A loud creak of wood cried out like a woman in distress. The sound startled Asura, and he jolted upright in a cold sweat. He reached out with one of his left hands, trying to grasp something in the air, but his fingers found nothing. As his fingers closed around nothing, he looked at the ceiling with wide eyes.
His heart and mind raced as he stared at the wooden ceiling above while the candlelight flickered on its surface. Slowly, his mind returned to the realm of the living, but the ogre could do nothing but stare as he waited. He grabbed hold of his head and rubbed the side of his forehead.
"What the hell is this..."
The ogre groggily rose from his bed, pushing himself off the untidy bedsheet. The blanket was tossed onto the ground with the pillow at its side.
"Why does it feel like a nightmare when I dream of Ullrac? I ain't scared of that dumb oaf..."
The ogre cast a glance towards his bed.
"I hate this shit sometimes, man. Like, why the hell do I get nightmares in the human realm?"
Asura shook his head and walked towards the door with his arm outstretched. As he reached for the handle, it suddenly turned. The ogre instinctively raised a hand to his side and prepared a fist for the visitor. However, the door opened to reveal Gabe standing with a shocked expression.
Gabe's eyes were trained on Asura's fists while speaking,
"Uh, good morning."
Asura unclenched his fist as he stared at the untrained Paladin,
"Sorry... Nightmare, ya know?"
"Ah. Well, time to head out."
Asura's eyebrows rose as he watched Gabe turn to leave,
"What? No breakfast?"
The ogre pursued quickly after Gabe, trying to grab the back of his shirt.
"Hey, wait! What about food? Im starving?"
Asura's stomach growled as the pit sat empty. He craved a nutritional substance. Without looking back, Gabe tossed a bagel over his shoulder. The object startled Asura as it slapped his forehead and fell into his hands. The thunk caused Gabe to giggle as he continued walking,
"There ya go!"
The ogre stifled his complaint while quickly devouring the bagel. His sharp teeth ripped through its tender texture. Yet, his growling stomach craved more than just this small, round bread. He asked again,
"I still need more. We headed to the cafeteria?"
Gabe shook his head and tossed another bagel over his shoulder,
"Mel's got a bin of eggs for you when we get to Lady Aliza's office."
Asura's mouth held half a bagel, and his eyes widened with desire. With his mouth full he asked,
"Seriously? Fuckin Awesome."
The muffled sound of the words was almost enough to disguise the curse, but Gabe's scrunched in dissatisfaction,
"You really need to cut that out. Lady Aliza will beat the tar out of you if you say it before her."
Asura pictured the angry mother's face and the cold mana that filled the air. The vivid sensation caused him to shiver as he relived the moment.
"Mhm. Good point."
Gabe rolled his eyes as more muffled sounds came from Asura's mouth as he inhaled the bagel in seconds.
"I heard you could eat a lot, but man... Are all ogres like this?"
The ogre remembered Ullrac's appetite as he pondered the question,
"My buddy could eat two boars."
Gabe's face twisted in horror as he looked back at Asura. The ogre couldn't contain himself as he burst out laughing while looking at Gabe's disgusted face.
"Hahaha! What? We're pretty gluttonous."
However, the ogre's laughter stopped as Gabe asked a question that surprised him,
"You guys have boars in your realm?"
The sudden curiosity stunned Asura as another human asked a serious question about his home realm. "Hmm... He's like Wain a little." Asura thought as he stared at the back of Gabe's head. However, it saddened Asura to remember Wain, who had left on an expedition. He sighed as he thought of the day Wain would return.
"Yeah, we got boars. You know our realms ain't bland, right?"
Gabe stumbled over his words as he realized it appeared like an insult to Asura,
"I-well- I didn't mean..."
"It ain't that serious ya dimwit. I didn't take it that way. You guys look at our realms like we are cavemen. I got television ya know."
Asura laughed as Gabe hung his head in shame,
"You're too nice. You should see the Shadow realm and Succubi realm, dude. The Succubi got a grand orchestra that plays awesomely before the king. In the Shadow realm, there's this big ass book, and it opens to like a huge image of the stars and black holes."
