Mae raced through the cold night. Her mind lingered on Gaz's warning and troubled expression.
Mae's thoughts raced. "
She turned sharply, making her way up a mountainous path. To her left, she saw the once standing bridge, now in tatters. With a huff, she turned from the scene. ""
Mae grimaced.
Even more focused, she sped on, a single mission in mind.
********
The lights in the crystals steadily grew. The lush field of yellow swayed gently as Bjorn ran through it without reservation, pulling the cart behind him.
He glanced at Donovan and Kalika, who slept soundly in the cart under their leftover pelts and blankets. All the while, he bore with the cold.
He huffed. A puff of cold air, more visible than before. "
He then turned his attention to the small village ahead. "< at least we're finally here.>" He murmured.
With a new burst of energy, he pulled harder, practically dashing through the clear, empty field of grass. Closer to the village. And closer to the wall at the peak of the overbearing mountains beyond it.
At last, Bjorn reached the edge of the small, humble village, each sporting mud huts and rude wood homes. He let out a long sigh and released the cart, letting it settle to the ground.
The cart shuddered and shook, stirring Kalika and Donovan. They twisted and turned, finally waking to a rising cold.
Donovan, shiverer up, and pulled his blanket tighter. "J-j-j-jeez, why is it suddenly freezing?" He sat up, rubbing his eye.
"Frost season's is around the corner. So it won't be long before the snow starts falling." Bjorn explained.
"You demons actually get snow?"
"We do, not too different from your world," Bjorn replied.
Kalika yawned, then fumbled for her comb, running it through her messy hair. "A-a-are we there yet?" she mumbled.
"Almost. Wait here, and I'll get some food."
"But we don't have crystals to use-" Donovan watched on as Bjorn moved to the small village, with some curious Karnal's glancing their way. "Let me guess. He knows someone who can help," he quietly said.
Kalika stretched and yawned, practically arcing her back. She pulled the blanket closer to her shoulder, then peeked out, watching Bjorn enter a small building. from the other smaller huts, Karnal fathers and children peeked out shyly and watched her with a genuine curiosity. anxious. She turned back to caring for her hair, trying to ignore the demons.
Soon after, Bjorn emerged from the building with a karnal by his side. Without hesitation, Bjorn reached into the cart, grabbed pouches and bags of useless supplies, and handed them to the karnal below. "
The karnal nodded then turned and re-entered his home.
"What was that about?" Kalika asked.
"I traded supplies we didn't need for food. After we eat, we'll start climbing." Bjorn glanced at the quiet Donovan, noticing his expression, almost conflicted. "Are you disappointed?"
"Huh?" Donovan glanced. "O-oh no. I'm just, exhausted. That's all."
Kalika turned and noticed an unusual tone in his voice. Despite a growing worry, she kept quiet and stared back at the villagers, who eventually went on their way.
After what seemed like an eternity waiting, the karnal returned with a few plates of cooked thin and thick slices of meat.
"
Some of the meat, golden brown, looked somewhat brittle, while others were a thick golden white. The savory aroma made Kalika's stomach growl, and Donovan's mouth water. Hunger overpowered any lingering worries as the meal took center stage.
Without hesitation, Kalika crunched into the brittle meat. Her eyes widened, stunned by the burst of flavor inside. "Its… Delicious," she breathed. She took another flurry of bites, chewing and savored every bit of the taste as Bjorn handed Donovan his plate.
Unsure, yet confident, Donovan dove in, enjoying the meal with just as much satisfaction as Kalika.
Bjorn however, stared at his plate, unsatisfied. "He didn't cut these right," he groaned. He glanced at Kalika and Donovan and, with a sigh, let them enjoy the meal.
Relenting, he quickly scarfed his meal down, chewing once or twice before swallowing. With his plate empty, he grabbed the front poles of the cart and pulled them into the village. "Donovan, stay down, alright?"
Still chewing, Donovan quietly nodded as they began to pull the cart into the village. He tossed the empty plate at the doorstep of the karnal and continued, with only a few villagers watching.
Kalika, eating the last of the golden white meat, gazes at a huge hole atop the mountain, almost curious. She swallowed, then spoke. "So, that's it? The same entrance that some ancient heroes of prophecy made?"
"It is. Back then, no one even knew the heroes existed. because of that very group, the first king of Voltrox, Jof, was assassinated by them. Supposedly with help from three angels. After that, his son started a war against the heroes and angels. It lasted centuries. We called it the Blood War."
"Blood war? Wasn't that during his reign? For that King Jof demon?"
Bjorn glanced, bewildered. "No. Where did you hear that?"
