ISLAND OF FETTERS

The blue bear was enthusiastic, rushing through the door with a roar. It ran across the hallway in loud footsteps.

“Hush him. He’s going to give away our location.”

Ian loaded his crossbow. “No use. I gave him the Berry of Alertness. He’s unstoppable now.”

“The—what? We have that?!” Hilda asked.

“You have lots of things on your ship. The Berry of Alertness temporarily boosts your heart rate and gets the adrenaline pumping. It was supposed to just have a whiff of the berry.” Ian laughed.

“Three o’clock,” Hilda said.

Ian nodded, aiming his crossbow at the demon at it. The bolt went through its neck, crushing its exoskeleton. With a swift hand, Ian retrieved the bolt from the demon.

Ian, the bear, and Hilda reached a small room that seemed to resemble a chamber, absent from the thick miasma that they feel in the air. There was a bed, a closet, and a broken mirror. In addition to the miasma, there were a few drops of dried blood on the floor, looking around a few days old. A few candles lit the dim room, not helping with the dark ambiance. A chest filled with gold and crystals was emptied of its contents.

“Let’s go,” Hilda said, urging Ian to walk away from the place.

“No, wait. There’s a note.” Ian’s eyes furrowed. He walked over to the dressing table, picking up the piece of paper.

Ian’s eyes skimmed through the contents of the paper. It was a letter from a sickly sister to a brother, urging him to go home. Ian released a sigh. The paper was probably the oldest thing in the room, worn down with ages, with a few drops of blood here and there. The name of the sender and receiver was heavily crossed out with black ink, and the paper was crumpled.

“Circle of Diamonds. Seems that Krystol is heavily related to them,” Ian muttered, flipping the paper around.

“The Circle of Diamonds? That made sense.” Hilda grunted.

“What do they do?”

“No, I’m not that clear about it either,” Hilda explained, shaking her head.

The bear continued to run until it reached a door. It furiously jumped up and down, trying to get through and pointing at the door.

Ian, Hilda, and the bear knew that their destination was near when the miasma thickened beyond belief. Ian had to cover his nose as if it was polluting his soul. Looking over at Hilda, he was surprised that she just suppressed the urge to puke in disgust.

“Won’t you get cursed if you inhale this miasma?” Ian asked.

“Humans sure are surprising. For you, it’s just a heavy smell, like a stool, isn’t it? For us, it gives us headaches and nausea. If we stand here longer, we will have delusions and tend to puke.”

Hilda looked back at Ian, not sure if the boy was joking or being sarcastic. An obvious answer to an oblivious question.

“What? It’s a sensible question. Miasma causes the curse, so inhaling it makes the curse real.” Ian laid out his logical conclusion. “Right?”

Hilda sighed. “I am starting to question my Princess’s sense of friendship. Jade was a disappointment. And you’re just clueless.”

Her long explanation started. “No one knows how the curse came to be. This was something that happened long before the Divine war.”

Hilda used her rat claws to pull Ian back. “Hush, something is coming.”

With his limited human vision, Ian managed to see three small one-eyed monsters with a pair of stubby legs walking over barely. Ian immediately got out his crossbow, ready to aim. But Hilda stopped him.

“No need. It’s Eye Candy. They only attack things that are attractive to the eye.”

“You’re not serious,” Ian urged.

“Seems that someone skipped Monsterology 101. You’re not exactly Mr. Nice-Looking Guy. You look below average, so just keep quiet and you will be fine. Hide the bear.”

“The bear gets to hide?”

Ian shoved the bear right into the sack containing magical crystals and blended into the background. The Eye Candies had one eye in the middle of what could be known as their head with different colored furs of pink, yellow, and blue. Ian neatly fitted himself at the top of one of the tall rocks of the cupboards.

He patiently waited for the three monsters to pass by him. They gave out some growl, walking past the unnoticed individuals. Right after they passed Ian, Ian’s foot slipped on the slippery rock. Leather shoes were not known best for their grip.

Without warning, Ian fell flat on the ground. The three monsters ran charged toward the boy, filled with rage and fury. But as soon as they saw his face, they hung their head low as they walked away.

“Well, that hurts,” Ian said, words laced with contempt.

He released the little blue bear, who was suffocating in the sack. When the blue bear was released, it rushed to the direction where the miasma was thickest.

Hilda’s nose twitched. “What a stench… Pull the bear back. We’re taking a detour.”

Before the bear could run behind the door, Ian grabbed the bear, placing a finger on his lips. But the berry-enhanced bear was too strong. The bear started to kick and roared louder than before. Its muscles beneath the blue cuddly fur began to bulge even more.

“It’s angry. I don’t think it wants to comply.” Ian said, watching the adorable disaster unfold before him. The bear started to pound against the door.

