“We welcome the esteemed Apithien to our humble village!”

Isaac and I stood quietly behind Solgen as she conversed with a group of heavily armored guards at a place called Igni Town. They were kneeling in front of Solgen, heads bowed like guards greeting their king.

“Why are they kneeling in front of you?” Isaac asked.

“It is because they hold me in high regard,” Solgen said.

“Okay, but why?”

“I will tell you once we are inside the village.” She cleared her throat and addressed the guards. “Please rise. There is no need for you to bow down before me. Just take my apprentices and I inside so we may rest.”

“Yes, madam!” They all rose in unison and signaled toward their comrades. The substantial gate gradually opened, emitting a deafening and unpleasant screech into the atmosphere. One guard leaned forward and said, “Please, follow me as I take you to our lodging.”

Solgen nodded curtly. “Thank you. Follow along, Laila, Isaac.”

The instant we set foot inside, a gentle and refreshing breeze encompassed us, similar to the warmth of an angel's blessing. We were just standing in the scorching heat, but it vanished without a trace!

Solgen must’ve read my mind as she answered my question. “In the entire village, there exists a machine powered by magic that alters the temperature. It was crafted by the same blacksmith we plan to visit. Did I mention he’s also an inventor?”

While analyzing the town, Solgen was cheerfully engaged in conversation as we walked along the pavement. The buildings appeared to be constructed from gray bricks, with architectural designs reminiscent of those found in residential buildings in the United States on Earth. Turning the corner, we saw small children running in circles, their cheeks rosy with joy. Their clothes were caked in dirt and their hair was a tangled mess. Small horns protruded from their heads.

I tapped Isaac on the shoulder. “It seems we really are in another world…”

He smirked and said, “Nah, really? What gave it away?”

I rolled my eyes at his response. The guard brought us to a standstill in front of a looming structure made of a mahogany-red material. A charcoal color dominated the building, mixed with a sprinkle of red, similar to an already-used hearth. The architecture was the same as the homes we passed by, but in mansion form. It had wide double doors, a sloped roof, and many rectangular windows that showcased dark rooms.

“Here we are,” the guard announced. “You may take rest here until the arrival of the village leader. Please make yourselves at home.”

Isaac admired the building while whistling. “This is the type of high-grade mansion you would see in Cali.”

“Enough of being dazzled by the view,” Solgen said. “You two go freshen up and meet me downstairs. We have much to discuss.”

Isaac didn’t need to be told twice as he bolted toward the already open door. I called up after him while tearing my shoes off.

“Isaac, take your shoes off first! It’s filthy!”

****

“Ah…. That was complete bliss,” I sighed. “Washing off grease and grime never felt so good. I didn’t think they would have baths in this place! What surprised me is that it’s run by water spirits, which is odd since how there can be water spirits in an area like this. Then again, there are no lakes or any water sources around here, so it makes sense they would find unorthodox methods...”

A pile of neatly folded clothes was waiting for me on a table. There was a brown, long-sleeved shirt and black trousers that reached my ankles.

“A fresh outfit, too. I don’t have to walk around wearing torn-up clothes now.”

Once I was dressed, I went downstairs to the lounging area. Isaac and Solgen were already seated and waiting for me. The mansion's interior walls mirrored the exterior, creating a gloomy and ominous atmosphere. A shaggy carpet was planted right beneath a row of chairs and couches.

“Took ya long enough,” Isaac playfully chastised.

“Have a seat,” Solgen said with a smile. “The leader of this village will arrive shortly. I was just notified by a guard earlier.”

Taking up on her invitation, I sat across from Isaac and crossed my legs.

“Before he arrives, I shall answer Isaac’s question before.” Her facial expressions went from calm to deadly serious. “The leader and I have a longstanding history. To put it simply, we were part of an adventuring group. We have overcome many challenges and fought through several battles side by side. We believed we were invincible until the Pillars emerged.”

The mention of the Pillars caused Solgen to unleash a wave of bloodlust. Isaac and I leaped out of our seats, our skin tingling with goosebumps. The tension in the air caught Solgen's attention, and the lethal atmosphere around her vanished.

“Please forgive me. I must admit that I momentarily lost control of myself.”

Isaac poked his head over a couch. “Jesus christ lady! Warn us next time or something!”

