Loiava knew that momentum was key. She only performed a rudimentary healing spell. Soothing her wounds.

Next, she prepared to bombard the dazed Rinn with attacks.

Just as she wanted to gather mana again, a presence appeared in her perception. She let out a sigh of relief. Finally reinforcements were here.

“Took you a while.”

Loiava waited for a mocking answer, but strangely she didn’t receive any. Only a solemn voice appeared in her head.

“Let’s talk later.”

The conversation delayed Loiava’s actions. The Grey Rinn and Ice Dwelling Eel didn’t know what happened to their enemy, but they were elated, nonetheless. They wouldn’t let go off this opportunity.

A vicious light appeared in the two beasts’ eyes. Ice spikes shot towards Loiava while the Rinn dashed towards her once again. The butterfly didn’t move. The beasts were sure of victory.

Suddenly the Rinn grew confused as its opponent started spinning. Round and round, slower and slower, darker and darker.

With a loud crash the massive body crashed on the ice, its head landing a few meters away. A clear cut apparent on its neck. Blood spurted through the air, before painting a picture on the lake. Red ice quickly formed, eternal evidence of a rank seven beast’s death.

Meanwhile Loiava remained calm. She only swayed slightly, dodging the incoming ice spikes while watching the spectacle below her.

Ice splinters flew everywhere as the beautiful lake was violently torn apart. Loud cracking noises echoed in the cave. A second later everything was silent as someone appeared before Loiava.

Emitting a dangerous aura and strong winds from his fluttering wings, Loiava’s reinforcements had arrived. A huge, three-meter-tall butterfly stood in the air. From his terrifying black claws dangled a powerless eel beast.

The butterfly radiated danger from his natural armor, partly decorated by dark fur, and his menacing spear.

After decimating a rank six and a rank seven beast he didn’t feel anything as he calmly addressed Loiava.

“You have gotten rusty.”

“That’s the Tirrme I know. Why were you so serious earlier?”

“We have been attacked.”

A frown appeared on Loiava’s forehead. An attack which was able to delay Tirrme was no joke. Who would dare to fight them?

“Any information?”

“No. A ragtag group of beasts. But they had three rank sevens.”

“Someone is targeting us. It seems we have been to kind in the past…

Casualties?”

“We lost a few dozen soldiers. Our highest loss in years.”

Both the high ranked beasts boiled in anger as those numbers were spoken. The still slightly conscious eel felt terrified. It couldn’t bear the pressure, dying on the spot.

Naturally Loiava and Tirrme didn’t care for their enemy’s death. The eel was a mindless beast, instigated by someone. It wouldn’t have any useful information. If the mastermind left such a loophole, then he wasn’t anything to fear.

“Let’s go home first. I need to treat the wounded.”

Tirrme nodded calmly. He grabbed the two beast corpses before taking the lead.

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“By the way, did Mihva make it home safely?”, asked Loiava on the way.

“Yes, I met them when I rushed here. They should have arrived after the fight.”

“Good. Did you get a look at our two guests?”

“Only for a moment.”

Tirrme hesitated slightly before adding:

“The redheaded human gave me a strange feeling. Dangerous but not. I don’t know.”

A crafty smile appeared on Loiava’s face.

“I have a guess, but I can’t confirm it yet.”

Not questioning further, Tirrme only nodded. In their race males weren’t known to be great thinkers. Thus, he didn’t even try and let Loiava handle their guests. He would only be concerned with his race’s safety.

Since the two high-ranked butterflies traveled at high speeds, they soon reached their destination.

Loiava sighed sadly as she observed the carnage in the tunnel before her. All kinds of beast corpses covered the ground like trash. Flesh and blood gave the tunnel a disgusting smell. To the side members of her race carefully cared for their own dead.

A depressing atmosphere engulfed everyone. Counting the corpses at least 50 brave souls gave their life today. Loiava drew a sharp breath as she pitied their losses.

