Darkness extended to a near infinite plane in all directions. Within that ever expansive darkness, five figures sat in a circle amongst each other chatting away. They kept time as best as they could by counting their sleeping frequency yet without a proper light source, they eventually gave up. With the excessive time available to her, Lapis had slowly felt out the magic they were trapped in. She pushed the boundaries of her control over it taking note where her influence worked and where it was rejected. The reworking of General Shrack completed while she was testing the boundaries of her control and he was officially renamed to Zirco. To the surprise of the Heroes, the reworked Demon seemed to have an entirely different personality. His features had also changed slightly and the degree of his loyalty towards Lapis was almost sickening.
As she finished up her tests, Lapis thoroughly revealed the new information to the group.
"I can't do much here. I can only bind, release and slightly alter this space. I'm linked to it strangely as well. Once it's time to leave, I'll probably be notified somehow."
As if waiting for that moment, Lapis suddenly felt a tingle in the back of her mind.
"It'd appear we don't have to wait long. Let's see how to get out of this..."
Lapis was about to command the enclosure to release her into the wild when her arm was grabbed.
"Lapis, do you intend to leave us behind?"
Squinted eyes filled with a hint of nervousness shone at Lapis. The young woman must have thought she would ditch the others if she managed a way out.
"Time is frozen inside here. Although we are experiencing what we think is the passage of time, not even a second has passed yet. The outside world on the other hand is passing at a normal pace. Once I leave here, I'll return to the flow of time. Even if I chose to keep you locked in for thousands of years, it'd only appear as an instant for you... Tell me, why would I do something so meaningless? Fear not, as I've said before, I bear no grudge against you Heroes. I must exit first though, I'm the only one here powerful enough to handle any situation we might drop into. Hiiro, be ready. As a summoned hero, your ability to communicate beyond barriers might be necessary for me."
Lapis placed a light smile on her face before issuing the command to the space. Immediately it reacted. Golden chains rapidly extended out latching onto her limbs and yanking her onto a cross that materialized a distance away. Although she understood what was happening, the sight and immediate experience jolted her consciousness lightly. In her daze, the chains pinned her arms, legs and torso to the cross and the golden chains slowly disintegrated her clothing. Hardly allowing a second of delay, each piece of fabric that disintegrated was replaced by white cloth ending as a one piece dress. Although slightly confused, Lapis didn't fight back.
While attached to the cross, Lapis slowly sank into the void similar to how Captain Hickmann disappeared earlier. As the void slowly rose past her eyes and her vision obscured, her consciousness grew dim before knocking her out completely. 'Such a rough send off' was the final thought before Lapis disappeared from sight.
My hazy consciousness slowly restored itself and I found myself in a rather dark room. I felt a slight chill and could see my breath slightly on exhale. Slowly glancing around, I saw a group of individuals out of the corner of my eyes and a creature of some sort near me clearly suffering from mortal wounds. I tested each limb and found them to be bound to the same cross I was latched to earlier. A slight hunger crept up on me as I realized almost all of my mana reserves I had kneaded prior to being taken into the void were gone. Luckily, I could feel the dense mana in the surroundings and so without hesitation, I absorbed a massive quantity at once. The rapid absorption depressurized the local area both dropping the temperature even lower and releasing a loud clap as new air collapsed in on itself slowly equalizing.
I converted the mana quickly kneading it into a usable form before enhancing my body with it. I gave the restraints a good yank expecting the bindings to shatter, however the cross itself bent nearly shearing itself in half. The deformed hold allowed me to easily slip off it touching the foreign ground for the first time. My naked white foot fell upon the cold stone floor toe first with the heels following behind shortly. I kept the feeling of the ground in my mind relishing the first sensations of the world. Taking in a deep breath, I once again started analyzing my surroundings and felled my sights on the creature nearest to me. I could feel some kinship with it somehow, perhaps a far off cousin of a Demon race, though I'd never seen a creature similar to it.
The gash in its chest was obviously a mortal wound and though I had little interactions with this race, I chose to offer it a peaceful passing as it felt like it was reaching out for me as a child would to a mother. Ignoring the dust covered floor, the chains latched onto my limbs and the dress that I'm sure was being tainted on every step, I walked to the creature before kneeling beside it. I lifted its rather oblong head unto my thigh and slowly pet the top of its shell. Small coos escaped from the creature as I watched the light of life slowly darken. A final gush of blood from the wound merely moments later and the creature was gone. I stayed beside it for a bit deciding my next course of action and seeing the damage done to the poor thing's body, I chose to send it off entirely. Placing the head down, I flapped my back wings lifting myself gently onto my feet before stepping back slightly and overlaying my imagination upon the scene. I injected a large amount of mana into the circuit built in my mind and invoked the magic across the corpse burning it into nothing and leaving a molten cradle behind.
The only time limited task was now done. I turned my attention to the members I saw earlier from the corner of my sights. I knew without doubt they had a hand in the creature's death but, I as an invader to this new time and place held no knowledge of the situation and thus, I held any emotion or judgment back. The group consisted of four members with a potential fifth killed further back. The devastated body clearly indicated it was killed and one glance at the shaft above it easily summarized how. Moving my sights on each member, I could recognize two Humans instantly. Their mana signatures were slightly different than those I knew previously as their control over mana appeared more complete yet less refined than those I knew. Rather than those minor differences though, the large creature offset the Humans caught my attention instantly.
In my eagerness to familiarize myself with such a new discovery, I unknowingly emitted a huge presence freezing them in place. I neared the large creature who towered nearly two body lengths over me. When I arrived close enough, I invoked a small levitation magic to properly look the creature in it's eyes. Two beautiful hazel orbs with blackened slits stared back at her. She watched momentarily in fascination as the two slits widened and shrunk at her. I placed my hand onto the bipedal creature's face and gently caressed the shallow layer of fur covering it. Feature wise, the creature was similar overall to Human or Demon, but the mana that resided within deviated far beyond a simple misunderstanding. Even without looking further, I could somehow tell, this thing was an entirely new race of creature who coincidently resembled aspects of other bipedal lifeforms.