I frowned at Isaac as I returned to my seat. “Isaac, shut up. Please, continue.”

She nodded her head and carried on. “These Pillars arrived with no warning beforehand. They descended upon Athiens, prattling about how the residents here will serve just fine for their grand plan. Our group received intelligence from a source regarding their intentions and concluded that we must impede them. Therefore, we equipped ourselves for the most significant battle of our existence.”

“However, we stood no chance in the end. The level of their strength exceeded ours, and we failed miserably. They systematically killed the members of our team one by one, leaving only three of us remaining. We thought were going to perish like the rest of our comrades- until he opened his mouth.”

“Who’s he?” Isaac said.

“She speaks of Volken.”

A calm voice from the doorway had all of us whip our heads. An elderly man with a full head of gray hair and a matching beard stood before us, leaning on his cane for support. He wore a dark-blue robe that clung to his skinny frame, highlighting his slight figure. His hazel eyes, though weary, contained a vitality that seemed to defy his frail demeanor.

“Pardon me, I did not mean to interrupt. I am the leader of this village and old friend of Solgen: Morgac.”

“Morg, you arrived,” Solgen said in a strained tone.

Morgac issued Solgen a curt bow. “I came running as soon as I heard you arrived. The last time I saw your face was when that happened.”

Morgac and Solgen silently stared at each other. It was hard to read their expressions. Did their overwhelming positive emotions leave them speechless? Or were they considering multiple methods for killing one another?

Isaac broke the ice by speaking up first. “What did Volken do that allowed you three to live? I’m guessing it was terrible since he imprisoned Solgen and all.”

“That I can tell you.” The old man sauntered into the lounge area and sat on an open chair. “What Volken did in the past was very simple, actually.”

He tilted his upwards and closed his eyes…

****

I found myself in a kneeling position on the ground, clutching my abdomen as a warm, viscous substance seeped through my fingers. “Volken! What are you thinking in that head of yours?!”

“Quiet Morg!” Volken snapped. He then bowed his head as far as it could go for the seven beings who stood before us. “Oh, great Pillars- Please spare our lives…”

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

“Spare you guys? Hah! Don’t make me laugh. You entered here like insignificant ants, searching for scraps!” A young girl was giggling uncontrollably while pointing at Volken. She donned a light gray dress that emanated a gentle, moonlit glow, akin to a beacon in the darkness. In addition, the girl was barefoot and opted to levitate for the most part. Depending on her emotions, her irises would flicker to different phases of the moon, and at present, they were at the full moon phase.

“Luna, this isn’t the time to be laughing. We should at least hear them out…” This time, a little boy with a head full of wild red locks addressed the girl. His voice was like a lullaby, but beneath the tranquil melody was a monster ready to break free. The boy’s skin glowed an orange tint on his copper skin, as if he spent years out in the sun. It was a significant contrast to his counterpart Luna, who was pale. His iris’ resembled the sun, the outer edges somewhat flickering every so often.

Luna snickered behind her hand. “Shut up, Solis! You shouldn’t be talking! Haven’t you burned at least two of their ‘friends’ with no remorse?”

Solis gave Luna a dirty look. “Well, they were pointing their weapons at me, so I had no other choice.”

“Liar! You probably enjoyed it!”

“Silence,” commanded a bland voice. Upon receiving the order, Solis and Luna both ceased speaking. The leader of the group strode confidently towards the feeble Volken. The leader of the Pillars was a man of handsome features, with curly, jet-black hair and a nose that was slightly curved. He had a stubble chin and a square jawline. Whenever he moved, his teardrop earrings swayed, creating a gentle rustling sound like a gentle breeze through the trees.

“You want us to spare you? Give me one good reason I shouldn’t dirty my hands of you filth.” The man's voice, absent of any sentiment, regarded Volken with a vacant stare, as if we were a mere nuisance to him.

“If you were to spare our lives,” Volken spoke through clenched teeth, “I would take personal responsibility to ensure that you face no opposition in the future.”

Solgen leaned against her sword as she endeavored to rise. Certain areas of her skin exhibited scorch marks, whereas small fragments of ice were dispersed throughout her hair, resembling a crown.

