After a day and a half of traveling, Parkus and I arrived further east of the country where the Grove of Calicel is said to be. We had taken rests in the middle of our journey, finding forests and spots where we wouldn't encounter any other people or troops from the Kaiser more importantly.We navigated through mountains, around cliffs, encountered some dangerous beasts living out in the wastelands, but aside from that, we were just about to start our journey.

"Look, Johann. I think that place is called Licel, the only place close enough to the Grove where we can stash up on some supplies. We can take a decent amount of rest there from the inn. It'll be fine though since no one really takes notice of you in that small town."

Parkus used his hand to cover the light of the morning sun and looked towards the small town in the distance. There didn't seem to be a lot of people due to the fact that there weren't as many buildings compared to a town in the other places we've been through, but I knew very little of the countryside, especially this one.

We stood on a slope with our mounts, taking in the fresh air and finally continuing on by heading into town.

"I've heard of this place. It's one of the few towns still unaffected by the Kaiser since he's too preoccupied fighting every other faction against him to bother with the place."

"Exactly. But, not for long. He might have control over the place once he gets what he wants, so let's be careful in case we see them."

Now the town of Licel was a quaint one. It was quiet, but the people there looked nice enough even if they minded their own businesses and ignored us. There was little presence of guards as well. The only ones that I've seen so far were the ones by the entrance, and the three others roaming the mildly busy streets.

Children ran through the streets chasing each other as their mothers chastized them for almost bumping into a man who carried two baskets of apples on his shoulders, a weight that he clearly couldn't handle as he dropped one without noticing. Parkus picked it up, but instead of returning it, he looked at it as if it were some kind of jewel and he was a treasure hunter and took a bite out of it, savoring the sweet taste.

I felt eyes on my back as I walked, by turning around, I found no one but people coming towards our way, not making eye contact.

"Something wrong, Johann?" asked Parkus.

"It's nothing. Let's keep moving."

And so we did after leaving our mounts with the stables. We arrived at a street where our inn was, and across from it were shops that sold the said supplies that Parkus needed, and some other interesting odds and ends. Though the place seemed old, it was modern enough to have what the other towns offered, even if it's not the quality one would desire.

In front some of the stores, however, were people sitting, holding their knees as they wore ragged and tattered clothing. They had a bowl filled with meager change, but not enough to buy anyone anything decent. Looking further down the road, there were more of them than I thought. No one took notice of them as well, and some who tried to ask some of the passersby denied them swiftly, looking at them with disgust.

"Tough crowd, aren't they? They all seem too at the edge on a normal day," said Parkus.

"What's new? This is how people normally act around those who don't have anything."

"Ah, there you go again with your anger against aristocrats and people with money and power."

Upon entering the inn, we came to the sight of a quiet business. Some people slept at the tables while a man wearing an apron over his shirt and pants scrubbed the counter clean, rubbing his finger on it until he was satisfied with the squeaking sound it had made. A child then came up to the counter asking him for a glass of water, placing his hand on the counter to reach out.

"Get your filthy hands off the counter you damned begging rats! I don't serve anything to those who can't pay."

The child retreated, terrified and turned away to run, but ran into Parkus, who assisted the child immediately.

"Calm down, kid. I'm not here to hurt you. Here, get something decent to eat. I don't think this place is for you," he whispered, giving five gold coins to the child, ruffling his head.

The child looked at it with wonder, and then at Parkus, then ran out the door with a smile on his face.

"Business seems a bit slow, doesn't it?" starts Parkus, coming up to the counter, greeting the man who affixed a smile on his face at the snap of a finger.

"Ah, c-customers! I'm sorry you had to see that little debacle. There's always some who try to disturb the little peace we have here in this town. Have to keep the place clean you know? No one likes drinking in the morning so not a lot of people. Besides, it keeps the establishment clean to have them off. It's a nightmare to scrub off spilled wine and beer every night. After all, this is about the only other place in this town that makes up enough noise to make it seem like we're a town. The number of people here is a welcome sight though."