My hand nudged an extrusion when caressing its cheek. To my surprise, the ear normally placed for a Human was instead missing and instead a furry triangle with golden fur replaced the organ further up the head. The speckled brown in the coat was rather cute and the black fur that tipped the small ear drew me in somehow. I reached to rub it with my hands and it twitched slightly on contact nearly making me blush in slight amusement and fancy. My eyes drifted just past its ears when an elongated organ drew my attention. Without hesitation, I quickly dropped to the ground again and ran to the backside of the creature. The long organ protruded from its back just below the waist. Was it another arm? I gently reached for it and stroked it all while enjoying the softness and warmth it emitted. My satisfaction, now at an all time high, allowed room to observe the other members. In particular another creature caught my eye.
I released the soft tail and bounded over to the other Humanoid creature. Once in front of it, its eyes drew me straight in. I felt they resembled my own somehow and observed them carefully. My face so near its, brought small pointed ears to my attention. I carefully observed them as well, but felt I had forgotten something and so broke my engagement with the creature backing off slightly. The final two of the group were both Humans and although their mana signatures were somewhat odd, they appeared to resemble the ones I knew well enough for me to not be too interested. I took some distance from the ground ensuring the area around me was clear.
"I suppose it's safe enough for now..."
Talking to myself, I rose a hand to the sky calling for the space in my mind. The chains attached to me proved the connection was still alive and it responded. In my mind, I called forth Hiiro Sakamoto. The space had probably latched him in similar fashion to myself as he appeared from a black void attached to a cross in similar fashion to myself. His previously heroic looking outfit replaced with a one piece white robe similar to myself. I got close to him and poked the handsome young man's sleeping face. After he woke up a bit, Hiiro tested his restraints before tearing them from the cross. The golden shackles fractured and disintegrated leaving nothing behind. He fell into my arms and I helped him regain his balance somewhat. Luckily, Hiiro seemed to remember our conversation previously and made his way to the group with myself in tow. As we approached the group, I saw the caution in their eyes and so slowed down slightly. I left a decent gap between Hiiro and myself allowing him to speak in confidence.
"Hello. My name is Sakamoto Hiiro. This is Lazuli Fardom Lapis. If you have the time, I'd like to ask a few questions."
The group was visibly surprised by the sudden introduction. I kept my eyes on each of them carefully being wary of any sudden movements. I corrected the exuding pressure that I released a while back yet the group only now moved for the first time. An individual stepped forward, one of the Humans, and responded back to Hiiro although he conveyed his wariness as well.
"My name is Kelvin Belmore, leader of S ranked adventurer group Satyr. Behind me is Silas Sommes, George Kinner and Zeena Halflight."
The male Human called Kelvin slowly introduced the members behind himself. The larger creature appears to be male and, though I suspected as much, the smaller creature appeared to be female. It's not that I didn't expect it to be that way however, when meeting a new species, it'd be rude to assign them genders. Previously, I ran into issue when I had assumed some Hobgoblins to be female when their race simply didn't have the equivalent.
"Kelvin, is it? Where are we currently located?"
I watched the expressions on the group as Hiiro gather knowledge of our current situation. The group became less wary as the questions continued.
"What year is it currently? What species are the two behind you? Where is the nearest settlement?..."
Wariness visibly turned into curiosity. The group behind the young Human slowly got closer and mirroring them, I closed the distance as well. Strangely, I could understand the language, though there were slight annunciation differences. I watched Hiiro perform splendidly and slowly adjusted my own language internally to match the modified sounds. Utilizing my new vocabulary, I approached the large creature... A male of the Pantherian species, if I recall correctly. I maintained my smile and slowly approached him. The moment I locked onto him, he strangely froze up.
"Hello. I'm Lapis. You are a Pantherian, yes?"
The man appeared confused initially but stuttered out a reply.
"I-I am. My name is George Kinner... If I may, what are you? You don't feel the same as a Pantherian, Demon, Human, Elemental or Fairy."
"Fairy? Elemental? Are those other species? Have you seen them before?"
"U-uhh, no. Zeena has though."
As if trying to avoid the creature, George tossed the buck to Zeena directing the heavy pressure to her as well. The girl froze instantly after I locked onto her. I quickly hopped in front of her and rose my hands to the sides of her head. Though she was nervous, she didn't appear to resist me.
"Please imagine what an Elemental and Fairy appear as. Describe them to me in detail."
I subtly invoked an intrusive magic while the woman slowly described an Elemental. The creature apparently came in many different amorphous forms and was held together by bundle of mana. Although they held many forms, I could tell that the local inhabitants held a fear towards the Elementals, so I scratched them off my list. The young girl, who belonged to the Elven species, continued on to describe the Fairy species. With my magic still invoked, I slowly drew out the mental image from her mind as I pretended to listen. The Fairy race appeared to be worshiped and this young Elf held particularly fond feelings towards one of the female Fairies. Inside my mind, I adjusted the image to match my facial features and shortened the image to match my height. The vivid floral colored wings in the original I swapped out mentally with a blood red petal design and added a bright green and blue trim to the edges of the wings.
"... with large wings like a butterfly, but they're stronger than you'd think."
The young Elf seemed to finish up her description and with that, I pulled myself back front her taking a small distance. I closed my eyes, felt my body mentally and built a model of myself in my mind. I kneaded mana momentarily attracting the attention of the group and Hiiro before invoking it. My body slowly contorted with my horns gradually disappearing and my wings warping their shape. My hair color slightly darkened from the light silver with blue tint to a more gray with deep blue. I felt the changes tickle me slightly as my body adjusted itself to the mental image and with it, my mana control lowered as well to suit the Fairy species.
"""A female... Fairy...?!"""
The entire group appeared to be taken back at my look including even the Elf who I took this image from. Somewhat surprised, I chose to ignore it for now since I didn't have enough information and we were running out of time to release the other Heroes.
"Hiiro. It's time, finish up your side."
I started kneading mana and began invoking teleportation magic to a forest nearby. The circle slowly etched itself out in the floor below me. I took care on the precise positioning we'd end up at since my coordinates were estimates based on the directions given by this group. The team appears surprised again at my ability to invoke magic, but they must have seen something similar since they didn't question it. No... Perhaps they became numb from the various surprises?
