After giving the Amarok mother a funeral pyre out of respect for both her and Marishka, we disposed of the assumed bandit corpses and returned to the inn as the sun began to set. I didn’t know if animals were permitted within the inn or not, but I decided to be petty and requested Sora conceal our newest companion. While seemingly uncomfortable beneath Sora’s veil, Marishka proved still numbed after her mother’s passing. I carried her in the crook of my arm, with her chin resting on my shoulder, as we entered the inn and walked through the barroom and up to our quarters.

Upon arriving, Sora dispelled her veil, and I set Marishka at the foot on my bed, before sitting down next to her. “What’s the plan tomorrow?” I asked Sora as she picked up her bag and began to sift through its contents.

“We head out at first light.” She answered with a definitive nod. “With a comfortable pace, we’ll be able to reach Xadria by late afternoon, barring unexpected happenstance.” Sora’s gaze rose and lingered on Marishka. “Thankfully, Xadria won’t bar little Rishka’s entry, considering she still looks like a normal wolf pup.”

Marishka huffed through her nose as if offended by the comparison.

I couldn’t help but offer the tiny canine an amused smirk, pushing my fingers through the fur on her head. “Smug little thing, aren’t you?”

She grumbled at my words, turning her snout to face away from me.

A laugh escaped me as I turned my head to the side to see that it looked dark outside. “I take it we have another early morning tomorrow?”

“If we’re to reach Xadria in a reasonable amount of time, yes.” Sora nodded to my question as she pulled out a change of clothes, a plain cloth tunic and a pair of short shorts. “You should get ready for bed. We can prepare something for Marishka when we’re both done.”

I hummed in response to her words as I stood up from the bed, hand still resting on the pup’s head. I turned to give Sora privacy and went to my bag. The Amarok stood up and padded over to my bag, peering inside with a reluctant curiosity. I ruffled her head, gently digging my fingers into her fur with a single hand as I pulled out clothes to wear to bed. Pulling my hand from her head, I went about the process of unbuckling and unstrapping my armor to change.

A few moments later, I wore a pair of loose-fitting shorts and a T-shirt. Setting my armor to the side, I placed and folded it on a nearby chair for easy access when awoke the next morning. My sword rested against the wall next to my bed, in case of an emergency. I then turned around to see that Sora had crouched in the space between our beds, adjusting a few blankets and a pillow, no doubt for Marishka. She turned her head to regard the patiently waiting puppy. “Do not climb into bed with either of us. For securities’ sake, I can’t cast anything that would avert attention from us, because it could affect bystanders.”

Marishka huffed through her nose, glancing down at her makeshift bed apathetically. Then she looked over to me. I merely shrugged at her, causing her mouth to open as she yawned. Promptly, Marishka hopped off my bed and landed in her blanket cocoon, lying down and closing her eyes.

Sora then nodded and stood as she regarded me. “Let’s follow her lead, Joey.” She offered me a smile. “I hope you’re an early riser because tomorrow morning will be an entirely new beast when compared to today.”

“We’ll have to see, I suppose.” With that, Sora walked over to a candle and blew out the flickering ember, submerging the room in darkness. I climbed into bed and closed my eyes. Shockingly enough, I fell asleep far faster than I thought.

I stood upon a worn, aged and torn carpet in the middle of a dimmed, lowlight chamber. Moonlight peered through a stain glass window, depicting a set of level scales. The room gave off a faint, reddish illumination. Eight worn and chipped pillars were evenly dispersed around the hall, holding up a high ceiling, from which a black banner hung freely. The room appeared barren and empty, yet I had a feeling that something was missing, something intrinsic to the atmosphere.

From where I stood, directly in front of me rested a marble throne, chiseled meticulously as if by an amateur hand. It had no decoration, no cushion, no tapestry. It appeared dull and almost unassuming in how it physically appeared. It looked painfully uncomfortable as if no amount of moving would make it better.

But it called to me. It demanded my attention, my presence. I tried to move forward, to answer that call, but I could not; feeling rooted in space where I stood.

“You’re not really here. Just an astral projection.” A painfully familiar voice pulled my attention from my internal musings. My gaze shot towards the source to see a beautiful young woman clad in a simple, black, thigh-length dress. A shawl rested upon her shoulders, wrapped around her and hanging to her waist. There were bags under her blue eyes, but they were faint. Her thigh length black hair flowed freely behind her. She no longer appeared gaunt, but still immensely tired. Penemue smiled as she gazed at me. “Still, I am glad to see you well, Joseph.” She stood at a doorway on the far side of the room.

