almost all of his training assumed that he would escape or be killed so he didn¡¯t know what to do.

    ¡°Save them.¡± The words echoed through his mind reminding him that that was not quite true. He knew what he had to do just not how to do it.

    Feeling a little hesitant, he removed a live round from the magazine in his rifle and compared it to the casing that Myra had picked up. She looked on curious as he attempted to show her how the rifle worked. He pointed at the projectile sticking out from the brass casing and then into the empty part of the casing in Myra¡¯s case.

    ¡°Boom.¡± He expanded his hand in an imitation of an explosion, and then pointed at the projectile, ¡°Fwoosh.¡± and threw his hand outwards quickly trying to imitate the speed of a bullet.

    Myra looked on with interest, she seemed to understand a little of what he was trying relay to her. The secret to more advanced weapons that was already in far more dangerous hands anyway, considering how quickly Lilith had figured it out. He reloaded the bullet into the magazine turning back to Lilith and his belongings.

    ¡°If you really want to know, why don¡¯t you learn his language and bother him about it.¡± She was still trying to throw aside her questioners with pointless comments.

    Cutting into their conversation he approached Lilith, ¡°So do I get to keep my things now?¡±

    ¡°So long as you don¡¯t go shooting anyone else we don¡¯t have the right to keep them from you. If you¡¯d like I wouldn¡¯t mind holding onto that little weapon of yours.¡± She spoke without words again making him feel a little hesitant to reply.

    ¡°I think not, with my arm as it is that¡¯s the only weapon I can actually use properly.¡± That and he¡¯d probably die from stress just at the thought of her having a pistol with her while she was anywhere near him. With her tremendous speed she could probably fire off the entire magazine in a second or two, with his weapons she posed a very real threat to real soldiers.

    He started fiddling with his belongings putting everything together in a way that he could carry them easily. Fortunately, the rifle had a sling buried away amidst his belongings for instances when he had to abandon his armour. The uniform he¡¯d worn under his armour was rather badly singed but was still mostly in one piece apart from a few holes at his shoulder and one small hole where his bone had cut through the fabric.

    The uniform was one piece and designed to tightly fit the wearer so that it didn¡¯t get in the way of the armour that was meant to be layered on top. He struggled to put the uniform on while avoiding his broken arm but by the end of it the wound was aching beneath the tight confines of his clothes. His pistol holster was long since missing but he managed to loop the weapon through his gear belt.

    His half-destroyed helmet was quite the sight to see and made him instinctively reach for his face feeling as if his nose might be missing. The visor was half-melted away, all backup switches and controls were completely fried, but the external microphones at the back of the helmet at least seemed undamaged. As well as that, the primary computational devices located within layers of plating at the back of the helmet didn¡¯t seem to be damaged. Theoretically he might be able to recover some use out of the thing, maybe even convert it into a functional language translations system.

    He managed to clip all of his spare ammunition into the specialised pockets of his uniform but he could feel a conspicuous absence where his medical pack was meant to rest. He could remember it falling somewhere back when he¡¯d been running from Lilith but even if he could remember where it was, likely gone by now. It would still be worth searching for if he had the chance but he was concerned that going off on his own would earn him another strike in their books.

    With his belongings holstered away as best as he could manage he stood awkwardly waiting to be told what to do. Strangely he felt no desire to run back to the portal where he could meet with his own people again, even though it was technically his current order.

    Just thinking about it he couldn¡¯t even make his feet move.

    ¡°Save them.¡± He spoke the words aloud again and found himself moving, turning towards the city that was, all this time, looming in the corner of his eye.

    He knew that there were others here that hadn¡¯t yet died but he didn¡¯t know where, and he didn¡¯t know how to save them. How could he take on a mission this big on his own when he¡¯d never done anything like it before? No intelligence, no backup, limited ammo and no pickup.

    ¡°Just keep trying until something works.¡±

    A voice from the past, words he¡¯d stolen from someone far more heroic than himself.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Lilith was turning away from her kin to speak with him, it seemed more an excuse to leave them behind than any real interest.

    ¡°It means what it means.¡± He mumbled, looking up at the city.

    ¡°You¡¯re planning something stupid aren¡¯t you?¡± Her words struck too close to home, though in truth he didn¡¯t have anything that he could consider a real plan. ¡°Revenge?¡±

    The word rung strange in his mind, a concept that he didn¡¯t quite understand, ¡°You¡¯re in my head I¡¯m sure you can figure it out if you want to.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that, bonds like this are only able to transmit the thoughts most conscious on a person¡¯s mind.¡±

    ¡°Then who¡­ or what is Grikith.¡± She froze up at the name, turning pale and looking to see if anyone else heard him speaking.

    ¡°How do you-?¡± She was speaking without words again as she dragged him off, the other women too focused on the shrapnel left on the range to notice them.

    ¡°I think I spoke with it when I was in your head.¡±

    ¡°You what?!¡± The words ringing his mind. ¡°How did you learn about that? You were barely able to speak with me only a short while ago and now your stepping into my head without thought for safety or god forbid some privacy?!?¡±

    ¡°Privacy?¡± The word strange to him like many others, ¡°Safety? So that thing is dangerous then?¡±

    She chose not to say anything more for a while, dragging him forwards by his good arm again, but with a little less stumbling this time. He¡¯d partially recovered from his wounds with his rest while eating.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to anything it says.¡± Her voice was firm.

    ¡°What is it?¡± He pressed her for answers but she refused to reply.

    The sun was already sliding down the horizon, indicating that there was little light left in the day.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± She was still leading him ahead by the wrist as if he were a child.

    ¡°Away from the others.¡±

    ¡°Are we going to talk about things you don¡¯t want them to overhear?¡±

    She looked back at him with concern, ¡°I¡¯m getting away from the pests. Anything that I don¡¯t want them to hear, won¡¯t be spoken of, with or without them.¡± Her voice pressing to make her meaning clear.

    ¡°So where is that exactly, I have somewhere I need to get to.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to the castle.¡± Her voice rang out loudly.

    ¡°I need to¡­¡± He swallowed back the rest of his words, his mind fluttering around anxiously as he wondered exactly what it was he needed to do.

    ¡°You want to kill the King right?¡± Her voice clear but her conclusion confusing. ¡°You can¡¯t, or more specifically you won¡¯t. I¡¯m responsible for keeping you alive and that includes keeping you from breaking any laws that would require me to kill you. Otherwise you would lose your, less than spectacular, value as a witness.¡±

    ¡°Why would I want to kill the king?¡± He paused confused, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he just be replaced by another king? It wouldn¡¯t change a thing and only make everything more difficult and, as you said, get me killed.¡±

    This time it was her turn to pause, she let go of his hand and turned towards him, they were both standing on the edge of the white cloth camp. ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t he kill someone important to you? Or was that emotional outburst earlier from something else.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I guess he might have been responsible for her death, but how would killing him change anything. More killing doesn¡¯t bring anyone back from the dead, the only way to save someone is to keep them alive in the first place.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re not after revenge then why are you wanting to go to the castle?¡±

    ¡°There were others.¡± His voice was low.

    She stared at him a moment before moving on, a hanging expectation for him to follow her. The city walls were standing high at his side, this would possibly be his last chance to try and run for home. This could be his last chance to escape this world and still have a place to call home.

    He turned his back to the forest where the portal was hidden, instead facing the castle wall where men armed with crossbows walked, eying him suspiciously.

    ¡°The gates are open?¡± The city gates were flooding with people moving into the city beneath the purpling sky, many of whom were rushing to avoid the coming night.

    ¡°Well its rather clear that it wouldn¡¯t matter if they were closed. I¡¯m not sure if you saw it but the other gates were blown apart during the escape your allies made. And if the rumours are true your people can just go over the walls themselves anyway.¡±

    ¡°I suppose so.¡± There was still a thick thoroughfare walking through the gates of the city, guards stood in great number speaking with the people trying to enter the city. Many people were dragging large wagons filled with a variety of things; some were filled with furs, some with fruits, weapons and armour, clothes, pots, wood, and some things that he couldn¡¯t even recognise.

    The strangest though were the animals, gathered together and caged up, they were squawking, howling and squealing as loudly as they could, as if they were on their way to their deaths.

    The guards were looking through people¡¯s items and taking coins from them before waving them through the city gates which stood at least three metres tall. Lilith with absolutely no regard to the line strode past the guards as if daring for them to stop her.

    Though they shared some filthy looks mostly targeting him, the guards were unwilling to step up to either Lilith or Matt. Some familiar faces among the guards elected to turn the other direction entirely in the face of Lilith¡¯s presence.

    The buildings that surrounded him the moment he stepped within the city walls were the same clay structures that he remembered leaving behind only this morning. Though at that time he hadn¡¯t taken as much notice of the people that were crowding the streets and in and around the buildings.

    Unlike the guards, the people around them showed great interest in Lilith and himself. At first it was only glances and stares and small talk behind his back, but in a few moments an old lady carrying a platter of cooked vegetables approached speaking enthusiastically with Lilith.

    Putting on a tense smile Lilith replied to the woman, ¡°Thank you greatly. It would be a pleasure.¡±, she ended up taking up one of the vegetables by the small stick stuck through it and carefully placed it into her mouth. She didn¡¯t express anything about the taste as the older lady moved on to Matt, shoving the food in his direction. It seemed that she wanted him to taste the food as well.

    Hesitantly he reached out for a taste and immediately recoiled from the sourness of the flavour. It didn¡¯t taste awful, in fact it tasted incredibly sweet after the first impact, but the sourness was enough to bring a few tears to his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± The lady not understanding his words started to panic at his reaction, worrying about the food she¡¯d given him.

    ¡°He said that it¡¯s so good that it reminds him of his dead mother, bringing him to tears. He is rather emotional; I would ask you forgive his impertinence.¡± He gave a little bow to the older lady but sneered at Lilith for her exaggerated lie. Dead mother, what was a mother in the first place? It must mean someone important to you, so perhaps it was like his friends as kid, or perhaps like the elders that took care of them?

    After the woman left them with a big grin on her face a collection of people following after her suddenly seemed interested in her food.

    ¡°What¡¯s a mother?¡± Matt aimed the question at Lilith who was already walking down ahead, she suddenly tripped over her own feet as she heard what he asked.

    ¡°What did you just ask?¡± She turned to him walking right up to him before looking into his eyes.

    ¡°Earlier to the older lady you said my mother was dead. Eh¡­ sorry if I wasn¡¯t supposed to be listening in¡­¡± He stepped back in the face of her seriousness.

    ¡°Not that. What did you ask just before?¡± She moved back a step noticing how close she¡¯d gotten to him.

    ¡°What is a mother? Is it something like a friend?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t have a mother? The woman who birthed you, who raised you.¡± She looked at him with a combination of surprise, curiosity and some considerable sadness.

    ¡°Who raised me? I guess that would be the elders but, the woman who birthed me has nothing to do with that. It¡¯s not right for children to talk to adults, so I¡¯ve never met her.¡±

    ¡°Never met her¡­ your people truly are cruel.¡± As she finished speaking she turned back to the road ahead.

    Matt didn¡¯t know how to reply, following after here as she was harassed by another citizen of this strange place, this time the person seemed quite short. Unusually short. It took him a moment to realize that it was a child, having met Opi already he understood that children were sometimes let to meet with adults but it was still strange to see them running around adults freely.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you too but it¡¯s still some time before you have to think about such things. Enjoy your time now as much as you can.¡± For the first time Lilith seemed to have a genuine smile on her face as she spoke with the young girl.

    ¡°I¡¯m on an important mission at the moment, I¡¯m escorting an idiot through the city without losing him to any holes or passing carriages. Being one of us isn¡¯t always about fighting.¡± She pet the young girl on the head before sending her off to a middle aged woman who was waiting for her return.

    ¡°Who was that?¡±

    ¡°Just a child interested in joining the Sasahara Knights.¡± She passed off the comment like it was nothing.

    ¡°Just a child?¡± Matt whispered to himself, ¡°What a strange world.¡±

    Just a few dozen metres down the road another young woman around their age rushed forwards to speak with Lilith but Matt was too preoccupied to bother with listening in on their conversation. His mind was racing with thoughts of a world without order like this seemed to be. Children apparently ran about freely and adults seemed to be stopping and chatting around them without any real purpose to the conversation. This chaos was something that he couldn¡¯t quite understand.

    The lady that had approached Lilith quickly and politely ended their conversation to rush into a nearby dwelling as the last rays of light fled from the horizon. A chill raced through the air as the streets rapidly emptied, and a cool breeze flowed in through the massive road. Clay stone buildings shone with light from fires and lamps lighting up from within, the people reacting to the sudden darkness with an immediacy that shocked Matt.

    ¡°Is there something bad about the nights here?¡± Matt spoke his mind hoping to distract from the pain still occasionally washing over his body and the discomfort of being somewhere so completely alien.

    ¡°No, but there are many rumours,¡± She spoke in her strange tongue as she walked. ¡°There is no truth to the rumours but still the fools hurry on home to avoid the magics and curses.¡±

    ¡°Curses?¡± The strange word struck a spark in him reminding him of what she¡¯d spoken about earlier.

    ¡°Something you wouldn¡¯t understand a thing about, Krilm. A person can¡¯t be cursed in the darkness or because of the falling of night.¡± He felt a little irritated that she was still using that word in place of his name but he had already given up by now.

    ¡°Curses and magics, this world really is something else.¡± Matt had studied some history in his childhood and always found it interesting tracking down histories of such things but never did he imagine that they might have some real form. Let alone something so completely absurd.

    ¡°Anyway where are you taking me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m securing a place to rest.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t we just stay at camp?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s against the rules.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ guess that makes sense,¡± He wiped at the blood on his hands. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have a soldier from another army camping with you unless you intend to keep them prisoner.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s because you¡¯re a man¡­¡± She gave him a side long look before continuing, ¡°or close enough.¡±

    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±

    ¡°It has to do with everything.¡± Passion exuding from her mind as she spoke.

    ¡°What would happen if a man stayed?¡±

    ¡°It would be likely that they¡¯d be cursed and then, regrettably, we¡¯d have to kill them. Or not so regrettably in your case.¡± She spoke without looking over at him.

    ¡°So a woman won¡¯t get cursed?¡± He did what he could to ignore her jab and her growing irritation.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter as much if they did.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to so long as you do what I tell you to.¡± Her tone enough to end the conversation.

    Ahead stood a large stone building with a thick wooden door, but even through all of that he could hear music and loud voices calling out raucously. ¡°When we go inside do not speak with anyone, or I¡¯ll snap you neck.¡± Matt instinctively loosened the neck on his uniform.

    Lilith opened the door with a loud creak, as soon as the door cracked open music and light washed over them. People were stumbling around at tables while others sloshed tall drinks as they called out loudly towards a short stage standing at the edge of the room.

    Lilith quickly made her way to a man standing behind the counter and exchanged quick words with him. Her words fluent and forceful were lost in the loudness of the room and Matt had little interest in breaking into the meaning through her mind. He was too distracted by the woman on stage, moving her limbs quickly in pace with the music while singing with enough life to break through the din.

    Although he couldn¡¯t understand the words Matt could feel something flowing out of them. A power that resounded in his chest making him want to step forwards closer to the stage, but as he stepped forwards Lilith intercepted him shoving him towards a thin set of stairs in the far corner of the room. As he was rounded up, the woman singing on stage turned his direction, staring right into his eyes and winking as she finished her song.

    She quickly left his sight as he was corralled up the stairs into a corridor with a series of doors on either side. Lilith moved forwards and forced open the furthest door entering a room sparsely populated with only a pair of small beds and a bedside stand between, with what had to be an oil lamp of some design.

    With little time to waste and no spared words for Lilith, he threw himself down on the bed dropping the rifle down by the bedside and removing his pistol to the bedside table. With the music still loudly playing beneath his feet, and laying atop a bed as soft as a cloud he passed out, mind filled with the past and the future.

 Chapter 7 - Dreams of Days Past

    Dreams of Days Past

    Darkness, a cold barren nothingness expanding out before his eyes beyond the edges of his perception, there was no up or down, left or right. This was a place between life and death, a void empty of anything except for one¡¯s own mind, a place where dimensions and physics did not exist.

    In the distant parts of his own self, the gentle sound of waves washing against earth touched at his ears, a faint presence watched him from deep at sea, familiar yet also alien. It listened silently without attempt to hide its presence, and made no effort to speak. Gradually his awareness of it faded away as other matters took away his focus.

    Matt remembered something important while floating in that sea of emptiness, a name. The name of someone important, someone who he¡¯d already lost long ago.

    Karen.

    The name brought with it a gentle warmth that embraced him, held him close, made him feel safe. Quickly that warmth escalated, even as it turned into a raging inferno he tried to hold on, tried to hold her but to no avail. Her face appeared before his eyes, ¡°Save them.¡± The words echoing through his soul over and over.

    ¡°Save them. Save them. Save them.¡±

    Before long her image burned away leaving only ashes and a stinging sensation where his heart was meant to be.

    Overcome with guilt and loss he was returned to the cold dark loneliness, a place where a man could go mad just waiting for an end that would never come, surrounded by his regrets, by his desire to change that which can never be changed.

    He slowly became aware of a distant light shining like the last dying spark of life drifting away from the fire that spawned it; the last piece of the heart that had burned to ash. He felt eyes watching him as he reached out for that spark clutching it with all the strength left in his tired soul.

    A distant light grew stronger, stimulating his tired eyes with a reality he hadn¡¯t seen in a very long time.

    He was filled with a sudden floating sensation just before he burst to the surface of a shallow river. Coughing up the water from his lungs, he was suddenly dragged out of the water by someone familiar.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t fall asleep while you walk, might just drown next time.¡± The youthful voice came from in front of him. ¡°How do you even manage it anyway?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine Ren, just a little tired still.¡± He replied still coughing lightly thought only droplets remained in his lungs making an unconvincing argument. Ren gave him a hearty pat on the back before stepping back up again, holding out her hand for him.

    After wiping his hands ineffectually on his soaked pants before taking her offered assistance. She was also a little wet from having dragged him out of the river he¡¯d accidentally walked right into. She all to forcefully pulled him up, almost making him fall over again from the force of it.

    They¡¯d been walking down a familiar brick road while chatting in the morning light. Today they were heading into town for supplies so they avoided making the trip through the heat of the day, which was the reason for his sleep deprivation, and eventual morning swim.

    ¡°So, what were you dreaming about as you walked into the river?¡± She patted at his wet clothes while he made sure nothing was missing. He still had his waste pack hanging from the back of his pants, and all his clothes were still present. He quickly checked to make sure that the seal on his pack hadn¡¯t broken, but his notes were still holding up well.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± He couldn¡¯t think back so far, the memories of his dream fading away into oblivion the moment he¡¯d been shocked awake. All he could remember was an unfamiliar warm sensation bursting from his chest just as he awoke.

    ¡°Well whatever it is don¡¯t go drifting off like that again, you scared me to death. I thought you were a zombie or something when you just walked right in like that.¡± She dragged her hand across his scalp ringing out his water-logged hair.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Matt forced his self into wakefulness, the brisk wind through his wet clothes helping him to remain conscious. The weather was rather cool today compared to how hot it normally was.

    As he stared into the rivers flowing water he felt a shock of fear, something he hadn¡¯t felt for a long while. There was something floating past him along the river, something small and frail, so cold that it made his heart freeze over just looking at her. It was gone in a moment as his dream reset along its initial memory but the fear it inspired in him remained.

    His face refused to reflect the emotions brewing within, since this past could not be changed through future reflections and memories cannot be erased, especially those most despised.

    He was walking a scripted path, a path that he¡¯d already lived once before a time long ago.

    Matt stood up the momentary gloom fading away, today was a few days after his 9<sup>th</sup> birthday. Ren, who was born on the same day as him, had made an occasion of it. Throwing quite a loud celebration with fires and special food made by Jane. They¡¯d managed to cut through all of their food supplies when Ren tried to make some cookies out of their food paste.

    As was like her she didn¡¯t give up until the very last of their supplies had been burnt into a charcoal black liquid that stunk up their home. Even this morning he could still smell hints of that devilish concoction she¡¯d made.

    Having run through all of their food supplies they had to hurry through the process of gathering more food from town but Ren had other plans in the work as well. This wasn¡¯t going to be just a regular food run but then again, they never did go to town without causing some sort of trouble.

    Today he¡¯d been woken up early by Ren who¡¯d suddenly been charged by the idea of moving into town hours ahead of what she¡¯d decided the night before. Apparently, they were to meet up with some of the other members of their family down there.

    ¡°So why are the others already in town?¡± Matt asked flapping his soaked shirt in the breeze to both cool down and dry off.

    ¡°They stayed over last night to make some¡­ preparations.¡± Ren had a wicked smile on her face when he turned to look at her.

    ¡°Preparations?¡±

    ¡°Tonight, we¡¯re going to have some fun with the town-kids; see if we can¡¯t get some emotions out of those zombies. Hehehe¡± She¡¯d already gone into full evil mode.

    ¡°Again? Didn¡¯t we do that last month.¡± Matt thought back to the last time they¡¯d come into town together they¡¯d run around with drums and horns trying to start a concert.

    ¡°Yeah but we were pretty far off our normal performance, I think most of them were too scared to even come out and see what was making the sound.¡± She was sighed with a hint of exhaustion. ¡°But tonight is different, tonight we¡¯re giving them nowhere to hide, ahehe.¡± She laughed suspiciously while clapping her hands together excitedly.

    ¡°Well I guess that sounds like fun but if I don¡¯t get some sleep soon I¡¯m just going to fall asleep on the grass somewhere. I don¡¯t think I can last until night like this.¡± He yawned just to make the point clear.

    ¡°Sleepy head.¡± Ren lightly slapped his cheek as she walked beside him. ¡°How do you feel tired even now?¡±

    ¡°You woke me up before the sun was up!¡± Matt muttered forcefully, he never really yelled but occasionally, like now, he put some strength into his words.

    Though, in the face of his grumpy attitude, Ren reacted with affection, spinning on the spot and giving him a friendly slap on the shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much, we¡¯ll take a nap somewhere in town after we make sure everything is ready.¡±

    He noticed some anxiety in her voice that he¡¯d been too tired to notice earlier. She was a little unsure about how this would go, unlike Matt she put some real effort into these attacks. Whatever reason she had for it he couldn¡¯t understand; not yet.

    The landscape around them was peaceful and filled with nature, though it had been thoroughly manipulated to be a limited and controlled ecosystem. The many gaps in the ecosystem from a lack of diversity were filled with mechanical systems, though he was only starting to understand how it really worked.

    To his right was the river he¡¯d fallen into only a short time ago, it was populated with a sparse population of fish. Which swam excitedly through the waters often invisible in the waters depths.

    The thinly populated forest to his left was sparse enough that it was no trouble at all to walk through, in fact Matt usually preferred to walk through the forestry beside the road rather than the ungiving brick surface he was currently walking on. The forest itself was populated with a trivial number of small animals that were incredibly skittish, he¡¯d yet been able to sneak close enough to catch one but he did get to pat a small rabbit that Ren had caught once.

    ¡°So, what kind of preparations were they making, knowing Damien it¡¯s going to make a mess.¡± Last time Damien had taken lead it¡¯d taken a full month to clean the paint off the towns walls and that was just a plan between Damien and Alex. Today they also had Himself, Harry, and Pete supporting them while Ren took the lead, he believed that it was truly going to be spectacular and quite possibly a little terrifying.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ difficult to explain, I¡¯ll tell you if you need to know anything. For now you can be surprised. If Harry and Pete didn¡¯t slack off last night¡­¡± Ren rubbed her forehead, she had a cheeky smile on her face again. As unsure as she was about it working out she seemed impressed with herself for whatever she had planned. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a fun night.¡±

    Feeling sleep starting to take him over again, Matt attempted to overcome that tiredness by talking, ¡°So why did we get up so early today?¡± But the conversation revolved around the one thing that he was trying to forget.

    ¡°Why not? I couldn¡¯t sleep anyway.¡± She joyfully skipped ahead for a few steps. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to sit and wait around at a time like this!¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s how you usually are.¡± He kicked a stray rock into the river spraying water across the area.

    ¡°Does it bother you?¡± She spoke her line quietly, almost hesitant, before waiting silently for a reply.

    ¡°Why would it bother me? You¡¯re my best friend because you are who you are.¡± He reached out for her hand, as much as he didn¡¯t like waking up early he felt a profound loss when he was separate from her. He¡¯d met her several years earlier after he¡¯d been through a difficult time in his life. He felt himself returning to the previous self he had been when she was somewhere out of sight.

    ¡°Thanks, you¡¯re a good friend Matt.¡± She relaxed as she softened her grip on his hand, which he hadn¡¯t noticed had tightened in the first place.

    They walked along the path quietly for a time, enjoying the scenery and the quiet company. The wispy clouds above blew across the sky gently, there was no chance of rain anytime soon. The slight breeze caught the trees in the forest releasing a quiet hushing noise, luring him towards sleep.

    Up ahead looming over the tree line was what appeared to be a large wall but was in fact just the beginning of the adult world. Gun grey buildings of identical size and box shape, containing adults working in a world that was mystically distant to his childish mind.

    ¡°Do you think Mr¡¯s Hinagawa will be okay with all of us skipping out today. She does travel rather far just for our lessons.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, she just drops off notes for us to study on our own anyway.¡± He belligerently waved her hand to the side, unlike her Matt occasionally needed to talk with his teacher to actually understand the notes. ¡°She always tells us to learn it for ourselves anyway.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it so much, if you have any problems you can¡¯t understand just ask me!¡± She enthusiastically called out, understanding the reason behind his hesitance. ¡°It¡¯s never really that challenging anyway.¡±

    ¡°I asked her last week to get me something about plants too, though I guess that I kinda prefer reading about that by myself.¡± He mumbled pulling out a notebook from his waterproof bag.

    Inside were countless sketches of plants and animals that he¡¯d come across in the forest and rivers around his home. Though apparently, there were far fewer species than used to populate natural reserves on this planet. Mrs Hinagawa once told him that most died out because of habitat destruction through wars and land clearing before the fall of humanity.

    This area was one of the few areas on the planet with a fully functioning ecosystem, the rest of the planets ecosystems were currently being regrown from the destruction caused by the last world war centuries ago.

    ¡°You sure like plants. I don¡¯t get it myself their so¡­ boring.¡± She muttered looking at the pages as he flicked through them. ¡°What¡¯s so interesting about them?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he said as flicking through his notes, ¡°It¡¯s like, they are living too but¡­ so much different from us. They don¡¯t really move all that much and barely talk to each other¡­¡±

    ¡°Plants talk!!¡± Ren screeched grabbing onto his shoulder and pulling him away from the forestry back towards the river.

    ¡°Not really, it¡¯s like they spray chemicals and things to send messages I guess. I don¡¯t really understand it myself, the book I read it from had too many long words.¡±

    ¡°So the plants aren¡¯t spying on us?¡± At first Matt thought she was joking, just playing the part of a frightened young kid but as time ticked by and her grip on his shoulder only grew stronger he thought about how to reply.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ think so?¡± He was still clutching onto her free hand as she started to relax, still eyeing the trees making sure that they were always in the corner of her eye.

    ¡°They¡¯d better not be.¡± She fiddled with a lighter she¡¯d pulled out of nowhere, ¡°You hear that, if you are spying on me I¡¯ll burn every last one of you into ash!¡±

    With Matts encouragement, she returned the lighter to her pocket as they started walking again. Matt trying to comfort her continued with where he left off.

    ¡°Unlike us humans there aren¡¯t any expectations on them, they live until they die and that seems to be it. No need for a greater purpose or serving a larger system.¡±

    There was a period of silence that followed as Ren thought over his words, still stressed over the thought of talking trees, ¡°I guess I can understand why you¡¯re interested in something so strange, but it¡¯s not like we can really live like that. We need each other and I find that really beautiful because we live for more than just struggling against death. I like humanity. I really do.¡± She concluded, stepping forwards. ¡°I would hate to be a plant, I wouldn¡¯t have met you, or Mrs Hinagawa or any of our family.¡±Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right about that.¡± Matt kept flicking through the pages on his book refreshing his mind again on the plants and their properties. ¡°It¡¯s still interesting though.¡±

    They progressed further along the road as they talked, the forest that was on their left opened into a grassy plain though much of the grass was artificial. As the forest turned into a plain, the river flattened out and became wider but shallower, the sound of water flowing past rocks took the place of the hushing trees that they left behind.

    ¡°What do you think happens when we die?¡± Ren¡¯s words came out of nowhere as she walked ahead a little.

    ¡°Why ask me?¡± Matt turned to her with uncertainty. ¡°I mean Mrs Hinagawa told us all about the old myths but they¡¯re all so silly.¡±

    ¡°Heaven, wasn¡¯t it? A place where everyone is happy and everything is good¡­ I¡¯d hate that.¡± She walked over to the river briefly, splashing up water as she got her feet wet.

    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it supposed to be perfect and change depending on what you like?¡± Matt questioned her as he walked up beside her, staring at the few fish swimming up the river. ¡°Like our family living happily forever or something.¡±

    ¡°What if you don¡¯t like perfect?¡± She muttered before suddenly diving into the river straight at a fish. ¡°Oooaaah!¡± She managed to slap the fish into the air but as it fell for the second time it slipped from her grasp and swam away as if it¡¯s life was at risk.

    ¡°Why did you just¡­?¡± Matt was stunned for a moment before he remembered who he was with, answering his own question. ¡°Because Ren is Ren. Anyway, now I¡¯m not the only wet one.¡±

    ¡°Well I always wondered if they were real, so I wanted to check.¡± She waded her way back to the shore before patting her wet clothes down.

    ¡°If¡­ they were real?¡±

    ¡°Well, I see them under the water all the time, but I¡¯ve never seen one outside the water, never touched one with my own hands, never heard what sound it makes or known what it smells like. I was thinking it might just be another lie so I checked.¡±

    Introduced to her thoughts in their raw nature Matt was struck voiceless. He could never fully understand how she thought about things, how she saw the world, but every time he heard her thoughts he found himself thinking it over and learning more than he ever had just by reading Mrs Hinagawa¡¯s notes.

    He thought about it as they started moving again, both drenched in river water that was sure to dry soon in the warmth that beat down on them for the length of their travel.

    Up ahead the town was starting to appear on the horizon still veiled by a thin layer of trees on the outskirts of town. Nearby a pair of young men with the appearance of trouble makers, were doing something suspicious on the rocky shore of the river. They were dressed in clothes that weren¡¯t the usually supplied regular clothes.

    ¡°Hold it right there!¡± At the sight of them Ren picked up pace charging right at them as fast as she could, the image that came to his mind was of a bull charging at a matador, though he only seen pictures of such things.

    Matt followed after, a step behind as always. The two trouble makers turned to look at them as they charged forwards Matt struggling to return his notes to his bag. The two boys were a little older than they were and had some noticeable muscle mass, it was obvious that they were more physically capable than both himself and Ren.

    Though Ren had them totally beat when it came to spirit. ¡°Harry! Pete!¡± She waved her arms madly in the air as she got closer, ¡°Is everything ready!¡±

    ¡°Sir, yes sir.¡± Harry turned to Ren and gave her a sloppy salute, ¡°Everything is primed and ready to go at your orders.¡± His head of blonde hair was sloppily cut short just above his eyes, waving around loosely as he walked towards them. His shirt was cut down the front and hung loosely opening his chest up to the air, which he claimed helped him to feel cool. While the sleeves were altered to include their family crest. That of a line sharply zigzagged at the centre, apparently it was supposed to represent a heartbeat but he¡¯d never understood how.

    Pete followed more reservedly, carrying a small bag with him. ¡°We just finished up actually, it¡¯s getting pretty exciting already though I think a few of the town-kids have realized something is going to happen soon.¡± Pete had a head of brown hair cut shoulder length partially covering his glasses.

    He was dressed in a completely outrageous outfit dyed so many colours that he looked like he¡¯d been swimming in a rainbow, let alone the spikes and protrusions coming out everywhere. He also wore their family crest on his shoulders.

    ¡°Well who was the one who gave it away then?¡± Ren spoke directing her words at Harry who was doing all he could to look elsewhere; to make matters worse he started to whistle in the ensuing silence.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the plan then?¡± Matt felt he finally had to break the silence formed as the weak attempt at whistling failed miserably.

    Harry desperate for a change in conversation replied quickly, ¡°What you don¡¯t know yet? We¡¯re actually going to be- eh¡± Ren was suddenly holding the front of his shirt threateningly.

    ¡°First you spill the beans on our plans to the town-kids, and now you¡¯re about to do the same with Matt. Ruining the satisfaction of revealing it myself. Is that what¡¯s going on here?¡± Ren managed to lift Harry off the ground for a moment as she coldly spoke at him.

    ¡°N- N- No.¡±

    ¡°Good¡­ good.¡± She let him down slowly before giving him a pat on the shoulder.

    ¡°You always look so demonic when you get serious but I¡¯ve never seen you actually throw a punch.¡± Matt quietly spoke to Ren after she¡¯d backed off a little.

    ¡°Do you really think a talented demon like me would ever need to punch someone?¡± She retained a hint of evil to her eyes as she spoke. ¡°Now let us be off.¡±

    They walked towards the buildings that were situated close by, already they could see some town-kids varying from toddlers to teens wandering around aimlessly. The sight of their comparatively large group composed of renown hooligans and clothed in bright colours caught the attention of everyone but the most they did in reply was to get out of their way.

    The buildings were mostly of the same size made from clean cement walls and roofing. Inside they were lined with the exact same bunk beds that he¡¯d gotten out of this morning, lines of lockers, and a small shower room. The outside of the buildings were adorned only in the scars and holes born over time.

    The kids were as plain as the buildings that they lived in, none expressed any great emotion as they walked and what passing conversations they heard lacked any passion.

    ¡°Did you do your studies yesterday?¡± A teen on the verge of their late teens spoke dispassionately.

    To subdue the empty atmosphere that was overflowing the city, Ren started to talk with intentional effort, ¡°So why was it that Jane didn¡¯t want to come along anyway?¡±

    ¡°Jane isn¡¯t coming?!¡± Harry cried out heartbrokenly.

    ¡°No, she said something about making a new recipe or something.¡± Matt rubbed at his bag uncomfortable for some reason.

    Ren had a troubled look to her face as she walked, ¡°It just seemed like there was more, didn¡¯t she seem terrified when I talked to her yesterday?¡± She asked Matt.

    ¡°That might¡¯ve been because you just yelled out, ¡°To town!¡± and started dragging her by the shoulder.¡± Pete standing next to him cringed as he listened.

    ¡°She¡¯s not good around the zombies.¡± He spoke waving his hand at the scatted town-kids around them, ¡°They remind her too much of what she used to be.¡±

    Ren kept walking her hands forming fists that clenched and unclenched and whispered quietly, he thought he heard the words, ¡°Isn¡¯t that true for all of us.¡± Her eyes starting to water as she looked over the strangers surrounding them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She suddenly ran off knocking past several zombies who didn¡¯t bother to voice their non-existent outrage at her rudeness.

    Matt trailed after her, keeping pace a few steps behind. He was always half expecting her to race off like this, whenever she was uncomfortable she had a habit of running, though usually it was towards what made her uncomfortable. It wasn¡¯t strange to see her dive head long into her fears.

    ¡°Wait up! I¡¯m still tired from yesterday!¡± Pete called out loudly while falling behind.

    ¡°Haha don¡¯t talk just run or get left behind!¡± Harry called back barely keeping up himself.

    Ren carved her way through the city crying out loudly to the crowd while she focused on the rush, Matt kept pace holding his small bag down uncomfortably as he chased her.

    Before long he¡¯d been led to the food supply depot, a small metal box in the centre of town. A large drone was setting down on the platform when they turned the corner, Damien and Alex were standing by its side as it landed.

    Guided by four large rotors and painted completely silver the drone was equipped with a series of clamps that doubled as landing gear for when it was unloaded and could lift an incredible amount of weight.

    Breathing deeply to recover from the exercise, they came to a stop beside their seniors. Damien was a tall young man only a couple of years older than them with a large frame and considerable muscle mass. He was pretty good at everything and whenever they had a problem with something he usually had the skills to help. Though he wasn¡¯t a leader like Ren was.

    Alex was a blonde young girl about a year their senior, her hair was kept long and straight while her face had sharp features, she really like to paint and draw and had gotten really good at it lately. For some reason she liked to hang out with Damien a lot lately, when asked she replied that he was her artistic muse whatever that meant.

    ¡°Have you sent the food?!¡± Ren called out the moment she was by their side.

    ¡°Where do you think this thing came back from?¡± Damien stated as he turned to face her. ¡°Just plugging the program in now.¡± He was putting a small data drive into the drone before its platform retreated.

    Harry rushed around the corner breathing heavily, ¡°Be careful with that¡­¡­ ha¡­ha¡­haaa, I¡¯ve spent the last¡­ few weeks programing that damn thing.¡± He knelt down hands on his knees trying to catch his breathe.

    ¡°It¡¯s in,¡± Damien blurted out as he pulled his hand away from the retreating drone before the doors closed on his arm.

    ¡°We¡¯re finally ready for the party!¡± Ren called out pulling a small electronic remote from Alex¡¯s hands raising in the air with a sense of victory.

    ¡°Party? I thought this was a prank again.¡± Matt joined the conversation with a little confusion.

    ¡°To these kids a good party is so much scarier than most pranks.¡± Ren took it upon herself to reply still ecstatic about their plans.

    ¡°So, we are still starting tonight, or are we going to go for it now?¡± Matt patted Ren¡¯s back lightly.

    ¡°We wait for twilight before bringing this town to its knees, mwhahahaa.¡± Ren attempted her best evil laugh possible while leading them off towards a nearby forested area.

    The area was covered in short grass and tall trees but little else, further outside of town the plants become a little more numerous and varied but the sad truth was that what they had here were only a small fraction of what he¡¯d seen in history books.

    ¡°Lets¡­ rest up.¡± Ren suddenly fell into the grass with a sigh, closing her eyes as she faced the sky, practically falling asleep. Matt soon joined her staring up into the shifting image formed by the slowly moving clouds, enchanted by the sight and exhausted from the early wakeup call he quickly fell unconscious.

    A dream within a dream fleetingly passed by his eyes as he awoke to a dawning sun in the middle of a grey town. Ren was resting beside him, limbs thrown around so ungainly that she likely would¡¯ve fallen off a bed had she been sleeping in one in the first place.

    Everyone else was slowly rousing as time came for their party to start up, apparently, the others were exhausted from last night¡¯s preparations as they managed to sleep through a large amount of the day.

    He had a strange feeling in his gut looking over the sleepers, Matt looked over the group again counting heads as he went.

    1.

    2.

    3.

    4.

    5.

    6.

    7.

    7?

    He started mumbling still a little dazed from his sleep, ¡°Ren, Pete, Harry, Alex, Damien is five then- oh wait I forgot myself¡­ but that¡¯s only six.¡± Finally feeling a little more awake he found a new face amongst them, laying closely enough that she just blended into their group even though her clothes were still normal.

    Before he could say anything, Ren woke up.

    ¡°I¡¯m alive!¡± Ren shouted to the world as she launched herself into the air only a brief moment after waking up. Her loud voice waking up many of their delinquent friends from their slumber and attracting the attention of their new member.

    ¡°Time for a quick look over the town of yesterday before we recreate this place into something better.¡± She was still clutching the small remote high in the air, having slept with the thing.

    An unfamiliar voice spoke up while Ren distracted with waking up the others, ¡°Something better?¡± It was their newcomer the zombie who¡¯d chosen to sleep in the grass like the other animals.

    ¡°Waaaah!¡± Ren cried out in surprise staring at the new girl, ¡°Haaaa!¡± screamed happily as she leapt at the girl quickly enveloping her into a bear hug.

    ¡°Hey- st- stop that.¡± She even managed to make a reply which was rare for a town-kid.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re mine now.¡± She claimed forcefully, holding onto the girl until she stopped resisting.

    ¡°So w- what was that about?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re alive!¡± Ren shouted out, shaking the girls hands around crazily in a mad dance. ¡°You¡¯re going to come with us and make this place better than it ever was!¡± Ren didn¡¯t leave the girl much room for escape, and after a few more attempts to refuse her the girl gave up. Strangely she had a small smile on her face.

    Quickly rocking, yelling or kicking everyone else awake Ren soon had everyone standing to attention while she introduced their new member, ¡°This survivor has come far to join us on our merry quest. What would you like to be called?¡±

    The girl, frozen by their stares just stood still watching them unable to voice any words. ¡°Okay then, me first!¡± Ren cried out happily, ¡°I¡¯m Karen but everyone just calls me Ren, I like to run through forests, play pranks on the town-kids and to chase small animals until they¡¯re too tired to run away from my love anymore.¡±

    Harry through his hand in the air, ¡°Me, me, I¡¯m Harry, I like to make programs and talk to computers and stuff, my favourite place is the pool at the bottom of the waterfall. Aahhh just talking about it is nice and relaxing.¡±

    The girl was staring at them in turn as they spoke, the fear in her eyes fading away every time someone spoke up.

    Alex as the oldest girl in their group spoke up next, ¡°I¡¯m Alex, it¡¯s nice to meet you, I love to make pictures, and to stare up at the sky. If you want help with either I¡¯d be happy for the company.¡± Her cheeks blushed and she nearly misspoke a few times.

    Pete took a step forwards thrusting his chest out, ¡°I am the great prophet of-¡± Ren punched him in the chest losing his breath.

    ¡°This is Pete, he¡¯s really good at making new clothes but goes too crazy with it on his own. He also says a lot of stupid things feel free to ignore him.¡± Ren waved to Matt who at her suggestion stepped forwards.

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Matt, I like plants and¡­ ah well everyone here¡­ I guess that¡¯s it.¡±

    Ren slapped him on the shoulder as she took over, ¡°He¡¯s really good at listening too, he¡¯s the only one to put up with Pete¡¯s stupidness. That and he never gets lost, we once walked into the forest through the entire day and he was able to lead us all the way back in the dark!¡± This caused Matt to blush at the attention suddenly on him.

    Damien being the last to speak paused for a moment, his tall stature accidentally intimidating the young girl. ¡°I am Damien, I¡¯m good at helping people with things but don¡¯t like to take the lead. If you ever need help with something I can probably help.¡± His voice was more subdued than usual as he fearfully eyed the girl.

    Ren eyed the girl expectantly still standing beside Matt, she was grasping his hand so tightly that she was digging her nails in.

    The girl obviously still nervous opened her mouth a few times as if searching for her voice, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know my name.¡± She said in almost a whisper.

    ¡°What do you want your name to be?¡± Ren spoke back keeping her excitement in check as best as she could.

    The girl was frozen in thought for a few moments, suddenly her eyes swelled with emotion as she let out a name, ¡°Selene.¡±

    ¡°Selene! Welcome!¡± she snatched a patch out of her pocket and taped it to the girls shoulder while the girl was still winding down from her emotions.

    ¡°Selene.¡± She whispered again as she fell into Ren¡¯s arms, ¡°Thank you, Selene.¡±

    Ren comforted Selene until she was able to walk on her own again before leading them through the towns streets while a dying thoroughfare of zombies passed through.

    Most town-kids were home by the time night fell so they wouldn¡¯t have many people out on the streets after this. Which must have been a part of Ren¡¯s plan.

    ¡°Look at these drab grey walls and this dull concrete road. Listen to the dead silence so cold that even a whisper will travel to the end of the road. This town needs some pizazz, this town needs some life to it.¡± Ren skipped along at an uneven pace making sure to walk in a round about fashion. They weren¡¯t heading anywhere, but rather everywhere.

    Selene looked and listened carefully as if she were a newborn babe seeing the world for the first time as Ren described what she made of their world.

    On their path Matt looked at the parts of the town he¡¯d intentionally ignored every time he came here. The lifelessness, the eerie appearance of only dull colours, it made him feel almost as if he¡¯d lost his ability to see in colour.

    The silence that filled the spaces between Ren¡¯s words were so complete as to drive him to question his hearing. No shivering of trees in the wind, no whispers of insects in the air, and very few quiet voices breaking into that thick silence.

    ¡°No wonder the people here are so lifeless, they¡¯re just reflections of their home, and tonight we¡¯re going to change everything about this town!¡± Her words were starting to invigorate him again as he came to a better understanding of everything wrong with this town.

    Arriving in the centre of town where the drone pad was positioned, surrounded by a small open court and tall buildings; Ren yelled out as loud as she could, her voice reverberating through the darkening town. ¡°Tonight, we bring the dead back to life!¡± She slammed the button on the remote she was holding high and a loud sound erupted from behind them.

    The doors to the drone bay opened suddenly releasing swarms of the food delivery drones, all of them splashed with bright coloured paints. Never before had Matt seen so many of them in flight and never before had he heard any noise so loud as what bore through the speakers that they carried.

    ¡°Music?¡± He spoke though his voice barely carried through the loud music playing overhead. Matt soon recognised the music as the classical collection that Ren was in love with, and listened to it roar through the town of the dead.

    ¡°Hahaha, beautiful.¡± Ren stared up at the sky reaching out as if to grab at the drones that were doing her bidding with one hand and reaching out to Selene with the other. In that moment colour seemed to fill the girls eyes as she saw the impossible happen.

    The drones were doing more than just playing music, Damien and Harry looking on nervously as the machines went to work spraying out colours onto every grey surface in the town. With their extraordinary numbers the courtyard they were currently standing in was soon covered in colourful murals.

    ¡°It worked!¡± Harry called out turning to Damien who¡¯d put his work into action and hugging him tight, ¡°They¡¯re doing it, I even recognise some of the art.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the one I made!¡± Alex cried out loudly pointing at a nearby wall which had in only moments been precisely painted with what seemed to be a colourful horizon without any walls or barriers.

    ¡°They¡¯re using all of the ones from the textbooks too, can anybody see any repeats? are they all different?!¡± Harry was calling out questions excitedly wanting to know everything about how his work was being performed.

    ¡°This is perfect! Hahaha,¡± Ren snatched his hand and chased after one of the nearby drones hoping to keep up with the mechanised vandal.

    The music played for hours after, but like all good things it soon came to a close as the drones ran out of paint and returned to base. Matt wasn¡¯t sure if this would change anything about this town in the long run but one thing he knew was that this was the best night in his life.

    The dream faded away as light started to shine through his closed eye¡¯s and he was left with one last whisper from a familiar voice as the dream came to a conclusion and the waking world stole him away.

    ¡°I¡¯m alive.¡±

 Chapter 8 - A New Morning

    A New Morning

    He awoke to sounds of alien birdsong and clicking of strange insects as the light creeped in through a small window above him. The cramped room made of clay walls and wooden floorboards proved itself quite resistant to the same cold that had threatened him just yesterday.

    A small window just the height of a forearm sat high in the wall to his side, lighting the room. He could see enough through the window to know that the neighbouring building was so close, that no matter the size of the window it wouldn¡¯t let in any more light.

    A small bedside table had his pistol resting on top of it, untouched from the night before when he¡¯d negligently just thrown it down where anyone could reach it while he slept. He looked around for his companion, who¡¯d already irresponsibly borrowed his pistol once before, only to find her sitting on her legs and resting the back of her head against the wall.

    Her eyes were closed, and her body tense, she looked more like a stature than a real person. The only movement about her was the gentle swaying of the dark lines inscribed in her skin. It didn¡¯t look like a very comfortable position to sleep in, yet her face was peaceful.

    Leaving her to her rest, he addressed his injuries for now, seeing how far his healing had progressed. The skin where he¡¯d been cut open had already healed closed, with the stitches still weaving through his itching flesh.

    His arm still had a considerable amount of repairing before the skin would heal over, and unsurprisingly the bone was the same as it had been. The bones in his arm and the loose ribs in his chest would take an especially long time to heal, though he hoped not too long. He couldn¡¯t be sure what would happen without his daily doses of ¡®food¡¯ filled with numerous questionable substances, very much like his ¡®food¡¯ as a child but with a slightly different texture to it from the new additives.

    The bruising across his body was still a deep purple in many places and a sickly yellow in others but for the most part they didn¡¯t hurt anymore unless he pushed against them powerfully. Something that he avoided doing since his arms were too weak to be doing much work anyway.

    He felt thankful that this was the extent of his injuries he couldn¡¯t afford to remain wounded like that for too much longer, not here where he was still unsure who was an enemy.

    Shifting out of bed he accidentally knocked his rifle, which had been leaning by the bedside, reacting as quickly as he could he slapped at the gun trying to catch it but only succeeding in pushing into the ground quicker. It made a loud thump as it hit the wooden floor, the sound startling Lilith who¡¯d been resting nearby.

    Standing and unsheathing her sword in a heartbeat she turned to the source of the noise finding Matt rising from his awkward seat with both hands held up. ¡°Good Morning.¡±

    ¡°A casual morning greeting to you too, Krilm. You should learn better etiquette before waking a sleeping warrior up with your carelessness. Next time I might just kill you before I wake up.¡± She sheathed her sword but her eyes were still glaring at him with a burning intensity.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who should learn some manners.¡± He muttered picking up the rifle and checking the floor for marks where it had fallen.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been training in etiquette since you left your mothers breast, but an ignorant Krilm like you wouldn¡¯t recognise true manners if you were sitting at the kings own table.¡±

    ¡°Again with the mother thing?¡±

    ¡°Eh-¡± She suddenly realized her mistake, ¡°Ever since you¡­ ever since¡­ forever!¡± She turned from him going to a bucket of water that he hadn¡¯t noticed earlier and rinsing her face while groaning. The water dripped back into the bucket with minimal spillage.

    Matt rubbed at his hands where the blood from yesterday had stained his skin. Across his entire body was very much the same, crimson stains or dried dirt covering his skin in layers leaving him filthy and the bed he¡¯d been sleeping upon stained the same colours as himself.

    ¡°Where do I clean up?¡± He approached the bucket Lilith was using hoping to at least clean his hands and face.

    She looked at him and rung the rag that she¡¯d been wiping her face with. ¡°You do look like you dove into a pile of shit and corpses.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could disagree.¡± He didn¡¯t need to sniff to smell the filth on him; radiating from him. Wetting his face with the cold wash cloth he suddenly noticed something strange with the way he was talking to Lilith.

    ¡°Wait a minute. Say something.¡± Water dripping from his face he turned to Lilith spraying water everywhere.

    ¡°Your disgusting.¡± She replied before he¡¯d even finished speaking.

    ¡°Ungu.¡± Disgusting it meant disgusting, alongside definition he could smell a faint smoke in the air and somehow knew it as tobacco even though he¡¯d never actually seen the plant or even read about it.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± He clutched at the back of his head where it began to hurt when he tried to drag out the memories associated with Tabaco.

    ¡°Great you learned a new word now repeat after me, Matt is disgusting.¡± She continued ignorant of his newfound realization.

    ¡°I can understand you.¡± He whispered.

    ¡°You¡¯re a little dim-witted aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡­ I mean the language, I think I understand what you¡¯re actually saying but it¡¯s weird like it hurts to think about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure for a creature like you it is painful to learn new things, maybe it¡¯s best to give up.¡± He could understand what she said wasn¡¯t meant as a question.

    Finding it difficult to properly communicate with her, Matt gave up and tried to speak. He tried to speak in an alien language that was somehow making sense to him. ¡°Will you please just listen to me. I think I know your language.¡±

    She paused staring at him without moving, his head was aching badly and he could feel blood running down his nose as he tried to connect his understanding of the language to reality. Lilith suddenly hit his sternum winding him.

    The shock rendered him unable to breathe for a few seconds and broke his concentration apart. Breathing heavily and trying to regain his senses he found himself staring upwards at Lilith¡¯s face, a small line of blood ran down from her nose.

    She started to say words but they seemed foreign nothing more than pretty sounds, even his mental link only brought back fuzz as he tried to understand her.

    She lifted him up by the collar of his shirt until he was inches from her face. ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again.¡± She whispered quietly before walking away from him. For a moment, Matt thought that he saw fear in her eyes.

    Impossible, he realized throwing away the worthless thought.

    Lilith speaking almost as if to change the topic turned back to face him, this time he could only understand through her thoughts once again.

    ¡°There is a place, a public bathhouse that is rarely used.¡± She looked genuinely thoughtful, ¡°It never should have been built in the first place but at least you could make some use of it I suppose.¡±

    ¡°So long as I can wash off this smell I have no complaints.¡± He murmured while wetting his hands in the cold water trying to hide away the curiosity that might just lead him to his death.

    ¡°Gather your belongings and we will leave then.¡± She¡¯d already had all of her possessions on her from before she¡¯d even gone to sleep and stood by the door waiting for him.

    ¡°At your command.¡± He replied thoughtlessly her sharp nature too much like that of a superior officer for him to differentiate while still half asleep.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a command.¡± She replied sharply glaring at him, though at this point he was almost certain that that was just her usual appearance.

    ¡°No? You sounded just like my officer so I just thought¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t give commands, I¡¯m not an Okiniu. Anything I tell you to do is a choice, either you do it or there are consequences. Sometimes those consequences will be the smell on your skin or sometimes it will be my blade cutting your skull from your neck. But the choice is always yours.¡± She coldly and matter-of-factly laid out her point of view in a way that was reminiscent of an old friend. Though with less concern for his wellbeing.

    ¡°I suppose so.¡± He couldn¡¯t fully understand what she was saying but decided that it would be best to work with her for now. ¡°Then shall we be off.¡±

    ¡°If you behave yourself then I have no complaints. At least none worth voicing to a worthless Krilm.¡± The sensation of her glare faded as she turned to open the door.

    ¡°Could you give the Krilm thing a rest already? My name is Matt.¡± Completely ignoring him she opened the door almost charging into someone passing by. The young woman¡¯s eyes swung around looking straight past Lilith who was standing on top of her and directly at Matt before turning to Lilith.

    The young woman was the same as he¡¯d seen last night before he¡¯d gone to sleep, at full height he guessed she was around 155 cm tall with her shoes on. Her long dark hair was wrapped up in a strange way atop her head, it was wrapped up around itself so that it was pointing directly up at the roof before falling down and tied again at the back of her head.

    ¡°So, what is a beautiful young lady like you doing with a curse and a sword. If it weren¡¯t for those horns I might just push you back into that room and start this day with a little bit of excitement.¡± Lilith stepped backwards as if struck physically, meanwhile Matt was trying to hide the fact that he was understanding the words that came out of the woman¡¯s mouth; unwilling to die just yet.

    ¡°You¡­ couldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, I know, but surely there is some room for fun. Maybe if your friend there was involved, you can just watch. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time for me to help entertain one of your kind.¡± Lilith was blushing so brightly that it seemed her face might just explode from the heat of it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you sold your soul without even losing your innocence! Aaaaahhhh such a tragedy¡­ it makes my heart weep.¡± The strange young lady was making strange remarks that left Matt clueless as to what she was even speaking about. He might discover if he thought about it more deeply, as he had before, but that would probably draw Lilith¡¯s ire.

    Lilith¡¯s face was contorted into something between rage and embarrassment, the woman standing in front of her was blocking the door with a casual stance. ¡°Name.¡± The word escaped Lilith¡¯s mouth forcefully like she was spitting out something inedible.

    ¡°Oh, where are my manners. Dearest young lady I am Rlokitesita,¡± She snatched Lilith¡¯s hand and attempted to meet it with her lips but Lilith pulled her hand free just a moment before she was kissed.

    ¡°Such a shame.¡±

    ¡°Lilith.¡± She spoke her name forcefully, the shame starting to fade back from her face.

    The words made Rlokitesita freeze for a heartbeat, ¡°The princess, I see. That¡¯s why¡­ and you?¡± She turned her eyes to Matt holding out her hand his direction.

    ¡°Roderick Matheson. It is a pleasure to meet you, Roki- lokite- Rloki-¡± As he stumbled over her name she leant down kissing his offered hand on the palm, sending tingles down his spine.

    ¡°Rloki, is fine. Rod?¡±

    The name had an awkward sound to it that made him shudder, the only people ever to call him that hardly knew him at all. ¡°Matt.¡± He specified trying to lose that awful name as quickly as possible.

    ¡°Matt? I suppose it¡¯s not quite as cute as rod but if that¡¯s your name, then what can I do?¡± Rloki turned to Lilith, ¡°He¡¯s a foreigner? I¡¯m not familiar with that language.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s from somewhere far away; I don¡¯t know the name of the place. You don¡¯t need to worry much he rarely says anything worth hearing.¡± She seemed a lot more liberal when she was no longer the topic of conversation, but he suspected that she was still clueless that he was listening in.

    ¡°I have other ways of making myself understood.¡± She looked his way and winked.

    ¡°Feel free to try so long as you leave me out of it.¡± Lilith spoke as she tried to edge her way to the door.

    Rloki, as if feeling her attempt at escape, moved backwards quickly blocking her passage, ¡°Well I shall not hold you here for any longer but if you stay tonight as well, then please, come down and watch my performance. I can make your stay worth the time.¡± She spun on her heels and quickly left them behind with questions filling Matt¡¯s mind and Lilith¡¯s face still fading back to its natural colours.

    ¡°I heard what she said but didn¡¯t understand half of what she was saying.¡± Matt followed Lilith talking to her back as she walked, accidentally giving away his use of knowledge that she¡¯d forbidden.

    ¡°Wait until you grow up a little.¡± She deflected with little thought, her eyes scanning around as if searching for threats, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure that that person was a woman either, with their kind it¡¯s hard to tell.¡±

    ¡°Their kind?¡±

    ¡°People from Saruthor, they are all like that to some degree.¡±

    They managed to make their way down a set of unstable and uneven stairs through to the lobby of the building without any trouble, Lilith quickly turned to the man standing behind the counter. He¡¯d just finished passing breakfast to a man dressed in a long coat.

    ¡°I would like to reserve the room for a time further if it is no inconvenience to you.¡± Unlike the night before she didn¡¯t need to speak up to be heard, the place was dead compared to how it had been last night.

    ¡°Of course, of course, you are doing me a service just by coming to this ramshackle inn.¡± The man was again speaking with Lilith in a tone that was truly and fully passionate, the words that he spoke were filled with the utmost respect.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Lilith didn¡¯t seem affected much by it, quickly ending the conversation and leading Matt out the door but before the door was even closed he sensed an emotional thought spill from her mind, ¡°Just let it go already, I¡¯m not her anymore.¡±

    Outside was a thoroughfare of people going about their business, live animals bleated, squealed, and screamed as they were lead around through the muddy streets; the people cried out in voices even louder.

    ¡°3 plat and no-¡±

    ¡°8 plat for this, look at it there¡¯s no fat to it at all and-¡±

    ¡°Did you hear about the attack yesterday-!¡±

    ¡°-New type of Magic I heard.¡±

    ¡°Are we going to lose the city?¡±

    ¡°1 plat is more than a fair-¡±

    ¡°You are a fine young lady surely you wouldn¡¯t mind my trading with something more than the plat in my purse.¡±

    The last voice sounded a little familiar but he was quickly caught in the flow of a different direction. Having been snatched by the wrist and dragged along the road, Matt found himself stumbling to keep up with the rushed Lilith.

    They both gathered stares but the amount of attention she garnered was far greater than himself, he could hear whispers from the crowd as they walked.

    ¡°Princess?¡±

    ¡°You mean that princess?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°No, it is, I heard-¡±

    ¡°Should we talk to her?¡±

    ¡°Why did she-?¡±

    ¡°I wonder how she-?¡±

    ¡°The King hasn¡¯t been the same since.¡±

    ¡°She should¡¯ve stayed.¡±

    As the whispers grew unbearable she rushed through the crowd with added speed and an expression on her face not to be messed with. While others were crowded, and need to push to get through, before Lilith a bubble of space was maintained by the awed citizens and their undisguised stares.

    It was strangely exciting for Matt to hear so many loud voices calling out at once. The town of his youth was never nearly so lively and it sparked a hint of jealousy to see such a prosperous town, living and breathing, loud and messy. This strange mix of fear, joy, and jealously formed within him as he listened to the strange people talk.

    Matt couldn¡¯t quite understand what was going on but it was obvious that they respected Lilith a great deal, and for more reasons than just her status as a warrior. In fact, everyone kept on bringing up the term Princess, which from his studies referred to a lady in a high social status, possibly part of the ruling class of an emergent society.

    They walked out from the wider road onto a thinner street that was much less populated. Lilith visibly less tense now that she wasn¡¯t surrounded by adoring citizens, and now that she was able to feel the temperature drop and taste fresh air.

    This area seemed to be residential, as there were no longer any items being thrown around and people rushing to gather things that they wanted or needed. Everyone here was a lot more quiet and respectful and although most of them tipped their heads at Lilith as she passed them, they did not lower themselves to mindless chatter. Though even as quiet as they were they held a vague liveliness that was absent from the town-kids of his childhood.

    Matt suddenly given the chance to walk beside Lilith rather than being dragged behind her, released himself from her titanic grip. ¡°What was all that about? All the people here seem to be quite talkative, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard so many voices at once before.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you live in a city?¡± She spoke with a hint of curiosity that she had tried to disguise.

    ¡°No, I tried to stay away from towns when I was a kid but even then, none of them were ever like this. Everyone was so quiet it was frightening, the same was true after I grew up too.¡± He thought back to his dream from last night, surrounded by drab grey walls and expressionless people.

    ¡°A city of grey, it¡¯s hard to believe that a place like that exists outside of dreams.¡± She pushed forwards quickly after that line, and soon they found themselves totally alone in a quiet part of the city. Even so, the footprints in the mud, the houses, each made slightly different to the next, and even distant sounds of people yelling, gave a completely different sensation to the quiet towns of his home.

    Lilith walked slowly, contemplatively, towards a massive open topped building, one of the few buildings made of stone he¡¯d seen in this city. Strangely, although the building was impressive compared to all else that stood around it, it was surprisingly quiet here.

    The massive arches led inwards past a dividing wall and into a single massive pool of clear water. Sunlight shone down through the massive opening in the roof, or more accurately the complete lack of a ceiling. The light refracted off of the cool water making it shine like a crystal. The water was even clearer than the river water from his childhood.

    Stone so pale white that it hurt to look at in the light, covered the walls and floor. It was not so much as touched with a hint of dirt or colour. He was surprised at its beauty compared to the concrete walls and constructs of his own home. Although plain and colourless it was still somehow beautiful, a gentle and soothing appearance rather than the harsh sensation that flowed from age old concrete.

    This was a place of obvious excess, and yet no one was here other than them. In fact, it seemed as if they were the first to step inside since it¡¯s very construction. A fine layer of dust rested over the surfaces unsettled by their sudden entry.

    ¡°So, there are no showers?¡± Matt asked searching the room for something of the sort, even some kind of primitive waterfall would have been enough.

    ¡°Showers?¡±

    ¡°Water that falls from the roof like heavy rain.¡± He explained without frustration, though it was unusual to have to explain everything, he had yet to get irritated with doing so.

    ¡°Nothing like that.¡± She muttered under her breath a blank look on her face as she looked around the massive room as if taking it all in.

    ¡°This bath is the only way then¡­¡± He looked into the water with a spark of fear in his heart, he quickly buried it away somewhere deep inside as he moved towards the water¡¯s edge. Although it had been some time since the incident, his fear of water deeper than his waist was still crippling.

    Having located something that passed for soap and a small cloth sitting atop a short stand at the side of the bath he started to take off his gear starting with the rifle. At least the relative quietness was enough to give him confidence in his ability to protect the weapon, if anyone came near they would be impossible to miss.

    Having placed everything at the side of the bath he stripped off his uniform and underclothes folding them neatly and placing them at the edge of the pool of water.

    ¡°Are you joining me or just waiting?¡± She stood at the side of the bath, staring at him, confusion written plain on her face.

    ¡°He really is just a boy.¡± The thought barely a whisper. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± She said finally turning away from his naked figure.

    Matt stared into the water in silence as she offered him a moment to himself.

    A moment to face his fears.

    A moment to choose between moving forwards or back.

    With a sigh, he sat at the edge of the bath, dipping his feet into the water. The sensation of nothing solid under his feet and the pull of the water at his flesh was almost enough to startle him into throwing himself away from the bath. For a few moments, he sat quietly without moving, breathing deep slow breathes to combat his anxiety.

    Eventually finding the strength to move he started washing off his legs and hands. When the outer layers of mud washed off, layers of blood underneath became clear. He felt as if it was a never-ending task before he finally reached his own skin underneath the gunk. The water nearby turning from clear into a slightly muddy colour in reaction to his efforts.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re afraid of the water.¡± She¡¯d turned back to him at some point, her face slightly flushed like it had been earlier today.

    ¡°I won¡¯t then.¡± He continued his endless struggle against layers of filth, a battle which was almost as challenging as his current battle against the rising tides of terror in his heart.

    For a while he sat at the edge of the water carefully splashing himself clean and wiping away the grime with the cloth he¡¯d found nearby and working away the deeper filth with the soap. After a while of silence, he looked across to Lilith who was sitting at the edge of the water only a short distance away, she didn¡¯t seem bothered by the silence, in fact she seemed less grumpy now than she ever had been in his experience.

    She splashed the water with her unbooted feet, the waves washing all over the pool of water, and after a while she started to think loudly enough for him to hear.

    ¡°This really is beautiful, what he wanted this to be, really was beautiful¡­ but no one is ready for this. They can¡¯t just change in a day, but you could never understand them, could you, brother. You are constantly trying your hardest but this¡­ this is how it always ended. You never did any of it the right way.¡±

    He could sense the emotions washing over her in waves, this place seemed to bring it out of her. The silence was peaceful but slightly sad now that he could sense her thoughts and feel some of her emotions. The sounds outside were of a busy city and yet this beautiful place was almost completely abandoned; this place that should have been completely filled with jovial noise and life was dead.

    ¡°They should have just let you stay in that land over the horizon far away from these people. They hated you from before the first day they¡¯d even seen you, you were nothing but a reminder that their beloved queen was dead and replaced by a young child who could hardly even look upon the people. You should never have been forced to come back here.¡±

    Matt tried to distract himself from the words ringing in his head, from the emotions dragging him down towards the waters. Gradually his eyes returned to the water at his feet, the emotions within starting to drag his mind beneath its depths. An entire world existed beyond his distorted reflection.

    Faces drifted along beneath the surface, faces familiar to him. The names escaped him only because he ran from them finding escape in ignorance, tears started to blur his vision as he heard whispers from beyond that distorted reflection.

    ¡°Save us. Save us!¡±

    A hand appeared from beneath the surface of the water snatching his foot. Before he could let out a scream he was dragged into the realm beyond. The waters around him quickly turned dark; he could not sense the bottom of the water beneath him nor the surface above. He was left alone in the nothingness but strangely he felt comfortable here, he could feel no panic even though the air in his lungs was losing its value.

    Within that darkness, he could see a single bright spark trying hard to be seen. ¡°I¡¯m alive.¡± A voice whispered from beyond the veil he was beginning to cross. He reached out towards that voice, towards the veil of death.

    Unexpectedly a hand snatched the hair on his head and dragged him upwards with the strength liable to tear his hair out, breaking through the surface of the water into the fresh air. Light washed down over him as he was dumped at the pools edge.

    Lilith quickly pulled herself from the water still fully armoured and clothed but now soaked through entirely.

    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to die, but the next time you force me to save you like that, I will find some way to make you regret having bothered me.¡±

    Matt was left lying against the side of the water breathing in and out before dragging his limp body away from the bath¡¯s edge. Mind still awash with the feeling of that dark void embracing him and the voice that tempted him.

    ¡°Thanks, I guess that means this time is free then.¡± He coughed and spluttered, mind still somewhere in that darkness he¡¯d left behind.

    ¡°I would not make such an assumption if I were you.¡± Her threat did not go unheard. Matt propped himself up a little and bowed his head to her in proper thanks.

    Lying down along the rock, feeling the coolness entering his back as the water slowly ran off of his now clean skin. Matt gradually felt himself returning to his previous nature.

    Sitting up he started to wash his clothes in the water which had now diffused into something close to clean, still wary of the water but unwilling to let it scare him into running away again.

    ¡°So, what would it take to balance things.¡±

    ¡°Balance what exactly? The food that you have eaten, the bed that you have slept in, the air that you now breathe? For all of it you owe someone.¡± She spoke with intended venom, wiping herself down with a cloth, clearly displeased over her soaked clothes.

    ¡°I¡­ owe for that? I suppose I haven¡¯t worked to support this system. Perhaps that is what you are referring to?¡± He thought back to how his own society worked. Each adult completes work that they are assigned to and they are supplied with the necessities of life, such as food and shelter. Of course, anyone who was not willing to work as directed were sent for rehabilitation but he¡¯d never heard of anyone going without food or shelter.

    ¡°More simple. You owe money for what you have been given, though most of it has been offered to you out of good will for me. Thus, you owe me a debt that is only growing.¡±

    ¡°Money? And I don¡¯t see how I owe you for anything but sparing my life. Did you build that bed and the room that housed it? Did you create that food and lay it down upon the table? How is it that I owe you for what you didn¡¯t do?¡±

    She seemed angered by his questions that were asked out of actual curiosity of her strange beliefs rather than intent to aggravate.

    ¡°You owe me because all of that was offered to you out of good will towards me. Because it was all given to me and passed on to you out of my good will. Because I wouldn¡¯t have to rely upon such gifts if you were capable of caring for yourself. If you weren¡¯t just as worthless as a child.¡± She spat out the words, her earlier peace having long since disappeared.

    ¡°Then do you not owe them for gifting these things to you.¡± Matt asked still confused about the prospect of ownership.

    ¡°Which is exactly why you owe me, I don¡¯t enjoy having those debts.¡± She was turning away from him, clearly not happy about the situation he¡¯d put her in.

    ¡°So how am I supposed to survive on my own. How do you propose I eat without relying on others? Forge my own bed and find my own land to put it on?¡± To him her words and ideas were about as alien as the lifestyle of plants.

    ¡°You earn money and buy what you need.¡± She said as if it were obvious.

    ¡°Money? Buy? What are you talking about?¡± He was unable to understand their meaning even with their mental link.

    ¡°You truly don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m talking about do you?¡± She paused, her frustration and anger giving way to reveal a hint of curiosity. ¡°How do you get your food in your world?¡±

    ¡°I go to the cafeteria where the chefs prepare food¡­ or I eat the food paste that we have delivered.¡± He said, pausing halfway through as he realized she didn¡¯t understand him.

    ¡°Who makes the beds that you sleep upon?¡±

    ¡°The people most talented in doing so.¡± He replied without hesitation. It was obviously the case, why have anyone else do the work less efficiently after all.

    ¡°How do you pay them back for what they have given you?¡±

    ¡°They have not given me anything, they have just lived their lives as they are meant to, as do I, serving to protect the System and Its people.¡± This time he voiced a rhetoric that was forced to repeat every morning as he awoke and every night before he slept.

    She thought over his words for a while, confused but still curious. For once her curiosity won over her distain and she replied to him with a straight answer. ¡°Here that isn¡¯t how it works. Here you have to work and earn money that is used to purchase anything that you might want or need. Food, a bed to sleep on, a room to live in, weapons, clothes, all of it is purchased with money.¡±

    ¡°How strange. Then this money is used to indicate service to your society, so those with the most money have given the most to your society.¡± He thought over the situation briefly. ¡°It must be quite a position of pride to have the most money, as you would be measurably the most selfless man of your society.¡±

    Lilith looked at him as the alien that he was, ¡°That¡­ is a strangely optimistic view¡­ but I suppose for once I will let someone else show you how horrible the real world is.¡±

    Matt ignored her words knowing them to be only more worthless banter, ¡°How then, do I best service this society and earn food and bedding? I cannot do anything that might cause hurt to the people that I am here to save. Perhaps there is work I can do in the castle while I look for them.¡± He looked up at the clouds in the sky thinking it over.

    ¡°What? Do you want to scrub the halls and wash the windows while fighting your way through the castle on a prison break?¡± She was looking at him with disbelief in her eyes, thinking his words a joke.

    ¡°Would that be enough to earn some of this money? Then yes, I would, but where does the money come from?¡±

    Lilith rubbed at the side of her head, staring down at him as if looking at something pathetic. ¡°Look over here,¡± she pointed at a board that was placed on the inside wall towards the entrance of the building. ¡°This was built as a place for citizens to write messages to each other so that they can help one another when the opportunity arises. It was meant to be a place where people offer and ask for help from others, but since only foreigners actually use this bathhouse it has turned into a kind of bounty board.¡±

    Dressing himself quickly in his still wet clothes, Matt made his way to the board looking at the words written in foreign characters. ¡°There are some things here that you might be able to manage¡­ others are less reasonable. For today I¡¯ll introduce you to this work, it won¡¯t pay for much but for now it¡¯s something.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°A surprise. I¡¯ll explain when you get there.¡± For some reason her attitude, made him more willing to trust her; even though she was outright cruel sometimes.

    She was leading them out of the building when they were ambushed by a unique and hard to forget character.

    ¡°What? You came here without me? Why didn¡¯t you tell me this is where you were coming?¡± Rloki came charging at them out of nowhere, Lilith not even looking her direction continued onwards as if she hadn¡¯t noticed the person standing right beside her.

    ¡°No words for me? What of you, young man? Going to ignore me like her?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know how to talk to you.¡± His words held more meaning that just lingually.

    ¡°Well it seems you¡¯re more talkative but I still don¡¯t understand a thing you¡¯re saying. You are rather cute when you talk though, where is that language even from?¡± The purposeless interrogation continued, even though none of his answers would ever make sense even if he tried to speak the right language again.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that I can understand you, do you?¡± He asked while the young woman stroked his back uncomfortably.

    ¡°Well, well, what was that? You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re a prince of a foreign land?¡± The words pouring out Rloki became stranger with every passing second.

    ¡°How are you coming up with this?¡±

    ¡°And this lovely princess stole your heart away, and you¡¯ve been following her like a lost pup ever since, even though she neglected you to join the abstinent Knights of Sasahara you still follow after her. How tragic.¡±

    ¡°Abstinent knights?¡± The words lacked proper meaning to Matt who was still an alien here.

    ¡°Please stop interacting with it.¡± Lilith asked him, speaking quietly and forcefully.

    Eventually they¡¯d pushed their way down the road and left the lonely Rloki behind waving their direction, ¡°See you tonight, sweet princess and foreign prince.¡±

    Having left behind the annoyance they moved forwards apparently towards a place where he could prove his worth to these people and earn ¡®money¡¯.

    Lilith suddenly halted pointing at the horizon, ¡°What are they doing?¡± Having been distracted as he was, it took a moment longer for him to notice than it should have. He quickly recognised the faint lights of miniature missiles, and the distant and dark silhouette of a drone swarm.

    The City walls exploded in a moment, crumbling into nothing as a hundred tiny drones flew through the air firing missiles and poison darts into the crowded city. Lilith charged forwards without a backwards glance, leaving Matt to decide between following her and moving to safety.

    On instinct alone he ran forwards, running after the freakishly fast Lilith towards a warzone.

 Chapter 9 - The Swarm

    The Swarm

    Explosions filled the air, concussive forces travelling far from their impact point to maximize structural damage. Screams could be heard over the raining of rubble, behind it all he could make out the quiet sound of buzzing drones. The formation of drones he¡¯d seen earlier was already splitting up for low altitude sweeps of the city streets.

    Lilith charged ahead with incredible speed, leaving Matt behind even though he ran with all his strength. The rifle painfully rubbed against his bruises and put pressure on his broken arm, adrenaline rushing through his blood worked to dull the pain.

    She rushed around a corner to the nearest visible drone in the sky, which had raced through the city streets and was now hovering and firing missiles and darts with frightening pace. Due to their sheer numbers, it wasn¡¯t getting hit by any kind of arrow or projectile, in fact none were even coming close enough to force it to dodge. The few people he noticed with weapons were throwing them to the ground to run faster.

    Following Lilith around the corner, Matt discovered her with her back against the wall creeping her head around to scout the drone floating above. She was equipped with nothing but her sword and curses, which he was still clueless about.

    ¡°I could make it if I jump.¡± The thought flowing into him from her as her sword quickly made its way from its sheath.

    ¡°Stop!¡± He called out to her, causing her to pause for long enough that he could catch up. ¡°Even if you can make it to that height it¡¯ll dodge before you have a chance of hitting it. Not to mention it¡¯ll hit you the moment you leave the ground.¡±

    The rockets equipped on the thing were able to rapidly adjust the drones position, he recalled how hard it had been to shoot them with his own rifle in training. He recollected how they¡¯d easily dodged all kinds of projectiles thrown at them a few days earlier; fire, arrows, bolts, none of them ever had a real chance of hitting.

    Matt had barely stood by her side for a second before she¡¯d made new plans, acting on them too fast for him to be able to interfere. Faster than his eyes could track, she¡¯d snatched his pistol from its holster and was leaning out aiming it at the drone.

    Click.