Gabe lifted his head and smiled as he looked at Asura with the thought in his mind. His eyes gleamed with desire as he pictured the two images.
"What does the orchestra play?"
Asura smiled widely as if it brought him joy to speak of their music,
"It's anything you think of, dude. They got like metal shit, they got country at times, and they got like pure orchestra stuff. One time, they played this music with an electric guitar that shifted its tone every few minutes. It was nuts."
"Electric guitar?"
"What you think you guys invented music? Nah, that's their thing, buddy. They had an electric guitar before your race could babble as a child."
The two reached the office doors, and Gabe stopped as he reached for the door. He turned to Asura and reached out a hand,
"I'm sorry for making assumptions. Please forgive me for stereotyping your kind."
Asura froze with shock as he looked down at Gabe's hand. The sudden act of kindness left Asura picturing Wain again, the first human to treat him as an individual. The ogre smiled widely and slapped Gabe's hand away,
"I told you, you're too nice. What if I eat ya tomorrow?"
Gabe's eyes widened as if the thought hadn't crossed his mind that he might betray him. The look left Asura's belly laughing as he threw his arm around Gabe's shoulder. Tears welled up in the ogre's eyes as he spoke,
"I promise I won't. Haha. Thanks for not being racist, ya dingleberry."
The ogre opened the door for the stunned Paladin and entered with him under his arm. Tristen, Rose, Mel, and Aliza stared at the two who entered. They watched as Asura laughed while Gabe crouched down under the ogre's arm. Tristen raised his eyebrow as his brother acted too friendly around the monster's company. He asked,
"Aren't you too chummy now?"
Gabe raised Asura's arm, allowing him to stand upright. This action made Asura acutely aware of his height as he looked up at Gabe, who stood a few inches taller. His face twisted in displeasure and annoyance.
"Chummy with him? I can't be friends with a damn tree."
Asura froze as the atmosphere chilled. His eyes drifted slowly to where Aliza stood, and he found her light-blue eyes glowing with anger as a shadow was cast over her face. Although her hair remained still, it felt like it swayed from the wind created by her rage toward Asura. Not one of the group members dared to speak as Aliza spoke.
The calmness of her tone caused all of them to hold their breath,
"Do. Not. Curse."
Asura stuck out his lips and nodded vigorously,
"Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm an idiot, ya know."
As the ogre apologized before her, the warmth that resided around Aliza returned, and the group let out a collective sigh. Mel walked across the office and up to Asura, quickly shoving a bin of yellow bubbly pancakes against his chest.
"Before you say anything else stupid, eat the eggs."
Asura looked down at the eggs with gluttonous eyes, his mouth foaming as he licked his lips.
"Yes, ma'am."
Gabe watched in horror as the ogre devoured the large bin of eggs without a second thought. Most people would be appalled by the large quantity of food. After eating one type of food for a while, the body tended to reject the rest. However, this seemed to not apply to the monster who stuffed his face willingly.
While Gabe watched with a bit of curiosity mixed with disgust, the other four ignored the act as if it were normal. Mel turned to Aliza and Rose, asking,
"Since we're all here now, we can head out?"
Aliza's face softened as a sad smile spread across her face,
"Yes. It's time for you to go search."
Rose turned to the group while crossing her arms. She confidently stood before the four, her red eyes filled with authority as she spoke. However, her usual monotone voice hadn't changed,
"I will be leading us during this search. You four are to listen to my orders. There will not be any insubordination."
Asura choked on his eggs as he reached the bottom of the tub. A clump of egg rested in his hand as he raised it disgustingly and laughed,
"What a big word, insubordination. Just say no goofin' off or somethin'."
Rose glared at Asura, who shrugged as if the act meant nothing to him. The older woman couldn't help but frown at Asura's childish actions.
"I worry for you children."
Mel crossed her arms and snarled at Asura, who shot out his tongue in rebellion.
