After they hitched up the horses, they left the town at dawn.

"Why so early," yawned Andrew as he glared at Terra. "It's basically night!"

"Too many people," chuckled Terra as he lifted up a hefty purse.

The greed was present in the young man's eyes, but he refrained from any other words until they reached a location a few hours ride from the town.

Andrew unhitched the horses and let the carriage fall and he stretched out to sleep. The mask was not uncomfortable in the slightest for Andrew, but Terra immediately took it off and switched to a different cloak.

He hunted, trained, and set up camp as Andrew caught up on sleep. However, when the boy awoke, the young man was unconscious.

"Idiot," grunted Andrew. "I can't even punish him for waking me up so early!"

He growled indignantly and began cutting off a leg of venison as he practised blood magic. It was strange having the blood spikes revolving around him, but there were no prying eyes. Therefore he continued to practise for a half hour before he reverted it back to its liquid state.

It dripped on the deer naturally as Andrew gnawed on the bone automatically.

After another hour, Terra awoke and training began to start in full. However, four pellets a second seemed to be his limit. Nevertheless, Andrew increased it to five to see him frantically try to deflect or capture them all with a low mana pool. He did wake up him up far too early.

In the end, most of their days on the road were spent like this. Due to Andrew's spartan training and Terra's inclination towards fierce rebuttal at a notion of being weak, the young man improved quickly.

Similarly, their name had long since spread to the reaches of the other towns and cities along the way. Granted, they always acted like ignorant travellers, but most inns and marketplaces welcomed them with open arms. Their payments were extravagant after all.

Their carriage was traded in for a lighter model through hand signals alone so Andrew was no longer forced into maintaining it - or creating a new one - every town they stopped in. As their name spread, the prices started to soar.

"The Demon Brothers! They came to Markit too!" Roared a spectator as they were marched through the gates.

"Make way," shouted an accompanying guardsmen. "Clear the market centre, send word!"

"Aye, aye, sir!"

Four guardsmen raced forward on horses to various parts of the city as the two looked at the crowd curiously.

"Hey, hey Demon Brothers! I want a mask too! Did you have one?" Cried a young boy as he raced along the cart rapidly pointing to his face and Andrew's.

Andrew smiled wryly underneath his mask and looked through a saddlebag. He had experimented with various masks so he had one without horns as well. It was rather plain and worn but it seemed the size would be fair.

He pulled out the hornless mask and pointed towards himself. He indicated the horns on his head were not for humans - or so the crowd translated for him. He tossed the light, cracked mask towards the child. Several others began to ask for them, but Andrew raised his gloved hands pacifyingly.

"They must be awfully important! I wonder if it a pilgrimage or something of the sort."

"The mask was worn and crack so maybe it's his old one! Before the pilgrimage."

Andrew tilted his head, but most people came to their own conclusions before they could say anything else.

During the midst of the auction, Andrew was leisurely sitting on his horse as Terra dealt with the orderly crowd. He thought he felt a strange presence to the side of him, but after a few cursory glance, he deemed it was not important for the time being.

"Andrew!" Screeched a voice in his ear.

Suddenly thrown off-guard, Andrew fell off the horse. If not for his modified hood, his face would surely have been seen. However, his hood stayed up just in time for a sharp pain to enter his stomach.

"...bitch," growled Andrew hoarsely. 'What the hell do you want?!'

'Why the hell is the Chancellor here?! He looks really, really strange! He is asking about the last one and he really, really wants it.'

'Tell the bastard he'll get it if and when he returns me two books of equal value as to the ones he stole away from me.'

'Hey! Tell me already,' projected Leya with a furious shout. Andrew stayed silent as the girl fumed, but minutes later he heard, "he said, 'you damn well better give it. One now and no more of those ridiculous badges - I sent people scouring around all the cities for'.'

'Bastard, I refuse. You better bring it now or there will be a new collection being auctioned up.'

'He just blew up half the house,' growled Leya. 'Why am I in the middle of all this?!'

'You were the one who tricked me to wear this damned thing. Anyways, you should have a bit of gold coming around if the messengers actually do their jobs. And of all the times you actually decide to talk it's now!? I'm in the middle of work! Tell him he better he rebuild it or else! Mother's pregnant and all!'

Andrew was still complaining fiercely as he stood up. He felt the sharp object split off into his flank, but he disregarded it as he looked at the frantic looking man trying to remove himself from underneath Andrew.