    The pistol didn¡¯t fire, the reason, Matt knew, was because of the safety currently switched on.

    ¡°Shit.¡± Knowing how quickly the drone would bead in on them he grabbed Lilith from her back plate and pulled her back deeper behind cover, his mouth open as he did what he could to survive the incoming concussive force.

    As predicted a missile immediately flew straight at the wall where Lilith had been standing only a moment earlier. The missile letting off such a powerful concussive force as to tear down the wall and most of the nearby buildings as if they suddenly fell apart.

    Knowing how limited his time was Matt felt out for a part of himself that he was trained to avoid using. It would shorten his lifespan by years if he overused it but without his armour and just about to get shot he accepted the risk.

    He let the implanted organ in his body release its chemicals. Instantly as the ¡®booster¡¯ filled his blood stream the world slowed, each heart beat moving painfully slow even though it was at triple it¡¯s normal pace. His hands and body moved with precision, twisting and awkwardly cradling the rifle in his arms, aiming just a little over the rubble.

    He had less than a heartbeat to make the shot before they were dead. The drone appeared moving faster than he was able to react to even in his current state.

    He squeezed the trigger as soon as the machine filled his sights, a moment too late. With his combat enhanced senses, he watched as the poison dart came for him, too quickly to dodge. He felt a moment of satisfaction seeing the drone explode on the impact of his bullet, evidently enough damage was done to initiate instant self-destruct.

    With a short sigh, he accepted the fate that was bearing down on him, a dart the size of his little finger with his name written on it. He felt relieved from the responsibilities of his life, as they started to finally fade away. He could no longer fight against the inevitable, resisting death was for heroes and idiots.

    As the dart was only an arm¡¯s length from striking him, a flash split the air faster than his eyes could make sense of. The dart that had been on a perfect path for the centre of his chest was suddenly flew right past his head, carving a bloody line in his cheek with its stabilizers.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Matt stood still, shocked frozen as he tried to understand what had just happened, the boosters in his blood stream running dry and time returning to normal as he touched the fresh wound on his cheek.

    Lilith stood right beside him, her sword held in arms glowing intensely in a deep green light. The lines on her skin clung tightly to the length of her arms throbbing gently with her heartbeat. The pistol she¡¯d held had already been dropped to the ground so that she could focus on the sword.

    In that moment, Matt realized that she¡¯d saved him, somehow bringing her sword to bear quickly enough to slap aside a supersonic dart.

    ¡°ktsu.¡± A sharp breath left her mouth as she fell to her knees, the green colouration gradually fading from her arms and the green ropes gradually spreading out across her body. As the intensity of the light faded her expression became less tense, less pained.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Matt whispered as he picked up the pistol frightened that they might be swarmed in drones in moments. He flicked off the safety and threw it to Lilith, as she was still coming to her feet. ¡°You have 12 shots before you have to learn how to reload.¡± He threw a pair of magazines her direction as well.

    Naturally she cleanly swiped the pistol and magazines from the air, eyeing the sky around them for potential targets.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Lilith turned to him, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and slamming him against a wall the pistol still held in her free hand.

    ¡°I¡­ I guess someone ordered a sweep or something.¡± He was shivering a little from his earlier boost, losing slight control over his extremities. The particular chemicals that had allowed such precise movements took a particular toll on his body afterwards, but without them he would never have made the shot.

    ¡°A sweep?¡± Lilith growled at him, suddenly there was a massive pain in the back of his skull, blood ran down his nose as he felt his mind melting.

    Her nose bleeding just like his own, Lilith starting speaking familiar words, ¡°Sending in drones to destroy everything or kill all of the enemy combatants, destruction is usually caused through a pair of miniature concussive or incendiary missiles. While lethality is achieved through use of darts tipped with a powerful neurotoxin.¡± Not only was she speaking his language but that line came directly out of his training manual, something he¡¯d memorized to the word.

    ¡°To kill everybody?¡± She murmured quietly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe.¡± He sighed not knowing what to do anymore, ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s just to scare people by killing off a fraction of their population.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not getting away with this! I will kill you and every one of your people here and throw their corpses back to wherever you came from.¡± She returned to speaking her language but the rage, and meanings were translated directly into his mind.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Matt was struck wordless by her intense passion.

    ¡°Unless you help me to stop this.¡± She let go of his shirt, letting him stand on his own feet again as he shook in place.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°Save them¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± At the sounding of his word, a drone buzzed overhead quickly targeting their position. Before it could fire off a single dart or missile it¡¯d been blown into separate chunks of metal.

    The pistol he¡¯d handed Lilith was in her hand as she rapidly swung around too fast for his eyes to keep up with. She raced around the wall they¡¯d been hiding behind, on her way around blowing other drones from the sky in a matter of moments.

    He wasn¡¯t able to keep up with her bullet count and gave up on trying. Feeling an immense pressure out of her expectations he lifted his rifle and started to target a drone which had escaped his companion by simply being too far out of range. He fired off a single round as his holographic sights turned green indicating a friendly target.

    The drone quickly separated in mid-flight exploding, scattering pieces of debris in all directions. In the direction of the shattered wall other drones were dodging stray arrows but they didn¡¯t have the same luxury when it came to bullets.

    Surprisingly a few of them were getting hit from arrows fired from the ground, though the arrows moved with a speed comparable to the darts the drones were firing. Even more unexpected was that these arrows actually managed to puncture the drones light armour, damaging a few enough to initiate the self-destruct safety.

    Lilith was still charging ahead with a pace that was difficult to keep up with, using his pistol she¡¯d already flawlessly destroyed 10 drones with 11 shots. Having missed only once when firing out of the pistols effective range. Turning on the spot she fired behind them where a drone had managed to fly through the city without being noticed. Her last bullet turned it to shrapnel in a heartbeat.

    As soon as she fired the last round a massive headache emerged from the back of his head, causing his nose to bleed again. Meanwhile Lilith was confidently reloading the pistol that she¡¯d only held once before. Her motions smooth enough to put him to shame. After the breath it took to reload the headache passed and Matt was feeling close to normal again.

    In the nearby vicinity, a fireball flung from a building targeted a drone singing one of its rotors, but not significantly enough to take it down. Before the drone had a chance of returning fire Lilith had already fired off a round into it, and moving with inhuman speed she leapt the direction that the fireball had come from.

    Wondering why she¡¯d given up on the drones Matt looked skyward to notice that the only remaining drones in the sky were distant and retreating. Apparently, they¡¯d surpassed the retreat threshold. After a certain number of losses they were programmed to retreat for mission re-evaluation and resource conservation. It was pointless for such valuable machines to be sent on suicide missions after all.

    Matt followed after Lilith with only a fraction of the pace she¡¯d managed, as she ran he noticed some dark green ¡®ropes¡¯ wrapped around her legs, similar to how her arms had been before.

    Slipping on a loose organ that had only recently been a part of a nearby body, he slid onto his backside as he turned the corner following Lilith. While rushing to his feet he dosed himself with another slow motion chemical, the shaking of his muscles faded away as he scanned the area. The skies were clear, he was able to see in an instant, the ground was covered in scattered corpses and a few people soon to join with the dead.

    Down the muddy ally, Lilith stood over a woman with a weeping baby held in her arms. The woman was whispering, ¡°Thank you, Thank you, thank you.¡± But her eyes were turned not to Lilith but to a man in a black cloak who was hurriedly running down a muddy road just a little in front of Lilith. Instead of chasing the presumed mage she turned her back to him, facing Matt with a forceful glare.

    ¡°That man was the mage,¡± She pointed at a nearby corpse blackened from burns, ¡°Understand.¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡± Matt released his hold on the boosters, returning him to normal speed. The shakes instantly returned as he stood in the midst of corpses.

    ¡°Understand?¡± She said more forcefully walking up to him with the pistol levelled at his chest.

    ¡°N- No.¡± He stumbled over the word, biting his tongue as his muscles grew restless.

    Lilith rushed at Matt throwing him hard against a nearby pile of rubble that crunched under his weight. He stared up at the blue ceiling so high above, his eyes wandering around occasionally twitching as he felt his vision slipping in and out. This wasn¡¯t the feeling of his consciousness fading though, just another side effect of the booster when it was overused.

    Matt pulled himself up, rubbing at the place in his chest where Lilith had hit him. He could feel a few loose ribs but couldn¡¯t feel any pain, which would have concerned him had he the presence of mind for such a thing.

    Stepping out into the light took monumental force of will on his part. Before he was able to recover properly Myra was suddenly beside him having appeared form nowhere, Lilith standing opposite looked incredibly angry. The same face she¡¯d been wearing since the drones showed up.

    ¡°Where is the mage? Where the hell is he? Did you kill it?¡± Lilith stared her down without reply as she was interrogated by Myra.

    When Lilith didn¡¯t reply, Myra turned to him her face coloured with questions and uncertainty but filled to bursting with a powerful force that bore down on him without mercy. A pure hatred that he had never seen before. He pointed down at the corpse that Lilith had said was the mage, saying one brief word in her language, ¡°Mage.¡±

    ¡°Dammit, why the hell are they always dead before I get there.¡± She sheathed her sword and jumped over a nearby pile of rubble before racing away towards where there was more intense screaming.

    Lilith glanced his direction, her eyes not filled with contempt for the first time since the shooting began, but he didn¡¯t understand why. In the back of his mind he could hear something like laughter, a sickly cackling which was more of a twisted imitation of a laugh by something not quite human, than a sound a living person might actually make.

    The screams had died down already and it seemed that no drones were flying over the city, all of them either destroyed or retreating. He suspected that the System would complete a full re-evaluation before trying this again which would take some time and scout missions.

    ¡°Dammit.¡± Lilith was now standing by the body or a dying young woman trying to keep the blood in her body from leaking out. ¡°Hey Krilm, is there anything you can do, some powerful medicine or something? If you have weapons like that surely you have something that can fix this.¡±

    The woman she was holding down was clawing at Lilith and screaming loudly, a few scattered burns across her face was the least of her problems since her right arm was only connected to her hand with a tattered section of skin.

    ¡°If I had my gear, maybe.¡± He looked around at the scene of carnage and destruction, his eyes scanning the area covered in shrapnel and gore hopelessly searching for something long lost.

    ¡°Save them.¡± The ethereal whisper coming from ahead of him, Matt stood frozen for a breath before he saw faint movement from where the voice had spoken. Almost like the flutter of a skirt.

    ¡°Ren?¡± he whispered disbelievingly, sprinting after the ghost of a person he¡¯d watched die.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Turning the corner the whisper came again, ¡°Save them.¡± and a gust caught the dress that had flown free from its lifeless nature, now moving around the small dwelling to his right. He chased after it, afraid to let it go without him, afraid that it might disappear. Afraid that he might actually see it as something as mundane as it likely was. The thought betraying his vain hope that it was the presence of someone not long passed.

    Turning the corner the loose dress came to a stop atop a pile of corpses, partial and otherwise. He ran towards it throwing aside chunks of dead flesh, and kicking aside corpses, a few which still blinked; he didn¡¯t have the time to be disgusted as his possessed hands moved passionately.

    Underneath a pile of loose intestines, he gripped onto something familiar, something essential. He tore the medical pack up into the air, feeling a strange divine essence from the construction line product. It felt like he¡¯d lost it a lifetime ago, but now he could finally get to work.

    Matt tore open the package while walking at a fast pace his trembling fingers always a moment away from dropping what he held. The first thing he took out was a long thick needle with a white serum already loaded into the chamber.

    With a deep breath he buried it into his broken arm where the bone had split, at first the needle released a deep sound informing him that it wasn¡¯t in the right place. Shifting the needle around forcefully eventually the noise stopped, sensing the location of the injury the device quickly injected a solidifying agent to the ends of the bone, before squealing loudly to indicate it was finished.

    Next, he did the same to the broken ribs in his chest, not bothering to take off his clothes and just pushing through them instead. Finally, to finish he unzipped the top half of his clothes and slapped a yellowish liquid onto the bruising, which reacted almost immediately changing colour in recognition of the healing it was going through.

    As he finished the last of his medical treatments Matt finally arrived back where Lilith was caring for the young woman. Who was looking far more pale than she had been.

    ¡°Now is not the time to steal from the dead Krilm, get over here!¡± He ran her direction while pulling equipment out of his bag. He shoved a small whistle infused with pain killer into the young woman¡¯s mouth before drawing his knife. Without any hesitation he cut of the hand where the flesh turned to nothing but skin.

    Holding the blade in his mouth from its blunt side, he reached his hands into the medical pack locating the artificial skin buried inside.

    The worst injury being the gaping wound where her arm suddenly ended, still bleeding badly as she turned paler with every passing second. Matt stretched out a patch of live skin and coated the wound, the skin was an elastic dried replacement that reacted to blood, filling in holes in the skin and flowing inwards to repair broken arteries.

    Holding down the skin until it bonded, Matt used his other hand to dig through his bag of supplies. That done, he took out a small bottle and quickly coated the burns with a spray on treatment. Where he sprayed quickly expanded, appearing like large white pustules as they cooled and disinfected the skin underneath, very soon it would layer the skin with a replacement.

    He removed the whistle from the now quiet woman¡¯s mouth before standing up. All of his work just a basic soldier¡¯s first aid and was finished in less than 30 seconds. Matt felt bad that this was all he could do for the woman, if he had the resources of a real doctor he could probably reconstruct her arm in no time.

    Lilith, a little shocked, looked at the young woman for a moment before grabbing Matt by the arm dragging him towards the next injured person.

    ¡°Save them¡±

    For some time he was dragged from injured person to injured person until the sun was high in the sky. By that time an effective triage had been setup and his equipment had almost completely run dry. Only a few sprays of his burnt skin remaining. He¡¯d already treated his own injuries as best as he could and was tired enough to fall asleep but this was not nearly the end of the day yet.

    The sunlight rained down on his skin and he could find no shadows in which to walk as he followed after Lilith, who was still, after all this time, walking through the city inspecting the damage.

    She was more concerned with the wellbeing of the people they passed that with the widespread destruction, but for the most part those who were heavily injured were all gathered together for the few surgeons and apothecaries in the city to treat them.

    Having used up the almost all of his medical supplies on the wounded strangers in the street, he felt no regret for its loss. The only regret he carried was that without those supplies he could no longer hear that ephemeral voice calling out to him, but his satisfaction for having helped so many overwhelmed that regret.

    They travelled to the edge of the city, towards the walls which had in numerous places been completely levelled. As they arrived to the scene they heard the moans of the dying an all too familiar sound for this particular morning. Alongside the moans, they could hear the grunting of men pushing themselves to the limit and the sounds of rocks shifting.

    Lilith pushed ahead faster faced with those noises, though she was obviously weakened from all her hard work. In particular every time she used her ¡®cursed¡¯ abilities she seemed to become that much more worn down.

    The view was about what Matt had expected, not much in the way of corpses because most of the dead were buried under the thick rubble. The first thing that they noticed was a group of men moving rocks off of a clearly suffering soldier, his uniform stained in red.

    Lilith wordlessly shoved aside the tired soldiers who didn¡¯t have the stamina to complain or to thank her. They¡¯d been attempting to move a particularly massive segment of wall that had trapped the mans legs, but with little success. One soldier with a pickaxe in hand had been trying to separate it, but that was obviously not going well.

    Within moments of arriving Lilith focused her powers again, the lines on her skin glowing green as it tied itself around her four limbs shivering with power. She didn¡¯t grunt or sigh but for the first-time Matt watched as she trembled, unable to hold on for long. The nearby soldiers were struck in awe by her strength, failing to realize that they were needed.

    Matt his body flush with a weakened burst of adrenaline raced forwards to drag the injured man out from the rubble. The man screaming all the while, not even able to form words as he was crying out for the gods.

    As soon as the man was free Lilith released her grip on the rubble letting it hit the ground with a loud thump. She rested herself against it as the colours in her skin faded. This time it was taking her a lot longer to recover than it had earlier in the day.

    The soldiers shaken out of their stupor by the loud sound were scrambling to give the man first aid and take him to the surgeons. Without immediate and proper care that man wouldn¡¯t survive, even if they had the technology of his homeland; Matt held little hope for the man¡¯s survival.

    As he felt waves of nausea and frustration emanating from Lilith, Matt realized that she knew it better than himself. Together they caught their breath attempting to regain their strength while sitting on a murder weapon, their feet soaking in blood.

    ¡°What exactly do you call those lines on your skin.¡± Matt asked, trying to distract himself from the death surrounding him.

    ¡°Stama.¡± She sighed, and closed her eyes making it clear that she was no longer willing to answer him from here on.

    Time passed slowly yet it seemed to last an eternity, eventually Lilith stood up, not even bothering to speak to Matt before striding off a new direction at a brisk walk. Matt following Lilith could hardly feel anything anymore, but wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind to be able to sleep but he wasn¡¯t in such a state that could be accurately described as awake.

    Ahead of them a woman was calling out loudly, her voice carrying over the moans of the wounded. ¡°Arcides! Are you there?¡± She was dressed in a brighter shade of purple than he¡¯d seen all day, that clearly clashed with the battlefield she walked through. Her blonde hair was cut short, neatly in a charming style that he didn¡¯t recognise.

    Lilith walked straight up to the girl and almost passed her by before she was tapped on the shoulder, ¡°Excuse me miss, have you met a man named Arcides in this city the last few months? I have been looking for the man for the last half a year but he¡¯s impossible to track down.¡± She had a slight burn along her cheek, likely from some kind of incendiary missile from the drone strike, though she showed no care for it.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t.¡± Lilith looked at her face for a few more moments before breaking out in surprise, ¡°Sashella?!?¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind that, I¡¯m not who you think I am anymore. Now I¡¯m just a woman searching for her future husband.¡± She didn¡¯t seem to recognise Lilith.

    ¡°Is¡­ is that so?¡± Lilith stood thinking for a little while before replying, ¡°Well I can¡¯t leave you to dig through corpses alone while looking for a loved one. Me and this Krilm will help.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Why thank you, Mr. Krilm and Miss?¡± The woman seemed a little absent of mind but was incredibly kindly.

    Lilith looked into her eyes, pausing again before she spoke. Ordinarily this would cause an awkward silence but Sashella didn¡¯t seem to notice at all, waiting silently for a reply while smiling cheerfully.

    ¡°Lilith.¡± She finally said, speaking her name confidently, as if expecting something from the other woman.

    ¡°Lilith, what a fine name. So then, let¡¯s start moving. Arcides!¡± She continued her crying out as Lilith was left shocked watching the woman diligently crying out her lover¡¯s name. By now Matt was convinced that the woman was in a heavy state of shock, she continued walking, glancing back only to wave them onwards.

    She calmly stepped over a corpse without looking at it, like she might step over a large stone or fallen tree. Blood had already stained her long flowing skirt. Lilith watched her go without showing any inclination to follow but Matt was possessed by a purpose too powerful to let him just stand by.

    ¡°Save them.¡± He told himself stepping forwards and tapping the woman on the shoulder.

    ¡°Huh? Mr. Krilm? Oh that¡¯s it I haven¡¯t told you what he looks like yet!¡± She exclaimed leaning her head to the side.

    ¡°Matt.¡± He pointed at himself, hoping that a slow introduction might help to shake her out of her shock.

    ¡°Matt? So you aren¡¯t mister Krilm then? My apologies, Miss Lilith you really shouldn¡¯t lie like that it is unbecoming of a young woman.¡± Lilith stood frozen looking back at her as if looking at an alien.

    Taking a deep breath Matt pulled all of his resources, causing his nose to bleed. Before Lilith could object he started speaking, ¡°Sashella how many fingers am I holding up?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm? Four.¡± Correct

    ¡°What colour is the sky?¡± He asked, expecting an insane response.

    ¡°Blue right now, though there is a lot of smoke.¡± She retained a pretty smile on her lips.

    ¡°What is your name?¡± He asked finally, hoping he¡¯d be able to tell if it was true or not.

    ¡°Sashella vaCollins though is suspect that my last name has been disinherited since I ran away from home. Soon enough I¡¯ll have a new last name anyway¡­ though I¡¯m not sure what it will be.¡± She looked thoughtful yet still cheerful as she spoke.

    ¡°You ran away from home?!¡± Lilith¡¯s eyes bulged outwards as she asked the question, her nose dripping with blood, infusing Matt with guilt.

    ¡°Well so did you it seems. A princess joining with the Knights, I didn¡¯t know you were into those kinds of fairy-tale cliques. I half wish that I went that far myself but then I wouldn¡¯t be able to be with Arcides.¡± She appeared truly regretful for a few moments.

    Lilith shocked again, now that she was recognised. ¡°Running off after some foreign prince is pretty damn clique too Sash.¡± She mentioned walking up to her friend while trying to let her shock dissipate.

    ¡°He¡¯s not a prince.¡± Of all things she seemed to be thrilled at the fact.

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ not¡­¡± and again Lilith was caught speechless, Matt was starting to like this young woman.

    ¡°He¡¯s a travelling painter, and is always grumpy. I fell in love the moment he told mother that he couldn¡¯t paint her a portrait.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lilith asked fully gripped by the story.

    ¡°He said he wouldn¡¯t be able to fully capture the horror of her beauty. In those very words. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen mother angry.¡± She burst out laughing at the thought of it. The beautiful charm of the sound in complete conflict with the corpse strewn city in which they were now standing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether that¡¯s the most stupid or courageous act I¡¯ve ever heard of.¡± Lilith let her words die out as she watched her friend disbelievingly.

    Speaking calmly Matt decided to cut into the ensuing silence, ¡°Sorry if this is blunt but how do you know that your future husband isn¡¯t dead?¡±

    Expecting a tense silence, he was surprised that Sahsella was still smiling, ¡°We¡¯re bonded, I¡¯d know if he died even if he was on the other side of the world.¡±

    Lilith looked at her friend, Matt felt an uneasy feeling rising inside her. ¡°Bonded?¡± Her words barely a whisper.

    ¡°Yeah, see?¡± Sashella lifted a necklace she had wrapped around her neck, showing off a glowing pink gem shaped like an inflated Y. He could sense from the pained part of his mind that it was meant to symbolize love.

    Lilith hesitantly reached out for it, as her fingers brushed the gem she pulled back as if it were burning hot. ¡°Magic!?¡± She whispered forcefully, ¡°Where did you get this?!¡±

    ¡°I had it made by a travelling witch, she was a lot younger and kinder than the stories tend to write.¡±

    ¡°Why did you show this to me? You know I should kill you for owning that, don¡¯t you?¡± Lilith stepped back as if afraid of her friend, or perhaps afraid of her own responsibilities.

    ¡°I only showed you, because it was you. I know how to keep a secret you know, I wouldn¡¯t have made it this far otherwise.¡± Sashella carefully hid the gem back under her dress.

    For a while they were silently staring at each other, Lilith¡¯s gaze hesitant while Sashella¡¯s was as genuinely jovial as it had been when they met her. ¡°No point in wasting time. Shall we be off then?¡± She suggested turning her defenceless back to someone obligated to kill her.

    ¡°Tche¡± Lilith spat, removing her hand from the sword that she had ready to draw. Yet Matt noticed that her stama were still the dark black that he was used to seeing on her and had yet to change to either the green or purple variety.

    They followed behind the strange woman, Matt still unsure as to whether she was okay in the head. After a short moment of silence Sashella let out a sharp breath touching at the burn on her cheek, finally recognising her injury. ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t scar.¡± The words coming from her mouth for the first time sounded concerned.

    ¡°Wait up.¡± Matt finally remembered the last remains of his medical gear, and pulled out the spray bottle he¡¯d secreted away. ¡°Hold still and I¡¯ll fix that.¡± His nose was bleeding again as he used Lilith¡¯s language.

    ¡°Hmmmm?¡± Lilith gave her a brief nod to her unvoiced question.

    Matt sprayed the last few droplets in the bottle onto her wound which instantly foamed up in white bubbles. Sashella did her best to hide her discomfort but stood still nonetheless.

    ¡°If you have something to wipe it off with it should be mostly better now.¡± Matt set the now useless bottle back into his small medical pack hoping to find some worth out of it later.

    With an expression of doubt, she pulled a small thin cloth from her pocket, wiping away all of the foam. Underneath was a translucent layer of ¡®skin¡¯ covering the now calmed burn.

    ¡°Incredible! How much did that set you back?¡±

    Matt was caught wordless as he tried to understand her meaning without getting another nosebleed. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± Lilith hit him lightly on the back of the head, ¡°He¡¯s an idiot who doesn¡¯t understand what money is.¡± She paused momentarily, ¡°He¡¯s one of the Monsters.¡±

    ¡°You mean the ones who just levelled this city?¡± she looked at Matt impressed but not the least bit fearful.

    ¡°Yes and no, he¡¯s with me for now and if he does anything wrong¡­ he¡¯s my responsibility.¡±

    ¡°I see, I see.¡± She gave Matt a bright smile, ¡°Good luck.¡± She directed her words at Matt before walking ahead with a pace that suggested an attempted escape.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be saying that to me?¡± Lilith asked, too quick to be left behind by such a human tactic.

    ¡°You¡¯re more frightening.¡± Sashella admitted without a hint of mercy.

    Grunting Lilith tapped at her forehead, ¡°I¡¯ll just take that as a compliment.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re so scary.¡± Her words bringing another sigh out of Lilith.

    Ahead they could see a small gathering of children. They were in an area surprisingly free of corpses, and were crowding around a young woman with Stama swimming across her skin.

    ¡°Myra?¡± He called out as he recognised her, inciting a burst of laughter from both Lilith and Sashella. ¡°Huh? Did I say something wrong?¡± He kept his words to Lilith so that he didn¡¯t stress their minds too much.

    Giggling in a high pitched tone Lilith was unable to find the words to speak. Sashella on the other hand, helpfully blurted out a few words between her own laughs, ¡°She¡¯s trained you well.¡±

    Rubbing away the tears they approached the group of children who were far more sober than his own companions. They managed to control themselves as they got closer to the children, who all seemed to be covered in minor wounds.

    ¡°Myra?¡± Matt was tempted to say more but was still unwilling to risk his wellbeing on it.

    ¡°Myra?¡± the kids echoed with confusion in their voices.

    ¡°yes, yes, kids this is Matt he¡¯s my faithful sidekick and occasional mage bait.¡± Myra spoke to the kids waving at Matt oblivious of fact that he could understand her.

    Neither woman with him was willing to explain that too her either, ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s good to see that you¡¯re all still well, though considering you were with her I guess that¡¯s to be expected.¡±

    ¡°He was a satisfactory sidekick today.¡± Lilith explained keeping her words short.

    ¡°Such kind words I¡¯ve never heard from you before. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve fallen for this giant child, I mean I suppose I can understand, he is cute, but in a puppy kind of way, not like that.¡± She gently petted Matts head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd, though this Krilm is perhaps almost as useful as a puppy.¡±

    Matt glared at them both, but the only reaction he managed to earn was another pat on the head by Myra. ¡°I¡¯m a little busy at the moment so unless you¡¯ve captured a mage for me to interrogate¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to your hobbies then.¡± Lilith started walking away but Matt hesitated watching to see what she was doing with the children, only to see her pull out her trusted tools of torture she¡¯d used on him just yesterday.

    She pet the child on the head, ¡°Okiri Vira,¡± Her words seemed strangely familiar as he walked away leaving her behind to attempt to treat the children¡¯s cuts and bruises.

    After walking only a few hundred metres they encountered a weak groaning from beneath some rubble of a nearby destroyed building. Clicking her tongue Sashella walked over towards the sound, throwing aside the thin clay wall that covered the dying man.

    What they found underneath was only half a man, half of his organs had spilt out from his abdomen where it suddenly ended. Sashella put on another smile slightly different from before, a hint of sadness to it, ¡°excuse me do you know a man named Arcides?¡± Yet still she interrogated the dying man.

    ¡°Archides¡­¡± the man mumbled, blood flowing from his lips, ¡°Arcides¡­ east, he said east where the wind blew¡­ such an idiot¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey don¡¯t talk that way about my darling!¡± Her words were playful, holding no actual anger. She unsheathed a dagger from under her skirt, the blade a fine curve, the hilt a simple bone white with some little design cut into it.

    ¡°Do you want help?¡± She asked putting the point of the blade to his throat, wordlessly he gripped her hand with a white knuckle grip. The knife lowered in one sudden movement cutting clean through to the spine. ¡°Thank you kindly, I hope you find peace on the other side.¡± She wiped the blade of her knife on her cloth and put it back away.

    Matt didn¡¯t know how to feel about what just happened standing over the corpse of an innocent man.

    ¡°Well then, it was nice catching up but I really must be off.¡± Sashella suddenly said, the blood of the man she¡¯d killed still warm as she wore a bright smile. ¡°If I wait any longer my darling will run off somewhere again. It was a pleasure to meet you too Matt. Try not dying while I¡¯m gone, and we shall meet again.¡± Without either of them saying a word Sashella left them behind heading, not for the gate, but rather for one of the massive openings in the wall.

    ¡°She¡¯s awfully cheerful? Is she sick in the head?¡± Matt started walking back to the bath house which he hoped was still standing.

    ¡°I¡¯ve asked that question a hundred times before and still don¡¯t know.¡± Lilith let out a sigh, she was visibly exhausted.

    ¡°We did a lot to help this city today.¡± He let his thought out of his mind.

    ¡°We did.¡± She replied quietly, perhaps too tired to give him any of her usual attitude.

    ¡°So how much money did we earn?¡±

 Chapter 10 - The Aftermath

    The Aftermath

    The city was growing quiet, even though the sun was still high in the sky, it was as if the people were giving up. As if they¡¯d lost their voices. Many people walked the streets, ghosts of who they once were, likely many of them didn¡¯t have a home to return to after the attack this morning.

    Matt tried not to look at them, reminded too much of the town-kids from his own youth. His leg stumbled under him as the muscles again rebelled, the effect a combination of exhaustion and side effects of the booster.

    Lilith wasn¡¯t too much better off than himself, her steps taken slowly and carefully so that most people might miss it, but he could sense the exhaustion flowing from her mind. Her eyes were drifting from the earth at her feet to the empty people walk around her. An empty expression filled her face as she hid away her true emotions that were beating at Matt like the waves of a stormy ocean.

    Together they walked through the quiet city careful of the corpses and debris while stepping through blood soaked muddy streets. Nearby a baby cried in the arms of her mother, who was too despondent to notice.

    Matt looked down at the reddish mud at his feet, trying to remember how this city had been only a short time ago. Lively, loud, colourful in its own way, it had been a place like he¡¯d dreamed of as a child but now it felt as if his home had spread it¡¯s poison on to this town. Influencing it into something like the quiet land of the dead he came from.

    His feet stuck in the mud, letting out a wet squash as he took the next tired step. Matt was starting to realize how he no longer had a place to which he wanted to return. He rejected the homeland that he¡¯d suffered against throughout his youth, he rejected this city which used his people as nothing more than ammunition.

    He found nothing worth returning to, which was part of the reason he became so dedicated to his quest, a vain hope that somewhere along the way he¡¯d find a place to call home. People he could call family again. A tear fell from his reddened eye before he pulled himself from the reverie that pulled at the loose threads of his soul.

    Lilith paused by a pile of rubble, lifting some off to uncover a body. The dead man¡¯s chest had caved in, from falling wreckage, but his glazed eyes continued to stare into the sky. His mouth still open with a scream that would never be heard.

    She lightly held the corpses bloody mouth, saying a few words of solace for the dead before leaving him behind. Matt felt bad for leaving him there like that but there were so many corpses around that moving one wouldn¡¯t make a difference.

    Leaving behind the body, they finally reached the baths that they¡¯d used only this morning. There were few people here and there, most of which were wandering around as if lost. Without saying a word, they entered the pale white arches seeing another world inside. A world unaffected by all this violence.

    Inside they were welcomed with an incredibly cheerful voice, ¡°Good afternoon, my lovelies.¡± Rloki called out to them from the massive bath, her voice at odds with the outside world.

    Lilith didn¡¯t reply, standing in place looking at Rloki as if seeing a monster. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± She muttered, walking to the water¡¯s edge and washing her hands and face.

    Matt was too stunned to reply at all, he felt as if he¡¯d walked through a portal into yet another world, leaving behind all the horrors at the door. It was a mildly unpleasant feeling, for the world and his own mind to be so at odds.

    ¡°Why not you are lovely¡­¡± Silence ensued after her words, before she finally came out and spoke about the one topic they were all thinking about, ¡°I suppose there was another attack.¡± The words brief as she floated in the water resting her chin on the edge of the bath.

    ¡°Worse than last time, half the city is gone.¡± Lilith replied unwilling to lie or joke about this. ¡°You didn¡¯t see it?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t leave here, I thought if I was going to die it might as well be in a relaxing tub while wearing what I was born in. Though this building is more sturdy than most of the others in this city too.¡± She sighed letting out some pent-up stress. ¡°So, I suppose that there are many dead.¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡± Lilith whispered, as she stared into the water.

    Matt following along with the conversation undressed and sat at the side of the pool washing himself for the second time today. The smell of smoke and blood infused his clothes worn clothes which were already showing signs of decay.

    Rloki looked over his direction with startled eyes, glancing at the place between his legs, ¡°What!? You¡­ you aren¡¯t¡­ you are still a child?¡± The voice reverberating through the room, ¡°And the day keeps getting worse.¡± Rloki crawled out of the water, wiping herself down with a towel before throwing on a set of new clothes.

    The clothes were far more colourful than felt appropriate right now. ¡°I¡¯m going to see what I can do then. This town is sure to need some smiles right now.¡± Rloki left them in complete silence aside from the splashing of water.

    Lilith glanced his direction as if unsure about something. ¡°He¡¯s only a kid¡­ so it should be all right.¡± Her thoughts unknowingly leaked out, finally making Matt wonder how many of his own were flowing into her.

    She started to take her armour off one piece at a time, starting with her legs and arms. Before long she stripped of her chest and back plate revealing pale skin covered in swirling stama. He hadn¡¯t noticed under her armour but her chest was inflated like with many of the women in this world. The appearance not completely alien but still strange to him. There were very few women he¡¯d come across in his own world who had such an ailment. He wondered whether it had to do with eating too much.

    Lilith¡¯s face grew red as he looked her direction, and her stama fluctuated along her skin moving quicker and in tighter spirals. She turned her back to him trying to keep her calm as she wiped away the blood and dirt covering her skin.

    Matt decided to focus on his own cleanliness for now, washing away the fresh stains on his skin and clothes. It wasn¡¯t long before he was finished and lay back on the stone floor, too restless to sleep, too tired to move.

    The faces of the dead passed by his eyes, all of those that he couldn¡¯t save. He did not know them and he did not regret their deaths, yet still they haunted him now, as if he was somehow at fault they died.

    His clothes were left drying in the sunlight beside him, the open roof allowing for the sun to directly shine on both him and his clothes. Matt heard a surge of water as Lilith left the bath, her silver hair clinging on her short horns, no longer hiding them as much as it had.

    Matt barely made out marks of the stama flowing along those pale horns. Whatever she was wasn¡¯t human anymore, that much he was certain of. She reclothed herself in her dried armour plate and padding, doing as much as she could to ignore him.

    She still had his pistol and spare magazines carried in a small pouch at the back of her pants, but for now at least he had little urge to take them back from her. Her speed and accuracy with his pistol was the only reason he was still breathing after that battle, and there was no telling when something similar might happen again.

    Next time he mightn¡¯t have time to arm her before they both died.

    Lilith stood over him staring down into his face as he laid back waiting for strength to return to his tired body. ¡°We¡¯re moving now, get dressed.¡± She said shortly before striding away towards the arches.

    Matt¡¯s muscles trembled as he ordered them to move, finally getting to his feet he struggled with his moist clothes. First the loincloth that he¡¯d been given, not knowing how exactly it was supposed to be tied he wrapped himself up and gave it a tight knot. Then over the top was his jumpsuit, marked with dozens of holes and scratch marks. It wasn¡¯t meant to be used outside of the suit for very long and was already deteriorating, it¡¯s protective capabilities were likely as good as paper now.

    He struggled one leg at a time until the uniform was on, letting himself walk with a relaxed pace towards where Lilith had walked ahead. He could hear a few distant screams echoing through the arches as he passed. The people walking by outside were empty shells, eyes aimed down at their feet as they occasionally walked into a wall or tripped on some debris. Many of them were bleeding from small injuries.

    ¡°They¡¯re not doing well.¡± Matt pointed out nodding his head at the strangers passing by.

    ¡°We¡¯ll what do you want to do with them? You have some miracle cure for this?¡± She waved her hand across the shattered horizon where entire sections of city had fallen to rubble.

    Matt didn¡¯t have a reply, standing by her side as they wordlessly observed the depressing reality surrounding them. He¡¯d never seen the aftermath like this before, he¡¯d never been in a place like this before to begin with, but even now this city was slightly more comfortable than the towns of his home.

    He hadn¡¯t noticed it earlier but the people who walked by radiated with grief, pain, and loss. They wore their emotions on their sleeve even when their faces were painted with shock. This was a place that suffered but was still alive, broken but healing. Unlike his own world.

    Matt struggled forwards his legs trembling, but he forced them to push onwards. Lilith turned to him as he stepped down to the muddy street. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Her question asked with a firm voice.

    ¡°To do something about this,¡± He didn¡¯t need to explain what this was.

    ¡°What can you do?¡± She murmured stepping down to him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯ll find something.¡± He walked down the road without thought for direction, his eyes up as he examined the carnage and looked for something that he could do to erase a little of the pain. The pain of this city and the pain beating in his own chest.

    Lilith followed him, her footsteps quiet. When Matt looked back to her she was rotating between staring at her feet and the faces of those who passed by. The bright sun igniting her silver hair with a brightness that he wasn¡¯t used to seeing, a brightness that was lacking in her face.

    Having walked without direction Matt was surprised to hear the screams getting louder as he continued onwards. Even so, he decided to chase the noise and offer what he could to ease the suffering causing such painful screams.

    The foot traffic grew more thick as the screams grew more clear, and seeking out the source of the sound, they soon found themselves standing amidst a sea of corpses.

    The smell was overwhelming, it was too early for the bodies to start rotting but the smell of stomach and organs having been torn open. The smell of human waste covering the ground from the dead and dying unable to move. The smell of the people sweat stained and bloody. The smell of sickness as people emptied their stomachs, attempting to avoid dirtying the corpses any further.

    Where he stood, one in ten bodies were still making weak sounds, the rest were the wounded who had died soon after arriving. None of the wounded had Dart injuries, instead all of them suffered from some form of bruising or lacerations likely caused from buildings collapsing.

    The screams were filled with a mixture of grief and pain. The grieving families holding onto bodies that had changed in state from people into objects, screaming out and sobbing interchangeably. The wounded and dying crying out to this unfair world that had forced onto them such a fate as this.

    Matt and Lilith both stood quietly in shock of the sight. It was too much, too much pain, too much suffering, too much death. This was like entirely another world to him, and it hurt in a familiar way to stare down into the eyes of the dead wishing he¡¯d been in their place.

    Perishing the thought from his head Matt stepped forwards, his eyes focused on one young boy with no family or friends by his side. It was obvious just by looking that the boy was dying, nothing he did could change that fact. Yet he still walked up to the boy, letting the kids desperate hand grip onto his own.

    The boys eyes were wrapped in a cloth, unable to look at Matt; he could still feel the strength in the boys grip. Fingernails carved into his skin, as the desperate cries grew louder. Lilith stood opposite him looking down at the boy, eyes filled with uncertainty and sadness.

    Tentatively she knelt down and like him held the dying boys hand, ¡°Mama¡­ Papa¡­¡± he let out between sobs, his screaming having faded away. Matt could feel the strength in the boys grip lessen with his voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming mama, please stop the hurting mama.¡± Matt held onto the boy¡¯s hand forcefully, not speaking for fear of breaking the boys hopeful illusion.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming¡­¡± he whispered as his shuddering body stopped moving, his grip falling loose a moment after. Matt could sense that the boy was dead, impossible modern medicine might have revived him but such a luxury didn¡¯t exist here.

    Lilith, tears still rolling down her cheeks, nudged at the kid. ¡°Hey¡­ wake up¡­ there¡¯s still more¡­ you¡­ haven¡¯t seen¡­ this world¡­ don¡¯t go racing off ahead. Open your eyes¡­¡± She let her words fall out gently as she fought to regain control of her emotions. Matt glanced at her eyes but it seemed as though her eyes were looking past everything, looking into memories rather than the dead corpse before her.

    Matt released his hold of the person shaped object, putting his hand on hers as she clutched desperately to the boy. ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡± He whispered to her. ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡±

    She blinked a few times before looking over at Matt. Her tearstained eyes desperate to hide what she was letting out, it took only a moment for her to wipe away her tears and return to something close to normal. That disguise couldn¡¯t hide the turmoil inside her from travelling along their bond.

    In the back of his mind Mat could feel a stormy ocean, waves crashing down with thunderous shudders.

    As they walked, they encountered more of the dying, separating from each other; Lilith, with more restraint eased those who were still conscious. Matt wondered around doing what he could do himself, mostly just holding their hand and smiling gently with them as they passed away.

    Fear and loss filled his heart. Walking over to a tall and well-muscled man Matt felt a moment of recognition, a moment of error as he looked down into a face so like that of Damien, his childhood friend. In his heart and mind, it was Damien lying before him on top of a cloth covered in mud.

    It was Damien who was whispering such gentle words, empty of meaning, as he held on tightly to a life that was slipping away. It was Damien who¡¯s eyes became empty as they froze in place, body relaxing into the hand of death as he was carried away from this reality.

    As soon as the man died matt walked away, looking for someone else to comfort, but as he walked he was surrounded with familiar faces. Faces from his childhood aged to fit the corpses he passed by, to his left was the corpse of the Harry that lived into his later years, to his right was an empty vessel reassembling Jane had she lived only a little longer. Alex, Selene, Pete.

    Karen.

    Dear Ren.

    He paused at the body staring into the cold face of death, heart beating in hope that her lips might move a fraction, that her eyes might look his direction.

    ¡°I¡¯m alive!¡± A whisper carried to his ear from afar but when he looked around he couldn¡¯t see who might¡¯ve said it.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Feeling worthless as the dying around him continued to ignore his attempts to soothe them and as the dead haunted him with familiar faces, Matt turned to look for Lilith.

    She was speaking with a young man who was still conscious enough to converse with her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep on going like this. I¡¯m just a burden on everyone while I wait to slowly die. Please help me.¡± The man was covered in blood but was mostly hidden by his large black cloak.

    Lilith carefully drew a small knife from her pouch, ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± she asked him, holding the man¡¯s hand in her other free hand as she positioned the knife over his heart.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure, and thank you. Thank you for saving them.¡± Lilith punctured his chest, pushing it in up to the hilt before retrieving it. She whipped the blade clean with a cloth from her pouch, standing and leaving the dead man¡¯s body in a restful position.

    ¡°Lilith.¡± Matt called her, she walked his direction at the sound of her name, ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked fiddling with the stock on his rifle to distract himself.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me that? It was your people who did this, shouldn¡¯t you feel something about this?!¡± She replied forcefully.

    ¡°I¡¯ve hated my people for a long time,¡± he replied wistfully, ¡°this feeling isn¡¯t anything new. Though I¡¯ve never seen it on such a scale before.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you so intent on saving those people?¡± She called out to him, leaving him behind as she walked away from him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± He whispered to himself out of her earshot.

    They made their way past the corpses and towards where the sobbing and screaming was louder. Here were the people who still might live, if they were lucky enough to get seen by a surgeon. Assistants were running around gathering people up and moving them around. Some of the wounded were being carried to where Lilith and Matt had just walked from, letting out soft whimpers and loud screams as they were literally sent to the graveyard.

    Here were people who¡¯d lost limbs, people who¡¯d been badly burnt or had their limbs twisted in unnatural positions, and some who were severely burnt screaming from the bottom of their lungs. Those which had been too badly bleeding were either attended or already dead.

    Lilith let out a small sigh as a fresh wave of fear overwhelmed her; Matt, surprised at this sudden change in emotion followed her eyes to where a young girl was lying on a blanket that had long since been stained red.

    Opi. The young girl from the Knights camp, was moving around with her arm being wrapped up by an exhausted surgeon whose hands kept slipping.

    ¡°Lilith?¡± the girl called out to her as she recognised the Knight from the crowd.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She walked to the girl no sympathy on her face, but her heart filling with regrets.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± She cried as the surgeon accidentally knocked the end of her limb, sniffling she turned to Lilith, ¡°Does this mean I can¡¯t be one of you?¡± She asked tears welling in her eyes at the prospect.

    ¡°This has no effect on it.¡± Lilith waved off her concerns, ¡°What matters is whether you can pass the test, be strong and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± She let the girl be alone, walking away. Matt gave Opi a little nudge on the shoulder and a smile, she returned his smile with a blatantly forced smile.

    Lilith was walking away from the entire area, racing away from the screams with a quick pace. Matt jogged up to her side, pushing past desperate family members and despondent wounded.

    After a silence settled down between them, Matt asked her a question without turning his head to her, ¡°Is she going to become like you?¡± He already knew the answer but asked anyway, wanting to fill the silence with something more than moans and distant screams.

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± She replied vaguely.

    ¡°What next?¡± His eyes searched the area but there was nothing that he could see worth doing. The buildings were beyond repair and the people beyond helping, this place could only heal through time and even then, it wouldn¡¯t be the same. Matt knew that much personally.

    Lilith didn¡¯t reply to him just continuing her silent walk through the city streets. Her stomach grumbled passionately as they passed lunch by several hours, but there wasn¡¯t much in the way of food available.

    Sighing he continued to stride around the city with her, hoping to find something to which he could give his time and strength. More than anything right now he wanted to fill his hands with a task worth doing.

    Ahead Matt made out the image of a man slightly different from the others, it wasn¡¯t how he was dressed, but rather how he walked. He was throwing aside chunks of rubble and picking up objects that littered the ground underneath.

    Carrying a large basket the man continued to move along doing the same thing. Matt nudged Lilith and walked over to the man. Lilith didn¡¯t react very positively, her arms hanging loose at her side as she resembled a doll more than a person.

    Matt walked up to the man who was currently struggling with holding a large chunk of rubble while digging around underneath it. Without sharing any words Matt took the weight of the rubble off of the man, who now dug underneath. He retrieved small colourful balls which reminded Matt of mangoes from his textbook back in his world.

    Gently the man added them to the contents of the basket, even those that were mostly crushed were collected. After that area was clear Matt chased after him, collecting similar fruits that were scattered around the place and adding them to the man¡¯s collection.

    ¡°Under here.¡± The man murmured pointing at a section of wall that had fallen down without breaking apart. Matt quietly lifted the section, his tired muscles straining but not about to give up yet, the man carefully crawled underneath throwing out various fruit before re-emerging all the muddier for it.

    Matt dropped the rubble letting it fall apart as it hit the wet ground. Continuing to follow the man and help him, they eventually arrived at a small community of people carrying baskets. Some were filled with food, some with clothes, and elsewhere there were people carrying along buckets of water to deliver here.

    Nearby was a place where people were huddled together munching at raw food or sipping water from buckets. There were no words spoken here, those eating soon stood and picked up an empty basket or bucket when they were done. Some assistants and new people came to rest in their place.

    Matt looked around for Lilith who was following along behind him, her eyes hollow. Grabbing a pair of large fruit Matt threw one to Lilith, who reacted slowly, snatching the fruit from the air as it was about to slap into her head.

    Recovering a little she looked to Matt with questioning eyes, ¡°You are hungry, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked her as she gradually pulled herself back together.

    ¡°A little presumptuous for a Krilm like you, but I suppose you were born for the purpose of serving others.¡± She tore into the fruit with her teeth eating it skin and all.

    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s just how life is.¡± He replied, unsure of how her comment was supposed to offend him this time. He tried to bite into the fruit like her but the skin was far too tough and tasted unreasonably bitter.

    He carefully cut open the fruit with his knife making sure not to cut himself with it. From inside the fruit, erupted a sweat fragrance wafting out from its purple flesh.

    Only now realizing how hungry he was Matt tore into the fruit with a sudden force. Finishing the meal quickly enough to upset his stomach, he looked over to Lilith as he gnawed on the skin that was left. She was finishing up herself, throwing aside a large seed that had been inside.

    Matt had eaten the seed in his own without knowing it was there to begin with, standing up with a little concern for his stomach he walked over to where the baskets of supplies were piling up and disappearing. A woman in her older age was guiding people through, waving them towards where to drop off the new supplies.

    He approached her carefully still unsure about how to talk with her without giving Lilith a nosebleed and a headache. She pointed him out from the crowd and dragged him off to the side.

    ¡°You were the one running after the Knight, helping to destroy those monsters, weren¡¯t you?¡± she asked him with some force to her words, she was unable to fully restrain her emotions.

    Matt nodded unsure how to proceed, he hadn¡¯t noticed anyone watching him at the time. But then he wasn¡¯t exactly being quiet, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that someone took notice of him.

    ¡°Where did you get that weapon from?¡± She asked pointing it his rifle, voice filled with curiosity, ¡°Ah, but never mind that, thank you so much for what you¡¯ve done today. Because of you the mother of my grandchild is still alive, I¡¯m sure there are plenty of others as well.¡±

    ¡°To tell you the truth when they showed up and blew down the walls, I didn¡¯t think anything would stop them; except perhaps the Sasahara Knights.¡± The elderly woman was staring over at Lilith who was staring absentmindedly at her feet.

    ¡°And it seems even they¡¯ve had it rough. It¡¯s not much but take these for my gratitude. They were my husbands before he passed away. Thank the gods he wasn¡¯t here to watch his children die.¡± She had tears overflowing from her eyes.

    ¡°Oh, and now I¡¯m getting all sentimental. Go on and get that lovely girl to start smiling again, seeing her sulking around is making everyone depressed.¡± She waved him back towards Lilith, his hands full of clothes.

    The clothes were almost completely coated in mud but his own uniform had outlived its shelf life and was starting to fall apart around him. Without regards for the nearby people, he quickly changed into the set of clothes that seemed easy to wear.

    He wrapped himself in the brown clothes, the bottom part hanging from his waist loosely was more a skirt than pants, the top half wrapped over his shoulders and fell to his knees resting over his arms rather than having sleeves. The shoes were nothing more than thin slips on his feet with small wooden treads underneath. ¡°How do I look?¡± he turned to Lilith forcing a smile on his tired lips.

    ¡°Like a Krilm.¡± She muttered too tired to come up with a lengthy response.

    Matt took to hand the empty basket nearby and started walking off towards piles of rubble. He quickly discovered that all the nearby areas were picked clean and decided to follow a middle-aged woman as she travelled out again having just delivered a basket of clothes.

    Lilith followed wordlessly, she was on the edge of becoming despondent like many of the others that were wandering around the city. Matt tried to get her to start talking again with mindless chatter while he walked.

    ¡°Back home we didn¡¯t have anything like this place, everything was quiet and empty. Just looking at the people passing by I can see something in their eyes, a spark buried beneath all of this pain and shock that wasn¡¯t there back in my world.¡± He let his thoughts spill out unable to think of any other topic.

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t laugh because they were never happy, they¡¯d never cry because they were never sad. Ren always had hope that they could change but I¡¯m still not sure that¡¯s possible.¡± The woman ahead had started scavenging so he did the same, taking to hand anything that looked remotely useful.

    Lilith helped him, slowly taking to hand a variety of things from the muddy ground and putting them in the basket. She whispered quietly to him, ¡°Why did you come here?¡± her words holding onto some anger.

    ¡°Me? Because I was ordered to. My people, my world, they were surprised by the sudden portal to this world and some people got lost inside it.¡± Matt himself had been told very little at the time, all he knew was that his training was suddenly changed and increased in intensity.

    ¡°The system must have taken your world as a threat, that¡¯s the only reason I can think of to do this much.¡± He sighed throwing aside a chunk of wall and inspecting a strange metal item trying to decide whether it was worth taking.

    ¡°The system. That¡¯s your leaders?¡± she asked her words still quiet but she was gradually returning to her senses.

    ¡°Yeah. The system tells us what to do and how to live.¡± He confirmed, deciding to take the strange object.

    ¡°You said that you hated them earlier, so why stay with them, why not fight back?¡± She spoke with a little more passion now.

    Matt was silent in reply, forcing down memories that were rising to Lilith¡¯s provocation. ¡°Pointless.¡± He said quietly, feeling the weight of deaths on his shoulders.

    ¡°Surely you could have tried, or at least died trying!¡± She yelled forcefully at him, ¡°because you didn¡¯t¡­¡± She fell silent looking over the broken landscape.

    ¡°I did.¡± He replied, ¡°Again and again, until I lost even myself.¡± He replied letting his mouth move as he worked. ¡°Again and again and again.¡± His voice fell away to a whisper.

    Lilith noticing the hopelessness radiating from him and said nothing more, filled with frustration herself.

    Hands moving quickly, they continued to work hard, gathering what items they could as the sky grew dark with a storm forming overhead. Matt turned to see the woman who he¡¯d followed here get shoved aside as a young man snatched her basket and ran.

    Matt didn¡¯t bother to give chase, it was only natural for an animal to consider its own survival above that of others he walked over to the lady who was still lying in the mud. She was quietly weeping.

    Without sharing words Matt offered her a hand up, she stumbled up with his help but kept on sobbing. It wasn¡¯t like she¡¯d been pushed hard but on top of the stress everyone had experience today he could sympathise with the woman.

    She continued sobbing for a while, not letting go of the hand that had helped her to stand up. After some time had passed she wiped away her tears letting go of his hand, ¡°Thank you.¡± She whispered slowly forming the words before walking back down to the supply camp.

    By the time they returned themselves with a full basket, the sun had settled, seated gently on the horizon, and dark clouds covered the rest of the open sky growling threateningly in the cooling day. People were still gathered here in this uncovered area, there were far too few buildings standing for them all to take refuge from the coming storm. Many of them didn¡¯t even notice as the rain started to fall gently on them.

    Travelling quickly on tired legs Matt noticed that there were more people digging through the wreckage now. Some fought each other over what they found and no one attempted to interfere. Even the guards were the same, if not more forceful in their attempts to take from the weak hands of those who dug through the debris of their homes.

    Many people still walked down to the gathering where he¡¯d been helping gather supplies all afternoon with Lilith. Their eyes holding some little hope as they travelled to a place where human life was still worth something.

    On the side of the road he noticed a young woman who¡¯d been sitting beneath an angled section of wall safe from the rain. A man walked up to her and tore the tattered blanket from her hands pushing her halfway out into the rain. Rather than fight back the woman shifted as close to the shelter as she could but the man shoved her aside into the mud.

    The sight made Matt feel sick, but there was little point to interfering. The same thing was happening all over and as soon as he turned his back she would be back in the rain and mud. There was no point in saving someone just to let them die afterwards, if he couldn¡¯t protect them, then it was pointless to step in now.

    Ahead their inn was surrounded by people, most too lifeless to push or cry out to get ahead. Lilith led their way through that crowd, as even now the people were giving her space to move. Despondence wasn¡¯t reason enough to be rude to her it seemed.

    Inside was a cheerful voice and the sounds of glasses hitting tables out of rhythm. Once he was through the door he entered yet another world. On the small stage Rloki was singing with as much life as she could force out of her small body. Crying out loudly just to get a little attention from those drinking below her.

    Their cups filled with a yellow liquid which was quickly consumed and replaced, but little did they talk or even smile at the act on stage. Most stared into their drinks as if they would find a hint of their past lives at the bottom.

    On stage Rloki finished singing her song, waiting for the very thin applause, even going so far as to applaud herself while continuing to smile and goad the crowd. ¡°Come on you lazy curs, it doesn¡¯t take that much effort to clap.¡±

    Matt loudly clapped with her, Lilith standing by his side staring up at the creature on stage with a sneer.

    Focusing on the positives Rloki started up a new song, trying to spur the crowd into something resembling happy.

    Matt still felt like sleep was a while off, and tired as his body, was he walked closer to the stage. Lilith kept her distance from him. Rloki while singing, waved him up towards the stage, her arms moving life-fully but her eyes exhausted. He had no idea how long she¡¯d been doing this, but felt a growing respect for the woman.

    Doing as she indicated he stood up on stage with her, trying to move with the beat. Quickly she stripped of an outer layer of clothes so that she only had a cloth wrapped around her waist and another around her inflamed chest. She smiled to him, grabbing his hands, and moving with the beat of the drums that were played behind them. She dragged him along with her motions.

    He awkwardly tried to follow her the rifle slung across his back consistently causing trouble. She cried out to the crowds and kept singing while moving her hips and shoulders. Matt attempting to follow along, looked sadly out of place, his movements stiff as he constantly almost fell over his own feet.

    Lilith smirked at him from the crowd and he¡¯d managed to grab the attention of a few other patrons who¡¯d noticed his pathetic attempt at dancing. Although only slightly, as the song came to a close there were a few more people applauding than had been before.

    Rloki stepped forwards to address the crowd, ¡°Thank you for watching out titillating performance of¡­ of something¡­¡± her words slurred off and she fell, her body suddenly slack. Matt stepped in to support her from behind.

    Her eyes were closed and she let out a gentle snore, apparently uninjured. Matt let out a sigh and lifted her into his trembling arms. Thankfully she was light enough to carry even in his weakened state.

    As he walked down from stage the patrons quickly returned to their drinking in a depressing silence, now that the one cheerful person among them had fallen asleep.

    Walking her body to the stairs he was intercepted by the man behind the bar, ¡°She gave up her room to strangers earlier in the night, would it be too much trouble if she took up some space in your room?¡±

    Matt unable to reply turned to Lilith who¡¯d moved to his side, it seemed as though it was her the man had been addressing, ¡°It¡¯s fine, and if there are any children or elderly feel free to send them up also. Tonight is going to get cold out there.¡±

    The man with a slightly worried look to his eyes spoke up, ¡°Are you sure?¡± At her nod, he replied, ¡°certainly then.¡± Though he didn¡¯t immediately move to do so, wiping at the table with a thoughtful look on his face.

    Matt climbed the stairs awkwardly trying his best to avoid hitting Rloki¡¯s head as he went, the unconscious person in his arms was moving around making it difficult. Eventually Rloki held a firm grip around his neck hugging tightly while murmuring in her sleep. Lilith, leading the way, opened the door to their room when they arrived.

    Matt overly conscious of the person in his arms holding his neck tightly rested her down on his bed, but her tight grip on his neck didn¡¯t release immediately. At first, he tried to pry her arms off but that didn¡¯t work, and when she pushed against her shoulders she pulled him in for a kiss.

    He avoided it by just slipping from her grip, though she continued to kiss and gnaw on the pillow she now had wrapped up in her arms. Matt watched her wondering how a person grows up into that, wishing deep in his heart that he¡¯d lived in such a place as she had. Lilith looked on with some disapproval in her eyes.

    The door suddenly opened allowing in a half dozen filthy kids, who quickly bowed deeply to Lilith. She waved them on and they dove onto the beds, some cuddling up to Rloki whose attention was still focused on the pillow in her arms.

    Standing there, Matt quickly realized that there was no longer room for him in any of the beds. Considering for a moment pushing onto the bed alongside them, he instead sighed and sat next to Lilith who was in the same position she¡¯d been in this morning when he¡¯d awoken.

    Outside the window, darkness had fallen and the rain started to pour. Matt could no longer hear the screams of the dying through the heavy pounding of rain as the intensity grew.

    ¡°Many more are going to die tonight.¡± Lilith said looking straight forwards at the blank wall.

    ¡°Why do you think that?¡± he asked, staring instead out the window at the rain.

    ¡°The cold will kill them.¡± She replied, her voice toneless but her mind screaming in sympathy.

    ¡°I see.¡± He replied imagining trying to sleep out on the street in this chill weather and heavy rain. ¡°That¡¯s why you let them in?¡±

    She didn¡¯t reply, just stared at the new faces entering the room and crowding the area. Mostly it was just kids who entered the room, their faces red from crying and hair wet from the downpour outside. They soon quickly filled up the room so that even the floor space was packed tight with bodies.

    Thankfully though, out of fear or respect, they gave Matt and Lilith some room around them. Many of the children were coughing and sneezing, others shivered badly as they huddled up to one another.

    Matt, warmed by the heat radiating from Lilith, soon felt sleep touching his mind. Soon it became a struggle to keep his eyes open. Matt rested his rifle between the two of them, alongside the damaged helmet he¡¯d secreted away earlier. ¡°Be careful of this,¡± he told her as he slouched down into a comfortable position.

    Without hearing her reply, he let sleep take him.

 Chapter 11 - The World Beyond The Veil

    The World Beyond The Veil

    Floating in the maddeningly, cold darkness that was his own mind. Matt sought something; something real and meaningful. Something warm to ignite his soul with emotion. Something real.

    Memories flowed by before his eyes, fond old memories of his times with his family. Bleak, empty memories after his transition from child to adult. They all drained of colour as he watched them pass by, some he watched with fading defiance, others he let flow by without desire to see them remain.

    Within that darkness, he became aware of something not himself. Something alien yet also familiar, within that entity he felt some warmth; he felt joy.

    Following the essence of emotion, Matt found himself floating in a warm ocean. The waves soothingly washing back and forth as they eased the chill from his bones and filled him with comfort. In this place, he found he could rest. His mind falling into a deeper slumber within that warm emotion.

    ¡°Ah a new dreamer. How interesting. Welcome person Matt.¡± The voice disjointed and frightening within this sea of warmth. He chose to bear it no mind, opening his eyes into a dream unfamiliar to him.

    Surrounded by red and pink silks and soft sheets Matt found himself in the body of a child, a young girl at that. Powerless he watched life from her eyes feeling the drowsiness lift from her young body as she yawned stretching her muscles in greeting to the new day.

    She groaned lightly, still wanting to sleep for longer but infused with a will to move from the bed. She had important things to do today and couldn¡¯t afford to sleep in any longer.

    Matt could tell from her size that she must have been around 8 or 9 years old by his reckoning. Her small hands and short height gave him a strange perspective of the world. Though it was the richness of colour in the room around him which brought warmth to his heart.

    Crawling out from the massive bed, her hands sinking into the soft mattress as she moved, she swept aside the silk surrounding the bed. Outside she could see multiple pieces of intricately carved whitewood furniture and a room floored in white marble. It was the beauty of simple colours making the bed stand out as the one loud piece of furniture in the room.

    She swung herself off the bed, slipping and falling over herself in the process; her legs having gotten caught in her sheets as she moved.

    Groaning again she lay on the cool ground a little longer, letting the chill sink into her body until she was desperate enough to move. Finally forced to escape from the chilling marble floor she ran over to the wardrobe which held her dresses.

    The wardrobe was made out of a pale wood detailed with silver and stood around twice as tall as herself, though she was starting to grow taller. Yesterday had been her 10<sup>th</sup> name day and she¡¯d grown a lot since last year, tearing open the beautifully intricate doors in front of her, she revealed a line of beautifully made dresses. They were almost all covered in silver and gold with some kind of gemstone weaved into them somewhere, but the brightest one was at the front.

    It was a gift from yesterday, the wrists of the dress had little emeralds shining while the neck was a gold chain inlaid with so many diamonds that it¡¯s weight threatened to choke her when she wore it. She quickly tore past that dress, too occupied searching for her usual garb to properly look at it.

    After a short time, she¡¯d located the dress hidden up the furthest back corner of the wardrobe. a simple red dress without any gold, silver or gems. The delicate parts of the dress which had once been so beautiful and expensive, were so worn out that it looked little different from what commoners wore.

    Realizing she was short on time she quickly tore off her nightwear and threw her dress over her head before putting underclothes on. Just as she finished wriggling into her clothes comfortably there was a knock at the door. Without waiting for a reply a young maid walked into the room, her brown hair was tied up in a bun and she dressed in a simple white uniform with some frills at her feet.

    ¡°Theresa? Up and dressed already?¡± She finally noticed the dress she was wearing, ¡°And dressed in that, I see it¡¯s going to be one of those days then. Why are you so obsessed with this dress?¡±

    ¡°Harui, as you can see I¡¯m perfectly well dressed.¡± She replied to her maid. Harui was a plain young woman of average proportions and a face that was easily forgotten but to Theresa she was a very important person.

    ¡°Yes, well today you must wear you new dress. There are some matters to attend to this morning and the Queen will be upset if you wear anything else.¡± She was already poking her head into the wardrobe instantly taking out the dress in question.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to see her after this morning so why do I have to wear that.¡± She argued, her words carrying a childish note.

    ¡°How about this, if you wear this dress for breakfast and the farewell ceremony then I¡¯ll help you get changed into your favourite dress afterwards.¡± She held up the dress in both hands the weight from the gold making her strain slightly.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to.¡± She grumped her hands curled up to fists in her red dress. ¡°It¡¯s heavy and uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°Okay then, but you know the Queen, your mother, will be upset with you. Is that okay with you?¡± the maid started putting the dress away slowly careful of the many gems in it.

    Theresa didn¡¯t reply immediately, her face contorted as she thought it over. Mother was scary when she upset her too much, and she did hurt Harui because of it too, justifying that it was her fault that Theresa wasn¡¯t well disciplined.

    With an exhausted sigh, she asked the maid, ¡°I can change back after?¡±

    ¡°Only if you don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Harui gave her a sly smile, keeping her secret.

    ¡°Fine.¡± As soon as consent was given the maid was changing her, quickly throwing her red dress back into the wardrobe and pulling out the heavy dress.

    Theresa stepped into the bottom part of the dress and moved hands forwards to go into the sleeves. They ¡®d both gone through this song and dance so many times that both moved with confidence. Unlocking the neck cage made of gold and diamonds Harui slid it up and around her neck, restricting her breathing a little.

    ¡°Is that okay?¡± She asked, making certain that it hadn¡¯t pinched her anywhere.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Theresa replied grumpily, rubbing at the metal chains. Harui then started to weave shut the back of her dress, each movement forcing air from her lungs. ¡°Why are these made so tight?¡± She asked between puffs.

    ¡°So that you look more beautiful¡­ apparently.¡± Harui finished and tied up the dress. ¡°There we go, just as beautiful as any queen.¡±

    ¡°I like the other one better.¡± She mumbled too low for her maid to hear.

    Harui had her spin around to inspect the dress and make sure that nothing was loose. ¡°Now, you¡¯re ready.¡± She said petting the girl on her head before guiding her over to a chair she¡¯d set up looking out the huge window, ¡°Now your hair.¡± She said sitting young Theresa down on the wooden chair.

    Her hands brushed out Theresa¡¯s hair with practised precision moving with quick thrusts taking out the few knots that formed overnight while humming to herself. The tune was familiar, a song that Harui was partial to for reasons she never explained, it¡¯d become a comforting backdrop for Theresa who felt safe and warm while hearing it.

    Outside the large ornate window, Theresa could see an entire city laid out before her, people as small as insects moved with dedication as they walked from one little house to another. She could see some at work dragging carts around the town, people were moving back and forth along the markets while the merchants silently cried out their wares.

    Her darting eyes soon found the towns blacksmith, Bub; a powerful woman who had muscles larger than any man she¡¯d ever seen. Having only met her briefly here and there she didn¡¯t know the woman all that well but wished that she could go down there and speak with the people properly.

    They weren¡¯t wearing overly colourful things as far as she could tell form this height, but there were still colourful lines and patterns brightening their tops. Not to mention the colour in their faces and smiles that she couldn¡¯t make out from this distance. She was forever at a distance one way or another.

    Harui quickly moved onto styling, weaving Theresa¡¯s hair into a gem encrusted ornament, letting the pony tail formed hang down her left shoulder. Her blonde hair, dark enough to almost be considered brown, shone in the sunlight that came through the window.

    ¡°Do I have to wear that thing?¡± She pointed at the hair ornament that made the left side of her head feel heavier than the right.

    ¡°It¡¯s the queens wishes.¡± Harui replied, ¡°Take it out if you don¡¯t mind upsetting her.¡± She spoke while making sure that there were no loose hairs hanging out of place.

    ¡°Why does she make me wear things like this all the time, why can¡¯t I just wear what the other kids wear?¡± She asked back giving up on removing her heavy head weight.

    ¡°What other kids?¡± Harui asked with a slight smile on her face.

    ¡°Egh¡± Theresa choked on her words thinking she might¡¯ve said more than she should¡¯ve.

    After a brief pause Harui answered, ¡°You aren¡¯t like all the other kids, you¡¯re a princess.¡± She smiled gently down to Theresa, ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it as you grow up.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get used to it,¡± Theresa mumbled argumentatively.

    Today she¡¯d even made the effort to change before Harui arrived hoping that that would be enough to keep from wearing this hideous dress. All to no avail.

    ¡°All right, stand up.¡± Harui pulled out the chair as Theresa stood, ¡°Perfect, you look beautiful, I¡¯m sure all of the girls in town are jealous of you.¡±

    Theresa grunted in reply, walking over to where she stored her shoes, ¡°At least let me pick the shoes,¡± she demanded.

    ¡°If you choose something acceptable.¡± Harui replied, as good a servant as she was she always forced Theresa into uncomfortable clothes. Looking through the layers of shoes she quickly found a pair that she was familiar with. Even they were covered in gold with some few gems inlaid within but as elegant as they were they were still comfortable to wear unlike all the other shoes in the closet.

    In short order the maid led her out the door to a long series of curled steps. With Harui leading, they walked down the spire passing by her the maid¡¯s room underneath her own.

    The stone stairs chilled her feet through the soul of her shoes, she had to walk slowly and carefully for fear of tripping on her dress. The massive weight on her neck and shoulders from the gold in her dress and hair made this twice as troubling.

    Little arrow slits let in light every half a dozen steps but it wasn¡¯t quite enough to ward away the darkness that gathered between. These stairs had killed her last servant when she carelessly fell down them, and she was sure that they¡¯d taken other lives as well.

    At the bottom of the stairs they entered a world of overly sized gaudy paintings of the country¡¯s monarchs. Overhead, as if to make up for the darkness of the stairs, were a set of glass chandeliers every few metres giving off far too much light. In this bright space the gold in her dress glowed with enough power to make Theresa wince.

    Only a short distance away Harui opened one of a pair of massive doors leading into a brightly decorated dining room. What was not gold or silver was made from the purest whitewood that could be found in the land. The walls were covered with yet more ancient monarchs, the roof covered in golden chandeliers and lofty etchings.

    The pure whitewood table was at least two dozen metres long with space enough for at least half a hundred people. Each chair had been precisely made identical to the next by a well renown, long dead carpenter from the same whitewood as the table.

    It was the envy of any person in the city but the sight disgusted Theresa. The room was cold, quiet, even with room for so many people she¡¯d never seen it seat more than two or three at a time.

    Again, the queen wasn¡¯t here, likely attending some war council or another.

    As the eldest child of the family she was to sit at the head of the table, a position she despised, while all others were seated below her. Harui pulled back the chair for her Theresa, pushing it in for her as she sat down at the table waiting for her food.

    Almost the same instant, the doors to the kitchen opened to allow through a waiter carrying a tray. The waiter wore a simple robe, as they all did, the tray in his hands shining brightly in silver.

    Underneath was revealed to be a fine soup, the waiter candidly told her of the distant and rare animals that died to serve her breakfast. Including the many hunters who died along the way.

    Theresa held back the sickness in her stomach as she carefully picked up the soup spoon. As usual the soup tasted perfect but she pretended as if it were mediocre, unable to express any gladness for this wasteful luxury.

    She finished the soup quickly, forcing herself to remain calm, as she let her utensils be carried off. She was anxious about today, for the first time in months her mother had called on her. Supposedly there was a farewell celebration for her brother but Theresa was smart enough to know she wouldn¡¯t be called out for that alone.

    The same waiter returned with another tray, this time atop it were small strips of meat cooked over large eggs that she was unfamiliar with. She ignored the details of their procurement, forcing herself to stomach the flavourful food.

    After taking away the plates again, the waiter arrived with an after-breakfast tea. As he settled the tea cup down on the table a little of it spilt to the table, wetting the tablecloth underneath. The man froze, if it was her mother he was dealing with, he¡¯d be lucky to get away with a beating.

    With some spite for her mother rising in her heart, she took hold of the cup and intentionally poured more out onto the spill. ¡°Oh my, it seems that I¡¯ve made a mess, clean it in short order or mother might get upset.¡± She said with a gentle voice.

    ¡°eh, ah, yes princess, thank you kindly, princess.¡± The man ran from the room tears in his eyes. Behind her Theresa could sense Harui smiling.

    The young princess heard a whisper behind her so quiet she suspected she wasn¡¯t supposed to hear it. ¡°You¡¯re going to be an amazing queen.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The meal continued for a long while, good manners forcing her to take far longer than was appropriate to finish her meals in this cold room.

    Harui leaned down beside her ear whispering to her, ¡°We must go to the ceremony shortly, I will escort you when you are ready.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡± She replied giving her consent in the most positive way she could, it was an unusual word for her family.

    The table was cleaned completely spotless in the time between standing up and leaving the room. The servants in the kitchen were amazingly careful and meticulous, but Theresa had always wished for them to be a little more relaxed. Just to have one of them tell her a joke or something while wearing a smile would be enough to put her at ease.

    Harui led her through long decorative halls towards the worst part of the castle. Theresa¡¯s anxiety grew worse the closer they got, as if she could sense the queen¡¯s presence growing stronger as she walked.

    A chilling mural of her mother filled a passing wall, it was far more ornate and expensive than any of the older works. She had it done intentionally only with layered gold and silver with her favourite emeralds serving as eyes.

    Theresa could feel those eyes boring into her as she walked past. Finally, as she left that mural behind she was faced with an even greater threat to her mental health.

    Behind the massive whitewood doors ahead, she could hear her mother¡¯s voice booming in the massive throne room. The doors opened and Theresa was immediately blasted with the light from a massive golden throne.

    ¡°You will travel with them until you have grown into a man worthy of being the general of an army!¡± Her mother yelled aloud, her voice frustrated.

    The boy she was yelling down at was Theresa¡¯s younger brother, a boy she¡¯d rarely had the opportunity to meat. His clothes were more plain than her own by a significant degree, and his head hung low. She could just make out the shining of tears flowing down his cheeks.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Warriors don¡¯t cry.¡± The queen looked down as the shuddering boy whelped at her every word. ¡°You won¡¯t be an embarrassment to your people, either you become strong or die before you come back.¡±

    Wiping away the tears that he struggled to contain, he bowed to the queen, ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± His voice quivered as he spoke.

    ¡°Hurry up and go, before anyone in town has to see your pathetic image.¡± In reply the boy let himself be escorted out by tall men in black coats, they headed out a side door instead of the main entrance.

    The queen turned, walking away from the throne and over to Theresa, ¡°And here is my precious daughter.¡± Her face lit up with pride, not as a mother to her child but more like a blacksmith looking down at her perfectly forged sword.

    She was dressed in a gold coloured dress decorated with varying shades of emerald. She wore so much that Theresa had to think that she was as strong as Bub the blacksmith under those clothes.

    ¡°Your highness,¡± Theresa lowered her head slightly to the queen, it wasn¡¯t proper for the heiress to ever bow too deeply, even to the queen.

    ¡°You saw how I dealt with that, you will need to do the same one day, if you ever have a worthless child of your own.¡± She said loudly enough for the retreating boy to hear before he left the room.

    ¡°Yes mother.¡± She replied subserviently.

    ¡°Today is a special day for you. The towns prisons are being cleaned out and I¡¯m having you preside over judgement.¡± Her mother excitedly told her. Surprising the young princess with a duty that was beyond her age.

    Theresa had a growing ball of sickness forming in her stomach as she looked back up to the queen. Her true emotions disguised under a mask of indifference.

    ¡°For the petulant young child you were, you really are growing up, one day you will be a queen better than I ever was.¡± She proclaimed taking pride in the future she¡¯d planned.

    ¡°Yes mother.¡± She replied forcing her face to remain still.

    ¡°Follow along then, and remember a Queen always leads, and is always right.¡± She led the way ahead down the length of the room, her hair swaying side to side from the weight of its ornaments. Theresa would have found it funny if it were anyone else.

    Pushing open the massive doors herself, light spread in over them. The sound of a crowd of people waiting outside washed over her as she stepped forwards with feigned pride after her mother.

    In the wide courtyard were hundreds of people, the children were lined up at the front of the roaring crowd. Theresa looked for familiar faces but gladly she couldn¡¯t see any among them.

    To the side, waiting behind a small portcullis, were the prisoners lined up for judgement. The faces were sober and gentle, most of their bodies had deteriorated into nothing but bones and skin. She naturally felt sympathy for them.

    A massive axe held in the hands of their executioner, sat only a few metres ahead of her. Standing on legs that were shaking beneath her skirt she commanded to the crowd. ¡°Silence.¡± She did not yell, it was said in a voice just as loud as usual but the crowd very quickly quieted.

