The mountain town of Pelgus was not at all what Yuri read about. There were no snowy parks with fountains, no campfires to keep warm, and no welcoming hosts with carols. Instead, there were just huts, packed obediently like corn in a cornfield. The town gave him the creeps. It was as if Pelgus was yelling at them to turn back before it was too late. Yet they couldn't, all hopes of reaching the Valor manor before the morning was lost, the blizzard saw to it.
Yuri’s attention turned to the rustling of blueberry bushes next to him. He dropped to his knees to pluck a few out.
“Keep moving.” He heard Axel say. They were six hours behind schedule.
“It’s freezing. Can’t we wait another day?” Yuri asked anyway.
“Can’t do,” Axel replied. “Classes start tomorrow.” The wind swallowed most of his reply, but Yuri made out a few words. He was right, of course. Axel was the only Valor, not to mention the only adult among the trio.
He got back to his feet after he felt like he had collected just enough for the rest of the course. “I don’t eat, but thank you.” 048 declined Yuri’s blueberries. “You don’t?” Yuri asked confusedly. 048 was a young sizaxian, seven feet tall but young for the species’ standards. He was mostly ornamented in metal and wires, with only a few parts of his flesh exposed.
“No. I run on fuel, '' 048 replied.
How does that even work!? Yuri wanted to ask, but he didn’t want to seem annoying to his new friend. They kept walking.
When he squinted hard enough, he could make out a lake in the distance. It was surrounded by a mini-forest, and the lake itself was icy white from the moonlight reflecting off it. “I haven’t seen a single soul since we arrived. All the huts are either locked or deserted.” Yuri started to express his concerns. “Strange. From what I heard, there are supposedly tons of inns prepared for the winter visitors.” 048 added. “I wouldn’t count on finding an inn tonight. Besides, I have to deliver you both before day breaks.” Axel replied.
To Yuri’s knowledge, This was Axel’s first mission, and he did not seem too excited about it. Though, Who could blame him? Escorting two kids to the mansion was not set out to be adventurous anyway. That was not to say that Axel was slacking off, he made sure to double-check every step to avoid possible traps. After all, Many students don’t even make it to the initiation ceremony, or even their first class for that matter. Either they ended up dead or missing.
The town’s border was getting closer and closer, and the blizzard was finally starting to die down. “We could reach the northern woods in an hour at this pace, and maybe three hours at best before we see the island,” 048 said. The mansion was located on a remote island that could only be accessed by crossing the woods. Yuri had never traveled this far before. Everything was an exciting mystery to him, and the biggest mystery was walking beside him. “So, Why do they call you 048?” Yuri finally asked.
“Afraid I can’t answer that.” He smiled apologetically. “I don’t remember.”
“You don’t remember? That’s odd.” Yuri looked at him intriguingly.
“And I am not supposed to know, or even talk about it for that matter.” 048 said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. His stiff metal armor and helmet denied him from showing any sort of emotion. His diamond eyes, which were barred behind a set of iron lines in his helmet, along with his voice, were his only expressive features.
“I get it,” Yuri continued. “Must be a Sizaxian custom to assign numbers to names.” 048 laughed heartily at the comment. “No that’s not it. Haven’t you met another Sizaxian before?” He patted Yuri on the back.
“No, but I hear there are over a dozen Sizaxian huts near the Valor mansion,” Yuri said. “Fourteen to be exact, and three clans in total. You’ll see soon enough.” 048 dug his hands into his backpack and took out a badge as big as his palm.
“I belong to the mender clan. ” Yuri examined the rusty metal badge, it had an inscribed insignia of two hammers crossed against each other with a Sizaxian head in the middle.
“You build things?” He asked. “Armors. Weapons. We also repair them. Anything the Valors require of us.”
Yuri felt nostalgic, he came from a long line of mechanics himself. His parents, his brother, and even his little sister knew the job to some extent. “That’s pretty cool.” he finally said, though he had no expertise in forging. “I know. I built this myself. It's customary to reforge the metal from the previous owner’s badge after he dies. That way, we carry the will of all the Sizaxians that came before us.” 048 said proudly. Yuri decided that he liked his new friend.
The lights completely died after they reached the edge of the town. The lamp in Axel’s hand and the full moon was the only guide for them. There were no other sounds, except for the occasional howls and bickerings of the wolves. The long line of huts ended here. It was just the snow-covered terrain now. All that was visible was the lake in the distance, great and accompanied by caves and trees.
