“It’s not much, but it’s home,” Kuzma smiled as he opened the front door of his house.

The group followed the young demon into his home. It was similar to the wood cabin they lived in the woods, except it was constructed using wood and rocks. It was also barely big enough to house his family of six. Once they walked in, they found themselves in the living room. As their mother knitted socks in preparation for winter, the three children played with wooden toys.

“You’re back,” she smiled before standing up as soon as she noticed guests behind her husband. “I didn’t know we were expecting guests.”

Kuzma joined his wife’s side and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Yefim and I met a fiend while hunting. They are our saviours.”

Upon hearing the news, Kuzma's wife lost all the colour on her face. “A fiend? So close to the village? What are we going to do?”

“Fiends usually never wander so close. What made them do that?” Ezrel asked as the couple looked at each other.

“Please, have a seat,” Kuzma offered as his wife gathered the children and told them to play in their room.

After they all took a seat, the host’s spouse came back with a tray of refreshments.

“It’s not much, but please accept this token of gratitude,” she placed four cups of cold lemonade on the coffee table and a plate of snacks.

“Thank you,” Malak smiled before taking off the white hood covering his face.

Her eyes were clearly drawn to the unusual colour of Malak's eyes. “It’s nothing,” she smiled back before taking a seat next to her husband.

“Recently, the King’s men came to the village, blaming our Lord for insubordination and evading taxes. To punish, the guards executed a fifth of them, regardless of their age and gender,” Kuzma explained sombrely. “Our youngest child was one of them.”

The couple squeezed each other’s hands as she silently cried. The group quietly listened and observed the scene in front of them. Hearing the tragic news saddened Malak. Their enemy’s cruelty knew no bounds.

“They were hung on an oak tree near the village, forbidding us to bury them,” Kuzma added before closing his eyes in defeat.

“The smell must have attracted the fiends,” Ezrel explained to the silent couple. “Where are the guards?”

“They left!” Kuzma shouted angrily. “They left our village laughing after taking all our provisions for winter!”

“Please accept our apology for bringing up those unwanted memories,” Malak calmly answered, but his heart was burning with sadness and anger. “If there is anything we can do, please let us know.”

The couple stared at each other as if they were debating. Then, they excused themselves to talk among themselves in privacy. Left alone, Kian took off his mask before taking a sip of the cold drink. Although he didn’t express any emotions, fury was raging in his chest. However, he couldn’t be rash. Instead, it would be best to give it some thought and make the most of the situation.

“What should we do now?” Malak asked his husband who was seated next to him while Ezrel and Malak were standing behind them.

“Follow the plan,” Kian answered. “I noticed a majority of the villagers were injured on the way here. You heal them. Ezrel and I will go hunt for the fiends surrounding the village.”

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Kian put his mask back on as Malak nodded in agreement. He was however worried about the danger they might face during their hunt. As shown earlier, Kian was well-trained in swordsmanship. His skills were however not limited to the use of swords. He was also adept with spears, maces, crossbows, longbows, and daggers. Ezrel and him trained with the best teachers since they were children. They weren’t scared of putting their lives on the line. They trusted their abilities to come back as the victor.

A moment later, the couple walked back in. This time, they were accompanied by a little boy. Kuzma was carrying him in his arms. Instead of sitting, they kneeled in front of Malak.

“We don’t have much money, but please save my child,” the mother begged as she handed a small pouch of money to Malak. “He has always been weak since his birth.”

Malak observed the weak child. His cheeks were flushed and dripping with sweat. Not only was he burning with fever, but he also had trouble breathing. He had lost so much weight that his clothes were several sizes too big. Malak swallowed nervously, as he didn’t know if he could cure illnesses. But he had to try. He accepted the infant into his arms under the watchful eyes of his parents. Malak took a deep breath and placed his free hand on the child’s forehead. A warm golden light shone from his palm as the toddler’s body relaxed under his touch. Malak wished for his illness to be gone and pictured a healthy version of him running in the yard with his sibling. When he opened his eyes, he saw bright chocolate eyes staring at him. Instead of the thin sick child, a cute and chubby toddler lay in his arms. With a smile, Malak handed him back to his parents. His mother quickly held him and tears of happiness overtook her.