“You wouldn’t oppose us? You feeble creatures aren’t capable enough for that.” The leader appeared to be in a state of contemplation by tapping his foot on the ground while considering the amusing situation. The tapping abruptly ceased, and the man responded.

“I confirm my acceptance of the conditions,” the leader said, twirling on his heels. Volken breathed a sigh of relief, only to raise his head at the sound of rapid footsteps.

“You might’ve accepted those conditions, but I won’t!” Solgen snarled. “He will slaughter us all in the future!” She raised her blade at the man in a last-ditch effort until Volken pinned her to the ground. Solgen tried desperately to break free, but Volken’s grip remained firm.

“Release me, you spineless leach! How dare you give up so easily! Have you no honor?”

“Are you stupid? We cannot defeat them!”

“You little bitch!” one of the bigger Pillars growled. A behemoth of a Pillar that could crush a demogre skeleton in half with just his bare hands, standing at two meters with muscles that no ordinary weapons could pierce. With forceful steps, he advanced towards the struggling Solgen, but came to a halt as soon as the leader extended his hand.

“I want to add another order.” He pointed a finger at Solgen with a cruel grin. “I want you to imprison her until her flesh rots, and only the bones remain.”

Volken’s shoulders flinched at the black-haired Pillar’s command. He developed a grave expression on his face and lowered his gaze.

“…Understood.”

Solgen’s eyes widened. “What are you-“

After a moment of hesitation, Volken quickly and forcefully struck her in the back of the head, causing her to lose consciousness and collapse to the ground.

“Have you lost your mind, Volken?!” I stood still with my heart pounding in my chest, fearing the slightest movement would lead to bleeding out.

Volken glanced over his shoulder, shaking his head. “Sorry, old geezer. Someone has to make the tough choices.” He hoisted the unconscious lady onto his shoulder and bowed once again toward the Pillars before leaving.

****

I was rendered speechless by what I heard. Volken betrayed Solgen and Morgac, and they couldn’t stop the Pillars because they were way out of their league? And Volken struck a deal with the leader of the Pillars and imprisoned Solgen?

Isaac had his arms stretched out on the sofa, with an annoyed expression. “Man, what a dickhead.”

“He was also a fool for accepting those conditions,” Solgen said.

Her tone made it clear that she was disgusted, and I didn't blame her. Someone you trusted surrendered themselves to save their skin, albeit temporarily. To add salt to the wound, he also locked you up in a cave for an entire decade. I would be beyond pissed.

Morgac thought otherwise. “I wouldn’t completely call him a fool. He did all that to save our lives. The Pillars were just far too powerful.”

Solgen was glaring daggers at the old man. “Has a peaceful lifestyle made you more tender, Morg?”

He raised his hands up in defense. “Living peacefully is far from it. The Pillars and your well-being have been on my mind constantly, causing me to lose sleep.”

Solgen rolled her eyes, the bloodlust aura from before slowly crawling out once more. “Once I regain my strength, the first person I’m going after is that heap of trash, and then I’ll parade his corpse across the land.”

“I’m glad you have not changed at all.” Morgac tilted his head toward Isaac and me with a smile on his face. “May I assume that both of you are the rescuers of Solgen?”

Isaac shook his head. “I didn’t rescue her. It was all my sisters doing. If you want to praise someone, it’s her.”

I gave the old man an awkward wave. Morgac got up from his seat and bowed deeply to me.

“Woah old man. Don’t break your back on us now,” Isaac chirped.

“I would like to thank you personally for rescuing my comrade. I was unable to rescue Solgen myself due to my cowardice, as I was apprehensive about confronting the repercussions of my actions.” He turned his attention to the Apithien and bowed again. “I do not dare expect you to accept my forgiveness, but I will apologize, dear friend, for not stopping Volken.”

Solgen rose from her seat and placed a hand on the sorrowful old man. “There is no need for you to ask for forgiveness, Morg. The hatred that has been bubbling within me is not directed at you.”

He slowly raised his head as a faint smile arose from his lips. “Thank you, Solgen. Now then, what brings you here- oh hero of the village?”

“Please do not refer to me as that,” Solgen said. “Where’s the blacksmith? I have business with him.”

At the mention of the blacksmith, Morgac ran a hand through his hair. Underneath all that hair, I could’ve sworn I saw a pair of horns sticking out. “The blacksmith is currently missing…”

Solgen blinked slowly. “…What?”

