Over the next couple months, word spread about this particular group of outsiders. One of them used to fight with a bone-winged creature which lit an elmannise aflame. One of them annihilated a titan with a single thrown javelin. Another morphed in ungodly ways, revealing a bestial side. The last was the leader of this group of bizarre people. He rejected the gazes of others, forcing them to look away.

“Has your dragon recuperated yet?” Syllis asked Aura.

“No, unfortunately it hasn’t.” Aura answered.

Neither of them were covered in bandages anymore. They had lost the need to consistently replace them over a month ago. There were still small bandaged areas. Anyone would be damaged in combat with enough time. The injuries were not threatening in any form though.

Syllis looked at Aura with sympathetic eyes. Her gaze moved to her arm. She constantly felt guilty over Aura’s unmovable arm. She had given the titan the ability to shatter her shoulder. It was mangled and discolored. The black sludge that had covered her shattered shoulder two months ago had merged with her flesh slightly causing the discoloration. The flesh was uneven and bumpy, marked with spots where bone pressed against skin.

“Come on, Syllis,” Aura said. “You can’t keep feeling guilty over this. What would have happened if you never killed that titan. It could have taken the lives of many. No matter how high a pedestal you think I sit on… even I can acknowledge that my shoulder is not worth the lives of a dozen soldiers or even half.”

“It wasn’t only you though,” Syllis said. “There were other casualties hit by the splintered fragments of the taran javelin. At least three, that’s what Vernim told me.”

“You never cared about other casualties before,” Aura said, scrutinizing Syllis. “You used to be all about self-preservation.”

“I think I was viewing the elmannise as another part of this fable despite the fact they came from outside,” Syllis said. “But after spending time with them—eating, drinking, talking, sympathizing—I’m afraid that I’ve grown comfortable around them. I feel responsible for them.”

“Perhaps it’s nearly time for us to leave…” Aura said, reaching towards the countertop. She pulled out a large sheet of thick-tree bark.

“Are you sure?” Syllis asked. “I mean, do we even have enough of the pockets scribed?”

“Take a look for yourself,” Aura said, tossing the sheet of bark over to Syllis.

Syllis easily caught it and turned it over. Drawn on it in great detail was the chasm. The outer borders showed the altitude of the large jagged tops that loomed about the ground.

More importantly, hundreds of circles had been drawn littering the entire first half of the chasm. It had been difficult to find pockets any further. Even with the use of Aura’s ephemeral creatures for transportation after they got desperate, they had only found fifteen pockets past the twenty-five percent point. And only five were past the thirty-five mark. The further from Abyssia, the fewer pockets and the smaller they were.

There was nothing else they could do when it came to finding abyssal pockets. For the latter half of the chasm, they would need to find them as they went.

“What about supplies?” Syllis asked, throwing the bark back to Aura.

“You really are clueless when it comes to large-scale things,” Aura said. “Our contribution points can buy more than enough water and we can kill taran for food.”

Syllis was stunned for a second. She did not harbor as many responsibilities as Clyde or Aura had. This was because they were already used to resource management and planning for the future. As two nobles from prominent families, they were far advanced in this aspect. Syllis had essentially only worried about the fights at the foot of the wall for the last two months.

“What if they don’t have enough water on-hand?” Syllis asked.

Aura shook her head in response, placing her hand over her face for a moment. “Come with me,” she said almost defeatedly.

Syllis was led to a small room past the two bedrooms the four of them shared. It was lifeless, empty aside from a single corner of it which faintly glowed with dozens of small jars, wrapped in strands of dim glow-tree sheets.

Aura crouched down and patted the tops of a couple. “Water,” she said plainly.

“I did not know this room existed,” Syllis said, furrowing her brows.

“Why would you?” Aura said. “You don’t need to know about it. All you need to do is continue to fight at the bottom of the wall. You are our best tool for wide-scale battle. Especially without my dragon…”

Several knocks rang out against the front door and a whole group of murmurs grew louder as Syllis and Aura approached the front door.

Both women shared a confused expression before Syllis reached to open the door.

“Savior, criminal,” Hiolo said. “How are you two doing?”

“I really hate that name,” Aura grumbled.

“Really?” Syllis said. “I find mine quite nice.” She teased Aura with a wide grin.