Andrew wordlessly stared at the man. Stone and earth floated around him and trapped the panicked looking man in a make-shift cage before Andrew scoffed and remounted his horse, bloody and indignant.

'Maybe I should get a pair for Terra too,' mused Andrew inwardly as he jumped to the carriage.

Everything was silent with the exception of a few murmurings; however, Andrew pointed to his ear, produced earrings and displayed a quick, albeit flashy, earth spell.

"What does he want? He just suddenly fell off his horse too..."

"He knew it all along! See, he cursed," cried one excitedly.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"Idiot, it's always the easiest thing to learn. Everyone knows that. Anyways, rumours say they know a little, but I think he wants us to do something with those earrings."

"Enchant them?"

"But with what?"

"Well if he suddenly fell from his horse, maybe someone was talking to him from far away. Fell atop that poor thief too."

"Thief?" Spoke the caged man with a bitter laugh. "I am an emissary! Let me out! Now!"

"... such a poor, poor thief," sighed one. "Guards!"

"I'm no-"

Andrew turned back to glare at the man and the cage collapsed inwards. Now he only had a few inches of room on any side. With a cold snort, Andrew turned back to the crowd. Pressing two forefingers on either side his temples, he looked at Terra who begrudgingly repeated the gesture.

After several back-and-forth calls from the crowd, one finally shouted, "long distance communication. It must be rare for them back home. Huh, is that old coot awake yet?"

Andrew quirked his head when the crowd suddenly reared in motion, but he pulled out a gold coin and a steel ring he had formerly created. The gold melted into the steel to form several fissures like cracks in the ring and soon another was born. The remaining members looked in awe as the jewellery was being formed.

'Should I delay this by... ten, twenty minutes?' Thought Andrew.

'Why are you asking me? Idiot.'

Andrew decided to constantly refold the steel and gold as he added a second coin into them. Inside the ring, the two metals swirled as the surface was born again once more. Now, however, the fissures were outlined in extreme detail that few could reproduce. He made it take nearly an hour for dramatic effect - and so that Terra could do his job as a minion and sell the remaining goods.

He held up the ring to the crowd and then passed it off towards Terra.

The crowd was scrambling, but Andrew lazily went back to his horse as he looked at the caged man in more detail.

'Splotchy, red-ish skin, black eyes, dark hair, and a strange build. Is it possible that he isn't actually human? If he's a demon, he is an ugly one.'

The singular horn was left inside his flank to prevent additional bleeding, but as he pulled it out he utilised blood and water magic in tandem to speed the recovery as the object slowly appeared in his hands.

'A horn? Rhinoceros-like too,' laughed Andrew scornfully.

The crowd was curious, but Andrew threw it back to the caged man with a bleeding forehead.

"Let me out! Otherwise, I'll burn this place to cinders! I'm an envoy from Vinas so don't think you can get away with this."

"Demon? He's a demon? But why does he look human right now?"

"Maybe it's come insidious magic. It's hard to say, but he's targeting the Demon Brothers! They must not be harmed!"

A rallying cry was heard from all around as the crowd inched closer to the man. However, Andrew looked away completely disinterested with the scene. After all, there was no real need to protect random, albeit interesting, merchants from a potential enemy.

An old, wizened man appeared with a heavy limp. He was red-faced and hiccuping, but those that brought him seemed to think nothing was amiss. He blearily waved his hand, hiccuped, and brought the two pairs of earrings to fly towards him. Minutes later, it was done and the earrings floated back.

In return, Terra tossed the rings his way and placed on the first of the earrings. He had long since noticed Andrew's own so he wore them in a similar fashion. Andrew added the two on his left ear where the others resided and practised.

'Hello? You understand?'

"Wh-ie yu'in kiaw?'

Spoke Terra in absolute confusion. Seeing that he saved himself part ways, Andrew snickered.

'Use mana to project your thoughts. Don't try too hard though because it'll give you - and the other - a headache.'

Terra tried several times, failing miserably, but Andrew was content with the item. Now that all items were sold and the two of them mounted, he looked at the caged man and sighed.

"Let me out. If you're truly of," murmured the man as he began to change. "If you are truly of my kind, you'll let me out."

He was a red-skinned, black-eyed, burly demon that seemed to be suffering under such a tight cage. However, Andrew pointed suspiciously towards the single, albeit broken, horn atop the man's head. He waved to his own pair before the man could speak.