“Stay still,” Axel commanded.
“What?” 048 asked after a few moments of dead silence.
“We’re being watched. Don’t worry, I sense no Gia here.” Axel drew his Katana. “You can come out now.” He yelled out.
They heard soft footsteps next to one of the huts. A girl, maybe eight years at best, came out of hiding. Her clothes were dirty and torn at the end.
“Yo-You’re a Valor, aren’t you?” She asked, slowly advancing.
“Did my robes give it out?” Axel lowered the katana,
“You’re not supposed to be here. He will go mad again if he hears of this.” The girl lowered her head and desperately concealed her tears.
“Who?” Yuri asked. “Akuna, the fire ghoul. He owns the town at night.”
The winds maddened at the mention of his name, forcing all of their hoods down. Yuri could feel his body burning up. He was sure he heard the lake gurgling softly.
“A Mendthonel,” Axel said after a few seconds of thought. “My bet is he is hiding in the caves over there.” He pointed the sharp edge of his katana toward the lake. “Here?” Yuri asked shockingly. He had never seen the soul-sucking monster kind before. It was a myth to most, a force of nature that common folk was not to reckon with.
“That can’t be. Pelgus isn’t marked for menthonels or even ghouls. Must be something else.” 048 said.
“No 048, there are some matters the council leaves open in special cases. Either way, I can’t let this slide. To ignore it is to ignore the Valor code.” Axel said without doubt in his voice.
“Where is this Akuna? Can he speak?” he asked the girl. “He speaks, but not in sentences. You’ll find him near the lake or the caves, feasting on our sacrifices.” she started sobbing again.
“Must be a grade three at least.” 048 said. “Since it’s named and versed in communication.”
Yuri felt left out, he had no idea what they were talking about, but he did know that mendthonels were not a fun conversation topic, they were the equivalent of nightmares animated to our world.
“I presume that you want us to find shelter while you deal with it?” asked 048.
“No. Find the town chief. Let him know that I am here. Take the girl with you.” Axel retrieved his katana from his waist and began his march toward the cave. Yuri held the girl’s hand and tried to look cheerful.
“Where do we find him?” Yuri asked before Axel was out of earshot.
“Go knock some doors.”
And knock doors they did, except most were met with silence and curses.
“Stay out of my goddamn business. I don’t want no ghouls here!.” One of the residents yelled at them without opening. They were now in the eastern part, not far from where they previously were. Most of the land on this side was occupied with bamboo houses rather than huts, they were bigger and better made. They knocked on every last bamboo door in the block.
“Isn’t he supposed to be on this side of the town?” 048 asked the girl.
“He is. Sometimes the old man wanders around. Just like me.” She muttered.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Yuri’s hands started trembling. The snow was now so deep that they had to lift each leg if they were not to fall. The wind wasn’t kind either, each blow sent a shiver up his spine.
“I don’t think there is any use in searching any longer.” Yuri finally said. “We should just get her home.”
They decided to call it quits before they were startled by a foreign voice.
“I see you’ve found my granddaughter.” They quickly turned around to find the man who looked over two hundred years old with pale white skin and silver hair. He banged his walking stick on the ground and readjusted his foggy glass which was hanging by the tip of his nose. Behind him was an old carriage filled with potato bags and flickering lanterns. A wolf, no a dog that resembled a wolf at first glance barked from the inside with its head sticking out
The girl ran to him immediately and climbed the compartment with suspicious ease.
“Erm. Hello, pleased to meet you, fellow resident. We are looking for the town chief. Do you mind helping us?” 048 managed to sound as formal as he could.
“Why? That would be me. What do you require of me in such an hour? Not directions I hope. It’s all straight paths here. No turns.” He said with an obnoxious laugh that echoed throughout the whole country.
“Wait. The town chief is your grandfather? Why didn’t you tell us?” Yuri asked the girl. She stared at him with unfamiliarity. He felt eerie.
“Pardon my granddaughter, the nights have not been kind to her.” The old man said after a few seconds of awkward silence.
“Well, this makes it easy. We were asked to deliver the girl and inform you that a Valor is exorcizing the Mendthonel near the lake.” A frightened expression formed on the old man’s face, which looked much older now.
“What did you say?” He asked angrily.