"From those karnal women from Falls village."
"No, he fought and ruled during the clan wars, when everyone was divided. and that war ended with the 'Treaty of Three'. The Blood Wars, though, were against old clans and angels. The texts say we won, but never explain how the angels were trapped."
"So you actually fought angels? and… trapped them?" Donovan questioned, setting his plate aside.
"We did. Or at least, according to the text we did. I'm still skeptical that any actual beings like that exist."
"That's surprising, coming from a demon like yourself."
"Us demons are not some mythical beast"
"I don't know." Donovan chuckled. " What do you think, Kalika?" Donovan turned, waiting patiently for a response.
"I don't care. Probably, since you demons exist." Kalika exhaled, exhausted by the topic. "At this point, after everything that's happened, I wouldn't be surprised if angels existed too."
"I guess that's two against one." Donovan joked.
Bjorn rolled his eyes, continuing to pull as he reached the end of the village. Beyond the village's fortified gate lay a forest of black trees with black and purple leaves still clinging to their branches.
With the coast seemingly clear, Donovan poked his head out the cart, watching as rabbits and deer scurried about and fled. "Maybe we should hunt a little before we go back up," he suggested.
"No need," Bjorn said. "Gralin's close. Once we're through the cavern above, we can hunt and resupply for the road."
Kalika nodded solemnly. "Right…" She settled back into the cart, tucking herself in with her blanket. Through the quiet, the cold air nipped at her nose, forcing her to tighten her blanket as she gazed at the steep path up.
Nonchalant, Donovan draped a blanket over her.
She glanced, confused.
"D-don't worry about it," he said.
They fell into a comfortable silence, taking in the landscape. The cart creaked, the wind sighed through the branches, and the leaves above as the crystal light bathed through the black and purple forest leaves, leaving behind a beautiful spectrum of colors.
"You know…" Donovan began. "As cool as these forests look, I can't wait to get back and see the actual sun."
Kalika hummed in agreement, and silence followed.
Donovan fidgeted. His fingers crossed and pressed against one another as he leaned back, staring at the leaves above.
"Hey… Kalika."
"Hmm?" Kalika glanced.
"Is it okay if I ask you something?"
"Just ask it." She turned, almost rolling her eyes. "I mean… We're friends, right?"
Donovan chuckled with aflush, embarrassed as nodding slightly. "So how's it like… When you first die?"
Kalika's shoulders fell. Her brow raised. And she became as silent as the forest.
"I-if you don't want to-"
"No, it's fine," Kalika assured. "It was the most terrifying thing I've ever been through."
Kalika peeked at Bjorn, his ears clearly perked and listening. "Remember in Bona, what I told you about Liliy? My- the previous demon queen."
Donovan's mind peeled over, vague recollections resurfacing of a harsh truth revealed only once. "A-... A little bit, yeah."
"Well, after the execution. She killed some of the closest people in our lives. Including her own father and lastly me. She looked me in the eyes and snapped my neck." Kalika stopped, her eyes tracing the growing steepness of the road as they traveled up.
"Back then, I was so scared. I was confused and lost. And I begged not to die as everything became so cold. After that, there was a darkness. However, it's probably best to call it a void. I could see nothing. Feel nothing. Smell nothing. The only thing that was there, was my own thoughts… And then… I was alive."
"S-so… Your entire conscious… Lingered."
"It did. For a second, I thought I'd be stuck in a void of nothing forever. There was no god. No heaven. Not even hell. Just a void of nothing. But hey, maybe it's different for a normal person." She turned away, her expression unreadable. "Any more questions?"
"N-no… Not right now at least."
"Alright… Now, since I answered your question, how about you answer one of my own?"
Donovan straightened from the sudden statement. "Huh? Oh, Sure."
"What was it like? Having a mother?"
"What? You mean my stepmother."
"No. Your actual mother."
"My actual mother?" Confused, Donovan scratched the back of his neck. "Umm. sure. But why?"
"Just tell me."
"Okay. Let's see. She died when I was young. But I remember how she would bring me outside to play. She would show me neat little tricks and look after me. She would take care of me as any mother would."
"Unlike that stepmother of yours?" Kalika finished.
"Yeah." Donovan nodded. "She was probably the only other person who cared about me aside from my uncle. Since we're on the topic of moms, how was your life?"
Kalika's eyes lowered. "Her. I don't even remember. I can't even remember my actual father. All I ever had was a father and a sister. That was the extent."
"I see. It sounds like your family was small."