“How…how is this possible?” I turned my eyes to my hands, feeling them widen at my partially translucent limbs.

“Terras calls to her King,” Penemue answered, her voice soft, but proud. “You took a mantle that has been gone wanting for what’s felt like an eternity.” She let out a laugh, reminding of the gentle melody of wind chimes in a light breeze. “After all this time, we finally have our King. I’m sure you can imagine how stressed our patience is.” My Regent paused, cocking her head to the side. “How is Soralynn treating you? She is a very dedicated young lady.” A small smile grew on her face, amusement dancing her in her bright eyes. “I sometimes have to force her to relax.”

I let out a small laugh. “I can tell. Sora practically has our entire route mapped and prepared.” That brought a smile from Penemue as she nodded at my answer. I then felt my lips curl downwards as I considered something. “Are you watching us?”

“Clairvoyance is a talent of mine, yes.” Penemue inclined her head to me, her expression, mysterious. “I cannot peer too close to Veracity; else their Court Mage would sense my spiritual intrusion.”

She didn’t answer my question, but I let it pass. I looked around the throne room. “All of this…it’s mine when I get here?”

“This and more.” Penemue smiled as she nodded to me. “You can only see this room for now, but there is so much more to see.” My Regent strode further into the room, her gaze rolling around the frayed stone walls. “The castle lives like any other. She’s been in disarray, existing without a King. But now? With your willing ascension, she’ll begin to return to her days of wonder and glory.” She then turned to face me, her smile wide and proud. “All with you sitting upon her throne.”

“What am I supposed to do as King?” I asked her. “I know nothing about politics or ruling.”

“As Demon Lord, your word is Law in Terras. Whatever your whims offer you, they will follow gleefully and without hesitation by its inhabitants.” Her eyes took on an ominous glow, lips curling strangely. “Once you find your Generals, then we can finally bring Terras back to its former glory, and you can enjoy the freedom you’ve yearned for so long.”

“So we’re using each other for our own ends, then?”

“If that is what you believe, then so shall it be.” Penemue demurred with an incline of her head.

I took her words with a faint frown, before turning to regard her. “Mina. What is she like?”

Penemue did not answer immediately before her lips curled playfully. “You’ll have to see, My King.” I opened my mouth to ask another question, but my Regent continued. “Good morning, Joseph. I hope you rested well.”

Confusion filled me. “What do-”

“-you mean,” I mumbled out as my eyes opened and I stared at the wooden ceiling above me. I blinked a few times as I sat up, taking in my current surroundings. I had woken up back in the room that Sora and I had rented. “Did…she just play a prank on me?” Disbelief filled me as I palmed my face and shook my head.

“Joey? What’s wrong?” Sora asked me as she too sat up on her bed, the shoulder of her shirt dipping downwards.

“Penemue is a troll,” I said as turned to the side, stepping onto the cold wooden floor.

Sora frowned at me. “A ‘troll’? I don’t think she’s a troll. I may not know what her species is, but she is no troll.”

I let out a laugh as I looked over to her. “It has a different meaning in my old world. Basically, playing a joke for the sake of causing trouble.”

She continued to frown as if mulling the word over in her mind as she got to her feet. Then she hummed and shook her head. “I’ll never understand how a human’s mind works. I’ll take your word for it.” Sora then reached down the hem of her shirt and pulled it off over her head, without a care for my presence. Once again, I noticed the scars that peppered her bare back, shifting ever so lightly as she moved. The tight, corded muscle that demonstrated her clear history of physical activity.

Turning my head from her, I faced the wall on the other side of my bed and began to change back into my armor. As I stripped down to a pair of braise, I caught sight of a black blob sitting on my bed in my periphery. Turning my head, I looked down at my newest follower, an Amarok puppy. Her pale red eyes stared unblinkingly at me as if waiting for something. “Did you sleep well, Marishka?” I asked her as I pulled on my pants and began to strap on my greaves, sitting next to her on the bed.

She bared her teeth in a pronounced yawn, sliding her tongue along her teeth sleepily. She groaned at me, a hint of exasperation coloring her stare.

I let out a gentle laugh. “Yeah, it is early to be getting up, but when you have places to be…?” I shrugged as I snapped the last buckle in place and stood back up. Turning around, I noticed Sora smoothing out the creases of her dress and adjusting her corset.