“A Valor is exorcizing the Mendthonel near the lakes. By the caves? Akuna? If I’m not wrong.” 048 replied. The old man quickly climbed on the carriage and readied the horses.
“Get in. We must stop him before it’s too late.” He ordered.
“What?” Yuri and 048 asked together.
“Get in!” He yelled. They followed without any further questions.
They rode with the winds. Yuri tried to get comfortable in the potato sacks, but he couldn’t complain. The dog quickly settled herself on his lap. 048 was trying his best to fit inside the compartment without crushing the girl, who was silently observing the surroundings.
“Heavens.” The old man sighed. “The Valors are not supposed to exorcize the ghouls of this town. It’s a binding agreement.”
“Is that why this town is not marked for mendthonels?” 048 joined in.
“Sorry, but what’s the difference between a ghoul and a Mendthonel?” Yuri asked.
“A mendthonel is an evolved ghoul. Stronger, smarter, and deadlier. Some mendthonels even have the ability to speak, which makes them even more intelligent” 048 explained
“Now. Can you tell us more about this Akuna?” He requested.
“Around a century and a half ago, My great-grandfather and his peers were forced to make contact with him. The snow was harsher and we battled hunger every winter. Pelgus was overrun by tribals and raiders. Who was there to fight back? Our children who were on the verge of starvation? No, they did the unthinkable. Not far from here is the northern woods, rumors were that a mendthonel was just formed there. He was just called the fire ghoul back then. They made a pact with him. To protect the town in exchange for sacrifices every winter. Every wave of raiders after the pact was reduced to ashes. Thus he came to be known as Akuna, which meant ‘demon’ among the raiders. To our misfortune, there hasn’t been a raid in the last decade. It was only natural that Akuna’s appetite grew. He resorted to killing our people whenever his hunger was out of control. We came to an agreement, at last, two dozen sacrifices every winter. He sucks the soul out of them and satisfies his hunger.” The old man’s voice weakened, it sounded like a soft sob. “Even my own daughter…” He broke down crying.
“Sorry. It has not even been a week.” He continued. “But, if your Valor is to fight Akuna, there is no guarantee that he will survive. We, in turn, will have to experience his fury for bringing a Valor here.”
“What if he is successful? What if he does exorcize Akuna completely?” Yuri asked. “Well if he does, our lives will be saved for now. But we won’t be safe. Akuna’s absence would mean the raiders returning for vengeance. We have killed hundreds, if not thousands of those savages for our protection. They won’t just sit back boy. It’s bad news either way.” He concluded.
His argument made sense to Yuri. There was no coming back for them now. All he hoped was that Axel would succeed.
They rode in silence until it was broken by a set of racing footsteps followed by screams.
“What is that?” 048 asked while he tried to stand up. The old man halted the carriage immediately. He jumped out and ran into the night without a second thought.
“Is that?” 048 gave Yuri a nudge.
“Fire.” He finished it. The night sky where little was visible before, was now being painted with the light of the fire. From a distance, the raging fire would’ve seemed like an orange mountain with no particular form.
“That must be Axel.” 048 said. “He must be battling him right now. We were too late after all.” He felt the ground beneath him shaking slowly. Yuri grew wearier, but he never once doubted Axel’s success.
“Grandpa!” The girl yelled out. They looked out the cart to see what was going on. The old man was slowly making his way through the snow. When the mist cleared, they realized he was not alone, he was helping a woman who was limping terribly. They rushed to aid her. Yuri deduced that she was one of the sacrifices Axel managed to free.
The woman kept muttering, “Please forgive me lord for I have escaped my fate” repeatedly.
He was confused, why would she seek forgiveness when was just offered her life back? They managed to rest her against the carriage wall. Various parts of her body were bleeding terribly, the most notable of which was her forehead.
“Please. You must turn back.” She said, The light in her eyes was about to extinguish.
Yuri thought carefully. Moving forward would only mean bad news for the old man and girl. At the same time, he wanted Axel to get all the help he could.
“Thank you for your assistance old man, but you have no use in advancing. It’s too late, Axel has already engaged in battle. Get the woman home and see to her wounds.” Yuri said confidently.
“Very well. What about you then?” He asked as he got on the carriage.
“Don’t worry about us. We will wait for Axel to finish up.” 048 agreed. They waved the group goodbye and watched them ride into the snow.
