The scenery followed the clear sky and the great amount of trees. The two wandered seemingly aimlessly

"We're lost aren't we?" Nyx has a funny look on his face as he followed the little girl through the forest. She looked confused too.

"Well you buffoon, I kept to the pedestal! Wherefor would I waste mine time frolicking in the forest with the faeries!? Mine mana has yet to refill, and warping from purgatory proposes great risk. Thou art lucky thee didn't find himself falling from the heavens, or buried in the dirt."

Aleecia just kept walking as Nyx pouted behind her. He had considerably less hair than before, since he had used her as a blade to cut it. It was far from a perfect cut though, It was shaggy and uneven.

Nyx didn't know how to use magic since he wasn't taught as a child, though he was always told he had great potential. He was never able to see or feel it himself because of an incident when he was younger.

He followed the aimless girl who would occasionally stop and change directions. Her gown got stuck on sticks every now and then leading to her further frustration. Nyx didn't quite have that problem since he was much taller. His short cape was in too rough a condition to catch any twigs in its mitts.

A few animals were to be seen along their bumpy path. Deer and elk, bunnies, foxes and a few wolves. All bore witness and seemingly tilted their heads at the girl he followed. After they paid their respect, they looked to Nyx and scattered.

The path began to grow into fruition as a dirt trail began to lead a straight shot through the trees. Nyx heard a scoff from in front of him. "Just as I toldeth thee," Her stride grew more lax as she led in a familiar direction. The end was still too far out to be seen.

Things became quiet now that they were on the trail. Occasionally the trees would shake or the bushes would rustle out of place, but Nyx didn't notice. He felt a strange sense of foreboding. He could point out what was causing it though. He settled on the conclusion that it was because demons were out of place this far into the forest of Eden.

If anything, Nyx was becoming more and more awkward now that there was no conversation between the two. He thought of a few things to say and would open his mouth to speak but the words wouldn't come out. In the back of his mind, he didn't want to disturb the sole sound of footsteps between the two.

"Nyx." Aleecia spoke without so much as glancing at him.

"Ah! Er- yes?" He responded slightly startled. His chain of thought from before subsided.

"What doth thee recall of the former 'Holy' War?" She said the word as if it meant hellish background..

"Well… Not much." Nyx let on. "I remember my father talking with several strong looking demons about their… retaliation I think... on the humans. Something about 'they attacked us with no good intention' stuff." He didn't know too much in regards to her question.

"Hmm… So be it. Then how doest thy heart judge the feeble race of man?" She asked another question.

"Well, I can't say i'm particularly fond of them. The only human i've ever met is the one that killed my father… but surely they aren't all like that right?" Aleecia thought the prince was naive after his words. Surely there are exceptions, but close to no humans actually give out kindness with no strings attached.

"But besides all that I think they're kind of mean for attacking us out of the blue and destroying our kingdom." This reinforced her belief that he was still a child.

"Nyx. Doest thee recall the amount of time thy spent adrift in the purgatory?" She asked him.

"I umm… I don't know, but it must have been a while right?"

"Time is shackled in your realm. T'moveth much slower than what I am hath used to. While mine body rests hither, mine mind und soul wilt oft visit that lodging to rest. T'moveth like a hare to this turtle thee calls Panthea," Nyx understood the explanation. "Spose I shall just outright telleth thee. You've been in thither for about one thousand years-"

"W-What?! One thousand?!" Nyx yelled.

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"Keep it down fool!" Aleecia shouted. "Thee wast unstable, and something hath kept me from foregoing to your realm once we arrived thither. T'was as tho the world itself didn't want thou to return. Tooketh all I hadst to keep thy body from withering beyond the age of 250."

"I was 19 before… So now I guess i'm 1019 then? Huh… this is weird for sure."

Demons, especially weaker breeds possessed the inane ability of an extremely long life span. Most demons lived into their 400's or in uncommon cases, their 500's. Nyx's own father lived to be the age of 666- though he could have lived much longer. The lifespan decreases as the race of demon becomes more powerful on average- excluding that of Great Demons and True Daemons because their incredible magic power halted the aging process.

Imps and Faeries have lifespans that match each other, which is why much folklore will depict Imps and Faeries often meddling in each other's business. The practice is uncommon today though, since most demons are enslaved or dead from the war.