"Well then, we need to head out now. Thank you for your assistance. If we meet again, feel free to come up and talk to us."
"Same. I don't know where you came from... but welcome to Klasika... Sakamoto Hiiro and Lazuli Fardom Lapis."
"Lapis Lazuli Fardom. That man is Hiiro Sakamoto. He just introduces people incorrectly."
My comments made the young hero's face twitch slightly, but he joined my side in earnest, this much teasing should be allowable. The circle was completed and I invoked the teleportation magic. As it grew brighter, I noticed the other team clearly broke out into a sweat. I simply revealed a genuine smile before Hiiro and myself disappeared.
"Are they gone?"
"I think so... That's impossible though..."
"Zeena... that was a female Fairy, right? It's the first time I've seen one..."
"Of course it was... They are absurdly rare existences! The last female Fairy I met was Queen Dazzlevine. If they hear another female exists, what would they do...?"
"Can Queen Dazzlevine also teleport without an assistance orb?"
"I don't know... The Fairy race is well known, but information surrounding the female of the species is regarded as controlled information. I wouldn't put it past her though, she's incredibly powerful. That species is ridiculous though... Why are all of their members so beautiful?"
"I don't know... For now though... Silas, retrieve the core of the Dragon. We're heading back to help with cleanup. We have to report what we saw here today. I couldn't recognize what type of creature that woman was. We need to talk to Lenard."
"True..."
Kelvin quickly issued orders and set his team back onto their original mission. Frankly, the meet that just happened terrified him. He met multiple races of each species known to exist and yet he never felt a mana signature similar to the woman he just saw. He could tell the young man with her was a summoned entity of some sort and was infused with a portion of divinity type mana. It was highly uncommon to be loved by the Gods so much, but not unheard of. In the back of his mind, he prepared his story and collected his orb.
"Patch. Did you record everything?"
[Reply. Encounter with unknown entity was recorded, but video data was corrupted due to mana fluctuations in the air.]
Kelvin was visibly distraught. Did she know he was recording their entire meet?
***
The moon was hanging over its peak and casting shadows amongst the many trees below. Woodlands spanned for miles across the ground with a shallow river running almost directly below. Nearly 150 meters in the air, space distorted slightly before two figures suddenly appeared. They fell towards the ground until one grabbed the other and halted their rapid descent with her wings. They descended below the canopy of the larger trees into shrubbery and fallen leaves. Each member's breath caught the moonlight spreading like fog and with the crisp air and river nearby, the woman took a deep breath. The chains latched to her arms started glowing and three tears in space brought 3 other members out. Each attached to a cross, and each in a single white one pierce. The young man went to each of them waking them from their slumber and tearing their restraints off them.
Lapis looked down to her limbs and watched the golden chains gradually disintegrate. They weakened until they fell off her limbs clattering to the ground and dissolving into the ground. She felt sad at the sight of losing the connection to the last gift her best friend gave her. Allison and Sahib slowly came to and regained themselves only to be surprised at their new clothing and the surprisingly cold temperature. Zirco quickly got to work refining any local shrubbery that could be utilized in making cheap clothing for his master. Lapis directed her attention to the freshly released members.
"Allison Walker. Sahib Soas. As per our agreement, we will depart each other here."
Lapis moved her hand across the ground and invoke an earthen spell. A flattened mushroom like table rose from the ground until it was about waist height.
"According to a group we met earlier, we're currently located inside a forest called Lore."
The table top slowly morphed forming an outline of the described area. A small rocky sphere formed inside that formation suggesting their location inside the forest. Near the outside of the formation, vertical borders rose up forming the boundary of the current state they were in.
"We in particular are situated just North of Torise City. It's considered a minor city of the Klasika state and it's where I suggest you head to first. Humans appear to control this territory, but the further North you travel, the more contentious it is."
The map expanded further, though with less detail to consume the entire tabletop. Small etchings in the surface detailed the name of each major area.
"We appear to have dropped into an entirely different world. The current landmass bears nothing similar to our old world. This Klasika country is the domain of Humans and is surrounded to the West and East by the Elementals and Fairies respectfully. To the NorthWest of the Elementals is the domain of the Beastmen and the domain of the Elves exists to the NorthEast of the Fairies. North of the Pantherians is a water divide with a small natural peninsula and a river that acts as a buffer to this world's enemy."
The group looked at the map as it labeled the Demon continent. It was practically an island but was almost twice the size of any other race's domain.
"There is another water divide between the Demons and Elves, however there is no peninsula reaching across in their case. I don't have much detail in the other areas, but from what information Hiiro gathered, I'd suggest you head South to Torise City. Although traveling North will technically land you at Profectus City sooner, it appears to be constantly at war with the Demons. Until you become use to this world, I would hope you stay away from such conflict."
"What should we expect in Torise if we go there?"
"I'm not sure. I had to end the conversation early to release you. The connection between me and the space started to disappear..."
Allison caught the slight saddening expression on Lapis but chose to ignore it.
"Is there anything you can give us to help us make that trip? If you can make this table, I assume you could make a basic weapon for hunting?"
"I will. Once tomorrow morning comes and we get the gist of the weather, I'll give you basic food and items to help you out. It'd be wrong of me to send you off as you are now after all."
Lapis smiled slightly at the sight of the gorgeous blond haired woman wielding a C sized bust in a nearly transparent one piece. The moonlight easily slipped through the thin cloth highlighting her slim figure. Although there wasn't any gusts or breezes currently flowing through the area, Lapis thought the woman would be shivering at this point. The temperature was easy in the 2-4 Celsius range. Lapis followed the woman's body line down to her petite feet. They were reddened from the cold. Glancing at her own, Lapis found she was also cold, but must have ignored it with help of the adrenaline. Her sights turned to the young man Sahib who also wore a thin nearly transparent one piece. His body line was just as revealing as Allison's and Hiiro yet he clung to Allison's side as if not noticing.
[What's with that man anyhow? Was it my imagination that he wanted to tear my throat when we fought?]
Seeing the young man was shivering slightly, Lapis exhaled lightly and moved away from the group to a nearby stream to invoke her magic once more.