"Right... Isn't that something. I've heard so little of Licel during my travels but it seems like a nice enough town. Got anything interesting floating around?"

The man held his chin and wondered. "Well, nothing to note of. It's news that's still around, but ever heard of the infamous cat burglar of Licel? It's about the only other news that's worth noting. You better be careful of your purses! If the thing eyes your pockets, you might even lose everything you own if you're unlucky. Most people here are stuck since they don't have any money after it's been snatched. Pity, those ones."

"I'll keep that in mind. Say, I don't suppose you have a room to rent, do you? My companion and I here are tired after going through the Barthierian border out east. Almost got caught for some misunderstandings, but luckily the border guards were reasonable."

"Ah, travelers. I'd say you're taking a big risk traveling around these parts, especially around the Grove of Calicel. No doubt you've heard of it."

Parkus' eyes narrow at the mention of the Grove. As far as he and I knew, not a lot of people had anything to say about the Grove since there wasn't anything to talk about it. The place was off-limits to most people, and those that do enter, go at their own peril. The place has a protector that makes sure the balance of the Grove is kept. I don't really know how that goes, but no one ever returns to tell the story of it.

"Well, you see, there are these rumors that there've been strange noises coming from the Grove. No one knows what it is, but it's loud and unnerving. Even if we are considerably far from the Grove, you hear the sounds at night, and it puts us on edge. Plus, it looks like it's dying. The gods are angry, the crazy ones say. The entire thing is going gray and everything around it!"

"How long has this been happening?" asked Parkus.

"Not too long ago. Maybe about four days ago. No one had the galls to check, so we just ignored it for most the time and hope it's nothing too terrible. But even with that, people are slowly leaving the town. Soon enough there won't be anyone here for this place to be called a town."

"We will remember to stay clear of it. Thanks for the warning."

The man presented us with the keys and led us outside where another building stood. That was the inn itself, and the building we entered previously was a reception area separating the loud crowd from the sleeping tenants.

As he left, he mentioned something more. "Oh, if your curiosity ever gets the best of you, then try heading to The village of Arum. It's a bit north from here. Those loons know more about the Grove more than anyone else in the entire world. But all I can say is that they're a bit crazy. I bet they know who's making those sounds. Don't take my word for it though," he laughed, disappearing back into the reception area.

Parkus and I went into the room before we talked, throwing our belongings on the bed as we lay down on ours. The room was on the second floor and was simple, having a window with a nice view of the rest of the town heading northwards.

"That barkeep sure knows a lot for someone who allegedly doesn't know too much," said Parkus. "He mentioned the Village of Arum, too. He seems suspicious."

"He seems like an ordinary guy to me. What did they tell you about Arum anyway?"

"Not enough to know what we're supposed to go there for. It was just mentioned briefly to be just a village on the outskirts of the Grove, nothing too important. It says that they're kind of like self-proclaimed residents of the Grove."

"We'll have to see it for ourselves then. We can ask around if someone knows more about it, then we can buy what we need for the rest of the trip."

"Good call. Let's get it done before night falls."

Parkus and I headed to the marketplace to ask around for information about the village of Arum, but no one seemed to know anything other than what the barkeep had already told us. Still, while we walked I felt as if there was someone staring at my back. I could never find that one who stood out from the crowd, even if there weren't as many people to call a crowd.

The marketplace was a busy place with people buying wares here and there. It wasn't too crowded, but it still gave off that charm that every marketplace had. Stalls lined up, merchants with large carriages containing various goods, people selling things to people walking around, chasing them if needed. But there as well were those begging people for a little bit of what they can spare. They were ignored there too, but this time there was something more drastic.

A child who seemed to be at the age of ten or twelve was running towards our direction carrying what seemed to be fruits. Two guards were chasing him and were hot on his trail.

He slipped, releasing the goods in his hands. Immediately the guards surrounded him and took the child by the wrist, backhanding him.

