Dillie stared at the luscious meal before her. The oily fish glimmered under the vibrant greens that covered them. A smell of pure delight wafted from the dishes placed on the table, making her mouth water intensely.
"This looks so good," She said, swallowing in anticipation.
"Well, welcome to our orphanage," Jurie patted her on the back and took a seat opposite her. The others already sat down apart from Paley, who took a seat on the floor.
"Why're you sitting there?" Dillie stood up and motioned for him to sit down in his chair.
"It's alright. You're a guest, so I have to treat you with hospitality." He replied. The table was relatively short, and he was tall, so he could easily take food apart from on the other side, of course.
Dillie took a bite of the juicy fish, finding it so delicious that she helplessly gobbled down three more in twenty minutes. Madella and Paley cooked around twenty-five fish - mostly to fill Adimia, Reben, and Paley's huge appetites - so there was still plenty. They all chatted and laughed as they wiped the table clean.
Amid the chaos, Paley, Jurie, Rauba, and Madella were the only ones eating normally. They exchanged looks and laughed lightly at the ape-like way the others ate. Adimia let out a monstrous burp, followed by an urgent need to go to the toilet.
After eating, Paley and Dillie went back outside, with the others watching them again. Paley took the sword he used to carve the Weynsoo. The sun had mostly set, leaving behind faint twilight.
"There are different ways that people channel their mana. Some do it raw like me. Others find that their mana works better through magic objects. For example," Paley handed her the sword.
"Focus your mana on that sword." He instructed. She nodded and began imagining her mana flowing into the sword. Within seconds, it was glowing a gentle grey.
"Now point it forward and use Konji." Paley stepped out of the way as she held the sword up. She clearly never even touched a sword before. Her posture and the way she held it were terrible. But, it didn't end up mattering.
"Konji!" She said the spell and a veil of wind wrapped around the sword. Glowing white letters appeared on the side of the sword, covering the entire blade. They read Konji.
The wind around the sword disappeared, and a flash of air blasted from the hilt and to the tip. It stopped at the tip for a moment before shooting into the pillar. The impact was loud, making the others flinch slightly. Paley carefully watched the entire time, smiling when he saw the crack she created in the pillar.
"Look at that. You did it." He turned to Dillie, who took him by surprise and hugged him. Bacha gritted her teeth, frustrated. Teerom suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine, and his left hand began to shake uncontrollably.
"That felt amazing!" She laughed.
"It feels good, right? Make a spell of your own now."
She nodded and jogged back to her spot opposite the pillar, taking a moment to think up a new spell.
"Got it," She smiled and readied the sword above her. Her stance was still amateur, so Paley was slightly worried that she would cut herself. "Konzan!" She swung the sword down, and a slash of wind shot from the blade, cutting into the pillar slightly.
"Good job." Paley and the orphans clapped, "Whenever you can't practice your offensive spells, you can do chores to train your magic. That's what I do to train my Air magic." He explained.
"Okay!" She walked over to him as he put the pillar of earth into the ground. "Thank you. For everything." She said, fidgeting with her hands behind her back.
"You're welcome." He turned to the orphans, "I'm going to drop her off at her house. I'll see you-" He suddenly glared at something in the direction of the forest on the other side of the river.
Dillie and the orphans turned to see a terrifying thirty-two feet, pitch-black creature. It was lanky with barely any muscle; its skin was practically touching its bones, giving it an extreme hourglass shape. It had enormous white eyes, no iris, just an extremely small pupil that stared into Paley's soul.
He swished his hand quickly and erected a giant barrier around the orphanage. It used up most of his mana, but he was not taking any chances with this thing. It had an incredibly thick veil of darkness around it, much darker than anything Paley had ever seen. This thing was pure evil.
"Everyone, get behind me!" He ordered, and they all rushed over, watching the creature walk across the river with its long stick-like legs.
"What is that!?" Adimia felt his heart beat violently at the sight of it.
"It's a..." Teerom's eyes widened with terror. Jurie grabbed his shivering left hand, holding it tightly. Once it reached the barrier, it grinned, showing its thousands of thin sharp teeth.
"Void's son..." It breathed. It had a disgusting, deep, distorted voice. It lifted its thin arms and clawed at the barrier, "I found you." Its smile seemed to widen as it shattered the barrier and continued walking toward them. The children screamed in horror as it reached ever closer, stumbling slightly.
"Paley!" Madella clutched his arm, terrified.
"Stand back," Paley commanded with desperate calmness. He was afraid too, probably more than the others. Whatever this was, it felt way too familiar.
He readied a Fire spell that glowed blindingly bright. However, before he could use it, the creature fell to its knees, its smile fading. Then it fell onto its face and disintegrated into a pitch-black, gas-like essence.
