"GRRR!'
Belial fixed his emerald eyes on the wanderers, who trembled as he cradled them in his massive hands. He clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to hurt them by driving his sharp fingernails into his own skin.
Though screeching in pain, this was the only way to stop his demon senses from injuring The Wanderers.
Ever since he transformed, Belial had a certain spark of hatred for Asahi and Aletha. Still, he couldn't understand why, especially in his uncontrollable demon form.
"Why can't I drop them?" Belial screamed in his mind as he tried to fight the forces possessing his demon form.
He always felt uneasy whenever he was near the wanderers. Belial didn't understand why, but he suspected there could be a reason.
Before he could think, heat burst in his arms as he clenched his fists. His beast-like foot slid, shifting boulders aside and pushing up trees as he struggled for footing. A thousand stings blistered his chest, leaving him distraught.
"Roar!"
Belial toppled to the ground.
Belial lost grip and dropped the wanderers. Their faces hit dirt, legs flailed, and they rolled down the hill.
Demon Beast Belial screeched in pain as spear-like objects stabbed him. Though he hated this form, he was willing to sacrifice his humanity to protect The Wanderers and his friends.
As he witnessed the wanderers tumble down the hill, he tilted his head downward and saw eighty pointed spears piercing through his body. His eyes widened, he fell to the ground, and screamed.
"RAWR!"
His eyelids closed as shuffling footsteps approached. His heart slowed, his horn's glow faded, and regret rose in his chest.
(I failed them, but I couldn't do anything about it. Why… I don't understand why…)
He tried to get up but saw tall men in brown armor and face-covering helmets. Though the beast couldn't gasp, Belial's mind...
Narcissa is behind this?! Belial's mind yelled as he heard the chain metal dangle.
This struck his heart like arrows piercing his skin. Betrayal fumed in Belial's soul.
"I worked for her for more than a hundred years, and this is how she repays our duties? We saved her people, we helped the nation, we assisted it during the small war between The Ending's monsters, and this is what we get in return?!"
Belial's resentment grew as he watched the knights race down the hill. He felt absolutely infuriated at Narcissa's actions. Years of serving her as one of the Great Knights of Pladtioa now felt quenched and tarnished, like a weed pulled from a garden.
As the knights fled, Demon Beast Belial slammed the ground with its fist. Its heart thumped in rage, teeth bared, legs lifting.
I feel it. I remember. You slew my family, destroyed my world, stole my memories, and cursed my family inside my eyes. That's why my eyes changed color: your selfish, immoral ways.
The beast lunged upward, tearing off all the arrows from its body. As Drimi and the others were about to reach Demon Beast Belial, it hastily charged down the hill, tearing trees from its path.
Scampering through the bushes, Sally, breathless along with the other villagers, whined in exhilaration.
"B-Belial… was right there!"
"That doesn't mean we're going to stop." Drimi relentlessly answered while continuing to run through the patch of grass.
Sally's pink eyes widened with disbelief.
"A-Are you serious? After ALL we have done?!"
Drimi deeply sighed and tossed Sally a canteen of water.
"Drink it. It will help you. The villagers appear to have enough energy to follow without it. It's the wanderers' lives that are at risk here. We can't just simply let them die."
Phthonus sprinted behind Drimi and nodded his head, agreeing.
"I agree with Drimi. There are matters too big for us to cease. Come on, let's go!"
After Sally had chugged down the canteen of water, the villagers regrouped with Sally, Drimi, and Phthonus, then resumed chasing Demon Beast Belial. None of them realized Belial no longer had the wanderers.
* * *
"Soldiers, over there!" One of the knights hollered as the wanderers lay against a pile of stones.
They were unconscious, paralyzed because of Belial's healing. It felt that The Wanderers were incompatible with it, as if it were an unknown source.
Their souls resided in a dark Abyss, unable to escape due to their unconsciousness. If they were to awaken, they would have stayed with the others a long time ago.
Demon Beast Belial chased the knights, hauling trees and spitting out toxic green goop from its mouth. Now that he was in his demon form, Belial had more freedom with his powers.
"Get your butts away from them!"
The knights ignored the warning, grabbed the wanderers, and sprinted along the brown path. Demon Beast Belial became enraged and swiftly tackled from tree to tree, chasing them through Milmoor forest.
It roared and shrieked, absolutely stunned by the knights' constant arrows released. The beast eventually slowed down and fell to the ground, physically unable to chase the knights further.
The chase lasted so long that Demon Beast Belial reached the outskirts of Pladtioa City.
If the beast were still standing, it would have decimated the wall and caused carnage to the buildings.
"Follow the Queen's path! Do NOT let go of the aliens!"
"Understood!"
Racing and accelerating forward, the Knights approached a massive wall plastered with dense creamy-colores stone and concrete. It stretched and spanned several kilometers, from the forest, all the way to the gigantic cloud-piercing mountain where the royal castle resided.
They tightened their grip on The Wanderers and carried them through a massive arched gateway at the center of the wall.
Ahead lay a vast city of concrete buildings, triangular and rectangular rooflines in varied sizes.