"You think you'll get away with stealing?! I've seen you countless of times, kid! You're going to get it this time!" the guard shouted, not minding what the populace around him thought. He brought the child up forcefully and prepared to slug him. The child struggled and turned away saying "h, let go of me! It's not fair! WE're hungry, but we don't get anything to eat. Just let us have it!" But the guard ignored it and began to bring down his fist.

I sped towards the guard and pulled his wrist away from the child. The look of bewilderment in the guard's eyes was apparent, but he caught on eventually.

"What are you doing? I'll have you jailed for getting in my way!"

"Let him go, I'll pay for what he stole."

"You don't get to decide what happens here, kid. Now back off before you get it, too!"

I was getting irritated. The people who couldn't get a hint from the first word were the ones who made me aggravated the most. I tightened my grip on his wrists until he started to squirm and let go of the child's hand. I thought I only applied a small amount of pressure on his wrist, but it seemed like I had broken it somewhat.

"Argh, let go of me!" he cried. I did as he told. He retreated a few steps and clutched his wrists, cursing as he fell to his knees, grinding his teeth.

I went to the stand and paid him for the lost goods, buying a few more to give to the child. I went up to him and gave him the bag.

He looked at me strangely and hesitated. It reminded me that Parkus and I were just different even if I used the same approach as him. I was told at some point that my face just wouldn't cut it, and making a decent enough smile would drive away anyone due to how horrifying it was, as they said.

But, oddly enough he took it anyway and spoke. "T-thank you. Thank you so much!"

But before he could walk away, the guards yelled out on timing as more of them appeared on the scene, surrounding us at every turn.

"You're not going anywhere. You two are coming with us whether you like it or not. You disobey the law, and you get what you deserve. Now stop there or we'll be forced to use any means to put you down. This town doesn't tolerate any misconduct!"

"Seems like we stirred the hornet's nest pretty badly, didn't we, Johann?" said Parkus. "Just don't do anything hasty, alright? Force in these cases is always a last resort, but even with that, we don't kill... unnecessarily." Parkus held the child close in front of him, looking around to make sure no one got too close.

"I'm not as reckless as you make me sound," I replied. "I know that much. But we'll have to knock them out if we want to get out at least. We've got someone to keep safe, too, keep that in mind."

"I hear you."

Just as I started thinking of a clear plan to escape, a thick cloud of smoke erupted from out of nowhere and enveloped everyone, depriving us of our sights. I could only see the silhouette of the child and Parkus, but aside from that, I couldn't see anyone else.

"I hear you've been asking around avidly about the Grove and Arum. Curious ones for travelers, aren't you?" a voice behind me spoke. I immediately turned and found a figure standing behind us wearing a white cloak with a hood on. The voice was feminine, and so was the physique.

"Come with me, you two, especially you, young one. You've caused these two a whole lot of trouble." She pulled the child and cradled him in her arms and ran. We followed, not knowing what we were getting into, but at that point, we didn't have any other choice.

We followed the mysterious woman through alleyways, turning on every end until we came to a place that was quiet but filled with people wearing tattered rags. There, a rickety old house stood, and an old woman sat on the front porch, waving at the cloaked woman who returned the gesture.

"Don't make any trouble for anyone anymore, alright, Fritz?" The child in her arms stood back down on the ground with the bag of fruit in hand, smiling at the cloaked woman.

"Thanks, Carima! I knew you'd be there to help me out. Don't worry, I won't. See you!" he said, running, but returning to us. "Oh, and I won't forget what you did for me. What's your name? Mine's Fritz?" he said, pointing at himself with a bright smile, looking to be the energetic type.

"Huh? Oh, my name is Parkus. His name is Johann."

"Alright, if you ever come back to this place, you can depend on me! I'll repay you somehow. Thanks, Johann, Parkus!" And off he goes, disappearing into the house, calling for someone.