In front of her, earthen magic elevated a small shelter without a roof. The stone structure wrapped in on itself with an inner room where the river ran through. Lapis blocked an outlet on the other side of the structure causing the water to slowly build up inside until it was just below knee height. Upon reaching the correct height, she sealed the water inlet and allowed the flow to continue underneath the house avoiding interruption of the river's flow. With the new pool of water clearly large enough for the entire group, Lapis invoked another magic heating the water until a fine layer of steam began to roll off the surface. Lapis returned her sights to the three members who watched in awe.
"Let's get warm for now. Zirco will gather wood once he returns with shrubbery and wood for a fire. After I refine some of those, we should have some basic clothing to make us modest... After you."
Lapis moved to the side and gestured into the small site with warmth flowing out of the outer entrance whisking against the two members. Allison looked directly at Hiiro who shrugged his shoulders with a wry smile.
"I'll keep an eye on the surroundings first. We can trade once you finish."
"Oh? Well, take this for protection."
Lapis reached for a stone and shattered it in her palm. The various chunks slowly formed together with the help of magic creating an overly thick club which she tossed to Hiiro.
"Maybe next time we can go in together."
Although the young man turned away in silence, Lapis didn't miss the slight hue in his cheeks. She gestured once more for Allison and Sahib before turning around and following them into the bath.
Allison reached the inner room and removed the single cloth around her body. She propped the dress onto a small outcropping from the wall and turned to Sahib.
"Turn around and arms up."
Following her directions, the young boy rotated himself and Allison gently pulled his robe off over his head. They neared the makeshift stone bath and paused to admire the size before slowly dipping their toes in. The stinging sensation on their feet slowly melted away to a warm comfort and they clearly dropped their guard relaxing against the side of the bath.
"Oh, it feels that good? That's good to hear."
Lapis entered the room pulling off her robe as well. Sahib who seemed familiar with Allison's naked body instantly turned a deep shade a red and turned his gaze away from Lapis. Seeing the sight, Allison chuckled slightly.
"He's not use to bathing with others. Just think of him as overly shy."
"No need to worry about me. I'm fine with bathing even if Hiiro joined us. There's nothing shameful about showing one's body although, I'm surprised you two are fine together."
Lapis moved near the bath and slowly dipped a toe in grimacing slightly at the stinging sensation on her cold feet. Dealing with the pain, she moved the rest of her body into the bath while listening at Allison's reply.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
"Sahib is something similar to a little brother to me. I think he views me as his big sister."
"Little brother? He looks almost 15 to me."
"The summoning forcefully adjusted his body. Sahib is only around 8 years old as far as I can tell, though his body certainly appears slightly older."
"Such a thing... I'll never understand those Humans. Well.. I guess I can't talk considering I was betrayed by my own as well."
"Were... Were we wrong?"
"About what?"
"Hunting you."
Lapis' eyes darkened slightly at the question. She remained silent for a moment before speaking back up. She turned her face to meet the pair head on.
"A Human of barely 16 years was summoned into a strange land where magic suddenly existed and their entire life experience up to that point was practically useless. In such a situation, it's obvious you'd be reliant on your summoners for information and support... Hiiro once told me about those who summoned you. You were hidden away with limited social contact and your time was managed entirely by another. Without access to information, you could only think based off what you were told. In your ignorance and training, the ones you trusted sent you after me."
Allison lowered her head slightly. She wrapped her arms around Sahib and pulled the young boy closer to her for comfort. Sensing her concern, the boy allowed her the freedom to do as she pleased. Lapis smiled lightly at the sight.
"What you did isn't something that can summarized in such short words as 'good', 'bad', 'right', or 'wrong'. In this case, I believe you're innocent. Although your compliance led to the death of a good friend of mine, it's not something I can rationally blame you for."
Lapis stood up in the bath allowing the warm water to ride the curves of her body down. The moonlight broke through the slight steam glistening off her darkened hair and her eyes trapped the light reflecting a crystalline appearance. Both Sahib and Allison were entranced by the woman as she made her way to each of them. When she was nearly a foot away, Lapis bent down into the bath on all fours over shadowing Allison and bringing her face close. Allison was so caught up in the sight, her mind blanked out entirely until a pair of lips overlapped with hers. She instantly reflected a crimson red across her face and it even reached down her neck. She felt a supple tongue break through her lips and caress her tongue. Her breathing halted entirely as she felt the tongue feel its way around her teeth. As Lapis pulled away leaving a slight string of saliva hanging between them, she left her with final words before turning her focus to the young man beside her. The look in her eyes clearly showed him as the next victim.
"While I logically refuse to hate you, the emotional hate is still there. I'm unable to control that hatred entirely, but I can at least offer a form of protection against myself. If the day ever comes when I try to kill you, this gift should protect the both of you."
Allison's consciousness rapidly faded as the heat from the bath and her own body rose making her dizzy. Her last thoughts caught Lapis' statement and found them somehow strange.
Lapis exited the building with her robe laid over her body. Without a way to dry off, the robe stuck to her body and steam rolled off her curves and hair. Hiiro was happened to be near by caught glance her of her and practically gasped as the sight.
"Are you trying to get sick?"
"Is that all you have to say? How rude... Well, I have nothing dry myself off with."
As if he planned the timing, Zirco returned from his sprint through the forest.
"Master, this one has found material suitable for clothing."
He dropped various pelts onto the ground with limbs still filled with the original creature. They appeared to be wolves of some sort, but the pelt looked both soft and warm. As he separated the various collected items, Lapis glanced through them to pull out the important items first. She grabbed nine of the wolf pelts and lopped off the legs and skull that were still filled with meat and bones. She stripped the skin off the legs of two larger limbs, probably from a bear of some sort and laid them onto a stone near her.
"Zirco, go get some firewood and brush."
"Yes. My lord."
Zirco vanished to complete the order returning not even five minutes later with sticks, logs and fire starter. He set up a small fire pit and with a little magic, ignited it. The light reached out making their surroundings more visible and the warmth from the fire caressed their bodies. Lapis hung the pelts up on a makeshift holder to dry it out in preparation for clothing.
"My Lord. Will you allow me to create the clothing?"