“We’re back,” Clyde said.

“And we have gifts,” Korman said. “A lot of gifts, again,” he said, irritatedly.

Syllis’ group had been given many gifts since Syllis had begun being hailed as a savior. The wall faced greater hordes of anathema. Hordes that might not have been able to be killed without the help of the secare nymph.

“Hah!” Hjiull laughed. “More like you have gifts, savior.”

Syllis frowned and stepped back. Although she had joked with Aura, she disliked being seen as a savior. Sometime in the near future, she will leave. Then, the elmannise would likely be overrun and die out. She hated thinking about this fact.

“Come on in,” Aura said, shifting to the side.

The five elmannise entered, along with Clyde and Korman.

Syllis and her companions met Hiolo’s group a month ago during a fight at the foot of the wall. They had been stationed beside each other and praised each others’ ability. Their group was one of the most elite groups the wall had. They began visiting and could be considered frequent visitors by now.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“To what do we owe the pleasure?” Syllis asked.

Hiolo was taken aback, he spun around. “Do we need a reason to come around? We aren’t so terrible…”

“Hvenn needs a reason,” Syllis said, “else he would just spend all of his time with Hfenia.”

Hvenn was stunned. He pushed his black hair back and shied away slightly. “We don’t spend that much time together…”

“That's right!” Hjiull said. “You would be long finished with that in only a few moments!”

Hvenn looked at Hjiull with horror in his eyes.

“That’s enough,” Hdoroil said, tearing his gaze from the glow-sheets. “I’m sure Hvenn is adequate.”

“So…” Aura said, looking over the many gifts. “What have you brought us?” She was curious.

The gifts came in a variety of shapes and sizes. The most common gifts they received were glow-tree sheets and the occasional pelt of gravel bears.

“Always so eager for our gifts, murderer,” Hiolo said. “If you really need to know… Hdoroil and Hjiull have a couple more bottles of that water that you’re so desperate for, I brought a scented mixture of herbs to get rid of the horrible smell of blood—”

“Our home doesn’t smell like blood?” Syllis said, disruptively.

Hiolo smiled, pressing the tip of his finger to his nose. “And Hvenn and Hfenia have… food! Great food!”

Clyde and Korman decided to go haul away the two jars of water. They easily lifted them before walking away. Hdoroil and Hjiull followed them.

“What exactly constitutes great food in Abyssia?” Aura raised a brow.

“We all know taran meat doesn’t taste great,” Hvenn said, pulling his black hood back from his head. “But… if you mix the best parts of taran with the fatty meats of gravel bears it becomes no less than mouthwatering!”

“And mix that with some fresh vegetables we managed to scrounge up and—”

“We have a feast!” Hiolo yelled. He gestured for Hvenn and Hfenia to present their gifts.

“You really got fresh vegetables!?”

“And gravel bear meat?”

Aura and Syllis questioned Hiolo, scrutinizing him underneath their judgemental gaze.

“In the name of Our Abyssia!” he said, taking a step back. “Take a look for yourselves if you don’t believe me.

Syllis and Aura examined the couple wooden bowls with vegetables and meats mixed together. The fatty meat was darker—perhaps due to their source, gravel bears—and the taran meat was lighter. It nearly matched the purple-pink color of their organs, without their threat of rupturing and coating the surrounding area. Both types of meat were cut into small cubes which almost looked like other vegetables within the garden in front of their eyes.

“This many fresh vegetables…” Aura said, turning to Hiolo. “This is pretty impressive.”

Hiolo scratched at his cheek. “Aha… you know… This is what the prestige of being one of the top squadrons gets you!”

“I know,” Syllis said. “If only we were allowed to be considered such.”

“Who cares?” Hvenn said. “You four are the peoples’ top squads. And with their approval come tons of gifts.”

“That’s true,” Aura said with a sigh. “I’m still shocked that you elmannise have been so receptive—well, most of you.”

“Of course you would be, Aura.” Hfenia said, scratching at her left bicep. “I know the savior thinks otherwise though.”

“Actually I’m just as surprised,” Syllis answered.

“Look Hiolo,” Aura said. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed but… there’s a problem with all of this food!”

“Huh? What is it?” Hiolo asked in a panic. He had spent good contribution points for all of it!

“It’s not cooked!” Aura said, peering back down at the bowls.