    ¡°Today I judge the guilt of these criminals. Today, I remove the murderers and thieves from your number so that you may continue to live in peace.¡± She said the same words that her mother usually spoke, her voice firm and commanding, though her heart was trembling in her chest. Legs didn¡¯t stop trembling as she stood in place of the queen, her words the law of this place.

    She waved towards the guards at the prison portcullis, ¡°Let the first criminal plead their case.¡±

    First up was a man whose skin was covered in scars and rippling muscles; he hadn¡¯t been imprisoned long. The guard read the charges, while the prisoner was knelt down before the executioner his head resting on the chopping block.

    ¡°This criminal is accused of murdering three merchants within the city streets after dark. He then separated the corpses into parts and spread them across town.¡± Theresa felt sick as she saw the man, his face completely indifferent to his supposed crimes.

    ¡°Do you admit to these crimes?¡± She asked the man, he grunted but didn¡¯t give proper reply there was a slight smirk on his face. She gave the executioner a confident nod as she watched on, her face masked in indifference while her gut screamed out in horror and disgust.

    The mans body shook spraying a few blood droplets her direction as his head rolled towards he, she was always to watch their head fall. The disembodied head was quickly taken up and impaled on a spike, in front of the crowd for which they cheered loudly. The children at the front taking on the same cry of blood that they learned from their elders.

    While the man¡¯s body was still spreading blood out over the courtyard the next victim was ushered into place. This time it was a young boy, soon to enter his teens, he had the look of the average street rat, as they referred to themselves.

    ¡°This criminal is accused of stealing a chicken from a farm just outside of town.¡± The boy was weeping but did not try to speak out against the claims.

    For Theresa this crime hit her too close to home, once before when she¡¯d snuck out from the castle she¡¯d done just the same thing herself.

    ¡°Do you admit to these crimes?¡± She asked the boy kneeling before her, his neck already coated in the blood of the murderer that came before him.

    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± He replied, knowledgeable enough to use the term highness, since she was acting with the voice of the queen.

    Right now, she had a choice, she could choose to go ahead with the execution or to pardon him, in a form. As distasteful as it was she chose the latter, cringing at what this would mean for the boy.

    ¡°I see no need for you to die today, you shall join in the military criminal legion.¡± A group of soldiers who are used as fodder and distraction against enemy forces. Nobody survived through service, or so Harui had told her.

    Her mother on the other hand had once said that it is a noble position for the commoners to take, even going as far as to say that more should volunteer for the genderless role.

    The man was walked out of from the courtyard with a pair of guards, quickly he was pulled from sight.

    Next was a young woman, her hands bound tightly. She was worn down, her skin cut in numerous places and her eyes glazed over as if she was staring into the past. She didn¡¯t seem to be aware of where she was.

    ¡°This criminal is accused of stealing food from the royal stores while serving the queens household. The supplies taken include bread, milk and various fruits.¡± The guard read out her charges showing no sign of sympathy in his voice.

    Theresa recognised the young woman after he mentioned it, she¡¯d worked in the kitchens while heavily pregnant only a few months ago. She¡¯d feared that the girl had died in pregnancy but the truth was so much worse.

    She was lined up her head resting gently on the block that was still bloody.

    ¡°Do you admit to these crimes?¡± She forced her voice out, making certain that it was confident.

    ¡°I did it for my baby¡­¡± she wept, ¡°His father left, I had nothing¡­¡± Finally, she regained some life, she was facing Theresa, her eyes pleading, ¡°Please don¡¯t, Princess!¡± She cried out weakly, her arms restrained unable to reach out to her.

    Why did you admit it? She thought to herself furiously, if you¡¯d denied it I could have let you off somehow, I could have undone some little of this wrongness. She lifted her hand to the executioner, staring into the woman¡¯s pleading eyes as they stabbed into her heart. The scene imprinting perfectly in her memory.

    Her head fell clean off just like the first man, it was soon paraded before the crowd the same standing as the murderer before her.

    Refusing to let emotions drag her down yet, Theresa kept on one after another. Some were easier than others but all of them were challenging. Soon it was getting to the late stages of the day, the sun having risen to its peak. The courtyard was filled with blood, and Theresa herself had plenty scattered across her skin. She regretted that she was unable to tell the difference between innocent blood and guilty.

    The last prisoner was marched before her and the queen who stood pridefully at her side. The prisoner was a young girl, around her own age. Her face was bruised and battered. One of her hands had less fingers than she was born with.

    ¡°This criminal is accused of making false accusations against a member of court.¡± The girl had a distant look to her eyes, as she stared up at Theresa. She didn¡¯t seem afraid as she settled her neck on the chopping block.

    ¡°What accusations?¡± She asked, this was one of the times she wasn¡¯t meant to ask, she wasn¡¯t mean to dig up that which had been swept under the carpet.

    Her mother looked at her, eyes filling with disappointment.

    ¡°Ahem, the accusations were against a general of the military who is currently serving outside of this city. She accused this innocent man of unlawfully marrying an unwilling partner. Claiming that she never approved of the marriage.¡± Theresa¡¯s gut wrenched as she looked down at the girl, who seemed impatient to get this over with. The girl was little older than her, she could hardly imagine being in her place right now.

    With great difficulty, she forced back tears, swallowing down the heart that was caught in her throat. She watched the girl quietly whisper to herself, with great effort she forced words from her lips. ¡°Do you¡­¡± Theresa¡¯s voice broke and she swallowed again, ¡°Do you admit to these¡­ crimes?¡± The words barely escaped her trembling lips.

    The girl continued to whisper quietly, Theresa couldn¡¯t make out her words and stood frozen in place. This choice had already been made for her, she couldn¡¯t save the girl. Even if she tried to proclaim her innocence, her mother would interfere. Swallowing back the bile in her throat she focused on the task she had to do.

    Her mouth opened unable to shape the words that were expected of her. Unable to move her head or her arm to indicate guilt or innocence. Even knowing that she could do nothing she wasn¡¯t able to have this young girl¡¯s blood on her hands too. Her hand was quivering in place as her emotions threatened to break through her mask.

    The girls whispers grew louder as the crowd began to quiet down, waiting for the decision. ¡°kill me. Kill me. Kill me. Kill me! KILL ME!¡± she began screaming as she waited. The girls voice louder than anything else as she cried out for death.

    Theresa¡¯s eyes were locked with the girls, she saw the suffering she¡¯d endured painted within those eyes. Those bright lively eyes. She continued screaming as the axe fell. Theresa too shocked to move a muscle in her body.

    The head rolled forth, her body spraying out blood onto Theresa¡¯s hands as she stood quietly looking around. Her mother¡¯s hand was in the air, waving at the executioner who was now lifting his axe out of the young girls body.

    Theresa wanted to scream, she wanted to weep, to cry and run out there in a rage beating against the executioner until he died as well. She wanted revenge for the girl whose blood stained her hands.

    With a deep breath, she let those emotions wash away, letting her heart become cold as she stepped forward into the blood to address the crowd. Eyes still trailing after the girls head as it as paraded in front of her eyes.

    ¡°That is all for the day, be assured there are no longer any criminals among you and again your queen has kept you safe.¡± She confidently let the words fall from her tongue, to her they were nothing but sounds. She quickly turned and left, letting the queen finish the address while she rushed back inside as quickly as she could without seeming suspicious.

    The edges of her mask were cracking and opening up. Harui quickly led the young princess back to her room, not bothering to spare any words with her. The world swirling through tears that threatened to fall, she was glad that they at least hid the pictures of murderers and monsters as she walked past them.

    They raced up the stairs to her room two at a time Theresa uncaring about the risk of falling as she recklessly threw her feet forward.

    Harui opened Theresa¡¯s door, and closed it behind her. As soon as she was alone she let out a bloodcurdling scream her bloody hands held tightly into her hair trying to pull it out. The pain helped to distract her from the despair raging within.

    Her crazed fingers tore at the clasps on her dress, tearing at the cloth and metal until finally it gave way and she was able to strip off the hideous dress. She screamed again crawling up into a ball on the cold ground.

    Eventually as time passed, her screams grew silent, replaced by the sound of her heavy breathing. She hated her mother, she hated the executioner, the people cheering, the guard who heartlessly told the story of their lives in a few words. Most of all she hated herself, for being too weak to stand up to her mother and to save that little girl.

    Hands seeking something with real weight to it she grasped the golden hair ornament she¡¯d worn all morning, tearing it free with little regard for the pain. Without thinking she threw it with all her strength at the window, shattering it apart as the worthless head weight fell into the courtyard below.

    Theresa walked up to the window, now open to let in the powerful breeze. Below she could see her people still crying out in joy as the heads were paraded through their numbers.

    Her head should be among them she realized through clouded eyes, I killed more innocent people today than any of those executed. She calmly laid her hand down on the broken glass sitting in the window frame; the sharp pain only helping her towards her conclusion. She deserved pain. She deserved to die.

    Sounds seemed to fade away from her as her cursed heartbeat continued to pound in her chest. She leaned forwards out the window hoping for gravity to take away her sins.

    She was dragged back inside by the hands of her maid before she was able to find salvation. Wordlessly they struggled against each other, Harui struggling to save the life that Theresa was adamant to throw away.

    ¡°Not like this.¡± She whispered to the young girl, ¡°Not like this.¡± Gently she rocked Theresa back and forth as they both sobbed. Tears and blood staining the maid¡¯s shirt for the hours that followed.

    When Theresa came back to herself she was in bed wearing her favourite dress, something more comforting than her nightwear.

    ¡°Are you better now?¡± Harui asked her, gently stroking her hair while smiling sadly.

    She shook her head stubbornly, the emotions still inside her chest, raging like a powerful storm.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you a story until you feel like sleeping. After that you can wake up to a new day, without all of this. Okay?¡± She asked but continued before letting the young princess reply.

    ¡°Have you heard the story of Lilith the Saviour?¡± Theresa shook her head gently, ¡°Long ago, in a time when magic was still used openly and the Sasahara Knights were nothing but a dream, there was a young queen of a small nation. Heval.¡±

    ¡°Heval, that¡¯s mother¡¯s country, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked the little Theresa, already enchanted by Harui¡¯s story telling voice.

    ¡°Heval is what we used to call this nation yes, though as you should know, now its call Valkel.¡± She replied before continuing the story.

    ¡°The other nations around hers were bigger and stronger always bullying and confronting them. And because Heval was so little they didn¡¯t have a large enough army to fight them and win.

    ¡°So when large diamonds and emeralds were found in her land the bigger nations wanted them. They wanted them badly enough that they started to build up big armies, you see these nations were very honourable but also prideful. It wasn¡¯t enough to take the Heval, they wanted to completely wipe out all of their soldiers with ease so that they looked strong.

    ¡°Lilith¡¯s country only had a very small army, they couldn¡¯t stand up to these horrible people. They didn¡¯t stand a chance, so she turned to the demons for help.¡± Lilith shuddered at the name demons.

    ¡°At first the demons asked too much of her, ¡°We will help you to defend your land if you give us every child in Heval,¡±

    ¡°The queen wasn¡¯t willing to accept this deal, but still needed their strength, so she offered them herself, ¡°Come, inhabit my body, become one with me and you can do as you wish so long as you save my country¡± but of course this was a trick.

    ¡°These demons seemed to think that by controlling the queen they would be able to do what they wanted with Heval but they underestimated her.

    ¡°You see this queen was clever and powerful, when she let these demons inside her mind and body she turned against them. They tried to pry the power away from Lilith who owned the body, but found themselves the powerless ones instead.

    ¡°You see Lilith was powerful enough to lock away those demons inside her, powerful enough to take control of the demon¡¯s curses for herself. After that, the demons slept, their bodies dancing across her skin and their minds dreaming in the back of her mind. Small horns formed at the top of her skull to house the sleeping demons.

    ¡°She was able to move faster and strike harder than was ever possible for anyone in the world. She approached the neighbouring countries with her new-found strength and offered them a duel, if they could beat her in a two on one fight they were to share her country between them.¡±

    ¡°But if she won, the kings of these two countries would become her servants and their nations would forever leave hers alone. The kings prideful couldn¡¯t turn down such an offer but agreed that after they defeated Heval that their warriors would duel for the entirety of the land and its riches.

    ¡°The day of the fight came and as she suspected both kings scoured the lands for the best warriors available, agreeing between them that the winner of this three-way duel would inherit all of the land of Heval.¡±

    ¡°As the warriors entered the arena, they saw that they were fighting against the queen herself and hesitated at the sight of her. At first, they laughed at her audaciousness but as they noticed her skin and her horns they started to grow nervous.

    ¡°The battle was started and before either of the warriors could even draw their swords the queen had cut through their armour, slicing them both in half. The sword she was using dented and broke from the force of her swings.

    ¡°After that day, she created the Sasahara Knights, an order of female knights who made these deals with demons in order to have the strength to protect the people. The Knights held no allegiance to any border or nation and aimed to keep the people safe from the effects of war.¡±

    ¡°Ever since, every girl from the age of sixteen has been allowed to join with them regardless of her past. Even a prisoner must be given the opportunity to join them and change their name as they leave their past behind. Though by joining they are officially ruled to be deceased and can never return to a normal life¡±

    Theresa caught by the story asked her maid, ¡°Anyone can join?¡±

    Harui smiled gently, ¡°Anyone over sixteen.¡±

    The image of the poor girl, who was too young to have such an opportunity, assaulted Theresa¡¯s closed eyes as she thought. ¡°So, they die then, to become Knights?¡±

    ¡°In a way.¡± Harui comforted her, patting her head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait until I¡¯m sixteen.¡± She murmured as she let the nightmares drag away her consciousness.

 Chapter 12 - Life From Death

    Life From Death

    The dream faded away, his conscious mind returning to him as light filled the little room. He must¡¯ve slipped in the night, as he was now lying down on the floor, the rifle collapsed on top of him. Lilith was still sitting serenely in her formal pose with her eyes closed as she slept.

    All around him the sounds of kids crying filled his ears, many called out for parents that were likely lying out in the in the cold streets. There were good chances that their loved ones were already dead.

    Matt groaned, his body aching from both the exercise from the previous day, and the healing wounds that drained at his strength. His mind felt ready to melt within his skull, reaching up to his head, he found a trail of still moist blood flowing from his nose.

    Most of the children around him were already awake, but they shuddered and clutched at each other too traumatised to face the real world. Their eyes closed shut so they could pretend that this was the dream. Out the corner of his eye he could make out a snoring Rloki, still hugging her pillow, moaning in her sleep.

    While Matt picked up his rifle confirming that it was safe, Lilith was opening her eyes slowly to the world. First, she stretched her arms across her chest and over her back, face still showing signs of sleep controlling her mind.

    She let out a sigh before standing to her feet, wobbling over towards where the water bucket was kept. Her metal boot landed on a child, who winced without crying out; from the look on the boy¡¯s face his tears were dried up.

    ¡°Lilith.¡± Matt called out grabbing her shoulder.

    As soon as his hand touched her skin, she drew her sword and swung around quickly, her sword stopping only as it touched his skin. Matt cringed, frozen in place so as to keep from slitting his own throat on her blade.

    ¡°Be careful.¡± Matt whispered, ¡°That¡¯s what I was going to say.¡±

    Lilith stared into his eyes, it looked like there was someone else in those eyes for a heartbeat, until recognition finally ignited within her. She sheathed her sword looking around to the children who were too shocked from yesterday¡¯s events to even notice what was going on. She walked a little more confidently over to the bucket weaving between the children lying on the ground.

    She didn¡¯t say a word as she splashed water on her face, all he could sense from her was a fog over her mind. Her concentration was elsewhere, distracted by something, though he couldn¡¯t begin to guess what.

    Matt gave her space, or what little there was in this room, walking over to the door and waiting by its side for her to finish. The children crying, Rloki snoring and the sound of Lilith washing her face off with fresh water, Matt felt both comforted and out of place here where emotions were high. Where life still lived.

    His mind instinctively went to the dream from last night, the dream of a little girl named Theresa. He had felt the emotions that she had felt at the time, recognised the pain as his own, and felt the stress in his own heart for her powerlessness.

    The way that young girl ¡®criminal¡¯ had died, the blood on her hands. He felt some sympathy for the girl named Theresa, he knew what it felt like to wear the blood of innocents through inaction. A guilt that cannot be escaped from, no matter how far or fast you run.

    ¡°Theresa.¡± He whispered the name, testing it on his tongue, ¡°I wonder where you are now.¡± Though he had suspicions about who she might be, he kept the thought to himself. The room didn¡¯t seem quite in the right mood for such a topic while children still mourned their families.

    Lilith returned from the bucket, her eyes more aware then they had been only a few minutes ago. She walked around the bodies of children, avoiding looking at them directly as she made her way over to him, the sword on her hip swaying slightly as she moved.

    For some reason, Matt thought that the dark shadows swirling in the metal of her armour and blade had darkened. Their movements more aggressive than they had been when he first saw them, yesterday he hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to notice if they¡¯d changed.

    Matt carefully nudged a few children out of the way of the opening door, so that he could lead Lilith out of the packed room. The thin hallway was empty though showed signs of habitation over the long night, Matt turned to Lilith when the door closed behind him.

    ¡°Do you know a girl named Theresa?¡± He asked keeping his voice down, he noticed an immediate reaction from her as he let the name flow from his lips.

    ¡°Where did you hear that name? I would suggest you forget it, princess Theresa died years ago.¡± She pushed past him, heading for the stairs.

    ¡°She died and Lilith was born?¡± He asked following after her but she refused to reply stepping down the stairs two at a time.

    If there was anyone in this world with whom he could share dreams, then it would have to be the one woman who¡¯d stolen into his mind. That was his theory at least but she had yet to confirm that fact.

    Chasing after the strange young woman Matt left his questions behind feeling too much anxiety flowing from the ocean that washed against his mind. She fled down the last steps of the stairs into a depressingly quiet room, most men were passed out or still drinking a thick brown liquid from tall mugs.

    Lilith quickly left the room, walking through the opening where a door had stood the night before. Outside there was still a light drizzle of rain, enough to wet his clothes and make the chill in the air seem something dangerous.

    ¡°At least it doesn¡¯t snow in this city.¡± Lilith whispered looking over the roads outside frosted over.

    ¡°Snow?¡± Matt asked unsure as to what the word meant.

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out eventually if you stay long enough.¡± She replied, unwilling to converse with him.

    The horizon was covered in broken homes and the dead bodies of those who¡¯d died in the night. A few people still wandered the streets their faces pale, most shivered uncontrollably in the cold morning; clothes shining with frosted morning dew and drizzle.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they working?¡± Matt asked looking over the people scattered through the streets to the bodies and rubble.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you?¡± She replied stepping forwards, ignoring the body that they walked over to get this far.

    ¡°Because no one has told me what to do.¡± He replied, in his world there was always a command, always something which they had to dedicate their time to. As a soldier, every spare second had been spent training his body and mind to be more precise, more accurate, more capable of a killer.

    It was alien to be in this world where despair had been allowed to step in and control everyone, where emotions dictated action. These people roaming the street seemed to lack any sort of leadership right now, wandering and dying without goal in mind or hope in their hearts.

    Yesterday the elderly woman who donated the clothes he was now wearing had set up a collection centre for food and supplies, but it seemed there was no one giving that support and leadership to the rest of these people. Thinking back Matt wondered what had happened to that supply centre that they¡¯d set up.

    Lilith seemed to lack definite direction so he took the lead, walking down to where he¡¯d dedicated half of yesterday. The path was covered in bodies and rubble, frosted mud crunched under his feet with each step before squelching as he lifted off again.

    It seemed like none of the damage to the city had been cleaned or removed at all since yesterday. The same bodies littered the road, the same rubble was still scattered over the city, with the exception of those who huddled underneath the meagre pieces of shade, nothing had changed.

    The people they passed were too dispirited to look him in the eyes, the few still walking stared at their mud coated feet as they trudged through the town. Their faces looked haunted, and even as they stared at corpses it didn¡¯t change the look on their faces.

    On the side of the road Matt could see a woman still rocking a swaddled cloth back and forth in her arms. He wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to know what she had in that cloth by now, but it was soaked in blood and looked like it had nearly frozen overnight.

    As their path continued down the road, Matt finally glanced at the place where the food and supplies had been gathered, only to find it empty save for a sign and hundreds of footprints.

    ¡°What¡¯s written?¡± He asked walking over to the sign written with strange script. His mind was trying to unravel it but if he pushed any harder it would likely become a stress to both himself and Lilith.

    ¡°These resources have been confiscated for the royal stores.¡± She nodded to the subscript at the bottom of the sign. ¡°Report to the castle for meals and clothes.¡±

    ¡°That seems more efficient, at least the food won¡¯t go bad as quickly.¡± He muttered impressed with the quick action of the King.

    ¡°Efficient? Perhaps¡­¡± She said looking over the broken landscape still covered in the wreckage of yesterday.

    A few stray people were still wondering down to the same sign as them. Most spat at the ground after reading it, grumbling in upset words.

    After standing there for a brief time Lilith stalked away, her feet taking her back up to the path to where the doctors had been working the day before. For some reason the dull screams had faded away overnight, there was an eerie silence in its place.

    The silence was far more frightening than the screams had ever been, the streets were filled with pale ghosts, likely families of the deceased. Finally, they passed the last buildings in the way, and could see the ground space covered with corpses.

    The ground was absolutely covered in bodies, already insects seemed to be making nests in the bodies. One of the nearby corpses was bloated with large purple pustules glowing from the body, bloating it up to twice its size. Lilith looked at the body, her eyes filled with distain.

    ¡°What¡­ what is that?¡± Matt watched as the pustules moved and shifted, they looked similar to the darkness in her blade and armour.

    ¡°That is¡­ bad.¡± She replied her sword drawn as she eyed the bloated corpse. ¡°This should have been dealt with much sooner than this. Am I seriously the only one in this city trying to save it?¡±

    Matt watched as she walked closer to the body carefully, just as she approached with a final step the pustules burst, releasing a putrid smell and horrifying purple mist. He instinctively held his breathe as the mist spread out to him but even so he became enchanted by the creature that stepped out from the corpse.

    Its skin was flowing with purple life, beautiful and haunting. Small horns peaked from the little skull of the creature, sharp teeth filling its gaping open mouth. The creature let out a weak little cry, sounding soft and gentle like that of a newborn child.

    Its flesh was tainted in a light purple colour a few shades off from human, and its limbs were as thin as twigs ending in sharp clawed hands. There was no hair sprouting from its bald skull or anywhere in its body, and where it should have had some kind of genitals was completely bare.

    Lilith paused, green light forming from the stama in her arms with a few reaching down her legs to the ground. Her sword released a black miasma against the mist that formed around the little creature.

    The little creature¡¯s eyes stared up into his own, the light red colour filling with power as it reached out to him. Pleading for him to save it, to protect it against this harsh world.

    ¡°Sa~ve Me~!¡± The voice disjointed and broken, inhuman.

    Lilith looked like a monster in that moment framed in darkness, blade hovering above the neck of the innocent little creature just as it was born. He stepped forwards to intervene to stop the monster before it killed.

    Before he could move the sword was swung splitting the skull in two. As the corpse fell and the mist dissipated, his mind felt of a splitting migraine. ¡°AahhhAhh.¡± He let out a scream as he fell atop of a nearby body, blood flowing out of his nose.

    Before he was even able to recover properly, his body was thrown backwards by a massive force. He felt a moment of flight before landing with a wet splash in mud, the air forced from his lips and the world twisted in his eyes.

    Still recovering from being winded Matt could see someone¡¯s face looking down at him. ¡°Lilith?¡± he let out the name as he regained some voice.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± She demanded, her black sword pointed to his throat.

    ¡°I-¡± a cough forced its way through his mouth, ¡°I¡¯m Matt. What the hell was that?¡± When he thought back to the creature he grew confused. He¡¯d thought that it was innocent and weak? With those sharp teeth? Those red eyes filled with malice.

    She withdrew her sword still watching him carefully, ¡°That was the embodiment of a demon, if you see that purple mist; kill it or run.¡± She looked over the field of corpses where other pustules were moving gently as if just about to burst.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky, most people would remain controlled by its influence for at least a few more minutes. Maybe you¡¯re just too stupid to understand its thoughts.¡± Her eyes were carefully scanning the horizon, arms and legs still glowing with green force.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m getting used to this now, it¡¯s not the first one to enter my head without being invited.¡± He pulled his rifle up to his shoulder. ¡°So why are they here? Shouldn¡¯t someone have killed them by now?¡±

    He watched the horizon with her. It seemed that there were no longer any moans coming from the distance. The corpses were no longer seeded with the dying.

    ¡°Yes, but it seems as though the rituals have been left for too long. In this environment, they fester far more quickly than normal.¡± She drew her sword with one hand and removed his pistol with the other. ¡°I will deal with the cacoons, protect yourself for now. If you die I¡¯ll be given a strict lecture, so don¡¯t die.¡±

    In that moment, she leapt forwards quicker than his eye could trace, using all her accumulated speed to cut through a cocoon that had swelled to twice the corpses size. She moved across the field of bodies with bursts of speed cutting through the demons before they were birthed.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Matt flipped the safety on his rifle and confirmed that there was a round chambered before watching over her from afar. He didn¡¯t want to be caught by that purple miasma again, he backed away from the corpses towards a collapsed section of wall.

    In the distance, a few of the demons birthed, Lilith quickly dealt with them but the sea of corpses was too expansive for her to cover alone. Matt kept close watch on a few that she was too distant from, that might burst at any moment.

    He heard the shifting of debris behind him, and as he turned to face it, a purple mist flowed from the pile, warning him of the imminent danger. Even before he could see the creature, it¡¯s fangs were dug deep into his mind.

    ¡±Ki~ll her.¡±

    The words forced into his mind, into his language, as the mist overwhelmed him; consumed him. A little hand pushed through the rubble claws prying at the fallen walls.

    ¡°Kill he~r.¡±

    This time he clearly heard the words spoken in an alien language with an alien tongue so in human that it sent shivers through his mind. His head felt as if it was splitting as he imposed his will on his body, fighting against the demon taking a grip on his soul.

    His struggle continued, muscles twitching as the rifle lifted into place. It was shaking far too madly to actually hit anything, on the other end of the sights Lilith was carving up newborn lives while covered in their blood. Her blade letting out a dark sensation as she cut through more and more bodies.

    Lilith, he thought, focusing on the person on the other end of the barrel. If she was able to hear his thoughts she was too distracted to make sense of them.

    Matt pushed himself, fighting to regain control, his finger moved to the trigger but he found himself unable to fire.

    ¡°Save her¡±

    The words spoken from somewhere close by, a familiar voice, a soft heart. A cold sensation washed through his mind, cleaning out the purple mist that had stained every part of him. He could see a gentle green light flowing from the gemstone he¡¯d still had stored in his hair.

    Matt lowered the rifle, turning to the demon at his feet.

    Red eyes stared back up at him, filled with threats of violence, hatred, and all kinds of malice. The demon suddenly realizing that its target was no longer enslaved dove at him with a speed comparable to Lilith¡¯s. Matt expecting this had pulled his knife, his arm moved at normal speed even as he pushed his booster into action.

    The demon¡¯s powerful legs, wrapped in green, launched it into the air between them. It¡¯s movement incredibly slow over this small distance. Matt twisted his body as soon as the creature¡¯s legs left the ground. He¡¯d learnt in training that once a person leaves the ground it becomes very difficult and slow to manoeuvre. Hoping that principal stayed the same for this monstrosity, he countered it.

    His body twisted around ever so slightly, the creature moved with too much pace for him to escape from it entirely but with his motion he pushed the blade around and into position. Though even still his speed was only fast enough for him to cut through the demon¡¯s limb.

    Without friction, the knife cut cleanly through the core of the creature¡¯s arm. The demons other claw was already reaching for his face, it¡¯s eyes filled with a savage bloodlust as it tried hard to destroy what stood against it.

    A gunshot sounded in the distance and the creatures bottom half was blown clean off as its top half fell on top of him. Reacting in pain the creatures claws only grazed his cheek before clutching onto his shoulder.

    Matt forced his muscles to move at their limit, stabbing his knife into the base of the demon¡¯s skull, the blade protruding from between its eyes. Covered in blood and gore and still feeling the afterburn of his booster, Matt threw the rest of the corpse from on top of him and spun onto a firing position. In a kneeling position, he sighted the area with his rifle, making use of the remaining boost in his system.

    Lilith still had the pistol aimed at him but he ignored the threat, aiming for the demon just clawing its way from a small corpse. He fired; the round struck the creature in through its centre of mass, splitting its body into chunks.

    After observing his actions Lilith returned to her task, killing the creatures as they spawned. The numbers were dissipating as a black sword cut through them indiscriminately. Matt scouted the outskirts making sure that none of the creatures were able to sneak past the one woman killing machine working at the centre.

    Around the outside, he noticed a few destroyed corpses but none seemed to be letting out the same purple glow that indicated the presence of a demonic cocoon. One creature ran for the outskirts but Lilith fired her pistol cutting it down without mercy.

    As she killed the last of the remaining demons, a group of soldiers finally arrived. They appeared weary but shuddered at the sight of the demons falling to the earth, their eyes focusing on Lilith as if she were their guardian angel.

    They wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance against a single demon, let alone the many that had just been slaughtered. Following the guards was a horse cart carrying half a dozen large barrels, the horses going wild at the scene in front of them. Instinctively knowing that this was an evil place filled with death and demons.

    Lilith swiped her blade through the air before sheathing it, she approached the soldiers but none of them stood up to talk to her. Matt couldn¡¯t even tell if there was a leader amongst the group, they were so weakly arranged and so hesitant to approach Lilith.

    Matt was too busy wiping off the filthy blood to pay her any mind, the purple blood seemed to be dissipating into the air. Matt patted at it but for some reason it was quickly fading out of his clothes as if it had never stained him to begin with.

    He looked down to the corpse that was still on the ground, blood marks fading away the same as they had in his clothes. The body itself was about that of a small child, but twisted in every detail. The eyes small and red filled with malice, the skin coloured a light purple, glowing where blood flowed under the skin. Of course, the familiar horns on its head as well, shining brightly with a fading purple light.

    The brittle skin faded away in the sunlight, which then proceeded in slowly burning away at the flesh underneath. ¡°Their bodies fade away once the connection to the realm that forges them is cut.¡± Lilith was standing by his side looking down at the corpse.

    ¡°You did well.¡± She continued, ¡°Do you have any more of the¡­ arrows I guess?¡± She lifted the pistol and waved it around in front of him.

    ¡°Ah yeah, thanks.¡± He pulled out his spare magazines, it was becoming more and more obvious how much he needed to rely on this demonic woman in front of him. While handing over the spare magazines in their webbing he felt a moment of fear. What happens if she turns on him too, one day?

    ¡°Save them¡± The voice came again pushing him forwards. He¡¯d learned something from his childhood. If you can¡¯t do something alone, then find others, if you still can¡¯t do it, then try harder until you die or win. It was something he¡¯d forgotten a long time ago, something that had been taken from him.

    Matt looked at the pistol in her hands for a few moments, noticing that it was beginning to take on the same colouration as her sword and armour. Still too weak to notice unless he looked closely enough, but obvious once he¡¯d noticed it.

    ¡°I suppose with the colours you¡¯ve painted it, I¡¯m never getting that back. Then again that¡¯s probably for the best, its saved my life more times in your hands than my own.¡± He was still a little uncertain about this but nevertheless he armed the woman with a weapon which increased her capabilities beyond reason. He sighed, if the Lieutenant ever found out he¡¯d be discharged and likely disposed of.

    ¡°Okay I¡¯m going to add you as a friendly on this thing so that that never nearly happens again.¡± He added slowly raising the rifle to her chest, his finger well clear of the trigger even though the safety was still on.

    ¡°You shoot and it¡¯s your death.¡± She replied, unfazed by him.

    The holographic scope was highlighting targets, while it was still clear around them, he hovered the sight over Lilith, setting the friend or foe target on her as priority protection. With her speed, she might just leap in front of a bullet as he fires, this way it would refuse to fire at her particular bio-signature. This way there was some measure of safety at least.

    As he finished with the particulars of the rifle safety, he noticed a fire burning behind Lilith. The guards had apparently dragged wood and oil into the area and were now burning the corpses that were whole enough to be dragged into the large bonfire.

    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Matt asked, letting his rifle sit back into position hanging to his front while he observed the soldiers.

    ¡°Purifying the dead, not a very clean way to go about it but there isn¡¯t much choice now that it¡¯s already been left for too long.¡± She put the pistol away in her pack, and Matt realized that she still didn¡¯t have a holster for the thing. He decided he¡¯d work on that when he had a chance.

    ¡°So, they¡¯re making it so they don¡¯t turn into the little demon things?¡± He pointed to the fading corpse at their feet.

    ¡°In as little words, yes.¡± She walked off, not wanting to participate in this ritual, as filthy as it was. Matt followed her, keeping his eyes around the place afraid that more of them might be hiding in the shadows.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to hide under your blankets like a child, there shouldn¡¯t be any more yet. They birth quicker in places drenched in death, that place back there was unique.¡± Matt relaxed a little at her words, ¡°Except when they¡¯re brought out from a corpse intentionally.¡± She whispered.

    Down the street there were fewer people than before, a few were hiding in alleys or under rubble, white eyes peeking out. Apparently, someone had noticed the demons birthing and let the information spread.

    Matt didn¡¯t want to stay in this city right now, too many movements in dark alleys, too many corpses ripe for the demons to birth from. Fortunately, Lilith lead him out of the area, towards the gates of the city. They passed by more empty faces and destroyed homes.

    Lilith moved with some increased pace, as he followed along behind. The stress was eating at her. Matt could understand that, having felt that same stress for a long while now.

    Up ahead Matt could see a few Sasahara Knights, they were moving quickly but without invoking their stama. Matt was still figuring out what they were up to when Lilith called out to them.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? There were demons rising in the middle of town a moment ago, if I wasn¡¯t there the other half of this town would be dead.¡± She walked up to them not caring to hide her displeasure at them.

    They looked to her with some surprise in their eyes, it was obvious to Matt that they were trying to hide their exhaustion, both mental and physical.

    ¡°We were gathering scraps from these machines hoping to find something that might help stop them next time.¡± They showed their treasures quickly forgetting about the demons spawning in town as they pulled out fragments of the drones.

    From what Matt could see, they were gathering together all of the scattered debris that they could find. Of course, there was little they could use it for, the drones utilised an automated self-destruct feature to avoid just that issue from arising.

    ¡°They¡¯re not going to get much from that wreckage.¡± Matt chimed in to Lilith, speaking low so as not to gather too much attention from the others.

    ¡°What do you want me to do? Tell the useless idiots that they¡¯re on a fool¡¯s errand? I¡¯d prefer to leave that for them to discover.¡± She spat watching the others work trying to seek out some of the smaller pieces of debris.

    They watched Matt carefully out the corner of their eyes as if he might turn on them at any moment. ¡°Do you think you should explain that I¡¯m still on their side?¡±

    ¡°Let them find that out, besides its better having more eyes watching you isn¡¯t it, Krilm?¡± She turned away from him leaving for the city gates where people were still gathering.

    There were dozens of people leaving the city through those gates, whether it was because of the demons or some other aspect of the recent disasters he couldn¡¯t be sure. Most simply seemed to be leaving behind the past that was buried in rubble.

    At the massive gate, only two guards watched people coming and going, unlike previous times they didn¡¯t pay too much attention to the people moving through the gates. There weren¡¯t enough guards to do so if they wanted to.

    Moving against the flow of people was several wagons filled with various supplies, animals, and plants. These travellers looked over the city with horror, their eyes seeing this disaster for the first time.

    A couple of guards waved down the wagons while Matt and Lilith walked into earshot.

    ¡°Head up to the castle courtyard, the King will personally purchase any supplies that might be of use. You won¡¯t find many people around here that are capable of buying any of your goods anyway.¡± The guard had a hollow look to his face, the pressure of the past days having been carried on his shoulders just like everyone else.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± The middle-aged traveller asked, looking back and forth along the town where entire neighbourhoods had collapsed. ¡°Some of the Knights out there looked worn out!¡± he spoke the last words as if he were speaking of the impossible.

    ¡°An attack, the monsters hit us hard. If it weren¡¯t for the Knights this city would be gone.¡± The guard was speaking in a low voice, facing his mortality.

    ¡°How soon will the king buy up? I don¡¯t want to be here for the next wave.¡± The guard sighed, exhausted as the traveller interrogated him.

    ¡°Soon.¡± The guard waved the man on, talking to the next man who wielded questions his direction.

    The traveller whipped his horses into action, quickly carving a way through the flow of people towards the castle. Even at threat of death he was determined to deliver his supplies, Matt felt some respect for that selflessness where most would turn and run.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see some people still working.¡± Matt said turning to Lilith, she looked over the groups of merchants.

    ¡°Not like they have much choice, abandon their cargo for any reason and they¡¯ll starve. Not like you¡¯d understand, Krilm.¡± She walked through the sea of people opening a path where she went.

    The animals seemed eerily quiet as they were carted deeper into the city, the traveller carting the animals turned to Lilith, a look of concern on his face, ¡°Is this city safe¡­ or are they here?¡± He looked over his animals as he spoke.

    ¡°There might still be a few strays around, keep on your toes.¡± She advised without stopping for the man, who now wore a frightened look on his face as he adjusted the sword on his hip. Matt could hear the man swearing under his breath.

    They finally made their way out the front of the gates to look over the horizon, which seemed almost completely unaffected by the war efforts of yesterday. People were roaming over the plain as if lost, some were lying on the ground staring into the sky as the grey clouds flew overhead letting out some small amount of rain.

    Matt felt some discomfort seeing them like that.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll get better?¡± He asked of Lilith, staring out over the people.

    ¡°How would I know, but they¡¯d better. I don¡¯t need to be cleaning up more demons just because they can¡¯t get on with their lives.¡± She pushed past trying not to look at them, whether or not she was aware of the fact her concern was carried through to him through their bond.

    The camp where the Sasahara Knights were housed seemed untouched by the same destruction that toppled the wall it was set up next to. Though on closer inspection Matt noticed some burn marks on the ground and amidst the tents. The attack affected even them, but still the fact was they were far better off than Matt had expected.

    ¡°How did they do so well against the drones?¡± Matt whispered staring into the camp which should have been razed to the ground. Around the plains he could see some places where drones had burnt up on the ground. Matt could hardly imagine anything short of a gun taking them down.

    ¡°Don¡¯t overestimate your own power. A few little machines couldn¡¯t compare to us.¡± She spoke down to him but didn¡¯t move her eyes from where the burns scattered the camp.

    Matt, remembering the speed at which Lilith moved, he could hardly imagine how incredible this battle must have been. Up to one hundred of these Knights moving that quickly against a massive number of attack drones. The thought of it boggled his mind.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to piss them off¡± Matt whispered looking over the camp, the only place he¡¯d seen today free of corpses.

    ¡°Do what I tell you and I¡¯ll probably let you live.¡± She replied to him, sending a few shivers down his spine as he remembered her efficiency with his pistol. As frightened as he was, he couldn¡¯t regret arming her. He owed his life to her.

    As they walked closer to the camp, Matt could hear a few light moans and whispers emitted from a nearby tent. Alongside the sounds of suffering he could make out the sound of equipment being shifted around.

    Lilith shifted aside the tents door, moving inside, Matt followed her, finally seeing clearly what had been hidden from sight. Knights were lying on beds lining the length of the long tent, groaning in their sleep. Over a dozen of them lay wounded in the beds, one healthy Knight watching over each of the wounded.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± Lilith asked looking over the wounded herself. Cassielled walked up to them as they entered the tent, Her eyes watching Matt carefully.

    ¡°How is he?¡± She asked her hand on her sword as she started to gather her stama.

    ¡°Fine, he was a helpful distraction against the machines and the demons that spawned in town.¡± The word demon brought most of the eyes of the women in the room as they looked stunned.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t think that they¡¯d birth so quickly. If you¡¯re here I can suppose they¡¯ve been dealt with.¡± She removed her hand from her sword, still careful of Matt.

    ¡°I¡¯d thought that we¡¯d taken the worst of the attack, unfortunately we didn¡¯t have the numbers to spare in town.¡± She spoke with care, her voice uncertain. ¡°These are the worst casualties we¡¯ve taken in recorded history against anything other than demons.¡± She muttered under her breath.

    ¡°To make it worse we don¡¯t even know what those things were!¡± She spoke with force in her voice.

    To the side one of the wounded Knights was breathing roughly, her skin glowing brightly as she gripped at her sheets.

    Cassielle sighed turning to the Lilith, ¡°Give me a moment,¡± She walked up to the injured Knight.

    ¡°Can you keep fighting?¡± Cassielle asked, her voice low and gentle almost like his elders had been when he was a child.

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m losing¡­ control¡­¡± The wounded Knight let the words leak out of her lips as she breathed heavily, ¡°Do it¡­ I can¡¯t hold on¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± As the last words escaped her lips her body went numb, the stama on her limbs glowing brightly. Her eyes turning bright red in that instant.

    Before she could even move a muscle her head fell loose, the Knight at her side holding a sword in the air. The loose head rolled along the ground, smiling madly as it mouths shaped words.

    The hair still attached to her head, shifted colours, turning from silver to a light sheen of red, then purple. Still mouthing words as the Knight at her side impaled the head on her blade.

    ¡°What was that?!¡± Matt asked, the sight of it sending shocks down his spine, for not the first time today.

    ¡°You don¡¯t recognise it? It¡¯s not the first time you¡¯ve seen one today. Though if you¡¯d met her back there nothing would have saved you.¡± Lilith replied, seemingly unaffected by the death playing out before her eyes.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you sad or something?¡± Matt felt some distance between himself and her, as she stared at the body that was fading away like the demon back in the city.

    ¡°Why be sad, the dead have returned to death and a demon returned to the other realm. That is all.¡± She said turning away from Matt, ¡°How did they die?¡± She asked.

    Cassielle turned to her, holding out a dart that had been fired by the drones. ¡°These things, they¡¯re coated in a powerful toxin. Most people couldn¡¯t survive them, for Knights like us it makes us more vulnerable to their influence.¡±

    She waved to the corpse that was still dissipating into the air. She turned to Matt, ¡°You know something more about this, don¡¯t you?¡±

 Chapter 13 - Systems of Control

    Systems of Control

    Leaving behind the room filled with wounded knights, Matt was escorted out into the sunlight, Cassielle still carrying the poison dart in her left hand as she led him outside. She wanted to know more about his weapons, his people, and the poison currently killing her knights.

    ¡°This poison is more powerful than most we¡¯ve ever encountered, I doubt that even one of them will survive this night.¡± She gripped the dart harder in her white fist, small green stama tightening in her hand until the metal dart snapped.

    He wasn¡¯t sure what to do. If he refused them, then not only would he be treated significantly worse by the Knights, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to fight against his own people with any kind of success. He mightn¡¯t survive another attack if these women weren¡¯t strong enough to be able to fight against the System.

    Anxiety ate away at his insides, while he considered his options, trying to decide with confidence which threat was the greatest. He glanced across to Lilith, who made the difference in the last battle with the attack drones. She still wouldn¡¯t stand a chance if the System seriously fought against them; soldiers, vehicles, and edge of the atmosphere supersonic unmanned aircraft, all made her sidearm look little more than a slingshot.

    Even so, already she had more than enough power to destroy Matt, what difference does a bit more power make. Dead is dead, whether by bullet or by nuclear bomb.

    He was quickly corralled into the wide, open area where he¡¯d been seated when his mind had been broken into. This time there were far fewer Knights at hand ready to listen. Those that weren¡¯t wounded were working hard to support their camp, rushing around, exhausted expressions and sighs filling the room.

    Matt felt a growing pressure forming around him as the women quieted to listen to him, their faces more serious than he¡¯d ever seen them. They seemed to take the threat that he posed seriously, finally frightened by his connection to that power that had killed so many of their own. Their eyes scanned over his rifle with a renewed blend of fear and curiosity.

    ¡°What can you tell us?¡± Cassielle asked, her words directed at Lilith but with little patience he answered anyway. Lilith working to translate his words.

    ¡°The drones are dangerous.¡± He said simply, he knew a lot more but it was difficult to know where to start.

    ¡°We all already know that, idiot.¡± Lilith replied to his words immediately rather than translating them. She turned to Cassielle, ¡°They explode when they take too much damage.¡±

    ¡°Well, our bows weren¡¯t doing much damage to them. At times, they kept going on after getting hit!¡± She replied, obviously upset about that, taking serious pride in her weapons.

    ¡°That would be because their flight path is too slow. The drones predict the flight from a combination of aim detection and predicting flight paths of projectiles.¡± He paused to take a breath, thinking about friends and enemies, ¡°If you want to hit, make sure you swap to the target and shoot immediately. Any lag between aiming and firing, and the drone will notice it and dodge.¡±

    Lilith translated his words for him, using a few different terms to fully translate the meaning.

    ¡°They¡¯re made from some thick and powerful armour but compared to any other machines, they¡¯re the lightest you¡¯ll find. They¡¯re only lightly armed but are hard to hit.¡± He was speaking from the viewpoint of a rifleman so talking about bows made the challenge of hitting tenfold closer to impossible.

    ¡°Usually they only provide support, enemy detection, suppression, deployment of various chemical agents and destructive missiles.¡± Rarely are they used as the main force of an attack, this time was an exception, the formation a familiar drone swarm. He¡¯d rarely seen more than half a dozen drones at once, they were more effective when they were unexpected and unseen.

    ¡°This time they were only lightly armed, poison darts, missiles with concussive and incendiary warheads. They were just sent here as a warning, a push back after getting attacked last time. Possibly also as a test to see how well you can hit back, and how dangerous you really are.¡± Certainly, his briefing hadn¡¯t included anything about the magic used against them or the combat capabilities of these demonic young women.

    Lilith translated his words for Cassielle, bastardising the words at her own leisure. ¡°They¡¯re the weakest?!¡± She exclaimed taken aback at the words.

    ¡°Yeah, but a drone swarm is still incredibly dangerous. They make up for their thin armour and weak weapons with speed and sheer numbers.¡± He thought back at how often he¡¯d been out-performed by the drones in training. So often he¡¯d been too focused on one, and was hit by another which had managed to sneak around behind him. When swarmed by them, it was very difficult to survive without proper support.

    The only reason he¡¯d managed to survive the town was a combination of Lilith¡¯s power and the number of targets that had distracted the swarm. If it was just him and Lilith they¡¯d be certainly be dead.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let them swarm you. They fire and move faster than a human can think, if there¡¯s one behind you, then you¡¯re good as dead.¡± Matt let the tactical thoughts slip, and Lilith made sure that it was heard, everyone in earshot was listening carefully.

    ¡°Don¡¯t they have any weaknesses?¡± Cassielle asked, exasperated.

    ¡°Weak armour and low ammunition for relatively small calibre weapons¡± He replied instantly, Lilith tried her best to translate the words.

    ¡°They have thin armour and use limited amounts of weak weapons.¡± Lilith whispered thinking over the words as she spoke them.

    ¡°Weak weapons?¡± Cassielle was again revealing her stress to the group, ¡°There was nothing weak about those things!¡±

    Matt paused for a moment before speaking, ¡°They¡¯re weak, comparatively speaking. They could have been armed with rapid-fire guns, killing much more efficiently, and hitting with perfect precision.¡± He took a breath, ¡°They could have launched a tank, impervious to any damage you could manage while killing every living thing within 5 klicks. They could have launched a supersonic aircraft to kill anyone on this planet at any point in time. They could have sent through a nuclear warhead in one of a dozen different ways and turned this country into a crater.¡±

    ¡°Drones are the weakest.¡± He finally concluded, Lilith staring at him unable to comprehend half the words he¡¯d spoken but still able to make out the gist of it.

    She hadn¡¯t translated any of it, instead turning to Cassielle, ¡°He says that they could wipe out the country if they wanted, or kill anyone anywhere as they please. I only understand bits and pieces of how it works but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s lying.¡±

    After her words, silence filled the room, the Knights facing their mortality after making enemies of a society that wields the power of gods. Something most of the women wouldn¡¯t be able to comprehend.

    From a long silence Cassielle spoke up, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s start at the weakest. What weaknesses do the drones have, how can we kill them?¡±

    ¡°There are no particular places to target, they are quick so you won¡¯t have time to target specifics even if there was a weak point. Often it¡¯s best to destroy them quickly so you don¡¯t get blindsided during a real battle.¡±

    ¡°Real battle?¡± Cassielle asked, obviously disbelieving of his words.

    ¡°If you have this much trouble fighting against them, don¡¯t even imagine trying to take on a real battle with them.¡±

    ¡°Them?¡± Lilith asked him, ¡°You really are separating yourself from them now, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°The drones recognised me as a threat¡­¡± He said simply.

    ¡°Not getting along well with the family, Krilm?¡±

    ¡°My family is dead.¡± He replied in a whisper, ¡°They are the ones who killed them¡­ most of them.¡± He clarified, mind fighting against the memories. He felt illusionary waters climbing up to his mouth drowning him. Pushing down the sensation, he managed to return to the conversation at hand.

    ¡°How many are there?¡± Cassielle asked her voice lowered to a fearful whisper.

    ¡°At least 1 million soldiers, I don¡¯t know for sure the details on equipment or anything though. I was just a soldier myself, there was no need to know too much about forces not participating in a fight.¡± He thumbed at the worn skin on his hands.

    ¡°1 million?¡± her voice quiet, even Lilith was shocked at the number.

    ¡°That¡¯s not including drones or vehicles. Most of the vehicles you don¡¯t have a chance of fighting against either, their armour is too thick to puncture with anything short of a cannon. That, and some of the drones fly too high and fast to be able to be shot down.¡± There was a silence forming after his words.

    ¡°We can¡¯t win?¡± Cassielle asked, her eyes distant.

    ¡°Giving up rather early, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lilith told her, already recovering from the shock of being faced with a harsh reality.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡± Matt said a distant look to his eyes, his arms shaking slightly.

    ¡°This worked pretty well.¡± Lilith lifted the pistol, still shifting with dark tones. ¡°They didn¡¯t have a chance to dodge either.¡±

    ¡°Can we get more?¡± Cassielle asked some hope rising in her voice.

    ¡°No.¡± Matt replied quietly and simply, ¡°With some help, you can make basic firearms but it¡¯d take centuries of refinement to make something good enough to scratch a drone, let alone anything else.¡±

    Cassielle looked down at her hands, ¡°Isn¡¯t there something we can do?¡±

    Matt, already having thought about this for some time himself, had a few ideas but few of them had any chance of success. ¡°If you can find a way to shut the rift on them, that might work.¡±

    ¡°Close the rift?¡± Lilith herself was uncertain as to what he was talking about.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know about it?¡± He asked uncertain as to what words to use to describe the situation to them, ¡°My world is connected to yours through some kind of blended space. Scientists were still figuring out how it worked within the framework of modern physics but I don¡¯t know what the current theories were.

    ¡°Essentially within that space is both of our worlds and depending on where you go you might end up landing in either world.¡±

    Lilith looked confused, ¡°Cassielle, I don¡¯t think he comes from this realm.¡±

    They looked incredibly concerned as they looked over him carefully.

    ¡°Where is this ¡®rift¡¯?¡± Cassielle asked seriously.

    ¡°Past the forest, I don¡¯t know where exactly though, I was in a helicopter when we passed through.¡± He tried to remember accurately where he¡¯d been at the time.

    ¡°Helicopter?¡± The alien word falling from Lilith¡¯s lips, she wiped away her bloody nose as she mined through his memories for a meaning.

    ¡°An oversized drone carrying many people.¡± She translated the word for all the Knights listening in while Matt recovered from the mental stress.

    ¡°And¡­ it has to be near or at ground level, some people came through the rift, so it has to be at least a small enough fall that it can be survived.¡± Matt thought over it considering possible locations.

    ¡°It would have to be a place that¡¯s mostly clear of trees, maybe a hilltop or a clearing. A helicopter wouldn¡¯t be able to fly through the forest, it¡¯s also possible that the rift extends a fair way into the sky. If that¡¯s the case, we can¡¯t tell where it might be at ground level.¡± He speculated, thinking carefully over the possibilities.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have people look into it.¡± Cassielle spoke quickly waving over a few Knights who¡¯d been watching nearby, sending them off to investigate.

    ¡°How might we close it?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he thought over the scientific data he¡¯d seen before, ¡°It might collapse under its own weight, it might fall apart after so much matter passes through.¡± He pressed his hands together clueless about how to proceed.

    ¡°So, our choices are between fighting an impossible to win war, or closing a rift that we don¡¯t even know for sure even exists.¡± Cassielle grasped her sword, frustration evident in the shifting flow of her dark stama. ¡°For now, we¡¯ll send out scouts to locate the rift and any machines in the area.¡±

    ¡°Be careful, they¡¯ll be expecting it. Probably have drones monitoring the area and a security team defending it. They won¡¯t let you get nearby, you have high body temperatures and are incredibly easy to spot.¡±

    ¡°What should we expect from the security team?¡± Cassielle was already planning out their actions trying to figure out how to survive this coming war.

    ¡°Thick armour, you might be able to penetrate it if you could destroy the drones. Then again you might not. They won¡¯t move as quickly as you, but they can react incredibly fast. Their accuracy should only be a little less than the drones, but with faster and more lethal projectiles, they¡¯re not to be trifled with.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°If they have anything larger than a person, I doubt you¡¯ll be able to do anything to it. If they decided to park an antipersonnel truck on this side of the rift, you won¡¯t be able to scratch it or even get close to it. They¡¯re more lethal, and more accurate than anything you¡¯ve seen yet.¡±

    Cassielle sighed, her eyes flickering from side to side while looking at nothing in particular. She whispered to a few Knights briefly, before they raced off at a rapid pace.

    ¡°You probably don¡¯t need to worry about an immediate follow up attack or the formation of a serious beachhead. The system is too cautious to risk so much without knowing more about the situation¡± Matt considered the ideas further, ¡°Though if they do make a beachhead, then this is as good as over. The question becomes when they take over, rather than whether.¡±

    ¡°The system, they¡¯re your leaders?¡± Cassielle asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s accurate. Every person, and every machine follows their orders.¡± He thought back to the many times he¡¯d been introduced to those orders personally. Being personally contacted by the system was always nerve wracking.

    ¡°What can you tell us about them, how many people make up this system? Is it one leader in control of everything? A number of people forming a council? Where are they located?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if the system is even human.¡± Matt replied, thinking back, he was never given a straight answer when he asked the elders.

    ¡°What do mean? Who would it be if it wasn¡¯t human?¡± Cassielle asked him, her voice uncertain.

    ¡°Computers, machines, some form of AI? I know from how quickly it reacts to situations that there are AI systems as a part of it, I¡¯m just not sure if there are any human elements in the decision-making systems.¡± He rubbed at his head thoughtfully.

    ¡°Computers, AI?¡± Lilith thought over the words suddenly giving a him a bloody nose and a headache as she extracted the information from his mind.

    ¡°The things controlling the drones,¡± She said, ¡°They are minds created by men. Quicker and more accurate than human reactions, they are capable of incredible mathematical decision making, in no time at all.¡± Lilith said, while her nose bled.

    Matt didn¡¯t say anything, a little thankful that she didn¡¯t ask him to try and clarify any further. As it was, he was having trouble finding the right words and thoughts to transmit to her.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine such a thing¡­ I¡¯d thought they might have had some kind of tamed animal controlling them but to think that they created life.¡± Cassielle murmured to herself, ¡°Are they taking the place of the gods?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not living, they fall just short of that, but they make the most efficient decisions when given a series of variables and goals.¡±

    ¡°Nevertheless, a fearful thing.¡± Cassielle whispered. ¡°Can they be turned against their masters?¡±

    ¡°With some time and equipment, but we don¡¯t have any way of doing that here.¡± He replied, ¡°That and I don¡¯t know much about programming, even if we had some computers for it.¡±

    Cassielle looked around herself, thinking.

    Save them

    Matt spoke up quickly, ¡°The other thought that I had was that we don¡¯t really know what you¡¯re capable of. Your curses and¡­ magic.¡± He spat the word out carefully. ¡°They might affect the computers in some way. If you can interfere with thoughts using your purple stama, then you might find a way to manipulate computers.¡±

    ¡°We tried that when the drones attacked; it didn¡¯t work.¡± Cassielle sighed.

    The human mind is made up of electrical communications within the brain tissue, very similar to modern electronic systems. If they can get into a human mind, then it might be possible.

    ¡°They think different to a human. It might be that you just didn¡¯t do it quite right this time, it¡¯s difficult to fight an enemy that you don¡¯t understand.¡± Matt continued thinking it over. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that you have to understand something about your target when you do your purple misted, head massage, nonsense?¡±

    Lilith grunted in response to this strange term, ¡°We need to understand how our target thinks to manage most communications, but with manipulation, we just need to give the right commands.¡± Matt recalled how he¡¯d been manipulated into attempting to shoot Lilith earlier, when the demon¡¯s purple haze consumed him.

    ¡°They don¡¯t think anything like a human, they were made to receive commands but never in the kind of format that you¡¯d understand. Try and try again, and there might be a chance. I have something that might help.¡±

    Matt pulled out the helmet that he¡¯d been carrying around with him for a while now. At first, he¡¯d considered using it for translations, but for now at least that didn¡¯t seem necessary.

    He double checked the small computer system located in the back of the helmet and confirmed that it was still functional. The small battery pack attached should have enough charge to last for a long, long time, but all command inputs were completely destroyed. The small speaker was long gone and the buttons were located on other parts of his scattered armour.

    ¡°Lilith, if you would be willing to try, I have something that might help you figure out computer systems.¡± He pulled out his helmet sitting it in front of them, ¡°If you can try to purple this thing up, I might be able to tell if you make a difference to it.¡±

    ¡°Purple it up? Give up on the horrible descriptions, Krilm. Indrikate, is the term you¡¯re looking for. You make it sound like I¡¯m a 3-year-old messing around with paints.¡± Lilith replied.

    ¡°At least I can remember names. Indrikate it is then, just give it a go.¡± He lifted the helmet to his head, seeing some flickers through the half-melted visor, revealing that it was stuck in a limited heat sensor mode. The audio sensors were currently focussing on native sounds, without translation.

    Lilith gave Cassielle a brief glance, she nodded in return. The stama along Lilith¡¯s skin swam in a gentle rhythm as she focused, shifting to purple as they spread over her body. The stama forming gentle curves and swirls flowing along her skin with beautiful colour, stealing away his attention. Through his thermal vision, he could tell that where her skin glowed, her temperature rose beyond 60 degrees Celsius.

    She touched her hand against the helmet, eyes closed as she focused. Through his bond with her, he could feel her strength, her focus, the warmth spreading out across the ocean of her mind.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± The strangely disjointed thought flowed from that ocean, ¡°This mind is simple, yet¡­¡±

    Lilith¡¯s thoughts chimed in now, ¡°Don¡¯t speak. I need to focus.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak she says, desperately trying to understand the mind that exists in my own realm. Don¡¯t think she says, hoping for me to become mindless.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think, or I will shut you up.¡± Lilith threatened still trying to focus.

    ¡°Empty threats filled with frustration. I am eternal, you a mortal. You do not get the better of me.¡±

    ¡°Shut it.¡±

    ¡°With my help, we can-¡±

    ¡°Silence!¡± The horrifying presence in the oceans of her mind was violently dragged into the depths, caged somewhere so deep beneath the surface that even thoughts couldn¡¯t escape.

    Nothing seemed to change as she sat there for some time, eyes closed focused on the battle inside of her head.  ¡°It¡¯s not changing, I can¡¯t get a read on it.¡± She ended up saying, as she relaxed her arm.

    Matt, still unsure about what to do about the creature inside of Lilith¡¯s head, tried to puzzle together the pieces of this problem with only a handful of parts.

    He wanted to know what the creature, called Grikith, might have said had she allowed it to continue.

    ¡°What did you want to know, young Matt?¡± Grikith spoke to him, he could feel the thoughts caught on the shores of his mind, gentle yet so strange that he couldn¡¯t ignore it.

    ¡°You¡­ can speak to me?¡± Matt thought gently reaching out to the creature with the softest of touches himself.

    ¡°I am not some mere backwater demon birthed in the corpse of a loose lamb, I am Grikith, the eternal!¡± The demon quietly raged in his mind.

    ¡°Well¡­ Grikith. Can you understand what we¡¯re trying to do?¡± He directed the thought at it carefully.

    ¡°Of course, I am not a simple minded fool as she would have me.¡± The creature focused its thoughts, ¡°What do you know of this simple creation?¡±

    Matt gathered his memories on programming, mostly what he¡¯d learnt from Pete when they were both kids. Focusing on those memories with all of his strength, he felt them flowing through his connection with Lilith.

    She¡¯d returned to staring at the helmet, trying to figure out it¡¯s processes. ¡°Try the back here, that¡¯s where the brain of the computer is located.¡± He pointed out where the processor was resting in thick armour plating.

    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Grikith let the thought carry to him as it investigated the memories he sent across. Lilith was so focused on his helmet that she didn¡¯t seem to recognise her bleeding nose.

    Without Grikith¡¯s replies returning after some time Matt decided to try something else. He thought for a moment before holding the half-destroyed helmet out for her, ¡°Maybe if you put it on, it might work better.¡±

    Lilith, with some hesitation, took the helmet from him, staring into its face as she emitted a gentle purple glow. Carefully she lifted it up, staring inside of it, which was mostly filled with singed padding.

    She wore a disgusted look as she gently lowered the helmet over her head, it went down to her chin but failed to fall properly into place. Matt soon realized that it was her horns that made it sit so awkwardly on her head, looking a little like a bobble head Ren had given him as a child. The helmet swayed back and forth on her head as she moved.

    ¡°What is this? I can¡¯t see anything properly.¡± She waved her hands in front of her face. ¡°Is this thing broken?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s in thermal mode, the hotter something is, the brighter it appears.¡± He replied to her as she looked around the room at all of the people gathered.

    ¡°This is interesting, but kind of irritating.¡± Her stama were still glowing purple, but for an instant the swirls flattened into straight lines binding around her limbs. ¡°That¡¯s better, it changed.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Matt asked quickly, ¡°The controls are destroyed, that shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡±

    ¡°It switched, I¡¯m not an idiot.¡± She lifted the helmet off her head as she replied to him.

    When she finally let go of the device, Matt checked the switches again, looking through the visor to find that indeed it had switched to normal visual light. ¡°I think you did it.¡± He finally let out.

    ¡°I did? It didn¡¯t feel like it.¡± She let the purple in her skin fade away.

    ¡°It changed to normal sensors after you wanted it to, that shouldn¡¯t be possible with the switches broken.¡± He let the helmet settle in Lilith outstretched hands. ¡°That means that you interfered with the computer processes. Only basic command input but still¡­ this means you should be able to affect the drones with practice.¡±

    ¡°With practice?¡± Cassielle asked, ¡°Will that device suffice for that practice?¡±

    ¡°Does practice on a human, help with indrikating an insect?¡± He asked in return pointedly.

    ¡°Not considerably,¡± She replied thinking about it, ¡°but it can help to figure out the basics.¡±

    Matt looked deep inside again, seeking counsel with the strangest member of this conversation, yet perhaps the most confident. Whatever Grikith really was, and how its form as a demon made it behave, Matt wasn¡¯t willing to turn down a potential strength just yet.

    He¡¯d already armed a strange woman threatening to kill him every second sentence and he was currently discussing critical military information with an enemy. Surely, he could give this creature a little benefit of the doubt as well.

    ¡°Grikith, did you find anything useful?¡± Matt asked with a careful thought.

    ¡°Something, these minds are simple but different. So very different. It will take time, but I can interfere with its thoughts. Interestingly unlike living beings it will not revert or heal from my touch. Any changes are permanent until they are intentionally changed back. I can see why your people use these things so much.¡± The demon was incredibly thoughtful as it pondered the task still attempting to work through the issues.

    ¡°How soon do you think you can manage something?¡± Matt felt anxious at the thought of arming yet more potential enemies with dangerous information, and weapons.

    ¡°On my own, it would take some time but she is especially talented at this, as you may have noticed young mind slave.¡± Grikith let out a gentle laugh as it spoke such strange words.

    ¡°Mind slave?¡± Matt felt a growing uncertainty from that thought, something that upset his stomach and brought bile to his throat.

    ¡°Do you think you would have offered her so much if you were truly yourself? Why do you truly think of her as one of your superiors? You already know it instinctively don¡¯t you? If she wanted you to leap from a cliff or to shoot your closest friend, you wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse.¡± The thoughts flowed in to him, but Matt was unsure whether he should trust them or not.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll consider the idea.¡± Matt hesitated to deny the thought when it fit the evidence a little too well. There may have been good reason that Lilith didn¡¯t trust this demon.

    ¡°Maybe if we corner one of those drones we could make it run out of ammunition and capture it.¡± He overheard Cassielle talking about options.

    ¡°It would self-destruct the moment it couldn¡¯t be recovered.¡± Matt replied after an anxious glance form Lilith, ¡°Probably taking out a few of you with it.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ what if we get one on its own, dodge its attacks. It shouldn¡¯t self-destruct then?¡± Cassielle was pacing back and forth, carving her footsteps into the wooden floorboards with heavy booted thumps.

    She was throwing around ideas with the other women in the room, trying to find something that might work, but in the end, they relied upon Matt, as their technology expert, to give the opinion of whether it could function or not.

    ¡°So long as there is a way that it can escape then probably not.¡± He thought it over, ¡°But it would likely record what you¡¯re doing, so if you successfully manage to interfere with it, the system will know instantly. Not to mention the massive risk of getting hit.¡±

    ¡°Still better than being powerless.¡± She gently whispered mostly to herself.

    ¡°The problem would be keeping it interested without getting too much unfriendly attention. Normally a drone won¡¯t stay in a fight that it isn¡¯t winning without either retreating or sending for backup.¡± Matt tried his mind around the problem until a voice spoke up.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they supposed to be scouting the rift?¡± The voice was spoken from one of the many unfamiliar faces around him. A short young woman who seemed to be nervously tapping her hands against her knees as she sat. ¡°What if we just messed with the border so that it watched us but didn¡¯t turn it into a fight.¡±

    Matt considered the idea for a little while, ¡°I don¡¯t know how they¡¯re programmed, they might just kill you on sight, but it still sounds interesting so long as you don¡¯t stick around for too long.¡±

    Cassielle spoke up immediately, ¡°We¡¯ll try it, any other ideas?¡±

    ¡°Draw it out of range of support?¡± Another new voice joined the conversation.

    ¡°Not possible.¡± Matt immediately spoke, ¡°If it¡¯s mission is to protect the rift, it won¡¯t leave the vicinity no matter what you do to it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to get dangerously close to them though, won¡¯t we? I don¡¯t know about anyone else but I can¡¯t manage to indrikate anything further than a metre away.¡± The speaker was a tall woman with a firm build, her stama moving with a nervous twitching across her skin.

    ¡°I can sometimes manage five metres.¡± Another spoke up.

    ¡°Seven metres.¡±

    ¡°Barely two metres, but I don¡¯t want to just give up.¡±

    Matt looked over the crowd of anxious Knights as they faced an enemy far beyond their capability to handle. ¡°There¡¯ll be a way.¡±

    They fell into silence, looking down at their hands as they thought.

    ¡°There¡¯s a way.¡± The voice speaking to him was Grikith¡¯s

    He almost replied in with his words giving away his secret, ¡°Tell me, I don¡¯t need the suspense.¡±

    ¡°Ancient secrets, methods that were lost over time, even I don¡¯t know the details, but the method exists. I know of a few magical tombs that detail the method.¡± Matt felt himself growing increasingly anxious at this demon¡¯s ideas.

    ¡°And I suppose that these women would be unwilling to go along with that.¡± Matt tried to focus these thoughts into that one small shore in his mind so that Lilith didn¡¯t notice.

    ¡°Perceptive. No, they would not.¡± Matt swore under his breath, this wasn¡¯t going well but he recorded the idea in his mind alongside the other options. It wasn¡¯t a very good option at the moment, it would have to get on the Knights bad side, but if there was something that worked he¡¯d need it.

    He let himself relax a little, ¡°You¡¯ll have to figure something out, unless you¡¯re hiding another trick up your sleeve.¡±

    A short silence permeated the room until Cassielle opened up, ¡°These vehicles you mentioned, how can we counter them?¡±

    ¡°Should be the same as with the drones if you can figure out how to idrikate them, but that all depends on how much distance you can push out of your abilities.¡± He gestured at them all as they considered their abilities.

    ¡°A few metres, up to ten metres in the best conditions. That¡¯s the best range we can manage.¡± Cassielle replied, thoughtfully.

    ¡°You won¡¯t get that close to a vehicle, let alone a high-flying drone.¡± He continued, ¡°The rift is still the only chance you have and even that is an unlikely possibility.¡±

    Lilith spoke up this time, ¡°We don¡¯t usually directly interfere with wars, do we?¡±

    Cassielle ignored this, asking Matt instead, ¡°What do you think the system will do with this world?¡±

    ¡°Make this world part of itself. To make perfection.¡± He replied.

    ¡°Perfection?¡± Lilith uttered him disbelievingly.

    ¡°No-one starves, no wars, everyone alive has work to do and children are protected against the horrors of the world. No unintentional deaths.¡± He looked down at his own hands.

    ¡°Sounds too good to be true,¡± Lilith whispered.

    ¡°That¡¯s because it comes at the price of freedom.¡± He replied, ¡°No one chooses who they are, what they do or how they live. Even dying is decided by the system, suicide is almost impossible, but try it enough and you¡¯ll be disposed of as mentally broken.¡±

    They looked concerned as they stared into his distant eyes, his hands were clutching at the gemstone in his hair. Memories flowed through that gem as he concerned himself with the past that was long gone.

    ¡°By attacking this camp and us, Sasahara Knights, they have declared war on this entire realm, we will not allow them to persist in their domination over this land. We will stop them.¡± Her voice falling away to a whisper, ¡°We must stop them.¡±

    Lilith looked away from the sad look in her senior¡¯s eyes, as the talk faded away. ¡°Lilith,¡± Cassielle spoke her name, ¡°practice with that device until you are perfect. We cannot allow ourselves to be weak any longer against these computers.¡±

    She stood up and walked away, chasing after some of the other Knights while sprouting orders.

 Chapter 14 - The Road to Survival

    The Road to Survival

    Outside the tent, Matt could hear the gentle patter of light rain, and the sounds of rushed boots sloshing through wet mud. It was only the day after the storm had passed and already they were preparing themselves for the next storm to come.

    The entrance to the tent gently flapped aside as a short, delicate figure walked into the room, adding to the atmosphere that had drenched the room. Little Opi looked forlornly around the room when all eyes turned her direction, the one girl in this room without horns or stama but also the one girl in this room short of one arm.

    The short length of arm that remained of her right arm ended in reddened bandages, still dripping with watered down blood. She was clutching at the end of her flesh with her remaining hand, seeming to try and stop the flow with her willpower alone.

    Water drenched her head to toe, her long hair clung to her scalp, and her ragged clothes clung to her frail young body. Even soaked in the rains, red stains still remained in what was left of her clothes. Bruises and cuts scattered her body, and her small feet were bleeding into the wooden floorboards underneath.

    She looked around the room like a lost child, barely even making eye contact with anyone as her gaze wandered the large tent as if searching for a ghost. Eventually her eyes made their way to a familiar face, freezing in place as she spotted the one Knight with which she was so well acquainted.

    Myra quickly made her way to the girl that had wondered into their tent, ¡°Are you feeling okay, this¡­ this¡¯ll be fine.¡± She said her face turning a little pale at the sight of the bloody wound.

    All the while Lilith tried her hardest to look away from the poor girl, focusing instead on the helmet resting in her hands. Purple stama running across her skin as she fixated her attention on her task purposefully ignoring the girl.

    Opi smiled weakly at Myra as she spoke gentle words, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to last long,¡± Tears swelled within her large eyes as she fought against the tide, ¡°The surgeon told me to leave after I came back to get fixed up.¡± She had her fist wrapped tightly so that her knuckles were white it seemed as though the surgeon had said more with the words left unspoken.

    Myra, while grumbling with concern, took out her medical gear and unwrapped the girls wound. Her haste only slowed by her equal measure of care and delicacy to the savage wound that had ended the poor girls arm.

    Matt was shocked at what lie underneath the dressing, her flesh was blackened in some places and a slight tinge of a familiar purple worked its way through her deadened flesh. A few insects seemed to be eating their way through what was left of her arm, crawling and scattering as the light unveiled them.

    He hadn¡¯t seen anything decay nearly so quickly, let alone such a rot being a part of a living human body. Matt felt the vomit in his stomach rising to his throat as he stared at the diseased flesh knowing that it would not recover.

    Myra let out a small hiss through her teeth at the sight of it. ¡°Lilith, get Cassielle, tell her we need to perform the ritual now!¡± She hadn¡¯t let go of her medical gear as she talked, her voice forceful and determined. She let not a hint of hesitation show as she cleaned the wound of the rot that contaminated it.

    ¡°But with how things are at the moment¡­¡± Lilith gently placed down the helmet as she replied, her voice slow and deliberate. It was obvious to Matt that she didn¡¯t want to be involved in this death that was about to arrive at their doorstep.

    ¡°Tell her!¡± Myra roared, not taking her eyes off of the wound as she spoke. Within her voice was a certainty of obedience, she spoke as if knowing that no one could disobey such a command.

    Lilith inspired by such a powerful voice leapt to her feet leaving the helmet she¡¯d been fixated on abandoned on the floor.

    ¡°This wound is lethal,¡± She told the girl sharply. ¡°I have seen this kind of rot only rarely before. If you continue to live as you are, you will soon suffer a painful death as your soul is torn asunder within you.¡±

    ¡°But then¡­¡± Opi seemed ready to cry, her once empty face finally filling with emotion as she was forced to realize her own mortality. The tide of tears had broken through the floodgates and mindlessly flowed down her mud stained cheeks.

    Myra spoke feverishly, seeming to pay her suffering no mind, ¡°You had to die to become one of us anyway, right?¡± She had a slightly crazed smile on her lips as she spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t use human logic here, it does not belong.¡± Opi didn¡¯t seem to feel any pain as Myra mercilessly hacked off blackened sections of flesh.

    Opi who had taken a number of emotional 180s already was now smiling in relief, the tears rolling down her cheeks no longer those of sadness. ¡°So, I can become a Knight?¡± She smiled with a slight twitch to her mouth as she began to lose control of her own face.

    ¡°Maybe, you¡¯re weak, so that much at least isn¡¯t in your favour,¡± Myra frowned as she worked looking over the girl entire, ¡°We might not be able to get things together for the ritual either.¡±

    Her frown turning to Matt as she spoke with force and clarity, ¡°Did I hear correctly that there were demon¡¯s birthed in the city?¡± Within her voice was a hint of hope, that there might be some salvation hidden within the answer he gave.

    Matt nodded his head, ¡°They were all killed though, I don¡¯t think any escaped.¡± His words were alien to her ears and she looked at him with questioning eyes, desperate to understand the answer that he¡¯d given.

    Taking a deep breath Matt borrowed some language skills from Lilith, and repeated what he was saying in her own tongue. The words coming to him as if from afar, his nose bled and head hurt far more than it ever had before. After the words flowed from his tongue, no longer familiar to his weary mind, he dropped to a knee seeking strength so that he might fight against the fading pain in his mind.

    Myra didn¡¯t take the time to question his newly found linguistic capabilities. ¡°That¡¯s bad, if Lilith was with him then it¡¯s pretty sure that they¡¯re all gone¡­ that leaves¡­it¡¯s dangerous but¡­ it might work¡­ would they go for it¡­?¡± She spoke the words with breaks in between as she considered her options and forced her way to a miracle.

    She let out a deep breath, communicating a sense of stress that needed no words. ¡°Come with me,¡± gripped Opi by her only hand, Matt following on the other side. ¡°We¡¯re doing something dangerous, you remember how this is supposed to go?¡± She asked Opi

    ¡°Yeah.¡± The girl said a magnificent amount of force in her voice. Matt felt a strength of will within that frail young body that didn¡¯t mesh with the battered and bruised, quiet young girl that he¡¯d known her to be up until now.

    ¡°Well, if things go according to my plan it¡¯s going to be ten times as difficult to survive this. Don¡¯t give a breath¡¯s weakness to that thing.¡± She murmured as she dragged both, Opi and himself into a side room. She was filled with a fevered determination, not pausing even at the stares that followed after them or the sight of blood falling from the young girls body.

    Inside the room was a small chest, it was intricately constructed with steel inlay which flowed with the same life of the stama. It looked as if small serpents swam along its outside, protecting the contents within with a thousand layers of flesh made steel.

    Myra without pause, knelt by the side of the box working her hands over the moving stama which subsequently unravelled peeling free.