Sora caught me looking and twisted around to both study me and smile in amusement at Marishka. Her eyes trailed along my chest before she met my eyes. “I’ll take Marishka out before you and set up our horses. Don’t take too long.” She walked over to the Amarok and leaned down to pick her up, but Marishka snapped at her, snarling at the witch. Sora narrowed her eyes, which took on a menacing glow.

Before she could respond, I snapped my fingers next to the pup’s ear, causing her jump and whine in surprise. “Hey. None of that.” I scolded her, giving her a stern glare. “If you don’t want to be picked up, then stay close and unseen. But I will not have fighting amongst us.” I looked to Sora for a moment, meeting her eyes and seeing a glint of approval. Whether that be for my discipline of Rishka, or just for taking charge, I didn’t know. “The three of us are in this together. I will not accept infighting. Am I understood?” My eyes went from the Amarok, then to the Witch.

“I understand.” Soralynn purred submissively, her eyes taking on a faint glow, approval dancing in her smile.

Marishka groaned in answer to my statement, standing up and hopping down to the ground at Sora’s feet.

I then focused on Sora, who smiled mysteriously at me. “Do what you have to do, but don’t pick up Marishka unless it’s necessary.” Sora nodded to me, her smile widening subtly. Looking over the edge of the bed, I locked eyes with the Amarok. “And you, Marishka. Sora knows this place very well like she knows people. Follow her lead till I get to you.” She groaned at me, turning her head away from me petulantly.

“Worry not, my King.” Sora started softly, crossing an arm over her heart. “We’ll get out of here safely.” With that, she waved a hand over herself and her reluctant companion, causing a faint ripple to roll over them, then promptly left the room with her bag in hand.

I closed my eyes and let out a breath, shaking my head. “That puppy…” Then, with one last sigh, I went about changing into the rest of my armor.

It didn’t take long, even with the addition of the hilt attached to my belt, for me to get fully dressed. The jacket felt pleasantly snug, but still offered plenty of room for me to maneuver without being restricted. Even after having already worn it yesterday, I couldn’t help the childish glee that filled me as I wore it. Then I swiftly realized the life I now lived and the circumstances behind it. Abducted to a new world; forced to fight for them and killed by someone I considered a brother in all but blood. That quickly dampened what excitement I felt. Closing my eyes, I exhaled through my nose and pushed aside those negative thoughts. Treating them like I did my asthma, I pushed them out and took in what positivity I could.

“I’m living in a fantasy world now,” I muttered under my breath, fostering that childish glee to resurface. A laugh escaped me, warmth filling my chest. My shoulders fell as tension bled out of me. Rolling my neck, I lifted my bag and slung it over my shoulder. I walked out of the room, picking up the key for the bedroom from the nightstand.

As I walked down the steps to the first floor, I couldn’t help but hear a cacophony of voices echoing downstairs, anger and fear coloring the words with a menagerie of hues. I paused on the steps, confusion filling me. Wait. How could I know that? Furrowing my brow, I focused on the colors.

Reds, yellows, greys. They dominated the atmosphere of the bar and inn, even from where I stood on the steps. They swirled and flowed in the air before, darkening and lightening in twisting intervals. It looked like a physical representation of a drug trip a person could see on television. I focused on the colors and began to understand the emotions connecting to them. Anger, fear, anxiety. Emotions that roiled and churned in the stomach of the ones experiencing them.

The smell of rotten and burnt meat tickled my nose, nearly forcing me to gag. It didn’t feel like a natural smell, but one that stroked the back of my mind and my throat.

A groan escaped me. “I can smell emotions, too?” Exasperation filled me as I shook my head and muttered under my breath. “I’ll focus on that later. I need to figure out what’s going on first.” Continuing down the stairs, I reached the first floor and saw that Sora stood by the bar, frustration coloring her stoic mien as she stared at the woman.

“What do you mean no one can leave? My friend and I have places we need to be.” Her tone of voice, smooth as silk, but with a hint of steel behind it, demanded an explanation.

The woman appeared obstinate but sympathetic. “I apologize, but the militia has closed the entryways until this situation resolves itself. It’s all in place for the safety of travelers; I promise you.”

