As a large column of around a thousand mounted spearmen solemnly headed toward the massive city gates, a single cloaked figure glanced upon them from a sidewalk. The order of the Holy Spear was imposing, but the spectator remained focused on the gilded, carved carriage, pulled by a couple of unicorns. Ridden by a female knight, whose face and body were covered by a set of plate armor, it carried princess Norn inside. And her guards were a sight to behold.
Blade, the Hero of Sword, rode on the right, on a light-brown horse. The blonde fencer carried a large bronze-colored blade in one quirky sheathe, made specifically to draw the weapon from the back. She merrily waved her hand toward the young girls, and boy, were they thrilled with this sort of attention.
And to the left, riding a massive dark steed, towered the third and last Champion of Jioral, Organ Trist. Hawkeye, as he was better known, remained much more collected and calm than his heroic counterpart. The archer in a leather cloak constantly moved his head from side to side. Every movement and every gaze around him were registered by his amber eyes. The cloaked figure decided not to take any chances, so the thought of disappearing inside alleyways was alluring enough. Even so, the sneak had only taken a few steps when they became aware of a particularly bothersome presence. No, it just made itself known.
"Whoever you are, your games end here." A feminine yet stern voice rang from under the hood, accompanied by metallic chafing. "Say, what do you need of me, and pray I don't cut you down."
"Accept my apologies, then, Kureha Cryleth." A man delicately answered, while Silver Death swiftly turned toward him. It was a thin youngster; the right half of his hair was black, while the left was painted dark red. He carried a thin vest and a dagger on his belt. The pursuer had an entire longsword pointed at his neck but proved too brave to bother. "I do not have time now; I am afraid."
"Neither do I." The legendary swordswoman responded, not even bothering to reveal her face or hair. With that cloak, she should've been blindfolded. Should have… "For starters, how about you drop that flimsy illusion of yours?" …but she saw much more than a regular individual.
"Hmm." The man, while not intimidated by the blade, was confused by the sharp statement. He took a few breaths and then raised his arms to the level of his lobe before demonstratively taking off a thin ring from his right hand's index finger. The man had barely finished when the magical mask disappeared from his face .Instead of a white youngster, Swordmaster saw…
"What the point of this charade, Johnathan Du'Ikr?" The Cryleths' prodigy asked the Norn's attendant. "Why're you walking around as this ridiculous gigolo."
"You… would not like to know just how many synonyms of `black-ass` there are out there. This form, though, is popular with the youth, I can even…"
"Stop it. I get it." After acknowledging the massive black man, the fencer finally put down her sword: a temporary replacement for her lost adamantine blade. "I should've known princess Norn would send her hand after me. State your business."
"As you please." The retainer respectfully bowed before proceeding to the main point. "You must withdraw your assault on the Manua's mansion."
"Why?" Being as stern and straightforward as Silver Death ever was, she didn't even think of asking how and why the warlady's servant knew it all.
"Do not think wrong of me; I do know that you and Her Highness Flare destroyed at least two slave markets in Ranalitta, and I have no doubts about the noble motives behind an attack on the worst house of slavers in all of Jioral. But not like that. Such an irrational lunge, well… If you pardon my rudeness, quite a moronic demeanor. And Kurt would not applaud you for that." As the black man spoke, Kureha got more and more shaky. She just realized she failed Keyaruga in the worst way possible.
"Have you come to blackmail me? Because if so, then I'll strike you down, consequences be damned, and Arian won't be here to save you." Swordmaster threatened Norn's attendant, and even extended her blade toward his neck. This time, though, John only smiled upon hearing the name of Kureha's brother… And his lover.
"I am here to offer you a deal." With that said, the black man drew a shining scroll from inside his vest. The royal crest served as a seal on it. "Upon her departure, Her Highness handed me this decree. With this, I can elevate you to the status of a Champion. Using the influence and privileges it provides, both purging slavers and getting valuable intel for the Hero of Healing would be a piece of cake for you."
"I do not trust in free gifts, Johnathan. What is the cost?"
"Quite simple. Provided, princess Norn survives the expedition, you and the Hero of Healing must make her our new queen."
"Oh no…" Kureha nervously shook her head. "I have no power over this little fiend's fate. Unlike Keyaru…"
"What if I told you that princess Norn could be the best thing that ever happened to this corrupted kingdom?"
"I… would lend you an ear, Johnathan."
And so, Kureha Cryleth finally sheathed her sword. The girl's patriotism once again led her into a trap. After all, there was only a single hitch in the entire offer. Specifically, the responsibilities that would confine the Swordmaster within Jioral.
…
"We're finally here, girls!" Keyaruga exclaimed, stopping Kelly at a cliff, facing the round walls of the coveted city. "Buranikka!"