"So what? We off a different breed. No different than Northerner's skin versus Southerners," scoffed the man. "At least I learned the blighted language before I came here."

Andrew frowned and guided the horses back the entrance of the town.

"Hail, travellers, we come on behalf of the Lord. You are to come to the palace at once," spoke a weathered looking leader dressed in full, pearlescent plate armor.

The knight pointed at Andrew before himself and directed himself towards the large central palace. Andrew quirked his head and stepped forward.

"E'wre guh mi ged fa," cried Andrew in a hoarse voice.

He pointed towards Terra who looked equally as confused as Andrew. However, after a few incoherent gibberish sentences, Andrew sent the man off on his way.

"Wait! We require both," proclaimed the guard once more.

Andrew shooed Terra off and pointed to himself once more. He indicated that he would be enough alone. He handed the reigns over and dismounted.

'Just leave, look confused,' ordered Andrew. 'It's easier to escape for me than it is you, just in case. Go a half day out at least.'

Terra still did not know how to respond, but Andrew calmly walked towards the palace without even looking at the exasperated knight.

After only ten minutes of walking, it seemed like the knights and guard gave up on the other man and started to follow after Andrew.

He even noticed a disgruntled looking demon who was glaring at him venomously. Nevertheless, the boy calmly continued walking.

"This is not over," growled the man. "You may have demon blood in you, but you can not stand against the will of Vinas."

He repeated himself in various languages and dialects that he knew, but he was greeted with only confusion.

"Where are you from?"

Andrew blinked and looked towards the palace once more. The Knight and demon looked at each other before they let out a heavy sigh. After some ten minutes, Andrew rejected the offer of four horses, three carriages, and tilted his head countless times. However, he was able to fully infiltrate the palace.

The knight did not bother speaking, he just pointed to a room off to the side of the grand entrance and the boy scampered off there. Inside was empty and bare, but it did have a small bath chamber and dressing room. Inside were several pairs of luxurious clothes that were in the high-noble fashion of Nineau, the kingdom itself.

Andrew's brows furrowed as he baulked at the notion of the Lord's audacity of attempting forcing another race to conform to his own traditions. Even if he were not truly from another culture, the simple implication soured his thoughts. He was taught to be more courteous to his visitors before he was mercilessly killed in a rebellion. Nevertheless, Andrew entered the empty room and washed.

After a much-needed bath, Andrew exited the bath. His body felt magnitudes lighter after the bath so he unconsciously smiled underneath the mask, tightened his cloak, and continued to walk as the knight once again guided him.

"You will be taken to Lord Huren at once. We have set up a grand feast so please make yourself at home. The emissary, Yuol, will also be attending after he tends to his wounds."

Andrew shrugged absentmindedly and started roaming around the estate. It was obscenely large and reminded him of his own before. However, the artwork was gaudy and largely barbaric rather than the subtle messages artists of his time used in various depictions. Nevertheless, he studied them to form an understanding of their ideals of art and culture.

Many models were nude, heroic looking men and women. However, their bodies seemed to always possess flawless features. There was no scar, burn, or even the slightest smudge as they stood atop a bloodied battlefield. It bothered him.

'They miraculously are clean after whatever happened... why are they naked if they are fighting a horde of minotaurs? Seriously, it just doesn't make sense. At least armour, clothes, or even a loose robe to make the viewer have their own fantasies. Wait...'

Andrew mind flashed and he thought back to the figurines he created before. They were still clothed, but there were techniques he thought he could employ to increase their appeal in the hearts of men - and Chancellor Kakarov. He had been releasing random designs to mess with the man's obsessive desire for complete collection in his muse.

'Just need to start a small trend and then I can sell them... maybe I can get the senile bastard under my thumb if I do that...'

"Demon, we are ready," announced the guard assigned to Andrew. "Lord Huren will have you now. Please follow me."

Andrew tilted his head ever so slightly, but the guard supplied his words with hand motions. Andrew nodded and began to follow the man through the halls before he was in a lavish banquet hall.

Other than a few servants it was empty. In fact, neither the Lord Huren nor the Emissary Yuol was present.

'Might as well see what's up,' thought Andrew as he looked at the table. 'Empty? Lazy bastards.'

"Please, sit here," spoke the guard who pointed towards a seat.

Andrew nodded and placed himself on the seat. It was large and imposing considering the plain furniture he grew accustomed to. The moment he sat down, he felt a chill run down his spine.