Everyone settled down anxiously.
"What was that!?" Bacha fell to the ground.
"That was a..." Teerom gulped, "That was a demon."
Amasha and Rauba took to Madella's arms, wailing and sobbing. "It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay." Madella comforted them. Most people live their lives without ever encountering a demon. However, the unfortunate ones that do never forget it.
Teerom's encounter with the demons that ate his sister sticks in the back of his mind to this day. And Adimia is still deeply scarred by the loss of his family to Oava the slug. He stared where the demon was with a mixture of shock and hatred. "I-I couldn't move at all." He mumbled.
"It was looking at Paley," Jurie said, turning everyone's attention toward Paley, who stood still in confusion. "It called you Void's son. Does that remind you of anything?" She asked.
"No. I don't remember it." Paley held his head, trying desperately to recall the name Void.
"Don't strain yourself." Dillie held his shoulder caringly.
"Dillie. I have to take you back to your house right now." Paley rushed into the cottage and came out with two yellow runestones. He placed them on the ground and activated them.
"It took that demon seconds to break my barrier. If you see another one, run as fast as you can to the city." The runestones gave off a bright yellow glow which expanded into four barriers surrounding the orphanage, "These barriers should buy you at least 10 seconds. I'll be back." He took Dillie's waist.
"Wait! Don't leave us, Paley!" Amasha begged.
"Don't worry, Amasha. I'll be back in four minutes. I promise." Paley said, but Amasha didn't seem to calm down, "Close your eyes." He crouched down to Amasha's height, "Close your eyes." Amasha obeyed and shut his eyes, "Now count up to 240. I'll be here when you open your eyes." Paley patted his hair and flew off with Dillie, leaving Amasha to count anxiously.
"Stay safe, Paley!" Madella shouted.
It was nighttime when Paley dropped Dillie off. "Keep this with you," He gave her the sword she used to train. Her parents came rushing out of the house, worried sick.
"Dillie! Where were you?" They asked sternly, noticing Paley, "Oh, Paley. You were with Paley. Did you guys go on a date?" Her mother asked innocently.
"No, mom." Dillie couldn't be bothered to get frustrated with her, she was far too dismayed, "I... I'll tell you later." She walked into the house in a cold shiver, turning to Paley before she disappeared inside. "Be careful, Paley." She said.
"I will," Paley replied.
"What happened?" Dillie's father asked him as her mother went inside to check up on her.
"A lot. I have to go back as soon as possible. I'm sorry. Also, she's a great mage." He rushed into the air and flew at full speed back to the orphanage.
Everyone was waiting outside; Amasha was still counting up to 240. He reached 235 as Paley landed and then 240 as he stood in front of him.
"See? I'm back." He said.
That night Paley sat outside, against the cottage, drifting in and out of sleep. Madella insisted he stay inside, but he was too paranoid, wanting to keep watch for the night. Teerom joined him after tossing and turning for thirty minutes.
"Hey," He greeted and sat down next to him.
"Hey," Paley replied, tired.
"How long is this barrier gonna be up?" He asked.
"The whole night,"
"Aren't you going to run out of-" Teerom's question was answered by the stash of meat beside him, "Oh... You really shouldn't worry about it. I can't feel any demonic presence around anymore." He held his left hand up.
"It was looking for me. Why would it be looking for me?" Paley ignored his point.
"My guess is that this Void guy is really very important- For demons." Teerom couldn't put his finger on it either, "Maybe it's because you're a Quimnia?"
"Yeah, maybe they want to kill me before I get a chance to stop their plans or whatever."
"Right. Quimnia's are apparently fated to save our realm from demons." Teerom noticed Paley's eyes sadden and took his hand, "Paley, I promise that no matter what, I will always stand beside you. All of us will. We are a part of this as much as you, okay?"
Paley nodded dubiously.
"Are you okay?" Teerom asked.
"...I'm scared. I'm scared of the future. I don't want to fight demons. I don't want to fight anyone. I just want to live a peaceful life with all of you."
Teerom felt his heart crunch at those words. He always thought being a Quimnia was the best thing that could happen to anyone, but here was a child who felt cursed by it. Paley was trapped on the web of fate.
"Come here," Teerom gave him a tight, brotherly hug, managing to cheer him up, "Everything will be alright. Do you know what the second Quimnia did after he defeated the demons?"
"What?"
"He settled down with his wife and had a family. The Omodiglia family still lives on today- I'm pretty sure."
Paley slightly laughed through his nose. "Thank you, Teerom. I'm glad I can call you my older brother." He stood up. "Come on. I have school tomorrow." He went into the orphanage.
"And I pray to Luneia that I get some work tomorrow." Teerom followed him in.