Arnin walked through the woods in the dead of night, still in Essed. The moonlight was dim, casting eerie shadows as he held a lantern to light his path. Suddenly, a swirling cloud of black smoke flew from behind and transformed into a mortal beside him. It was Tidalia.
"Little Daly, you never listen, do you?" Arnin asked, continuing his walk without glancing at her.
Annoyed, Tidalia stepped in front of him, walking backward to face him. "My lord, look at my mortal form," she said, motioning and twirling.
"I look like a mortal in her young twenties. I'm not little anymore; I am an 800-year-old aquatic demon. Why can't you see that?" she asked, stepping back beside him and glancing at him.
Tidalia was always a lively aquatic demon, full of energy and mischief.
Arnin chuckled slightly. "800 is still little. You're like that because you're an aquatic demon. Your lifespan is short."
She frowned and laughed, annoyed. "Thank you for reminding me about my short lifespan, but yours is far shorter as a mortal, isn't it?" she said with a smirk.
Then she looked at him seriously, her eyes curious. "By the way, my lord, what happened to you? I can't sense any demon energy. Why do you look different? Are you really a mortal?"
He lightly tapped her head, and she yelped. "Where were you? Did you go to make trouble?" Arnin asked, avoiding her question.
She rubbed her head. "I watched what happened in the daytime to Ly—" she paused and continued, "to Khane. I was angry at that person, so I decided to teach him a little lesson. However, I couldn't, not because I wasn't stronger, but because of a barrier. I tried to attack him, but it backfired."
Arnin's eyes narrowed with interest. "A barrier, you say? That's intriguing. Tell me more about this person and the barrier."
Tidalia's expression turned serious. "The barrier was powerful, unlike anything I've encountered before. It repelled my attacks effortlessly. The person seemed to be protected by some magic."
Arnin wondered, "Do you think it was from a demon-killer weapon?" he asked, his voice low and thoughtful.
"I do not think so. It felt like it came from his body. I could have continued, but as my lord taught me, 'You don't have to win the first time; sometimes step back and analyze the situation.' And that is what I did," Tidalia replied, her voice trailing off as she pondered.
"However, this person..." Her voice faltered as she tried to piece together her thoughts. "This person... I don't know if my memories are correct, but doesn't he look like..." She looked at Arnin, her eyes wide with realization. "Is he?" she asked, anticipation and curiosity evident in her gaze.
Arnin nodded solemnly.
She gasped, "My lord! When did you know?" she exclaimed, her voice rising in excitement.
"There is a curfew. Why are you being loud? Do you want people to catch you? It's very easy to sense an aquatic demon," he admonished, shaking his head. "God of faith is crazy," he muttered.
"So you too can't hurt him?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Arnin can. We've fought before. It's one of two situations for the backfire: one, you're not strong enough to destroy the barrier, and two, it only works on demons. If it's the first, it's no worries. If it's the second, we will leave the fight for the person that has the fight," he explained.
"If it's him, why is he so different? I know he is a mortal with a different life, but does he have to be like this?" she asked, frustration creeping into her voice.
"That's why God of faith is crazy," Arnin said, a hint of resignation in his tone.
"What about Ly—Khane? How is he? Seeing his face again brought me joy. I heard many things happened a few years ago.
I was shocked that he was still alive because he was a mortal. Little did I know what happened to him. Then it made me wonder, where were Elyon, Olevron, and you?" Tidalia asked, her voice filled with curiosity and concern.
"He is not exactly the same. Maybe it's because of the memory loss. We will know more after he recovers his memories. Until then..." Arnin's voice trailed off as he continued walking.
Tidalia stared at Arnin as they walked. "You may sound different, act different, and even look different, but it still feels like you.
What happened more than 200 years ago? I could have found out if I returned to the demonic realm, but I have been here in Essed.
Because...,
you said I should wait for you, and I waited," she said, looking forward, her eyes teary and downcast.
"And I waited here ...
for more than 200 years.
Then this year, a demon announced himself as you. I saw this demon during the fight he had with the mortals and knew he was a fake. Then I had a thought," she paused, her heart heavy as if it would drop from her chest
"If you were alive,
no demon would dare impersonate you."
"And I didn't dare ask this demon because I didn't know if he would eat me. Even though he was a fake, he is still strong. This demon is also a fox demon, even though I didn't see him in its form," she added, her voice trembling slightly.
"Well, I am here now. We are almost at my old place. I need to go there to help Khane. The place is filled with my essence, and I used it to block anyone from entering. We might reach it by dawn," Arnin said, glancing up at the sky.
Tidalia furrowed her eyebrows, her head hanging slightly as she wondered if Arnin had heard her. She looked up at him. "My lord," she said, stretching her hand to touch his sleeve but hesitating.
She withdrew her hand. "My lord, were you even listening to me?" she asked, stepping in front of him, blocking his way.
Arnin tried to walk past her, but she blocked his path again. He sighed and spoke, "You said you have been waiting for 200 years. You don't need to wait anymore. Go wherever you want and live the rest of your life happily," he said calmly, looking straight into her eyes.
The wind blew, and the light from the fire lantern cast flickering shadows on their faces, making their expressions barely visible but still discernible.
"The person that you served for 300 years of your life, your lord, died more than 200 years ago in a simple and unexpected way. I am not your lord. I am... Arnin, without a last name."