Lilac considered turning into her wolf form, but she soon realized that this could potentially frighten a child that ran with them. Knowing that they needed to be smart, she stopped Ifrit with a tug on his shirt.

“Ifrit, stop! We need to hide!” she said.

“Where?”

Lilac looked around and saw the edge of the forest. “There,” she said while pointing at it.

Ifrit quickly grabbed her and the child on his shoulder and ran to the forest, just before more of the hellhounds could see where they go. Lilac closed the child’s mouth while Ifrit prepared for anything. They both could hear them talk in Ifrit’s language in a disappointed and frustrated tone before they left the area. They both breathed in relief.

Then as they calmed, Lilac turned to Ifrit and said, “Who the hell are they?”

“They chase me,” said Ifrit. “They…my enemies.”

“And you killed them. In cold blood,” said Lilac, shaken. “You did not hesitate. You just bloody off their heads like it was nothing!”

“Lilac…”

“Get away from me,” said Lilac, shoving Ifrit back. “You brought this on us. On Sidve. I should’ve followed my hunches that you’re a criminal, but you…you’re so kind and oblivious that…”

Realizing that Lilac might still have second thoughts, Ifrit reasoned, “No criminal help you. If I am, I just run. Leave you behind.”

“Liar.”

“No, I no criminal,” insisted Ifrit. “I protect you and that child. Do not go.”

“We must take our chances. They are clearly here for you, not us”

“They do not care,” said Ifrit. “They maniac. (They see you surface dwellers as inferiors).”

“Nice try, Ifrit, but trying to blame them won’t convince us. We need to get away from this place. Without you.”

Ifrit wanted to argue, but he would only make things worse. In fact, with his limited grasp of Tragorian, he might not be able to convince the two that he was their only chance of getting out of that situation alive.

The only thing that convinced them was what the hellhounds did to the villagers in the nearby home. They grabbed them both out of their home as they pleaded for their safety, only for the man to be cut down and his wife and children were dragged off, all while the hellhounds laughed maniacally and taunted them. Only Ifrit could understand what they were saying, and he was rightfully angry about it.

He also found that it was the only way to convince Lilac to follow him. She was in shock from the violence, so he said, “Close mouth. Stay here.”

“Ifrit? What are you…?”

Ifrit walked out from the forest and slowly walked behind the hellhounds. He grabbed a broken wooden fence and knocked the hellhounds out in quick succession. He acted quick enough to knock three of them out and save the family, who were in shock. Their homes quickly burned down, which made Ifrit suspected another one inside. He told the family to run to the forest, which they did, meeting with Lilac.

“Lilac? Oh, thank god, you’re alright,” said the mother upon meeting Lilac. “They killed Michael!”

“I know. I’m sorry,” said Lilac, sympathetic. “We need to run. We’ll ask the Wayfer authority to sort this out.”

Just as they talked, Ifrit approached them and said, “Stay close. You safer with me.”

Lilac was still unconvinced, but when she saw the mother and her daughter thanking Ifrit, she started to think that Ifrit did so to prove that he could finish a fight without excessive violence. Yet, she was still unsure and was still unable to trust the hellhound.

The group walked out of the forest, still cautious but feeling safe. Lilac kept thinking of leaving Ifrit behind, but after he risked his life to help the family and wait to let them bury the father while keeping guard made her think that maybe she confused the enemy here.

The family was also wary around Ifrit, but they were nevertheless grateful for the stranger. After they each found a common ground, they continued their walk to Wayfer. There were carriages that saw the fire and offered them a lift to Wayfer, which was a couple hours on a carriage from where they were. Lilac was ready to just walk with Ifrit since she had no money, but fortunately, the mother of the family gave them what she could spare.

“Hey, Sheila,” said Lilac as they rode on the carriage, referring to the human mother. “Do you have anywhere to go?”

“Michael’s sister. She lived in Wayfer. How about you?”

“Hans’s away, so…no,” said Lilac.

“You can stay with us if you like.”

“No, you already have three children to look after. We’ll be fine. Wayfer might have some jobs.”

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“I see. You’re strong, Lilac.” Sheila turned to Ifrit. “And you. Protect Lilac, alright? With her brother out there traveling….”

“I will,” said Ifrit. “(I promise).”

Sheila nodded, not understanding the second part of Ifrit’s reply. They rode the carriage silently until they reached Wayfer. Sheila and the children went into the town to find her sister as Lilac and Ifrit stood there with nothing to do.

“Hey, Ifrit,” said Lilac, breaking the silence between them.

“Yes?”

“I don’t know what you are doing before we meet, and I don’t really care. You saved me and showed kindness and respect, so I know you can be trusted. But tell me. Are they…are they going to be a problem? If so, we can’t stay here.”

“Then go,” said Ifrit. “I am sorry, but now I cannot protect you now. They come. They always come. For me.”

“But how about you?”

“I will survive.”

“No, not that. Do you have a friend? Anyone you can trust out here?”

Ifrit realized that he was alone. With the hellhounds hunting him and the low possibility of meeting friendly ones out there, he would keep running and running until he was tired. In fact, the moment he chose to stay in Sidve was the start of this tiredness. He did not want to endanger anyone who had no idea of what he was dealing with. However, Lilac was the first friendly surface dweller he knew. She could be a guide who could talk Tragorian and ease up conversations.

