Opinions on the prisoner were mixed, to say the least. The men were terrified of her and for good cause. Everything she has said as of now has not helped her case; claiming to be of another world. Not across the sea, not the deserts of Arabia or Africa, nor the elusive far east. A completely different world far removed from ours.

We could not decide what to do with her. The cardinal la Point was particularly adamant that we surrender her to the church, try her as a witch, and burn her at the stake. Merlin though, was adamant that we free her and listen to what she must say. Both he and the cardinal remain at each other's throats.

In the end, I chose the council of my old teacher. I summoned the Round Table and brought Rina before it.

****

"Achoo!" Allisa sneezed as she awoke. She sat up in the bed she was in, rubbing her nose. "Must be coming down with something."

After the attack, the ship was destroyed. By a stroke of luck, everyone washed up along the coast nearby, which was close to a port town called Gerlarder, which took in all the survivors of the ship. Right now, Allisa and her friends were at the local inn for the night for some actual rest, as were the other passengers. Allisa's room resembled the one she had in the house at Riser, with an addition of a fireplace. Hanging near it was her clothes, boots, and gloves, which were drying off after being soaked in the attack. All Allisa was wearing at the moment was a thin shirt that went down to her thigh, which wasn't too bad since she was alone. As she looked out the window she noticed that it was evening. She had gone to sleep around late afternoon.

She dragged herself out of bed and couched by the fireplace to warm up. Her Vermillion strike she used was more powerful than when she used it In the Labyrinth, sliced the kraken in two in one blow. As a last act, one of the tentacles lashed at her and dragged her down into the sea with it. She would have drowned if Max didn't show up and freed her from its grip. Thinking about it made her shiver.

Nothing out of the usual for her now since she had several near-death experiences already. First being shot through the heart by Garlahad, then next having Rubrik igniting every pain receptor in her body, then watching helplessly as he was about to kill her. Each time, she was saved by sheer luck. What she was worried about was whether that luck would run out eventually.

Just then, she heard a noise from outside her door, the sound of someone tripping over. She got up from her crouched position and opened the door.

"Oh, Kira,"

She saw Kira dusting herself off. "Sorry, did I wake ya?"

"No, I wasn't asleep." She saw Kira was in her full clothing, with her gun strapped to her back. "Are you off?"

"Yeah, need to get movin." Kira then walked past her and turned back. "You know, you were pretty awesome back there." She said smiling.

"Oh, thanks," Allisa stoked the back of her head awkwardly.

Kira was about to turn away, but then stopped herself. "Can I ask ya a favor?"

Allisa nodded.

"You're going to Cataka too, right? If ya see a girl called Ellie, can you tell her I'm looking for her?"

"Ellie?"

"She has long, silver hair. Oh, and a scar near her right eye." she pointed to her right eye, tracking a line down from the edge downwards, "that's probably the best way to tell who she is."

"Ok, I'll keep an eye out. Is she your friend?"

"K-Kinda," Kira blushed, "she's actually my girlfriend."

"Oh you... Huh?! Y-you mean..."

"Yep," Kria nodded.

"Oh," Allisa shook her head in embarrassment for her outburst. "S-Sorry, just want expecting that."

"Don't sweat it, I'm pretty much use to that reaction, it doesn't bother me." Kira shrugged. "And in case you're wondering, don't worry. Ya cute, but my hearts already taken."

"T-Thanks, I guess?" Allisa smiled awkwardly.

"Anyway, if ya see her, tell her I'm lookin for her." she then turned away and started walking away, waving a hand, "Hope we meet again."

Allisa waved her back, just as she disappeared from view. "Ellie? Wonder if I'll run into her?"

Soma Rand

"I swear I'm never getting on another boat again," Cliff said as he stomped down the road.

"Well, apart from the Kraken at the end, I think it was a present voyage," Melvin said.

"You just don't like it cause you puke your guts out none stop," Yuki said to Cliff with an amused smile.

"Shut up!" Cliff yelled.

"Kinda thought you would die back then. You didn't eat anything until yesterday." Melvin said.

"That's cause that tube made me barf out whatever was in my stomach. One more day and I would have starved to death." Cliff moaned. "Don't you have magic to cure stuff?" he asked Melvin.

"I don't think sea sickness can be cured with magic."

"What ya gonna do if we go on another boat?" Max asked Cliff.

"I'm swimming."

Walking a little behind the boys who were half joking and half arguing by the sounds of it was Nel and Allisa. They had just left the town they were staying at and were now continuing their journey on foot. They left after breakfast so it was still early in the morning, around 9.

"So, where are we going now?" Allisa asked Nel who was holding a map.