    Once she was finished opening the chest, she slammed open the chest revealing the contents within. Nestled within were a pile of black chains, glowing with a darkness that seemed to consume the light that reached into the depths of the chest.

    It was obvious at a glance that they were afflicted with the same substance as their swords and armour. Myra quickly snatched the chains from the box within barely a moment of having opened the box. It was as she lifted them up that he finally noticed that the chains were attached to shackles and cuffs.

    They were without a doubt designed to restrain something similar to a human, but with those colours he had a few ideas of what they might be made for.

    ¡°Take care of this!¡± Myra forcefully called out to a nearby Knight, who, at command, quickly made to lock the chest with her stama. Immediately she ran off leaving the room behind in a flash, uncaring whether anyone did reseal the container or not.

    She gathered the attention of the other Knights that they passed, looks of concern aimed their direction from everyone around them. Particularly they stared at the chains and shackles in her hands, as if looking up on something cursed, though perhaps that was true. Many of them seemed outright shocked at the sight as if she were doing something outright ridiculous.

    ¡°Is she headed to-!¡±

    ¡°She can¡¯t be-!¡±

    The voices trailed after them as they gained a whispering entourage of followers cautious about Myra¡¯s intentions. All of them were uncertain, and even hostile at her intention yet none had the gall to speak up against her.

    Cassielle¡¯s voice called out from behind them, ¡°What are you doing?¡± She quickly tried to catch up but Myra didn¡¯t stop for her, leaving her trailing behind.

    ¡°I¡¯m giving this girl a chance!¡± she replied firmly as she gripped Opi¡¯s hand forcefully.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not, you¡¯re condemning her and putting everyone¡¯s lives at risk!¡± She finally caught up to them, immediately snatching Opi by the shoulder.

    Myra turned to her as she was pulled to a halt, through the young girl, ¡°You have no right to stop us.¡± Her eyes were filled with venom, there was a force to her presence that threatened to drown out even Cassielle.

    ¡°You have no right to decide this on your own!¡± Cassielle returned.

    ¡°Opi has given consent, I have given consent, so long as one of the wounded is willing to give consent, this is entirely proper and you cannot interfere!¡± Myra tore her elders hand free of the girl and marched forwards, chains rattling in her clenched fist. Sunlight barely touched at the darkness that consumed the chains and shackles, and reason would have as much luck making it through to Myra.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget you need officiators, for something like this no less than four would do.¡± Cassielle¡¯s voice was strict, but subdued as she glanced down to the dying girl¡¯s hopeful eyes. Finally facing the reason for Myra¡¯s force, the reason Myra would no longer listen to reason or back down.

    ¡°I will find them.¡± Myra returned, her voice so certain that Matt was sure that she¡¯d threaten violence to make it happen if she had to.

    ¡°Three more,¡± Lilith spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ll take part in this, I can¡¯t trust anybody else if this goes to hell.¡± There was an uncertainty filling her eyes even though her voice was firm. Matt could sense the conflict in her as she spoke.

    Cassielle had a serious look of concern in her eyes turning back to Myra after glaring at Lilith, ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± She stared down Lilith forcefully, challenging her with the force of her gaze.

    ¡°The longer we take the worse her chances get.¡± She replied not slowing down, not even reacting to the challenge that she was offered.

    ¡°Fine, if we do this, we do it properly. I¡¯ll get together the strongest Knights who are willing to officiate this.¡± She looked down into the girl¡¯s eyes, ¡°Be strong. Don¡¯t make this effort for nothing or we¡¯ll all suffer for it.¡± She added meaning to her words by resting her hand on the grip of her sword.

    So quickly that Matt assumed she had to be using her stama, Cassielle raced away. From her words he could only assume that she was making preparations for Opi¡¯s sake, something that would be incredibly dangerous. The crowd that had gathered around them grew silent for a moment, as they stared in disbelief after the disappearing Cassielle.

    In the silence, Myra turned to Opi, ¡°Is there anything you need to eat or drink? Maybe relieve yourself?¡± She knelt down to speak with the girl at eye level, still holding her hand gently.

    ¡°I might feel like something to eat¡­¡± She whispered hesitantly, her stomach growling to highlight her words. She instinctively tried to move her missing arm and looked down a little stunned as she remembered that it was no longer there.

    Lilith took her hand off of Myra, ¡°I¡¯ll take you along, then.¡± She seemed to know something about what was coming, and Myra didn¡¯t mind sending the girl off with her for now. Lilith didn¡¯t smile when she took Opi¡¯s hand, her face grim as she walked off with the wounded girl both of them wearing a weary facial expression.

    ¡°Stay with her.¡± The thought translating into his mind without need for words from the ocean that he recognised as Lilith.

    Matt did as Lilith told him to, following along after Myra as she hastily walked away. Mind slave, the term happened to rise to his mind as he walked, giving him a brief moment of pause. Was this his choice or was he just following along orders that he¡¯d been given?

    Watching Myra¡¯s forceful steps pushing her forwards alone, Matt decided that he needed to give her some support. If she was trying to save someone, then he would help orders or no. He chased after her, feet moving at an increased pace to catch up to the sound of rattling chains and shackles.

    Their steps were soon followed by others as the entourage followed along curiously, none felt game to step in the way or to chatter too much since Cassielle had accepted the conditions.

    Confirming that his rifle was ready to fire, he added Myra to the safety check on his rifle while they walked. He had a bad feeling that they might be about to walk into a battlefield, and he didn¡¯t want to be concerned over hitting an ally if it did turn into a fight.

    She had a very serious pace as she moved forwards, her armour swaying forcefully letting out plenty of loud clatters and knocks as she walked. Ahead he could hear the groans of the dying and whispers from those who watched over them.

    Ahead was a small gathering of Knights, they occasionally peaked into the tent which held the wounded. It seemed they hadn¡¯t gotten any better, still dying if what Cassielle had said was true. They turned to them as they arrived noticing the sounds of others arriving.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Myra gained a number of stares from them as they stared at the chains in her hands, looks of distain and surprise in their eyes as they gazed upon her. She walked past them as they opened a path into the tent, still whispering but forced aside by Myra¡¯s sheer force of will.

    She quickly walked into the room, looking over the dying as they were attended by their executioners. All around Matt could see the faces of despair filled with as much strength as they could muster. They fought their last battles here in bed, not willing to allow the demons within the briefest of openings.

    All eyes turned to Myra as she walked into the room, wielding blackened chains in hand. They noisily rocked back and forth in her hands as she shook them in a firm grip.

    ¡°Is anyone here, about to turn, willing to be a participant in Opi¡¯s ritual?¡± She asked pointedly, ¡°Without it she¡¯s going to die.¡± She didn¡¯t desire to waste the least amount of time.

    The reactions of the executioners came first as they were more aware of their surroundings. Their faces twisting as they heard her words, and looked at their victims with concern. There were light utterings from them as they disputed the idea.

    One of the dying women, her face pale and stama shifting unstably around her face, sat up. ¡°You want to use one of our demons?¡± She asked struggling to talk between moans.

    ¡°It¡¯s the only way to find one in time.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure about doing this?¡± she asked her words filled with dying strength, a force reserved for those strong of will as they passed from the known world.

    ¡°She can handle it.¡± Myra replied with harsh words.

    ¡°Can you?¡± The woman retorted.

    ¡°I will.¡± Myra was adamant as she spoke, her voice firm, her will unbroken.

    The wounded woman looked thoughtful for a time, ¡°Do it. Just don¡¯t mess this up.¡± She finally spoke, ¡°I probably have a couple hours but I can let go if you need me to.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sister,¡± Myra spoke, walking up to the dying woman her haste chastened by her hesitance. The chains lightly making noise in her hands as she walked closer binding her own movements as she grew closer.

    ¡°Best to put the chains on now, you mightn¡¯t be able to handle this monster otherwise.¡± She smirked ¡°He¡¯s fuming, especially since he knows what we¡¯re planning.¡± With some effort, she sat up so that her arms could be chained properly, it was strange to see someone so eager to be chained.

    ¡°Will do, we won¡¯t let that monster win. Not now and not later.¡± She locked the chains in place tightening them so that it dug into the woman¡¯s flesh. ¡°Sorry about that, but I want to be sure.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I can barely feel it at the moment.¡± She rattled the chains with some strength to test whether they were properly attached, ¡°In fact, tighten them a little further.¡±

    Myra replied by following her advice, tightening the shackles further before assisting the woman to her feet. They both grunted under the strain as they stumbled forth, the woman¡¯s executioner stepped in carefully, hesitantly.

    ¡°Retil, are you sure about this? You won¡¯t get a release, you¡¯ll still be stuck with that demon but this time¡­¡± The executioner still held her blade to the ready, as she talked to her as a friend.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure, besides, it¡¯d feel a little wrong to leave him behind like that after we¡¯ve spent so much time together.¡± She stumbled from the bed, using Myra as a crutch, ¡°I¡¯d prefer to keep fighting anyway. I don¡¯t want to give up just yet.¡±

    For some time, the woman stared into her blade, thinking carefully as she closed her eyes. ¡°If that is what you wish¡­ but I¡¯ll be watching over you¡­ until the end.¡± She sheathed the blade patting her friend on the shoulder.

    Myra sighed with relief as the burden was lifted from her shoulders and she was finally allowed to stand without the burden of the dying woman on her shoulders. The executioner quickly swept her friend off of her feet, carrying her weight with the least amount of effort.

    Myra turned towards Matt waving him away, ¡°Matt, stay away, if she turns, I don¡¯t need you turning as well.¡±

    Rather than following her instructions Matt followed after her, Lilith¡¯s command stuck in his mind, but it was his own determination that led him forwards.

    Focusing his strength, he managed a few words, ¡°I can handle it, I already stabbed one of them. They can¡¯t take me over easily.¡±

    Myra gave him a firm look, but he refused to back down. If things went to hell, his rifle might make the difference between living and dying, and not just of himself. He carried the power to save their lives as well as his own but only if he was in the right place at the right time. He didn¡¯t want to fail by lack of presence and timing.

    Eventually Myra gave in, striding forwards careful not to leave behind the sacrifice that she had gathered. Matt rode on the switch for his booster, watching the chained woman with careful eyes, as she was carried in the arms of her friend.

    They quickly moved forwards, the executioner not struggling in the least to keep up with Myra, who moved at a pace that could barely be considered walking. ¡°Yell if you¡¯re about to give in,¡± She told the woman behind her as she dragged everyone along behind her.

    ¡°Ha, you think this demon is getting the better of me like that. Don¡¯t give it the respect.¡± She laughed while coughing lightly, yet still giving off the illusion of strength.

    Matt followed along with an entourage of Sasahara Knights, a mixture of chatter amongst them. Their reactions as varied as their numbers.

    ¡°If it gets loose, how many more will die?¡±

    ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll be strong enough to face the monsters?¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we stop this?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t the girl lose an arm?¡±

    ¡°She can¡¯t handle this.¡±

    ¡°Do you think we can trust this man? Especially now.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they should stop and think about this.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for something this ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°She should have a proper death, not used like this.¡±

    ¡°Would Cassielle go along with this?¡±

    ¡°What about Lilith, surely she¡¯d draw her sword before she let this happen.¡±

    Myra quickly left behind the crowd as well as the sacrifice and her executioner, speaking a few words as she left, ¡°Go ahead and set up, Cassielle will be there with some others.¡± Her feet were leading her towards where Lilith had taken Opi.

    Matt was going to ask her about where they were headed but thought better of it when he wiped away the remaining blood from his face. She had a determination to her step as she walked, she was not ready to back down or to talk anything out right now.

    Soon they arrived at the tables where a small assortment of food was set up. Opi was attempting to eat from the table with her remaining hand but the food kept on slipping from her grip. Lilith stared at her own lap, as if meditating, ignoring the young girl sitting across from her as she struggled to nibble at what food was there.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost ready.¡± Myra said forcefully as she walked within hearing range of the two who sat so quietly at the table. Opi let the food she¡¯d been holding fall to her plate and stared quietly into the depths unseen.

    ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± Myra asked the girl as she approached, holding Opi¡¯s shoulder as she spoke for reassurance.

    ¡°Am I really going to die?¡± she asked shaking slightly as she spoke, her hand tightly knotting into a ball.

    ¡°Yes, it is the only way.¡± Myra didn¡¯t speak the words gently, her voice firm. She didn¡¯t want to give the girl a false hope that didn¡¯t exist. ¡°Today you die, and either become a Knight of Sasahara or leave this world behind.¡±

    The girl continued to stare at the plate that was before her, opening her mouth as she thought carefully. ¡°I¡­¡± The words caught in her mouth as she spoke them, ¡°I¡­ love you.¡± She said, turning to Myra and embracing her closely.

    Myra was struck wordless, hugging the girl tightly in return.

    ¡°Whatever happens today, I love you, and thank you for being there for me.¡± Opi sniffled between words, ¡°I know you¡¯re doing this all for me, so thank you.¡±

    For some time, they remained frozen like that, unable to move or to shift from their positions. He could sense the fear in them as they let go, that this might be the last time they held each other like this. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll all be fine.¡± Myra whispered the words forcefully, as if she could rewrite the nature of the world itself if that was what it took to make her words true.

    ¡°I¡­ think I¡¯m ready.¡± Opi spoke carefully, slowly. Her eyes revealed that she was preparing for death, or for a fate even worse.

    Myra nodded in reply, a few tears locked behind her eyes as she stood, taking the girl by the hand. Together they walked with their hands held tightly, their strides filled with a delicate confidence as they faced the cause of their concern.

    Matt waited for Lilith to stand up before joining her to follow along behind them. She didn¡¯t reveal a single emotion on her face as she cautiously followed along, already she was ready to draw her sword as she walked.

    Their voices leaking from the tent ahead warned him of their arrival at the scene of the ritual. The wooden floorboards resounding with the thumps of boots as the gathered Knights took positions on the outside of the ring.

    Myra led Opi towards a shallow tub in the centre of the room, meanwhile the sacrifice was sharing a few words with her executioner. Opi began stripping off her rages with Myra¡¯s help while Lilith and Cassielle spoke with each other, gathering around the tub with swords ready to be drawn.

    ¡°How powerful do you think it¡¯ll be?¡± Lilith asked facing towards the woman who was growing more pale by the moment.

    ¡°Very, if it manages to bond with her, I¡¯m not even sure of it¡¯s potential.¡± Cassielle held her sword with a tight grip as she spoke, revealing her true anxiety.

    ¡°Why are you willing to go along with this?¡± Lilith asked her elder watching the ritual being set up, the two pairs of women sharing last words to each other before facing their deaths.

    ¡°We are facing an evil capable of doing so much to us, if we don¡¯t take some risks now, we will face an even worse evil later. Even so we can¡¯t risk too much, so for now I¡¯ll have faith in Opi and Myra.¡± She turned from Lilith drawing her sword waving the others into position.

    Opi was soon lying down in a small tub, which was just deep enough for her to soak in when filled. Cassielle and Lilith were standing nearby with two others, their swords were drawn and glowing with a dark miasma, their stama glowing and focused on their arms and legs.

    Myra quickly rushed the sacrifice into position, waving her forwards. The executioner that carried the woman resting her down at the head of the tub, ¡°We already said goodbye¡­ but remember, I¡¯m going to keep fighting for you. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll still be around, just a little more difficult to talk to.¡± She managed a smile, which was the first smile Matt had seen in days that didn¡¯t look forced. She turned back to Opi who was lying in the tub where her neck was rested against.

    With one arm, and a scattering of bruises and cuts littering her body, the young girl watched them, say their goodbyes for her sake. She¡¯d already been stripped of all her clothes, and was now unravelling the bandaging on her arm so that nothing was left but herself within the confines of the tub.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Whispered the sacrifice, ¡°I¡¯ll be turning now like it or not. Make sure you wait for it to finish taking over before you hit, don¡¯t waste this.¡± She highlighted her words to Myra who nodded in reply.

    The woman spoke to Opi, her head leant over so that it was level. ¡°Stay strong, things will get tough but I¡¯ll be right there with you to help you through it. Don¡¯t let it beat you, don¡¯t let it win. He is yours from here, and he will give you strength beyond what you can imagine.¡±

    Opi was only able to give a nervous nod in reply to the tense words that she was offered from the dying woman.

    ¡°Myra,¡± the sacrifice whispered, ¡°Hold on tight.¡± She lowered her head, body becoming limp as she leant against the edge of the tub. Matt was standing a little further back ready with the rifle, not yet lifted to sight the sacrifice.

    He couldn¡¯t clearly see everything that was happening in front of him but he could notice hints of purple light flowing through her stama even as her body numbed. The horns on her head glowed with life, as the limp body shifted gently as if reanimating from the dead.

    Suddenly the body jumped, with amazing force she threw herself back and forth within the confines of the chains. Her crazed eyes turned red gradually, as her hair started to change shades, red to purple, purple to black and back to dark purple. The sight of such a transformation before his eyes left him feeling queasy but none of the Knights reacted with hesitation at the sight.

    Most of them, in fact only reacted with barely veiled disgust. Some even averted their eyes to the hideous sight of one of their own becoming corrupted by the demon within.

    Her face thrashed around, hissing and spitting words that he couldn¡¯t make sense of, even as he borrowed knowledge from Lilith. The stama on the body of the quickly transforming creature turned sharp purple before colouring even the skin around it.

    Rapidly a purple mist filled the room, filling his lungs, and misting his eyes.

    ¡°Protect me~!¡± The force behind the words far stronger than he¡¯d heard from the demon in town, it threatened to take away his free will with every moment that passed. As quickly as the poison filled his lungs and mind, the green gem on his forehead filled with light and his body was flushed clean of the poison that affected his mind.

    The creature was still changing, limbs lengthening and thinning, very soon the woman she¡¯d once been was long gone. The reflection of her lost within the new body that had taken her place. The chains seemed to tighten around the newly skinny arms and legs which fought hard against the strength of the chains.

    The changes in her body were slowing, as she was now completely possessed by a creature other than herself. Head sitting at the edge of the tub staring and spitting at the frightened young Opi. The girl sat frozen in place staring into the eyes of a demon that had recently lost all humanity and compassion.

    Myra leaned forwards, kicking hard against the creatures back, sword ready to slice the creatures head off.

    ¡°Go to hell demon.¡± The voice coming from the purple mists was strangely human for that briefest of moments.

    Myra swung, the sword splitting the air and cutting the creatures head off so that if fell neatly into the tub with Opi. The young girl not showing the least signs of squeamishness, snatched up the head with her remaining hand. The shock that had previously possessed her as good as gone now that the head was sitting in her hands.

    She gripped the writhing head strongly with her remaining hand, shoving her thumb deep into its eye socket, until the creatures eye burst from the pressure. Even so the face didn¡¯t reveal the slightest hint of pain, still biting savagely at the air with what looked like fangs.

    Myra held the body in place with her foot so that the blood flowed out into the tub with Opi, the strange purple liquid quickly coating the young girl. Filling at a tremendous pace, the blood seemed to stay in this world without dissipating, as Opi held the decapitated head to her stomach from where it had been detached. A constant flow of blood still flowing from the head, adding to the contents even further.

    The creatures head still attempted to form words, mouth moving furiously in an attempt to either speak or bite, but it wasn¡¯t capable of either. The purple mist throughout the room faded away clearing his vision of the ancient ritual taking place before him.

    Something horrifying, yet he had no place to interfere, no place to judge them. He hardly even knew whether or not this was right for the girl, but it made it no easier to watch. The four women standing around the tub with swords held high seemed to grow tense, their numbers now buffed by the executioner that had brought the sacrifice along. Tears flowed down her cheeks, as she watched the scene play out.

    The tub quickly filled with blood, Opi pulled herself under the surface so that only the demons head was above the surface. Bubbles rose to the surface where she¡¯d submerged her head as the young girl let out her breath. Drowning herself in the blood of a demon.

    Matt felt himself stepping forwards to pull the girl from the tub, to interfere and save that girl, but before he could shift there was a movement from the water. The demons head completely melted away into the tub and Matt activated his booster immediately at full power, so thoroughly that he could feel his heart beating at an impossibly slow pace. His mind rejected the sensation filling with a splitting pain.

    Even so, as time slowed for him, he couldn¡¯t see clearly as the creature rose out of the demon blood. Standing at the same height as Opi had, it was still covered in blood, having moved too quickly for the blood to flow off of its skin yet.

    Around it five midnight black swords fell, the overconsuming darkness at their cores threatening to carve reality into pieces as they moved. The creature was faster that the enhanced movements.

    Matt could barely track it¡¯s movements as he pushed himself harder than he ever had before.

    One foot kicked out so quickly that it sent the first Knight flying. Before she¡¯d even started to fall, the creature snatched Cassielle¡¯s sword by its blade with a clawed hand pulling it down in the path of Lilith¡¯s own dark sword.

    The fourth sword fell towards the creature but at the last moment changed course, as bright purple eyes gazed into her. The black sword clutched in trembling hands eventually caught the fifth and last sword, preventing it from striking.

    In less time than it takes for a heart to beat the creature had managed to ward off five separate attacks from superhuman Knights.

    Lilith was already abandoning her sword reaching for her pistol, Matt had been lifting his rifle the entire time but his human muscles moved so slowly compared to the creatures in this room that it was only halfway lifted and moving painfully slowly. The other Knights in the room were drawing their swords, he could practically smell the fear spilling from them as they stared into the eyes of a truly powerful demon.

    ¡°Stop!¡± The voice moved out from the creature, instantly filling the room with a dense purple fog that fought to make his mind tremble. The green light in his hair glowed stronger, creating a small void around him against the fog that tried to force its way down his throat and into his mind.

    Lilith was still reaching for her pistol, a shade of the same green light glinting in her eyes, and Matt still lifting his rifle, his head hurting to the point of splitting. All others fell to their knees, their weapons falling from loose hands.

    Before his eyes, as he trained his weapon on the monster, it had already moved to another place. Holding Lilith¡¯s head in a light grasp filled with incredibly power as it glowed brightly in purple.

    Lilith fell to the ground her pistol dropping, unused, to the wooden floorboards.

    The demon then focused on him, racing at him so quickly that it seemed it was sprinting faster than human speed even in this slowed world that he was drowning in.

    Standing to his side, Matt didn¡¯t even have the time to turn and face it. He could see the eyes glowing with power, flesh radiating with such incredible authority that he felt like he might have just met with a god.

    The clawed hand moved towards his head, but stopped short as if repelled by something. The green light emitted from his hair glowed brighter as the demon¡¯s hand turned purple, blacking out half of the world in its colours while the other half filled with the emerald that protected him.

    The creature pulled back its hand staring at him curiously.

    ¡°I mean this man no harm, there is no need to protect him.¡±

    The emerald light died down slightly but still glowed gently in warning.

    The creature stood quietly in front of him, by the time he turned to face it, it¡¯d already disappeared and reappeared fully dressed. Looking into the eyes of the creature Matt saw sanity.

    ¡°Opi?¡±

    ¡°Ophiella now.¡± She smiled quite unlike the young girl he¡¯d known, ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Her voice brought an aching to his mind as he took a moment to make sense of the words spoken to him.

 Chapter 15 - The Newest Knight

    The Newest Knight

    Matt stood above the resting bodies of dozens of Sasahara Knights, it was obvious that they were still alive from the way half of them were loudly snoring within the confines of this large tent. The sound was loud enough to resound through the room forming a strange music with the sounds of their sleep.

    A dreadful, purple, mist continued to flow throughout the room gently swaying and shifting with the currents in the air. It no longer seemed to be approaching him, keeping a distance without forcing its way into his lungs or mind. He lifted out a hand to the shifting waves of mist, watching it curl at the touch of his fingers, reminding him of the way stama seemed to react to his touch.

    He refocused his attention to watch the one other person in the room who was still conscious. The girl, who had once been Opi, but who was now someone else. Her lost arm now replaced with a dark claw, her skull adorned with a pair of large ivory coloured horns, framed by a head of flowing silver hair.

    Her demonic arm was only around half the thickness of her natural arm, which had already been thin as that of any young girl her age. The fingers, stretching out form her new hand, were the same width as the stama running along her skin. In fact, the more he looked at the arm, the more it looked like stama had wrapped themselves around each other, like threads in a rope.

    He¡¯d already lowered his rifle and set the safety on, but that wasn¡¯t because she posed no threat. Rather, because she posed far too great a threat for his rifle to mean anything at all. Not to mention the twitching taking over his muscles as an after effect of using his booster far too heavily.

    Dizziness threatened his mind, almost forcing his body to collapse. To avoid the possibility, he lowered himself to the ground, accidentally slipping and slamming his knees into the hard, wooded, flooring.

    Even as highly as he now paid for his earlier boost, it¡¯d meant nothing at the time. He¡¯d barely even kept up with the movements of the other Knights at the time, he might as well be a worthless insect to Ophiella. If she truly harboured any ill will towards him, he doubted that even that interference that had protected him, would have been able to save him.

    Ophiella walked around the room, carefully stepping around the scattered, sleeping, bodies as she adjusted their positions. Carefully she sheathed their swords, and moved their limbs so that they would be more comfortable in their slumber. The sight was surprisingly natural to see, it was exactly what he¡¯d have expected from Opi, even if it didn¡¯t suit her new image.

    A gentle smile rose on her lips as she lifted Myra onto her lap, rubbing at the small mark on her face where she¡¯d fallen on the edge of the tub. ¡°Sorry,¡± She whispered to the unconscious woman in her arms kissing her wound gently, as if doing so might heal it.

    The dizziness had faded from his senses but his limbs still trembled as he attempted to move his arms. The rifle slipping down to sit on his lap while he continued to shiver. His eyes wandered the room, as he attempted to return to himself.

    ¡°You d- d- don¡¯t want to kill me?¡± Were the first words he spoke as he stared at the woman in front of him, tongue moving unnaturally within his mouth as he shaped the words. He forced the words from deep within himself, clawing at and struggling to find the right words to speak. Speaking in her language stressing his mind so badly that he could feel the back of his brain contracting tightly in resistance to his attempts at speech.

    Ophiella looked up at him briefly, while still holding Myra in her arms. Countless questions swam in the depths of her eyes as she looked upon him. She hesitated to speak, as she tore her eyes from him to look instead upon the ground beneath her, and eventually back into the sleeping face of Myra on her lap.

    She wore the same ragged clothes as Opi had, and for all her similarities, Matt simply couldn¡¯t join the two together. Stama swirled across her skin in dark shades of black, the shapes they formed peaceful and gentle, considering the incredible power they housed.

    Her horns had grown through her skull, sprouting from her now silver hair as tall, thin spikes curving gently inwards. Not even nearly disguised by the hair that had used to be a dark shade of brown approaching black. She brushed at that silver hair now, as if confused by its new colour.

    That still was not the most telling difference, her arm was thin and dark, composed of constantly shifting shades of black. The claws formed from a darkness that he¡¯d seen only in those blades wielded by demonic women, while shifting and swimming around themselves like the stama on her skin.

    After a long silence, she finally found her voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to scare you all, but I knew¡­ that if I was like this¡­ they¡¯d kill me before I could explain.¡± She was gently stroking Myra¡¯s hair as she spoke with a caring voice.

    ¡°So, you stopped them by knocking them all out? How did you even know you could do that?¡± Matt was absolutely stunned at the young woman¡¯s confidence. She was not at all the girl he¡¯d met over the past few days, yet at the same time she was. The contradiction confusing him to no end.

    ¡°How do you know to breath or to walk?¡± She waved her claw at him, before suddenly staring at the alien limb now attached to her arm, ¡°It comes naturally, and I can¡¯t really explain it.¡±

    The conversation between them died out quickly, Matt¡¯s nose bleeding from the effort of speaking her language. If he pushed himself any harder he felt as though he would join the women sleeping on the ground.

    Meanwhile, Ophiellia¡¯s eyes were filling with concern as she looked out across the room of unconscious Knights, too distracted by their wellbeing to be able to keep the conversation running herself.

    A slight shift in motion from the direction where Lilith had fallen stole Matt¡¯s attention as he gazed through a veil of purple mist. She seemed to be stirring in the far corner away from them, her hand slowly and gently reaching out for the pistol she¡¯d dropped.

    Matt was too shocked and exhausted by everything to know how to react. Perhaps it would be better to stop her, since Ophiella didn¡¯t seem to pose an immediate threat to them.

    As he thought seriously about doing so, his muscles locked into place by Lilith¡¯s stare. Her eyes freezing him as he attempted to call out, revealing only a hint of purple in the cores of her eyes as she forced him to cease his movements.

    ¡°Don¡¯t interfere!¡± Her thought transferred to him with such a force as to drown out his own mind. The emotions that she summoned forth, sent his heart spiralling into despair and anxiety.

    By the time Lilith grasped the pistol, Ophiella was already on top of her. Her motions faster than his eyes could track, faster even that Lilith¡¯s own ability to counter them. Lilith stared up into the short girl¡¯s eyes, hatred leaking out from her as she stared up at the young girl who stood over her. Eyes tracking every motion and every twitch of every muscle, yet still too slow to be able to react to them.

    ¡°Do you want to sleep again?¡± She asked, her demonic hand only a few centimetres from Lilith¡¯s scalp. The voice surprisingly calm could easily be confused for threatening, but might as easily have been her childish voice from before the transformation. Her hand gradually summoning together the purple mist into a thicker concoction at her thin, clawed, fingers.

    ¡°I will never give in to a demon.¡± Lilith whispered her voice rasping as she forced the words from her mouth, eye still burning with fury.

    ¡°Good, I¡¯m not a demon.¡± Ophiella replied, confidently walking away, leaving Lilith entirely unattended. Her short, self-assured, stride hiding an anxiety that was written plainly on her face, completely invisible to Lilith who stood at her back. Lilith took up the pistol and targeted the other girls back, hands trembling slightly as the thick purple mist washed over her hands, swirling gently without prying into her flesh or mind.

    ¡°Like hell, you¡¯re not a demon.¡± Lilith sputtered trying to threaten the other woman with the gun, from her perspective she wouldn¡¯t have seen the twitches in Ophiella¡¯s facial expression. For some reason, she was taking great effort to disguise her weakness from Lilith.

    ¡°I¡¯m not. Really, I¡¯m like you, but¡­ better.¡± She replied, turning to Lilith who hadn¡¯t stopped threatening her since she awoke. Ophiella to enforce her words clenched her clawed hand as she stood over the bodies of the many Knights. The bodies that had been adjusted with careful hands to avoid cramps as they slept.

    ¡°No Knight has ever regrown a limb, or become as fast as you are now. That is the realm of powerful angels and demons.¡± Lilith pushed off the ground coming to her feet. ¡°You are merely a demon possessing her body!¡±

    Lilith was quivering so slightly that he barely noticed it, the purple mists running around them swimming in an uneven pace now as Ophiella faced the barrel of the gun. The stama of both women was a similar shape and motion, but Ophiella¡¯s was subtly less sharp, while still moving at a slightly greater pace.

    ¡°I¡¯m not Opi anymore¡­ she died so that I could be born¡­ that¡¯s how it works isn¡¯t it?¡± She asked holding out her hands and looking down at her own body hesitantly, ¡°But I¡¯m no more a demon than you.¡±

    Her hands reached up to the horns on her head, one of those hands made from something other than human flesh. ¡°These horns, they¡¯re a part of me now, aren¡¯t they?¡± her words a mere whisper. ¡°They¡¯re from the demon, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    Lilith hand¡¯s shifted on the pistol, yet she didn¡¯t lose her sight on Ophiella. ¡°You¡­ what are you?¡±

    Ophiella¡¯s eyes grew distant as she spoke, ¡°Who are you?¡± She asked aloud, clearly not addressing anyone in the room. ¡°You are¡­ you are the demon, aren¡¯t you?¡± her words spoken aloud towards the voices in her head.

    ¡°Well¡­ hi. Don¡¯t do anything¡­ stupid and¡­ I hope we can get along well together.¡± He and Lilith remained silent as they listened in to Ophiella¡¯s self-addressing conversation, ¡°Take on the monsters? Well I guess it¡¯s worth trying so long as you don¡¯t try to take over.¡± Her words kept on for a little longer, spoken more hesitantly than Lilith spoke to her own demon.

    Lilith paused looking over the situation, staring at the bodies that were still breathing and Matt who was still kneeling down with blood dripping from his nose. That last sight gave her a particular shock, since he, of all the people here, had been able to resist the force and power of this newly formed Knight.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill anyone?¡± Lilith asked glancing at the bodies nearby, some of which were snoring.

    ¡°Of course not, they¡¯re my allies now, some of them even friends.¡± She approached Liliith carefully as she spoke, ¡°I would like to think of you as a friend as well¡­ if you would have me.¡± Her voice was delicate, she even looked towards the ground much like the young girl she really was. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone, it¡¯s just¡­ you all tried to kill me the moment I came out of the tub.¡±

    Lilith didn¡¯t seem entirely convinced but was gradually showing a little more hesitation to shoot at the girl. ¡°And how do I know that you¡¯re not lying?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re not dead.¡± She replied, ¡°I could have killed you any number of times but I didn¡¯t¡­ even though the demon wants me to. I kind of like you, Lilith.¡±

    Matt himself was still unsure as to whether this Ophiella girl was genuine or not, but he didn¡¯t want to see more blood shed pointlessly today. Carefully he spoke up.

    ¡°Lilith, I think she¡¯s telling the truth.¡± He broke the silence forming between both of them as he spoke, ¡°She didn¡¯t even knock me out earlier. I don¡¯t think she wants to hurt us.¡± Radiating out from the bond with Lilith he felt something trying to silence his words. A force unwilling to listen to his words, even Grikith seemed deathly quiet in the face of the forceful storm raging inside of her.

    Lilith didn¡¯t let up, pointing the pistol at the body of the girl who she¡¯d just put so much effort into trying to save. Meanwhile, the bodies around them began to stir, their limbs stiff as they staggered to their feet forcefully. Many falling back down as they struggled against the forces of the real world.

    The purple mist invading the room faded away as Ophiella slashed her clawed hand diagonally through the air, sending a shock wave through the mist. The colour seemed to fade from reality into the same place where it had spawned.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to scare everyone.¡± She said, loudly while holding the still sleeping Myra on her lap. ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± she asked, lifting her up in her human arm as the women awoke.

    The many awakening Knights didn¡¯t seem to know what to do, Ophiella was posing no immediate threat but they still held out their weapons hesitantly. Cassielle, who¡¯d recently awaken was stumbling closer to where Ophiella was holding her friend in her arms.

    ¡°Are you¡­ one of us? ¡­ or¡­ are you?¡± She left her sword in her sheath as she spoke, keeping some distance between them.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ probably like you.¡± She replied, moving her clawed hand carefully as she spoke.

    Cassielle walked with considerable care as she moved forwards, watching Ophiella with great concern, ¡°So who are you now?¡± She asked.

    Ophiella looked up at her elder with some considerable respect, ¡°I¡¯m Ophiella now.¡± Her voice was quiet as she curled up around Myra. ¡°Opi¡­ is dead.¡±

    There was only silence as a reply to her sad words. Cassielle attempted to stand taller, still watching the girl with great apprehension, her hand resting on her sword.

    Matt pushed himself off of the ground, finally recovered well enough to try standing again. The wood beneath his feet offered some grip to his slipping feet as he managed to find grounding and balance. One hand was held clutched to his skull which was still filled with a concentration of pain.

    Lilith half stumbled over his direction, the pistol wavering slightly as she kept it trained on Ophiella. Her expression revealing some of the uncertainty filling her heart.

    ¡°What do you know about this, Krilm?¡± She asked him cautiously struggling to contain her emotions.

    He hesitated, thinking back to what he¡¯d seen before. Ophiella certainly had the opportunity to kill anyone in this room at the time, with the possible exception of Matt himself. ¡°She isn¡¯t like the demons we fought in the city.¡± He finally let out.

    ¡°She isn¡¯t filled with the same bloodlust, and she didn¡¯t take over my mind like they had.¡± He added, thinking back to the monster at the time, ¡°And after you were all asleep she made sure to lie you down comfortably. She really seemed to care about you people.¡±

    ¡°And why didn¡¯t she knock you out, like she did us?¡± Lilith replied looking at him suspiciously.

    He hesitated for a moment, thinking back to the light that had pushed back the purple mists at the time. The light that had held back the demonic hand that had forced even Lilith into submission.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Something protected me,¡± He whispered pulling the hairpin from his head and staring into it¡¯s now faded colours.

    The emerald glow that had formed around it earlier was now completely faded away leaving only the natural shine of the gem remaining. ¡°Something?¡± Lilith asked him, ¡°Can¡¯t you be more precise. I don¡¯t know of many things that could stand toe to toe with such power on even ground, so what was it?¡± Her voice was firm as she spoke with him, suspicious of his sudden secret power.

    Matt hesitated, inspecting the gem. If he told her about it she might just take it for herself, something he didn¡¯t want to risk. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he forcefully buried his thoughts so that she mightn¡¯t notice.

    Lilith was thankfully too distracted to investigate any deeper, looking over at the newly born creature; self-named Ophiella.

    ¡°Opi?¡± The weak voice came from Myra as she finally awoke, looking up into the face of Ophiella. ¡°You¡­ you made it?¡± She wore a smile on her face while she lifted her hand to embrace the cheek of the creature leaning over her.

    ¡°Thanks to you¡­ and Retil¡­ even everyone else here helped.¡± She held her friend tightly, finally forcing Lilith to lower the pistol at the sight. She seemed far too affected by the scene, considering how she had been untouched by the previous arguments.

    ¡°No¡­ it was all because of your strength.¡± Myra replied, holding her tightly. A few tears seemed to fall down her cheeks as she was forcefully holding Ophiella into her.

    Matt was still lost as to what was happening around him, still surrounded by slowly waking Knights who were shocked by their sudden downfall. Some of them awoke while rubbing their heads with confusion, others immediately grabbed for their swords scanning the tent for the enemy that had gotten the better of them.

    Even those with swords drawn didn¡¯t move to attack, instead staring silently at the newly formed Knight before them. She was still holding Myra on her lap, though the woman was quickly coming to her senses and lifting herself to her own feet.

    ¡°Is it all¡­ okay?¡± Myra eventually asked touching the strange clawed limb that had replaced the girls lost arm. Her hand moved along the phantom limb, seemingly without being harmed by the clearly inhuman flesh that it was constructed of.

    ¡°I can hear it speaking to me¡­ but it¡¯s not taking control.¡± Ophiella slowly and carefully tightened her hands into fists, moving them around carefully as if testing her control over them. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to want control, like it¡¯s afraid.¡±

    Myra looked at the girl with some concern, before standing to her own feet. ¡°I guess each demon is unique. Don¡¯t let it get the jump on you. With as much strength as you¡¯ve borrowed from it, such a mistake could turn you into something incredibly dreadful.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let it get the better of me.¡± Ophiella responded gripping her fists tightly. ¡°Besides I can feel Ritel still with it, it¡¯s like when it consumed her she changed it.¡± The woman who¡¯d stood as Ritels friend and her executioner, before she¡¯d donated her life, looked towards Ophiella with sparkling eyes.

    Every ear was listening in to her, still suspicious of the newly born Ophiella. From what he¡¯d heard from passing conversation, this wasn¡¯t an ordinary ritual. It shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise for the outcome to be equally unordinary.

    Matt stumbled over to Lilith while Myra and Ophiella talked. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked, Lilith still had her pistol out and ready, even though it had been lowered from her target.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± She didn¡¯t turn her eyes from the newly birthed woman in their midst, ¡°Nothing here makes sense, from a Krilm surviving such a blast of indrikate power, seemingly unaffected. To a creature, so powerful, born from the demon of a Knight, yet apparently untouched by the evil in the demon¡¯s soul. Everything is so wrong that even your machines seem to be normal in comparison.¡±

    Matt, having not yet been here for long enough to realize what normal was, felt himself hesitant to comment on that, ¡°Maybe we should talk to her, find out how much she¡¯s still herself.¡± He proposed thinking about the sudden changes in the girl¡¯s behaviour. It was certainly enough of a change for him to feel that her change in name was more than just sentimental.

    ¡°Besides I doubt we¡¯ll be able to stop her should she decide to have us dead.¡± He added looking at the powerful being in their midst.

    ¡°Maybe so, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m willing to submit just because I cannot win.¡± She spoke forcefully, hand gripping her weapon tighter as she spoke. The pistol constricted by her white-knuckle grip was increasingly twisting from her influence, the colours darkening and shifting far more blatantly than it ever had before.

    Matt had seen that determination before, but every single time the harsh realities of the world had eventually shattered it. Willpower alone could not stand up against real power and influence. The only way to stand against power such as that was with comparable power of your own.

    While everyone was still recovering, Matt gently pried the emerald hairpin from his head once again. The glow had long since faded, but he could still imagine some presence hidden deep within it, some conscious power which had for some reason protected him.

    Lilith looked across to him for a moment, gazing into the gemstone within his hand, before speaking. ¡°Before I fell, I felt something. Something coming through you, protecting me from the indrikate power. That gem is connected to it, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Matt didn¡¯t reply rubbing against the filth coating the gem as if trying to pry into its depths. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He held it up to the light as he stared at it, as afraid of the power that had come through it, as he was afraid of losing his most precious possession.

    ¡°Hand it here,¡± She reached out for it, but he instinctively pulled it back from her. He hesitated to let go of this one possession, whether or not it carried any real power to it. This was the last piece of his past that he could carry with him, everything else was gone.

    ¡°What? I¡¯m not going to damage the thing. If it was something powerful, then I doubt that I could break it without great effort.¡± She still held her hand out to him demandingly.

    Matt looked into her eyes for a moment, feeling out their bond hoping to find some hint of her intentions. From that shore that was the ocean of her soul he heard a faint voice.

    ¡°Just give it to her, if this other Knight wasn¡¯t able to cut through its power then Lilith is beyond too weak.¡±  Grikith spoke to him with confidence it its weak voice.

    ¡°Silence Grikith, you have nothing to do with this conversation.¡± He could feel a shock of anxiety stirring in her ocean at the sound of the creatures mind reverberating through them. This was the first time she¡¯d joined their conversation, perhaps the first time she¡¯d heard them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Grikith, ever, or else I will eventually have the pleasure of killing you.¡± She persisted in holding out her hand.

    ¡°So, I shouldn¡¯t give it to you?¡± Matt, suddenly confused by her intentions lost his defensiveness of the gem in his hand.

    ¡°Ktsu,¡± She spat out of her teeth again, ¡°Just give it to me.¡± She stated, snatching it from his hand quicker than he could defend it.

    Matt reached out to her momentarily before he froze in place, watching her holding up his most cherished possession with great care. Her eyes glowed with a hint of purple light as she gazed into the depths of the gem.

    ¡°What is this?¡± she asked staring into it deeper still, until a small emerald spark ignited in retaliation to her gaze. ¡°It¡¯s not demonic, or angelic, but it¡¯s spirit based, not magical.¡± She continued to rub at the stone, staring into it.

    Matt watched her carefully feeling a growing anxiety at the sight of her eyes, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± He asked her carefully.

    ¡°It¡¯s got traces of spiritual power. It¡¯s not imbued with it, so to you it might as well be powerless, but it seems as though some kind of being has interacted with the world through it. It¡¯s strange, I cannot tell whether it¡¯s angelic or demonic, let alone how it managed to force its power into our realm.¡±

    She eventually lowered the gem from sight thoughtfully before refocusing her attention back onto Ophiella. Throwing it back to him carelessly, she gave her analysis of the situation, ¡°I¡¯d like to investigate that with a little more detail, but there seem to be more pressing concerns to this world at the moment.¡± She let out a gentle sigh, before whirling back to Ophiella, who was now turning to face the awoken Sasahara Knights.

    ¡°I have successfully completed the ritual, now sisters let us move on.¡± She spoke carefully to the silent crowd who were still unsure about how to react. After a pause that lasted for far too long, she turned back to Myra, ¡°That was right, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°That was fine,¡± Myra replied to her, standing by her side, ¡°Today another sister has joined with our ranks, sisters, now let us gather her gear so that she might become one with our intent and one with our strength.¡±

    The Knights that were gathered in the area failed to react, still frozen by the sight that they faced. Still unsure as to whether they were facing an enemy or an ally.

    Cassielle took this opportunity to walk forwards with confidence, taking the lead of the group gathered. ¡°We will first test her resilience to the demon currently holding over her body.¡± She carefully walked forwards towards where Ophiella was now standing.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She replied simply, holding her hands tensely before her.

    Cassielle carefully removed her sword out from its sheath, this time clearly without intent to kill. Ophiella, without hesitance, offered her arms, one of which was unnatural in nature.

    Cassielle swiftly cut with her sword too fast for him to keep pace with, and the human arm offered out before her sprouted a series of bloody marks. The blood dripped to the ground while her other arm remained unscathed by the blade, the stama shifting and swirling around tensely as they reacted to the cuts.

    Blood fell from her arm naturally, which came as some surprise to Matt. This powerful demonic being bled just like him, she winced just like him as her arm was cut apart. It was obvious that the pain was still affecting her as she continued to stand without shifting from her position.

    ¡°Remain firm in your convictions, remain firm in your control.¡± Cassielle gently spoke to her as if reading a line well-rehearsed.

    Ophiella¡¯s face was growing pale as the blood continued to flow from her arm. Myra was already preparing her kit to start healing the girl when the ritual was finished. Unlike earlier, Matt felt no need to interfere now.

    With the sheer power that she had it was worthless to try and intervene here. Eventually something changed, it was as if she¡¯d reached a certain threshold. Her eyes darkened and she smiled slightly as she looked at Cassielle.

    The woman still had her sword drawn as she watched the newly birthed Knight. With the quickest of motions, she snapped her sword into place at the girls neck. Ophiella failed to react, her arm faster than any bullet remained steadfastly at her side as if she was waiting for something.

    Cassielle continued staring into Ophiella¡¯s eyes for a while, facing the girl who stood at the other end of her blade. Eventually that blade lowered, releasing only the slightest of metallic sighs as it was sheathed.

    ¡°Get her the clothes.¡± Cassielle demanded of no one in particular. At her command one of the many Knights gathered, ran out of the main tent, leaving a silence inside as everyone slowly came to realize that Ophiella had been accepted into their ranks.

    Some, looked on fearfully. Others, with a glimmer of jealously in their eyes, but the most common reaction, other than standing in shock, was excitement. Whispers soon grew rampant within the tent as the Knights turned to one another.

    ¡°Can she beat them?¡± The voice keen and boisterous was barely constrained to a whisper

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± The safe reply given in quiet voice as the woman still stared ahead, her face painted in shock.

    ¡°If she really is herself then¡­¡± A taller woman considered, mumbling the possibilities to herself excitedly.

    ¡°Maybe we should all have been born like this.¡± The voice drew many harsh eyes but no one had anything to say in rebuttal to her words.

    The woman made her return with a small pile of clothes before the whispers had grown into anything more. Cassielle waved her forwards taking the clothes from her and offering them to Ophiella who was standing still. Trying not to look at anyone in particular, her face aglow knowing that she was the centre of attention as she took the clothes from her elder with a few words of thanks.

    She slipped away into a nearby room, and in literally the time it took Matt to blink his eyes, she was back in her new set of clothes. Considering her speed, he wondered why she even bothered to leave the room.

    The clothes she now wore were the same as what the others wore under their armour, it was made from some sort of treated animal skin not unlike leather from the old world he¡¯d read about. The clothes were obviously not meant to be worn as something of their own, covering only where the armour would be layered on.

    She wore a set of something between boots and socks made from a supple leather, they seemed to bend and shift with her every motion. He couldn¡¯t see any kind of strap or lace, their surface completely untarnished and strangely smooth. For their simplicity, they gave off the appearance of durability.

    The set of shorts looked far more durable, adorned with various loops at the waste, presumably to later be burdened by skirt armour plates. Given that detail they seemed to be quite flexible without giving the appearance that they cut into her flesh.

    The small shirt that she¡¯d put on, ended at around the bottom of where the chestplate would cover. That being half way between her breasts and belly button, revealing a mass of swirling lines forming on her exposed belly.

    In all, the clothes seemed to be designed to show off the stama that were now covering her body. The addition of armour wouldn¡¯t change that detail, he noted, looking at the fully armoured Knights around him.

    At their elder¡¯s signal, the others slowly formed up, looking at Ophiella with concern but eventually sheathing their swords as they accepted Cassielles decision.

    Silently the group was led out the large opening that served as an exit, Cassielle at the head of the pack with Myra and Ophiella following at her heels. Lilith dragged Matt in behind them, taking frequent glances at his gun and gem while gripping at her own pistol tightly.

    Outside was still a light drizzle of rain washing down on them from above. None of the women around him flinched, but he found it distracting as he continued to blink away the rain that fell on his face.

    Surrounding them he noticed the burn marks on tents, and many suspicious marks in the mud that seemed far too concerning. Some seemed like impact marks of shrapnel, others drag marks from someone no longer able to walk.

    Slowly they made their way forwards towards a larger tent where a large collection of equipment was stacked away under treated cloth. One of the larger women stepped forwards, moving aside the cloth covering and unveiling the equipment hidden away underneath.

    In among the equipment were numerous large chunks of metal shaped strangely in ways that he didn¡¯t recognise. But he could see a few large hammers scattered between the other pieces of metal equipment and barrels.

    First the woman removed a sword and sheath from the collection of equipment, quickly unsheathing it and looking along its blade.

    A grey blade shined in the dull light from the sun, which was hidden by clouds far above. The sword was an exact design of the other Sasahara Knights, with a sole exception. Its colour was far closer to that of an ordinary sword in this world, a dull grey that reflected the light only barely.

    The woman after drawing out the sword, turned towards Ophiella. With the sword held out by its blade with the edge pointing upwards, she offered the swords grip. Ophiella reached out with her clawed hand tentatively, as if unsure about what she was doing. As soon as her ¡®flesh¡¯ touched the metal grip, the blade sunk into a blackness that was incomparable to that of the other Knights.

    It seemed to drain all the light from the world, yet even still it swirled like a thick mist. Matt could feel all his sensibilities fading as he stared into that blade that shouldn¡¯t even exist, not in any world.

    Everyone was shocked at the sight, ¡°So fast.¡± He heard a whisper from the crowd. While Ophiella held the sword carefully, Myra attached the sheath to Ophiella¡¯s waist so that she might put the blade away safely.

    With a little hesitation, the blade soon swept itself home, corrupting the sheath as the blade was hidden away from the light that it consumed so completely.

    Next came the armour, brought from a small chest which the woman opened swiftly. She pulled out the chest plate, that was attached to various straps of leather. Again, it was built from well-crafted steel, reflecting light in a dull grey colour.

    With little effort they quickly strapped the armour plate on over her clothes, the plate remaining it¡¯s dull grey even after they finished tightening the straps.

    Next, they moved on to her armoured skirt which was carefully strapped into place on a belt that looped through her pants. In no time, they were strapping the boots into place around her feet, the front and back plates needing to be strapped together after her foot was put into place.

    ¡°The armour fits perfectly.¡± Matt muttered to himself, quietly watching as they fit the plates on. Nothing was even the slightest bit out of shape.

    ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t think that we¡¯d do all of this without smithing the armour to the woman?¡± Lilith snapped at him her voice sharp as she continued to grip the pistol. ¡°We are not some guard of a little town who wears what they must.¡±

    Just as she finished speaking, the metal plated gloves were added, or more accurately a number of metal plates were strapped to her still naked hand. The plates like all of the others covering her body were beautifully shaped, which was so much more apparent in their grey colours than it had been for the darkened armour worn by every other Knight.

    In her instance, they failed to armour her demonic hand which was far too small to wear the armour that they smithed. In any measure, those claws were durable enough to snatch a sword from a Knights hands and redirected it. He had doubts that any armour would offer less than half as much protection as the very flesh of such an arm.

    As everyone stepped away from Ophiella she closed her eyes, breathing in deep, slow, breaths. She closed her fists and looked upwards to the heavens with closed eyes, letting out a low growl as power flowed from the stama that swam across her skin with an increasing pace.

    Her stama moved faster and faster as she continued her strange pose, until eventually they tore free from her skin, crawling into the metal plates that were strapped to her body. In an instant the colour grey faded into distant memory, replaced with the same swirling blackness of her sword.

    Matt had little doubt that the armour would likely consume any sword that attempted to strike it, leaving behind not even ash.

    Ophiella opened her eyes looking over the crowd of Knights as they stared at her with a mix of fear and awe.

    Keeping up the fast pace Cassielle rushed them back into the tent where they¡¯d just witnessed Ophiella¡¯s birth. By the time the fully armed and armoured Ophiella had been returned to the room, the blood and corpse of the Knight become demon had already evaporated into the air.

    The woman who had posed as her executioner only a few hours before was now standing quietly, observing the scene with a sad aura radiating from her expression.

    Lilith was doing nothing but following along carefully, watching the new Sasahara Knight who¡¯d just been born from a pair of corpses. Of what they had been, not even a drop of blood remained.

    Ophiella was soon talking with many of the gathered Knights speaking with a gentle voice. Whether it was because she herself was intimidated, or because she was avoiding frightening the others he couldn¡¯t be sure. Myra stood by her side confidently, excitedly, pressing her onwards trying her hardest to endear her to her new sisters.

    Before they had time to fully digest the new situation, a Knight ran into the room. Whoever they were, they hadn¡¯t been present for the ritual, staring in shock at Ophiella. She quickly threw off her cloak of shock and spat out words thoughtlessly into the group.

    ¡°The King is making an announcement!¡± She called out loudly.

    The many Sasahara Knights gathered expressed nothing but tired expressions as they looked towards the woman.

 Chapter 16 - The Runaway Queen

    The Runaway Queen

    The Sasahara Knights chattered amongst themselves, voices rising impatiently to be heard over one another. None of them seemed particularly surprised by the sudden announcement, but as they gossiped, their voices were gradually rising with growing excitement.

    Their words swiftly filling the room with inane noise, Matt made no effort to translate the many conversations as he watched them talking. Many of them were still glancing over at the newly born Ophiella; even now, she was the centre of their many conversations.

    The girl herself was too short to be seen clearly above the crowd of taller Knights that were forcing their questions on her. The only sign of her still standing next to Myra was the set of tall horns waving back and forth at the centre of their small mob.

    Many other Knights were already distracted by the new development that had charged into the room, intentionally avoiding Ophiella as they left. Their voices fading as they were blocked by the sheet of cloth that served for a door. Even though they ignored Ophiella, it didn¡¯t seem to be out of spite; rather their spritely steps and stolen glances revealed the same fear he¡¯d seen in many, the last few days.

    It¡¯d been the same fearful eyes that had looked upon himself and his fellow soldiers when they¡¯d entered the city with such complete invulnerability. It was the same fear in the people¡¯s eyes as they watched invincible drones flittering around the sky, reaping human lives faster than they could scream.

    The woman who¡¯d brought news of the King to them was still standing stock-still, frozen in shock; her eyes locked staring the direction of Ophiella. Distant eyes stealing what glances she could from through the shifting walls of flesh surrounding the girl.

    ¡°What¡­ the hell?¡± The words falling from her lips, ¡°When did the world turn on its head?¡±

    Lilith whispered words to herself in reply, loud enough only for him to hear, ¡°It was always like this. It¡¯s just taken us too long to realize it.¡±

    One of the many voices rose to the fore, ¡°The King is finally addressing the people that hate him the most? This should be interesting.¡± Not a single desire hidden in her voice to hide her disgust as she spoke.

    ¡°I wonder whether they¡¯ll riot?¡± Another joined the conversation, her voice mildly amused.

    ¡°Perhaps the mages will slip up. We all know that they serve the King after all.¡± The first voice replied speaking with some growing excitement to her voice. ¡°Now I¡¯d like to see that.¡±

    ¡°He should¡¯ve stayed holed up in his castle, the fool.¡± The words slipped from an overly liberal tongue.

    The King would be a poor King if he didn¡¯t address his people in a time like this; in Matt¡¯s opinion, it was bad enough for it to have been left for this long. Though he couldn¡¯t understand how this world was supposed to work.

    What was the most disconcerting was the amusement in their voices as they spoke of the possible collapse of this nation. Were they truly so indifferent to this city and its people? Who were these Knights really if they weren¡¯t here to serve the population of this place? What were they after?

    Within the tent people quickly gathered together into small groups, without any particular order to their forces. Their voices completely chaotic, finally Matt was beginning to realize what it meant to be without a leader. This chaos, it seemed almost self-destructive to him as he stood and watched them behave so irrationally. For not the first time he wondered how they¡¯d survived as long as they had, behaving like this.

    Those that surrounded Ophiella, seeking answers to her current form and strength, to how she was handling the demon in her mind, and the nature of her accursed arm. There was a sense of desperation flowing off them as they sought to learn whether or not she could stand against the tide of war about to flow over the land.

    There were also those who sought to hear what the king had to declare, hoping to see something spark from the coming announcement. From these women, he could sense a slight bloodlust rising into the air, their voices rising with excitement as they spoke of the coming days.

    The difference between the groups was quickly resolved when Myra¡¯s voice rose above the others, ¡°If the mages might show themselves, then I¡¯m going to be there to cut them down the moment they do.¡± She ran outside with Ophiella dragged along behind her, the many questioning the girl, following behind.

    Apparently, she was so enticed by the king¡¯s coming declaration, and her desire to meet with the mysterious mages, that she completely ignored the women chasing after them. Questions flowed after Ophiella from excited young woman seeking to learn her strengths and abilities, hoping to find some hope in their new ally.

    Myra had a fevered look in her eyes as she ran, her pace unchallenged by the many Knights chasing them. Her ears deaf to their calls as they tried to ask her questions. Ophiella, far too distracted to be able to reply as she was raced from the tent.

    The first to tail after them was Lilith, positioning herself close behind Ophiella, who she still held at great suspicion. Her hand was still gripping the gun held close to her body so that the other women couldn¡¯t knock it aside as they gave chase. Her eyes, focused on nothing in this world, were almost as feverish as Myra¡¯s as she ran.

    As soon as the word, King, had been spoken aloud she¡¯d been emotionally startled, her thoughts washing up against him chaotically. They were so scattered that he could make no sense of them, yet so numerous that he could not keep track. If he tried to follow along, he¡¯d lose his own mind in that chaotic ocean of her soul.

    ¡°Matt, she isn¡¯t of sane mind when the royalty is in her thoughts. Step carefully around her.¡± The voice of Grikith spoke to him, far more blatantly than it had previously, yet Lilith seemed to take no notice.

    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± He asked the demon that lived in her mind, cautious at its sudden advice.

    ¡°It would serve me no good for her to kill you. The coming tempest will affect us all, even demons and angels must make friendly if we wish to survive.¡± The voice spoke to him with an earnestness that was unfamiliar to the alien thoughts flowing into his mind. It didn¡¯t take much creative thinking to realize the meaning; the gun in his hand, a weapon that frightened even the strongest beings of this world.

    ¡°Do you really think that that girl could stand against a demon of such strength? Without such compromise, we cannot face the wars to come.¡± Matt was shocked at the earnestness in the demon¡¯s voice, a hint of fear seemed to emanate from it. A strange emotion to feel from a creature who had been so full of confidence.

    ¡°Why do you think that? You¡¯ve barely even seen what my world is capable of.¡± He asked, frightened of the answer that just might come.

    ¡°I exist in Lilith¡¯s mind; do you really think that I cannot see the memories that she has stolen from you? I¡¯ve seen what your people have done to your world. It cannot be allowed to happen here.¡± The voice spoke so honestly that he paused in response, unsure of what to ask it, unsure of whether to be grateful or fearful of this creature¡¯s assistance.

    ¡°So, Ophiella, she¡¯s not¡­¡± The shape of her arm flowed into his mind, a fraction of the absolute power that she wielded over them.

    ¡°She¡¯s in control because the demon has offered her that control. Perhaps with time they will find greater strength, because even as she is, she will die if she faces your weapons.¡± He could understand the reasoning in the demon¡¯s words, the intention to survive at all costs, even at subjecting themselves willingly to slavery under the hands of these women.

    He couldn¡¯t help but admire that determination, that sacrifice.

    At first Matt was too distracted by Grikith¡¯s words to follow directly after Lilith, who¡¯d already long left his sight. In only a short while all his acquaintances were gone and he was surrounded by only strangers, who were crowding the exit. Even Grikith¡¯s voice left his mind as the distance between him and Lilith greatened.

    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Lilith¡¯s words reached him, forcing a soft ache to his head as the thoughts crossed the distance. ¡°You¡¯re still my responsibility, so keep up with me. Otherwise I¡¯ll kill you so that I finally have an excuse to cease with this babysitting.¡± Matt could feel a tenseness to her words, enough to know that she wasn¡¯t entirely joking.

    He raced forwards, through the doors which were no longer crowded, the Knights that had been crowding the doors now far ahead of him. The only woman left in the tent was the woman who¡¯d just lost her friend, a few tears staining her cheeks, reflecting the low light inside the tent.

    Outside he could still see the many Knights racing along, some forming small groups and walking ahead together, others racing forwards alone. Matt felt a sense of separation from them, seeing so many people in uniform acting so childish and disorderly. As abstract as the sight was to him, it was not entirely uncomfortable to embrace. It wasn¡¯t as cold as his own military had been.

    That was highlighted by the sadness that many of them felt over the deaths of their allies. Although they persisted in speaking as if it made no difference to them, he could finally notice the sorrow filling the atmosphere in the breaks between words. They kept speaking so that they could fight back against that air of sorrow.

    He¡¯d already long lost Lilith, who¡¯d moved with such pace that she was likely within the city walls already. Not wishing to die an early death by her hand, he followed his best instincts and gave chase, her threats still fresh in his mind.

    A tightness had formed in his chest as he lagged further and further behind, not like anything he¡¯d ever felt before. His legs moved forwards almost of their own will as he found himself drawn towards where Myra, Ophiella, and Lilith were themselves moving. The sensation bringing a sharp anxiety into his heart as he recalled the term translated to him through a demon in the mind of a Knight.

    Mind slave.

    He brushed off the thought, even if it were true, for now there was precious little he could do about it. Right now, all that he could do was run.

    He was offered only brief glances by the many Knights that he raced past, recent events having again lowered the value of his intrigue to these young women. In fact, the appearance of Ophiella and the sudden declaration of the King were all that he could hear from their passing conversations. For some reason, he felt a momentary warmth in his chest at no longer being the focus of their attentions.

    It was not as if he¡¯d been accepted by them, but it was as if his fate was no longer in question. Like he¡¯d found some precarious place amongst them, even if just for now.

    His lightly shod shoes slipped time and again in the mud as he ran, but he managed to keep on his feet all the same. While still catching up to the long distant woman that was meant to be his guard, he tried to listen to the conversations going on around him. Strangely their words no longer flowed through his mind as they had before, they streamed through his consciousness with the pace of a thick liquid. Their meanings taking a few moments to dawn on him as his heart grew tense.

    It felt almost as if he were listening to a language he hadn¡¯t spoken in years, or trying to recall the details of a distant memory. He struggled to find the meanings rather than having them simply offered to him as they had been.

    ¡°What do you think this is going to be about?¡± One of the Knights asked another as they walked side by side.

    ¡°Another attempt to save these stupid people, perhaps?¡± The Knight looked over the area with spite. Where they were walking, they could see a great many lost people wandering the flat plains out the front of the city walls.

    ¡°An evil king attempting to save his idiot people. Sounds like a fairy tale turned upside down.¡± The first Knight responded, laughing at the situation as it unfolded.

    Soon enough their words faded behind him, others taking their place as he progressed towards the city gates. He could hear many other conversations with the same intent, most of the Knights speaking with disgust, not only at the King but at the many people of this city.

    Even as they walked past a small graveyard that had formed over the last day, they showed no sympathy to their dead. Some of the Knights even spat in the direction of the people that they came across, those same people lowering their heads as if they were being blessed by something holy.

    Matt passed by several people dressed in worn and wet clothes, their words just as harsh as those of the Knights. ¡°Is he finally going to fight this war seriously?¡± A young woman asked turning to a man that looked like her father.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± He muttered under his breathe, ¡°I wish the queen was still alive. She¡¯d have already won this war, and without touching magic.¡± The man spat at the ground.

    ¡°What happened to princess Theresa?¡± the girl asked her father as Matt left earshot. The name of their princess seemed to be living still in the hearts of the people, who idealised her far more than they did the King that was currently serving them.

    Passing the few people remaining, Matt ran through the city gates which had been left wide open. Their enemy so powerful that it seemed entirely worthless to even try to block their passage. It seemed that even the guards had left their posts to listen to the Kings announcement, giving up on their duty.

    All around him was the same scene that had been the new image of the city since the attack. Rubble and scattered belongings blocked up most roads, and hopeless faces stared out into ruins of the city that they called home. It seemed their spirits had been broken worse than the architecture of the city had been.

    If anything, the king¡¯s demands had made their expressions that much more dark. The people who had been filled with nothing but hopelessness now revealed signs of hate, as they spoke of their King. No longer could he see the people turning against one another, or taking things from one another. Strangely they had formed a sense of comradery, as if unified by an enemy.

    That enemy wasn¡¯t the untouchable drones or the invincible soldiers, rather the King too weak to fight them.

    Matt¡¯s foot was caught by a piece of debris in the street, his shoe coming loose as he fell into the wet mud. With a quick reaction, he¡¯d managed to keep himself from landing on a few scattered pieces of metal that were sharp enough to part flesh.

    With the foot that had slipped loose from its shoe, he pushed up off the muddy ground, a sigh escaping his lips as he stressed his body. The tenseness in his heart pressuring him to keep moving.

    ¡°You okay?¡± A familiar voice called out to him, ¡°No need to rush, we should be able to make it in time just fine.¡± Rloki offered her hand to him as he lay on the ground. Not bothered by the mud covering Matt¡¯s hand she forcefully took hold and dragged him up with more strength than he had expected from her small frame.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said feeling the pressure in his chest slightly relieve, Lilith and the others seemingly having stopped running ahead.

    ¡°Perhaps you should learn how to speak properly.¡± She replied to his thanks, ¡°You could at least learn a few manners. See here, when someone does something for you, say, yuva¡± He focused on the words pronunciation so that he could learn it properly.

    ¡°Yuva.¡± He tested the new word, this time without pulling it out of the depths of his mind. It didn¡¯t spark the same headache that was usually inspired by their language.

    ¡°Very good, you do seem to have some potential. Now, time to clean you up a little,¡± She muttered pulling a cloth from her jacket, it was a clean white colour and softly scented with some kind of citrus.

    She inspected his face, while wiping his skin clean of the mud staining his face and neck. The cloth now completely coated in the colour of mud after having wiped his face clean. Rloki, seemingly unconcerned with the filth, folded up the cloth and replaced it in her inner pocket.

    ¡°Yuva,¡± He thanked her, the word still strange on his lips. It felt completely different to when he was forcing himself to speak their language.

    ¡°Konda,¡± She replied, the meaning he understood as a casual response to thanks, she leaned in close to him while she spoke. Before he knew what was happening she¡¯d pressed her lips against his cheek.

    He didn¡¯t understand what the action was supposed to mean, but he felt a little flustered as a warmth ignited in his cheeks. She quickly latched herself onto his arm and started to walk forwards with her elbow hooked through his own. The rifle slung around his front occasionally bumping against where their arms were linked.

    ¡°What is with you anyway?¡± She spoke at him while walking along with him. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know much about how to speak but sometimes I swear that you know what people are telling you a little too well.¡±

    Matt didn¡¯t bother replying, it was worthless to try and speak to her in his tongue, and he wasn¡¯t feeling up to upsetting Lilith any further today by giving her a headache.

    ¡°And for some reason you¡¯re bothering to listen to the King¡¯s announcement? Do you even know how messy things might get today?¡± She told him, the words seemingly spoken to herself.

    He looked at her curiously, suddenly concerned. Things might be getting messy today? The thought that today might lead to more violence sent a few shivers down his spine. The words spoken previously hadn¡¯t struck him so clearly, but now their words seemed that much more than simple upset.

    Rloki led him through the ruins of the town occasionally talking to the strangers as they passed by. Unlike the many others when she spoke she was trying to avoid using harsh words or even speaking about topics such as the announcement that they were now heading to.

    Still linked with Matt, she approached a nearby child who¡¯d been walking with the rest of the crowd, their eyes filled with a rage unfamiliar to Matt. ¡°A young man like yourself shouldn¡¯t be wearing such a grim face.¡± She spoke to him with quiet words.

    The boy, as if stunned at suddenly having Rloki approach him, shed that look of animosity in his eyes for the briefest of moments, before hiding behind that emotion once more, ¡°What¡¯s it to you old lady?¡± the boy asked clutching a small knife in his pants. From the look of it the knife was more used to cutting fruit than flesh.

    ¡°Catch¡± she called out ignoring the boy¡¯s apparent disapproval of her words. What she threw to the boy looked like a small box made from bone or shell.

    Again, she threw the child off his guard, ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, shaking the box around to see if it made a sound. His hand had fallen free of his knife and his eyes lost a little of their sharp gaze.

    ¡°I was told that the secret to life is inside.¡± She said carefully, ¡°but only a select few can open it.¡± She waved her hands around a little to exaggerate as she spoke, ¡°The man who gave it to me said exactly what I¡¯m saying to you know. I was never able to open the blasted thing, maybe I was only meant to bring it to your hands.¡±

    The boy grunted before moving on, the box finding its way into a pocket as he walked. His stride less forced than it had been before she¡¯d spoken to him.

    As little as she was able to do. As little as she was able to change. She seemed to be trying hard to get even a small smile out of anyone, or just to weaken the strength of the anger and rage that was flowing through them. The longer he spent time with this strange person the more he realized that he didn¡¯t know a single thing, about her, or about this world.

    They intentionally made a detour around the place which was still soaked in the stench of death and demons, a tall tower of smoke rising into the sky; hinting at the dead still being burned away. Beneath the smell of drizzling rain, was that clear and distasteful smell of ash falling on earth.

    Matt avoided looking the direction of that smoke, not wishing to recall memories from the past few days that were better left buried until he was ready to deal with them.

    Ahead a large crowd gathered, stealing away Matts attention. People of all ages and sizes filled the space more tightly than Matt had ever seen in his life. They were packed together so tightly that it was impossible to squeeze his way through on his own without using his rifle to clear a path.

    The sight both beautiful and frightening, he watched the people behave in a way that was completely alien to him. It was pleasant for such life to fill their eyes, but the anger that they voiced brought a spark of terror rising in his heart.

    For the first time in his life he could see the terrifying power of a group of people, even if it couldn¡¯t compare to the power of military technology it was more than enough to bat down a few swords or bows.

    Rloki took the lead dragging him into the fray that was the audience, somehow forcing an opening through the many people gathered without managing to upset anyone. They all seemed that they were upset with something distant to the front of the crowd, the expressions only growing worse the deeper into the mob that they were able to cut.

    A few children slipped through the legs of the gathered people but for the most part, Matt and Rloki were the only ones making forwards progress. Matt moving only because he was caught in the wake formed by Rloki as she decisively forced her way through the people.

    Soon, above the heads of the gathered public, he could see a familiar stage set up before the massive castle where the king was housed. The King himself was yet to appear, with only a few people wearing royal garments holding themselves on stage. A pair of, what seemed to be soldiers, held flags firmly in the sky, attached to long spears.

    Another man stood between the two, dressed in colourful clothes while looking out over the people before him with distain clear in his eyes. It seemed as though he was the man that the crowd¡¯s anger was now centred on, while they spat angry words aloud.

    The man didn¡¯t react to their hostilities, it seemed as though he thought himself above them. As if he were looking down upon mere animals or children.

    After a moment, Matt was finally able to realize from where this stage was so familiar. Since he¡¯d entered from a different side when he was still a soldier he knew for sure that that wasn¡¯t how he¡¯d recognised this place.

    This place he¡¯d seen from his dream with Theresa, as she stood over the executions, heart pounding with passion as she had forced a cold expression on her face. Neither her or the queen currently stood atop that stage where blood stained the ground. The chopping block wasn¡¯t in position today, which came to slight relief, as Matt remembered the contents of that dream.

    This scene was frightfully like that vision, only he was now standing amidst the adoring crowd that thirsted for blood, rather standing on the stage striking the heads off with his hand.

    Rloki, un-noticing of his discomfort, was jumping up and down madly, while spinning her head from left to right and back again. She looked as if she¡¯d lost her mind as she pressed against the crowd, trying as she might to see over their heads. Finally, she glanced his direction, with the spark of an idea in her eyes.

    As she pushed him ahead of her, he felt a sudden weight drop down on his shoulders as her arms wrapped around his neck. In a few short moments, she¡¯d scaled him as she would climb a tree with no concern for the dirt and mud she painted across his already filthy back.

    As soon as she was tall enough to peak over the heads of the people around them, her head flicking left and right scanning the horizon. In only a few moments her eyes locked onto something.

    Hurriedly her finger was thrust out towards his left, her other hand slapping his shoulder, ¡°Onwards!¡± She yelled, the crowd parting ways for her absurd steed as she led them through the mass of flesh.

    Ahead Matt could see a few tall heads coated in silver hair, pale horns peeking upwards towards the sky. Within the field of silver hair, he could see a tall set of horns peeking out above the crowd, the girl herself far too short for anything else to be seen of her. He was also able to see a head of silver hair, shades darker than the others standing in that field, warning him of Lilith¡¯s presence.

    They quickly pushed through the last line of people standing between himself and the Sasahara Knights, who were watching the stage carefully. The many people giving the Knights some distance, forming a strange circle around them out of respect.

    The Knights quickly turned to him and Rloki as he pushed through the bubble that had surrounded them, their eyes filled with a sense of curiosity at the strange sight that befell them.

    Rloki leapt on top of Myra and Ophiella, straight from Matt¡¯s shoulders, the moment they were within reach. ¡°It¡¯s been soo~ long!¡± She turned to Ophiella without a hint of hesitation or confusion, ¡°Opi, you¡¯ve grown¡­ and your hair is so pretty now!¡±

    Out of all the gathered Knights only Lilith could react, gently letting out a breath and sighing derisively. The others were too shocked to even move, looking to the strange woman that had managed to leap into their numbers without hint of hesitation. The woman who was currently hugging the most powerful being that many of them had ever met, acting somewhere between a close friend and a familiar elder that hadn¡¯t seen her in years.

    Ophiella, slowly let go of her shock as she looked up at Rloki recognising the woman who¡¯d managed to surprise her. ¡°It¡­ I¡¯m¡­ My name is Ophiella now.¡± For a moment, she seemed to be back to her previous self, before she¡¯d become a Knight of Sasahara, the sight of the girl reminding Matt of the words spoken to him by Grikith.

    She¡¯s in control because the demon has offered her that control.

    His heart twisted as he looked at the girl who was at the mercy of a demon that was allowing itself to be enslaved. It seemed so very unfair to him, for the both of them. The girl with a demon holding a blade to her throat, and the demon who is forced to be enslaved, else lose the entire world to a greater evil.

    Everyone seemed to be frozen at the scene until Rloki finally let go of the girl and turned to Lilith instead. ¡°I brought your enamoured prince!¡± The words bringing Matt out of his reverie.

    Lilith groaned especially loudly as the other Knights turned to her direction questioningly.

    ¡°Foreign prince?¡± Myra asked her directly, not bothering with tact.

    ¡°Not as far as I know.¡± She replied, ¡°This creature is simply saying the first thing on its mind again.¡± Lilith gestured back towards Rloki.

    Myra faced the ¡®creature¡¯ Lilith spoke of, trying to keep pace with the woman before she leapt off on her next direction. ¡°How do you know Matt?¡± She asked.

    ¡°We talked a few times in the bath.¡± She replied mindlessly, holding back onto Matt¡¯s hand tightly, and standing strangely close

    ¡°Well ah¡­ that¡¯s¡­ Isn¡¯t he too¡­¡± Myra was caught by surprise unable to string together a proper sentence, ¡°So you two¡­¡± She cleared her throat, her face growing red as she attempted to speak.

    Lilith began laughing at her quietly, ¡°With a mind like that, maybe you made the wrong choice joining the Knights.¡± At her words, all of the nearby faces framed with stama glared at her, her words apparently causing them some discomfort. Lilith didn¡¯t seem bothered by their sudden animosity, if anything it seemed familiar to her.

    Before any more words could be exchanged they were silenced by the man standing at the podium that stood before the elegant castle gates. The man who still stared out at the crowd with distain, ¡°The 42<sup>nd</sup> ruler of our realm, our great King Aruldus will now address his people.¡±

    The crowd silenced, except for a few dissatisfied grumbles spreading out amongst the people gathered. The massive doors to the castle slowly creaked open by the hands of a pair of the King¡¯s guard, their armour noticeably different from that of the ordinary guard. Their postures held together with far more confidence as they scanned the crowd, eyes sticking to the Knights for a moment too long.