Sora looked like she wanted to retort, her expression cracking to show hints of her anger, but she closed her eyes to let out a breath. Next to her, sitting on her hind legs, Marishka silently snarled at the woman, unseen under Sora’s veil.

“What’s going on?” I asked as I approached the pair. Behind Sora, in the tavern proper, were a plethora of armored and armed people speaking amongst themselves, as if in an informal war council. As I stepped off the stairwell, a few of the older looking soldiers glanced over to me, their gazes falling on my sword as I headed to the bar.

The woman at the bar frowned as she glanced behind Sora and me, still uncomfortable with Sora’s regard. Then she sighed, her skin looking green. Fear and anxiety rolled off of her in waves, though I tried to ignore them. “During a routine check of the area, the militia’s scouts found the bodies of several mutilated bandits, as if mauled by a wild animal.” She grimaced, her lips curling. “There have also been several abductions for women and children.”

I narrowed my eyes at that, looking to the bar in thought. “And they’re locking everyone in here because…?”

She looked vaguely uncomfortable at my question. “The leaders of the militia are concerned that the kidnappings happened from within this settlement.”

I tried not to roll my eyes at her answer. Of course, it happened from inside the settlement. Still, now seemed like the wrong time to retort with sarcasm. “So there’s an inside man?” She gave me a confused look at my question, clearly not understanding my term. Nodding at her confusion, I elaborated, “Could there be a bandit in the settlement, hiding in plain sight, sending their comrade's information?”

Realization appeared in her face, and she swiftly nodded. “Yes. That’s what the commander believes.” She smiled as if she had won a prize from such a simple deduction.

Sora regarded me plainly, though I caught a hint of warning in her amber gaze.

“You thought that up pretty quickly, young man.” I turned around to see an older man with a trimmed salt and pepper beard, dressed in simple, but sturdy leather and steel armor. A one-handed hammer with an ax blade on one side rested at his side. Sharp, brown eyes framed by pronounced crow’s feet focused on me with a concerning intensity. “Not many people come up with ideas like that. What brought you to it?”

For an instant, I stiffened with indecision. How could I spin this without sounding suspect or delusional?

“What other reason could there be for the militia to close the settlement?” I replied with a rhetorical question. “It’s common sense. If you know there’s a danger, and a potential source of it hides amongst the people, like a fox in the henhouse, then it’s best to lock it down so the hounds can find it before things go out of control.”

The man gave me an appraising look, his expression stoic for a few moments before he nodded in approval. “I’m glad some people understand. I’ve had to deal with a few rowdy travelers giving the little lady here trouble.”

“Sir!” The young woman behind the bar scowled at him, causing him to chuckle good-naturedly.

The commander shook his head, before facing me once more. “You seem like you have a good head on your shoulders if only figuring out what others didn’t. What say you join us for planning out defenses?”

I shared a look with Sora, who remained stoic. She stared back at me, eyes flickering with masked frustration. Then I turned back to the commander. “Would this be resolved today if I did? My friend and I do have places we need to be today.”

“You and everyone else, boy.” The man scowled at me, before closing his eyes and exhaling through his nose. “Perhaps if we locate the source of the potential assault, then I’ll loosen the blockade. But I refuse to let those selfish vagabonds take more than their little camps.”

“Then you’ve got yourself another pair of eyes and a sword arm,” I answered the man as I stepped away from the bar, resting my hand on the hilt of my sword.

The man grinned clapping me on the shoulder. The force of the impact would’ve forced me to buckle in the past, but it did little more than make me square my shoulders. “Good man. We’ll be over by the grouped tables when you’re ready to join us.” He then turned and strode back to the rest of the militia.

I turned back to Sora, keeping Marishka in my periphery. “Keep an eye on things here. I’ll be offering my strength to the militia so we can leave as soon as possible.”

Sora nodded, crossing her arms with a frown. “I shall stay and help protect the remaining women and children, then.” I returned her nod and made to follow the old man to the impromptu meeting, but she caught me by the arm. “Lyall.” She called me by the name we agreed would be my pseudonym. I met her worried gaze once more. “Be careful.”

I nodded to her with a small smile, before turning an approaching the impromptu war council. As I did, though, I couldn’t help but get the occasional flashback to what happened in Nyrill, my last meeting with the whole of my old class.

Shaking my head, I finally reached the tables where the commander had taken a few tables and pushed them together and surrounded it with a collection of other armed and armored people, men, and woman. They were an assortment of simple armors, primarily leather and the occasional chainmail. Very few, almost none, wore plain steel, but a person or two who wore it in their armor, at least on a small portion.