Demons seldom produce offspring since they prefer living a more 'free' lifestyle, and recent times have put their species at risk, and though there are many different specific kinds of demons, they are categorized as one whole species do their unique ability to reproduce with practically any race. This is a key trait to demons alongside their long lifespans.

Because demons age so slowly, they are also very slow to mature. Hence the reason Nyx still took the form of a child at his impish age of 19 of the Human Panthean years. Of course, this much knowledge was easily provided to the children at the castle. Nyx's father put the boy through several classes a day because of his belief that "Knowledge is the key to all locks". Since imps like the former Demon King and Nyx lived a long lifespan, they could amass a great amount of wisdom and spells- which is why demons who have negative karma can be tricky to deal with.

The trail came to a silence yet again, with only the rustling of wind to occasionally make its way across the forest and the pitter-patter of the steps they took. The day was coming to it's close. The trees began to look the same. He couldn't understand why or what but Nyx kept feeling a sense of Deja Vu from his surroundings.

He looked once more to the girl in front of him with a squint. Was she leading him in circles? He frowned at the idea. To his surprise, Aleecia came to a full halt in front of him- he almost tripped over himself trying to stop before bumping into her. Did she have eyes in the back of her head too? Nyx's mother said she always knew when Nyx had done a wrongdoing behind her back because she 'had eyes on the back of her head'.

Aleecia pointed into the trees and shouted. "Release thee of this foul magic this moment!" She stomped her foot as she finished. Nyx followed her finger but to no avail. Was the spirit mad? She must be hallucinating something. To his surprise, another voice reached his ears from the tree Aleecia pointed to.

The tree branches shifted. "No demons are allowed to come to the forest of the Elf-Mother, go back the way you came!" The silky voice revealed a blonde girl perched on a branch. She was as still as a statue, and blended in quite well with the tree she was connected to.

"That woman? This forest is thine own. I am the Holy Sword Ascalon, fool, and I shallt not speaketh of't again. Let thine and her companion pass to her own home." Aleecia leaked a shrill voice out to the tree girl.

Ascalon...? Is she not just called Aleecia? Nyx thought in this peculiar situation.

"I must ask of you to prove your identity. T'has been about a century since the blade has appeared," A look of discontent appeared on Aleecia's pale face. She took a moment to herself to think before speaking again.

"A century... thee speaketh? Then I bid mine forgiveness. Tis to be expected aft a century I suppose," Aleecia sighed and turned to Nyx. She put her hand forth- offering her hand to the demon beside her. "If thou will, Prince," She said softy. The elvish girl twitched her ears.

Nyx put forth his own hand, taking the slender fingers into his palm.

She... Her hand is so soft. It's as smooth as the silk mother used to pour her love into making, no, her hand is as soft as mother's hand was…

Nyx had a soft longing for his mother for a moment before fully grasping Aleecia's hand. She closed her eyes and showed a pure smile. It seemed as though she were glowing a golden radiance. It took Nyx some odd seconds to realize she was legitimately glowing. And then her thoughts rushed into his mind.

"Listen prince- I require your mana to transform again. Just repeat out loud after me, please,"

She had an accent. She spoke the way he himself spoke to her. He thought quickly and settled on that he would make note to ask later. He repeated what she had told him.

"Return to gold and jewels, as the blessed blade that I wield… Quince Stage Magic [Spirit Transformation]..." He said the words although unsure of the ritual. The petite blond released a great radiance of the sun. Nyx staggered and closed his eyes, along with the elf, but he didn't falter his grip. Shortly after, the light faded. His arm felt heavy, causing him to open his eyes once again.

The beautiful sword he had seen earlier was within his grasp, though it seemed sharper than before. It shimmered in the sun, refracting light in many different directions due to the complex decor. Nyx stared at it for what seemed like forever.

[Then, canst mine party maketh our way to mine pedestal?]

The elf fell out of the tree. Nyx was too shocked to react to her falling and before he realized he should help, she was on her feet again.

"My humblest apologies! You may pass as you wish!" She turned and ran into the woods at a strange angle and tripped. She froze mid air. Nyx was taken aback by the sight.

He was instantly overwhelmed by a crushing demonic pressure.