The bright sun complemented the city's scenery, reflecting off clear glass windows on markets and apartments.
As the knights raced across the bridge and concrete streets, something felt off.
As the knights neared a large, open city block, they saw a crowd gathered around a wooden podium. There stood a tall, brown-haired woman by a lever, more knights, and a middle-aged man near a noose.
"Get him off! He doesn't deserve to be captured!"
"STOP! This is unrighteous! You're making the nation look bad to the world!"
"What did he do to deserve this?!"
"SILENCE!" The brown-haired woman wearing a crown screamed as she stepped closer toward the lever.
"You know exactly what mistakes this man caused. He stole goods and made our nation look like a fool. A disgusting repulsion that ruins the perfect image of our nation. And therefore, he shall be punished!"
The crowd grew furious and threw objects toward the stage. A man wearing a barret and white clothing screamed as he tossed a tomato at the guards.
"By doing this, you're going to make our nation look even less merciful! There are still visitors here! This doesn't make sense!"
A girl wearing a fur coat, tattered jeans, and blonde hair, yelped out.
"He's right! Queen, what you are doing would start a war from Zomrack! Stop this non--
The Queen, infuriated, stomped her foot on the podium, lifted her arms into the air, and clenched her fists. Suddenly, she lifted her other arm into the air; her brown eyes glowed with a dark brown hue, and a stream of luminescent particles encircled the man and the woman.
The crowd moved away from their radius, jumping and screaming. "STOP!"
Nonetheless, their 'Queen' didn't listen.
The blonde-haired woman and the man wearing a barret froze in fear, seeing a devious smile shine from The Queen's face. The knights tilted their heads down, knowing that this was wrong, but respected her, knowing that they would share the same fate if they were to resist.
"What are you doing?" A citizen said.
"Silence!"
The blonde woman floated in the air, wrapped in brown lights. She closed her eyes, silent at the end.
Just as the man was about to open his mouth…
(Splat)
Blood sprayed high, pieces vanishing. The crowd panicked.
"AHHH!"
Afterward, the man wearing a barrette's eyes widened in absolute fear and knew that he was next. Without hesitation, he tilted down to the crowd, seeing his wife and children in tears and screaming at the top of their lungs.
"STOP!"
Before he could wave or even say goodbye…
(Splat)
He was also tainted by the Queen's magic. Everyone ran in circles, screaming.
"WHY!? NOOO!"
The Queen snarled and lightly chuckled. She knew that if she were to snap her fingers at this very moment…
"All hail The Queen."
Their memories of the others would be instantly washed away and forgotten.
The crowd gathered again, watching the next execution as if nothing had happened. The Queen resumed.
"Now, let's continue, shall we? This man…"
She placed her hand over his chest.
The Knights ignored the mess and moved around the crowd. Carrying the wanderers toward the podium, they saw the condemned man: tall, bearded, fair-skinned, with a silver pendant at his neck and yellow lightning symbols on his long sleeves.
The Queen slowly stepped toward the man, who was paralyzed in fear and was in shock, with his hands cuffed to thick steel chains. He tried to move but was instantly shocked by a small spark of electricity from the brown-haired woman.
"What you are doing is immoral. This would form a scar and ruin your nation even more--
The Queen interrupted him.
"Silence!"
She continued while she slapped him in the face, and the crowd cheered.
Brich Besector ruined our morals and brought strange things from afar. My law says foreign goods get you punished."
The crowd raised their hands, cheering and clapping.
"We do!"
The Queen sinisterly smiled.
"Right… and what do we do to men who don't OBEY my laws?"
The audience leaped up into the air with excitement.
"They get executed!"
"Hahaha, correct."
A silence filled the area. The wind blew over The Queen's hair and the banners that dangled over the poles of the podium. The Queen's footsteps echoed over the wooden floor, resonating through the building's walls, as the audience waited in anticipation.
She stepped closer toward the large steel lever placed conveniently on the other side. Then, the Queen ordered her guards to put the noose over Brich's neck.
As she slowly wrapped her fingers over it, with her head staring at Brich with a devious smile…
Before anyone even realized it…
"Roar!"
The execution was paused.
Roaring from a distance, followed by tremors shaking and tossing bookshelves off the tall porches, was a beast with horns, a muscular build, and dense brown fur. Its emerald eyes gleamed in the hazy distance, shaking the buildings and tossing walls just by its fists.
It was Belial.
The crowd panicked and screamed, running around like a herd of headless chickens. The Knights were so stunned that they lost grip of the wanderers and fled from The Queen, in cowardice, to avoid being included.
Immediately, the Queen released her grip from the lever, keeping Brich alive. She was infuriated by the interruption, gritted her teeth, hastily stepped down the stairs, and screamed like a child.
"What is that?! Knights, I order you to investigate…."
(Boom!)
Loose bricks flew in the air, followed by buildings collapsing beyond the platinum bridge. The crowd was shocked, and hastily they fled from the block toward the streets.
As the knights were about to sprint, the Queen stopped them, stepped forward, grabbed her staff, and demanded with a stern voice.
"Never mind! Move back!"
