Chapter 2

As Sagil’s life flashed before his eyes a shy fire sprung from the grass. It produced a mass of smoke that flew out, knocking the dark ball back into the air.

“HELP!” Paul cried; his face crumpled in fear as the dark whirlpool violently spewed a black ball at him

The fire, dancing on the grass, produced more smoke that swirled around Paul. It created a blanket that engulfed the orb and mercilessly spewed it back where it came from.

“Hot!” Paul yelped as his body jerked from the burning smoke and flames below.

Sagil glanced over, praying for Misaka’s safety. She was cowering against a tree stump before a gust of smoke shoved her away. Instantly, that tree stump was uprooted and the ground shattered from a flash of darkness.

Sagil looked back to the swirling whirlpool of grey, black, and purple. It wasn’t content with spewing deadly darkness. It released its grasp on the air and fell through the forest roof.

Just before it came crashing down cool fire wrapped around Sagil, Paul and Misaka. It was followed by a shout of “Sorry," as the trio were flung out of the clearing.

The three watched as a man wearing only a red yukata catch the violent whirlpool with the tip of his flaming katana. The ground from underneath cracked and his knees buckled but he let out a wild laugh in response. He squeezed the sword tight and the flames that danced on the edge of the blade spewed a mass of smoke that wrapped around the black whirlpool. The man bounced it from the tip of his sword and swirled it into the air. The man was like a conductor, orchestrating what was now a ball of smoke with his sword twirling in the air like a conductor’s baton.

However, this conductor was struggling to control his band. He fell to one knee as the whirlpool grew more violent and started to break the veil of smoke. Despite this, the man couldn’t help but chuckle and a sword made of fire appeared in his other hand. He twirled it round and round, producing so much smoke that the others couldn’t see a thing but flashes of fire.

With a wall of smoke now veiled over the clearing the man slowly regained control with the extra smoke to aid him. He snuffed out the flashes of black that spewed from the whirlpool and condensed it back into a ball; all whilst keeping up a wall of smoke around the clearing. He finally stood tall, laughing wildly as he hurtled it back into the dark mist high in the sky.

The dull misty sky returned and the wall of smoke dispersed. Sagil stared in surprise at the tall lean man who stood barefoot in a small crater, his red yukata covered in ash from the smoky air. His fire sword dispersed into the air and he wafted the flames off of his katana before sheathing it by his waist. His laughter died out but his jovial expression didn’t as he scratched his stubble and ruffled his fiery red and black hair.

“Cerrin!” Misaka’s face lit up, her fear and confusion muffled by the friendly face. She rushed back into the clearing and dove onto Cerrin with a smile from ear to ear. “Thanks for the save!”

“Hah-Hah! No problem,” Cerrin laughed, hiding the pain that shuddered in his bones. Ruffling her black hair he said, “Be careful though, I haven’t kept up with my swordless magic so the flames might be a bit too hot.”

“L-Like your sleeve!?” Sagil yelled, trying to shrug off the near-death experience.

Cerrin roared with laughter as he watched the young adult hobbling over. His foot had taken even more damage during the onslaught of dark balls.

“The only one injured, is you? What a surprise,” Cerrin chuckled before his grin faded. He could feel Misaka trembling as she clutched his yukata; he could see the worried look Sagil wore. He tried to calm Misaka with a warm hand on her shoulder and gave the two siblings an apology. "Sorry. For this to happen right before the expedition."

Sagil looked down-trodden as he received the apology. It was nothing like he had seen before but he knew the unusual colour of the mist. Most people should by now. There had been only a couple of abyssal disasters since the darkness started approaching but the damage, they had done had decimated entire towns and wildlife. He knew even now that what happened was nothing bad, not compared to the proper disasters. Even so, he had been sure he was dead. He had already been reminded of the last time an abyssal incident almost happened in this very forest; now he had just been reminded of what facing death was like.

After Cerrin had moved on to consoling Misaka, Sagil let out a sigh. Last time he had been blamed for the death of a Knight's daughter. "You have nothing to be sorry for," he mumbled belatedly. "It's me-"

"What the fuck was that!?" Paul screamed belatedly as he marched back into the clearing. He had finally stopped whimpering in fear. He continued, "You actually caused one!"

Sagil couldn't muster any strength and could barely look at the accuser. Paul had been there the first time after all. He couldn't blame him for coming to that conclusion. In fact, he was about to conclude the same.

"You piece of otherworld shit!" Paul smacked Sagil in the gut with the butt of his half-staff, sucking the oxygen from inside him. He keeled over and stumbled to the floor as his sore foot gave way. Paul raised his half-staff, "O, Elder Dragon, I plead," he chanted, the round pearl atop his staff starting to glow gold, "Give thee thy-"

His chanting was squashed as Cerrin’s hot fist crashed into Paul’s cheek with just enough force to knock him without injury.

"Whew, sorry about that." He apologised, cracking his course knuckles. "Well, I take it the two of you know what that was?"

Sagil nodded his head slowly whilst Misaka shook hers.

