Chapter 4:

Soaked in Ashes

A harsh morning breeze woke Aidan up as droplets of water fell on his forehead. Aidan groggily looked up to see a cavern ceiling staring right back at him. The next thing he noticed was his cloak, wrapped around his body, keeping him a modicum of warmth.

Aidan got up only to feel something fall down his back. He reached underneath his shirt and pulled out a rag, colored crimson by the pitchfork wound. Somebody had made sure to take care of him while he was unconscious.

“Wait!”

Aidan pulled up the bottom hemp on his pants. A sense of relief washed over him when he saw that all of the old bandages were still there.

His mandolin, sword, and bag were all gathered neatly a few steps from him. After re-equipping himself, Aidan stepped out of the cave with a migraine running wild in his head.

While stumbling around the exit, Aidan found a small trail of ashes scattered among the grass. Following it led him to a small cliff that overlooked the valley. His heartbeat stilled as his gaze fell upon Alaya, who was sitting at the cliff's edge and gazing into the distance.

The young man anxiously approached her, only to stop in his tracks when Talbareth came into view. After the fire, more than half of the houses in the village center succumbed to the flames. It was sheer luck that there was no wind that night to carry the embers downhill to the rest of the buildings.

“You’re awake….Sorry, skipped out on watching over ya.” Alaya said softly without taking her gaze off the village.

Even without seeing her face, a feeling of raw exhaustion emanated from her. Her clothes were tainted by a coat of ash. Her right sleeve was gone, revealing a series of long scars trailing down from her shoulder and to her elbow. Her arm had no trace of ash on it, a clear sign that the sleeve had not been torn until she had already escaped the village.

She ripped it off to bandage me with….

A niggling feeling bothered Aidan, but he pushed it to the back of his head when he noticed how awkwardly Alaya was resting her injured leg.

“...How is it?”

“Hmm? Oh, that. I’ll walk. This ol’ body of mine is too stubborn to know when to die,” She tried to laugh jovially at the end, but her mood quickly killed it.

The two stared down at the village below. From this distance, the people were like ants. The villagers desperately tended to their wounded and languishing over the remains of their buildings.

“I’m sorry,” Aidan said, frustrated, “I said I would clear your name, only for a disaster to occur that is certain to be blamed on you.”

Alaya raised her head enough that she wasn’t looking at Talbareth anymore. She didn’t turn around still, but it was clear that her attention shifted to Aidan now.

“Heh, my hole’s so deep, I haven’t seen the sun in years,” Alaya grabbed a pebble and threw it far into the distance. “Just another one on the list.”

Alaya’s tone was very matter-of-fact and deprived of emotion. It contrasted heavily with her emotional reaction to the possibility of being innocent. Alaya was far more comfortable with her current reality.

“It won’t remain that way.” Aidan tried to assure her.

“Like you have something to say about it,” Alaya finally turned around to face Aidan. “If you’re feeling better now, beat it. This place’s got enough problems without an empire lackey running around poking at monsters.”

“Empire lackey?!?”

Alaya raised an eyebrow. Aidan’s heartbeat spiked. He had forgotten his own lie.

“Ah, er, I mean. I’m only here to help.”

Alaya’s face twisted into a scowl.

“Help? You call that help?!?”

If Alaya’s leg were not injured, she surely would have stood up in outrage.

“You put everyone in danger! Houses were burnt down! These people don’t have the strength to rebuild what they’ve lost!”

Alaya’s words hit Aidan like a tsunami. He felt an undeniable sense of shame about the outcome of his actions.

Why? These people are monsters. I have no reason to pity them, so why does it bother me?

Aidan struggled to figure out why Alaya’s words bothered him. Alaya herself looked increasingly angry with Aidan’s lack of reaction.

“You heartless scumbag. If I find out that even a single person was hurt in those fires, you ain’t making it back home in one piece.” Alaya growled.

Aidan’s eyes went wide. He understood it a little better now. It was not their suffering that wounded him. It was her words, specifically. They were so forced, so disingenuous. How could she so vigorously defend those who are planting daggers in her back?