The commander smirked playfully at me. “Your woman offering her parting words?”

“Just a friend, a traveling companion.” I gently refuted him, my gaze rolling across the map of the settlement, taking in the various circular tacks that I assumed marked positions where the militia had people stationed. “What are we looking at?” I decided to get right down to business. I had places to go and people to meet — the less time I wasted on the arrogance of those involved with banditry, the better.

“A guild-trained scout saw a few signs.” The commander answered decisively, turning his attention to a young woman who appeared to be trying to hide in the back of the group, yet still tried to pay attention to the meeting. She had a petite, slender frame that remained hidden beneath a dark brown cloak with the hood pulled over her head. “Relona, we’re going to begin the meeting to assault the bandits.”

“Okay.” Her voice had a light timbre to it as she approached the table, steps too light to make noise. As she got closer, I noticed her pointed chin peeking out from the shadow of her hood. Her skin had a light tan complexion. The young woman stood a few inches shorter than me, the top of her head reaching my chin. She approached the table, turning her gaze up to me. Her eyes were a forest green color, reminding me of leaves on a summer day. She studied me intently for a few tense seconds before she looked down to the map. A slender, gloved finger poked out from her sleeve and rested on the map that depicted the forestry on the north end of the village. “There were a lot of footprints here that lead out. They appeared sloppily hidden.”

I hummed at her answer, narrowing my eyes at the map. “They tried to hide, but were in a rush,” I mumbled as I stared at where her finger rested, trying to remember the exact location or if I had seen that area. I looked back to Relona, who studied me with a surprising intensity. “How close is their base camp?”

She didn’t answer immediately but sluggishly shrugged. “Close enough they’d want to hide evidence. Far enough to need to hurry. I didn’t follow their path to check.”

The commander grunted in dissatisfaction. “Either way, they’re too close for comfort. I want them gone.”

Frowning, I studied the map. “Relona, can you still follow the trail?”

“Hm.” She nodded at me. “It’s still fresh, but too many people will ruin it.” Relona paused, her lips pursing in distaste. “Also, everyone else is too noisy. They’d hear us far before we reached the hostages.”

“Not everyone’s a ghost like you, Lona.” One of the other militiamen grunted, getting a heated stare from her.

“Not my name.” She rebuked and swiftly turned back to the map.

The commander shook his head. “I’ve told you once before, Relona. I’m not letting you go off on your own.”

“They won’t catch me.” She defended, her hand clenching.

“We don’t know if they have any Diviners, traps or scouts like you.” The old man stared her down.

Relona set her jaw, defiance dancing in her gaze. “There are no scouts like me.”

A frustrated grunt answered her. “So you say.”

“I’ll go with her.” I cut in, mostly to stop the argument. That caused almost everyone to turn towards me, disbelief and surprise in their expressions. Though, the commander seemed skeptical if the arch of his brow meant anything. Relona, though, stared at me with her wide green eyes. “I’m light on my feet and a fast learner.” Then I smirked. “If I get caught, I think I can make a noisy distraction for her to either get away or find the hostages.”

The man narrowed his eyes at me, pursing his lips. His gaze flickered to the sword at my waist. “How are you with that sword?”

“Like I’ve used it for years.” I gave instead of an answer. The commander grunted, holding back a smile if the faint twitch of his lips indicated anything. He turned to Relona. “Are you willing to do this, Relona?”

She did not answer him, studying me. “Can I trust you?” Her voice sounded light, but I felt an edge to her tone.

“That’s not something I can decide for you,” I replied, meeting her gaze without hesitation. “All I can tell you, that you’ll likely believe, is that I want to rescue the innocent villagers.”

Relona remained silent for a few moments, staring at me intently. Then she very noticeably turned towards the commander. “I agree with his plan. We’ll work faster as a pair than as a group.”

The old man narrowed his eyes at me as if searching for something. After a nod, he turned back to Relona. “You got your special arrows, there, Little Lona?” Relona frowned, narrowing her eyes even as she nodded to him. The man smirked as he crossed his arms, turning his attention to the rest of the group. “Got that, men? We got a pair of scouts willing to brave those bandits for you. Let’s give them our best!”

The roared an affirmative with their answer, fists slamming against hard surfaces.

Relona and I shared an exasperated stare.