The sun was already over halfway down when three demons and seven humans started their journey south. They were all wearing backpacks stuffed with necessities, weapons hanging from their belts. The demons had taken off their heavy armour, replacing it with leathers designed for easy movement, while the hunters had donned the beast hides the human army hadn't allowed them to wear.

They kept a decent pace, the only thing slowing them down was Rin's wound. Alcaeus and Lyall flanked her on both sides in case she needed help, which so far hadn't been necessary.

In front were Aiden and Mirus. Despite having just met, they were getting along really well, discussing topics ranging from geography to history to politics.

Evelyn and Solon were holding the rear position in silence, eyes and ears at the ready to pick up any and all irregularities.

The two winged demons had decided to walk as well, they would attract unwanted attention if they were spotted in the air, especially since there was very little cover on these plains.

Arick took being grounded the best, curiously observing the formation these hunters had created. The way they each took their positions naturally told him they were used to travelling through hostile territory. Though, he didn't know the strengths of the individuals, so the true functionality of the way they were positioned escaped him.

In the end, the most peculiar of them all was the huntress. She had no fixed position, instead she constantly moved about. Sometimes she scouted ahead, at others she investigated their flanks, or let herself fall behind to cover their tracks. Every now and then she exchanged a couple words with Aiden, Evelyn or Solon before heading off again.

The one most troubled by the journey was Cecile. She constantly grumbled, or sent Arick death stares. He knew she would dislike being forced to accompany them, but it was even worse than he had imagined. Without needing to discuss, everyone unanimously decided to just leave her alone till she calmed down.

Two hours into the journey, Arick joined the two up front for some conversation.

"How long do you reckon it will take to reach the Forest?" he asked.

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"At this speed, with how far south the battle took place, approximately three more days", replied Mirus.

"Three days?" interjected Alcaeus, "I think I'll go mad if I have to look at these plains much longer. Grass and hills in every direction! Is this why they call it the Endless Plains?"

Mirus jumped at the opportunity to display his knowledge.

"It's part of the reason. Not only are these plains immensely large, there are also no recognizable landmarks to orient yourself. Getting lost in these hills is a very real concern.

However, the real reason why this place is called 'endless' is how long it's existed. It has been the boundary between demonkind and humankind since before the first demon Emperor. In fact, I have yet to discover a single record that describes anything else than plains being here."

"Is it that strange?" asked Lyall.

"Of course it is!" retorted Alcaeus, "Over time, forest should have started claiming this much open area, or at least some kind of vegetation should have started growing here, but there is only grass as far as our eyes can see."

"Not to mention people", Aiden added, "With this much unused ground, you'd think it'd be turned into farmland by now. Instead both humans and demons seem to completely ignore this area, leaving it as a no-man's-land where they wage their wars."

"That's because this area is practically infertile. Crops won't grow here, cattle won't eat the grass, anything larger than grass can't sustain themselves. Many hypothesized why this is: if it has something to do with the scarcity of water, the layer of dense rocks just beneath the surface, the disparity in temperature during summer and winter, among others. There are even those that think the gods created these plains as a divide between the humans and the demons."

Arick snorted. "The opposite is more likely. Demonkind and humankind divided because the plains were there."

"So you're saying that they developed different cultures because they were seperated, or that they divided themselves because they didn't get along?" Aiden's curiosity was peaked, but Arick just shrugged.

"How would I know? It sounds like something historians bicker about. Fact of the matter is: demons and humans are at war. And this isn't even the first time either, there have been numerous wars throughout the ages."

"Yet there is a mixed group travelling together peacefully right here." Jyl's voice reached them from behind, startling the six in front. They all quickly turned around, only to see her walking soundlessly at a distance of merely two meters.

"Were did you come from so suddenly?" Mirus managed to squeeze out.

"Nowhere in particular", she replied, "I just wanted to tell you that the sun is about to go down, we should start making camp."

Having said that, she turned to once again check the rear.

"Does she do that often?"

Arick's question caused Lyall to sigh.

"More that we'd like."