Aidan’s heart beat faster. Anger swelled up in him just like during their previous arguments, but this time Aidan quickly pushed it aside. Even if she was arguing for the sake of wretches, she didn’t carry the same guilt as them.

“Then, I take it that-” Aidan hesitated for a moment, “-that all the previous encounters you had with the demon went better?”

His question seemed to catch Alaya legitimately off guard.

“Wha-What the hell are you talking about? I told you, I never met one of these things before!”

Aidan breathed in deep. With her injured leg, her threats were immaterial. Still, Aidan was undeniably nervous.

“Then this was the first time you’ve ever come so close to clearing your name,” Aidan’s heart skipped a beat; he could do even better! “The first time you’ve ever come so close to freeing the people here from their torment! Now is not the time to surrender!”

Alaya struggled to reply to Aidan. He had completely sidestepped her words.

“Didn’t you hear me?!? You hurt the people down there!” Alaya yelled at him.

“The demon hurt them!” Aidan yelled back. Despite raising his tone, his voice was still measured. “The demon has hurt them for years, battered them until they all broke down! You said it yourself; what’s one more? This is the first and only chance you’ve got to set them free!”

Alaya looked away from Aidan. She grabbed her knee and squeezed hard as his words sank in. Her instincts were yelling at her that she shouldn’t listen to what he had to say. She had seen firsthand what happens when she tries to change things. He was just lying to her, to use her for his own ends. That had to be it!

Aidan saw the ook of denial from Alaya and felt compelled to continue.

“Alaya, you aren’t helping them by absorbing their hate. You won’t solve their famine by cleansing a couple bags of food. You won’t heal those drained by the monster’s presence. You won’t bring back to life the ones the demon eats in your name.”

Alaya trembled, and her head lowered. She did her best to curl up into a ball, considering her injury.

“Stop….”

She sounded close to breaking into tears.

Aidan hesitated for a moment.

What am I doing? What gives me the right to do this to her? I’m just torturing her, I….

Aidan took another glance at her arm. His eyes trailed down the old scars etched into it.

I have to do it.

“Resigning yourself to be the target of their hate will not make them accept you. You will never win their love.”

This was just his guess. He couldn’t envision why anyone would not leave the people to their fate after what they put her through. Perhaps his heart was tainted compared to hers, but if not-

Aidan was snapped out of his thoughts by the soft sounds of sobbing.

“I….” Aidan tried to speak, but no words made it out.

Almost as if remembering that Aidan was there, Alaya curled up even more. Her body was still shaking hard, her crying unabated. The only thing that changed was that Aidan couldn’t hear it anymore. Her crying was perfectly silent now.

Aidan gritted his teeth, and his eyes became bloodshot. He had not felt rage of this intensity ever since the death of his father. His hands shook even harder than Alaya did. What Aidan wouldn’t give to have one of the peasants in his hand at that moment, what a perfect outlet would that be.

Aidan dropped to his knees behind Alaya. The felt the air around him became thinner. The grass around Alaya bent and turned from green to yellow as it died. Beneath it, Aidan could even see cracks in the earth gradually spread out from where she stood.

Aidan closed his eyes. It was all exactly as he had feared.

She’s absorbed so much demonic essence….

Aidan tried to calm himself down, but he couldn’t. The essence within her was strong enough to turn her into a full demon. Her condition was incurable. For the remainder of her life, she had to live with the risk of hurting those around herself, and the risk of losing herself to her emotions and turning fully.

Aidan thought back to his father, his own condition.

Dad, you and me, we had no place on this earth, to begin with, but what about her? Is it not fair to spend the little time I have left leaving at least one soul better off? Will you judge me for making this my goal?

Aidan waited, but he obviously received no answer.

Guess I’ll ask you directly once I find you in Hell.

Aidan sat patiently until Alaya shed her last tear. At no point did she uncurl even an inch, at no point did she let Aidan hear her pain. Never once let herself bother him.