As for Lilac, she had two reasons why she wanted to go with Ifrit. First, she did not know anyone else outside of her brother and the villagers of Sidve, and second, even if she was appalled by Ifrit’s actions, he was the only companion she had that could understand her plight. Both of them were strangers to the world, so it was best for them to stick together and work their way out of their predicament.

Just as she started to think of what to do next, she was approached by a brown furred Lycan in a guard uniform. Aside from being surprised that he was not in his human form while working, she found why he approached them. They were disheveled and dirty, with Ifrit also had the blood of his victims on his white shirt.

“You two have seen better days,” said the guard. “What happened? Accident?”

“N-no,” said Lilac. “We want to report an attack. Sidve…Sidve was attacked by a group of…I don’t know who.”

“Ah, that. I heard the news,” said the guard. “Someone managed to send an SOS before he was cut off. The village has a telegram service, don’t they? Some of the guards from nearby towns are mobilized, along with a handful of us in Wayfer. I just happen to get the guarding post.”

Lilac sighed in relief, though she was still shaken by the whole ordeal. Just as she wanted to ask for warm tea and clothes when they were approached by a blonde-haired human wearing a hat.

“You two need help?” said the human. “The carriage drivers said he carried some villagers from Sidve. Is it you two?”

“We’re part of it,” said Lilac.

But the man quickly turned his gaze towards Ifrit and said, “Ah. No wonder. I don’t understand hellhounds, but I think they have something to sort with you, and you escaped from it.”

“Hellhound?” Lilac turned and looked at Ifrit. “But he doesn’t look like one.”

“Hellhound? You call my kind that?” asked Ifrit.

“You speak Tragorian. Well, this is even more interesting than I thought.” He turned to the guard. “I’ll take care of them from now on. I suggest you keep your guard up. What happened to Sidve is bound to reach this town.”

“Not if we do something, citizen,” he said.

“Well, that’s one good thing to know. Carry on, then.”

The guard nodded and excused himself, leaving the three of them together.

“So,” said the man. His thick accent suggested that he’s not from Tragoria. “You two want to eat something?”

Lilac was reserved by the man’s actions, and Ifrit did not trust him. How did he know what his race was while others mistook him for a werewolf? But then, he realized that the human might know other hellhounds out there.

“You know other hellhounds?” asked Ifrit.

“No, not really,” said the man. “I just know you’re one. Those horns are obvious enough. There are books about your kind out there. I guess you’re not the first who ever got topside, huh?”

Lilac looked at the two in confusion. She knew the word hellhound, but a hellhound was a four-legged monster dog from the depths of hell. She had the book in her bookshelf as it detailed the weird and variable world out there, including creatures from hell that might or might not be real. She liked and enjoyed weird images with the understanding that it was not real.

“Anyway,” said the man. “Since you two stood there dumbfounded and confused compared to the woman with children, I can give you the solution to that problem. You need money and place to live, yes? Fancy a trip? How about working with me?”

Ifrit and Lilac looked at each other before Lilac said, “We barely know you and you’re already asking us to work for you? Sounds suspicious.”

“I assure you, I mean no harm,” said the man. “I simply come and offer you a chance to fix your lives. You have a choice, and you don’t need to take it. But there might not be a chance like this. So, what do you think?”

Lilac, who had no place to live anymore, and Ifrit, who was trying to get away from his pursuers while living a relatively anonymous life, had their own reasons to accept the man’s offer. He seemed to know their plight and was willing to help. The matter of him having an ulterior motive, however, did not escape their thoughts.

“What’s your play?” asked Lilac.

“I need an assistant and a laborer. I’m a traveling trader and deliverer, taking jobs to deliver things and even letters. I am not affiliated with anyone, so I practically work alone. I usually hire temporary workers to do the heavy lifting, but I started thinking that it’s a lonely road I travel, so I suppose I need traveling companions. Also, you get to have a place to sleep and hearty meals with the money we got. The only downside is that we will always travel.”

“Hmm…not a bad way to live,” said Lilac. “Well, it’s better than nothing, I suppose. You said you travel. Around Tragoria?”

“Around Tragoria and other regions,” said the man. “I never liked staying in one place.”

“I…well, I don’t have a home anymore, so…travel it is,” said Lilac. “Where to next?”

“Oh, no. We go as the sun rises. You two need to clean yourselves up and rest. And now that you two are hired, I expect you to earn your pay.”

“No problem,” said Ifrit. “Lilac?”

“It sounds good for me, too,” said Lilac. “But it’s better if we know each other’s names. People always say that names can tell a lot of stories.”

“They’re not wrong,” said the man. “But they are not entirely right, either. No harm in doing so if you’re not hiding something, hmm? I’m Albert Schafner.”

“Lilac Rezmirn,” said Lilac while accepting Albert’s hand.

“I’m Ifrit,” said Ifrit.

“A pleasure to meet you two.”

Albert’s deal seemed too good to be true, but for the two, having a roof to sleep under for the night was already good enough, considering that no other Sidve villagers ran to Wayfer. Lilac was scared and worried that no one other than them and the family survived, with Ifrit knowing it was possible considering how ruthless hellhounds could be, especially if they were so set on killing a survivor of the Drundas royalty and reap the rewards of doing so at the same time. He knew how ruthless they could be.

But, if they kept moving, Ifrit hoped that he could stay anonymous. He had started to become interested with the life on the surface and he did not want some anti-royalists trying to tie up loose ends that started years ago.

He was too young to remember what royal life was like. He was more a commoner than a prince.