"Focus on creating clothes for Allison and Sahib first. We intend to split apart tomorrow morning. Smoke the meats as well. Don't skimp on quality just because it's not for me."
"Yes. My lord. This one complies."
Hiiro was watching the interaction of the two in amusement when Allison and Sahib slowly limped from the shadows of the bath. Seeing their reddened skin, he made a perplexed face.
"Did something happen? Are you okay?"
Allison sent a glare full of daggers towards Lapis who only returned a curious glance. Exhausted from the entire fiasco, she moved to the side of the fire to dry off.
"Just go bathe. I'll take over watch."
"Right-o..."
Allison followed Lapis expecting her to enter the bath with Hiiro but was disappointed slightly when she simply sat near the fire as well. Sensing her disappointment, Lapis smiled lightly.
"I can't offer Hiiro the same protection I offered you two. He chose to join me in my travels, so I have to learn to put up with him. My anger has already dissipated mostly."
"You can forgive him, but not us?"
"Unlike you two, he accepted my revenge fully. That means more to me than you might think... Zirco will be making clothing for you two. Tomorrow morning it should be complete as well as some supplies for travel. I'll gift you both a dagger and bow before we split up. Remember to head South. When you arrive, try to join the adventurers guild. They will send you through an introductory class and help you acclimate to this new world. I'm sure it would be a good starting point for you two. Considering the strength of the party Hiiro and I met, you two should be able to make good money and rise in rank quickly with your powers."
"What will you do?"
"I'm told there is a City NorthEast of here called Profectus City. Many species coexist there and it's the front line against the Demons. I plan to visit there first and establish myself somehow."
"Will you take over the town?"
"I intend to survive in the background and enjoy myself in this world. For once, no one knows who I am. There is no pressure to defend and entire species. I can abandon those I wish to and befriend those I feel suited. I suppose I only want to live normally and explore."
"I hope you can, but trouble has a way of finding those with power. You should watch yourself carefully."
"No need to worry. I adjusted my appearance to blend in specifically for that after all. Even my mana signature should be extremely close to the standard female Fairy."
"Well, if you say so."
Allison curled up with Sahib between her legs as they faced the fire. The two appeared to have dried off. Seeing there was no need to air the area out anymore, Lapis invoked magic once more for the night and raised a smooth wall to surround the members and reflect the heat back onto them. A slight smile stretched Allison's face at the small act of kindness and she slowly dozed off following Sahib into her exhausted dreams.
"How long will you stand outside? Come in, the temperature is still dropping."
"How long did you know I was there?"
"The entire time of course. You've a ways to go before you can fool my senses."
Hiiro sighed slightly and wandered into the small enclosure with his black hair swaying slightly. His thin robe was drenched from just exiting the bath and it stuck to his body highlighting every muscle contour and bulge. Lapis looked over him expecting him to turn embarrassed, but was caught off guard when he simply observed her back without reacting.
"See anything you like?"
"Quite a bit. It's a shame you're Human."
"It's a shame you're not."
The two smiled lightly at each other before Hiiro sat down beside her. He peeled the transparent robe from his body holding it slightly away and closer to the fire allowing it to dry. While keeping his focus on not burning the clothes, he opened his mouth.
"What's our real plan then?"
"Just as I told her."
"Is it really? A former Demon Lord only wants to travel around, make friends and explore? Somehow I can't believe that."
Lapis laughed shallowly at the stab.
"I only want to see the situation for now. We don't know enough about this world to make any plan in particular. Long term, I'd like to halt this war if possible, but I don't intend to intrude if it's anything like my previous situation. I don't want to deal with the political strife and schemes that killed Marie if I can avoid it. I have a feeling I wouldn't be as nice as I use to be if dropped into such a situation."
"I... see... I'll be traveling with you anyhow, so if that ever comes up. Rely on me a bit and I'll handle those plots as much as possible."
"You? A 17 year old who was tricked by those he was summoned by and sent to his death? That's... not very reliable I think."
"Allison told you about Sahib, right?"
"I wouldn't let her know you peeked if I were you..."
"I only overheard. Anyhow, consider me the opposite of Sahib."
"Opposite? So you were modified during the summoning process as well? What an absurd magic..."
"Yeah. I'm originally 103 years old. I was practically on my death bed when that space swallowed me. When I came to, I was in my youth again. At first, I thought it was a miracle."
"103... You're older than me!? That's... surprising... Wait, then the reason you didn't seem embarrassed by me...?"
"I've seen plenty of angels in my life."
"Oh... Well then... That's somewhat boring."
A self deprecating smile crept across Lapis' face as she realized her attempts to provoke the young man were entirely fruitless and he instead probably knew exactly what she was doing. She sighed lightly before continuing.
"Then I'll leave it to you if I'm caught in someones web again."
She turned her face to Hiiro and smiled brightly without any deception. Unexpectedly, she thought she caught a slight hue come over the young man's cheeks.
***
The Torise Empire boasted a rather large collection of countries under its domain to include a population exceeding 7 million. An abundance of low lying land with deep rivers cutting through it led to extremely fertile fields. If one were to travel across the country, they would no doubt be in awe of the massive farms stretching acres in any particular direction. Of the many countries comprising the empire, the confusingly named country of Torise maintained the largest land mass with a population relative to its size. While the Torise Empire's main export centered around grains, the country of Torise itself was known for technology and innovation. It could be said the primary export were the ideas and inventions created as a result of it housing the Torise Empire's capitol, Inmont City, which was located just South of Torise City.
The technologically advanced country paid special attention to Inmont as its Royal Family maintained their residence there. With the special attention, a large amount of money often accumulated in the area leading to rapid development of infrastructure and civil engineering techniques. A pedestrian wandering down Main Street could easily be treated to a visual of old, single story buildings giving way to dramatically modernized, multistory stone and glass constructs. Along the edge of this boundary, a single story tavern stood along the corner of Main Street and 98th Ave.
The outside was generally clean and welcoming. Large, thin rectangular stone slabs were inlaid between wooden braces giving its patio a very rustic feel. Steel pillars erected at the corners of the patio braced a massive wooden beam that stretched the length of the building. On the patio, various tables were out under the shade with lively customers chatting away nonchalantly. If one were to step up to the building, various windows lining the inner patio revealed a rustic interior to match its exterior. Dangling from the massive wooden beam was a plated sign with 'The Rampant Explorer' etched into it.