"Those children, they're rather energetic and off the leash. Now, I think you've already heard my name from little Fritz, but I'll introduce myself again anyway. My name is Carima. I'll be straightforward with you. I want to know why you two are asking around about the Grove and Arum." She removed her hood revealing a lightly pale face with pointed ears and sapphire colored eyes. her hair was long and golden, an ornate headband sat on the top of her head. She had a sort of stoic look to her, but she wasn't devoid of emotions it looked like.

"We're just going to have a bit of a look around. We're traveling, so might as well add that to the bucket list, right?" said Parkus, nudging me from the side.

"I don't even need to see through that transparent lie using my abilities. Confess already, you might as well. I already know, I just want to hear it from your mouths."

"What do you want us to say? I've already told you that we're just travelers who've come here from out of the country," insisted Parkus.

"If you're going to be like that, then be that way. I don't suppose you'll mind losing your only lead about The Grove and Arum." She said, walking away slowly, holding her arms, expecting us to say something.

I took a step forward and stopped her. "We're there to stop the Kaiser from stealing something from the Grove. I don't exactly know what it is, but we're not there to take it either. We're there to put a stop to them."

"Ah, finally, some honesty. You should learn something from this one," she said, looking at Parkus, who sighed in defeat, looking at me skeptically. "I'll give you the information you desire under the condition that you cooperate with me. The two of you don't seem to have any bad intentions, and you two are the only ones who've ever given notice to the poverty struck. That I must commend you on. More importantly, you look capable at least, so that means you'll be able to help."

"Help? What do you mean?" I asked.

"To enter the Grove. It's simple. I go there with you, and you protect me from any form of harm. You're there for the Kaiser's lackeys, and I'm there for my own intentions. I think that our interests align in the same place, doesn't it?"

"I want to know why you'd need help in the first place," I spoke up. "But more importantly, just who are you?"

"Quite the interrogator, aren't you? Calm down, just know that I'm someone who can help you. Now let's not waste time, shall we? Every second wasted means that our chances of ridding this world of a near-godly threat will be nonexistent."

I didn't pry further into what she said since she'll most likely swerve the question, so we simply followed her as she led us. The questions constantly piled up, and the feeling in my gut spelled something bad just waiting over the horizon.

"Hey Johann, I don't like that last part of what she said. Near-godly, right? Doesn't seem too suspicious," whispered Parkus as we followed Carima.

"It's better than not having any leads. I'd rather not waste time either with finding something that doesn't exist in this town."

"If you say so. But all I'm saying is that it feels like one of those things again. Like the ones whenever I'm with you, there's always something strange and dangerous happening. Sometimes I question whether you're attracting all of those problems on purpose, or if they all just make their way to you."

"Don't ask me. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Alright, let me jog your memory a bit. That time we explored what we thought was a normal dungeon, but turned out to be a monster. Think about it, an entire dungeon! And had to go down a hundred floors killing every dangerous thing I thought never existed in the first place because that's the only way out. We almost died on that one, not just one time, but more than I could count. And we just had to go get a kid's dog for crying out loud!"

"That was just a bad coincidence. Even I didn't expect things to go that bad."

"Oh, bad doesn't even explain it. How about when we had to fly on some oversized birds and go fighting a Thunderbird above the clouds that's as large as a castle? Remember how I almost fell to my death and got zapped more times than I could count?"

"I saved you, didn't I? And we're alive. That's what counts."

"That's not the point! The mission was to deliver a letter for goodness sake. How do you even get from there, to there?! Sigh, I guess it doesn't matter then. Third time's a charm. I swear, if I survive another life-threatening mission with you in it, I'm immortal, and you're a natural cause of danger."

"Whatever you say. You're overthinking it too much, Parkus. You should be more confident even if stuff like that happens."

"I'll keep that in mind... if I live after this."

As we walked, I noticed that Carima was listening in and gave a small laugh. I didn't know whether it was directed at Parkus, who was overreacting, or at someone else. But I couldn't help but look at her ears and be reminded of something rather important.