    Eventually an opulently dressed king revealed himself from behind those doors, head shining with a brilliant crown. His face was filled with less confidence than the men who guarded him.

    The first thing Matt thought when looking at him, was that his clothes were far less opulent than the queen from Theresa¡¯s dream. The man called a King, walked with some hesitation to his step, and sweat dripping on his brow, even though it was a cool afternoon.

    Standing under a tall parasol to protect him from the light rain, he carefully stepped up to the crowd, clearing his voice, ¡°People of Valkel, I stand before you on this day of great tragedy to offer my strength and the strength of this nation.¡± Silence overwhelmed the people as they formed up to listen, their faces filled with anger as they watched their king standing above them.

    ¡°I know that many of you have lost family in the last few days, in the recent attacks on this city; for that you have my sympathies. All burials will be funded by the royal coffers, and I will personally make sure that their deaths were not in vain.¡± He paused after that line, waiting for the words to sink in.

    ¡°I also know that many entire families have died leaving behind no relatives to inherit their belongings. To make the best use of these losses in these hard times, all belongings without inheritance will be taken possession of and added to the royal coffers to fund the reconstruction of this city.¡± His words sent shock waves through the crowd as they all started whispering again.

    A man standing not far away muttered in a voice barely considered a whisper, ¡°First he kills them, then he demands all that they had in payment.¡± He spat to the ground in dissatisfaction before pushing his way through the crowd, away from the stage where the king was standing.

    ¡°Much of this city has been destroyed, the lack of homes forcing many to die from the cold of the streets at night. I want to see an end to these horrific days so that we can move forwards into a better future.¡± He coughed again, his voice losing confidence as people started to leave, and others began to chant against him.

    The words queen, coward, and traitor loudest among them.

    ¡°To that ends, quarters within the castle have been cleared for the children and elderly among you that need housing, but this is just the beginning. Tomorrow will be the beginning of a new era for Valkel.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, work will begin on clearing and reconstructing this city so that none will go unhoused. So, that these walls may never fall again, and none may starve in the streets.¡± Most people had already given up listening to him, muttering amongst themselves in anger.

    ¡°These walls were strong until he became King.¡± One woman called out loudly to the crowd. The chant growing amongst the citizens of the city.

    ¡°I will ensure that this city will find peace so that such a tragedy will never occur again.¡± The moment the word peace entered the ears of the crowd they finally erupted at full force, their voices drowning out the King¡¯s.

    ¡°Peace? We will destroy them!!¡± A rough man called out holding aloft a well dented sword.

    ¡°The only peace to be found is over their corpses!¡± This from a woman barely old enough to be considered an adult.

    Soon even the children joined in the chanting, screaming loudly enough to be heard among the voices of the adults. ¡°For Papa! Kill them all!¡±

    Matt felt the wave of anger and disgust washing over the crowd. Never before had he felt such strong reactions. Never before had he been so thoroughly drowned by the emotions surrounding him. The chanting was already silencing the King¡¯s words but the guards and attendants made no attempt to quell the violent crowds.

    King Aruldus was swiftly guided back into the castle, as the mob began to push past the guards that were meant to hold them back. Many of the guards themselves turning about face, against the King, joining with the mobs chanting.

    The Sasahara Knights watched closely, all of them glowing with strong emotions of their own, but not the same as the crowd that was gathered around them. None of the Knights yelled or screamed as the crowd around them erupted into chaos, instead their sharp eyes were focused forwards towards the King¡¯s last loyal retainers.

    Even now, with emotions were so peaked the violent mob made space for the Knights, giving them far more respect than they had the King himself.

    Around him screams rose into the thick warm air, ¡°Queen Theresa!¡± they chanted, reaching out to a princess that would not listen to their demands.

    Inside the raging storm that was forming within Lilith¡¯s soul, Matt could feel sadness, twisted and confused by guilt. By now he had little doubt that Lilith was once the princess Theresa, but he¡¯d never heard of her being queened.

    The title seemed to bring the worst of emotions out of the woman as she turned away from the crowd fighting against the raging storm within that threatened to overflow her heart, while the raging mob split to make way for her.

    Myra and Ophiella stayed behind, watching the scene with discriminating eyes. Their presence watched closely by the King¡¯s personal guard, who were struggling to keep the riot from overflowing into the castle itself.

    Matt left the scene behind, following Lilith¡¯s footsteps with great trouble. Unlike her, he didn¡¯t earn the same respect from the gathered people, some of whom were looking to him with intents of violence in their eyes.

    To them, if he wasn¡¯t at the side of a Knight, he was a foreigner. Some might even suspect his true origins, the thought of which sending some shivers down his spine, pushing his feet into a faster flight.

    Fortunately, before he lost Lilith, he was able to get caught inside the bubble of space that the crowd offered her. The mob surrounding him, filled with hate sent painful shocks to his heart, different than he¡¯d felt at the emptiness in their eyes over the past few days, this elicited terror from his weary heart.

    ¡°Lilith,¡± He called out weakly his voice drowned out by the angry cries. He reached out for her hand, like Rloki had done to him, like Ren had done so many times in his childhood. He was afraid of being left alone in this raging sea of emotion.

    Lilith spun to him as soon as his hand grabbed onto hers, her eyes filled with twisted emotions, her opposite hand raised to hit him. He flinched in response but didn¡¯t let go, fear too strong in his heart as he was surrounded by so many hate filled strangers.

    Her hand didn¡¯t strike, instead, he felt for a moment the storm in her heart pause. An image carrying through that ocean that washed at the shores of his mind.

    He saw in her mind¡¯s eye, the image of a golden queen striking a young boy while she watched on. The boy quivering as he tried to hold back the tears, his face already bloody from the bejewelled hand that had struck him repeatedly. Emeralds and sapphires now coloured like rubies, painted by the young boy¡¯s blood.

    ¡°Theresa, see here, a queen is never afraid to dirty her hands with the blood of the weak.¡± The words echoing in his head over and over.

    Slowly he opened his eyes, able to watch her gradually lowering her hand. A slight quiver running across her face as if she were about to cry.

    ¡°Y-Yuva.¡± He murmured while forcing himself to let go of her hand. The stress was nearly enough to evoke tears but he was just barely able to restrain them.

    The people around them barely gave them a second glance, but that avoidance seemed intentional. Without saying a word, Lilith snatched his hand in her own, dragging him through the city, away from the crowd which was still gathering at the castle gates. Behind them he could hear the distant screams growing louder, as he tried to silence them through distance.

    Before long they were free from the emotions filling the castle courtyard, heading instead into the emptiness of the dead city.

 Chapter 17 - To Draw Out a Mage

    To Draw Out a Mage

    Within this massive white tent, he had experienced many horrors. Only recently he¡¯d been mentally assaulted by dozens of cursed Knights. Only recently watched a bloody ritual which left behind no corpses and no evidence of it having ever really happened. Only recently had it birthed Ophiella, a being with power beyond his comprehension.

    As unbelievable as it all was, Matt didn¡¯t doubt any of it. His world had been shattered long before he came here, all this nonsense fit perfectly in a world where sense came to die.

    The large ritual tent was mostly the same as they¡¯d left it, save for a few unnatural changes. The corpse was long gone, not even a spot of blood left in the tub that still sat untouched in the centre of the room. The shackles now rested on the ground having fallen from wrists that had disappeared from this world.

    Finally, the woman who¡¯d stood mourning her dead friend was long gone. Nothing left for her here with the corpse having faded into the nether.

    Outside the rain pounded on the white cloth that formed the tent, it¡¯d grown powerful on their way back here, soaking Lilith and Matt to the bone. Occasional roars of thunder cut through the beating rain, sounding almost like some massive, alien creature. He felt the sound running through his blood, tensing his muscles subconsciously, as he felt himself drowned by the sound.

    Matt had never heard thunder so strong before, upon reflection the closest he¡¯d heard was the crashing of a waterfall as it overflowed with a floods worth of water.

    On his way through that heavy rain and thunderous storm, he¡¯d seen people finally running for shelter. The emptiness in their eyes replaced by anger, and now desperation to see that anger satiated. Others, didn¡¯t find that life inside of them, emotions too dead to be revived. These people rested their bodies in the thick mud, staring with empty eyes into the sky that stole the warmth from their bodies.

    Matt felt no sympathy for these people, having faced many empty people, for most of his life. They were apathetic, feeling no pain, and no joy. There was nothing left to feel sympathetic for, walking corpses, robots without minds, System slaves; there were many names.

    Returning to the present, Matt scanned the room, his eyes clinging to the chains that had held the full force of a demon in place.Their unnatural darkness cut through the room, denying the light its very existence. The light that washed close to it did not seem at war or battle, it didn¡¯t fight the darkness; rather they danced with each other swaying and shifting hypnotically.

    Lilith didn¡¯t seem to mind them, though her stama gathered at her hands as she touched the metal chains, as if protecting her from the darkness. The shackles moved sluggishly as if they were being dragged through water, as if the light itself was a fluid dragging the chains.

    The light continued to dance with the darkness in Lilith¡¯s hands, before she walked the shackles back over to the small room where they¡¯d been stored. Matt followed through, looking at the small chest that was painted in flowing black stama. In moments Lilith began drawing them out with the tip of her finger, her other hand still holding the chains tightly.

    Making quick work of the curse on the box, Lilith opened it wide, letting the lid fall back onto its hinges. With little care for gentle motion, the chains were dumped into the large box, rattling against others like them within.

    The box closed, and Lilith quickly reformed the stama curse on the chest. For some reason, Lilith¡¯s curse seemed to be more chaotic than it had been before, tying itself in knots around and around. It appeared to him that the next Knight to open this chest might have a little difficulty.

    Lilith glared at him in return of his curious gaze, forcing her way back into the main room of the tent. Her pace forced, steps less elegant than they had once been.

    The clean room was void of anything but the sparkling tub. It was the scene of such a strange and horrific event, and yet it was almost as if it had never happened. Though the memories wouldn¡¯t fade as quickly as the blood had, even as his eyes traced the outline of the bath, all that he could see was the blood filling it, and the dismembered head resting on the body of an innocent young girl.

    Even though he was aware that things had turned out as well as they could have, the memories were filling his throat with bile, and his heart with pain.

    Matt noticed Lilith¡¯s hands stained with the darkness from the chains, playing with the light only fractionally as much as the metal had. Her stama racing around her skin, knots forming and releasing, twisting and straightening. It was the most chaotic pattern that he¡¯d seen painted on her skin thus far.

    From their bond, he could feel the upset emotions flowing together and changing, roiling pain, suffering, guilt, and compassion. Constantly igniting each other and cancelling each other out, the storm within raging, boiling and freezing, smashing against the beach that was his own mind and soul.

    Those emotions, that storm, was familiar to him. It called out to him as an old friend, an old enemy. He refused to recall the emotion, or the memories that came with it. Denying the suffering that was filling his soul.

    ¡°What¡­ what should I do?¡± His voice slipped from his lips, the thought a desperate attempt to find a direction he was quickly losing. The events around him flowing too quickly for him to keep up, the reality of this world too alien for him to comprehend.

    Fighting for a goal that he wasn¡¯t sure of, Save them. What was it supposed to mean?

    ¡°Whatever you want.¡± Lilith replied, forcefully lifting the large metal tub, and carrying it over to a far side of the tent. He could barely manage to make sense of the thoughts as they made their way to him, her mind too scattered to be able to translate with any clarity.

    ¡°It would be best to give her some time,¡± Grikith spoke from within the eye of the storm, ¡°Her heart is still deciding what to feel about this.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, deciding what to feel?¡±

    ¡°Part of her wants to save the King, and save the people that want him dead. Another part of her wants to stay true to her oaths and see the King put to death. The contradictions are confusing her.¡± The creature spoke as if it knew everything about her.

    ¡°How do you know all this?¡± Matt asked, the creature still unnoticed by Lilith as she strode back to the centre of the room.

    ¡°We share the same body and heart,¡± It spoke with such disjointed thoughts as to unsettle him, ¡°It is only the soul that remains separate.¡±

    Matt could feel the creature fading away as he distanced himself from it. Gradually feeling fear at this creature which claimed such absurd things.

    In short order, Lilith had cleaned away all signs of the ritual having taken place, there were not even any bodies left to burn. She looked anxious as she finally fell to her knees in her formal seated position, her heart fluttering madly as she scanned the room seeking something to distract her from the thunderous storm raging within.

    Soon her eyes fell upon him, sparking discomfort in his heart, as he realized that he was about to serve as that very distraction. Looking over at him, as if trying to find something to fault. Her eyes swirling with mixed emotions while her face was frozen still to cover up those same feelings. Slowly she opened her mouth.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± She asked him blatantly, her mind making clear that she wasn¡¯t speaking about this tent.

    ¡°I need to find those people stranded here.¡± He replied, telling her again of the lost people that no one else was looking for.

    ¡°Why? You turned against your own people to stay here, even if you find them you can¡¯t take them back.¡± She continued to press him, her voice forceful as her mind sharpened, focusing on him.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to take them back¡­ I just have to¡­ to¡­ save them.¡± He whispered, trying to focus on the task that he¡¯d been letting slip by in the last few days. He realized that he¡¯d done all that he¡¯d done so that he could get a greater chance of saving them when he found them, but was that really true? Or was this just a distraction from his responsibilities? A way to run from his past?

    ¡°You just have to save them?¡± She snorted, ¡°What are you, a child? How are you going to save them? You think that just by finding them and offering a hand, you can take them away from the injustices of both worlds? Come on now, you know that isn¡¯t true.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± he lost his words, searching for the answer, what was he going to do when he found them? What was he going to do when he could barely save himself?

    ¡°How did a Krilm like you, ever get the thought in your head to try something as stupid as this? You aren¡¯t some hero from a fairy-tale and no matter how hard you try you can¡¯t save anybody.¡± The words struck him through the heart, and he curled up a little looking down at his hands which had unknowingly taken the gem hairpin from his head.

    Save them.

    The words were a part of him, something that resounded in his skull over and over.

    Save them. Save them. Save them. Save them.

    A face formed of flickering flames fading away, but burning its image into his eyes. Her voice calling to him, save them.

    In his mind, he could see the many faces of those he called family, all dead. All because he hadn¡¯t acted, all because he hadn¡¯t the strength to act.

    ¡°It was something someone I cared about once said.¡± He let the words flow out from his mouth moving slowly, ¡°Back then I did something¡­ something horrible¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t make that same mistake again. I have to save them.¡±

    He could feel Lilith rifling through his mind, but all he could see was darkness. All that he could feel was the waters current dragging him down as he clutched to a small cold body, all that he could hear was the rushing of water crushing his ears.

    She breathed heavily from experiencing that past that he¡¯d locked himself into, the fast-flowing waters of regret. Trapped by that hopeless darkness, they stared into one another¡¯s eyes, seeing nothing but their own reflections.

    Thunder rocked the tent, the sound bringing them both back to their senses. The pounding rain filling the space that had been filled with their growingly loud voices. Outside the world had grown completely dark, the sun having fallen beneath the horizon, hidden by thick clouds.

    Neither felt like talking in the silence that prevailed, both of them filled with unstable emotions, and thoughts that made no sense. They could hardly understand themselves let alone understand one another, but even then, their eyes did not waver from one another.

    After a while of the unchanging situation, the pelting rain outside as their constant companion, the tent door opened. Another Knight returned to the room where they were resting, the woman¡¯s metal plated boots coated in mud. She didn¡¯t care in the least about the dirt tracks that she led into the room.

    The woman who hesitantly walked into their awkward silence was none other than the friend of the sacrifice, the last woman to leave this room after Matt himself.

    So much rain was wetting her face and body that Matt couldn¡¯t be sure whether or not she¡¯d been crying. When her eyes gazed around the room she seemed surprised, ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡± She mumbled walking over to where blood should have stained the wood.

    ¡°I cleaned up, sorry.¡± Lilith murmured under her breath, ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought that you were still here.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be bothered by it.¡± The woman replied to her, lowering herself to the ground in the same position as Lilith.

    Her eyes were locked on the floor where it should have been stained in blood, ¡°I¡­ I just¡­ wish she were still here.¡±

    There was little they could say or do for the woman, death was a part of this life that they had all come to understand. Yet none of them had found a good way to cope with the pain of being left behind.

    Silence filled the room once more, as they listened to the falling rain and distant thunder. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Matt soon asked, relying on his unnatural sense of language, bringing a spike of pain to his head; though this time without the bloodied nose.

    ¡°I¡­ I am called Malece.¡± She replied, her voice low, mind distant, ¡°I thought of the name from my demon, Malace.¡± The word meaning, to lack in empathy in their tongue.

    ¡°Retil,¡± She spoke of the friend that was taken as sacrifice, ¡°You know, she¡­ wasn¡¯t like the others. She¡­¡± A few tears fell from her eyes as she stared down at her hands, looking for blood that wasn¡¯t there.

    ¡°She used to talk about how things would change one day, that we should try and make this world as a whole better.¡± Her voice was gentle as if speaking to herself but she was still projecting so that they might hear.

    ¡°She couldn¡¯t accept the world the way it is, she always thought that we should try harder to make it better. Even¡­ even at the end that¡¯s all she was thinking about, hoping that she might help to make things better for everyone.¡± Malese, let her voice fade away as the rain pelted down around them. ¡°Maybe she did.¡±

    Outside the thunder growled louder, the lightning flashing brightly, painting the tent with light. The room housed five people, two of them demons, and yet none of them with voice to speak. There was no attempt to fill the emptiness with lies or small talk, they sat, honest to the emotions that were raging within them.

    For a moment, Matt could hear something other than rain and thunder; the sound of boots splashing in water. They hurriedly cleaned the tears from the faces, standing up to welcome the others as they returned.

    The cloth parted ways, revealing a great many Knights silhouetted by the lightning striking in the distance. Cassielle was the first to step inside, her wet hair sticking to her scalp and grim face. It looked as though she was thinking over something distasteful.

    Next, followed Myra and Ophiella, Myra just as serious as Cassielle, her eyes glowing with a deadly passion. Bloodlust flowing from every stama in her body and every shifting darkness in her armour.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Ophiella didn¡¯t seem to share their same concerns, her eyes following Myra closely while they strode in. She was holding onto Myra¡¯s arm as if hoping to drag her back from the edge of this emotion threatening to take control of her.

    Other Knights followed, most dressed in misery and concern, the rain didn¡¯t seem to bother them much but it helped to make them appear that much wearier. They were incredibly silent as they filed into the room, the mud on their boots soon layering on top of the wooden floorboards. Lightning struck nearby lighting up the room momentarily before fading away.

    The darkness seeming to soak into their flesh, and spirits. Strangely they brought the darkness in with them, their armour and sheathed blades eating away at the shallow light inside.

    As the others were still filing into the room, Cassielle strode to a side room. Just by stepping into the room, the many Knights filled the silence with the sounds of life, the quiet clinking of metal blades and sighs of their armour as they shifted and walked. A few coughs and whispers underlie the strange atmosphere that had formed inside the tent.

    A loud scratching sound emanated from the room where Cassielle had headed towards, preceding her return. The curtains spread wide, a massive metal bowl dragged out from behind the tall Sasahara Knight.

    Before he could get a good look at it the bowl had been set up in the centre of the room, a few logs of wood thrown inside. The bowl was around a metre across, and made from some sort of metal. It¡¯d been stained black from years of burns and heavy use.

    Cassielle drew her blade, the darkness shivering with excitement as her stama focused on her hand, glowing red. In a moment flames spat out from the length of the sword, flowing down to the wood, setting it alight with a powerful rush of heat. The blade itself was still blacker than night but at the edges where it danced with the light, fire spawned in yellows and reds, a hint of blue closest to the darkness.

    The fire radiated warmth into the room, Matt hadn¡¯t noticed how cold he¡¯d been getting until he was offered the warmth before him. None of the Knights seemed to be concerned with the cold, their eyes reflecting the flickering flames as they all stared into the fire.

    Light filled the room far more than he¡¯d expected, something about it making it twice as bright as any fire of similar size that he¡¯d ever made. Perhaps it was the wood here, or perhaps it was the curse that gave the fire life.

    Cassielle¡¯s voice split the thick air between them, ¡°So, what are we going to do?¡± She asked loudly, her voice booming. ¡°You¡¯ve all seen what this city is hiding in its castles and streets. So, what are we going to do?¡±

    A deep silence replied to her words, no one willing to even speak lest they gain the attention of the crowd. Even the sounds of shifting weapons and armour silenced as they froze in place, thinking quietly to themselves.

    ¡°We kill the mages!¡± Myra eventually replied forcefully, ¡°We kill them all!¡± Ophiella seemed slightly uncomfortable at the force in Myra¡¯s voice, gently stroking at her arm to try and calm her down.

    After a while of stillness in response to her words, Lilith spoke up with a question of her own, ¡°What happened with the riots afterwards?¡±

    Myra was the one to answer her question stepping forwards, towards the centre of the room where the fire was burning bright. The flames danced in her eyes as she spoke, an excitement to her voice that was concerning, ¡°They quieted down after the rain grew heavy. The damn mages never did show themselves, but I think the King¡¯s guard know something. Even during the riots, they were staring straight at us.¡±

    Her voice was growing more eager as she spoke of the mages, even though she was a little downcast about their lack of presence. Ophiella behind her, seemed anxious not expressing the same bloodlust as her ¡®sister¡¯. Her hand reaching out to her elder as if trying to call her back from the fire where she was standing.

    Meanwhile, Lilith let out a sigh of relief at hearing that the riots had died down. ¡°Tomorrow everything will have calmed down a little, Aruldas isn¡¯t that great a King, but Okiniu Jahred and¡­ Okiniu Lorek¡­ they¡¯ll have everything ready by morning.¡± She cringed as she spoke the second man¡¯s name. ¡°The people trust them.¡±

    Okiniu being a form of rank that Matt had already been exposed to, and the name Lorek something foreign to him.

    Okiniu Lorek

    ¡°Kill me. Kill me. Kill me.¡±

    The chant from Theresa¡¯s dream came to mind, drifting in from the ocean. Anger clawed its way into his heart, flowing in from those bubbling waters.

    ¡°Kill me. Kill me. Kill me.¡±

    He once again saw that girl kneeling at the executioner¡¯s block, neck resting in the blood of the criminals that came before. Her eyes distant as she repeatedly relived a past that she couldn¡¯t escape. Chanting to be taken away. To be saved.

    ¡°Kill me. Kill me. Kill me.¡±

    The girl continued to chant in the back of his mind, merging with the name Lorek. For some reason, he felt as if this man he¡¯d never known had born the blame for the death of a girl that he¡¯d seen only in a dream.

    Okiniu Lorek, digging deeper into the twisted memories, Matt found his answer. He found the reason for her bloodlust, the reason for the girl¡¯s untimely death.

    The charge for the girl had been, ¡®false accusations¡¯ against a high ranking official in their nation. These charges were against Okiniu Lorek who was, she later discovered the same man who had her imprisoned and put into place in front of Theresa. The reason innocent blood spilt on her hands.

    Her voice sounded empty as she kept speaking, ¡°They¡¯ll be recruiting labour workers tomorrow to start the reconstruction, storm or not.¡± She tried to let go of the anger in her mind, trying to distract herself from bitter memories. Eyes locked onto the clean hands that were resting in her lap.

    ¡°What¡¯ll happen then?¡± Myra asked her digging for answers.

    ¡°I guess it depends. The monsters might attack us again and we die. The city might get reconstructed, the people gradually getting used to their new king, before the monsters attack them and we die. They might revolt against the King, try and replace him with someone else, then get attacked by the monsters and we die.¡± The fire hissed loudly as she spoke, the flames reflected in her glazed eyes.

    ¡°Enough.¡± Cassielle broke in, stopping Lilith from continuing her depressing speech. Lilith¡¯s eyes stared down at the ground at her feet, loosing hope in the face of all that evil. She was staring into her own open hands, continuing their search for the evil staining her skin. ¡°We¡¯re still dealing with that, or have you forgotten that duty of yours?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten.¡± The helmet he¡¯d offered her earlier was still tightly jammed into her small waist-pack. Lilith instinctively reached back to rest her hand on it, making sure that it was still there.

    ¡°Though you do bring up a good point, did anyone find anything in the forest? Any sign of this ¡®rift¡¯ this door?¡± In the heavy rain pounding down around them, there were a few weak voices speaking.

    ¡°Nothing? Nobody saw anything?¡± Cassielle asked, her voice growing louder as she forced more exasperation in her voice.

    A weak voice spoke up above the sound of the rain, ¡°I¡­ I think I saw something.¡±

    ¡°What did you see?¡± Cassielle drew the girl out of the crowd. The Knight who¡¯d spoken was taller than most but her face was apprehensive, as she looked out over the others now staring at her.

    ¡°I think I saw a flying machine, but it didn¡¯t seem to act like the others. It was distant, so it was hard to tell, but I think it was following me¡­ without shooting at me.¡± She looked to the ground hesitantly, ¡°I could be wrong.¡±

    ¡°If you saw it, it was there.¡± Cassielle replied, facing Matt after hearing about this strange behaviour. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± He paused thinking it over, why wouldn¡¯t it kill her? They¡¯d been more than willing to kill anyone here in the city so why let her live now? ¡°What would happen if she¡¯d died? What would you do?¡± He used Lilith to translate his words, neither of them were prepared for the stress of him speaking on his own right now.

    ¡°He asked what we¡¯d do if she died out there?¡± Lilith¡¯s voice was lacking in emotion, cold and desolate, she didn¡¯t think about the words as she spoke them.

    ¡°We¡¯d go out there and look for her¡­ and we¡¯d find something they don¡¯t want us to find¡­ So, that¡¯s the reason they didn¡¯t do anything. Probably thought we wouldn¡¯t see the drone, and come back.¡± Cassielle postulated, thoughtfully snatching up the girl who was trying to blend back into the crowd. ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Uh, out to the¡­ south-west¡­ -ish.¡± She whispered, her voice anxious.

    ¡°Gather some others, scout out that area.¡± She waved her hands over them, pointing out a few she had in mind.

    Lilith spoke up, waking from her reverie, ¡°They can see us clearly because of our temperature. We glow like small suns in their eyes.¡±

    Cassielle looked thoughtful for a few moments, ¡°Can we¡­ perhaps do something about that?¡± The scouts that had been scouted out, paused to listen to the conversation, fear in their eyes at the prospect of facing the drones again.

    Malece, still seated in a neat position, spoke up, ¡°I will, Ritel¡­ she taught me how to meditate. Malace thinks we can balance our body temperature to that of a normal human. Hide in plain sight, but it won¡¯t work often.¡± She closed her eyes focusing her mind.

    Lilith didn¡¯t need to be told what to do, already taking the helmet from her backpack. With a moment¡¯s hesitation, she lowered the helmet to balance on her head. Her horns keeping the helmet from a comfortable fit.

    ¡°It¡¯s looking like normal.¡± She murmured to herself, having forgotten that she had changed its settings last time she¡¯d experimented with it.

    She looked to Matt but he had nothing more to offer her, the rest was up to her to figure out.

    With a sigh she looked back through the visor, looking over the room while her stama glowed purple. Suddenly her stama straightened out into sharp lines, before fading back to swirls. He noticed that she¡¯d started to look around the room again curiously, likely having succeeded in changing the helmets visor settings.

    A few more times Lilith completed this process, her stama reacting every time she switched the settings. Stama glowing and fading, straightening and swirling, as she learned how to communicate with the computer chip.

    Ophiella¡¯s voice cut through the tense air that had been forming, ¡°Why do we care if they know that it¡¯s us?¡± She asked, staring at Lilith as she toyed with the helmet.

    ¡°If they know we¡¯ve figured something out about the rift then there is a good chance that they¡¯ll silence us. At least that¡¯s how many militaries would work.¡± Cassielle responded quickly, revealing her tactical thoughts on their coming war.

    ¡°If we look like a human, at least a little, they might hesitate to think that it was the same person twice. Thereby hesitating to attack us outright just yet.¡± As she spoke her mind, the others became silent attempting to keep up with the horrifying reality that the people they were at war with, were far more powerful than themselves.

    Malece had been sitting still for some time, her stama now barely moving at all. Lilith looked over to the woman finally allowing the colour to fade from her skin, satisfied with the current device settings. Carefully she swapped between looking at Matt and Malece.

    ¡°She¡¯s ready as she¡¯s likely to get.¡± Lilith finally analysed taking off the helmet and replacing it in her bag.

    Before anyone else could interfere, Malece quickly left, with the words, ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    No one followed her into the dark stormy night, thunder hiding the sound of her footsteps.

    She wasn¡¯t gone for a moment before they started to converse again. ¡°So, what do we do about the King?¡± Cassielle asked, refocused on their original task.

    Myra, reinvigorated by the conversation at hand, threw out a suggestion immediately, ¡°Why don¡¯t we make them sweat, see if one of those mages makes a slip up.¡±

    ¡°No, if we push too hard, they¡¯ll scatter and we¡¯ll lose them, we can¡¯t chance it, especially not now.¡± Cassielle was almost as intense as Myra on the topic of the mages.

    ¡°They continue to fight amongst themselves like fools.¡± Grikith¡¯s voice spawned in the back of his mind, leading him on with thoughts of superiority.

    ¡°Why do they hate the mages?¡± Matt asked the demon, cautious of what answer it might give him.

    ¡°Because their ancestors did, and their ancestors before them. It has gone on for so long that they know not the reason why. They only offer weak excuses.¡± Listening to the demon Matt made a mental note to ask Lilith later if he had the opportunity. He wasn¡¯t ready to trust a demon explicitly just yet.

    ¡°And what would you do?¡± He asked the creature trying to understand it, hoping to understand this creature¡¯s intentions.

    ¡°What would I do? I haven¡¯t ever been asked such a question by a mortal being. Most already assume to know what I would do, the rest would not believe me, for good reason.¡± He continued to speak, voice still grating against Matt¡¯s sanity.

    ¡°What would you do?¡± He persisted, even though the demon was avoiding the answer.

    ¡°And if you do not like how I answer?¡± It asked in return sending a chill down his spine.

    ¡°What. Would. You. Do.?¡± He asked forcefully, he knew the creature wouldn¡¯t be threatened by him, but he tried his best to show it some strength of will.

    ¡°Very well, what I would do, is anything necessary to smash apart your systems. Your government, your cities and your ego.¡± The voice spoke with passion and power, it sought destruction.

    ¡°The destruction of my worlds society?¡± He asked, anxiously.

    ¡°The destruction of all society. Return this world to chaos.¡± It¡¯s thoughts simple and precise left him with no more questions.

    Strangely he didn¡¯t feel any particular fear at the thought, every scar he¡¯d earnt in his life had been made by societies flaws. He was still ignorant to the possibilities of chaos, of anarchy. If anything, he held some hope that it might be better than the world that he¡¯d left.

    Even so, the desire for death and destruction that he could feel radiating from the creature made him hesitate. What would that future really look like? He wondered.

    He returned to the conversation going on around him, letting Grikith fade into the ocean where it lived.

    ¡°Then what should we do?¡± One Knight asked, their voice anxious.

    ¡°If we can get someone on the inside to gather evidence of magic, everything else will fall into place. If we get a single mage in our custody the rest will fall.¡± Cassielle spoke as if she was familiar with the technique.

    ¡°Someone on the inside? Who? How?¡± that same woman asked, her silver hair flowing from side to side as she shook her head over and again.

    ¡°Most people here in Valkel are highly respectful of our order, many would be willing to offer us what they know.¡± She spoke frankly, ¡°I¡¯ve been to this city plenty of times before, we¡¯ll have to start asking around I suppose.¡±

    She paused for a breath, hardly long enough to be noticeable, ¡°The only issue would be how well we can trust that they aren¡¯t possessed by the mages.¡± Her hand instinctively gripped her sword as the stama on her skin began twisting around her wrist.

    ¡°Possessed by the mages? You mean¡­¡± Another voice rose from the ranks of women, concern filling the room at her mention of possession.

    ¡°Yes, I mean under their influence, like that of a demonic possession. The mages here are stronger than those any of you will have ever met before. We cannot trust that our witness won¡¯t be affected by such magic.¡± At this line the many Knights suddenly burst out into conversation.

    They were growingly concerned about this city, but Myra¡¯s voice was filled with mirth more than concern, ¡°First of all, we face off against an unknown force that we¡¯re told we can¡¯t beat, then we discover an association of mages working together unlike anything we¡¯ve ever come across before.¡± She paused, ¡°I¡¯m starting to like this city.¡± Matt couldn¡¯t be sure whether or not she was joking.

    ¡°Back to the issue at hand, we need to get some information and evidence of the mages before we continue. Does anyone have any ideas other than interrogating the citizens?¡± Cassielle refocused the group, trying to press some ideas out of them.

    ¡°What are they wanting to do?¡± Matt asked Lilith who, had sat on the side lines until now. Though she seemed invested in the conversation, she didn¡¯t speak up, and no one pushed her for an opinion.

    She looked at him, a hint of hostility in her eyes, ¡°They¡¯re trying to find someone to spy for them, someone who won¡¯t be affected by the mages.¡± Lilith¡¯s voice was largely disinterested as she spoke.

    ¡°Spy for them?¡± he asked, unfamiliar with the very idea that was forced into his mind.

    ¡°Yes, look out for mages and come back to us with evidence of the use of magic.¡± She murmured focusing on the distance unseen.

    Myra looked over to him, the spark of an idea igniting in her eyes, ¡°I know what we can do.¡± She said, her voice breaking through the dozen other conversations. ¡°Matt, how would you like a job?¡±

    ¡°A job? I would earn some money, and pay back to society?¡± he asked carefully, thoughtfully. Lilith didn¡¯t translate his words, her irritation growing as she continued to stare out into nothingness. Finishing in their tongue, he replied to her, ¡°I guess so. If that will help me to find my people.¡±

    ¡°It will.¡± She spoke up to the Knights gathered, ¡°I have our spy!¡± Her arm waving to Matt, ¡°And he¡¯s not going to be affected by the mages.¡± Her voice was confident as she spoke.

    ¡°Him?¡± Ophiella asked confused, ¡°But how would he find the mages? He doesn¡¯t look like he can walk right into the castle and ask about them.¡±

    Myra smiled in reply, ¡°Do you really think that the King is going to rebuild the city with manual labour and the hard work of men. If he wants to build a wall that cannot be broken, a city that will not fall¡­ would it not make sense for him to use magic?¡±

    ¡°And make this city another Bethlimar?¡± Cassielle asked loudly, her voice filled with disbelief. Many other Knights were equally shocked as they stared at Myra with horror reflected in their eyes.

    ¡°We took a massive risk today, and from it, Ophiella was born. The King may not lead his people well, but he¡¯s already taking the risk of using magic. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll stop there.¡±

    The idea sent voices flowing from the many others, before Cassielle broke through, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we have that much more reason to step in now. Matt, would you be willing to assist us in this?¡±

    Hesitating at the question, Matt turned to Lilith who was still quietly meditating. ¡°Is this¡­ okay?¡± She seemed to be in emotional turmoil from the situation at hand, there was obviously more going on than he could guess.

    ¡°Do as you please.¡± She replied, ¡°I am not some Okiniu.¡± She used the term again, her frustration growing.

    ¡°Do it.¡± Grikith demanded, ¡°If you wish to find your friends, the mages will know something. If you wish to stop this war, the mages strength is needed.¡± The creature again offered more to him than any of the Knights that spoke with him.

    ¡°I¡­ I will do it.¡± He finally let out, ¡°What should I do?¡±

    ¡°Join with the labourers fixing the city and find out what the mages are doing. Find evidence that they¡¯re using magic and bring it back to us.¡± Cassielle ordered him, her words tense.

    ¡°Feel free to kill any mages that get in your way.¡± Myra added, rather seriously.

    ¡°I suppose, that I can¡¯t bring this with me.¡± He rested the gun on his knees feeling his heart begin to leap in his chest.

    Even with so many telling him it was the right choice, he hesitated, waiting for the input from a voice that meant the most to him. Finally, the voice spoke.

    Save them.

    The voice unreal, and distant, yet also so close he could almost feel her warm breath on his cheek.

    Lifting the rifle¡¯s sling from his shoulders and holding it out to Lilith, he offered his strongest weapon, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll be trusting you to take care of this.¡± He finally said, unstrapping the magazines from under his clothes and offering them as well.

    He knew that chances were high that he¡¯d die without that rifle but he couldn¡¯t turn down the words that he could hear in his mind.

    Save them.

    His one greatest weakness.

    His one greatest strength.

    Ren.

 Chapter 18 - The First Goodbye

    The First Goodbye

    A hard, wooden floor pressed against his back, the flaws in the grain irritating his skin through his thin clothes. Exhaustion was overwhelming his senses, forcing the world to fade away beneath closed eyes. A cold and barren realm spread out before his dulling eyes, the world of the sleeping mind.

    Here, in this place beyond reality, the three dimensions seemed to blend and disappear. There was no light nor dark, no life nor death, a place beyond the boundaries of the universe. The place where his soul was squirreled away, drowning in memories long passed.

    Waves gently washed against his unconscious mind, touching at his soul. From that ocean, he could sense two beings observing him. The first was quiet, watching with a slight contempt. He could recognise her as Lilith, as Theresa; as the soul of the girl bound to him through demonic curses.

    The second mind was mildly amused, laughing strangely as it observed him. Grikith, the demon that was bonded to Lilith. It didn¡¯t care to hide itself.

    Floating freely within the sea of memories, a name flowed into his mind. A name that was tied deeply into his own soul, more precious to him than even his own. The name of someone he¡¯d lost only a short time ago. Karen.

    Ren.

    Warmth washed over his senses as he recalled the passion that had burned within her and carried him along her wake. A vision returned to him, her hand reaching out desperately, growing hotter than human flesh as he took it in his own. The tighter he gripped her hand the faster she burned, eventually slipping from his grasp.

    In mere moments, she¡¯d turned to ash before him, and yet, he couldn¡¯t find the tears to cry. Her voice still echoing in his mind, the last line she spoke printed into his mind with her blood, with the ashes of her soul. Spoken once in the distant past, and once again when his time froze.

    Save them. Save them. Save them. Save them.

    Guilt and pain tightened around his wounded heart, as he was reminded of his regrets. The pains of a past that cannot be changed. Even still, tears refused to wet his cheeks as his soul tore itself apart with the pain of endless regrets.

    Hiding away from those pains, he lost himself in a memory of better days; a memory of when there was still hope. The darkness shifted, opening up into an ocean of colours. Light suddenly shining through the veil of night, and cutting through closed eyelids.

    ¡°Hey. Hey!¡± An excited voice called out with the full vigour of youth washing over his cold, numb mind. With the sound of her voice he was drawn out of the darkness embracing his senses.

    ¡°The red one goes¡­.¡± His own voice rose, still filled with words from a long-lost dream.

    ¡°Oi! Wake up sleepy!¡± Hands roughly shoved him, still holding tightly onto his blanket, to fall from the bed he¡¯d been sleeping in.

    ¡°Ooha!¡± The world spun around and he felt the full force of gravity slamming into his side. He sat up from the concrete floor, looking about the rooms chaotically painted walls, and neatly lined up bunks.

    ¡°Wake up!¡± Ren called out to him, sitting on the same bed he¡¯d just been thrown from.

    ¡°Ren?¡± he mumbled, sitting up.

    ¡°It¡¯s the day. Today¡¯s the day!¡± Her voice was filled with a tenseness that put Matt on edge.

    ¡°The¡­ day?¡± There was nothing pressing that he could think of that was supposed to happen today. As far as their adventures went, usually it was all suddenly strung together by Ren, and he couldn¡¯t think of anything that they¡¯d been planning for. Yesterday he¡¯d spent just like any other day, running rampant with all of his friends, with no plans in particular.

    After spending lessons with Miss Hinagawa in the mornings, he, Karen, and the usual gang ran around causing all sorts of trouble. Yesterday they¡¯d set up some pranks on the town kids while getting supplies together for their home. He couldn¡¯t think of anything important coming up, nothing that would get Ren this excited at least.

    ¡°Damien is leaving, he¡¯s all grown up and he¡¯s leaving! We have to set up the party!¡± She bounced in place as if she were unable to contain her emotions.

    ¡°Damien is? Damien?¡± For a few moments, he lied back in bed rubbing at his eyes before throwing himself upright with shock. ¡°Damien¡¯s leaving?!?!¡± Damien was the oldest member of their little group, so this had been coming for a long while, but Matt had put it to the back of his mind, not wanting to think of it.

    ¡°Remember he turns 17 today! He¡¯s an adult starting tomorrow, so we have to have a reeeaaally big party today to say goodbye.¡± She was speaking loudly as always, Ren never really did know how to speak gently, and it was most painful of a morning. Her eyes were a little red and watering with excitement.

    ¡°An adult,¡± Karen was still bouncing around with more energy than was natural. All the while, he scratched at his hair, thinking, ¡°I wonder what it¡¯s like to be an adult.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like being an adult, I guess¡­ we¡¯ll finally be allowed to go through puberty¡­ and be forced to work wherever they tell us¡­¡± A shadow passed over her face briefly, before it was replaced with her usual smile, ¡°We aren¡¯t going to know until we¡¯re adults so there¡¯s no use worrying over it now. We have a responsibility to be kids until then.¡±

    She was saying things that he couldn¡¯t really understand again, he could keep up with her in studies but for some reason when she spoke like this, it always went over his head. ¡°I wonder how Damien feels right now.¡± He found himself speaking his mind without much thought.

    Karen paused in her energetic fidgeting. ¡°Lonely,¡± barely a whisper, ¡°Anyway, we need to head out and meet up with everyone else.¡±

    ¡°Are they even awake yet?¡± It was still early morning and the sun was only just brightening the world outside the window.

    ¡°They¡¯re all awake and lively, can¡¯t you hear them? You¡¯re the only one who could sleep in on a day like this.¡± Now that he looked around without the sleep blocking his sight, he noticed that all the other bunks in the room were empty. More than that, they were all neatly made, making his bed stand out from the rest of the cleanly lined up bunks.

    It was unusual for them to be up this early, Ren and Matt were usually the first to get up so this was his first time waking up to so many empty bunks.

    ¡°Matt.¡± As she said the name, she looked down at the bed forlornly.

    ¡°What is it?¡± She wasn¡¯t usually so serious, she was almost always sprouting some nonsense or another. At times like this, when she wore her serious expression, he couldn¡¯t understand her properly though she seemed to be thinking about something important.

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll be okay?¡± She fiddled with the sheets of his bed as she thought.

    ¡°Damien?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s been with us so long now, but¡­ after today.¡± She looked worried.

    ¡°It¡¯s what everyone goes through. He¡¯ll become an adult and work to help society, isn¡¯t that a good thing.¡± Matt parroted the words from Miss Hinagawa, feeling little of the ideals behind them.

    ¡°Maybe, but it just doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± She continued fiddling with his sheets while he walked away, thinking over her words.

    His leaden feet carried him to a side room filled with showers and spare outfits, planning to change into a fresh set of clothes. The walls of the place were covered in scribble and painted pictures that they¡¯d made over the years, many of them painted over older pictures and names. They were so thickly layered atop one another, he wondered how deep he would have to dig to find actual wall.

    Beside the mirror, he noticed one particular marking painted in red. ¡°Ren + Matt = Bestest Friends Forever.¡± For some reason, it made him smile, especially since he didn¡¯t know who wrote it or when; but he knew it kind of had to be Ren.

    He pulled out a set of clean clothes made from some artificial fibre that he couldn¡¯t pronounce. He¡¯d never managed to damage them, let alone wear through them. Pete sometimes complained about how impossible it was to cut through, when he redesigned them to suit his¡­ questionable tastes.

    They were coloured a light blue, with group badges attached to the shoulders, the same as they all wore. After changing into the clean clothes, he left the small room behind.

    When he returned, Ren was fidgeting with the sheets on his now made bed. Everything was neatly in place, but she was still lining it all up perfectly. ¡°Ren?¡±

    She jumped when he called out to her, ¡°Huh? Ah your shirts on backwards.¡±

    ¡°Eh!?¡± he reached for the collar of his shirt and found it sitting backwards just like she said. ¡°Ah, oops.¡± He must be more tired than he thought, he wasn¡¯t used to early mornings after all. Even for all the other mornings she¡¯d woken him up, always at ungodly hours and almost every day, he still wasn¡¯t able to adapt to it.

    He tore off the shirt and turned it around. Ren didn¡¯t pay him any mind, still messing with his bed.

    ¡°Why did you make my bed? I haven¡¯t seen you make yours since elder Nana taught us how to do it properly.¡± Elder Nana was the name he and Ren both shared for Miss Hinagawa, since she was the woman who¡¯d taken care of them for as long as they could remember.

    ¡°I felt like it.¡± Looking down at the beds lined up and made so orderly, he almost felt as if he was leaving his own childhood behind. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go meet up with the others!¡± She said throwing a breakfast tube at him.

    The tube was filled with all of the nutrients and moisture that he needed but with absolutely none of the flavour. In a matter of seconds, he shoved the nozzle into his mouth and squeezed it dry.

    Ren was already rushing ahead of him without looking back; having followed her for as long as he could remember, this was a familiar setting for him. ¡°So, where are we having the party?¡±

    She looked over her shoulder to speak to him without slowing down. ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± He questioned her, while throwing the remains of his breakfast into the disposal unit.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see later. I don¡¯t want to spoil the surprise.¡±

    She burst through the double door exit, throwing both wooden doors wide open and filling the void with the bright orange light of dawn. She leapt down a couple of stairs, landing on the firm dirt of a well-used path, before calling out, ¡°Gooood Mooorrning!¡±

    Everyone was gathered a short distance away talking quietly until Ren made her grand entrance, forcing their sombre faces to turn her way. Matt quickly fell into place beside her, looking over the faces of all his friends.

    Jane, tall and limber stood beside the much shorter Selene, together they loved to discover and create new recipes. It was no doubt that they had something special prepared for today, they¡¯d been spending the past few days working on it.

    Selene was the newest member to their group, having been with them for only a couple of years. It¡¯d taken her some time to fully open up to them all, but she quickly attached herself to Jane; who was now her closest friend.

    Harry and Pete stood to the side, talking in low voices with each other but were now re-joining the group upon Ren¡¯s arrival. Pete¡¯s glasses glinted in the light, as he pushed his hair back. He was wearing bright colours as usual today.

    Harry, wore his usual split shirt, exposing his torso to the sun. Recently he¡¯d let his blonde hair grow out, but it was still only down to his neck. As usual he carried a small beaten up data pad with him.

    Then there was Damien, the boy that was turning into a man, though he¡¯d had the muscles of a man for some time now. Beside him stood Alex, who was only a year younger than him, but stood a little taller. She had a smile on her face, though it lacked the same shine as it usually had.

    ¡°Have we got everything?¡± Ren asked everyone, many of whom were carrying various supplies.

    ¡°We have the food!¡± Selene called out loudly, while Jane to her side timidly lifted a tied bundle filled with, what he could only guess, was a collection of tasteful creations.

    Harry passed around bottles of water, ¡°The waters good to go, and I¡¯ve got flashlights if we need them.¡± He hefted a bag up into the air, letting out the loud clanging noise of old metal.

    Pete lifted a small bag with a short hatchet sheathed on the side. ¡°The gear for the fire is good.¡±

    Damien stared up at the old building that they called home. The concrete walls were coated in wear and colour from where previous generations had painted over it. The buildings two wide doors were just the same and even the inside was covered in same chaotic colours. The roof was peaked against snow and was stained by the years of wear.

    ¡°I guess I probably won¡¯t be coming back here again, will I?¡± His voice had grown less and less enthusiastic the last few weeks. He was one of the liveliest people in their group, but over the past few weeks he¡¯d started getting really quiet and today his voice was so low that Matt could hardly even recognise it as his anymore.

    Alex turned and shared a few words with Damien, before turning to the rest of the group, ¡°So where are we going?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going into the forest for a bit, but the place we¡¯re heading is a surprise.¡± Ren had been travelling around the forests for a long while, most of the time with Matt in tow. He knew better than most, the number of places out there that they could be heading. She¡¯d been spending especially large amounts of time searching the forests for a place to celebrate with Damien lately.

    This was going to be their first real farewell for someone in their group. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time they¡¯d participated in an official ceremony, but it was only ever for older kids that they¡¯d never known before. Now it was personal.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ren started with a small jog to get out in the lead, and everyone followed at their own pace. Except for Matt that was, who was always keeping pace with her, and always right at her back at times like this.

    They left behind their home and set out along a familiar dirt track, that they¡¯d carved out with their own feet over years. Around them was a lively scenery of green trees and grass, and just past the tree line to their right he could see another housing building.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    No-one lived there anymore. This was too far out for most kids to want to live, most of them stayed in the closer community area. The kind of place where Matt and the others preferred to avoid, when not pranking the town kids.

    Their group was a collection of eccentrics, the people who didn¡¯t want to live side by side with everyone else. Over time they¡¯d gathered here, seeking comfort and freedom alongside one another. Eventually forming the group that they were in now.

    A large waterfall roared loudly to his left, feeding a river that flowed through the entire area, right through the town and to the edge of their land.

    Ahead stood a tall forest, thick with life; insects, plants and occasionally a few rabbits or foxes. Matt had been wondering this forest with Ren for so many years now but still he came across something new each time he stepped into its shadowed embrace. This was his backyard, a part of his home shared with all the people that were now walking with him, no place in this world could be safer, no place in this world could be happier.

    Matt took a drink of his water bottle to keep hydrated, the liquid from the breakfast tube too little to satisfy an exercising body. The morning sun had just fully broken the horizon, and he could feel the kiss of its light as it touched his skin. Today was going to be clear of any bad weather it seemed, which made him a little happy.

    The forest was now only a few dozen metres away, the trees forming a distinct and clear line, dividing forest from open plain. The trees stood tall, at least 20 metres high with a few even taller than that, their green leaved branches reaching up for the sun and shading everything below. The forest could get thick in places, but here was a clear path between the trees, a track forged by human feet led into the forest before disappearing between the trees.

    A few shrubs and berry bushes grew between the trees, and light green vines climbed along the trunks and branches of the massive trees making them easy to climb.

    Ren pointed her finger through the swath of trees, ¡°Onwards friends, to a world of happiness that awaits through this dark forest.¡± She dove into the shadow, plucking a few berries and throwing them into her mouth as she moved.

    Matt followed along, spicing his breakfast with the sweet flavour that came from the red berries he considered his favourite. Everyone followed along talking more loudly now, trying to regain the normality that had been slipping from them for the past few days.

    ¡°The purple berries are the best.¡± Alex murmured while snatching some from the nearby bushes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take all of them,¡± Pete interjected, quickly taking some for himself before they were gone.

    ¡°The red ones are way better,¡± Harry cut in, plucking the few remaining red berries for himself, ¡°Where did they all go? Last week there were still so many.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Jane cried out nervously.

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologise,¡± Selene stepped in to her defence, ¡°We used them to make cookies!¡± She cried out enthusiastically, holding up her own cloth bag of cookies.

    ¡°Ooooh,¡± Harry reached out for the bag Jane was holding tightly, ¡°Gimme, gimme.¡±

    Selene manoeuvred in-between them and slapped his hands away. ¡°These are for the party, no touching them before we get there.¡±

    ¡°Awww.¡± Harry murmured loudly, ¡°What am I supposed to eat then?¡±

    ¡°You can starve,¡± She said, pouting at him.

    Sighing in resignation, Harry returned to taking what berries he could find in the nearby shrubs.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jane whispered quietly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll always protect you from those filthy boys.¡± Selene took her place beside Jane, keeping watchful eyes on Harry.

    Pete walked up on her blind side, ¡°here.¡± He offered his hand out towards her filled with red berries. ¡°I picked too many, and I don¡¯t really want to eat all of them.¡±

    Selene turned towards him for a moment not paying him too much mind as she eyed Harry. ¡°Thanks,¡± She took the burden off him, ¡°but you really need to stop picking so many, you do this all of the time¡­ At least you seem to bring me my favourites¡­ but that¡¯s no excuse.¡±

    She shared some of the berries with Jane, who thanked her quietly.

    Meanwhile Matt walked beside Ren without talking. It was unusual for her to be so distant from the conversation, but there was a detached, serious look to her eyes that made him hesitate bringing up just some trivial topic.

    She spoke before he could, ¡°Do you know why we can¡¯t talk to people anymore when they grow up?¡±

    ¡°Well Miss Hinagawa always said adults and children shouldn¡¯t talk to each other.¡± He recited his teacher.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really remember her ever saying why though. Why shouldn¡¯t children and adults talk to each other? I mean it¡¯s perfectly fine for us to hang out with Damien, and do whatever we want today, but tomorrow, it¡¯s suddenly wrong to do so? It just doesn¡¯t make any sense if it¡¯s just one day¡¯s difference, right?¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡± Matt didn¡¯t really understand what she was talking about again, ¡°But tomorrow he becomes an adult, so isn¡¯t it kind of more than just a day.¡±

    ¡°But why is he an adult tomorrow? What suddenly changes in that day to make him an adult while we don¡¯t change at all, still the same kids as we are today?¡± She was clenching and unclenching her fists, something she did a lot when she thought like this.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it have something to do with puberty?¡± Matt recalled his lessons again, apparently when a person turns seventeen they are selected for a certain job or position within society. Most of these positions allow for them to go through puberty, which was currently inhibited, though he wasn¡¯t told how.

    ¡°Why do we stunt our puberty so long? Why is it we can only go through it at seventeen? Why do we have to do what we¡¯re told?¡± She petitioned the sky for answers, but only Matt was able to reply.

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll find out when we turn into adults.¡± He mumbled, unsure about how to make her feel calm again.

    ¡°Maybe¡­ but the truth is, I don¡¯t want to change.¡± She reached out for his hand and squeezed tightly. ¡°I want to be me. I don¡¯t want to turn into an adult, and suddenly just work like they do.¡±

    ¡°But the only reason we can live like this, is because the adults work so hard.¡± Matt didn¡¯t exactly disagree with Ren, but he was unsure about how to make sense of those feelings with regards to what he¡¯d been taught, ¡°When we grow up, we should make it so other kids can be happy like this.¡±

    ¡°Is that really the only way?¡± She thought aloud, reaching her hand out to the brief shine of sunlight through the thick canopy of leaves.

    ¡°You¡¯ve read the history books, every other way made people get hurt. War, Famine, and suffering were all the old ways ever gave us.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d mind.¡± She said looking back down at her feet. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d mind hurting, or starving if it meant I wouldn¡¯t have to say goodbye.¡±

    ¡°But people would leave anyway, people died a lot in those days.¡± He felt her hand holding tightly to his.

    ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t have to, maybe there¡¯s another way, other than the old ways and the new ways. Maybe we can be happy and free.¡± She looked up at the canopy, but no light was shining through anymore.

    ¡°We are free.¡±

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t have to be.¡± She held out her hand, trying not to let him go but unable to help it as her path grew more and more narrow.

    The trees around them whispered as the wind took the branches. The others behind them had lost their voices in this place of nature, surrounded by life, by freedom. They were slowly heading down an unfamiliar path, where the ground was still flush with grass, the trees and life around them became unfamiliar.

    Even having travelled these forests for so long with Ren, Matt was losing his sense of direction as he followed after her; his only landmark, her back by which to follow. The rest followed her at a slightly greater distance.

    ¡°Ren.¡± Matt found himself raising his voice as concern rose in his chest.

    ¡°What is it?¡± She said without turning back to him.

    ¡°We¡¯ll always be together, won¡¯t we? Even after we grow up.¡±

    ¡°Since we were born on the same day, we might, but we don¡¯t know where they¡¯ll take us after. They might take us separate places.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I think I understand what you meant before.¡± He wet his dry lips as he spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t to be told that I¡¯ll never see you again. I¡¯d prefer to starve or¡­ or fight¡­ maybe even die.¡±

    She didn¡¯t reply straight away, walking forwards quietly, she returned to clenching and unclenching her fists. The humid air was starting to chill around his skin as they dug deeper into the forest, they¡¯d been climbing up a steep path for a little while now and he could feel the sunlight starting to break through the trees again.

    ¡°You can stay by my side as long as you want to. I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± Her words weren¡¯t filled with certainty, but passion, desire. She wasn¡¯t sure she could make it true, but she was going to try anyway. She¡¯d always been like that, pushing herself harder and harder to achieve something, often something that was just outside of his understanding.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll help.¡± He whispered more to himself than to her, she nodded in reply.

    ¡°Of course you are.¡± She smiled slightly, ¡°You always do.¡±

    He felt a wave of regret and pain wash over him as he watched her turn back around, a whisper in his mind spoke up. I didn¡¯t help, in the end I couldn¡¯t save you. The thought and emotions washing away quickly as he returned to the dream.

    The trees before them broke open into a flowing river, sunlight flowed down from the sky irradiating the scene in a beautiful light.

    I didn¡¯t help you when you found this place. He couldn¡¯t help but think as he watched the water flow gently downstream. This would be the river that flowed into the waterfall but it wasn¡¯t very familiar, usually the shrubs and trees became too thick to be able to get this close to it, but right here the ground was covered in thick stone. The area lightly shaded by the trees was truly a beautiful sight to behold.

    Already the sun was rising into the sky, he noticed, looking up to where the branches parted. It was only a few more hours off midday he¡¯d guessed from the position of the sun.

    ¡°Is this the place?¡± He asked looking across to Ren, who was running her hands through the flowing water, playing with it.

    ¡°No, just a little further.¡± She stood and started walking down the river as the others stood in awe at the sight before them.

    Matt quickly shook off his own surprise and walked beside Ren, as she made her way to a clearing up ahead. For some reason, the trees seemed to suddenly stop growing just ahead and a distinct roar could be heard from only a short distance away.

    He quickly understood where she¡¯d taken him, the trees cleared away and in front of his eyes he could see the whole world. The plains where the flowers grew in spring, the clutches of buildings forming small towns throughout the area and a long river snaking through it all.

    At the edges were tall grey buildings lining their world, forming the borderlines of their freedom. The same place that they were destined to go to when turned into adults, were the walls holding them in as children.

    The bright blue sky shone with a vigour that was unfamiliar to him, and the roar of the waterfall brought a moisture to the air that was incredibly refreshing.

    ¡°Woah,¡± Alex murmured dragging Damien along by her side, ¡°This is incredible.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would look this stunning from up here.¡± Selene said, Jane at her side, eyes sparkling as she looked over the scene with awe.

    Pete took a place beside them looking over sight wordlessly, his face didn¡¯t express anything.

    Harry was looking down over the edge of the waterfall, ¡°Quite a fall from this height.¡± He backed away trying not to show his anxiety.

    Damien¡¯s eyes were watering as he looked over the scene, ¡°Thank you, Ren.¡±

    She had no reply, her eyes were looking somewhere different from everyone else. She was focused almost completely on the grey buildings walling them in. Her hands clenching and unclenching, her jaw firm, and eyes tense.

    She quickly turned away looking back at everyone gathered, she opened her mouth, but froze. Her eyes glazed over as her jaw hung loosely, whatever she¡¯d been about to say having fled from her.

    ¡°Ren?¡± He called out, but she didn¡¯t seem to hear him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get the fire started,¡± Pete said walking to the edge of the clearing searching for dead trees. He dropped his bag, having already unsheathed the hatchet, that he now held carefully out to his side. Its edge sharp enough to separate a man from his limb if you weren¡¯t careful with it. Matt was always too frightened to even touch the thing.

    The others settled in, gathering together on the smooth rock surface by the side of the river and the waterfalls edge. Selene and Jane were unravelling their packages of food, the cloths unfolding into a camping mat for their specialties. Sitting in the middle of the mats were a collection of sweets and snacks that both Jane and Selene worked hard to make.

    They researched foods that were made in previous eras, and did what they could to recreate them with what they had. It wasn¡¯t an easy feat, however, and they often produced things that were barely edible; today though was a feast of all their best recipes. Cakes, and cookies with berries seeded throughout, alongside many other treats that were purely their creations. Apparently, by cooking some of the food pastes that that they were given, they produce some interesting things.

    Matt walked over and stole a biscuit from the pile, Ren had once said how she loved the mixed berry biscuits, so he made sure to take two from Janes pile. She tended to make them crunchier than Selene. ¡°Thanks.¡± He whispered to her.

    ¡°Is Ren feeling ok?¡± She asked in return.

    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s just got a lot on her mind right now.¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do¡­¡± She left the rest unsaid.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± He turned back towards Ren who was still frozen, her fists pulsing as her jaw hung open.

    He snuck a biscuit into her mouth, shocking her back to the world of the living. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re not alone.¡±

    She chewed on the biscuit snapping it apart and holding the rest. ¡°I¡¯m not alone? I guess everyone is with us, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    Pete was already dragging dead branches of wood into position and was starting to light them on fire with a long lighter. Harry was trying to steal some of the food that Jane was still setting out, while Selene was defending it.

    Damien and Alex were quietly standing at the edge of the waterfall, looking over the place they called home. His arm was resting on her shoulder and hers around his waist. They often stood like that over the last few months.

    Ren walked over to the fire, now starting to burn, and looked over every one of their faces, before speaking loudly enough for all of them to hear her. ¡°What is an adult?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Harry returned her question with a dull, nasal sound.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alex asked quickly, her voice filled with a serious curiosity. The same topic must¡¯ve been running around her own mind a lot in the past few days.

    ¡°What is an adult? What makes an adult so different from us that they have to live a completely different life? Why do they have to leave?¡± The last part Ren whispered.

    ¡°Because if they don¡¯t, we can¡¯t live like this.¡± Jane replied more firmly than usual. ¡°It¡¯s just the way it is. Trying to change it just makes things worse.¡±

    Everyone was frozen for a moment, this was a topic that had a silent taboo to it. No one talked about it, no one thought about it, it was an unspoken rule that had just been broken.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be like this. Things can change for the better if we try hard enough.¡± Ren was speaking with a force of her own, her voice backed by the roar of thousands of litres of water crashing down.

    Their sunlight was lost behind the canopy briefly.

    ¡°You can¡¯t change it, none of us can. What do you want to do? Rebel peacefully? Destroy things? Fight? Kill? It won''t change anything, it can¡¯t change anything.¡± Jane was now staring down at the cloth she was sitting on.

    ¡°We can, if we really try. We have to.¡± Her voice was getting more and more quiet. It was strange to see the usually quiet Jane in an argument, but to see her louder than Ren; he felt like he was seeing an all new side to the girl.

    ¡°Umm, I don¡¯t really know what you¡¯re talking about but if it means Damien could stay with us then I want to help.¡± Alex spoke up, a little timid because of the weight of the conversation.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Selene spoke up, avoiding Jane¡¯s gaze as she stood against her opinion.

    Pete joined the conversation as he prodded at the fire, ¡°How though, if he tries to stay, they¡¯ll come for us.¡± Jane shivered as she heard Pete.

    ¡°We have to do what we have to do.¡± Harry quietly joined the conversation. ¡°We can¡¯t just run off and decide for ourselves, this is the way things are.¡±

    ¡°If we did, they would stop us, others would have tried that before and they aren¡¯t here anymore, are they? So where did they go?¡± Damien spoke seriously, it was his future that they were talking about.

    ¡°They¡¯re taken,¡± Pete cut in, as the fire he was prodding sparked up heatedly.

    Jane turned to him, fear bright in her eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Her voice broke as she called out in fright.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he turned to her and put a hand on her shoulder, ¡°We don¡¯t have to do what they say anymore. We wanted to live free, right? That¡¯s why we came out here, that¡¯s why we found people who thought like this again.¡±

    ¡°What¡­. What¡¯s going on?¡± Selene broke in.

    Pete stared into Jane¡¯s eyes for a moment forcefully, ¡°Before we came here we used to live somewhere¡­ similar.¡± He rose from his position at the fire and pointed off at the horizon towards where the river ended at the edge of their home.

    Where he pointed, Matt could just make out a small white building much like their own home. The land around it was strangely clear, while the building was paler than any other, all of which were covered in paint.

    ¡°Some people in our group had the same idea and we all, kind of, agreed¡­ Then the day after he became an adult, they, came.¡± He stood at the edge of the stone, close enough to fall off the edge should he stumble.

    ¡°Corrective Services, they called themselves. They separated us, I don¡¯t know what happened to anyone else, but when I was alone they locked me in a room and played videos. Day and night, I was locked in the room while they played them over and over again, I don¡¯t even know for how long.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who left that room but it wasn¡¯t me. He answered their questions like they wanted and then played the student with all the kids in town. Until I met with Jane again, somehow, I regained myself after that. Then, we came here. I can¡¯t stand the town since then.¡±

    Jane was frozen in place shaking.

    ¡°If you want to do the same thing, it¡¯ll happen to you too. So, what were you planning?¡± He turned to Ren, talking specifically to her.

    ¡°I¡­¡± She stood frozen, her hands pulsing, her eyes focused on the distance unseen.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one to decide, you¡¯re¡­ our leader. So, what are we going to do?¡± Pete walked up to her.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± She looked down to her feet, ¡°we¡¯ll just keep trying until something works,¡± her voice forceful, but quiet.

    ¡°If we do something without thinking it through first, nothing good will come from it.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± She whispered.

    ¡°What can we do?¡± Damien said, joining the conversation. ¡°We can¡¯t really do anything.¡± He stood at the edge of the cliff, staring down at the water falling to the earth below.

    ¡°Something! We can do something!¡± Ren replied vehemently.

    ¡°No, we can¡¯t.¡± Damien walked closer to the edge, ¡°If I stay, they¡¯ll take all of you, like Pete was saying.¡±

    ¡°We can figure something out,¡± Alex called out to him, reaching out to him, but he remained slightly out of reach. ¡°If we work together everything will work out.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t, there are some things you can¡¯t beat, some things you can¡¯t even fight against.¡± He stepped right up to the edge of the rock, his hands were shaking, ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave. I don¡¯t want to become an adult and think like they think, do what they do. I don¡¯t want that.¡±

    He lifted one foot forwards over nothing but air. Ren reacted quickly, like she usually did, stepping forwards hand held out towards him. Then she froze. ¡°I don¡¯t want that.¡± He said again, the words sending a visible shiver through Ren.

    She stood frozen behind him, hand slowly falling down to her side, as she stared at his back and he started to fall. She could still reach out to him if she stepped forwards, but she didn¡¯t move. Matt was completely hypnotised by the scene.

    ¡°Damien!¡± Alex called out racing into the scene and dragging him back from the edge of the cliff. Bodies falling to the ground.

    For a few moments, nobody moved but Alex, desperately clutching at Damien and crying.

    ¡°Ren.¡± He called her name, as she moved to the same cliff edge where Damien was standing a moment before.

    ¡°We can do more than this.¡± She whispered as Matt took to her side.

    ¡°We will.¡± He replied, not knowing what else to say as he stared at the walls of their prison.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡± He thought as the dream faded away, out of reach from his conscious mind.

 Chapter 19 - Broken Stone

    Broken Stone

    Shadows lifted from closed eyes, slowly dawning to the light of a new day. Strange creatures made sounds which were quickly becoming familiar to Matt as he quietly listened to their intricate cries. Their songs soothing his mind, inviting him back towards the sleep he¡¯d just awoken from.

    The hard floorboards beneath him were forcing knots into the muscles in his back, the pain irritating. They were not the only pains wracking his body on this morning, with mind still dazed from last night¡¯s sleep, he felt around at his lower belly. A strange pain was persistently forming around his groin, the unfamiliar sensation bringing with it strange emotions.

    Matt knew little enough about puberty, but the one thing that he could understand was his sudden change in diet, pointedly, his lack of inhibitory drugs, might be beginning to have effect. The pain was persistent, but dull, slowly fading away as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

    Pushing away thoughts that served only to distract his busy mind, Matt¡¯s eyes scanned the room. With morning light peaking in through the high set window, his dulled eyes noticed dozens of children as well as a few elderly who¡¯d been offered the space out of charity.

    The children rolled around, discomforted, crying and moaning in their sleep. The few that were awake, stared with dull eyes into a distant horizon, invisible within the confines of this dank little room. The elderly watched over the sleeping children with a gentle concern that reminded him again of the elders that had taken care of him in the past.

    None of those eyes looked his direction, almost as if they were unable even to see him.

    Lilith, the only person in the room who wasn¡¯t a generation younger or older than Matt, sat on her legs. Her eyes flicking back and forth beneath closed eyelids, as if she were still dreaming.

    Her dark silver hair was flowing from her head as a river of dark silver, reflecting the weak light invading the room. As per usual, she left it to fall uncontained down her back, held back by her ears. Only a few stray hairs fell out of place, drifting before her face.

    For the first-time, Matt was able to notice how gentle her face could be. She was no longer frowning, and there was a general lack of tenseness. As if she were living in a world of peace, unaffected by the dangers surrounding this world.

    Truly like the face of a princess from fairy-tale stories.

    Her eyes snapped open and the stories faded away, her eyes filled with confusion and a cold tenseness. The stama across her body flinched, their motion jumping a short distance as she grabbed him by the throat.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She mumbled, her voice still dreary from having just awoken.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± He replied, as she singlehandedly held him up while still seated, strangling him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± She finally demanded before releasing him from her inhuman grip. She sighed and closed her eyes again, quickly returning to her earlier visage.

    Matt, already used to her often and sudden use of strength, relaxed as soon as she released him. Ignoring the other inhabitants of their room, he stood up in the little space afforded him on the floor. Breathing deeply, he let go of the daze from morning rest, embracing the coming day with all the strength he could muster.

    He began stretching, forcing his muscles to their limits, before gently easing them back. Today he was planned to become a spy, working in labour to try and uncover the mages who attacked him and his people. That was what they¡¯d told him he should do, but Matt couldn¡¯t help but feel some doubts.

    He liked them, he trusted them, but he was meant to save those people lost here, not hunt mages. Not spy on the people here. Looking over to Lilith, he tried to assuage his doubts. He was going to get some information to lead him on his journey to save them. Unconsciously he let his hand reach up to the hairpin, glowing faintly in green.

    It slipped from his hair, falling into the palm of his hand. Not taking the time to appreciate it, he hooked it into his jacket pocket. The faint colour of emerald, was hidden by a sheet of dirty cloth, hanging from his clothes.

    As a child, he¡¯d never experienced much in the way of physical labour, as anything that needed moving was carried around by the drones. After that though, he was trained thoroughly and given various supplements in order to make him the most capable soldier their technology and training could forge.

    As such he had some confidence in his physical strength. Even with many of the drugs having left his body, their effect on him remained strong. Not to mention the countless devices installed in his body to continue releasing such chemicals, such as the ¡®booster¡¯ he kept in reserve.

    Lilith was starting to wake for the second time, her still dazed eyes opening to the early-morning light pouring into the room. With some disgruntled moans, she stood up, swaying side to side as she gathered her senses.

    With unsteady feet, she stumbled over sleeping kids towards the water basin, where she washed her face as per routine. Today she was lucky enough to avoid tripping on any of the children still sleeping.

    Matt began stretching his arm where the wound had been most troubling, his skin had already reformed, closing over where the stitches had been removed. The cut leaving behind only a light mark that was soon to heal.

    Myra had looked on with disbelief when he had her remove them. ¡°What did you use on this?¡± She¡¯d questioned him at the time, unwilling to believe that it¡¯d healed so quickly on its own.

    It had taken a long conversation before she¡¯d accept that he did nothing to accelerate the healing. By the end, she was mumbling about Matt¡¯s alien nature.

    The bone in his arm had been healing rather well since he¡¯d applied some solidifying agent to it a few days earlier. Over the past few days the last of the pain had faded from the injury so that, even as he stretched it, it caused him no pain at all. Though he was aware that it was still delicate to damage should he strike the area again.

    Lilith returned to him, after rinsing off her face, ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better I¡¯d swear that you made a contract with a demon. Whatever you are, you aren¡¯t human.¡±

    He let her words slide past him, after all he didn¡¯t know how much difference there was between himself and these people. It might be true that he was a different species to them on the inside.

    The thought didn¡¯t comfort him any, but it wasn¡¯t of particular concern either. There were people here that he¡¯d like to call friend one day, that was enough no matter how different they were.

    ¡°Lilith.¡± He quietly called to her, his voice low.

    She ignored his words, instead choosing to walk out the door to the world underneath. Matt caught the door before it could close, following the woman; his rifle wrapped up and slung over his shoulder.

    The corridor and stairwell were both empty of everything other than the dust and dirt that flavoured the floor. Dark stains had sunken into the wood from something Matt could only guess at.

    Lilith was already down at the floor level, drinking a glass of water she¡¯d gotten off the tired looking man cleaning glasses at the bench. Matt asked the man for the same, taking the glass over to the table which Lilith had taken for herself.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± She asked before he had time to settle in his seat.

    ¡°I just wanted to talk.¡± He replied, wandering himself why he called out to her then.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to complain, do it to someone else.¡± She mumbled, taking a long drink out of her glass.

    Matt rubbed at the palms of his hands in thought, ¡°Why did you choose this life? You had the chance to choose, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What makes you think you have the right to ask?¡± She snapped, looking down to the bottom of her glass.

    Matt recoiled in silence, unsure about how to respond. He wasn¡¯t used to talking with people who he wasn¡¯t already close to. After his ¡®family¡¯ had come to an end, length and breadth of his conversations was all about work and missions.

    Before he knew it, an awkward silence had extended out, Lilith tapping her glass lightly with her finger over and again. Matt still didn¡¯t step forward to fill the silence, he lightly bit his tongue feeling a growing unease.

    ¡°What¡­¡± She cut through the silence, ¡°What made you choose?¡± She finally asked. She was looking up from the cup, that was now firmly sitting on the table.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± He answered firmly, ¡°Any of it, I was selected and moved around. I was told what to do every step of the way. Even when¡­ even when I had freedom, I only ever followed her.¡± He grit his teeth thinking about it, even now, all he was doing was following someone else¡¯s orders.

    He was tempted to stop, to just pick up his rifle and storm into the castle. He was tempted to just do something of his own will.

    Even as his hand gripped the rifle he realized the worthlessness of it all, acting on his own he had no chance of succeeding. There were still people out there abandoned in this alien world and he wasn¡¯t able to do anything to save them on his own.

    Still gripping the rifle with a tense grip, he placed it down on the table between them. ¡°I¡¯m heading out now, can you look after my rifle for me? Please.¡± She nodded, eyes filled with some emotion he could not recognise.

    He turned away from her before heading out the door, the confidence in his steps feigned with little skill.

    Lilith sat back in her chair, lifting his rifle, wrapped in sealed white cloth. She slung the rifle over her shoulder. For some reason she seemed dissatisfied, as if she was expecting something more from him.

    He ignored the sensation and pushed forwards, leaving the room behind and breathing in the fresh morning air.

    His feet slapped into wet mud, sinking into it, then sucking his shoes as he lifted his feet. Dried blood, wet by the renewed rain, tainting the mud with its reddish tinge. Walking the quiet streets, Matt felt the most exposed he¡¯d been in a long while.

    He wore the local clothes he¡¯d been given only a short time ago, they hung from his frame uncomfortably flapping with the occasional breeze. He was forced to keep readjusting them, feeling as if they are about to slip loose and fall off.

    With his guns in safe hands his only weapon, his knife, was hidden within his clothes. He¡¯d been told by Myra that it wasn¡¯t strange for people to be carrying around knives, which was the only reason he allowed himself to bring even this vestige of his past along.

    Even as hesitant as he was to follow orders, he would do his best at any mission he worked on. Which was why still had to keep the knife hidden, since it was of clearly alien origin to what these people were used to and he had to fit in as best as he could.

    From what he¡¯d been told, most of the labourers were from foreign nations. Meaning most of them only had a basic understanding of the local language, allowing him to fit into their ranks well enough so long as he didn¡¯t do anything to stand out.

    Still they wondered how much information he could really gather without knowing the language, but they decided to move forwards with the plan anyway. Myra had still voiced some further concerns on his part before they left but they were quieted by the end of night, as she grew excited for results.

    As Matt progressed along the streets, growing lighter in the deepening dawn. Men other than himself seemed to be continuing along the same path, dressed in a variety of clothes from many different places. From what he could tell the one similarity in them all was their strength, all of them built up with muscles.

    With the declaration from the King many labourers from nearby farms and towns rushed by to help in this disaster. Or at least to make some money, which was apparently a different thing Matt was finding out.

    Most of them were gathered together in small groups, but it wasn¡¯t strange for them to be alone, as many were much like himself. Matt payed a little attention to the others who walked by, but when they looked at him strangely in return he looked down at his feet.

    The sound of footsteps behind him grew louder as someone quickly approached from behind. Matt could still feel Lilith nearby and thinking that it was her that was catching up to him for some reason, he turned around.

