After reaching Vas'Anellir and conversing with the elven sage Tor'Elkast the Wise, and after Jorael revealed he was a Traveler, the four left the ancient library with a new goal: the Demon Kingdom. Jorael decided to make a brief stop in his old house, which no longer existed, at his parent's graves.
"So ... they are ..." Cyn'Thia whispered as she stared at Joanna and Roland's graves.
"Yeah... my parents." he replied with grief.
"Not out of disrespect, but what are those wooden crosses on their grave?" Kimora asked confused.
"Oh ... they are signs of my world.
I do not consider myself a religious person, in fact, I have always doubted the existence of the Gods in my previous world.
But after experiencing the nature of this world... I don't know, it just felt like the right thing to do." Jorael explained.
"Don't people on Earth believe in Gods?!" Cyn'Thia asked in shock.
"Some believe, some don't.
The absence of Magic and the absence of concrete evidence of their existence make it more difficult to believe...
Also, with religions come the fanatics who push for war because their faith is the only true one…" he explained.
"Ah! Then it's not so different from ours... Ah ah ah!
I heard the Norfolk are pushing hard on their one true Goddess, I don't even remember her name..." Bromur shouted.
"Shit, I forgot to tell Old Man.
Atremis?"
"No."
"Gaia?"
"No."
"Don't tell me it's Kalipso again?!"
"No..."
"Sigh... What's up with all these Gods and Goddesses..." Jorael whispered.
"Why is he so calm here?
No beast has the courage to enter dis place..." Kimora asked out of the blue.
"I don't really know, it's a safe little place inside the Dark Forest, which is why my parents settled here." He explained.
"Strange. How did your parents meet?" Kimora asked again.
"In the Dark Forest, but I don't know where and how exactly...
But Arnold was a friend of my father, and he was shocked when he saw Crimson Justice again, as he thought Roland had been dead since he was taken by the Fog.
I don't really know how he escaped from the Fog and under what circumstances he met Joanna…" he said puzzled.
"A Succubus... they say they were the most beautiful women who ever lived." Bromur whispered.
"I understand why ...
Joanna was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
After my wife…" Jorael said, forming a blurry image of his wife in his mind.
"Brother ..." the dwarf whispered.
"How did he look like her?" Kimora asked.
"Brown hair, brown eyes, a smiling face that I can hardly recreate in my mind..." Jorael answered sadly.
"Yes... I have the same blurry images every time I try to think 'bout my parents." she whispered.
"So... what is our destination?" Cyn'Thia asked to change the topic.
"There should be a city near the Dark Forest. I think we should start from there." Jorael explained.
"Yes, I remember Professor Trevor's lectures, Osbillach!" exclaimed the Elf excitedly.
"Wait, wouldn't the Demons attack us the moment they spot us?" Kimora asks worriedly.
"It's a possibility. We'll cover ourselves with hoods and cloaks to hide our true nature, but if the situation arises, I'll make it clear that I'm a Demon too." Jorael explained.
"Dis is crazy..." she whispered, shaking her head in disappointment.
"Ah! If I can look at the Demon Queen at least once, I can happily die... Ah ah ah!" Bromur exclaimed laughing as usual.
...
After a few days of traveling, they reached the western edge of the Dark Forest, and when they saw the light again, they crossed the unmarked boundary and entered the Demon Kingdom.
The scenery was very different from what lies to the east of the Dark Forest, where green plains full of life painted the landscape. On the contrary, there was hardly any grass here, because the land was barren and deserted, full of brownish rocks of all sizes and withered shrubs. Little scattered vegetation sprouted from the ground where they could find the little water available.
"Well, this is definitely different..." Jorael commented as he took his first steps into the Demon Kingdom.
"We will continue to move to the West." he said as he checked the compass.
"Are there magical beasts living here?" Kimora asked.
"Obvious...
Red-furred wargs, Basilisks, Sandworms, Garudas, Raptors, and... Krypsters..." Jorael answered, whispering the last word.
"Krip-wut?!" Kimora asked confused.
"As Professor Trevor taught me, they are insects.
Giant insects. Humans call them Slashers." Cyn'Thia explained.
"NOOOOO!" the Titan shrieked in fear as she turned to go back into the forest.
"Ah! Sister, come on... it will be fun!" Bromur said grabbing her by her cloak.
"They live in caves; it won't make sense to go into them." Jorael explained.
"Sigh... I swear if we meet one ya will have to pay!" Kimora warned.
They began to move, heading west through the same boring scenery. Small rocky mountains and giant rocks lay on the seemingly lifeless desert scenery.
"Rock, rock, hey look at a rock!
Rock, Warg, rock...
Wait!" Kimora yelled.
