(Gore descriptions)
With his shaky and dirty hands, Ace, pushed himself from the ground. He tried kneel with his right foot and stood up. As soon as he did, he immediately felt the sting in his left foot. He must have sprained it when he running for Icarus.
Icarus is now gone into somewhere he doesn't know. All he could do was stare at those creatures as he was taken away. He couldn't do a single thing to protect his friend. He was devastated of his own weakness. He thought he could do things more now that he is in the other side. But, he thought wrong.
He never expected it to happen to them at all. All his expectations of the next land immediately disappeared. It felt like a dream to him.
Out of his devastation and denial towards the reality of what was happening, he whispered to himself. "Maybe I'm a having a bad nightmare."
He is probably having a nightmare. He must be in Februa, sleeping in his own bed. He then raised his hand and hit his head. He felt the pain.
"No, I'm definitely dreaming. Then when I wake up, Icarus will be beside me."
He raised his both hands and hit his head one at a time. As pain is throbbing, his tears also flowed from his cheeks as he realized it was definitely real. He is feeling pain, sadness and disappointment at the same time. He is clearly awake. Icarus is now gone and that is reality. Everything that is happening to him is real.
"You better stop that."
Ace immediately looked to see who was talking. He found no one.
"Behind, idiot."
He looked behind and saw a girl with the same ornaments and inks with the people he just saw, she also have fangs and a tail resembling that of a caw. She has noticeably red hair that sits perfectly on her shoulders, black eyes and an axe which she is holding on her right shoulder.
"You're a polar aren't you?" she asked.
Ace only nodded.
The girl scoffed and continued walking.
"If you wish to stay alive even for a day, you better follow me. But if you don't you can stay here and the hound dogs can feast with your meat."
He doesn't know what a hound dog is but he doesn't like the sound of him becoming a meal. Ace followed the girl. He knows nothing of this person but she was the first to show him pity and kindness. He had no one to trust now. Though it might be dangerous to follow the girl, he doesn't have much of an option.
The two of them continued walking until they crossed the dead forest. They arrive in plain lands with nothing but moss, mud and dead plants.
The girl stopped the moment they reach a dead tree log. She took her axe, swung it high above her head and cut the log lying in the ground in half. For a girl, she does have a lot of power to instantly cut it in two. The girl put down his axe and looked at the log. He then scooped something inside. With few tries, she then took something from it. It was a handful of white stuff resembling that of white rice. She then gobbled it all and chewed. She had this very satisfied face the moment she finished her meal.
She suddenly stopped and remembered Ace was actually following her.
"Oh sorry. Are you hungry?"
"No not at all."
"You sure? They are very nutritious you know. You can have this." And then showed a handful of larvae wriggling in her palms. She was eating them.
Ace was so surprised but he didn't answer. The girl shrug and then ate the larvae herself. She licked here fingers and pick out larvae still in her palms.
He then showed her hands to Ace.
"Papri…" the girl spoke. She then gestured to her hand for Ace to shake.
A little bit hesitant but Ace shook Papri's hand.
"Ace…"
Papri smiled at Ace and removed her hand. She then took her axe from the ground.
"So, what's your story? Why are you here in this God-forsaken land than stay in Janus or Februa. Pretty sure they are far better than here." Papri spoke.
Ace looked down his feet. He doesn't know anymore. He is losing more the moment Icarus was captured.
"My friend and I wished to see the sun." He spoke, almost a whisper.
"Friend, you mean that februan they took away?"
Ace nodded.
"You know, as far as my memory serve me, you are the first Janus Polar that ever set foot in this land. And to top it, you were with other februans. They are pretty choosy so it's good thing they grew attach to you." Papri continued to speak however, Ace was totally spacing out. He was not paying any attention.
Papri grew very annoyed. She took her axe and swing it right in front of Ace. He was so surprised and barely able to react at all. He looked at Papri very surprised
"The next time I swing my Axe, I will definitely hit you." Scorned the girl.
Ace mumbled in between his thoughts. "I'm sorry. I was just really thinking about my friend. I want to save him from Moloch."
"Give up. Literally, anyone who goes down from that mountain will either be a soul or a carcass of his own dead body. Your friend is beyond saving. Forget about him."
"IT's not that easy. I need to go there and save him."
"Look, I don't care whether you die or not but seriously, you will be wasting your soul if you will go there. Your friend is beyond saving."
At that moment, he remembered his training. The soul shape. He scooped his palms, and few seconds later, he formed a ball of orb, larger than his own head. Papri, who is just looking at Ace, is very amazed.
"You can soul shape?!" she exclaimed.
"Yes I can. We trained ourselves before coming here."
"If you can soul shape, then you're able to remove your spirit from your body then. You underwent soul purification. This is Easy. Come with me, now I have a way of saving your friend."