“Thank you. Thank you so much,” she repeated as she hug her child.

Kuzma smiled also with teary eyes. “The money…”

“Keep it and use it well,” Malak refused the payment.

“Thank you. Our family will be forever indebted to you.”

“It’s nothing,” Malak smiled. “Is there anyone else in the village that needs help?”

For the rest of the day, Kuzma guided Malak and the maid around the village, while Kian and Ezrel went hunting the surrounding fiends. Walking home to home, Malak met the villagers and healed those in need. Once more, Malak was shocked and disgusted by the guards’ cruelty. They didn’t care that they were fellow citizens and from the same race. After witnessing their pain, he didn’t dare to imagine how they treated the slaves. Although he felt uncomfortable using their misfortune to win popularity, Malak convinced himself it was for the greater good. By only reinstating Kian as the King would they stop suffering and regain peace and freedom. Also, he wasn’t doing anything wrong. He was using his power to help his people.

Hours after healing villagers without rest, Malak stumbled on his way out of a household. Fortunately, the maid quickly caught him by the arm. Blinking a few times, Malak felt terribly nauseous. The crowd gathered in front of the house whispered worriedly. Uncomfortable being at the centre of the attention, he suddenly felt faint. Albeit feeling unwell, Malak smiled at the villagers and reassured them. He also announced that he would retire for the day. Understanding, the villagers didn’t protest.

“Let’s go back,” he whispered as the maid nodded.

Despite wearing a mask, Malak detected her worry. He comforted her by patting her hand. With her assistance, they made almost made it back to Kuzma’s home. However, an elder man was waiting for them near the entrance.

ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

“No wonder, the villagers are panicking,” Ezrel commented as he crouched near a slashed tree.

“The corpses attracted them like flies,” Kian added with his crossed arms while observing the demolished forest in front of him. “They are competing for territory.”

“Agreed,” Ezrel nodded. “There are at least three or four of them.”

“Let’s get this done before sundown.”

Both men followed the tracks and the distinct smell of blood. Within minutes, they reached a cave. Drawing out their swords, they carefully headed in. The deeper they went, the darker it became. Quickly, their vision adapted to the darkness. One step at a time, they explored the cave, only to find the corpse of a fiend. It had the head of a goat and a humanoid body. The surrounding blood had already dried, while the slashes and bite marks explained its cause of death. There was another beast in this cave, in hiding or simply waiting for an opportunity to attack. Then they heard snoring. Carefully reaching the source of the sound, they observed a lion-like beast sleeping. Taking the opportunity, Kian raised his sword with the intent of beheading it. The thick fur protecting his neck, however, prevented it. Waking up at the sudden attack, the fiend growled fiercely before attacking Kian. As he evaded the attack, Kian abandoned his sword, still embedded in the fiend's neck. With unrelenting slashes and punches, the beast continued to strike. With its focus only on Kian, Ezrel landed multiple successful blows with his sword.

“He's a resilient bastard,” Ezrel grunted, annoyed that his attacks had little impact.

Jumping away from the fiend, Kian regained his breath. “Well, I won't parade around every corner of this cave until you use magic.”

Ezrel sheepishly smiled before enchanting his weapon with fire magic. The sword glowed warmly in the darkness of the cave, attracting the fiend’s attention. Roaring, it charged toward Ezrel. As the ground shook under its feet, Ezrel braced himself for the impact. It, however, never reached its intended target. Instead, the fiend’s body slammed against the wall after taking one of Kian’s magical attacks.

“Now!”

Without hesitation, Ezrel jumped into action and beheaded the fiend’s head in one slash. The blade met no resistance. The burning fur and skin emitted a foul smell as blood splattered everywhere. Life quickly fled the beast’s body as it slumped to the ground.

“Let’s bring his head back,” Ezrel proposed as he picked it up.

Blood was still dripping from its slashed neck. The rocky ground and Ezrel's black boots were splattered with blood. Kian stepped back, trying to avoid the thick liquid splashing all over him. Cleaning that mess would be annoying.

“Fine, but you carry it. It’s disgusting.” Kian scrunched up his nose at the foul smell.

Ezrel stared at the fiend’s head. “The only purpose it seems to serve is to scare the villagers.”

“So long as you understand it. Come, let's see if there's another one nearby.”