    Facing a man whose face Matt didn¡¯t recognise at all. Tall, but only a little taller than himself, the man had dark blonde hair and wore a jovial expression on his face. He slapped Matt on the shoulder, his face filling with confusion as he looked at Matt¡¯s face.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t him.¡± He mumbled. His words still familiar to Matt, who glanced around looking for the stray Knight that was silently watching over him, all to no avail.

    Matt¡¯s mouth opened as if to reply but he hesitated as he realized how quickly he might lose this precarious language skills. ¡°Viri, Kondri ka sik¡± The words he¡¯d learnt from Myra the night before, vaguely translated into, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to speak this language,¡± with all of the necessary niceties.

    The man didn¡¯t seem surprised at Matt¡¯s words, ¡°Oh, well, I suppose you¡¯re here for the work too?¡± He asked, with a voice suggesting that he needed no answer. The man quickly brushed off his own embarrassment and continued talking, ¡°By the look of it, there is much work to be done. It¡¯ll be nice to actually see our work build into something.¡± He smiled lightly as he spoke. ¡°Last time I passed through¡­ Well, I didn¡¯t think I would be coming back to this any time soon. I wasn¡¯t even planning on coming back at all.¡±

    Lilith was still hanging around at the fringes of his senses, keeping close enough that he could still make sense of the language being spoken. It was just close enough that he wasn¡¯t yet inclined to give chase to her, though the tether of his mind to hers was still exerting some pressure on him from the direction of the inn. He didn¡¯t know when he was going to lose that connection.

    The friendly man stopped speaking briefly as he turned to Matt, offering out his hand in a strange handshake. ¡°My name is Arcide, you?¡± He asked, the question phrased so simply as to make sense, even without Lilith¡¯s assistance. A little confused about the handshake, Matt put forward his hand into the man¡¯s grasp, to which he tightened his grip.

    ¡°Matt,¡± He put his other hand on his own chest, the man nodding in response.

    ¡°Not a common name around these parts, where are you from?¡± The man pushed forwards, his voice firm, ¡°Saruthor? Norelle? Ottskor?¡± The man continued listing names hoping that Matt would respond to one of them but to no avail.

    Strangely the names carried prejudice and definition, sourced from Lilith. Saruthor; the place where Rloki had supposedly come from, a place of indulgence and great artistic riches, though filled with strange people.

    Ottskor; an ancient place filled with absurd and truly horrible traditions and customs. Strong enough to repel both Valkel¡¯s military might and keep the Sasahara Knights from entering their lands. Much of this strength sourced from magic.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Norelle; a distant land, it¡¯s capital referred to as the city of angels. There were many myths and legends floating around about the nation but little reliable information.

    And many, many more that Matt couldn¡¯t keep up with.

    After Arcide exhausted his long list of nations, he looked towards Matt expectedly, with more than a little curiosity in his eye. ¡°You don¡¯t want to tell me? Don¡¯t worry too much about it, there are many men on the run selling their labour or their swords around here.¡±

    As the talkative man started to get some strange ideas, Matt finally found the nerve to reply. ¡°Earth,¡± It was a name that would be unfamiliar to the man, giving Matt a little confidence in giving as much away.

    Arcide didn¡¯t respond immediately, scratching at his thick hair as he looked around the area. No one was within range of hearing, and the only one who could possibly have overheard was Lilith, if she was paying attention.

    ¡°You mightn¡¯t want to say that name too loud,¡± Arcide finally replied, ¡°Few enough people are familiar with the name, but you shouldn¡¯t be taking such chances.¡±

    Matt, stunned that the man recognised the name nodded his head loosely, uneasy about aggravating the locals again. The man paused in his rapid assault of words for this moment, instead electing to look around the area again.

    Meanwhile Matt pondered what the man had said. Who could have learned of that name, said in his own language no less. He wasn¡¯t certain whether he¡¯d mentioned the name to any of the Sasahara Knights, but Lilith would likely be able to find out. That left¡­

    With a sharp panic, Matt¡¯s nose leaked blood and his mind grew intensely pained, ¡°You met others?!¡± He asked in a ferocious whisper. Too excited to consider the dangers.

    ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t Valkerian?¡± Arcide spoke in return, ¡°Well it¡¯s not something I like to talk about, but yeah. I did know someone else¡­ like you.¡±

    ¡°Where are they?¡± Matt couldn¡¯t contain his excitement, finally he was on the right track.

    ¡°He died.¡± Arcide cleared his throat, ¡°Of course I did everything I could to save him but he was too far gone.¡±

    Matt lowered his head, shocked by the sudden hope gained then lost.

    ¡°Met him on the Eastern edge of the Talken forest, the same one just out the gates. He was delirious, speaking strange words. He¡¯d already been bitten by a something in that damned forest. No matter what I did his bleeding wouldn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°Earth was one of the things that he mumbled as he died. It was like the sky itself terrified him¡­ If I were a betting man, I¡¯d say that that¡¯s where the metal monsters come from too.¡± He muttered, looking towards Matt for some kind of reply.

    With a dryness irritating his throat Matt nodded, ¡°Did you see anyone else?¡±

    He shook his head, with a sombre look on his face, ¡°None.¡±

    ¡°Hey, what the hell are you doing?!¡± Lilith invaded his mind, reminding him that she was suffering the same painful headache as himself. It seemed as if she¡¯d covered some of the distance, between them as he was talking with Arcide.

    Matt flinched as he replied, ¡°Sorry,¡±

    ¡°Sorry? That¡¯s all you have to say? What was a Krilm like you spilling from your lips at a time like this anyway?¡±

    ¡±I thought I had a lead on someone.¡± He rubbed at his temples as he spoke with her.

    ¡°You alright?¡± Arcide stepped up to him, offering some sympathy.

    Matt just nodded at his concerned expression.

    ¡°And what did you find?¡± She asked him, her irritation bleeding through to him.

    ¡°A man from home died at the edge of the forest.¡± He forced the thought out carefully.

    ¡°How useful,¡± She could manage sarcasm even within her own thoughts, ¡°Don¡¯t go doing anything stupid like that again.¡±

    Her last line before going quiet, apparently letting him off for now.

    ¡°How of much what I¡¯m saying can you understand?¡± Arcide asked in the silence that had unknowing formed, ahead the crowds were thickening with large muscled men.

    With some hesitation, Matt replied again with the phrase he¡¯d been taught the day before, ¡°Viri, Kondri ka sik.¡± In truth, it was the only complete phrase that he remembered properly.

    The man mumbled in reply, rubbing his chin where facial hair was starting to grow through. Matt was still unused to seeing facial hair himself, he¡¯d seen it on rare occasion when he¡¯d grown up but it seemed as though only a few people were able to grow it.

    While they walked in growing silence, the sun crept higher on the horizon shining a little more brightly than it had. Meanwhile Matt ran Arcide¡¯s name through his head, trying to place where it was he¡¯d heard it previously.

    Before long it hit him, the strange woman he¡¯d met with Lilith in the aftermath of the battle. As he realized it, the name slipped from his lips, ¡°Sashella.¡±

    Arcide shuddered upon hearing the name, spinning around on the spot as if expecting a demon to walk out of the shadows. He was in a running stance prepared to leave the moment he saw signs of the woman.

    ¡°Is she here, where?!¡± From the reaction, Matt couldn¡¯t help but wonder what the woman had done to him.

    Matt shook his hands around in front of him, after getting the panicked man¡¯s attention he pointed towards the city gates then up in a far-off direction.

    ¡°Ah, good, good.¡± He sighed, letting out the built-up stress.

    ¡°That crazy woman is the reason that I¡¯m on the run. Would you believe that I used to be an artist?¡± He patted the dust from his shoulders attempting to clear away the dirty appearance that he¡¯d gathered.

    ¡°I was even invited into the royal Therindell castle! Of course, I ended up pissing off the royal prick, but that wasn¡¯t too much of a problem.¡± He scanned the area as if expecting Sashella to be spying on them from the shadows. ¡°Her father ended up sending assassins after me. A weak bunch to be sure, but that wasn¡¯t an issue. Before they had a chance to do anything, she was there.

    ¡°Killed the whole lot of them. I just heard some screaming, turned around and there she was. Standing over the corpses with a smile on her face, not minding the blood covering her head to toe. Damn creepiest thing I¡¯ve seen in my life and I¡¯ve seen demons climbing their way out of corpses!

    ¡°The girl has something wrong in her head, convinced herself that we¡¯re meant to be together and has been chasing me around ever since. I¡¯d prefer actual assassins any day, at least I know what they want with me.¡±

    Arcide had barely even taken a breath up to this point, spilling out the words in a rush. ¡°This was the first time I¡¯ve told anyone about it, so don¡¯t go telling her anything strange if you come across her. I don¡¯t need her getting any weirder at this point.¡±

    Matt was taken aback by the sudden rush of words leaving the man, unsure about how else to react, he simply nodded. To think, she didn¡¯t seem quite so strange upon their meeting, but then again, he couldn¡¯t deny that it fit with her character a little too well. He still remembered her stepping over corpses and bloodying her clothes without the slightest concern for the dead and dying.

    Growingly curious about how long until she found this man, Matt began wishing he could use her rather capable tracking abilities for his own purposes.

    Talk of Arcide¡¯s sad, romantic life faded as they walked through thickening crowds to finally arrive at their destination. Standing shoulder to shoulder with men of various descript, he gazed around.

    Ahead, with his back towards to the castle stood a man on a small podium dressed in cleaner clothes than the rest of those gathered. The man stood with some authority over everyone else, a filthy look on his face as he gazed down at those gathered.

    Beside him stood another man, looking more similar to those assembled beneath, he stood with a nervous air about him. Looking into the faces of the various men gathered only made the man that much more unsteady.

    While they waited, the labourers were splitting into groups of their own, calling out to one another like friends would. The air of familiarity only spread so far, as many of the men seemed to ignore each other completely for reasons that Matt couldn¡¯t reason.

    Following the thread pulling at his mind, Matt looked back towards the buildings where a small silhouette alighted atop the roofs. Lilith would have been near impossible to spot had he not already been aware of her.

    Cutting through the atmosphere, the cleanly dressed man spoke loudly over everyone gathered. ¡°The king has graciously welcomed you into our fine city and offered labour for any who can do as commanded.¡± The labourers seemed to quiet at his voice.

    The man standing at his side repeated the words in another language which was a little difficult for him to understand. He spoke with less confidence, making certain that his voice never overpowered the man at his side.

    ¡°After such a fiendish attack on this fine city from the metal monsters, there is much to be rebuilt. So that this fine opportunity is not put to waste our fine king is having it rebuilt stronger and larger than before.¡± He cleared his throat.

    ¡°As such there are a number of conditions to your work here.¡± His assistant hurried to catch up with him, ¡°Payments will begin at 5 bronze coins per day, food and housing will be allocated for the length of this project at the cost of 3 bronze coins per day to those who choose to accept them. You will not be permitted to abandon this city or project from this point on, and will continue to labour until you are offered a pardon from the King.¡±

    ¡°For those who are considered valuable, you may be given increased pay and more critical work as the project moves on. Hard work is always rewarded here in Valkel. As such, for those fortunate men who are considered valuable, you may be offered military training and a place in our glorious army at the end of this project. Work hard for his majesty the King.¡±

    The man walked off from the pedestal, handing over control to the smaller man, who stood by his side. The men gathered seemed disgruntled at the announcement, but few left.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need you grouped up to work in certain areas for clean-up so that we can clear space for new constructions.¡± The men seemed to split themselves up to stay with those they were familiar with, but a couple of men in guard uniform moved through, grouping the strays together.

    ¡°Oi you,¡± The guard waved Matt and Arcide closer into his small group. ¡°We¡¯re ¡®eaded to the wall.¡± The guard, although vaguely familiar, fortunately hadn¡¯t recognised Matt for who he was. Something quite fortunate, since he didn¡¯t want it all to end here.

    Having found some little information from Arcide, Matt was finding himself more willing to complete this mission. In hopes that he might find something that would help him rescue the others abandoned in this world.

    Allowing himself to be led, Matt followed along after the guard who was leading them out towards the city walls. The small group of fit young men, had skin colours and faces more varied that he¡¯d ever seen before in his life.

    Arcide walked alongside Matt, listening attentively to the guard as he spoke.

    ¡°You are now Team Heras, for today you¡¯re all under my command so listen closely.¡±

    ¡°Some of you will already know, but this city has a history. The sort o¡¯ which makes a broken wall mean something more than a broken wall. To these people, so long as that wall has even a tiny hole remaining, they¡¯ll be just as broken themselves.

    ¡°Which is why we¡¯re so focused on working on the wall today. I know it¡¯s hard work, but you¡¯ll have to get used to it.¡± He walked with a relaxed pace as he talked, ¡°Now I don¡¯t mind if you talk or nothin¡¯ but do the job, got it?¡±

    The men in the team numbered around two dozen, and weren¡¯t afraid to talk over their would-be leader. Some seemed to be repeating what the man was saying in other languages, others were chatting among themselves as friends.

    ¡°Sure, sure boss, whatever you say.¡± One man offered, an accent bleeding through that Lilith¡¯s translation was able to identify as Ottskoran.

    ¡°Keep that attitude to yourself,¡± The guard sighed heavily, ¡°I used to be a labourer like you, but I worked hard, found a place in the guard after that. Any of you want it easier, then work hard an¡¯ I¡¯ll put in a good word with the higher ups.¡±

    Their leader continued on without concern to whether or not anyone was listening after that, ¡°So our job is to clean up the area of debris, an¡¯ separate it so that the engineers can come in and start building as soon as they can. This isn¡¯t just leg work neither, there are chunks of stone too big for any of us to carry even together, so we¡¯ve got some pickaxes and hammers to try and split them.¡±

    While the man was speaking, they arrived at the broken section of wall where they were going to work at. There was still a number of blood stains, and some scattered gore littering the area but the men paid it no mind.

    ¡°While working, you may come across some corpses, if you do, call out. The cleansing equipment is right over there, and if you can¡¯t move the body, burn it in place. Keep an eye out for demons.¡± The man waved his hands at the gear, so as to make things clear for those unfamiliar with the language.

    The cleansing equipment the man highlighted was nothing more than a barrel of oil, some buckets, and a pair of lit torches. Apparently necessitating the burning of corpses, to prevent demon spawn.

    While some of the men were already getting to work, Matt scoped out the area, getting a feel for where the worst of the work was. The wall had been completely knocked down for around a five metre length, but since the wall was around a metre thick at this point there was much debris scattered around the area.

    He also noticed a concerning amount of activity flowing overhead, where men were hanging from ropes chipping away at damaged stone and tapping at the wall, searching for weakness in the stone. The debris from their work was falling down on their team of labourers with little to no concern.

    Excepting the occasional curse, targeting the workers overhead, most of the men simply ignored the dangerous working conditions, instead helping to take apart the massive pile of rubble built up on the inside of the wall.

    Matt watched them working for a few moments, observing them. Arcide was working on separating a large chunk of wall that had fallen inwards, with the stones separated, he waved over some of the other men. None of whom seemed to notice him.

    Most of the labourers had already formed small groups among themselves, working as these small groups with little thought for communication. Already the guard leading them was yelling at them for making too many different junk piles.

    ¡°One for whole stone, and one for shards, it¡¯s that simple damn it!¡±

    Matt slipped past the others, walking up to Arcide, who¡¯d already broken off a pile of clean stone blocks. The man said a few words to Matt when he arrived to help, but Matt found his language skills suddenly missing once again. Lilith having left range.

    For a few moments, his chest tightened in response to the realization, his tether pulling at him to find her. The sensation something that he forced down as he focused on his labours.

    While Matt moved the stones over to the pile, he tried as best as he could to avoid hurting his recently broken arm. Everyone seemed to be finding pace as he rushed to catch up to Arcide, who¡¯d still had a sizeable pile of blocks for him to move.

    By the time he¡¯d caught up, his muscles were aching. The labour was far more intense than he was used to from his military training, but with some effort he could still manage to keep up with the rest of them.

    Matt found it mildly amusing that Arcide, whose work was lighter, seemed to be more exhausted than himself. From what he¡¯d heard from the man himself, his last work wasn¡¯t so physically intensive so perhaps that was the reason. Regardless, they both soldiered on.

    Their guard leader finally having the chance to relax a little as the labourers found their pace. Work continued like this for a while, Matt and Arcide working at a comfortable speed so that as soon as Matt returned another block was waiting for him.

    As midday arrived a sizeable amount of stone had been put into order, they¡¯d recovered a large pile of stone blocks, and a nearby wagon was already filled twice over with the shards that had fallen.

    The leader gave Matt and Arcide the occasional glance but didn¡¯t interfere with their work. They continued, unsure whether he was impressed or concerned with their progress, already the large section of wall that they were focused on had halved in size.

    As he was lifting another brick, a cry from above startled his tired mind. It wasn¡¯t the cry that had his senses on edge though, so much as the rumble of falling stone. ¡®Booster¡¯ activating on instinct, he turned his head upwards in slow motion.

    Another section of wall had fallen above them, it was only a quarter the size of the one they were working on but large enough to crush them underneath without problem. The men above had faces and eyes filled with panic, staring down at the falling stone as it carved a path down towards Matt and Arcide.

    Immediately Matt began calculating his chances. He was standing to the side of where the rock would hit, and would be able to just barely escape the impact if he pushed himself with all of his might. Instinct acting faster than thought, he prepared to dive out of the way as he noticed Arcide, still looking down at stone beneath his feet. Sweat dripping from his face, completely ignorant of the death about to impact him.

    ¡°Save them.¡± The words ringing in his head like a commandment.

    He ran through the situation in his mind in a flash. He wasn¡¯t able to stop the rock from falling, no strength or on hand gear could stop it. He wasn¡¯t fast enough to push Arcide out of the way, and even alarming the man, he¡¯d be too slow to save himself.

    Even so, he found himself running for the man doomed to die. The thought of dying himself left a bittersweet taste in his throat, he was going to fail, but he had to try. Knowing he couldn¡¯t win, he still pushed his body to its limits to win this race against fate.

    ¡°Why do you act when you know you are going to fail?¡± The words eking out from the back of his mind as a chill crawled up his leg. ¡°Every living creature is afraid of death to some extent, so why are you fighting so hard, knowing you are going to fail?

    ¡°Why not just run away, save yourself?¡± Matt felt fear running through his skin and bones. The feeling of absolute terror filling his heart and mind.

    ¡°Save them.¡± The words not so much a reply as a mindless chant to keep himself moving, to keep the fear at bay. The words filled with a fervour more powerful than logic or fear, chased away all thoughts from his mind.

    ¡°Why do this knowing that you will die as well?¡± the voice continued as it ran across his skin.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of losing anyone else.¡± The words spoken directly from his heart, in response to the voice invading his mind.

    Power infused into his body with the fear that cut through him stronger than ever before. Arms and legs acting faster and stronger than they should, did exactly as he desired of them but without his command. He¡¯d lost control.

    He charged into Arcide, throwing him aside into the muddy ground, his legs then pushing hard to catch up to the man. There was a force outside his own body pushing his legs down with piston like motion, it wasn¡¯t entirely unlike the feeling of wearing his powered armour.

    He blinked away the sweat invading his eyes, and by the time he¡¯d opened them again he was staring up into open skies. Air washed over him and a powerful force threw him before he splattered into the thick mud.

    SMASH.

    A titanic sound rocked the earth where he¡¯d been standing moments before. Staring at the aftermath of the destruction, Matt noticed that they no longer needed to split the stone anymore, most if it already having been broken down into blocks and shards.

    Arcide, who was sprawled out on the ground, shook the mud off as he faced destruction. The confusion was clear on his face.

    Matt looked down to his arms, which were now covered in thin green threads, retreating out of his body.

    ¡°You owe me.¡± The voice said as the last of the threads left his body, the presence still hanging around at his back.

    A demon, almost certainly. It had a completely different feel to the one he¡¯d met inside Lilith, and even he could tell that it¡¯s power was nothing in comparison. But it was demon none the less.

    The guard ran over to the pair of them, panic written on his face as he looked over them. His words were unfamiliar as he briefly interrogated them.

    After the shock wore off he heard a few familiar words and phrases, but none of it made sense to his alien mind.

    ¡°Matt.¡± Arcide spoke pointing at Matt.

    ¡°Arcide,¡± the man himself, added after brushing the mud off of his clothes as best he could.

    Without another word the man split away from them, ordering the men back to work. Most of whom had gathered to gawk at the two of them. It seemed as though they didn¡¯t notice the demon, or at least they weren¡¯t currently interested in killing it.

    With a sigh, Matt looked up from his position on the ground, the men working above had seemingly retreated for the time being. Perhaps having finished their work above as they were pulling back their ropes.

    Arcide, who was still pulling himself back together, slapped Matt on the back in an apparent motion of thanks, which he wasn¡¯t quite familiar with.

    The demon still filling his mind, seemed to have retreated away, not taking up a part of his mind as Lilith had, but merely pressing on his mind.

    ¡°Are you still there?¡± He asked the creature that had saved his life.

    ¡°For now,¡± It responded.

 Chapter 20 - Friends and Family

    Friends and Family

    After their near-death experience, Matt and Arcide went back to work without question, their workload effectively doubled. Fortunately, the little demon stayed quiet and unseen for the rest of the day¡¯s work, though by the end he was beginning to wish that he could borrow a little of its strength again.

    After managing to work past the built up stone that had nearly killed him, Matt and Arcide uncovered a corpse. The legs of the man had been crushed under the weight of the stone, it was obvious that they¡¯d lived through the impact. Their fingers were bloodied where they had pried at the walls to their suddenly formed prison.

    The belly of the man had a small cavity, purpled flesh degrading in small chunks around. Matt and Arcide quickly called out to the guard who hurriedly ran over.

    Upon seeing the corpse, the guard held both hands over his chest repeating a prayer for the dead. A little giblet of knowledge that he¡¯d stolen from Lilith¡¯s mind as she observed them from nearby.

    He focused as much as he could on anything but the demon, yet even so a cold chill ran down his back.

    After his prayers, the guard set them all to work, quickly pouring oil over the body and setting it alight. As the fire still burned, spreading an unpleasant smell into the air, they moved stone bricks. Working around that fire as they waited for it to die down.

    As the sun crept down towards the horizon, dark clouds gathered in the sky above, shaking the air with occasional bursts of thunder. A few stray raindrops were falling when the guard called them over.

    ¡°That¡¯s it for today, you managed more than I expected from you at least. You¡¯re free to head out for now, the barracks that you¡¯re free to use are over that way,¡± He pointed along the walls towards a large unmarked building.

    ¡°Be sure to meet up at the same place tomorrow morning. Some of you will be split up into different areas for tomorrows labour, so pay close attention when they give you directions.¡± The man¡¯s words carried through the rain as it grew even heavier, his aversion to the rain seeming to grow.

    Feeling the relief of a long day¡¯s end, his aches and pains from the day were now gathering. His entire body ached, especially the broken arm that he¡¯d considered healed. But for now at least, it hadn¡¯t been rebroken. Considering how he should have died today, the weak pains were nothing to complain about.

    ¡°We must speak.¡± The creature forced its way into his head again, speaking with quiet thoughts. ¡°There is a dangerous mind that has been watching you.¡±

    ¡°Lilith?¡± He thought a little too ¡®loudly¡¯, allowing the demon to hear.

    ¡°You know this creature?¡± The demon asked him, its voice filled with disgust and fear.

    ¡°She¡¯s a friend.¡± Matt replied, ignoring the rain falling around him. The thought stunned himself more than it did the demon, when had he began seeing her in the same light as he did his friends. She wasn¡¯t like his childhood friends that much was certainly true, but still it frightened him to think of someone in such terms.

    ¡°You should not associate with such creatures.¡± The creature spoke to him, it¡¯s thoughts gentle.

    ¡°Why, you haven¡¯t even met any of them, have you?¡± He asked it, feeling a faint need to defend the women who¡¯d protected him in this world. ¡°How long have you even been alive for?¡±

    The demon, sensing his emotions chose to quiet, emitting a great fear at his thoughts.

    While he was focused in his internal dialogue, Matt failed to notice Arcide catching up with him. The man slapped Matt gently on the back saying more words that were unfamiliar to his mind.

    Though it was irritating to be without Lilith¡¯s language skills, he suspected getting caught talking to a demon might just be a worse problem. In the end, he was thankful she wasn¡¯t around to see.

    ¡°Well, you owe me. So you are going to find some way to repay that debt.¡± The creature continued in his mind without interruption.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can, but I have other things I¡¯m committed to. So long as it doesn¡¯t conflict, I¡¯m willing to help you.¡± He paused for a moment, thinking the situation over, ¡°What is it that you need right now?¡±

    ¡°I need someone to host me.¡±

    Matt was shocked at the thought flowing into his mind, pausing to stand still in the now pouring rain. The meaning was left vague as he struggled to pry the thought apart to no avail. The torrential rain ran down his soaked clothes, dripping into puddles that had formed in the blink of an eye.

    Arcide wore a concerned expression as he looked over at Matt¡¯s blank face. He was asking something but Matt couldn¡¯t understand even if he had paid some attention to it.

    While Matt continued to focus on his inner dialogue, Arcide gently tugged his arm, walking him over to a nearby slanted wall. The remaining roof offering some little shelter from the rain pelting down.

    ¡°You want to take someone¡¯s body?¡± Matt asked in shock, starting to reach for the knife hidden in his clothes.

    ¡°No, I want someone to host me. I¡¯m too weak to survive on my own, at most I can possess a small animal.¡± The creature paused for a moment fear flowing out of it like a waterfall, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die.¡±

    ¡°Why would you die?¡± Matt asked the creature, considering the consequences of hosting such a creature.

    ¡°You should know why, didn¡¯t you and your friend recently hunt down the others like me?¡± Fear persistently emanated from the creature. ¡°Do you really think she would give either me or you the time to explain this? Not just them either, most humans would kill me on site. Of the others, most would do even worse.¡±

    ¡°I suppose I see what you¡¯re getting at.¡± He mumbled in his mind, while Arcide began talking to himself. The man had to be fully aware at how Matt couldn¡¯t understand him, but continued nonetheless.

    As he thought of about this pitiful demon, he realized that it might just be worse off than himself. At least he was able to make allies.

    For now, if the creature was to be believed, all it was after was a companion. Someone to take care of it and perhaps share some of its body. It was a sympathetic position, if it wasn¡¯t lying.

    With some hesitation, he spoke to it, ¡°What can I do?¡±

    ¡°First of all, keep that monster you call a friend away from me.¡± It demanded, ¡°If it sees me, we¡¯re both dead.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do that, we¡¯re together most of the time. I¡¯m also connected to her mind somehow.¡± He whispered starting to fear that tether for as long as the demon was close by, ¡°It might be best for you to leave soon.¡±

    The creature grumbled in reply, obviously unsatisfied with how things were.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t like the other demons.¡± Matt eventually said, of the demons he¡¯d met; there was Grikith, a talented manipulator with a terrifying existence, and then there were the violent creatures born in the town. All of them calling for Lilith¡¯s death and trying to kill him themselves.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t like the other humans.¡± It replied, ¡°I suspect that I am different to the others though. The human I was born from was buried under that rubble before he died. He felt fear more than anything when he finally passed, that fear is what birthed me.¡±

    The demon spoke at length about itself, surprising Matt who listened on, intrigued by its mind.

    ¡°How do you know all that?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I just do.¡± It responded, ¡°Ever since I spoke with you, thoughts are moving in strange ways. I have been noticing many things about myself that I¡¯d not noticed before.¡±

    Neither of them knew what to say about that, pressure exuded on Matt¡¯s mind, the only reminder of the demon¡¯s presence during that silence. The demon had obviously been born from the body buried in the rubble, but to think that it would change by coming into contact with him.

    Ever since the demon had saved him, he¡¯d been searching for traces of the purple mist that tended to cloud his mind. The kind demons and Knights both tended to use, yet he couldn¡¯t find a trace of it. That was part of the reason he trusted the demon, if only a little.

    Arcide had given up speaking for the moment staring out into the thick rain. He held out a hand to the sky catching the water as it flowed from the sky, his face looked distant, the muscles so much more relaxed than ever before. So much so that he almost seemed a different man.

    Wind cut through their soaked clothes, bringing goose bumps to his skin. This attack from the forces of nature bringing Arcide back from the distant place which his mind had escaped.

    ¡°Will this person take me on?¡± The creature asked, indicating Arcide with his mind.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, he seems nice though. Are you going to ask?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Will you protect me if he tries to kill me?¡± The creature asked after a pause.

    ¡°I guess,¡± Matt replied uncertainly.

    ¡°Then ask him for me.¡± The creature demanded.

    ¡°I can¡¯t, I don¡¯t know the language.¡± Matt replied immediately. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± It replied with frustration. Arcide starting to realize he was being talked about, looked Matt¡¯s direction curiosity bleeding through his tense gaze.

    ¡°Why not? Just talk to him like you¡¯re talking to me.¡± Matt¡¯s mind replied distractedly.

    ¡°I merged, that¡¯s why I can talk to you like this. If I do that to him and he says no, he¡¯ll have me killed!¡± The creature replied, oozing another burst of fear into Matt¡¯s heart.

    ¡°We merged? What does that mean, did I change somehow?¡± Matt asked, filled with concern.

    ¡°No, the one who changed was me. I copied a part of you so that I could understand your mind and talk with you.¡±

    Matt didn¡¯t even try comprehending what that would have taken. ¡°So the reason you merged with me?¡±

    ¡°You were going to die if you refused me.¡± The creature replied flatly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have done anything otherwise.¡±

    Matt felt a little uncomfortable about the selection process this demon used. He let the conversation die, ignoring the grumbles of the creature hanging around the back of his mind.

    In the silence of their conversation, the wind picked up again. The cold gust cutting right through Matt¡¯s thick wet clothes. He was beginning to understand why so many people were dying out here of a night, though the rain was so thick that he could almost believe they were the only two people left in the city. Not wanting to join the ranks of frozen dead, he looked over at the barracks, which was hidden by the rain, a glint of desire sparking in his eyes.

    To get there he¡¯d have to brave the chill rain pounding down at the earth around them, and the powerful gusts of wind guiding them. Not to mention the deepening puddles and uncertain terrain. The thought of it left Matt cuddled up under his meagre roofing.

    Disguised by the pounding of rain and whistling of the wind, Matt could hear a faint chirping from the broken ceiling above. The sound briefly preceding a thumping as a drenched reptile fell between Matt and Arcide. The creature was the same species of flighted lizard he¡¯d seen countless times before.

    A krliker, Lilith had called them once before.

    ¡°A stunted drake?¡± Arcide named it as he looked down at the creature, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look very well off.¡± As he said, the creature that had fallen between them looked to be on the brink of death.

    The krliker was shaking from the cold, one of the its wings had been torn apart, the only flesh remaining, a short and broken arm. The scales on its face had been similarly burnt away and a few of the spikes lining its spine seemed to be missing.

    ¡°Poor thing won¡¯t live long at this rate.¡± Arcide pointed out, trying to soothe the small lizard with a gentle voice and a few calming pets.

    It was a protracted moment before Matt realized what was wrong.

    He could understand Arcide¡¯s words.

    ¡°PRoTecT Me!¡± The fear demon shouted in a panic, Lilith¡¯s approaching presence sending it into a fearful panic. Unfortunately for both of them she was getting closer quickly.

    Matt¡¯s hand was frozen over the small, dying krliker. A dark purple mist seemed to form from within Matts wrist, trailing down to the dying creature, while he was still frozen in panic.

    In a few brief moments, the mist disappeared alongside the mind pressing on him from behind. It had all happened so quickly that in this dark shadow it would have been difficult to notice. Even so, Arcide couldn¡¯t miss the sudden changes enveloping the small creature.

    As the mist was absorbed into the creature¡¯s flesh, changes overwhelmed it. The missing muscle and bone was replaced in an instant with darker appendages.

    A wing made from the fabric of midnight, specked with stray holes. Fresh spikes grew along it¡¯s spine where they were missing, all of them curved backwards. The flesh of its face was soon repaired with a twisted visage that only barely matched the remaining face that had survived.

    Lilith marching closer with a ridiculous speed sent his heart into a fit. The demonically possessed krliker racing around behind Arcide, hiding from the approaching Knight with the haste of a creature under the shadow of its predator. The man himself could only stare in shock as Lilith¡¯s silhouette cut a path through the tumultuous rain.

    Lilith¡¯s figure stood above them, her demonic armour reflecting a twisted world as she looked down at them with pity filling her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She said to him, ignoring Arcide and the terrified creature hiding behind the man.

    ¡°Ah, Goodbye,¡± Matt called out to Arcide as he fled from the scene, working hard to supress the thoughts of demons so that they wouldn¡¯t slip through.

    A sigh of relief left his lips as he left behind the problems of the day, half of which were going to get him killed one way or another. Though the cold wind and rain offered only another threat to his life.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Lilith, as if reading his mind, threw back a thick cloak at him. It was dark brown and stained from use, but was able to repel the rain and stood strong against the wind that tried to cut through it.

    Even with the tempestuous winds blowing around them, Lilith was wearing nothing other than her armour. He understood that she was no longer fully human, and that her body temperature was normally quite high. Even so, it seemed strange for her to have her skin open to the chilling winds and icy rain.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so afraid of me,¡± She said without looking at him.

    ¡°Ah, okay.¡± He replied uncertainly to her sudden request.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a monster.¡± She whispered so low that he would have missed it without their tether.

    Matt didn¡¯t know what to say, instead keeping quiet for their long walk out of the city. The rain covering them from the eyes of any who might see them.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t walk too close together,¡± She said to him, looking around for anyone paying too close attention.

    Matt responded with a nod, lagging behind from Lilith as she walked him through the main thoroughfare of the city. All around were people seeking some kind of shelter, their eyes were scanning the dark spaces around them with paranoia.

    He vaguely remembered his first time walking into these walls with Lilith. When the sun had disappeared from the horizon they all ran for shelter, lighting up their lamps and torches as if a ward from the darkness.

    Some of those he walked past were making sad attempts at lighting torches, or holding up lamps that could barely even shine a small light through the darkness of the storm. The sun had long since been lost behind the clouds, it¡¯d be difficult to tell if it¡¯d completely fallen past the horizon.

    Those looking for shelter found some safety in the fallen sections of wall but soon found themselves kneeling in freezing puddles. The water invading every part of them as they attempted to find some warmth. The sight of all this suffering made him realize how much of a gift the barracks was for him and the other labourers.

    They were being offered a protection that even the citizens themselves were lacking. This worked only to reinforce his disgust in this place where human lives were treated so lowly.

    Passing by the gates, he could barely even make out the guards as they lowered the hoods on their jackets to hide from the rain. Their lack of attentiveness, concerning to the enemy soldier walking through their gates.

    Thunder rolled long the atmosphere, and the only light remaining in the sky was from the occasional burst of lightning cutting apart the dark sky. Ahead he could glimpse, through the flashes of light, the white peaked tents belonging to the Sasahara Knights.

    Walking amidst the small tents, Matt noticed how none of them seemed to have anyone inside. They were all flapping gently in response to the powerful gusts. Ahead the largest tent awaited them, glowing from the inside with the warm colours of fire.

    As soon as he entered the tent, the warm air from inside overwhelmed him, as if inviting him in. The fire, sitting in a small metal dish, exuded heat and light but wasn¡¯t alone. Matt could feel the warmth radiating from each of the bodies within, their increased body temperature flooding the room with above normal temperatures.

    All their faces turned his and Lilith¡¯s direction as they walked in, the faces of those waiting painted in curiosity. Wanting to hear the results of the day, they chattered disquietly amongst themselves.

    ¡°Not just that, they want to hear about your world.¡± Lilith intervened on his thoughts, but he paid it little mind.

    Myra was the first to welcome him back, walking up to him and taking his chilled hand in her own as she led him over to where they had food resting on the table. ¡°How was your first day as a spy?¡± She asked him straight out as he sat at the table.

    Before they had time to settle Lilith had already disappeared to another room of the tent, seemingly lacking the same interest that was overwhelming the others. Before him sat a small feast much like the first he¡¯d come across here, a meal that made his brief lunch of bread and water earlier in the day, feel even less satisfying. The sight of it had his stomach grumbling in excitement.

    Between bites of various fruits Matt described his day, the stolen language skills offering him a headache in payment. ¡°I spent the day moving the debris around, no one seemed too suspicious of me.¡± He forced another mouthful of the sweet fruit into his mouth.

    Myra, who¡¯d chosen to sit by his side, cut in as he ate, ¡°Did you find out anything interesting?¡± Her voice was filled with hope.

    ¡°Not really, they said something about splitting us up for tomorrows work. I was working hard, so hopefully they take me somewhere where I can find out something.¡± His words were a little hesitant, even with the situation as it was, he couldn¡¯t completely understand why they sent him in.

    Myra tried to disguise her disappointment as they continued to talk about the various worthless topics that came to mind thereafter. When there was a topic that he couldn¡¯t quite understand, Myra offered some insight, teaching him more and more about their culture.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why it is that we¡¯re rebuilding the walls. The guard leading us mentioned it briefly, but I still don¡¯t get it. They can¡¯t stop my people and the longer we spend building the wall, the more people die from the cold and rain.¡±

    The others seemed to nod at his thoughts, having come to the same conclusion themselves. Surprisingly it was Ophiella sitting across from him that was the one to speak up. ¡°We¡­ I mean the people here, they are very prideful about war. Seeing the walls fallen like that, even for me, is terrifying.¡±

    She sighed looking down at her hands, trying to accept what it was she¡¯d become. ¡°It¡¯s like their spirits are broken.¡± She murmured, ¡°I guess they want to rebuild the walls, hoping to patch up that damage.¡±

    Matt thought about her words for a while, trying to imagine what it was like for these people. What it would be like for his home to be broken and shattered, an impossibility that was hard to imagine.

    ¡°All the while they¡¯re terrified, wondering when the metal monsters will return to kill them all.¡± She finished, tightening her demonic hand into a fist, rejecting the helplessness that she herself spoke of.

    ¡°I think we can all understand that,¡± Cassielle said, looking over at Matt.

    He nodded, understanding the terror of the inevitable better than most here. The System would always catch up with his actions, always tear apart what was most precious.

    ¡°Have you found out anything about the rift?¡± He asked the gathered Knights, hoping for some good news.

    ¡°Not much, metal krlikers have been seen all throughout the forest. We¡¯ve yet to locate any other forces, and unfortunately the rift your speaking of.¡± Cassielle replied, her words heavy with disappointment.

    In the end, there was no good news or bad news. The impending threat weighing heavily upon them.

    Myra was constantly forcing food onto his plate just as she had before. Her cheerful attitude something that helped to calm this tense atmosphere, she was happily bickering with Ophiella opposite them.

    As he finished off his second dish, he looked around the table at all the cheerful faces gathered. Smiling, laughing, they were jovially spending their time together, as friends, as a family.

    Myra forced more food onto his empty plate as tears worked their way down his cheeks. He wiped them clean and blinked away the tears still forming. Ophiella noticed him from across the table but pretended not to see anything.

    This was the first time in a long time that Matt felt himself surrounded by so many positive emotions. For so many years, all he could feel was the distance between himself and others. At best was the calculating coldness of his fellow soldiers, even in their most cheerful moments.

    The warmth around him filling up a part of his heart that he¡¯d forgotten existed.

    He actually felt happy.

    It wasn¡¯t as if the void in his heart had been filled, but for the first time since it had formed he could smile without lying to everyone around him. He could laugh and enjoy the company of others who felt the same way.

    It felt as if he had a family again.

    He let himself feel happy, as he enjoyed the long meal.

    Myra was caught up in conversation with the person sitting beside her, ¡°Remember that time when she juggled for the kids, I remember making it to a count of twenty!¡±

    ¡°Well she was with the travelling stage in her previous life.¡± The woman replied, ¡°Her juggling was nothing compared to her acrobatics though, do you remember how she used to jump around. I could never manage to keep up with her.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I miss her jokes.¡± Myra replied, a sudden seriousness to her voice.

    ¡°You always complained about her jokes! If I recall last time, you said ¡®I¡¯d prefer to hear a demon screeching in my ear than to hear another one of your jokes.¡¯¡± She laughed a little at the recollection.

    ¡°Alright, alright. I miss hating those awful jokes.¡± Myra said, chugging down her drink, ¡°And I definitely miss when drinking this actually did something.¡± She sighed dropping her empty cup to the table.

    Their conversation died as serious expressions overtook their faces.

    Nearby, Ophiella was being interrogated by Cassielle, ¡°So does it hurt at all?¡±

    Ophiella nervously raised her demonic hand, ¡°Not really, it feels strange though. Like it¡¯s mine, but not mine.¡±

    ¡°Can I touch it,¡± she asked carefully, reaching out a hand nervously.

    ¡°I- sure.¡± Ophiella replied, trying to keep her focus on the food in front of her.

    ¡°It¡¯s coarse,¡± the older woman mumbled, lifting up the girls sleeve to look at where it was connected to human flesh. ¡°It seems to have corrupted some of your remaining shoulder to anchor itself.¡± Indeed as she said, the dark colours had seeped up her arm with small threads invading past the shoulder.

    ¡°Is¡­ Is that bad?¡± She asked, hurriedly turning to face Cassielle.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, the only time I¡¯ve seen something like this is demonic possessions but you seem to be in control of all your faculties. I suppose so long as you remain in control, the corruption should remain as it is.¡± She had an intrigued look on her face, filled with curiosity rather than the concern one might expect.

    Myra took the chance to support Ophiella as best she could, ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, you made it through initiation so you have the strength to face this. I¡¯ll always be beside you if you need a shoulder to lean on, so if you¡¯re feeling bad don¡¯t be afraid to talk.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± She replied, more calm than she was before.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, we need to support each other sometimes. None of us can afford to let a bad day get the better of us.¡± She smiled enthusiastically, already leaving behind the heavy aura that she¡¯d been so caught by earlier.

    Ophiella spoke up while still picking at her food, ¡°What was your previous life like?¡± As she spoke, Lilith took a seat near Cassielle a few positions away from Matt. Her choice of seating seemed intentional as she avoided the space to his right.

    ¡°Me?¡± She paused for the blink of an eye, ¡°Were you ever taught about the war in Kilkreth, the one that happened a decade ago?¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡±

    ¡°Well, it was bad, really bad. It¡¯s the worst war in recent history, not many people survived it.¡± She was swallowing back her emotions, as she pushed on, ¡°I don¡¯t remember much of my parents, but apparently they were important figures in the war effort. With my town not far from the battle lines they were trying hard to supress the war, to keep it from getting out of control.

    ¡°So for most of my childhood, I was taking care of my two little brothers on my own. There was the maid who came and went but she wasn¡¯t much help when things were getting difficult. We were rather well off, you see, we had plenty of money and we made a life out of it.

    ¡°We were lucky¡­¡± her words relayed an awful truth, ¡°There were many others worse off, women, kids and even the wounded were living in the streets.

    ¡°To make things worse, every time I went down to the markets there was less food, and more people begging. Kids stealing¡­ People used to pay it no mind when an Ukri or two go missing, but everyone was starving at the time.

    ¡°Day by day it was getting worse, eventually it got so bad that they had some of the kids up in stocks every time I went down to the markets.¡±

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Ophiella asked, absorbed in the story.

    ¡°By then I was barely leaving the house anymore. Too afraid of what might be coming, by this point I¡¯d given up hope that my parents might be coming back. I only went to town to get food, it was too depressing and dangerous to leave the house otherwise.

    ¡°Finally, it was a familiar face in those bloodied stocks, someone I¡¯d considered my closest friend at the time. I could see the tearstains on her cheeks but she¡¯d already lost the strength to cry by then. She was so thin that I could make out every bone in her body clearly.

    ¡°I gave away every piece of gold on me to get her out, then brought her back home. We had plenty of room free at my house and didn¡¯t need to be worried about how many mouths we had to feed. After that I just couldn¡¯t look away anymore.

    ¡°I slowly gathered together all the homeless kids in town, turning my home into an orphanage. Things were starting to get happier, making friends, and the gloomy feeling of the empty house disappeared overnight.¡±

    ¡°But if the food was running out, how could you get enough to feed them all.¡± Cassielle asked, getting caught up in the story herself.

    ¡°We had plenty of problems, but together we managed to find a way to make it work.¡± She downed another drink as her story neared an ending.

    ¡°So why did you leave then?¡±

    There was a silence spreading around the table in response to her question, everyone but himself and Ophiella seemed to know something more.

    ¡°Remember how I said there was a war going on? I can¡¯t even remember why they were fighting but it was one of the worst wars this century. For the first time in decades, the two sides refused to clean up demon¡¯s land. If anyone moved forwards, the other side tried to kill them.

    ¡°By the way, demon¡¯s land is the land between the two armies. This is where the corpses fall, and if not purified, birth demons.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what went through their minds, but eventually they birthed the largest demon infestation since the age of legends.¡± Myra looked down at her hands, blinking away tears before they formed.

    ¡°Both armies were annihilated in a single night, a few runners were able to make it to nearby villages before they were overwhelmed by the demon tide. The demon¡¯s growing in number as they slaughtered entire towns, to us they were unstoppable.

    ¡°I can still remember the bells ringing in the night, only a few moments before the screaming started. After that¡­ I can¡¯t remember anything clearly. Blood, pain, suffering.¡± She blinked away tears as she pushed forwards with her story.

    ¡°When that long night ended, I was resting my head on Cassielle¡¯s lap. My house was gone. My family was gone. The entire town was gone. I knew, I knew that I was the only one, I couldn¡¯t remember anything clearly but I knew that no one else could have survived it.

    ¡°To this day, I still wonder why they didn¡¯t kill me. Why I was the one spared.

    ¡°After that, I died.¡± Her story came to an abrupt end, filling the table with silence. Sometime during her storytelling the other women had disappeared, heading out to rest for the night while leaving the five of them alone.

    Ophiella lifted up her demonic arm, inspecting it again for the umpteenth time. ¡°Why did so many demons appear?¡±

    ¡°You understand why we burn the dead when they die on the battlefield?¡± Cassielle turned to her to cover for Myra¡¯s silence.

    ¡°Because demons come out of them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, demons are born from their dying emotions and wishes, their dying sentiments. Some consider them the personification of the dying man¡¯s wish. This is because they are born from the hatred of the dying for his murder.

    ¡°Without proper direction, the demons are born with a hatred of all living things, and in many cases of each other as well. The only reason we were able to stop that infestation was because they killed so many of their own.

    ¡°There were too many even for us to face with frontal force, instead we repelled their attacks. We kept them from killing anyone else, forcing them to fight each other instead. When their numbers dwindled, we moved in and cleaned them out. A little too late for some.¡±

    They remained quiet for a moment, breathing in the warm air.

    Matt broke that silence, his curiosity burning, ¡°So demons are born from the powerful emotions of a dying person? What if they feel something other than anger or fear?¡±

    ¡°It has long been thought that demons are born from the unclean emotions; anger, fear, jealously, and lust. Though mostly of the former. Angels are born from the orderly emotions; love, pride, and joy.¡±

    ¡°Angels?¡± The thought of winged messengers of god didn¡¯t exactly come to mind in his translation.

    Lilith took the initiative, ¡°Creatures that live on the same plane of existence that demons do. They will often help people in need and are a large part of many religions found in northern lands.¡± Her words spoken matter-of-factly sounded as though they came directly out of a text book.

    ¡°In truth, most of what we know about angels and demons isn¡¯t backed by hard evidence and is based around ancient superstitions. Most attempts to research the nature of angels and demons fails outright as their existence cannot be explained through the natural laws.¡±

    Myra seemed to have perked up a little as she replied, ¡°Thanks professor, but I think our ¡®ancient superstitions¡¯ are doing just fine. Otherwise, you could always ask the demon what it thinks.¡± Her last words were drenched in sarcasm.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t think we understand all there is yet.¡± She looked across to Ophiella to highlight their ignorance, making the girl squirm.

    ¡°Well the Sasahara Knights have been making contracts with demons for hundreds of years, but we never really tried to research anything. We are warriors after all, not scholars.¡± Cassielle poked at the remaining food on her plate, her face more relaxed than usual.

    ¡°How long have the Knights existed for?¡± Ophiella pried.

    ¡°The stories differ on the exact number, but at least four hundred years. Though we weren¡¯t always like we are today.¡±

    ¡°How was it different?¡± Matt asked.

    ¡°When they started out, there were many things that they didn¡¯t know. So many died of the corruption, possessed by the demons, they went wild and killed even those who survived the process. It was a long time before we realized how to perform these rituals, many deaths too.

    ¡°Worse still was the sins of men. The very existence of the Sasahara Knights was put to threat. Thousands dead, and in the end no male Knight remained standing. Never again would a man be Knighted, for the sake of our very existence.¡±

    Before Matt could ask why, Ophiella cut in, ¡°So in all that time, there was no one like me?¡± her demonic hand was formed into a fist and her eyes were locked on the table in front of her.

    ¡°No, you are the first to bear such thorough demonic corruption.¡± Cassielle replied to her, ¡°It¡¯s a miracle that you survived intact.¡±

    Another silence filled the table, Myra reached a hand across the gap to grip onto Ophiella¡¯s human hand. She relaxed a little at the human contact.

    ¡°Your world really doesn¡¯t have demons or angels?¡± Lilith suddenly asked, turning to Matt.

    ¡°No, there were fairy tales of things like that but they weren¡¯t real.¡± His reply seemed to surprise most of the people at the table.

    ¡°If demons didn¡¯t exist¡­ what kind of world was that?¡±

    ¡°Apparently in the old world, it was bad. Wars that left billions dead for no real purpose. Corruption that left food rotting in stores while millions starved. It took the destruction of the planet for the new world to be born.

    ¡°Where I lived was something like an oasis in the lifeless deserts that the world had become. Even then, it was far from perfect.¡±

    They listened on silently, eyes filled with so many questions that their mouths could not spill a single word.

    Their conversations lasted for a long while until finally they decided it was time to split up for the night.

    Lilith led him from the huge tent into the open night air. The rain had since passed leaving behind a moist scent in the air, and thousands of small puddles reflecting the bright stars above. Looking up into the sky, he was struck by the endless beauty of it.

    The night sky was divided by a massive line of bright stars, all shining in slightly different shades. Above that dash of starlight some kind of astral body floated overhead, shining down on them in shifting shades of blue.

    ¡°What do you call that?¡± He asked, not needing to point at the beautiful blue ¡®moon¡¯ above.

    Lilith paused, staring up at the sky shining almost as bright as day, ¡°Seri, it¡¯s nice to see her shining so brightly even after all this.¡±

    ¡°Seri.¡± He repeated, gazing up into the heavens.

    ¡°According to some legends it¡¯s where our souls travel after our bodies die.¡± She sighed, ¡°At least for those humans that didn¡¯t sell their souls.¡± Her pale skin caught the light of Seri in such a way that she seemed to glow in the darkness.

    She gazed down at her own hands, forming fists before walking away. ¡°We¡¯ll camp out here from now on, I want to leave the room to those who need it.¡± Matt nodded in reply, caught by how the blue light from above reflected in shades of red where it touched her armour.

 Chapter 21 - The Life Giver

    The Life Giver

    Sleeping eyes fluttered open as dawn warmed the cold horizon.

    The creatures of night had yet to silence for the coming day, there was yet time to mate, to seek and to fight. Their sounds when blended together became melodic, the beauty of it not apparent at first but unmistakeable the longer he listened. Yet amidst those trilling melodies were the shrill cries that denied the order of music, cold and harsh. This was the song of morning in this world, gradually becoming familiar to his alien ears.

    Matt could feel a headache building in the back of his mind, unrelated to the sounds of the night¡¯s music, nor the chill that had settled into his body for the night. Numbly he crawled from the furs he¡¯d buried himself under the night before, awakened by the air cool enough to mist his breath.

    His mind was still lost within the dream that he¡¯d lived within his sleep, a world and place that felt far too real to be nothing but a tired mind¡¯s imagining. Vague thoughts and feelings had raced through his sleeping heart and mind, leaving them discontent from the fragments that they¡¯d left behind. Sights, sounds and memories all forming together in the kind of nonsensical order that left him unable to recognise where one ended and the next began.

    He could understand enough to recognise them as memories forged in another mind, with little question as to who they might belong to. The memories had largely been shattered as they were imprinted onto his own mind, a process that they couldn¡¯t withstand, it seemed. Even so, he was still able to see clearly the occasional fragment that was quickly fading from his mind like a dream.

    The strange memories had persisted to chase him all night, leaving him clutching at sleep that his body denied existed at all. With a sigh and groan he forced his body to stand, knowing that sleep would not return this night. Aches covered his body lesser than the day before, whether through healing or a growing resistance to the pain he wasn¡¯t sure.

    Lilith was still sitting quietly in the same corner of the tent as she had settled into the night before, focused on silent dreams of her own. Her posture was just as perfect as always, as smooth and unmoving as a stone at first sight, it was only with careful eyes that he could make out the gentlest of motions as she breathed. The stama darkening her pale skin shifting with only the barest of motions.

    Careful not to rouse her from her sleep, Matt carefully slipped his shoes on before walking towards the tent flap. Gently pulling the weighted cloth aside, he stepped out of the small tent into the chill morning air.

    A vague aura of light on the horizon hinted at the coming dawn, but was easily overwhelmed by the blue light of Seri still shining on the opposite horizon. Even with the combined light, this strip of land between forest and city was dark as night, unmoving and silent as the dead .

    A light drizzle of rain still fell from the alien sky, pattering against his skin as a thousand separate pinpricks. Overhead, behind the veil of the occasional cloud, lay a shining canvas of thousands of stars, each one unique in colour and intensity, forging no pattern between them.

    His eyes naturally sought the bright blue light that overwhelmed any other. The swirling light of Seri, still carving her way down towards the horizons edge.

    ¡°The resting place of souls, huh?¡± His voice lost in the silence of morning, as he stared up into the giant blue orb imagining it watching down at him from above.

    Such a romantic idea was something of historical fairy tales to him. Their society had long since considered the idea of a soul absurd. Countless computer programs and AI had already determined the likelihood of a soul existing to be at almost nothing.

    Mud sinking beneath his boots, he walked towards a nearby stone, standing above the puddles. Perching on that stone, his eyes sought the stars above. Not Seri, the apparent resting place of the dead, but rather the stars that were dulled by her brightness.

    ¡°Across the sea, she¡¯s known as the life giver.¡± The gentle words flowed from the darkness behind him. Matt felt a calm presence approaching, but he wasn¡¯t shocked, her footsteps having been audible for some time.

    ¡°The life giver?¡± He asked turning to Myra as she carefully walked up to him. His voice no longer forcing stress on his bond to Lilith.

    Myra nodded, her eyes staring up into the sky. ¡°Seri was given life by the great star above. A privilege she alone was gifted, a seat amongst the gods and a life by which to live. Yet this gift was a cruelty of a kind, for she never felt so alone when merely a stone.

    ¡°The gods dismissed her as lower life, a creature created, without value or worth to the immortals that had been, and would be, for eternity. Even her own creator showed her little comfort for her existence, let alone companionship in the darkness of the heavens.

    ¡°She sought for some way to make friends, to understand companionship. After many attempts, she found a way to give away her own life, temporarily to the stone below her. Thus, the world we know was born, our souls a gift from Seri, to return to her once we pass.

    ¡°In a way, we are all a part of Seri. Which is why we should never bring harm to others, as it only brings pain to ourselves. At least, that¡¯s how the legends are told¡­ I¡¯m not sure I believe anymore.¡±

    Her eyes hadn¡¯t left the giant blue moon in the sky as it¡¯s colours swirled. ¡°If you talk to others, they have their own stories about her, some that she is dignified and charitable. Others say she is vain and selfish, hiding away the other stars by her light.¡±

    Matt followed the path of her gaze staring into the unsteady blue light. Although it was spherical in shape, the colours within constantly transformed making it appear as if Seri were constantly shifting in a restless sleep. Making it appear as if she were alive. The gentle colours and motions set his mind at ease. ¡°She¡¯s beautiful.¡± He whispered.

    ¡°¡­ She certainly is.¡± Myra replied, her words faint.

    Myra was right that the stars seemed dulled by the presence of Seri in the sky. As if her presence was enough to dull their light. A simple case of light pollution that he¡¯d become familiar with through his childhood learnings.

    ¡°What does the sky look like without her?¡±

    Myra shifted in her stance, blue light reflecting as red from her tainted armour, ¡°Every so often the skies darken without a hint of her light. Most people consider it a cursed day, a time for the demon¡¯s to come out as the light dulls.¡± She turned, facing away from Seri, ¡°Personally, I find it the most beautiful night sky I¡¯ve ever seen. There are thousands and more stars out there that you can¡¯t see on any other day.

    ¡°The difference is as much as when the sun falls past the horizon.¡± A few tears rolled down her cheeks, yet there wasn¡¯t a hint of sadness to her expression.

    Without words left to speak they maintained a gentle silence between them. Gradually the sun began to peek past the horizon, showing this wet world a hint of golden light and gentle warmth.

    ¡°Are you going out searching for my people again?¡± He asked, eyes scanning the forest for hint of their corruption.

    ¡°Yeah, they aren¡¯t demons or mages, but for once they might be something even more dangerous.¡± She sighed, the sky that she was so enchanted by now dulled by the coming of dawn. ¡°You be careful, if you come across a mage make sure that you strike first. Without your toys, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll stand a chance otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± The word slipped from his mouth as he tried to suppress the concerns running through him.

    Glancing at the forest, dark and alive, Matt spoke to Myra, who hadn¡¯t yet left, ¡°There is so much life here,¡± She turned to him, confusion filling her expression. ¡°Not just the people, but the animals, the sounds. I don¡¯t remember ever waking up to a world so alive. So very colourful.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll dull after a time.¡± She said, giving up on the sky in favour of looking toward him, a spark shining in her eyes. ¡°If anything, I find your own curiosity to be more interesting. No one else your age, looks to the sky with wonder anymore. No one hears the whistling of krickers and bugs and talks about how beautiful they sound. It¡¯s like, through you I can see the world as I used to, before...¡±

    She teared up again, ¡°It¡¯s like I can see what the world looked like when hope was still alive. All the while I¡¯m impatient for the day when you become like the rest of us. Tired and broken.¡±

    Matt didn¡¯t know how to reply, the words she¡¯d spoken filled with too much emotion for him to be able to reply with some vapid comment. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve been tired and broken.¡± The words pried out his mouth as he subconsciously tried to keep them down. ¡°I¡­¡±

    When? When was it that he started to open his eyes to the colours of this world, rather than hiding in his own past. Myra saw him as he sometimes saw her, a presence filled with the innocence of youth, someone who hadn¡¯t yet seen the darkness of the world.

    Someone who was still alive.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re more alike than you realize.¡± He murmured, unsure as to whether she¡¯d heard.

    Rising from his rocky perch, he said his farewells to Myra and headed towards town, growing uncomfortable. She offered him only cursory farewells in return, her focus returning to the distant sky above.

    The sun had yet to break from the horizons grasp, but the light of Seri was enough to see by. Her reflections shining in countless puddles only adding to the light of this dawning day.

    Dozens of extra tents had risen outside the city walls, forming a small town outside the gates. Between them were wagons and various animals tied up to posts. It was all incredibly unreal to Matt, as he felt that much more like an alien in this quiet world of puddles and tents, of alien creatures and strange blue lights in the sky.

    As he wandered through the darkness one particular animal caught his eye. It wasn¡¯t bound to a post as the others. It walked closer to him on its four legs, clearly interested in him.

    The creature stood around the height of his shoulder, it¡¯s wide head looking up to him without any expression he could make sense of. It suddenly let out a high-pitched cry, the sound of which made his joints resonate in resistance.

    Before he had time to reach for the knife hidden away in his clothes, the creature threw itself at him. Forcefully enough to make him stumble backwards.

    It rubbed its bristled frill on his chest, reminding him of the cat he¡¯d cared for as a kid. For a moment of confusion, he stood in place letting the creature embrace him, frills flicking back and forth across him in a strangely comforting embrace as it sniffed strongly at the air.

    As it let out a deep rumbling sound, he carefully reached out and stroked the feathers around its head, causing it to stomp in the mud with strong hind legs. Crooning mouth agape revealing the dozens of sharpened teeth in something that could compare to a smile.

    Matt couldn¡¯t help but offer a smile in return.

    ¡°Riffle!¡± A voice called out behind him, shocking the creature as its rumbling voice shifted into a lighter squeal of excitement.

    The voice was strangely familiar but he couldn¡¯t immediately place where he¡¯d heard it from. Not until a woman jogged into sight, embracing the strange creature that had been harassing him for attention.

    ¡°Sashella,¡± He said the name with some hesitation, knowing that Arcide was likely to react quite badly to this news.

    ¡°Hmm? Who...?¡± She squinted in the darkness, eyes reflecting the rising sun, ¡°ah, you¡¯re Lilith¡¯s pet!¡± She cried out in excitement, smiling madly.

    ¡°Not¡­ really, but you got the right person at least.¡± He mumbled, hesitant about how to deal with her. As an afterthought, he considered it may have been better to pretend ignorance of her language again.

    ¡°Riffle seems to like you. Probably smells Lilith on you, she did always like Lilith.¡± Sashella continued where he left off, petting the creature in such a way that it was letting out a gentle humming noise, almost like a small generator.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see you again though.¡± She paused staring up at Seri, ¡°I suppose fate still has a few tricks left for me.¡±

    Awkward silence grew thick around them, with only Riffle unaware of it, happily prancing around uncaringly.

    Matt feeling a growing unease decided to start the conversation, ¡°So, how exactly do you know Lilith?¡± he asked her, while making sure that the person of topic wasn¡¯t listening in.

    ¡°Oh, she and I go way back. After her mother invaded my¡­ what was, my Kingdom, we had to go to a lot of peace meetings with the adults. She used to sneak off with me back then. The meetings were always boring, looking at maps, drawing new lines, then disagreeing, then drawing new lines, over and over.

    ¡°So, we went and did our own thing.¡± She spoke wistfully of the past walking Riffle around the tents, ¡°That was back when I was a princess, of course. Though technically, I¡¯m not sure that I¡¯ve been disinherited yet. Mama and Papa are still sending people after me to try and bring me back.¡± She giggled lightly. Matt felt sorry for those sent after the woman.

    ¡°Why did you leave?¡± he asked, knowing that it had to do with Arcide but little else.

    ¡°I fell in love.¡± She sang in reply.

    ¡°And¡­?¡±

    ¡°I left to chase after him.¡± Her words spoken so lightly he thought he misheard.

    ¡°That was all? For that you gave up on your duties? You were able to just run away from it all?¡± His voice was quiet.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t give up on my duties.¡± She replied firmly, smile still painting her face, ¡°In fact, this is in a way a part of my duties.¡±

    Matt looked to her with confusion.

    ¡°Well not officially or anything, but my Papa did the same thing before me. Spent a whole six years wondering the world as a disinherited prince before coming back home. His father barely lasted a month.¡± She laughed again quite playfully.

    ¡°We have to learn to live off our own strength, that¡¯s what Mama told me. If we can¡¯t survive as a normal man, then how can we hope to stand as Kings and Queens?¡± Riffle was still rubbing up to her, seemingly quite endeared to the girl.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll be away for, but when I come back I¡¯ll have to be ready to bear the weight of an entire kingdom. I won¡¯t be able to spend my time happily like this anymore¡­¡± She murmured, her smile revealing a hint of sadness.

    ¡°Once I met Arcide, I knew that I wanted to see the rest of the world with him. Never imagined that I might be seeing and learning so much just by chasing after him.¡± She tied Riffle up to a post like the many others in this camp, as the creature let out a disappointed cry.

    ¡°What about you?¡± She asked turning towards him, ¡°Are you running away, or are you running forwards?¡± Her question was met with silence for a time as Matt considered what she was asking.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He replied, looking up at the woman as she strode with confidence towards to the city gates.

    ¡°Well find out soon, else you¡¯ll be wasting most of your life waiting, or running away.¡± She quickly disappeared, leaping through the gates with a determined smile.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Matt looked to the horizon, surprised at the amount of sunlight peaking over the forestry. Hastefully he followed the strange woman to the streets of the city, trying to understand the meaning of her words as his feet worked.

    He paused.

    There was no reason to, no sound or trigger for it that he could notice yet for some reason his eyes traced back towards the forest, instincts on fire. Squinting his eyes, he couldn¡¯t see anything different from earlier, nothing that might have made him turn to look.

    That, in itself, was strange.

    Hesitantly he walked towards where his instincts guided, knowing that there was something just beyond conscious reach that he¡¯d seen out there. Careful of threat, his hand reached for the knife secreted away in his clothes. Depending on what he came across hopefully he would buy enough time for a knight to aid him, should the trouble be too much for him.

    Although he didn¡¯t call for Lilith¡¯s aid just this moment. If this was as he thought, then she would likely only get herself killed alongside him. Though if he hadn¡¯t been sniped yet there must be reason for it. Believing as such he moved onwards, no longer hiding his footsteps.

    The trees swayed and shadows moved, but somewhere in those motions was something that didn¡¯t fit.

    A shadow moving out of chorus.

    A change in the tune of this forests sounds.

    Confident now that he knew what it was, Matt strode up to the forests edge, turning his back towards where the camped Knights where currently resting with few in sight. His new allies at his back, he turned to face against those he¡¯d once been coerced to consider allies.

    With confidence, he stepped into the shadow of the forest, waiting to meet with the ghost that had infiltrated nature. Knowing the sort that were here, he didn¡¯t foolishly seek them out, eyes wide open, he scanned the forest waiting for them to make contact.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t follow protocol.¡± The words were neither an accusation nor a question as they formed from the nearest shadow which peeled itself up into form.

    It was all too obvious from his posture that it was Lieutenant Johnson standing there, rifle levelled. The wolf himself.

    He didn¡¯t answer. Already he was preparing himself to face death.

    ¡°Lilith!¡± He screamed with his minds voice, ¡°Lilith!¡±

    With the threat now revealed, he hoped that her intervention might prove helpful. He had no doubt that if he¡¯d approached with Lilith by his side, they¡¯d both be dead by now, but if she came afterwards she might just scare him off for now. If he were an able distraction fighting may even be possible now that the enemy revealed himself.

    ¡°Rather than re-joining the mission you integrated with the locals. You turned your back on the mission and went AWOL. You turned your back on our people, on humanities future prospects and instead focused on your¡­ animalistic¡­ emotions.¡±

    A drone silently lowered from overhead, playing a video in the air before them. He watched from the viewpoint of a drone, observing himself fighting against a drone swarm in the clay city.

    Memories of the time flowed through his mind, his betrayal. It had all happened so quickly at the time, yet he had chosen then. Even if he¡¯d yet to choose a side to stand for, he knew what he had to stand against. Gripping his knife he wondered if this was to be the outcome of his betrayal as he sought for some conclusion that ended differently.

    ¡°Not only did you destroy military assets, you also armed the enemy. Making it capable of destroying even more of our assets.¡± The video swapped across to Lilith attacking the drones, moving with far more precision than himself. ¡°In fact, making the enemy far more formidable than they had been prior to your intervention.¡± The video changed across to the Knights being slaughtered by the drone swarm, managing to strike down countless drones at high price.

    ¡°Lilith¡±, Matt cried with his mind, growing desperate for another option out of this situation.

    ¡°Person Matt, what has you so panicked,¡± an unmistakeable voice asked him. Grikith, the demon that gave Lilith her strength.

    The lieutenant continued to chide him with cold mechanical voice as Matt thought as quickly as he could for an escape from this situation. The man was mechanical, precise. He would not pause to speak with a dead man, or interrogate a man before taking him away.

    For whatever reason, this man held doubts in his conclusions as he spoke them.

    ¡°My people are here.¡± Matt told the demon, ¡°Get Lilith moving, I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re planning¡­¡±

    Silently he felt the demon moving, without time to waste he focused on his interactions with his own people. ¡°I knew what I was doing.¡± He interrupted, voice firm as he spoke.

    The lieutenant was not used to being spoken to so briskly, so confidently.

    He paused. The crack in his confidence growing wider with every word.

    ¡°I¡¯m working on something important.¡± Matt turned to face the man, ignoring the rifle in his hands. ¡°Currently I have only little time to spare, so if you would be quick.¡±

    After a while there was reply from the shadow standing above him, ¡°What were you doing?¡± Firm, hiding what hesitance the man had in his voice. Matt smiled.

    ¡°I was investigating the enemy.¡± A reasonable action to take. ¡°It was clear from our first engagement that there is too much we didn¡¯t know about the enemy capabilities.¡± The man¡¯s own exact thoughts. ¡°The System has constantly been met with foreign variables, that make accurate predictions impossible.¡± The only explanation for the damages they¡¯d received thus far in this war.

    ¡°The margin of error has been consistently too high for a high stakes engagement. Something needed to be done to rectify this, and increase the odds of success with all future interactions.¡±

    The lieutenant shifted in his armour, out here there was no direct connection to the System for order verification. He had to make this decision for himself. He had to choose what to do with new information, just as Matt had when separated from his team.

    ¡°The System requires more information?¡± He finally asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I get told this?¡±

    Matt felt relief wash over him for a moment, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a critical aspect to your mission. Were you ordered here to make contact with me?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± He verified, ¡°We separated from the main group in order to require military assets that might prove dangerous in the hands of the locals.¡± The lieutenant spoke hesitantly for once. ¡°We have no orders in relation to yourself.¡±

    ¡°Good, because right now you need to leave. Your position here is not safe from enemy eyes and could easily interfere with my mission parameters. I am gathering valuable intelligence and need more time to finish my objectives.¡±

    ¡°The drone swarm?¡± The shadow asked, the last of his doubts raised.

    ¡°I needed to ingratiate myself to the locals. No better way than to help protect them from a common enemy. I¡¯ve been able to become close with one particular specimen, in fact, largely by arming her with my pistol.

    ¡°The likely hood of her reproducing the weapon is at near zero percent, while the data I collect off of her is invaluable. Eventually she will need to be eliminated but for the time being the mission is functioning as a success, as the System will deliberate after accessing this report from your drone.¡±

    Matt quietly waited for the man who¡¯d once stood as his superior. The black armour made him fade into the background of the forest, another shadow. Yet there was something different about him now than there had been before.

    Or perhaps the difference was in Matt.

    The pause ended quickly, as shadows returned to nothingness and Matt stood alone in the forest at the edge of the city. As he stared into nothingness he wondered how long he would survive. He held valuable information that the System desired, it was possible that he would be snatched away in the night as soon as his betrayal became apparent.

    The System wouldn¡¯t fall for such a simple lie.

    As soon as he faced the city again, Lilith filled his vision. Her short figure demanding attention as her cold eyes scanned his own. She held sword in one hand, pistol in the other, each glimmering with a hellish crimson.

    ¡°There were others, machines?¡± She finally asked. The words spoken in her own tongue, a breeze lifting her long silver hair.

    ¡°People, my¡­ Okiniu.¡± The word felt right as he spoke it, ¡°I convinced him that I was gathering information, that I was on his side.¡±

    ¡°Are you?¡± She asked, voice serious, pistol firmly in her grip.

    ¡°If I was, would I tell you?¡± He turned away from her, walking instead towards the city where his work was waiting for him. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said without facing her, ¡°You came.¡±

    ¡°Not to save you.¡±

    ¡°Regardless.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be eliminated.¡± She said before he left earshot, her voice firm, accusatory.

    Pausing for moment, a breeze washed over him and Matt wondered for a moment how he felt about this woman who stood at his back.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to get stronger then.¡± He replied, voice distant as he stared at the fading stars in the sky. ¡°Everything fades away when a stronger force appears.¡±

    ¡°If you believe that, why are you here? Why did you tell us so much about how we might win this? Why didn¡¯t you just go home like all the others?!¡± The last a yell as she swung her sword across the horizon for show.

    Her breathe was heavy and her eyes tense, she looked at the forest hands quivering on her weapons. The flashing of red in her eyes was impossible to miss.

    ¡°I knew someone once.¡± Matt cleared his throat, but no matter how hard he tried there was something there that he could not swallow back. ¡°Someone much better than me.¡±

    ¡°The girl.¡±

    ¡°The girl,¡± Matt replied, ¡°Ren. When I was younger I would have done just as you say. I would have followed along, been a good soldier, killed and died without the slightest hesitation. All because I knew fighting against the System was impossible.

    ¡°She was different. She knew everything I did and more, yet she still tried to find a way. Even when everyone else lost hope, she¡¯d find a way.¡±

    Lilith was gradually letting down her guard, weapons lowering as she listened, ¡°She didn¡¯t win.¡±

    ¡°Maybe not, but she taught me a new way of thinking. That winning and losing didn¡¯t work the way they taught us. That so long as we were able to smile, to live without regretting our actions, that that alone is a victory.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t going to survive this, but maybe I can smile for a while longer because she saved me. Maybe I can save others for a while longer, and show them what she showed me. Maybe I can take her place, just for a while longer.¡±

    Lilith sheathed her weapons, striding back towards their tent, ¡°I¡¯m going back to sleep.¡± Her words leaving him in his own silence.

    They spared no more words as he left behind the forest and camps. There were still many things that he had left to say, but now, he had trouble finding voice to them. The memories of grief sending tremors through his limbs as he tried to pretend as though everything was okay. To pretend as though this life were still worth living.

    The guards at the gate glared at him, but no more than usual. Their eyes filled with a general sense of spite, but not hatred, not fear. Regardless he kept his knife ready to draw, these men wouldn¡¯t get the better of him.

    Beneath the shuffling of their mismatched sets of armour he could make out the weaknesses in their frames. One had a weak left arm, the other a slight limp in one leg. Their dull eyes were not as sharp as a watchmen¡¯s should be.

    ¡°Worthless shit.¡± The guard mumbled, spitting at the ground where Matt walked. He ignored them, walking past without showing them too much of his own face.

    Listening closely, he overheard them saying the same thing to the next labourer to walk through the gates. Their distain of the foreign workers showing through quite heavily, for what reasons he could only surmise. These labourers were rebuilding the city in which they lived.

    For what reason would they despise such men? For what reason could you hate the man rebuilding your own home?

    The flow of labourers was heavy this morning, countless men having strode through the same gates as Matt, already formed up into their groups and began chatting as they tended to do. Their large frames making them impossible to mistake for the locals that lived nearby who seemed to cower at the sight of the men.

    Matt noticed for not the first time the young children and frail people who seemed to find life in the streets. There was something different about them when compared to others who¡¯d only recently had their homes fallen.

    They didn¡¯t seem to mind the mud staining their faces or the holes in their clothes. They walked around, not with pride or confidence, but as if they were used to it all already. These people were quick to make room for the much bulkier labourers that passed through. Others, though, were not so quick.

    Those which were slower wore clothes still retaining colour and hint of the grandeur they¡¯d once had. They were lucky when they were ignored Matt learnt, watching as they were harassed by labourer and guards alike. Mostly they were met with violence, trampled over when they didn¡¯t move or struck when they stood in the way of traffic.

    That was not all though, many of the women were harassed with words by the men who stood at his side. ¡°Show a little gratitude to the real men. Your husbands couldn¡¯t keep the walls standing, show us how much you want them back up.¡±

    The women were quick to disappear after words were slung their direction. Though Matt couldn¡¯t understand the meaning the man had tried to express, there was a certain unsavoury flavour to the words that grated at him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll find you after I¡¯m finished working for the day.¡± The man continued to the woman¡¯s back, words filled with confidence as he laughed with the men beside him. Matt tried to ignore them as they continued on ahead of him.

    Ahead Matt noticed Arcide sitting on the side of the road, a small bag resting on his lap. No one took particular notice of him, and the mud faced locals didn¡¯t dare sit near to him, for his more distinct appearance.

    He seemed to be talking to the bag, which was shifting around in a lively way. As he approached he could make out some of the words aimed at the bag.

    ¡°Keht! Stop moving so much, someone will notice.¡±

    Matt paused at the sight, almost exclaiming in surprise when a small head peeked out from the opening of the bag. The head resembling that of a lizard, had become twisted in the face of a demon.

    ¡°Matt, you¡¯re here. I was starting to wonder if you were coming back. After yesterday, the wall, the¡­ woman.¡± He laughed nervously as he hid away the demon in his carefully prepared bag.

    Matt nodded to the man, unsure about how he should respond.

    ¡°Keht?¡± he asked finally.

    ¡°Ah, yeah. Well after you left him with me I kind of needed to give him a name. So, Keht.¡± He stood up shouldering the bag as he led them towards the meeting location, ¡°We need to get moving.¡±

    Keht, the small demonic Kricker poked his nose out from the bag peering towards Matt with glowing eyes.

    ¡°This person is an agreeable partner, but you still owe me.¡± The gentle flow of thoughts were delicately strung together, still as frightened as a young child.

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Matt asked the creature quietly.

    ¡°You barely did anything to assist me in finding him. It is hardly fair compensation for the both of your lives.¡± The creature made a good argument before crawling back into the bag, hiding from sight.