“We don’t have a choice. There’s a very strong demon behind there.”

“Do you sense Gloria?” Ian asked.

“Faintly. There’s no need to sacrifice yourself. I’ll sneak in and find a way out from there.”

Ian sighed. “If the demon doesn’t pick up a bear pounding against the door, that would be for the best.”

“Then, go hide! The demon will tear you from limb to limb.” Hilda warned.

“I’m not that weak,” Ian said.

The door before them opened, as a horned demon general opened the door. The Abyssal flame within his body exploded with a large claymore in his claws.

“A human and a tiny bear?” The demon mocked.

The room they were in had two walls full of holes. The others were still intact. The ground was uneven with raised platforms, and some lost their tiles. Ian readied his sword, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. When he opened his eyes, he was more focused, senses sharpened.

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The demon general lifted his claymore, attempting to have a swing for it.

“Well, too late to hide now. Good luck, I guess.” Hilda said, leaping off his shoulder. The bear followed the rat, running past the demon general.

The claymore was slower than a sword. Somehow, Ian was familiar with it. Ian easily dodged the attack, rushing forward to attack the demon general in his face, forcing his attack at the general’s side. The lesser demon, who had been sitting against the wall, noticed and jumped up.

“Lightning reflex,” Ian muttered, as a small constellation of Dorado appeared beside him. Being nimble has its perks. For every attack Ian managed to avoid, with the power of the constellations, he gets to return the damage twice fold. Ian pushed his sword deep into the demon’s arm.

The lesser demon picked up its crossbow, aiming for Ian’s torso. Ian, previously standing, fell to his side as he felt the arrow brush past his shoulder. A small drop of blood dropped out of his shoulder. Ian paid no heed to the injury to the shoulder, focusing his attack on the demon itself.

The demon gave a menacing laugh and charged at the human boy. “Nice, nice!” Ian ducked, swiftly dodging the claymore, and went for a counterattack. This time landing a clean strike at the demon general’s torso.

Seeing how his attacks were harmless to the demon general, Ian jumped backward. He was surveying the battle situation with a serious look on his face. He turned his back, aiming for the lesser demon first. He kept his posture low, moving across the ground to avoid eye contact with the demon general. He moved his sword swiftly, cutting across the air.

The lesser demon couldn’t react to the sudden move, giving out a short groan when Ian pulled out his sword. The lesser demon was never an issue. The issue was the demon general, who seemed very invulnerable in these times. The general stood on its two feet, raising his wings and taking half a step back. Ian gave a war cry and struck the claymore with all his might. After trading a few blows with the demon, its armor deflected Ian’s attack.

“Why, why won’t you aid me? I can’t defeat this without your help!” Ian yelled at the blue cuffs.

A small voice of a child responded to him. A voice he had never heard before. “My powers are the weakest among the Ramune constellations. Not to be used by someone as carefree as you. You’re smart, but you don’t use your intellect. I’m not lending a hand in this one.”

Ian clenched his teeth. “So serious. Fine. I’m going to defeat him, so just sit there and watch.”

The demon ran to Ian with wide steps, building momentum as it charged toward Ian. Ian backed away, widening the gap between himself and the demon. The demon chased after him, trying to catch the little human. His wings flapped faster in an attempt to catch up. Ian broke into a small smirk, stopping in his tracks.

The demon raised his arms, trying to deliver a heavy blow. But he found himself unable to stop its momentum. Seizing that opportunity, Ian thrust his sharp sword forward, impaling the demon through his Abyssal core. Ian twisted his sword and pulled it out, kicking the demon to the ground.

Ian stabilized his breath, feeling his sweat trickling down his neck. “Did I do it?”

Before Ian could relax, the demon core reassembled itself, rising to its feet. “Oh, come on!” Ian yelled, pulling himself together.

“Oh, how naïve of you to think that this was enough. If I were a mere demon, I would have fallen. Human, you move very well.” The demon smirked, cracking his neck, and picked up his claymore.

“I honestly can’t tell if it’s sarcasm.”

“Your kind has faded too quickly. Tell me, boy. Which Tree of Wisdom were you from?” The demon couldn’t contain his smile, eyes widened with joy.

“Enlil. Probably.” Ian said.

“Enlil?” the demon repeated, its smile breaking into laughter, filling the entire floor.

“What’s so funny?” Ian asked curiously.

“How fates weave. Interesting, interesting. You still live. If you remember my name, you would be able to find me.” The demon placed his claymore at his back.

“What?” Ian was more confused than before.

“Child of Enlil, if Krystol falls today, the Champion of Gods would be coming over. And there’s no doubt that they want you dead.”

Ian shuddered at that thought. The Champion of Gods was what Guru Adrastos was part of previously. He ran away from that library because they were siphoning his memories out of his brain for some reason. If not for Lucia, he would have lost his memories.