A middle-aged man in casual clothing turned off Main Street to enter the Tavern. His standard buttoned shirt was tucked into his pants with all but the top 2 or 3 buttons left undone revealing a slight v-line. As he walked, the clapping of his shoes against a wooden floor beam caught the attention of a young bar maid attending a table. Her attitude of simply nodding to him suggested he was a frequent customer. The gentleman continued before entering through a small wooden door. As he pushed through the door, a small bell rung out signifying a customers arrival. The old bartender behind a wooden counter was engaged in conversation with another customer but still managed to nod a greeting towards the gentleman.
The Tavern itself was packed as it always was on a Saturday with various individuals drinking, eating and being merry over all. It was typical for the tables and booths of the Tavern to be claimed by business men and traders whenever they were passing through. Often times, businesses closer to the palace at the center of Inmont would send representatives to this Tavern in hopes of scouting talent or finding new products. Scanning the various stools, tables and booths, the gentleman saw a free stool near the corner of the bar and went to take a seat. Appearing to have settled his conversation, the old bartender who appeared nearly 60 years young approached with a brimming smile.
"Well I'll be damned! Is that Silas Sommes I see before me!? I could of sworn he went off to war after leaving behind a mighty bar tab!"
Silas reached for the bartender in a friendly manner exchanging a strong handshake and quick hug. The old man appeared to nearly have tears in his eyes. Without letting go of his hand, the old man pulled Silas in once more for another firm hug. A short moment passed as he patted his back, slowly releasing Silas to sit back down onto his stool.
"Old man Slantz! How've you been? God have I missed this place."
"That bad huh? Well, I'll give you one on the house if you give me a good story to impress the ladies with."
"Oh I can do that. Gimmie a 2 liter of whatever your special on tap is. I'm under orders to enjoy myself today anyhow."
"Righto, one special double for a special customer, coming right up!"
Slantz turned around and left Silas at the corner while merrily laughing. He snagged two mugs skillfully flipping them once in the air before running them over a rinser. Placing it under the tap, the old man poured two beers. Before he returned to Silas, he gestured over to one of the bar maids. Having worked there for years, she easily understood his intent and so finished wiping down one of the tables before going behind the bar counter.
"Taking a break so early, boss? Old age finally starting to bite into ya?"
The woman took light jabs at the old man as he carried over two beers wielding a smarmy smile. Reaching a mid point, he sat one glass on the bar top and slid it down to Silas who caught it single handedly. The two clanked glasses together before chugging a quarter of it on the spot.
"You owe me a story kid. I was worried about ya. Plenty o merchants fled that border ya went to bringin tales of slaughter."
A wry smile spread across Slantz' face as he recalled the horror stories collected during the month Silas and the rest of team 'Satyr' were fighting. Silas could easily tell the old man's wrinkles had deepened since he last saw him keeping him silent for a moment. Hoping to cheer the old man up a little, Silas provided him a war story.
"It wasn't too bad for our team. They sent us to help out one of the border towns, but the threat hadn't spread that far. When we first arrived, there was only 6 Demons to take down."
"Listen to this kid! 'Only 6.' Stories like that'll get you nearly any woman here!"
Slantz exclaimed loudly, interrupting Silas. In response to the claim, Silas simply smiled before continuing.
"I've been doing this job since I left the military, but that was the first time I had issues."
"Issues?"
"Yeah. These Demons were glorified ants, it seems. Their hard shell made us struggle to take them down. In the end, we killed the six at the border town, but an emergency happened."
"Ants, huh? The merchs who came in about 3 weeks ago said something similar. They also talked about some slimy sack thing as well. Described it as a wet caterpillar if I remember rightly."
"Ah, sounds like the Queen Ant. She was a brute as well."
"You met it?!"
"Met her? Hell, I fought the damn thing... Here, check this out."
Silas raised his arms sliding the long sleeve back somewhat. Bandages were tightly wrapped around his arms with slight discoloring. Slantz could easily guess where the red tint came from.
"If Sir Kelvin hadn't been with us, I doubt we would have won against that thing."
The two fell into silence once again as Silas once more relived the desperate fight in the cave. Before he could take another sip of his beer, a young man covered in light gray cloth sat down beside him. Pulling back the hood, he revealed a set of short ears twitching happy to have regained their freedom.
"Bartender, one of your specials for me, and get this man a refill please."
Silas wasn't too surprised at the Pantherian beside him after all, this was a Tavern travelers frequented when doing business. All sorts of individuals could be found here. The young pantherian appeared to be of feline descent, though it'd be difficult for him to narrow it any further as he wasn't very knowledgeable in the variety of races out there. Rather than ponder about the man's genealogy, he was rather more curious about his intentions and character. The bar maid brought over a mug at his request and topped Silas' beer as well. He initiated a cheers with Slantz and Silas before introducing himself.
"Gentlemen, my name is Rico Sachi. I've just arrive from the border you gentlemen were discussing. I was hoping to join in and share information."
"Rico, is it? Whys my kid gotta share anything for free? He earned his info with his life on the line. What's in it for him?"
Old man Slantz interceded for Silas to ensure he wouldn't be taken advantage of. Realizing his intent, Silas could only mutter in the back of his mind about how he was already being asked for free info by the man in question himself.
"Come now, Sir. As I said, a TRADE of information. I'm certain we can enlighten each other."
The pantherian backed off somewhat with old man Slantz so near his face. Still though, he continued to bargain with Silas.
"Tell you what. If your information checks out with what I know and I learn something new, I'll tell you what I know. How's that?"
"That's sly, Sir... Fine..."
The young mans cat like ears drooped slightly as he accepted the clearly disadvantageous deal. Swallowing another gulp of his drink, the small pantherian began.
"Nearly two months ago, a strange ruin popped up along the border of the Lore Forest territory and the outer lands of the Torise Empire. A few merchants I know went to explore it thinking they'd find treasures of some sort. Oddly though, they couldn't enter it. It was as if an invisible wall prevented them from entering. They tried repeatedly for almost an entire month before the Demons invaded. They were forced to flee, but oddly, the Demons took control of the ruins instantly as if it was their primary objective."