Once she was done, she raised her head and took the time to wipe away her tears. Aidan stood up and put some distance between the two again, aware of how much she disliked it.

“How are you feeling?”

Alaya didn’t respond. She glanced down upon the village once again. Her chest felt weirdly lighter now. Her guilt pressed upon her ever so slightly less now.

After taking some more time to recover, Alaya finally spoke.

“Why do you bother? I’m just one person. There’s so many more for you to save down there.”

Aidan swallowed nervously. Again he couldn’t tell her the truth. It would only drive her away.

“...”

But he couldn’t bring himself to lie to her this time either.

“My father, the person I showed you in the pendant. In truth, he’s only my adoptive father,” Aidan’s eyes narrowed as he recollected his memories. “Many years ago, I was framed for the crimes of another. All evidence was against me. When nobody believed me, I tried to escape, only for a mob to track me down. That’s when he appeared. Valerian protected me from them. Had it not been for him, they would have beaten me to death to avenge the deaths of their loved ones”

Alaya watched him intensely, absorbing every word Aidan spoke. She could tell from his facial expressions that he was honest. He couldn’t hide the effect the impact that day left on him.

The day he became an orphan.

“He couldn’t clear my name. The criminal was a demon, and he couldn’t reveal its existence to the masses. I…I had nothing left, so I begged him to take me with him. That’s why I’m here today.”

Alaya looked Aidan solemnly in the eyes. He could feel her probing him. Aidan was fully aware of the fact that even this wasn’t the full story.

Please, don’t ask me about Valerian. As I am right now, I won’t be able to lie to you.

Alaya threw her head back and leaned back on her arms.

“And that’s why you….Hah, yeah, I guess it makes sense now. You were a plague child too.”

“All it took was for one person to take my side for my fate to change.”

Beneath her scarf, Alaya smiled sourly.

“One, huh? If only.” She whispered so softly that Aidan couldn’t hear.

“What will you do now, Alaya?”

“Now?” Alaya looked Aidan in the eyes once more. “Guess I’ll give it one more shot.”

---

The two spent the next couple of hours recovering close to the cavern Aidan awoke in. Aidan tried to reason with Alaya to have her take a whole day or two of rest, but she quickly shut him up when she stood up and shattered a boulder with a single kick from her injured leg.

“What the hell?!?” Aidan yelled.

“Told ya I bounce back quick,” Alaya said proudly while rubbing her leg, clearly feeling the impact of her kick.

Though done for a different purpose, the demonstration reminded Aidan of the destroyed houses he came across on his way to the demon.

There’s no way she attacked them on purpose. The song must have compelled her to do it.

“Alaya, have you ever heard a song like Vaska’s before?”

“Who? Do ya mean the demon? It’s got a name?”

“Uh, yeah. If I can slash them, my sword will force information out of them. Learning its true name is vital to defeating it.”

Though she gave me her name long after I slashed her. There was no way that its magic was still affecting her at that point.

Alaya couldn’t hide the look of disbelief on her face. Everything sounded like utter nonsense to her. Still, she did her best to accept it for now.

“Right…well, before meeting this Vaska I would have said no. But now…,” Alaya’s words trailed off as her eyes tried to recollect old memories.

Aidan’s eyes narrowed.

“Now?”

Alaya sighed, frustrated. She ran her hand through her hair and let it rest on her head.

“I don’t know, alright? It’s like a freaking fog up in here! When you told me about ways stuff changes around ‘em, I felt like I could recall something but then it just slipped away!”

A fog?... Wait!

“Alaya, do you remember destroying some houses last night?”

Aidan’s words made Alaya fidget while breaking eye contact with him.

“Yeah, the fire, how could I forget that?!?”

“No! Before that! While you were searching for Vaska through the village!”

Alaya stared at Aidan wide-eyed.

“Uh, what are ya talking about? I didn’t search for-I mean I just found ya about to die, that’s it.”

Aidan was left speechless. Alaya saw the worried look on his face and started to panic a little herself.

“What? You’re worrying me here!”