"Don't worry. Although he acts like a toddler, that doofus won't do anything to get us hurt."
"I know. It's not him I worry about. It's that thing that causes me so much fear."
Aliza sat behind her desk, falling into her chair as she stared at the five much younger than she. The act of being powerless left a bitter taste in the woman's mouth as she thought of the bloody attacks left inside her city walls. Although she could heal nearly any wound, it meant nothing when she couldn't stop the attacker.
With saddened eyes, Tristen looked at the woman who had cared for him for most of his life. For a moment, he accepted that they might die, but as he looked at Aliza, a fire ignited in his chest.
"Don't worry about us. We'll kill this thing before sundown. Four Paladins and an untameable ogre? Who could stop us, ya know?"
Tristen lifted his bat to his shoulder, slinging it with confidence as he created a baseball from mana within his palm.
"I'll beat the tar out of it myself if I have to."
Although he tried to reassure Aliza, she hid the overwhelming sense of dread behind a soft smile. The looming feeling of her sending them to their deaths hung over her head. "What will I do if they don't return." She thought as she remembered when Gabe and Tristen arrived.
The two children were orphans after their small town was caught smuggling drugs into cities. Their families were stripped of their lives and forced into exile while their children were spared. They were sent to the most barren lands, further out than Mark's village—a place where the monsters roamed freely without the divine protection of The Temple.
"Please be careful when you go. Do not split apart for any reason."
Rose watched as the decision tore Aliza apart,
"Don't worry, Lady Aliza. We will return safely."
The five nodded in agreement, trying to reassure the woman as if she were their upset mother. They then collected their belongings, securing bags and placing vials into their pockets. Tristen slipped his bat into a baseball bag and shouldered it as he moved towards the door. Following him, Mel and Rose exited, with Gabe trailing behind.
Lastly, Asura stood up, leaving his empty tub behind on the chair. The sight left Aliza perplexed as she stared at the tub left behind. However, Asura simply shrugged and responded,
"I don't know what to do with it."
Aliza giggled at the silly ogre, who smiled at her. She folded her hands on her lap as she asked,
"Will you protect them?"
Asura stared at the woman, who looked at him with eyes full of trust. There was not an ounce of doubt in her words as if he could do it without question. He paused before answering,
"Yeah. I'll make sure them idiots get back. Don't worry."
The ogre casually tossed his hands behind his head and strolled out, exuding a sense of worry-free confidence. As she observed his departure, Aliza found comfort in his relaxed demeanor. However, she would never underestimate this creature again.
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The five walked out of the cathedral and into the courtyard. There, the next horror was found as Asura looked out into a crowded space filled with tents and buildings. His eyes widened as thousands of people slammed against one another with children huddled onto their parent's laps.
The sounds of crying children, adults conversing, and water running overwhelmed Asura as he took in the scene. He watched as people filled the building's confines through every window. Then, between the buildings and on every street was a golden barrier that stretched into a dome above.
The light gold substance shifted and warped but emitted no noise as it moved like water. Its holy mana could be felt from where the ogre stood, finding its refined floral scent overpowering. However, as he stared out, no one dared get within five feet of the golden wall.
A line was formed between the people and the city outside. It was like water and oil; the people refused to mix with what lurked on the other side. Instead, they would rather sit so close it looked like they would trample on each other if they tried to walk.
"Holy shit."
Asura could not contain his language. The thought completely escaped him as he let the fire drip from his mouth. Tristen continued down the front steps of the cathedral and down where the people stood. Their eyes drifted together all at once, and at first, they looked toward the Paladin.
Their eyes lit up with hope as they stared at Tristen, who raised his hands,
"May we pass through? We are going on a hunt for the creature outside."
The people cheered. They eagerly parted and shuffled to the sides but stopped halfway as they looked up the steps. A scream cried out from a woman within the crowd, and the others quickly joined with disgruntled shouts and angry yelling.
"What the hell is a demon doing here?!"
"ITS HIM! ITS THE DEMON!"
"HE'S INSIDE THE WALLS!"