"Ah! Finally, the first fight in the Demon Kingdom!" Bromur said excitedly, drawing Forseti out.
"Their coat is really bright red!" Cyn'Thia exclaimed as she took the bow from her shoulders.
"Something wrong...
Although they are running towards us, they seem to be fleeing from something…" Jorael pointed out.
"Ah! Brother, more prey for us then!" Bromur said as he wielded his ax.
"What do ya mean?" Kimora asked as she pulled her weapons out.
"I don't know yet, but wait for them.
As I said something is off...
What's this noise?!" yelled Jorael.
"What noise?!
They are almost here! "Cyn'Thia said as the Wargs got closer and closer.
"Shit! Forget the wolves ... Get down!" Jorael yelled, sending the others into confusion, but they followed his instructions anyway.
"W-what's going on?!" they all screamed as they lay on the ground, while the red Wargs jumped on them to escape without caring about them.
Suddenly there was a loud squeak followed by a loud flapping of wings. The four lying on the ground saw nothing but a huge shadow obscuring the Red Sun, as the huge flying creature swooped down and preyed with its huge claws on two Wargs, lifting them into the air and flying away high into the sky.
"F-Fafnir!?" Bromur cried out in fear.
"No... Garuda, the king of the birds." Jorael exclaimed.
"W-what do we do!?" Cyn'Thia asked in a panic.
"It has its meal for now... Better get out of its huntin' grounds." Kimora suggested.
"Yeah... let's hurry up and go to the nearest town." Jorael confirmed as they all stood back up.
…
In a few days of travel, they finally reached what seemed to be the first city of the Demon Kingdom. On the horizon, Jorael saw a small valley between two walls formed of reddish rock. A small river seemed to flow through the city, where wooden shacks were the only buildings that made up the village, very different from human refined architecture.
"Finally, a river with fresh water!" Bromur shouted as he hurried to the river.
"It's not that we lack water or anything, I cast Hydro spell every day..." Jorael whispered a little disappointed.
"Jo, it's not that we don't like your water... it's just that the river water has that pure freshness that makes you feel refreshed!" Cyn'Thia explained.
"Jo?!" he asked confused.
"W-well… I can call you like that if you can call me how you want!" she explained a little embarrassed.
"Here we go again with the lovely pair of doves..." Kimora whispered as she headed for the river.
"Kimora, stop saying that!" cried the Elf even more embarrassed.
They reached the river where the Dwarf was already gleefully drinking the water, but Jorael felt that something was wrong.
"Wait, don't drink this water!" he immediately warned after noticing it.
Bromur, mouth full, slowly spat out the water and asked:
"What's wrong?!"
Jorael took some water with his hand, and tasted it, to spit it out at once, and then said:
"Yes, this water is polluted.
Bromur, come here..."
"What?! It tasted good for me..." the Dwarf said as he approached the Traveler.
"Esna!" Jorael threw it on him, to remove the toxins he involuntarily drank.
"Brother, I don't know what happened, but thanks anyway..." Bromur said.
"I have a bad feeling about this..." Jorael whispered as everyone started walking towards the city.
As they got closer and closer, they could clearly tell that something strange was going on inside the city as no guards guarded the wide-open gate.
Entering the city and passing through the gate and the wooden palisades, they began to find dismembered and munched corpses of Goblins lying scattered on the dusty streets. A mob of Ghouls just after the entrance was gorging on some dead Goblins.
"I'll take care of them." Kimora whispered as she moved swiftly with her weapons ready to slaughter the monsters.
"Be careful…" whispered Jorael.
"It's horrible..." Cyn'Thia commented as they continued walking.
"It looks like something bad has happened, I wonder if it's related to the poisoned water." Jorael whispered as they almost reached the center of town, not seeing a soul.
"Done." Kimora said she was returning with fresh blood dripping from her blades.
"Sister, you were very fast... there is no one left for me?!" Bromur said sadly, getting no response.
Eventually, they arrived in the town center, where they found many Goblins lying on the ground unconscious.
"W-what happened?!" Cyn'Thia exclaimed as she walked beside the bodies on the ground.
Suddenly, a Goblin moved his hand and grabbed the Elf's ankle, causing her to scream in fear.
"Tché... W-who... are... you...?" the Demon could barely grumble in pain.
"By the grace of Him who awakened us, I enchant Heal!" Cyn'Thia enchanted only by thinking of helping the Goblin.
" Tché... White Magic?!" he screamed as he began to feel better.
"You don't mean to hurt, what happened here?" Jorael asked.
"Tché... We don't know...
Everybody started to feel bad...
Everybody had tummy ache...
Everybody fell to the ground... many died... Tché..." the Goblin explained crying.
"Without a doubt it is water.
Does the whole city drink from the river?" Jorael asked.