Aidan’s face twitched slightly as he parsed the information. For a few seconds, he debated with himself if he should even share his conclusion with Alaya.

“I think your memories are being tampered with. Something to keep you from discovering the demons.”

Though at first calm, Alaya’s breathing picked up in pace until it became frantic enough to constantly send waves through her shirt.

“I can remember Vaska. I remember the fight, and that you interrupted me. I remember it setting fire to the houses, everything!”

Aidan shook his head. He took the time to explain to her everything she failed to remember from the previous night.

Alaya stared at Aidan silently. She clenched her fists and tried as hard as she could to recollect the happenings of last night. She remembered sneaking through the dark streets to return the food, then everything suddenly became deathly quiet, and then…Vaska, towering over Aidan’s prone body. Everything in between was covered in a dark fog.

Alaya stepped away from Aidan. Her legs felt weak, and she grabbed the trunk of a tree for support. A million conflicting thoughts and emotions flooded her head.

“Demons are not capable of this,” Aidan clarified further. “This, what’s been done to you, it’s magic I’ve encountered before. And every time, it had been performed by human hands. ”

Alaya’s fingers instantly sunk all the way into the trunk. Her foot sunk into the ground as the earth beneath her was being upheaved. In a single swift, brutal move, she ripped the tree out by the roots with a single arm before smashing it apart against the outer stone walls of the cave.

Alaya remained still after her display of anger. She clutched her right palm. The fingers on her hand were twitching erratically. It was not due to ripping out the tree that her hand was acting up.

“Kulum,” Alaya spoke sharply. “Kulum’s the only village out of the five in the region that has a person that can use magic. He always harasses me with his pets whenever I get close, so he’s still gotta be there.”

Alaya’s voice was somber and unfocused.

“Alaya, I’m sorry, I know this is-”

Alaya raised her right hand at Aidan for an instant, indicating for him to stop. During that second, Aidan caught a glimpse of something strange on her palm.

“Don’t. Just tell me, how long are we going to spend here before we can go to Kulum?”

“About that. Do the other villages suffer from the same problem this one does?”

“Yeah, all of ‘em. Why?”

Aidan breathed in. It was a heavy thing to admit.

“The demon I first told you about, the one I followed to Talbareth, that’s not the one you and I fought. It wasn’t Vaska.”

Alaya took a sharp breath and smiled sourly beneath her scarf.

“The good news just won’t end. Haha, alright then. Guessing we’re hitting Kulum right away then?”

Aidan nodded.

“I don’t think we have to worry about the demons fleeing anymore. We can leave Vaska for later and head to Kulum to find that mage that tampered with your memories.”

“Ya won’t hear complaints from me. I’m burning with…questions, for him.”

Alaya’s voice dripped with venom. Aidan was not sure if the mage would survive his encounter with Alaya, though in truth it hardly mattered to him.

---

Leaves crunched loudly beneath Aidan’s soles. His face reflexively flinched, the rattling of Vaska’s bones still fresh in his mind.

Aidan looked to Alaya. She was walking alongside him, though one could barely tell. The distance between them was so large that ever since the two had entered the forest, he had lost sight of her among the trees quite a few times.

She had not spoken a single word ever since they left for Kulum. It was clear that she was still digesting the information Aidan had left her with.

They continued to travel in silence, passing through the sick foliage of the forest. Forgoing the vibrant colors expected of summer, the trees and plants around them were pale and wilted.

The corruption spread even further. The two came across a stream. Alaya advised against drinking from it. In her own words, it tasted like someone plucked a dead chicken over it before tossing the naked carcass inside.

Night set upon them before they were halfway to Kulum. Sleep was the last thing on either’s mind. They made a small campfire and huddled around it on opposite ends.

Aidan held his mandolin in his arms. Closing his eyes, he stroked its strings gently enough that they did not make any noise, but fast enough to be clear that was practicing a song in his mind.

Valerian sang perfectly even with the most grievous of wounds. If I can’t rise to his standards, the next fight will be my end. Recall every single word Vaska said, every verse she sang. I need to figure out the last rune and create the perfect song for her.