    ¡°You can begin paying me back by keeping those monstrous creatures away from me.¡± The thought accompanied by a vision of Lilith in her armour, sword drawn and a lethal look in her eyes.

    Almost the complete image of her when she¡¯d first cornered him not so long ago. Matt found himself without words to disagree as they walked towards the meeting point, uncertain of how he was supposed to do anything if Lilith ever actually found out.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Arcide asked, his voice full of concern.

    ¡°I¡­ sorry, I wasn¡¯t listening.¡±

    ¡°About the way they talk to the people here. I mean, I never liked how badly these people treated me and others of the like when I was here last, but this doesn¡¯t seem right either.¡± He said, staring at the men harassing an elderly couple who wore the proof of having lived on the streets.

    Matt hesitated to reply, not knowing what the man beside him was expecting. After a pause, he let his thoughts flow free, ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±

    Arcide nodded, ¡°I¡¯m glad we¡¯re of a mind then.¡± A smirk appeared on his face as he snatched Matt by the shoulder and dragged him towards where the men were standing, their group numbering around the dozen.

    ¡°Why should we have to pay for it?¡± A tall labourer asked, his brutish size only enhanced by the unruly hair that flowed down his face.

    ¡°Please sir, we are already giving it to you at a discount.¡± The elderly man¡¯s voice barely even seemed to register to the man standing over him. ¡°We have a granddaughter to take care of, we can¡¯t just give it to you.¡±

    The larger man was clutching tightly onto a shirt which seemed to stand out amongst all the mud of this fallen city. He was making a show of it, holding the cloth high into the air as he admired it.

    ¡°Well consider it your thanks for my efforts rebuilding your home. Or don¡¯t you want your granddaughter growing up under a roof?¡± The group laughed at the old man as they walked away.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Arcide called out to the man, ¡°I know that the wall was broken but I thought they were still keeping bandits outside of the city gates.¡±

    The group paused turning back to the man who dared to challenge them.

    ¡°That old man was spitting at men like us in the street just a month ago, and you want to protect him?¡± The man cracked his knuckles, ¡°Who do you think you are, anyway. Not like you could even protect yourself, and you think that you can act all high and mighty!¡±

    ¡°Let me tell you, no king that lets the walls of his kingdom fall, is gonna protect a little puke like you.¡± As he swung, Matt waited. Instincts kicking into place, as he grabbed onto Arcide¡¯s shoulder and pulled just at the right moment for the punch to miss.

    Without wasting a single motion he used his forward momentum to plunge his fist into the larger mans side. He could feel bones breaking beneath his knuckles.

    Matt quickly stepped back giving himself some room to deal with the rest of the gathered men. There was a slap from the mud at their feet as the first man fell clutching at his side as he struggled to maintain composure.

    Arcide, who seemed stunned at the sudden fistfight stared at the fallen man in confusion.

    The rustling of armour preceded the guards arrival, signalling the end of the fight that was just about to break out. The elderly couple who¡¯d been targeted by the thugs were quick to intercept the guards telling them all that had happened in a quick rush of words.

    In less than a moment the men disappeared in separate directions, all heading for dark alleys where they could best avoid pursuit.

    Matt stood by Arcide¡¯s side, waiting for the man to regaining his composure, as the guards and elderly couple spoke at length.

    ¡°Thanks, I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d turn to violence so quickly.¡± Arcide murmered as he took a step back, his eyes returning from the distant horizon where they¡¯d been focused. ¡°I¡¯m used to talking men like that down, but he was just¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Matt replied, looking over to the guards hopeful that they wouldn¡¯t make an issue out of this.

    Upon noticing his look, the guards spoke to them, ¡°You two, hurry along. Your supposed to be rebuilding this city, leave the law and order to us. If you work hard enough we might see you in uniform before too long.¡± The man smiled to them as he pushed them along.

    They nodded quietly and made for the meeting that they were already running late for.

    ¡°Where did you learn to fight like that?¡± Arcide asked as they both ran through the shattered city.

    ¡°Training.¡± Matt replied unable to say anything more.

    Ahead, Matt noticed a familiar man stumbling down the thoroughfare clutching at the side where he¡¯d been punched not moments ago. A suspicious hooded young woman was waving him forwards towards a darkened alley. The man apparently didn¡¯t notice the flash of steel before it was too late.

    His, now limp body, was quickly dragged down the alley and out of sight.

    Sashella.

    Matt thought a moment too late, thinking back to earlier this morning. He¡¯d just gotten a small glimpse at the true danger that she posed, not least to Arcide, or anyone who dared to threaten him.

    Clearing his mind Matt pretended not to have seen that incredibly dangerous scene, focusing on the road ahead which was still littered with labourers like themselves. Most of whom didn¡¯t seem to mind how late they were.

    Their faces were all too often filled with some level of amusement as they talked to one another. Much more friendly than they had been only the previous day, but even so, few even gave Matt and Arcide a second glance as they walked past.

    Matt did what he could to ignore them, and keep out of their path, afraid to get too close to any of them lest they discover something they shouldn¡¯t. Strangely he felt a comradery with Arcide for having many of his secrets already shared, the companionship of partners in crime.

    Shortly thereafter, they¡¯d managed to reach the meeting location, where the same short man from the day before stood above them all with a long parchment fluttering in his hands, they walked in on his speech already half finished.

    ¡°As such a few minor changes have been made. Yesterday¡¯s work was acceptable, but you are now to be split into groups more permanently. These people are to go with this guard to their work assignment. The rest will be split up into teams as they were yesterday.

    ¡°From here on in, these groupings are permanent and you will follow all orders regarding when, and where to meet from your groups officer.¡±

    The man read out a list of unfamiliar names, the sounds of them strange to his ears. Unexpectedly a pair of familiar names were called out, ¡°Matt, Arcide,¡± the man continued on without pause as his voice cut through the crowd.

    Arcide strode forwards without hesitation, leading the confused Matt towards the guard waiting for them. The man¡¯s face was tense as he looked over the group of them gathered together, bringing bile to Matt¡¯s throat.

    He wondered, all the while, whether the previous days exploits had been noticed by someone better left ignorant.

 Chapter 22 - Secrets Hidden in Clay

    Secrets Hidden in Clay

    ¡°I, Lukur, am now your direct officer, and you are now part of work team Endreth.¡± The man standing before them spoke with a composure that made it clear how long he¡¯d been leading men. His wrinkled face and grey stricken hair not at all detracting from the strength in his voice.

    ¡°Your work assignment will be focused on the development of new building materials. Obviously, none of you are capable of the complicated side of this assignment, but we need labourers to do some of the lifting and assist in whatever ways you are found to be of value.

    ¡°This is a position of great importance and secrecy, as such any of you wishing to be promoted to a soldier, or guard will be permitted such an elevation at the end of this project.

    ¡°And if any of you leak anything about what happens here, you will be subjected to an immediate execution. Is that understood?¡± The small man finished his lecture, his expression and voice stern.

    The man sounded as if he was prepared to do the executions himself, and his firm eyes only confirmed that suspicion as he glared over the men collected before him. His quiet gaze quickly silenced the few whispers that had interrupted his speech.

    Matt looked over the group of men standing in attendance. They all seemed subtly different to the others that had been gathered in the city. They were quieter, and a much higher portion of them seemed to be different in shape and skin colour to the natives of this area.

    Unanimously, they all called out, replying with a firm ¡°Yes, sir¡± in a dozen different languages. Yet as firm as they were in their reply they were not so boisterous as the larger group of labourers that they¡¯d left back in the city.

    Earlier team Endreth, as they¡¯d been called, had been led out of the city through the back gates, their path taking them through various forestry¡¯s and animal tracks to a place that was entirely alien. A few buildings had been hastily constructed at the side of the river, filled with the sounds of human life.

    ¡°Why would they tell us all this after we already got here. I mean what if someone wasn¡¯t prepared to work under this secrecy. They¡¯re not really giving us a chance to opt out.¡± Arcide asked curiously as he gazed around camp.

    Matt replied to him in a whisper, ¡°I suppose that¡¯s what the executions are for.¡±

    Arcide shuddered but didn¡¯t ask anything further.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be assigned tasks daily and will sleep here,¡± he waved his hand towards a small shack that looked ready to fall over, ¡°You cannot leave this area until our task here is complete, else you will be executed.

    ¡°You¡¯re pay will be made double that of the other labourers for this trouble, but we will not withstand any slack. Work hard, as the lives of everyone in the city depend on our work here.¡±

    Lukur, their officer, having finally finished his speech, began waving forwards individuals, offering them their assignments for the day. Strangely the man was able to switch between languages fluently as needed, only once calling for another man that stood close by for help with translation.

    Eventually the groups whittled down, and he called Matt forwards, ¡°You are known as Matt, yes?¡± The man asked reading from his long parchment.

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ sir.¡± Matt replied, hesitant as to how to treat this man, who was obviously taking the place of a superior officer.

    ¡°Well, you have been given a special position. Directly assisting the professionals in their work. It was written here that you made favourable contact with a demon during your last assignment. Is that correct?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Matt hesitated with shock infusing his body, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He replied firmly.

    ¡°I expect you to act with a little more tact while you are here. We don¡¯t need unnecessary rumours to be building up. Go talk to Dvell, he¡¯s our lead engineer in this project and you¡¯ll be working as his assistant. Do everything that he asks of you and treat him with the utmost respect. Is that understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He replied in his own tongue on instinct, the man didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    ¡°Be off then, you¡¯ll find him in the little building below.¡± Matt obediently followed orders walking down the path towards the indicated building. His step falling into the routine fast pace that he¡¯d learned back in training.

    Sitting at the side of a river, the building looked as if it had been built from the same clay as most of the shacks in town, yet seemed to be considerably¡­ less. Marks and holes clearly stained the walls, and in places it was so thin that he wondered how it was even strong enough to hold the roof in place.

    The door was built from the same clay like substance, and barely stood apart from the wall. When he tried to open it, the door fell right off from the hinges collapsing inwards. Matt expected it to shatter as it hit the solid ground within, yet surprisingly it landed with a solid thud, rising the dust from the floor. Firmly it remained in one piece, as if in spite of the laws of the universe.

    ¡°Ah, again?¡± A man within, called out at the sound of the falling door. ¡°Can make clay as hard as I want, but still can¡¯t make a hinge for the life of me.¡±

    The lithe man stood a little shorter than Matt, with matte black hair and a face accented with sharp features. He eagerly turned to Matt a small smile on his face as he introduced himself. ¡°Well, hello there. I¡¯m Dvell.¡±

    The man offered his hand towards Matt, who hesitated in the face of the man¡¯s pace.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already met Lukur, his job is to be grumpy. I like to make up for it, I just wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the sombre mood of this place otherwise.¡±

    Matt carefully returned the man¡¯s hand shake, as he¡¯d learnt to do. ¡°I¡¯m Matt,¡± He replied to the man, ¡°You¡¯re the¡­ lead engineer?¡±

    ¡°Haha,¡± He smirked at Matt¡¯s words, ¡°He¡¯s still using that term, is he? Anyway, come inside, close the door if you can. Once you¡¯re done with that, I¡¯ve got some more work, there¡¯s no time to waste on anything that isn¡¯t productive or joyful.¡± The man quickly handed the door to Matt before returning to his work.

    Matt hesitated for a moment, looking at the clay slab in his hands. On close inspection, the hinges had been built from the same clay that the door was built from, but they were far too misshapen to be able to do their job properly. It seems that when he tried opening it earlier, the door jumped from its hinges because of the imperfections in the clay.

    Taking up a nearby hand tool Matt worked on the material, attempting to shape it properly into something that might hold and smooth out the lumps that should never have been allowed in the first place. Dvell, the supposed engineer, was working on his own projects nearby, mixing various materials together and crushing them with a mortar and pestle. Nothing that would explain the secrecy that Lukur was imposing on the camp.

    In as little time as possible Matt returned the door to the doorframe, opening and closing it a few times to test its resilience. It still resisted movement more than it should and jumped a little at the motion, but it seemed to hold to the doorframe well enough for now.

    ¡°Good work on that.¡± Dvell called out enthusiastically, running over to check out the door himself. His youth apparent in his eager motions as he swung the door in and out excitedly, ¡°Ahhh, you won¡¯t believe just how satisfying this is.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be best to get proper hinges.¡± Matt remarked recalling the old metal hinges on the doors at the inn he stayed at.

    ¡°I told Lukur that I could make an entire house from clay.¡± He straightened his back rather sharply before continuing, ¡°I¡¯m not going to ask for his help now unless it¡¯s urgent.¡± Even Matt could hear the pride in his voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been asking for a proper assistant for days, the only thing I did ask of him, and it took him long enough as it was. Anyway, we don¡¯t get the luxury of rest, so we¡¯re jumping right onto the next task, I hope you can keep up.¡± Without so much as a pause he quickly poured the mixture he¡¯d been working with into a small vial continuing to hum some catchy tune as he worked.

    ¡°This is a kind of solidifying agent,¡± he said, carefully mixing it by hand, refusing to let it settle, ¡°Though this is only the first step.¡±

    He gave Matt the mixture to keep stirring while he gathered together some other equipment. ¡°Usually referred to as alchemy, it¡¯s actually a carefully calculated science. Tell me, what do you know, or think you know about alchemy?¡±

    His question caught Matt off guard as he focused on stirring the mixture in his hands, ¡°I don¡¯t really know anything about it.¡±

    Dvell looked up at him with a smile, ¡°Good answer, even I don¡¯t always know what I think I know about it. So it¡¯s always important to keep an open mind. Alchemy is mostly just about mixtures, measurements, and timing. Little different from cooking, actually.¡±

    Matt nodded along, as the man pulled out a large metal pot from under a pile of others much like it. ¡°Pour it in here,¡± he ordered while continuing his speech.

    ¡°I can already make a craftsman¡¯s clay; anyone can, with the right recipe.¡± Dvell quickly poured in a vials worth of clear liquid into the mix, ¡°Keep mixing this.¡±

    As he worked, Matt noticed the clay gaining volume as it mixed with the vials contents. ¡°The problem I was hired to solve involved the qualities of the clay and that¡¯s what we¡¯re working on now. You see ordinary clay is a soft material, even when fired, it can be cut through with a blade or shattered with only a little force.

    ¡°Stone and steel don¡¯t have these issues but nonetheless have issues of their own. Components of each can¡¯t be easily joined together without weakness, and in the case of steel, it cannot be produced in sufficient quantity. So we¡¯re stuck with clay.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we have to accept its qualities. By mixing it with silver under the appropriate conditions, it can become harder than hardened steel. Which is what I¡¯m currently recreating. Yesterday and today, I¡¯ve been working on keeping this hardened clay malleable for long enough that it can be transported to the wall and used by the craftsmen working there.

    ¡°There is no point to an unshaped clump of hardened clay, but a wall of it is perhaps one of the strongest defences a city could have.¡±

    ¡°Since this is only a testing phase, we are only producing small amounts but, we¡¯ll soon be producing this at construction quantities so watch what you¡¯re doing carefully.¡±

    While Matt mixed the pot, Dvell quickly dipped a blade into the mixture before painting a small section of scroll with it. ¡°Keep mixing,¡± He ordered Matt, as he touched a gem at the side of the pot, focusing wholly upon the glowing gem.

    Matt did as ordered, keeping the mixture from setting as Dvell focused on his side of the work. Obviously, the process relied on some kind of chemical reaction, changing the properties of the clay so that it hardened into something with more resilient qualities.

    The gentle glow of the gemstone shifted as Dvell finally released it, seeming not so much to reflect the flames beneath, but rather release a glimpse of a flame caged inside. Other than the use of the strange gem, this process seemed to be nothing more than an ancient method of concrete production, involving slightly different materials.

    Matt kept stirring the mixture for another few minutes while Dvell focused on the glowing red gem. Gradually the clay thickened until Matt had trouble even removing the large spoon he¡¯d been mixing with.

    ¡°Good, good. Four minutes, 10 seconds.¡± For a moment Matt¡¯s mind reeled as it attempted to convert the time systems to his own. ¡°Rigidity test.¡± He placed the small painted piece of clay into a strange device.

    The length of clay was attached to clamps at both ends, staged so that weights could be added to weigh down one side. ¡°Testing starting at 10kg,¡± He murmured, scrawling down notes in his pad as he talked.

    ¡°The clay¡­ iiis holding¡± Dvell mumbled watching it carefully, ¡°Matt, add another 5kg.¡± Matt followed Dvell¡¯s orders, adding weight to the small piece of clay while suppressing his headache from the conversions. In that process, they kept adding more and more weight to the test, until finally at 55kg it split.

    Dvell inspected the clay without any appearance of frustration, ¡°Clean split, no signs of crumbling.¡± The man smiled, ¡°Success so far, let¡¯s try this now.¡± He pulled out a small pot of clear mixture, painting it onto the broken ends of the clay.

    ¡°Hold that together for a moment.¡± He ordered Matt, as he readjusted his tools. As Matt held the broken length of clay, the ends seemed to soften, only for moment as they merged into one another. A slight bump was moulded into the clay where it had broken, as it hardened back into its original state.

    ¡°Testing for repairability.¡± Dvell murmured, as he repeated the process. This time lasting until the weight hit 50kg.

    ¡°Strength seemed to be maintained,¡± he mumbled, ¡°Residual damage from the previous test seems to have caused the break.¡± He said pointing out that the new break was formed at the edges of where the repair had taken place.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    After this test was finished he threw the broken piece back into the pot before mixing it with the clear liquid he¡¯d used earlier for repairs. ¡°It¡¯ll only stay liquid for so long, quickly paint it onto the wall while you can. There are still far too many leaks in this¡­ cosy abode.¡± He cringed at his own phrasing.

    Matt followed orders, quickly applying the paste to the wall. ¡°Is this place made of this stuff?¡±

    ¡°Old experiments? yeah.¡± Dvell mumbled as he began work on a new mixture. ¡°We¡¯re getting close to a perfect mixture, just have to figure out how to use less silver for the mass production version.¡±

    As the clay was getting thicker Matt rushed to rid himself of all that remained, he was barely able to scrape out the majority of it before it hardened. This clay was far different from what he¡¯d grown used to, even the clay he¡¯d cleaned up on the door was far softer than this.

    ¡°Clean out the pot. You¡¯re going to have to use this.¡± He told Matt, passing another container of clear liquid. ¡°I need it as clean as you can get it, I can¡¯t afford to taint the results with tainted data¡­ Oh and don¡¯t touch that gem I can¡¯t afford for you to mess with the settings.¡± He quickly put on a glove and removed the gem from the pots side making sure not to touch it with his skin.

    Again, Matt followed orders. Although following orders was nothing new for him, it was strange to be participating in such a strange activity. Making the materials for construction was something for machines to do. Not the kind of task that was wasted with manpower.

    Still adjusting to the strangeness of it all, he busily worked away on the pot, careful of where the gem that had been encased. With the assistance of the clear material, Matt was able to clean out the pot with ease. Leaving it shining in no time at all.

    After finishing with the task Matt focused his attentions on the small red gem that had been encrusted into the metal of the pot, where it now sat on the bench. It glowed with a dull light, there was something strangely familiar about it, but he couldn¡¯t quite identify what it was. Lines were scratched into the gem, closed patterns forming various mazed forms around the central point where the glow originated from.

    As strange as it seemed to be, decorating such a beaten-up pot with gems, Matt had to remind himself that this was an alien world. Already he was surrounded by strange customs and habits, this was no stranger than the others. Still the man seemed to infer that the gem was actually important to the experiment itself, rather than just ornamentation.

    ¡°Is it clean yet? We have more experiments, yet to be completed.¡± The man called out in a clear and loud voice, the song he¡¯d been humming still evident in his voice.

    ¡°Coming.¡± Matt replied, wiping the inside of the pot clean with a nearby cloth.

    For the next few hours they continued with the experiments, one after another, following the same pattern as before. As they continued Matt noticed that the man didn¡¯t have anything to keep time with, no form of clock or counter yet he seemed to consistently know how much time had passed.

    As they both worked hard, Dvell began conversing, ¡°You¡¯re a rather focused worker aren¡¯t you, no back talk or questions¡­ What is that you want to get out of this?¡± He asked as he mixed another variation. ¡°Are you seeking to join the army? The guard unit?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Thinking about his time here, Matt tried to come up with a believable answer. Searching for an answer he was reminded of his earlier conversation with Lilith, ¡°I need money¡­ to survive.¡±

    The concept still seemed strange to him, but Dvell gave a little laugh in reply, ¡°Don¡¯t we all. Are you satisfied? You know, with just surviving?¡±

    A pause continued as he thought about his reply, ¡°Not really.¡± Every day his objective seemed to be getting further and further away from him, no matter how much he did what he thought was right.

    ¡°If you became a soldier after this, would that be enough for you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Matt replied, after all, he¡¯d already given up on being a soldier for this path that he was following.

    ¡°If you have the ambition, there are other ways to live. Things you could do to make life better for yourself, and the people around you.¡± Dvell told him, ¡°Though, it will take¡­ sacrifices¡­ but having the power to save people. It can be worth it.¡± For a moment his eyes grew distant, as if haunted by some old memory. A feeling he could empathise with.

    Matt hesitated unsure about how to reply to the man¡¯s sudden seriousness.

    ¡°I would be willing to teach you, if you are willing to learn.¡± Dvell murmured, handing him another pot of clay. ¡°This one is weak, use it carefully.¡±

    Matt hesitated yet again in his reply. The man¡¯s voice was weak, lonely even, Matt could tell that he wanted someone to share his burdens with.

    ¡°I have no reason to turn you down, but why me?¡± Matt asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t really know. You¡¯re quiet, you¡¯re hardworking, and there¡¯s¡­ an atmosphere about you. I already knew Lukur wouldn¡¯t send anyone unless they were special, but you remind me a little of myself, of how I was¡­¡± He smiled but for once it lacked the joy that he¡¯d been dripping with until now.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how long I can stay here for.¡± He replied, he¡¯d already made so many commitments and he found himself unable to lie to the man. ¡°There are things that I have to work towards, and I don¡¯t know how much time I have before it becomes too late.¡± Thinking over the man¡¯s strange offer he couldn¡¯t sense any ill intention, yet his suspicions about mages left him uncertain.

    For a moment he tried to imagine how it would be accepting this man¡¯s offer. It was hard to imagine a life in construction, yet still it seemed endearing to him. Building things, rather than destroying them. Living a life where he could be proud of something that he¡¯s done.

    It was all too farfetched, a fairy-tale even. He was a soldier, and even now that he¡¯d left, he could do nothing but fight. Staying here for too long would be abandoning his duty to his people, something that he could not do. Not to mention, he still had to find evidence of mages for the Knights.

    ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, you¡¯re already mixed into things. Even if only a little, it couldn¡¯t hurt to learn something while you¡¯re here.¡± He smiled knowingly at Matt, which only confused him and filled him with further suspicions.

    ¡°I guess so.¡± It felt wrong to ask the man what he meant, afraid that he might just be edging into something dangerous. Afraid that the man might know his secrets. With his mixed connections between the demons, Knights, and his own people he couldn¡¯t afford for anyone to discover just how badly he was intertwined between them all.

    ¡°Anyway, I have some more work to do, things that you can¡¯t help with. The others that you came with are likely done already as well, feel free to make some friends. We¡¯ll continue this work, and this conversation, tomorrow.¡± He waved Matt outside with a smile.

    Matt left the room behind, looking around the rest of their camp properly for the first time. They were positioned along the length of a small river, ten metres wide but no more deep than the height of a man¡¯s knee. The waters bubbled as they ran downstream, small fish like creatures occasionally swimming to the surface unafraid of his presence standing above them.

    Dangerous thoughts threatened him in those waters as his eyes and ears drifted away to a distant place.

    Matt focused his mind on the plants around him, a welcome distraction from the flowing rivers. His eyes forcedly redirected to the alien sight.

    Most of the plants had red tinged leaves, though the cores were always of a bright green, yet there were many that strayed from this. Leaves of dark purple he could see high up in the canopy, with thin and delicate leaves of yellow in stray bunches. The difference of the colouration something that caught the eye, but the difference in species that was visible in just this one area caught his heart. It was so much different from what he was used to back in his little habitat on Earth, where there were so few species of trees that he could count them on a single hand.

    It was impossible for him to tell the poisonous from the nutritious, something that might cause him some issues if life ended up getting rough. There seemed to be no fruits, berries or flowers in the nearby trees, but that didn¡¯t mean that it was lacking in colour. Many of the leaves were as bright as the flowers he¡¯d seen in records from the old world.

    A Kriker settled down on a nearby branch eyeing him with its dark little eyes as it pecked at a juicy purple leaf. The flesh of the greenery something more than a normal leaf but not so much as that of a fruit. Matt hesitantly pulled a leaf from the lower branches of the same plant.

    It was soft to the touch, and filled with liquid. A slow drip formed at the edges of the where he¡¯d plucked it. It didn¡¯t take long for the liquid to thicken and form a seal at the base of the leaf.

    The Kriker eyed the leaf enviously as Matt stood silently examining the strange flora. The creature crawled down to him, hanging off the side of a tree, sinking it¡¯s claws deep into the bark. He carefully offered the leaf to the creature, watching with a little concern how the creature might react.

    With a swift motion, it snapped the leaf from his hand and took flight, leaving him behind as soon as it won its prize. Matt wondered about the creature, from its appearance, he¡¯d already assumed that it was carnivorous but it had been chewing on that leaf for long enough that he was second guessing his assumptions.

    ¡°Interesting creatures, aren¡¯t they?¡± Arcide said as he wandered towards Matt, ¡°There aren¡¯t any around where I grew up, though I do remember coming across one once that a traveller had tamed for a pet.¡±

    ¡°Are they dangerous?¡± Matt turned to see that Arcide¡¯s clothes were stained in filth.

    ¡°Not enough to be concerned about.¡± Arcide looked pensively up at the canopy, ¡°I have heard of them attacking children, and the elderly on occasion but even then not often.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re finished work?¡± Matt asked, looking around the camp. Countless labourers were settling down by campfires, clothes stained by the mud that they worked in.

    ¡°Yeah a while ago actually, I¡¯m acting as Lukur¡¯s assistant at the moment. He¡¯s got me doing a lot of odd jobs around the place, but it¡¯s not so bad. What about you? I overheard that you were helping the ¡®lead engineer¡¯.¡±

    Matt nodded, ¡°Dvell, he seems like a nice person. I¡¯m not sure how much I should say but I was mostly just mixing clay and cleaning all day long.¡±

    Arcide smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s hope that it stays so boring and mindless here. Maybe it¡¯s time we should settle down with the rest of the men.¡± He was clearly hesitant in his step as he gradually made his way to the nearest firepit.

    They were wordlessly welcomed into the group, a man offering them each a dented bowl of broth as they entered the fires light. What few conversations could be heard were of such varied language that Matt had difficulty making any sense of it.

    Arcide quickly held his bowl up and chugged down his food as if he¡¯d been recently starved, his motions grand as he threw down his bowl. ¡°It¡¯s too quiet.¡± He loudly cried out, walking up to the fire.

    Already having gathered attention from the group of men, who¡¯d been quietly attending their meals, he turned his back to the fire and kicked a small seat into position near the fire. With practiced flourish a long pipe suddenly appeared in his hands, the pipe around the length of his arm was fashioned with a series of holes along it¡¯s body.

    Before anyone could question him, he began to play. Music springing suddenly to the air as he stirred the fire with his foot. The tune was quick and lively, drawing the crowd in as someone nearby began to sing in an unfamiliar language.

    The men who¡¯d been spread out before, were now gathering closer to one another. Speaking a dozen different languages but most fitting to the tune set by Arcide¡¯s instrument. Quite suddenly, Matt found himself a distance from the rest of the group, sipping at his meal and watching them in wonder.

    ¡°I had hoped one of you would bring some much needed life to this camp.¡± The man¡¯s grey hair shining in the flickering light. The man Matt soon recognised as Lukur, their officer, sat down beside him eyes watching Arcide as he played.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t joining the rest of them?¡± The man spoke slowly, his voice low and gentle.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not familiar with the song.¡± He replied, listening to the tune enchanted by Arcide¡¯s movements as his fingers danced along the length of his instrument.

    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Lukur mumbled thoughtfully. ¡°There are people here from almost every known land. I can¡¯t even count on my fingers the number of languages they all speak and yet¡­¡± He looked to the crowd singing along to the familiar tune.

    ¡°Matt,¡± Lukur spoke gently as he sat by his side. He stroked his beard thoughtfully as his words forged slowly, carefully. ¡°Is something bothering you.¡±

    The fire crackled and the birds called out somewhere up high in the canopy above.

    ¡°No.¡± He finally after much too long a pause, bringing the older man to laughter.

    ¡°You¡¯re not very talented at lying.¡± He slapped Matt on the shoulder gently, ¡°If you¡¯re worried about anything, just talk to me about it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Matt reiterated, ¡°I¡¯m a little tired from the work, there¡¯s no reason to be concerned about me.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, you talk like someone high born.¡± He looked over to Matt the coals reflecting in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about though, just do as your told and don¡¯t get yourself mixed in with the wrong people.¡±

    ¡°Who are the right people?¡±

    ¡°Those that can tell good from bad, and right from wrong.¡± He replied turning to focus on Arcide¡¯s performance.

    Left with a such a strange riddle Matt stared into the fire for a while longer thinking, as he grew deaf to the music. Right, wrong, good, bad. They all depend upon perspective. That¡¯s what he¡¯d thought for a long while now, that¡¯s what he¡¯d learned with Ren and the others by his side.

    According to the system, humanities survival is the ultimate good. Anything that puts human survival at risk is bad, even if that includes individuality, emotion, and the lives of a few thousand people.

    He¡¯d learnt to think differently, that there were other things to value in the world.

    His thoughts inevitably traced back to Ren, the one who taught him this and so much more.

    Save them. Save them. Save them.

    His mind slowly filled with her words, a painful echo from an unreachable past. Right and wrong. Good and bad. He¡¯d already chosen what that meant to him, and right now, all he could do was move forwards. Find out where they were with the help of the Knights and save them from this world.

    ¡°Matt, where are you?¡± He blindly searched the dark forest around him, looking for the source of the voice, only to realize it had originated from within his own skull.

    ¡°Lilith.¡± He thought while keeping his mouth stitched shut.

    ¡°Who else would it be?¡± her thoughts revealed her avid frustration, ¡°Meet me at the edge of the camp.¡± Her words tethered in the direction she wanted him to go.

    Matt didn¡¯t bother with a reply, following that tether towards the edge of camp. By now most of the other labourers were busy singing, the few who strayed from the pack avoided eye contact as they stared into horizons only visible to them.

    Matt carefully looked around for Lukur, uncertain as to where the man might have wondered after their conversation ended. If there was any threat to him being found, it came from Lukur. After all, Matt was a spy, and he, the military officer of this camp.

    Matt stood carefully at the edge of the tree line, making certain that no one had taken undue notice of him. Above the insects and lizard like creatures shuffled branches and cried out in a million different voices, drowning out the music and song that carried only so far as the fires light.

    After waiting for a few more minutes he slowly moved, slipping out of the camp. He strode with confidence rather than masking his presence. If he were seen, it would be better explained as a stroll through the night if he wasn¡¯t to act suspiciously.

    The hair on the back of his neck stood at attention as night surrounded him; in one short moment cutting away all the fires light and music. Darkness forging invisible fangs and claws from the shadows of leaves and branches. The motions of small critters, running through the bushes could easily be mistaken for the motions of predators.

    Thinking back to his first day in this world he was reminded of the monstrous creature that had clung to the tree trunks and flung itself through the air at tremendous speed. Warily his eyes searched for unfamiliar shadows that might describe such a creature.

    Thankfully his paranoia was not long lived, as a motion well explained filled the bush ahead of him, leading him closer by mental leash. There was no mistaking her from the creatures that ran rampant through the night.

    And with careful eye he could even see the hellfire that smouldered in her armour as she strode through the darkness.

    ¡°You¡¯re rather close to the camp, aren¡¯t you?¡± He asked her with lowered voice, careful of their surroundings.

    ¡°Hardly,¡± She replied, her silhouette emerging from the nearby shadows, ¡°What have you found?¡±

    ¡°Nothing you¡¯d be interested in.¡± He replied, thinking back on his mundane day spend mixing clay, as he continued to scan their surroundings.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother with the trees, there¡¯s no one around.¡± She told him forcefully, ¡°You found nothing?¡±

    ¡°I spent the day making clay, it was¡­ enlightening.¡±

    Lilith sighed, a hand to her face as she thought things through, ¡°Keep looking!¡±

    ¡°What¡­ what is it that I¡¯m looking for?¡±

    Lilith groaned at his question, ¡°Krilm, you really are an imbecile. Magic. You are looking for magic and those that practice it.¡±

    ¡°I know that much. But what is magic? If someone throws a fireball I can guess that it¡¯s probably magic, but what else does magic do? Does it make a person fly? Does it come out from the end of a staff of stick? What is magic?¡±

    Lilith looked at him, he could feel his thoughts filling her mind, the mystical tales from his world swirling around under her careful scrutiny. He waited patiently, trying to understand what it was that she actually wanted.

    Their conversation was ended short by the sound of approaching footsteps coming from the direction of the camp. Lilith had disappeared in a heartbeat, quickly disguising herself behind the veil of leaves offered by the dense forest.

    ¡°There you are. Came out here for some fresh air?¡± Arcide asked, grabbing Matt¡¯s shoulder in a light grip.

    ¡°Ah¡­ yeah.¡±

    ¡°Well, be careful,¡± He thoughtfully scanned the forest around them, ¡°They¡¯re some dangerous people you seem to be acquainted with.¡±

    ¡°Not as dangerous as your friends.¡± Matt replied, earning him a strange glance from the man.

    ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t ever remember introducing¡­¡±

    ¡°Sashella is back in town.¡± Matt cut him short. Arcide fell over his own feet upon hearing that one name.

 Chapter 23 - Spies and Stalkers

    Spies and Stalkers

    ¡°Does she know I¡¯m here?!?¡± Arcide demanded in panic, ¡°Where did you see her last?¡± He took hold of Matt¡¯s shoulders with unusual strength, as if to keep him from running away.

    ¡°I. No, I met her outside the city,¡± Matt replied, looking into the man¡¯s feverish eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know how she missed you, to tell you the truth.¡± For fear of his own wellbeing, Matt pried the mans fingers apart, freeing himself from Arcide¡¯s maniacal grip.

    ¡°You¡¯re giving me chills.¡± He replied, eyes scanning the nearby shadows filled with apprehension and no little paranoia. His glare filled with such emotion that Matt imagined that he might just see through the trees themselves. ¡°Are you certain?¡± He asked, his voice firm yet wavering.

    ¡°As certain as I could be. I spoke with her for more than a short time, and even became acquainted with her pet. Riffle I believe it was called.¡± At the sound of the creatures name, Arcide visibly trembled.

    ¡°As a matter of detail, though I could not be sure, I thought that I had seen her as we were walking to the gathering area. Only moments after that trouble in town.¡±

    Arcide¡¯s wary eyes doubled in pace as he scanned across the forest, gulping audibly he called out with sure voice, ¡°You¡¯re there, are you not? Sashella.¡±

    ¡°What are you-?¡± Matt made to ask but was shushed with a hand by Arcide, who continued to search blindly in the darkness. Quiet whispers of rustling leaves, cries and caws of countless creatures filled the calm nights air. With patience waning, Matt listened for what might stand apart from this cacophony of nature.

    ¡°Chyaaaa.¡± A whisper unlike that of the others, emanated from a nearby bush. ¡°You found me.¡± The human voice clearly defined, and frightfully familiar.

    ¡°Oh, Seri above!¡± Arcide cried out, losing his footing and falling backwards a step. With feminine grace, the woman stepped apart from the shadows that had worn as naturally as any predator.

    Arcides complexion turned noticeably pale, even in the darkness of night. His voice without confidence, he looked up to the woman that had so casually stalked him, with the most casual of ease. ¡°How long¡­ how long have you been?¡± He could not force the question out whole, as if to voice it would give it reality.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d say that it¡¯s been a good, 5 weeks since we last had the pleasure of conversation. You had asked for space, but I could not live without you¡¯re voice, so I have been satisfying both.¡± She brushed the dirt from her dress, which from appearances was for too ornate to be used for such a task as crawling through the forest.

    ¡°You have enjoyed your freedom, no?¡± She asked Arcide with such a brilliant smile painting her face that it illuminated the dark air around them.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± Arcide replied, his terror beginning to fade, replaced by an aura of vigilance.

    Strangely Sashella seemed almost immune to his terror and his caution both. Either she could not see it or did not mind.

    ¡°Well you could say, ¡®oh how I¡¯ve missed you my love. It has been for far too long, let me hold you in my arms¡¯¡± her performance only complete as she turn and fell backwards towards Arcide, trusting that he catch her.

    He did not, instead turning quickly on his foot and sidestepping the woman¡¯s affections.

    Before she hit the dirt at their feet, Riffle appeared in sudden rush catching Sashella, upon his back. The creatures abrupt appearance only a little less unsettling, than that of Sashella herself.

    Having been saved from her fall, Sashella, tightly gripped her pet in a firm embrace. ¡°Just can¡¯t admit your love for me, can you?¡± She argued light heartedly, staring at Arcide as she scratched Riffle¡¯s back.

    There was no reply to her question, as Arcide stared instead at the forest opposite her. Unwilling to show her his face.

    With a weary sigh, Shashella turned instead to Matt. ¡°In any case, it¡¯s lovely to see you and Lilith getting along so well. She¡¯s not so good at making friends as she used to be, and is so serious now. Completely unlike how she was when I first met her.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Matt¡¯s voice broke and he felt panic run along his spine, ¡°You saw that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I certainly did. Lilith!¡± She cried out to the shadows, ¡°You can come out now, my dearly beloved isn¡¯t the kind to cause problems, I promise you.¡±

    The knight that had supposedly already left, unexpectedly appeared from another set of shadows. ¡°Of cause he wouldn¡¯t, if anyone here is the cause of problems...¡± She glared silent accusations at the woman who¡¯d revealed her.

    ¡°Oh Seri, this is too much.¡± Arcide exclaimed in shock, the Knight standing before him with such presence that he again stepped back tripping on a tree root. His fall landing him in Sashella¡¯s waiting arms.

    As he was still recovering from the shock Sashella wrapped her arms around him, holding him up. ¡°No need to be rude, dear,¡± Sashella played with his hair while speaking, ¡°Arcide, this is Lilith, an old friend of mine. Lilith, this is Arcide my fated partner.¡±

    Matt watched on, shocked by the woman¡¯s confidence as she introduced them, while clinging onto Arcide no less. He had the feeling that she would one day introduce them to a literal demon with the same casual charm.

    ¡°Now that everyone¡¯s introduced¡­¡± she lifted Arcide back onto his feet and snatched both his hand and Lilith¡¯s, ¡°We should do something together!¡±

    Lilith clearly unimpressed attempted worthlessly to shake her hand free, while Arcide had already given up control of the situation. For all his complaints about the girl, he was still holding her hand without complaint.

    ¡°I¡­ but¡­¡± Arcide attempted to find words without any clear result.

    ¡°We¡¯re not in a very good place¡­ we shouldn¡¯t even be meeting here.¡± Matt tried as he might to keep Sashella from ruining their positions in this camp, if they were to be found, Lilith would likely have to save them from the guards attempts at executions.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± She cried out passionately but with at least some modicum of restraint to her volume. ¡°We need to relocate! I know a place we could go nearby.¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t allowed to leave this area,¡± Matt replied to her, trying to keep firm his position with weakening argument.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go worrying yourself on something so little. We should be fine since it¡¯s not too far. No one¡¯s around here anyway so it¡¯ll be fine.¡± She smiled, ¡°Trust me.¡±

    Those words made Matt hesitate more than any other, but with Lilith following along complacently he couldn¡¯t help but do the same.

    ¡°I need to make things clear to all of you fools, so come along nice and easy.¡± Lilith¡¯s voice was filled with murder, making Matt re-evaluate his assumptions of her complacency.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so rude,¡± Sashella stepped up to the Knight with a powerful tone to her voice, ¡°We¡¯re all friends here.¡± Her audacious claim was strange to Matt¡¯s ears, and for the first time he hesitated to accept another person¡¯s supposed friendship.

    Arcide said as much as Matt was thinking, ¡°I can live without being friends to some of the people here.¡± He murmured beneath his breath.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Sashella asked, turning her head back to face him.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± He answered, looking away from her piercing smile.

    Ahead of them Lilith was sullenly striding forwards trying as she might to avoid the conversation as it flowed around her. He could feel residual thoughts flowing from her mind, but he tried to push them aside.

    Riffle was walking nearby attempting to get Lilith¡¯s attention as it strode nearby, constantly glancing her direction. It¡¯s affection for her evident in the way it persistently rubbed up against her.

    It hadn¡¯t taken much time before they were shepherded into another area. A small opening between the trees with a gathering of rocks at perfect height for sitting, it almost seemed as if the place at been prepared. Looking up Matt could even see Seri¡¯s light through the canopy above.

    ¡°How did you find this place?¡± Lilith asked, as Sashella lay down upon one of the rocks.

    ¡°I wanted to find a nice romantic place to draw my darling out to.¡± She replied without hint of shame to her voice. Arcide groaned in reply obviously unimpressed by her affections.

    Lilith didn¡¯t look all that impressed herself, ¡°Why are you messing around here, surely you know how dangerous these people could be?¡± Her voice was strict as she lectured Sashella.

    ¡°Risk is a part of love.¡± Arcide looked tempted to run away but Riffle was already herding him back.

    ¡°Enough of that nonsense, why?¡± Lilith asked her again, ¡°I know you, remember?¡±

    Sashella sighed as she looked down at the rock beneath her, ¡°I guess you can see through it.¡± Her face was serious for the first time in Matt¡¯s recollection. Surprisingly even Arcide was looking at her with a new light for that moment.

    She smiled again, forcing back the reality that had been leaking through. ¡°What does it matter, does it change anything at all, anyway?¡± She turned to Lilith, ¡°What are you doing here, isn¡¯t that a better topic? You¡¯ve still got to convince me and Arcide to go along with your little plan, yes?¡±

    ¡°Plan?¡± Arcide asked, suddenly curious as he turned to Matt, instead of Lilith.

    ¡°I¡­ ah¡­¡± Matt hesitated as he tried to design a believable explanation.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to concern yourself with.¡± Lilith spoke at Arcide, walking up to him with heavy step, and glowing eyes. The stama on her skin racing faster and faster in the blue light of Seri.

    As if to undermine her intimidation, Riffle leapt up to her, seeking her attention with high pitched whining, to which Sashella giggled.

    Lilith was forced back a step, hands held out to the side uncertainly. She looked down to the creature, who stared up at her with loving eyes. ¡°Down. Down.¡± She ordered it as it tried to lick at her hands.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember you being so big.¡± The creature crooned joyfully at her words before rubbing up against her again. Heartlessly she pushed the creature away.

    ¡°I remember when you used to show Riffle more love than I ever did. At least give him some pats.¡± Shashella said, walking over to the lonely creature. Her scratching and soothing, calming the creatures upset whines.

    ¡°What is this about a plan? I don¡¯t want to be involved with anymore political nonsense, let alone the disasters that always happen around you.¡± Arcide stared towards Sashella with his accusations.

    As if playing innocent, she waved her hands before her, ¡°No, no, I have nothing to do with it this time. I just happened to over hear some details is all.¡±

    Lilith glared at her, ¡°How come, I never sensed you?¡±

    Sashella continued her act of innocence as she was surrounded, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, remember we used to play hide and seek as children. Surely you remember that you¡¯ve not once caught me, that¡¯s just how it is.¡±

    Lilith offered no further questions, yet her eyes continued to glare.

    ¡°As to your question,¡± She turned to address Arcide, ¡°They¡¯re searching for mages. With the walls down and the city in such terrible trouble, they want to see an end to the people who would make use of this disaster.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s part of the issue, but more than that, there are known to be some particularly evil mages in the area. Particularly some that used human¡¯s as a housing for their explosive enchantments, such monsters cannot be allowed within the borders of any civilized nation.¡± She spoke with a burning passion, yet Matt could still remember her hesitance to kill the mages before.

    ¡°Yes, yes, we all understand that you¡¯re an upright little Knight who wouldn¡¯t do anything against her order. Though I can understand that these mages have been up to some extremely nasty business that must be stopped.¡± She turned to the two men who were struck speechless by the conversation thus far.

    ¡°So, you understand now. This is about finding evil people and showing them justice. Nothing to have any issues over; and don¡¯t worry, although she seems strict she won¡¯t hurt anyone unless they¡¯ve done something really bad. She even lets me get away with a little bit of magic now and again.¡± She smiled gleefully as she pulled out her pendant showing off the illicit charm.

    ¡°Sashella!¡± Lilith yelled at her.

    ¡°Keep your voice down, or someone might find us.¡± Sashella replied cheerfully, clearly unconcerned even if someone did. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it anyway, no one here will tell the other Knights that you¡¯ve been naughty.¡±

    Arcide sighed as he stared down at his feet wandering what he¡¯d walked into, ¡°We all have our little secrets, but it does make me wonder why you¡¯re so determined to tell everyone yours.¡±

    ¡°Not everyone, just our friends. As they say, keeping secrets together is a great bonding experience. No better way to make friends that stay friends, than to know each other¡¯s secrets.¡± She kept on speaking as if it was nothing at all.

    ¡°Much like that pet of yours, Keht? Did you name it.¡± Matt and Arcide both froze in response. ¡°Keeping him hidden as you work and keeping him a secret is a great bonding experience you¡¯ll find out.¡±

    Lilith seemed curious, ¡°A pet?¡± Matt and Arcide both stared at Sashella begging her to remain quiet.

    ¡°We¡¯ll leave that topic for another day. It seems the boys are still far too shy to share that one with us.¡± She smiled at them both, ¡°But I would love to meet him myself one day.¡±

    They let out a sigh as she forced the conversation on in different directions.

    ¡°Back to topic, magic,¡± She mumbled thoughtfully, ¡°How will you know if you find your guy?¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°I¡¯ll investigate it in detail.¡± She replied shifting her armour and looking away.

    ¡°I see,¡± She smiled, ¡°So you¡¯re going to need Matt¡¯s help then.¡±

    ¡°I need to use him, yes.¡± Her phrasing was noticeably different from Sashella¡¯s.

    ¡°Arcide, did you notice anything magical about this place?¡± She suddenly turned to him, as if she wanted to be of actual help.

    ¡°Not really, they¡¯ve had me moving clay mostly. Also had to do some construction work but nothing really interesting.¡± He paused as he thought, ¡°Though the walls seem unnaturally strong.¡±

    ¡°Hardly sounds like magic.¡± Lilith mumbled, ¡°No fireballs or¡­ any other strange happenings?¡±

    Sashella looked to Lilith for a moment, ¡°You don¡¯t actually know what you¡¯re looking for, do you?¡± There was a smile on her face again as she stared up at Lilith.

    ¡°Something flashy. After their human bomb trick, I doubt they¡¯ll be subtle about it.¡±

    ¡°Well obviously,¡± She turned to Matt, ¡°You mentioned when talking to Lilith that you were making some of the clay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I was helping to test out new mixtures.¡±

    ¡°Did you notice anything strange about the process,¡± She asked of him, adding to Lilith¡¯s earlier questioning.

    Matt paused as he tried to pinpoint something, ¡°Everything,¡± He ended up replying.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s helpful,¡± Lilith let out a loud sigh rubbing at her forehead.

    ¡°Keep an eye out for anything particularly strange and don¡¯t be afraid to ask questions. You¡¯re so innocent I doubt anyone will actually suspect anything from you.¡± She moved on to Arcide, ¡°While you should just keep your head down. No need to anger these men like you did to Papa.¡±

    They all sighed at her words.

    ¡°Though keep your lovely ears open for some stray words. The truth might just be slipping through the walls as we speak. Unlike Lilith, I have no particular reason to be chasing after mages, but I cannot say that letting evil walk free is too appealing of a concept to me.¡±

    She began to pace back and forth, ¡°Therefore we should all work together to discover the secrets kept hidden here and then decide between us what to do about them.¡± Her words were filled with some heartfelt passion.

    Matt looked to Lilith, if any of them seemed likely to strike out on their own, she seemed the most likely culprit to him. Though, he had doubts that she would accept these conditions at all.

    ¡°So long as you don¡¯t get yourself caught or drag me into any of your troubles I have no reason to refuse your assistance. I cannot let any of the mages here slip free, not if they¡¯re responsible for anything so particularly bloody as has been seen in the city.¡± Her voice was firm, telling them that she¡¯d already made conclusions to the fates of the mages in question.

    ¡°What kind of mages do you think to find here?¡± Sashella asked turning to Lilith.

    ¡°From the particular magics, I suspect warlocks more than blood mages.¡± She mentioned turning from them.

    Matt, digging deeper into her thoughts found interpretations for her words.

    A warlock, according to her, was a mage that used the magical abilities of demons and other creatures of their dimension to gain power. Blood mages were the kind to have some innate abilities, usually attributed to their bloodlines. A person born into the power so to speak, they were usually far more dangerous in a battle as they had direct control over their magics.

    Warlocks on the other hand were specialists in quiet work, construction, sabotage and various other shadowy tasks that she herself was ignorant to. Yet even for this, they were considered far more dangerous due to their use of demons, which frequently claim control of the user in their attempts at magic.

    It is a tremendous strain for a Sasahara Knight to maintain control over their demons, it is no easier for a warlock, and there are far less safeties involved to monitor them. If a warlock were to grow desperate it wasn¡¯t unknown for them to push too far, too hard and be taken over by the demon. Which generally created a powerful monster in the process.

    ¡°Warlocks?,¡± Sashella mumbled thinking to herself. ¡°Well I guess we¡¯ll be finding something eventually.¡±

    ¡°Now boys keep an eye out for strange activities and try not to get too caught up with them. We don¡¯t want Lilith here questioning what side you¡¯re on, now do we?¡± She asked all too pleasantly.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Arcide showed Lilith the same level of respect as he pretended to show Sashella. ¡°You¡¯re work has protected my people countless times in the past. I will do what I can to assist you.¡± He bowed his head to her.

    Lilith didn¡¯t seem phased by the sudden use of formality, though as a former princess he supposed that she wouldn¡¯t. Matt merely nodded to her, ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡±

    Her eyes pierced him, glowing with life in the growing darkness. Overhead Seri¡¯s light had risen in the sky cutting through the canopy far more clearly than before.

    Lilith addressed him quite seriously, ¡°I¡¯m sure you have reasons well enough to find the men responsible on your own. You of all people witnessed their horrors after all.¡±

    All eyes turned to Matt as he relived those moments. When heat washed over his body, blinding him with white light, burning his armour away.

    Save Them.

    He looked back into the eyes of those around him.

    Lilith, who¡¯d proven herself a reliable companion. Kind, even though she called him names, and had covered him during the battle in the city.

    Arcide, as little as he wanted to admit, sharing a secret had made Matt more aware of him. He stood up for the people in town, even though he didn¡¯t know them, and even though they were outnumbered.

    Sashella, he couldn¡¯t tell when she was being serious and when she was joking half the time. She was ridiculously dangerous, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel affection for anyone that had genuine character. So completely unlike the mindless people of his own world.

    These people that might be considered friends if given more time.

    He nodded at Lilith¡¯s words, his chest empty where he knew he should be feeling grief. ¡°I want to know why,¡± were the words that eked from his mouth. ¡°I want to know why they did it, not some speculation but from their own mouths.¡± He spoke with a passion he didn¡¯t know was hiding in his chest.

    There was a silence for a time following, ¡°Well, you¡¯ll find an answer in time as long as you stick with Lilith. How you respond to that answer is up to you.¡± Sashella¡¯s voice was lowered as she spoke.

    Lilith turned her back to them staring into the shadows above and around suddenly on guard, ¡°Get down.¡± She whispered, looking to the sky as she drew the pistol from where she¡¯d hidden it on her person.

    Matt could feel the panic leaking from their tether, enough to have him lying on his belly in the mud before she¡¯d finished her warning. His knife was nestled in the palm of his hand waiting for a target to bleed.

    Sashella was next, pulling Riffle to the ground with her. Arcide followed after, with a moment¡¯s consideration for the mud he was diving into.

    Matt focused his mind, his senses seeking for the one thing that was off, the one detail that indicated danger. He watched Lilith, her motions firm and stiff as she carefully moved her arm, tracing an arc in the sky.

    The motion was familiar to him, the flight path of a drone. Her motions perfectly following the path in the sky.

    This continued for a few minutes before finally she replaced the weapon. ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡± She finally told them, easing up.

    ¡°What¡­ was that about?¡± Arcide asked, staring up into the skies as if expecting the stars to suddenly attack.

    ¡°I must ask the same, I couldn¡¯t see anything at all up there.¡± Sashella was staring up into the sky seeking a mirage that had since passed.

    ¡°It was a metal monster, on its own. Likely just scouting the area.¡± Lilith replied, looking to Matt who nodded his agreement. ¡°You should all be very careful from here on out.¡±

    Arcide and Sashella looked to each other, confused. Sashella was the first to ask, ¡°So this metal monster was like the ones that destroyed the city?¡±

    ¡°It seems so.¡± Lilith replied, ¡°Though thankfully it didn¡¯t want to kill us today.¡±

    Matt hesitated for a moment, chewing on his lip as he looked up to the sky. ¡°It would have seen us¡­ I can¡¯t imagine that it would normally ignore you.¡± He directed his words at Lilith.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked, her mind pressing on his own.

    ¡°You remember this morning, a little before sunrise?¡±

    ¡°Your¡­ people?¡± She asked, her pistol still clutched in hand.

    ¡°I¡­ I think it might have just been the one that I met earlier. He¡¯s probably keeping an eye on me, to make sure that I¡¯m not¡­¡±

    ¡°A traitor?¡± He nodded.

    Lilith¡¯s voice became strict, ¡°It is true that there hasn¡¯t been any flying around since that day... as if they¡¯ve retreated for now. If they¡¯re interested in you, how likely do you think it is that they¡¯ll attack?¡±

    Matt gulped whipping the sweat from his brow, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think it really matters how likely it is. If they attack all out, we can¡¯t do anything to counter their attack, or to run away. Not in any way that means anything at least.¡±

    ¡°Stop acting like that!¡± She strode up right up to him.

    ¡°Stop acting like what?¡±

    ¡°Like it¡¯s pointless! Like we can¡¯t fight back!¡± Standing beneath him, she glared up at him with strength. ¡°I know how powerful they are, but they aren¡¯t unbeatable. So, stop moaning about how bad it is.¡±

    ¡°What are they talking about?¡± Arcide whispered.

    ¡°Shush, it¡¯s getting interesting!¡±

    ¡°You are the one who told me that there¡¯s a chance. They aren¡¯t here in force yet, and you have no idea how strong we are!¡± Her words became more forceful as she continued. ¡°You¡¯re just mellowing in your own damn-¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± his whisper interrupted Lilith. As if realizing just how much she¡¯d said, she backed off, turning away from him.

    Matt breathed in deeply forcing a smile on his face, ¡°You¡¯re right, we can still win. We will win. We¡¯ll close that gate and stop them, whatever it takes.¡±

    ¡°So long as you¡¯re not backing out on me.¡± Lilith sighed shaking her head.

    ¡°As adorable as that all was¡­ what exactly are you two going on about? I picked up bits and pieces, but then Matt started talking gibberish and I got lost.¡± Sashella talked to them with the utmost cheer in her voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, you¡¯ve got me interested too.¡± Arcide looked apologetically at Matt, ¡°Though I think I know where you learnt to talk now. Not many people with that particular dialect.¡±

    Lilith, stood stiffly at the edge of their camp refusing to speak. Even so, he felt no particular need to keep it secret any longer considering how much they already knew. If for no other reason than to distract from their argument he began explain in as few words as he could.

    ¡°My people¡¯s invasion. We, I guess we were talking about how to stop it. How to make a stand against them.¡±

    ¡°Ahhh, that little issue.¡± Sashella said knowingly.

    ¡°So, you are¡­¡± Arcide mumbled.

    ¡°Well I don¡¯t know much but if they break the walls down too often I can¡¯t imagine people will be getting too much done in any short time. The knights fought them off once though, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡± Lilith cut in, unable to ignore the conversation. ¡°As I understand, that wasn¡¯t a victory by any measure.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t they forced to retreat? I can¡¯t imagine that they were able to-¡±

    ¡°Matt, explain it to them.¡± She ordered, stepping away.

    He paused looking over at her for a moment, ¡°I think what Lilith is referring to, is that they didn¡¯t retreat because they were frightened off or outpowered. The drones weren¡¯t really sent here to take the city or anything, it was more a show of force if anything.

    ¡°I suspected that it was because we¡¯d destroyed enough that they retreated, not because they couldn¡¯t win, but because it wasn¡¯t worth losing them. Now that I think back¡­ it¡¯s also possible that they finished their objective, and it wasn¡¯t a retreat at all¡­¡±

    The mismatched pair hung off his every word.

    ¡°You mean¡­¡±

    ¡°A dozen of us.¡± Lilith cut in, ¡°They were basically just throwing rocks, and a dozen of us died.¡±

    For the first time Matt saw what Sashella looked like when wordless. ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡±

    ¡°If they wanted to. They could vaporize every city in this world in moments. Or just march in and systematically cut down everyone in this world.¡± His words hit them like a slap. ¡°It¡¯s not all bad though, we have a chance to stop them. We just need to close the door, so to speak.¡±

    ¡°A door we can¡¯t see, can barely find and have no idea how or even if, it can be closed.¡± Lilith swallowed, ¡°But we will do it. When have the Sasahara knights failed.¡± She lifted up a front of bravado, but Matt knew the fear invading her heart, because it was the same as his in his own chest.

    ¡°Well, if there¡¯s ever anything that I can do to help. I can¡¯t even win a fist fight on my own, so this is¡­ but still, if there¡¯s any way I can help just tell me.¡± Arcide let out a long breath and sat back on one of the stones.

    ¡°Also, be careful around here from now on, that drone saw us, which means, my officer is likely to keep an eye on things here.¡± Matt said, looking over them all to make sure they understood.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that so much.¡± Sashella replied confidently. ¡°Besides, it didn¡¯t attack. So, your officer probably trusts you at least that much.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­¡±

    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s okay.¡± Sashella told him all too positively.

    ¡°By your own words, it wouldn¡¯t matter anyway.¡± Lilith told him, walking back over to them.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s move away from the morbid. Where you come from, what¡¯s it actually like?¡± Sashella asked, suddenly able to move past the world ending nature of their previous discussion.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ well the weapons are really powerful¡­ insanely powerful¡­¡±

    ¡°I said away from the morbid.¡±

    ¡°Well it¡¯s a part of what made my world what it was. It wasn¡¯t just the weapons that were really powerful, it was the machines. They made everything¡­ easier.

    ¡°The world¡¯s population kept growing until the cities overwhelmed the forests. I don¡¯t really know what happened next, but the world became sick. Air that was unbreathable, land that wouldn¡¯t grow, people killing each other.

    ¡°This was all before the System.¡±

    ¡°The System?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s their leader. Or something similar.¡± Lilith cut in, looking over to him for affirmation.

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to understand what the System is. We just obey, knowing that human kinds future takes priority over everything. After life was nearly annihilated, it was the most important thing.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to imagine the kinds of demons that would be born in a place like that.¡± Arcide murmured, shuddering.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t demons in my world.¡±

    ¡°No demons?¡± Sashella asked, ¡°Are they killed early, funeral rituals or¡­¡±

    ¡°No, they just don¡¯t exist. There are legends of something similar but it¡¯s probably not the same creatures.¡±

    ¡°Ha,¡± Sashella let out a loud derisive laugh, ¡°And people say demons are responsible for all evil. By the sound of it, your world is even worse than ours.¡±

    ¡°Evil. I¡¯m not sure I can really call my world evil. It¡­ doesn¡¯t deserve it. It¡¯s more¡­ empty. Dead but still moving.¡± Matt stared down at his hands. ¡°The food is just nutrition. Sleep is just maintenance. Living is just about serving the greater good of mankind.¡±

    They remained silent for a moment.

    ¡°What about Seri?¡± Sashella asked, ¡°Does her light¡­?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡±

    Arcide kicked around at the soil at his feet. ¡°I don¡¯t really mind who rules or what borders line a kingdom, but I¡¯m not sure I like the sound of what will become of this world if they do come over here.¡±

    Matt thoughtfully sat back looking up to the sky, ¡°At the moment, we¡¯re really just trying to find out more. To see if there is a way to fight back against them and close the door so they can¡¯t return.

    ¡°The Knights are strong but¡­ do you know of anything else that might be able to do something?¡± he asked.

    Arcide shrugged his shoulders shaking his head, ¡°The Knights are the strongest beings I know of.¡±

    Sashella sat back thoughtfully, staring up at the sky, ¡°There¡¯s always blood magic, but it¡¯s strange. The abilities vary as far as I¡¯m aware, I¡¯ve heard of some who are incredible warriors, but they are incredibly rare. If you want to close a door that even the Knights can¡¯t find, then the only way I might think of is by finding someone with peculiar abilities. Even then¡­¡±

    ¡°I guess it was too much to hope for.¡± Matt sighed looking up to the sky.

    ¡°Warlocks work in the same dimension¡¯s as demon¡¯s and Knights, so they won¡¯t be of particular help. Which is fortunate, since the Knights generally have good reason to hunt them.¡± She continued, ¡°I don¡¯t really know of much that could help unfortunately.¡±

    Letting out a sigh, Matt looked up to the dark sky, ¡°We should leave it at that today. I don¡¯t want to think what might happen if we get caught out here.¡±

    The others nodded in response clearly thoughtful about what they¡¯d been speaking about. Lilith faded into the darkness, while Arcide strode towards camp, Sashella chasing after him.

    Matt ensured that his own path back to camp strayed from Arcide enough to avoid the pair of them chatting quite amiably considering their tenuous relationship. Quite quickly, he found them consumed by the dense forest, bugs and critters of all kinds crying out loudly enough to drown out all other sound. Seri¡¯s light quickly shadowed by the thickening canopy.

    Matt breathed it all in, the animals and plants so varied that he could never hope to count them all. It was frightening, but thrilling. He found himself stumbling through the vines and bushes growing not quite so thickly as to slow him too considerably.

    More and more minutes passed by, making him increasingly anxious as the scene around him seemed a little too familiar. With increased pace he forced his way through the forest, scanning all around for some sign of where the camp had been.

    He paused, breath ragged as he scanned around for something familiar. The most important thing to do when lost, was to remain calm. He remembered how many people ran themselves ragged, or even sprinted off of blind cliffs while panicked.

    Taking a deep breathe he refocused himself. As he calmed down, he noticed a familiar sound. An unpleasant sound.

    The gurgling of water.

    Wincing, Matt walked towards the sound, nerves on edge. Each step bringing him closer to the river that had ran alongside the camp.

    Matt so focused upon the river, was startled as a creature swept down upon his shoulder. He almost swiped the lizard away before he recognised it¡¯s strange form.

    Matt, you seem lost. Keht, spoke into his mind, Do you need help?

    Calming his breathe, Matt looked away from where glimpses of water shone brightly with Seri¡¯s light. ¡°I suppose I might have gotten myself a little turned around. Thanks for coming.¡±

    I could sense something familiar in you, Keht spread out his wings licking at one. Fear happens to be my area of expertise.

    ¡°Fear.¡± Matt looked back towards where the river was masked by the dense forestry, ¡°I guess I¡¯m still not over it yet.¡± He smiled as he forced himself to walk towards where the river was still flowing.

    What happened? Keht, irritated by the branches Matt was walking him into, took flight, hanging nearby.

    Matt forced aside the branches and walked closer to the sound that was exciting his fear. ¡°When I was younger, I nearly drowned. I¡­ barely survived.¡±

    He opened up the branches revealing the water flowing by, enough to tear at the scabs that were still forming on his heart. ¡°I did something, and even now I¡¯m not sure whether I was right or wrong. Either way, I lost almost everything that day.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of the water here.¡± He knelt down over the flowing water staring at the flickering reflections of stars in the waters flow.

    You¡¯re reminded of death. Afraid to die.

    ¡°The opposite, I¡¯m afraid because of how much I wanted to die back then. How much I still want to dive into this water, to find everything that I¡¯ve lost.¡±

    Such thoughts are not good. Keht settled back onto his shoulder. Even my creator knew enough to fear death. You might find yourself targeted by demons if you keep on like this.

    ¡°Targeted by demons?¡±

    Not all demons are mindless, those with control like me although rare, can sense these emotions in you. Not clearly but much like a sweet scent, leading us in. It would be best for both of us if you recover quickly.

    Matt smirked to himself, ¡°If only it were so easy. I¡¯ll manage, just keep your ears open for anything coming this way.¡±

    If a demon attacks you, I¡¯ll be flying the other direction. Keht took off leading him towards where the dull lights of a dying fire were still visible.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out for demons, if I see you running away.¡±

 Chapter 24 - City Rats

    City Rats

    The sound of endless snoring filled the small shack, rattling the walls. Matt rested himself on the lower of a double bunk bed. The small room crammed a dozen men into a space only a few paces across at both sides, built from the same clay as Dvell¡¯s hut had been.

    Grunting and groaning, swearing and snoring, without even the vaguest illusions of silence, Matt forced his weary eyes closed. Lilith was still nearby enough that he could feel her presence in his mind, a pressure upon his fading consciousness that had become comfortable over the passing days.

    Seeking escape from the lively sounds he¡¯d been drowning in, he fell into his own mind. Retreating from consciousness and slipping into that familiar place between dreams and reality.

    Resting upon the ocean waves that filled his mind, he gradually slipped beneath the surface. Finding another world beneath the surface of those tumultuous waves.

    Her ragged and torn, red dress drifting in the wind, tugged at her, as she held it in place. The same breeze brought to her the scent of blooming flowers as she gazed across the endless colours that filled the royal gardens.

    Flowers of all sorts spread out before her, gathered from all across the world and cared for by specialists taken from those same faraway lands. Theresa walked among them, sneering in disgust as her eyes scanned over the familiar garden.

    Too many graceful flowers lined up one beside another, each competing to steal the attention of her eyes. The war ending with each standing insignificantly next to the other, their grace lost, their colours dulled.

    It was with those same eyes, that she looked past the colours, seeking the shadows that were hidden behind. In the darkest corner of the tame gardens she found what she had sought, the exit to this grotesque place, where beauty was to be cultivated.

    Approaching the darkened escape, she was able to see the thorns that covered each stem of every flower. The threats hidden behind the veils of colour, the walls and guards to the cage where she¡¯d been confined.

    Kneeling close to the ground she looked about her, searching for any unwanted eyes peering her way. With relieved sigh she discovered herself alone, unseen, free if for but a moment.

    Making that moment last, she quickly lowered herself to the ground, carefully prying apart the thorned branches that acted both to disguise her escape and to bloody her should she act without caution.

    Crawling on leg and limb she covered herself in the filth of the soil, her red dress soon stained in brown. Every movement was slow and careful, if she even scratched herself with one of those large thorns, others might discover her secret. She might lose her one freedom, she might lose those most important to her.

    Threatening thorns tormented her from above as filth covered hands drew her closer to her goal. Each centimetre carefully drawn out with the utmost of caution, for even the most slight of cuts would incite questions that she could not answer.

    Ahead, the thorns and stems separated, forming a cavity of sorts where nature met forged metal. The iron bars that had until now been disguised by colour and thorns, now clear to her eyes.

    Yet this cavity was not all that made this place special, for where the bars of iron should have stood tall, they wavered. An opening barely large enough for a small child to squeeze their way through.

    Likely forged by foreign hands with harmful intent towards the castle, yet it equally formed the perfect escape from her perfect cage. Hands covered in filth snatched at the browned iron and pulled her body forth.

    With head before body, she gazed over the deserted alleyway, cautious for undesired attention. As was usual, there sat no homeless nor criminal in this dark street, too well patrolled by the guards who Theresa now vigilantly spied.

    The distant slap of a boot, ignited the panic in her youthful chest inspiring a quick retreat into the thorns. Heart beating loudly in her ears, she watched with paused breath as a pair of guard, attired in proper and prim royal colours, marched by her shaded form.

    Thankfully their eyes were focused upon the ground before them, without the least consideration that there might be a person trying to leave the castle rather than enter.

    As their colours faded into the browns and filth of the city, Theresa launched herself out and into the street, escaping her flowered cage. The ground rushed to meet with her, as she fell the small distance between, a small squelch sounding as her bare feet sank into common filth.

    Pausing only for a single breath, she quickly ran as fast as her footing would allow into the dark passages of this growingly familiar town. The sun had already risen to where breakfast might be expected, to those who arose at a more convenient hour.

    Hesitation filled her as she considered that her compatriots might already have moved on. Such emotion only fuelled her shoeless sprint, eyes blind to the confused gazes pointed her direction.

    As exhaustion finally wracked her body, and pain settled within her lungs, into view came the expected location; with familiar figures gathered round. A smile rose on lips too busy with breath to eek even kind greetings to those she considered closer than family.

    ¡°Lilith, are you fine? Why are you running so madly this early in the morn?¡± The voice that of a young man, or perhaps an old boy depending upon where one stands. His name she knew as only Nik, as children of the streets needed no name for a family that had abandoned them.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that it has been so long, I was excited to see you all again.¡± She replied between deep breathes as her body, unfamiliar to exercise, attempted to keep up with her demands.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t attract any attention our way, okay. You looked as if you¡¯d taken to pocket the queen¡¯s own jewels, the way you were running. If guards had seen you, I doubt you would have escaped whole.¡± He brushed his dark brown hair aside to look her clearly in the eyes, revealing his seriousness.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± She apologised, ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t think about it.¡± Her voice though hushed retained the joy of their meeting. Uncowed by his tone, yet still aware of her error.

    ¡°How long has if been since the last time? I was worried that you weren¡¯t coming back to us.¡± Dvell called to her, his voice low.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to escape.¡± She looked down, she had yet to tell them the truth of her origin, yet never did they express desire to uncover her secret. For which she was grateful. ¡°I¡¯m back now though, so has there been any changes to the plan?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Nik smiled without heart as he gazed into the passing crowds of the adjoining marketplace.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Luna?¡± Lilith asked, attempting to follow his eyes as the wreathing crowd continued their morning rituals.

    ¡°She¡¯s getting breakfast.¡± Dvell replied, pointing her out from the crowd.

    ¡°Don¡¯t point, idiot!¡± Nik cried out in a whisper. ¡°You¡¯ll get her caught!¡±

    Dvell apologised with subdued voice, but Lilith was too focused to hear his words. Her eyes following the motions of a young girl as she navigated the organism known as the market.

    The girl was younger than herself, by what years neither knew, as Luna had long since lost sight of her birth. Her short height, and proper yet tame clothes made her blend all too well into the flow of people.

    Lilith knew how precious she had to be to keep such a dress in reasonable condition while living without a roof. Yet for all the work that was used to maintain her current appearance the payoff was far greater for these children without a home.

    With the greatest of ease, she plucked wares from underneath the merchants eyes. Lilith often mused that the merchants might see nothing but her hand appearing from the walls of flesh that mounted their stalls.

    She was without doubt a genius in her craft. At times when the crowd was thinned, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to stand by foreigners or even stray locals, acting as if a pair with them. Such that when she left, had the merchant noticed her at all, they would demand payment from the bystander that she¡¯d been shadowing. Expecting all, too well, that she¡¯d been their child or dependant in some way.

    Even for all her skill, too often she was seen, and at first suspicions had arisen about her, yet by stroke of luck her infamy soon become her very protector. The merchants had considered her acts too perfect for human hands and had designed a tale far more fanciful to explain her.

    The ghost of the markets. A rumour with such veracity, that some swore that she¡¯d been here for decades if not longer, with the stories of her origin so varied that some even posited that she¡¯d been here before even the markets themselves.

    Ever since, the locals who caught sight of her in passing would, instead of calling for guards or chasing justice, merely pale in complexion before turning away in respect.

    ¡°It should be me out there this morn. We ask far too much of her.¡± Nik mumbled under his breath as he watched her work with a stance that denied the stress that was apparent in his voice.

    ¡°You think you could do better than the ghost herself?¡± Lilith asked, watching as more plunder was added to the basket. She intentionally turned away, not waiting for her gaze to be followed by unwanted eyes.

    He mumbled to himself in reply, turning to face Lilith and closing his eyes.

    Luna did not take long to finish with her raid, basket swinging lightly in her arms as she calmly walked toward them. She smiled as Lilith¡¯s eyes caught her own, rushing forwards with cheerful step.

    ¡°Lil, You¡¯re back.¡± She said coldly, as if, with no great concern.

    Lilith, was the name she¡¯d taken to these few who shared her trust. A mask she wore out of necessity at first, but soon gained life as her true self, as Lilith slowly died in her flowering cage.

    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± She replied, walking alongside the young girl as they hurried to their corner of these streets. They hurriedly ate the evidence of the ghost¡¯s crimes, as they passed envious glances from the hungry and homeless.

    Nik¡¯s strong reputation on these streets, the one protection they had from the men who would steal their stolen breakfasts from their very mouths.

    Nik quickly led their small group to the corner that he¡¯d declared theirs. It was a special place in the streets where shade was offered from sunlight, and rain in the more tempestuous seasons.

    ¡°What are we doing today?¡± Dvell asked as he stuffed the last of the bread into his mouth. ¡°How goes our plan?¡± He asked quietly, as he leaned towards Nik.

    ¡°Today we have a quest!¡± Nik cried out with excitable voice, ¡°If we do well today, it shouldn¡¯t be long before we make it to Norelle.¡±

    Norelle, being a nearby port city, which her mother had yet to seize for her kingdom. The city was well known among residents as it was where the majority of foreigners came from, the few which had good reason to come here.

    Lilith had learnt from her mother that the city had countless alliances with nations from all around, she hadn¡¯t dared to assault such a position as they would immediately be crushed by the forces that protected Norelle. It had been rumoured that its independence was secured by angel and demon alike.

    Regardless of these rumours, that city was well known for it¡¯s opportunities. Even beggars lived as kings in Norelle, if rumour was to be believed.

    Reaching this city was not so simple a problem as can be solved by a pair of feet. Only some brave few tried to follow the deathly path that led to the city. This small stretch of land surrounding the city was home to some sort evil so great that no man that entered had ever reached the other side.

    The only passage to the city that ensured survival, came from the boats and ships which asked a fortune for their risk. Such money was impossible for some such as them to ever lay hands upon in any short time. Conversely, hoarding coins left them targeted by the city¡¯s other desperate inhabitants, who would do whatever they must to lay hands upon an evening meal.

    As such, a plan was made, to steal, scrounge or earn whatever money they could, and find some way to pay for their passage.

    ¡°What sort of quest?¡± Dvell asked their leader.

    ¡°The kind where we earn more in one day, than we¡¯ve had in the last year.¡± He cleared his throat before speaking once more, ¡°The sort where we pluck flowers from the forest, and earn 5 plat per flower and 2 per bud.¡±

    ¡°The forest?¡± Dvell asked disbelievingly, ¡°Do you forget? We are rats not warriors, if we go there we have no chance to come back.¡±

    ¡°Sounds fun,¡± Luna replied. As usual, it was difficult to tell if she was sarcastic or not, with her deadpan voice.

    ¡°The pay is too good to turn down.¡± Nik called out, so that all their group could hear. ¡°I heard advice on how to deal with the monsters that dwell, so long as we walk with care we needn¡¯t fear them. Aside that, the forest is not so dangerous as it¡¯s been said, the creatures are a far cry from the demons that you¡¯ll find elsewhere. The rumours are more lie than truth.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Dvell replied, his voice dry as he followed obediently, ¡°Though, I suppose I would rather die there than here, let the demons stray from my body and earn the revenge against the guard here.¡± His dark laughter was dreadful, but no different to any other day.

    ¡°So,¡± He continued, ¡°Just who was it that has tricked you into leading us to damnation.¡±

    ¡°Some foreigner in dark coat,¡± Nik replied, ¡°I thought it wise not to question his motivations when he sought us younger rats for this task. He payed some plats before, in case we need supplies, so he said.¡±

    ¡°Sounds trustworthy¡­¡±  retorted Lilith.

    ¡°Trustworthy or not, we¡¯ll get payment for this job. After hearing his demands, I asked about these flowers that he was after, and he is not the only man here seeking them. They were said to influence the mind of a grown adult, and are difficult to come by, so if he is not going to pay for what we find, then I will find another that will.¡±

    ¡°If they¡¯re worth so much. Why aren¡¯t there others doing the same?¡± Luna asked.

