With introductions over and done with, Lyall immediately brought up the matter at hand.

"Jyl, why did you have us gather here, now? Knowing you..." his eyes landed on the demon standing next to her. "Do you have a plan?"

It was Arick instead who answered.

"The huntress has made a deal with me to get you all home."

They rejoiced, the were finally going home! But Aiden sensed something amiss.

" 'You' ?" He glanced at Jyl. "What about her?"

Those words were like an ice cold splash of water to Lyall. Having known her the longest, he was the most familiar with her personality. A foreboding pressure spread through his chest.

"Jyl?" He pleaded.

She hesitated for a moment, then sighed. Looking him in the eye, she said: "I will be travelling to the village with you, but... I won't be staying."

"Why not?!" He shouted, starting to lose his cool. A seething glare bored into Arick. "What kind of deal did you make?"

Jyl glared back at him.

"We have already come to an agreement. It is not your place to try and interfere!"

Just as he knew her personality, she was overly aware of what he was like. She would not allow him to detroy this favorable opportunity. With this deal, she would be able to get these hunters back home to bolster their strength, and possibly get them a reliable ally.

But, Lyall would more than likely interpret it as her sacrificing herself, something his morals would not allow.

Just as he was about to open his mouth again, someone's hand landed on his shoulder.

Aiden gently pulled him back and shook his head.

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"We do not need a demonstration of how stubborn you both can be. Please do not make this any more difficult."

"But..."

"She has already made her decision. You should know better than I what that means." He glanced at Arick, who was observing their interactions curiously. It was a relief he took no offense to Lyall's objections. Though, Jyl's talents at judging someone's personality likely had something to do with it. She didn't really get along with the easily angered type.

"Besides," Aiden smirked, "he's the one who'll have to deal with her from now on."

That got a chuckle, albeit a sorrowful one.

"Fine..." he sighed, seemingly having accepted the situation.

Jyl sent Aiden a grateful smile.

 Sensing the mood, Arick decided to change the subject.

"Now then, first order of business, where exactly is your village?"

Seven hands rose and pointed, all in the exact same direction. Their reaction was both exasperating and remarkable.

"You will have to narrow it down a little more. What is the name of the kingdom?"

Lyall shrugged. The others looked at Aiden, who'd apparently unknowingly been nominated as spokesperson.

"Their shield is a golden eagle on a blue background." 

"That is still quite the large area..."

Arick knew the one they were talking about. It was an old kingdom, their line of monarchs long and influential. They also had the longest border with the Great Forest of all human nations, by far. He sighed.

"Cecile, can you go get a map? It'll take forever this way."

"What did you expect?" Jyl reacted, "Before the soldiers came, none of us had ever bothered leaving the forest."

After a minute or two, she returned with a large rolled up piece of paper. Arick was tempted to ask whether she had stolen the thing from the general's tent.

Handing it over, she conveyed: "General Gyrn wants to see you."

He nodded and started unrolling the map.

"Right now", she added.

The words made her leader freeze up. Cecile couldn't help but grin at his reaction.

"Then you handle this." He pushed the map back into her arms before taking off. The grin had vanished from her face.

Aiden quickly relieved her of her burden, looking it over with sparkling eyes.

"This is the Endless Plains?" asked Jyl. She was pointing at a green coloured region in the middle of the map. It stretched out from the north to the south, about three times as long as it was wide.

"So it seems. This patch down here should be the Great Forest, the area on the left then is human territory and on the right is demon territory."

Lyall looked at it oddly. "What is this blue here on the top and right?"

They all turned to stare at Cecile, who sighed.

"It's the ocean, obviously."

"Ocean? I think I overheard some of the cooks talking about it, it's where most of the army's fish comes from." Alcaeus attributed his own observations.

"Fish live in water. So then this ocean is composed of water? Like a really large lake or river?" Aiden deduced.

The whole time, Cecile kept giving them weird glances, hoping her leader would return soon, so she wouldn't have to deal with these people anymore.