Alaya watched Aidan playing his soundless melody. He was too focused on Vaska’s song to notice her staring. Seeing this, Alaya slowly reached for Aidan’s sword. He didn’t react in any way to her, emboldening her to grab and examine it.

Instantly what stood out was how light the blade felt in her hand, almost as if she was not holding anything. The weapon itself was blunt on both ends and riddled with holes and dents. It did not even end with a sharp tip like a normal sword.

The only thing that could be mistaken for any sort of quality were three large runes carved across its length, but even they were dim and inactive.

“It’s not a weapon,” Aidan clarified while strumming his strings.

His voice startled Alaya, causing her to fumble the sword and drop it on the ground. Aidan couldn’t help but laugh for a bit at the display.

“Father crafted it specifically to not be able to bring harm to anyone or anything. He made it in the form of a sword so that it can be used to intimidate brigands, but its actual purpose is that of a key.”

Disappointed, Alaya placed the sword back.

Aidan’s practice carried on uninterrupted for over an hour. He had not opened his eyes once since, and Alaya was beginning to think that he had somehow fallen asleep.

No, what bothered her more was the lack of sound.

“You can just play it. I’m sturdy enough to take it.”

While not skipping a note, Aidan replied.

“You already know my answer. I won’t repeat myself.”

Alaya let out a small grunt of frustration.

“Ya sure are tight-fisted. Didn’t you play it for some of the villagers? Why not me?”

Aidan stopped playing for a second. He took a deep breath and replied.

“Because I had to. What do we stand to gain by hurting you?”

Alaya dramatically hung her head in defeat.

“Alright. Sorry.”

Aidan resumed his practice. Alaya watched him once more. The notion that music was the only weakness of the monsters was ridiculous, but seeing him work so diligently at it made her doubt herself.

“Say… how come Vaska and the other demon didn’t attack you together?”

Aidan considered Alaya’s question. He placed his mandolin at his side, fully aware he couldn’t keep an emotionally neutral state during the explanation.

“Their nature forbids it. Their bodies are just vessels for their souls. Magic and brute force can’t hurt them because the state of their vessel is directly linked to their own emotional state. This, in turn, makes them inherently less stable than us. Demons need to be careful about the emotions and mental state of the beings they eat, lest they alter their own nature.”

Aidan clutched his cloak tight.

“This extends to the effects demons and their songs have on the world. You’ve seen most of the extent of how humans are affected, but it goes far beyond that when it comes to other demons. Demons risk warping and destroying each other if they enter each other’s sphere of influence. It’s possible for them to recover from the ordeal, but….”

Painful memories swelled in Aidan’s mind. Even now he could hear his father’s voice howling throughout day and night. No matter how hard Valerian isolated himself after every ritual, it was never enough to drown out his screams.

Alaya noticed the change in Aidan’s mood.

“Did you meet any nice demons?” She asked hesitantly.

Aidan averted his gaze from her.

Alaya thought to ask him again, only to notice that his lips were trembling. Guilt quickly overpowered her curiosity.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. If it’s anything that can help us, I’m sure you'll share.”

Aidan nodded. His mood seemed to pick back up a little.

Beneath her scarf, Alaya smiled.

“Tell me more tomorrow. I’ll go hit the sack now.” She said.

She waved Aidan good night and then climbed the tallest tree she could find within eyesight of the campfire. Resting upon one of its highest branches, Alaya drifted to sleep.

Now alone, Aidan attempted to continue his practice, but he could not suppress the emotions the memories awakened. Thus, he too chose to retire and leave it for tomorrow.

---

The next day, the two woke and reunited at dawn. Alaya led Aidan through the forest for an hour until the trees finally cleared. What stood before them now in the distance were the twin mountains of Carparam. They were an identical shade of brown, and both dominated the landscape with their immense size.