“Wait, who are you? Why do they want me dead?”

The black miasma released around the demon general. “You have done a lot to make them very angry, boy. It’s all on you.” The demon said.

“What have I done? There are more questions than answers at this point.”

“Did you honestly forget about it? Yes, I recognize this annoying smirk of yours. Child of Enlil.” The demon said, grabbing Ian’s face and pulling it closer. But Ian slapped the demon’s hands away.

Ian took a few steps back and studied the demon, trying to discern between the truth and its lies. Ian grabbed the hilt of his sword as he saw the demon raising his claymore.

“Let’s see how fate wants you to live longer. I, for one, am very, very curious.” The demon said, preparing to charge once more.

Ian waited for the demon’s attack. His eyes were used to its attacks by now. Everyone had their pattern of attacks they stick to. For this demon, it was a right heavy swing followed by a claw to the face. Ian backed away, leading the demon to a crate.

He waited for the demon to lose its balance by stepping into the crate, followed by a counterattack. The constellation of Dorado pointed at the place where the demon would hurt the most. Ian followed the instructions, striking where it hurt. But these petty tricks won’t work for long.

The demon continued to smile, its Abyssal flames burning as bright as the sun. “You need magic, child. These physical attacks will never work for long.”

Ian gritted his teeth. He can’t possibly do that. A human can’t conjure fire as any Creations do. He needed another plan.

“If I can’t defeat you, I guess I’m at a disadvantage. But it seems that you can’t hit me either.” Ian muttered, putting his sword away and taking out his crossbow.

As he was able to read the demon’s movements, he dodged all of his movements with ease. The demon started to chant its magic, claws cackling with black lightning. “Let’s see if you can dodge this.”

The demon threw away its claymore, charging down to the ground where Ian stood. Ian took a few steps back, gaining his distance. With each attack, the ground created a deep crate and released a small shockwave. Ian leaped, sending a crossbow bolt in response and running to get some cover for the reload before sending another crossbow bolt.

“You’re just running, aren’t you?” The demon sneered.

“I call it the calculated maneuver,” Ian responded, loading another crossbow bolt.

The demon laughed manically, “Child of Enlil will fall by my hands today.”

Ian shot a crossbow bolt right behind the demon’s feet. “I don’t think so. You just stepped into my trap.”

The demon was confused. “What?” As it rushed to Ian’s face, it stopped right in front of him. There was an invisible magical barrier force stopping him from proceeding further.

“Did you think I was going to enter a demon domain without countermeasures?” Ian asked, lips curling into a smug one. “It was my precious barrier bolts. It takes some time to set up, so you could say that everything is lined up. Spells, physical strength, and any nonsense would never be able to break the barrier from the inside.”

“But you didn’t defeat me, you just contained me. Once I get a lesser demon to free me, I will hunt for you first!”

“No, you won’t. Once I close the portal to the Abyss, you would be nothing but infants.”

“You can’t contain me here. Even the Abyss never could have contained us! You will pay for this!”

“Bye, then!” Ian gave a cheerful smile as he closed the door behind him, leaving the raging demon on its own.

He knew what he had to do. Hilda and the bear had already gone ahead to search for Lady Gloria. Though he was fatigued, his injuries were minimal. As he navigated through each room, the miasma grew thicker and thicker, permeating the air. Suddenly, the room grew darker, and the light source vanished. Ian’s heart began to race with rising anxiety and discomfort. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, knowing that humans lacked dark vision. After waiting for his eyes to adjust, he finally spotted a door in the distance.

“Over there,” he thought as he made his way towards it. With a firm grip on the handle, he took a few steps forward and opened the door, only to be met with a blinding, unexpected burst of light that caused him to wince in pain.

The green plains spread as far as the eye could see beyond the door, with gently sloping hills and beautiful meadows. A gentle breeze rustled through the thick grass, making a soothing whispering sound. The sun shined brightly above, spreading a pleasant warmth over the entire scene.

The only sounds were birds chirping and cattle lowing in the distance. The terrain was speckled with wildflowers of every color, creating a beautiful tapestry of natural beauty.

The air was crisp and clear, with a delicate floral scent flowing through it. It was the type of location that made you feel alive, as if all of your concerns and troubles had vanished. The verdant plains’ calm and tranquility were a balm to the spirit, a refuge from the craziness of the world.

“This is the demon’s domain?” Ian’s jaw dropped.

“Over here,” he heard Hilda’s voice.

Ian walked over, seeing the blue-haired fairy battered and unconscious, lying on the green grass. Beside her was a small boy with angel white wings curled up in a deep slumber. Blond hair with a small halo on his head. The blue bear was beside it, shaking it awake.

“This is…” Ian barely got his words out, not believing what he saw.

“It’s an angel,” Hilda answered.