"Stop your foolin kid, everyone knows Demons ain't that smart."
"I'm serious old Sir! A couple weeks ago, the army finally pushed back the Demons with some help from the Belmore hero, Lord Kelvin. Apparently, they thought they could get into the ruins and so my friends made a final attempt. They were able to get into the ruins, but it collapsed almost as soon as they stepped foot into the tunnels."
"What? Then you got no good information, kid. No one cares about damaged goods!"
Silas maintained his silence while listening to the pantherian. His interest was heavily peaked at anything related to those relics where they met those two strangers. To hear it came to fruition and even had a barrier that only a Demon could break was an interesting find. He sipped his drink as the old man and young pantherian bantered back and forth.
"Damaged goods???! I'll have you know that's high quality information!"
"Then go tell it to a bunch of miners. It's not worth trading for a general merchant."
"I'm not done yet you old coon. There's more."
The young man's eyes quickly narrowed as he lowered his tone and leaned in. Silas felt somewhat shaken to see the young man staring directly at him, as if observing his every expression.
"When they couldn't enter the ruins, they instead tried to flee back into the Torise Empire. Along their way though, they witnessed something incredible."
A large smile broke from ear to ear as the man continued.
"An entire bandit regiment was in combat against an absurdly powerful creature. Within seconds, it wiped out over half the men before going toe to toe with the Leader and Sub Leader."
"Oh? Now that's good intel kid. Keep on, then."
Silas began to sweat nervously as the details slowly flowed from the young pantherian's mouth.
"It had magic greater than any previous Demon recorded in history. It conjured a massive crystal that reached past 300 meters into the sky and saved what remained of a carriage. Rather than a beast, it fought intelligently with a makeshift staff and basic martial arts."
"Oi, oi, oi now kid. There's a limit to joking."
"I have proof, though. A recording of the entire fight."
Silas and Slantz both choked on their beer spilling some slightly on their clothing. As each one regained their composure, Silas in particular now held great interest in the young man before him.
"Is that true, young man?"
"Absolutely! I don't lie my good Sirs! If you will trade me what you know, I'll even show you the recording."
Silas thought silently to himself before responding. He was under orders to maintain silence on Lapis, but perhaps he could talk around the issue to gain more information. Silas debated himself before coming to his conclusion.
"Afraid that's not worth my information young man. I already know all of that."
"Then did you also know the name of that creature?"
Silas momentarily froze. The pantherian was glaring at him strangely, almost as if he were expecting something in response.
"How could I? I wouldn't want to be on friendly terms with any mystery Demon."
The pantherian's expression cracked slightly slipping hints of anger before he recovered. Silas failed to notice the slip and instead urged the man on.
"So, what's the name of this legendary Demon?"
The man pulled back from the two and took a chug of his beer. He downed a full liter before settling the half full mug back onto the table. Returning his attention to the party, he leaned in as if to preserve the secret.
"According to the research I've done, only one creature in the historical texts match its description."
The man once against smiled from ear to ear with darkening eyes.
"The Queen of Demons. According to the texts, she was the strongest Demon in history. A pinnacle of power only matched by the current Demon Lord and the Fairy King Silvervale over 400 years ago."
Old man Slantz and Silas both looked at each other with brooding eyes. They both looked down to their beers before each taking a large swig. Slamming their mugs down at nearly the same time, they maintained their stern appearance.
"Ts..Tsah... HaHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
Old man Slantz snapped. He started crying tears as he laughed himself to the ground eventually curling into a ball from the pain of laughter. On the other side of the table, Silas himself was practically laughing himself into an early coma. He desperately tried to imagine the woman who possessed such a mild attitude and slim features as some unimaginably powerful creature. He certainly heard their conversation to a certain degree and he witnessed the amazing transformation she did, however that only means she has unique magics. At the very least, doesn't that mean she's only as powerful as an oddball? In his laughter, Silas retorted back.
"Hahaha! Young man, if that woman is a Legendary 'Queen of Demons', than I'm a freaking Demi-God. Hahahaha!! What kind of name is a title anyhow? I think you need to go back to researching! Ahahaahhaa!!"
Through his blurred vision, Silas suddenly saw a radical change in the young man's appearance. Rather than anger as one would expect, the young man suddenly held tears in his widened eyes. He wasn't laughing, nor was he flushed with anger, yet instead it was similar to someone discovering the solution to a frustrating puzzle after years of effort. The expression diluted Silas' laughter and returned him back to normal demeanor. He saw the young pantherian completely lost in thought and so tried waving his hand in front of him to bring him around.
"Young man, are you alright?"
"Huh? Y-yes Sir. I'm afraid I have to go now, I have friends waiting on me."
"But the informat-"
"It's fine, Sir. I'm not so interested anymore."
The young pantherian chugged the final liter of his beer before sliding the mug down the table to the bar maid. After slamming money onto the counter, the young man continued his way out the exit disappearing onto Main Street.
"What a strange merchant."
"Yeah, that's a strange one to give up with half a deal complete. I wonder about his future as a trader."
Silas and Slantz exchanged some banter in light of the odd retreat. Thinking nothing more of the encounter, Silas continued his battle story.
***
Sitting across from Kelvin was an older gentleman with salt and peppered hair. His overly long hair was tied back into a ponytail and typically hidden under his clothing. The man was athletic, though the years clearly started to show as wrinkles, though not pervasive, were clearly etched into his face.
"They were introduced as Hiiro Sakamoto and Lapis Lazuli Fardom. Considering they teleported away right in front of us without a companion orb... I don't know what to think honestly."
"Hmmmm"
The older gentleman listened carefully as Kelvin debriefed him on the results of their quests from just over a week ago. If it had been any other team, he might have dismissed the story outright. The man worked his brown eyes across Kelvin before grabbing his cane and moving towards a bookshelf. Kelvin almost stood up to help the man after seeing him stumble slightly. Normally, one would associate that stumble and cane with a weakening person moving into their later years, however Kelvin knew the truth. The man in front of him was Lenard Segui, the current Guild leader for Inmont City and he was anything but weak. His current condition resulted after taking on a fight with one of the Demon Lord's generals. This man is practically a walking legend for defeating such a powerful opponent and surviving.