Aidan found his gaze strangely drawn to them. There was something not right about them,

“‘Parently they’re not natural,” Alaya said, noticing how Aidan stared at them. “They were raised out of the ground by magic some hundred or two years ago. That’s why they’re copies of each other.”

Aidan squinted his eyes. Even from such a large distance, his skin tingled as a certain kind of presence emanated from the mountains.

“That’s not my issue with them.”

Alaya stared at Aidan confused at first, but she quickly caught on to what he was saying.

“Oh, the demon’s there?”

“I don’t know, it’s impossible to tell at this distance. Either way, until we meet your mage, we should avoid the demons as much as possible.”

Alaya shook her head.

“The only path to Kulum is through them. We ain’t got other choices.”

Aidan raised an eyebrow. Alaya motioned to follow her. As they got closer, the landscape changed.

The land before him grew thinner and thinner until the patch of land Aidan and Alaya stood on was all that was left. The only thing connecting them to the mountains was a single, deteriorating wooden bridge.

Aidan glanced off the clifftop he was standing on to see a massive volcanic lake resting below that surrounded the area around the mountains. Its water was a sick yellow color, and the stench so horrid that Aidan had to advert his gaze and hold his nose.

“Folk used to fish here when I was little. Not much fish left now,” She said while watching the lake, unbothered by the smell.

“Alaya, it’s not your fault.”

Aidan reached his hand out to her on instinct, only for her to slap it away.

“You keep saying that. Fact of the matter is, I’m important to those things in some way. Directly or indirectly, I’m still tied to all of this.”

“Being used as a scapegoat doesn’t make you responsible.”

Alaya chuckled.

“Think I’m an idiot or something? That I didn’t notice that I influence things the way the monsters do? I appreciate ya helping me, but we aren’t the same. You were innocent. I’m not.”

“That’s-That’s not how innocence works!”

Alaya dismissively waved Aidan’s concerns away.

“Yeah, yeah, I heard ya the first time. Let’s just keep going.”

Aidan begrudgingly followed Aidan across the creaky bridge.

Stepping on solid once more, Alaya led Aidan through a path cutting straight through the mountains. The path elevated across the grey mountainside.

The same veinlike dark lines that were in Talbareth were also running through the ground and rocks all around and above them. The air that should have been clear felt strangely suffocating.

Whatever vegetation that used to grow here was long dead, leaving only dead stumps and bushes behind, riddled with the dark veins across their bodies.

As they traveled through the pass, there were many times when the path before them turned dark as large boulder formations from above blocked the sunlight.

This has to be a resting ground.

Aidan drew his mandolin as a precaution, but Alaya did not appear worried about an attack in the least.

Despite the oppressive atmosphere of the pass, they made the crossing with no incidents.

Aidan breathed a sigh of relief. Kulum could be seen in the far-off distance, nestled at the edge connecting a forest to a vast green field.

Aidan stepped forward, only for Alaya to stop him.

“Listen, past here it ain’t safe anymore. Kulum’s the only village I avoid during my food runs. The wizard or demon, whatever it is, always knows I’m coming. And he, let’s say, does his best to keep me away.”

“Got any idea on how we can avoid detection?”

Alaya shook her head.

“Nothing. Only time I come here’s when I’m completely out of food. Got most my scars then.”

“We’ll have to figure something out as we go then.”

“Y-Yeah. We will.” Alaya’s voice cracked ever so slightly.

The two continued onwards to Kulum. They traveled carefully and slowly, making sure to keep as small of a profile as possible through the little foliage available.

While trudging past some collapsed trees, Aidan whispered to Alaya.

“Hey, should we stop and scout the area ahead first? ”

Alaya didn’t respond. She was staring ahead, but her eyes were not focused on anything, almost as if she was lost in thoughts.

“Alaya?” Aidan asked, louder this time.

“Huh?!? What?” Alaya snapped back at Aidan.

“Are-Are you alright?”

Alaya blinked a few times as she regained her bearing.

“Yeah, yeah of course I am. Just, ya know, worried about the mage ‘n all.”

Alaya started moving towards Kulum again before Aidan could question her.