"Doesn't look like much. Take down that wall, and it's nothing more than a town." Freia admonished. It had been two days since she rejected Flare, more than enough to collect her bearings. Now the sorceress glanced at the local landscape. Buranikka looked almost alien in the middle of a steppe with a single forest to the south of it.
"Uh-huh, it's small. Ranalitta was bigger." Setsuna pointed out. She, in turn, was fascinated by dozens of monsters' corpses in the vicinity of the city. And the prowess with which the local militia, carrying massive crossbows on their backs, handled the carcasses. Nobody would abandon them outside. Not only was it dangerous to leave something to rot near your home, but butchering wild, mana-infused animals was also profitable. Keyaruga knew it all too well. After all, his saddlebag got quite a bit heavier with blood, claws, and teeth from their hunts.
"Let's go inside, then. The real miracles will begin beyond the walls."
And they did. Even if the trio had to make a bit of a detour, their way didn't take that long, especially compared to the path they had crossed by that point. Suffice to say, the healer and his girls were much more stalled by the traffic near the gates than anything else. Numerous coaches and caravans had to pay their entry fee in order to cross the line. Unfortunately, Keyaruga wasn't an exception.
"Names, goals, and documents." One of the gatekeepers asked the hero. Like all the local militiamen, he wore an orange gambeson. He spoke Phasian, almost without any accent. Only one thing looked off about him. A pair of rounded sheep horns protruding from the forehead.
"We're just peaceful travelers. So how about we do this…" The red-eyed lad took ten golden coins from his money bag. He handed them off with a bright smile, with no visible revolt from the sentry. "…and you just name us however you like?"
"Hmm…" Although the company was dealing with a demon, he appraised the bribe with satisfaction. Just like any indecent human would. "Go ahead, sir Honimi."
"And this, my girls, is the power of greed." The man sneered, riding Kelly to the main street. They still had more than four hundred kadmi while having no documents to prove their identities.
"This is awful. Just because it's comfy for us doesn't mean bad people can't use such trickery for their own sake." Freia mumbled, looking back. "Life would be much better if everyone was a little more honest." She added with a sigh of regret. After all, the pink-haired girl was yet to have that one important conversation with her man.
"No. Just hard." And Setsuna just frowned a little. The sorceress sounded like an idealistic child to her. Still, the she-wolf couldn't stay relaxed. Even if ma-zok do resemble demi-humans, the huntress remained uneasy about the mutated beasts roaming the streets.
"While I do understand your concerns, Freia, until we usurp the throne, we must use whatever methods we see fit."
"Even if they're evil themselves?" The princess boldly wondered, reflecting upon her own last night as Flare. At least on the parts she remembered.
"Exactly. After all, you too weren't exactly giving slavers a fair trial." The hero made a sharky response, but the caster barely even reacted. "And Setsuna, stop being so tense, these ma-muana are tame." Looking at the giant red dog, casually mounted by a careless beast-eared demon, the healer added.
"M-ma… mua?" The wild girl stumbled upon a new word.
"Yes, ma-muana which means monsters. However, do not refer to them as such. Some of the local tribesmen can be quite touchy. We don't want to provoke ma-zok without a reason."
"What if they attack?" Still, the gray-haired girl didn't budge.
"Then we'll have to defend ourselves." Keyaruga replied, focusing on the road. Previously, his raptor stood out a lot in the crowd, when it came to riding on the streets. Now, though, a reptile was just a single unique creature among hundreds. Some looked weird, some looked nice, and some…
"Da fak ya look?" A bull-headed demon with two battle axes hanging off from his back addressed the healer, when the latter gazed upon his animal — a gargantuan three-meter tall ox, its massive horns could ram entire fortifications, so what could be said of a human on the way of that meat machine?
"Heh, nonah bak (nothing in particular)" The hero confidently replied, not even shaken by the encounter. Fortunately, the bull just continued on his way. "Raging bulls, they sure are nasty, even for ma-zok".
"Did you… speak in their language?" Freia carefully wondered, scoring another point in favor of Keyaruga being the time-traveler.
"I do. At least the common kind. There are also dozens, if not hundreds, of dialects." The healer just shrugged, before widely opening his crimson eyes toward the vibrant market district. Shops, counters, craftsmen's workshops, forgeries, and merchants calling upon their customers in at least four languages. Dialects, to be precise, but some of them differed so much that they were essentially different tongues. "Hey, Setsuna, hold onto the reins." Eventually, Keyaruga just couldn't help himself anymore. He jumped off Kelly and approached the closest countertop with various vegetables to sell.