"Soma Rand. The border town between Miltesa and Cataka." She replied. "It's closer, but it does make our journey a day longer. It would be faster to take another ship." She then folded the map and put it back into a pouch on her belt.

"That's ok. I think I've had enough boats for a lifetime."

"Same here," Cliff said, overhearing the girls.

"Sure was weird though, being attacked by a Kraken there of all places." Melvin pondered.

"Is it unusual?" Max asked.

"Krakens usually live in colder water, like somewhere north. It's practically unheard of for one to aspire this far south." Melvin summarised with a concerned look. "Besides that, there was something about it that seemed off.

"You're right," Nel said, folding her arms. "I believe what we fought was a familiar."

Everyone look at Nel with a surprised look. "A familiar?" Allisa said, "Like Cerberus?"

Nel nodded. "I haven't seen one before, but I could tell that it was no ordinary monster." She looked to Melvin. "You must have seen it?"

Melvin nodded. "Yeah, I noticed something wasn't right."

"What do you mean?" Allisa asked, not understanding what they were talking about.

"A Kraken is a giant squid, and its tentacles can vary between 10 to 20 depending on how big it is," Melvin explained. "How many tentacles did we cut down?"

Allisa, Max and Yuki all thought, but none of them could come up with a number, but they all realised what Melvin was talking about.

"You mean," Max scratched his head. "It was growing them then and there?"

"Is that even possible?" Allisa asked.

"Not ordinarily no," Nel said. "This whole time though, I could sense something similar to Cerberus, granted weaker. Someone summoned it."

Cliff then finally spoke. "But, why attack a passenger ship? Were they after something?"

Allisa then stopped walking as a horrible thought crept into her mind. "Was it... after me?" She said quietly.

"Probably not," Nel said quickly after hearing her. "It might have been someone important on that ship in incognito."

"Like?" Yuki said, not convinced.

Cliff then pushed his head down to shut him up. "Nel's right," Cliff said smiling at Allisa while maintaining his grip on Yuki who was struggling, "don't beat yourself up about it. Besides' you're the one who killed the thing in the end." He then released his grip on Yuk.

"Yeah, chin up." Max said with a large grin.

"Better than charging headlong and being swatted like a fly," Yuki commented with his eyes narrowing.

"What was that?"

"You heard." The two immediately looked heads, growling at each other.

As the two got into a fight again, Melvin spoke, ignoring them completely. "You don't have to shoulder everything on your own." He said with a grin. "You got us, remember."

"Kid's right," Cliff said, raising his fist. "We're a team, right?"

Allisa smiled and nodded. "Yeah, We are. Thanks guys."

"So don't go breaking down every second," Nel said, still walking forward.

"I don't break down every second!"

****

It was around 12 when the group had arrived at Soma Rand.

It was a large town built into the hill's surrounding it. Compared to Rosaria towns Allisa had seen, the two she had been in Miltesa had a completely different atmosphere. The buildings gave off a more 19th century look in comparison to the more late medieval of Rosaria. Streets were well paved with what seemed like lampposts dispersed and different intervals. Carriages also came down the road, raining from horse-pulled to motor driven.

Although the manner of dress was the same as Rosaria, the soldiers that they passed were completely different to that of Rosaria. These soldiers wore bulky, flak armor with metal helmets, and all carried a rifle similar to what Kira had with swords strapped to their belts, each having a more industrial aesthetic in comparison to the blacksmith produced weapons of Rosaria. On their flak armor was an insignia of a lion, which was the symbol of the domain they were aligned to.

Nel explained that Miltesa was split into 7 dominions, working a federal system, with the capital Miltesa the central administrative area on a national scale. With the exception of Miltesa, which was a domain of its own, the others were Loborn, Valden, Frikdue, Andves, Bram, and the one they were currently in, Everndail. A duke, who governed his dominion separate from the authority of the capital, ruled each Dominion managing things such as taxes, trade, infrastructure and so on.

The party passed through the town to reach the border of Cataka. Finding a small wall with guards positioned around, with the door to the road before it closed. As they approached it, two guards stopped them.

"Sorry. Roads closed."

"Closed?" Nel said with surprise. "This is the only way into Cataka. Why is it closed?"

"Dangerous fugitives are operating in the county." One of the guards answered her. "Until caught, Duke Berma of Everndail has ordered passage between the country of Cataka to be closed."

"You're kidding?" Melvin exclaimed. "They closed the border just for some fugitives?"

"Those're are orders. If you need to get into Cataka, go to Gerlarder and get a boat. Now clear off."

****

"Well that didn't work," Nel said.