“That was a good call, Yuri.” 048 said. They stood still and observed the changing faces of the fire. He couldn’t help but admire its beauty. It was less intense than before, which was a good sign according to Yuri.
“So, what do we do now?” 048 asked.
“I don’t know. Should we just stay put?” Yuri eyed him with a smile.
“Are you saying you want to…?” 048 asked.
“I didn’t say anything,” Yuri said with a soft grin. “Although, this might be our only shot at seeing an exorcism up close for a while.” He added.
Before they knew it, they were walking toward the caves to get a better view. They stopped a few yards before they reached the lake. He was always told that ghouls and mendthonels were dark and shapeless creatures, sort of cloud-like beings but duller. The mendthonel in front of him was nothing like what he imagined, not even close. For starters, it was a reindeer. Well, a reindeer that was four-story tall and two houses wide. Its color, however, was blinding orange, almost as bright as the sun. Only her horns were fury red, which stuck out a lot. Compared to her, Axel was an insect, the only difference was that the insect was owning the battle. Blow after blow, Akuna’s body was deteriorating. His katana flashed sharp blue projections every two seconds to the mendthonel’s body. First the head, then the knees, the chest, a limb, and the head again. Yuri understood the pattern.
“Axel’s gia projection is something to see.” 048 noted.
“What’s gia?” Yuri asked. 048 turned his gaze towards him.
“Well… You’ll find out soon enough. You don’t want me to spoil your first lesson, do you?.” he said.
“Huh. Looking forward to it.”
The battle didn’t last for long. Soon Akuna was reduced to the size of an actual reindeer. Yet it appeared more menacing to Yuri, somehow it was more rageful, like a rabid dog. Akuna opened her mouth and flames thrust out toward Axel. He expertly deflected it by spinning his katana. That made her more vengeful.
Her eyes were now fully black and her horns crimson red. Her mad gaze searched for an opening. That was when she spotted them hiding behind the tree. Yuri could have sworn that he saw her smirk. She didn’t waste any time. Akuna made a violent leap in their direction. He was glued to the ground, his mind frozen, his heart thumping out of his chest. This is it, he thought. He closed his eyes. The last thing he heard was Axel shout something that sounded nonsensical.
“NATS-GIA: SOUL SLASH!”.
The next thing he knew, he was on the ground with 048 crushing his body. The trees around him were blurry but the effect wore off eventually. He realized he should have acted sooner. If it wasn’t for Axel, he would have been dead meat. Hell, even 048 made an effort by pushing them against the ground.
“You tried to save me?” Yuri asked him.
“I was trying to get a hold of you, but sure.” 048 got up and helped his friend to the ground.
“Thanks, big guy. That’s so cool.” Yuri could tell that 048 was blushing. A few seconds later, they heard a strict marching of footsteps coming their way.
“One more second and you would have been dead. I thought I asked you to find the town chief. What the hell are you doing here? ” Axel asked with no previous friendliness in his voice.
“We found the chief. We were coming back to inform you. Yuri replied.
“Inform me of what?”
“That Akuna should not be exorcized.” He remained silent for a few seconds as if he was collecting his thoughts. Yuri was ready to receive his punishment, but Axel placed his hand on Yuri’s shoulder and said,
“Well, it’s too late for that now. Take a look.” Axel showed him his lamp.
“What’s this?” They asked. “Well, Akuna of course. Who else? I managed to trap his gia into this lamp moments before he was about to turn you into melted candles.” He was right, when Yuri stared hard enough, he could make out Akuna’s face screaming inside, desperately trying to break out. “That’s neat,” Yuri replied with a grin.
They did not wait to stand around. They had already lost two hours with this business. To their extreme delight, Yuri found a cart where they last saw the town chief. It was not the same one and there was a note attached to it. He read it out loud.
“Thank you for your service. We hope you have a safe trip.
* Johan Tuz, town chief.”
“That’s nice of him.” said 048. “This will make things easier.” The carriage was brand new, with all clean edges and no dry patches. They found a bag of food on the inside. The moon was over the midpoint of the sky, which meant they had less than six hours before sunrise.
“Try to get some sleep,” Axel told them as they got in.
He closed his eyes and recollected everything he saw. Maybe it wasn't a bad day for adventure after all. Learning new things about a mountain town, meeting a Mendthonel, and watching an actual Valor fight for the first time was surely educational.
By the whip of Axel’s riding crop, they rode off into the night, continuing their journey towards the Valor mansion.