'Chimera.'
These types of monster were the product of forbidden magic and medicine. Some called the process a type of dark magic, some called it divine medicine that prolonged life. A dangerous but fascinating magical technique. It was a very tempting skill, but at the same time, it was banned because it was too dangerous.
Chimeras allow a creature to be reborn stronger but it also eats away at and shortens the reborn creature's lifespan. Most of the wizards who studied chimera were captivated by madness, and the doctors who sympathized with the practice were also people who had long lost their respect for life. Only humans were curious about this type of technique and practiced it. This is where human cruelty is revealed. Humans were the only race that found joy in the work of reinventing and modifying the natural order of life and their experiments did not end with just a simple transplant. 1
"That kind of nonsensical practice…"
"Child, nonsense like that has been happening for a long time. In places and times you do not know."
Kalia's heart sank.
She couldn't believe that chimeras have been around for a long time. Even now, the country closest to this forest was 'Lohas'. That meant there was a high probability that the place where that chimera came from was Lohas.
'No, no way. That can't be true.'
But come to think of it, no one from such a small town could have done such a big thing. It was a village without any high or even mid rank wizards. Furthermore, she knew that the procedure required to create a chimera required quite a lot of magical power. No matter how well you hide your mana, there was no way Kalia would have missed the wave of magic required to create a chimera.
'But if it's a chimera that was made a long time ago…'
Kalia looked at the dead wolf's body with a pale complexion. She wondered if there were any clues on the monster, but it looked like just an ordinary Lycan wolf.
A pale hand touched Kalia's cheek, who had her jaw clenched
-Are you okay?-
No sound came from her moving lips, but warm eyes that were filled with worries examined Kalia's complexion. Kalia reached up and her hand covered the one that was still stroking her cheek.
A woman from the fairy race who suddenly appeared.
A woman who seemed to have summoned this man with such an incredible and tremendous amount of spirit and vitality. She was both endearing and suspicious. Kalia couldn't understand why this woman so blindly favoured her.
"…Who are you?"
The woman stared back at Kalia with an unwavering look.
Kalia's eyes drifted to the man, who seemed to be observing her and the fairy, and addressed him, "Please answer me, king of fairies."
The king looked at his daughter quietly. His 'dead' daughter was standing next to a strange human woman, not next to her father's side. Suddenly, the hair of two, who resembled each other, caught the king's eyes. A very lovely light yellow colour that smelt like lemon. The dark orange sunset illuminated the colour of the two's hair.
The king opened his mouth as he looked up at the two pairs of eyes that had turned to look at him in his silence. "This child is a fragment of my daughter."
"...A fragment?"
"A fragment of her soul, to be exact."
Kalia looked at the woman, who was still holding her, in disbelief. Though the woman's presence was weak, the hand holding her had a clear grip. She can't believe this being was a piece of a soul. The fairy had even looked at Kalia with many vivid and colorful emotions, just as if she were alive.
Is this possible?
To answer the question so evidently displayed on her face, the king explained, "This is the fairy realm. It's a place full of energy from which spirits are born. It's possible for a fairy to maintain some form after their death as long as there is a piece of their soul."
'Ah.'
Kalia nodded in reply and shook her head as if convinced.
Until the king's next words.
"However, the only way to see a fairy born from a piece of soul is to have an existing relationship with the fairy."
Swoosh~
The king's spear suddenly appeared in front of Kalia with its sharp tip pointing straight at her heart.
"It's your turn to answer, kid," The king asked with eyes full of tranquility despite his threatening action, "Who the hell are you?"
Facing this man, Kalia was scared for the first time in her life.
No, to be honest, she's never had such a strong feeling of fear in her life.
Her cold fingertips trembled. Her mouth felt dry. As she tried not to swallow, she steadfastly met the gaze of the king of fairies. She did no wrong to this king.
She did no wrong against this king. The Fairy King was said to be one who would not kill without a cause. He is said to be the father of all things, a symbol of the benevolence that loves children and protects nature.
"I am…"
Just as she was about to answer, Kalia's stomach bulged and moved. The king's eyes strayed to Kalia's round belly and looked as if he was observing her child. The imprints of her child's kicking could faintly be seen through the thin material of her dress. Each kick was vigorous and bold. He could almost feel the strong, throbbing kick with just a glance.
While the Fairy King's eyes were fixed on Kalia's stomach, Gaia, who had been watching the two from the side, stamped her feet and intervened.
