“What do these boys eat?”, Anton complained he was pushed the cart that sank to the troublesome mud.

He already crossed two hills with the two unconscious young men while fighting the exhaustion, cold, and rain. The waterfall was already on view but it was a far climb up that mountain. He soon knew that he was not the man for the job of carrying the two up there.

“Wake up, I’m not going to push the cart nor carry you both up there”, he kicked the side of the cart.

The raindrops that tickled the face of Matthew together with the sudden shake woke up him up. The grey sky was his first view; his heavy eyelids tried to protest but Anton was persistent. He panned his vision to Nicolas beside him, then to the trees, and then to Anton. Confused as to what was happening.

“Can you walk?”, Anton rushed him to stand.

“I think so”, Matthew replied, massaging his sore cheek, then stood up and got down.

“Good, let’s go”, Anton mandated carrying Nicolas on his shoulder as they started to traverse up the mountain where the waterfall originates.

As they reached the top, they were greeted by Liam, who’s smiling from cheek to cheek.

“What took you so long?”

“Nicolas had been too uncooperative”, Matthew explained while exercising his jaw, “And we lost Eliza in the process.”

“I know, I’ve felt the contract being lifted. looks like this lost lamb have figured out tampering over his power”, Liam’s smile grew even wider while Anton placed the boy down a flat surface.

Anton examined him; he had already seen him before but he never got used to the menacing aura he radiates, “So, what now?”

“I won, that’s what”, his arms open wide to the scenery down below.

“You’ll give her back now, right? you promised”, Anton picked up the courage to ask.

“Promise? What promise?”, Liam faced him and grinned.

Anton stood up and confronted Liam face-to-face: “Selene’s soul, you promised to give her back if I followed your orders.”

Liam placed his pinky at his ears and stared at the distant trees, “I don’t know what you are talking about”, refusing to look Anton in the eyes.

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Matthew only watched them argue. He had been with Liam for his entire life and he can accurately read what the man was thinking to a certain degree, and this time, even though Anton would disagree, Liam was doing it for the sake of making the knight break, which, in his own view, was a form of enjoyment.

“If I bring Nicolas here, that promise! Give me back my wife!”

“Oh, that promise...”, Liam uttered while walking away from Anton and inspected Nicolas instead, “Haven’t you heard from him? I’m pretty sure he told you.”

“Heard what?”

“On how much of a liar I am.”

“You’re kidding, right? We made a contract; I even sold my soul to you”, Anton whispered to himself, refusing to believe that he really was lied about.

“I lie but I don’t kid around. It really is easy to manipulate an unstable mind”, Liam kept laughing, then flicked Anton’s forehead. He was frozen in place while dissociating on Liam’s face as he remembered Selene, all of his efforts being futile, and his betrayal only to be betrayed back.

“You liar!”, he exclaimed when he got back to reality. He called his sword and stabbed Liam with it.

“You should have known that that won’t work; it’s part of the contract”, Liam shrugged his head, dismissing the said blade out of thin air. Then stabbed Anton back, though the blade too did not go through.

Anton was enclosed in a shield.

Matthew returned the burning gaze to Nicolas like a hot potato. Nicolas was mumbling something but the muzzle prevented him from making any audible speech. It was a barrage of grunts and unintelligible words.

“Guess it’s your lucky day”, Liam whispered, walking back to the edge of the waterfall, “Don’t worry, Anton, I did not forget our deal; I will uphold my end. I just need you to do one final piece of work for me”, he said, focusing on the direction of the town.

The fires have already gone out by now but the smoke still lingered above it.

“Do this last thing and I’ll not only give your wife back but I’ll also release you from the contract. I was once a human before, and of course I know the pain of losing someone.”

“Why do you think I’d buy that?”

“I already told you; I will uphold my end of the deal, I get what I want, then you get your wife and freedom back, it’s a win-win. We still have an hour before sundown and we need to stall those pesky children of the light a little longer, all you need to do is play with them.”

Anton was left speechless; those were surely not lies and he knows it. He was fine even if the contract wouldn’t dissolve; Selene was the only thing that matters. And If all he needs to do is follow this last order, then he would gladly do so even if it cost him an arm or two.

“I will not ask you to do anything grand. You just have to wake that thing up”, Liam explained, then smiled, “And I’m pretty sure you know what it is, Nicolas”, he laughed.

Nicolas’s eyes went wide as it dawned to him. He knew exactly what it was. He looked at Anton, his agitation more obvious and muffled complaints even louder while vigorously shaking his head. Begging for them to stop.

“Will you stop yapping?”, Matthew kicked him again, “Just wait here till we massacre all your friends.”

“Nope, you’ll stay here and be the last line of defense”, said Liam.

“Why? It would be faster if I took them out with my scythe.”

“Since when did you learn to not listen to my orders. You will stay here and make sure Nicolas won’t get away because I said so.”

Matthew could only click his tongue and sat down, crossing his arms like a grounded kid, “Boring, as per usual.”