Hiolo furrowed his brows. He did not respond, instead turning to look at Hvenn and Hfenia who merely shrugged. Then, Clyde, Korman and the three other elmannise companions returned.

“Aura,” Hiolo said, “that’s what you’re here for!”

“You elmannise…” Aura said with an irritated grin. “You people are so skittish when it comes to using your incantations!”

“What incantations?” Hiolo said. “We don’t have any of those…” He turned away in a guilty manner.

Hjiull and Hdoroil laughed along with Clyde and Korman.

Aura only sighed before the space behind her was riven. Green hues clashed with the glow-tree sheets forming beautiful combinations. The world warped and ethereal screams radiated from within. What should have revealed the guardian of hell instead released a small creature, not unlike a heasen.

“How cute?” Hdoroil said, somewhat confusedly.

Then, the small ‘pup’ shot out a small, weak breath of fire. It sent Hdoroil stumbling backwards.

Everyone laughed for a moment before Clyde reached his hand out. “Let me help you up.”

“I can get up…”

“Alright… but if you stay down for more than five seconds, that thing will eat you whole,” Clyde teased.

Hdoroil eagerly took Clyde’s hand after that…

As Aura cooked the meat and vegetables under the watchful gaze and supervision of Hvenn and Hfenia, the others sat down at the table and discussed. They drank water and some more… exotic drinks, They were made from pressed fruits—the few that could really grow behind glow-tree sheets under the harsh suns.

After Aura finished cooking the meat and vegetables and withstanding a couple scolding comments by Hvenn, the food was passed around on thick-tree wooden ‘plates.’ In reality, they were closer to slabs. All of them ate and laughed as they told jokes.

Syllis smiled bitterly as she watched the faces of her friends both old and new. Their current experiences were memorable and more than she could have asked for. But her inner voice kept nagging at her. She was going to leave these people to die. She was going to leave them behind. So, it was bitter-sweet.

‘How can I enjoy the moment without suppressing my thoughts about the future, and then I’m being a hypocrite!’ Syllis sighed, there was no winning in a fable rift.

“What’s wrong, Syllis?” Hiolo asked. “You seem distant.”

“I am distant,” she answered. “Far away from home, potentially destined never to return.”

“We understand,” Hdoroil said with a conflicted expression. “The feeling left us a few years after we arrived. It was like an impending doom, that we would die in this unknown place.

“After a while though, that feeling faded. I mean just look at us, we’ve been at the wall for nine years and none of us have died. You get the hang of it.”

“We’re leaving!” Clyde blurted out.

“Leaving…” Hiolo said, shocked. “When?”

“We… don’t really know,” Korman said. “The supplies have been ready for a while and our plan is set in stone.”

“Within a week,” Aura said.

Syllis sat silent, watching the events unfold. She had wanted to speak up, but she was too afraid. ‘I thought I had grown in social scenarios in the months I spent with these three… I guess that hasn’t changed all too much.’

“Isn’t this a little too sudden?” Hfenia’s voice shuddered. The other elmannise agreed and continued to ask questions.

It was only logical. They had seen group after group fall to the four suns’ flame. This was certain death. They were throwing their lives away. But the elmannise did not consider a single, crucial thing. Syllis and the rest could not survive in the abyss. They did not have the heightened senses to live within. What they did have were anathema, transfigured within. They had supernatural abilities.

“Enough,” Hiolo said, a tear almost formed underneath his right eye. “These four are the most capable people we’ve ever known. If anyone can cross the sky chasm, it's them!”

The other elmannise cheered while also shedding a few tears.

“Let’s raise a glass to their choice, their suicide, their escape!” Hjiull said. He raised his cup high in the air. An orange liquid sploshed around.

“To their escape!”

“To our escape!”

Everybody cheered. They hit their thick-root cups together. What would have been the satisfying clink of glasses was replaced with hollow thuds.

‘Our suicide. It is, isn’t it.’ Syllis thought. She then laughed in a self-deprecating manner. She looked up, hoping to see past the ceiling and past the starry sky. She hoped to see who was pulling on her strings.

‘Whoever you are… have good intentions. My destiny shouldn’t end here. Not with everything that’s happened. I deserve a better fate, a fitting death. Don’t let it end, not here.’