"GET OUT OF MY WAY! RUN!"
The crowd roared in outrage. However, Tristen channeled mana into his throat and let out a command that silenced them all,
"EVERYONE BE SILENT!"
His roar even shook Asura as he stood behind him. The Paladin stood confidently before the people and exclaimed,
"He is with us! He has been chosen by Uriel, our Archangel! The monster is going to help with the hunt!"
Asura was surprised by Tristen's words. His lack of the term demon and defense left Asura impressed. He felt terrible for comparing the man to Ash in his head.
A woman's voice cried out,
"Help with the hunt? A monster? Has The Temple gone mad?"
Another shouted with disgust dripping with every word,
"Chosen by Uriel? What blasphemy!"
The crowd joined in a chorus of yelling that became unintelligible. Before they could create a stampede that would undoubtedly cause many deaths due to their proximity, Gabe followed after his brother,
"We have seen it with our own eyes! Judex blesses him! A monster that wields holy mana!"
The people still raged, shouting and pushing one another to try and escape. Children screamed as their parents shielded them, and the parents could only weep as their backs were pummeled.
Asura became enraged by the sight, eager to push out and punish the crowd. His blood boiled as he took a step forward, but Rose held his hand before him. He looked up to see the corner of her red eyes staring at him. She spoke quietly,
"Kneel."
The ogre stared at the woman who commanded his submission. His face twisted in confusion, but Rose continued,
"If you want to help, kneel."
Asura looked back into the crowd as chaos ensued. Without another thought, he knelt. Rose filled her throat with mana just as Tristen did before shouting to the crowd,
"We have tamed him! See? He kneels when I tell him to! He sits when I command it!"
She looked down at Asura, who knelt beside her. The ogre was stunned by the calm crowd. They all gazed at him with confused but intrigued expressions. Some began to trust, while others remained skeptical.
Rose commanded again,
"Sit, dog of Judex!"
Asura's face twisted briefly, but he caught himself before it could be seen. He sat without a word, swallowing his dignity. The ogre hung his head in defeat and sighed as he stared at the concrete he sat on.
"This is bullshit."
The ogre mumbled, and Mel watched as he obediently sat on the ground. She would have laughed and mocked the ogre if the circumstances had been different. However, as she looked at the crowd murmuring amongst each other, she couldn't help but be grateful for the ogre's actions.
Tristen asked again,
"Can you split so we can leave? We need the monster to hunt the monster! His ability to track will allow us to find it by sundown!"
As the ogre lifted his head, he was surprised by their nods as they began to part. They looked at one another and spoke as if the statement made sense: "I guess you need a monster to beat a monster." Asura found the phrase appalling and corrected it to their standard: "Well, a demon to fight a demon."
The crowd split, opening wide enough for five to traverse through. Rose tapped Asura's shoulder, telling him to rise beside her. Mel stood behind him and whispered,
"Sorry but-"
She pressed a gun against his lower back,
"It might reassure them."
Asura rose and stood at their side, walking slowly as the five of them traversed through. He rolled his eyes as he walked through and held his hands at his side. He whispered to Rose and Mel,
"I want a treat for this, ya know. This is disgraceful."
For a moment, Asura thought he saw Rose crack a small smile, but as he blinked, it had disappeared. She responded,
"I think it is well earned for obeying."
Asura squinted his eyes as they reached the golden wall,
"Okay. Now it feels like I'm a dog."
Mel snorted at his remark and lowered her gun as she shoved him through the translucent wall before them.
"Who's a good Asura? You are!"
Asura turned to watch as the four exited the protection around the cathedral. His face twisted into a snarl, and he began to snap at Mel,
"Well, this dog is about to bite your-"
His eyes drifted to a small girl holding a teddy bear against her chest. Her small frame and dirty dress left Asura seeing Lily as she waved at him. Asura looked at the others, but none looked back at the crowd. It was directed at him.
He sighed and waved before turning around. "If the parents catch her waving... they might punish her." He thought as he began to walk down the abandoned street.