When they were but a kilometer away from it, Alaya stopped dead in her tracks.

“What’s wrong?” Aidan whispered.

Alaya motioned to Aidan to stay still. She took a few steps forward while paying close attention to the surroundings. It was so quiet Aidan could clearly hear the beating of his heart.

The two stood perfectly still for what felt like an eternity. Then, for a moment, Aidan saw Alaya’s shoulders relax.

The very next moment, she leaped at Aidan, grabbing him and jumping to the side with him. Just a couple of seconds later a large brown object flew through their previous location, decimating the trees and foliage in its path.

“He found us!”

Alaya threw Aidan away from her before leaping out of the way of another projectile.

“Alaya, what are you-”

Aidan tried to ask, only for Alaya to roar over him, completely covering the sound of his voice.

“What was that supposed to be?!? Your aim’s even worse than before!”

Aidan watched helplessly as a barrage of identical projectiles flew towards Alaya. She was forced back further as the assault grew in intensity, but none of them actually hit her. Aidan could tell from the way she moved, that it wasn’t the first time she faced this assault.

Once she was pushed far back enough, the attack ceased. Alaya looked unsurprised by this, and she motioned to Aidan to come to her.

Aidan crawled his way to her, making sure to not draw any attention to himself. As he did, he passed by one of the projectiles that were now lodged firmly into the ground.

It’s just a log?

All of a sudden Aidan felt a strange presence bearing down on his back. The log next to him was ripped out of the ground by an invisible force. Aidan hurried to his feet to run, but it was already too late.

The log floated menacingly above his head. Aidan was ready to leap out of the way, but the distance was so short it was guaranteed to hit him regardless.

And yet, the log didn’t strike him. Whatever was watching him seemed unsure about Aidan.

Aidan couldn’t move from the spot. Alaya, however, didn’t hesitate. She grabbed a rock off the floor and threw it at the log. Aidan had but a moment to cover his head before the rock smashed into the log and broke it into pieces.

Aidan broke into a run as all the other logs levitated off the ground once more. Alaya destroyed as many as she could until they were all fully in the air, at which point they flew at them once more.

Aidan was lagging noticeably behind Alaya, but that didn’t matter as all the logs were still aimed squarely at Alaya. She deftly avoided them until one of them missed her by only centimeters. The impact was strong enough to send her falling to the ground.

She got back up to her feet as more logs came flying her way. Aidan came sprinting from Alaya’s left. He grabbed her by the hands and pulled her along with him, getting her just out of the way of the next logs that would have hit her.

Aidan felt something strange when holding Alaya’s right hand. It was like an additional thick patch of skin covering her palm.

“Aaaaah-” Alaya screamed in pain before forcing her mouth shut.

Aidan immediately let go and looked back at her to see what was wrong, but Alaya wildly shook her head. This was not the time for it.

Together they ran from the unending assault.

---

“That, that was telekinesis!” Aidan said while catching his breath.

He and Alaya had been forced back deep into the forest before the attacks ceased. They stopped to rest behind some trees, making sure to keep an eye out if any more logs flew their way.

Alaya slammed the back of her left fist on one of the trees, leaving a deep hole within.

“Who cares what the name is?!? The bastard caught us! We ain’t getting close to Kulum now.” Alaya yelled.

The punch drew Aidan’s eyes back to Alaya, specifically to her right hand. It was still shaking, and several of her fingers were twitching uncontrollably.

Even though Aidan was aware that they were still in danger, he couldn’t help but worry about it. She didn’t scream anywhere near this loud when Vaska crushed her leg!

“Alaya, is that a wound from the fire? Did you get burnt?”

Alaya looked surprised by Aidan’s question. Her eyes fluttered back and forth between him and her hand for a split second before she moved her hand behind her leg.

“No, it’s fine. It’s just an old wound. Nothin’ worth worrying about,” Alaya said along with a glare fierce enough to ward off any further questions.

The two kept watch until it was certain that the coast was clear.

Aidan leaned up against a tree and thought the situation over.