    ¡°The rumours of monsters filling the forest has kept people away. And as I had said, these flowers affect the minds of adults, only those like us or younger can even seek them out. I had heard that some others had already taken this task and earnt their passage just as we plan to do.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°So then, how do we plan on going about this task?¡± Dvell asked cautiously.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already bought some good quality jars to hold these plants. I¡¯d been told by the man who hired us, that if we do not keep them seeled than they might drive the men and women of the city mad before we even deliver them for payment.¡±

    With some passion, he lifted the clear jars up high showing off their unmarked appearance, and metallic cap.

    ¡°And what of the monsters, how do we deal with them?¡± Lilith asked, turning to their leader.

    ¡°For them I need to borrow a bow, just in case things go wrong.¡± Nik replied all too lightly.

    ¡°Borrow? Where from?¡± Dvell asked, incredulous.

    As a reply Nik stood and waved for them to follow. His light steps guiding them through the darkened alleys that formed the walls to their home.

    The homeless in the street, averted their eyes, holding far too high a respect for Nik. The boy who no one dared to touch. It had been like this for longer than Lilith had known them. She hadn¡¯t the chance to hear what rumours she¡¯d seen hints of, in the whispers of those passed by.

    For whatever reason that they did so. That respect saved them from countless harassments of the homeless and criminal. Stranger still, Nik seemed to be friendly with some men of the guard, though the majority still despised the sight of them.

    Travelling through the mud and muck, the guard house appeared before them. Standing taller than the clay buildings around, and made of stone no less.

    The few windows bared with iron. Rather few guards remained stationed around the building, chatting as ordinary men.

    One of the men standing near the entrance to the building, gazed their direction as they approached. Nik waved them back, and obediently they retreated into the shadows of a nearby hovel.

    Approaching the man with some great confidence, it was clear that they knew one another. The man smiled grandly slapping the boy on his back before striding into the building together.

    ¡°How do you think he made friends with a guard?¡± Luna asked, cautiously eyeing those that were still chatting nearby. Lilith suddenly noticed that she had changed, though when and how seemed to be as much a secret as the source of her talents.

    ¡°No idea.¡± Dvell replied.

    ¡°Maybe they knew each other before he became a guard?¡± Lilith offered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he mumbled, ¡°Look.¡±

    Nik and the strange guard left the guard house together, laughing at some shared joke. A crossbow, the kind which the guards were generally armed with, was slung over Nik¡¯s shoulder, alongside a quiver of bolts.

    With a few more friendly slaps and jovial words, before they soon separated. The guard walking back towards town as Nik strode their direction with such great confidence that it was near frightening.

    ¡°See, nothing to it.¡± Nik told them upon his arrival, ¡°Just gotta bring it back before sundown and there¡¯ll be no problem.¡±

    None had the words to speak, as they looked upon him in amazement. The cross that had been slung over his shoulder, had been wrapped in cloth, but its shape was unmistakeable. Near as long as the boys torso, it looked heavy as it hung from the strap on his shoulder.

    Silently Nik led them towards the gate, crossbow swaying on his shoulder every step.

    ¡°So, what do we do if we see a monster then?¡± Luna asked, ¡°Will we just wait for you to kill it, earlier it sounded as if you had more of a plan to it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll use this if I have to,¡± Nik shifted the crossbow on his back, ¡°But I heard that they won¡¯t attack if we stand still.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make it difficult to collect flowers?¡± Lilith asked.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± He let out a long sigh, ¡°I mean if we see one. We¡¯re not going in there just to stand about, but if they get near we should freeze until they leave.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan?¡± Dvell asked sceptically, ¡°Sounds pretty stupid to me.¡±

    ¡°Well, a stupid plan should work on a stupid monster,¡± Nik replied.

    As they talked the city gates came into view, revealing the darkened forest in the distance. Inside that line of trees were beasts of a kind that would make a warrior weep for their mother. Inside was the hope of salvation from their pitiful lives.

    Not a word was spared as they strode through the city gates, which were locked wide open. They avoided looking the direction of the guards for fear of being stopped, for fear of being arrested for no reason at all.

    Guards stood watch over those passing through the gates but were far too busy gathering taxes from the merchants and farmers who came to the city to sell their wares, and didn¡¯t spare a glance for the filth covered rats that chose to leave the city. Entering again after might cause some trouble they all knew, as the guards preferred to keep them outside the gates where they wouldn¡¯t steal or scavenge from the street.

    It wasn¡¯t the rats who left that caused concern but the ones that returned.

    ¡°Whew, he¡¯s not on guard duty today.¡± Nik whispered.

    ¡°You piss off another one?¡± Dvell asked his elder.

    ¡°Yeah, he noticed me by chance. But I managed to get away, ever since he¡¯s been keeping an eye out for me. If he finds me, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll give me a chance.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t get caught, you¡¯ll be sent off to the army. Might as well be a death sentence for how they¡¯ll treat you.¡± Dvell¡¯s words were caught in Lilith¡¯s throat, but she pushed the rising guilt to the back of her mind.

    A number of townspeople and merchants were still leaving the city, heading for other nearby settlements, a few perhaps even making their way towards Norelle. Enviously the group watched them pass, wondering if ever they would have their chance to leave.

    They paused at the forest¡¯s edge, staring into it¡¯s dark depths with growing apprehension. Already the cries and caws of animals and beasts unfamiliar sounded out to the group of children.

    With a grunt of effort Nik turned to the group, pulling his cross bow to bear as he began his brief speech.

    ¡°Pay attention, what we¡¯re looking for is a certain kind of flower. I was told that this is one of the few places around where the flower will grow, but even here they are rare.

    ¡°They¡¯re pink or purple with many small petals attached. They tend not to grow near each other, so we¡¯ll have to walk around quite a bit to find many. If you find one, don¡¯t touch it, if you disturb the petals, it could be worth considerably less. If we do well today, we might be able to pay for our passage tomorrow and be out of this hell.¡±

    They all cheered with smiling facades, looking not at Nik but at the forest waiting behind him. Patiently poised to accept any new flesh that dared to enter.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Nik called out to them, ¡°Remember who we are, we¡¯re rats. When the guards come running we¡¯re always ten steps ahead. We run to we¡¯re an ordinary man would never dare fit, and take every opportunity lying before us.

    ¡°The forest, it¡¯s nothing to us. We survive in hell already, whatever this place throws at us is nothing compared to what we¡¯ve already survived.¡±

    Lilith found her eyes tracing back to Nik¡¯s heroic figure as he called out to them. His speech gradually wearing away at the fear that had paralysed them.

    When they all finally returned from their inside worlds of fear, he forced some glass jars onto them. ¡°Don¡¯t break these, if they crack we¡¯ll be in some trouble.¡±

    They all nodded, holding onto the jars carefully as they followed along after him, comforted by his confident stride. Nik had already forced all the jars upon the rest of the group, his hands instead holding the crossbow casually in his hands.

    As soon as they passed the first line of trees, the sun disappeared, and the air thickened in their lungs.

    ¡°Do what I tell you in here,¡± His struggle to maintain his fa?ade clear in the way his shaking hands wavered, ¡°If I say freeze, then don¡¯t you dare move. If I say run, then run with all you¡¯ve got.¡±

    Luna stood up tall, ¡°I know, I know, you always say that even in the town.¡±

    ¡°Well it¡¯s more dangerous here,¡± He replied drawing a bolt into place. ¡°Follow me and keep an eye out for both monsters and flowers, okay?¡± They all quietly replied in the affirmative. Gradually forming a column behind him.

    The firm soil beneath their feet soon gave way to less reliable footing, with tree roots threatening to trip them and muddy soil trying to suck their feet into place. Only a few dozen metres into this forest and already their surroundings became alien, foreign; a place where men did not belong.

    Lilith breathed in the rancid smell of the air, stained with old death. This forest was a grave site for many creatures without ritual, and the birthing place for many minor demons. Though the demons formed from the souls of creatures were far from formidable and seemed oblivious to people. Usually fading away in as little as a day.

    The stench of decay, the swaying branches above which stole away the light, the mud that sucked at her feet, as if the earth beneath was preparing to consume them. Every sense in her body screamed for her to run.

    Yet, with Nik walking so confidently ahead. With Luna so casually strolling through this horrible place. She couldn¡¯t find it in herself to run away without them.

    Swallowing back her fears, she took another step.

    Luna¡¯s footsteps traced after Nik¡¯s, her confidence far more true than his. Her wandering eyes gazing out across the landscape, not with fear, but curiosity. One might think that she was unfamiliar with death and suffering, that she was pure and innocent.

    Perhaps it was instead her familiarity with the concept of death, that made her so fearless in this moment, Lilith mused as she followed after the young girl.

    ¡°Over there,¡± Luna cried out, her voice cold and monotone.

    Following Luna¡¯s raised finger they all looked over to the single flower that bloomed in a ray of light. It rested at the foot of a tree on a small island. By some miracle of nature, sunlight angled through a hole in the canopy, brightening the single point where the flower bloomed.

    As they gazed in amazement at the scene, which would only appear once in a lifetime. Dvell strode blindly forwards, ¡°So this is the flower?¡± He asked under his breath, no sign of the same reverence the others held.

    he asked Nik, who was still frozen nearby, gazing at where the broken stem now sagged downwards, becoming merely another part of the filth that filled their shoes.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just the man who hired me that said so. Plenty of people around the place seemed to want it badly.¡± Nik replied, finally breaking out from his reverie.

    ¡°For some pretty flower,¡± Dvell mumbled under his breath, ¡°What kind of person pays for flowers, when you just pick some just outside the walls. I wouldn¡¯t go this far unless it was for coin, or queen. One of which would give me life, the other threaten death.¡±

    ¡°I heard that they use them for potions and such. I don¡¯t know exactly what for, but plenty of people will pay.¡± He reinforced his view by shaking around a small bag with coins, ¡°Remember, he even paid me a little beforehand.¡±

    Without reply they moved onwards, the forest bearing down on them, as the warmth of the air continued to surge.

    For not the first time, Lilith grew anxious. Would the maids search for her in the gardens this time? Would they panic? Would they alarm the queen? She silenced these thoughts, knowing nothing good could come of them.

    Time carried forwards she knew, but in this place, it seemed as though time slipped away. She was not sure if it had been minutes or days since they entered, yet only a single flower they had to show for it.

    Nik was getting more and more tense the further they went without finding another. ¡°Keep looking for them.¡± He whispered beneath his breath, the sweat growing thicker upon his brow.

    ¡°Will he even pay us, if we only bring back one?¡± Dvell asked, ¡°I mean, he might get upset since he already paid us some.¡±

    Nik didn¡¯t answer. Instead forging onwards, eyes scanning over the same ground again and again. Before long he started to speak, yet his voice was distant.

    ¡°Remember Vale and the others? The Rats, that suddenly seemed to be making it big.¡±

    Dvell nodded, ¡°They left town recently, didn¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I heard, but before that I heard something interesting off of Vale. She said that all they were doing was picking flowers for some man in the bad part of town.

    ¡°She laughed about him being some kind of creepy romantic for wanting the flowers so bad, but said he always paid well.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where you got this job?¡± Dvell replied before spitting at the ground, ¡°Those pricks always used to look down on us. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯d talk to them like you were friends. Probably just screwed us over like always.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± He could only mumble in reply as he sought for more of the pink flowers.

    ¡°AAhh!¡± Up ahead, Luna gave a small yelp before quickly quieting herself. Her scream coming out quite strongly as even then it denied emotion.

    Nik rather than turning back, scanned the area with his ¡®borrowed¡¯ crossbow. Searching for an invisible threat.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Lilith asked, rushing to the girl¡¯s side where she¡¯d fallen into the mud.

    They both paused, her eyes blinking back fearful tears as she joined Luna in the mud. Finally, Luna pointed to the ground before them, motioning silent accusations.

    Lilith, refusing to accept what she saw, what her foot was now ankle-deep in. Reached forwards into the rotting earth. The first thing that she was able to recognise was cloth, more shredded that torn, her hand moved deeper as if magnetised to something vaguely familiar.

    Slowly, her hand grasped something soft, lifting it out of the mud. She gazed at it, not seeing. Refusing to see. Denying the reality that now stained her hands.

    A single eye, weeping with maggots stared back at her.

    Luna sighed, standing back up and taking the object from Lilith¡¯s hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± She said coldly as she threw whatever it had been into the distance.

    Lilith stared coldly, where the mud still stained her fingers. It¡¯s not mud. The voice of reason cried out in her mind, yet she could not, would not, hear it.

    Luna pulled a rag out from her tattered skirt wiping the, not mud, off of Lilith¡¯s outstretched hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± She whispered again, her voice as cold as always, offered more warmth in that moment than Lilith had ever felt in her life.

    She pulled Lilith out of the mud, her small body swaying under the greater weight. As she stood on by her own strength, Luna wiped away the bugs that had preferred the living to the dead.

    That done, she silently held the older girl close.

    Nik and Dvell were somewhere off to the side, talking in quiet voices, but none of it she heard over the high-pitched squealing in her ears. She imagined that it was the unearthly squeal of a thousand dead men. Through her mind, raced every face of the ¡®criminals¡¯ that had died right before her eyes. Death. Pain. Suffering.

    Warmth. Kindness. Love. Gradually her arms regained strength, returning the younger girls affection. Her love.

    Her cold heart beat again slowly. Ever so slowly.

    Blinking back her tears, she separated from the younger girl. ¡°Thank you.¡± She whispered so lightly that she could barely be heard.

    ¡°It¡¯s what family is for.¡± Luna replied, slowly smiling as she so rarely did.

    Together they walked towards where the two boys were talking.

    ¡°Vale¡­¡± Nik said in saddened tone, ¡°I guess she didn¡¯t move away.¡± His grip on the crossbow was tense as he stared into the forests depths.

    ¡°She had it coming.¡± Dvell replied, ¡°As soon as she gained a little power, she made sure to hurt us. If I were the one with the power¡­¡±

    Nik looked over to Dvell, ¡°She wasn¡¯t evil, Dvell. She was just doing as she had to to get by. It would have been the same for any of us. Besides, if she¡¯d shown us any affection, she would have instantly lost everything.¡±

    ¡°And look what that got her. Just a lonely corpse, without even the grace of fire. That¡¯s what her selfishness got her.¡± He spat at the ground, ¡°Unlike her I would¡¯ve helped everyone, no matter the cost.¡±

    Nik smiled and patted him on the back, ¡°Just find us some more flowers and how about you prove those words right then?¡±

    Dvell looked up, ¡°Even if it meant a million flowers, so long as I can save people. So long as I can change this messed up world. A few more flowers are nothing.¡±

    Lilith watched the conversation from a distance, realizing that none of them spoke the one thing that was on their minds. A human left without the grace of fire, almost always birthed something. Something that a crossbow could not touch.

    ¡°Come on, we need to get moving before the sun sets.¡± Nik called out to the group, his voice restrained slightly, as paranoid eyes scanned the forest. ¡°We¡¯ll walk a different way back, find a few more flowers before we leave.¡±

    Luna continued to hold her hand as they walked together back through the forest. The trees around them looked the same as any other, yet Nik walked forwards, confident in his direction. No one doubted him for a moment.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Nik called out forcefully, his voice only a little louder than usual, but filled with a violent panic that sent chills down her spine.

    Luna was still holding her hand, yet her flesh quickly turned cold. Not a single breath passed from any of them, as their eyes searched wildly.

    Dvell moved his head, ever so slowly, to seek out the reason for this sudden command. Lilith, on the other hand found her eyes staring into the bark of a nearby tree. Well shaded, the tree was enormous at least a dozen steps around, and right in centre, about three metres above them.

    Something wasn¡¯t right.

    She held back her scream as she untangled the image in her mind. Looking past the camouflage. A creature as tall as Luna clung to the side of the tree. It¡¯s many limbs spread out, crushing the wood in tightened grip. She couldn¡¯t make out a mouth, or face, the surface nearly perfectly replicated the bark that it was hanging from.

    Nik was slowly moving his crossbow into position, so incredible slowly.

    She¡¯d been taught about these creatures by Harui. Seen pictures drawn, but they didn¡¯t portray the absolute terror that the real thing brought to bear.

    In frozen panic she recalled all that she¡¯d been taught about the creatures. Apparently, they waited in ambush before leaping down on nearby prey, they often killed armed soldiers who failed to notice them. It was rare for them to attack large groups of people though.

    They became vulnerable after attacking someone.

    So then, how large is a large group? She thought, staring up the monster. Four? Five? Ten?

    She could not blink, holding firmly onto Luna¡¯s hand.

    She could see it, imagine it, taking this person away from her. Stealing away everything precious to her. Her heart writhed with anger, she wanted to kill it. To destroy it. To leave it nothing but ash.

    Her weak arms refused to move. Her body not that of a warrior, and not even armed with so much as a small blade.

    The anger in her, swirled without direction, as she glared at the shadow.

    ¡°No matter what, don¡¯t move.¡± Nik said, but Lilith couldn¡¯t imagine just standing still and watching as it stole someone away. She¡¯d do something, even if it was pointless, even if it meant her own death. she convinced herself over and over again, yet as she lifted her arm, something held her back.

    ¡°No.¡± Luna whispered, her hand clutching tightly to Lilith¡¯s. ¡°No.¡± Such a firm whisper, held more emotion to it, than any other time she¡¯d heard her speak. That tiny voice was enough to chase away the anger, leaving her cold and desperate, staring forwards to where Nik was standing, ready to shoot.

    She could see his hands shaking as the crossbow lifted into place. Finally, a moment of stillness, and a loud snap, preceding by but a moment, a sound unlike any other.

    The squeal so deafeningly loud that she instinctively raised her hands to cover her ears. Her stomach twisted, bones grinded, hairs struggled to free themselves from flesh, as the sound wailed on.

    Still motionless they helplessly watched the creature, as it reared back on four of its six limbs, revealing a gaping maw filled with countless razor-sharp teeth. It stretched itself backwards at an impossible angle, continuing to sound out, pain, rage, deathly desires that froze their blood.

    Still none of them moved. Nik didn¡¯t even try to reload to crossbow, frozen alongside everyone else, whether that be by choice she had no clue. They stood like that for what might have been an hour, sweat dripping, stomachs curdling, eyes watering.

    The light of day faded, moment, by moment, and she knew it as a countdown. Knew that upon the last ray of light, their last hope of surviving would fade. Quietly she apologised to Harui, her maid, who would likely be killed after Lilith could not be found.

    Muscles trembling, they waited, knowing that if they made the first move, they would die.

    The creature tensed, and tears fell down her eyes, she pulled Luna close. It leapt.

    It¡¯s motions blindingly quick, she had no chance of tracing it.

    Blinking away tears, she finally moved. Dvell and Nik, knelt down, breathing heavily. Luna, still held in her arms, seemed the most unaffected. The monster, was gone.

    Stepping forwards with a cold expression Luna turned back towards them, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Her voice as cold as ever.

 Chapter 25 - Caged Demons

    Caged Demons

    Faint remnants of dying dreams, distant memories, faded away as his eyes flickered open. Hearing nothing but unending groans and moans, he instinctively reached for a rifle that was there. Hand slipping through air, body falling from uneven bed.

    Matt lay on the ground where he¡¯d fallen, invoking a chorus of laughter from the men around. Having awoken to the situation, and realizing that there were no direct threats, in this group of outcasts; he pushed himself off the dirt floor.

    Arcide walked over to him, having been standing nearby, changing into a fresh set of clothes. ¡°That¡¯s one way to start the morning.¡± He gave a small laugh, ¡°A little too boisterous for me though.¡± He yawned loudly as if to punctuate his point.

    ¡°You should quickly clean yourself before work starts, might help wake you up. Best do it quickly though, it sounds like Lukur is up and about.¡± He guided Matt outside, while the others continued on in their own grumbling and mumbling morning rituals.

    Outside the sun was hidden by the forest of trees, yet it¡¯s light still peaked through the thickened canopy, giving small life to the morning. Krikers energetically flittered above, leaping from branch to branch, fighting and playing as they unsettled leaves that rained down to the forest floor below.

    ¡°Over there, by the river there¡¯s a bucket for cleaning yourself with. Go on and wash, before breakfast is ready.¡± He walked away, to where a small fire was heating a massive metal bowl.

    Hesitantly, Matt stepped closer to the river, his anxieties rising with each passing step. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, he over powered the fear that had locked his joints in place and reached the rivers edge.

    The bucket made of metal, had been dented so often that it barely resembled a bucket at all. He wondered if it might even be older than he himself.

    Leaning by the river side, her splashed water into his own face, and stared at the disturbed reflection he could see beyond the waters current. He felt tired, but not the sort which would fade with another nights rest.

    A headache was crawling around the back of his head as if some malicious insect had crawled inside while he slept. His bones and muscles ached from the countless injuries yet to fully heal, still miscolouring his skin in places.

    Closing his eyes, he focused his mind. Reminded himself of what he¡¯d been forgetting.

    Save them.

    He was here¡­ he was here to find mages. Which might help the Knights of Sasahara to locate his people for him. After that he would have to follow the clues.

    He let out a sigh, realizing for not the first time, how convoluted things had become. At times he still found himself wanting to storm the castle and interrogate whoever he came across.

    Letting out a deep breath, he let the frustrations wash away.

    Someone was approaching, but he paid them no mind, continuing to splash water onto himself from the river. From the corner of his eye he saw the bucket moving.

    Water rushed over him. His ears filled with the waters roar, mouth instinctively sucking in a mixture of water and air. He flailed wildly for a moment, the sound stuck in his mind. The feeling of water in his throat bringing back his memories in that one quick rush.

    ¡°There you go. Clean.¡± Arcide smiled at him but Matt was too shaken to reply.

    Shaking his head repeatedly, he spat out some of the water trying to catch his breath. It was a moment before he could replace the smile on his lips, a lie though it was.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± He replied, ¡°Is breakfast almost ready?¡±

    ¡°Certainly is, come along while there¡¯s still time to eat.¡± He dragged the dripping Matt away from the water, instead towards where the warm fire cooked their morning meal.

    The men around them were far more talkative today than they had been yesterday. Their comradery found in the music of Arcides creation. Matt was perhaps the only exception.

    One of the labourers was still stirring at the pot, his bulky hands, delicately working the stew, and serving up dishes without the least spillage. Arcide walked them into line, waiting for their own chance at food.

    Matt blinked a few times, feeling around his mind for Lilith. The pressure that indicated her presence was still close enough to be felt, yet too distant for him to reach her. For now, he worked alone.

    Arcide was working elsewhere and only he had the opportunity to look into the work of the warlocks here. He didn¡¯t know how to start, and wished quietly that things were simpler as he received his own dish of food.

    He held tightly to the warm bowl and sat close to the fire, fighting against the morning chill that cut through his wet clothes. Hesitation filled him for but a moment before he dipped his spoon into the dish.

    The flavours exploded in his mouth, savoury, yet a hint of sweetness. More flavoursome than anything he¡¯d eaten in his own world, he was still a long way from getting used to the flavours and sensations this world had to offer.

    Meat and vegetables, completely unfamiliar floated in the thickened soup, and quickly filled his growling gut, with a satisfying completeness.

    ¡°I¡¯ll never get used to eating stew for breakfast.¡± Arcide mumbled as he ate another spoonful.

    ¡°Haha, get used to it young man,¡± these words coming from the bulky man stirring what remained of the stew. ¡°This is the best kind of breakfast you could hope for, world round. Nothing else¡¯ll keep you moving all day long!¡± A chorus of cheers rose up to the man¡¯s words.

    Arcide didn¡¯t reply, simply swallowing down another spoonful of the warm stew. Matt continued watching the man for a moment, but let his questions fade as he focused on finishing his meal.

    Lukur walked past them, his watchful eyes scanning the crowd of labourers thoughtfully. The group ignored him, chatting in their own small conversations, finishing their meals and relaxing for the few moments of freedom they had.

    Lukur, walked into their group, ¡°Get moving, work is starting soon, and if you waste any of that food I¡¯ll have your hide. Wasting food is as bad as wasting time, right now.

    His words inspired motion, and in little time, the remains of breakfast had found home in their gullets. Having finished, they threw their empty bowls into a pile for cleaning. The man who had prepared the meal was already talking an armful over to the river, humming soft tunes familiar to those played last night.

    The rest of the men split into groups, those who rushed over to the river, diving into the water for a quick clean, and those who ran inside to change into fresh clothes.

    Matt stood up, checking over his own clothes which were still damp from earlier. The knife he¡¯d brought with him still tucked away deep inside. He hadn¡¯t the spare clothes to bring, but that didn¡¯t bother him greatly, a little dampness wouldn¡¯t cause him any trouble so long as the weather didn¡¯t suddenly turn too cold.

    ¡°Matt, Arcide,¡± Lukur called, beckoning them over towards him.

    Momentarily, his joints froze again, as he considered how dangerous this might turn. Forcing himself into action, he followed Arcide over to where their leader was waiting.

    ¡°Are you two tired?¡± He asked, inspiring a panic. Upon their silence he continued, ¡°You two were tasked with working directly with the engineers here. Have they caused you any issues so far?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Arcide replied quickly, ¡°By truth, I was only running back and forth for clay, and tools which they demanded were around somewhere. I didn¡¯t really interact with them much.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, so long as you are fine with such work.¡± He turned instead to Matt, ¡°You were working with Dvell much more closely as I recall. Was he any trouble?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Matt replied, sweat forming in the palms of his hands. ¡°In fact, it was mostly cleaning and moving weights.

    ¡°Very well, if there are any problems, feel free to come to me. You may be playing the part of assistants but ultimately you are under my command. As such, I take some responsibility for what you do.

    ¡°More simply, do not do anything that goes against morals.¡±

    They both nodded and Lukur stepped away.

    ¡°It sounds like he knows something is going on here.¡± Arcide whispered, looking thoughtful.

    ¡°It sounds like he doesn¡¯t like the engineers.¡± Matt pondered.

    ¡°Well, we already suspect that there are warlocks here.¡± He whispered too low for most to hear. ¡°The only people here, are us workers, Lukur, and the ¡®engineers¡¯¡±

    His implications clear, he strode over towards the river, eyes distant.

    ¡°Work starts, now!¡± Lukur called out to the group of men gathered. At the sound of his call, all those remaining rushed out to him.

    ¡°Like yesterday most of you will be taking direction immediately from me. Those of you who are tasked with assisting the engineers hurry about it. I¡¯m sure that they¡¯re already at work.¡± Without wasting a moments time, he began leading the larger group down along the river, where the clay was being quarried.

    Matt, having taken position as Dvell¡¯s assistant took quick pace towards the small hut where he¡¯d been assisting Dvell the day before. Reinvigorated by breakfast and a good nights sleep, he was ready to take on the days work, spying and all.

    Yesterdays work had been repetitive more than draining, and he was prepared to do more of the same. Though, today he was far more serious in understanding the methods to this construction, in hopes that he might discover some truth of the magic used here.

    Matt opened the door to the hut, and was quickly assailed by the scents of clay and chemicals. Dvell was sitting in a nearby chair mixing chemicals together, his hair messed up in such a way that it couldn¡¯t possibly be intentional, his clothes the same as yesterdays.

    Dvell. For some reason Matt was reminded of the dream he¡¯d had the night before. The children that Lilith had known as a child, one of them had the same name.

    ¡°Quickly, quickly, no wasting time now friend. We have work to do. Lives to save. Walls to build.¡± He smiled lightly before passing another filthy pot to Matt alongside the clear mixture he¡¯d used to clean it.

    In no time at all, he threw himself back into his work. Mixing together chemicals once again as Matt began cleaning out the pot. Fingers tracing along both the inside and the outside of the old dented vessel, he traced over where the gem had been removed.

    ¡°Say,¡± he said, ¡°That gem, the red one. What does it do?¡± he asked, looking over to where Dvell was still struggling along.

    ¡°Oh, that. Of course, you¡¯d be curious.¡± He mumbled, adding silver flakes to his mixture.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that important if you can¡¯t say.¡± Matt replied, suddenly concerned.

    ¡°Well, I did promise you we¡¯d continue yesterday¡¯s conversation.¡± His tone was serious yet again. ¡°How about this, I will show you what it is, but only after we finish getting this mixture right.¡±

    Matt nodded to him, ¡°How close are we getting?¡±

    ¡°Truth, if I¡¯m right, we¡¯ll be finished before lunch.¡± He smiled confidently.

    ¡°You mean you found a way to remove the silver?¡± Matt asked, recalling what he¡¯d said the day before.

    ¡°Not entirely, but to the point where the amount of silver used is negligible.¡± His words came as something of a surprise to Matt who¡¯d been hoping to spend more time understanding the processes of what the man was doing. Though he would sooner learn about the red gem, he still felt unsatisfied.

    ¡°Today we¡¯re confirming the mixture with different samples of imperfect clay, to determine its functionality in working conditions. From experiments thus far, it seems rather reliable.¡± He murmured as he put together another vial of the mixture.

    ¡°Okay, so we¡¯re doing the same as yesterday then?¡± Matt asked.

    ¡°The very same, but this time,¡± He replied, lifting a different pot from the pile, ¡°Without the gem.¡±

    The spent the following hours with the same testing they¡¯d done the previous day, but today all of the test results yielded consistent results of above 70kg of weight bearing capacity.

    As the last experiment yielded a weight bearing capacity of almost 120kg, for a repaired sliver of clay at that, they sat down for a short break before lunch.

    ¡°That was better than expected,¡± Dvell smiled, ¡°Thanks to your help, it was completed at least one day sooner.¡±

    ¡°One day, is that really important?¡± Matt asked, thinking back on the little work he¡¯d done to assist.

    ¡°I was in the city of Saruthor the day that the walls fell.¡± He laughed dryly, ¡°I thought that that city could never get worse than it already was. I thought that I could use this disaster to bring about change, to fix it.¡±

    Matt, sitting opposite him, saw clearly as he gazed into the invisible past.

    ¡°People were always dying in the streets. Always getting plucked off the streets by bored guards like some sick game as they¡¯re sent to the queen for ¡®justice¡¯.¡± He laughed derisively ¡°It¡¯s always been hell to me, so when the new King took over I thought it couldn¡¯t possibly get any worse.¡±

    ¡°You know, it actually got better. Everyone you hear talking about it will say how awful of a king he is, how his mother was so much better. But unlike her, he understands what justice means. He¡¯s trying to help, but most of the people of the streets refuse to accept it.

    ¡°He had a public bath house installed, have you seen it?¡±

    Matt nodded, ¡°It was impressive.¡±

    ¡°And free for anyone to enter and use. When you saw it, how many people were there?¡±

    ¡°Just me, and a frei-¡± he paused a moment realizing what he¡¯d just said, ¡°Just me and a friend.¡± He smiled realizing that it was no lie.

    ¡°Exactly. Even the beggars in the street refuse to go there, refuse to accept his kindness, his help. It¡¯s like they¡¯re all twisted up with hate for no reason at all. How can you help someone who refuses to accept you, no matter how much you give them.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    He sighed deeply, ¡°Moving on, in short I would say that the King gave me hope. He¡¯s not perfect but he¡¯s trying to do good. Then the walls fell.¡±

    His eyes glistened with unshed tears. ¡°Were you there?¡±

    Matt nodded quietly, recalling the countless corpses that had lined the streets, and were soon lined up, ready for burning. He recalled more poignantly the corpses that hadn¡¯t burnt.

    ¡°At the time, I was helping a group of orphans that I look after. I didn¡¯t want them living off of the streets like I did, so I built them a massive house and brought them in off the streets.

    ¡°I made sure that they had food to eat, and a bed to sleep in.¡± He smiled a sad, lonely smile, ¡°They accepted me, unlike the King. I remember every face, every name, of every person I saved¡­ of everyone I tried to save.¡±

    For a moment he curled up, the tears reaching breaking point, ¡°I was coming back from the markets, and¡­ when I heard the explosions I ran. I ran as fast as I could.

    ¡°I was too late. The roof caved in, you see, like ¡®most everyone.¡± His ragged breathing lost pace as he continued his story, ¡°I thought¡­ I thought I could hear them inside. So, I tore the rubble free, but¡­ it was too late.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve been there, I could have saved them. It took until dawn the next day when I finally found them all. The few of them still alive, so badly hurt that¡­ oh Seri. I know forgiveness is too much, but take care of those kids.

    ¡°I gave them the grace of fire and left. There¡¯s nothing left in that town but hatred and disease. But, I can¡¯t give up on it, on the people here. I have to save them.¡±

    Silence overwhelmed them, and as Dvell silently stared into the unseen horizon, Matt stood not a little unaffected and headed outside. ¡°I¡¯m getting us some food.¡± There was no reply to his words.

    Outside the sun was well overhead, though the canopy above offered some shade, this was something of a clearing and the light still cut though. The same man who¡¯d served him breakfast was now cooking, what seemed to be the same meal as they¡¯d eaten earlier. Though at the moment he was distracted by Lukur who was standing by his side.

    As he approached he heard snippets of their conversation.

    ¡°Just keep an eye on them during meals. I don¡¯t need more people mixed up in this mess, they¡¯re all good people.¡± Lukur spoke with serious tone.

    ¡°Yes boss, yes. I will keep watch, I¡¯ll tell you if any of them seem strange. But I¡¯ll tell you, I don¡¯t like this job.¡± The man replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s better that you don¡¯t. Just take care of them, we¡¯ve already got a war brewing. We don¡¯t need warlocks causing us any more problems.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just send message to the Sasahara?¡±

    ¡°I already have.¡± Lukur replied, turning and walking away while rubbing at his forehead. He gave Matt a passing glance but no more than that.

    ¡°Could I get two bowls of that, if it¡¯s ready?¡± Matt asked the man.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m keeping it warm.¡± He expertly served up two bowls of the thick, juicy stew, ¡°If he has any problem with the food. Tell him to speak to me.¡± The man beat his chest with his fist lightly.

    Matt nodded to him before walking back to the hut where Dvell was sitting outside. He seemed at more at ease as he was sitting in the dirt, than he had been earlier.

    Silently Matt handed him one of the bowls, and a wooden spoon. His face lit up at the sight of the meal.

    ¡°Small blessings, always appreciate them. You¡¯ll never know which meal will be the last.¡± He smiled as he ate, savouring the flavour.

    Dvell talked as he ate, his voice more lively than it had been inside, as if he forgot the conversation all together. ¡°We¡¯ve completed the first step, next comes the harder parts. Though we can revel in our victory for now.¡± He laughed lightly as he stared at the sky through countless branches and leaves.

    ¡°So, Matt you haven¡¯t told me much about yourself yet. That¡¯s okay, it¡¯s only natural to wait until you trust me.¡± He stated turning to him, ¡°Obviously if you¡¯re working here you haven¡¯t had the best opportunities life has to offer. I was much the same as a kid.¡± He reminisced, ¡°I was a part of a small gang of kids surviving in the city, we used to run through the streets stealing and pilfering as we liked or needed, depending on the day.¡±

    He seemed to smile at the thought, almost as if he missed those days. ¡°We were doomed to die at the hands of the law, you understand that don¡¯t you?¡± He asked, ¡°You probably weren¡¯t much different. Eventually those days come to an end and you have to make a choice. Do you get power and live, or do you follow societies rules and die?¡±

    As he looked to sky, Matt finished his own meal, fighting back memories of his own, where their stories connected. Dying by societies rules. Taking chances, making decisions that he¡¯d forever regret.

    Matt whispered quietly, ¡°You have to keep on trying.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he cleared his throat, ¡°I guess you have to do something to make those sacrifices worth it, do something to undo a little of the damage that got you where you are. Do enough good to earn our deaths and return back to the cycle.¡±

    Letting out a deep sigh he dropped the topic, ¡°Gather together the other ¡®engineers¡¯,¡± He said the word engineer with no shortage of sarcasm. ¡°We need to inform them of our success, that way we can focus on stage two of production. You should find Tharil and Oiral in the next hut over, they are a little grumpy almost all of the time so watch out for that.¡±

    Matt nodded obediently, thinking about all that he¡¯d heard. From what he¡¯d said, Matt couldn¡¯t consider Dvell an evil man, even if he turned out to be a warlock it sounded like he wanted to save people. To do good things.

    Dropping the bowls by the cook, he offered the man small thanks before walking over to the hut beside Dvell¡¯s. The building was at least twice the size of the one he¡¯d worked in, and seemed to be constructed much more neatly compared to the patchwork walls he had grown used to.

    Reaching out to the clay door Matt hesitated in opening it, remembering how it was when he first entered one of the huts here. Slowly and sensibly, he pushed the door open, holding on tightly should it fall from its hinges.

    Fortunately, this time he was safe, the door moved on smooth hinges and didn¡¯t even bounce or clunk as Dvell¡¯s was prone to do.

    Looking into the little hut Matt clearly saw countless tools and instruments of various kinds, many similar to what he¡¯d worked around this morning. For all this clutter, the owners made no immediate appearance, so preparing for trouble he called out in firm voice.

    ¡°Tharil, Oiral.¡± His pronunciation messy enough that even he could hear it.

    ¡°Knock next time!¡± An elderly man yelled at him from across the room where he¡¯d been hidden behind a pile of pots. In his hand was a vile of the same sort that Dvell had been using, inside a clear liquid sparkled with flaked silver.

    ¡°So much for peaceful working conditions.¡± A young woman grumbled from behind thick glasses, standing up from where she¡¯d been lying on the floor.

    Matt hesitated at the sight of them, he¡¯d had no idea what to expect from these people yet he found himself quite surprised. Old men were rare, where he¡¯d come from.

    The strangest part though was how similar the two of them were, the same accent to their voices. The same stride as they walked towards him. The same glare as he silently observed them. They both adjusted their glasses with the one finger of their left hand and resumed glaring at him.

    ¡°I¡­ Ah, Dvell wanted you two to head over to him. He¡¯s finished stage one.¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡± They cried out in unison.

    The older man turning to the woman, spoke at her, ¡°I¡¯ll bet he had the recipe all along.¡±

    ¡°No, I saw him fail at it two dozen times on the first day, he must¡¯ve cheated us some other way.¡±

    Together they turned to Matt, ¡°What did he do?¡± The older man asked.

    ¡°What sort of scheme was he pulling?¡± The woman turned on him at the same time.

    ¡°Come to the meeting and find out.¡± Matt told them as he retreated from the room. Clicking their tongues they quickly returned to their tables cleaning up the experiments that were still ongoing.

    ¡°We¡¯ll head over in a moment, lad. Just clearing away the mess. That¡¯s all this is now.¡± He clicked his tongue again as he poured his experiments into a single pot.

    Walking quickly, Matt walked the short distance to the more familiar of these clay hovels. Patches of grass grew here and there but most of the land consisted of dirt, which his still soggy boots turned to mud.

    Opening the clay door as it bumped and jolted against its hinges, Matt noticed Dvell sitting inside looking quite distant. His eyes glowed red while he stared into the depths of a glowing red gem in his hand.

    At least as large as his palm the gem was held up in a gloved hand such that he did not touch it directly.

    Its light shone brilliantly, not so bright as a torch but clear enough to make out the sharp geometric patterns that it drew upon every wall and surface inside the room. The shifting patterns reminded Matt all to clearly of the stama that adorned the skin of the Sasahara Knights, the ebbing and flowing of the sharp lines that it formed, the living power that it exuded.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Matt asked, having seen this particular stone for the first time. It was much like the red stone he¡¯d seen earlier, in the same way that a glass of water was similar to a lake. The aura that painted the walls of the room seemed to defy description as he stared in wonder.

    ¡°This?¡± Dvell asked staring into the gem, ¡°This is power,¡± his words tapered off as he stared into its depths, ¡°This is sacrifice.¡±

    The door opened behind Matt, and he turned to face Tharil and Oiral as they rushed into the room indignantly. The girl was first to speak, ¡°We heard that you beat us. Do you have it ready?¡±

    Dvell who¡¯d hidden the gem in the time Matt had taken to turn around, returned their glares. ¡°Well, Oiral, we¡¯ll get to that, certainly.¡± He seemed to be chewing on something as he talked, aggravating the other two, ¡°But first there was this other matter that I was interested in mentioning to you two.¡±

    The man stood up with such grandeur that it gave everyone pause, ¡°let me introduce you to my new apprentice.¡± He waved at Matt as if it were the most sensible thing in the world.

    ¡°Apprentice?¡± Matt asked, turning to him but the man did not reply.

    ¡°So that¡¯s how you cheated!¡± The young woman, supposedly Oiral, declared staring at Matt with a sharp eye. ¡°You said you¡¯d get this done in a week, you never said you were going to get help to do it!¡± The woman accused loudly.

    ¡°Well, it was something of a surprise myself. I didn¡¯t expect to find someone with potential here, especially not among the labourers that they sent us.¡± He patted Matt¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Your apprentice sure has proven himself useful to have done so much work in your stead already.¡± The elderly man said pointedly.

    ¡°Well Tharil, an apprentice is only as good as his master.¡± He didn¡¯t even try to deny the obvious implications being made.

    The man could only grumble in reply as they pushed on their conversation, ¡°The materials are done and tested, we should be able to produce the estimated ten tonne for the first stage of construction, and will have acquired the materials for stage 2 construction before the first stage is ended.

    ¡°I expect you two have finished your part of this contract?¡± Dvell asked them.

    ¡°Certainly, we were basically finished from the start, just had to polish off a few inconsistencies.¡± The woman, Oiral, spoke; pushing her thick glasses up her nose.

    ¡°Very good then, I¡¯ll inform Lukur by days end, for now, we prepare for mass production.¡± He ordered, to which the two snorted at him.

    ¡°Just because you have an apprentice now your acting like our boss? Sounds like you just jammed your head up somewhere.¡± The woman spoke in phrases that made little sense to Matt.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just see how apt this kid is to learn shall we. Don¡¯t want him spilling all of your secrets, do you boy?¡± Tharil asked talking to Dvell.

    ¡°What do you propose?¡± Dvell asked in reply, glaring the man down.

    ¡°How about a little enchantment. Have this boy see what he can do with a demon already caged, shall we.¡± Oiral offered, pulling a small pen out from her coat.

    Matt examined the offered pen, noticing that at the dull end, was positioned a red coloured gem. It¡¯s glow faint, but as he looked carefully into it, similar patterns formed as he¡¯d seen earlier. Somehow vaguely different, in what way, he wasn¡¯t sure.

    Dvell waved for Matt to take the pen, and without complaint he did so.

    Caged demon. The term that they used. To describe this gemstone in such a way implied so many things, and added a million more questions to his list. More than that, looking at it, he realized that this was the proof that he was looking for.

    This was what Lilith was after.

    He reached out with his mind, only to find that Lilith was only the faintest impression on his mind. Upon feeling such weak connection, he focused instead on the people around him.

    On the warlocks.

    ¡°So, this is magic?¡± He asked them, staring at the pen in his hand with more than a little hesitance.

    ¡°Hahaha, Is it magic? Boy, do you not know anything? Magic is something done, it isn¡¯t a pen or a wall! Magic isn¡¯t a thing, but an action, an incantation, an enchantment. You cannot hold magic in your hand, any more than you could lift a concept or action!¡± Tharil seemed to be laughing joyously as he looked down on Matt.

    The gem at the end of the pen called to him. Hesitantly Matt looked into it, curious. Lilith and the Knights would consider this questionable at best, but Matt couldn¡¯t help remembering the words of the demon within Lilith.

    ¡°We need everyone in order to fight against your people.¡±

    If he were to just side with the Knights after this short of a time, if he were to close his mind and reject these ideas without even hearing them. What would become of him.

    Mind slave the words spoken in his mind not so long ago.

    He clutched the pen in his hand, touching the small gem installed on the tip. Inside it, he could feel a power stirring, responding to his contact, glowing gently.

    Around him the two ¡®engineers¡¯ or warlocks as they were, sneered at him expecting his failure. Dvell looked at him with curiosity, and a hint of confidence.

    For a moment Matt felt the power reaching out to him.

    Anger; raging, burning, anger.

    It seared his mind, his bones and his heart, yet¡­ it was transient. Matt instinctively pushed aside the emotions. Compared to the Keht, or even the emotions leaking through Lilith¡¯s tether on a frequent basis, this was no challenge at all.

    He explored deeper, whether it was his own mind or the maze inside the gem, he wasn¡¯t sure. The raging emotions that flowed, followed the shapes of the geometric patterns sharp, shifting, growing. Flowing with direction, with purpose.

    Curiously, Matt followed the tide of anger. Tracing upstream this twisted emotion, as the feelings grew stronger and stronger. He sought the source of this emotion, the source of this power that rushed through him, and as the shapes grew tighter in form, the ending came into sight.

    If where he¡¯d been, could be described as a river, then this was a lake. Deep and wide, it stretched out for eternity, it¡¯s power overflowing and forming the rivers that connected him to it. Every essence of what flowed here was anger, red flowing anger.

    As if unsettled by his appearance, the lake trembled. Thundering with will of its own.

    Paint the world black.

    This message understood more as intent than definition, was repeated over and over by that will that controlled this lake.

    The caged demon.

    Matt considered these words as he felt the creature within, thrashing, raging, fighting endlessly against constraint. This creature was very much like the demon¡¯s he¡¯d known thus far in essence, yet, it was weaker, it was simpler. It was less in so many countless ways.

    The only idea, the only phrase that it knew.

    Paint the world black.

    The command written in the soul of the caged demon. The harsh words guiding the anger of the creature locked within.

    It left a bitter taste Matt¡¯s mouth.

    The words were not its own.

    Searching his mind, he tried to think of an idea that might replace these shackles. Focusing on the idea more than the words, he remembered a conversation he¡¯d had not so long ago.

    Reveal the stars of the night sky.

    These words spurned on by thoughts of the night sky beyond Seri. A sky of boundless lights and beauty.

    The anger in the gem seemed to erase his idea as he forged it, twisting it, turning it, making it something else.

    StArs sKy niGHt BurN

    The idea now so far changed by the anger filling this soul, that it no longer resembled anything at all.

    Matt paused. The anger continually washing over him, wearing at him.

    Anger. Matt thought, could not understand idea¡¯s that were born from different emotions.

    The anger washed over him in unending torrents trying to wash him away, trying to consume him.

    This time, he let it. He let the anger fill his breast. The hatred, the desire to destroy, to wreck and ruin everything. Fuelled by this anger, he expressed a new idea. Different yet the same.

    Hide seri¡¯s bright light, reveal the stars dulled by her.

    He felt a moments rejection as the idea flowed into the demon. The words, shifted as they had last time.

    Silence Seri¡¯s jealous light,

    And let the weak shine as bright.

    These words, though twisted, told the same meaning, imbibed with the same purpose. Matt, finally satisfied with the changes he¡¯d made and looked upon the demon.

    Silence Seri¡¯s jealous light,

    And let the weak shine as bright.

    It raged on, hate filled and angry. Consumed with nothing more, than that one phrase, that one emotion.

    He realized in that moment, all that he¡¯d done was exchange it¡¯s chains for another set. Pointless. Meaningless. Worthless.

    Matt aased his mind away from the gemstone and the demon, who continued to rage within its small cage. Endlessly tearing at itself and anything else in reach.

    Relaxing, he let the anger flow away, regaining control over himself.

    Awakening to dulled light, Dvell, Tharil and Oiral, stood over him, where he¡¯d fallen to the ground. They were speaking to each other, and ignoring Matt as he caught his breath.

    ¡°You really trust this kid that much?¡± Tharil asked Dvell, ¡°You¡¯ve known him less than a pair of days!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s got potential, and more than that we need more people like us! You weren¡¯t there so you didn¡¯t see the city fall, but it was overwhelming. I couldn¡¯t do a damn thing about it. I heard from some others, that some soldiers came not too long ago, apparently they were even more dangerous.¡±

    Tharil stroked his chin, ¡°Look, boy. I¡¯ve lived a mighty lot longer than you, wars happen. It¡¯s not something to be happy about, but they do. You can¡¯t stop human nature, and acting rashly like this will only end in getting yourself killed.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Dvell raged in return, ¡°If I can save someone-¡°

    ¡°You can¡¯t save anyone when you¡¯re dead!¡± Tharil roared in return. The tense air filled the room before Tharil let out a sigh, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be terse with you. I know what you did. What you¡¯re trying to fix.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be fixed.¡± Dvell replied, ¡°I just-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll just burn yourself out trying to save anyone and everyone you can. Right?¡± Tharil asked.

    ¡°Yes, and that¡¯s how I choose to live. Anyone with power has the responsibility to use it to save another!¡±

    ¡°Look,¡± Oiral cut in, pointing down at Matt. Instantly their argument faded away. Dvell stepped away for a moment rubbing at his eyes, Tharil smiled as he looked down at Matt.

    ¡°I expected him to go into a rage,¡± Tharil replied, ¡°not many handle their first time so calmly.¡±

    ¡°I more or less expected something like this,¡± Oiral whispered under her breath, less than confident in her words.

    ¡°You need a hand up?¡± Tharil offered, still standing over Matt.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a little dizzy.¡± Matt replied, holding his head so that the ground would stop shaking.

    Dvell having finally calmed down, smiled gently, ¡°I told you. He¡¯s got potential.¡± His words instigating more conversation which Matt was not prepared for.

    Their words blurred in his mind, and he lifted up the pen. The caged demon inside, looking somewhat different in it¡¯s patterns yet again, reflecting the changes he¡¯d made inside.

    Walking dizzily out the door holding firmly to the frame for support, he looked up at the night sky. Though branches covered some, this clearing offered a decent view of the stars above, glowing brightly with Seri¡¯s light.

    Noticing he¡¯d walked out, the warlocks followed after him, asking questions. Talking. Words that he couldn¡¯t unravel this moment.

    Lifting the pen up to the sky, he slowly angled it between himself and Seri. The sudden shift to darkness upset his eyes, for a few moments he was blinking back the afterimage of Seri stained into his eyes.

    As he finally opened them again, looking up to the sky, he watched as thousands upon thousands of stars suddenly appeared. As if by magic, the sky filled with a million small lights, each shining brightly beside the other.

    ¡°Oh Seri¡­ above.¡± The elderly Tharil¡¯s voice trailed.

    ¡°Well that, I didn¡¯t expect.¡± Oiral whispered, staring upwards.

    Dvell simply stared at the sky with a smile on his face. ¡°You¡¯ll make a fine warlock.¡±

    Matt just stared at the sky, wondering whether this would be yet another regret.

 Chapter 26 - Lost in the Current

    Lost in the Current

    Dreams flitted through Matt¡¯s mind, as he fought his way free; yet for all his efforts, dreams fading still stained his mind. Contained within; anger, grief, pain, and fear. The darkness swirling around in his heart, breeding distrust that his mind could not comprehend.

    Within this darkness the familiar tether binding him to Lilith, lay slack. Distant and silent, offering no reprieve from the tides of emotions rushing his heart. Beyond the sounds of dreams left behind, something new and unfamiliar disrupted his sleeping mind.

    Awakened, not by the sounds of nature cutting through the thin walls, but rather the sound of a man¡¯s snoring rattling the thin clay walls and door. Matt stared at the roof above, wondering what he¡¯d done to deserve such a curse.

    After his successes the night before, he¡¯d had a hammock hung in Dvell¡¯s workshop to sleep in, to the man¡¯s obvious joy. Apparently to keep him and his knowledge away from the rabble that was the manual labourers. Though Matt had suspected that it was instead done to cure the man¡¯s growing loneliness.

    The end result, had him sleeping in the same room as a man who made enough noise for twenty or more. The rough snoring having been loud enough to disrupt his sleep countless times throughout the night, and instigated nightmares that were only now fading.

    Eye¡¯s drawn again to the sloped ceiling, he focused on the flaws forcing, as he could, the sound to the back of his mind. Where it further aggravated the demons, or insects, or whatever had been clawing around inside his head.

    Unending thoughts, whirling around and around, refusing the sleep his body still demanded. Though that was not all that was unending, Matt looked over at Dvell, who¡¯d been sleeping in a similar hammock nearby mouth hanging agape as each breath brought new suffering to Matt.

    He was surprised by the rather lowly living standards of these warlocks. Having discovered that they were powerful, he¡¯d thought that such power might offer them better luxury than what he¡¯d seen here. In simple fact, the hammocks he and Dvell rested in were not nearly as soft or pleasant as the bed at the inn, or the furs borrowed from the Knights.

    To make matters worse for his still tired mind, he felt hot flushes coming on, followed by rapid chills. His body had been growing more irritated, and itched far worse than was normal. He wasn¡¯t sure whether it was the environment here doing something to him, or if it was because he no longer had the supplements from his own world.

    Pulling himself up from the bedding, careful to land on his feet as the hammock rolled under him. He looked over the room in the darkness of night, the shapes of pots and tools darkening the world inside. The sun was yet to rise, and darkness still stirred outside the small windows, only slightly clearer for the light of Seri.

    A light coloured purple mist hazed around them, filling the air of the small enclosed room. The essence of it adding to his headache. It only added to his desires to escape this room, almost like a voice in the back of his mind pushing him on.

    Wanting to clear his mind of it all, Matt stepped outside, careful of the delicately constructed door. The sound of the doors, clicking and clacking, barely disrupting Dvell¡¯s heavy snoring.

    Quickly finding his way, clear of that thinning mist, Matt discovered a world still embraced by shadow. Tree¡¯s standing as tall shades, the canopy rattling with unseen motion, and the nearby river gurgled with water shining blue in Seri¡¯s light.

    None of the nearby shacks were revealing even a hint of light, suggesting that he might be the first awake. A few stray creatures fluttered through the air, glowing red as they flew nearby. It wasn¡¯t immediately apparent what the created the light, but Matt was already surrounded with enough boundless mysteries for him to let it be for now.

    The trees shifted quietly in the wind, rustling with life from both wind and muscle. Matt walked amidst it all for a while, enjoying the feeling of life that filled this alien place. The bubbling of the nearby stream offering a unique background noise, still frightening, yet far more pleasant than what waited for him back inside the workshop.

    Walking towards the targets of his fears, he supressed the panic and fear striking his heart. Standing at the water¡¯s edge, he knelt down staring into the lively river.

    Matt felt at the water flowing in the river, remembering how Ren used to do just the same. Gently the water tugged at his hand, pulling downstream.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice here.¡± A familiar voice spoke from nearby shadow, ¡°I might take this place when I¡¯m queen.¡±

    Shocked by the sudden intrusion, Matt turned in a full circle, eyes whirling around searching. In short moment, Sashella crawled up and away from the bushes that had obscured her. He hadn¡¯t sensed her presence, even slightly, before she¡¯d surrendered her position.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked, kneeling down beside him, ¡°Tongue twisted?¡±

    Letting out a sigh and returning his attentions to the water, he found enough voice to reply. ¡°You surprised me. What are you doing here?¡± his voice low.

    ¡°What am I doing?¡± She smirked, ¡°What you are doing is far more interesting.¡±

    He twitched, pursing his lips as he looked away from her, ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be interested in.¡± His hand found its way to the pen, that he¡¯d repurposed only last night.

    ¡°Don¡¯t betray her.¡± Sashella warned him, a smile on her face which was absent from her eyes. ¡°Lilith trusts you.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± he replied. ¡°But, I can¡¯t just accept that these people are evil.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± her eyes glimmered lightly, ¡°Then I won¡¯t tell her just yet.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Matt replied, turning away from the water, the sound of water rushing by adding to his headache.

    ¡°What do you think of this place?¡± She asked, before he had the chance to walk away.

    ¡°Here?¡± He rubbed at his chin, ¡°It¡¯s nicer than home.¡± He gazed over the landscape, taking in all of the life that now surrounded him.

    ¡°Home, huh.¡± She whispered her words fading into the whistling of nearby animals, ¡°So you still think of it as home?¡±

    Matt paused looking down at his hands, ¡°It was a home; once. Sometimes I just forget that it isn¡¯t anymore. That my home was washed away and can¡¯t ever come back.¡±

    ¡°Do you regret having left?¡±

    Thinking back at the many regrets in his life, Matt quickly replied ¡°No. I regret not having left sooner.¡±

    ¡°And this world? The people here, the places, how does it compare?¡± She splashed lightly at the water.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ different. There¡¯s so much anger here, so much pain and suffering, but that¡¯s not so bad.¡± He smiled a little, ¡°The people here smile, they laugh, even if only rarely. This world is beautiful.¡±

    ¡°You can only know pain, if you¡¯ve felt pleasure. A person can only truly hate, when something they love is taken away. One must know love, in order to hate. It sounds like in your world there¡¯s nothing to hold dear in the first place, so there is no anger or resentment, because there is no love, no pleasure.¡±

    Matt nodded along with her, listening to her perspective of his world.

    ¡°It sounds like such a terrible thing.¡± She smiled, ¡°I guess that means that your people need to be freed. Need their shackles to be broken. Rather than stopping them from coming here, we should be taking the fight to them, and save them in the process.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not possible to win, not like that.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps not today, or tomorrow, but wouldn¡¯t you like to see your own people freed from that life. Offered something more meaningful.¡±

    ¡°Most of them wouldn¡¯t accept it in the first place. As children we¡­ my family, tried to save people like that. It was so difficult and so few would even listen.¡± He gazed through the reflection in the water.

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re willing to abandon them?¡±

    ¡°Abandon¡­?¡±

    Save them.

    The words ringing in his mind like a chime, reminding him of who he had to be. Reminding him, what Ren would have done in his place.

    ¡°No¡­ I¡­ but how? How could we possibly ever save them¡­ without her¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm?¡± She mumbled thoughtfully, ¡°How only matters after you¡¯ve decided what you¡¯re going to do. More importantly, who is this ¡®her¡¯? A friend? A lover? Mother?¡±

    ¡°She¡­ she was¡­ she is, my hero. She saved me, and¡­ and right now she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to save them. Even if it¡¯s impossible, it¡¯s what she would have done.¡± He smiled gently, seeing his blurred reflection falling short of expectation.

    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve finally come back.¡± Sashella slapped him gently on the shoulder, ¡°You¡¯ve decided on what you¡¯re going to do?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± His voice firm as he spoke, ¡°I¡¯ll fight, I¡¯ll destroy the system somehow and free everyone enslaved. I¡¯ll do what we couldn¡¯t back then.¡±

    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve decided on what you¡¯re doing, what about how?¡±

    ¡°How?¡± How would she do it? How was it that she failed back then? How can he improve upon her work?

    ¡°Friends.¡± He whispered, ¡°The only times we ever succeeded, even a little was because we weren¡¯t alone. Because we had each other. If there¡¯d been more of us back then, maybe we would have stood a chance.¡±

    ¡°If friends are what you¡¯re looking for, then you already have Lilith, as much as she might say otherwise, she trusts you. Of course, me and my darling will side with you, though as cute as he is, I wouldn¡¯t let him fight in a war. It¡¯s a woman¡¯s responsibility to look after her weak man.¡±

    Matt smiled, looking at his own reflection, he seemed almost like a different man now, but if that¡¯s what was needed, he would become it.

    ¡°We need more. More friends, more skills, more magic and curses.¡± He listed off, ¡°It wasn¡¯t just our numbers that made us strong back then, Ren used to lead us, but everyone made a difference. Everyone had skills that saved us one time or another.¡±

    ¡°We need the mages, the Sasahara Knights, and even demons, if they¡¯ll fight with us. We need people who, I don¡¯t even know yet. More than any of that, we need to be friends.¡±

    Sashella giggled uncontrollably, staring at him as he stood gazing at the sky, ¡°You, really are different. Some might say ignorant, but¡­ I don¡¯t know. Suggesting that the Knights, mages and demons might fight together is such a ridiculous idea that most any of them would kill you just for saying those words.¡±

    ¡°So, we just figure out the how.¡± He replied, looking to her without a hint of doubt. ¡°Will you help me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how any of this will turn out.¡± Her own smile never faded as she stood up beside him, ¡°but, we¡¯re friends already. It¡¯s far too late to back out now.¡±

    ¡°Then perhaps I should ask you then,¡± He continued, his doubt fading, ¡°The warlocks here, what do you think of them?¡±

    ¡°What do I think?¡± She gazed out across the water, ¡°I think, that they¡¯re monsters. That they enslave demons, and exploit them for power to wield over others.¡± She shrugged lightly, ¡°I think, that you might be able to judge them far better than I. I¡¯ve seen so many horrible things, all attributed to the power-hungry warlocks that I can¡¯t think straight around them.

    ¡°I think we need everyone we can, and that you¡¯re the only person in this world who knows the stakes and isn¡¯t affected by our rumours.¡±

    He let out a long sigh, ¡°How am I supposed to tell if their good or bad? If they¡¯ll work with us?¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°That¡¯s up to you, but I¡¯ll trust your opinion and so will Arcide. He¡¯s a good man, and never judges a person for their titles or labels.¡± She smiled, ¡°He¡¯s already made a companion out of a demon, so a warlock shouldn¡¯t be hard for him to handle.¡±

    ¡°And Lilith? The Sasahara Knights?¡± He asked turning to her.

    ¡°Lilith is just a matter of time. Right now, she¡¯s pretending to be someone she isn¡¯t. That¡¯s fine, if the people you¡¯re with are forgiving, but the Knights¡­¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°She knows about my pendant and let me walk away. It¡¯s only a matter of time before she slips up like that in front of another of her order, and they won¡¯t stand for it. They¡¯d kill her on the spot if they knew.¡±

    ¡°Just for that? For protecting a friend?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not her friend. That¡¯s how it¡¯s supposed to be, she died when she took on the oaths. Now, she¡¯s just a loyal Knight. Giving me leniency, giving anyone, leniency is a crime that they cannot commit. She¡¯d be better off killing a small village than letting one guilty person walk away.¡±

    Matt swallowed back his words, from what he¡¯d seen of them. What he knew they would never do such a thing. Then again, Myra always seemed incredibly intent on killing mages, the others never once held her back. Never once said that she was wrong.

    ¡°But then¡­ what you¡¯re saying is that she¡¯s going to die? She¡¯s going to get executed, sooner or later?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen.¡± Sashella¡¯s voice deepened, ¡°I¡¯ll save her, even if she refuses. Even if she tries to kill me for it.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Matt asked.

    ¡°I have friends, who¡¯ll help me and a few secrets I¡¯ve yet to reveal.¡± She splashed with the water, ¡°I¡¯ve got that part under control at least. What you should be more worried about, is winning the Knights to your side.¡±

    ¡°Your friends?¡± He asked, hoping for some miraculous group that could save them all.

    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to them when I can. They aren¡¯t much in a fight, but, what was it you were speaking about earlier? Good friends with rare talents.¡±

    ¡°Should I keep an eye on Lilith?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Leave that to me, just be sure to keep this secret between us. Okay.¡±

    Matt hesitated a moment, looking to sky that was gradually brightening to day. ¡°Our minds are linked.¡± He replied, ¡°How can I keep it a secret.¡±

    ¡°You made friends out of warlocks, without thinking about that little problem?¡± She asked, looking to him as asking if he was a moron. When he failed to reply, she continued on, ¡°Well, you¡¯d better figure something out. Else we¡¯re all in trouble.¡±

    She walked into the trees without another word, the silence of morning disrupted by birdsong, too cheerful. Matt didn¡¯t bother looking about to see if she¡¯d left, he¡¯d already gotten used to the idea that she could be anywhere without him knowing. Though that didn¡¯t stop him from jumping a little each time she appeared.

    As the sun began to rise behind the horizon line of trees, Matt noticed the growing warmth alongside the brightening light. Animals were still rushing through the canopy above, shuffling leaves that fell into the flow of the river.

    Lost in the current, they were carried away by forces beyond themselves.

    ¡°Early waker?¡± A woman¡¯s voice called to him, though not the one he expected. ¡°Or was it you couldn¡¯t handle the snoring anymore?¡± Oiral asked, walking down along the river. Strangely, she came from the opposite direction of her shack.

    ¡°A little of both.¡± Matt replied, returning his eyes to the scenery around them, looking for the heavily disguised Sashella who was doubtlessly still around, listening. If she heard too much¡­ well, he was already far too late for that. He returned his focus on Oiral.

    ¡°Watch out for Dvell, when he wakes up it¡¯ll be sudden and loud.¡± She let out a little laugh. ¡°I used to work with him myself, but couldn¡¯t handle it after a while. Went our separate ways. On good terms of course.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not a bad man. I know what the image of a warlock inspires in people, but none of us here are evil.¡± She nudged the thick glasses on her nose, ¡°We aren¡¯t what, they all seem to think we are.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ what do they think you are.¡± Matt asked, knowing only some opinions from the Knights that he¡¯d spent time with.

    ¡°Monsters, little better than demons.¡± She hesitated for a moment, ¡°Perhaps even worse.¡±

    ¡°Is it lonely?¡± He ended up asking after a pause, she seemed surprised by his question.

    What he¡¯d really wanted to ask though was whether she¡¯d consider helping him. Teaming up with everyone who wants her dead, but even he realized how silly the idea was.

    ¡°Lonely?¡± She asked, watching the leaves drift along the river, all moving side by side, the same direction. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s lonely. The only real friends you can ever make are other warlocks. Knowing that anyone near you could get hurt because of what you are, it keeps you from getting close to people.¡±

    ¡°So why keep going? Why continue?¡±

    ¡°You mean, throw away all of my work and just become an ordinary woman?¡± Her cast down eyes, looked saddened by something. ¡°Most people who start out as Warlocks, do. They realize, they know, the kind of suffering this life brings a person. The people who don¡¯t let it go. The people like me, the old man, Dvell; we all have some reason to keep on going.

    ¡°There are others, people who enjoy the power. Enjoy causing hurt and suffering, but they¡¯re not as common as you¡¯d think. And if you turned out like that, Dvell would kill you.¡±

    Silence filled the air as they stared at each other, measuring each other up. After the pause stretched out for too long a time, he finally asked her what he¡¯d been wanting to know.

    ¡°The Sasahara Knights, what do you think of them?¡±

    ¡°I think that they trying to do the right thing. I think in their own way they¡¯re protecting people, and they¡¯re probably more righteous than I am. Even so, I¡¯m not going to let them stop me. I have my own reasons for doing what I do, and I can¡¯t stop now.¡±

    ¡°If they didn¡¯t want you dead?¡±

    ¡°If they didn¡¯t kill every mage that they found, then they wouldn¡¯t be the Sasahara Knights. If you¡¯re asking me whether I have a problem with how they use demons, then no, I don¡¯t care. If anything, I¡¯d like to talk with one. Open book, no secrets. Just talk, learn about them, their demons, their stama. How they do what they do.¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯d never let a monster like me live long enough for introductions.¡± She sneered before walking off.

    Already the morning had grown late, men were out and about, bathing in the river, cooking breakfast and dressing for the new day. Matt watched them from a distance, how simple and happy their lives seemed.

    Manual labour through the day, but the freedom to laugh and smile. To sing and dance when the mood took them. To eat food that was more than just nutrition. All was put to threat by his own world.

    With a heavy sigh he left where he¡¯d been resting his feet and walked the direction of Dvell¡¯s workshop. Arcide waved to him on his way over but didn¡¯t interrupt him. Lukur on the other hand, stared at him with darkened expression, his concerns over Matt¡¯s wellbeing seemed to have changed since last night.

    ¡°Matt.¡± He called out, waving him closer. ¡°You, didn¡¯t leave the workshop last night, might I ask if something is wrong?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing really.¡± Matt replied, not knowing how to reply to the man, ¡°I just slept there last night.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± His gaze darkened, ¡°Well, get about your work then.¡± He said, walking away.

    Shrugging off the uncomfortable confrontation he continued on to Dvell¡¯s hut. Inside, the sounds of snoring had faded away, but new sounds replaced it.

    The clapping of metal, and the off-key singing from a man still barely awake. His voice occasionally dipping as if he were falling back to sleep again. The strange nature of it was oddly welcoming, reminding him of the home he¡¯d lost so long ago.

    Walking into the room he was invited in by a busy Dvell, ¡°Come, come, we need to get on top of this immediately. Today is a busy day.¡±

    Matt was dragged into the room towards where Dvell was already putting together various instruments. ¡°Now that we have the formula perfected we need to prepare for full-scale application.¡±

    ¡°What is¡­ full-scale application?¡±

    ¡°Ah, a little too ahead of myself I see. What I mean, is making enough of the solution to use on the clay. For now, it¡¯s just for the outer wall, that¡¯s what step 1 has been about. Getting the mixture right and rebuilding that wall.

    ¡°After that,¡± He continued grabbing a large pot and settling it over a small fire, ¡°We¡¯ll be working on rebuilding the city itself. Giving the survivors homes to live in, or at least to keep them out of the rain.¡±

    He gestured over to a large vase filled with clear water, ¡°Pour that into here.¡±

    ¡°Now the third phase is about reconstructing the city entirely. You¡¯ve seen how this city used to be nothing but the caste and clay hovels? The only real difference was in the quality of the clay used. Only a few were lucky enough to make a real living here.

    ¡°The King didn¡¯t like that, but until now he hasn¡¯t had the chance to change it. So, he¡¯s decided to rebuild this city into something resembling the coastal cities in the east. Using hardened clay to build amazingly tall and extravagant buildings.

    ¡°Apparently he sold off some of the queen¡¯s old jewellery just to pay for the designers to come here and work on the constructions.¡± He smiled as he talked about the king. For all his nice words, Matt simply couldn¡¯t put them together with the man he¡¯d met in that throne room.

    ¡°For now, keep mixing this while, I,¡± He sprinkled a perfectly measured amount of silver into the water solution, ¡°add our precious minerals to the mix.¡±

    As Matt continued stirring the man continued talking, ¡°This part is easy, we¡¯ll be done before breakfast.¡± His stomach grumbled in disagreement as he worked.

    ¡°So, this clay that we¡¯re making, it¡¯s going to the wall?¡± Matt asked, swapping arms so that he could keep mixing at a constant pace.

    ¡°Yes, yes. It¡¯s going to be used as the mortar between the stones. A little unconventional I know, since this is going to be far stronger than the stones themselves.¡± He let out a little giggle at the thought.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to be putting together enough clay for the wall today and tomorrow, seeing stage one of the reconstruction efforts finished. After that we need to output a more dilute version of the clay for housing reconstruction. Though we already have the different recipes together for that, from our hard work making this.

    ¡°Fortunately we¡¯re not having to do the actual building of any of this, just a little bit of mixing and magic.¡± He finished adding the ingredients to the mixture, pulling Matt¡¯s hands away so that the particulates could settle.

    ¡°See how they¡¯ve clumped?¡± he asked, pointing to the water. Matt leaned over the pot, staring inside to see what he was talking about.

    When he¡¯d been adding parts to the water solution, they¡¯d all been separated into tiny grains. Something easily overlooked in the watery solution, but as he glanced into the still swirling waters he noticed something different forming.

    The particles were gathering together into small clumps.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t notice before, did you?¡± Dvell asked, staring into the waters. ¡°This is the reaction that I have to look for. It¡¯s only when they¡¯ve clumped together like this that they react positively to the demon¡¯s energy release.

    ¡°When we have some time, I¡¯ll show you how to control the demon for something like this. It¡¯s not so simple as bursting a fireball to hand, as it would merely boil the water off and turn this into a steam room.

    ¡°Rather, you have to force the energy to release slowly,¡± He said, touching the gem locked into the pot, ¡°That way when the workers take it over to the wall, it¡¯ll still be clay. If it hardens too soon, they¡¯ll have massive misshapen bricks and nothing more.¡±

    Dvell¡¯s stomach grumbled interrupting his speech where Matt didn¡¯t have the guts.

    ¡°Ahe,¡± He let out a small laugh, ¡°I¡¯ll finish this, while you get us some food then,¡± He waved Matt to go out and fetch some of the food that was being cooked outside. ¡°I don¡¯t need any of the fancy food they¡¯ve been offering, but that stew sounds like enough to rejuvenate my dying soul.¡± He called out energetically.

    Matt dove out of the door before the man had the chance to change his mind. Outside was filled with life, and noise, as countless men were boisterously waiting around the pot for their share of the stew that was cooking at the centre.

    The cook, noticing that Matt was there for work rather than self-indulgence quickly drew out two bowls off of the top. They then began serving everyone else, to the sound of cheerful cries.

    Arcide gave him a small glance from inside the group, his eyes making it clear that he wanted to talk about something. Though whatever it was would have to wait, Matt didn¡¯t have the chance to steal away for a private conversation just now. Hurriedly heading back to the man he was hired to assist, he heard conversation leaking out from the workshop.

    Upon returning he was surprised to find, Oiral and Tharil, both, back in the shack speaking with Dvell. Both with meals that resembled the feast he¡¯d shared with the Knights more than the stew that was warming his hands.

    ¡°Still enjoying the simple things in life, Dvell?¡± Tharil asked, looking over to the stew, while chewing on a thick cut of meat. ¡°After getting all of this power, you neglect your own health?¡± The older man wasn¡¯t hesitating to cut through his meal as he ate without concern for the few manners Matt actually remembered.

    ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a sucker for nostalgia.¡± He smiled taking the bowl, ¡°But like hell am I going back to sleeping in the cold wet mud.¡±

    Oiral spoke up, waving around some of the same meal Tharil had been eating, ¡°I see, you¡¯re not glorifying the past none then? Good thing, didn¡¯t want to lose you just yet to the musings of old men. Already have more than enough of that.¡± Oiral was eating the same sort of feast as the elderly man at their table.

    ¡°Never,¡± Dvell replied, ¡°Remember you left my lovely companionship for those musings.¡±

    ¡°Oh, shut it,¡± Tharil waved a chunk of his steak at them, ¡°You young fools wouldn¡¯t know how to tame a demon if it leapt into the gem itself. Hell, you¡¯re still holding onto that little one yourself, what d¡¯ya call it? lin, Rena, or what have you.¡±

    Dvell¡¯s face dropped at the man¡¯s words, but quickly he returned to himself, ¡°And you¡¯ve never caught a demon worth the name.¡± he threw back, ¡°At least I¡¯m working on something sizeable.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a reason I lived to an old age, boy.¡± He said eating another large mouthful of blackened meat, ¡°Not taking chances was a big part of that. Another was eating good meals whenever you get the chance.

    ¡°The smallen¡¯s do as you need them to, so long as you tame them right. You don¡¯t need much power to make a difference.¡±

    Matt tried as he could to follow along with the conversation losing the flow as they spoke with strange terms. Though, even he could see that these two were the kind to argue over and over, just as they had the night before.

    ¡°Well when I tame¡­,¡± He paused, unable to voice the name, ¡°When I get that power, I could have this wall built myself in the snap of my fingers.¡± Dvell proclaimed, to the laughter of the others.

    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Oiral laughed at him, slapping at her now empty plate, ¡°Thing is though, you never will tame it. Your apprentice has better chances of taming it than you.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps in ten years time.¡± Dvell replied playfully, their words, and arguments lacking the heat he¡¯d seen elsewhere. It seemed to him, that even in their disagreements, these people stood together when it mattered. To him, they looked like close friends.

    They continued their banter until long after their plates were cleaned. As conversation died down, they all began to relax.

    Tharil let out a long sigh as he thought over something, chewing on his lip like it was a bad habit, ¡°Thinkin¡¯ about settling down after this.¡± He rocked back and forth slowly on his chair. ¡°Keep a few demons around to help out around the house, but I¡¯ll have to pass the rest on.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your collection at now?¡± Oiral asked, she didn¡¯t seem surprised by his sudden declaration.

    ¡°Two and twenty,¡± Tharil replied, ¡°All smallen¡¯s mind you. Though that¡¯s enough for an old man like me.¡±

    ¡°I could probably use a few more smaller demons for training.¡± Dvell told the old man, as he looked over to Matt, ¡°Though I get the feeling that he¡¯ll catch on pretty quick.¡±

    Tharil looked to Matt, examining him, ¡°Yes, well, he certainly has what it takes. I¡¯ll let you have the empty shells I have around as well. Train him well though, I don¡¯t need my demons coming back to haunt me because you failed to train the boy properly.

    ¡°Oiral, I¡¯ll be keeping a pair of them for myself, but can you take care of the rest?¡± he asked looking to the younger woman.

    ¡°It¡¯d be my pleasure, and nice to have something to remember you by, while you whittle away the last of your life.¡±

    The old man laughed letting out some of the stress he¡¯d been building up as he talked with them. ¡°Well that¡¯s that, lets finish off this last job so that I can find a town with kids a little too courageous. I need to make a few kids scared out of their little minds before I go to the grave.¡±

    Lifting himself up from the chair, he strode to the door, a new life coming to the man as he left for his own workshop. Oiral followed soon after with Dvell and Matt watching as they left.

    ¡°Listen to what that man tells you,¡± Dvell told Matt, still looking through the closed door, ¡°Not many live to see his age, took me a little too long to learn from him, and it was a little too late by then.

    ¡°Alright enough of the talking, let¡¯s get on with this.¡± Dvell called out spiritedly, pulling out another caged demon as he walked over to the pot they¡¯d been working on. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this.¡±