She placed her two hands over her staff and smiled. As Demon Beast Belial charged through the streets, the Queen announced.
"I will be the one to take care of it."
Anticipation surged as the tip of her staff glowed bright brown. Demon Beast Belial snarled, raised its arms, and pried open its jaw, furious.
"Now, now… You were the one who served me… therefore you shall--
The beast slammed its fists down, tore a chunk of earth, and hurled it at The Queen. She dodged, leaving her guards exposed to the impact.
"Really? Is that all you--
Her dark mocha eyes widened; her heart thumped with excitement as she saw that next to her feet were two individuals with long, white hair and dark attire.
The Wanderers.
Realizing the Queen had discovered the wanderers, the beast charged, tossing people, bricks, and tables into the air.
The Queen would never believe that her 'servant' could act this way. She didn't even flinch or bat an eye at the beast.
All the Queen did was gaze in amusement, watching the wanderers lie unconscious on her feet. She didn't even care if her own city was being destroyed.
"Finally…" She whispered.
"ROAR!"
The beast was close. The civilians moved away from its path as it was charging, forcing buildings to tremble and panic. Skidding and dragging its arms through the street, Demon Beast Belial was beaming with adrenaline, appalled that now… he could finally attack The Queen.
"Haha! Foolish betrayer." The Queen said.
Drimi screamed from a distance as she approached the bridge.
"BELIAL!"
Belial's eyes widened in shock. Through the buildings, he saw Drimi, Sally, and Phthonus dashing, followed by hundreds of sweat-drenched villagers.
(Drimi?)
As the beast got distracted, the Queen used this moment to her advantage and tried to carry both the wanderers in her own hands.
She tried desperately to carry them, but failed due to her own weakness, realizing that she couldn't lose her staff. With her face quivering, hearing hundreds of footsteps nearer to her, the Queen hastily grabbed Asahi and dropped Aletha to the ground.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" Phthonus yelled as he pulled his book out.
The Queen smirked, pressed her face to Asahi's cheek, taunting the onlookers. She did not notice Demon Beast Belial was…
(Shune)
Her staff sparked and glowed bright brown. As the beast readied to strike, all watched as…
(Poof)
Everyone's eyes widened in absolute surprise; an unnerving silence sprouted out. Their breathing quickened, and the Queen made a devious smile. Hastily, she fled with Asahi cradled in her right arm and the rest of her trance-guards toward the direction of her castle.
Drimi, Sally, and Phthonus screamed with tears as her footsteps resounded over the walls.
"Asahi! Belial!"
No fur, teeth, jaw, limbs, or eyes remained. The beast vanished like a popped bubble.
Only sparkling brown dust and a few fur trails remained from the disappearance. Their hearts went stiff.
"Where is he?!"
Though Sally usually panicked, she remained relatively calm during the incident. She couldn't fully discern the events, but she recognized the Queen's actions.
As the rest stood utterly still in disbelief, Sally whispered.
"He's not dead. B-Belial has been teleported."
"Huh?!" Drimi exclaimed.
Without hesitation, Phthonus sprinted to Aletha by the wall, lifted her, and carried her on his back. He couldn't risk another of The Wanderers being captured by The Queen.
"You'll be safe." Whispered Phthonus as he felt Aletha's hand dangling over his shoulders.
Drimi shook her head and pulled Sally closer.
"What do you mean he got teleported?!"
Sally was shunned by fear, seeing and feeling Drimi's stern aura, which shriveled her confidence. Slowly, she started to grow dreary and steadily lifted her finger.
"Belial's not dead. Remember when Narcissa, the Queen, revealed to us all her abilities and what she could do many years ago?"
Drimi and Phthonus slowly nodded.
"Then maybe she did this to Belial…? Perhaps SHE knew that he could turn into a demon and teleported him somewhere else."
A silent wind flowed against their hair. The villagers stood in absolute shock, unable to recall what had happened. They have been so isolated from the city of Pladtioa that they almost had a heart attack just by entering the place.
Drimi and Phthonus eventually realized and understood what Sally was talking about. It was hard for them to believe that Sally could remain so calm, despite the situation.
"But, Asahi has been captured. You remember what happens when Aletha and her brother get separated, right?" Phthonus exclaimed.
Drimi and Sally jumped up and silently nodded.
"Yes, and what's worse is that The Queen has them now. We still haven't even retrieved our weapons. So what makes us think--
Abruptly, the sound of chains snapping echoed over the block, followed by footsteps, a drag, and then a loud whistle.
"What was that?"
Suddenly, Phthonus' eyebrows raised. The weight on his shoulder vanished, implying that…
"Where's Aletha?!" He asked.
Then, Drimi was swift enough to see someone running out to an alley from up the corner. She gasped, jumped up, and raised her voice.
"Some dude with lightning bolts on his sleeves, a beard, and kind of… tall was running to the corner."
"And…?" Phthonus added.
Drimi replied.
"There was also a body over his back!"
Instantly, Phthonus sprinted, as did Sally, and the villagers followed suit. As Drimi chased the group from behind, Phthonus hollered at the top of his lungs.
"It's Brich! Chase after him!"