"Hey, pop, how much for two kilos of potatoes, one of carrots, and a single noggin of cabbage?" The red-haired lad asked the balding old man. He looked human enough at first glance, but a couple of horns wouldn't let you mistake the demon for someone else. At least, he looked much kinder than the ox-rider the man had encountered previously.
"Five silver! Tasty, right from the fields!" The farmer boasted, trying to raise the price. He didn't specify which currency he'd like, but thanks to most northern countries producing their coins with a similar weight of eleven grams, that wasn't much of a problem.
"Nah, pop, that's robbery. I'll give you two!" The young man bargained more out of curiosity than anything else.
"Now that's just extortion. Four, and not a coin less!"
"Two!"
"Four!"
"I said two! Or else I'll go."
"Fine, fine, three."
"Please, pop, I need to feed my girls. I can't let them down; I have to make a delicious soup. We've only eaten shrooms and berries the entire week. I can handle it, but them…." This time, Keyaruga just came up with a sob story. Freia and Setsuna hadn't been wearing their usual cloaks, so nothing stopped the old man from seeing their beautiful faces.
"Now you're just playing dirty, kiddo. Here, two pounds of…"
"Wait, pounds? I said kilos! You old jerk, trying to fool me?"
"Tch, fine, here you go!" The merchant gave up and gave Keyaruga everything he wanted. Not more, though.
"Thanks, pops."
"Hey. If you need a place to stay, ride straight rather than right. You'll see a blue sign board; it's Tidir. Just say that bird bastard Fir sent you."
"Oh, thanks for the pointer."
Ultimately, Keyaruga got his vegetables and a single cloth bag to carry them. This talk, while not of utmost importance, helped him realize two things. First, Buranikka had much less foolish racism and prejudice. So a man traveling on a tamed monstrous reptile with a demi-human girl and a pink-haired beauty didn't look out of place at all. Second of all, to truly survive in that crucible of cultures, one had to know at least a few languages and measuring systems.
"He was nice enough." The sorceress said with a slight smile.
"Thanks to you two. Well, tonight we're having soup with bear meat." Having said that, Keyaruga started thinking about how to make it better. On their way to the inn, he bought some salt, pepper, and more exotic spices to try out. Finally, something went well.
Then, the trio finally made their way toward the inn. Not too hurriedly, not too rashly. Their path soon led them to the three-story wooden building with an arcane sigil carved above the three-meter double door. Since neither Keyaruga nor Freia felt any power from it, they concluded that it was just a decoration. They left the raptor in the nearby stables, stepped inside, and that…
"Beautiful." Setsuna spoke, sniffing the air. The dining hall was filled with humans, ma-zok and demi-humans of all races and tribes. Rivers of beer, ale, wine, and who knows what else flowed. Roasted ducks, stuffed chicken, and entire kettles of exotic stews and soups were eaten like it was nothing.
"Gulp… Can't agree more." Freia stumbled, looking at an empty table with hungry eyes.
"Come on, gotta leave our luggage." Keyaruga, in turn, looked a bit jealous of the local chefs. They had all the time, ingredients and kitchen appliances for making feasts. Wait, I'm not a damn farmer anymore! I'm a hero, a conqueror, and an avenger! I made this world; it must belong to me, and I-!.. "Oh well…" The healer, ultimately, cooled down his head and his rabid ambitions before they went out of control. First things first, he approached the one who looked like a horned orthograde blue bird in a mage's robe. "Good day to you! Fir sent us and said we'd find rooms here."
"Ghh, mota (again)?…" Despite what the company imagined, the innkeeper turned bitter after he mentioned the old bull. "Khe, helped once, and now need to lodge some strangers for free. Eleven, eleventh time! Kakrta (shit)!"
"Must've been a really big help, then." Keyaruga sneered, deciding to catch the opportunity. And while Setsuna felt the same, Freia pulled the lad's sleeve. When he turned his eyes toward the princess, she only shook her head, silently asking not to abuse the poor man. "Either way, he only showed us the way. How much for the room? Also, we have a raptor at the stables." The hero decided to be honest. Not only because of his pink-haired companion, but also out of pity for the avian.
"Eh? Oh, usually take seven silver a day. You honest, take five. Raptor can for free, but feed it yourselves. Here." And so, the innkeeper handed Keyaruga the key. A suspiciously long specimen with at least twelve notches. "Second floor, second door to the left. Don't worry. All safe."
"You have our gratitude." The healer made a slight but reverent bow. The innkeeper replied with a slight snivel. He wanted to get back to reading a book, a leisure that the guests had interrupted. But still… "Before we go, can I borrow your kitchen for a while?"