"Is there any other way in?" Allisa asked.

Nel shook her head. "That's the only road in by land. The only other way is through the mountains, which I do not recommend."

"Could take another boat," Yuki said, shooting a look at Cliff.

"Anything but that," Cliff said, gripping his guts. "I don't think I could last another journey on those things again.

As the group started debating their next move, Allisa looked around at her surroundings. After being rejected at the border, they had regrouped at a nearby pub and were standing in front of a notice board.

We could ask around?

As she dived into thought, someone tapped her shoulder. "Scuse,"

"Oh, sorry." Allisa shifted away as a woman wandered in front of the notice board. She had scurfy blond hair and was dressed in a top and jeans that were open at her thighs. Allisa was about to turn around when she noticed that sticking out of her hair was blond cat ears. Even more striking was something sticking out above her ass.

"What the?! Is that a tail?" She didn't realize she said that out loud, more startled that coming out of her was a blond tail, which was moving.

"Yeah, cause it is." The woman replied, not bothered by Allisa's surprise.

"Whoa! Is that real?" Cliff said. He was standing beside Allisa and looked just as shocked.

The woman looked at Cliff and gave him a cheeky smile. "Oh I get it. First time seein a Cait Sith." She then turned around and started wagging her tail. "Not bad huh? Didn't think you'd see such a hottie for your first Cait Sith huh?" she said in a flirty voice.

"C-Cait sith?" Allisa muttered. She looked towards Nel, who was standing with Melvin, Max and Yuki. "You mean?" she said pointing at the woman.

"That's right." Nel nodded. "That's a Cait Sith."

"Oh," Allisa looked back to the woman and gave her a weary smile. "Sorry. I-I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised."

"It's cool," the woman took a sideways glance at Max and Yuki. "Guess you guys are with these two." She said, looking up and down at them, a sly smile forming on her lips. "Not bad. Lotta cute guys in your group." She said winking at the two. "Well, if you guys wanna see a bit more, buy me a drink and get me a room and I'll show ya all you want."

"I'll take that," Melvin said, raising his hand.

"Sorry kid. Grow a few more hairs on ya chest and I'll consider it." The woman said in a jokey voice.

"Um..." Allisa interrupted. "Who are you?"

"Huh? Oh, didn't introduce myself." The woman stood up tall and put her hands on her hips, giving the group a grin. "Names Leone."

"Um... Allisa."

"Nel."

"Cliff."

"I'm Max."

"Melvin."

"Yuki."

Leone nodded. "So, what brings you lot to this part of the world, huh?" She said in a high spirited manner. "Monster hunten or sightseein?"

"Um... We're actually trying to get to Cataka." Allisa said pointing at the border.

"Oh..." Leone looked to the border. "Can't get in that way."

"D-Do you know a way in?" Allisa asked.

Leone looked at her and grinned. "Buy me a drink and I might."

****

"AHHH... Nothin like Vinia ail to soothe the soul they say... hahaha hahaha." Leone roared with laughter.

The others sat around the table they were sitting at in the pub, looking at Leone with concern. "Didn't we say 'a' drink?" Yuki muttered, staring at the 5 empty bottles dotted around the table.

"Aw... don't tell me this doesn't get ya motor runnin?" Leone said, clearly drunk, her cheeks glowing red. She then turned to Nel and Allisa. "So spill...." She said waving her mug. "Which one of these guys are ya doing?"

"Huh?!" Allisa stuttered, embarrassed by the question. "I-I'm not 'doing' any of them!" She said defensively.

"Hahaha, just yanken ya chain..." Leone laughed. "...... Still, ya traveling with hotties. One of them must get ya runnen."

"We're getting off topic." Nel interrupted, clearly annoyed.

Leone let out a sigh. "You're no fun..." she then raised her glass to the sky. "Ask away, hahahahah."

"Maybe we should have grilled out information before she got plastered," Cliff commented.

"You might have a point there," Melvin said.

"So... Why is the border closed?" Max asked.

"Huh? Ya don't know that?" Leone muttered. Everyone shook their heads. "What are ya, country bumpkins or something?"

"Answer the question!" Nel said, showing signs that her patience was wearing thin.

"Ok ok, Keep ya panties on." Leone stared into her mug. "Some guy's pulled off a big heist, stellen somethin important from the duke of Everndail. So important that every soldier in the dominion is lookin for them."

"And they closed the border because of them?" Allisa said. "Seems a bit much."

"That's cause these guy's are no joke. They can obliterate an entire battalion of guards with one hand behind their backs." Leone then looked up. "Why you guys goin to Cataka anyway?"