There’s no way to know what else he’s capable of using against us, even if we get past the telekinesis. To begin with, if we force our way through all of the defenses, he’s probably just going to flee. And in combat, without knowing everything that he can do, both me and Alaya are at a disadvantage.

“He didn’t seem to want to hurt me,” Aidan mentioned offhandedly.

Alaya raised an eyebrow. Aidan had slowly and steadily been learning to guess her thoughts from the subtle movements in her eyes. And this time he knew for sure, she was just giving him the courtesy of explaining himself before she’d take her turn to slap sense into him.

“Yeah, I know. I’m not capable of dodging even one of those. If I go alone, I’ll be at his complete mercy.”

“Then why-”

“It’s because I am at his mercy that I should go alone. He has nothing to fear from me. You saw yourself, if he had wished me dead, that first log would have pierced me before you could save me.”

Alaya’s expression remained completely unchanged.

“Come now, empire boy. We’re in this together. Ya might as well be honest with me. What’s the real reason?”

Aidan smiled. She learned to read him better too.

“Vaska. I met her a second time. When I escaped Talbareth, my sword led me to her. I was so delirious, I completely misread my condition and went to face her alone.”

Alaya’s eyes went wide.

“I...forgot about that. That night, a really loud noise led me to you, and when I found ya, you were lying next to a smashed-up boulder.”

Aidan nodded.

“I’m not edible to demons, but they can still kill me. She chose to spare me. Even during our fight, before you arrived, she took it easy on me. Vaska was testing me for something.”

Alaya looked extremely unsure of what to make of Aidan’s words.

“And you’re betting that the mage will be just as merciful? That’s just…suicidal!”

Aidan crossed his arms.

“I thought the fate of an empire lackey wasn’t your concern.”

The anger in Aidan’s voice took Alaya by surprise. She looked away from him out of reflex.

“That… listen, I-”

Alaya forced herself to look Aidan in the eyes. Her facial expression was strained.

“-I’m sorry! That was messed up, you’re just trying to help and all that but I can’t just-I can’t just let you sacrifice yourself like this!”

Aidan let out a sigh, and his anger deflated.

“I already told you, Alaya. I’m not going to add any more to your suffering. I won’t get hurt, and I won’t die.”

Aidan stared Alaya dead in the eyes as he spoke. His confidence was seemingly unshakable. She, on the other hand, couldn’t hide her fear.

Alaya debated with herself on what to do. She wanted to hold him back, but previous experiences have shown her that once the mage became aware of her presence, approaching Kulum became impossible.

Alaya closed her eyes and grabbed hold of Aidan’s hands. Aidan had to hold back a grunt thanks to how hard she was squeezing down on them.

“Promise that you’ll come back to me! I don’t, I can’t handle losing another one!”

Aidan closed his eyes and nodded.

“Two days, Alaya. Two days is all I need, and then I’ll be back with all the information that we need. Once midnight on the second day comes, I’ll sneak my way back here.”

“If you don’t, I’ll come for you.”

“Don’t worry, Alaya. There’s nothing in the world that can stop me from returning to you.”

Aidan’s eyes went wide upon realizing how his words sounded.

“...”

“...”

“R-Right, I better go then!”

Aidan turned to leave, only for Alaya to grab him by the shoulder and hold him in place.

“Before you leave…. In Kulum, there’s someone that-I mean see if-” Alaya kept cutting her sentences short as she stuttered.

“Alaya…?”

Beneath her scarf, Alaya grit her teeth.

“No… forget it. I’ll find out myself once we’re ready to go together. I need to see it with my eyes.”

Aidan nodded cautiously. He understood enough to know that it was not his place to ask.

“Alright then…go then, I guess.”

Aidan smiled and waved goodbye.

Alaya watched anxiously as Aidan slowly disappeared from view, regretting her decision more and more with every passing second. Alaya didn’t know Aidan well at all, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was odd about him.

The way he spoke, the way he rushed to face Vaska, and now to face the mage alone.

It was as if he was in a hurry.