Despite the approaching high-rank leaders, the surrounding butterfly had no mind for formalities right now. Loiava spoke a few caring words before she vanished behind a magical grey veil covering the tunnel’s exit.

The next moment Loiava and Tirrme appeared in a massive cave. Compared to the sight before them the earlier ice lake was a joke, both in size and appearance.

No human would believe that such a place could exist. Here, in the midst of the Frozen Hell was a place full of life and warmth. A mysterious grey barrier resisted the Frozen Hell’s effects.

In this hundreds of meters high cave grew massive trees. Rivers flowed and flowers bloomed. Colorful butterfly frolicked amongst nature. Gorgeous gravel paths connected strange, dilapidated pagodas. Beautiful pavilions were adorned by lanterns spending a warm, red light.

No one knew that there was such a paradise here in the planet’s depths. So far, no human had discovered this place and lived to tell the tale. But now Mihva voluntarily brought two humans here. Of course, the other members of her race were in an uproar. They didn’t understand her decision, but sadly they didn’t have time to discuss it.

Everyone was shaken from the sudden attack. Suddenly they had to care for the wounded and the dead. Rituals were held over multiple days, sending of the dead.

For Mihva this was the first time seeing so much death. As the princess of her race, it was her duty to see off every single one. Affected by the heavy atmosphere, the usually lively young beast was downtrodden and depressed. From time to time she came to the unconscious Lilly, crying silently.

Mihva only wanted to see the outside world but so much had suddenly happened, forcing the young beast to mature quickly.

Her family could only console her so much as they were also caught up in their duties. Like this some of the worst days in Mihva’s life passed. A few days later when she was quietly sitting in Lilly’s room two small butterflies suddenly flew in.

Mihva looked up, easily recognizing them.

“Mom. Aunty. Are you finally going to heal Lilly?”

“Soon, Mihva honey.”, answered their race’s queen.

“For now, why don’t you go play outside?”

Mihva observed her two high-ranked relatives. She hesitated slightly, but she wasn’t stupid. In a downcast voice she agreed:

“Ok. But you have to promise me to help Lilly soon, ok?”

“Of course.”, consoled her mother.

Mihva took one last look at Lilly before leaving the room. She hoped her friend would wake up soon. Since the others in her race would always treat her with so much respect, Lilly was the closest she ever felt to someone of her age. She looked forward to showing her friend the beautiful small world their race lived in.

After making sure that Mihva had really left, a strange mist engulfed the two small butterflies staying in the room.

Suddenly two big humanoid butterflies appeared in the room. They resembled Mihva a lot, covered in all kinds of gorgeous patterns and with big, round eyes. Closing their huge, thin wings behind their backs, the two beasts straightened their bodies.

Next, they did something no one in their race would ever believe. They bent their bodies, delivering a ceremonious bow.

A mellow voice echoed through the room as the queen didn’t dare to speak mentally:

“Laiosa and Loiava deliver their greetings. May we ask which supreme being we are dealing with.”

Silence reigned in the room. The two women weren’t impatient. They kept bowing towards the unconscious Lilly, not even knowing if they would receive an answer.

Suddenly a burst of mental power spread. Laiosa and Loiava felt an incredible pressure but also noticed the feebleness in this invisible power. It quickly isolated the room form the outside world.

Laiosa noticed the mental energy straining itself. The butterfly queen hesitated slightly, but she soon decided to spread her own mental strength as assistance. Luckily the unknown being seemed friendly towards them, accepting their help.

A few seconds later a sturdy mental barrier shielded the room. No one would be able to spy on the conversation happening here.

A few more seconds of silence followed. The two butterflies didn’t know if the being they were facing was contemplating or recovering.

Fortunately, a surprisingly weak womanly voice soon sounded in their minds:

“My name is not important anymore. For the sake of communication, you can call me Silvia, but right now I am only a concerned mother. Just like you!”