"Uh, well,” Cerrin stammered, pausing for a few seconds before getting his action plan sorted. “Okay, well It’s about time you set off to the ship anyway, best to get there a bit early.” He started, tapping the black hilt of his katana as he spoke. "I'll clarify and explain some stuff on the ship so everyone on the expedition knows. I know you're both still rattled from what just happened but I need to check on a few things so you'll have to head there by yourselves." He continued as he picked Paul up and headed out of the clearing. "Need to make sure I contained this incident as well otherwise the streets will be chaos. And I guess sort this pig out.” He chuckled one last time. “See ya."

Misaka waved goodbye with a slight smile until he fell out of sight. Then she collapsed onto the floor.

Sagil was about to help her up when his eyes caught a black katana sticking out of the ground. He held his tongue and pulled it from the ashy ground. He stood, staring at the sharp sword. It once had a mind of its own, according to his Knight Yuudai, his father. He had likened it to the devil - a personification of evil from a religion in his birth world. He had said that the demon God that betrayed its brother, the Elder Dragon, and killed it had splintered its spirit when it was killed. It became a parasite that fed off of things for hundreds of years. It had hidden in this very katana and eventually corrupted Knight.

Sagil sighed as he was reminded of his hatred for his father. It was thanks to him and this sword that the Floating Kingdom of Eld Tree, along with many others across the land, turned on him when the darkness began surrounding the world ruining people’s lives. He tried throwing it deep into the forest but he couldn’t. His father said it was just a sword when he gave it to him. If it was just a sword why were the two abyssal disasters he had lived through started when it was used?

Sagil finally shook off the questions and headed straight to Misaka. He pulled her up from the ground and headed out of the clearing, “Was it not obvious this wasn’t meant to be used by where I hid it.”

“S-Sorry!” Misaka cried, chasing after his brother. “I just…”

“Just what?” he said matter-of-factly, increasing his pace.

“I just wanted to remember father…” She mumbled, her green eyes welling up with tears. However, she quickly realised her brother wasn’t waiting for her. It was like he wanted to get away from her. “W-wait up!” She yelled as she dashed to her brother.

Sagil clenched his fist, trying desperately to hold his tongue. Why do you care about that dick! That was made easier as he and Misaka walked out of the forest and back into the town of Airswell.

The port town of the floating kingdom was adorned with poles all over, the white flame atop illuminating the misty streets. It was early morning yet townsfolk filled the streets. Families bounced from the markets and stalls lining the main road to the High Port, mages swept between libraries and adventurers barrelled through the crowd with beers in hand. Carriages flew overhead, pulled by haughty rat-wyverns, dropping passengers off at the air wharf the main road led to.

Sagil sighed in disgust, the onslaught of smells reaching his nostrils. How did Cerrin cover that mess up from all these people!?

It might be a special day but it was still early morning, the sun barely breaking through the Eld Tree’s branches and the dark mist that floated above even that. Although it was early morning, this special day meant the journey to rid the DragonLands of its plague. It meant no dark mist covering up the beaming rays of the sun and more importantly, no abyssal disasters and things of the like. It was no surprise that this many people were up; it was just annoying and tiresome.

Misaka tried holding the edge of Sagil’s red tunic but he shoved her hand away and walked off. He caught her sulking in the corner of his eye but he couldn’t let that get to him.

“Sagil-”

“I’m going back to my room for a couple of minutes.” He instantly cut her off and rushed into the inn and down to his room. He slammed his door shut in anger and dived into his bed, burying his head into his pillow. He kicked his feet in the air like a child and screamed inside. SHE IS SO ANNOYING! She’s barely matured since I left her 6 years ago. She’s 14 now, not 8! WHY THE FUCK WOULD SHE ROOT THROUGH MY ROOM AFTER TELLING HER NOT TO. DID MOTHER NOT TELL HER NOT TO TAKE THINGS WITHOUT ASKING? He continued like this for a minute until he turned to face the stone ceiling and clutched his dark brown hair with a sigh. How could she know that was gonna happen though? I’m the idiot for keeping that shit sword. Whether it has a connection to that darkness or not, I ain’t using his sword.

The young adult lamented for another few minutes before forcing himself out of bed and grabbing the black katana’s scabbard. He sheathed it, wrapped it in white cloth, shoved it in his packed bag and slung it over his shoulder. He then picked up the blunt blade he threw earlier, sheathed that in its scabbard and attached it to his waist.

He finally creaked open the door. A girl in a white dress beneath a black jacket slouched against the corridor to the stairs. Her knee-high boots tapped the floor as she sulked.

“Misaka?”

The girl slowly looked up at her brother. Her eyes had stopped watering but were red from being rubbed multiple times.

Sagil gritted his teeth and struggled a smile onto his face.

She hesitatingly smiled back before getting to her feet. “Sorry.”

He sighed in response.

“I mean it-”

Sagil breezed past her and pulled her hand, forcing Misaka to follow. “We have somewhere to be.” He said, releasing his sister’s hand as he walked up the stairs and out of the empty inn.

Misaka wasn’t far behind as she raced out as well. “Minus 1 point for walking off again,” she grinned.

“Ha-ha!” Sagil sarcastically laughed before letting out a sigh. “We’re probably gonna get there late now, not early.”

“True!” His sister replied gleefully. “But at least we get to go. At least we get the chance to save this world.”