We were made to pack up and go back on the road towards the village of Arum. She rode with me on my horse, her body facing one side. Within a few moments, we arrived a few distance away from the village of Arum. And from the stories that we were told, it didn't look as terrifying as people made it up to be. Of course, there was a wooden gate and walls going around the village, and decently armed people standing by its entrance.

The Grove sat in the near distance, a few ways away from the village but not as far. The surrounding area was not green as one would suspect from a Grove. The entire color of it was grey, and so was the area around it. It seemed as if the life from it was snuffed or siphoned.

"I don't remember the Grove looking like that," said Parkus.

"It didn't always look like that," said Carima. "You see-" before she could explain she was interrupted.

A bell rang, and soon enough people lined up on top of the barricades holding bows with arrows drawn and ready to be fired. The ones by the entrance multiplied as more appeared from inside, and they drew their wooden shields, using their spears and making a defensive line before us. Another man came from the entrance wearing a dignified uniform for a soldier; a sword hanging by his waist. He also had golden hair, but shorter. His ears were similar to Carima's, and I even got the sense of resemblance from the two of them. Suddenly, things started getting clearer.

"Calm down, Carce, it's me. I brought new volunteers," said Carima, jumping off from the horse.

The man named Carce raised his hands, in turn, the armed soldiers retreated into the safety of their walls, a few sticking by for insurance.

"We're losing precious time, Carima. I told you, we can do this by ourselves. We don't need to wait for more people. We're not like this, sacrificing others for our own ends." Carce came up to Carima and chastised her.

"We're going to need as much help as we can get, Carce. These two looked like our best bet, and I think I'm a bit convinced. Besides, we've already asked most of the outsiders for help, and though some of them didn't make it, we got to find out more about what we're facing."

"You're making it sound like we're using the mortals as sacrifices."

"It's more than that. We've lost our own as well. The situation has become too dire to ignore, so we have to take every chance we get before it gets too out of hand."

As the conversation went back and forth, Parkus dismounted and came up to them, interrupting the two. "Mind if I just ask what this conversation is about? I think it concerns us from what I've heard, and I think we'd be more than willing to offer our services for a bit of help."

Carce looked at Parkus strictly and observed him for a while with his sharp, discerning eyes until he moved back to Carima and turned around.

"Fine, we'll continue this inside. Bring them with you to the hall, Carima," said Carce as he disappeared inside the village.

"Don't think too badly of him for the lack of a better reception. He's just really cautious to a fault. But, welcome to the village of Arum. I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but we'll answer them as best as we can inside. It's much safer there."

We followed Carima inside introducing us to the local populace.

The village itself was larger on the inside. The ones who came and met us outside stood at attention where a man stood in front of them and spoke. There were ample housing as well, a wide place for children to run and play, a place for the adults to come together and converse, it was that kind of village that functioned on its own, the rest of its capabilities only hidden from what I had already seen.

We were led to a large house with two flowing banners hanging on either side of it. The crest consisted of a being with the body of a horse but with a torso of a human's, having a head with large antlers. The figure held a bow forward with one hand.

"I don't recognize the insignia, but the mark seems a bit familiar. Ring any bells for you, Johann?"

"I think I have an idea, but I'd rather not jump into conclusions right away. It seems like we'll find out soon enough though."

We entered the large house with Carima, and there we came to the scene of a gathering. Carce, the dignified one stood in the center, overlooking what seemed to be a map on a table. Along with him were a few others that wore an impressive looking set of armor.

Carce immediately noticed us and directed the attention of the others towards us.

"Now that you're here, explain why you've come looking for the Grove. Make it brief. Time is not on anyone's side. Oh, and if you're thinking of lying, then don't. You'll be ushered out of here without reserve." He remained standing, looking at us intensely.

"We're here to make sure that the Kaiser doesn't do anything with the Grove. We were given a mission to secure the place hinting that there was something that they would eventually seek there."

"The Kaiser, you say..." muttered Carce, holding his chin in deep thought.