"Tché... the village always uses water from the river, Tché ..." he replied.
"Ah! If it hadn't been for Brother, would I have been in the same condition?!" Bromur exclaimed surprised.
"Tché... Who are you four?!" asked the Demon.
"It doesn't matter, we will cure everyone.
Thia, we have work to do." Jorael said as he began casting his Magic to heal every single Goblin that still breathed in the city.
"Wait, I can help you too!" Cyn'Thia said following the Traveler.
Walking through every street of the town, from the young to the elderly, male or female, all those who still breathed in the streets or squares were healed.
"Tché... Go to the boss!" the Goblins hurried, pointing to the large hut of the village chief in the center of the town.
The four companions quickly went up to the largest hut in the city, and after entering it they found the village chief lying on the ground unconscious in front of his throne. He was a taller and stronger Goblin than the others and wore a cloak of red Warg fur.
"Huff... Huff... Esna!" Jorael cast on the Goblin as his magical resources were dwindling, causing him to gasp.
"Huff... Huff...
Jo... please stop...
By the grace of Him who awakened us, I enchant Heal!" Cyn'Thia enchanted on the chief healing him, while she too was almost overwhelmed by the overuse of Magic.
"Tchè... Who are you..." asked the Goblin as he opened his eyes, while Jorael and Cyn'Thia collapsed on their knees in front of him.
"Our saviors!" shouted the other Goblins who had previously been healed, as they slowly entered the large shack.
"Tchè... Can you show us your faces?!" the chief asked not seeing clearly the faces of the four companions partially obscured by their hoods.
They revealed themselves by lowering their hoods, and a loud clamor began with all the Goblins screaming and pawing on the ground in confusion.
"Tchè... Two Humans, and... A pointy-eared Human and a short Human!?" the village chief shouted in confusion.
"Ah! He dares to call me a Human, I'm a Dwarf!
…AND I'M TALLER THAN YOU!" Bromur yelled, breaking the clamor.
"Tchè... what are you doing here in Osbillach?!
Are you slavers!?" the chief asked worriedly.
"No. Huff... Huff...
Let me introduce ourselves:
The only Human here is the black-haired woman, Kimora her name.
The Dwarf with the thick red beard is called Bromur.
The pointy-eared woman is actually an Elf named Cyn'Thia." said Jorael as his three companions bowed respectively.
"Tchè... If you're not a Human what are you then!?" the village chief asked doubtfully.
"It's complicated... I'm half Demon and half Human." Jorael began to explain.
"Tchè... which clan?" the chief asked.
"...Succubus." Jorael whispered.
The crowd of Goblins began to scream furiously and draw their weapons, while the leader's face clearly showed concern. Kimora, who had had enough, took out her daggers and began to scream:
"Is this how you show gratitude to your savior?!
Take out your weapons and threaten him!?
Jorael, I knew it was a bad idea... "
"We came in peace.
We're not looking for trouble." said Jorael with raised hands.
" Tchè... Who can tell me you're not lying!?
A succubus is the harbinger of misfortune. Your words are poison to our ears." The chief said animatedly.
"My words are not the poison that made you sick, but your water is!" Jorael yelled confidently.
The whole crowd was speechless as to what he meant, and the village chief asked:
" Tchè... what are you saying?!"
"The river is poisoned. I bet you all drank water from it." Jorael pointed out.
The Goblins started muttering among themselves, as Succubus's words made sense, but the leader still showed his distrust to him:
" Tchè... who can say if it's not part of your evil plan?!"
The rest of the Goblins who witnessed the scene began to murmur again as the village chief insidiously inserted doubts back into their heads.
Suddenly, Kimora rushed towards the leader, pointing her weapons straight at his neck, and said:
"Are ya stupid or what?!
This Demon just saved your whole city and you continue to be dubious!?"
" chè... you Human are pointing your blade at my neck, and asking me to believe you?!" he asked seriously.
"Duh... yes!" Kimora cried.
All the Goblins suddenly began to laugh, unexpectedly putting down their weapons. The chief after laughing said:
"TCHAH AH AH AH!
I like this Human, she is like us!"
"W-what?!" Kimora yelled as Jorael and Cyn'Thia stood silently in confusion as Bromur began to laugh out loud.
"Tchè... My name is Sulth'krag, village chief of Osbillach.
Thanks for saving us... Tchè!" exclaimed the chief finally smiling.
"Um... well, it's good that we finally sorted this out..." Jorael said as Kimora put down her daggers and whispered confused to herself:
"Am I ... a Goblin?!"
" Tchè... So, Human, and Elf, and Dwarf, and... Succubus.
What do you want from our village?" Sulth'krag asked straight to the point.
"Nothing. I mean, it's our first stop in the Demon Kingdom, but we were really just passing through..." Jorael replied.