"Heh. Right. Family… You know… Sometimes I do wonder what it would've been like if my actual mother and father had never died. Maybe then I would've been able to live a more fuller, quieter life. But a dream like that seems more distant the more I think about it with... Well. You know. How I look and all."
"Right." Donovan's eyes turned down. More somber.
Suddenly, Kalika cleared her thoughts, drawing his attention back to her and poke aloud. "By the way, you never told me what an aunt and uncle were." She kept her gaze away, purposely avoiding eye contact.
Donovan stuttered, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face. "S-…Seriously?"
"W-well, what do you think?" she said, dead serious.
Bjorn blurted an audible chuckle, half-annoying Kalika.
"U-umm… Well, an uncle is a brother of a mother or father. An aunt is a sister of a father or mother."
Kalika stared pensively, taking in the information.
Donovan hesitated. "Say we were siblings. If I had a kid, you'd be their aunt. If you did, I'd be the uncle."
Kalika glared.
"W-what did I say?"
"I could've done without the sibling references," Kalika remarked. "But I think I get it now. So this uncle of yours was the brother of your mother?"
"On my father's side, actually." Donovan awkwardly laughed inwardly. "She must've had a really small family."
Their conversation moved from magic to history to their homelands. The topics shifted quickly, offering a rare respite from the dangers of demons and monsters.
Before long, the cart straightened, and the hill leveled out. Donovan peeked out, taking in the view of the village below, signaling their arrival.
"We're here. Bjorn announced."
"Well, that wasn't too long." Donovan pointed.
"Because the two of you were so engrossed in your conversation that you didn't pay attention.
Kalika peeled away the blankets and gathered the remaining supplies. With the bags over her shoulder, she peered over the horizon, finding other smaller settlements scattered within the small forest below.
"We're finally here…" Her chest thumped with a rare enthusiasm and turned to Bjorn and Donovan. She approached and turned to the huge hole just above them and the pit wall.
Small grooves were carved into the wall, half tempting Kalika to begin climbing.
Bjor quickly raised his hand, stopping her. "No." He said.
"But don't we have to climb?" she questioned.
"There's no need. Just stay close to me, and I'll bring us to the surface."
Donovan, one step ahead, stood by Bjorn, and Kalika hesitantly shimmied to his side. With everyone together, Bjorn raised his hands, and at once the ground lifted.
Kalika stumbled but quickly found her footing, rising higher and higher from the ground.
"So this is how you demons got up here, isn't it?" Donovan said.
Still focused, Bjorn spoke. "Yes and no. A few that can fly will fly, and those who don't know earth magic need to climb.
"Heh. I guess we're lucky to have a power earth magic user then." Kalika remarked.
Bjorn simply grunted, channeling even more magic.
Their ascent was swift, the scenery a blur of rock and crystal. Suddenly, the movement slowed, and the platform steadied beneath their feet.
The three practically leaped on the stone platform, landing steadily in the new chamber.
"Did we… make it?" Donovan asked.
Their eyes adjusted to the new room, finding themselves in the center of a large cave chamber, surrounded with barrel.
Bjorn narrowed his eyes, then created a bridge of earth, taking the first steps, leading Kalika and Donovan out from the ginormous hole.
With Kalika and Donovan off the platform, the entire structure crumbled away into dust.
Although concerned, Donovan ignored the destroyed platform and checked inside the barrel, discovered gray powder, used for their weapons, albeit shimmering more with tiny sparkles of red.
"These barrels…" He said. "They belonged to our army. How did all this get here?"
Bjorn, just as curious, nodded. He then closed the lid of the first barrel and gestured for Donovan to follow. "We'll have plenty of time to speculate once we're out."
Donovan nodded and followed Bjorn along with Kalika. They pushed and squeezed through small pathways, barely big enough to fit Bjorn. The cold cavern felt like a maze with other small blocked off pathways marked with red x's, making their path clear.
A sudden, icy draft swept through the tunnel, prickling their skin. Kalika's heart hammered as she spotted faint daylight ahead. She broke into a run, bursting out into the open
Her eyes quickly widened in shock. And her heart stopped, sinking deep into her stomach.
Donovan was second to leave. Bjorn the third.
"What the-" Donovan stared over the horizon in a deep guttural silence.
Even Bjorn stared, stunned into silence.
"Wh… what happened to it? Where's the city?" Kalika uttered.
Before them, in a rocky land, cascaded in gold, red, and orange. Laid an earth crater three times the size of a city.
"Welcome back to the surface… Evil one."
Hairs stood on end. Everyone turned at once, to a white demon soldier, and sprouts of blonde hair, green eyes, and white horns. His smile widened, knowingly.