Though he appeared frail, the man exuded a feeling of power and was placed in the Guild Leader position by order of the King as a trusted personage. The man himself appeared to take issue with it thinking it a forced retirement, but he rarely voiced out such complaints. The man pulled a book off the shelf before tossing it to Kelvin.
"I'm sending you back out to those ruins. Officially, you'll be guarding the archaeological team from any of the Demon remnants."
"Unofficially?"
"Read that book when you get time. I need you and your team to search for any evidence related to it. I doubt it's true, but if that woman truly did appear out of thin air and was able to invoke the type of magic you said, we as a world might have just gotten unlucky... That book will tell you what to look for and that Elf on your team should be able to utilize some of the magics the book suggests for verifying."
Kelvin tightened his facial expressions at the vague answer. His own curiosity pushed him through though.
"I'll accept the quest. I gave my team a three day break though. The earliest I can leave out is Wednesday."
"That's fine, it'll take time for the archeology team to pack their shit anyhow."
Having accepted the personal quest, Kelvin left the Guild master's room and navigated for a particular bar where his team tends to relax at. Left behind, Lenard started writing up various quests to support the archaeological team and gather more search specific abilities.
***
Deep within a mountain range that boarded the ocean on it's backside, a large cavern ate into side of a particularly tall mountain. The cavern entrance appeared natural at first glance, but observing closer, one would see the mark of tools used to flatten the entrance and carve a path further in. The path rode along the lower point of the cavern all the way into the cavern depths until abruptly halting before a large vertical slab of stone. Before that stone stood two guards who wore a plant like leafy material as armor and utilized a spear as a weapon. Their eyes held a crystalline nature to them and there were few similarities if one looked merely at color. The two guards kept their bearing as multiple orbs of light flickered around them suggesting it was a constant phenomena. On their backs, two large wings jutted out resembling that of a butterfly. If one observed the guards for a period of time, they'd notice a strange occurrence where the small beads of light occasionally pass through the rock slab being protected by the guards.
Within that cavern, at about the same time Lapis exited the void space, a minor earthquake shook the slab alerting the guards. They both stood wide eyed as the massive rock slowly fractured vertically from the top. Each chunk of rubble that fell chased away the small light orbs that were near it. In panic, one of the guards ordered their subordinate to quickly pass the omen to Queen Dazzlevine. Without hesitation in his step, the guard sprang from his spot, rushing to pass the message along.
***
Formless. Speechless. Creatures that are solely described by the material they're made out of. The Elementals had always minded their own business and maintained an existence separate from the world. While normally formless, they were able to mold themselves into whatever form they needed. While speechless, they could communicate through their feelings and the exchange of mana and though they were made of a variety of materials, there was no war amongst the various materials. Such creatures of mystery suddenly changed their behavior and began congregating near a sacred site of their people. The site was vast and consisted of a large region of ultra shallow water that reflected the sky. This region was the birthplace of the Elementals. As the creatures flowed into the region, the water appeared to rescind, slowly pooling into a central area until a large orb of water was floating in the air just above the ground. The large sphere of water emitted a small pulse of mana communicating it's findings amongst the others. A visible shudder ran through the populace with some going so far as to lose their current form.
The creatures discussed through small pulses until a rather large Elemental came forward. Its form suddenly shrunk from a massive 60 meter ball of fire into something near 2.3 meters tall. The form morphed itself into a humanoid shape solidifying its outside appearance. The middle aged man slowly appeared with deep crimson hair and eyes. From his mouth, reverberations known as sound emitted for the first time in centuries.
"I'll be on my way to find it then."
The man turned around and walked away from the orb of water with the many other formless creatures parting a path for him.
***
Deep in the forests of Picsend in the land of the Elves, a speeding swallow formed from light trailed through the sky in apparent rush. It quickly dodged side to side leaving hardly any margin between itself and the passing trunks and evaded even other animals in precarious manner. Reaching below its goal after days of travel, it quickly turned nearly vertical and climbed the surface of a particularly large trunk. As it rose, it began to pass by various houses built with the massive trunks as the center and various bridges made of vine reaching across the otherwise empty space. The bird rose higher and higher until it reached just below the canopy of the large tree nearly 400 meters in the air before it broke its speed all at once.
The bird halted its momentum and glided into a wooden window before chirping loudly to wake up the still sleeping messenger. Woken from the loud squeaks, the messenger floundered try to get out of the bed tumbling across the ground and stumbling to his feet. When he finally arrived at the bird in half daze, the bird simply disintegrated into particles of light dropping a piece of paper onto the table below it. After glancing at the paper, the messengers eyes cleared of any tiredness they might have had and he sprinted off to forward the message to their King. The message only read.
[I might have found the one who sleeps. They've already awaken. Requesting further orders. -Zeena Halflight]
***
The Demon continent held nearly twice the landmass of any particular domain ruled by any other species. The Demons themselves were ruled over by one individual, Demon Lord Arakis Nul Dieth. The creature held serpentine eyes. The mix of green, brown, and silver alone was enough to halt someone in their spot on first glance. His statue was minor compared to many other Demons reaching only 192cm and held an athletic build. The wings on his back were silver with black trim and his horns wrapped around his head before jutting forward and up sharply. The creature resembled a humanoid shape, but the power emitted from him was anything but Human. The man sat on his throne of bones and silver listening to the reports of his Generals. The Demons were currently at war with essentially every other intelligent species on the planet. In the middle of a report, he suddenly felt his heart tighten inexplicably. He halted the meeting and excused those in attendance and waited until he was by himself.
A smile cracked across his face as if he finally found the thing he had been waiting on for such a long time. Opening his mouth, he released a loud laughter. Such a feeling was a first for him. Somewhere, somehow, someone capable of matching him finally appeared. The joy he felt could hardly be pushed down and yet he did just that. Unwilling to simply rush out without plans, he chose to be methodical. The man recalled his ministers and Generals to issue new orders. Now that there was something he wanted, it was time to start winning the war rather than just playing around.