“He was experiencing a shortage of materials for a confidential project. I attempted to send some of my guards to accompany him, but he obstinately declined. It has been a while since his return. I was on the verge of dispatching a lookout party before you arrived.”

Solgen reseated herself in quiet contemplation. She glanced at Isaac and me and snapped her fingers. “No need to send your guards. I will send my apprentices instead.”

Morgac raised one of his eyebrows. “Your apprentices?”

“Come again?” Isaac said.

“Count this as a sort of lesson from your mentor. Your first task is to find the blacksmith and bring him here safely. I will hear no objections. Where was he last seen Morg?”

“Last I heard, he was looking for metals in the Wyvern Zone, a great distance west of here…”

I noticed Isaac’s ears perked up.

“Perfect. Isaac, Laila, get ready to depart.”

We both peered at each other and fixed our gaze on Solgen. Isaac voiced our troubles. “We don’t have any weapons. Ours broke when we fought Volken.”

I nodded my head in response. Solgen sighed, and a familiar portal appeared to her left. She reached in, pulled out two heavy longswords, and flung them toward us with a loud whoosh.

“Use those for now. They will be enough for your venture. Meet us at the front gate as soon as you are done with whatever. Morg, let’s go. We have much to talk about while we walk.”

“Yes, we do indeed.”

We watched as they both exited the mansion, the sound of their voices lingering in the air. Isaac spun to face me, his gaze serious. “If I am not mistaken, I’m pretty sure they said wyvern.”

“Yes, they did,” I answered hesitantly as I watched Isaac exit his chair and leave without another word.

****

Isaac and I ambled to the front gate and noticed Morgac and Solgen’s conversation, punctuated by the sound of their whispers.

“…I’m telling you, their growth is monstrous. Under my tutelage, they will be a force to be reckoned with.”

Morgac scowled as he shook his head. “We cannot send these kids to fight our bat-“

The old man heard our footsteps from behind and gestured at Solgen. “I see that you two are ready. Morg will hand you a map of the entire region so you don’t get lost on the way.”

Morgac reached into his robe and pulled out a pocket-sized map that had landmarks already identified. There was a bundle of trees, hills, and rivers drawn. On the map was a large X on top of a tightly dense forest named Wyvern Zone.

Morgac ran a finger along the map. “The quickest route to reach the Wyvern Zone is marked right here. It should take you only a few hours. Remember- find the blacksmith and bring him home. Be safe.”

“Death is not an option, dear apprentices,” Solgen added. Although she wore a brave expression and joked about it, I could sense the tension emanating from her eyes.

“Don’t worry about us. Isaac and I will come back safely. Right Isaac?”

Isaac simply nodded his head in response. His silence was kinda worrying me. As soon as he heard Wyverns would be in the area, he started acting weird. Just what was going on in his head of his?

“Before we leave, what does the blacksmith look like?”

“…We don’t have a clue,” Solgen muttered while studying the sky. “To be more exact, he alters his physical appearance at his discretion. The explanation for that is veiled in mystery.”

Someone as great as him has that sort of hobby? I don’t judge. Anyway, we should probably get going. If we waste any more time, who knows what might happen to the blacksmith?

“Thanks for the advice, I guess. We’ll be going now. Come on Isaac,” I said, wrapping the map. The gates soon opened while we waved goodbye to Morgac and Solgen. After we left the village and gained a good distance away, I thought of making some small talk with my brother.

“This will be our first adventure together, right Isaa-”

I ran into Isaac when he paused, the jarring impact sending a jolt through my body.

“Laila,” he said carefully.

“…What? You’re weirding me out right now.”

“Seeing a wyvern with your very own eyes is a man’s dream, ya know?”

I saw the unmistakable glint of a wild boy ready to do something stupid flash in Isaac’s eyes. “Don’t you think about it…”

A single tear streaked across his face. “This is destiny! This is God telling me- Isaac! pursue your dreams! Will you stop your very own brother from reaching his dreams?”

“Depends on what your dream is.”

“…I’ll tell you when we get there. Now, onwards! Dear sister!” Isaac increased his pace after his worrisome announcement.

“Hold on! You’re going the wrong way, dumbass!”