"Tchè... nonsense.
What do you want?" The chief insisted on asking.
"We are traveling here just to gather information." Jorael replied.
"Tchè... what to do with that?
Sell it to Humans or Orcs?" Sulth'krag insinuated.
"Sigh... Orcs!? no.
Forget why we're here.
Let's talk about your problem.
The river has undrinkable water, what will you do?" Jorael asked.
"Tchè... the river is the only source of water here, on this arid land.
If we can no longer drink it, we will be forced to leave." the chief explained.
"I think I can help...
Follow me out." said Jorael as he left the hut with his companions.
The entire clan followed him out and then formed a circle around the Traveler.
"First of all, if some of you can go house-to-house looking for other sick people that would be great because we haven't checked all the houses." Jorael ordered and the Goblins immediately began checking the shacks.
"Then, if you can prepare some big containers, I'll supply you with the water you need for the moment." he said to the amazement of the crowd.
"Tchè... How?!
Will you make it rain?!" Sulth'krag joked as all the other Goblins started laughing.
"He's a Sage, cough." Kimora whispered pretending to cough.
"Ki-mo-ra!" Cyn'Thia screamed furiously her name.
"Tchè... w-what?!" exclaimed the shocked Goblin's leader.
"Thia, it's okay.
Please, would you bring some containers?" Jorael asked.
The confused Goblins brought some containers and placed them right in front of Jorael, who shouted:
"Hydro!"
An Arcane Magic spell was immediately cast and a huge ball of water formed from the glowing purple heptagram. The Sage threw the sphere into the air and threw it violently to the ground where the recipients were, filling them plenty to the bewilderment of the crowd.
"Tchè... a S-sage!!!
Like the Storm Witch!!!" Sulth'krag yelled.
"Do you know her?" Jorael asked.
"Tchè... Of course I know her!
Fortunately only in name, as every Demon knows of the terror she is capable of...
...and now we know about you, Tchè." explained the chief.
"I... I don't want to hurt anyone." Jorael whispered, but got no answer.
"Tchè... there are other sick Goblins!" suddenly the crowd screamed as some unconscious Demons were brought before Sulth'krag.
"Esna-to-all!" Jorael immediately cast Jorael wasting any more time but fell to his knee as his magical consumption began to weigh on him.
"Jo, stop!" Cyn'Thia cried out in concern.
"Tchè... to think that you would risk so much to help strangers.
Why?" Sulth'krag asked puzzled.
"Huff... Huff...
Because that's what people should do." Jorael stated as he breathed heavily on his knees.
"Tchè... with your powers you could wipe us out, yet you choose to help us.
Strange, Tchè."
"Huff... Huff...
Why should I kill you?!"
"Tchè... because that's what the strong do."
"Huff... Huff...
That's what the weak do."
"Tchè... you are so strange, Jorael of the Succubus clan."
"Huff... Huff...
I'll take that as a compliment.
Now... we have a problem to solve." said Jorael getting up again.
"What are we gonna do?" Kimora asked.
"We will follow the river, looking for the cause of the contamination." he replied.
"Ah ah ah! I smell another adventure!" Bromur shouted excitedly.
"But first, we'll make sure everyone heals and stores as much safe water as possible." Jorael explained.
"REST NOW!" Cyn'Thia shouted ordering him to rest and regain his powers.
...
The next day, after everyone was healed and a lot of water was stored in the city. The four companions were about to leave the village on the opposite side of where they had entered.
"We will leave Osbillach for a few days, looking for the cause of the river poisoning.
The water you have stored should last about a week, don't overdo the rations!" Jorael warned.
"Why ... We will make sure to follow your suggestions. Be safe." Sulth'krag said.
"See ya." Kimora said as the others waved to the Goblins as they moved north of the city, walking along the river bank.
"Jo, you said you weren't going to use a lot of Magic again..." Cyn'Thia said worriedly.
"You used a lot of Magic too..." Jorael pointed out.
"Do I behave... like a Goblin?!" Kimora asked worried out of nowhere.
"Yup." they all answered and nodded.
"Duh..." she whispered as she moved further and further away from the others in disappointment.
All day they followed the river's course through the wasteland they had grown accustomed to seeing, and finally, at dusk, they reached the end of the river's open course without noticing anything suspicious that could justify the poisoning.
"Do we have to go in there?!" Kimora asked frightenedly.
"Yes, we have to find the cause." Jorael replied.
"No, no, ya don't understand.
Do we REALLY need to get in there?!" she asked again, seemingly scared.
"Ah! Sister it will be fun!" Bromur exclaimed.
She sighed deeply and finally screamed aloud:
"DO WE REALLY HAVE TO ENTER A CAVE!?!?"