"No. Trouble the chefs. Have what to cook, give me. You pay, we make food." The bird dismissively replied. At any other time the red-eyed lad would start arguing, but now he was so worn down, that instead of that he just thumbed two bags on the table, one with recently bought vegetables, and another contained the meat from the bear's neck, preserved with salt. Then, Keyaruga slammed it with his palme. When he raised it, two golden coins became visible.
"Enough to feed us and our raptor for two weeks?"
"Hmmmm…" The bird continually sighted, unwillingly standing up to take the payment. "Enough, enough. Go take table. Or not. Still have half a croim." The innkeeper replied before walking away with two bags.
"Let's go, girls. We need to inhabit our new home."
…
And there they were. Keyaruga, walking from one corner to another, was thoroughly looking for anything suspicious with his jade eye. He was yet to put his alloyed saber down. Freia, in turn, placed her vast collection of cosmetics on the shelves, right near her spellbook. At this point, the sorceress was using her broken malachite staff as a trinket. And Setsuna…
"Hey, don't jump too much on the bed. If you want it broken, wait till the evening." The Hero of Healing warned the wolf girl. Normally, she would listen. But now…
"No! That's fun!" Now she just focuses on entertainment. Just as a normal child.
"Hm." Freia smiled toward the scene. A nervous hero and a carefree huntress, they did make an amusing picture. "I never believed all of that would be true."
"Let me guess, you expected to see a tyrannical slaughterhouse here?" The red-eyed lad mischievously deadpanned. At the moment, he sat on the very bed his wolf companion played on.
"Why would I?" Fortunately, the magician hadn't gotten too bummed by the healer's sarcasm. "Humans, de… ma-zok, walking, talking, trading together. Even the innkeeper is one of them. It just looks so warm, so peaceful." Freia said, before proceeding to sort her underwear.
"Uh-huh, they're kind." Strangely enough, it's been only an hour since they arrived in Buranikka, but the tense suspense turned into a relaxed carelessness for the ice warrior. After all, even she couldn't keep her guard up forever.
"Not everyone." Which couldn't have been said about Keyaruga. "Remember, just because humans are all the same, it doesn't mean we live peacefully with one another. The world is built on conflicts and rivalries, so you should always expect an attack."
"Uh-huh, understand."
"I don't think such thinking is good for your health, my lo… Keyaruga." Turning back to face the man, the sorceress admonished. The latter grinned, tightly holding Setsuna with his left arm. His eyes, on the other hand, became overflowing with restrained pain, if only for a brief moment.
"I'll be fine." The healer shook his head. "I can heal anything, even entire limbs. You saw that, right?"
"But can you heal your own heart?" After asking that, Freia moved to join her man. Though, while Setsuna pushed her head to the hero's shoulder, the princess slouched a bit too far off them. As if the wall between them grew ever more thick.
"As long as my aorta is not critically wounded…"
"This isn't what I mean!" The caster snarled, once again recalling the episode right before the colosseum. "Tell him, Setty! Just because you can regrow limbs doesn't mean you shouldn't protect yourself! How many times will you hurt yourself before it will be enough?"
"Pff, and here I thought we were done with that!" With a sour face, Keyaruga let go of his wolf companion. Then he stood up to tower above the worrisome princess. "I will be happy, whatever it takes. And if I can bleed, so you two won't have to, I'll be right happy to."
"Am… Am I worthy of your blood? Keyaruga, I wanted to…" Finally, Freia summoned all of her willpower to begin that one single conversation, that one talk, to end her anxiety and fears. The moment was perfect, even with Setsuna inside the room. Especially so… "So, you know…"
Knock-knock!
"I'm sorry." A girl's voice sounded from beyond the door. "Your soup is almost ready, would you like it in your room? Or in the dining hall?"
"Give us a moment!" Keyaruga replied. "You don't want this talk, Freia, do you?"
"I… Ugh, let's just get this over with, I beg you!"
"Nope." The hero raised his head to the ceiling. At that point, Setsuna stood by the door, leaning her back against the wall, ready to leave the two broken heroes to themselves. "Hey, Freia… I think I love you. Would that answer your earlier question? About who you are to me?"
"Haa… Why must you be such a sleek bastard?" The sorceress smirked, shook her head, and then… pulled the man by his vest to give him a single kiss. Her puffy lips touched dry and prickly skin, matching the inner state of the mauled boy. "We'll choose the dining hall!" The princess yelled before coming toward the door. "Sorry, Setty, but tonight I'll go first."
"No matter. One time, and you asleep."
"Well, well, look who's talking! You…"
Keyaruga sat on the bed, smiling, processing everything that had happened in that long day. At that point, the girls' arguments about who was more worthy of spending more time in his bed were just a background noise. He felt something different, a premonition. As if his very fate was waiting for him beyond the door.