"Remember the ones that came in the Grove a few days ago?" enlightened Carima. "The dangerous ones wearing the intimidating, dark uniforms. I believe they were with the Kaiser."

"Those ones... I see. So you are chasing those lot to make sure that they do not take anything that the Kaiser does not want them to take? Hmph, those were formidable enemies. Unfortunately, we took enough damage from them to make us retreat. It cost us time and manpower. We didn't have a choice but to allow them to waltz in."

"Then they're inside now?!" asked Parkus in surprise. "Then we have to get in the Grove and chase them down! Whatever they're after, we're going to stop them, otherwise, more people will suffer in the long run."

"What do you think they're after?" asked Carce, narrowing his eyes at us.

"The soul of a demon?"

There was a silence in the room filled with tension. No one spoke for a while until Carima broke it.

"There's no use keeping it to ourselves, Carce," said Carima, cutting in. "You're right about that. It's a demon's soul. But there's a certain circumstance that you haven't heard of yet, I assume. The soul of that demon has been awakened and it's plaguing the Grove. You noticed that the Grove was grey, and so was the area around it, right? Well, it was a result of the demon waking up. Something disturbed it and woke the demon, causing mass hysteria in the domain of its residents. The protector of the Grove was immediately alarmed, but a demon is no simple adversary that anyone can defeat. It simply supernatural in this world of yours, but with our understanding, it isn't that supernatural."

"The battle that ensued between the Demon and the Grove protector was short-lived. Knowing its strength," said Carce, taking over. "The Grove protector, our patron, Calicel as you know him, used a part of his life force to seal the Grove and all the inhabitants of it, preventing the Demon from leaving and causing more havoc to the land. But we've figured out that alone wasn't enough to seal the Demon. It was one who possessed intelligence. It started corrupting the Grove, taking the massive energy it possessed and used it to power itself. The only thing we're worried about is why it hasn't escaped yet. I assume that it's taking everything that it can get, enough to be more than just a simple threat."

Carce walked around the table and in front of us. "Now, having learned that and the gravity of the situation, what can the two of you hope to do against it? Not even counting the demon, which I already am skeptical about. You still have the threat of those men of the Kaiser you speak of. They were indeed strong, I can vouch. Do you have the strength necessary to stand by your words?"

"Sure we are. I'd say we're more than enough to face those guys. After all, we can't doubt the people for choosing us. They believe in us and in what we can do, so we might as well live up to their expectations, right?" said Parkus casually.

"Very well, it's your choice. You may join us, but I am leading this operation. Everything that will happen must be coordinated and used effectively. If we mess up now, the rest of the world pays for it in the long run. The world isn't ready for a threat such as this, but we still have a chance to turn it around."

"Wait, aren't there others who can help us out? If it really is a demon, then won't you need the rest of the world to help out?"

"I'd rather avoid mass hysteria caused by the general public. The Kayrusians will most likely take the blame for something that we did not cause. Besides, there's little time to ask for help. We've been reckless to leave that cursed artifact there. I always knew it would bring danger to us, and now, we pay the price for that. I will bring a resolution to this. We have a pride as Kayrusians to live up to. Disgracing them by losing to one mere demon is nothing but a life of atonement and humiliation."

"Hold on, you're a Kayrus?" asked Parkus. "That ancient race that's been hiding out in the forests and groves?"

"Not hiding out, protecting them. Those are part of a sacred past we need to keep as is, away from the hands of you humans who desecrate it and transform it into a wasteland. And besides, I thought the pointed ears were a dead giveaway. I'm starting to doubt the human way of thinking."

"Ah, well, I didn't remember until now. Anyway, how are you planning on defeating a demon then? More importantly, how did a demon even get to the Grove in the first place?" Parkus continued.

"I will explain most of that later after I've organized a few things. For now, you will have to wait."

"Awfully vague as per the usual."

"It's going to take a while to explain most of them, so why don't I take over that and ease the burden?" Carima came up and stood by the door, gesturing for us to follow. "Let's take it to my abode for now. I'll tell you as much as I can from there."