"Um... We're-"

"A job." Nel interrupted Allisa. "We were hired by someone in Riser to do a job in Tattora."

"Ok... sounds borin." Leone then hiccupped. "If ya want in that badly, then go ta Gerlarder and take a boat."

"No Boats!" Cliff bellowed holding his head with both hands. "I'm never getting on another boat again in my life!"

"We're kind of pressed for time," Nel said. "Is there a way by land?"

"Yep," Leone nodded. "Charge the gate, smash through the border patrols and be wanted by every soldier in this dominion, hahahahaha!"

A vain stuck up on Nel's forehead. "Why are we getting directions from a drunk?" she grumbled.

"Let's just take a boat," Yuki said. "Risk the big guy puking his guts out."

"Are you sure there is no other way?" Cliff said desperately.

"Nope..." Leone shook her head. "Unless ya wanna freeze to death on ta mountains or... oh, that's a way!" she slammed her mug on the table and picked up the half empty bottle of Vinia ail and poured it until it nearly spilled out of the mug. "Sterland forest!"

"Where?" Allisa asked.

"A forest northwest of here. Bypasses the border, no one guards it."

"Why?" Cliff asked.

"Cause ya have to have a death wish to go in there, hahaha!" Leone laughed. "Got dangerous beasties, and home to a bandit group that is as tough as they come... but, ya make it through alive, ya find a village deep in the wood, which has a road that goes straight to Tattora... that is asumen you're alive by then."

The group then looked at each other. "Your thoughts," Nel said.

"Sounds like fun," Max said grinning.

"You bet," Yuki said, gently placing a hand on his sword. "Might get a decent workout."

"Anything but a boat." Cliff moaned.

"I choose the boat," Melvin said raising his hand. "I want to keep living a little longer."

"As do I." Allisa raised her hand.

"Ok then." Nel got up from the table. "Four against two. We take the woods."

"Huh?" Allisa and Melvin moaned in unison.

"We've wasted enough time. Besides, we have them." She pointed to Max and Yuki, who had just got up and ran to the exit, looking like they were racing each other.

"You... got a point," Melvin said as he got down, not sounding very enthusiastic.

"Alright." Nel threw a pouch on the table full of money. "For the drinks." She then walked away with Melvin in tow.

"Thanks a lot," Allisa said to Leone as she got up from the table.

"Good luck!" Leone called out waving her mug. "Cause ya gonna need it!"

****

The forest in question was a little to the Northwest of Solma Rand. Like Leone had said, it was completely unguarded, and the party could see why. It looked like one of those deep dark woods from a fairy tale, tall trees; sinister looking branches which blotted out the sun.

"We're... not seriously going in?" Allisa said timidly.

"If we find the village that drunk mentioned, we should be at our destination in no time," Nel said.

"I don't know...." Melvin said just as timidly as Allisa. "This kinda looks like one of those places where we won't be coming out."

"You too, huh?" Cliff said. "Getting some seriously bad vibes here."

"Doesn't seem to be stopping them," Nel said pointing at Max and Yuki who had just entered the forest like it was nothing, arguing as they walked along.

"Those two just don't have any sense of danger, do they?" Melvin said with a sigh. "Kinda makes me glad they’re in front." He then started walking with Cliff.

Nel looked to Allisa. "Shall we?"

Allisa looked to Nel and nodded. "Yeah." They then both entered the deep dark wood before them.

****

Leone waddled back and forth across the street singing an out of tune song, swinging her arms about like she was a little girl.

"Isn't it too early to be drinking?"

She then stopped and looked up. Hovering above her was a boy with pointed ears, wearing a white cloth outfit, a pointed hat with a bow strap around his waist.

"Ohhh, Robby! How ya doin?" Leone waved cheerfully.

"Robin." The boy corrected.

"Aw, don't be a pooper." Leone moaned.

"Why are you drinking anyway? It's noon." He said as he lowered himself to Leone's level.

"Come oooonnn. Some hotties wanted information so I got them to buy me a drink. Can't turn down a drink can I."

"Looks like you had more than 'a' drink." Robin sighed. "So what these guys want anyway?"

"A way into Cataka. I told them about that village in the Sterland forest."

"The one Dolton's about to attack?"

"That's it, hahahaha!" Leone laughed.

Robin looked towards the direction of the forest. "Those guys are gonna die, you know. If not to Dolton's gang, the forest will kill them long before they reach it."

Leone looked towards the forest and put a finger to her lips as she thought. "Aw," she shrugged. "And those guys were hot." She then waddled in the opposite direction to the forest. "Time to go Robby."

"Robin." Robin corrected as he flew after Leone.