– $&*@(!*$&&@*&^$- 2
Gaia pushed the king away, hugged Kalia, and nagged her father loudly with a silent mouth. 3
He couldn't perfectly read her fast-moving lips but he could vaguely discern that she was cursing at him.
Bad, mean, I hate father, go away.
Her words seemed to be something like that.
How many people in the world were capable of going against the Fairy King this much?
Kalia felt the warmth of the existence that was wildly scolding the Fairy King for her sake in her arms.
It was strange.
'She is just a little presence made out of a mere piece of her original soul.'
How could she feel Gaia's warmth?4
The king looked at Kalia's belly and then at his daughter, who was wrapped around Kalia, for a long time. In response, Gaia looked helplessly at her father's hard arm and reached a hand out to pat his shoulder. With her other hand, she grabbed his other hand as if to tell him to quickly put down the hideous spear, all while making a fuss.
The king's eyes on his daughter showed no irritation, let alone any anger. He looked at his angry daughter for a moment longer without saying a word and soon lowered the spear with an incomprehensible warm smile.
"When have I ever won against you, Gaia."
The power that he had gathered in spear was gently dissipated into the air. His arms looked weak when he lowered his spear. He didn't know about the him in the past, but now, he could never be angry in front of his daughter. Even if his daughter did something that threatened him, the poor father was willing to take the risks.
The king gently stroked his daughter's puffed up cheeks, then looked back at Kalia again. Kalia had no idea how things were going to proceed for her now. It seemed to be the same for this mighty king in front of her. Two pairs of eyes full of confusion interlocked in the mid-air.
She wanted to ask him why he looked at her like that, but her lips were frozen. Likewise, the eyes of the Fairy King were also asking questions she could not answer. Both were hesitating, trying to figure out which words to ask the other first when-
"Misssssssss! Kaliaaaaaaaaa!" A high-pitched voice so loud it shook the earth sounded from somewhere in the distance.
Suddenly, Kalia, who came to her senses, turned around urgently and ran.
***
Humming was crying with her arms around the two fallen children.
'You can't cry. Crying is something only the weak do. Don't cry, Humming Gallas! I am the squire and protector of the great general Kalia! This is temporary!'
No matter how hard she tried to consol herself, she couldn't stop the tears from dripping from her eyes. Even when she held her breath, it was difficult to stop the tears from escaping down her face. Kalia, who had moved away by instigating the wolves, did not return, and her sunset over her sky gradually grew darker towards purple.
There was even a child in her arms whose face had lost all colour from bleeding out a lot. The child's small body was shivering as if the kid was wracked with chills.
I can't, I can't do this….
"Ugh, ugh… ugh!"
From her brown eyes, tears were falling, drop by drop and then slowly flowing down in steady streams.
"Heuk, Kaliaaaaaa! Where are you? Kaliaaaa!"
Humming was supposed to get the children from inside the cave and flee after Kalia lured out the monsters. It was not difficult for her to enter the cave after the monsters had left. She was able to stay calm and maintain her composure even when she saw that the children were bleeding.
She encountered a strange situation though. The two children were holding onto something similar to a large egg but it was translucent and shone red. She quickly grasped their conditions and stopped their bleeding before quickly taking them out of the cave. Despite being unconscious, the children didn't let go of the egg they were holding.
Humming, with the two children and an unidentified egg in her arms, immediately hid behind a rock and waited for Kalia to return. As the sky grew darker, the tremors of the wounded children grew more violent. From then on, Humming panicked. The fear that she had suppressed rose again.
"Mom…mom…mom," Very out of breath, one of the children unconsciously cried out for his mother.
Their bodies felt like balls of fire and were no doubt boiling with high fever. If she continued like this, the children would die.
"No, hang in there, sweetheart. Kalia will be here soon. Then you can go back to your mom. Huh? Please stay strong. You'll be alright."
Humming looked up at the continually darkening sky and with trembling lips, shouted again with all her might, "Kaliaaaaaa!"
In her mounting panic, Humming didn't even realize how foolish it was to scream in the forest. She didn't know that the sound would not only alert Kalia but also catch the attention of another monster or fairy. Fairies weren't all kind and gentle. She could've encountered fairies that were just excessively mischievous or have caught the attention of a type of fairies known as Death Fairies. 5
Nevertheless, Humming shouted out for Kalia. Embracing the child whose breathing was growing more and more shallow, this was the only thing she could do.
But at that moment.